pompey-第13节

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and　most　impudent　wretch　alive；　who　took　him　about；　and　exposed　him　as
a　tool　to　the　people；　carrying　him　up　and　down　among　the　throngs　in
the　market…place；　to　countenance　those　laws　and　speeches　which　he　made
to　cajole　the　people　and　ingratiate　himself。　And　at　last；　for　his
reward；　he　demanded　Pompey；　as　if　he　had　not　disgraced；　but　done　him　a
great　kindness；　that　he　should　forsake　（as　in　the　end　he　did
forsake）　Cicero；　his　friend；　who　on　many　public　occasions　had　done　him
the　greatest　service。　And　so　when　Cicero　was　in　danger；　and　implored
his　aid；　he　would　not　admit　him　into　his　presence；　but　shutting　up　his
gates　against　those　that　came　to　mediate　for　him；　slipt　out　at　a
back　door；　whereupon　Cicero；　fearing　the　result　of　his　trial；　departed
privately　from　Rome。
　　About　that　time　Caesar；　returning　from　military　service；　started　a
course　of　policy　which　brought　him　great　present　favour；　and　much
increased　his　power　for　the　future；　and　proved　extremely　destructive
both　to　Pompey　and　the　commonwealth。　For　now　he　stood　candidate　for
his　first　consulship；　and　well　observing　the　enmity　betwixt　Pompey　and
Crassus；　and　finding　that　by　joining　with　one　he　should　make　the　other
his　enemy；　he　endeavoured　by　all　means　to　reconcile　them；　an　object　in
itself　honourable　and　tending　to　the　public　good；　but；　as　he　undertook
it；　a　mischievous　and　subtle　intrigue。　For　he　well　knew　that
opposite　parties　or　factions　in　a　commonwealth；　like　passengers　in　a
boat；　serve　to　trim　and　balance　the　unsteady　motions　of　power　there；
whereas　if　they　combine　and　come　all　over　to　one　side；　they　cause　a
shock　which　will　be　sure　to　overset　the　vessel　and　carry　down
everything。　And　therefore　Cato　wisely　told　those　who　charged　all　the
calamities　of　Rome　upon　the　disagreement　betwixt　Pompey　and　Caesar
that　they　were　in　error　in　charging　all　the　crime　upon　the　last　cause；
for　it　was　not　their　discord　and　enmity；　but　their　unanimity　and
friendship；　that　gave　the　first　and　greatest　blow　to　the　commonwealth。
　　Caesar　being　thus　elected　consul；　began　at　once　to　make　an
interest　with　the　poor　and　meaner　sort；　by　preferring　and　establishing
laws　for　planting　colonies　and　dividing　lands；　lowering　the　dignity　of
his　office；　and　turning　his　consulship　into　a　sort　of　tribuneship
rather。　And　when　Bibulus；　his　colleague；　opposed　him；　and　Cato　was
prepared　to　second　Bibulus；　and　assist　him　vigorously；　Caesar
brought　Pompey　upon　the　hustings；　and　addressing　him　in　the　sight　of
the　people；　demanded　his　opinion　upon　the　laws　that　were　proposed。
Pompey　gave　his　approbation。　〃Then；〃　said　Caesar；　〃in　case　any　man
should　offer　violence　to　these　laws；　will　you　be　ready　to　give
assistance　to　the　people？〃　〃Yes；〃　replied　Pompey；　〃I　shall　be　ready；
and　against　those　that　threaten　the　sword；　I　will　appear　with　sword
and　buckler。〃　Nothing　ever　was　said　or　done　by　Pompey　up　to　that　day
that　seemed　more　insolent　or　overbearing；　so　that　his　friends
endeavoured　to　apologize　for　it　as　a　word　spoken　inadvertently；　but　by
his　actions　afterwards　it　appeared　plainly　that　he　was　totally　devoted
to　Caesar's　service。　For　on　a　sudden；　contrary　to　all　expectation；
he　married　Julian；　the　daughter　of　Caesar；　who　had　been　affianced
before　and　was　to　be　married　within　a　few　days　to　Caepio。　And　to
appease　Caepio's　wrath；　he　gave　him　his　own　daughter　in　marriage；
who　had　been　espoused　before　to　Faustus；　the　son　of　Sylla。　Caesar
himself　married　Calpurnia；　the　daughter　of　Piso。
　　Upon　this　Pompey；　filling　the　city　with　soldiers；　carried　all　things
by　force　as　he　pleased。　As　Bibulus；　the　consul；　was　going　to　the
forum；　accompanied　by　Lucullus　and　Cato；　they　fell　upon　him　on　a
sudden　and　broke　his　rods；　and　somebody　threw　a　vessel　of　ordure
upon　the　head　of　Bibulus　himself；　and　two　tribunes　of　the　people；
who　escorted　him；　were　desperately　wounded　in　the　fray。　And　thus
having　cleared　the　forum　of　all　their　adversaries；　they　got　their　bill
for　the　division　of　lands　established　and　passed　into　an　act；　and
not　only　so；　but　the　whole　populace；　being　taken　with　this　bait；
became　totally　at　their　devotion；　inquiring　into　nothing　and　without　a
word　giving　their　suffrages　to　whatever　they　propounded。　Thus　they
confirmed　all　those　acts　and　decrees　of　Pompey　which　were　questioned
and　contested　by　Lucullus；　and　to　Caesar　they　granted　the　provinces　of
Gaul；　both　within　and　without　the　Alps；　together　with　Illyricum；　for
five　years；　and　likewise　an　army　of　four　entire　legions；　then　they
created　consuls　for　the　year　ensuing；　Piso；　the　father…in…law　of
Caesar；　and　Gabinius；　the　most　extravagant　of　Pompey's　flatterers。
　　During　all　these　transactions；　Bibulus　kept　close　within　doors；
nor　did　he　appear　publicly　in　person　for　the　space　of　eight　months
together；　notwithstanding　he　was　consul；　but　sent　out　proclamations
full　of　bitter　invectives　and　accusations　against　them　both。　Cato
turned　prophet；　and　as　if　he　had　been　possessed　with　a　spirit　of
divination；　did　nothing　else　in　the　senate　but　foretell　what　evils
should　befall　the　commonwealth　and　Pompey。　Lucullus　pleaded　old　age；
and　retired　to　take　his　ease；　as　superannuated　for　all　airs　of
state；　which　gave　occasion　to　the　saving　of　Pompey；　that　the
fatigues　of　luxury　were　not　more　seasonable　for　an　old　man　than
those　of　government。　Which　in　truth　proved　a　reflection　upon　himself
for　he　not　long　after　let　his　fondness　for　his　young　wife　seduce　him
also　into　effeminate　habits。　He　gave　all　his　time　to　her；　and　passed
his　days　in　her　company　in　country…houses　and　gardens；　paying　no
heed　to　what　was　going　on　in　the　forum。　Insomuch　that　Clodius；　who　was
then　tribune　of　the　people　began　to　despise　him；　and　engage　in　the
most　audacious　attempts。　For　when　he　had　banished　Cicero；　and　sent
away　Cato　into　Cyprus　under　pretence　of　military　duty；　and　when　Caesar
was　gone　upon　his　expedition　to　Gaul；　finding　the　populace　now　looking
to　him　as　the　leader　who　did　everything　according　to　their　pleasure；
he　attempted　forthwith　to　repeal　some　of　Pompey's　decrees；　he　took
Tigranes；　the　captive；　out　of　prison；　and　kept　him　about　him　as　his
companion；　and　commenced　actions　against　several　of　Pompey's
friends；　thus　designing　to　try　the　extent　of　his　power。　At　last；
upon　a　time　when　Pompey　was　present　at　the　hearing　of　a　certain　cause；
Clodius；　accompanied　with　a　crowd　of　profligate　and　impudent　ruffians；
standing　up　in　a　place　above　the　rest；　put　questions　to　the　populace
as　follows：　〃Who　is　the　dissolute　general？　who　is　the　man　that　seeks
another　man？　who　scratches　his　head　with　one　finger？〃　and　the
rabble；　upon　the　signal　of　his　shaking　his　gown；　with　a　great　shout　to
every　question；　like　singers　making　responses　in　a　chorus；　made
answer；　〃Pompey。〃
　　This　indeed　was　no　small　annoyance　to　Pompey；　who　was　quite
unaccustomed　to　hear　anything　ill　of　himself；　and　unexperienced
altogether　in　such　encounters；　and　he　was　yet　more　vexed　when　he　saw
that　the　senate　rejoiced　at　this　foul　usage；　and　regarded　it　as　a　just
punishment　upon　him　for　his　treachery　to　Cicero。　But　when　it　came　even
to　blows　and　wounds　in　the　forum；　and　that　one　of　Clodius's
bond…slaves　was　apprehended　creeping　through　the　crowd　towards
Pompey　with　a　sword　in　his　hand；　Pompey　laid　hold　of　this　pretence；
though　perhaps　otherwise　apprehensive　of　Clodius's　insolence　and　bad
language；　and　never　appeared　again　in　the　forum　during　all　the　time　he
was　tribune；　but　kept　close　at　home；　and　passed　his　time　in　consulting
with　his　friends　by　what　means　he　might　best　allay　the　displeasure
of　the　senate　and　nobles　against　him。　Among　other　expedients；　Culleo
advised　the　divorce　of　Julian；　and　to　abandon　Caesar's　friendship　to
gain　that　of　the　senate；　this　he　would　not　hearken　to。　Others　again
advised　him　to　call　home　Cicero　from　banishment；　a　man　who　was
always　the　great　adversary　of　Clodius；　and　as　great　a　favourite　of　the
senate；　to　this　he　was　easily　persuaded。　And　therefore　he　brought
Cicero's　brother　into　the　forum；　attended　with　a　strong　party；　to
petition　for　his　return；　where；　after　a　warm　dispute；　in　which　several
were　wounded　and　some　slain；　he　got　the　victory　over　Clodius。
　　No　sooner　was　Cicero　returned　home　upon　this　decree；　but　immediately
he　used　his　efforts　to　reconcile　the　senate　to　Pompey；　and　by　speaking
in　favour　of　the　law　upon　the　importations　of　corn；　did　again；　in
effect；　make　Pompey　sovereign　lord　of　all　the　Roman　possessions　by　sea
and　land。　For　by　that　law　there　were　placed　under　his　control　all
ports；　markets；　and　storehouses；　and；　in　short；　all　the　concerns
both　of　the　merchants　and　the　husbandmen；　which　gave　occasion　to　the
charge　brought　against　it　by　Clodius；　what　the　law　was　not　made
because　of　the　scarcity　of　corn；　but　the　scarcity　of　corn　was　made
that　they　might　pass　a　law；　whereby　that　power　of　his；　which　was　now
grown　feeble　and　consumptive；　might　be　revived　again；　and　Pompey
reinstated　in　a　new　empire。　Others　look　upon　it　as　a　politic　device　of
Spinther；　the　consul；　whose　design　it　was　to　secure　Pompey　in　a
greater　authority；　that　he　himself　might　be　sent　in　assistance　to　King
Ptolemy。　However；　it　is　certain　that　Canidius；　the　tribune；
preferred　a　law　to　despatch　Pompey　in　the　character　of　a