the senate or great men of Rome thought fit to engage. And whosoever
pays heed to an infinity of actions performed, sometimes by the Roman
people collectively, often by single citizens, will see, that esteeming
the power of God beyond that of man, they dreaded far more to violate
their oath than to transgress the laws; as is clearly shown by the
examples of Scipio and of Manlius Torquatus. For after the defeat of the
Romans by Hannibal at Cannæ, many citizens meeting together, resolved,
in their terror and dismay, to abandon Italy and seek refuge in Sicily.
But Scipio, getting word of this, went among them, and menacing them
with his naked sword, made them swear never to abandon their country.
Again, when Lucius Manlius was accused by the tribune Marcus Pomponius,
before the day fixed for trial, Titus Manlius, afterwards named
Torquatus, son to Lucius, went to seek this Marcus, and threatening
him with death if he did not withdraw the charge against his father,
compelled him to swear compliance; and he, through fear, having sworn,
kept his oath. In the first of these two instances, therefore, citizens
whom love of their country and its laws could not have retained in
Italy, were kept there by the oath forced upon them; and in the second,
the tribune Marcus, to keep his oath, laid aside the hatred he bore
the father, and overlooked the injury done him by the son, and his own
dishonour. And this from no other cause than the religion which Numa had
impressed upon this city.

And it will be plain to any one who carefully studies Roman History, how
much religion helped in disciplining the army, in uniting the people, in
keeping good men good, and putting bad men to shame; so that had it to
be decided to which prince, Romulus or Numa, Rome owed the greater debt,
I think the balance must turn in favour of Numa; for when religion is
once established you may readily bring in arms; but where you have arms
without religion it is not easy afterwards to bring in religion. We see,