When, therefore, the revolt of the Tusculans was reported, they
gave Camillus the charge of reducing them, choosing one of his
five colleagues to go with him. And when every one was eager for
the place, contrary to the expectation of all, he passed by the
rest and chose Lucius Furius, the very same man who lately,
against the judgment of Camillus, had rashly hazarded and nearly
lost a battle; willing, at it should seem, to dissemble that
miscarriage, and free him from the shame of it. The Tusculans,
hearing of Camillus's coming against them, made a cunning attempt
at revoking their act of revolt; their fields, as in times of
highest peace, were full of ploughmen and shepherds; their gates
stood wide open, and their children were being taught in the
schools; of the people, such as were tradesmen, he found in their
workshops, busied about their several employments, and the better
sort of citizens walking in the public places in their ordinary
dress; the magistrates hurried about to provide quarters for the
Romans, as if they stood in fear of no danger and were conscious
of no fault. Which arts, though they could not dispossess Camillus
of the conviction he had of their treason, yet induced some
compassion for their repentance; he commanded them to go to the
senate and deprecate their anger, and joined himself as an
intercessor in their behalf, so that their city was acquitted of
all guilt and admitted to Roman citizenship.
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