ome young
men--very young, and of a humble class--had seized a peculiarly
beautiful girl--one of some note and consideration, too, among her
countrywomen--and were carrying her away, like the rest. Some other
young Romans of the patrician order seeing this, and thinking that so
beautiful a maiden ought not to fall to the share of such plebeians,
immediately set out in full pursuit to rescue her. The plebeians
hurried along to escape from them, calling out at the same time,
"_Thalassio! Thalassio!_" which means "For Thalassius, For
Thalassius." They meant by this to convey the idea that the prize
which they had in possession was intended not for any one of their own
number, but for Thalassius. Now Thalassius was a young noble
universally known and very highly esteemed by all his countrymen, and
when the rescuing party were thus led to suppose that the beautiful
lady was intended for him, they acquiesced immediately, and desisted
from their attempt to recapture her, and thus by the aid of their
stratagem the plebeians carried off their prize in safety. When this
circumstance came afterward to be known, the ingenuity of the young
plebeians, and the success of their manoeuver, excited very general
applause, and the exclamation, _Thalassio_, passed into a sort of
proverb, and was subsequently adopted as an exclamation of assent and
congratulation, to be used by the spectators at a marriage ceremony.

Romulus had issued most express and positive orders that the young
captives should be treated after their seizure in the kindest and most
respectful manner, and should be subject to no violence, and no
ill-treatment of any kind, other than that necessary for conveying
them to the places of security previously designated. They suffered
undoubtedly a greater or less degree of distress and terror,--but
finding that they were treated, after their seizure, with respectful
consideration, and that they were left unmolested by their captors,
they gradually recovered their composure during the night, and in the
morning were quite self-possessed and calm. Their fathers and brothers
in the mean time had gone home to their respective cities, taking with
them the women and children that they had saved, and burning with
indignation and rage against the perpetrators of such an act of
treachery as had been practiced upon them. They were of course in a
state of great uncertainty and suspense in respect to the fate which
awaited the captives, an