s nor
cares, but suffering himself to be borne away and carried headlong, as
it were, but the impetuous violence of his passion.

when he had satisfied himself, and observed that his mother Volumnia was
desirous to say something, the Volscian council being first called in,
he heard her to the following effect: "Our dress and our very persons,
my son, might tell you, though we should say nothing ourselves, in how
forlorn a condition we have lived at home since your banishment and
absence from us; and now consider with yourself, whether we may not pass
for the most unfortunate of all women, to have that sight, which should
be the sweetest that we could see, converted, through I know not
what fatality, to one of all others the most formidable and
dreadful,--Volumnia to behold her son, and Vergilia her husband, in arms
against the walls of Rome. As for myself, if I cannot prevail with you
to prefer amity and concord to quarrel and hostility, and to be the
benefactor to both parties, rather than the destroyer of one of them,
be assured of this, that you shall not be able to reach your country,
unless you trample first upon the corpse of her that brought you into
life. For it will be ill in me to loiter in the world till the day com
wherein I shall see a child of mine, either led in triumph by his own
countrymen, or triumphing over them."

Marcius listened to his mother while she spoke, without answering her a
word; and Volumnia, seeing him stand mute also for a long time after she
had ceased, resumed: "O my son, what is the meaning of this silence? Is
it wrong to gratify a mother in a request like this? You have punished
your country already; you have not yet paid your debt to me." Having
said this, she threw herself down at his feet, as did also his wife and
children; upon which Marcius, crying out, "O mother! what is it you have
done to me?" raised her from the ground, and pressing her right hand
with more than ordinary vehemence said, "You have gained a victory,
fortunate enough for the Romans, but destructive to your son; whom you,
though none else, have defeated." And after a little private conference
with his mother and his wife, he went them back again to Rome, as they
desired of him.

the next morning, he broke up his camp, and led the Volscians homeward,
variously affected with what he had done. None, however, opposed
his commands; they all obediently followed him, though rather from
admiration of his virtue, tha