24. These were his honours; yet,
notwithstanding all these, he had never received any share of those
lands which were won from the enemy, but continued to drag on a life
of poverty and contempt, while others were possessed of those very
territories which his valour had won, without any merit to deserve
them, or ever having contributed to the conquest.[7] 25. A case
of so much hardship had a strong effect upon the multitude; they
unanimously demanded that the law might be passed, and that such merit
should not go unrewarded. It was in vain that some of the senators
rose up to speak against it, their voices were drowned by the cries of
the people. 26. When reason, therefore, could no longer be heard,
passion, as usual, succeeded; and the young patricians, running
furiously into the throng, broke the balloting urns, and dispersed the
multitude that offered to oppose them. 27. For this they were, some
time after, fined by the tribunes; their resolution, however, for the
present, put off the Agra'rian law.
_Questions for Examination_.
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