antony-第4章

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　applause　of　the　people；　a　curious　thing　enough；　that　they　should　submit　with　patience　to　the　fact；　and　yet　at　the　same　time　dread　the　name　as　the　destruction　of　their　liberty。　Caesar；　very　much　discomposed　at　what　had　passed　got　up　from　his　seat；　and；　laying　bare　his　neck；　said　he　was　ready　to　receive　a　stroke；　if　any　one　of　them　desired　to　give　it。　The　crown　was　at　last　put　on　one　of　his　statues；　but　was　taken　down　by　some　of　the　tribunes；　who　were　followed　home　by　the　people　with　shouts　of　applause。　Caesar；　however；　resented　it；　and　deposed　them。　　　These　passages　gave　great　encouragement　to　Brutus　and　Cassius；　who　in　making　choice　of　trusty　friends　for　such　an　enterprise；　were　thinking　to　engage　Antony。　The　rest　approved；　except　Trebonius；　who　told　them　that　Antony　and　he　had　lodged　and　travelled　together　in　the　last　journey　they　took　to　meet　Caesar；　and　that　he　had　let　fall　several　words；　in　a　cautious　way；　on　purpose　to　sound　him；　that　Antony　very　well　understood　him；　but　did　not　encourage　it；　however；　he　had　said　nothing　of　it　to　Caesar；　but　had　kept　the　secret　faithfully。　The　conspirators　then　proposed　that　Antony　should　die　with　him；　which　Brutus　would　not　consent　to；　insisting　that　an　action　undertaken　in　defence　of　right　and　the　laws　must　be　maintained　unsullied；　and　pure　of　injustice。　It　was　settled　that　Antony；　whose　bodily　strength　and　high　office　made　him　formidable；　should；　at　Caesar's　entrance　into　the　senate；　when　the　deed　was　to　be　done；　be　amused　outside　by　some　of　the　party　in　a　conversation　about　some　pretended　business。　　　So　when　all　was　proceeded　with；　according　to　their　plan；　and　Caesar　had　fallen　in　the　senate…house；　Antony；　at　the　first　moment；　took　a　servant's　dress；　and　hid　himself。　But；　understanding　that　the　conspirators　had　assembled　in　the　Capitol；　and　had　no　further　design　upon　any　one；　he　persuaded　them　to　come　down；　giving　them　his　son　as　a　hostage。　That　night　Cassius　supped　at　Antony's　house；　and　Brutus　with　Lepidus。　Antony　then　convened　the　senate；　and　spoke　in　favour　of　an　act　of　oblivion；　and　the　appointment　of　Brutus　and　Cassius　to　provinces。　These　measures　the　senate　passed；　and　resolved　that　all　Caesar's　acts　should　remain　in　force。　Thus　Antony　went　out　of　the　senate　with　the　highest　possible　reputation　and　esteem；　for　it　was　apparent　that　he　had　prevented　a　civil　war；　and　had　composed；　in　the　wisest　and　most　statesmanlike　way；　questions　of　the　greatest　difficulty　and　embarrassment。　But　these　temperate　counsels　were　soon　swept　away　by　the　tide　of　popular　applause；　and　the　prospect；　if　Brutus　were　overthrown；　of　being　without　doubt　the　ruler…in…chief。　As　Caesar's　body　was　conveying　to　the　tomb；　Antony；　according　to　the　custom；　was　making　his　funeral　oration　in　the　market…place；　and　perceiving　the　people　to　be　infinitely　affected　with　what　he　had　said；　he　began　to　mingle　with　his　praises　language　of　commiseration；　and　horror　at　what　had　happened；　and；　as　he　was　ending　his　speech；　he　took　the　under…clothes　of　the　dead；　and　held　them　up；　showing　them　stains　of　blood　and　the　holes　of　the　many　stabs；　calling　those　that　had　done　this　act　villains　and　bloody　murderers。　All　which　excited　the　people　to　such　indignation；　that　they　would　not　defer　the　funeral；　but；　making　a　pile　of　tables　and　forms　in　the　very　market…place；　set　fire　to　it；　and　every　one；　taking　a　brand；　ran　to　the　conspirators'　houses；　to　attack　them。　　　Upon　this；　Brutus　and　his　whole　party　left　the　city；　and　Caesar's　friends　joined　themselves　to　Antony。　Calpurnia；　Caesar's　wife；　lodged　with　him　the　best　part　of　the　property　to　the　value　of　four　thousand　talents；　he　got　also　into　his　hands　all　Caesar's　papers　wherein　were　contained　journals　of　all　he　had　done；　and　draughts　of　what　he　designed　to　do；　which　Antony　made　good　use　of；　for　by　this　means　he　appointed　what　magistrates　he　pleased；　brought　whom　he　would　into　the　senate；　recalled　some　from　exile；　freed　others　out　of　prison；　and　all　this　as　ordered　so　by　Caesar。　The　Romans；　in　mockery；　gave　those　who　were　thus　benefited　the　name　of　Charonites；　since；　if　put　to　prove　their　patents；　they　must　have　recourse　to　the　papers　of　the　dead。　In　short；　Antony's　behaviour　in　Rome　was　very　absolute；　he　himself　being　consul　and　his　two　brothers　in　great　place；　Caius；　the　one；　being　praetor；　and　Lucius；　the　other；　tribune　of　the　people。　　　While　matters　went　thus　in　Rome；　the　young　Caesar；　Caesar's　niece's　son；　and　by　testament　left　his　heir；　arrived　at　Rome　from　Apollonia；　where　he　was　when　his　uncle　was　killed。　The　first　thing　he　did　was　to　visit　Antony；　as　his　father's　friend。　He　spoke　to　him　concerning　the　money　that　was　in　his　hands；　and　reminded　him　of　the　legacy　Caesar　had　made　of　seventy…five　drachmas　of　every　Roman　citizen。　Antony；　at　first；　laughing　at　such　discourse　from　so　young　a　man；　told　him　he　wished　he　were　in　his　health；　and　that　he　wanted　good　counsel　and　good　friends　to　tell　him　the　burden　of　being　executor　to　Caesar　would　sit　very　uneasy　upon　his　young　shoulders。　This　was　no　answer　to　him；　and；　when　he　persisted　in　demanding　the　property；　Antony　went　on　treating　him　injuriously　both　in　word　and　deed；　opposed　him　when　he　stood　for　the　tribune's　office；　and；　when　he　was　taking　steps　for　the　dedication　of　his　father's　golden　chair；　as　had　been　enacted；　he　threatened　to　send　him　to　prison　if　he　did　not　give　over　soliciting　the　people。　This　made　the　young　Caesar　apply　himself　to　Cicero；　and　all　those　that　hated　Antony；　by　them　he　was　recommended　to　the　senate；　while　he　himself　courted　the　people；　and　drew　together　the　soldiers　from　their　settlements；　till　Antony　got　alarmed；　and　gave　him　a　meeting　in　the　Capitol；　where；　after　some　words；　they　came　to　an　accommodation。　　　That　night　Antony　had　a　very　unlucky　dream；　fancying　that　his　right　hand　was　thunderstruck。　And；　some　few　days　after；　he　was　informed　that　Caesar　was　plotting　to　take　his　life。　Caesar　explained；　but　was　not　believed；　so　that　the　breach　was　now　made　as　wide　as　ever；　each　of　them　hurried　about　all　through　Italy　to　engage；　by　great　offers；　the　old　soldiers　that　lay　scattered　in　their　settlements；　and　to　be　the　first　to　secure　the　troops　that　still　remained　undischarged。　Cicero　was　at　this　time　the　man　of　greatest　influence　in　Rome。　He　made　use　of　all　his　art　to　exasperate　the　people　against　Antony；　and　at　length　persuaded　the　senate　to　declare　him　a　public　enemy；　to　send　Caesar　the　rods　and　axes　and　other　marks　of　honour　usually　given　to　proctors；　and　to　issue　orders　to　Hirtius　and　Pansa；　who　were　the　consuls；　to　drive　Antony　out　of　Italy。　The　armies　engaged　near　Modena；　and　Caesar　himself　was　present　and　took　part　in　the　battle。　Antony　was　defeated；　but　both　the　consuls　were　slain。　Antony；　in　his　flight；　was　overtaken　by　distresses　of　every　kind；　and　the　worst　of　all　of　them　was　famine。　But　it　was　his　character　in　calamities　to　be　better　than　at　any　other　time。　Antony；　in　misfortune；　was　most　nearly　a　virtuous　man。　It　is　common　enough　for　people；　when　they　fall　into　great　disasters；　to　discern　what　is　right；　and　what　they　ought　to　do；　but　there　are　but　few　who　in　such　extremities　have　the　strength　to　obey　their　judgment；　either　in　doing　what　it　approves　or　avoiding　what　it　condemns；　and　a　good　many　are　so　weak　as　to