cato the younger-第4部分

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accounts；　and　the　state　also　in　debt　to　many　private　persons；　he

took　care　that　the　public　might　no　longer　either　do　or　suffer　wrong；

he　strictly　and　punctually　exacted　what　was　due　to　the　treasury；　and

as　freely　and　speedily　paid　all　those　to　whom　it　was　indebted。　So　that

the　people　were　filled　with　sentiments　of　awe　and　respect；　on　seeing

those　made　to　pay；　who　thought　to　have　escaped　with　their　plunder；　and

others　receiving　all　their　due；　who　despaired　of　getting　anything。　And

whereas　usually　those　who　brought　false　bills　and　pretended　orders

of　the　senate；　could　through　favour　get　them　accepted；　Cato　would

never　be　so　imposed　upon；　and　in　the　case　of　one　particular　order；

on　the　question　arising　whether　it　had　passed　the　senate；　he　would　not

believe　a　great　many　witnesses　that　attested　it；　nor　would　admit　of

it；　till　the　consuls　came　and　affirmed　it　upon　oath。

　　There　were　at　that　time　a　great　many　whom　Sylla　had　made　use　of　as

his　agents　in　the　proscription；　and　to　whom　he　had　for　their　service

in　putting　men　to　death；　given　twelve　thousand　drachmas　apiece。

These　men　everybody　hated　as　wicked　and　polluted　wretches；　but

nobody　durst　be　revenged　upon　them。　Cato　called　every　one　to

account；　as　wrongfully　possessed　of　the　public　money；　and　exacted　it

of　them；　and　at　the　same　time　sharply　reproved　them　for　their　unlawful

and　impious　actions。　After　these　proceedings　they　were　presently

accused　of　murder；　and　being　already　in　a　manner　prejudged　as

guilty；　they　were　easily　found　so；　and　accordingly　suffered；　at

which　the　whole　people　rejoiced　and　thought　themselves　now　to　see

the　old　tyranny　finally　abolished；　and　Sylla　himself；　so　to　say；

brought　to　punishment。

　　Cato's　assiduity　also；　and　indefatigable　diligence；　won　very　much

upon　the　people。　He　always　came　first　of　any　of　his　colleagues　to

the　treasury；　and　away　the　last。　He　never　missed　any　assembly　of　the

people；　or　sitting　of　the　senate；　being　always　anxious　and　on　the

watch　for　those　who　lightly；　or　as　a　matter　of　interest；　passed

votes　in　favour　of　this　or　that　person；　for　remitting　debts　or

granting　away　customs　that　were　owing　to　the　state。　And　at　length；

having　kept　the　exchequer　pure　and　clear　from　base　informers；　and

yet　having　filled　it　with　treasure；　he　made　it　appear　that　the　state

might　be　rich　without　oppressing　the　people。　At　first　he　excited

feelings　of　dislike　and　irritation　in　some　of　his　colleagues；　but

after　a　while　they　were　well　contented　with　him；　since　he　was

perfectly　willing　that　they　should　cast　all　the　odium　on　him；　when

they　declined　to　gratify　their　friends　with　the　public　money；　or　to

give　dishonest　judgments　in　passing　their　accounts；　and　when

hard…pressed　by　suitors；　they　could　readily　answer　it　was　impossible

to　do　anything　unless　Cato　would　consent。　On　the　last　day　of　his

office；　he　was　honourably　attended　to　his　house　by；　almost　all　the

people；　but　on　the　way　he　was　informed　that　several　powerful　friends

were　in　the　treasury　with　Marcellus；　using　all　their　interest　with　him

to　pass　a　certain　debt　to　the　public　revenue；　as　if　it　had　been　a

gift。　Marcellus　had　been　one　of　Cato's　friends　from　his　childhood；　and

so　long　as　Cato　was　with　him；　was　one　of　the　best　of　his　colleagues　in

this　office；　but　when　alone；　was　unable　to　resist　the　importunity　of

suitors；　and　prone　to　do　anybody　a　kindness。　So　Cato　immediately

turned　back；　and　finding　that　Marcellus　had　yielded　to　pass　the　thing；

he　took　the　book；　and　while　Marcellus　silently　stood　by　and　looked　on；

struck　it　out。　This　done；　he　brought　Marcellus　out　of　the　treasury；

and　took　him　home　with　him；　who　for　all　this；　neither　then；　nor　ever

after；　complained　of　him；　but　always　continued　his　friendship　and

familiarity　with　him。

　　Cato；　after　he　had　laid　down　his　office；　yet　did　not　cease　to　keep　a

watch　upon　the　treasury。　He　had　his　servants　who　continually　wrote　out

the　details　of　the　expenditure；　and　he　himself　kept　always　by　him

certain　books；　which　contained　the　accounts　of　the　revenue　from

Sylla's　time　to　his　own　quaestorship；　which　he　had　bought　for　five

talents。

　　He　was　always　first　at　the　senate；　and　went　out　last；　and　often；

while　the　others　were　slowly　collecting；　he　would　sit　and　read　by

himself；　holding　his　gown　before　his　book。　He　was　never　once　out　of

town　when　the　senate　was　to　meet。　And　when　afterwards　Pompey　and　his

party；　finding　that　he　could　never　be　either　persuaded　or　compelled　to

favour　their　unjust　designs；　endeavoured　to　keep　him　from　the

senate；　by　engaging　him　in　business　for　his　friends；　to　plead　their

causes；　or　arbitrate　in　their　differences；　or　the　like；　he　quickly

discovered　the　trick；　and　to　defeat　it；　fairly　told　all　his

acquaintance　that　he　would　never　meddle　in　any　private　business　when

the　senate　was　assembled。　Since　it　was　not　in　the　hope　of　gaining

honour　or　riches；　nor　out　of　mere　impulse；　or　by　chance　that　he

engaged　himself　in　politics；　but　he　undertook　the　service　of　the　state

as　the　proper　business　of　honest　man；　and　therefore　he　thought　himself

obliged　to　be　as　constant　to　his　public　duty　as　the　bee　to　the

honeycomb。　To　this　end；　he　took　care　to　have　his　friends　and

correspondents　everywhere；　to　send　him　reports　of　the　edicts；　decrees；

judgments；　and　all　the　important　proceedings　that　passed　in　any　of　the

provinces。　Once　when　Clodius；　the　seditious　orator；　to　promote　his

violent　and　revolutionary　projects；　traduced　to　the　people　some　of　the

priests　and　priestesses　（among　whom　Fabia；　sister　to　Cicero's　wife；

Terentia；　ran　great　danger）；　Cato　having　boldly　interfered；　and　having

made　Clodius　appear　so　infamous　that　he　was　forced　to　leave　the

town；　was　addressed；　when　it　was　over；　by　Cicero；　who　came　to　thank

him　for　what　he　had　done。　〃You　must　thank　the　commonwealth；〃　said

he；　for　whose　sake　alone　he　professed　to　do　everything。　Thus　he　gained

a　great　and　wonderful　reputation；　so　that　an　advocate　in　a　cause；

where　there　was　only　one　witness　against　him；　told　the　judges　they

ought　not　to　rely　upon　a　single　witness；　though　it　were　Cato

himself。　And　it　was　a　sort　of　proverb　with　many　people；　if　any　very

unlikely　and　incredible　thing　were　asserted；　to　say；　they　would　not

believe　it；　though　Cato　himself　should　affirm　it。　One　day　a

debauched　and　sumptuous　liver　talking　in　the　senate　about　frugality

and　temperance；　Anaeus　standing　up；　cried；　〃Who　can　endure　this；

sir；　to　have　you　feast　like　Crassus；　build　like　Lucullus；　and　talk

like　Cato。〃　So　likewise　those　who　were　vicious　and　dissolute　in

their　manners；　yet　affected　to　be　grave　and　severe　in　their

language；　were　in　derision　called　Catos。

　　At　first；　when　his　friends　would　have　persuaded　him　to　stand　to　be

tribune　of　the　people；　he　thought　it　undesirable；　for　that　the　power

of　so　great　an　office　ought　to　be　reserved；　as　the　strongest

medicines；　for　occasions　of　the　last　necessity。　But　afterwards　in　a

vacation　time；　as　he　was　going；　accompanied　with　his　books　and

philosophers；　to　Lucania；　where　he　had　lands　with　a　pleasant

residence；　they　met　by　the　way　a　great　many　horses；　carriages；　and

attendants；　of　whom　they　understood；　that　Metellus　Nepos　was　going

to　Rome；　to　stand　to　be　tribune　of　the　people。　Hereupon　Cato

stopped；　and　after　a　little　pause；　gave　orders　to　return　back

immediately；　at　which　the　company　seeming　to　wonder；　〃Don't　you　know；〃

said　he；　〃how　dangerous　of　itself　the　madness　of　Metellus　is？　and

now　that　he　comes　armed　with　the　support　of　Pompey；　he　will　fall

like　lightning　on　the　state；　and　bring　it　to　utter　disorder；　therefore

this　is　no　time　for　idleness　and　diversion；　but　we　must　go　and　prevent

this　man　in　his　designs；　or　bravely　die　in　defence　of　our　liberty。〃

Nevertheless；　by　the　persuasion　of　his　friends；　he　went　first　to　his

country…house；　where　he　stayed　but　a　very　little　time；　and　then

returned　to　town。

　　He　arrived　in　the　evening；　and　went　straight　the　next　morning　to　the

forum；　where　he　began　to　solicit　for　the　tribuneship；　in　opposition　to

Metellus。　The　power　of　this　office　consists　rather　in　controlling　than

performing　any　business；　for　though　all　the　rest　except　any　one

tribune　should　be　agreed；　yet　his　denial　or　intercession　could　put　a

stop　to　the　whole　matter。　Cato；　at　first；　had　not　many　that　appeared

for　him；　but　as　soon　as　his　design　was　known；　all　the　good　and

distinguished　persons　of　the　city　quickly　came　forward　to　encourage

and　support　him；　looking　upon　him；　not　as　one　that　desired　a　favour　of

them；　but　one　that　proposed　to　do　a　great　favour　to　his　country　and

all　honest　men；　who　had　many　times　refused　the　same　office；　when　he

might　have　had　it　without　trouble；　but　now　sought　it　with　danger；　that

he　might　defend　their　liberty　and　their　government。　It　is　reported

that　so　great　a　number　flocked　about　him　that　he　was　like　to　be

stifled　amidst　the　press；　and　could　scarce　get　through　the　crowd。　He

was　declared　tribune；　with　several　others；　among　whom　was　Metellus。

　　When　Cato　was　chosen　into　this　office；　observing　that　the　election

of　consuls　was　become　a　matter　of　purchase；　he　sharply　rebuked　the

people　for　this　corruption；　and　in　the　conclusion　of　his　speech

protested　he　would　bring　to　trial　whomever　he　should　find　giving

money；　making　an　exception　only　in　the　case　of　Silanus；　on　account

of　their　near　connection；　he　having　married　Servilia；　Cato's　sister。

He　therefore　did　not　prosecute　him；　but　accused　Lucius　Murena；　who　had

been　chosen　consul　by　corrupt　means　with　Silanus。　There　was　a　law　that

the　party　accused　might　appoint　a　person　to　keep　watch　upon　his

accuser；　that　he　might　know　fairly　what　means　he　took　in　preparing　the

accusation。　He　that　was　set　upon　Cato　by　Murena；　at　first　followed　and

observed　him　strictly；　yet　never　found　him　dealing　any　way　unfairly　or

insidiously；　but　always　generously　and　candidly　going　on　in　the　just

and　open　methods　of　proceeding。　And　he　so　admired　Cato's　great　spirit；

and　so　entirely　trusted　to　his　integrity；　that