Be it so. He had some particular misdeeds of his own to bear
 up against. And yet even he (I say this on my own responsibility) would never have been
 condemned if you had been his judges, he, a man by whose condemnation the tomb of Catiline was
 decked with flowers and the sepulchres of all those most audacious men and domestic enemies were
 honoured with assemblies and banquets, and by which the shade of Catiline was appeased. Now an
 expiation for the death of Lentulus is sought to be obtained at Flaccus's expense, and by your
 instrumentality. What victim can you offer more acceptable to the manes of Publius Lentulus,—who
 intended, after you had been all murdered amid the embraces of your children and your wives, to
 bury you beneath the burning ruins of your country,—than you will offer, if you satiate his
 impious hatred towards all of us in the blood of Lucius Flaccus? Let us then offer a sacrifice to Lentulus, let us make atonement to Cethegus,
 let us recall the exiles, let us in our turn, if you, O judges, think fit, suffer the punishment
 due to too great piety, and to the greatest possible affection towards our country. At this
 moment we are being mentioned by name by the informers; accusations are being invented against
 us; dangers are being prepared for us. And if they did these things by the instrumentality of
 others,—if, in short, by using the name of the people, they had excited a mob of ignorant
 citizens, we could bear it with more equanimity. 
 But this can never be borne, that they should think that, by means of senators and knights of
 Rome, who have done all these things with a view to the safety of all the citizens, by their
 common decision, animated with one idea, and inspired with one and the same virtue, the prime
 movers, and leaders, and chief actors in these transactions, can be deprived of all their
 fortunes, and be expelled from the city. In truth, they are acquainted with the feelings and
 inclinations of the Roman people; by every means which it is master of, the Roman people
 indicates what are its opinions and feelings; there is no diversity of opinion, or of
 inclination, or of language.