27 He accordingly
dispatched Caius Manlius to Faesulae, and the adjacent parts of Etruria; one Septimius, of Camerinum, into the
Picenian territory; Caius Julius into Apulia;
and others to various places, wherever he thought each would be most
serviceable. He himself, in the mean time, was making many simultaneous efforts
at Rome; he laid plots for the consul; he arranged schemes for burning the
city; he occupied suitable posts with armed men, he went constantly armed
himself, and ordered his followers to do the same; he exhorted them to be
always on their guard and prepared for action; he was active and vigilant by
day and by night, and was exhausted neither by sleeplessness nor by toil. At
last, however, when none of his numerous projects succeeded, he again, with the
aid of Marcus Porcius Laeca, convoked the leaders of the conspiracy in the dead
of night, when, after many complaints of their apathy, he informed them that he
had sent forward Manlius to that body of men whom he had prepared to take up
arms; and others of the confederates into other eligible places, to make a
commencement of hostilities; and that he himself was eager to set out to the
army, if he could but first cut off Cicero, who was the chief obstruction to
his measures.
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