TALES OF THE ROMANS
the murder. People gazed at it, and said it was a sign of the wrath of the gods at the evil deed of Brutus and Cassius.
A year or two later Brutus was preparing to fight his last battle against Antony and Augustus, and he lay in his tent, and the light of the lamp burned dim, as if in a fog. Then there stood beside the bed a strange, tall, and terrible figure, and it said:
“Brutus, I am your evil genius; you shall meet me at Philippi.”
“I will meet you there,” answered Brutus, boldly.
Then the ghost vanished into the night.
This story is, of course, only a legend. But you see it proves to us how the people of that time believed it was a wicked thing to slay Cæsar; and they thought it a just punishment upon Brutus that he should be beaten at Philippi. When Brutus saw the day was lost, he fell upon his own sword and died.
THE MAN WHO SELDOM LAUGHED
A ROMAN soldier held a boy in his arms at a window, threatening to drop him into the road below.
“Will you speak to your uncle for me?”
“No,” replied the boy, “I will not.”
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