[11] These were the footsteps of Pon’tius Comin’ius, who, with great prudence and bravery, found means to carry a message from Camil’lus to the Romans in the Capi’tol, and to return with the appointment of dictator for Camil’lus.

[12] As a reward for this essential service, every soldier gave Man’lius a small quantity of corn and a little measure of wine, out of his scanty allowance; a present of no mean value in their then distressed situation.  On the other hand, the captain of the guard, who ought to have kept the sentinels to their duty, was thrown headlong from the Capitol.  In memory of this event, a goose was annually carried in triumph on a soft litter, finely adorned; whilst dogs were held in abhorrence, and were impaled every year on a branch of elder.

[13] As the Gauls suffered the bodies of the Romans, who were slain in their frequent encounters, to lie unburied, the stench of their putrefaction occasioned a plague to break out, which carried off great numbers of the army of Brennus.

[14] The authenticity of this narrative is more than suspicious.  Polyb’ius, the most accurate of the Roman historians, says that the Gauls carried their old home with them.  Sueto’nius confirms this account, and adds that it was recovered at a much later period from the Galli Seno’nes, by Liv’ius Dru’sus; and that on this occasion Dru’sus first became a name in the Livian family, in consequence of the victorious general having killed Drau’sus, the Gallic leader.

[15] So little taste, however, for order and beauty, did those display who had the direction of the works, that the city, when rebuilt, was even less regular than in the time of Romulus.

[16] This account appears so absurd as to be scarcely credible; in fact, Manlius was first tried by the “comitia centuriata,” and acquitted.  His second trial was before the “comitia curiata,” where his enemies, the patricians, alone had the right of voting.  See Introduction, Chap.  III.

[17] Some judicious writers, however, acknowledge that the chasm was afterwards filled up with earth and rubbish. (Livy, l. 7. c. 6.  Val.  Maximus, l. 5. c. 6. et alli.)

* * * * *

CHAPTER XIII.

SECTION I.

FROM THE WARS WITH THE SAMNITES AND THOSE WITH PYRRHUS, TO THE BEGINNING OF THE FIRST PUNIC WAR; WHEN THE ROMANS BEGAN TO EXTEND THEIR CONQUESTS BEYOND ITALY.

  The brave man is not he who feels no fear
  For that were stupid and irrational;
  But he, whose noble soul his fear subdues,
  And bravely dares the danger nature shrinks from.—­Baillie.

1.  The Romans had triumphed over the Sab’ines, the Etru’rians, the Latins, the Her’nici, the AE’qui, and the Volsci; and now began to look for greater conquests.  They accordingly turned their arms against the Sam’nites, a people descended from the Sab’ines, and inhabiting a large tract of southern Italy, which at this day makes, a considerable part of the kingdom of Naples. 2.  Vale’rius Cor’vus, and Corne’lius, were the two consuls to whose care it first fell to manage this dreadful contention between the rivals.