was both a king
himself and the son of a king, who was to tolerate it in so many private
citizens? that they should beware lest, by preventing persons from
speaking their sentiments freely in the senate, they might oblige them
to raise their voice outside the senate-house. Nor could he see how it
was less allowable for him, a private citizen, to summon the people to
an assembly, than for them to convene the senate. They might try,
whenever they pleased, how much more determined a sense of wrong will be
found to be in vindicating one's own liberty, than ambition in
(vindicating) usurped domination. That they proposed the question
concerning the Sabine war, as if the Roman people had any more important
war on hand, than that against those who, having been elected for the
purpose of framing laws, had left no law in the state; who had abolished
elections, annual magistrates, the regular change of rulers, which was
the only means of equalizing liberty; who, though private citizens,
still possess the fasces and regal dominion. That on the expulsion of
the kings, patrician magistrates were appointed, and subsequently,
after the secession of the people, plebeian magistrates. To which party,
he asked, did they belong? To the popular party? What had they ever done
with the concurrence of the people? were they nobles? who for now nearly
an entire year have not held a meeting of the senate; and then hold one
in such a manner, that they actually prevent numbers from expressing
their sentiments regarding the commonwealth; that they should not place
too much hope in the fears of others; that the grievances which they are
suffering now appear to men more oppressive than any they may have to
apprehend."

[Footnote 144: Livy's own account of the matter does not justify this
claim of the Horatii to having been at the head of the revolution which
banished the kings. But Dionysius of Halicarnassus informs us that it
was Marcus Horatius who made the army revolt against Tarquinius
Superbus, and that the same in his second consulate rendered unavailing
all the efforts of Porsenna to restore the Tarquins.]

40. Whilst Horatius was exclaiming in this manner, "and the decemvirs
could not discover any limit either to their anger or forbearance, nor
could they see to what the thing would come, Caius Claudius, who was
uncle to Appius the decemvir, delivered an address more like entreaties
than reproach, beseeching him by the shade of his own brothe