pleased
from the patricians or from the people; and that they would appoint no
doubt every most turbulent person. The Canuleii, therefore, and the
Icilii would be consuls. (They expressed a hope) that Jupiter, the best
and greatest, would not suffer the imperial majesty of the sovereign
power to descend to that; and that they would certainly die a thousand
deaths rather than such a disgrace should be incurred. They were certain
that their ancestors, could they have divined that the commons would
become not more placable to them, but more intractable, by making
successive demands still more unreasonable, after they had obtained the
first, would have rather submitted to any struggle, than have suffered
such laws to be saddled on them. Because it was then conceded to them
with respect to tribunes, the concession was made a second time. There
was no end to it; tribunes of the commons and patricians could not
subsist in the same state; either the one order or the other office must
be abolished; and that a stop should be put to presumption and temerity
rather late than never. (Was it right) that they, by sowing discord,
should with impunity stir up the neighbouring states against us? and
then prevent the state from arming and defending itself against those
evils which they may have brought on us? and after they have almost sent
for the enemy, not suffer the armies to be levied against the enemies?
But Canuleius may have the audacity to declare openly in the senate
that, unless the patrician suffer the laws proposed by himself as
victorious, to be enacted, he would prevent the levy from being held.
What else was this, but threatening that he would betray his country;
that he would suffer it to be attacked and captured? What courage would
that expression afford, not to the Roman commons, but to the Volscians,
AEquans, and the Veientians! would they not hope that, under the
generalship of Canuleius, they should be able to scale the Capitol and
citadel, if with the deprivation of privilege and majesty, the tribunes
should rob the patricians of their courage also? That the consuls were
prepared to act against the wicked schemes of their countrymen, before
they would act against the arms of the enemy."

3. Just when these matters were going on in the senate, Canuleius thus
declaimed in favour of his laws and against the consuls: "Frequently
even before now I think I have observed how much the patricians despised
you, Romans, how un