Pro S. Roscio Amerino

given on oatli tlie ends which tliey liad been accustomed to
secure before with tlieir own liands by crime and blood-
slied? that from you, wlio have been selected from tlie
citizens for the senate on the score of your high position,
and from the senate for this Jury on the score of your
stern integrity, that from you murderers and cut-throats
should demand the privilege not only of escaping the
penalties which they ought to expect with fear and trembUng
from you for their iniquities, but also of quitting this
court enriched and loaded with spoils ?
9. Of these great and abominable crimes I am aware
that I cannot spealj: in adequate terms, nor deplore them
with adequate impressiveness, nor proclaim them with adequate
freedom ; for adequacy is hindered by my lack of
ability, impressiveness by my youth, aud freedom of speech
by the state of the times. Besides this there is the
extreme nervousness which is brought upon me by my
natural modesty and your high dignity, and the violence
of my opponents and the perils of Sextus Eoscius. Therefore
I beseech and entreat you, gentlemen, to hear my
words with attention and kindly indulgence.
10. It is in reliance on your conscientiousness and good
sense that I have undertaken a burden greater than I am
aware of ray ability to bear. If you will help me to bear
this burden in some degree I will support it, gentlemen, so
far as I can with zeal and energy ; but if I am abandoned
by you (a fate that I do not expect), nevertheless I will not
lose heart, and I will carry out what I have undertaken so
far as I can ; but if I cannot carry it out, I would rather
be borne down by the burden of duty than abandon out of
disloyalty a task that has once been imposed upon me with
fuU confidence in my powers, or lay it aside from feebleness
of heart.
11. I earnestly entreat you also, Marcus Fannius, to
show youi-self towards us and your country of the same
character as you did show yourself to the Eoman people
on a previous occasion when you were presiding over this
same court. Tou behold the vast crowd that has thronged
to this trial ; you are aware of eager expectation of all
men, the earnest desire that trials should be made strict