50 Plutarch’s Lives
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eized with a panic, supposing them to be coming with a rein-forcement of armed men, fled every one out of the place.They being thus dispersed, Cato came in again, and confirmedthe courage, and commended the resolution of the people; sothat now the majority were, by all means, for deposing Metellusfrom his office. The senate also being assembled, gave ordersonce more for supporting Cato, and resisting the motion, as of anature to excite sedition and perhaps civil war in the city. But Metellus continued still very bold and resolute; andseeing his party stood greatly in fear of Cato, whom they lookedupon as invincible, he hurried out of the senate into the forum,and assembled the people, to whom he made a bitter and in-vidious speech against Cato, crying out, he was forced to fly fromhis tyranny, and this conspiracy against Pompey; that the citywould soon repent their having dishonoured so great a mansAnd from hence he started to go to Asia, with the intention, aswould be supposed, of laying before Pompey all the injuries thatwere done him. Cato was highly extolled for having deliveredthe state from this dangerous tribuneship, and having in somemeasure defeated, in the person of Metellus, the power of Pompey ;but he was yet more commended when, upon the senate pro-ceeding to disgrace Metellus and depose him from his office, healtogether opposed and at length diverted the design. Thecommon people admired his moderation and humanity, in nottrampling wantonly on an enemy whom he had overthrown, andwiser men acknowledged his prudence and policy in not ex-asperating Pompey. Lucullus soon after returned from the war in Asia, the finish-ing of which, and thereby the glory of the whole, was thus, in allappearance, taken out of his hands by Pompey. And he wasalso not far from losing his triumph, for Caius Memmius traducedhim to the people, and threatened to accuse him; rather, how-ever, out of love to Pompey, than for any particular enmity tohim. But Cato, being allied to Lucullus, who had married hissister Servilia, and also thinking it a great injustice, opposedMemmius, thereby exposing himself to much slander and mis-representation, insomuch that they would have turned him outof his office, pretending that he used his power tyrannically,Yet at length Cato so far prevailed against Memmius that he wasforced to let fall the accusations, and abandon the contest. AndLucullus having thus obtained his triumph, yet more sedulouslycultivated Cato’s friendship, which he looked upon as a greatguard and defence for him against Pompey’s power.
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