Page:The Children's Plutarch, Romans.djvu/163

 “Not if I say I will let go unless you promise?”

“No.”

The soldier set the boy down in safety inside the chamber, and said:

“This child is the glory of Italy.”

He had been visiting the boy Cato's uncle, in order to ask his support. Many people in the Roman Empire who lived out of Rome wished to be made citizens, with a vote in the elections. The officer was acting as their spokesman. Half in fun, half in earnest, he had begged Cato to plead with his uncle on behalf of the would-be citizens.

You see what a fearless spirit the boy had.

When he was fourteen years old he happened to visit the house of Sulla, the Red General. He saw men carried out dead. They had been slain by the general's order, because they belonged to a different party in the State. Young Cato's anger was roused. He turned to his teacher, and cried:

“Why do you not give me a sword, that I may kill him, and rid my country of the tyrant?” So fierce was Cato's voice that a friend of Sulla took alarm, and watched the lad closely lest he should attack the Red General.

Cato, 95 to 46, belonged to a patrician family—that is, he was of noble birth; and he had a fairly large estate. But he did not care to spend his money