JULIUS C.ESAR. 177 



him for ten successive years; a crown of laurel and tri- 

 umphal robes were allotted to his public appearances ; his 

 head, for the first time, was stamped on the public coinage. 

 All these things were outrages on old custom and feeling : 

 they betokened the greatness of the change not less than of 

 the man who had brought it about. The title of Imperator 

 given at the same time, had much less import and weight 

 then, than it has since obtained. Though never before 

 prefixed to a name, it avoided the odium which was still 

 attached to the style of King. But associated as it was in 

 Caesar with more than regal power, it became the badge of 

 high sovereignty, and descended through a long line of 

 Eoman Emperors (or those so called) to the times in which 

 we now live. 



This last epoch of Caesar's life, at which we arrive, was of 

 little more than eight months' duration. It was occupied in 

 various useful reforms and legislation ; the sequel in principle 

 to the measures which at prior times he had proposed, or 

 partially carried into effect. He indulged the people with 

 the sports and shows which usage and policy required; but 

 his aims were evidently beyond these things ; and from what 

 he actually did, we have reason to believe that though his 

 destined term of life was nearly completed, his designs 

 were far from being so. We have no exact knowledge of 

 the date of his several measures ; but as far as we can see, 

 they had for their basis the establishment of order in the City 

 and provinces, the suppression of existing abuses, and the 

 change or extinction of those old institutions which were 

 now effective only in lending a shelter to them. His liberal 

 extension of the rights of Eoman citizenship was but a sequel 

 to the policy of his whole life on that point ; and the result 

 doubtless of his conviction that what was not yielded peace- 

 ably would be, sooner or later, extorted by violence. The 

 large increase of the Senate, and the admission of numerous 



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