cicero-第4节

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



the　consulship；　having　resolved　to　kill　Cicero　in　a　tumult　at　the



elections。　Also；　the　divine　powers　seemed　to　give　intimation　of　the



coming　troubles；　by　earthquakes；　thunderbolts；　and　strange



appearances。　Nor　was　human　evidence　wanting　certain　enough　in



itself；　though　not　sufficient　for　the　conviction　of　the　noble　and



powerful　Catiline。　Therefore　Cicero；　deferring　the　day　of　election；



summoned　Catiline　into　the　senate；　and　questioned　him　as　to　the



charges　made　against　him。　Catiline；　believing　there　were　many　in　the



senate　desirous　of　change；　and　to　give　a　specimen　of　himself　to　the



conspirators　present；　returned　an　audacious　answer；　〃What　harm；〃



said　he；　〃when　I　see　two　bodies；　the　one　lean　and　consumptive　with　a



head；　the　other　great　and　strong　without　one；　if　I　put　a　head　to



that　body　which　wants　one？〃　This　covert　representation　of　the　senate



and　the　people　excited　yet　greater　apprehensions　in　Cicero。　He　put



on　armour；　and　was　attended　from　his　house　by　the　noble　citizens　in



a　body；　and　a　number　of　the　young　men　went　with　him　into　the　Plain。



Here　designedly　letting　his　tunic　slip　partly　off　from　his



shoulders；　he　showed　his　armour　underneath；　and　discovered　his



danger　to　the　spectators；　who；　being　much　moved　at　it；　gathered



round　about　him　for　his　defence。　At　length；　Catiline　was　by　a



general　suffrage　again　put　by；　and　Silanus　and　Murena　chosen　consuls。



　　Not　long　after　this；　Catiline's　soldiers　got　together　in　a　body　in



Etruria；　and　began　to　form　themselves　into　companies；　the　day



appointed　for　the　design　being　near　at　hand。　About　midnight；　some　of



the　principal　and　most　powerful　citizens　of　Rome；　Marcus　Crassus；



Marcus　Marcellus；　and　Scipio　Metellus　went　to　Cicero's　house；　where；



knocking　at　the　gate；　and　calling　up　the　porter；　they　commanded　him　to



awake　Cicero；　and　tell　him　they　were　there。　The　business　was　this：



Crassus's　porter　after　supper　had　delivered　to　him　letters　brought



by　an　unknown　person。　Some　of　them　were　directed　to　others；　but　one　to



Crassus；　without　a　name；　this　only　Crassus　read；　which　informed　him



that　there　was　a　great　slaughter　intended　by　Catiline；　and　advised　him



to　leave　the　city。　The　others　he　did　not　open；　but　went　with　them



immediately　to　Cicero；　being　affrighted　at　the　danger；　and　to　free



himself　of　the　suspicion　he　lay　under　for　his　familiarity　with



Catiline。　Cicero；　considering　the　matter；　summoned　the　senate　at　break



of　day。　The　letters　he　brought　with　him；　and　delivered　them　to　those



to　whom　they　were　directed；　commanding　them　to　read　them　publicly；



they　all　alike　contained　an　account　of　the　conspiracy。　And　when



Quintus　Arrius　a　man　of　praetorian　dignity；　recounted　to　them　how



soldiers　were　collecting　in　companies　in　Etruria；　and　Manlius　stated



to　be　in　motion　with　a　large　force；　hovering　about　those　cities；　in



expectation　of　intelligence　from　Rome；　the　senate　made　a　decree　to



place　all　in　the　hands　of　the　consuls；　who　should　undertake　the



conduct　of　everything；　and　do　their　best　to　save　the　state。　This　was



not　a　common　thing；　but　only　done　by　the　senate　in　case　of　imminent



danger。



　　After　Cicero　had　received　this　power；　he　committed　all　affairs



outside　to　Quintus　Metellus；　but　the　management　of　the　city　he　kept　in



his　own　hands。　Such　a　numerous　attendance　guarded　him　every　day　when



he　went　abroad；　that　the　greatest　part　of　the　market…place　was



filled　with　his　train　when　he　entered　it。　Catiline；　impatient　of



further　delay；　resolved　himself　to　break　forth　and　go　to　Manlius；



but　he　commanded　Marcius　and　Cethegus　to　take　their　swords；　and　go



early　in　the　morning　to　Cicero's　gates；　as　if　only　intending　to　salute



him；　and　then　to　fall　upon　him　and　slay　him。　This　a　noble　lady；



Fulvia；　coming　by　night；　discovered　to　Cicero；　bidding　him　beware　of



Cethegus　and　Marcius。　They　came　by　break　of　day　and　being　denied



entrance；　made　an　outcry　and　disturbance　at　the　gates；　which　excited



all　the　more　suspicion。　But　Cicero；　going　forth；　summoned　the　senate



into　the　temple　of　Jupiter　Stator；　which　stands　at　the　end　of　the



Sacred　Street；　going　up　to　the　Palatine。　And　when　Catiline　with　others



of　his　party　also　came；　as　intending　to　make　his　defence；　none　of



the　senators　would　sit　by　him；　but　all　of　them　left　the　bench　where　he



had　placed　himself。　And　when　he　began　to　speak；　they　interrupted　him



with　outcries。　At　length　Cicero；　standing　up；　commanded　him　to　leave



the　city；　for　since　one　governed　the　commonwealth　with　words；　the



other　with　arms；　it　was　necessary　there　should　be　a　wall　betwixt　them。



Catiline；　therefore；　immediately　left　the　town；　with　three　hundred



armed　men；　and　assuming；　as　if　he　had　been　a　magistrate；　the　rods；



axes；　and　military　ensigns；　he　went　to　Manlius；　and　having　got



together　a　body　of　near　twenty　thousand　men；　with　these　he　marched



to　the　several　cities；　endeavouring　to　persuade　or　force　them　to



revolt。　So　it　being　now　come　to　open　war；　Antonius　was　sent　forth　to



fight　him。



　　The　remainder　of　those　in　the　city　whom　he　had　corrupted；



Cornelius　Lentulus　kept　together　and　encouraged。　He　had　the　surname



Sura；　and　was　a　man　of　a　noble　family；　but　a　dissolute　liver；　who



for　his　debauchery　was　formerly　turned　out　of　the　senate；　and　was



now　holding　the　office　of　praetor　for　the　second　time；　as　the　custom



is　with　those　who　desire　to　regain　the　dignity　of　senator。　It　is



said　that　he　got　the　surname　Sura　upon　this　occasion；　being　quaestor



in　the　time　of　Sylla；　he　had　lavished　away　and　consumed　a　great



quantity　of　the　public　moneys；　at　which　Sylla　being　provoked；　called



him　to　give　an　account　in　the　senate；　he　appeared　with　great



coolness　and　contempt；　and　said　he　had　no　account　to　give；　but　they



might　take　this；　holding　up　the　calf　of　his　leg；　as　boys　do　at　ball；



when　they　have　missed。　Upon　which　he　was　surnamed　Sura；　sura　being　the



Roman　word　for　the　calf　of　the　leg。　Being　at　another　time　prosecuted



at　law；　and　having　bribed　some　of　the　judges；　he　escaped　only　by　two



votes　and　complained　of　the　needless　expense　he　had　gone　to　in



paying　for　a　second；　as　one　would　have　sufficed　to　acquit　him。　This



man；　such　in　his　own　nature；　and　now　inflamed　by　Catiline；　false



prophets　and　fortune…tellers　had　also　corrupted　with　vain　hopes；



quoting　to　him　fictitious　verses　and　oracles；　and　proving　from　the



Sibylline　prophecies　that　there　were　three　of　the　name　Cornelius



designed　by　fate　to　be　monarchs　of　Rome；　two　of　whom；　Cinna　and　Sylla；



had　already　fulfilled　the　decree；　and　that　divine　fortune　was　now



advancing　with　the　gift　of　monarchy　for　the　remaining　third　Cornelius；



and　that　therefore　he　ought　by　all　means　to　accept　it；　and　not　lose



opportunity　by　delay；　as　Catiline　had　done。



　　Lentulus；　therefore；　designed　no　mean　or　trivial　matter；　for　he



had　resolved　to　kill　the　whole　senate；　and　as　many　other　citizens　as



he　could；　to　fire　the　city；　and　spare　nobody；　except　only　Pompey's



children；　intending　to　seize　and　keep　them　as　pledges　of　his



reconciliation　with　Pompey。　For　there　was　then　a　common　and　strong



report　that　Pompey　was　on　his　way　homeward　from　his　great



expedition。　The　night　appointed　for　the　design　was　one　of　the



Saturnalia；　swords；　flax；　and　sulphur　they　carried　and　hid　in　the



house　of　Cethegus；　and　providing　one　hundred　men；　and　dividing　the



city　into　as　many　parts；　they　had　allotted　to　every　one　singly　his



proper　place；　so　that　in　a　moment；　many　kindling　the　fire；　the　city



might　be　in　a　flame　all　together。　Others　were　appointed　to　stop　up　the



aqueducts；　and　to　kill　those　who　should　endeavour　to　carry　water　to



put　it　out。　Whilst　these　plans　were　preparing；　it　happened　there



were　two　ambassadors　from　the　Allobroges　staying　in　Rome；　a　nation



at　that　time　in　a　distressed　condition；　and　very　uneasy　under　the



Roman　government。　These　Lentulus　and　his　party　judging　useful



instruments　to　move　and　seduce　Gaul　to　revolt；　admitted　into　the



conspiracy　and　they　gave　them　letters　to　their　own　magistrates；　and



letters　to　Catiline；　in　those　they　promised　liberty；　in　these　they



exhorted　Catiline　to　set　all　slaves　free；　and　to　bring　them　along　with



him　to　Rome。　They　sent　also　to　accompany　them　to　Catiline；　one



Titus；　a　native　of　Croton；　who　was　to　carry　those　letters　to　him。



　　These　counsels　of　inconsidering　men；　who　conversed　together　over



wine　and　with　women；　Cicero　watched　with　sober　industry　and



forethought；　and　with　most　admirable　sagacity；　having　several



emissaries　abroad；　who　observed　and　traced　with　him　all　that　was　done；



and　keeping　also　a　secret　correspondence　with　many　who　pretended　to



join　in　the　conspiracy。　He　thus　knew　all　the　discourse　which　passed



betwixt　them　and　the　strangers；　and　lying　in　wait　for　t