Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.4, 1865).djvu/418

410 CATO THE YOUNGER. regard for his virtue's sake, than Philippus did on account of the connection between them. And Cicero now being returned from his banishment, into which he was driven by Clodius, and having again obtained great credit among the people, went, in the absence of Clodius, and by force took away the records of his tribuneship, which had been laid up in the capitol. Hereupon the senate was assem bled, and Clodius complained of Cicero, who answered, that Clodius was never legally tribune, and therefore whatever he had done, was void, and of no authority. But Cato interrupted him while he spoke, and at last standing up said, that indeed he in no way justified or approved of Clodius's proceedings ; but if they questioned the validity of what had been done in his tribuneship, they might also question what himself had done at Cyprus, for the expedition was unlawful, if he that sent him had no lawful authority : for himself, he thought Clodius was legally made tribune, who, by permission of the law, was from a patrician adopted into a plebeian family ; if he had done ill in his office, he ought to be called to account for it ; but the authority of the magistracy ought not to suffer for the faults of the magistrate. Cicero took this ill, and for a long time discontinued his friendship with Cato ; but they were afterwards reconciled. Pompey and Crassus, by agreement with Caasar, who crossed the Alps to see them, had formed a design, that they two should stand to be chosen consuls a second time, and when they should be in their office, they would con- tinue to Caasar his government for five years more, and take to themselves the greatest provinces, with armies and money to maintain them. This seemed a plain con- spiracy to subvert the constitution and parcel out the empire. Several men of high character had intended to stand to be consuls that year, but upon the appearance of these great competitors, they all desisted, except only