“The choice does not appear a pleasing one,” Boduoc said, “to be a private or public slave, or to be killed for the amusement of the Romans.”
“Well, the latter is the shortest way out of it, anyhow, and the one I should choose; but it must be terrible to have to fight with a man with whom one has had no quarrel,” Beric said.
“Well, I don't know, Beric. If he is a captive like yourself, he must be just as tired of life as you are. So, if he kills you he is doing you a service; if you kill him, you have greatly obliged him. So, looking at it in that way, it does not much matter which way it goes; for if you do him this service one day, someone else may do you a like good turn the next.”
“I had not looked at it in that way, Boduoc,” Beric said, laughing. “Well, there is one thing, I do not suppose the choice will be given us. At any rate I shall be glad to see Rome. I have always wished to do so, though I never thought that it would be as a captive. Still, it will be something even in this evil that has befallen us to see so great a city with all its wonders. Camalodunum was but as a little hamlet beside it.”
On the evening of the second day after leaving Godmancastra they arrived at Camalodunum, which in the year that had passed since its destruction, had already been partially rebuilt and settled by Gaulish traders from the mainland, Roman officials with their families and attendants, officers engaged in the civil service and the army, friends and associates of the procurator, who had been sent out to succeed Catus Decianus, priests and servants of the temples. Suetonius had already sent to inform the new propraetor, Petronius Turpillianus, of the success which he had gained, and a crowd assembled as the procession was seen approaching, while all eyes were directed upon the little party of British captives who followed the chariot of Suetonius.
Many of the newcomers had as yet scarcely seen a native, so complete had been the destruction of the Trinobantes, and they looked with surprise and admiration at these men, towering a full head above their guards, and carrying themselves, in spite of their bonds, with an air of fearless dignity. Most of all they were surprised when they learned that the youth—for Beric was as yet but eighteen —who walked at their head was the noted chief, who had during the past year inflicted such heavy losses upon the troops of Rome, and who had now only been captured by treachery. As yet he lacked some inches of the height of his companions, but he bade fair in another two or three years to rival the tallest among them in strength and vigour. The procession halted before the building which had been erected from the ruins of the old city as a residence for the propraetor. Petronius, surrounded by a number of officials, came out to meet Suetonius.
“I congratulate you on your success, Suetonius,” he said. “It will make my task all the easier in carrying out my orders to deal mildly with the people.”
“And it will make my return to Rome all the more pleasant, Petronius, and I thank you again for having permitted me to continue in command of my troops until I had revenged the losses we have suffered at the hands of these barbarians. It is, of course, for you to decide upon the fate of Beric and his companions; assuredly they deserve death, but I should like to take them with me as captives to Rome.”
“I should prefer your doing so, Suetonius. I could hardly pardon men who have so withstood us, but, upon the other hand, I should grieve to commence my rule by an act of severity; besides, I hope through them to persuade the others—for, as you told me in your letter, it is but a fraction of these outlaws that you have subdued —to lay down their arms. It is well, indeed, that you have taken their chief, and that he, as I hear, has partly been brought up among us and speaks our language.”
“Yes, he lived here for some five years as a hostage for his tribe. He was under the charge of Caius Muro, who returned to Rome after our defeat of the Britons. I made inquiries about him, when I learned that he was chief of the insurgents, and heard that he was tractable and studious when among us, and that Caius thought very highly of his intelligence.”
“They are noble looking men,” Petronius said, surveying the group of captives; “it is an honour to conquer such men. I will speak with their chief presently.”
“I shall make no longer delay,” Suetonius said. “Ships have been lying at the port in readiness for my departure for the last two weeks, and I would fain sail tomorrow or next day. Glad I shall be to leave this island, where I have had nothing but fighting and hardships since I landed.”
“And you have done well,” Petronius said courteously. “It was but half conquered when you landed, it is wholly subdued now. It is for me only to gather the fruit of your victories.”
“Never was there such an obstinate race,” Suetonius replied angrily. “Look at those men, they bear themselves as if they were conquerors instead of conquered.”
“They are good for something better than to be killed, Suetonius; if we could mate all our Roman women with these fair giants, what a race we should raise!”
“You would admire them less if you saw them pouring down on you shouting like demons,” Suetonius said sullenly.
“Perhaps so, Suetonius; but I will endeavour to utilize their strength in our service, and not to call it into the field against us. Now, let us enter the house. Varo,” he said to one of his officers, “take charge of the captives until Suetonius sails. Guard them strongly, but treat them well. Place them in the house, where they will not be stared at by the crowd. If their chief will give you his word that they will not attempt to escape, their bonds can be removed; if not, they must remain bound.”
Varo at once called a centurion of the legion in garrison at Camalodunum, and bade him bring up his company. These on their arrival surrounded the captives and marched with them to a guardhouse near. When they entered Varo said to Beric:
“The orders of the propraetor are, that you shall all be released from your bonds if you will give your oath that you will not try to escape.”
Beric turned to the others and asked if they were willing to give the promise. “In no case could we escape,” he said, “you may be sure we shall be guarded too strictly for that. It were better that we should remain bound by our own promise than by fetters.” As they all consented, Beric, in their name, took an oath that they would not attempt to escape, so that the ropes that bound their arms were at once taken off, and in a short time a meal was sent to them from the house of Petronius.
Soon after they had finished an officer came in and requested Beric to accompany him to the propraetor.
“I will bring two of my followers with me,” Beric said. “I would not say aught to the Roman governor that my tribesmen should not hear.”
The officer assented, and Beric with Boduoc and another subchief followed him to the house of the propraetor. Petronius was seated with Suetonius at his side, while a number of officers and officials stood behind him.
“How is it, Beric,” he asked, “that, as I hear, you, who speak our language and have lived for years amongst us, come to be a leader of those who have warred against us?”
“It is, perhaps, because I studied Roman books, and learned how you value freedom and independence,” Beric replied, “and how you revolt against tyranny. Had Rome been conquered by a more powerful nation, every Roman would have risen in arms had one tenth of the tyranny been practised against them which Catus Decianus exercised against us. We have been treated worse than the beasts of the field; our lives, our properties, and the honour of our women were sacrificed at his will. Death was a thousand times better than such treatment. I read that Rome has elsewhere been a worthy conqueror, respecting the religion of the tribes it subdued, and treating them leniently and well. Had we been so treated we should have been, if not contented, patient under our lot, but being men we rose against the infamous treatment to which we were subject; and although we have been conquered and well nigh exterminated, there are Britons still remaining, and if such be the treatment to which they are subjected it is not till the last Briton is exterminated that you will rule this island.”