worthless or wicked Person, should contrive that it be solicited by one
who is utterly worthless and wicked, or else by one who is in the
highest degree noble and good._
Whenever the senate saw a likelihood of the tribunes with consular
powers being chosen exclusively from the commons, it took one or other
of two ways,—either by causing the office to be solicited by the most
distinguished among the citizens; or else, to confess the truth, by
bribing some base and ignoble fellow to fasten himself on to those
other plebeians of better quality who were seeking the office, and
become a candidate conjointly with them. The latter device made the
people ashamed to give, the former ashamed to refuse.
This confirms what I said in my last Chapter, as to the people
deceiving themselves in generalities but not in particulars.