Page:Cicero And The Fall Of The Roman Republic.djvu/249

59 B.C.] the 1st of March of his consulship, he hurried on the enlistment of troops, so that he soon had an armed force collected at the gates of Rome. Many of Pompey's veterans were likewise invited to the city to support the measures in which their general was interested. Cæsar, under the pretence that violence was likely to be used against him, had publicly appealed to Pompey for assistance, and Pompey had solemnly replied that, if the opponents of the consul ventured to draw the sword, he would provide both shield and sword in his defence. Meanwhile he indulged himself in his favourite weakness of disclaiming responsibility. Every one knew that Cæsar's measures were carried in the interest of Pompey, and that Cæsar would have been powerless without Pompey's support. Nevertheless, "he takes refuge in quibbles of this sort. He approves the substance of Cæsar's laws, but Cæsar himself is to answer for his procedure. The Agrarian Law was quite to his mind; whether or no it could be vetoed is no business of his. He was glad that the Egyptian question should be settled at last; whether or not Bibulus observed lightning on that occasion, it was not for him to inquire. As for the tax-farmers, he was willing to oblige that order; what would be the result of Bibulus coming down to the Forum he could not have predicted."

Cicero had declined any partnership with Cæsar, but it was not yet clear whether he would venture on active opposition. Cæsar was resolved to hold