caesar-第2部分

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new　offices　and　new　honours　for　him　in　return　for　his　munificence。



　　There　being　two　factions　in　the　city；　one　that　of　Sylla；　which　was



very　powerful；　the　other　that　of　Marius；　which　was　then　broken　and



in　a　low　condition；　he　undertook　to　revive　this　and　to　make　it　his



own。　And　to　this　end；　whilst　he　was　in　the　height　of　his　repute　with



the　people　for　the　magnificent　shows　he　gave　as　aedile；　he　ordered



images　of　Marius　and　figures　of　Victory；　with　trophies　in　their　hands；



to　be　carried　privately　in　the　night　and　placed　in　the　capitol。　Next



morning　when　some　saw　them　bright　with　gold　and　beautifully　made；　with



inscriptions　upon　them；　referring　them　to　Marius's　exploits　over　the



Cimbrians；　they　were　surprised　at　the　boldness　of　him　who　had　set　them



up；　nor　was　it　difficult　to　guess　who　it　was。　The　fame　of　this　soon



spread　and　brought　together　a　great　concourse　of　people。　Some　cried



out　that　it　was　an　open　attempt　against　the　established　government



thus　to　revive　those　honours　which　had　been　buried　by　the　laws　and



decrees　of　the　senate；　that　Caesar　had　done　it　to　sound　the　temper



of　the　people　whom　he　had　prepared　before；　and　to　try　whether　they



were　tame　enough　to　bear　his　humour；　and　would　quietly　give　way　to　his



innovations。　On　the　other　hand；　Marius's　party　took　courage；　and　it



was　incredible　how　numerous　they　were　suddenly　seen　to　be；　and　what



a　multitude　of　them　appeared　and　came　shouting　into　the　capitol。　Many；



when　they　saw　Marius's　likeness；　cried　for　joy；　and　Caesar　was



highly　extolled　as　the　one　man；　in　the　place　of　all　others；　who　was



a　relation　worthy　of　Marius。　Upon　this　the　senate　met；　and　Catulus



Lutatius；　one　of　the　most　eminent　Romans　of　that　time；　stood　up　and



inveighed　against　Caesar；　closing　his　speech　with　the　remarkable



saying　that　Caesar　was　now　not　working　mines；　but　planting　batteries



to　overthrow　the　state。　But　when　Caesar　had　made　an　apology　for



himself；　and　satisfied　the　senate；　his　admirers　were　very　much



animated；　and　advised　him　not　to　depart　from　his　own　thoughts　for



any　one；　since　with　the　people's　good　favour　he　would　ere　long　get　the



better　of　them　all；　and　be　the　first　man　in　the　commonwealth。



　　At　this　time；　Metellus；　the　high　priest；　died；　and　Catulus　and



Isauricus；　persons　of　the　highest　reputation；　and　who　had　great



influence　in　the　senate；　were　competitors　for　the　office；　yet　Caesar



would　not　give　way　to　them；　but　presented　himself　to　the　people　as　a



candidate　against　them。　The　several　parties　seeming　very　equal；



Catulus；　who；　because　he　had　the　most　honour　to　lose；　was　the　most



apprehensive　of　the　event；　sent　to　Caesar　to　buy　him　off；　with



offers　of　a　great　sum　of　money。　But　his　answer　was；　that　he　was



ready　to　borrow　a　larger　sum　than　that　to　carry　on　the　contest。　Upon



the　day　of　election；　as　his　mother　conducted　him　out　of　doors　with



tears　after　embracing　her；　〃My　mother；〃　he　said；　〃to…day　you　will



see　me　either　high　priest　or　an　exile。〃　When　the　votes　were　taken；



after　a　great　struggle；　he　carried　it；　and　excited　among　the　senate



and　nobility　great　alarm　lest　he　might　now　urge　on　the　people　to　every



kind　of　insolence。　And　Piso　and　Catulus　found　fault　with　Cicero　for



having　let　Caesar　escape；　when　in　the　conspiracy　of　Catiline　he　had



given　the　government　such　advantage　against　him。　For　Catiline；　who　had



designed　not　only　to　change　the　present　state　of　affairs；　but　to



subvert　the　whole　empire　and　confound　all；　had　himself　taken　to



flight；　while　the　evidence　was　yet　incomplete　against　him；　before



his　ultimate　purposes　had　been　properly　discovered。　But　he　had　left



Lentulus　and　Cethegus　in　the　city　to　supply　his　place　in　the



conspiracy；　and　whether　they　received　any　secret　encouragement　and



assistance　from　Caesar　is　uncertain；　all　that　is　certain　is；　that　they



were　fully　convicted　in　the　senate；　and　when　Cicero；　the　consul；　asked



the　several　opinions　of　the　senators；　how　they　would　have　them



punished；　all　who　spoke　before　Caesar　sentenced　them　to　death；　but



Caesar　stood　up　and　made　a　set　speech；　in　which　he　told　them　that　he



thought　it　without　precedent　and　not　just　to　take　away　the　lives　of



persons　of　their　birth　and　distinction　before　they　were　fairly



tried；　unless　there　was　an　absolute　necessity　for　it；　but　that　if　they



were　kept　confined　in　any　towns　of　Italy　Cicero　himself　should



choose　till　Catiline　was　defeated；　then　the　senate　might　in　peace



and　at　their　leisure　determine　what　was　best　to　be　done。



　　This　sentence　of　his　carried　so　much　appearance　of　humanity；　and



he　gave　it　such　advantage　by　the　eloquence　with　which　he　urged　it；



that　not　only　those　who　spoke　after　him　closed　with　it；　but　even



they　who　had　before　given　a　contrary　opinion　now　came　over　to　his；



till　it　came　about　to　Catulus's　and　Cato's　turn　to　speak。　They



warmly　opposed　it；　and　Cato　intimated　in　his　speech　the　suspicion　of



Caesar　himself；　and　pressed　the　matter　so　strongly　that　the



criminals　were　given　up　to　suffer　execution。　As　Caesar　was　going　out



of　the　senate；　many　of　the　young　men　who　at　that　time　acted　as



guards　to　Cicero　ran　in　with　their　naked　swords　to　assault　him。　But



Curio；　it　is　said；　threw　his　gown　over　him；　and　conveyed　him　away；　and



Cicero　himself；　when　the　young　men　looked　up　to　see　his　wishes；　gave　a



sign　not　to　kill　him；　either　for　fear　of　the　people　or　because　he



thought　the　murder　unjust　and　illegal。　If　this　be　true；　I　wonder　how



Cicero　came　to　omit　all　mention　of　it　in　his　book　about　his



consulship。　He　was　blamed；　however；　afterwards；　for　not　having　made



use　of　so　fortunate　an　opportunity　against　Caesar；　as　if　he　had　let　it



escape　him　out　of　fear　of　the　populace；　who；　indeed；　showed　remarkable



solicitude　about　Caesar；　and　some　time　after；　when　he　went　into　the



senate　to　clear　himself　of　the　suspicions　he　lay　under；　and　found



great　clamours　raised　against　him；　upon　the　senate　in　consequence



sitting　longer　than　ordinary；　they　went　up　to　the　house　in　a　tumult；



and　beset　it；　demanding　Caesar；　and　requiring　them　to　dismiss　him。



Upon　this；　Cato；　much　fearing　some　movement　among　the　poor　citizens；



who　were　always　the　first　to　kindle　the　flame　among　the　people；　and



placed　all　their　hopes　in　Caesar；　persuaded　the　senate　to　give　them



a　monthly　allowance　of　corn；　an　expedient　which　put　the　commonwealth



to　the　extraordinary　charge　of　seven　million　five　hundred　thousand



drachmas　in　the　year；　but　quite　succeeded　in　removing　the　great



cause　of　terror　for　the　present；　and　very　much　weakened　Caesar's



power；　who　at　that　time　was　just　going　to　be　made　praetor；　and



consequently　would　have　been　more　formidable　by　his　office。



　　But　there　was　no　disturbance　during　his　praetorship；　only　what



misfortune　he　met　with　in　his　own　domestic　affairs。　Publius　Clodius



was　a　patrician　by　descent；　eminent　both　for　his　riches　and　eloquence；



but　in　licentiousness　of　life　and　audacity　exceeded　the　most　noted



profligates　of　the　day。　He　was　in　love　with　Pompeia；　Caesar's　wife；



and　she　had　no　aversion　to　him。　But　there　was　strict　watch　kept　on　her



apartment；　and　Caesar's　mother；　Aurelia；　who　was　a　discreet　woman；



being　continually　about　her；　made　any　interview　very　dangerous　and



difficult。　The　Romans　have　a　goddess　whom　they　call　Bona；　the　same



whom　the　Greeks　call　Gynaecea。　The　Phrygians；　who　claim　a　peculiar



title　to　her；　say　she　was　mother　to　Midas。　The　Romans　profess　she



was　one　of　the　Dryads；　and　married　to　Faunus。　The　Grecians　affirm　that



she　is　that　mother　of　Bacchus　whose　name　is　not　to　be　uttered；　and；



for　this　reason；　the　women　who　celebrate　her　festival　cover　the



tents　with　vine…branches；　and；　in　accordance　with　the　fable；　a



consecrated　serpent　is　placed　by　the　goddess。　It　is　not　lawful　for　a



man　to　be　by；　nor　so　much　as　in　the　house；　whilst　the　rites　are



celebrated；　but　the　women　by　themselves　perform　the　sacred　offices；



which　are　said　to　be　much　the　same　with　those　used　in　the



solemnities　of　Orpheus。　When　the　festival　comes；　the　husband；　who　is



either　consul　or　praetor；　and　with　him　every　male　creature；　quits



the　house。　The　wife　then　taking　it　under　her　care　sets　it　in　order；



and　the　principal　ceremonies　are　performed　during　the　night；　the　women



playing　together　amongst　themselves　as　they　keep　watch；　and　music　of



various　kinds　going　on。



　　As　Pompeia　was　at　that　time　celebrating　this　feast；　Clodius；　who



as　yet　had　no　beard；　and　so　thought　to　pass　undiscovered；　took　upon



him　the　dress　and　ornaments　of　a　singing　woman；　and　so　came　thither；



having　the　air　of　a　young　girl。　Finding　the　doors　open；　he　was　without



any　stop　introduced　by　the　maid；　who　was　in　the　intrigue。　She



presently　ran　to　tell　Pompeia；　but　as　she　was　away　a　long　time；　he



grew　uneasy　in　waiting　for　her；　and　left　his　post　and　traversed　the



house　from　one　room　to　another；　still　taking　care　to　avoid　the　lights；



till　at　last　Aurelia's　woman　met　him；　and　invited　him　to　play　with



her；　as　the　women　did　among　themselves。　He　refused　to　comply；　and



she　presently　pulled　him　forward；　and　asked　him　who　he　was　and



whence　he　Clodius　told　her　he　was　waiting　for　Pompeia's　own　maid；



Abra；　being　in　fact　her　own　name　also；　and　as　he　said　so；　betrayed



himself　by　his　voice。　Upon　which　the　woman　shrieking；　ran　into　the



company　where　there　were　lights；　and　cried　out　she　had　discovered　a



man。　The　women　were　all　in　a　fright。　Aurelia　covered　up　the　sacred



things　and　stopped　the　proceedings；　and　having　ordered　the　doors　to　be



shut；　went　about　with　lights　to　find　Clodius；　who　was　got　into　the



maid's　room　that　he　had　come　in　with；　and　was　seized　there。　The



women　knew　him；　and　drove　him　out　of　doors；　and　at　once；　that　same



night；　went　home　and　told　their　husbands　the　story。　In　the　morning；　it



was　all