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on Silaniis' misconduct in his province. His own quffistor and legate 

 joined in the accusation. The most eloquent pleaders were selected 

 from the whole provmce of Asia to conduct the prosecution. Tiherius 

 himself, always intent upon redressing the grievances of any mis- 

 governed province, took an active part in the trial. " And it was 

 considered to be beyond doubt," says Tacitus, " that he was guilty 

 of cruelty and bribery." What could possibly be the result but 

 condemnation and punishment ? Yet Tacitus thinks, that Tiberius 

 required an excuse or pretext for the resolution he came to. He says 

 that for this reason he ordered a decree of the senate to be read, in 

 which was recorded the sentence on a similar offence of Messalla in the 

 reign of Augustus. If that was an uncommon proceeding, it was a 

 very sensible one, and in my opinion not a proof of any doubt on the 

 part of Tiberius of the justice of the sentence, but a guarantee for it. 

 After all the sentence was comparatively mild. Silanus was banished 

 to the island of Gyarus, and only part of his property was confiscated. 



Among the Roman ladies, equally distinguished by ancient nobility 

 and the most reckless profligacy, was Lepida, descended from the 

 noble house of jEmilii, who could boast of having among her ancestors 

 two such men as L. Sulla and Pompey the Great. She had been 

 married to P. Quirinus, a man of immense wealth but plebeian extrac- 

 tion, who had distinguished himself under Augustus as a provincial 

 governor and commander. He seems to have enjoyed little happiness 

 with his noble spouse, who was much the younger. Foul and infamous 

 deeds were perpetrated or attempted by Lepida. Adultery and the 

 attempt to poison her husband were sufficient cause for Quirinus 

 to put her away. He left her to her dissolute life without caring to 

 punish her for what she had done. After the lapse of twenty years we 

 find this noble Roman lady impeached of high treason. The charge 

 was, that she liad consulted Chaldpean sootlisayers respecting the house 

 of Cffisar. Tliis charge, which seems trivial to us, derived weight at 

 the time from the general superstition of the age. Great power was 

 attributed to conjurers and sorcerers, and it was argued, that nobody 

 had an interest in enquiring into the fate of the imperial family, 

 except tliose who entertairied ambitious or criminal hopes and projects. 

 Nevertheless Tiherius, with his usual magnanimity, ignored all those 

 cliarges, whicli affected himself. Tiie other offence of Lepida, her 

 licentiousness and criminal attempts at murder, he justly consiJered 

 sufficiently atrocious to demand the strictest investigation and punish- 

 ment. He therefore insisted upon an enquiry. 



What took place before the trial, is extremely characteristic of tlie 

 fientiments prevailing at that time with regard to riglit and wrong. On 

 o 



