by the faith which I owe them, by my pity for them, by the example of
all good Romans before me, by the custom of the Republic, by the old
constitution, to undertake this task, not as pertaining to my own
interests, but to those of my close friends."[101] That was his own
reason for undertaking the case. Then he reminds the judges of what
the Roman people wished--the people who had felt with dismay the
injury inflicted upon them by Sulla's withdrawal of all power from the
Tribunes, and by the putting the whole authority of the bench into the
hands of the Senators. "The Roman people, much as they have been
made to suffer, regret nothing of that they have lost so much as the
strength and majesty of the old judges. It is with the desire of
having them back that they demand for the Tribunes their former power.
It is this misconduct of the present judges that has caused them to
ask for another class of men for the judgment-seat. By the fault and
to the shame of the judges of to-day, the Censor's authority, which
has hitherto always been regarded as odious and stern, even that is
now requested by the people."[102] Then he goes on to show that, if
justice is intended, this case will be put into the hands of him whom
the Sicilians have themselves chosen. Had the Sicilians said that they
were unwilling to trust their affairs to Caecilius because they had
not known him, but were willing to trust him, Cicero, whom they did
know, would not even that have been reasonable enough of itself? But
the Sicilians had known both of them, had known Caecilius almost as
well as Cicero, and had expressed themselves clearly. Much as they
desired to have Cicero, they were as anxious not to have Caecilius.
Even had they held their tongues about this, everybody would have
known it; but they had been far from holding their tongues. "Yet you
offer yourself to these most unwilling clients," he says, turning to
Caecilius. "Yet you are ready to plead in a cause that does not belong
to you! Yet you would defend those who would rather have no defender