12

THE DECLINE AND FALL

CHAP.

XLIV.

assembly, in which their votes were confoundedwith those of the meanest plebeians. Yet aslong as the tribes successively passed over nar-row bridges' and gave their voices aloud, theconduct of each citizen was exposed to the eyesand ears of his friends and countrymen. Theinsolvent debtor consulted the wishes of hiscreditor; the client would have blushed to op-pose the views of his patron: the general w'asfollowed by his veterans, and the aspect of agrave magistrate was a living lesson to the mul-titude. A new method of secret ballot abo-lished the influence of fear and shame, of ho-nour and interest; and the abuse of freedomaccelerated the progress of anarchy and des-potism/ The Romans had aspired to be equal;they were levelled by the equality of servitude;and the dictates of Augustus were patientlyratified by the formal consent of the tribes orcenturies. Once, and once only, he experien-ced a sincere and strenuous opposition. Hissubjects had resigned all political liberty; theydefended the freedom of domestic life. A lawwhich enforced the obligation, and strengthen-ed the bonds of marriage, was clamorously re-jected ; Propertius , in the arms of Delia, ap-plauded the victory of licentious love; and theproject of reform w as suspended till a new andmore tractable generation had arisen in the

e Consult the common writers on the Roman Comitia, especially Si-gonius and Beaufort. Spanhcim (tie Praestantia. et Usu Numismatum,tom. ii, dissert, x, p. 192, 193) shews, on a curious medal, the Cista,Pontes, Septa, Diribitor, &c.

f Cicero (de Legibus , iii, 1G, 17, 18) debates this constitutional ques-tion, aud assigns to his brother Quintus the most unpopular side*