one
expected, he confessed; all his abilities, all his power of speech
deserted him. Vulturcius then begged that the letter which he was
carrying from Lentulus to Catiline should be brought in and opened.
Lentulus was greatly agitated; still he acknowledged the seal and the
handwriting to be his. The letter, which was unsigned, was in these
words: _You will know who I am by the messenger whom I send to you. Bear
yourself as a man. Think of the position in which you now are, and
consider what you must now do. Collect all the help you can, even though
it be of the meanest kind._ In a word, the case was made out against
them all not only by the seals, the letters, the handwritings, but by
the faces of the men, their downcast look, their silence. Their
confusion, their stealthy looks at each other were enough, if there had
been no other proof, to convict them."

Lentulus was compelled to resign his office of praetor. He and the other
conspirators were handed over to certain of the chief citizens, who were
bound to keep them in safe custody and to produce them when they were
called for.

The lower orders of the capital, to whom Catiline and his companions
had made liberal promises, and who regarded his plans, or what were
supposed to be his plans, with considerable favor, were greatly moved by
Cicero's account of what had been discovered. No one could expect to
profit by conflagration and massacre; and they were disposed to take
sides with the party of order. Still there were elements of danger, as
there always are in great cities. It was known that a determined effort
would be made by the clients of Lentulus, whose family was one of the
noblest and wealthiest in Rome, to rescue him from custody. At the same
time several of the most powerful nobles were strongly suspected of
favoring the revolutionists. Crassus, in particular, the wealthiest man
in Rome, was openly charged with complicity. A certain Tarquinius was
brought before the Senate, having been, it was said, arrested when
actually on his way to Catiline. Charged to tell all he knew, he gave
the same account as had been given by other witnesses of the
preparations for fire and massacre, and added that he was the bearer of
a special message from Crassus to Catiline, to the effect that he was
not to be alarmed by the arrest of Lentulus and the others; only he must
march upon the city without delay, and so rescue the prisoners and
restore the courage of those who were