cicero-第3章

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their　court　to　him；　than　there　were　that　came　to　Crassus　for　his



riches；　or　to　Pompey　for　his　power　amongst　the　soldiers；　these　being



at　that　time　the　two　men　of　the　greatest　repute　and　influence　in　Rome。



Nay；　even　Pompey　himself　used　to　pay　court　to　Cicero；　and　Cicero's



public　actions　did　much　to　establish　Pompey's　authority　and　reputation



in　the　state。



　　Numerous　distinguished　competitors　stood　with　him　for　the



praetor's　office；　but　he　was　chosen　before　them　all；　and　managed　the



decision　of　causes　with　justice　and　integrity。　It　is　related　that



Licinius　Macer；　a　man　himself　of　great　power　in　the　city；　and



supported　also　by　the　assistance　of　Crassus；　was　accused　before　him　of



extortion；　and　that；　in　confidence　on　his　own　interest　and　the



diligence　of　his　friends；　whilst　the　judges　were　debating　about　the



sentence；　he　went　to　his　house；　where　hastily　trimming　his　hair　and



putting　on　a　clean　gown　as　already　acquitted；　he　was　setting　off　again



to　go　to　the　Forum；　but　at　his　hall　door　meeting　Crassus；　who　told　him



that　he　was　condemned　by　all　the　votes；　he　went　in　again；　threw



himself　upon　his　bed；　and　died　immediately。　This　verdict　was



considered　very　creditable　to　Cicero；　as　showing　his　careful



management　of　the　courts　of　justice。　On　another　occasion；　Vatinius；



a　man　of　rude　manners　and　often　insolent　in　court　to　the



magistrates；　who　had　large　swellings　on　his　neck；　came　before　his



tribunal　and　made　some　request；　and　on　Cicero's　desiring　further



time　to　consider　it；　told　him　that　he　himself　would　have　made　no



question　about　it　had　he　been　praetor。　Cicero；　turning　quickly　upon



him；　answered；　〃But　I；　you　see；　have　not　the　neck　that　you　have。〃



　　When　there　were　but　two　or　three　days　remaining　in　his　office；



Manilius　was　brought　before　him；　and　charged　with　peculation。　Manilius



had　the　good　opinion　and　favour　of　the　common　people；　and　was



thought　to　be　prosecuted　only　for　Pompey's　sake；　whose　particular



friend　he　was。　And　therefore；　when　he　asked　a　space　of　time　before　his



trial；　and　Cicero　allowed　him　but　one　day；　and　that　the　next　only；　the



common　people　grew　highly　offended；　because　it　had　been　the　custom



of　the　praetors　to　allow　ten　days　at　least　to　the　accused；　and　the



tribunes　of　the　people；　having　called　him　before　the　people　and



accused　him；　he；　desiring　to　be　heard；　said；　that　as　he　had　always



treated　the　accused　with　equity　and　humanity；　as　far　as　the　law



allowed；　so　he　thought　it　hard　to　deny　the　same　to　Manilius；　and



that　he　had　studiously　appointed　that　day　of　which　alone；　as



praetor；　he　was　master；　and　that　it　was　not　the　part　of　those　that



were　desirous　to　help　him　to　cast　the　judgment　of　his　cause　upon



another　praetor。　These　things　being　said　made　a　wonderful　change　in



the　people；　and　commending　him　much　for　it　they　desired　that　he



himself　would　undertake　the　defence　of　Manilius；　which　he　willingly



consented　to；　and　that　principally　for　the　sake　of　Pompey；　who　was



absent。　And；　accordingly；　taking　his　place　before　the　people　again；　he



delivered　a　bold　invective　upon　the　oligarchical　party　and　on　those



who　were　jealous　of　Pompey。



　　Yet　he　was　preferred　to　the　consulship　no　less　by　the　nobles　than



the　common　people；　for　the　good　of　the　city；　and　both　parties



jointly　assisted　his　promotion；　upon　the　following　reasons。　The　change



of　government　made　by　Sylla；　which　at　first　seemed　a　senseless　one



by　time　and　usage　had　now　come　to　be　considered　by　the　people　no



unsatisfactory　settlement。　But　there　were　some　that　endeavoured　to



alter　and　subvert　the　whole　present　state　of　affairs；　not　from　any



good　motives；　but　for　their　own　private　gain；　and　Pompey　being　at　this



time　employed　in　the　wars　with　the　kings　of　Pontus　and　Armenia；



there　was　no　sufficient　force　at　Rome　to　suppress　any　attempts　at　a



revolution。　These　people　had　for　their　head　a　man　of　bold；　daring；　and



restless　character；　Lucius　Catiline；　who　was　accused；　besides　other



great　offences；　of　deflowering　his　virgin　daughter；　and　killing　his



own　brother；　for　which　latter　crime；　fearing　to　be　prosecuted　at



law；　he　persuaded　Sylla　to　set　him　down；　as　though　he　were　yet



alive；　amongst　those　that　were　to　be　put　to　death　by　proscription。



This　man　the　profligate　citizens　choosing　for　their　captain；　gave



faith　to　one　another；　amongst　other　pledges；　by　sacrificing　a　man；　and



eating　of　his　flesh；　and　a　great　part　of　the　young　men　of　the　city



were　corrupted　by　him；　he　providing　for　every　one　pleasures；　drink；



and　women；　and　profusely　supplying　the　expense　of　these　debauches。



Etruria；　moreover；　had　all　been　excited　to　revolt；　as　well　as　a



great　part　of　Gaul　within　the　Alps。　But　Rome　itself　was　in　the　most



dangerous　inclination　to　change　on　account　of　the　unequal　distribution



of　wealth　and　property；　those　of　highest　rank　and　greatest　spirit



having　impoverished　themselves　by　shows；　entertainments；　ambition　of



offices；　and　sumptuous　buildings；　and　the　riches　of　the　city　having



thus　fallen　into　the　hands　of　mean　and　low…born　persons。　So　that　there



wanted　but　a　slight　impetus　to　set　all　in　motion；　it　being　in　the



power　of　every　daring　man　to　overturn　a　sickly　commonwealth。



　　Catiline；　however；　being　desirous　of　procuring　a　strong　position



to　carry　out　his　designs；　stood　for　the　consulship；　and　had　great



hopes　of　success；　thinking　he　should　be　appointed　with　Caius



Antonius　as　his　colleague；　who　was　a　man　fit　to　lead　neither　in　a　good



cause　nor　in　a　bad　one；　but　might　be　a　valuable　accession　to　another's



power。　These　things　the　greatest　part　of　the　good　and　honest



citizens　apprehending；　put　Cicero　upon　standing　for　the　consulship；



whom　the　people　readily　receiving　Catiline　was　put　by；　so　that　he



and　Caius　Antonius　were　chosen；　although　amongst　the　competitors　he



was　the　only　man　descended　from　a　father　of　the　equestrian　and　not



of　the　senatorial　order。



　　Though　the　designs　of　Catiline　were　not　yet　publicly　known；　yet



considerable　preliminary　troubles　immediately　followed　upon　Cicero's



entrance　upon　the　consulship。　For；　on　the　one　side；　those　who　were



disqualified　by　the　laws　of　Sylla　from　holding　any　public　offices；



being　neither　inconsiderable　in　power　nor　in　number；　came　forward　as



candidates　and　caressed　the　people　for　them；　speaking　many　things



truly　and　justly　against　the　tyranny　of　Sylla；　only　that　they



disturbed　the　government　at　an　improper　and　unseasonable　time；　on



the　other　hand；　the　tribunes　of　the　people　proposed　laws　to　the　same



purpose；　constituting　a　commission　of　ten　persons；　with　unlimited



powers；　in　whom　as　supreme　governors　should　be　vested　the　right　of



selling　the　public　lands　of　all　Italy　and　Syria　and　Pompey's　new



conquest；　of　judging　and　banishing　whom　they　pleased；　of　planting



colonies；　of　taking　moneys　out　of　the　treasury；　and　of　levying　and



paying　what　soldiers　should　be　thought　needful。　And　several　of　the



nobility　favoured　this　law；　but　especially　Caius　Antonius；　Cicero's



colleague；　in　hopes　of　being　one　of　the　ten。　But　what　gave　the



greatest　fear　to　the　nobles　was；　that　he　was　thought　privy　to　the



conspiracy　of　Catiline；　and　not　to　dislike　it　because　of　his　great



debts。



　　Cicero；　endeavouring　in　the　first　place　to　provide　a　remedy



against　this　danger；　procured　a　decree　assigning　to　him　the　province



of　Macedonia；　he　himself　declining　that　of　Gaul；　which　was　offered



to　him。　And　this　piece　of　favour　so　completely　won　over　Antonius；　that



he　was　ready　to　second　and　respond　to；　like　a　hired　player；　whatever



Cicero　said　for　the　good　of　the　country。　And　now；　having　made　his



colleague　thus　tame　and　tractable；　he　could　with　greater　courage



attack　the　conspirators。　And；　therefore；　in　the　senate；　making　an



oration　against　the　law　of　the　ten　commissioners；　he　so　confounded



those　who　proposed　it；　that