Cato the Younger | 45
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followed and observed him strictly, yet never found him dealing any way unfairly or insidiously, but always generously andcandidly going on in the just and open methods of proceeding.And he so admired Cato’s great spirit, and so entirely trusted tohis integrity, that meeting him in the forum, or going to hishouse, he would ask him if he designed to do anything that dayin order to the accusation, and if Cato said no, he went away, _ relying on his word. When the cause was pleaded, Cicero, who was then consul and defended Murena, took occasion to be extremely witty and jocose, in reference to Cato, upon the Stoic_ philosophers, and their paradoxes, as they call them, and so _ excited great laughter among the judges; upon which Cato, smiling, said to the standers-by, “What a pleasant consul_ we have, my friends.” Murena was acquitted, and afterwards _ showed himself a man of no ill-feeling or want of sense; for when NR Fee Ta he was consul, he always took Cato’s advice in the most weightyaffairs and, during all the time of his office, paid him muchhonour and respect. Of which not only Murena’s prudence, butalso Cato’s own behaviour, was the cause; for though he wereterrible and severe as to matters of justice, in the senate, and atthe bar, yet after the thing was over his manner to all men was _ perfectly friendly and humane. Before he entered on the office of tribune, he assisted Cicero, ~ at that time consul, in many contests that concerned his office,- but most especially in his great and noble acts at the time of’ Catiline’s conspiracy; which owed their last successful issue to~ Cato. Catiline had plotted a dreadful and entire subversion of- the Roman state by sedition and open war, but being convicted_ by Cicero, was forced to fly the city. Yet Lentulus and Cethegus remained, with several others, to carry on the same plot; andblaming Catiline, as one that wanted courage, and had been - timid and petty in his designs, they themselves resolved to set the whole town on fire, and utterly to overthrow the empire,rousing whole nations to revolt and exciting foreign wars. Butthe design was discovered by Cicero (as we have written in hislife), and the matter brought before the senate. Silanus, who ‘spoke first, delivered his opinion, that the conspirators ought tosuffer the last of punishments, and was therein followed by all who spoke after him; till it came to Cesar, who being an excel-lent speaker, and looking upon all changes and commotions inthe state as materials useful for his own purposes, desired ratherto increase than extinguish them; and standing up, he made a very merciful and persuasive speech, that they ought not to
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