When he had reigned thirty and seven years there befell the thing that shall now be told.  On a certain day he called the people together on the field of Mars, and held a review of his army.  But while he did this there arose suddenly a great storm, with loud thunderings and very thick clouds, so that the king was hidden away from the eyes of all the people.  Nor indeed was he ever again seen upon the earth.  And when men were recovered of their fear they were in great trouble, because they had lost their king, though indeed the Fathers would have it that he had been carried by a whirlwind into heaven.  Yet after a while they began to worship him as being now a god; and when nevertheless some doubted, and would even whisper among themselves that Romulus had been torn in pieces by the Fathers, there came forward a certain Proculus, who spake after this manner:  “Ye men of Rome, this day, in the early morning, I saw Romulus, the father of this city, come down from heaven and stand before me.  And when great fear came upon me, I prayed that it might be lawful for me to look upon him face to face.  Then said he to me, ’Go thy way, tell the men of Rome that it is the will of them that dwell in heaven that Rome should be the chiefest city in the world.  Bid them therefore be diligent in war; and let them know for themselves and tell their children after them that there is no power on earth so great that it shall be able to stand against them.’  And when he had thus spoken, he departed from me, going up into heaven.”  All men believed Proculus when he thus spake, and the people ceased from their sorrow when they knew that King Romulus had been taken up into heaven.

HOW HORATIUS HELD THE BRIDGE

Adapted by Alfred J. Church

    [King Tarquin had been driven from Rome because of his tyranny.]

King Tarquin and his son Lucius (for he only remained to him of the three) fled to Lars Porsenna, king of Clusium, and besought him that he would help them.  “Suffer not,” they said, “that we, who are Tuscans by birth, should remain any more in poverty and exile.  And take heed also to thyself and thine own kingdom if thou permit this new fashion of driving forth kings to go unpunished.  For surely there is that in freedom which men greatly desire, and if they that be kings defend not their dignity as stoutly as others seek to overthrow it, then shall the highest be made even as the lowest, and there shall be an end of kingship, than which there is nothing more honorable under heaven.”  With these words they persuaded King Porsenna, who judging it well for the Etrurians that there should be a king at Rome, and that king an Etrurian by birth, gathered together a great army and came up against Rome.  But when men heard of his coming, so mighty a city was Clusium in those days, and so great the fame of King Porsenna, there was such fear as had never been before.  Nevertheless they were steadfastly