that　a　sedition；　which　was　but　just　commencing；　and　not　yet　fully
  matured；　might　be　swayed　by　better　counsels。　Two　of　these　tribunes；
  Subrius　and　Cetrius；　the　soldiers　assailed　with　menaces；　Longinus　they
  seized　and　disarmed；　it　was　not　his　rank　as　an　officer；　but　his
  friendship　with　Galba；　that　bound　him　to　that　Prince；　and　roused　a
  stronger　suspicion　in　the　mutineers。　The　legion　levied　from　the
  fleet　joined　the　Praetorians　without　any　hesitation。　The　Illyrian
  detachments　drove　Celsus　away　with　a　shower　of　javelins。　The　German
  veterans　wavered　long。　Their　frames　were　still　enfeebled　by
  sickness；　and　their　minds　were　favourably　disposed　towards　Galba；　who；
  finding　them　exhausted　by　their　long　return　voyage　from　Alexandria；
  whither　they　had　been　sent　on　by　Nero；　had　supplied　their　wants　with　a
  most　unsparing　attention。
  The　whole　populace　and　the　slaves　with　them　were　now　crowding　the
  palace；　clamouring　with　discordant　shouts　for　the　death　of　Otho　and
  the　destruction　of　the　conspirators；　just　as　if　they　were　demanding
  some　spectacle　in　the　circus　or　amphitheatre。　They　had　not　indeed
  any　discrimination　or　sincerity；　for　on　that　same　day　they　would　raise
  with　equal　zeal　a　wholly　different　cry。　It　was　their　traditional
  custom　to　flatter　any　ruler　with　reckless　applause　and　meaningless
  zeal。　Meanwhile　two　suggestions　were　keeping　Galba　in　doubt。　T。　Vinius
  thought　that　he　should　remain　within　the　palace；　array　the　slaves
  against　the　foe；　secure　the　approaches；　and　not　go　out　to　the
  enraged　soldiers。　〃You　should；〃　he　said；　〃give　the　disaffected　time　to
  repent；　the　loyal　time　to　unite。　Crimes　gain　by　hasty　action；　better
  counsels　by　delay。　At　all　events；　you　will　still　have　the　same
  facilities　of　going　out；　if　need　be；　whereas；　your　retreat；　should　you
  repent　of　having　gone；　will　be　in　the　power　of　another。〃
  The　rest　were　for　speedy　action；　〃before；〃　they　said；　〃the　yet
  feeble　treason　of　this　handful　of　men　can　gather　strength。　Otho
  himself　will　be　alarmed；　Otho；　who　stole　away　to　be　introduced　to　a
  few　strangers；　but　who　now；　thanks　to　the　hesitation　and　inaction　in
  which　we　waste　our　time；　is　learning　how　to　play　the　Prince。　We　must
  not　wait　till；　having　arranged　matters　in　the　camp；　he　bursts　into　the
  Forum；　and　under　Galba's　very　eyes　makes　his　way　to　the　Capitol；　while
  our　noble　Emperor　with　his　brave　friends　barricades　the　doors　of　his
  palace。　We　are　to　stand　a　siege　forsooth；　and　truly　we　shall　have　an
  admirable　resource　in　the　slaves；　if　the　unanimous　feeling　of　this
  vast　multitude；　and　that　which　can　do　so　much；　the　first　burst　of
  indignation；　be　suffered　to　subside。　Moreover　that　cannot　be　safe
  which　is　not　honourable。　If　we　must　fall；　let　us　go　to　meet　the
  danger。　This　will　bring　more　odium　upon　Otho；　and　will　be　more
  becoming　to　ourselves。〃　Vinius　opposing　this　advice；　Laco　assailed　him
  with　threats；　encouraged　by　Icelus；　who　persisted　in　his　private
  animosities　to　the　public　ruin。
  Without　further　delay　Galba　sided　with　these　more　plausible
  advisers。　Piso　was　sent　on　into　the　camp；　as　being　a　young　man　of
  noble　name；　whose　popularity　was　of　recent　date；　and　who　was　a
  bitter　enemy　to　T。　Vinius；　that　is；　either　he　was　so　in　reality；　or
  these　angry　partisans　would　have　it　so；　and　belief　in　hatred　is　but
  too　ready。　Piso　had　hardly　gone　forth　when　there　came　a　rumour；　at
  first　vague　and　wanting　confirmation；　that　Otho　had　been　slain　in
  the　camp；　soon；　as　happens　with　these　great　fictions；　men　asserted
  that　they　had　been　present；　and　had　seen　the　deed；　and；　between　the
  delight　of　some　and　the　indifference　of　others；　the　report　was
  easily　believed。　Many　thought　the　rumour　had　been　invented　and
  circulated　by　the　Othonianists；　who　were　now　mingling　with　the
  crowd；　and　who　disseminated　these　false　tidings　of　success　to　draw
  Galba　out　of　the　palace。
  Upon　this　not　only　did　the　people　and　the　ignorant　rabble　break
  out　into　applause　and　vehement　expressions　of　zeal；　but　many　of　the
  Knights　and　Senators；　losing　their　caution　as　they　laid　aside　their
  fear；　burst　open　the　doors　of　the　palace；　rushed　in；　and　displayed
  themselves　to　Galba；　complaining　that　their　revenge　had　been
  snatched　from　them。　The　most　arrant　coward；　the　man；　who；　as　the　event
  proved；　would　dare　nothing　in　the　moment　of　danger；　was　the　most
  voluble　and　fierce　of　speech。　No　one　knew　anything；　yet　all　were
  confident　in　assertion；　till　at　length　Galba　in　the　dearth　of　all　true
  intelligence；　and　overborne　by　the　universal　delusion；　assumed　his
  cuirass；　and　as；　from　age　and　bodily　weakness；　he　could　not　stand　up
  against　the　crowd　that　was　still　rushing　in；　he　was　elevated　on　a
  chair。　He　was　met　in　the　palace　by　Julius　Atticus；　a　soldier　of　the
  body…guard；　who；　displaying　a　bloody　sword；　cried　〃I　have　slain　Otho。〃
  〃Comrade；〃　replied　Galba；　〃who　gave　the　order？〃　So　singularly　resolute
  was　his　spirit　in　curbing　the　license　of　the　soldiery；　threats　did　not
  dismay　him；　nor　flatteries　seduce。
  There　was　now　no　doubt　about　the　feeling　of　all　the　troops　in　the
  camp。　So　great　was　their　zeal；　that；　not　content　with　surrounding　Otho
  with　their　persons　in　close　array；　they　elevated　him　to　the
  pedestal；　on　which　a　short　time　before　had　stood　the　gilt　statue　of
  Galba；　and　there；　amid　the　standards；　encircled　him　with　their
  colours。　Neither　tribunes　nor　centurions　could　approach。　The　common
  soldiers　even　insisted　that　all　the　officers　should　be　watched。
  Everything　was　in　an　uproar　with　their　tumultuous　cries　and　their
  appeals　to　each　other；　which　were　not；　like　those　of　a　popular
  assembly　or　a　mob；　the　discordant　expressions　of　an　idle　flattery；
  on　the　contrary；　as　soon　as　they　caught　sight　of　any　of　the　soldiers
  who　were　flocking　in；　they　seized　him；　gave　him　the　military
  embrace；　placed　him　close　to　Otho；　dictated　to　him　the　oath　of
  allegiance；　commending　sometimes　the　Emperor　to　his　soldiers；
  sometimes　the　soldiers　to　their　Emperor。　Otho　did　not　fail　to　play　his
  part；　he　stretched　out　his　arms；　and　bowed　to　the　crowd；　and　kissed
  his　hands；　and　altogether　acted　the　slave；　to　make　himself　the　master。
  It　was　when　the　whole　legion　from　the　fleet　had　taken　the　oath　to　him；
  that　feeling　confidence　in　his　strength；　and　thinking　that　the　men；　on
  whose　individual　feeling　he　had　been　working；　should　be　roused　by　a
  general　appeal；　he　stood　before　the　rampart　of　the　camp；　and　spoke
  as　follows：
  〃Comrades；　I　cannot　say　in　what　character　I　have　presented　myself　to
  you；　I　refuse　to　call　myself　a　subject；　now　that　you　have　named　me
  Prince；　or　Prince；　while　another　reigns。　Your　title　also　will　be
  equally　uncertain；　so　long　as　it　shall　be　a　question；　whether　it　is
  the　Emperor　of　the　Roman　people；　or　a　public　enemy；　whom　you　have　in
  your　camp。　Mark　you；　how　in　one　breath　they　cry　for　my　punishment
  and　for　your　execution。　So　evident　it　is；　that　we　can　neither
  perish；　nor　be　saved；　except　together。　Perhaps；　with　his　usual
  clemency；　Galba　has　already　promised　that　we　should　die；　like　the　man；
  who；　though　no　one　demanded　it；　massacred　so　many　thousands　of
  perfectly　guiltless　soldiers。　A　shudder　comes　over　my　soul；　whenever　I
  call　to　mind　that　ghastly　entry；　Galba's　solitary　victory；　when；
  before　the　eyes　of　the　capital　he　gave　orders　to　decimate　the
  prisoners；　the　suppliants；　whom　he　had　admitted　to　surrender。　These
  were　the　auspices　with　which　he　entered　the　city。　What　is　the　glory
  that　he　has　brought　to　the　throne？　None　but　that　he　has　murdered
  Obultronius　Sabinus　and　Cornelius　Marcellus　in　Spain；　Betuus　Chilo
  in　Gaul；　Fonteius　Capito　in　Germany；　Clodius　Macer　in　Africa；
  Cingonius　on　the　high　road；　Turpilianus　in　the　city；　Nymphidius　in　the
  camp。　What　province；　what　camp　in　the　world；　but　is　stained　with　blood
  and　foul　with　crime；　or；　as　he　expresses　it　himself；　purified　and
  chastened？　For　what　others　call　crimes　he　calls　reforms；　and；　by
  similar　misnomers；　he　speaks　of　strictness　instead　of　barbarity；　of
  economy　instead　of　avarice；　while　the　cruelties　and　affronts　inflicted
  upon　you　he　calls　discipline。　Seven　months　only　have　passed　since　Nero
  fell；　and　already　Icelus　has　seized　more　than　the　Polycleti；　the
  Vatinii；　and　the　Elii　amassed。　Vinius　would　not　have　gone　so　far
  with　his　rapacity　and　lawlessness　had　he　been　Emperor　himself；　as　it
  is；　he　has　lorded　it　over　us　as　if　we　had　been　his　own　subjects；　has
  held　us　as　cheap　as　if　we　had　been　another's。　That　one　house　would
  furnish　the　donative；　which　is　never　given　you；　but　with　which　you　are
  daily　upbraided。
  〃Again；　that　we　might　have　nothing　to　hope　even　from　his
  successor；　Galba　fetches　out　of　exile　the　man　in　whose　ill…humour
  and　avarice　he　considers　that　he　has　found　the　best　resemblance　to
  himself