poplicola-第3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！


and　expressions　of　joy；　whilst　the　Tuscans；　through　fear　and
amazement；　deserted　their　tents；　and　were　for　the　most　part　dispersed。
The　Romans；　falling　upon　the　remainder；　amounting　to　nearly　five
thousand；　took　them　prisoners；　and　plundered　the　camp；　when　they
numbered　the　dead；　they　found　on　the　Tuscans'　side　eleven　thousand　and
three　hundred；　exceeding　their　own　loss　but　by　one　man。　This　fight
happened　upon　the　last　of　February；　and　Valerius　triumphed　in　honour
of　it；　being　the　first　consul　that　drove　in　with　a　four…horse　chariot；
which　sight　both　appeared　magnificent；　and　was　received　with　an
admiration　free　from　envy　or　offence　（as　some　suggest）　on　the　part
of　the　spectators；　it　would　not　otherwise　have　been　continued　with
so　much　eagerness　and　emulation　through　all　the　after　ages。　The　people
applauded　likewise　the　honours　he　did　to　his　colleague；　in　adding　to
his　obsequies　a　funeral　oration：　which　was　so　much　liked　by　the
Romans；　and　found　so　good　a　reception；　that　it　became　customary　for
the　best　men　to　celebrate　the　funerals　of　great　citizens　with　speeches
in　their　commendation；　and　their　antiquity　in　Rome　is　affirmed　to　be
greater　than　in　Greece；　unless；　with　the　orator　Anaximenes；　we　make
Solon　the　first　author。
　　Yet　some　part　of　Valerius's　behaviour　did　give　offence　and　disgust
to　the　people；　because　Brutus；　whom　they　esteemed　the　father　of
their　liberty；　had　not　presumed　to　rule　without　a　colleague；　but
united　one　and　then　another　to　him　in　his　commission；　while
Valerius；　they　said；　centering　all　authority　in　himself；　seemed　not　in
any　sense　a　successor　to　Brutus　in　the　consulship；　but　to　Tarquin　in
the　tyranny；　he　might　make　verbal　harangues　to　Brutus's　memory；　yet
when　he　was　attended　with　all　the　rods　and　axes；　proceeding　down
from　a　house　than　which　the　king's　house　that　he　had　demolished　had
not　been　statelier；　those　actions　showed　him　an　imitator　of　Tarquin。
For；　indeed；　his　dwelling…house　on　the　Velia　was　somewhat　imposing
in　appearance；　hanging　over　the　forum；　and　overlooking　all
transactions　there；　the　access　to　it　was　hard；　and　to　see　him　far
off　coming　down；　a　stately　and　royal　spectacle。　But　Valerius　showed
how　well　it　were　for　men　in　power　and　great　offices　to　have　ears
that　give　admittance　to　truth　before　flattery；　for　upon　his　friends
telling　him　that　he　displeased　the　people；　he　contended　not；　neither
resented　it；　but　while　it　was　still　night；　sending　for　a　number　of
work…people；　pulled　down　his　house　and　levelled　it　with　the　ground；　so
that　in　the　morning　the　people；　seeing　and　flocking　together；
expressed　their　wonder　and　their　respect　for　his　magnanimity；　and
their　sorrow；　as　though　it　had　been　a　human　being；　for　the　large　and
beautiful　house　which　was　thus　lost　to　them　by　an　unfounded
jealousy；　while　its　owner；　their　consul；　without　a　roof　of　his　own；
had　to　beg　a　lodging　with　his　friends。　For　his　friends　received　him；
till　a　place　the　people　gave　him　was　furnished　with　a　house；　though
less　stately　than　his　own；　where　now　stands　the　temple；　as　it　is
called；　of　Vica　Pota。
　　He　resolved　to　render　the　government；　as　well　as　himself；　instead　of
terrible；　familiar　and　pleasant　to　the　people；　and　parted　the　axes
from　the　rods；　and　always；　upon　his　entrance　into　the　assembly；
lowered　these　also　to　the　people；　to　show；　in　the　strongest　way；　the
republican　foundation　of　the　government；　and　this　the　consuls
observe　to　this　day。　But　the　humility　of　the　man　was　but　a　means；　not；
as　they　thought；　of　lessening　himself；　but　merely　to　abate　their
envy　by　this　moderation；　for　whatever　he　detracted　from　his
authority　he　added　to　his　real　power；　the　people　still　submitting　with
satisfaction；　which　they　expressed　by　calling　him　Poplicola；　or
people…lover；　which　name　had　the　pre…eminence　of　the　rest；　and；
therefore；　in　the　sequel　of　his　narrative　we　shall　use　no　other。
　　He　gave　free　leave　to　any　to　sue　for　the　consulship；　but　before
the　admittance　of　a　colleague；　mistrusting　the　chances；　lest　emulation
or　ignorance　should　cross　his　designs；　by　his　sole　authority　enacted
his　best　and　most　important　measures。　First；　he　supplied　the　vacancies
of　the　senators；　whom　either　Tarquin　long　before　had　put　to　death；
or　the　war　lately　cut　off；　those　that　he　enrolled；　they　write；
amounted　to　a　hundred　and　sixty…four；　afterwards　he　made　several
laws　which　added　much　to　the　people's　liberty；　in　particular　one
granting　offenders　the　liberty　of　appealing　to　the　people　from　the
judgment　of　the　consuls；　a　second；　that　made　it　death　to　usurp　any
magistracy　without　the　people's　consent；　a　third；　for　the　relief　of
poor　citizens；　which；　taking　off　their　taxes；　encouraged　their
labours；　another；　against　disobedience　to　the　consuls；　which　was　no
less　popular　than　the　rest；　and　rather　to　the　benefit　of　the
commonalty　than　to　the　advantage　of　the　nobles；　for　it　imposed　upon
disobedience　the　penalty　of　ten　oxen　and　two　sheep；　the　price　of　a
sheep　being　ten　obols；　of　an　ox；　an　hundred。　For　the　use　of　money
was　then　infrequent　amongst　the　Romans；　but　their　wealth　in　cattle
great；　even　now　pieces　of　property　are　called　peculia　from　pecus；
cattle；　and　they　had　stamped　upon　their　most　ancient　money　an　ox；　a
sheep；　or　a　hog；　and　surnamed　their　sons　Suillii；　Bubulci；　Caprarii；
and　Porcii；　from　caproe；　goats；　and　porci；　hogs。
　　Amidst　this　mildness　and　moderation；　for　one　excessive　fault　he
instituted　one　excessive　punishment；　for　he　made　it　lawful　without
trial　to　take　away　any　man's　life　that　aspired　to　a　tyranny；　and
acquitted　the　slayer；　if　he　produced　evidence　of　the　crime；　for　though
it　was　not　probable　for　a　man；　whose　designs　were　so　great；　to
escape　all　notice；　yet　because　it　was　possible　he　might；　although
observed；　by　force　anticipate　judgment；　which　the　usurpation　itself
would　then　preclue；　he　gave　a　licence　to　any　to　anticipate　the
usurper。　He　was　honoured　likewise　for　the　law　touching　the　treasury；
for　because　it　was　necessary　for　the　citizens　to　contribute　out　of
their　estates　to　the　maintenance　of　wars；　and　he　was　unwilling　himself
to　be　concerned　in　the　care　of　it；　or　to　permit　his　friends　or
indeed　to　let　the　public　money　pass　into　any　private　house；　he
allotted　the　temple　of　Saturn　for　the　treasury；　in　which　to　this　day
they　deposit　the　tribute…money；　and　granted　the　people　the　liberty
of　choosing　two　young　men　as　quaestors；　or　treasurers。　The　first
were　Publius　Veturius　and　Marcus　Minucius；　and　a　large　sum　was
collected；　for　they　assessed　one　hundred　and　thirty　thousand；　excusing
orphans　and　widows　from　the　payment。　After　these　dispositions；　he
admitted　Lucretius；　the　father　of　Lucretia；　as　his　colleague；　and　gave
him　the　precedence　in　the　government；　by　resigning　the　fasces　to
him；　as　due　to　his　years；　which　privilege　of　seniority　continued　to
our　time。　But　within　a　few　days　Lucretius　died；　and　in　a　new
election　Marcus　Horatius　succeeded　in　that　honour；　and　continued
consul　for　the　remainder　of　the　year。
　　Now；　whilst　Tarquin　was　making　preparations　in　Tuscany　for　a
second　war　against　the　Romans；　it　is　said　a　great　portent　occurred。
When　Tarquin　was　king；　and　had　all　but　completed　the　buildings　of
the　Capitol；　designing；　whether　from　oracular　advice　or　his　own
pleasure；　to　erect　an　earthen　chariot　upon　the　top；　he　intrusted　the
workmanship　to　Tuscans　of　the　city　Veii；　but　soon　after　lost　his
kingdom。　The　work　thus　modelled；　the　Tuscans　set　in　a　furnace；　but　the
clay　showed　not　those　passive　qualities　which　usually　attend　its
nature；　to　subside　and　be　condensed　upon　the　evaporation　of　the
moisture；　but　rose　and　swelled　out　to　that　bulk；　that；　when　solid
and　firm；　notwithstanding　the　removal　of　the　roof　and　opening　the
walls　of　the　furnace；　it　could　not　be　taken　out　without　much
difficulty。　The　soothsayers　looked　upon　this　as　a　divine　prognostic　of
success　and　power　to　those　that　should　possess　it；　and　the　Tuscans
resolved　not　to　deliver　it　to　the　Roman；　who　demanded　it；　but　answered
that　it　rather　belonged　to　Tarquin　than　to　those　who　had　sent　him　into
exile。　A　few　days　after；　they　had　a　horse…race　there；　with　the　usual
shows　and　solemnities；　and　as　the　charioteer　with　his　garland　on　his
head　was　quietly　driving　the