soon as he reached home, after admiring the bodily strength and stature
of the youth, which surpassed all the rest, perceiving in his looks his
courageous and fiery spirit, undismayed by his present circumstances,
and having heard that his deeds corresponded to his appearance, and
above all, as seems probable, some god being with him and watching over
the first beginnings of great events, he was struck by the idea of
asking him to tell the truth as to who he was, and how he was born,
giving him confidence and encouragement by his kindly voice and looks.
The young man boldly said, "I will conceal nothing from you, for you
seem more like a king than Amulius. You hear and judge before you
punish, but he gives men up to be punished without a trial. Formerly we
(for we are twins) understood that we were the sons of Faustulus and
Laurentia, the king's servants; but now that we are brought before you
as culprits, and are falsely accused and in danger of our lives, we have
heard great things about ourselves. Whether they be true or not, we must
now put to the test. Our birth is said to be a secret, and our nursing
and bringing up is yet stranger, for we were cast out to the beasts and
the birds, and were fed by them, suckled by a she-wolf, and fed with
morsels of food by a woodpecker as we lay in our cradle beside the great
river. Our cradle still exists, carefully preserved, bound with brazen
bands, on which is an indistinct inscription, which hereafter will serve
as a means by which we may be recognised by our parents, but to no
purpose if we are dead." Numitor, considering the young man's story, and
reckoning up the time from his apparent age, willingly embraced the hope
which was dawning on his mind, and considered how he might obtain a
secret interview with his daughter and tell her of all this; for she was
still kept a close prisoner.

VIII. Faustulus, when he heard of Remus being captured and delivered up
to Numitor, called upon Romulus to help him, and told him plainly all