The period
this of all upright and impartial laws. What laws followed, though
sometimes made against crimes and offenders, were yet chiefly made by
violence, through the animosity of the two Estates, and for seizing
unjustly withholden offices or continuing unjustly in them, or for
banishing illustrious patriots, and to other wicked ends. Hence the
Gracchi and Saturnini, inflamers of the people; and hence Drusus vying, on
behalf of the Senate, in popular concessions with these inflamers; and
hence the corrupt promises made to our Italian allies, promises
deceitfully made, or, by the interposition of some Tribune, defeated.
Neither during the war of Italy, nor during the civil war, was the making
of regulations discontinued; many and contradictory were even then made.
At last Sylla the Dictator, changing or abolishing the past, added many of
his own, and procured some respite in this matter, but not long; for
presently followed the turbulent pursuits and proposals of Lepidus, and
soon after were the Tribunes restored to their licentious authority of
throwing the people into combustions at pleasure.
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