about his birth; although previously he had hinted so much, that any one
who paid attention to his words might have known nearly all about it;
and he himself with the cradle ran to Numitor full of hopes and fears,
now that matters had come to a critical point. He was viewed with
suspicion by the guards at the king's gate, and while they were treating
him contemptuously, and confusing him by questions, they espied the
cradle under his cloak. Now it chanced that one of them had been one of
those who had taken the children to cast them away, and had been present
when they were abandoned. This man, seeing the cradle and recognising it
by its make and the inscription on it, suspected the truth, and at once
told the king and brought the man in to be examined. Faustulus, in those
dire straits, did not altogether remain unshaken, and yet did not quite
allow his secret to be wrung from him. He admitted that the boys were
alive, but said that they were living far away from Alba, and that he
himself was bringing the cradle to Ilia, who had often longed to see and
touch it to confirm her belief in the life of her children. Now Amulius
did what men generally do when excited by fear or rage. He sent in a
great hurry one who was a good man and a friend of Numitor, bidding him
ask Numitor whether he had heard anything about the survival of the
children. This man on arrival, finding Numitor all but embracing Remus,
confirmed his belief that he was his grandson, and bade him take his
measures quickly, remaining by him himself to offer assistance. Even had
they wished it, there was no time for delay; for Romulus was already
near, and no small number of the citizens, through hatred and fear of
Amulius, were going out to join him. He himself brought no small force,
arrayed in companies of a hundred each. Each of these was led by a man
who carried a bundle of sticks and straw upon a pole. The Latins called
these _manipla_; and from this these companies are even at the present
day called _maniples_ in the Roman army. Now as Remus raised a revolt
within, while Romulus assailed the palace without, the despot was