one of Caius's
murderers, threatened that he would sooner come into the midst of them
and kill himself, than consent to make Claudius emperor, and see slavery
returning upon them; he also abused Cherea for loving his life too well,
while he who was the first in his contempt of Caius, could think it a
good thin to live, when, even by all that they had done for the recovery
of their liberty, they found it impossible to do it. But Cherea said he
had no manner of doubt upon him about killing himself; that yet he would
first sound the intentions of Claudius before he did it.

5. These were the debates [about the senate]; but in the camp every body
was crowding on all sides to pay their court to Claudius; and the other
consul, Quintus Pomponhis, was reproached by the soldiery, as having
rather exhorted the senate to recover their liberty; whereupon they drew
their swords, and were going to assault him, and they had done it,
if Claudius had not hindered them, who snatched the consul out of the
danger he was in, and set him by him. But he did not receive that part
of the senate which was with Quintus in the like honorable manner; nay,
some of them received blows, and were thrust away as they came to salute
Claudius; nay, Aponius went away wounded, and they were all in danger.
However, king Agrippa went up to Claudius, and desired he would treat
the senators more gently; for if any mischief should come to the senate,
he would have no others over whom to rule. Claudius complied with him,
and called the senate together into the palace, and was carried thither
himself through the city, while the soldiery conducted him, though this
was to the great vexation of the multitude; for Cherea and Sabinus, two
of Caius's murderers, went in the fore-front of them, in an open manner,
while Pollio, whom Claudius, a little before, had made captain of his
guards, had sent them an epistolary edict, to forbid them to appear
in public. Then did Claudius, upon his coming to the palace, get his
friends together, and desired their suffrages about Cherea. They said
that the work he had done was a glorious one; but they accused him
the he did it of perfidiousness, and thought it just to inflict the
punishment [of death] upon him, to discountenance such actions for the
time to come. So Cherea was led to his execution, and Lupus and many
other Romans with him. Now it is reported that Cherea bore this calamity
courageously; and this not only by the firmness