One of the engagements at Lucca had been that, when Caesar's command should have expired, he was to be again consul. His term had still three years to run; but many things might happen in three years. A party in the Senate were bent on his recall. They might succeed in persuading the people to consent to it. And Caesar felt, as Pompey had felt before him, that, in the unscrupulous humor of his enemies at Rome he might be impeached or killed on his return, as Clodius had been, if he came back a private citizen unprotected by office to sue for his election. Therefore he had stipulated at Lucca that his name might be taken and that votes might be given for him while he was still with his army. On Pompey's taking the power into his hands, Caesar, while abandoning any present claim to share it, reminded him of this understanding, and required at the same time that it should be renewed in some authoritative form. The Senate, glad to escape on any terms from the present conjunction of the men whom they hoped to divide, appeared to consent. Cicero himself made a journey to Ravenna to see Caesar about it and make a positive arrangement with him. Pompey submitted the condition to the assembly of the people, by whom it was solemnly ratified. Every precaution was observed which would give the promise, that Caesar might be elected consul in his absence, the character of a binding engagement.[20] It was observed with some surprise that Pompey, not long after, proposed and carried a law forbidding elections of this irregular kind, and insisting freshly on the presence of the candidates in person. Caesar's case was not reserved as an exception or in any way alluded to. And when a question was asked on the subject, the excuse given was that it had been overlooked by accident. Such accidents require to be interpreted by the use which is made of them. [1] _Ad Quintum Fratrem_, ii. 15. [2] "Ego enim ne pilo quidem minus me amabo."--_Ibid_., ii. 16. Other editions read "te." [3] "Videor id judicio facere: jam enim debeo: sed amore sum incensus."--_Ad Quintum Fratrem_, iii. 1. [4] Ad Crassum. _Ad Familiares_, v. 8. [5] Ad Lentulum. _Ad Fam_., i. 8. [6] _Ibid_., i. 9. [7] _De Provinciis Consularibus_. [8] _To Atticus_, iv. 16. [9] Pompey, as proconsul with a province, was residing outside the walls. [10] _Ad Quintum fratrem_, iii. 4. [11] _Ad Familiares_, i. 9. [12] "Meum non modo animum, sed ne odium quidem esse liberum."--_Ad Quintum Fratrem_, iii. 5. [13] See the story in a letter to Atticus, lib. iv. 16-17. [14] _De Haruspicum Responsis_. [15] "Angit unus Milo. Sed velim finem afferat consulatus: in quo enitar non minus, quam sum enisus in nostro."--_Ad Quintum Fratrem_, iii. 9. [16] _Ad Familiares_, ii. 6.