ing the elections for the next
year were held and Hortensius elected consul, but Cicero was returned as
aedile in spite of all the efforts of his opponents to weaken his prestige
by a defeat at the polls.

The trial was set for the fifth of August, and as there were fifty
holidays for various festivals between that date and the end of the year,
the defense hoped to drag out the trial until after January first, when a
praetor friendly to Verres would preside over the court for extortion. But
Cicero defeated their hopes by abstaining from any long formal speech of
accusation and contenting himself with a brief statement of the obstacles
the defense had placed in his way, a threat to punish in his capacity of
aedile any attempts at corruption, and a short statement of the charge
against Verres. He then called his witnesses. Hortensius found himself
without any arguments to combat and could not refute the evidence. Before
the hearing of the witnesses was concluded Verres went into exile. He was
condemned in his absence and Cicero became the leading advocate of the
day. However, it must be admitted that the condemnation of Verres was also
partly due to the danger of the loss of their privileges which threatened
the senatorial jurors.

*The crimes of Verres.* The evidence which had been brought out against
Verres was afterwards used by Cicero in composing his _Second Pleading
against Verres_ (_actio secunda in Verrem_) which was of course never
delivered, but was a political pamphlet in the form of a fictitious
oration. From it we learn the devices of which the governor made use to
amass a fortune at the expense of his province. By initiating false
accusations, by rendering, or intimidating other judges to render unjust
decisions, he secured the confiscation of property the value of which he
diverted to his own pockets. He sold justice to the highest bidder. While
saving himself expense by defrauding the collectors of port dues of the
tax on his valuables shipped out of Sicily, he added to his profits by the
sale of municipal offices and priesthoods. He entered into partnership
with the _decumani_ or collectors of the ten per cent produce tax, and
ordered the cultivators to pay whatever the collectors demanded, and then,
if dissatisfied, seek redress in his court, a redress which, needless to
say, was never gained. He loaned public funds at usurious rates of
interest, and either did not pay in full or paid nothing for corn
p