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62 B.C.] a false step, if he had not parried Catiline's attempts to assassinate him, if he had fled from the post of danger and called for Pompey's assistance, if he had only allowed matters to drift until riot and massacre began in Rome, Pompey's course would have been easy and dignified; duty and interest would have pointed in the same direction. But now for the first time in Pompey's life fortune conspicuously failed him, and he was called upon to decide between the sacrifice of his cherished hopes and the sacrifice of his conscience. The temptation was strong, and Pompey wavered and waited, hoping that chance would serve him once more.

Meantime Metellus continued his machinations in the city. In spite of the defeat and death of Catiline, he still pressed his proposal that Pompey should be summoned to restore order ; and in these efforts he was encouraged and supported by Cæsar, who was now prætor. Cæsar certainly did not wish any such decree to be really carried; but he saw that the proposal could not be forced through, and he wished by every means to embitter the relations between Pompey and the Senate, thus averting the one combination which would have been fatal to all revolutionary schemes. Cato steadily interposed his veto on the proposals of his colleague, and Metellus and Cæsar persevered with inflammatory speeches and riotous assemblies. The disorder grew to such an extent that the Senate passed decrees which, under whatever form (for on this point we have conflicting statements), prohibited both Cæsar and Metellus