f the Prefect, all strategically important
places were represented at this meeting. Deputies had been sent from
the strong warders of the frontiers, Tridentum, Tarvisium, and Verona,
which behold the ice of the Alps; from Otorantum and Consentia, which
are laved by the tepid waves of the Ausonian Sea; from all the
celebrated towns of Sicily and Italy, with the proud, beautiful, and
historic names: Syracuse and Catana, Panormus and Messana, Regium,
Neapolis and Cumae, Capua and Beneventum, Antium and Ostia, Reate and
Narnia, Volsinii, Urbsvetus and Spoletum, Clusium and Perusia, Auximum
and Ancona, Florentia and Faesulas, Pisa, Luca, Luna and Genua;
Ariminum, Casena, Faventia, and Ravenna; Parma, Dertona and Placentia;
Mantua, Cremona, and Ticinum (Pavia); Mediolanum, Comum, and Bergamum;
Asta and Pollentia; and from the northern and eastern coasts of the
Ionian Gulf: Concordia, Aquileja, Iadera, Scardona, and Salona.

There were grave senators and judges, who had grown grey in the
councils of their towns, where their ancestors had been leaders for
centuries; wise merchants, broad-shouldered proprietors, disputing
jurists, mocking rhetoricians, and in particular a great number of
clergy of all ranks and all ages: the only firmly organised party, and
which was implicitly obedient to Silverius.

As Cethegus, still concealed behind the corner of the narrow entrance,
overlooked the groups assembled in the rotunda of the grotto, he could
not restrain a contemptuous smile, which, however, ended in a sigh.

Excepting the general dislike to the barbarians--which, however, was by
no means strong enough to support the sacrifices and self-denial
necessary to the accomplishment of difficult political plans--what
different and often what small motives had led these men together!

Cethegus knew exactly the motives of each individual: had he not been
able to influence them by taking advantage of their foibles? And, after
all, he could not but rejoice at this, for he could never have brought
true Romans so completely under his influence as he had done these
conspirators.

But as he now looked at the assembled patriots, and reflected how one
had been induced to join the discontented, in the hope of a title from
Byzantium; another by bribery; another from revenge or on account of
some personal offence, or even from tedium, or debts, or some foolish
dilemma; and when he told himself that with _such_ colleagues he must
meet the warrior