the decemvirs, those vilest of mortals--who, neverthele ss, were all patricians---rather than men who resemble the best of the new men though they were? “But, I may be told, no consul, since the expulsion of the has ever been elected from the plebs. what then? n0 innovation ever to be introduced; and because a thing has no七yet been done--and in a new community there aremany things which have not yet been done-ought they not to be done even when they are advantageous? In the reign of Romulus there甲 were no pontiffs, no college of augurs;'7 1 1 "k "r Tl " 1 " r*.. they were created by Iv uma .rompilius·.1 here was no census in the State, no re乡ster of the centuries and classes;it was made by Servius Tullius. There were never any consuls;when the kings had been expelled they were created. Neither the power nor the name of Dictator was in existence;it originated with the senate. There were no tribunes of the plebs, no mdiles，no quaestors;it was decided that these offices should be created. Within the last ten years we appointed decemvirs to commit the laws to writing and then we abolished their’office. Who doubts that in a City built for all time and without any limits to its growth new authorities have to be established, new priesthoods, modifications in the rights and privileges of the houses as well as of individual citizens? 'Vas not this very prohibition of' intermarriage between patricians and plebeians, which inflicts such serious injury on the commonwealth and such a gross injustice on the plebs, made by the decemvirs within these last few years ?Can there be a greater or more signal disgrace than for a part of the community tQ be held unworthy of intermarriage,. as though contamina what is this but to surer exile and banishment within the same walls? They are guarding against our becoming connected with there qnv house the woman to whom he has become engaged，and thus understanding you are tettering by the manacles of a most insolent law, through which you may break up civil society and rend one State into two. Why do you not enact a law that plebeian shall lure{“the neighbourhood. of a patrician, or7 7 ' 7 . 7 7 n仔匕仃 00r along the same roacx, or take his place at the same banquet, 、d，自j.子 stand in the same Forum?For, as a matter of fact, what difference is there, if a patrician marries a plebeian woman or a plebeian marries patrician‘ What rights are infringed, Of course, the children follow the father. There is a that we are seeking in intermarriage with you, except a that we may be reckoned amongst men and citizens there is nothing for you to light about, unless you delight in trying how far you can insult and degrade us.