histories-第3章

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power。　Let　the　principle　of　my　choice　be　shown　not　only　by　my



connections　which　I　have　set　aside　for　you；　but　by　your　own。　You



have　a　brother；　noble　as　yourself；　and　older；　who　would　be　well　worthy



of　this　dignity；　were　you　not　worthier。　Your　age　is　such　as　to　be



now　free　from　the　passions　of　youth；　and　such　your　life　that　in　the



past　you　have　nothing　to　excuse。　Hitherto；　you　have　only　borne



adversity；　prosperity　tries　the　heart　with　keener　temptations；　for



hardships　may　be　endured；　whereas　we　are　spoiled　by　success。　You



indeed　will　cling　with　the　same　constancy　to　honor；　freedom；



friendship；　the　best　possessions　of　the　human　spirit；　but　others



will　seek　to　weaken　them　with　their　servility。　You　will　be　fiercely



assailed　by　adulation；　by　flattery；　that　worst　poison　of　the　true



heart；　and　by　the　selfish　interests　of　individuals。　You　and　I　speak



together　to…day　with　perfect　frankness；　but　others　will　be　more



ready　to　address　us　as　emperors　than　as　men。　For　to　urge　his　duty　upon



a　prince　is　indeed　a　hard　matter；　to　flatter　him；　whatever　his



character；　is　a　mere　routine　gone　through　without　any　heart。



　　〃Could　the　vast　frame　of　this　empire　have　stood　and　preserved　its



balance　without　a　directing　spirit；　I　was　not　unworthy　of　inaugurating



a　republic。　As　it　is；　we　have　been　long　reduced　to　a　position；　in



which　my　age　confer　no　greater　boon　on　the　Roman　people　than　a　good



successor；　your　youth　no　greater　than　a　good　emperor。　Under



Tuberous；　Chairs；　and　Claudius；　we　were；　so　to　speak；　the



inheritance　of　a　single　family。　The　choice　which　begins　with　us　will



be　a　substitute　for　freedom。　Now　that　the　family　of　the　Julii　and



the　Claudii　has　come　to　an　end；　adoption　will　discover　the　worthiest



successor。　To　be　begotten　and　born　of　a　princely　race　is　a　mere



accident；　and　is　only　valued　as　such。　In　adoption　there　is　nothing



that　need　bias　the　judgment；　and　if　you　wish　to　make　a　choice；　an



unanimous　opinion　points　out　the　man。　Let　Nero　be　ever　before　your



eyes；　swollen　with　the　pride　of　a　long　line　of　Caesars；　it　was　not



Vindex　with　his　unarmed　province；　it　was　not　myself　with　my　single



legion；　that　shook　his　yoke　from　our　necks。　It　was　his　own　profligacy；



his　own　brutality；　and　that；　though　there　had　been　before　no　precedent



of　an　emperor　condemned　by　his　own　people。　We；　who　have　been　called　to



power　by　the　issues　of　war；　and　by　the　deliberate　judgment　of



others；　shall　incur　unpopularity；　however　illustrious　our　character。



Do　not　however　be　alarmed；　if；　after　a　movement　which　has　shaken　the



world；　two　legions　are　not　yet　quiet。　I　did　not　myself　succeed　to　a



throne　without　anxiety；　and　when　men　shall　hear　of　your　adoption　I



shall　no　longer　be　thought　old；　and　this　is　the　only　objection　which



is　now　made　against　me。　Nero　will　always　be　regretted　by　the



thoroughly　depraved；　it　is　for　you　and　me　to　take　care；　that　he　be　not



regretted　also　by　the　good。　To　prolong　such　advice；　suits　not　this



occasion；　and　all　my　purpose　is　fulfilled　if　I　have　made　a　good　choice



in　you。　The　most　practical　and　the　shortest　method　of　distinguishing



between　good　and　bad　measures；　is　to　think　what　you　yourself　would



or　would　not　like　under　another　emperor。　It　is　not　here；　as　it　is



among　nations　despotically　ruled；　that　there　is　a　distinct　governing



family；　while　all　the　rest　are　slaves。　You　have　to　reign　over　men



who　cannot　bear　either　absolute　slavery　or　absolute　freedom。〃　This；



with　more　to　the　same　effect；　was　said　by　Galba；　he　spoke　to　Piso　as



if　he　were　creating　an　emperor；　the　others　addressed　him　as　if　he　were



an　emperor　already。



　　It　is　said　of　Piso　that　he　betrayed　no　discomposure　or　excessive



joy；　either　to　the　gaze　to　which　he　was　immediately　subjected；　or



afterwards　when　all　eyes　were　turned　upon　him。　His　language　to　the



Emperor；　his　father；　was　reverential；　his　language　about　himself　was



modest。　He　shewed　no　change　in　look　or　manner；　he　seemed　like　one



who　had　the　power　rather　than　the　wish　to　rule。　It　was　next



discussed　whether　the　adoption　should　be　publicly　pronounced　in



front　of　the　Rostra；　in　the　Senate；　or　in　the　camp。　It　was　thought



best　to　go　to　the　camp。　This　would　be　a　compliment　to　the　soldiery；



and　their　favour；　base　as　it　was　to　purchase　it　by　bribery　or



intrigue；　was　not　to　be　despised　if　it　could　be　obtained　by　honourable



means。　Meanwhile　the　expectant　people　had　surrounded　the　palace；



impatient　to　learn　the　great　secret；　and　those　who　sought　to　stifle



the　ill…concealed　rumour　did　but　spread　it　the　more。



　　The　10th　of　January　was　a　gloomy；　stormy　day；　unusually　disturbed　by



thunder；　lightning；　and　all　bad　omens　from　heaven。　Though　this　had



from　ancient　time　been　made　a　reason　for　dissolving　an　assembly；　it



did　not　deter　Galba　from　proceeding　to　the　camp；　either　because　he



despised　such　things　as　being　mere　matters　of　chance；　or　because　the



decrees　of　fate；　though　they　be　foreshewn；　are　not　escaped。　Addressing



a　crowded　assembly　of　the　soldiers　he　announced；　with　imperial



brevity；　that　he　adopted　Piso；　following　the　precedent　of　the　Divine



Augustus；　and　the　military　custom　by　which　a　soldier　chooses　his



comrade。　Fearing　that　to　conceal　the　mutiny　would　be　to　make　them



think　it　greater　than　it　really　was；　he　spontaneously　declared　that



the　4th　and　18th　legions；　led　by　a　few　factious　persons；　had　been



insubordinate；　but　had　not　gone　beyond　certain　words　and　cries；　and



that　they　would　soon　return　to　their　duty。　To　this　speech　he　added



no　word　of　flattery；　no　hint　of　a　bribe。　Yet　the　tribunes；　the



centurions；　and　such　of　the　soldiers　as　stood　near；　made　an



encouraging　response。　A　gloomy　silence　prevailed　among　the　rest；　who



seemed　to　think　that　they　had　lost　by　war　that　right　to　a　donative



which　they　had　made　good　even　in　peace。　It　is　certain　that　their



feelings　might　have　been　conciliated　by　the　very　smallest　liberality



on　the　part　of　the　parsimonious　old　man。　He　was　ruined　by　his



old…fashioned　inflexibility；　and　by　an　excessive　sternness　which　we



are　no　longer　able　to　endure。



　　Then　followed　Galba's　speech　in　the　Senate；　which　was　as　plain　and



brief　as　his　speech　to　the　soldiery。　Piso　delivered　a　graceful　oration



and　was　supported　by　the　feeling　of　the　Senate。　Many　who　wished　him



well；　spoke　with　enthusiasm；　those　who　had　opposed　him；　in　moderate



terms；　the　majority　met　him　with　an　officious　homage；　having　aims　of



their　own　and　no　thought　for　the　state。　Piso　neither　said　nor　did



anything　else　in　public　in　the　following　four　days　which　intervened



between　his　adoption　and　his　death。　As　tidings　of　the　mutiny　in



Germany　were　arriving　with　daily　increasing　frequency；　while　the



country　was　ready　to　receive　and　to　credit　all　intelligence　that　had



an　unfavourable　character；　the　Senate　came　to　a　resolution　to　send



deputies　to　the　German　armies。　It　was　privately　discussed　whether　Piso



should　go　with　them　to　give　them　a　more　imposing　appearance；　they；



it　was　said；　would　bring　with　them　the　authority　of　the　Senate；　he　the



majesty　of　the　Caesar。　It　was　thought　expedient　to　send　with　them



Cornelius　Laco；　prefect　of　the　Praetorian　Guard；　but　he　thwarted　the



design。　In　nominating；　excusing；　and　changing　the　deputies；　the　Senate



having　entrusted　the　selection　to　Galba；　the　Emperor　shewed　a



disgraceful　want　of　firmness；　yielding　to　individuals；　who　made



interest　to　stay　or　to　go；　as　their　fears　or　their　hopes　prompted。



　　Next　came　the　question　of　money。　On　a　general　inquiry　it　seemed



the　fairest　course　to　demand　restitution　from　those　who　had　caused　the



public　poverty。　Nero　had　squandered　in　presents　two　thousand　two



hundred　million　sesterces。　It　was　ordered　that　each　recipient　should



be　sued；　but　should　be　permitted　to　retain　a　tenth　part　of　the　bounty。



They　had　however　barely　a　tenth　part　left；　having　wasted　the



property　of　others　in　the　same　extravagances　in　which　they　had



squandered　their　own；　till　the　most　rapacious　and　profligate　among



them　had　neither　capital　nor　land　remaining；　nothing　in　fact　but　the



appliances　of　their　vices。　Thirty　Roman　Knights　were　appointed　to



conduct　the　process　of　recovery；　a　novel　office；　and　made　burdensome



by　the　number　and　intriguing　practices　of　those　with　whom　it　had　to



deal。　Everywhere　were　sales　and　brokers；　and　Rome　was　in　an　uproar



with　auctions。　Yet　great　was　the　joy　to　think　that　the　men　whom　Nero



had　enriched　would　be　as　poor　as　those　whom　he　had　robbed。　About



this　time　were　cashiered　two　tribunes　of　the　Praetorian　Guard；



Antonius　Taurus　and　Antonius　Naso；　an　officer　of　the　City　cohorts；



Aemilius　Pacensis；　and　one　of　the　watch；　Julius　Fronto。　This　led　to　no



amendment　with　the　rest；　but　only　started　the　apprehension；　that　a



crafty　and　timid　policy　was　getting　rid　of　individuals；　while　all　were



suspected。



　　Otho；　meanwhile；　who　had　nothing　to　hope　while　the　State　was



tranquil；　and　whose　whole　plans　depended　on　revolution；　was　being



roused　to　action　by　a　combination　of　many　motives；　by　a　luxury　that



would　have　embarrassed　even　an　emperor；　by　a　poverty　that　a　subject



could　hardly　endure；　by　his　rage　against　Galba；　by　his　envy　of　Piso。



He　even　pretended　to　fear　to　make　himself　keener　in　desire。　〃I　was；



said　he；　〃too　formidable　to　Nero；　and　I　must　not　look　for　another



Lusitania；　another　honourable　exile。　Rulers　always　suspect　and　hate



the　man　who　has　been　named　for　the　succession。　This　has　injured　me



with　the　aged　Emperor；　and　will　injure　me　yet　more　with　a　young　man



whose　temper；　naturally　savage；　has　been　rendered　ferocious　by



prolonged　exile。　How　easy　to　put　Otho　to　death！　I　must　therefore　do



and　dare　now　while　Galba's　authority　is　still　unsettled；　and　before



that　of　Piso　is　consolidated。　Periods　of　transition　suit　great



attempts；　and　delay　is　useless　where　inaction　is　more　hurtful　than



temerity。　Death；　which　nature　ordains　for　all　alike；　yet　admits　of　the



distinction　of　being　either　forgotten；　or　remembered　with　honour　by



posterity；　and；　if　the　same　lot　awaits　the　innocent　and　the　guilty；



the　man　of　spirit　will　at　least　deserve　his　fate。〃



　　The　soul　of　Otho　was　not　effeminate　like　his　person。　His



confidential　freedmen　and　slaves；　who　enjoyed　a　license　unknown　in



private　families；　brought　the　debaucheries　of　Nero's　court；　its



intrigues；　its　easy　marriages；　and　the　other　indulgences　of　despotic



power；　before　a　mind　passionately　fond　of　such　things；　dwelt　upon　them



as　his　if　he　dared　to　seize　them；　and　reproached　the　inaction　that



would　leave　them　to　others。　The　astrologers　also　urged　him　to



action；　predicting　from　their　observation　of　the　heavens



revolutions；　and　a　year　of　glory　for　Otho。　This　is　a　class　of　men；



whom　the　powerful　cannot　trust；　and　who　de