Camillus   

For they take a servant-maid into the secret part of the temple, and
there cuff her, and drive her out again, and they embrace their brothers'
children in place of their own; and, in general, the ceremonies of
the sacrifice remind one of the nursing of Bacchus by Ino, and the
calamities occasioned by her husband's concubine. Camillus, having
made these vows, marched into the country of the Faliscans, and in
a great battle overthrew them and the Capenates, their confederates;
afterwards he turned to the siege of Veii, and, finding that to take
it by assault would prove a difficult and hazardous attempt, proceeded
to cut mines underground, the earth about the city being easy to break
up, and allowing such depth for the works as would prevent their being
discovered by the enemy. This design going on in a hopeful way, he
openly gave assaults to the enemy, to keep them to the walls, whilst
they that worked underground in the mines were, without being perceived,
arrived within the citadel, close to the temple of Juno, which was
the greatest and most honoured in all the city. It is said that the
prince of the Tuscans was at that very time at sacrifice, and that
the priest, after he had looked into the entrails of the beast, cried
out with a loud voice that the gods would give victory to those that
should complete those offerings; and that the Romans who were in the
mines, hearing the words, immediately pulled down the floor, and,
ascending with noise and clashing weapons, frightened away the enemy,
and, snatching up the entrails, carried them to Camillus. But this
may look like a fable. The city, however, being taken by storm, and
the soldiers busied in pillaging and gathering an infinite quantity
of riches and spoils, Camillus, from the high tower, viewing what
was done, at first wept for pity; and when they that were by congratulated
his success, he lifted up his hands to heaven, and broke out into
this prayer: "O most mighty Jupiter, and ye gods that are judges of
good and evil actions ye know that not without just cause, but constrained
by necessity, we have been forced to revenge ourselves on the city
of our unrighteous and wicked enemies. But if, in the vicissitude
of things, there may be any calamity due, to counterbalance this great
felicity, I beg that it may be diverted from the city and army of
the Romans, and fall, with as little hurt as may be, upon my own head."
Having said these words, and just turning about (as the custom of
the Romans is to turn to the right after adoration or prayer), he
stumbled and fell, to the astonishment of all that were present. But,
recovering himself presently from the fall, he told them that he had
received what he had prayed for, a small mischance, in compensation
for the greatest good fortune.
Having sacked the city, he resolved, according as he had vowed, to
carry Juno's image to Rome; and, the workmen being ready for that
purpose, he sacrificed to the goddess, and made his supplications
that she would be pleased to accept of their devotion toward her,
and graciously vouchsafe to accept of a place among the gods that
presided at Rome; and the statue, they say, answered in a low voice
that she was ready and willing to go. Livy writes, that, in praying,
Camillus touched the goddess, and invited her, and that some of the
standers-by cried out that she was willing and would come. They who
stand up for the miracle and endeavour to maintain it have one great
advocate on their side in the wonderful fortune of the city, which,
from a small and contemptible beginning, could never have attained
to that greatness and power without many signal manifestations of
the divine presence and co-operation. Other wonders of the like nature,
drops of sweat seen to stand on statues, groans heard from them, the
figures seen to turn round and to close their eyes, are recorded by
many ancient historians; and we ourselves could relate divers wonderful
things, which we have been told by men of our own time, that are not
lightly to be rejected; but to give too easy credit to such things,
or wholly to disbelieve them, is equally dangerous, so incapable is
human infirmity of keeping any bounds, or exercising command over
itself, running off sometimes to superstition and dotage, at other
times to the contempt and neglect of all that is supernatural. But