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actions；　conscious；　too；　of　the　admiration　of　the　best　and　greatest
men　of　Rome；　openly　took　the　lead　in　opposing　the　favourers　of　the
people。　The　colony　was　despatched　to　Velitrae；　those　that　were
chosen　by　lot　being　compelled　to　depart　upon　high　penalties；　and
when　they　obstinately　persisted　in　refusing　to　enrol　themselves　for
the　Volscian　service；　he　mustered　up　his　own　clients；　and　as　many
others　as　could　be　wrought　upon　by　persuasion；　and　with　these　made
inroad　into　the　territories　of　the　Antiates；　where；　finding　a
considerable　quantity　of　corn；　and　collecting　much　booty；　both　of
cattle　and　prisoners；　he　reserved　nothing　for　himself　in　private；
but　returned　safe　to　Rome；　while　those　that　ventured　out　with　him　were
seen　laden　with　pillage；　and　driving　their　prey　before　them。　This
sight　filled　those　that　had　stayed　at　home　with　regret　for　their
perverseness；　with　envy　at　their　fortunate　fellow…citizens；　and　with
feelings　of　dislike　to　Marcius；　and　hostility　to　his　growing
reputation　and　power；　which　might　probably　be　used　against　the　popular
interest。
　　Not　long　after　he　stood　for　the　consulship：　when；　however；　the
people　began　to　relent　and　incline　to　favour　him；　being　sensible
what　a　shame　it　would　be　to　repulse　and　affront　a　man　of　his　birth　and
merit；　after　he　had　done　them　so　many　signal　services。　It　was　usual
for　those　who　stood　for　offices　among　them　to　solicit　and　address
themselves　personally　to　the　citizens；　presenting　themselves　in　the
forum　with　the　toga　on　alone；　and　no　tunic　under　it；　either　to　promote
their　supplications　by　the　humility　of　their　dress；　or　that　such　as
had　received　wounds　might　more　readily　display　those　marks　of　their
fortitude。　Certainly；　it　was　not　out　of　suspicion　of　bribery　and
corruption　that　they　required　all　such　petitioners　for　their　favour　to
appear　ungirt　and　open；　without　any　close　garment；　as　it　was　much
later；　and　many　ages　after　this；　that　buying　and　selling　crept　in　at
their　elections；　and　money　became　an　ingredient　in　the　public
suffrages；　proceeding　thence　to　attempt　their　tribunals；　and　even
attack　their　camps；　till；　by　hiring　the　valiant；　and　enslaving　iron　to
silver；　it　grew　master　of　the　state；　and　turned　their　commonwealth
into　a　monarchy。　For　it　was　well　and　truly　said　that　the　first
destroyer　of　the　liberties　of　a　people　is　he　who　first　gave　them
bounties　and　largesses。　At　Rome　the　mischief　seems　to　have　stolen
secretly　in；　and　by　little　and　little；　not　being　at　once　discerned　and
taken　notice　of。　It　is　not　certainly　known　who　the　man　was　that　did
there　first　either　bribe　the　citizens；　or　corrupt　the　courts；　whereas；
in　Athens；　Anytus；　the　son　of　Anthemion；　is　said　to　have　been　the
first　that　gave　money　to　the　judges；　when　on　his　trial；　toward　the
latter　end　of　the　Peloponnesian　war；　for　letting　the　fort　of　Pylos
fall　into　the　hands　of　the　enemy；　in　a　period　while　the　pure　and
golden　race　of　men　were　still　in　possession　of　the　Roman　forum。
　　Marcius；　therefore；　as　the　fashion　of　candidates　was；　showing　the
scars　and　gashes　that　were　still　visible　on　his　body；　from　the　many
conflicts　in　which　he　had　signalized　himself　during　a　service　of
seventeen　years　together；　they　were；　so　to　say；　put　out　of　countenance
at　this　display　of　merit；　and　told　one　another　that　they　ought　in
common　modesty　to　create　him　consul。　But　when　the　day　of　election
was　now　come；　and　Marcius　appeared　in　the　forum；　with　a　pompous
train　of　senators　attending　him；　and　the　patricians　all　manifested
greater　concern；　and　seemed　to　be　exerting　greater　efforts；　than
they　had　ever　done　before　on　the　like　occasion；　the　commons　then
fell　off　again　from　the　kindness　they　had　conceived　for　him；　and　in
the　place　of　their　late　benevolence；　began　to　feel　something　of
indignation　and　envy；　passions　assisted　by　the　fear　they
entertained；　that　if　a　man　of　such　aristocratic　temper　and　so
influential　among　the　patricians　should　be　invested　with　the　power
which　that　office　would　give　him；　he　might　employ　it　to　deprive　the
people　of　all　that　liberty　which　was　yet　left　them。　In　conclusion；
they　rejected　Marcius。　Two　other　names　were　announced；　to　the　great
mortification　of　the　senators；　who　felt　as　if　the　indignity
reflected　rather　upon　themselves　than　on　Marcius。　He；　for　his　part；
could　not　bear　the　affront　with　any　patience。　He　had　always　indulged
his　temper；　and　had　regarded　the　proud　and　contentious　element　of
human　nature　as　a　sort　of　nobleness　and　magnanimity；　reason　and
discipline　had　not　imbued　him　with　that　solidity　and　equanimity
which　enters　so　largely　into　the　virtues　of　the　statesman。　He　had
never　learned　how　essential　it　is　for　any　one　who　undertakes　public
business；　and　desires　to　deal　with　mankind；　to　avoid　above　all
things　that　self…will；　which；　as　Plato　says；　belongs　to　the　family
of　solitude；　and　to　pursue；　above　all　things；　that　capacity　so
generally　ridiculed；　of　submission　to　ill…treatment。　Marcius；
straightforward　and　direct；　and　possessed　with　the　idea　that　to
vanquish　and　overbear　all　opposition　is　the　true　part　of　bravery；
and　never　imagining　that　it　was　the　weakness　and　womanishness　of　his
nature　that　broke　out；　so　to　say；　in　these　ulcerations　of　anger；
retired；　full　of　fury　and　bitterness　against　the　people。　The　young
patricians；　too；　all　that　were　proudest　and　most　conscious　of　their
noble　birth；　had　always　been　devoted　to　his　interest；　and；　adhering　to
him　now；　with　a　fidelity　that　did　him　no　good；　aggravated　his
resentment　with　the　expression　of　their　indignation　and　condolence。　He
had　been　their　captain；　and　their　willing　instructor　in　the　arts　of
war；　when　out　upon　expeditions；　and　their　model　in　that　true　emulation
and　love　of　excellence　which　makes　men　extol；　without　envy　or
jealousy；　each　other's　brave　achievements。
　　In　the　midst　of　these　distempers；　a　large　quantity　of　corn　reached
Rome；　a　great　part　bought　up　in　Italy；　but　an　equal　amount　sent　as　a
present　from　Syracuse；　from　Gelo；　then　reigning　there。　Many　began
now　to　hope　well　of　their　affairs；　supposing　the　city；　by　this
means；　would　be　delivered　at　once；　both　of　its　want　and　discord。　A
council；　therefore；　being　presently　held；　the　people　came　flocking
about　the　senate…house；　eagerly　awaiting　the　issue　of　that
deliberation；　expecting　that　the　market…prices　would　now　be　less
cruel；　and　that　what　had　come　as　gift　would　be　distributed　as　such。
There　were　some　within　who　so　advised　the　senate；　but　Marcius；
standing　up；　sharply　inveighed　against　those　who　spoke　in　favour　of
the　multitude；　calling　them　flatterers　of　the　rabble；　traitors　to
the　nobility；　and　alleging；　that；　by　such　gratifications；　they　did　but
cherish　those　ill　seeds　of　boldness　and　petulance　that　had　been　sown
among　the　people；　to　their　own　prejudice；　which　they　should　have
done　well　to　observe　and　stifle　at　their　first　appearance；　and　not
have　suffered　the　plebeians　to　grow　so　strong；　by　granting　them
magistrates　of　such　authority　as　the　tribunes。　They　were；　indeed；　even
now　formidable　to　the　state　since　everything　they　desired　was
granted　them；　no　constraint　was　put　on　their　will；　they　refused
obedience　to　the　consuls　and；　overthrowing　all　law　and　magistracy；
gave　the　title　of　magistrate　to　their　private　factious　leaders。
〃When　things　are　come　to　such　a　pass　for　us　to　sit　here　and　decree
largesses　and　bounties　for　them；　like　those　Greeks　where　the
populace　is　supreme　and　absolute；　what　would　it　be　else；〃　said　he；
〃but　to　take　their　disobedience　into　pay　and　maintain　it　for　the
common　ruin　of　us　all？　They　certainly　cannot　look　upon　these
liberalities　as　a　reward　of　public　service；　which　they　know　they
have　so　often　deserted；　nor　yet　of　those　secessions；　by　which　they
openly　renounce　their　country；　much　less　of　the　calumnies　and　slanders
they　have　been　always　so　ready　to　entertain　against　the　senate；　but
will　rather　conclude　that　a　bounty；　which　seems　to　have　no　other
visible　cause　or　reason；　must　needs　be　the　effect　of　our　fear　and
flattery；　and　will；　therefore；　set　no　limit　to　their　disobedience；　nor
ever　cease　from　disturbances　and　sedition。　Concession　is　mere　madness；
if　we　have　any　wisdom　and　resolution　at　all；　we　shall；　on　the
contrary；　never　rest　till　we　have　recovered　from　them　that　tribunician
power　they　have　extorted　from　us；　as　being　a　plain　subversion　of　the
consulship；　and　a　perpetual　ground　of　separation　in　our　city　that　is
no　longer　one；　as　heretofore；　but　has　in　this　received　such　a　wound
and　rupture　as　is　never　likely　to　close　and　unite　again；　or　suffer
us　to　be　of　one　mind；　and　to　give　over　inflaming　our　distempers；　and
being　a　torment　to　each　other。〃
　　Marcius；　with　much　more　to　this　purpose；　succeeded；　to　an
extraordinary　degree；　in　inspiring　the　younger　men　with　the　same
furious　sentiments；　and　had　almost　all　the　wealthy　on　his　side；　who
cried　him　up　as　the　only　person　their　city　had；　superior　alike　to
force　and　flattery；　some　of　the　older　men；　however；　opposed　him；
suspecting　the　consequences。　As；　indeed；　there　came　no　good　of　it；　for
the　tribunes；　who　were　present；　perceiving　how　the　proposal　of　Marcius
took；　ran　out　into　the　crowd　with　exclamations；　calling　on　the
plebeians　to　stand　together；　and　come　in　to　their　assistan