'"
He leaped into the deep, swift stream. He still had his heavy armor
on; and when he sank out of sight, no one thought that he would ever
be seen again. But he was a strong man, and the best swimmer in Rome.
The next minute he rose. He was half-way across the river, and safe
from the spears and darts which Porsena's soldiers hurled after him.
Soon he reached the farther side, where his friends stood ready to
help him. Shout after shout greeted him as he climbed upon the bank.
Then Porsena's men shouted also, for they had never seen a man so
brave and strong as Horatius. He had kept them out of Rome, but he had
done a deed which they could not help but praise.
As for the Romans, they were very grateful to Horatius for having
saved their city. They called him Horatius Co'cles, which meant the
"one-eyed Horatius," because he had lost an eye in defending the
bridge; they caused a fine statue of brass to be made in his honor;
and they gave him as much land as he could plow around in a day. And
for hundreds of years afterwards--
"With weeping and with laugh-ter,
Still was the story told,
How well Horatius kept the bridge
In the brave days of old."
JULIUS CAESAR.
Nearly two thousand years ago there lived in Rome a man whose name was
Julius Cae'sar.
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