The republic has become great much more by the activity of the citizens, and by the justice of the government, and it is this activity and stern justice that must be restored.' [288] _Obnoxius_, 'subject to a punishment,' or 'to be injured (_noxa_);' hence, figuratively, 'bound,' 'dependent.' Our ancestors, says Cato, could deliberate and judge without bias, for their minds were not crippled either by crimes they had committed, nor by immoderate desires and passions--a hint intimating that those who were in favour of lenient measures were conscious of their own guilt, and not free from bad intentions. [289] _Hic_--that is, in the senate, in discussing matters of public importance, you allow yourselves to be guided only by your desire to gain money and popularity, being anxious not to offend any one who may be in your way. [290] _Vacuam_--namely, _a defensoribus_, 'defenceless,' 'helpless.' [291] _Incendere_, a free use of the infinitive for _ad patriam incendendam_. [292] A question expressive of wonder, in which the interrogative particles are commonly not used. See Zumpt, S 351, note. [293] Ironically: 'I am of opinion that you should have mercy, and dismiss the criminals.' The subjunctive without _ut_ depends upon the verb _censeo_; it is not a subjunctive for an imperative. [294] 'Assuredly this clemency of yours will end in misery.' Respecting _nae_, see Zumpt, S 360; and on the transitive sense of _vertere_, S 145. [295] The sentence beginning with _scilicet_ is again ironical. The sense, without the irony, is: 'Nor can it be supposed that you consider the matter indeed difficult, but that you are without fear. You are, on the contrary, full of fear, but you hesitate.' [296] _Immo vero_, 'oh no; on the contrary.' See Zumpt, S 277. [297] Respecting this form of hypothetical sentences, see Zumpt, S 524, note 1. The verb in the apodosis might be _implorabis_, without altering the meaning. [298] This statement differs in two points from the current tradition of history. First, the praenomen of this Manlius is commonly _Titus_, and so we must no doubt correct here, even though the manuscripts have _Aulus_. Secondly, he did not show his severe military discipline towards his son in the Gallic war, but in the great Latin war, which ended, in B.C. 340, with the subjugation of Latium. Manlius ordered his son to be executed in presence of the army; and to characterise that harsh severity, the orator uses the word _necare_ instead of _interficere_ or _occidere_. [299] _Quidquam_ is stronger than _siquid_--that is, the expression of the negative is more strongly marked in the protasis. [300] 'If there were room for a mistake'--namely, in the resolution to be come to. The meaning is: 'No time is to be lost, since, if you come to a wrong determination, you will be ruined before you have time to correct your decision.'