9.
[22]
And yet, why am I speaking? that anything may change your purpose? that you may ever amend
your life? that you may meditate flight or think of voluntary banishment? I wish the gods may
give you such a mind; though I see, if alarmed at my words you bring your mind to go into
banishment, what a storm of unpopularity hangs over me, if not at present, while the memory
of your wickedness is fresh, at all events hereafter. But it is worthwhile to incur that, as
long as that is but a private misfortune of my own, and is unconnected with the dangers of
the republic. But we cannot expect that you should be concerned at your own vices, that you
should fear the penalties of the laws, or that you should yield to the necessities of the
republic, for you are not, O Catiline, one whom either shame can recall from infamy, or fear
from danger, or reason from madness.
[23]
Wherefore, as I have said before, go forth, and if you
to make me, your enemy as you call me, unpopular, go straight into banishment. I shall
scarcely be able to endue all that will be said if you do so; I shall scarcely be able to
support my load of unpopularity if you do go into banishment at the command of the consul;
but if you wish serve my credit and reputation, go forth with your ill-omened band of
profligates; betake yourself to Manilius, rouse up the abandoned citizens, separate yourself
from the good ones, wage war against your country, exult in your impious banditti, so that
you may not seem to have been driven out by me and gone to strangers, but to have gone
invited to your own friends.
[24]
Though why should I invite you, by whom I know men have been already sent on to wait in
arms for you at the forum Aurelium; who I know has fixed and agreed with Manlius upon a
settled day; by whom I know that that silver eagle, which I trust will be ruinous and fatal
to you and to all your friends, and to which there was set up in your house a shrine as it
were of your crimes, has been already sent forward. Need I fear that you can long do without
that which you used to worship when going out to do murder, and from whose altars you have
often transferred your impious hand to the slaughter of citizens?
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M. Tullius Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, literally translated by C. D. Yonge, B. A. London. Henry G. Bohn, York Street, Covent Garden. 1856.
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