Volume Ii Part 1 (2/2)
”The people have no friends, since Caius Marius died,” said the deep voice of Fulvius Flaccus, as he pa.s.sed casually through the crowd.
”But what befel the poor Icilia?” asked an old matron, who had been listening with greedy sympathy to the dark tale.
”Why, Marcus would yet have taken her to his bosom, seeing she had no share in the guilt; but she bore a heart too Roman to bring disgrace upon one she loved, or to survive her honor. Icilia _is_ no longer.”
”She died like Lucretia!” said an old man, who stood near, with a clouded brow, which flashed into stormy light, as the same deep voice asked aloud,
”Shall she be so avenged?”
But the transient gleam faded instantly away, and the sad face was again blank and rayless, as he replied-
”No-for who should avenge her?”
”The people! the people!” shouted several voices, for the mob was gathering, and growing angry-
”The Roman People should avenge her!”
”Tus.h.!.+” answered Fulvius Flaccus. ”There is no Roman people!”
”And who are you,” exclaimed two or three of the younger men, ”that dare tell us so?”
”The grandson,” answered the republican, ”of one, who, while there yet _was_ a people, loved it”-
”His name? his name?” shouted many voices.
”He hath no name”-replied Fulvius. ”He lost that, and his life together.”
”Lost them for the people?” inquired the old man, whom he had first addressed, and who had been scrutinizing him narrowly.
”And _by_ the people,” answered the other. ”For the people's cause; and by the people's treason!-as is the case,” he added, half scornfully, half sadly, ”with all who love the people.”
”Hear him, my countrymen,” said the old man. ”Hear him. If there be any one can save you, it is he. It is Fulvius, the son of Caius, the son of Marcus-Flaccus. Hear him, I say, if he will only lead you.”
”Lead us! speak to us! lead us!” shouted the fickle crowd. ”Love us, good Fulvius, as your fathers did of old.”
”And die, for you, as they died!” replied the other, in a tone of melancholy sarcasm. ”Hark you, my masters,” he added, ”there are none now against whom to lead you; and if there were, I think there would be none to follow. Keep your palms unsoiled by the base bribes of the n.o.bles! Keep your ears closed to the base lies of the demagogues! Keep your hearts true and honest! Keep your eyes open and watchful! Brawl not, one with the other; but be faithful, as brethren should. Be grave, laborious, sober, and above all things humble, as men who once were free and great, and now, by their own fault, are fallen and degraded. Make yourselves fit to be led gloriously; and, when the time shall come, there will be no lack of glorious leaders!”
”But to-morrow? what shall we do to-morrow?” cried several voices; but this time it was the elder men, who asked the question, ”for whom shall we vote to-morrow?”
”For the friend of the people!” answered Flaccus.
”Where shall we find him?” was the cry; ”who is the friend of the people?”
”Not he who would arm them, one against the other,” he replied. ”Not he, who would burn their workshops, and destroy their means of daily sustenance! Not he, by all the G.o.ds! who sports with the honor of their wives, the virtue”-
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