“I would fain put a stop to it all,” Petronius
said. “Upon what terms, think you, would
your countrymen surrender?”
“They will not surrender at all,” Beric
said; “there is not a man there but will die
rather than yield. But if you will solemnly take
oath that those who leave the Fens and return to their
villages shall live unmolested, save that they shall—when
their homes are rebuilt and their herds again grazing
around them—pay a tribute such as they
are able to bear, they will, I believe, gladly leave
the Fens and return to their villages, and the fugitives
who have fled north will also come back again.”
“I am ready to take such an oath at the altar,”
Petronius said. “I have come to bring peace
to the land. I am ready to do all in my power
to bring it about; but how are they to know what I
have done?”
“I would say, Petronius, let us, your captives,
be present when you take the oath. Release four
of my band; choose those most sorely wounded, and
who are the least able to support the journey to Rome.
I will send them with my bracelet to the Fens.
I will tell them what you have said, and they will
testify to having seen you swear before your gods;
and I will send my last injunctions to them to return
again to their land, to send for the fugitives to return
from the north, and to say from me that they will return
as free men, not as slaves, and that there is no dishonour
in accepting such terms as you offer.”
“I will do as you say,” the Roman agreed.
“Suetonius, you can spare four of your captives,
especially as there are assuredly some among them
who could ill support the fatigues of the journey.
Return now to your friends, Beric; tomorrow morning
you shall meet me at the temple, and there I will
take an oath of peace with Britain.”
On leaving the propraetor Beric further informed his
comrades of the offer that Petronius had made.
“And you think he will keep his oath?”
Boduoc asked.
“I am sure of it,” Beric said; “he
has been sent out by Rome to undo the mischief Suetonius
and Decianus have caused. His face is an honest
one, and a Roman would not lie to his gods any more
than we would.”
“But you ought to have made terms with them,
Beric,” Boduoc said. “You ought to
have made a condition that you should be allowed to
stay. It matters not for us, but you are the chief
of all the Iceni who are left.”
“In the first place, Boduoc, I was not in a
position to make terms, seeing that I am a captive
and at their mercy; and in the next place, I would
not if I could. Think you that the tribesmen would
then accept my counsels to leave the Fens and return
to their homes? They would say that I had purchased
my life and freedom from the Romans, and had agreed
to betray them into their hands.”
“No one would venture to say that of you, Beric.”
