the work of superintending the building was given to one Celer, who was
told by Romulus to let no one pass over the furrow of the plow. Remus,
ignorant of this, began to scoff at the lowly beginning, and was
immediately struck down by Celer with a spade. Romulus bore the death
of his brother "like a Roman," with great fortitude, and, swallowing
down his rising tears, exclaimed: "So let it happen to all who pass
over my walls!"

Plutarch, who is very fond of tracing the origin of words, says that
Celer rushed away from Rome, fearing vengeance, and did not rest until
he had reached the limits of Etruria, and that his name became the
synonym for quickness, so that men swift of foot were called _Celeres_
by the Romans, just as we still speak of "celerity," meaning rapidity
of motion. Thus the walls of the new city were laid in blood.

In one respect early Rome was like our own country, for Plutarch says
that it was proclaimed an asylum to which any who were oppressed might
resort and be safe; but it was more, for all who had incurred the
vengeance of the law were also taken in and protected from punishment.
Romulus is said to have erected in a wood a temple to a god called
Asylæus, where he "received and protected all, delivering none back--
neither the servant to his master, the debtor to his creditor, nor the
murderer into the hands of the magistrate; saying it was a privileged
place, and they could so maintain it by an order of the holy oracle;
insomuch that the city grew presently very populous." It was men, of
course, who took advantage of this asylum, for who ever heard of women
who would rush in great numbers to such a place? Rome was a colony of
bachelors, and some of them pretty poor characters too, so that there
did not seem to be a very good chance that they could find women
willing to become their wives. Romulus, like many an ardent lover