brogum in vestigiis hujus urbis atque in cinere deflagrati imperii collocarent: si vehementissimi fuerimus, misericordes habebimur: sin remissiores esse voluerimus, summae nobis crudelitatis in patriae civiumque pernicie fama subeunda est. Nisi verò cuipiam L. Caesar, vir fortissimus et amantissimus reipub. crudelior nudiustertiùs est visus, cùm sororis suae, foeminae lectissimae, virum praesentem et audientem vitâ privandum esse dixit; cùm 3avum jussu Cos. interfectum, filiumque ejus impuberem legatum a patre missum, in carcere necatum esse dixit. Quorum quod simile fuit factum? quod initum delendae reip. consilium? Largitionis voluntas tum in republicà versata est, et partium quaedam contentio. Atque illo tempore hujus avus Lentuli, clarissimus vir, armatus Gracchum est persecutus, et grave tum vulnus accepit, ne quid de summâ dignitate reipub. minueretur: hic ad evertenda fundamenta reip. Gallos arcessivit, servitia concitavit, Catilinam evocavit, attribuit nos trucidandos Cethego, caeteros cives interficiendos Gabinio, urbem inflamman

2. L. Caesar......sororis......virum-The husband of Julia, the sister of L. Caesar, was Lentulus, the conspirator. L. Caesar was an uncle of C. Julius Caesar, and grandson of M. Fulvius Flaccus, mentioned in note Sth, page 7th. Julia was the mother of Mark Antony the triumvir, by a former marriage with Marcus Antonius Criticus; and it is said by Plutarch, that the punishment of Lentulus was the source of the enmity, which existed between Mark Antony and Cicero.

3. Avum......filiumque ejus M. F. Flaccus, (See note 9th, page 7th.) whose youngest son, a beautiful youth, was sent, bearing a caduceus in his hand, to make proposals of peace to Opimius. The consul rejected them, and forbade the boy to come again, unless to signify the submission of those who sent him. Being ordered back by his father Fulvius with a second message, Opimius imprisoned and af terwards put him to death.

dam Cassio, totam Italiam vastandam diripiendamque Catilinae. Vereamini, censeo, ne in hoc scelere tam immani ac nefario nimis aliquid severè statuisse videamini: cùm multò magis sit verendum, ne remissione poenae crudeles magis in patriam, quàm ne severitate animadversionis nimis vehementes in acerbissimos hostes fuisse videamini.

VII. Sed quae exaudio, P. C. dissimulare non possum; jactantur enim voces, quae perveniunt ad aures meas, eorum, qui vereri videntur, ut habeam satìs praesidii ad ea, quae vos statueritis hodierno die, transigenda. Omnia provisa, parata, et constituta sunt, P. C. cùm meâ summâ curâ atque diligentiâ, tum multò etiam majore populi Romani ad summum imperium retinendum et ad communes fortunas conservandas voluntate. Omnes adsunt omnium ordinum homines, omnium denique aetatum: plenum est forum, plena templa circa forum, pleni omnes aditus hujus loci ac templi. Causa enim est post urbem conditam haec inventa sola, in quâ omnes sentirent unum atque idem, praeter eos, qui, cùm sibi viderent esse pereundum, cum omnibus potiùs, quàm soli perire voluerunt; hosce ego homines excipio et secerno libentèr; neque enim in improborum civium, sed in acerbissimorum hostium numero habendos puto. Caeteri verò, dii immortales ! quâ frequentiâ, quo studio, quâ virtute ad communem dignitatem salutemque consenti

4. Forum-This oration was delivered to the senate in the Forum: 5. Hujus loci ac templi-The Senate could not be held but in one of the Curiae. These Curiae were buildings consecrated as temples by the augurs, but not to any particular deity.

unt? Quid ego hic equites Romanos commemorem? qui vobis ita summam ordinis consiliique concedunt, ut vobiscum de amore reipub. certent: quos ex multorum annorum dissensione ad hujus ordinis societatem concordiamque revocatos, hodiernus dies vobiscum atque haec causa conjungit; quam conjunctionem si in consulatu confirmatam meo, perpetuam in republicâ tenuerimus, confirmo vobis, nullum posthàc malum civile ac domesticum ad ullam reipub. partem esse venturum. Pari studio defendendae reipub. convenisse video 'tribunos aerarios,

6. Equites Romanos-The order of Roman Knights had nothing in it analogous or similar to any order of modern Knighthood, but depended entirely upon a census or valuation of their estates, which was usually made every five years by the Censors in their lustrum or general review of the whole people. All those people, whose entire fortune amounted to 400 sestertia (32291. sterling) were enrolled of course in the list of Equites. The badges of Equites were a horse given them by the publick, a golden ring, a narrow strip of purple sewed on the breast of their tunick, and a separate place at the publick spectacles.

7. Dissensione-The office of Equites at first was only to serve in the army; but afterwards also to act as judges, and to farm the publick revenues. Judges were chosen from the Senate, till the year of Rome 631, then the Sempronian law of C. Gracchus transferred the right of judging to the Knights. This law caused dissensions between the Senators and Knights for many years, during which, several laws alternately favourable to each party were passed. At length the Aurelian law of L. Aurelius Cotta, the Praetor, determined, that judges should be chosen from the Senators, the Equites, and the Tribuni aerarii, and laid the foundation of a reconciliation, which the influence of Cicero, which was great among both the Senators and Knights, completed.

8. Consulatu confirmatam meo—No man in Rome was so capable of uniting in the same cause the Senators and Knights as Cicero. He was at the head of the Senate, and being descended from a family of equestrian rank, was a favourite of the Knights. His policy in reconciling the two orders was of much service to the republick.

9. Tribunos aerarios-These were officers chosen from the plebeians, who kept and gave out the money for defraying the expences of the army.

fortissimos viros, 'scribas item universos; quos cùm casu hic dies ad aerarium frequentâsset, video ab expectatione sortis ad communem salutem esse conversos. Omnis ingenuorum adest multitudo, etiam tenuissimorum. Quis est enim, cui non haec templa, aspectus urbis, posessio libertatis, lux denique haec ipsa, et hoc commune patriae solum, cùm sit carum, tum verò dulce atque jucundum?

VIII. Operae pretium est, P. C. libertinorum hominum studia cognoscere, qui suâ virtute fortunam civitatis consecuti, hanc verè suam patriam esse judicant: quam quidam, hinc nati et summo nati loco, non patriam suam, sed urbem hostium esse judicaverunt. Sed quid ego hujusce ordinis homines commemorem, quos privatae fortunae, quos communis respublica, quos denique libertas ea, quae dulcissima est, ad salutem patriae defendendam excitavit? servus est nemo, qui modò tolerabili conditione sit servitutis, qui non audaciam civium perditorum perhorrescat; qui non obstare cupiat ; qui non tantum, quantum audet et quantum potest, conferat ad communem salutem, voluntatis. Quare, si quem vestrum fortè commovet hoc, quod auditum est, lenonem quendam Lentuli concursare circum tabernas, pretio

1. Scribas-Scribae were notaries or clerks, who wrote out the publick accounts, the laws, and all the proceedings of the magis.

trates.

2. Ab expectatione sortis-The scribes were assembled on this occasion to divide among themselves the offices of the ensuing year, to decide who should be secretaries to the consuls, who to the praetors, &c. This was done every year, and, like other offices at Rome, determined by lot. While they were thus engaged, they saw the prisoners conducted to the senate house, and immediately leaving all their private concerns, came and offered their assistance to secure the safety of the republick.

sperantem solicitari posse animos egentium atque imperitorum est id quidem coeptum atque tentatum : sed nulli sunt inventi tam aut fortunâ miseri, aut voluntate perditi, qui non ipsum illum sellae atque operis, et quaestûs quotidiani locum, qui non cubile ac lectulum suum, qui denique non cursum hunc otiosum vitae suae salvum esse velint. Multò verò maxima pars eorum, qui in tabernis sunt, immo verò (id enim potiùs est dicendum) genus hoc universum amantissimum est otii. Etenim omne eorum instrumentum, omnis opera ac quaestus frequentiâ civium sustinetur, alitur otio: quorum si quaestus, occlusis tabernis, minui solet, quid tandem incensis futurum est?

IX. Quae cùm ita sint, P. C. vobis populi Rom. praesidia non desunt; vos ne populo Rom. deesse videamini, providete. Habetis consulem ex plurimis periculis et insidiis atque ex mediâ morte, non ad vitam suam, sed ad salutem vestram reservatum : omnes ordines ad conservandam rempublicam mente, voluntate, studio, virtute, voce consentiunt: obsessa facibus et telis impiae conjurationis, vobis supplex manus tendit patria communis: vobis se, vobis vitam omnium civium, vobis arcem et Capitolium, vobis aras Penatium, vobis illum ignem Vestae perpetuum ac sempiternum, vobis omnia deorum templa atque

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3. Penatium-This word here means the guardian gods of the republick; in other places it often means the household gods, who presided over families.

4. Ignem Vestae-It was one of the duties of the vestal virgins to keep the sacred fire always burning, watching it alternately in the night; whoever allowed it to go out was scourged. This accident

was always esteemed unlucky, and expiated by offering extraordinary sacrifices. The fire was lighted up again from the rays of the sun, in which manner it was renewed every year on the first of March, that day anciently being the beginning of the year.