a

BEFORE, Catiline, I entered. upon the executive Part of my Confulate, I fheltered me from thy treacherous Attempts, not by a public Guard, but my private Vigilance. During the laft Election of Confuls, when you endeavoured to murder, in the Field, me the Conful, with the Candidates who opposed you, fupported by the Affections and Swords of my Friends, without Violation of the public Peace, I baffled your impious Attack. Afterwards, as often as you attempted my Life, I fingly opposed your Fury, though well I knew that my Death was linked with mighty Calamities to Rome; but on this Occafion, you avowedly attempt to destroy the very Existence of this Government; you doom to Deftruction and Defolation the Temples of the Immortal Gods; the Manfions of Rome, the Lives of her Citizens, and the Inhabitants of all Italy. Therefore, as I dare not now purfue the Maxims which diftinguished our Government, which characterifed

2 The Confuls were usually chofen fix Months before they entered on their Office, during which Time they were called Confules Defignati, Confuls Elect.

a Catiline had not only flood Candidate when Cicero was elected, but also offered himself a Candidate at the next Election, where Cicero prefided. Being disappointed in both by the Vigilance and Intereft of Cicero, he laid a Plot to murder him in the Field of Election.

rifed our Fathers, I will pursue a Measure, in its Execution lefs fevere to the Criminal, but in its Confequences more useful to the Public; for fhould I pronounce your Death, the Dregs of your Confpiracy muft still lurk in the Body of the Republic. But would you, as I have often advised you, leave the City, she will then at once difgorge the baneful the contagious Impurity of your whole Faction. How, Catiline! do you hefitate at doing by my Commands, what a little before you was doing of your own accord. The Conful orders an Enemy to withdraw from the City. Is this then, fay you, a formal Banishment? No, Sir, this is not your Doom; but, might I advise you, it ought to be

b

your Choice.

WHAT

Had Cicero, by the Sovereign Authority with which he was then armed, abfolutely pronounced a Sentence of Banishment upon Catiline, the Confpirators might juftly have reproached him for banishing a Man on bare Sufpicions, before any certain Proofs were brought of his Guilt. But the Conful advises Catiline to a voluntary Banifhment, by this means to avoid a feverer Punishment, which would certainly be inflicted on him, when the Conful pleased to bring the Affair to a Trial; fince, by the former Part of this Oration, Catiline might plainly fee that all his Plot, with the moft minute Circumftances, was difcovered. Though, at the fame Time we must here observe, that a Sentence of Banishment was feldom or never pronounced against any Roman; there being no Law which punished any Crime with Exile. The ufual Punishment was a pecuniary Mulet; they were condemned to pay a Sum of Money, in Proportion to the Greatnefs of their Crime. If they refused to pay this, or were not able to pay it, they went into a voluntary Exile.

с

WHAT is there, Catiline, that can give thee Joy within this City; wherein, if I except the execrable Cabal of your own Ruffians, there is not a Man to whom you are not the Object of Fear, the Object of Detestation; Is there a Domestic Stain, with which thy Character has not been branded? Is there an Infamy in private Life unattached to thy Perfon? Where is the Luft that has not allured thine Eye, the Guilt that has not stained thy Hands, or the Pollution that has not defiled thy Body? Among all the heedlefs Youths inveigled by thy wanton Dalliances, is there one whofe Infolence has been unfupported by thy Sword, and whose Lufts unsupplied by thy Incentives.

d

after

BUT what do I talk? Even lately, your former Wife died, when by taking another, you dispatched out of your House all that you thought might check your Enormities,

He is faid to have murdered his Brother; debauched his own Daughter; and was fufpected to have murdered his Wife and Son, to make Way for Aurelia Oreftilla, whom he then loved. Befides his Intrigues with feveral Ladies of Quality, he debauched a Vestal Virgin, a Priestess of the most facred Order among the Romans. In a Word, his whole Life was one continued Scene of Villainy and Debauchery.

4 He furnished young Men with Money to carry on their wicked Defigns, that by rendering them odious to their Parents, and all good Men, he might attach them to his own Party, and make them proper Inftruments for whatever Villainy he should undertake.

See the laft Note but one.

didft thou not heighten even that Crime with a new and unparallelled Measure of Guilt? But over this will I draw a Veil; for me it fhall reft in Silence. Never through me shall it be known, that there lived in Rome a Man fo exquifitely, so monftroufly wicked, yet lived with an Impunity of Guilt. I fhall not mention

that impending Ruin of all your Fortunes, that by the next Ides you are fenfible must crush you. Let me now proceed to what has no Relation to your perfonal Infamy in Vice, to your domeftic Shame, or your reduced Circumftances; but to what immediately concerns the most important Intereft of our Country, to all that is dear to us, and to every true Roman.

CAN you, O Catiline! enjoy the Light of Life? Can you with Pleasure breathe this vital Air, when you are confcious there is not a Man present who is ignorant that on the last Day

of

f Catiline had borrowed Money from Time to Time to fupport his vaft Expences; and without doubt his Creditors had advanced him fresh Sums to enable him to ftand for the Confulfhip, which might put him in a Condition to pay them with Ufury: But being now twice disappointed, and his Defigns discovered, he had no longer any Reafon to expect more Money, or any Mercy from them. The Term was the 13th of November, and this Oration was delivered on the 7th or 8th, so that he had but a very few Days Refpite.

This relates to a former Confpiracy, in which Catiline was concerned. In the Year of Rome 687, when Lepidus and Tullus were Confuls, P. Antronius and Publius Sylla, were elected Con

fuls

of December, under the Consulate of Lepidus and Tullus, you stood with a Weapon in the Comitium"; that you got together a Ruffian Band, which was to affaflinate the Confuls, and the greatest Men of this City; that this execrable, this frantic Attempt was difappointed, not by any Reverence, not by any Remorse that ftruck you, but by the Guardian Genius of Rome? thefe I omit, they are already but too well known; others are of a later Date. How often did you attempt to murder me when I was elected? How often, when I was raised to the Confulate? How often, how artfully, how narrowly, if I may fay it, did I parry the Thrufts, which your knew fo well to throw in, that each appeared mortal? There is nothing you do, there is nothing you defign, there is nothing you contrive, that I am not informed of, before it is too late. Yet, ftill are you restless, still enterprifing anew. How often has that Poinard C 2

been

fuls for the Year enfuing; but being convicted of Bribery, they were depofed, and two others elected in their Stead. To revenge this Affront, Antronius confpired with Pife, Catiline, and several others, to murder the Confuls on the last Day of December, in the public Affembly of the People, to whom they ufually made a Speech on the laying down their Office. The Plot not being fufficiently ripe, was that Day put off to the 5th of February; when it was again disappointed by the Eagerness of Catiline, who gave the Signal before all the Confpirators were affembled. This was well known to the Senate; but there being no pofitive Proof, Cicero only mentions Catiline's having a Sword in the Comitium, which was contrary to Law.

h Any Place where the Affembly of the People was held.