Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/66

 58 CICERO. lamps and torches set up at the doors, and the women showed lights from the tops of the houses, to honor Cicero, and to behold him returning home with a splen- did train of the most principal citizens ; amongst whom were many who had conducted great wars, celebrated triumphs, and added to the possessions of the Roman empire, both by sea and land. These, as they passed along with him, acknowledged to one another, that though the Roman people were indebted to several offi- cers and commanders of that age for riches, spoils, and power, yet to Cicero alone they owed the safety and security of all these, for delivering them from so great and imminent a danger. For though it might seem no wonderful thing to prevent the design, and punish the conspirators, yet to defeat the greatest of all conspiracies with so little distm'bance, trouble, and commotion, was very extraordinary. For the greater part of those who had' flocked in to Catiline, as soon as they heard the fate of Lentulus and Cethegus, left and forsook him, and he himself, with his remaining forces, joining battle with Antonius, was desti'oyed with his army. And yet there were some who were very ready both to speak ill of Cicero, and to do him hurt for these actions ; and they had for their leaders some of the mag- istrates of the ensuing year, as Caesar, who was one of the praetors, and Metellus and Bestia, the tribunes. These, entering upon their office some few days before Cicero's consulate expired, would not permit him to make any address to the people, but, throwing the benches before the Rostra, hindered his speaking, telling him he might, if he pleased, make the oath of withdrawal from office, and then come down again. Cicero, accordingly, accept- ing the conditions, came forward to make his withdrawal ; and silence being made, he recited his oath, not in the usual, but in a new and peculiar form, namely, that he