WIVES OF THE C.ESARS. 133 



incontestibly confirmed. The emperor resolved on justice and seve- 

 rity ; and a council of his friends was summoned for the dawn of 

 day. In the anxious interval he was perplexed and agitated by the 

 hard necessity of further bloodshed and of bloodshed, too, in Pom- 

 pey's line. The night was almost past in agonizing doubt and per- 

 turbation ; the troubled spirit of Augustus, distracted by conflicting 

 purposes, was vented in recurring paroxysms of abrupt and contra- 

 dictory determination. Livia had secretly beheld and overheard the 

 scene of agitation. She seized the moment suited to her purpose, 

 and approached Augustus, who gazed on her with a confused ex- 

 pression of surprise, perplexity, and anguish. They were silent till 

 the emperor, incapable of utterance, implored her by a sign to speak. 

 " I have heard, and seen, and felt the whole of your emotion," said 

 Livia calmly, and soothed him with an air of grave but winning ten- 

 derness. " If you are willing to adopt a woman's counsel, listen to 

 me ; imitate those physicians, who failing of effect with their accus- 

 tomed remedies, employ their opposites. Hitherto severity has not 

 availed you. The punishment of one conspiracy has rapidly begot 

 another. Salvidiafcis, Lepidus, Muraena, Cepio, and Egnatius paid 

 the forfeit of their lives; and yet with all the peril of the enterprise, 

 is Cinna at the head of a resolved conspiracy. Since, then, severity 

 has failed, see what effect may be produced by clemency. Pardon 

 Cinna ; he is discovered, and consequently harmless ; and the fame 

 of your forgiveness will propitiate universal admiration and respect." 

 Augustus, who himself was wavering between severity and mercy, 

 was confirmed by Livia's admonition in the latter course. The 

 council of his friends was countermanded; Cinna summoned sud- 

 denly, and Caesar all alone received him. He surveyed him on his 

 entrance with a significant and stedfast look. " Be seated," said 

 Augustus, "and listen to me ; when I have finished you may speak. 

 I found you, Cinna, in the army of my enemy. Your situation 

 was less the effect of option than of birth ; the son of Pompey natu- 

 rally was the foe of Caesar. I granted you your life ; I restored to 

 you your patrimony. Your affluence at this very hour provokes the 

 envy and entails on me the censure of the conquering party. You 

 sought the priesthood, I conferred it on you to the disappointment of 

 competitors, whose fathers fought my battles. I have covered you 

 with honour, I have lavished favour on you ; and how would you 

 requite these benefactions? By my death!" Cinna would have 

 spoken and denied ; but Caesar laid his finger on his lip. He then 

 detailed to him the preparations he had made ; the name of his ac- 

 complices; the individual chosen to inflict the blow; the very altar 

 where his blood was to be spilt. Augustus reasoned with him calmly 

 on the absurdity of his design, and having purposely sustained his 

 doubts and apprehensions by a severe but just remonstrance of two 

 hours' duration, he paused before he came to the important point. 

 Augustus seemed to labour with his purpose ; and Cinna, who had 

 passed amidst the guards, was on the brink of fate. " You were my 

 enemy," resumed the former, " and I forgave you : to the character 

 of enemy, you now have added that of parricide of traitor " 



