cato the younger-第7部分

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Caesar；　therefore；　resolving　to　let　fall　his　pretensions　to　the

triumph；　came　into　the　town；　and　immediately　made　a　friendship　with

Pompey；　and　stood　for　the　consulship。　As　soon　as　he　was　declared

consul　elect；　he　married　his　daughter　Julia　to　Pompey。　And　having　thus

combined　themselves　together　against　the　commonwealth；　the　one

proposed　laws　for　dividing　the　lands　among　the　poor　people；　and　the

other　was　present　to　support　the　proposals。　Lucullus；　Cicero；　and

their　friends；　joined　with　Bibulus；　the　other　consul；　to　hinder

their　passing；　and；　foremost　of　them　all；　Cato；　who　already　looked

upon　the　friendship　and　alliance　of　Pompey　and　Caesar　as　very

dangerous；　declared　he　did　not　so　much　dislike　the　advantage　the

people　should　get　by　this　division　of　the　lands；　as　he　feared　the

reward　these　men　would　gain；　by　thus　courting　and　cozening　the　people。

And　in　this　he　gained　over　the　senate　to　his　opinion；　as　likewise　many

who　were　not　senators；　who　were　offended　at　Caesar's　ill…conduct；　that

he；　in　the　office　of　consul；　should　thus　basely　and　dishonourably

flatter　the　people；　practising；　to　win　their　favour；　the　same　means

that　were　wont　to　be　used　only　by　the　most　rash　and　rebellious

tribunes。　Caesar；　therefore；　and　his　party；　fearing　they　should　not

carry　it　by　fair　dealing；　fell　to　open　force。　First　a　basket　of　dung

was　thrown　upon　Bibulus　as　he　was　going　to　the　forum；　then　they　set

upon　his　lictors　and　broke　their　rods；　at　length　several　darts　were

thrown；　and　many　men　wounded；　so　that　all　that　were　against　those　laws

fled　out　of　the　forum；　the　rest　with　what　haste　they　could；　and

Cato；　last　of　all；　walking　out　slowly；　often　turning　back　and

calling　down　vengeance　upon　them。

　　Thus　the　other　party　not　only　carried　their　point　of　dividing　the

lands；　but　also　ordained　that　all　the　senate　should　swear　to　confirm

this　law；　and　to　defend　it　against　whoever　should　attempt　to　alter　it；

inflicting　great　penalties　on　those　that　should　refuse　the　oath。　All

these　senators；　seeing　the　necessity　they　were　in；　took　the　oath；

remembering　the　example　of　Metellus　in　old　time；　who；　refusing　to

swear　upon　the　like　occasion；　was　forced　to　leave　Italy。　As　for

Cato；　his　wife　and　children　with　tears　besought　him；　his　friends　and

familiars　persuaded　and　entreated　him；　to　yield　and　take　the　oath；　but

he　that　principally　prevailed　with　him　was　Cicero；　the　orator；　who

urged　upon　him　that　it　was　perhaps　not　even　right　in　itself；　that　a

private　man　should　oppose　what　the　public　had　decreed；　that　the

thing　being　already　past　altering；　it　were　folly　and　madness　to

throw　himself　into　danger　without　the　chance　of　doing　his　country

any　good；　it　would　be　the　greatest　of　all　evils　to　embrace；　as　it

were；　the　opportunity　to　abandon　the　commonwealth；　for　whose　sake　he

did　everything；　and　to　let　it　fall　into　the　hands　of　those　who

designed　nothing　but　its　ruin；　as　if　he　were　glad　to　be　saved　from　the

trouble　of　defending　it。　〃For；〃　said　he；　〃though　Cato　have　no　need

of　Rome；　yet　Rome　has　need　of　Cato；　and　so　likewise　have　all　his

friends。〃　Of　whom　Cicero　professed　he　himself　was　the　chief；　being

at　that　time　aimed　at　by　Clodius；　who　openly　threatened　to　fall　upon

him；　as　soon　as　ever　he　should　get　to　be　tribune。　Thus　Cato；　they　say；

moved　by　the　entreaties　and　the　arguments　of　his　friends；　went

unwillingly　to　take　the　oath；　which　he　did　the　last　of　all；　except

only　Favonius；　one　of　his　intimate　acquaintance。

　　Caesar；　exalted　with　this　success；　proposed　another　law；　for

dividing　almost　all　the　country　of　Campania　among　the　poor　and　needy

citizens。　Nobody　durst　speak　against　it　but　Cato；　whom　Caesar

therefore　pulled　from　the　rostra　and　dragged　to　prison：　yet　Cato　did

not　even　thus　remit　his　freedom　of　speech；　but　as　he　went　along

continued　to　speak　against　the　law；　and　advised　the　people　to　put　down

all　legislators　who　proposed　the　like。　The　senate　and　the　best　of

the　citizens　followed　him　with　sad　and　dejected　looks；　showing　their

grief　and　indignation　by　their　silence；　so　that　Caesar　could　not　be

ignorant　how　much　they　were　offended；　but　for　contention's　sake　he

still　persisted；　expecting　Cato　should　either　supplicate　him；　or

make　an　appeal。　But　when　he　saw　that　he　did　not　so　much　as　think　of

doing　either；　ashamed　of　what　he　was　doing　and　of　what　people

thought　of　it；　he　himself　privately　bade　one　of　the　tribunes　interpose

and　procure　his　release。　However；　having　won　the　multitude　by　these

laws　and　gratifications；　they　decreed　that　Caesar　should　have　the

government　of　Illyricum；　and　all　Gaul；　with　an　army　of　four　legions；

for　the　space　of　five　years；　though　Cato　still　cried　out　they　were；　by

their　own　vote；　placing　a　tyrant　in　their　citadel。　Publius　Clodius；

a　patrician；　who　illegally　became　a　plebeian；　was　declared　tribune

of　the　people；　as　he　had　promised　to　do　all　things　according　to

their　pleasure；　on　condition　he　might　banish　Cicero。　And　for

consuls；　they　set　up　Calpurnius　Piso；　the　father　of　Caesar's　wife；　and

Aulus　Gabinius；　one　of　Pompey's　creatures；　as　they　tell　us；　who　best

knew　his　life　and　manners。

　　Yet　when　they　had　thus　firmly　established　all　things；　having

mastered　one　part　of　the　city　by　favour；　and　the　other　by　fear；　they

themselves　were　still　afraid　of　Cato；　and　remembered　with　vexation

what　pains　and　trouble　their　success　over　him　had　cost　them；　and

indeed　what　shame　and　disgrace；　when　at　last　they　were　driven　to　use

violence　to　him。　This　made　Clodius　despair　of　driving　Cicero　out　of

Italy　while　Cato　stayed　at　home。　Therefore　having　first　laid　his

design；　as　soon　as　he　came　into　his　office；　he　sent　for　Cato；　and　told

him　that　he　looked　upon　him　as　the　most　incorrupt　of　all　the　Romans；

and　was　ready　to　show　he　did　so。　〃For　whereas；〃　said　he；　〃many　have

applied　to　be　sent　to　Cyprus　on　the　commission　in　the　case　of

Ptolemy　and　have　solicited　to　have　the　appointment；　I　think　you

alone　are　deserving　of　it；　and　I　desire　to　give　you　the　favour　of

the　appointment。〃　Cato　at　once　cried　out　it　was　a　mere　design　upon

him；　and　no　favour；　but　an　injury。　Then　Clodius　proudly　and　fiercely

answered；　〃If　you　will　not　take　it　as　a　kindness；　you　shall　go；　though

never　so　unwillingly；〃　and　immediately　going　into　the　assembly　of

the　people　he　made　them　pass　a　decree；　that　Cato　should　be　sent　to

Cyprus。　But　they　ordered　him　neither　ship；　nor　soldier；　nor　any

attendant；　except　two　secretaries；　one　of　whom　was　a　thief　and　a

rascal；　and　the　other　a　retainer　to　Clodius。　Besides；　as　if　Cyprus　and

Ptolemy　were　not　work　sufficient；　he　was　ordered　also　to　restore　the

refugees　of　Byzantium。　For　Clodius　was　resolved　to　keep　him　far　enough

off　whilst　himself　continued　tribune。

　　Cato；　being　in　this　necessity　of　going　away；　advised　Cicero；　who　was

next　to　be　set　upon；　to　make　no　resistance；　lest　he　should　throw　the

state　into　civil　war　and　confusion；　but　to　give　way　to　the　times；

and　thus　become　once　more　the　preserver　of　his　country。　He　himself

sent　forward　Canidius；　one　of　his　friends；　to　Cyprus；　to　persuade

Ptolemy　to　yield；　without　being　forced；　which　if　he　did；　he　should

want　neither　riches　nor　honour；　for　the　Romans　would　give　him　the

priesthood　of　the　goddess　at　Paphos。　He　himself　stayed　at　Rhodes；

making　some　preparations；　and　expecting　an　answer　from　Cyprus。　In

the　meantime；　Ptolemy；　King　of　Egypt；　who　had　left　Alexandria；　upon

some　quarrel　between　him　and　his　subjects；　and　was　sailing　for　Rome；

in　hopes　that　Pompey　and　Caesar　would　send　troops　to　restore　him；　in

his　way　thither　desired　to　see　Cato；　to　whom　he　sent；　supposing　he

would　come　to　him。　Cato　had　taken　purging　medicine　at　the　time　when

the　messenger　came；　and　made　answer；　that　Ptolemy　had　better　come　to

him；　if　he　thought　fit。　And　when　he　came；　he　neither　went　forward　to

meet　him；　nor　so　much　as　rose　up　to　him；　but　saluting　him　as　an

ordinary　person；　bade　him　sit　down。　This　at　once　threw　Ptolemy　into

some　confusion；　who　was　surprised　to　see　such　stern　and　haughty

manners　in　one　who　made　so　plain　and　unpretending　an　appearance；　but

afterwards；　when　he　began　to　talk　about　his　affairs；　he　was　no　less

astonished　at　the　wisdom　and　freedom　of　his　discourse。　For　Cato　blamed

his　conduct；　and　pointed　out　to　him　what　honour　and　happiness　he　was

abandoning；　and　what　humiliations　and　troubles　he　would　run　himself

into；　what　bribery　he　must　resort　to；　and　what　cupidity　he　would

have　to　satisfy　when　he　came　to　the　leading　men　at　Rome；　whom　all

Egypt　turned　into　silver　would　scarcely　content。　He　therefore

advised　him　to　return　home；　and　be　reconciled　to　his　subjects；

offering　to　go　along　with　him；　and　assist　him　in　composing　the

differences。　And　by　this　language　Ptolemy　being　brought　to　himself；　as

it　might　be　out　of　a　fit　of　madness　or　delirium；　and　discerning　the

truth　and　wisdom　of　what　Cato　said；　resolved　to　follow　his　advice；　but

he　was　again　over…persuaded　by　his　friends　to　the　contrary；　and　so；

according　to　his　first　design；　went　to　Rome。　When　he　came　there；　and

was　forced　to　wait　at　the　gate　of　one　of　the　magistrates；　he　began

to　lament　his　folly　in　having　rejected；　rather；　as　it　seemed　to　him；

the　oracle　of　a　god　than　the　advice　merely　of　a　good　and　wise。

　　In　the　meantime；　the　other　Ptolemy；　in　Cyprus；　very　luckily　for

Cato；　poisoned　himself。　It　was　reported　he　had　left　great　riches；

therefore；　Cato　designing　to　go　first　to　Byzantium；　sent　his　nephew

Brutus　to　Cyprus；　as　he　would　not　wholly　trust　Canidius。　Then；

having　reconciled　the　refugees　and　the　people　of　Byzantium；　he　left

the　city　in　peace　and　quietness；　and　so　sailed　to　Cyprus；　where　he

found　a　royal　treasure　of　plate；　tables；　precious　stones　and　purple；

all　which　was　to　be　turned　into　ready　money。　And　being　determined　to

do　everything　with　the　greatest　exactness；　and　to　raise　the　price　of

everything　to　the　utmost；　to　this　end　he　was　always　present　at　selling

the　things；　and　went　carefully　into　all　the　accounts。　Nor　would　he

trust　to