than Amulius, in that you give a hearing and examine before you
punish, while he condemns before the cause is heard. Formerly,
then, we (for we are twins) thought ourselves the sons of
Faustulus and Larentia, the king's servants; but since we have
been accused and aspersed with calumnies, and brought in peril of
our lives here before you, we hear great things of ourselves, the
truth of which my present danger is likely to bring to the test.
Our birth is said to have been secret, our fostering and nurture
in our infancy still more strange; by birds and beasts, to whom we
were cast out, we were fed--by the milk of a wolf, and the
morsels of a woodpecker, as we lay in a little trough by the side
of the river. The trough is still in being, and is preserved, with
brass plates round it, and an inscription in letters almost
effaced, which may prove hereafter unavailing tokens to our
parents when we are dead and gone." Numitor, upon these words, and
computing the dates by the young man's looks, slighted not the
hope that flattered him, but considered how to come at his
daughter privately (for she was still kept under restraint), to
talk with her concerning these matters.

Faustulus, hearing Remus was taken and delivered up, called on
Romulus to assist in his rescue, informing him then plainly of the
particulars of his birth--not but he had before given hints of it
- and told as much as an attentive man might make no small
conclusions from; he himself, full of concern and fear of not
coming in time, took the trough, and ran instantly to Numitor; but
giving a suspicion to some of the king's sentry at his gate, and
being gazed upon by them and perplexed with their questions, he
let it be seen that he was hiding the trough under his cloak. By
chance there was one among them who was at the exposing of the