and more reckless in attacking them. Any one who has read Sallust's
account of the conspiracy of Catiline, must remember how, when that
conspiracy was discovered, Catiline not only remained in Rome, but even
made his appearance in the senatehouse, where he was suffered to address
the senate in the most insulting terms,--so scrupulous was that city in
protecting the liberty of all its citizens. Nay, even after he had left
Rome and placed himself at the head of his army, Lentulus and his other
accomplices would not have been imprisoned, had not letters been found
upon them clearly establishing their guilt. Hanno, the foremost citizen
of Carthage, aspiring to absolute power, on the occasion of the marriage
of a daughter contrived a plot for administering poison to the whole
senate and so making himself prince. The scheme being discovered, the
senate took no steps against him beyond passing a law to limit the
expense of banquets and marriage ceremonies. So great was the respect
they paid to his quality.

True, the _execution_ of a plot against your country is attended
with greater difficulty and danger, since it seldom happens that,
in conspiring against so many, your own resources are sufficient by
themselves; for it is not every one who, like Caesar, Agathocles, or
Cleomenes, is at the head of an army, so as to be able at a stroke, and
by open force to make himself master of his country. To such as these,
doubtless, the path is safe and easy enough; but others who have not
such an assembled force ready at their command, must effect their ends
either by stratagem and fraud, or with the help of foreign troops.
Of such stratagems and frauds we have an instance in the case of
Pisistratus the Athenian, who after defeating the Megarians and thereby
gaining the favour of his fellow-citizens, showed himself to them one
morning covered with wounds and blood, declaring that he had been thus
outraged through the jealousy of the nobles, and asking that he might
have an armed guard assigned for his protection. With the authority
which this lent him, he easily rose to such a pitch of power as to
become tyrant of Athens. In like manner Pandolfo Petrucci, on his return
with the other exiles to Siena, was appointed the command of the public
guard, as a mere office of routine which others had declined. Very soon,
however, this armed force gave him so much importance that he became the
supreme ruler of the State. And many others have follow