did not Fortune and chance discover their secret attack in the
night-time, which otherwise had surprised all men? Of which wonderful
accident it will not be unseasonable to discourse here a little more
largely.
After the great overthrow and slaughter of the Romans at the river
Allia, some of those that remained fled hastily to Rome, and
communicated their terror and consternation to the people there. Some
trussed up their bag and baggage and conveyed themselves into the
Capitol, resolving there to wait the event of so dismal a calamity;
others flocked in great multitudes to Veii, and there proclaimed Furius
Camillus dictator, giving him now in their distress an absolute and
unaccountable power, whom before in their pride and prosperity they
had condemned and banished, as guilty of robbing the public treasure.
But Camillus, to strengthen his title to this authority, which might
seem to be given him only for the present necessity, contrary to the
law of the state touching the election of such a magistrate, scorned to
accept an election from a body of armed soldiers, so lately shattered
and beaten, as if the government of the city were dissolved; but sent
to acquaint the senators that were in the Capitol, and know if they
would approve the election of the soldiers. To accomplish this, there
was one C. Pontius, who undertook to carry the news of this decree to
those in the Capitol, though it was with great danger of his life; for
he was to go through the midst of the enemies, who were entrenched and
kept watch about the castle. He came therefore in the night-time to the
river Tiber, and by the help of broad corks supporting the weight of
his body, he was carried down the stream in a smooth calm water, and
safely landed on the other side. From thence he passed through places
uninhabited, being conducted by darkness and silence, to the rock of
the Capitol; and climbing up through its winding and rough passages,
with much labor and difficulty at last he arrived at the summit, where,
being received by the watch, he acquainted the senators with what was
done by the soldiers, and having received their approbation of the
decree of election, he returned again to Camillus. The next day after,
one of the barbarians by chance walking about this rock, and seeing
in one place the prints of his feet and his falls, in another place
the grass trodden down which grew upon the interspersed earth, and
the plain marks of his body in its winding ascent through the craggy
precipice, went presently and informed the rest of the Gauls of the
whole matter. They, finding that a way was shown them by the enemy,
resolved to follow his footsteps; and taking the advantage of the dead
time of the night, when all were fast asleep, not so much as a watch
stirring or a dog barking, they climbed up secretly to the castle.
But Fortune in this case was wonderfully propitious to the Romans, in
discovering and preventing such an imminent danger by the voice of the
sacred geese, which were maintained about the temple of Juno for the
worship of that Goddess. For that animal being wakeful by nature and
easily frighted with the least noise, these sacred geese had been so
much neglected by reason of the scarcity of provisions which was in
the castle, that they were more easily wakened by the approach of the
enemy out of their light and hungry sleep. Therefore they presently
perceived the Gauls appearing upon the walls, and with a loud voice
flew proudly towards them; but being yet more frightened with the sight
of their shining armor, they raised a louder gaggling noise, which
wakened the Romans; who understanding the design, presently beat back
the enemies, and threw them down over the precipices of the rock.
Therefore, in remembrance of this wonderful accident, a dog fastened
to a cross, and a goose lying in a bed of state upon a rich cushion,
are carried about, even to this day, in pompous solemnity. And now who
is not astonished that considers how great the misery of the city was
at that time, and how great its happiness is now at this day, when he
beholds the splendor and riches of its donatives, the emulation of
liberal arts that flourish in it, the accession of noble cities and
royal crowns to its empire, and the chief products of sea and land,
of isles and continents, of rivers and trees, of animals and fields,
of mountains and metallic mines, crowding to adorn and beautify this
place? Who is not stunned with admiration at the imminent danger which
then was, whether ever those things should be or no; and at those poor
timorous birds, which first began the deliverance of the city, when
all places were filled with fire, darkness, and smoke, with the swords
of barbarians and bloody-minded men? What a prodigy of Fortune was it
that those great commanders, the Manlii, the Servii, Postumii, and
Papirii, so famous for their warlike exploits and for the illustrious
families that have descended from them, should be alarmed in this
extremity of danger by the silly geese, to fight for their country’s
God and their country? And if that be true which Polybius writes in his
second book of those Gauls which then possessed Rome,—that they made
a peace with Camillus and departed, as soon as they heard the news of
the invasion that was made upon their territories by the neighboring
barbarians,—then it is past all controversy, that Fortune was the cause
of Rome’s preservation by drawing off the enemies to another place, or
rather forcing them from Rome beyond all men’s expectation.
13. But why do I dwell upon those things which have nothing of certain
or evident truth, since the memories of those times have perished,
and the history of them is confused, as Livy tells us? For those
things which happened in following ages, being plain and manifest to
all, do sufficiently demonstrate the benignity of Fortune to Rome;
among which I reckon the death of Alexander to be no small cause of
the Romans’ happiness and security. For he, being a man of wonderful
success and most famous exploits, of invincible confidence and pride,
who shot like a star, with incredible swiftness, from the rising to
the setting sun, was meditating to bring the lustre of his arms into
Italy. The pretence of this intended expedition was the death of
Alexander Molossus, who was killed at Pandosia by the Bruttians and
Lucanians; but the true cause was the desire of glory and the emulation
of empire, which instigated him to war against all mankind, that he
might extend his dominion beyond the bounds of Bacchus and Hercules. He
had heard of the Roman power in Italy, terrible as an army in battle
array; of the illustrious name and glory which they had acquired by
innumerable battles, in which they were flushed with victory; and this
was a sufficient provocation to his ambitious spirit to commence a war
against them, which could not have been decided without an ocean of
blood;[61] for both armies appeared invincible, both of fearless and
undaunted minds; and the Romans then had no fewer than one hundred and
thirty thousand stout and valiant men,[62]
All expert soldiers, skilled on foot to dare,
Or from the bounding courser urge the war.[63]