sed the way to the tyranny.

The example of Manlius is still more striking. For in his case we see
what excellent gifts both of mind and body, and what splendid services
to his country were afterwards cancelled by that shameful eagerness to
reign which we find bred in him by his jealousy of the honours paid
Camillus. For so darkened did his mind become, that without reflecting
what were the institutions to which Rome was accustomed, or testing the
material he had to work on, when he would have seen that it was still
unfit to be moulded to evil ends, he set himself to stir up tumults
against the senate and against the laws of his country.

And herein we recognize the excellence of this city of Rome, and of the
materials whereof it was composed. For although the nobles were wont to
stand up stoutly for one another, not one of them stirred to succour
Manlius, and not one of his kinsfolk made any effort on his behalf, so
that although it was customary, in the case of other accused persons,
for their friends to put on black and sordid raiment, with all the other
outward signs of grief, in order to excite pity for the accused, none
was seen to do any of these things for Manlius. Even the tribunes of the
people, though constantly ready to promote whatever courses seemed to
favour the popular cause, and the more vehemently the more they seemed
to make against the nobles, in this instance sided with the nobles to
put down the common enemy. Nay the very people themselves, keenly alive
to their own interests, and well disposed towards any attempt to damage
the nobles, though they showed Manlius many proofs of their regard,
nevertheless, when he was cited by the tribunes to appear before them
and submit his cause for their decision, assumed the part of judges and
not of defenders, and without scruple or hesitation sentenced him to
die. Wherefore, I think, that there is no example in the whole Roman
history which serves so well as this to demonstrate the virtues of
all ranks in that republic. For not a man in the whole city bestirred
himself to shield a citizen endowed with every great quality, and who,
both publicly and privately, had done so much that deserved praise. But
in all, the love of country outweighed every other thought, and all
looked less to his past deserts than to the dangers which his present
conduct threatened; from which to relieve themselves they put him
to death. "_Such_," says Livius, "_was the fate of a man wo