It binds Caius Plautius your colleague, created under the same auspices, with the same privileges.

Did not the people create him with the fullest privileges with which any censor ever was created?
Or is yours an excepted case, in which this peculiarity and singularity takes place?
Shall the person, whom you create king of the sacrifices, laying hold of the style of sovereignty, say, that he was created with the fullest privileges with which any king was ever created at Rome?
Who then, do you think, would be content with a dictatorship of six months?
who, with the office of interrex for five days?
Whom would you, with confidence, create dictator, for the purpose of driving the nail, or of exhibiting games?
How foolish, how stupid, do ye think, those must appear in this man's eyes, who, after performing most important services, abdicated the dictatorship within the twentieth day; or who, being irregularly created, resigned their office?
Why should I bring instances from antiquity?
Lately, within these last ten years, Caius Maenius, dictator, having enforced inquiries, with more strictness than consisted with the safety of some powerful men, a charge was thrown out by his enemies, that he himself was infected with the very crime against which his inquiries were directed;--now Maenius, I say, in order that he might, in a private capacity, meet the imputation, abdicated the dictatorship.

I expect not such moderation in you; you will not degenerate from your family, of all others the most imperious and assuming; nor resign your office a day, nor even an hour, before you are forced to it.

Be it so: but then let no one exceed the time limited.

It is enough to add a day, or a month, to the censorship.