cato the younger-第10部分

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him　into　perfect　transports　and　ecstasies；　getting　into　his　head；　like

strong　wine；　and　intoxicating　him　to　a　sort　of　frenzy。　This　Favonius

stood　to　be　chosen　aedile；　and　was　like　to　lose　it；　but　Cato；　who

was　there　to　assist　him；　observed　that　all　the　votes　were　written　in

one　hand；　and　discovering　the　cheat；　appealed　to　the　tribunes；　who

stopped　the　election。　Favonius　was　afterwards　chosen　aedile；　and　Cato；

who　assisted　him　in　all　things　that　belonged　to　his　office；　also

undertook　the　care　of　the　spectacles　that　were　exhibited　in　the

theatre；　giving　the　actors　crowns；　not　of　gold；　but　of　wild　olive；

such　as　used　to　be　given　at　the　Olympic　games；　and　instead　of　the

magnificent　presents　that　were　usually　made；　he　offered　to　the

Greeks　beet　root；　lettuces；　radishes；　and　pears；　and　to　the　Romans

earthen　pots　of　wine；　pork；　figs；　cucumbers；　and　little　faggots　of

wood。　Some　ridiculed　Cato　for　his　economy；　others　looked　with

respect　on　this　gentle　relaxation　of　his　usual　rigour　and　austerity。

In　fine；　Favonius　himself　mingled　with　the　crowd；　and　sitting　among

the　spectators；　clapped　and　applauded　Cato；　bade　him　bestow　rewards　on

those　who　did　well；　and　called　on　the　people　to　pay　their　honours　to

him；　as　for　himself　he　had　placed　his　whole　authority　in　Cato's　hands。

At　the　same　time；　Curio；　the　colleague　of　Favonius；　gave　very

magnificent　entertainments　in　another　theatre；　but　the　people　left

his；　and　went　to　those　of　Favonius；　which　they　much　applauded；　and

joined　heartily　in　the　diversion；　seeing　him　act　the　private　man；

and　Cato　the　master　of　the　shows；　who；　in　fact；　did　all　this　in

derision　of　the　great　expenses　that　others　incurred；　and　to　teach

them；　that　in　amusements　men　ought　to　seek　amusement　only；　and　the

display　of　a　decent　cheerfulness；　not　great　preparations　and　costly

magnificence；　demanding　the　expenditure　of　endless　care　and　trouble

about　things　of　little　concern。

　　After　this；　Scipio；　Hypsaeus；　and　Milo；　stood　to　be　consuls；　and

that　not　only　with　the　usual　and　now　recognized　disorders　of　bribery

and　corruption；　but　with　arms　and　slaughter；　and　every　appearance　of

carrying　their　audacity　and　desperation　to　the　length　of　actual

civil　war。　Whereupon　it　was　proposed　that　Pompey　might　be　empowered　to

preside　over　that　election。　This　Cato　at　first　opposed；　saying　that

the　laws　ought　not　to　seek　protection　from　Pompey；　but　Pompey　from　the

laws。　Yet　the　confusion　lasting　a　long　time；　the　forum　continually；　as

it　were；　besieged　with　three　armies；　and　no　possibility　appearing　of　a

stop　being　put　to　these　disorders；　Cato　at　length　agreed　that；

rather　than　fall　into　the　last　extremity；　the　senate　should　freely

confer　all　on　Pompey；　since　it　was　necessary　to　make　use　of　a　lesser

illegality　as　a　remedy　against　the　greatest　of　all；　and　better　to

set　up　a　monarchy　themselves　than　to　suffer　a　sedition　to　continue

that　must　certainly　end　in　one。　Bibulus；　therefore；　a　friend　of

Cato's；　moved　the　senate　to　create　Pompey　sole　consul；　for　that　either

he　would　reestablish　the　lawful　government；　or　they　should　serve　under

the　master。　Cato　stood　up；　and；　contrary　to　all　expectation；

seconded　this　motion；　concluding　that　any　government　was　better　than

mere　confusion；　and　that　he　did　not　question　but　Pompey　would　deal

honourably；　and　take　care　of　the　commonwealth　thus　committed　to　his

charge。　Pompey　being　hereupon　declared　consul；　invited　Cato　to　see　him

in　the　suburbs。　When　he　came；　he　saluted　and　embraced　him　very　kindly；

acknowledged　the　favour　he　had　done　him；　and　desired　his　counsel　and

assistance；　in　the　management　of　this　office。　Cato　made　answer；　that

what　he　had　spoken　on　any　former　occasion　was　not　out　of　hate　to

Pompey；　nor　what　he　had　now　done　out　of　love　to　him；　but　all　for　the

good　of　the　commonwealth；　that　in　private；　if　he　asked　him；　he　would

freely　give　his　advice；　and　in　public；　though　he　asked　him　not；　he

would　always　speak　his　opinion。　And　he　did　accordingly。　For　first；

when　Pompey　made　severe　laws；　for　punishing　and　laying　great　fines

on　those　who　had　corrupted　the　people　with　gifts；　Cato　advised　him

to　let　alone　what　was　already　passed；　and　to　provide　for　the　future；

for　if　he　should　look　up　past　misdemeanours；　it　would　be　difficult

to　know　where　to　stop；　and　if　he　would　ordain　new　penalties；　it

would　be　unreasonable　to　punish　men　by　a　law；　which　at　that　time

they　had　not　the　opportunity　of　breaking。　Afterwards；　when　many

considerable　men；　and　some　of　Pompey's　own　relations；　were　accused；

and　he　grew　remiss；　and　disinclined　to　the　prosecution；　Cato　sharply

reproved　him；　and　urged　him　to　proceed。　Pompey　had　made　a　law；　also；

to　forbid　the　custom　of　making　commendatory　orations　in　behalf　of

those　that　were　accused；　yet　he　himself　wrote　one　for　Munatius

Plancus；　and　sent　it　while　the　cause　was　pleading；　upon　which　Cato；

who　was　sitting　as　one　of　the　judges；　stopped　his　ears　with　his　hands；

and　would　not　hear　it　read。　Whereupon　Plancus；　before　sentence　was

given；　excepted　against　him；　but　was　condemned　notwithstanding。　And

indeed　Cato　was　a　great　trouble　and　perplexity　to　almost　all　that　were

accused　of　anything；　as　they　feared　to　have　him　one　of　their　judges；

yet　did　not　dare　to　demand　his　exclusion。　And　many　had　been

condemned　because；　by　refusing　him；　they　seemed　to　show　that　they

could　not　trust　to　their　own　innocence；　and　it　was　a　reproach　thrown

in　the　teeth　of　some　by　their　enemies；　that　they　had　not　accepted　Cato

for　their　judge。

　　In　the　meanwhile；　Caesar　kept　close　with　his　forces　in　Gaul；　and

continued　in　arms；　and　at　the　same　time　employed　his　gifts；　his

riches；　and　his　friends　above　all　things；　to　increase　his　power　in　the

city。　And　now　Cato's　old　admonitions　began　to　rouse　Pompey　out　of

the　negligent　security　in　which　he　lay；　into　a　sort　of　imagination

of　danger　at　hand；　but　seeing　him　slow　and　unwilling；　and　timorous

to　undertake　any　measures　of　prevention　against　Caesar；　Cato

resolved　himself　to　stand　for　the　consulship；　and　presently　force

Caesar　either　to　lay　down　his　arms　or　discover　his　intentions。　Both

Cato's　competitors　were　persons　of　good　position；　Sulpicius；　who　was

one；　owed　much　to　Cato's　credit　and　authority　in　the　city；　and　it

was　thought　unhandsome　and　ungratefully　done；　to　stand　against　him；

not　that　Cato　himself　took　it　ill。　〃For　it　is　no　wonder。〃　said　he；　〃if

a　man　will　not　yield　to　another；　in　that　which　he　esteems　the　greatest

good。〃　He　had　persuaded　the　senate　to　make　an　order；　that　those　who

stood　for　offices　should　themselves　ask　the　people　for　their　votes；

and　not　solicit　by　others；　nor　take　others　about　with　them　to　speak

for　them；　in　their　canvass。　And　this　made　the　common　people　very

hostile　to　him；　if　they　were　to　lose　not　only　the　means　of　receiving

money；　but　also　the　opportunity　of　obliging　several　persons；　and　so　to

become　by　his　means　both　poor　and　less　regarded。　Besides　this；　Cato

himself　was　by　nature　altogether　unfit　for　the　business　of　canvassing；

as　he　was　more　anxious　to　sustain　the　dignity　of　his　life　and

character　than　to　obtain　the　office。　Thus　by　following　his　own　way

of　soliciting；　and　not　suffering　his　friends　to　do　those　things

which　take　away　the　multitude；　he　was　rejected　and　lost　the

consulship。

　　But　whereas；　upon　such　occasions；　not　only　those　who　missed　the

office；　but　even　their　friends　and　relations；　used　to　feel

themselves　disgraced　and　humiliated；　and　observed　a　sort　of　mourning

for　several　days　after；　Cato　took　it　so　unconcernedly　that　he　anointed

himself；　and　played　at　ball　in　the　field；　and　after　breakfasting；　went

into　the　forum；　as　he　used　to　do；　without　his　shoes　or　his　tunic；

and　there　walked　about　with　his　acquaintance。　Cicero　blames　him；　for

that　when　affairs　required　such　a　consul；　he　would　not　take　more

pains；　nor　condescend　to　pay　some　court　to　the　people；　as　also　because

that　he　afterwards　neglected　to　try　again；　whereas　he　had　stood　a

second　time　to　be　chosen　praetor。　Cato　answered　that　he　lost　the

praetorship　the　first　time；　not　by　the　voice　of　the　people；　but　by　the

violence　and　corrupt　dealing　of　his　adversaries；　whereas　in　the

election　of　consuls　there　had　been　no　foul　play。　So　that　he　plainly

saw　the　people　did　not　like　his　manners；　which　an　honest　man　ought　not

to　alter　for　their　sake；　nor　yet　would　a　wise　man　attempt　the　same

thing　again；　while　liable　to　the　same　prejudices。

　　Caesar　was　at　this　time　engaged　with　many　warlike　nations；　and　was

subduing　them　at　great　hazards。　Among　the　rest；　it　was　believed　he　had

set　upon　the　Germans；　in　a　time　of　truce；　and　had　thus　slain　three

hundred　thousand　of　them。　Upon　which；　some　of　his　friends　moved　the

senate　for　a　public　thanksgiving；　but　Cato　declared　they　ought　to

deliver　Caesar　into　the　hands　of　those　who　had　been　thus　unjustly

treated；　and　so　expiate　the　offence　and　not　bring　a　curse　upon　the

city；　〃Yet　we　have　reason；〃　said　he；　〃to　thank　the　gods；　for　that　they

spared　the　commonwealth；　and　did　not　take　vengeance　upon　the　army；　for

the　madness　and　folly　of　the　general。〃　Hereupon　Caesar　wrote　a

letter　to　the　senate　which　was　read　openly；　and　was　full　of

reproachful　language　and　accusations　against　Cato；　who；　standing　up；

seemed　not　at　all　concerned；　and　without　any　heat　or　passion；　but　in　a

calm　and；　as　it　were；　premeditated　discourse；　made　all　Caesar's

charges　against　him　show　like　mere　common　scolding　and　abuse；　and　in

fact　a　sort　of　pleasantry　and　play　on　Caesar's　part；　and　proceeding

then　to　go　into　all　Caesar's　political　courses；　and　to　explain　and

reveal　（as　though　he　had　been　not　his　constant　opponent；　but　his

fellow…conspirator）　his　whole　conduct　and　purpose　from　its

commencement；　he　concluded　by　telling　the　senate；　it　was　not　the

sons　of　the　Britons　or　the　Gauls　they　need　fear；　but　Caesar　himself；

if　they　were　wise。　And　this　discourse　so　moved　and　awakened　the

senate；　that　Caesar's　friends　repented　they　had　had　a　letter　read；

which　had　given　Cato　an　op