C JR S A R. 



199 



Cxur. giving U P without a quarrel, all that any quarrel 

 could extort. 



Caesar's power and general conduct now began to 

 excite serious apprehensions. The continual aug- 

 mentation of troops in his province, his great milita- 

 ry reputation, his insinuation, his unbounded libera- 

 lity, his assiduity in excluding from power every one 

 who could oppose hi* interests, were viewed with ge- 

 neral alarm. When, therefore, the regular election 

 of consuls took place, Marcellus, who had been elect- 

 ed along with Scrvius Sulpicius, made a motion in 

 the senate, which hastened the crisis which every pru- 

 dent man had long foreseen. In deliberating on the 

 appointments in the provincial governments, he mo- 

 ved that the war in Gaul being imished, Caesar should 

 be recalled ; or if his friends insisted on his continu- 

 ing in his command, that he should not be admitted 

 on the list of candidates for the consulship, till he 

 presented himself personally for this purpose. 



This motion gave rise to long and violent debates. 

 Many strong resolutions were carried in the senate, 

 end as often defeated by the negative of the tribunes, 

 who were always in the interests of Caesar. This as- 

 piring adventurer had now this advantage on hiside, 

 that all the measures proposed in the senate against 

 him, had the appearance of direct hostility and injus- 

 tice, as they had for their object to reverse decrees 

 which had lately been solemnly made in his favour, 

 both by the senate and the people. Pompey percei- 

 ving this, affected to censure the violence with .which 

 it had been proposed to recal an officer legally ap- 

 pointed before the expiration of his term. Shortly 

 after, however, he sufficiently disclosed his sentiments 

 and feelings on the subject, by saying in the senate, 

 that although he did not think that the proconsul of 

 Gaul could be instantly recalled without injustice, 

 yet that after the first of March, (this day having 

 been specified in the senate,) he should have no diffi- 

 culties on the subject. " But what," says one of 

 the senators, " if Cxsar still persist in demanding the 

 consulship while he retains his province and his ar- 

 my ?" " What," replied Pompey, " if my own 

 child should offer me violence ?" 



These proceedings sufficiently pointed out to Cae- 

 sar what part he was to act. After defeating the 

 Gauls and the Germans in every attempt to regain 

 their freedom, he endeavoured to conciliate their af- 

 fections, that his hands might be free for a more im- 

 portant enterprize. He established a chain of mili- 

 tary posts from one end of his province to the other, 

 that his troops might be ready to act in any emer- 

 gency, or in any direction ; whilst he himself remain- 

 ed in the station most distant from Italy, with a view 

 of increasing the hostility, and at the same time the 

 security, of his enemies at Rome. He always affect- 

 ed the greatest moderation ; and his friends at Rome 

 were instructed to propose a compromise to the se*. 

 nate, sufficiently equitable in appearance : provided 

 Pompey retired to his province, and Caesar were al- 

 lowed to retain Cisalpine Gaul with two legions, they 

 proposed in his name to disband the remainder of his 



army, and to resign the other part of hit province*. 

 " Observe the dutiful citizen and good subject," said 

 Cato, " how ready he is to quit the northern parts 

 of Gaul, if you only put him in possctiion of Italy 

 and the city : and now ready to accept of your vo- 

 luntary BubmUbion, rather than employ your own ar- 

 my against you to enforce it." 



The senate at last came to a vote on the following 

 questions respecting the appointments of Cxsar and 

 Pompey. On the first question, Whether Caesar 

 should disband his army? the Ayet were general 

 throughout the house. The same question being put 

 respecting Pompey, the Noet greatly prevailed. Mark 

 Antony insisted that a third question should be put* 

 viz. Whether both should dismiss their armies ? On 

 this question, three hundred and seventy Ayet appear- 

 ed against twenty-two Noes. 



Shortly after this, Czsar received an order from 

 the senate to detach a legion from hib army to be 

 employed in the Parthian war, in which Crassu* had 

 fallen, with the greater part of his army, some time 

 before ; and likewise to restore the legion which he 

 had borrowed from Pompey : With botn these requi- 

 sitions he complied with seeming cheerfulness. In 

 dismissing the soldiers of Pompey, he was, under 

 pretence of gratitude for former services, most lavish 

 m his caresses and his thanks ; and, as an earnest of 

 future favours, gave each man a gratuity of about 

 L. 5 of our money. Thus, whilst he parted with 

 the men, he retained their affections ; and sent them 

 as a very dubious accession of strength to his enemy. 



An immediate rupture was now unavoidable ; and 

 the consul Marcellus, the third of that name iu the 

 succession of consuls, being thwarted in all his mea- 

 sures by the tribunes, declared, in a fit of impatience, 

 that he would put the exercise of his power into 

 hands more likely to make it respected ; and upon 

 this he went and presented his sword to Pompey, 

 bidding him employ it in the defence of his country. 



Cxsar now left the northern parts of Gaul, and 

 took up his residence at Ravenna, the nearest point of 

 his province to Italy : From this place he sent a let- 

 ter to the senate, not couched in the most respectful 

 terms, and complaining of their injustice in robbing 

 him of the honours decreed to him by the Roman 

 people. This letter was deemed an insult by the se- 

 nate ; and a resolution was framed, ordering Czsar to 

 dismiss his troops by a certain day, and, in case of 

 disobedience, declaring him an enemy to the state. 

 To this resolution the tribunes interposed their ne- 

 gative. Upon this it was moved, that the senate 

 should put on mourning, as in a case of public cala- 

 mity ; this the tribunes also forbade. The members, 

 however, of their own accord, appeared at their next 

 meeting in mourning, and gave it in charge to the 

 consuls, in conjunction with Pompey, to provide, by 

 every means in their power, for the safely of the 

 state. * 



The tribunes, who had occasioned this measure, 

 affecting to apprehend danger to their persons, dis- 

 guised themselves in the habits of slaves, and, toge- 



c **.-. 



The charge to the consuls to take care, Ne quid detriment r&pubtica capcret, was only given in cases of the utmost wnet- 

 jency. 



