74 CORIOLAiSrUS.

him ; when it was replied by them, on the other side, and the question put, " Rathei', how came it into your minds, and what is it you design, thus to di'ag one of the wor- thiest men of Rome, without trial, to a barbarous and ille- gal execution ? " " Very well." said Sicinnius, " you shall have no ground in this respect for quarrel or complaint against the people. The people grant your request, and your partisan shall be tried. We appoint you, Marcius," directing his speech to him, " the third market-day ensu- ing, to appear and defend yourself, and to try if you can satisfy the Roman citizens of 3-our innocence, who will then judge your case by vote." The patricians were con- tent with such a truce and respite for that time, and gladly returned home, having for the present brought off Marcius in safet}'. During the interval before the appointed time (for the Romans hold their sessions every ninth da}", which from that cause are called nundince in Latin), a war fell out with the Antiates, likely to be of some continuance, which gave them hope they might one way or other elude the judgment. The jjeople, they presumed, would become tractable, and their indignation lessen and languish by degrees in so long a space, if occupation and war did not wholly put it out of their mind. But when, contrary to expectation, they made a speedy agreement with the people of Antium, and the army came back to Rome, the patricians were again in great perplexity, and had fre- quent meetings to consider how things might be arranged, without either abandouinor Marcius, or vet giving occasion to the popular orators to create new disorders. Appius Claudius, whom they counted among the senators most averse to the popular interest, made a solemn declara- tion, and told them beforehand, that the senate would utterly destroy itself and betray the government, if they should once suffer the people to assume the authority of