cato the younger-第9部分

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Yet　the　virtue　and　reputation　of　Cato　was　like　to　triumph　over　all

these　stratagems；　for　the　people　generally　felt　it　to　be　shameful　that

a　price　should　be　paid　for　the　rejection　of　Cato；　who　ought　rather

to　be　paid　himself　to　take　upon　him　the　office。　So　he　carried　it　by

the　voices　of　the　first　tribe。　Hereupon　Pompey　immediately　framed　a

lie；　crying　out；　it　thundered；　and　straight　broke　up　the　assembly；　for

the　Romans　religiously　observed　this　as　a　bad　omen；　and　never

concluded　any　matter　after　it　had　thundered。　Before　the　next　time；

they　had　distributed　larger　bribes；　and　driving　also　the　best　men

out　of　the　Field；　by　these　foul　means　they　procured　Vatinius　to　be

chosen　praetor；　instead　of　Cato。　It　is　said；　that　those　who　had　thus

corruptly　and　dishonestly　given　their　voices　hurried；　as　if　it　were　in

flight；　out　of　the　Field。　The　others　staying　together；　and

exclaiming　at　the　event；　one　of　the　tribunes　continued　the　assembly；

and　Cato　standing　up；　as　it　were　by　inspiration；　foretold　all　the

miseries　that　afterwards　befell　the　state；　exhorted　them　to　beware

of　Pompey　and　Crassus；　who　were　guilty　of　such　things；　and　had　laid

such　designs；　that　they　might　well　fear　to　have　Cato　praetor。　When

he　had　ended　this　speech；　he　was　followed　to　his　house　by　a　greater

number　of　people　than　all　the　new　praetors　elect　put　together。

　　Caius　Trebonius　now　proposed　the　law　for　allotting　provinces　to

the　consuls；　one　of　whom　was　to　have　Spain　and　Africa；　the　other　Egypt

and　Syria；　with　full　power　of　making　war；　and　carrying　it　on　both　by

sea　and　land；　as　they　should　think　fit。　When　this　was　proposed；　all

others　despaired　of　putting　any　stop　to　it；　and　neither　did　nor　said

anything　against　it。　But　Cato；　before　the　voting　began；　went　up　into

the　place　of　speaking；　and　desiring　to　be　heard；　was　with　much

difficulty　allowed　two　hours　to　speak。　Having　spent　that　time　in

informing　them　and　reasoning　with　them；　and　in　foretelling　to　them

much　that　was　to　come；　he　was　not　suffered　to　speak　any　longer；　but　as

he　was　going　on；　a　serjeant　came　and　pulled　him　down；　yet　when　he

was　down；　he　still　continued　speaking　in　a　loud　voice；　and　finding

many　to　listen　to　him；　and　join　in　his　indignation。　Then　the

serjeant　took　him；　and　forced　him　out　of　the　forum；　but　as　soon　as

he　got　loose；　he　returned　again　to　the　place　of　speaking；　crying　out

to　the　people　to　stand　by　him。　When　he　had　done　thus　several　times；

Trebonius　grew　very　angry；　and　commanded　him　to　be　carried　to

prison；　but　the　multitude　followed　him；　and　listened　to　the　speech

which　he　made　to　them　as　he　went　along；　so　that　Trebonius　began　to

be　afraid　again；　and　ordered　him　to　be　released。　Thus　that　day　was

expended；　and　the　business　staved　off　by　Cato。　But　in　the　days

succeeding；　many　of　the　citizens　being　overawed　by　fears　and

threats；　and　others　won　by　gifts　and　favours；　Aquillius；　one　of　the

tribunes；　they　kept　by　an　armed　force　within　the　senate…house；　Cato；

who　cried　it　thundered；　they　drove　out　of　the　forum；　many　were

wounded；　and　some　slain；　and　at　length　by　open　force　they　passed　the

law。　At　this　many　were　so　incensed　that　they　got　together　and　were

going　to　throw　down　the　statues　of　Pompey；　but　Cato　went　and

diverted　them　from　that　design。

　　Again；　another　law　was　proposed；　concerning　the　provinces　and

legions　of　Caesar。　Upon　this　occasion　Cato　did　not　apply　himself　to

the　people；　but　appealed　to　Pompey　himself；　and　told　him；　he　did　not

consider　now　that　he　was　setting　Caesar　upon　his　own　shoulders；　who

would　shortly　grow　too　weighty　for　him；　and　at　length；　not　able　to　lay

down　the　burden；　nor　yet　to　bear　it　any　longer；　he　would　precipitate

both　it　and　himself　with　it　upon　the　commonwealth；　and　then　he　would

remember　Cato's　advice；　which　was　no　less　advantageous　to　him　than

just　and　honest　in　itself。　Thus　was　Pompey　often　warned；　but　still

disregarded　and　slighted　it；　never　mistrusting　Caesar's　change；　and

always　confiding　in　his　own　power　and　good　fortune。

　　Cato　was　made　praetor　the　following　year；　but；　it　seems；　he　did

not　do　more　honour　and　credit　to　the　office　by　his　signal　integrity

than　he　disgraced　and　diminished　it　by　his　strange　behaviour。　For　he

would　often　come　to　the　court　without　his　shoes；　and　sit　upon　the

bench　without　any　undergarment；　and　in　this　attire　would　give　judgment

in　capital　causes；　and　upon　persons　of　the　highest　rank。　It　is　said；

also；　he　used　to　drink　wine　after　his　morning　meal；　and　then

transact　the　business　of　his　office；　but　this　was　wrongfully

reported　of　him。　The　people　were　at　that　time　extremely　corrupted　by

the　gifts　of　those　who　sought　offices；　and　most　made　a　constant

trade　of　selling　their　voices。　Cato　was　eager　utterly　to　root　this

corruption　out　of　the　commonwealth；　he　therefore　persuaded　the

senate　to　make　an　order；　that　those　who　were　chosen　into　any　office；

though　nobody　should　accuse　them；　should　be　obliged　to　come　into　the

court；　and　give　account　upon　oath　of　their　proceedings　in　their

election。　This　was　extremely　obnoxious　to　those　who　stood　for　the

offices；　and　yet　more　to　those　vast　numbers　who　took　the　bribes。

Insomuch　that　one　morning；　as　Cato　was　going　to　the　tribunal；　a

great　multitude　of　people　flocked　together；　and　with　loud　cries　and

maledictions　reviled　him；　and　threw　stones　at　him。　Those　that　were

about　the　tribunal　presently　fled；　and　Cato　himself　being　forced

thence；　and　jostled　about　in　the　throng；　very　narrowly　escaped　the

stones　that　were　thrown　at　him；　and　with　much　difficulty　got　hold　of

the　rostra；　where；　standing　up　with　a　bold　and　undaunted

countenance；　he　at　once　mastered　the　tumult；　and　silenced　the　clamour；

and　addressing　them　in　fit　terms　for　the　occasion；　was　heard　with

great　attention；　and　perfectly　quelled　the　sedition。　Afterwards；　on

the　senate　commending　him　for　this；　〃But　I；〃　said　he；　〃do　not

commend　you　for　abandoning　your　praetor　in　danger；　and　bringing　him　no

assistance。〃

　　In　the　meantime；　the　candidates　were　in　great　perplexity；　for

every　one　dreaded　to　give　money　himself；　and　yet　feared　lest　his

competitors　should。　At　length　they　agreed　to　lay　down　one　hundred

and　twenty…five　thousand　drachmas　apiece；　and　then　all　of　them　to

canvass　fairly　and　honestly；　on　condition；　that　if　any　one　was　found

to　make　use　of　bribery　he　should　forfeit　the　money。　Being　thus　agreed；

they　chose　Cato　to　keep　the　stakes；　and　arbitrate　the　matter；　to　him

they　brought　the　sum　concluded　on；　and　before　him　subscribed　the

agreement。　The　money　he　did　not　choose　to　have　paid　for　them；　but　took

their　securities　who　stood　bound　for　them。　Upon　the　day　of　election；

he　placed　himself　by　the　tribune　who　took　the　votes；　and　very

watchfully　observing　all　that　passed；　he　discovered　one　who　had　broken

the　agreement；　and　immediately　ordered　him　to　pay　his　money　to　the

rest。　They；　however；　commending　his　justice　highly；　remitted　the

penalty；　as　thinking　the　discovery　a　sufficient　punishment。　It　raised；

however；　as　much　envy　against　Cato　as　it　gained　him　reputation；　and

many　were　offended　at　his　thus　taking　upon　himself　the　whole　authority

of　the　senate；　the　courts　of　judicature；　and　the　magistracies。　For

there　is　no　virtue；　the　honour　and　credit　for　which　procures　a　man

more　odium　than　that　of　justice；　and　this；　because　more　than　any

other；　it　acquires　a　man　power　and　authority　among　the　common

people。　For　they　only　honour　the　valiant　and　admire　the　wise；　while　in

addition　they　also　love　just　men；　and　put　entire　trust　and

confidence　in　them。　They　fear　the　bold　man；　and　mistrust　the　clever

man；　and　moreover　think　them　rather　beholding　to　their　natural

complexion；　than　to　any　goodness　of　their　will；　for　these　excellences；

they　look　upon　valour　as　a　certain　natural　strength　of　the　mind；　and

wisdom　as　a　constitutional　acuteness；　whereas　a　man　has　it　in　his

power　to　be　just；　if　he　have　but　the　will　to　be　so；　and　therefore

injustice　is　thought　the　most　dishonourable；　because　it　is　least

excusable。

　　Cato　upon　this　account　was　opposed　by　all　the　great　men；　who　thought

themselves　reproved　by　his　virtue。　Pompey　especially　looked　upon　the

increase　of　Cato's　credit　as　the　ruin　of　his　own　power；　and

therefore　continually　set　up　men　to　rail　against　him。　Among　these

was　the　seditious　Clodius；　now　again　united　to　Pompey；　who　declared

openly；　that　Cato　had　conveyed　away　a　great　deal　of　the　treasure

that　was　found　in　Cyprus；　and　that　he　hated　Pompey　only　because　he

refused　to　marry　his　daughter。　Cato　answered；　that　although　they　had

allowed　him　neither　horse　nor　man；　he　had　brought　more　treasure　from

Cyprus　alone；　than　Pompey　had；　after　so　many　wars　and　triumphs；　from

the　ransacked　world；　that　he　never　sought　the　alliance　of　Pompey；

not　that　he　thought　him　unworthy　of　being　related　to　him；　but

because　he　differed　so　much　from　him　in　things　that　concerned　the

commonwealth。　〃For；〃　said　he；　〃I　laid　down　the　province　that　was　given

me；　when　I　went　out　of　my　praetorship；　Pompey；　on　the　contrary；

retains　many　provinces　for　himself；　and　he　bestows　many　on　others；　and

but　now　he　sent　Caesar　a　force　of　six　thousand　men　into　Gaul；　which

Caesar　never　asked　the　people　for；　nor　had　Pompey　obtained　their

consent　to　give。　Men；　and　horse；　and　arms；　in　any　number；　are　become

the　mutual　gifts　of　private　men　to　one　another；　and　Pompey；　keeping

the　titles　of　commander　and　general；　hands　over　the　armies　and

provinces　to　others　to　govern；　while　he　himself　stays　at　home　to

preside　at　the　contests　of　the　canvass；　and　to　stir　up　tumults　at

elections；　out　of　the　anarchy　he　thus　creates　among　us；　seeking；　we

see　well　enough；　a　monarchy　for　himself。〃　Thus　he　retorted　on　Pompey。

　　He　had　an　intimate　friend　and　admirer　of　the　name　of　Marcus

Favonius；　much　the　same　to　Cato　as　we　are　told　Apollodorus；　the

Phalerian；　was　in　old　time　to　Socrates；　whose　words　used　to　throw

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

strong　wine；　and　intoxicating