336 MARCUS CATO. •

character was much sooner perceived in things of this sort, than in what is done publicly and in open day. They chose, therefore, two persons, one out of the patricians, the other out of the commons, who were to watch, cor- rect, and punish, if any one ran too much into voluptu- ousness, or transgressed the usual manner of life of his country ; and these they called Censors. They had power to take away a horse,* or expel out of the senate any one who lived intemperately and out of order. It was also their business to take an estimate of what every one was worth, and to put down in registers everybody's birth and quality ; besides many other prerogatives. And therefore the chief nobility opposed his pretensions to it. Jealousy prompted the patricians, who thought that it would be a stain to everybody's nobility, if men of no original honor should rise to the highest dignity and power; while others, conscious of their own evil practices, and of the violation of the laws and customs of their country, were afraid of the austerity of the man ; which, in an office of such great power was hkely to prove most uncompromising and severe. And so con- sulting among themselves, they brought forward seven candidates in opposition to him, who sedulously set them- selves to court the people's favor by fair promises, as though what they wished for was indulgent and easy gov- ernment. Cato, on the contrary, promising no such mild- ness, but plainly threatening evil livers, from the very hustings openly declared himself; and exclaiming, that the city needed a great and thorough purgation, called upon the people, if they were wise, not to choose the

• Equum adimere, to inflict on the lowest distinction of r.ank. The

any member of the order of horse- equestrian dignity depended, up to men or equites, the forfeiture of the the end of the republic, on the pos- horse that was allowed him : in session of a certain amount of prop- other words, to degrade from the erty, united with free birth from equestrian dignity ; to deprive of two generations.