esset. Diū ille[1] hominem frūstrā quaerēbat, quī veste mūtātā[2] castra Britannica speculandī causā[3] adīre vellet; postrēmō autem ad hanc rem suscipiendam lēgātus adulēscēns repertus est: quī, vestīmentīs magistrī puerōrum[4] sumptīs, liburnicā vectus ad īnsulam incolumis pervēnit. Ubi Britannī, quī nihil suspicābantur, hominem līberē[5] circum castra omnia ambulāre passī sunt. Ille autem dīligenter faciēbat dēscrīptiōnēs[6]; commentāriōs[7] vērō, nē sibi essent dētrimentō[8], sī in manūs hostium vēnisset[9], Latīnē[10] scripsit. Tum paucīs post diēbus, rē bene cōnfectā, ad locum rediit, unde ad continentem trānsitūrus erat[11].
Dum autem ibi liburnicam exspectat, in dēversōriō ā perfugā quōdam cōnspectus est, quī Britannōs sine morā dē eius latebrīs certiōrēs fēcit. Itaque ab hostibus cōnfēstim missa est nāvis longa, quae hominem interciperet. Scaphā ē nāvī ad lītus appulsā, lēgātus scīlicet amīcōs adesse crēdēbat; quārē ē latebrīs palam prōgressus, in lītore facile captus est. Is[12] paulō post ā Britannīs capitis damnātus[13], fortissimē sē gerēbat; cumque tempus moriendī[14] iam adesset, aequissimō[15] animō “Hoc sōlum mē paenitet[16],” inquit, “quod[17] mihi est ūna vīta tantum, quam prō patriā largiar[18].”
- ↑ ille: omit in translating.
- ↑ veste mūtātā: i.e. in disguise.
- ↑ speculandī causā: i.e. as a spy; lit. what?.
- ↑ magistrī puerōrum: m, a tutor.
- ↑ līberē: adv., freely, or at will.
- ↑ dēscrīptiōnēs: dēscrīptiō, -ōnis: f, (a) drawing, cf. scrībō.
- ↑ commentāriōs: commentāriī, -ōrum: m, notes.
- ↑ dētrimentō: n, dat. of service (cf. praesidiō, p. 65, l. 4); translate freely.
- ↑ vēnisset: cf. factus esset, p. 121, l. 19.
- ↑ Latīnē: adv., in Latin.
- ↑ trānsitūrus erat: was to cross.
- ↑ is: omit in translating.
- ↑ capitis damnātus: cf. the note on p. 47, l. 16.
- ↑ moriendī: freely, of execution.
- ↑ aequissimō: fully composed.
- ↑ mē paenitet: causes me regret, paenitet, 2, paenituit.
- ↑ quod: that.
- ↑ largiar: subjunctive, For the phrasing of the whole clause, cf. p. 39, l. 17.
