not, in his concern for the Republic, forget himself, nor does he allow himself to be forgotten.

2 Demosthenes, on the contrary, seems to lose all consciousness of himself, and to recognize only his country. He does not seek the beautiful; he unconsciously creates it. He is superior to admiration. He uses language as a modest man uses his garment-for a covering. He thunders, he lightens ; he is like a torrent hurrying all before it. We cannot criticize him, for we are in the sweep of his influence. We think on what he says, not on how he says it. We lose sight of the speaker; we are occupied only with his subject.

FENELON.

8. CATILINE DENOUNCED.

[Cicero, the greatest of the Roman orators, was born 106 B. C. As an orator he ranks next to Demosthenes. The rapidity with which he composed his immortal discourses, notwithstanding the multiplicity and importance of the business which oppressed him, did not prevent him bestowing on his style a perfection so uncommon, that it is as easy to understand his Orations as it is difficult, and perhaps even impossible, to translate them well. The Orations against Catiline and Verres are masterpieces of denunciatory eloquence. Having taken part against Antony, Cicero was proscribed. He was murdered by a party of soldiers headed by Popilius Lænas, whose life he had formerly saved by his eloquence. He perished in his sixty-fourth year.]

How long, O Catiline, wilt thou abuse our patience? How long also shall thy madness elude us? Whither will thy ungovernable audacity impel thee? Could neither the nightly garrison of the citadel, nor the watch of the city, nor the general consternation, nor the congress of all good men, nor this strongly-fortified place where the Senate is held, nor the enraged countenances of those senators, deter thee from thy impious designs? Dost thou not perceive that thy counsels are all discovered? Thinkest thou that there are any of us ignorant of thy transactions the past night, the place of rendezvous, thy collected associates?

2. Alas, the times! alas, the public morals! The Senate understands all this. The Consul sees it, yet the traitor lives!

Lives? Ayc, and truly confronts us here in council-takes part in our deliberations-and, with his measuring eye, marks out each man of us for slaughter! And we all this while, strenuous that we are, think that we have amply discharged our du ties to the State if we but shun this madman's sword and fury! 3. Long since, O Catiline, ought the Consul to have ordered thee to execution, and brought upon thine own head the ruin thou hast been meditating against others! There was that virtue once in Rome, that a wicked citizen was held more execrable than the deadliest foe. We have a law still, Catiline, for thee! Think not that we are powerless because forbearing. We have a decree-though it rests among our archives, like a sword in the scabbard—a decree by which thy life would be made to pay the forfeit of thy crimes.

1

4. And should I order thee to be instantly seized and put to death, I make just doubt whether all good men would not think it done rather too late, than any man too cruelly. But for good reasons I will yet defer the blow long since deserved. Then I will doom thee when no man is found so lost, so wicked, nay, so like thyself, but shall confess that it was justly dealt. While there is one man that dares defend thee, live! But thou shalt live so beset, so surrounded, so scru tinized, by the vigilant guards that I have placed around thee, that thou shalt not stir a foot against the Republic without my knowledge.

5. There shall be eyes to detect thy slightest movement, and ears to catch thy lowest whisper, of which thou shalt not dream. The darkness of night shall not cover thy treason— the walls of privacy shall not stifle its voice. Baffled on all sides, thy most secret counsels clear as noonday, what canst thou now have in view? Proceed, plot, conspire as thou wilt there is nothing you can contrive, nothing you can propose, nothing you can attempt, which I shall not know, bear, and promptly understand. Thou shalt soon be made aware that I am even more active in providing for the preservation of the State, than thou in plotting its destruction!

СІСЕВО.

4

9. CATILINE EXPELLED.

AT length, Romans, we are rid of Catiline! We have

driven him forth, drunk with fury, breathing mischief, threatening to revisit us with fire and sword. He is gone; 'e is fled; he has escaped; he has broken away. No longer, within the very walls of the city, shall he plot her ruin. We nave forced him from secret plots into open rebellion. The bad citizen is now the avowed traitor. His flight is the confession of his treason! Would that his attendants had not been so few!

2. Be speedy, ye companions of his dissolute pleasures; be speedy, and you may overtake him before night, on the Aurelian road. Let him not languish, deprived of your so ciety. Haste to join the congenial crew that compose his army; his army, I say, for who doubts that the army under Manlius expect Catiline for their leader? And such an army! Outcasts from honor, and fugitives from debt; gamblers and felons; miscreants, whose dreams are of rapine, murder, and conflagration!

3. Against these gallant troops of your adversary, prepare, 0 Romans, your garrisons and armies; and first, to that maimed and battered gladiator oppose your consuls and generals; next, against that miserable outcast horde, lead forth the strength and flower of all Italy!

4. On the one side chastity contends; on the other, wantonness: here purity, there pollution; here integrity, there treachery; here piety, there profaneness; here constancy, there age; here honesty, there baseness; here continence, there ust; in short, equity, temperance, fortitude, prudence, strug gle with iniquity, luxury, cowardice, rashness; every virtue with every vice; and, lastly, the contest lies between well grounded hope and absolute despair. In such a conflict, were even human aid to fail, would not the immortal gods em power such conspicuous virtue to triumph over such compli. cated vice?

CICERO.

10. THE QUARREL SCENE FROM JULIUS CÆSAR.

Enter Cassius, Trebonius, Titinius, Pindarus. Cas. Most noble brother, you have done me wrong. Bru. Judge me, you gods! Wrong I mine enemies? And if not so, how should I wrong a brother?

Cas. Brutus, this sober form of yours hides wrongs; And when you do them,

Bru. Cassius, be content:

Speak your griefs softly-I do know you well:-
Before the eyes of both our armies here,
Which should perceive nothing but love from us,
Let us not wrangle: Bid them move away;
Then in my tent, Cassius, enlarge your griefs,
And I will give you audience.

Cas. Pindarus,

Bid your commanders lead their chargers off

A little from this ground.

Bru. Metellus, do the like:

And let no man

[Exeunt Pindarus.

[Exeunt Metellus.

Come to our tent, till we have done our conference. [Exeunt

SCENE II.-The tent of Brutus.

Enter Cassius and Brutus.

Cas. That you have wrong'd me doth appear in this:
You have condemn'd and noted Lucius Pella,
For taking bribes here of the Sardinians;
Wherein, my letters, praying on his side,
Because I knew the man, were slighted off.

Bru. You wrong'd yourself to write in such a case.
Cas. In such a time as this, it is not meet
That every nice offence should bear its comment.
Bru. Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself
Are much condemn'd to have an itching palm;

To sell and mart your offices for gold

To undeservers.

Cas. I an itching palm!

You know that you are Brutus that speak this,
Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.
Bru. The name of Cassius honors this corruption,
And chastisement doth therefore hide its head.

Cas. Chastisement!

Bru. Remember March-the ides of March remember!
Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?
What villain touch'd his body, that did stab,
And not for justice? What, shall one of us,
That struck the foremost man of all this world,
But for supporting robbers-shall we now
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes,
And sell the mighty space of our large honors
For so much trash as may be grasped thus?
I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,

Than such a Roman.

Cas. Brutus, bay not me;

I'll not endure it: I am a soldier, I,
Older in practice, abler than yourself
To make conditions.

Bru. Go to; you're not Cassius.

Cas. I am.

Bru. I say you are not.

Cas. Urge me no more: I shall forget myself:

Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further.

Must I give way and room to your rash choler?

Shall I be frighted when a mailman stares?

Cas. Ye gods! ye gods! Must I endure all this?

Bru. [Nearer.] All this? ay, more!-Fret till your proud heart break.