The people repeated and increased their hissing;
the knights continued their clapping. Upon this, turning upon one
another, they broke out into insulting words, so that the theatre
was in great disorder. Cicero, being informed of it, came himself
to the theatre, and summoning the people into the temple of
Bellona, he so effectually chid and chastised them for it, that,
again returning into the theatre, they received Otho with loud
applause, contending with the knights as to who should give him
the greatest demonstrations of honor and respect.
The conspirators with Catiline, at first cowed and disheartened,
began presently to take courage again. And assembling together,
they exhorted one another boldly to undertake the design before
Pompey's return. But the old soldiers of Sylla were Catiline's
chief stimulus to action. They had been disbanded all about Italy,
but the greatest number and the fiercest of them lay scattered
among the cities of Etruria entertaining themselves with dreams of
new plunder and rapine among the hoarded riches of Italy. These,
having for their leader Manlius, who had served with distinction
in the wars under Sylla, joined themselves to Catiline, and came
to Rome to assist him with their suffrages at the election.
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