tiberius gracchus-第5章

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understand　that　the　course　he　had　taken　with　Octavius　had

created　offense　even　among　the　populace　as　well　as　the

nobility；　because　the　dignity　of　the　tribunes　seemed　to　be

violated；　which　had　always　continued　till　that　day　sacred　and

honorable；　he　made　a　speech　to　the　people　in　justification　of

himself；　out　of　which　it　may　not　be　improper　to　collect　some

particulars；　to　give　an　impression　of　his　force　and

persuasiveness　in　speaking。　　〃A　tribune；〃　he　said；　〃of　the

people；　is　sacred　indeed；　and　ought　to　be　inviolable；　because

in　a　manner　consecrated　to　be　the　guardian　and　protector　of

them；　but　if　he　degenerate　so　far　as　to　oppress　the　people；

abridge　their　powers；　and　take　away　their　liberty　of　voting；

he　stands　deprived　by　his　own　act　of　his　honors　and

immunities；　by　the　neglect　of　the　duty；　for　which　the　honor

was　bestowed　upon　him。　　Otherwise　we　should　be　under　the

obligation　to　let　a　tribune　do　his　pleasure；　though　he　should

proceed　to　destroy　the　capitol　or　set　fire　to　the　arsenal。

He　who　should　make　these　attempts；　would　be　a　bad　tribune。

He　who　assails　the　power　of　the　people；　is　no　longer　a

tribune　at　all。　　Is　it　not　inconceivable；　that　a　tribune

should　have　power　to　imprison　a　consul；　and　the　people　have

no　authority　to　degrade　him　when　he　uses　that　honor　which　he

received　from　them；　to　their　detriment？　For　the　tribunes；　as

well　as　the　consuls；　hold　office　by　the　people's　votes。　　The

kingly　government；　which　comprehends　all　sorts　of　authority

in　itself　alone；　is　morever　elevated　by　the　greatest　and　most

religious　solemnity　imaginable　into　a　condition　of　sanctity。

But　the　citizens；　notwithstanding　this；　deposed　Tarquin；　when

he　acted　wrongfully；　and　for　the　crime　of　one　single　man；　the

ancient　government　under　which　Rome　was　built；　was　abolished

forever。　　What　is　there　in　all　Rome　so　sacred　and　venerable

as　the　vestal　virgins；　to　whose　care　alone　the　preservation

of　the　eternal　fire　is　committed？　yet　if　one　of　these

transgress；　she　is　buried　alive；　the　sanctity　which　for　the

gods'　sakes　is　allowed　them；　is　forfeited　when　they　offend

against　the　gods。　　So　likewise　a　tribune　retains　not　his

inviolability；　which　for　the　people's　sake　was　accorded　to

him；　when　he　offends　against　the　people；　and　attacks　the

foundations　of　that　authority　from　whence　he　derived　his　own。

We　esteem　him　to　be　legally　chosen　tribune　who　is　elected

only　by　the　majority　of　votes；　and　is　not　therefore　the　same

person　much　more　lawfully　degraded；　when　by　a　general　consent

of　them　all；　they　agree　to　depose　him？　　Nothing　is　so　sacred

as　religious　offerings；　yet　the　people　were　never　prohibited

to　make　use　of　them；　but　suffered　to　remove　and　carry　them

wherever　they　pleased；　so　likewise；　as　it　were　some　sacred

present；　they　have　lawful　power　to　transfer　the　tribuneship

from　one　man's　hands　to　another's。　　Nor　can　that　authority　be

thought　inviolable　and　irremovable　which　many　of　those　who

have　held　it；　have　of　their　own　act　surrendered；　and　desired

to　be　discharged　from。〃



These　were　the　principal　heads　of　Tiberius's　apology。　　But

his　friends；　apprehending　the　dangers　which　seemed　to

threaten　him；　and　the　conspiracy　that　was　gathering　head

against　him；　were　of　opinion；　that　the　safest　way　would　be

for　him　to　petition　that　he　might　be　continued　tribune　for

the　year　ensuing。　　Upon　this　consideration；　he　again

endeavored　to　secure　the　people's　good…will　with　fresh　laws；

making　the　years　of　serving　in　the　war　fewer　than　formerly；

granting　liberty　of　appeal　from　the　judges　to　the　people；　and

joining　to　the　senators；　who　were　judges　at　that　time；　an

equal　number　of　citizens　of　the　horsemen's　degree；

endeavoring　as　much　as　in　him　lay　to　lessen　the　power　of　the

senate；　rather　from　passion　and　partisanship　than　from　any

rational　regard　to　equity　and　the　public　good。　　And　when　it

came　to　the　question；　whether　these　laws　should　be　passed；

and　they　perceived　that　the　opposite　party　were　strongest；

the　people　as　yet　being　not　got　together　in　a　full　body；　they

began　first　of　all　to　gain　time　by　speeches　in　accusation　of

some　of　their　fellow…magistrates；　and　at　length　adjourned　the

assembly　till　the　day　following。



Tiberius　then　went　down　into　the　marketplace　amongst　the

people；　and　made　his　addresses　to　them　humbly　and　with　tears

in　his　eyes；　and　told　them；　he　had　just　reason　to　suspect；

that　his　adversaries　would　attempt　in　the　night　time　to　break

open　his　house；　and　murder　him。　　This　worked　so　strongly　with

the　multitude；　that　several　of　them　pitched　tents　round　about

his　house；　and　kept　guard　all　night　for　the　security　of　his

person。　　By　break　of　day　came　one　of　the　soothsayers；　who

prognosticate　good　or　bad　success　by　the　pecking　of　fowls；

and　threw　them　something　to　eat。　　The　soothsayer　used　his

utmost　endeavors　to　fright　the　fowls　out　of　their　coop；　but

none　of　them　except　one　would　venture　out；　which　fluttered

with　its　left　wing；　and　stretched　out　its　leg；　and　ran　back

again　into　the　coop；　without　eating　anything。　　This　put

Tiberius　in　mind　of　another　ill　omen　which　had　formerly

happened　to　him。　　He　had　a　very　costly　headpiece；　which　he

made　use　of　when　he　engaged　in　any　battle；　and　into　this

piece　of　armor　two　serpents　crawled；　laid　eggs；　and　brought

forth　young　ones。　　The　remembrance　of　which　made　Tiberius

more　concerned　now；　than　otherwise　he　would　have　been。

However；　he　went　towards　the　capitol；　as　soon　as　he

understood　that　the　people　were　assembled　there；　but　before

he　got　out　of　the　house；　he　stumbled　upon　the　threshold　with

such　violence；　that　he　broke　the　nail　of　his　great　toe；

insomuch　that　blood　gushed　out　of　his　shoe。　　He　was　not　gone

very　far　before　he　saw　two　ravens　fighting　on　the　top　of　a

house　which　stood　on　his　left　hand　as　he　passed　along；　and

though　he　was　surrounded　with　a　number　of　people；　a　stone；

struck　from　its　place　by　one　of　the　ravens；　fell　just　at　his

foot。　　This　even　the　boldest　men　about　him　felt　as　a　check。

But　Blossius　of　Cuma；　who　was　present；　told　him；　that　it

would　be　a　shame；　and　an　ignominious　thing；　for　Tiberius；　who

was　the　son　of　Gracchus；　the　grandson　of　Scipio　Africanus；

and　the　protector　of　the　Roman　people；　to　refuse；　for　fear　of

a　silly　bird；　to　answer；　when　his　countrymen　called　to　him；

and　that　his　adversaries　would　represent　it　not　as　a　mere

matter　for　their　ridicule；　but　would　declaim　about　it　to　the

people　as　the　mark　of　a　tyrannical　temper；　which　felt　a　pride

in　taking　liberties　with　the　people。　　At　the　same　time

several　messengers　came　also　from　his　friends；　to　desire　his

presence　at　the　capitol；　saying　that　all　things　went　there

according　to　expectation。　　And　indeed　Tiberius's　first

entrance　there　was　in　every　way　successful；　as　soon　as　ever

he　appeared；　the　people　welcomed　him　with　loud　acclamations；

and　as　he　went　up　to　his　place；　they　repeated　their

expressions　of　joy；　and　gathered　in　a　body　around　him；　so

that　no　one　who　was　not　well　known　to　be　his　friend；　might

approach。　　Mucius　then　began　to　put　the　business　again　to　the

vote；　but　nothing　could　be　performed　in　the　usual　course　and

order；　because　of　the　disturbance　caused　by　those　who　were　on

the　outside　of　the　crowd；　where　there　was　a　struggle　going　on

with　those　of　the　opposite　party；　who　were　pushing　on　and

trying　to　force　their　way　in　and　establish　themselves　among

them。



Whilst　things　were　in　this　confusion；　Flavius　Flaccus；　a

senator；　standing　in　a　place　where　he　could　be　seen；　but　at

such　a　distance　from　Tiberius　that　he　could　not　make　him

hear；　signified　to　him　by　motions　of　his　hand；　that　he　wished

to　impart　something　of　consequence　to　him　in　private。

Tiberius　ordered　the　multitude　to　make　way　for　him；　by　which

means；　though　not　without　some　difficulty；　Flavius　got　to

him；　and　informed　him；　that　the　rich　men；　in　a　sitting　of　the

senate；　seeing　they　could　not　prevail　upon　the　consul　to

espouse　their　quarrel；　had　come　to　a　final　determination

amo