28. The inhabitants of Clu'sium, frightened at their numbers,
and still more at their savage appearance, entreated the assistance,
or, at least, the mediation of the Romans. 29. The senate, who had
long made it a maxim never to refuse succour to the distressed, were
willing, previously, to send ambassadors to the Gauls, to dissuade
them from their enterprise, and to show the injustice of the
irruption. 30. Accordingly, three young senators were chosen out of
the family of the Fabii, to manage the commission, who seemed more
fitted for the field than the cabinet. 31. Brennus received them with
a degree of complaisance that argued but little of the barbarian, and
desiring to know the business of their embassy, was answered,
according to their instructions, that it was not customary in Italy to
make war, but on just grounds of provocation, and that they desired to
know what offence the citizens of Clu'sium had given to the king of
the Gauls. 32. To this Brennus sternly replied, that the rights of
valiant men lay in their swords; that the Romans themselves had no
right to the many cities they, had conquered; and that he had
particular reasons of resentment against the people of Clu'sium,
as they refused to part with those lands, which they had neither hands
to till, nor inhabitants to occupy.
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