Cesar, knowing well how much his character and de signs were now suspected, had recourse to an expedient, which, whilst it paved the way for him to the honour which he desired, sealed, at the same time, the subver sion of the commonwealth. The two most considerable men in Rome at that time were Pompey and Crassus ; the one for his popularity and power, the other for his enormous wealth and extensive patronage, which gave hint great influence in the state. Between these two, there had long subsisted such a jealousy as generally takes place between persons who have eke same object in view, which both cannot obtain. Cxsar paid court to both: and on the present occasion, he showed them the advantage of union ; convinced diem that they might obtain whatever they pleased, by joining their influence ; but that certain disappointment would be the conse quence of disagreement. They easily perceived the jus tice of this reasoning, and assuming the author of the measure as their associate in their scheme of appropriat ing to themselves the power of the state, they entered into that famous league, commonly known by the name of the first Triumvirate. By the aid of two such power ful friends, Cxsar secured his election ; the Patrician party, however, prevailed so far as to get another popu lar candidate excluded, and to introduce Bibulus, to whom they looked as a check on Cxsar. Bibulus, it appears, was a worthy character, but destitute of suffi cient energy to contend with such a colleague as Cxsar. He stood out, however, till his life was almost in danger from popular violence, and then he confined himself to his house ; contenting himself with publishing edicts in opposition to the measures of his colleague. So ineffi cient, however, were all his measures, that it was a com mon joke to designate the period of his consulship, by saying, Julio et Ctcsare consulibus.
Cxsar, to secure still farther the affections of the people, proposed and carried an Agrarian law, by which he was to provide for twenty thousand poor citizens. This was the usual way in which factious demagogues courted popular favour, and was always strenuously op posed by the senate. Indeed, no plan could be conceiv ed more injurious to the state, than that which proposed a premium to idleness. It was not the law, however, which the senate opposed so much on the present occa sion, as the influence of the man who proposed it. " It is not this law which I dread," said Cato, " but the re ward expected for obtaining it." This stern senator, therefore, resolved to brave the odium of the people, and to oppose, to the utmost, themeasures of their favourite. For this purpose he determined to avail himself of his privilege of speaking in the senate without interruption, that so he might exhaust the whole time of the sitting, and prevent them from coming to any conclusion. Cxsar suspecting his design, and seeing no other way of pre venting it, ordered him into custody. This was a very unguarded measure, and he soon found that he had car ried his audacity too far : for the whole senate rose in a tumult, and prepared to leave the house. " Whither are you going ?" said Cxsar to Petrieius, who was moving from his side. " I go," said he, into confinement with Cato : a prison with him is preferable to a place in the senate with you." Caesar had counted on their want of decision ; and was disappointed when he saw the spirit which they manifested on this occasion. Cato perceiving his embarrassment, resolved that he should have the full odium of the measure ; and therefore delivered himself without reluctance into the hands of the lictor. Cxsar soon recovered himself, and sent a tribune of his own patty, with secret instructions to rescue the prisoner.
But the most odious of all his acts, during his consul ship, was the purpose which he formed of ruining Cice ro, by seconding the views of Clodius. It was no obsta cle that this libertine had been accused of dishonouring his bed ; he was anxious to destroy the influence of Ci cero, who hao:publicly lamented the situation of the com monwealth, in being subjected to a cabal, which govern ed by violence and in contempt of law. Cxsar was high
ly offended, and resolved to get rid of a person who was so capable of counteracting his views. Clodius had long been labouring to accomplish the destruction of the same illustrious person ; and was at that time endeavouring to get himself adopted into a plebeian family, that so he might be qualified to be elected tribune of the people.
He knew, that if be could accomplish this object, he would be able to Carry whatever measure he pleased. There were, however, considerable obstacles in the way, and Clodius could not obtain the ratification of his adop tion in the assembly of the Curiae ; but this act of ratifi cation was passed on the very day on which Cxsar took offence at Cicero. The issue is well known : this father of Roman eloquence, and not long before the preserver of the state, was sacrificed to the hatred and ambition of two unprincipled individuals, and forced to retire, for a time, from a country no longer worthy of his virtues.
With these transactions, Cxsar's consulate drew to a close. He ratified his treaty with Pompey, by giving him his daughter Julia in marriage ; he gratified the vanity and avarice of Crassus, by entrusting him with a lucra tive commission ; and in one way or other he tied up the hands of every man who had power to hurt him. He himself married the daughter of Piso, who was next year to succeed to the consulship, and by this alliance secured him in his interest. On hearing of these political mar riages, Cato exclaimed, " Provinces and kingdoms are made the dowries of women ; and the empire itself an appendage of female prostitution." Though Cxsar had advanced so far and so successful ly, much yet remained to be done, before he could openly sieze the government of the state. The power and po pularity of Pompey were still enormous ; and Cxsar saw that nothing could be effected without a strong military force. Such a force, however, could not be maintained within Italy ; for the senate, with a well-grounded jea lousy, had prohibited any military station within that country. Cxsar therefore cast his eye on Cisalpine Gaul, which he saw would answer all his purposes, from its vicinity to Rome. The tribune Vatinius, accordingly, who was completely devoted to the interests of Cxsar, upon a report that the Helvetii were likely to cause some disturbance on the frontiers of Gaul, moved the people, that, by virtue of their supreme power, they should nominate Cxsar as Proconsul of Cisalpine Gaul and Illyricum, for five years, with an army of three le gions. This was contrary to all law ; the allotment of the provinces had always remained with the senate, and no appointment was made for more than one year ; un less it was renewed at the end of that term, it virtually expired. This, however, did not prevent the people from granting this illegal appointment to Cxsar. The sena torial) party were greatly alarmed at this measure, and endeavoured to evade it by nominating Cxsar superin tendent of the public forests of the empire. Finding, however, that he was not to be driven from his purpose by such a weak artifice as this, they took different grounds, outstript the people themselves in the liberali ty of their grants, and added Transalpine Gaul to the province already decreed to him by the people, with the addition of another legion. It is not easy to say whether this measure proceeded from fear or from policy : they either saw that it was in vain to oppose him, and there fore wished to make a merit with hint for their conces sions ; or they hoped that the live years of his govern ment would be completely taken up with the wars which they expected to arise beyond the Alps.