such grand designs and of the struggle which would have to be
endured. The consular elections were now coming on, which circumstance
destroyed him completely, his plans being not yet arranged or
sufficiently matured. Titus Quintius Capitolinus was elected consul for
the sixth time, a man by no means well suited to answer the views of one
meditating political innovations: Agrippa Menenius is attached to him as
colleague, who bore the cognomen of Lanatus: and Lucius Minutius as
president of the markets, whether he was re-elected, or created for an
indefinite period, as long as circumstances should require; for there is
nothing certain in the matter, except this, his name was entered as
president in the linen books among the magistrates for both years. Here
Minucius, conducting the same office in a public capacity which Maelius
had undertaken to conduct in a private character, the same class of
persons frequenting the houses of both, having ascertained the matter,
lays it before the senate, "that arms were collecting in the house of
Maelius, and that he held assemblies in his house: and that his designs
were unquestionably bent on regal dominion: that the time for the
execution of the project was not yet fixed: that all other matters were
settled; and that the tribunes were bought over for hire to betray the
public liberty, and that the several parts were assigned to the leaders
of the multitude. That he laid these things before them almost later
than was consistent with safety, lest he might be the reporter of any
thing uncertain or ill-grounded." When these things were heard, the
chiefs of the patricians both rebuked the consuls of the former year,
for having suffered those largesses and meetings of the people to go on
in a private house, as well as the new consuls for having waited until a
matter of such importance should be reported to the senate by the
president of the markets, which required the consul to be not only the
reporter, but the punisher also; then Titus Quintius said, "that the
consuls were unfairly censured, who being fettered by the laws
concerning appeal, enacted to weaken their authority, by no means
possessed as much power in their office as will, to punish that
proceeding according to its atrocity. That there was wanting a man not
only determined in himself, but one who was unshackled and freed from
the fetters of those laws. That he would therefore appoint Lucius
Quintius dictator; that in him there w