Page:Cicero And The Fall Of The Roman Republic.djvu/315

54 B.C.]

which we may gather that our potent, grave, and reverend signors do not care a straw for bribery, for the elections, for the interregnum, for treason, nor for the safety of the whole commonwealth, but that we must draw the line at killing householders in their own homes; they do not appear to be very sure about that either, for 22 voted not-guilty against 29. Clodius, who prosecuted, roused the feelings of the jury by a peroration which was certainly fine. Hortensius was for the defence in his usual style. I did not open my lips; for my little girl, who is now near her time, was nervous about me, and would not have me cross Clodius' path."

Whatever may have been the alarms in which Tullia was privileged to indulge, her father had not much to fear from Clodius, so long as he kept on good terms with the triumvirs. Shortly before this, he had written in answer to his brother's inquiries: "Your question comes to this; what sort of year is before me? Well I think that it will be one of complete peace, or at least that I have ample protection. My levée, the Forum, and the expressions of feeling in the theatre give daily evidence of this; my friends are free from anxiety knowing the forces I have at command in the support of Cæsar and Pompey. All this makes me confident; but if any outburst of that mad fellow should occur, everything is prepared to crush him."

As an advocate Cicero reigned pre-eminent. He