The Roman Traitor Volume I Part 35

Sylla's veterans muster under his banner-the same swords gleam around him which conquered the famed Macedonian phalanx at b.l.o.o.d.y Chaeronea, which stormed the long walls of Piraeus, which won Bithynia, Cappadocia, Paphlagonia, which drove great Mithridates back to his own Pontus!

"Nor is this all-for, if frustrated by the postponement of the consular comitia, believe not that the rage of the parricide is averted, or his thirst for the blood of Romans quenched forever.

"No, Fathers, he hath but deferred the day; and even now he hath determined on another. The fifth before the calends! Await that day in quiet, and ye will never rue your apathy. For none of you shall live to rue it, save those who now smile grimly, conscious of their own desperate resolve, expectant of your apathy.

"Nor is his villainy all told, even now; for so securely and so wisely has he laid his plans, that, had not the great G.o.ds interfered and granted it to me to discover all, he must needs have succeeded! On the night of the calends themselves he would have been the master of Praeneste, that rich and inaccessible strong-hold, by a nocturnal escalade! That I myself have already made impossible-the magistrates are warned, the free burghers armed, and the castle garrisoned by true men, and impregnable.

"Do ye the like, Fathers and Conscript Senators, and Rome also shall be safe, inaccessible, immortal. Give me the powers to save you, and I devote my mind, my life. I am here ready to die at this instant-far worse than death to a n.o.ble mind, ready to go hence, and be forgotten, if I may rescue Rome from this unequalled peril!"

Again, he ceased speaking for a moment, and many thought that he had concluded his oration; but in a second's s.p.a.ce he resumed, in a tone more spirited and fiery yet, his eyes almost flas.h.i.+ng lightning, and his whole frame appearing to expand, as he confronted the undaunted traitor.

"Dost thou not now see, Catiline, that in all things thou art my inferior?

Dost thou not feel thyself caught, detected like a thief? baffled?

defeated? beaten? and wilt thou not now lay down thine arms, thy rage, thy hate, against this innocent republic? wilt thou not liberate me now from great fear, great peril, and great odium?

"No! thou wilt not-the time hath flown! thou canst not repent-canst not forgive, or be forgiven-the G.o.ds have maddened thee to thy destruction-thy crimes are full-blown, and ripening fast for harvest-earth is aweary of thy guilt-Hades yawns to receive thee!

"Tremble, then, tremble! Yea! in the depths of thy secret soul-for all thine eye glares more with hate than terror, and thy lip quivers, not with remorse but rage-yea! thou dost tremble-for thou dost see, feel, know, thy schemes, thy confederates, thyself, detected, frustrated, devoted to destruction!

"Enough! It is for you, my Fathers, to determine; for me to act your pleasure. And if your own souls, your own lives, your own interests, yea!

your own fears, cry not aloud to rouse you, with a voice stronger than the eternal thunder, why should I seek to warn you? Whom his own, his wife's, children's, country's safety, the glory of his great forefathers, the veneration of the everlasting G.o.ds awaiting his decision from the tottering pinnacle of Rome's capitol-whom all these things excite not to action-no voice of man, no portent of the G.o.ds themselves can stir to energy or valor; and I but waste my words in exhorting you to manhood!

"But they _will_ burst the bonds of your long stupor; they _will_ re-kindle, in your hearts, that blaze of Roman virtue, which may sleep for a while, but never can be all extinguished!-and ye _will_ stir yourselves like men; ye _will_ save your country! For this thing I do not believe; that the immortal G.o.ds would have built up this commonwealth of Rome to such a height of beauty, of glory, of puissance, had they foredoomed it to destruction, by hands so base as those now armed against it. Nor, had it been their pleasure to abolish its great name, and make it such as Troy and Carthage, would they have placed me here, the consul, endowed by themselves with power to discern, but with no power to avert destruction!"

His words had done their work. The dismayed blank faces of all the conspirators, with the exception of the arch traitor only, whom it would seem that nothing could disconcert or dismay, confirmed the impression made upon all minds by that strong appeal. For, though he had mentioned no man's name save Catiline's and Laeca's only, suspicion was called instantly to those who were their known a.s.sociates in riot and debauchery; and many eyes were scrutinizing the pale features, which struggled vainly to appear calm and unconcerned.

The effect of the speech was immediate, universal. There were not three men of the order present who were not now convinced as fully in their own minds of the truth of Cicero's accusation, as they would, had it come forth in thunder from the cold lips of the marble G.o.d, who overlooked their proud a.s.sembly.

There was a long drawn breath, as he ceased speaking-one, and simultaneous through the whole concourse; and, though there were a few men there, Cra.s.sus, especially, and Caius Julius Caesar, who, though convinced of the existence of conspiracy, would fain have defended the conspirators, in the existing state of feeling, they dared not attempt to do so.

Then Cicero called by name on the Prince of the Senate, enquiring if he would speak on the subject before the house, and on receiving from him a grave negative gesture, he put the same question to the eldest of the consulars, and thence in order, none offering any opinion or showing any wish to debate, until he came to Marcus Cato. He rose at once to speak, stern and composed, without the least sign of animation on his impa.s.sive face, without the least attempt at eloquence in his words, or grace in his gestures; yet it was evident that he was heard with a degree of attention, which proved that the character of the man more than compensated the unvarnished style and rough phraseology of the speaker.

"As it appears to me," he said, "Fathers and Conscript Senators, after the very luminous and able oration which our wise consul has this day held forth, it would be great folly, and great loss of time, to add many words to it. This I am not about to do, I a.s.sure you, but I arise in my place to say two things. Cicero has told you that a conspiracy exists, and that Catiline is the planner, and will be the executor of it. This, though I know not by what sagacity or foresight, unless from the G.o.ds, he discovered it-this, I say, I believe confidently, clearly-all things declare it-not least the faces of men! I believe therefore, every word our consul has spoken; so do you all, my friends. Nevertheless, it is just and right, that the man, villain as he may be, shall be heard in his own behalf. Let him then speak at once, or confess by his silence! This is the first thing I would say-the next follows it! If he admit, or fail clearly to disprove his guilt, let us not be wanting to ourselves, to our country, or to the great and prudent consul, who, if man can, will save us in this crisis. Let us, I say, decree forthwith, 'THAT THE CONSULS SEE THE REPUBLIC TAKES NO HARM!' and let us hold the consular election to-morrow, on the field of Mars-There, with our magistrates empowered to act, our clients in arms to defend us, let us see who will dare to disturb the Roman people! Let who would do so, remember that not all the power or favor of Great Marius could rescue Saturninus from the death he owed the people-remember that we have a consul no less resolute and vigorous, than he is wise and good-that there are axes in the fasces of the Lictors-that there stands the Tarpeian!"

And as he spoke, he flung wide both his arms; pointing with this hand to the row of glittering blades which shone above the head of the chief magistrate, with that, through the open door-way of the temple, to the bold front of the precipitous and fatal rock, all lighted up by the gay sunbeams, as it stood fronting them, beyond the hollow Velabrum, crowned with the ramparts of the capitol.

A general hum, as if of a.s.sent, followed, and without putting the motion to the vote, Cicero turned his eye rapidly to every face, and receiving from every senator a slight nod of a.s.sent, he looked steadily in the fierce and ghastly face of the traitor, and said to him;

"Arise, Catiline, and speak, if you will!-But take my counsel, confess your guilt, go hence, and be forgiven!"

"Forgiven!" cried the traitor, furious and desperate-"Forgiven!-this to a Roman citizen!-this to a Roman n.o.ble! Hear me, Fathers and Conscript Senators-hear me!-who am a soldier and a man, and neither driveller nor dotard. I tell you, there is no conspiracy, hath been none, shall be none-save in the addled brains of yon prater from Arpinum, who would fain set his foot upon the neck of Romans. All is, all shall be peace in Rome, unless the terror of a few dastards drive you to tyranny and persecution, and from persecution come resistance? For myself, let them who would ruin me, beware. My hand has never yet failed to protect my head, nor have many foes laughed in the end at Sergius Catiline!-unless," he added with a ferocious sneer-"they laughed in their death-pang. For my wrongs past, I have had some vengeance; for these, though I behold the axes, though I see, whence I stand, the steep Tarpeian, I think I shall have more, and live to feast my eyes with the downfall of my foes. Fathers, there are two bodies in the State, one weak, with a base but crafty head-the other powerful and vast, but headless. Urge me a little farther, and you shall find that a wise and daring head will not be wanting long, to that bold and puissant body. Urge me, and I will be that head; oppress me, and-"

But insolence such as this, was not tolerable. There was an universal burst, almost a shout, of indignation from that a.s.sembly, the wonted mood of which was so stern, so cold, so gravely dignified, and silent. Many among the younger senators sprang to their feet, enraged almost beyond the control of reason; nor did the bold defiance of the daring traitor, who stood with his arms folded on his breast, and a malignant sneer of contempt on his lip, mocking their impotent displeasure, tend to disarm their wrath.

Four times he raised his voice, four times a cry of indignation drowned his words, and at length, seeing that he could obtain no farther hearing, he resumed his seat with an expression fiendishly malignant, and a fierce imprecation on Rome, and all that it contained.

After a little time, the confusion created by the audacity of that strange being moderated; order and silence were restored, and, upon Cato's motion, the Senate was divided.

Whatever might have been the result had Catiline been silent, the majority was overwhelming. The very partisans and favorers of the conspiracy, not daring to commit themselves more openly, against so strong a manifestation, pa.s.sed over one by one, and voted with the consul.

Catiline stood alone, against the vote of the whole order. Yet stood and voted resolute, as though he had been conscious of the right.

The vote was registered, the Senate declared martial law, investing the consuls with dictatorial power, by the decree which commanded them to SEE THAT THE REPUBLIC TAKES NO HARM.

The very tribunes, factious and reckless as they were, potent for ill and powerless for good, presumed not to interpose. Not even Lucius Bestia, deep as he was in the design-Bestia, whose accusation of the consul from the rostrum was the concerted signal for the ma.s.sacre, the conflagration-not Bestia himself, relied so far on the inviolability of his person, as to intrude his VETO.

The good cause had prevailed-the good Consul triumphed! The Senate was dismissed, and as the stream of patrician togas flowed through the temple door conspicuous, the rash and reckless traitor shouldered the ma.s.s to and fro, dividing it as a brave galley under sail divides the murmuring but unresisting billows.

Once in the throng he touched Julius Caesar's robe as he brushed onward, and as he did so, a word fell on his ear in the low harmonious tones which marked the orator, second to none in Rome, save Cicero alone!-

"Fear not," it said-"another day will come!-"

"Fear!-" exclaimed the Conspirator in a hoa.r.s.e cry, half fury, half contempt. "What is fear?-I know not the thing, nor the word!-Go, prate of fear to Cicero, and he will understand you!"

These words perhaps alienated one who might have served him well.

But so it ever is! Even in the shrewdest and most worldly wise of men, pa.s.sion will often outweigh interest; and plans, which have been framed for years with craft and patience, are often wrecked by the impetuous rashness of a moment.

END OF VOL. I.

FOOTNOTES

_ 1 Vicus sceleratus._ So called because Tullia therein drove her chariot over her father's corpse.

2 ????a? aa??? a???a? ????a.-PINDAR

3 That it was such, can scarce be doubted, from the line of Martial: "Myrrheaque in Parthis pocula cocta focis."

4 It must not be imagined that this is fanciful. Rooms were fitted up in this manner, and termed _camera vitrae_, and the panels _vitrae quadraturae_. But a few years later than the period of the text, B.

C. 58, M. aemilius Scaurus built a theatre capable of containing 80,000 persons, the scena of which, composed of three stories, had one, the central, made entirely of colored gla.s.s in this fas.h.i.+on.

5 About 90 sterling. See Pliny Hist. Nat. 13, 16, for a notice of this very table, which was preserved to his time.

6 By the _Lex annalis_, B. C. 180, pa.s.sed at the instance of the tribune L. V. Tappulus.

7 The _Quinquertium_, the same as the Greek Pentathlon, was a conflict in five successive exercises-leaping, the discus, the foot race, throwing the spear, and wrestling.

8 The _Aqua Crabra_ was a small stream flowing into the Tiber from the south-eastward, now called _Maranna_. It entered the walls near the Capuan gate, and pa.s.sing through the _vallis Murcia_ between the Aventine and Palatine hills, where it supplied the Circus Maximus with water for the _naumachia_, fell into the river above the Palatine bridge.