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that　a　sedition；　which　was　but　just　commencing；　and　not　yet　fully



matured；　might　be　swayed　by　better　counsels。　Two　of　these　tribunes；



Subrius　and　Cetrius；　the　soldiers　assailed　with　menaces；　Longinus　they



seized　and　disarmed；　it　was　not　his　rank　as　an　officer；　but　his



friendship　with　Galba；　that　bound　him　to　that　Prince；　and　roused　a



stronger　suspicion　in　the　mutineers。　The　legion　levied　from　the



fleet　joined　the　Praetorians　without　any　hesitation。　The　Illyrian



detachments　drove　Celsus　away　with　a　shower　of　javelins。　The　German



veterans　wavered　long。　Their　frames　were　still　enfeebled　by



sickness；　and　their　minds　were　favourably　disposed　towards　Galba；　who；



finding　them　exhausted　by　their　long　return　voyage　from　Alexandria；



whither　they　had　been　sent　on　by　Nero；　had　supplied　their　wants　with　a



most　unsparing　attention。



　　The　whole　populace　and　the　slaves　with　them　were　now　crowding　the



palace；　clamouring　with　discordant　shouts　for　the　death　of　Otho　and



the　destruction　of　the　conspirators；　just　as　if　they　were　demanding



some　spectacle　in　the　circus　or　amphitheatre。　They　had　not　indeed



any　discrimination　or　sincerity；　for　on　that　same　day　they　would　raise



with　equal　zeal　a　wholly　different　cry。　It　was　their　traditional



custom　to　flatter　any　ruler　with　reckless　applause　and　meaningless



zeal。　Meanwhile　two　suggestions　were　keeping　Galba　in　doubt。　T。　Vinius



thought　that　he　should　remain　within　the　palace；　array　the　slaves



against　the　foe；　secure　the　approaches；　and　not　go　out　to　the



enraged　soldiers。　〃You　should；〃　he　said；　〃give　the　disaffected　time　to



repent；　the　loyal　time　to　unite。　Crimes　gain　by　hasty　action；　better



counsels　by　delay。　At　all　events；　you　will　still　have　the　same



facilities　of　going　out；　if　need　be；　whereas；　your　retreat；　should　you



repent　of　having　gone；　will　be　in　the　power　of　another。〃



　　The　rest　were　for　speedy　action；　〃before；〃　they　said；　〃the　yet



feeble　treason　of　this　handful　of　men　can　gather　strength。　Otho



himself　will　be　alarmed；　Otho；　who　stole　away　to　be　introduced　to　a



few　strangers；　but　who　now；　thanks　to　the　hesitation　and　inaction　in



which　we　waste　our　time；　is　learning　how　to　play　the　Prince。　We　must



not　wait　till；　having　arranged　matters　in　the　camp；　he　bursts　into　the



Forum；　and　under　Galba's　very　eyes　makes　his　way　to　the　Capitol；　while



our　noble　Emperor　with　his　brave　friends　barricades　the　doors　of　his



palace。　We　are　to　stand　a　siege　forsooth；　and　truly　we　shall　have　an



admirable　resource　in　the　slaves；　if　the　unanimous　feeling　of　this



vast　multitude；　and　that　which　can　do　so　much；　the　first　burst　of



indignation；　be　suffered　to　subside。　Moreover　that　cannot　be　safe



which　is　not　honourable。　If　we　must　fall；　let　us　go　to　meet　the



danger。　This　will　bring　more　odium　upon　Otho；　and　will　be　more



becoming　to　ourselves。〃　Vinius　opposing　this　advice；　Laco　assailed　him



with　threats；　encouraged　by　Icelus；　who　persisted　in　his　private



animosities　to　the　public　ruin。



　　Without　further　delay　Galba　sided　with　these　more　plausible



advisers。　Piso　was　sent　on　into　the　camp；　as　being　a　young　man　of



noble　name；　whose　popularity　was　of　recent　date；　and　who　was　a



bitter　enemy　to　T。　Vinius；　that　is；　either　he　was　so　in　reality；　or



these　angry　partisans　would　have　it　so；　and　belief　in　hatred　is　but



too　ready。　Piso　had　hardly　gone　forth　when　there　came　a　rumour；　at



first　vague　and　wanting　confirmation；　that　Otho　had　been　slain　in



the　camp；　soon；　as　happens　with　these　great　fictions；　men　asserted



that　they　had　been　present；　and　had　seen　the　deed；　and；　between　the



delight　of　some　and　the　indifference　of　others；　the　report　was



easily　believed。　Many　thought　the　rumour　had　been　invented　and



circulated　by　the　Othonianists；　who　were　now　mingling　with　the



crowd；　and　who　disseminated　these　false　tidings　of　success　to　draw



Galba　out　of　the　palace。



　　Upon　this　not　only　did　the　people　and　the　ignorant　rabble　break



out　into　applause　and　vehement　expressions　of　zeal；　but　many　of　the



Knights　and　Senators；　losing　their　caution　as　they　laid　aside　their



fear；　burst　open　the　doors　of　the　palace；　rushed　in；　and　displayed



themselves　to　Galba；　complaining　that　their　revenge　had　been



snatched　from　them。　The　most　arrant　coward；　the　man；　who；　as　the　event



proved；　would　dare　nothing　in　the　moment　of　danger；　was　the　most



voluble　and　fierce　of　speech。　No　one　knew　anything；　yet　all　were



confident　in　assertion；　till　at　length　Galba　in　the　dearth　of　all　true



intelligence；　and　overborne　by　the　universal　delusion；　assumed　his



cuirass；　and　as；　from　age　and　bodily　weakness；　he　could　not　stand　up



against　the　crowd　that　was　still　rushing　in；　he　was　elevated　on　a



chair。　He　was　met　in　the　palace　by　Julius　Atticus；　a　soldier　of　the



body…guard；　who；　displaying　a　bloody　sword；　cried　〃I　have　slain　Otho。〃



〃Comrade；〃　replied　Galba；　〃who　gave　the　order？〃　So　singularly　resolute



was　his　spirit　in　curbing　the　license　of　the　soldiery；　threats　did　not



dismay　him；　nor　flatteries　seduce。



　　There　was　now　no　doubt　about　the　feeling　of　all　the　troops　in　the



camp。　So　great　was　their　zeal；　that；　not　content　with　surrounding　Otho



with　their　persons　in　close　array；　they　elevated　him　to　the



pedestal；　on　which　a　short　time　before　had　stood　the　gilt　statue　of



Galba；　and　there；　amid　the　standards；　encircled　him　with　their



colours。　Neither　tribunes　nor　centurions　could　approach。　The　common



soldiers　even　insisted　that　all　the　officers　should　be　watched。



Everything　was　in　an　uproar　with　their　tumultuous　cries　and　their



appeals　to　each　other；　which　were　not；　like　those　of　a　popular



assembly　or　a　mob；　the　discordant　expressions　of　an　idle　flattery；



on　the　contrary；　as　soon　as　they　caught　sight　of　any　of　the　soldiers



who　were　flocking　in；　they　seized　him；　gave　him　the　military



embrace；　placed　him　close　to　Otho；　dictated　to　him　the　oath　of



allegiance；　commending　sometimes　the　Emperor　to　his　soldiers；



sometimes　the　soldiers　to　their　Emperor。　Otho　did　not　fail　to　play　his



part；　he　stretched　out　his　arms；　and　bowed　to　the　crowd；　and　kissed



his　hands；　and　altogether　acted　the　slave；　to　make　himself　the　master。



It　was　when　the　whole　legion　from　the　fleet　had　taken　the　oath　to　him；



that　feeling　confidence　in　his　strength；　and　thinking　that　the　men；　on



whose　individual　feeling　he　had　been　working；　should　be　roused　by　a



general　appeal；　he　stood　before　the　rampart　of　the　camp；　and　spoke



as　follows：



　　〃Comrades；　I　cannot　say　in　what　character　I　have　presented　myself　to



you；　I　refuse　to　call　myself　a　subject；　now　that　you　have　named　me



Prince；　or　Prince；　while　another　reigns。　Your　title　also　will　be



equally　uncertain；　so　long　as　it　shall　be　a　question；　whether　it　is



the　Emperor　of　the　Roman　people；　or　a　public　enemy；　whom　you　have　in



your　camp。　Mark　you；　how　in　one　breath　they　cry　for　my　punishment



and　for　your　execution。　So　evident　it　is；　that　we　can　neither



perish；　nor　be　saved；　except　together。　Perhaps；　with　his　usual



clemency；　Galba　has　already　promised　that　we　should　die；　like　the　man；



who；　though　no　one　demanded　it；　massacred　so　many　thousands　of



perfectly　guiltless　soldiers。　A　shudder　comes　over　my　soul；　whenever　I



call　to　mind　that　ghastly　entry；　Galba's　solitary　victory；　when；



before　the　eyes　of　the　capital　he　gave　orders　to　decimate　the



prisoners；　the　suppliants；　whom　he　had　admitted　to　surrender。　These



were　the　auspices　with　which　he　entered　the　city。　What　is　the　glory



that　he　has　brought　to　the　throne？　None　but　that　he　has　murdered



Obultronius　Sabinus　and　Cornelius　Marcellus　in　Spain；　Betuus　Chilo



in　Gaul；　Fonteius　Capito　in　Germany；　Clodius　Macer　in　Africa；



Cingonius　on　the　high　road；　Turpilianus　in　the　city；　Nymphidius　in　the



camp。　What　province；　what　camp　in　the　world；　but　is　stained　with　blood



and　foul　with　crime；　or；　as　he　expresses　it　himself；　purified　and



chastened？　For　what　others　call　crimes　he　calls　reforms；　and；　by



similar　misnomers；　he　speaks　of　strictness　instead　of　barbarity；　of



economy　instead　of　avarice；　while　the　cruelties　and　affronts　inflicted



upon　you　he　calls　discipline。　Seven　months　only　have　passed　since　Nero



fell；　and　already　Icelus　has　seized　more　than　the　Polycleti；　the



Vatinii；　and　the　Elii　amassed。　Vinius　would　not　have　gone　so　far



with　his　rapacity　and　lawlessness　had　he　been　Emperor　himself；　as　it



is；　he　has　lorded　it　over　us　as　if　we　had　been　his　own　subjects；　has



held　us　as　cheap　as　if　we　had　been　another's。　That　one　house　would



furnish　the　donative；　which　is　never　given　you；　but　with　which　you　are



daily　upbraided。



　　〃Again；　that　we　might　have　nothing　to　hope　even　from　his



successor；　Galba　fetches　out　of　exile　the　man　in　whose　ill…humour



and　avarice　he　considers　that　he　has　found　the　best　resemblance　to



himself