should be annually chosen, with consular authority; three from the senate, and three from the people; and that, when the time of their magistracy should be expired, it would be seen whether they would have the same office continued, or whether the consulship should be established upon its former footing. 11.  This project was eagerly embraced by the people; yet so fickle were the multitude, that, though many of the plebeians stood candidates, the choice wholly fell upon the patricians who had offered themselves.

[Sidenote:  U.C. 310.]

12.  These new magistrates were called Military Tribunes; they were, at first, but three:  afterwards they were increased to four, and at length to six; and they had the power and ensigns of consuls:  yet, that power being divided among a number, each singly was of less authority. 13.  The first that were chosen continued in office only about three months, the augurs having found something amiss in the ceremonies of their election.

14.  The military tribunes being deposed, the consuls once more came into office; and in order to lighten the weight of business which they were obliged to sustain, a new office was created; namely, that of Censors, who were to be chosen every fifth, year.[3] 15.  Their business was to take an estimate of the number and estates of the people, and to distribute them into their proper classes:  to inspect into the lives and manners of their fellow citizens; to degrade senators for misconduct; to dismount knights, and to remove plebeians from their tribes into an inferior class, in case of misdemeanor. 16.  The first censors were Papir’ius and Sempro’nius, both patricians; and from this order censors continued to be elected for nearly a hundred years.

17.  This new creation served to restore peace for some time among the orders; and a triumph gained over the Vol’scians, by Gega’nius the consul, added to the universal satisfaction that reigned among the people.

[Sidenote:  U.C. 313.]

18.  This calm, however, was but of short continuance; for, some time after, a famine pressing hard upon the poor, the usual complaints against the rich were renewed; and these, as before, proving ineffectual, produced new seditions. 19.  The consuls were accused of neglect, in not having laid in proper quantities of corn:  they, however, disregarded the murmurs of the populace, content with using every exertion to supply the pressing necessity.[4] 20.  But, though they did all that could be expected from active magistrates in procuring provisions, and distributing them to the poor:  yet Spu’rius Mae’lius, a rich knight, who had bought up all the corn of Tuscany, by far outshone them in liberality. 21.  This demagogue, inflamed with a secret desire of becoming powerful by the contentions in the state, distributed corn in great quantities among the poorer sort each day, till his house became the asylum of all such as wished to exchange a life of labour for one of