histories-第53章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




revenge。　They　were　consoled　by　seeing　the　slave　of　Verginius　Capito；



whom　I　have　mentioned　as　the　betrayer　of　Tarracina；　gibbeted　in　the



very　rings　of　knighthood；　the　gift　of　Vitellius；　which　they　had　seen



him　wear。　At　Rome　the　Senate；　delighted　and　full　of　confident　hope；



decreed　to　Vespasian　all　the　honours　customarily　bestowed　on　the



Emperors。　And　indeed　the　civil　war；　which；　beginning　in　Gaul　and



Spain；　and　afterwards　drawing　into　the　struggle　first　Germany　and　then



Illyricum；　had　traversed　Aegypt；　Judaea；　and　Syria；　every　province；



and　every　army；　this　war；　now　that　the　whole　earth　was；　as　it　were；



purged　from　guilt；　seemed　to　have　reached　its　close。　Their　alacrity



was　increased　by　a　letter　from　Vespasian；　written　during　the



continuance　of　the　war。　Such　indeed　was　its　character　at　first



sight；　the　writer；　however；　expressed　himself　as　an　Emperor；



speaking　modestly　about　himself；　in　admirable　language　about　the



State。　There　was　no　want　of　deference　on　the　part　of　the　Senate。　On



the　Emperor　and　his　son　Titus　the　consulship　was　bestowed　by　decree；



on　Domitian　the　office　of　praetor　with　consular　authority。



　　Mucianus　had　also　forwarded　to　the　Senate　certain　letters　which



furnished　matter　for　talk。　It　was　said；　〃Why；　if　he　is　a　private



citizen；　does　he　speak　like　a　public　man？　In　a　few　days'　time　he　might



have　said　the　very　same　words　in　his　place　as　a　Senator。　And　even



the　invective　against　Vitellius　comes　too　late；　and　is　ungenerous；



while　certainly　it　is　arrogance　to　the　State　and　an　insult　to　the



Emperor　to　boast　that　he　had　the　Imperial　power　in　his　hands；　and　made



a　present　of　it　to　Vespasian。〃　Their　dislike；　however；　was



concealed；　their　adulation　was　open　enough。　In　most　flattering



language　they　voted　a　triumph　to　Mucianus；　a　triumph　for　a　civil



war；　though　the　expedition　against　the　Sarmatae　was　the　pretext。　On



Antonius　Primus　were　bestowed　the　insignia　of　consular　rank；　on　Arrius



Varus　and　Cornelius　Fuscus　praetorian　honours。　Then　they　remembered



the　Gods。　It　was　determined　that　the　Capitol　should　be　restored。　All



these　motions　Valerius　Asiaticus；　consul　elect；　proposed。　Most　of



the　Senators　signified　their　assent　by　their　looks；　or　by　raising



the　hand；　but　a　few；　who　either　held　a　distinguished　rank；　or　had　a



practised　talent　for　flattery；　declared　their　acquiescence　in



studied　speeches。　When　it　came　to　the　turn　of　Helvidius　Priscus；



praetor　elect；　to　vote；　he　delivered　an　opinion；　full　of　respect



indeed　to　a　worthy　Emperor；　and　yet　wholly　free　from　insincerity；



and　he　was　strongly　supported　by　the　sympathies　of　the　Senate。　To



Priscus　indeed　this　day　was　in　an　especial　manner　the　beginning　of　a



great　quarrel　and　a　great　renown。



　　As　I　have　again　happened　to　mention　a　man　of　whom　I　shall　often　have



to　speak；　the　subject　seems　to　demand　that　I　should　give　a　brief



account　of　his　life　and　pursuits；　and　of　his　fortunes。　Helvidius



Priscus　was　a　native　of　the　town　of　Carecina　in　Italy；　and　was　the　son



of　one　Cluvius；　who　had　been　a　centurion　of　the　first　rank。　In　early



youth　he　devoted　his　distinguished　talents　to　the　loftiest　pursuits；



not　wishing；　as　do　many；　to　cloak　under　an　imposing　name　a　life　of



indolence；　but　to　be　able　to　enter　upon　public　life　with　a　spirit



fortified　against　the　chances　of　fortune。　He　followed　those　teachers



of　philosophy　who　hold　nothing　to　be　good　but　what　is　honourable；



nothing　evil　but　what　is　base；　and　who　refuse　to　count　either　among



things　good　or　evil；　power；　rank；　or　indeed　any　thing　not　belonging　to



the　mind。　While　still　holding　the　quaestorship；　he　was　selected　by



Paetus　Thrasea　to　be　his　son…in…law；　and　from　the　example　of　his



father…in…law　imbibed　with　peculiar　eagerness　a　love　of　liberty。　As



a　citizen　and　as　a　Senator；　as　a　husband；　as　a　son…in…law；　as　a



friend；　and　in　all　the　relations　of　life；　he　was　ever　the　same；



despising　wealth；　steadily　tenacious　of　right；　and　undaunted　by



danger。



　　There　were　some　who　thought　him　too　eager　for　fame；　and　indeed　the



desire　of　glory　is　the　last　infirmity　cast　off　even　by　the　wise。　The



fall　of　his　father…in…law　drove　him　into　exile；　but　he　returned　when



Galba　mounted　the　throne；　and　proceeded　to　impeach　Marcellus　Eprius；



who　had　been　the　informer　against　Thrasea。　This　retribution；　as　great



as　it　was　just；　had　divided　the　Senate　into　two　parties；　for；　if



Marcellus　fell；　a　whole　army　of　fellow　culprits　was　struck　down。　At



first　there　was　a　fierce　struggle；　as　is　proved　by　the　great



speeches　delivered　by　both　men。　But　afterwards；　as　the　feelings　of



Galba　were　doubtful；　and　many　Senators　interceded；　Priscus　dropped　the



charge；　amidst　comments　varying　with　the　tempers　of　men；　some　praising



his　moderation；　and　others　deploring　a　lack　of　courage。　On　the　day；



however；　that　the　Senate　was　voting　about　the　Imperial　dignities　of



Vespasian；　it　had　been　resolved　that　envoys　should　be　sent　to　the



new　Emperor。　Hence　arose　a　sharp　altercation　between　Helvidius　and



Eprius。　Priscus　proposed　that　they　should　be　chosen　by　name　by　the



magistrates　on　oath；　Marcellus　demanded　the　ballot；　and　this　had



been　the　opinion　expressed　by　the　Consul　elect。



　　It　was　the　dread　of　personal　humiliation　that　made　Marcellus　so



earnest；　for　he　feared　that；　if　others　were　chosen；　he　should



himself　appear　slighted。　From　an　angry　conversation　they　passed　by



degrees　to　long　and　bitter　speeches。　Helvidius　asked；　〃Why　should



Marcellus　be　so　afraid　of　the　judgment　of　the　magistrates？　He　has



wealth　and　eloquence；　which　might　make　him　superior　to　many；　were　he



not　oppressed　by　the　consciousness　of　guilt。　The　chances　of　the　ballot



do　not　discriminate　men's　characters；　the　voting　and　the　judgment　of



the　Senate　were　devised　to　reach　the　lives　and　reputations　of



individuals。　It　concerns　the　interests　of　the　Commonwealth；　it



concerns　the　honour　due　to　Vespasian；　that　he　should　be　met　by　those



whom　the　Senate　counts　to　be　peculiarly　blameless；　and　who　may　fill



the　Emperor's　ear　with　honourable　counsels。　Vespasian　was　the　friend



of　Thrasea；　Soranus；　and　Sextius；　and　the　accusers　of　these　men；



though　it　may　not　be　expedient　to　punish　them；　ought　not　to　be　paraded



before　him。　By　this　selection　on　the　part　of　the　Senate　the　Emperor



will；　so　to　speak；　be　advised　whom　he　should　mark　with　approval；　and



from　whom　he　should　shrink。　There　can　be　no　more　effectual



instrument　of　good　government　than　good　friends。　Let　Marcellus　be



satisfied　with　having　urged　Nero　to　destroy　so　many　innocent



victims；　let　him　enjoy　the　wages　of　his　crimes　and　his　impunity；　but



let　him　leave　Vespasian　to　worthier　advisers。〃



　　Marcellus　declared；　〃It　is　not　my　opinion　that　is　assailed；　the



Consul　elect　has　made　a　motion　in　accordance　with　old　precedents；



which　directed　the　use　of　the　ballot　in　the　appointment　of　envoys；



in　order　that　there　might　be　no　room　for　intrigue　or　private



animosities。　Nothing　has　happened　why　customs　of　long　standing



should　fall　into　disuse；　or　why　the　honour　due　to　the　Emperor　should



be　turned　into　an　insult　to　any　man。　All　Senators　are　competent　to　pay



their　homage。　What　we　have　rather　to　avoid　is　this；　that　a　mind



unsettled　by　the　novelty　of　power；　and　which　will　keenly　watch　the



very　looks　and　language　of　all；　should　be　irritated　by　the　obstinacy



of　certain　persons。　I　do　not　forget　the　times　in　which　I　have　been



born；　or　the　form　of　government　which　our　fathers　and　grandfathers



established。　I　may　regard　with　admiration　an　earlier　period；　but　I



acquiesce　in　the　present；　and；　while　I　pray　for　good　Emperors；　I　can



endure　whomsoever　we　may　have。　It　was　not　through　my　speech　any　more



than　it　was　through　the　judgment　of　the　Senate　that　Thrasea　fell。



The　savage　temper　of　Nero　amused　itself　under　these　forms；　and　I　found



the　friendship　of　suc