that up
to this time, while trying to avoid prosecution,[402] he had a case,
difficult indeed to support, and obviously bad, but still a case: he
might have denied the facts, he might have shifted the blame on others,
he might even have pleaded that some part of his proceedings had been
legal. But after such wrecking of buildings, incendiaries, and wholesale
robberies as these, being abandoned by his supporters, he hardly retains
on his side Decimus the marshal,[403] or Gellius; takes slaves into his
confidence; sees that, even if he openly assassinates everyone he wishes
to, he will not have a worse case before a court of law than he has at
present. Accordingly, on the 11th of November, as I was going down the
Sacred Way, he followed me with his gang. There were shouts,
stone-throwing, brandishing of clubs and swords, and all this without a
moment's warning. I and my party stepped aside into Tettius Damio's
vestibule: those accompanying me easily prevented his roughs from
getting in. He might have been killed himself.[404] But I am now on a
system of cure by regimen: I am tired of surgery. The fellow, seeing
that what everybody called for was not his prosecution but his instant
execution, has since made all your Catilines seem models of
respectability.[405] For on the 12th of November he tried to storm and
set fire to Milo's house, I mean the one on Germalus:[406] and so openly
was this done, that at eleven o'clock in the morning he brought men
there armed with shields and with their swords drawn, and others with
lighted torches. He had himself occupied the house of P. Sulla[407] as
his headquarters from which to conduct the assault upon Milo's.
Thereupon Q. Flaccus led out some gallant fellows from Milo's other
house (the _Anniana_): killed the most notorious bravoes of all
Clodius's gang: wanted to kill Clodius himself; but my gentleman took
refuge in the inner part of Sulla's house. The next thing was a meeting
of the senate on the 14th. Clodius stayed at home: Marcellinus[408] was
splendid: all were keen. Metellus[409] talked the business out by an
obstructive speech, aided by Appius, and also, by Hercules! by your
friend on whose firmness you wrote me such a wonderfully true letter!
Sestius[410] was fuming. Afterwards the fellow vows vengeance on the
city if his election is stopped. Marcellinus's resolution having been
exposed for public perusal (he had read it from a written copy, and it
embraced our entire case--