 27. The Boyhood of George Washington |
29. A Dangerous Mission  |
In praediō, quod īnstar prōvinciae erat, habitābant agricolae paucī, at multī Indī. Hīc[1] Vasingtō mēnsēs multōs per silvās et montēs longē iter fēcit, ac saepe equō vectus rīvōs et flūmina trānsiit; noctū autem[2] solēbat sub caelō prope ignem humī[3] iacēre, quod casās colōnōrum nōn amābat[4]. Ōlim cum ita sōpitus iacēret, subitō ignis in foenum[5] cecidit, ex quō[6] lectus eius factus erat; quō ex perīculō[7] ipse tamen servātus est ab agricolā quōdam, quī tum vigilābat.
Trēs annōs in praediō morātus est Vasingtō, ibique mōrēs Indōrum cōgnōscere coepit; quārē, ubi domum ūndēvīgintī annōs nātus[8] rediit, ā lēgātō Virginiae tribūnus mīlitum[9] factus est: nam Virginiā tōtā[10] reliquīsque prōvinciīs colōni arbitrābantur bellum cum Gallīs mox gerendum esse. Britannī enim multī iam trānsierant montēs cōnsederantque in vallibus, quae a Gallīs prius explōrātae erant; quibus rēbus Gallī commōti, cum hanc regiōnem dīmittere nōllent[11], castella complūra ibi pōnēbant[12], quae Britannōs arcērent[13].
- ↑ hīc: the adverb.
- ↑ autem: moreover.
- ↑ humī: cf. p. 7, l. 4.
- ↑ amābat: fancy; for other meanings of this word, see the Vocab.
- ↑ foenum: foenum, -i, n., straw.
- ↑ ex quō: (out) of which.
- ↑ quō ex periculō: for word order, cf. eā in terrā, p. 6, l. 3.
- ↑ ūndēvīgintī annōs nātus: at nineteen years of age, lit. having been born nineteen years.
- ↑ tribūnus mīlitum: a major.
- ↑ Virginiā tōtā: throughout all Virginia. The prep. in is often omitted when the abl. is modified by tōtus.
- ↑ cum … nōllent: translate by a participial phrase.
- ↑ ponēbant: note the tense.
- ↑ arcērent: note the mood.