m by force, and actually laid hands upon him.
However, the patricians rallied round him, thrust away the tribunes of
the people, and even beat the aediles, their assistants in this quarrel.
Night put an end to the conflict, but at daybreak the consuls, seeing
the people terribly excited, and gathering in the forum from all
quarters, began to fear the consequences of their fury. They assembled
the senators and bade them endeavour, by mild language and healing
measures, to pacify the multitude, as it was no season for pride or for
standing upon their dignity, but if they were wise they would perceive
that so dangerous and critical a posture of affairs required a temperate
and popular policy. The majority of the senators yielded, and the
consuls proceeded to soothe the people in the best way they could,
answering gently such charges as had been brought against them, even
speaking with the utmost caution when blaming the people for their late
outrageous conduct, and declaring that there should be no difference of
opinion between them about the way in which corn should be supplied, and
about the price of provisions.

XVIII. As the people now for the most part had cooled down, and from
their attentive and orderly demeanour were evidently much wrought upon
by the words of the consuls, the tribunes came forward and addressed
them. They said that now that the Senate had come to a better frame of
mind, the people would willingly make concessions in their turn; but
they insisted that Marcius should apologise for his conduct, or deny if
he could that he had excited the Senate to destroy the constitution,
that when summoned to appear he had disobeyed, and that finally he had,
by beating and insulting the aediles in the market-place, done all that
lay in his power to raise a civil war and make the citizens shed one
another's blood. Their object in saying this was either to humble
Marcius, by making him entreat the clemency of the people, which was
much against his haughty temper, or else expecting that he would yield
to his fiery nature and make the breach between himself and the people
incurable. The latter was what they hoped for from their knowledge of
his character.

Marcius came forward to speak in his defence, and the people stood
listening in dead silence. But when, instead of the apologetic speech
which they expected, he began to speak with a freedom which seemed more
like accusing them than defending himself, while the tone