The National tribune., 1881-11-12

perhaps had heard whispers and wished to warn
| him. AS he still passed on stranger thrust a
scroll into his hand and begged him to read it ON
the spot. 1t contained q list of the cOnspirators,
with clear account of the plot He supposed
1t to be petition and placed it carelessly among
| his other papers. The fate OF the empire hung
upon a thread, but the thread was not broken.
AS Caesar had lived to reconstruct. the Roman
world so his death was necessary to finish the
work He went on to the Curia, and the Sena-
tors said to themselves that the augurs had fore
told his fate, but he would not listen; he vas
doomed for his contempt of religion"
| Antony, who was in attendance, was detained,
as had been arranged, by Trebonius. Caesar en-
tered and took his seat. His presence awed men,
In spite of themselves, and the cOnsprators had
determined to ac5 at once lest they should lose
courage to act at all. He was familiar and easy
of access. They gathered round him. He knew
them all There was not one from whom he had
not right to expect some sort OF gratitude and
the movement suggested no suspicion. One had
story to tell him; another some favor to ask.
Tullius Climber, whom he had ust made Cover
nor of Bithynia, then came close to him, with
some request which he was unwilling to grant.
Climber caught his gown, as if in entreaty, and
dragged it from his shoulders. Cassius, who was
standing behind, stabbed him il the throat. He
started up with cry and caught Cassius arm.
Another poniard entered his breast, giving a NOR
tai wound He looked round and seeing not
one friendly face but only ring of daggers
pointing at him. he drew his gown over his head,
gathered the folds about him that he might fall
decently, and sank down without uttering an
other word Cicero was present The feelings
with which he watched the scene are unrecorded,
but may easily be imagined. Waving his dag
ger, dripping with Caesars blood, Brutus shouted
to Cicero by name, congratulating him that lib
erty was restored The Senate rose with shrieks
and confusion, and rushed into the Forum. The
crowd outside caught the words that Caesar was
dead and scattered to their houses. Antony
guessing that those who had killed Caesar would
not spare himself, hurried off into concealment
The murderers, bleeding some of them from
wounds which they had given one another in
their eagerness, followed, crying that the tyrant
was dead, and that Rome was free; and the body
of the great Caesar was left alone in the house
where few weeks before Cicero told him that he
was so necessary to his country that every Sena-
tor would die before harm should reach him
Sixty Senators in all were parties to the imme-
date conspiracy. Of these nine-tenths were
members of the old faction whom Cesar had
pardoned and who, of all his acts, resented most
that he had been able to pardon them They
were the men who had stayed at home, like
Cicero, from the fields of Thaspus and Munda,
and had pretended penitS(R and submission
that they might take ~ ~: = them
selves of their enemy. TheW1' Is were the
ambition of their order and personal hatred of
Gasar, aat theY persuaded then elves hat they
we're aHj".ated by patTjct.sga. md as IN their
hands me Republic ha5 been 5er- .f liberty.
50 ehsT aim. ri re. orlag Ii bra NECK tyraanj-
eide Their nat1s I'D s1eig Professions p ere /