=125. The Desirability of Roman Citizenship. The Case of St. Paul.=--It is as contrasted with the status of provincials that Roman citizenship still preserves its remarkable value. A citizen can, indeed, no longer go to the Republican assemblies to elect magistrates and vote on proposed statutes, but he has his personal and property rights protected by the best kind of “Quiritian” law. The government is never, indeed, iniquitous enough to enact that, as between Roman and provincial, the judge must always decide for the former, nevertheless the advantages of the citizen are great. A Roman can command all sorts of protection not open to provincials. The judge will almost inevitably be a little prejudiced in his favor. If arrested, a citizen can ordinarily demand the right to give bail. It is a gross outrage to “examine him by scourging.” He cannot be put to torture. If he is finally sentenced to die, he cannot be crucified, but ordinarily must be beheaded--a very merciful end. Particularly, unless the case is extremely clear, in matters touching his life and status as a citizen he can appeal from the decision of a provincial governor to “Cæsar” or to the Senate (if in a province governed by that body). If we visit the Record Office again, this matter is clearly illustrated. About twenty-five years after the crucifixion of Christus, one of his followers, a certain Paulus, was also arrested in Jerusalem on much the same charges of attempted sedition and inciting disturbance. But Paulus, when arrested, promptly pleaded his Roman citizenship. Vainly the local mob clamored for his life even as they had demanded that of Christus. When the local procurator Festus hesitated to set him at liberty, the prisoner demanded to be sent to Rome--and thither at great trouble and expense he had to be shipped; to be tried ultimately before the Prætorian Præfect sitting as Nero’s deputy; and the charges were dismissed and he was set at liberty.[69] If he had not been a Roman, assuredly the weak-kneed governor of Palestine would have sacrificed him “to please the Jews” just as Pilatus sacrificed Christus. =126. Clientage: Its Oldest Form.=--Between the poorest classes of plebeians, sleeping within porticoes and despised by the superior slaves, and those dignified well-to-do gentlemen who have almost the means to pass as equites, there are, of course, an infinite number of social strata. The most important section of the better plebeians is undoubtedly to be numbered among the _clients_.