Must you enact concerning the interest of money and the lands, that which tends to the interest of you all; and must not this prodigy take place in the city of Rome, that of seeing Lucius Sextius and this Caius Licinius consuls, a thing which you loathe and abominate?
Either admit all; or I propose none.

Just as if any one were to place poison and food together before any one who was oppressed with famine, and order him either to abstain from that which would sustain life, or to mix with it that which would cause death.

Wherefore, if this state were free, would they not all in full assembly have replied to you, Begone hence with your tribuneships and your propositions?
What?
if you will not propose that which it is the interest of the people to accept, will there be no one who will propose it?
If any patrician, if (what they desire to be still more invidious) any Claudius should say, Either accept all, or I propose nothing; which of you, Romans, would bear it?
Will ye never look at facts rather than persons?
but always listen with partial ears to every thing which that officer will say, and with prejudiced ears to what may be said by any of us?
But, by Jove, their language is by no means becoming members of a republic.

What! what sort is the measure, which they are indignant at its having been rejected by you?
very like their language, Romans.

I ask, he says, that it may not be lawful for you to elect, as consuls, such persons as ye may wish.
Does he require any thing else, who orders that one consul at least be elected from the commons; nor does he grant you the power of electing two patricians?
If there were wars at the present day, such as the Etrurian for instance, when Porsenna took the Janiculum, such as the Gallic war lately, when, except the Capitol and citadel, all these places were in possession of the enemy; and should Lucius Sextius stand candidate for the consulate with Marcus Furius or any other of the patricians: could ye endure that Sextius should be consul without any risk; that Camillus should run the risk of a repulse?
Is this allowing a community of honours, that it should be lawful that two plebeians, and not lawful that two patricians, be made consuls, and that it should be necessary that one be elected from among the commons, and lawful to pass by both of the patricians?
what fellowship, what confederacy is that?
Is it not sufficient, if you come in for a share of that in which you had no share hitherto, unless whilst suing for a part you seize on the whole?
I fear, he says, lest, if it be lawful that two patricians are to be elected, ye will elect no plebeian.