But these, in
truth, are not petitions; they are demands made against order, and made by
surprise: while you are assembled upon other affairs, he stands up and
urges your pity, by the number and infancy of his children; with the same
violence, he charges the attack to me, and as it were bursts open the
exchequer; but if by popular bounties we exhaust it, by rapine and
oppression we must supply it. The deified Augustus gave you money,
Hortalus; but without solicitation he gave it, and on no condition that it
should always be given: otherwise diligence will languish; sloth will
prevail; and men having no hopes in resources of their own, no anxiety for
themselves, but all securely relying on foreign relief, will become
private sluggards and public burdens." These and the like reasonings of
Tiberius were differently received; with approbation by those whose way it
is to extol, without distinction, all the doings of Princes, worthy and
unworthy; by most, however, with silence, or low and discontented murmurs.
Tiberius perceived it, and having paused a little, said "his answer was
particularly to Hortalus; but if the Senate thought fit, he would give his
sons two hundred great sestertia each.
Pages:
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190