, and secondly
to your own valour, such occasion ye found in the battle of yesterday.
For ye fought not only with the enemy, but with that from which there
is peril greater by far, even treachery in allies. I would not have you
ignorant of the truth. It was not by any ordering of mine that the men
of Alba went towards the mountains. I gave no such command; yet did I
feign that I had given it to this end, that ye might not know that ye
were deserted, and so might fight with the better courage, and that our
enemies, thinking that they should be assailed from behind, might be
stricken with fear and so fly before us. Yet I say not that all the men
of Alba are guilty of this matter. They followed their captain, even as
ye, men of Rome, would have followed me whithersoever I might have led
you. Mettus only is guilty. He contrived this departure, even as he
brought about this war, and brake the covenant that was between Alba and
Rome. And what he hath done others may dare hereafter, if I do not so
deal with him that he shall be an ensample for all that come after."
Then the captains of hundreds, having arms in their hands, laid hold
upon Mettus. After this the King spake again: "May the Gods bless to the
people of Rome, and to me, and to you also, men of Alba, that which I
purpose to do. For my purpose is to carry away the people of Alba to
Rome; the commons of Alba will I make citizens of Rome, and the nobles
will I number among our Senators. So shall there be one city and one
commonwealth." When the men of Alba heard these words, all had not
the same mind about the matter, but all kept silence, fearing to speak,
because being without arms they were compassed on every side with armed
men.

Then said the King, "Mettus, if indeed thou couldst learn faith and the
keeping of treaties, I had suffered thee to live that thou mightest have
such teaching from me. But now, seeing that thy disease is past healing,
thou shalt teach other men to hold in reverence the holy things which
thou hast despised. For even as thou wast divided in heart between Rome
and Fidenae, so shall thy body be divided." Then at the King's bidding,
they brought two chariots, with four horses harnessed to each of them;
and binding the body of Mettus to the chariots, they drave the horses
divers ways so that the man was torn asunder.

In the meanwhile there had been sent horsemen to Alba who should bring
the people to Rome; and now the army also was led thither