Читать книгу The Greatest Works of Roman Classical Literature - Луций Анней Сенека - Страница 458

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With all these things the city was deeply affected, and assumed a new face; from the highest jollity and riot, such as spring from a lasting peace, sorrow of a sudden appeared on every countenance. There was nothing but universal hurry and confusion; no place was thought secure; no person fit to be trusted; they neither enjoyed peace nor were at war; every one measured the public danger by their private fears. The women, too, full of apprehensions of war, which the great power of the state had formerly secured them against, gave themselves up to sorrow and lamentation; raised their suppliant hands to heaven; bewailed their tender children; were eager for news; alarmed at every thing; and laying aside their pride and pleasures, became anxious for themselves and their country. Yet the cruel spirit of Catiline persisted in the same desperate pursuit, notwithstanding the preparations that were made to defeat his measures, and though he himself stood arraigned by L. Paulus, on the Plautian law: nay, he even came to the senate-house, the better to dissemble his design; as if, provoked by injurious representations, he only came to clear his character. As soon as he appeared the consul Cicero, either fearing some bad effects from his presence, or fired with indignation, made that powerful and impressive speech, so useful to the state, which he afterward reduced to writing, and gave to the public.22 As soon as he had sat down Catiline, resolved to deny every article, with downcast looks and suppliant voice, begged of the fathers not to believe too hastily what was alleged against him;23 that such was his birth, and such had been his conduct from his youth, that he had reason to hope for a very favourable impression from the public; and it was not to be imagined that one of the patrician order, whose ancestors, as well as himself, had done so many services to the Roman people, should want to overturn the government, while Cicero, a stranger, and late inhabitant of Rome, was so zealous to defend it. As he was going on with his invectives against the consul, the senate, raising a general outcry, called him traitor and parricide: on which, abandoning himself to fury and despair,—“Since, then,” said he, “I am circumvented and driven headlong by my enemies, I will quench the flame raised about me by the common ruin.”