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death he deferved, and before you were all fully convinced of his guilt, I fhould have drawn upon myfelf fuch an odium, as would have rendered me unable to profecute his accomplices; I brought the matter to this point, that you might then openly and vigorously attack Cataline,when he was apparently become a public enemy. What kind of an enemy I judge him to be, and how formidable in his attempt, you may learn from hence, citizens, that I am only forry he went off with fo few to attend him. I wish he had taken his whole forces along with him. He has carried off Tongillus indeed, the object of his criminal paffion when a youth; he has likewife carried off Publicius and Munatius, whofe tavern debts would never have occafioned any commotions in the flate. But how important are the men he has left behind him? how oppreffed with debt, how powerful, how illuttrious by their

descent?

When therefore I think of our Gallic legions, and the levies made by Metellus in Picenum and Lombardy, together with thofe troops we are daily raifing; I hold in utter contempt that army of his, compofed of wretched old men, of debauchees from the country, of ruftic vagabonds, of fuch as have fled from their bail to take fhelter in his camp: men ready to run away not only at the fight of an army, but of the prætor's edit. I could with he had likewife carried with him thofe whom I fee fluttering in the forum, fauntering about the courts of justice, and even taking their places in the fenate; men fleek with perfumes, and fhining in purple. If thefe fill remain here, mark what I fay, the deferters from the army are more to be dreaded than the army felf; and the more fo, because they know me to be informed of all their defigns, yet are not in the leaft moved by it. I behold the perfon to whom Apulia is allotted, to whom Etruria, to whom the territory of Picenum, to whom Cifalpine Gaul. I fee the man who demanded the talk of fettingfire to the city, and filling it with flaughter. They know that I am acquainted with all the fecrets of their last nocturnal meet ing: I laid them open yesterday in the fenate: Cataline himfelf was difheartened and fied: what then can thefe others mean? They are much mistaken if they in gine I fhall always ufe the fame lenity.

1ave at last gained what I have hi

therto been waiting for, to make you all
fenfible that a confpiracy is openly formed
against the ftate: unless there be any one
who imagines, that fuch as resemble Ca-
taline may yet refufe to enter into his de-
figns. There is now therefore no more
room for clemency, the cafe itself re-
quires feverity. Yet I will still grant them
one thing; let them quit the city, let
them follow Cataline, nor fuffer their mi-
ferable leader to languish in their abfence.
Nay, I will even tell them the way; it is
the Aurelian road: if they make hafte,
they may overtake him before night. O
happy ftate, were it but once drained of
this fink of wickednefs! To me the ab-
fence of Cataline alone feems to have re-
ftored freth beauty and vigour to the com-
monwealth. What villainy, what mifchief
can be devifed or imagined, that has not
entered into his thoughts? What prifoner V
is to be found in all Italy, what gladiator,
what robber, what affaffin, what parricide,
what forger of wills, what sharper, what
debauchee, what fquanderer, what adul-
terer, what harlot, what corrupter of youth,
what corrupted wretch, what abandoned
criminal, who will not own an intimite
familiarity with Cataline? What murder
has been perpetrated of late years with-
out him? What act of lewdnefs fpeaks
not him for its author? Was ever man
poffeffed of fuch talents for corrupting
youth? To fome he profituted himself
unnaturally; for others he indulged a cri-
minal pafion. Many were allured by the
profpect of unbounded enjoyment, many
by the promife of their parents death; to
which he not only incited them, but even
contributed his affiftance. What a prodi-
gious number of profligate wretches has
he just now drawn together, not only from
the city, but alio from the country? There
is not a perfon oppreffed with debt, I will
not fay in Rome, but in the remoteft cor-
ner of all Italy, whom he has not ea-
gaged in this unparalleled confederacy of
guilt.

But to make you acquainted with the
variety of his talents, in all the different
kinds of vice; there is not a gladiator in
any of our public schools, remarkable for
being audacious in mifchief, who does not
own an intimacy with Cataline; not a player
of diftinguished impudence and guilt, ut
openly boats of having been his compa-
nion. Yet this man, trained up in the
continual exercife of lewdness and villainy,
while he was walling in riot and debau
Tt

chery

chery the means of virtue, and fupplies of industry, was extolled by these his affociates for his fortitude and patience in fupporting cold, hunger, thirst, and watchings. Would his companions but follow him, would this profligate crew of defperate men but leave the city; how happy would it be for us, how fortunate for the commonwealth, how glorious for my confulfhip? It is not a moderate degree of depravity, a natural or fupportable meafure of guilt that now prevails. Nothing lefs than murders, rapines, and conflagrations employ their thoughts. They have fquandered away their patrimonies, they have wafted their fortunes in debauchery they have long been without money, and now their credit begins to fail them; yet ftill they retain the fame defires, though deprived of the means of enjoyment. Did they, amidst their revels and gaming, affect no other pleasures than thofe of lewdnefs and feasting, however defperate their cafe must appear, it might ftill notwithftanding be borne with. But it is altogether infufferable, that the cowardly hould pretend to plot against the brave, the foolish against the prudent, the drunken against the fober, the drowsy against the vigilant; who lolling at feafts, embracing miftreffes, ftaggering with wine, ftuffed with victuals, crowned with garlands, daubed with perfumes, wafted with intemperance, belch in their converfations of mafcring the honeft, and firing the city. Over fuch, I truft, fome dreadful fatality now hangs; and that the vengeance fo long due to their villainy, bafenefs, guilt, and crimes, is either juft breaking, or juft ready to break upon their heads. If my confulfhip, finee it cannot cure, fhould cut off all thefe, it would add no fmall period to the duration of the republic. For there is no nation, which we have reason to fear; no king, who can make war upon the Roman people. All difturbances abroad, both by land and fea, are quelled by the virtue of one man. But a domeftic war ftill remains the treason, the danger, the enemy is within. We are to combat with luxury, with madnefs, with villainy. In this war I profefs myself your leader, and take upon myself all the animofity of the defperate. Whatever can poffibly be healed, I will heal; but what ought to be cut off, I will never suffer to fpread to the ruin of the city. Let them therefore depart, or be at reft; but if they are refolved both to remain in the

:

city, and continue, their wonted practices, let them look for the puniment they deferve.

But fome there are, Romans, who affert, that I have driven Cataline into banifhment. And indeed, could words compass it, I would not fcruple to drive them into exile too. Cataline, to be fure, was fo very timorous and modest, that he could not ftand the words of the conful; but being ordered into banishment, immediately acquiefced and obeyed. Yesterday, when I ran fo great a hazard of being murdered in my own houfe, I affembled the fenate in the temple of Jupiter Stator, and laid the whole affair before the confcript fathers. When Cataline came thither, did fo much as one fenator accost or falute him? In fine, did they regard him only as a desperate citizen, and nor rather as an outrageous enemy? Nay, the coafular fenators quitted that part of the house where he fat, and left the whole bench clear to him. Here I, that violent conful, who by a single word drive citizens into banishment, demanded of Cataline, whether he had not been at the nocturnal meeting in the house of M. Lecca. And when he, the moft audacious of men, ftruck dumb by felf-conviction, returned no anfwer, I laid open the whole to the fenate; acquainting them with the tranfactions of that night; where he had been, what was referved for the next, and how he had fettled the whole plan of the war. appeared difconcerted and speechlefs, I afked what hindered his going upon an expedition, which he had fo long prepared for; when I knew that he had already sent before him arms, axes, rods, trumpets, military enfigns, and that filver eagle, to which he had saifed an impious altar in his own houfe. Can I be faid to have driven into banishment a man who had already commenced hoftilities against his country? Or is it credible that Manlius, an obscure centurion, who has pitched his camp upon the plains of Fefulæ, would declare war againft the Roman people in his own name: that the forces under him do not now expect Cataline for their general: or that he, fubmitting to a voluntary banishment, has, as fome pretend, repaired to Marfeilles, and not to the before-mentioned camp?

As he

O wretched condition! not only of governing, but even of preferving the ftate. For fhould Cataline, difcouraged and difconcerted by my counfels, vigilance, and

ftrenuous

i

Arenuous care of the republic, be feized with a fudden dread, change his resolution, defert his party, quit his hoftile defigns, and alter his courfe of war and guilt, into that of flight and banishment; it will not then be faid, that I have wrefted out of his hands the weapons of infolence, that I have aftonished and confounded him by my diligence, and that I have driven him from all his hopes and fchemes: but he will be confidered as a man innocent and uncondemned, who has been forced into banishment by the threats and violence of the conful. Nay there are, who in this event, would think him not wicked, but unhappy; and me not a vigilant conful, but a cruel tyrant. But I little regard this ftorm of bitter and undeserved cenfure, provided I can fcreen you from the danger of this dreadful and impious war. Let him only go into banishment and I am content it be afcribed to my threats. But believe me, he has no defign to go. My deure of avoiding public envy, Romans, fhall never induce me to wish you may hear of Cataline's being at the head of an army, and traverfing, in a hoftile manner, the territories of the republic. But affuredly you will hear it in three days; and I have much greater reafon to fear being cenfured for letting him escape, than that I forced him to quit the city. But if men are fo perverfe as to complain of his being driven away, what would they have faid if he had been put to death? Yet there is not one of those who talk of his going to Marseilles, but would be forry for it if it was true; and with all the concern they exprefs for him, they had much rather hear of his being in Manlius's camp. As for himself, had he never before thought of the project he is now engaged in, yet fuch is his particular turn of mind, that he would rather fall as a robber, than live as an exile. But now, as nothing has happened contrary to his expectation and defire, except that I was left alive when he quitted Rome; let us rather with he may go into banishment, than complain of it.

But why do I fpeak fo much about one enemy? An enemy too, who has openly proclaimed himself fuch; and whom I no longer dread, fince, as I always withed, there is now a wall between us. Shall I fay nothing of those who diffemble their treafon, who continue at Rome, and mingle in our affemblies? With regard to thefe, indeed, I am lefs intent upon ven

geance, than to reclaim them, if poffible, from their errors, and reconcile them to the republic. Nor do I perceive any dif ficulty in the undertaking, if they will but listen to my advice. For first I will fhew you, citizens, of what different forts of men their forces confift, and then apply to each, as far as I am able, the most powerful remedies of perfuafion and eloquence. The first fort confifts of thofe, who having great debts, but ftill greater poffeffions, are fo paffionately fond of the latter, that they cannot bear the thought of infringing them. This, in appearance, is the most honourable clafs, for they are rich: but their intention and aim is the moft infamous of all. Art thou diftinguifhed by the poffeffion of an eftate, houses, money, flaves, and all the conveniences and fuperfluities of life; and doft thou fcruple to take from thy poffeflions, in order to add to thy credit? For what is it 'thou expecteft? Is it war? and dot thou hope thy poffeffions will remain unviolated, amidst an univerfal invafion of property? Is it new regulations about debts, thou haft in view? 'Tis an error to expect this from Cataline. New regulations fhall indeed be proffered by my means, but attended with public auctions, which is the only method to preferve thofe who have eftates from ruin. And had they confented to this expedient fooner, nor foolishly run out their eftates in mortgages, they would have been at this day both richer men, and better citizens. But I have no great dread of this class of men, as believing they may be easily disengaged from the confpiracy; or, fhould they per fift, they feem more likely to have recourse to imprecations than arms.

The next clafs confifts of those, who though oppreffed with debt, yet hope for power, and afpire at the chief management of public affairs; imagining they fhall obtain those honours by throwing the ftate into confufion, which they despair of during its tranquillity. To thefe I fhall give the fame advice as to the reft which is, to quit all hope of fucceeding in their attempts. For firft, I myself am watchful, active, and attentive to the intereft of the republic: then there is on the fide of the honeft party, great courage, great unanimity, a vast multitude of citizens, and very numerous forces: in fine, the immortal gods themselves will not fail to interpofe in behalf of this unconquered people, this illuftrious empire, this fair

Tt2

city,

city, against the daring attempts of guilty violence. And even fuppofing them to accomplish what they with fo much frantic rage defire, do they hope to fpring up confuls, dictators, or kings, from the afhes of a city, and blood of her citizens, which with fo much treachery and facrilege they have confpired to fpill? They are ignorant of the tendency of their own defires, and that, in cafe of fuccefs, they muft themselves fall a prey to fome fugitive or gladiator. The third clafs confifts of men of advanced age, but hardened in all the exercises of war. Of this fort is Manlius, whom Cataline now fucceeds. Thefe come mostly from the colonies planted by Syl'a at Fefulæ ; which, I am ready to allow, confift of the best citizens, and the braveit men: but coming many of them to the fudden and unexpected poffeffion of great wealth, they ran into all the exceffes of luxury and profufion. Thefe, by building n houfes, by affluent living, fplendid equipages, numerous attendants, and fumptuous entertainments, have plunged themfelves to deeply in debt, that, in order to retrieve their affairs, they must recal Sylla from his tomb. I fay nothing of thofe needy indigent ruftics, whom they have gained over to their party, by the hopes of feeing the fcheme of rapine renewed: for confider both in the fame light of robbers, and plunderers. But I advise them to drop their frantic ambition, and think no more of dictatorships and profcriptions. For fo deep an impreffion have the calamities of thofe times made upon the itate, that not only men, but the very beafts would not bear a repetition of fuch outrages.

The fourth is a mixt, motly, mutinous tribe, who have been long ruined beyond hopes of recovery; and, partly through indolence, partly, through ill management, partly too through extravagance, droop beneath a load of ancient debt: who, perfecuted with arrefts, judgments, and confileations, are faid to refort in great numbers, both from city and country, to the enemy's camp. Thefe I confider, not as bave foldiers, but difpirited bankrupts. If they cannot fupport themfelves, let them even fall: yet fo, that neither the city nor neighbourhood may receive any fhock. For I am unable to perceive why, if they cannot live with honour, they should chufe to die with infamy: or why they fhould fancy it efs painful to die in company with others, than to perifh by themfelves. The

fifth fort is a collection of parricides, af faffins, and ruffians of all kinds; whom I afk not to abandon Cataline, as knowing them to be infeparable. Let these even perish in their robberies, fince their number is fo great, that no prison could be found large enough to contain them. The laft clafs, not only in this enumeration, but likewife in character and morals, are Cataline's peculiar aflociates, his choice companions, and bofom friends: fuch as you fee with curled locks, neat array, beardlefs, or with beards nicely trimmed; in full drefs, in flowing robes, and wearing mantles instead of gowns; whofe whole labour of life, and induftry of watching, are exhaufted upon midnight entertainments. Under this clafs we may rank all gamefters, whoremafters, and the lewd and luftful of every denomination. These flim delicate youths, practifed in all the arts of raifing and allaying the amorous fire, not only know to fing and dance, but on occafion can aim the murdering dagger, and adminifter the poisonous draught. Unlefs thefe depart, unlefs thefe perish, know, that was even Cataline himself to fall, we fhall ftill have a nursery of Catalines in the ftate. But what can this miserable race have in view? Do they propofe to carry their wenches along with them to the camp? Indeed, how can they be without them thefe cold winter nights? But have they confidered of the Appennine frofis and fnows? or do they imagine they will be the abler to endure the rigours of winter, for having learned to dance naked at revels? O formidable and tremendous war! where Cataline's prætorian guard confifts of fuch a diffolute effeminate crew.

Againit thefe gallant troops of your adverfary, prepare, O Romans, your garrifons and armies: and firft, to that battered and maimed gladiator, oppofe your confuls and generals: next, against that outcaft miferable crew, lead forth the flower and strength of all Italy. The walls of our colonies and free towns will easily refift the efforts of Cataline's ruftic troops. But I ought not to run the parallel farther, or compare your other refources, preparations, and defences, to the indigence and nakedness of that robber. But if omitting all thofe advantages of which we are provided, and he deftitute, as the fenate, the Roman knights, the people, the city, the treafury, the public revenues, all Italy, all the provinces, foreign ftates:

fay,

fay, if omitting all' thefe, we only compare the contending parties between themfelves, it will foon appear how very low our enemies are reduced. On the one fide modefty contends, on the other petulance: here chastity, there pollution: here integrity, there treachery: here piety, there profaneness: here refolution, there rage: here honour, there bafenefs: here moderation, there unbridled licentioufnefs: in hort, equity, temperance, fortitude, prudence, ftruggle with iniquity, luxury, cowardice, rafhnefs; every virtue with every vice. Lastly, the conteft lies between wealth and indigence, found and depraved reafon, ftrength of understanding and frenzy; in fine, between well-grounded hope, and the moft abfolute defpair. In fuch a conflict and ftruggle as this, was even human aid to fail, will not the immortal gods enable fuch illuftrious virtue to triumph over fuch complicated vice?

Such, Romans, being our prefent fituation, do you, as I have before advifed, watch and keep guard in your private houfes for as to what concerns the public tranquillity, and the defence of the city, I have taken care to fecure that, without tumult or alarm. The colonies and municipal towns, having received notice from me of Cataline's nocturnal retreat, will be upon their guard against him. The band of gladiators, whom Cataline always depended upon, as his best and fureft fupport, though in truth they are better affected than fome part of the patricians, are nevertheless taken care of in fuch a manner, as to be in the power of the republic. Q. Metellus the prætor, who, foreseeing Cataline's flight, I fent into Gaul and the district of Picenum, will either wholly crush the traitor, or baffle all his motions and attempts. And to fettle, ripen, and bring all other matters to a conclufion, I am just going to lay them before the fenate, which you fee now affembling. As for those therefore who continue in the city, and were left behind by Cataline, for the destruction of it and us all; though they are enemies, yet as by birth they are like. wife fellow-citizens, I again and again admonith them, that my lenity, which to fome may have rather appeared remiffness, has been waiting only for an opportunity of demonftrating the certainty of the plot. As for the reft, I fhall never forget that this is my country, that I am its conful, and that I think it my duty either to live with my countrymen, or die for them.

There is no guard upon the gates, none to watch the roads; if any one has a mind to withdraw himself, he may go wherever he pleafes. But whoever makes the leaft ftir within the city, fo as to be caught not only in any overt act, but even in any plot or attempt against the republic; he thall know, that there are in it vigilant confuls, excellent magiftrates, and a refolute fenate; that there are arms, and a prifon, which our ancestors provided as the avenger of manifeft and atrocious crimes.

And all this fhall be tranfacted in fuch a manner, citizens, that the greatest diforders fhall be quelled without the leaft hurry; the greateft dangers without any tumult; a domeftic and inteftine war, the moft cruel and defperate of any in our memory, by me, your only leader and general, in my gown; which I will manage fo, that, as far as it is poffible, not one even of the guilty fhall fuffer punishment in the city: but if their audaciouinefs and my country's danger should neceffarily drive me from this mild refolution; yet I will effect, what in fo cruel and treacherous a war could hardly be hoped for, that not one honeft man fhall fall, but all of you be fafe by the punithment of a few. This I promife, citizens, not from any confidence in my own prudence, or from any human counfels, but from the many evident declarations of the geds, by whofe impulfe I am led into this perfuafion; who affift us, not as they used to do, at a diftance, against foreign and remote enemies, but by their prefent help and protection defend their temples and our houses. your part, therefore, citizens, to worship, implore, and pray to them, that fince all our enemies are now fubdued both by land and fea, they would continue to preferve this city, which was defigned by them for the most beautiful, the mot flourishing and moft powerful on earth, from the deteftable treafons of its own defperate citizens. Whitworth's Cicero.

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It is

Cataline, as we have feen, being forced to leave Rome, Lentulus, and the reft who remained in the city, began to prepare all things for the execution of their grand defign. They folicited men of all ranks, who feemed likely to favour their caufe, or to

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