NG ATTITUDE ADOPTED AT THIS TIME BY THE MORE
POWERFUL TOWARD THEIR INFERIORS. For as the military contingent came
to be hard pressed by dint of campaigns and was baffled out and out in
frequent hopes frequently entertained, and the debtors were repeatedly
abused and maltreated by the money-lenders, the people became inflamed
to such a pitch of fury that many of the destitute abandoned the city,
withdrew from the camp, [Sidenote: FRAG. 16^5] AND LIKE ENEMIES
GATHERED THEIR SUBSISTENCE FROM THE COUNTRY.

WHEN THIS SITUATION HAD BEEN BROUGHT ABOUT, SINCE NUMBERS CAME
FLOCKING TO THE SIDE OF THE REVOLUTIONISTS, THE SENATORS, DREADING
THAT THE LATTER MIGHT BECOME MORE ESTRANGED AND THE NEIGHBORING TRIBES
JOIN THEIR REBELLION FOR PURPOSES OF ATTACK, MADE PROPOSITIONS TO THEM
IN WHICH THEY PROMISED EVERYTHING THAT THE SENATE WAS EMPOWERED TO DO
FOR THEM. BUT WHEN THEY DISPLAYED THE UTMOST AUDACITY AND WOULD ACCEPT
NO OFFER, ONE OF THE ENVOYS, AGRIPPA MENENIUS, BEGGED THEM TO HEARKEN
TO A FABLE. HAVING OBTAINED THEIR CONSENT HE SPOKE AS FOLLOWS. ONCE
ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE BODY BEGAN A CONTENTION AGAINST THE BELLY. AND
THE EYES SAID: "WE GIVE THE HANDS THE POWER TO WORK AND THE FEET THE
POWER TO GO." AND THE TONGUE AND THE LIPS: "THROUGH US THE COUNSELS OF
THE HEART ARE MADE KNOWN." AND THEN THE EARS: "THROUGH US THE WORDS OF
OTHERS ARE DESPATCHED TO THE MIND." AND THE HANDS: "WE ARE THE WORKERS
AND LAY UP STORES OF WEALTH." AND FINALLY THE FEET: "WE TIRE OURSELVES
OUT CARRYING THE WHOLE BODY IN JOURNEYS AND WHILE WORKING AND WHILE
STANDING." AND ALL IN A CHORUS: "WHILE WE LABOR SO, THOU ALONE, FREE
FROM CONTRIBUTION AND LABOR, LIKE A MISTRESS ART SERVED BY US ALL AND
THE FRUIT OF ALL OUR LABORS THOU THYSELF ALONE DOST ENJOY." THE BELLY
HERSELF ADMITTED THAT THIS WAS SO, AND SAID SHE: "IF YOU LIKE, LEAVE
ME UNSUPPLIED AND MAKE ME NO PRESENTS." THIS PROPOSITION SUITED, AND
THE MEMBERS VOTED NEVER MORE TO SUPPLY THE BELLY BY THEIR COMMON
EFFORT. WHEN NO FOOD WAS PRESENTED TO HER, THE HANDS WERE NOT NIMBLE
TO WORK, BEING RELAXED ON ACCOUNT OF THE FAILURE OF THE BELLY, NOR
WERE THE FEET POSSESSED OF STRENGTH, NOR DID ANY OTHER OF THE LIMBS
SHOW ITS NORMAL ACTIVITY UNINJURED, BUT ALL WERE INEFFICIENT, SLOW, OR
COMPLETELY MOTIONLESS. AND THEN THEY COMPREHENDED THAT THE PRESENTS
MADE TO THE BELLY HAD BEEN SUPPLIED NOT MORE TO HER THAN TO THEMSELVES
AND THAT EACH ONE OF THEM INCIDENTALLY ENJOYS THE BENEFIT CONFERRED
UPON HER.

[Siden