introduced Volturcius with the deputies. Hither also he ordered
Valerius Flaccus, the praetor, to bring the box with the letters[218]
which he had taken from the deputies.

XLVII. Volturcius, being questioned concerning his journey, concerning
his letter,[219] and lastly, what object he had had in view,[220] and
from what motives he had acted, at first began to prevaricate,[221]
and to pretend ignorance of the conspiracy; but at length, when he was
told to speak on the security of the public faith,[222] he disclosed
every circumstance as it had really occurred, stating that he had been
admitted as an associate, a few days before, by Gabinius and Coeparius;
that he knew no more than the deputies, only that he used to hear from
Gabinius, that Publius Autronius, Servius Sylla, Lucius Vargunteius,
and many others, were engaged in the conspiracy. The Gauls made a
similar confession, and charged Lentulus, who began to affect ignorance,
not only with the letter to Catiline, but with remarks which he was in
the habit of making, "that the sovereignty of Rome, by the Sibylline
books, was predestined to three Cornelii; that Cinna and Sylla had ruled
already;[223] and that he himself was the third, whose fate it would be
to govern the city; and that this, too, was the twentieth year since the
Capitol was burned; a year which the augurs, from certain omens, had
often said would be stained with the blood of civil war."

The letter then being read, the senate, when all had previously
acknowledged their seals,[224] decreed that Lentulus, being deprived
of his office, should, as well as the rest, be placed in private
custody.[225] Lentulus, accordingly, was given in charge to Publius
Lentulus Spinther, who was then aedile; Cethegus, to Quintus
Cornificius; Statilius, to Caius Caesar; Gabinius, to Marcus Crassus;
and Coeparius, who had just before been arrested in his flight, to