Page:The Children's Plutarch, Romans.djvu/53

 “Will you retire from the city if we give you a thousand pounds' weight of gold?”

“I will.” Scales were brought to weigh the gold. Shining pieces were piled up in one scale so as to balance the weights on the other. One of the Gauls held down the scale that contained the weights.

“You are unjust!” cried the Roman.

Brennus laughed. He threw his belt and the sword tied to it into the scale, making it drop lower.

“Woe to the conquered!” he cried.

The Romans were obliged to pile up more gold, so as to balance the extra weight of the captain's belt and sword.

The Gauls did at last leave the Romans in peace, though I am not sure if they were driven out by Camillus, or went because they loved their own land better. You see, the Romans had been beaten by the Gauls, and felt too proud to own their defeat, and the writers of old histories do not tell us very clearly what happened at this time.

As I told you, Camillus belonged to the upper class, or richer class, who were called “patricians.” Quarrels still went on between the people of wealth and the people who were poor, and at one time a number of the poorer citizens threatened to leave Rome altogether and set up a city