the tribuneship; we yielded; we quietly saw
consuls of your faction elected. You have the protection of your
tribunes, and the privilege of appeal: the Patricians are subjected to
the decrees of the commons. Under pretence of equal and impartial laws,
you have invaded our rights, and we have suffered it, and we still
suffer it. When shall we see an end of discord? When shall we have one
interest and one common country? Victorious and triumphant, you shew
less temper than we under defeat. When you are to contend with _us_, you
seize the Aventine hill, you can possess yourselves of the Mons Sacer.

The enemy is at our gates, the AEsquiline is near being taken, and nobody
stirs to hinder it. But against _us_ you are valiant, against _us_ you
can arm with diligence. Come on, then, besiege the senate house, make a
camp of the forum, fill the jails with our nobles, and when you have
achieved these glorious exploits, _then_ at last sally out at the
AEsquiline gate, with the same fierce spirits against the enemy. Does
your resolution fail you for this? Go, then, and behold from your walls,
your lands ravaged, your houses plundered and in flames, the whole
country laid waste with fire and sword. Have you any thing here to
repair these damages? Will the tribunes make up your losses to you?
They'll give you as many words as you please: Bring impeachments in
abundance against the prime men of the state: Heap laws upon laws;
assemblies you shall have without end. But will any of you return the
richer from these assemblies? Extinguish, O Romans, those fatal
divisions; generously break this cursed enchantment, which keeps you
buried in a scandalous inaction. Open your eyes, and consider the
management of these ambitious men, who, to make themselves powerful in
their party, study nothing but how they may foment divisions in the
commonwealth.

If you can but summon up your former courage; if you will now march out
of Rome with your consuls, there is no punishment you can inflict, which
I will not submit to, if I do not in a few days drive these pillagers
out of our territory. This terror of war (with which you seem so
grievously struck) shall quickly be removed from Rome to their own
cities.

CAIUS MARIUS _to the_ ROMANS.

It is but too common, my countrymen, to observe a material difference
between the behaviour of those who stand candidates, for places of power
and trust, before and after their obtaining them. They solicit