to his unjust commands, in order to gain
honors and advantages to themselves; but for the women and the youth,
they had been inveigled with shows, and the fighting of the gladiators,
and certain distributions of flesh-meat among them, which things them
pretense were designed for the pleasing of multitude, but in reality to
satiate the barbarous cruelty and madness of Caius. The slaves also were
sorry, because they were by Caius allowed to accuse and to despise their
masters, and they could have recourse to his assistance when they had
unjustly affronted them; for he was very easy in believing them against
their masters, even when they the city, accused them falsely; and if
they would discover what money their masters had, they might soon obtain
both riches and liberty, as the rewards of their accusations, because
the reward of these informers was the eighth [6] part of the criminal's
substance. As to the nobles, although the report appeared credible
to some of them, either because they knew of the plot beforehand, or
because they wished it might be true; however, they concealed not only
the joy they had at the relation of it, but that they had heard any
thing at all about it. These last acted so out of the fear they had,
that if the report proved false, they should be punished, for having
so soon let men know their minds. But those that knew Caius was dead,
because they were partners with the conspirators, they concealed all
still more cautiously, as not knowing one another's minds; and fearing
lest they should speak of it to some of those to whom the continuance
of tyranny was advantageous; and if Caius should prove to be alive, they
might be informed against, and punished. And another report went about,
that although Caius had been wounded indeed, yet was not he dead, but
alive still, and under the physician's hands. Nor was any one looked
upon by another as faithful enough to be trusted, and to whom any one
would open his mind; for he was either a friend to Caius, and therefore
suspected to favor his tyranny, or he was one that hated him, who
therefore might be suspected to deserve the less credit, because of his
ill-will to him. Nay, it was said by some [and this indeed it was that
deprived the nobility of their hopes, and made them sad] that Caius was
in a condition to despise the dangers he had been in, and took no care
of healing his wounds, but was gotten away into the market-place, and,
bloody as he was, was mak