The detail of the Catilinarian conspiracy belongs to a different place in our work. It is sufficient to say, that, after lie obtained a clue which made hint master of all the labyrinth of that wretch's plans, he obtained a de cree of the senate, ordering- the consuls to take care lest the republic should receive any detriment. By those few and pithy words, they were invested with almost dictatorial power. Cicero delegated the charge of fo reign affairs to Q. Mctellus, reserving to himself that of the city. Accompanied by a large body of friends, and armed with a breast-plate, he descended into the Cam pus Martins, where, the conspirators not dating to move, Cataline again under went a repulse. Thus rendered desperate, the incendiary summoned his party by night, and fixed upon a day for setting fire to the city, massa cring the chief senators, and seizing the capitol. In the mean time, he had engaged two Roman knights to as sassinate Cicero in his own house; but the consul, being acquainted with all his designs, refused admission to the assassins.
This was the state of the conspiracy, when Cicero de livered the first of those four speeches that were deliver ed upon the occasion of it, and are still extant. The senate had been summoned to the temple of Jupiter in the capitol, where it was not usually held, hut in times of public alarm. The audacious appearance of the trai tor in this place, drew down that memorable burst of the orator's eloquence, in which he indignantly denoun ced to Catiline the discovery of his treasons, and the certainty of his punishments ; and, after detailing to the senate whatever had been done at the meetings of the conspiracies, pressed Catiline to quit the city, telling Lim that toe gates lay open, and that nobody should prevent his departure. This terrible oration was the first punishment which Catiline suffered, by his folly in going- to the senate. Vet neither the voice of Cicero, nor of nis own censcience, could entirely deprive hint of the courage to attempt a reply. lint though the law forbade any senator being interrupted, he had scarcely pronounced a few vague phrases, when murmurs began on all sides, which speedily swelled into a cry of indig natien, and the names of parricide and incendiary were rung in his ears.
Finding it impossible any longer to wear the masque, be rushed out cf the senate, vowing. " that he would extinguish, uncler the ruins of his enemies, the fire which they were lighting around Jilin." The event justiied Cicero's political sagacity : Cati line, the following night, went out of Rome with 300 desperadoes, and put himself at the head of the troops Mallins. The i.-sue of his bloody struggle with the troops or the republic is well known. After a vain at
tempt to push his escape over the Appennines into Gaul, leis miserable army engaged with the forces of Petreius, and were rut off to a man.
After Catiline's departure, Ciceroinounted the ros tra, and, in his second Catilinarian oration, gave the people an account of all that had passed. His object 'was, to dissipate the false alarms which the conspirators insidiously spread, exaggerating their own resources, and the danger of the republic : he proved, that it was only in Rome that Catiline could strike a blow, and, being driven from thence, that he was for ever lost. The im prudence of the conspirators who were left behind by Catiline, precipitated their destruction, even before the death of Catiline himself. Cicero detected Cethegus, Lentulus, and others of them, in treasonable correspond ence with the ambassadors of the Allobroges, produced their letters in the senate, and on the clearest evidence, and et en on their own confession of guilt, obtained a decree of the senate for putting them to death. Thus ended a conspiracy, in which sonic of the most powerful men in Rome were suspected of ha% inn been implicated, though its principles, and its avowed agents, were the most abandoned and attrocious. While the recollection of Cicero's services was fresh in the public memory, all orders of society joined in the most grateful applause, and perhaps no man ever enjoyed a more enviable t•i umph. Catalus, in tine full senate, declared him the father of his country; and Cato repeated it from the rostra, with the loudest acclamations of the people. This glorious title, the imperial tyrants of Rome were proud to extort from slaves and flatterers, which Ci cero obtained from the free vote of the senate and the people.
When Cicero's consulship was concluded, he resigned it, according to custom, in a full assembly of the people. This ceremony was generally accompanied with a speech front the expiring consular ; and, from such a speaker as Cicero, an interesting address was naturally expected. Mete! lus, one of the new tribunes, invidiously determined to disappoint both the orator and the people; and when Cicero had mounted the rostra, declared that he would not suffer him to speak. On which (.`icon, who 'vas never at a loss, instead of pronouncing t!.e ordinary form of the oath, raising the tone of his voice, swore so loud that all the people could hear him, " that lie had saved the republic and the city from ruin;" which the multi tude below contained with ,in wave, ..flout, crying out, " that it was true." Roma parentern Roma patron patrim Cieerunem Itbera dis;t.