50 CICERO. Not long after this, Catiline's soldiers got together in a body in Etruria, and began to form themselves into com- panies, the day appointed for the design being near at hand. About midnight, some of the principal and most powerful citizens of Eome, Marcus Crassus, Marcus Mar- cellus, and Scipio Metellus went to Cicero's house, where, knocking at the gate, and calling up the porter, they com- manded him to awake Cicero, and tell him they were there. The business was this : Crassus's porter after sup- per had delivered to him letters brought by an unknown person. Some of them were directed to others, but one to Crassus, without a name ; this only Crassus read, which informed him that there was a great slaughter intended by Catiline, and advised him to leave the city. The others he did not open, but went with them immediately to Cicero, being affrighted at the danger, and to free himself of the suspicion he lay under for his familiarity with Catiline. Cicero, considering the matter, summoned the senate at break of day. The letters he brought with him, and delivered them to those to whom they were directed, commanding them to read them publicly ; they all alike contained an account of the conspiracy. And when Quintus Arrius, a man of praetorian dignity, re- counted to them, how soldiers were collecting in com- panies in Etruria, and Manlius stated to be in motion with a large force, hovering about those cities, in expectation of intelligence from Home, the senate made a decree, to place all in the hands of the consuls, who should under- take the conduct of every thing, and do their best to save the state.* This was not a common thing, but only done by the senate in case of imminent danger.
- "Dent operam eonsules ne with discretionary power; much
quid respublica detrimenti capiat," the same as placing the town in a the usual form for suspending other state of siege, authoritv, and arming the consuls
