freedom to the slaves, and most of them assenting to this, Cato said he would not do so, for it was not lawful nor yet right; but if the masters were ready to give up their slaves, they should receive those who were of military age.  Many offers were made, and Cato, after telling them to enrol every man who was willing, retired.  Shortly after there came to him letters from Juba and Scipio; from Juba, who was hid in a mountain with a few men, asking him what he had resolved to do; and that if Cato left Utica he would wait for him, and if he stood a siege he would come to aid him with an army; from Scipio, who was in a vessel off a certain point not far from Utica, and waiting with the same views.

LXI.  Accordingly Cato determined to detain the letter-carriers till he had confirmed the resolution of the three hundred.  For the senators were zealous, and immediately manumitted their slaves, and set about arming them.  But with respect to the three hundred, inasmuch as they were men engaged in maritime affairs and money lending, and had the chief part of their substance in slaves, the words of Cato stood no long time in them, but oozed out, just as bodies which have a great degree of rarity easily receive heat and again part with it, being cooled when the fire is removed; in like manner Cato, while they saw him, fanned the flame and warmed those men; but when they began to reflect by themselves, the fear of Caesar drove out of them all regard to Cato and to honour.  “Who are we,” said they, “and who is the man whose commands we are refusing to obey?  Is not this Caesar, to whom the whole power of the Romans has been transferred? and not one of us is a Scipio, nor a Pompeius, nor a Cato.  But at a time when all men by reason of fear are humbled in mind more than is fitting, at such a time shall we fight in defence of the liberty of the Romans, and contend in Utica against a man before whom Cato with Pompeius Magnus fled and gave up Italy; and shall we manumit our slaves to oppose Caesar, we who have only as much freedom as he shall choose to give?  No, even yet, miserable wretches, let us know our own weakness, and deprecate the conqueror, and send persons to supplicate him.”  This was what the most moderate among the three hundred recommended; but the majority were forming a design on the senatorial class, with the hope that, if they seized them, they would pacify Caesar’s rage against themselves.

LXII.  Though Cato suspected the change, he took no notice of it.  However he wrote to Scipio and Juba to tell them to keep away from Utica, because he distrusted the three hundred, and he sent off the letter-carriers.  But the horsemen who had escaped from the battle, no contemptible number, riding up to Utica, sent to Cato three men, who did not bring the same message from all; for one party was bent on going to Juba, another wished to join Cato, and a third was afraid of entering Utica.  Cato on hearing this ordered Marcus Rubrius to observe the three hundred