word and go away. When the trial came on, Cicero, who
was then consul and one of the advocates of Murena, on account of
Cato's connection with the Stoics, ridiculed and mocked these
philosophers and their so-called paradoxes, and thus made the judices
laugh. On which it is said that Cato, with a smile, observed to those
who were present, "My friends, what a ridiculous consul we have."
Murena, who was acquitted, did not display towards Cato the temper of
a bad or a foolish man, for in his consulship he used to ask his
advice in the most important affairs, and all along in every other
matter showed him respect and confidence. Cato's own conduct was the
cause of this, for while he was severe and terrible on the judgment
seat and in the Senate on behalf of justice, he was benevolent and
friendly in all his social intercourse.

XXII. Before Cato entered on the tribuneship, during Cicero's
consulship he supported his administration in many other difficulties,
and he put the finishing stroke to the measures relating to
Catiline,[688] which were the most important and glorious of all.
Catiline himself, who was designing to effect a pernicious and
complete change in the Roman state, and was at the same time stirring
up insurrection and war, being convicted by Cicero, fled from the
city; but Lentulus and Cethegus and many others with them, who had
taken up the conspiracy, upbraiding Catiline with cowardice and want
of spirit in his designs, were plotting to destroy the city with
fire, and to subvert the supremacy of Rome by the revolt of nations
and by foreign wars. Their schemes having been discovered in the
manner told in the Life of Cicero, he laid the matter before the
Senate for their deliberation, whereupon Silanus, who spoke first,
gave his opinion that the men ought to suffer the extreme punishment,
and those who followed him spoke to the same effect, till it came to
Caesar's turn. Caesar now rose, and as he was a powerful speaker and
wished rather to increase all change and disturbance in the state than
to allow it to be quenched, considering it as the stuff for his own
designs to work upon, he urged many arguments of a persuasive and
humane kind to the effect that the men ought not to be put to death
without trial, and he advised that they should be confined in prison:
and he wrought so great a change in the opinion of the Senate, who
were afraid of the people, that even Silanus retracted what he had
said, and affirme