histories-第14节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




mounted　on　their　horses；　made　for　the　city　and　the　palace。



　　Otho　was　giving　a　crowded　entertainment　to　the　most　distinguished



men　and　women　of　Rome。　In　their　alarm　they　doubted　whether　this　was



a　casual　outbreak　of　the　soldiers；　or　an　act　of　treachery　in　the



Emperor；　and　whether　to　remain　and　be　arrested　was　a　more　perilous



alternative　than　to　disperse　and　fly。　At　one　time　making　a　show　of



courage；　at　another　betrayed　by　their　terror；　they　still　watched　the



countenance　of　Otho。　And；　as　it　happened；　so　ready　were　all　to



suspect；　Otho　felt　as　much　alarm　as　he　inspired。　Terrified　no　less



by　the　Senate's　critical　position　than　by　his　own；　he　had　forthwith



despatched　the　prefects　of　the　Praetorian　Guard　to　allay　the　fury　of



the　soldiery；　and　he　now　ordered　all　to　leave　the　banquet　without



delay。　Then　on　all　sides　officers　of　state　cast　aside　the　insignia



of　office；　and　shunned　the　retinues　of　their　friends　and　domestics；



aged　men　and　women　wandered　in　the　darkness　of　night　about　the　various



streets　of　the　city；　few　went　to　their　homes；　most　sought　the　houses



of　friends；　or　some　obscure　hiding…place　in　the　dwelling　of　their



humblest　dependents。



　　The　rush　of　the　soldiers　was　not　even　checked　by　the　doors　of　the



palace。　They　burst　in　upon　the　banquet　with　loud　demands　that　Otho



should　shew　himself。　They　wounded　the　tribune；　Julius　Martialis；　and



the　prefect；　Vitellius　Saturninus；　who　sought　to　stem　the　torrent。



On　every　they　brandished　their　swords；　and　menaced　the　centurions



and　tribunes　at　one　moment；　the　whole　Senate　at　another。　Their　minds



were　maddened　by　a　blind　panic；　and；　unable　to　single　out　any　one



object　for　their　fury；　they　sought　for　indiscriminate　vengeance。　At



last　Otho；　regardless　of　his　imperial　dignity；　stood　up　on　a　couch；



and　by　dint　of　prayers　and　tears　contrived　to　restrain　them。　Reluctant



and　guilty；　they　returned　to　the　camp。　The　next　day　the　houses　were



closed　as　they　might　be　in　a　captured　city。　Few　of　the　citizens



could　be　seen　in　the　streets；　the　populace　were　dejected；　the　soldiers



walked　with　downcast　looks；　and　seemed　gloomy　rather　than　penitent。



Licinius　Proculus　and　Plotius　Firmus；　the　prefects；　addressed　the



companies　in　the　gentler　or　harsher　terms　that　suited　their　respective



characters。　The　end　of　these　harangues　was　that　5000　sesterces　were



paid　to　each　soldier。　Then　did　Otho　venture　to　enter　the　camp；　the



tribunes　and　centurions　surrounded　him。　They　had　thrown　aside　the



insignia　of　their　rank；　and　they　demanded　release　from　the　toils　and



perils　of　service。　The　soldiers　felt　the　reproach；　returning　to



their　duty；　they　even　demanded　the　execution　of　the　ringleaders　in　the



riot。



　　Otho　was　aware　how　disturbed　was　the　country；　and　how　conflicting



the　feelings　of　the　soldiery；　the　most　respectable　of　whom　cried　out



for　some　remedy　for　the　existing　licence；　while　the　great　mass



delighted　in　riot　and　in　an　empire　resting　on　popularity；　and　could　be



most　easily　urged　to　civil　war　by　indulgence　in　tumult　and　rapine。



At　the　same　time　he　reflected　that　power　acquired　by　crime　could　not



be　retained　by　a　sudden　assumption　of　the　moderation　and　of　the



dignity　of　former　times；　yet　he　was　alarmed　by　the　critical　position



of　the　capital　and　by　the　perils　of　the　Senate。　Finally；　he



addressed　the　troops　in　these　terms：　〃Comrades；　I　am　not　come　that　I



may　move　your　hearts　to　love　me；　or　that　I　may　rouse　your　courage；



love　and　courage　you　have　in　superfluous　abundance。　I　am　come　to



pray　you　to　put　some　restraint　on　your　valour；　some　check　on　your



affection　for　me。　The　origin　of　the　late　tumult　is　to　be　traced　not　to



rapacity　or　disaffection；　feelings　which　have　driven　many　armies



into　civil　strife；　much　less　to　any　shrinking　from；　or　fear　of　danger。



It　was　your　excessive　affection　for　me　that　roused　you　to　act　with



more　zeal　than　discretion。　For　even　honourable　motives　of　action；



unless　directed　by　judgment；　are　followed　by　disastrous　results。　We



are　now　starting　for　a　campaign。　Does　the　nature　of　things；　does　the



rapid　flight　of　opportunities；　admit　of　all　intelligence　being



publicly　announced；　of　every　plan　being　discussed　in　the　presence　of



all？　It　is　as　needful　that　the　soldiers　should　be　ignorant　of　some



things　as　that　they　should　know　others。　The　general's　authority；　the



stern　laws　of　discipline；　require　that　in　many　matters　even　the



centurions　and　tribunes　shall　only　receive　orders。　If；　whenever　orders



are　given；　individuals　may　ask　questions；　obedience　ceases；　and　all



command　is　at　an　end。　Will　you　in　the　field　too　snatch　up　your　arms　in



the　dead　of　night？　Shall　one　or　two　worthless　and　drunken　fellows；　for



I　cannot　believe　that　more　were　carried　away　by　the　frenzy　of　the　late



outbreak；　imbrue　their　hands　in　the　blood　of　centurions　and



tribunes；　and　burst　into　the　tent　of　their　Emperor？



　　〃You　indeed　did　this　to　serve　me；　but　in　the　tumult；　the　darkness；



and　the　general　confusion；　an　opportunity　may　well　occur　that　may　be



used　against　me。　If　Vitellius　and　his　satellites　were　allowed　to



choose；　what　would　be　the　temper　and　what　the　thoughts　with　which　they



would　curse　us？　What　would　they　wish　for　us　but　mutiny　and　strife；



that　the　private　should　not　obey　the　centurion；　nor　the　centurion



the　tribune；　that　thus　we　should　rush；　horse　and　foot　together；　on　our



own　destruction？　Comrades；　it　is　by　obeying；　not　by　questioning　the



orders　of　commanders；　that　military　power　is　kept　together。　And　that



army　is　the　most　courageous　in　the　moment　of　peril；　which　is　the



most　orderly　before　the　peril　comes。　Keep　you　your　arms　and　your



courage；　leave　it　to　me　to　plan；　and　to　guide　your　valour。　A　few



were　in　fault；　two　will　be　punished。　Let　all　the　rest　blot　out　the



remembrance　of　that　night　of　infamy。　Never　let　any　army　hear　those



cries　against　the　Senate。　To　clamour　for　the　destruction　of　what　is



the　head　of　the　Empire；　and　contains　all　that　is　distinguished　in



the　provinces；　good　God！　it　is　a　thing　which　not　even　those　Germans；



whom　Vitellius　at　this　very　moment　is　rousing　against　us；　would　dare



to　do。　Shall　any　sons　of　Italy；　the　true　youth　of　Rome；　cry　out　for



the　massacre　of　an　order；　by　whose　splendid　distinctions　we　throw　into



the　shade　the　mean　and　obscure　faction　of　Vitellius？　Vitellius　is



the　master　of　a　few　tribes；　and　has　some　semblance　of　an　army。　We　have



the　Senate。　The　country　is　with　us；　with　them；　the　country's



enemies。　What！　do　you　imagine　that　this　fairest　of　cities　is　made　up



of　dwellings　and　edifices　and　piles　of　stones？　These　dumb　and



inanimate　things　may　be　indifferently　destroyed　and　rebuilt。　The



eternal　duration　of　empire；　the　peace　of　nations；　my　safety　and　yours；



rest　on　the　security　of　the　Senate。　This　order　which　was　instituted



under　due　auspices　by　the　Father　and　Founder　of　the　city；　and　which



has　lasted　without　interruption　and　without　decay　from　the　Kings



down　to　the　Emperors；　we　will　bequeath　to　our　descendants；　as　we



have　inherited　it　from　our　ancestors。　For　you　give　the　state　its



Senators；　and　the　Senate　gives　it　its　Princes。〃



　　This　speech；　which　was　meant　to　touch　and　to　calm　the　feelings　of



the　soldiers；　and　the　moderate　amount　of　severity　exercised　（for



Otho　had　ordered　two　and　no　more　to　be　punished）；　met　with　a



grateful　acceptance；　and　for　the　moment　reduced　to　order　men　who　could



not　be　coerced。　Yet　tranquillity　was　not　restored　to　the　capital；



there　was　still　the　din　of　arms　and　all　the　sights　of　war；　and　the



soldiers；　though　they　made　no　concerted　disturbance；　had　dispersed



themselves　in　disguise　about　private　houses；　and　exercised　a　malignant



surveillance　over　all　whom　exalted　rank；　or　distinction　of　any　kind；



exposed　to　injurious　reports。　Many　too　believed　that　some　of　the



soldiers　of　Vitellius　had　come　to　the　capital　to　learn　the　feelings　of



the　different　parties。　Hence　everything　was　rife　with　suspicion；　and



even　the　privacy　of　the　family　was　hardly　exempt　from　fear。　It　was



however　in　public　that　most　alarm　was　felt；　with　every　piece　of



intelligence　that　rumour　brought；　men　changed　their　looks　and　spirits；



anxious　not　to　appear　discouraged　by　unfavourable　omens；　or　too　little



delighted　by　success。　When　the　Senate　was　summoned　to　the　Chamber；



it　was　hard　for　them　to　maintain　in　all　things　a　safe　moderation。



Silence　might　seem　contumacious；　and　frankness　might　provoke



suspicion；　and　Otho；　who　had　lately　been　a　subject；　and　had　used　the



same　language；　was　familiar　with　flattery。　Accordingly；　they　discussed



various　motions　on　which　they　had　put　many　constructions。　Vitellius



they　called　a　public　enemy　and　a　traitor　to　his　country；　the　more



prudent　contenting　themselves　with　hackneyed　terms　of　abuse；　though



some　threw　out　reproaches　founded　in　truth；　yet　o