First Oration Against Catiline

¹How long, O Catiline, will you abuse our patience? How long will that madness of yours mock us? To what end will your unbridled audacity hurl itself?

²Do not the nightly guards placed on the Palatine Hill — do not the watches posted throughout the city — does not the alarm of the people, and the union of all good men, and this strongest of all places in which the senate meets — do not the looks and countenances of all here present, have any effect upon you?

³Do you not feel that your plans are detected? Do you not see that your conspiracy is already arrested and rendered powerless by the knowledge which every one here possesses of it?

⁴What is there that you did last night, what the night before — where is it that you were — who was there that you summoned to meet you — what design was there which was adopted by you — with which you think that any one of us is unacquainted?

⁵O the times! O the manners! The senate is aware of these things; the consul sees them; and yet this man lives. Lives! Aye, he comes even into the senate.

⁶He takes a part in the public deliberations; he is watching and marking down and checking off for slaughter every individual among us. And we, gallant men that we are, think that we are doing our duty to the republic if we keep out of the way of his frenzied attacks.

⁷You ought, O Catiline, long ago to have been led to execution by command of the consul. That destruction which you have been long plotting against us ought to have already fallen on your own head.

⁸There was — there was once such virtue in this republic, that brave men would repress mischievous citizens with severer chastisement than the most bitter enemy.

⁹We have a resolution of the senate, a formidable and authoritative decree against you, O Catiline. The wisdom of the republic is not at fault, nor the dignity of this senatorial body. We — I say it openly — we, the consuls, are wanting in our duty.

¹⁰I wish, O conscript fathers, to be merciful; I wish not to appear negligent amid such danger to the state; but I now accuse myself of remissness and culpable inactivity.