cicero-第3节

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friend　he　was。　And　therefore；　when　he　asked　a　space　of　time　before　his



trial；　and　Cicero　allowed　him　but　one　day；　and　that　the　next　only；　the



common　people　grew　highly　offended；　because　it　had　been　the　custom



of　the　praetors　to　allow　ten　days　at　least　to　the　accused；　and　the



tribunes　of　the　people；　having　called　him　before　the　people　and



accused　him；　he；　desiring　to　be　heard；　said；　that　as　he　had　always



treated　the　accused　with　equity　and　humanity；　as　far　as　the　law



allowed；　so　he　thought　it　hard　to　deny　the　same　to　Manilius；　and



that　he　had　studiously　appointed　that　day　of　which　alone；　as



praetor；　he　was　master；　and　that　it　was　not　the　part　of　those　that



were　desirous　to　help　him　to　cast　the　judgment　of　his　cause　upon



another　praetor。　These　things　being　said　made　a　wonderful　change　in



the　people；　and　commending　him　much　for　it　they　desired　that　he



himself　would　undertake　the　defence　of　Manilius；　which　he　willingly



consented　to；　and　that　principally　for　the　sake　of　Pompey；　who　was



absent。　And；　accordingly；　taking　his　place　before　the　people　again；　he



delivered　a　bold　invective　upon　the　oligarchical　party　and　on　those



who　were　jealous　of　Pompey。



　　Yet　he　was　preferred　to　the　consulship　no　less　by　the　nobles　than



the　common　people；　for　the　good　of　the　city；　and　both　parties



jointly　assisted　his　promotion；　upon　the　following　reasons。　The　change



of　government　made　by　Sylla；　which　at　first　seemed　a　senseless　one



by　time　and　usage　had　now　come　to　be　considered　by　the　people　no



unsatisfactory　settlement。　But　there　were　some　that　endeavoured　to



alter　and　subvert　the　whole　present　state　of　affairs；　not　from　any



good　motives；　but　for　their　own　private　gain；　and　Pompey　being　at　this



time　employed　in　the　wars　with　the　kings　of　Pontus　and　Armenia；



there　was　no　sufficient　force　at　Rome　to　suppress　any　attempts　at　a



revolution。　These　people　had　for　their　head　a　man　of　bold；　daring；　and



restless　character；　Lucius　Catiline；　who　was　accused；　besides　other



great　offences；　of　deflowering　his　virgin　daughter；　and　killing　his



own　brother；　for　which　latter　crime；　fearing　to　be　prosecuted　at



law；　he　persuaded　Sylla　to　set　him　down；　as　though　he　were　yet



alive；　amongst　those　that　were　to　be　put　to　death　by　proscription。



This　man　the　profligate　citizens　choosing　for　their　captain；　gave



faith　to　one　another；　amongst　other　pledges；　by　sacrificing　a　man；　and



eating　of　his　flesh；　and　a　great　part　of　the　young　men　of　the　city



were　corrupted　by　him；　he　providing　for　every　one　pleasures；　drink；



and　women；　and　profusely　supplying　the　expense　of　these　debauches。



Etruria；　moreover；　had　all　been　excited　to　revolt；　as　well　as　a



great　part　of　Gaul　within　the　Alps。　But　Rome　itself　was　in　the　most



dangerous　inclination　to　change　on　account　of　the　unequal　distribution



of　wealth　and　property；　those　of　highest　rank　and　greatest　spirit



having　impoverished　themselves　by　shows；　entertainments；　ambition　of



offices；　and　sumptuous　buildings；　and　the　riches　of　the　city　having



thus　fallen　into　the　hands　of　mean　and　low…born　persons。　So　that　there



wanted　but　a　slight　impetus　to　set　all　in　motion；　it　being　in　the



power　of　every　daring　man　to　overturn　a　sickly　commonwealth。



　　Catiline；　however；　being　desirous　of　procuring　a　strong　position



to　carry　out　his　designs；　stood　for　the　consulship；　and　had　great



hopes　of　success；　thinking　he　should　be　appointed　with　Caius



Antonius　as　his　colleague；　who　was　a　man　fit　to　lead　neither　in　a　good



cause　nor　in　a　bad　one；　but　might　be　a　valuable　accession　to　another's



power。　These　things　the　greatest　part　of　the　good　and　honest



citizens　apprehending；　put　Cicero　upon　standing　for　the　consulship；



whom　the　people　readily　receiving　Catiline　was　put　by；　so　that　he



and　Caius　Antonius　were　chosen；　although　amongst　the　competitors　he



was　the　only　man　descended　from　a　father　of　the　equestrian　and　not



of　the　senatorial　order。



　　Though　the　designs　of　Catiline　were　not　yet　publicly　known；　yet



considerable　preliminary　troubles　immediately　followed　upon　Cicero's



entrance　upon　the　consulship。　For；　on　the　one　side；　those　who　were



disqualified　by　the　laws　of　Sylla　from　holding　any　public　offices；



being　neither　inconsiderable　in　power　nor　in　number；　came　forward　as



candidates　and　caressed　the　people　for　them；　speaking　many　things



truly　and　justly　against　the　tyranny　of　Sylla；　only　that　they



disturbed　the　government　at　an　improper　and　unseasonable　time；　on



the　other　hand；　the　tribunes　of　the　people　proposed　laws　to　the　same



purpose；　constituting　a　commission　of　ten　persons；　with　unlimited



powers；　in　whom　as　supreme　governors　should　be　vested　the　right　of



selling　the　public　lands　of　all　Italy　and　Syria　and　Pompey's　new



conquest；　of　judging　and　banishing　whom　they　pleased；　of　planting



colonies；　of　taking　moneys　out　of　the　treasury；　and　of　levying　and



paying　what　soldiers　should　be　thought　needful。　And　several　of　the



nobility　favoured　this　law；　but　especially　Caius　Antonius；　Cicero's



colleague；　in　hopes　of　being　one　of　the　ten。　But　what　gave　the



greatest　fear　to　the　nobles　was；　that　he　was　thought　privy　to　the



conspiracy　of　Catiline；　and　not　to　dislike　it　because　of　his　great



debts。



　　Cicero；　endeavouring　in　the　first　place　to　provide　a　remedy



against　this　danger；　procured　a　decree　assigning　to　him　the　province



of　Macedonia；　he　himself　declining　that　of　Gaul；　which　was　offered



to　him。　And　this　piece　of　favour　so　completely　won　over　Antonius；　that



he　was　ready　to　second　and　respond　to；　like　a　hired　player；　whatever



Cicero　said　for　the　good　of　the　country。　And　now；　having　made　his



colleague　thus　tame　and　tractable；　he　could　with　greater　courage



attack　the　conspirators。　And；　therefore；　in　the　senate；　making　an



oration　against　the　law　of　the　ten　commissioners；　he　so　confounded



those　who　proposed　it；　that　they　had　nothing　to　reply。　And　when　they



again　endeavoured；　and；　having　prepared　things　beforehand；　had



called　the　consuls　before　the　assembly　of　the　people；　Cicero；



fearing　nothing；　went　first　out；　and　commanded　the　senate　to　follow



him；　and　not　only　succeeded　in　throwing　out　the　law；　but　so　entirely



overpowered　the　tribunes　by　his　oratory；　that　they　abandoned　all



thought　of　their　other　projects。



　　For　Cicero；　it　may　be　said；　was　the　one　man；　above　all　others　who



made　the　Romans　feel　how　great　a　charm　eloquence　lends　to　what　is



good；　and　how　invincible　justice　is；　if　it　be　well　spoken；　and　that　it



is　necessary　for　him　who　would　dexterously　govern　a　commonwealth；　in



action；　always　to　prefer　that　which　is　honest　before　that　which　is



popular；　and　in　speaking；　to　free　the　right　and　useful　measure　from



everything　that　may　occasion　offence。　An　incident　occurred　in　the



theatre；　during　his　consulship；　which　showed　what　his　speaking　could



do。　For　whereas　formerly　the　knights　of　Rome　were　mingled　in　the



theatre　with　the　common　people；　and　took　their　places　among　them　as　it



happened；　Marcus　Otho；　when　he　was　praetor；　was　the　first　who



distinguished　them　from　the　other　citizens　and　appointed　them　a　proper



seat；　which　they　still　enjoy　as　their　special　place　in　the　theatre。



This　the　common　people　took　as　an　indignity　done　to　them；　and；



therefore；　when　Otho　appeared　in　the　theatre　they　hissed　him；　the



knights；　on　the　contrary；　received　him　with　loud　clapping。　The



people　repeated　and　increased　their　hissing；　the　knights　continued



their　clapping。　Upon　this；　turning　upon　one　another；　they　broke　out



into　insulting　words；　so　that　the　theatre　was　in　great　disorder。



Cicero　being　informed　of　it；　came　himself　to　the　theatre；　and



summoning　the　people　into　the　temple　of　Bellona；　he　so　effectually



chid　and　chastised　them　for　it；　that　again　returning　into　the



theatre　they　received　Otho　with　loud　applause；　contending　with　the



knights　who　should　give　him　the　greatest　demonstrations　of　honour



and　respect。



　　The　conspirators　with　Catiline；　at　first　cowed　and　disheartened；



began　presently　to　take　courage　again。　And　assembling　themselves



together；　they　exhorted　one　another　boldly　to　undertake　the　design



before　Pompey's　return；　who；　as　it　was　said；　was　now　on　his　march　with



his　forces　for　Rome。　But　the　old　soldiers　of　Sylla　were　Catiline's



chief　stimulus　to　action。　They　had　been　disbanded　all　about　Italy；　but



the　greatest　number　and　the　fiercest　of　them　lay　scattered　among　the



cities　of　Etruria　entertaining　themselves　with　dreams　of　new　plunder



and　rapine　amongst　the　hoarded　riches　of　Italy。　These；　having　for



their　leader　Manlius；　who　had　served　with　distinction　in　the　wars



under　Sylla；　joined　themselves　to　Catiline；　and　came　to　Rome　to　assist



him　with　their　suffrages　at　the　election。　For　he　again　pretended　to



the　consulship；　having　resolved　to　kill　Cicero　in　a　tumu