ich the matrons of Rome
were accustomed to perform in honor of the "Good Goddess." He had
powerful friends, and an attempt was made to screen him, which Cicero,
who was genuinely indignant at the fellow's wickedness, seems to have
resisted. In the end he was put upon his trial, though it was before a
jury which had been specially packed for the occasion. His defense was
an _alibi_, an attempt, that is, to prove that he was elsewhere on the
night when he was alleged to have misconducted himself at Rome. He
brought forward witnesses who swore that they had seen him at the very
time at Interamna, a town in Umbria, and a place which was distant at
least two days' journey from Rome. To rebut this evidence Cicero was
brought forward by the prosecution. As he stepped forward the partisans
of the accused set up a howl of disapproval. But the jury paid him the
high compliment of rising from their seats, and the uproar ceased. He
deposed that Clodius had been at his house on the morning of the day in
question.

Clodius was acquitted. If evidence had any thing to do with the result,
it was the conduct of Caesar that saved him. It was in his house that
the alleged intrusion had taken place, and he had satisfied himself by a
private examination of its inmates that the charge was true. But now he
professed to know nothing at all about the matter. Probably the really
potent influence in the case was the money which Crassus liberally
distributed among the jurors. The fact of the money was indeed
notorious. Some of the jury had pretended that they were in fear of
their lives, and had asked for a guard. "A guard!" said Catulus, to one
of them, "what did you want a guard for? that the money should not be
taken from you?"

But Clodius, though he had escaped, never forgave the man whose evidence
had been given against him. Cicero too felt that there as war to the
knife between them. On the first meeting of the Senate after the
conclusion of the trial he made a pointed attack upon his old
acquaintance. "Lentulus," he said, "was twice acquitted, and Catiline
twice, and now this third malefactor has been let loose on the
commonwealth by his judges. But, Clodius, do not misunderstand what has
happened. It is for the prison, not for the city, that your judges have
kept you; not to keep you in the country, but to deprive you of the
privilege of exile was what they intended. Be of good cheer, then,
Fathers. No new evil has come upon us, but we h