match I shall be only too glad to arrange it. Young Germanicus is now nominally master of the household, but in matters Iflce this he takes the advice of his elders. Well, it certainly isn't every girl who could overcome her physical repugnance to such a poor deaf, stammering cripple, and Livia and myself have had a natural delicacy in betrothing him to anyone. But if your granddaughter of her own free will----'
Medullinus said: 'The child has spoken to me about this marriage herself and weighed matters very carefully.
She tells me that young Tiberius Claudius is modest and truthful and kind-hearted; and that his lameness will never allow him to go to the wars and be filled-
---'
'Or to run after other women,' laughed Augustus.
'And that his deafness is only on the one side, and as for his general health-
---'
'I suppose the little minx has it worked out that he is not crippled in that part of the body for which honest wives show the most solicitude? Yes, why shouldn't he be capable of begetting perfectly healthy children on her? My old lame, whistling stud-stallion Bucephalus has sired more chariot-race winners than any horse in Rome. But, joking apart, Medullinus, yours is a very honourable house and my wife's family will be proud to be connected with it by marriage. Do you seriously mean that you approve the match?'
Medullinus said that the girl could do very much worse, quite apart from the unlooked-for honour to the family of being allied in marriage with the Father of the Country.
Now Medullina, the granddaughter, was my first love; and never, I swear, was there such a beautiful child seen in all the world. I met her one summer afternoon in the Gardens of Sallust, where I was taken by Sulpicius in the absence of Athenodorus, who was unwell. Sulpicius' daughter was married to Medullina's uncle, Furius Camillus, a distinguished soldier who was Consul six years later.
When I first saw her it was with a shock of surprise, not only at her beauty, but at her sudden appearance, for she came up on my deaf side while I was reading a book, and when I raised my eyes, there she was standing over me laughing at my preoccupation. She was slender, with rich black hair, white skin and very dark blue eyes, and all her movements were quick and birdhke.
'What's your name?' she asked, in a friendly voice.
'Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus.'
'Ye gods, all thati Mine's Medullina Camilla. How old are you?'
'Thirteen,' I said, mastering my stammer well.
'I'm only eleven, but I bet I can race you to that cedaf tree and back.'
'Are you a champion runner, then?'
'I can beat any girl in Rome, 'and my elder brother, too.'
'Well, I'm afraid you win by default. I can't run at all, I'm lame.'
'Oh, you poor fellow. How did you come here then?
Hobble-hobbling all the way?'
'No, Camilla, in a sedan-chair, like a lazy old man.'
'Why do you call nie by my last name?'
'Because it's the more appropriate one.'
'How do you make that out, clever?'
'Because among the Etruscans 'Camilla' is what they call the young hunting priestesses dedicated to Diana.
With a name like Camilla one is bound to be a champion runner.'
'That's nice. I never heard that. I shall make all my friends call me Camilla now.'
'And call me Claudius, will youf That's my appropriate name. It means a cripple. My family usually call me Tiberius, and that's inappropriate because the Tiber runs very fast.'
She laughed. 'Well then, Claudius, tell me what do you do all d<*y if you can't run about with the other boys?'
'I read, mostly, and write. I have read scores of books this year already and it's only June. This one's Greek.'
'I can't read Greek yetI only just know the alphabet.
My grandfather is cross with me--I have no father, you know--he calls me lazy Of course, I understand Greek when I hear it talked: ve always have to talk Greek at meals and whenever visitors come. What's the book about?'
'It's part of Thucydides' history. This passage is about how a politician, a tanner called Cleon, began criticising the generals who were blockading the Spartans in an island.
He said that they were not doing their best and that if he were general he would bring back the whole Spartan force as captives within twenty days. The Athenians were so sick of his talk that they appointed him to command the forces himself.'
'That was a funny idea. What happened?'
'He kept his promise. He chose a good staff-officer and told him to fight in any way he liked so long as he won the battle, and the man knew his job; so within twenty days Cleon brought back to Athens a hundred and twenty Spartans of the highest rank.'
Camilla said: 'I've heard my uncle Furius say that the cleverest leader is one who chooses clever people to think for him.' Then she said: 'You must be very wise by now, Claudius.'
'I am supposed to be an utter fool and the more I read the more of a fool they think me.'
'I think you're very sensible. You tell things so nicely.'
'But I stammer. My tongue's a Claudian too.'
'Perhaps that's just nervousness. You don't know many girls, do you?'
'No,' I said, 'and you're the first one I have met who hasn't laughed at me.
Couldn't we see each other now and then, Camilla? You couldn't teach me to run, but I could teach you to read Greek. Would you like that?'
'Oh, I'd love it. But will you teach me from interesting books?'
'From any book you like. Do you like history?'
'I think I like poetry best; there are so many names and dates to remember in history. My eldest sister raves about the love-poetry of Parthenius. Have you read any of it?'
'Some of it, but I don't Hke it. It's so artificial. I like real books.
'So do I. But is there any Greek love-poetry that isn't artificial?'
'There's Theocritus. I like him very much. Get your aunt to bring you here to-morrow at the same time and I'll bring Theocritus and we'll begin at once.'
'You promise he's not boring?'
'No, he's very good.'
After this we used to meet in the garden nearly every day and sit in the shade together and read Theocritus and talk. I made Sulpicius promise not to tell anybody about [95] it, for fear Livia should hear of it and stop my going. Camilla said one day that I was the kindest boy she had ever met and that she liked me better than all her brothers' friends. Then I told her how much I liked her and she was very pleased and we kissed shyly. She asked whether there was any possible chance of our getting married. She said that her grandfather would do anything for her and that she would bring him along one day to the gardens and introduce us; but would my father approve? When I told her that I had no father and that it all rested with Augustus and Livia she became depressed. We had not talked much about families until then. She had never heard any good of Livia, but I said that it was possible she might consent, because she disliked me so much that I didn't think she cared very much what I did, so long as I didn't disgrace her.
Medullinus was a straight dignified old man and something of a historian, which made conversation between us easy. He had been my father's superior officer in his first campaign and was full of anecdotes of him, many of which I noted down gratefully for my biography. One day we began talking about Camilla's ancestor Camillus, and when he asked me what action of Camillus' I most admired I said; 'When the treacherous schoolmaster of Falerii decoyed the children under his charge to the walls of Rome, saying that the Falerians would offer any terms to get them back, Camillus disdained the offer. He had him stripped naked and tied his hands behind his back and gave the
