Haec pagina emendata et bis lecta est

“Sī paucīs verbīs contentī eritis,” inquit Drūsilla, “dē leōne fābulam vōbīs nārrābō.”

“Euax!” inquit Sextus. “Spērō rem fore cruentam, ut Cornēlia arte dormiat.”

“Nōlī timēre, Cornēlia,” inquit māter. “Nihil sanguinis[1] effundētur.”

“Sanguinis iactūram ego doleō,” inquit Sextus; “sed audiāmus.”

Tum Drūsilla: “Ōlim, cum Rōmae spectācula ēderentur magna, et multae bēstiae immānēs in harēnam immitterentur, quīdam hominēs miserī, capitis[2] damnātī, ēlectī erant, quī cum hīs mōnstrīs dēpugnārent;[3] in[4] quibus erat servus, quī Androclēs appellābātur.

“Maximē cōnspicuus[5] in harēnā erat leō eximius, quī aliās bēstiās omnēs vīribus et magnitūdine corporis longē superābat, quīque terrificō[6] fremitū oculōs omnium spectātōrum in sē saepe convertit. Is leō, cum Androclem aspexisset, prīmō quasi admīrāns paulisper stetit, tum lēniter et placidē ad eum accessit; deinde caudam[7] mōre canum clēmenter et blandē movēre coepit, ac postrēmō manūs hominis perterritī linguā suā permulcēbat.

“Hāc rē novā commōtus, imperātor iussit Androclem arcessī; ā quō quaesīvit cūr leō tam mīrābiliter eī pepercisset. Tum Androclēs rem mīrandam nārrāvit.

“Nam, ut dīcēbat, multō ante in Āfricā fuerat, cum dominus eam prōvinciam prōcōnsulārī[8] imperiō obtinēret;[9] cuius crūdēlitāte coāctus in loca dēserta postrēmō refūgit, ubi spēluncam latebrōsam[10] nactus[11] dēfessus quiēvit.

  1. sanguinis: partit. gen.
  2. capitis, to death; gen. of penalty.
  3. dēpugnārent: note mood
  4. in, among
  5. cōnspicuus, -a, -um, adj., conspicuous
  6. terrificus, -a, -um, adj., terrible.
  7. cauda, -ae, f., tail.
  8. prōcōnsulāris, -e, adj., proconsular, indicating that the povenor: was of the rank of ex-consul.
  9. obtineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentus, tr., govern.
  10. latebrōsus, -a, -um, adj., hidden.
  11. nancīscor, nancīscī, nactus or nānctus, tr., light upon, find.