age, to furnish these with arms, and go forth with them to
meet and to conquer the Spartan forces on the field. And he who relates
this, observes, that these two captains very soon showed that warriors
are not bred in Lacedaemon alone, but in every country where men are
found, if only some one arise among them who knows how to direct them to
arms; as we see Tullus knew how to direct the Romans. Nor could Virgil
better express this opinion, or show by fitter words that he was
convinced of its truth than, when he says:--

"To arms shall Tullus rouse
His sluggish warriors."[1]

[Footnote 1: Residesque movebit Tullus in arma viros. _Virg. Aen_. vi.
814.]

CHAPTER XXII.--_What is to be noted in the combat of the three Roman
Horatii and the three Alban Curiatii_.

It was agreed between Tullus king of Rome, and Metius king of Alba, that
the nation whose champions were victorious in combat should rule over
the other. The three Alban Curiatii were slain; one of the Roman Horatii
survived. Whereupon the Alban king with all his people became subject
to the Romans. The surviving Horatius returning victorious to Rome, and
meeting his sister, wife to one of the dead Curiatii, bewailing the
death of her husband, slew her; and being tried for this crime, was,
after much contention, liberated, rather on the entreaties of his father
than for his own deserts.

Herein three points are to be noted. _First_, that we should never
peril our whole fortunes on the success of only a part of our forces.
_Second_, that in a well-governed State, merit should never be allowed
to balance crime. And _third_, that those are never wise covenants which
we cannot or should not expect to be observed. Now, for a State to be
enslaved is so terrible a calamity that it ought never to have been
supposed possible that either of these kings or nations would rest
content under a slavery resulting from the defeat of three only of their
number. And so it appeared to Metius; for although on the victory of the
Roman champions, he at once confessed himself vanquished, and promised
obedience; nevertheless, in the very first expedition which he and
Tullus undertook jointly against the people of Veii, we find him seeking
to circumvent the Roman, as though perceiving too late the rash part he
had played.

This is enough to say of the third point which I noted as deserving
attention. Of the other two I shall speak in the next two Chapters.

CHAPTER XXIII