BELLUM CATILIN. CAP. 5.

or, "before I depart from this life." Virgil: "Before, shame, I violate you or break your laws." Apuleius, Apology 2: "before I finish speaking." Cicero, Philippics 1: "before I begin to speak concerning the Republic." Ciaccon. so also Ursin.

CAP. 5. L. Catilina nobili] From the family of the Sergii. See the notes of others, and add Virgil, Book V: "The house from which the Sergia name [derives]." Where Servius [says], "family, as [in] 'Give the proper house to Thymbra'," and thence is Sergius Catilina. Putschins.

L. Catilina nobili genere natus, fuit magna vi, &c.] It is suspicious to me, smelling of something spurious, natus, fuit born, was. Gruterus.

Patiens inediae] Cicero reports this same thing about Catilina in Catilinarian 1. Tacitus uses the phrase several times. Ciaccon.

Inediae, algoris, vigiliae] This is the order of the words in the manuscripts and the older printed editions. Rivius.

Supra quam cuiquam credibile est] Thus in [Bellum] Jugurthinum: "to seek beyond what I am." Ciaccon.

Supra quam cuique credibile est] The word est is could have been absent: but that cuique to each appeared in four older Palatine [manuscripts], as well as in the manuscripts which Bongarsius had examined: previously it was, without any euphony, supra quam cuiquam beyond what to anyone. Gruterus.

Cujuslibet rei simulator] Nonius, under simulare, has 'Cujus rei libet simulator' a simulator of whatever thing one pleases. In which way it is also written by Sallust in the speech on the organizing of the Republic: "and to make a danger of whatever thing one pleases." Ciaccon. so also Ursin.

Alieni appetens, sui profusus] Tacitus emulated this in Histories 1: "not desirous of another's money, sparing of his own, greedy of the public's." Ciaccon.

Satis loquentiae, sapientiae parum] Although in some [texts], as in all manuscripts, it is eloquentiae eloquence, and the interpreter did not read otherwise, nor is it cited differently by Priscian (if anything is to be believed from the most ancient copies), nevertheless I follow the reading common today. Aulus Gellius, Book 1, testifies

that Valerius Probus affirmed that what he himself had learned from a learned friend of his was left by Sallust thus: satis loquentiae, sapientiae parum enough of talkativeness, too little of wisdom, because loquentia talkativeness would be most appropriate for Sallust, a reformer of words: eloquentia eloquence would not at all agree with lack of wisdom. But Pliny also in his Letters seems to have looked toward this [when he said]: "And so Julius Candidus," he says, "is not accustomed to saying [things] without charm: it is one thing to be eloquence, another [to be] talkativeness: for eloquence [belongs] to hardly one or another, nay, if we believe M. Antonius, to no one: but this [quality] which Candidus calls talkativeness, happens to many, and even most to every impudent person." Rivius: so also Ciaccon.

Dominationem L. Syllae] This was L. Sylla, who was later called Sylla Felix, and was finally consumed by a lice disease. Vall.

Libido maxima invaserat reipub. capiundae] Capessere Rempubl. to take hold of the Republic is most frequent in Sallust, not capere to take; wherefore here I would rather read Reipub. occupandae to occupy the Republic: for it follows, "nor did he have any thought of by what means he might achieve it, so long as he prepared a kingdom for himself." Thus in the speech on organizing the Republic: "During the same time, men brought into hope of occupying the Republic by the curses of the wicked, to whom all things were polluted by disgrace and luxury:" and [Bellum] Jugurthinum: "But who are these who have occupied the Republic? Most wicked men:" and concerning the same Catilina: "he took the plan of suppressing the Republic." Ciaccon. so also Ursin.

Quicquam pensi] Nothing considered, nothing of consideration: a translation taken from those weighing [things], who diligently inspect into which side either gold or silver might incline. He himself did not weigh how he might take the Republic, provided that he could satisfy his own desire. Vall.

Conscientia scelerum] That is, the memory and simple knowledge of the thing, or notice, which is common to us with others