Liv. 3.45.1Appius dēcrētō praefātur, quam lībertātī fāverit, eam ipsam lēgem dēclārāre, quam Verginī amīcī postulātiōnī suae praetendant;Appius prefaces his decree by saying that the very law which Verginius' friends were holding up as a pretext for their demand showed how far he had favoured liberty; Liv. 3.45.2cēterum ita in eā firmum lībertātī fore praesidium, sī nec causīs nec persōnīs variet;but liberty would have a firm protection in it only if it did not vary with cases or persons; Liv. 3.45.2in iīs enim, quī adserantur in lībertātem, quia quīvīs lēge agere possit, id iūris esse;for in the case of those who were claimed as free, that was indeed the rule, because anyone at all could take action at law; Liv. 3.45.2in eā, quae in patris manū sit, nēminem esse alium, cui dominus possessiōne cēdat;in the case of a girl who was in her father's power, there was no one else to whom the master should yield possession; Liv. 3.45.3placēre itaque patrem arcessīrī, intereā iūris suī iactūram adsertōrem nōn facere, quīn dūcat puellam sistendamque in adventum eius, quī pater dīcātur, prōmittat.he therefore ruled that the father should be summoned, and that meanwhile the claimant should not suffer the loss of his right, but should take the girl away and promise that she would be produced on the arrival of the man said to be her father.
Liv. 3.45.4Adversus iniūriam dēcrētī cum multī magis fremerent, quam quisquam ūnus recūsāre audēret, P. Numitōrius, puellae avus, et spōnsus Icilius interveniunt;When many were muttering against the injustice of the decree, rather than any one man daring to refuse it, Publius Numitorius, the girl's grandfather, and Icilius, her betrothed, intervene; Liv. 3.45.4datāque inter turbam viā, cum multitūdō Icilī maximē interventū resistī posse Appiō crēderet, līctor dēcrēsse ait vōciferantemque Icilium submovet.and when a way had been made for them through the crowd, since the multitude believed that Appius could best be resisted through Icilius' intervention, the lictor says that judgement has been given and moves Icilius aside as he protests loudly. Liv. 3.45.6Placidum quoque ingenium tam atrōx iniūria accendisset.So savage an injustice would have inflamed even a placid temper. Liv. 3.45.6"Ferrō hinc tibi submovendus sum, Appī," inquit, "ut tacitum ferās, quod cēlārī vīs.'You will have to remove me from here with the sword, Appius,' he says, 'if you are to have silence about what you want kept hidden. Liv. 3.45.7Virginem ego hanc sum ductūrus nūptamque pudīcam habitūrus.I am going to marry this maiden and to have her as a chaste wife.
Liv. 3.45.7Proinde omnēs collēgārum quoque līctōrēs convocā;So call together all your colleagues' lictors too; Liv. 3.45.7expedīrī virgās et secūrēs iubē;order the rods and axes to be made ready; Liv. 3.45.7nōn manēbit extrā domum patris spōnsa Icilī.the betrothed of Icilius shall not stay outside her father's house. Liv. 3.45.8Nōn, sī tribūnicium auxilium et prōvocātiōnem plēbī Rōmānae, duās arcēs lībertātis tuendae, adēmistis, ideō in līberōs quoque nostrōs coniugēsque regnum vestrae libīdinī datum est.Even if you have taken away from the Roman plebs the help of the tribunes and the right of appeal, the two citadels for defending liberty, it does not follow that a tyranny over our children and wives as well has been granted to your lust. Liv. 3.45.9Saevīte in tergum et in cervīcēs nostrās;Rage against our backs and our necks; Liv. 3.45.9pudīcitia saltem in tūtō sit!let chastity at least be safe! Liv. 3.45.9Huic sī vīs adferētur, ego praesentium Quirītium prō spōnsā, Verginius mīlitum prō ūnicā fīlia, omnēs deōrum hominumque inplōrābimus fidem, neque tū istud umquam dēcrētum sine caede nostrā referēs.If violence is offered to her, I shall call on the good faith of the citizens here present on behalf of my betrothed, Verginius on that of the soldiers on behalf of his only daughter, and all of us on that of gods and men, nor will you ever carry out that decree of yours without our blood.
Liv. 3.45.10Postulō, Appī, etiam atque etiam cōnsīderēs, quō prōgrediāre.I demand, Appius, that you consider again and again where you are heading. Liv. 3.45.11Verginius vīderit dē fīlia, ubi vēnerit, quid agat;Let Verginius see to what he does about his daughter when he comes; Liv. 3.45.11hoc tantum sciat, sibi, sī huius vindiciīs cesserit, condiciōnem fīliae quaerendam esse.let him know only this, that if he yields to this man's claim, he will have to look for another match for his daughter. Liv. 3.45.11Mē vindicantem spōnsam in lībertātem vīta citius dēseret quam fidēs."As for me, in claiming my betrothed's freedom, life will sooner fail me than loyalty.'