Curiosities & wonders > Titus Livius' Roman history

I' Chap. 25. ROMAN HISTORY. 315
Next day the law was accepted the unanimous
f consent of the people. ‘ To convince you. Rowans, that
I am in earnest, when I express so great a dislike to
‘ magistracies of long continuance, I this instant resign
p * my own.’ Having thus divested himself of his own
office, and so put an end to one, and limited another, he
, was conducted back to his house by the multitude, with
loud acclamations of joy. Mamercus’s conduct, in
, abridging the duration of a Roman office, was highly re-
sented by the censors, who degraded him from his tribe,
and saddled him with a tribute eight times his usual pio-
portion. It is said of Aimilius, that he bore all tflis with
a remarkable degree of fortitude, disregarding the indig¬
nity, out of respect to the cause : and thattugh the senators
had no great relish for the new law, they were far from
being pleased with this instance of despotism in the cen¬
sors, from a very natural reflection, that though they
might themselves be possessed of the same power, they
t. might be oftener, and much longer subject to it. How¬
ever, it is certain, that such was th* indignation of the
people, that but for the interposition of .Mamercus him¬
self, the censors would have been torn to pieces.
CHAP. XXV.
Complaints of the Tribunes, that they were neglected by the
people. A pestilence rages.
THE tribunes of*the people, by the constant ha¬
rangues, in opposition to the election of consuls,-at last
carried, that military tribunes, with consular power,
should be chosen for the ensuing year, after matters
| were almost, brought to an inter-regnum. Nevertheless,
they obtained none of the reward they expected, for not
a single Plebeian was elected. They were ail Patri-
cions, namely, M. Fabius Vibulanus, M. Fossus? L. Ser¬
gius Fidenas. A pestilence which raged this year, gave
them a respite from other troubles. A temple was vowed
to Apollo for the health of the people. The duumvirs
tried many expedients prescribed in their books, for ap¬
peasing the anger of the gods, and rescuing-the people
from the plague. Rut, after all, the distemper made