ortunity. But if there be no refuge
for suppliants among them, that he would traverse all Latium, and would
apply to the Volscians, and AEquians, and Hernicians, until he should
come to those who knew how to protect children from the impious and
cruel persecution of parents. That perhaps he would find some ardour
also to take up arms and wage war against this proud king and his
haughty subjects." As he seemed a person likely to go further onward,
incensed with anger, if they paid him no regard, he is received by the
Gabians very kindly. They bid him not to be surprised, if he were at
last the same to his children as he had been to his subjects and
allies;--that he would ultimately vent his rage on himself if other
objects failed him;--that his coming was very acceptable to them, and
they thought that it would come to pass that by his aid the war would be
transferred from the gates of Gabii to the walls of Rome.

[Footnote 62: _His degeneracy--degeneratum_. This use of the passive
participle is of frequent occurrence in Livy.]

54. Upon this he was admitted into their public councils, where though,
with regard to other matters, he professed to submit to the judgment of
the old inhabitants of Gabii, to whom they were better known, yet he
every now and then advised them to renew the war; to that he pretended
to a superior knowledge, because he was well acquainted with the
strength of both nations, and knew that the king's pride was decidedly
become hateful to his subjects, which not even his own children could
now endure. As he thus by degrees stirred up the nobles of the Gabians
to renew the war, went himself with the most active of their youth on
plundering parties and expeditions, and ill-grounded credit was attached
to all his words and actions, framed as they were for deception, he is
at length chosen general-in-chief in the war. There when, the people
being still ignorant of what was really going on, several skirmishes
with the Romans took place, wherein the Gabians generally had the
advantage, then all the Gabians, from the highest to the lowest, were
firmly persuaded, that Sextus Tarquinius had been sent to them as their
general, by the special favour of the gods. By his exposing himself to
fatigues and dangers, and by his generosity in dividing the plunder, he
was so beloved by the soldiers, that Tarquin the father had not greater
power at Rome than the son at Gabii. When he saw he had got sufficient
strength col