bunes, [15] were annually invested with their respective ensigns
of office, and continued to discharge some of their least important
functions. Those honors still attracted the vain ambition of the Romans;
and the emperors themselves, though invested for life with the powers of
the consul ship, frequently aspired to the title of that annual dignity,
which they condescended to share with the most illustrious of their
fellow-citizens. [16] In the election of these magistrates, the
people, during the reign of Augustus, were permitted to expose all
the inconveniences of a wild democracy. That artful prince, instead
of discovering the least symptom of impatience, humbly solicited their
suffrages for himself or his friends, and scrupulously practised all the
duties of an ordinary candidate. [17] But we may venture to ascribe to
his councils the first measure of the succeeding reign, by which the
elections were transferred to the senate. [18] The assemblies of the
people were forever abolished, and the emperors were delivered from
a dangerous multitude, who, without restoring liberty, might have
disturbed, and perhaps endangered, the established government.

[Footnote 15: Two consuls were created on the Calends of January; but in
the course of the year others were substituted in their places, till
the annual number seems to have amounted to no less than twelve. The
praetors were usually sixteen or eighteen, (Lipsius in Excurs. D. ad
Tacit. Annal. l. i.) I have not mentioned the Aediles or Quaestors
Officers of the police or revenue easily adapt themselves to any form
of government. In the time of Nero, the tribunes legally possessed
the right of intercession, though it might be dangerous to exercise it
(Tacit. Annal. xvi. 26.) In the time of Trajan, it was doubtful whether
the tribuneship was an office or a name, (Plin. Epist. i. 23.)]

[Footnote 16: The tyrants themselves were ambitious of the consulship.
The virtuous princes were moderate in the pursuit, and exact in the
discharge of it. Trajan revived the ancient oath, and swore before the
consul's tribunal that he would observe the laws, (Plin. Panegyric c.
64.)]

[Footnote 17: Quoties Magistratuum Comitiis interesset. Tribus cum
candidatis suis circunbat: supplicabatque more solemni. Ferebat et ipse
suffragium in tribubus, ut unus e populo. Suetonius in August c. 56.]

[Footnote 18: Tum primum Comitia e campo ad patres translata sunt.
Tacit. Annal. i. 15. The word prim