He did not wish to pull down upon his ears the whole house of the aristocracy.
Throughout his career it was his object to maintain the tenor of the law with what smallest breach of it might be possible; but he was wise enough to know that when the laws were being broken on every side he could not catch in his nets all those who broke them.

He had to pass over much; to make the best of the state of things as he found them.

It is not to be supposed that a conspirator against the Republic would be horrible to him, as would be to us a traitor against the Crown: there were too many of them for horror.

If Caesar and Crassus could be got to keep themselves quiet, he would be willing enough not to have to add them to his list of enemies.

Livy is presumed to have told us that this conspiracy intended to restore the ejected Consuls, and to kill the Consuls who had been established in their place.