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A Book of Golden Deeds of All Times and All Lands. by the Author of 'the Heir of Redclyffe'.
A Book of Golden Deeds of All Times and All Lands by the Author of 'the Heir of Redclyffe' Author:Charlotte Mary Yonge General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1883 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: HOW ONE MAN HAS SAVED A HOST. B. c. 507. There have been times when the devotion of one man has been the saving of an army. Such, according to old Roman story, was the feat of Horatius Codes. It was in the year B. c. 507, not long after the kings had been expelled from Rome, when they were endeavouring to return by the aid of the Etruscans. Lars Porsena, one of the great Etruscan chieftains, had taken up the cause of the banished Tarquinius Superbus and his son Sextus, and gathered all his forces together, to advance upon the city of Rome. The great walls, of old Etrurian architecture, had probably already risen round the growing town, and all the people came nocking in from the country for shelter there ; but the Tiber was the best defence, and it was only crossed by one wooden bridge, and the further side of that was guarded by a fort, called the Janiculum. But the vanguards of the overwhelming Etruscan army soon took the fort, and then, in the gallant words of Lord Macaulay's ballad, -- " Thus in all the Senate There was no heart so bold, But sore it ached, and fast it beat, When that ill news was told. Forthwith up rose the Consul, Up rose the Fathers all, In haste they girded up their gowns, And hied them to the wall. " They held a council standing Before the River Gate: Short time was there, ye well may guess, For musing or debate. Out spoke the Consul roundly, ' The bridge must straight go down, For, since Janiculum is lost, Nought else can save the town.' " Just then a scout came flying, All wild with haste and fear : ' To arms ! to arms ! Sir Consul, Lars...« less