one stroke by a savage.  The senators, on the other hand, who had taken Numidian money, tried to quash discussion, and would have succeeded if the tribune, Caius Memmius, had not overawed them by his harangues. [Sidenote:  War declared.  Bestia sails to Africa.] Fresh envoys, who had been sent by Jugurtha with a fresh bribery fund, were ordered to leave Italy in ten days; and Bestia sailed for Africa, taking with him as his second in command Scaurus, who felt, no doubt, that a patriot was at last rewarded. [Sidenote:  Jugurtha bribes the generals.] There was some fighting, and then the money from which Roman virtue had shrunk in Italy could be resisted no longer.  The itching palm of Scaurus was at length filled as full as he thought mere decency demanded.  Bestia was also gratified, Jugurtha’s submission was accepted, hostilities ceased, and the consul sailed home to superintend the next year’s elections.

[Sidenote:  Harangues of the tribune Memmius.] But Memmius, justly incensed, now took a bolder tone.  We cannot tell how far Sallust reports what he really said, or how far he drew on his own invention.  But if he has given us Memmius’s own words, they must have rung in the ears of many an honest Roman like the trumpet-notes of that still more eloquent tribune whose body, ten years before, had been hurled into the Tiber.  For he cast in the teeth of his audience their pusillanimity in suffering their champions to be murdered, and allowing so worthless a crew to lord it over them.  It had been shameful enough that they had witnessed in silence the plunder of the treasury, the monopoly of all high office, and kings and free states cringing to a handful of nobles; but now a worse thing had been done, and the honour of the Republic trafficked away.  And the men who had done this felt neither shame nor sorrow, but strutted about with a parade of triumphs, consulships, and priesthoods, as if they were men of honour and not thieves.  After these and similar home-thrusts, he called upon the people to insist on Jugurtha being brought to Rome, for so they would test the reality of his surrender.  The tribune’s eloquence prevailed.  The praetor Cassius was sent to bring Jugurtha under a promise of safe-conduct.  Jugurtha hesitated.  Bestia’s officers were treading in their general’s steps, taking bribes, selling as slaves the Numidians who had deserted to them, and pillaging the country.  Jugurtha was fast becoming the national hero instead of the chief of a faction, and might have even then dreamt of defying Rome.  However, he yielded and, as it was not in his nature to do things by halves, came in the mean dress which was assumed to excite compassion.  He did more.  This was the year of the so-called Thorian law. [Sidenote:  Jugurtha comes to Rome, and bribes the tribune Baebius.] Caius Baebius, who may have been the author of that law, was tribune, and not of the stamp of Memmius.  He took Jugurtha’s bribes, and when the king was being cross-questioned by Memmius, interposed his veto, and forbade him to reply.  Thus once again, though the people were furious, the old plan seemed to be working well.