he urgency of his
friends he went first to visit his estates, and after staying no long
time he returned to the city. He arrived in the evening, and as soon
as day dawned, he went down into the Forum to be a candidate for the
tribuneship and to oppose Metellus. For this magistracy gives more
power to check than to act; and even if all the rest of the tribunes
save one should assent to a measure, the power lies with him who does
not consent or permit.

XXI. At first there were few of Cato's friends about him, but when his
views became public, in a short time all the people of character and
distinction crowded together and cheered and encouraged him, for they
said it was no favour that he was receiving, but he was conferring the
greatest favour on his country and the most honest of the citizens,
for that when it was often in his power to hold a magistracy without
any trouble, he now came down to contend on behalf of freedom and the
constitution, not without danger. It is said that owing to many
persons through zeal and friendly disposition crowding towards him he
was in some danger, and with difficulty on account of the crowd he
made his way to the Forum. Being elected tribune with others and with
Metellus, and observing that the consular comitia were accompanied
with bribery, he rated the people, and at the close of his speech he
swore that he would prosecute the briber, whoever he might be, with
the exception of Silanus,[686] on account of his connection with him;
for Silanus had to wife Servilia, a sister of Cato. For this reason he
passed over Silanus, but he prosecuted Lucius Murena,[687] on the
charge of having secured his election with Silanus by bribery. There
was a law according to which the accused had always the power to
appoint a person to watch the accuser, in order that it might not be
unknown what he was getting together and preparing to support the
prosecution. Now he who was appointed by Murena to watch Cato used to
accompany him and observe his conduct, and when he saw that Cato was
doing nothing with unfair design or contrary to equity, but honourably
and in a kindly spirit was going a simple and straightforward course
towards the prosecution, he had such admiration of his noble bearing
and morality that he would come up to Cato in the Forum, or go to his
door and ask, whether he intended that day to attend to any matters
that concerned the prosecution, and if he said that he did not, he
would take his