cicero-第5章

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



to　the　several　cities；　endeavouring　to　persuade　or　force　them　to



revolt。　So　it　being　now　come　to　open　war；　Antonius　was　sent　forth　to



fight　him。



　　The　remainder　of　those　in　the　city　whom　he　had　corrupted；



Cornelius　Lentulus　kept　together　and　encouraged。　He　had　the　surname



Sura；　and　was　a　man　of　a　noble　family；　but　a　dissolute　liver；　who



for　his　debauchery　was　formerly　turned　out　of　the　senate；　and　was



now　holding　the　office　of　praetor　for　the　second　time；　as　the　custom



is　with　those　who　desire　to　regain　the　dignity　of　senator。　It　is



said　that　he　got　the　surname　Sura　upon　this　occasion；　being　quaestor



in　the　time　of　Sylla；　he　had　lavished　away　and　consumed　a　great



quantity　of　the　public　moneys；　at　which　Sylla　being　provoked；　called



him　to　give　an　account　in　the　senate；　he　appeared　with　great



coolness　and　contempt；　and　said　he　had　no　account　to　give；　but　they



might　take　this；　holding　up　the　calf　of　his　leg；　as　boys　do　at　ball；



when　they　have　missed。　Upon　which　he　was　surnamed　Sura；　sura　being　the



Roman　word　for　the　calf　of　the　leg。　Being　at　another　time　prosecuted



at　law；　and　having　bribed　some　of　the　judges；　he　escaped　only　by　two



votes　and　complained　of　the　needless　expense　he　had　gone　to　in



paying　for　a　second；　as　one　would　have　sufficed　to　acquit　him。　This



man；　such　in　his　own　nature；　and　now　inflamed　by　Catiline；　false



prophets　and　fortune…tellers　had　also　corrupted　with　vain　hopes；



quoting　to　him　fictitious　verses　and　oracles；　and　proving　from　the



Sibylline　prophecies　that　there　were　three　of　the　name　Cornelius



designed　by　fate　to　be　monarchs　of　Rome；　two　of　whom；　Cinna　and　Sylla；



had　already　fulfilled　the　decree；　and　that　divine　fortune　was　now



advancing　with　the　gift　of　monarchy　for　the　remaining　third　Cornelius；



and　that　therefore　he　ought　by　all　means　to　accept　it；　and　not　lose



opportunity　by　delay；　as　Catiline　had　done。



　　Lentulus；　therefore；　designed　no　mean　or　trivial　matter；　for　he



had　resolved　to　kill　the　whole　senate；　and　as　many　other　citizens　as



he　could；　to　fire　the　city；　and　spare　nobody；　except　only　Pompey's



children；　intending　to　seize　and　keep　them　as　pledges　of　his



reconciliation　with　Pompey。　For　there　was　then　a　common　and　strong



report　that　Pompey　was　on　his　way　homeward　from　his　great



expedition。　The　night　appointed　for　the　design　was　one　of　the



Saturnalia；　swords；　flax；　and　sulphur　they　carried　and　hid　in　the



house　of　Cethegus；　and　providing　one　hundred　men；　and　dividing　the



city　into　as　many　parts；　they　had　allotted　to　every　one　singly　his



proper　place；　so　that　in　a　moment；　many　kindling　the　fire；　the　city



might　be　in　a　flame　all　together。　Others　were　appointed　to　stop　up　the



aqueducts；　and　to　kill　those　who　should　endeavour　to　carry　water　to



put　it　out。　Whilst　these　plans　were　preparing；　it　happened　there



were　two　ambassadors　from　the　Allobroges　staying　in　Rome；　a　nation



at　that　time　in　a　distressed　condition；　and　very　uneasy　under　the



Roman　government。　These　Lentulus　and　his　party　judging　useful



instruments　to　move　and　seduce　Gaul　to　revolt；　admitted　into　the



conspiracy　and　they　gave　them　letters　to　their　own　magistrates；　and



letters　to　Catiline；　in　those　they　promised　liberty；　in　these　they



exhorted　Catiline　to　set　all　slaves　free；　and　to　bring　them　along　with



him　to　Rome。　They　sent　also　to　accompany　them　to　Catiline；　one



Titus；　a　native　of　Croton；　who　was　to　carry　those　letters　to　him。



　　These　counsels　of　inconsidering　men；　who　conversed　together　over



wine　and　with　women；　Cicero　watched　with　sober　industry　and



forethought；　and　with　most　admirable　sagacity；　having　several



emissaries　abroad；　who　observed　and　traced　with　him　all　that　was　done；



and　keeping　also　a　secret　correspondence　with　many　who　pretended　to



join　in　the　conspiracy。　He　thus　knew　all　the　discourse　which　passed



betwixt　them　and　the　strangers；　and　lying　in　wait　for　them　by　night；



he　took　the　Crotonian　with　his　letters；　the　ambassadors　of　the



Allobroges　acting　secretly　in　concert　with　him。



　　By　break　of　day；　he　summoned　the　senate　into　the　temple　of



Concord；　where　he　read　the　letters　and　examined　the　informers。



Junius　Silanus　further　stated　that　several　persons　had　heard



Cethegus　say　that　three　consuls　and　four　praetors　were　to　be　slain。



Piso；　also；　a　person　of　consular　dignity；　testified　other　matters　of



the　like　nature；　and　Caius　Sulpicius；　one　of　the　praetors；　being



sent　to　Cethegus's　house；　found　there　a　quantity　of　darts　and　of



armour；　and　a　still　greater　number　of　swords　and　daggers；　all　recently



whetted。　At　length；　the　senate　decreeing　indemnity　to　the　Crotonian



upon　his　confession　of　the　whole　matter；　Lentulus　was　convicted；



abjured　his　office　（for　he　was　then　praetor）；　and　put　off　his　robe



edged　with　purple　in　the　senate；　changing　it　for　another　garment



more　agreeable　to　his　present　circumstances。　He　thereupon；　with　the



rest　of　his　confederates　present；　was　committed　to　the　charge　of　the



praetors　in　free　custody。



　　It　being　evening；　and　the　common　people　in　crowds　expecting　without；



Cicero　went　forth　to　them；　and　told　them　what　was　done；　and　then；



attended　by　them；　went　to　the　house　of　a　friend　and　near　neighbour；



for　his　own　was　taken　up　by　the　women　who　were　celebrating；　with



secret　rites　the　feast　of　the　goddess　whom　the　Romans　call　the　Good；



and　the　Greeks　the　Women's　goddess。　For　a　sacrifice　is　annually



performed　to　her　in　the　consul's　house；　either　by　his　wife　or



mother；　in　the　presence　of　the　vestal　virgins。　And　having　got　into　his



friend's　house　privately；　a　few　only　being　present；　he　began　to



deliberate　how　he　should　treat　these　men。　The　severest；　and　the　only



punishment　fit　for　such　heinous　crimes；　he　was　somewhat　shy　and



fearful　of　inflicting；　as　well　from　the　clemency　of　his　nature；　as



also　lest　he　should　be　thought　to　exercise　his　authority　too



insolently；　and　to　treat　too　harshly　men　of　the　noblest　birth　and　most



powerful　friendships　in　the　city；　and　yet；　if　he　should　use　them



more　mildly；　he　had　a　dreadful　prospect　of　danger　from　them。　For　there



was　no　likelihood；　if　they　suffered　less　than　death；　they　would　be



reconciled；　but　rather；　adding　new　rage　to　their　former　wickedness；



they　would　rush　into　every　kind　of　audacity；　while　he　himself；　whose



character　for　courage　already　did　not　stand　very　high　with　the



multitude；　would　be　thought　guilty　of　the　greatest　cowardice　and



want　of　manliness。



　　Whilst　Cicero　was　doubting　what　course　to　take；　a　portent　happened



to　the　women　in　their　sacrificing。　For　on　the　altar；　where　the　fire



seemed　wholly　extinguished；　a　great　and　bright　flame　issued　forth　from



the　ashes　of　the　burnt　wood；　at　which　others　were　affrighted；　but



the　holy　virgins　called　to　Terentia；　Cicero's　wife；　and　bade　her　haste



to　her　husband；　and　command　him　to　execute　what　he　had　resolved　for



the　good　of　his　country；　for　the　goddess　had　sent　a　great　light　to　the



increase　of　his　safety　and　glory。　Terentia；　therefore；　as　she　was



otherwise　in　her　own　nature　neither　tender…hearted　nor　timorous；　but　a



woman　eager　for　distinction　（who；　as　Cicero　himself　says；　would　rather



thrust　herself　into　his　public　affairs；　than　communicate　her



domestic　matters　to　him）；　told　him　these　things；　and　excited　him



against　the　conspirators。　So　also　did　Quintus　his　brother；　and　Publius



Nigidius；　one　of　his　philosophical　friends；　whom　he　often　made　use



of　in　his　greatest　and　most　weighty　affairs　of　state。



　　The　next　day；　a　debate　arising　in　the　senate　about　the　punishment　of



the　men；　Silanus；　being　the　first　who　was　asked　his　opinion；　said　it



was　fit　they　should　be　all　sent　to　the　prison；　and　there　suffer　the



utmost　penalty。　To　him　all　consented　in　order　till　it　came　to　Caius



Caesar；　who　was　afterw