cicero-第4章

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



those　who　proposed　it；　that　they　had　nothing　to　reply。　And　when　they



again　endeavoured；　and；　having　prepared　things　beforehand；　had



called　the　consuls　before　the　assembly　of　the　people；　Cicero；



fearing　nothing；　went　first　out；　and　commanded　the　senate　to　follow



him；　and　not　only　succeeded　in　throwing　out　the　law；　but　so　entirely



overpowered　the　tribunes　by　his　oratory；　that　they　abandoned　all



thought　of　their　other　projects。



　　For　Cicero；　it　may　be　said；　was　the　one　man；　above　all　others　who



made　the　Romans　feel　how　great　a　charm　eloquence　lends　to　what　is



good；　and　how　invincible　justice　is；　if　it　be　well　spoken；　and　that　it



is　necessary　for　him　who　would　dexterously　govern　a　commonwealth；　in



action；　always　to　prefer　that　which　is　honest　before　that　which　is



popular；　and　in　speaking；　to　free　the　right　and　useful　measure　from



everything　that　may　occasion　offence。　An　incident　occurred　in　the



theatre；　during　his　consulship；　which　showed　what　his　speaking　could



do。　For　whereas　formerly　the　knights　of　Rome　were　mingled　in　the



theatre　with　the　common　people；　and　took　their　places　among　them　as　it



happened；　Marcus　Otho；　when　he　was　praetor；　was　the　first　who



distinguished　them　from　the　other　citizens　and　appointed　them　a　proper



seat；　which　they　still　enjoy　as　their　special　place　in　the　theatre。



This　the　common　people　took　as　an　indignity　done　to　them；　and；



therefore；　when　Otho　appeared　in　the　theatre　they　hissed　him；　the



knights；　on　the　contrary；　received　him　with　loud　clapping。　The



people　repeated　and　increased　their　hissing；　the　knights　continued



their　clapping。　Upon　this；　turning　upon　one　another；　they　broke　out



into　insulting　words；　so　that　the　theatre　was　in　great　disorder。



Cicero　being　informed　of　it；　came　himself　to　the　theatre；　and



summoning　the　people　into　the　temple　of　Bellona；　he　so　effectually



chid　and　chastised　them　for　it；　that　again　returning　into　the



theatre　they　received　Otho　with　loud　applause；　contending　with　the



knights　who　should　give　him　the　greatest　demonstrations　of　honour



and　respect。



　　The　conspirators　with　Catiline；　at　first　cowed　and　disheartened；



began　presently　to　take　courage　again。　And　assembling　themselves



together；　they　exhorted　one　another　boldly　to　undertake　the　design



before　Pompey's　return；　who；　as　it　was　said；　was　now　on　his　march　with



his　forces　for　Rome。　But　the　old　soldiers　of　Sylla　were　Catiline's



chief　stimulus　to　action。　They　had　been　disbanded　all　about　Italy；　but



the　greatest　number　and　the　fiercest　of　them　lay　scattered　among　the



cities　of　Etruria　entertaining　themselves　with　dreams　of　new　plunder



and　rapine　amongst　the　hoarded　riches　of　Italy。　These；　having　for



their　leader　Manlius；　who　had　served　with　distinction　in　the　wars



under　Sylla；　joined　themselves　to　Catiline；　and　came　to　Rome　to　assist



him　with　their　suffrages　at　the　election。　For　he　again　pretended　to



the　consulship；　having　resolved　to　kill　Cicero　in　a　tumult　at　the



elections。　Also；　the　divine　powers　seemed　to　give　intimation　of　the



coming　troubles；　by　earthquakes；　thunderbolts；　and　strange



appearances。　Nor　was　human　evidence　wanting　certain　enough　in



itself；　though　not　sufficient　for　the　conviction　of　the　noble　and



powerful　Catiline。　Therefore　Cicero；　deferring　the　day　of　election；



summoned　Catiline　into　the　senate；　and　questioned　him　as　to　the



charges　made　against　him。　Catiline；　believing　there　were　many　in　the



senate　desirous　of　change；　and　to　give　a　specimen　of　himself　to　the



conspirators　present；　returned　an　audacious　answer；　〃What　harm；〃



said　he；　〃when　I　see　two　bodies；　the　one　lean　and　consumptive　with　a



head；　the　other　great　and　strong　without　one；　if　I　put　a　head　to



that　body　which　wants　one？〃　This　covert　representation　of　the　senate



and　the　people　excited　yet　greater　apprehensions　in　Cicero。　He　put



on　armour；　and　was　attended　from　his　house　by　the　noble　citizens　in



a　body；　and　a　number　of　the　young　men　went　with　him　into　the　Plain。



Here　designedly　letting　his　tunic　slip　partly　off　from　his



shoulders；　he　showed　his　armour　underneath；　and　discovered　his



danger　to　the　spectators；　who；　being　much　moved　at　it；　gathered



round　about　him　for　his　defence。　At　length；　Catiline　was　by　a



general　suffrage　again　put　by；　and　Silanus　and　Murena　chosen　consuls。



　　Not　long　after　this；　Catiline's　soldiers　got　together　in　a　body　in



Etruria；　and　began　to　form　themselves　into　companies；　the　day



appointed　for　the　design　being　near　at　hand。　About　midnight；　some　of



the　principal　and　most　powerful　citizens　of　Rome；　Marcus　Crassus；



Marcus　Marcellus；　and　Scipio　Metellus　went　to　Cicero's　house；　where；



knocking　at　the　gate；　and　calling　up　the　porter；　they　commanded　him　to



awake　Cicero；　and　tell　him　they　were　there。　The　business　was　this：



Crassus's　porter　after　supper　had　delivered　to　him　letters　brought



by　an　unknown　person。　Some　of　them　were　directed　to　others；　but　one　to



Crassus；　without　a　name；　this　only　Crassus　read；　which　informed　him



that　there　was　a　great　slaughter　intended　by　Catiline；　and　advised　him



to　leave　the　city。　The　others　he　did　not　open；　but　went　with　them



immediately　to　Cicero；　being　affrighted　at　the　danger；　and　to　free



himself　of　the　suspicion　he　lay　under　for　his　familiarity　with



Catiline。　Cicero；　considering　the　matter；　summoned　the　senate　at　break



of　day。　The　letters　he　brought　with　him；　and　delivered　them　to　those



to　whom　they　were　directed；　commanding　them　to　read　them　publicly；



they　all　alike　contained　an　account　of　the　conspiracy。　And　when



Quintus　Arrius　a　man　of　praetorian　dignity；　recounted　to　them　how



soldiers　were　collecting　in　companies　in　Etruria；　and　Manlius　stated



to　be　in　motion　with　a　large　force；　hovering　about　those　cities；　in



expectation　of　intelligence　from　Rome；　the　senate　made　a　decree　to



place　all　in　the　hands　of　the　consuls；　who　should　undertake　the



conduct　of　everything；　and　do　their　best　to　save　the　state。　This　was



not　a　common　thing；　but　only　done　by　the　senate　in　case　of　imminent



danger。



　　After　Cicero　had　received　this　power；　he　committed　all　affairs



outside　to　Quintus　Metellus；　but　the　management　of　the　city　he　kept　in



his　own　hands。　Such　a　numerous　attendance　guarded　him　every　day　when



he　went　abroad；　that　the　greatest　part　of　the　market…place　was



filled　with　his　train　when　he　entered　it。　Catiline；　impatient　of



further　delay；　resolved　himself　to　break　forth　and　go　to　Manlius；



but　he　commanded　Marcius　and　Cethegus　to　take　their　swords；　and　go



early　in　the　morning　to　Cicero's　gates；　as　if　only　intending　to　salute



him；　and　then　to　fall　upon　him　and　slay　him。　This　a　noble　lady；



Fulvia；　coming　by　night；　discovered　to　Cicero；　bidding　him　beware　of



Cethegus　and　Marcius。　They　came　by　break　of　day　and　being　denied



entrance；　made　an　outcry　and　disturbance　at　the　gates；　which　excited



all　the　more　suspicion。　But　Cicero；　going　forth；　summoned　the　senate



into　the　temple　of　Jupiter　Stator；　which　stands　at　the　end　of　the



Sacred　Street；　going　up　to　the　Palatine。　And　when　Catiline　with　others



of　his　party　also　came；　as　intending　to　make　his　defence；　none　of



the　senators　would　sit　by　him；　but　all　of　them　left　the　bench　where　he



had　placed　himself。　And　when　he　began　to　speak；　they　interrupted　him



with　outcries。　At　length　Cicero；　standing　up；　commanded　him　to　leave



the　city；　for　since　one　governed　the　commonwealth　with　words；　the



other　with　arms；　it　was　necessary　there　should　be　a　wall　betwixt　them。



Catiline；　therefore；　immediately　left　the　town；　with　three　hundred



armed　men；　and　assuming；　as　if　he　had　been　a　magistrate；　the　rods；



axes；　and　military　ensigns；　he　went　to　Manlius；　and　having　got



together　a　body　of　near　twenty　thousand　men；　with　these　he　marched



to　the　several　citie