cicero-第6章

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



Caesar；　who　was　afterwards　dictator。　He　was　then　but　a　young　man；



and　only　at　the　outset　of　his　career；　but　had　already　directed　his



hopes　and　policy　to　that　course　by　which　he　afterwards　changed　the



Roman　state　into　a　monarchy。　Of　this　others　foresaw　nothing；　but



Cicero　had　seen　reason　for　strong　suspicion；　though　without



obtaining　any　sufficient　means　of　proof。　And　there　were　some　indeed



that　said　that　he　was　very　near　being　discovered；　and　only　just



escaped　him；　others　are　of　opinion　that　Cicero　voluntarily



overlooked　and　neglected　the　evidence　against　him；　for　fear　of　his



friends　and　power；　for　it　was　very　evident　to　everybody　that　if　Caesar



was　to　be　accused　with　the　conspirators；　they　were　more　likely　to　be



saved　with　him；　than　he　to　be　punished　with　them。



　　When；　therefore；　it　came　to　Caesar's　turn　to　give　his　opinion；　he



stood　up　and　proposed　that　the　conspirators　should　not　be　put　to



death；　but　their　estates　confiscated；　and　their　persons　confined　in



such　cities　in　Italy　as　Cicero　should　approve；　there　to　be　kept　in



custody　till　Catiline　was　conquered。　To　this　sentence；　as　it　was　the



most　moderate；　and　he　that　delivered　it　a　most　powerful　speaker；



Cicero　himself　gave　no　small　weight；　for　he　stood　up　and；　turning



the　scale　on　either　side；　spoke　in　favour　partly　of　the　former；　partly



of　Caesar's　sentence。　And　all　Cicero's　friends；　judging　Caesar's



sentence　most　expedient　for　Cicero；　because　he　would　incur　the　less



blame　if　the　conspirators　were　not　put　to　death；　chose　rather　the



latter；　so　that　Silanus；　also　changing　his　mind；　retracted　his



opinion；　and　said　he　had　not　declared　for　capital；　but　only　the　utmost



punishment；　which　to　a　Roman　senator　is　imprisonment。　The　first　man



who　spoke　Against　Caesar's　motion　was　Catulus　Lutatius。　Cato　followed；



and　so　vehemently　urged　in　his　speech　the　strong　suspicion　against



Caesar　himself；　and　so　filled　the　senate　with　anger　and　resolution；



that　a　decree　was　passed　for　the　execution　of　the　conspirators。　But



Caesar　opposed　the　confiscation　of　their　goods；　not　thinking　it　fair



that　those　who　rejected　the　mildest　part　of　his　sentence　should



avail　themselves　of　the　severest。　And　when　many　insisted　upon　it；　he



appealed　to　the　tribunes；　but　they　would　do　nothing；　till　Cicero



himself　yielding；　remitted　that　part　of　the　sentence。



　　After　this；　Cicero　went　out　with　the　senate　to　the　conspirators；



they　were　not　all　together　in　one　place；　but　the　several　praetors



had　them；　some　one；　some　another；　in　custody。　And　first　he　took



Lentulus　from　the　Palatine；　and　brought　him　by　the　Sacred　Street；



through　the　middle　of　the　market…place；　a　circle　of　the　most　eminent



citizens　encompassing　and　protecting　him。　The　people；　affrighted　at



what　was　doing；　passed　along　in　silence；　especially　the　young　men；



as　if；　with　fear　and　trembling；　they　were　undergoing　a　rite　of



initiation　into　some　ancient　sacred　mysteries　of　aristocratic　power。



Thus　passing　from　the　market…place；　and　coming　to　the　gaol；　he



delivered　Lentulus　to　the　officer；　and　commanded　him　to　execute　him；



and　after　him　Cethegus；　and　so　all　the　rest　in　order；　he　brought　and



delivered　up　to　execution。　And　when　he　saw　many　of　the　conspirators　in



the　market…place；　still　standing　together　in　companies；　ignorant　of



what　was　done；　and　waiting　for　the　night；　supposing　the　men　were　still



alive　and　in　a　possibility　of　being　rescued；　he　called　out　in　a　loud



voice；　and　said；　〃They　did　live；〃　for　so　the　Romans；　to　avoid



inauspicious　language；　name　those　that　are　dead。



　　It　was　now　evening；　when　he　returned　from　the　market…place　to　his



own　house；　the　citizens　no　longer　attending　him　with　silence；　nor　in



order；　but　receiving　him；　as　he　passed；　with　acclamations　and



applauses；　and　saluting　him　as　the　saviour　and　founder　of　his　country。



A　bright　light　shone　through　the　streets　from　the　lamps　and　torches



set　up　at　the　doors；　and　the　women　showed　lights　from　the　tops　of



the　houses；　to　honour　Cicero；　and　to　behold　him　returning　home　with



a　splendid　train　of　the　most　principal　citizens；　amongst　whom　were



many　who　had　conducted　great　wars；　celebrated　triumphs；　and　added　to



the　possessions　of　the　Roman　empire；　both　by　sea　and　land。　These；　as



they　passed　along　with　him；　acknowledged　to　one　another；　that　though



the　Roman　people　were　indebted　to　several　officers　and　commanders　of



that　age　for　riches；　spoils；　and　power；　yet　to　Cicero　alone　they



owed　the　safety　and　security　of　all　these；　for　delivering　them　from　so



great　and　imminent　a　danger。　For　though　it　might　seem　no　wonderful



thing　to　present　the　design；　and　punish　the　conspirators；　yet　to



defeat　the　greatest　of　all　conspiracies　with　so　little　disturbance；



trouble；　and　commotion；　was　very　extraordinary。　For　the　greater　part



of　those　who　had　flocked　in　to　Catiline；　as　soon　as　they　heard　the



fate　of　Lentulus　and　Cethegus；　left　and　forsook　him；　and　he　himself；



with　his　remaining　forces；　joining　battle　with　Antonius；　was　destroyed



with　his　army。



　　And　yet　there　were　some　who　were　very　ready　both　to　speak　ill　of



Cicero；　and　to　do　him　hurt　for　these　actions；　and　they　had　for　their



leaders　some　of　the　magistrates　of　the　ensuing　year；　as　Caesar；　who



was　one　of　the　praetors；　and　Metellus　and　Bestia；　the　tribunes。　These；



entering　upon　their　office　some　few　days　before　Cicero's　consulate



expired；　would　not　permit　him　to　make　any　address　to　the　people；　but



throwing　the　benches　before　the　rostra；　hindered　his　speaking；　telling



him　he　might；　if　he　pleased；　make　the　oath　of　withdrawal　from



office；　and　then　come　down　again。　Cicero；　accordingly；　accepting　the



conditions；　came　forward　to　make　his　withdrawal；　and　silence　being



made；　he　recited　his　oath；　not　in　the　usual；　but　in　a　new　and　peculiar



form；　namely；　that　he　had　saved　his　country　and　preserved　the



empire；　the　truth　of　which　oath　all　the　people　confirmed　with



theirs。　Caesar　and　the　tribunes；　all　the　more　exasperated　by　this；



endeavoured　to　create　him　further　trouble；　and　for　this　purpose



proposed　a　law　for　calling　Pompey　home　with　his　army；　to　put　an　end　to



Cicero's　usurpation。　But　it　was　a　very　great　advantage　for　Cicero



and　the　whole　commonwealth　that　Cato　was　at　that　time　one　of　the



tribunes。　For　he；　being　of　（equal　power　with　the　rest　and　of　greater



reputation；　could　oppose　their　designs。　He　easily　defeated　their　other



projects；　and　in　an　oration　to　the　people　so　highly　extolled



Cicero's　consulate；　that　the　greatest　honours　were　decreed　him；　and　he



was　publicly　declared　the　Father　of　his　Country；　which　title　he



seems　to　have　obtained；　the　first　man　who　did　so；　when　Cato　gave　it　to



him　in　this　address　to　the　people。



　　At　this　time；　therefore；　his　authority　was　very　great　in　the　city；



but　he　treated　himself　much　envy；　and　offended　very　many；　not　by　any



evil　action；　but　because　he　was　always　lauding　and　magnifying　himself。



For　neither　senate；　nor　assembly　of　the　people；　nor　court　of



judicature　could　meet；　in　which　he　was　not　heard　to　talk　of　Catiline



and　Lentulus。　Indeed；　he　also　filled　his　books　and　writings　with　his



own　praises；　to　such　an　excess　as　to　render　a　style；　in　itself　most



pleasant　and　delightful；　nauseous　and　irksome　to　his　hearers；　this



ungrateful　humour　like　a　disease；　always　cleaving　to　him。



Nevertheless；　though　he　was　intemperately　fond　of　his　own　glory；　he



was　very　free　from　envying　others；　and　was；　on　the　contrary；　most



liberally　profuse　in　commending　both　the　ancients　and　his



contemporaries；　as　any　one　may　see　in　his　writings。　And　many　such



sayings　of　his　are　also　remembered；　as　that　he　called　Aristotle　a



river　of　flowing　gold；　and　said　of　Plato's　Dialogues；　that　if



Jupiter　were　to　speak；　it　would　be　in　language　like　theirs。　He　u