Liv. 3.21.1Senātus in Capitōliō erat;The senate was on the Capitol; Liv. 3.21.1eō tribūnī cum perturbātā plēbe veniunt, multitūdō clamōre ingentī nunc cōnsulum, nunc patrum fidem inplōrant nec ante mōvērunt dē sententiā cōnsulem, quam tribūnī sē in auctōritāte patrum futūrōs esse pollicitī sunt.there the tribunes come with the alarmed plebs; the crowd with great clamour implores the protection now of the consuls, now of the senators, and they did not move the consul from his resolve until the tribunes promised that they would submit to the authority of the senators. Liv. 3.21.2Tunc referente cōnsule dē tribūnōrum et plēbis postulātīs senātūs cōnsulta fīunt, ut neque tribūnī lēgem eō annō ferrent neque cōnsulēs ab urbe exercitum ēdūcerent;Then, when the consul referred the demands of the tribunes and the plebs to the house, decrees of the senate are passed that the tribunes should not propose their law that year, nor the consuls lead an army out of the city; Liv. 3.21.2in reliquum magistrātūs continuārī et eōsdem tribūnōs reficī iūdicāre senātum contrā rem pūblicam esse.for the future, the senate judged that for magistracies to be prolonged and the same tribunes re-elected was against the interest of the state.
Liv. 3.21.2Cōnsulēs fuēre in patrum potestāte;The consuls submitted to the senators' authority; Liv. 3.21.3tribūnī reclāmantibus cōnsulibus refectī.the tribunes, despite the consuls' protests, were re-elected. Liv. 3.21.3Patrēs quoque, nē quid cēderent plēbī, et ipsī L. Quīnctium cōnsulem reficiēbant.The senators too, so as not to yield anything to the plebs, were themselves for re-electing Lucius Quinctius as consul. Liv. 3.21.3Nūlla tōtō annō vehementior āctiō cōnsulis fuit.In the whole year there was no more vehement speech by the consul. Liv. 3.21.3"Mīrer" inquit, "sī vāna vestra, patrēs cōnscrīptī, auctōritās ad plēbem est?'Should I be surprised,' he said, 'senators, if your authority counts for nothing with the plebs? Liv. 3.21.4Vōs ēlevātis eam;You yourselves make light of it; Liv. 3.21.4quippe, quia plēbs senātūs cōnsultum in continuandīs magistrātibus solvit, ipsī quoque solūtum vultis, nē temeritātī multitūdinis cēdātis.evidently, because the plebs has broken a decree of the senate in prolonging magistracies, you too want it broken, so as not to yield to the recklessness of the multitude. Liv. 3.21.5Tamquam id sit plūs posse in cīvitāte plūs levitātis ac licentiae habēre.As if having more power in the state meant having more fickleness and licence.
Liv. 3.21.5Levius enim vāniusque profectō est sua dēcrēta et cōnsulta tollere quam aliōrum.For surely it is more fickle and empty to annul one's own decrees and resolutions than those of others. Liv. 3.21.6Imitāminī, patrēs cōnscrīptī, turbam incōnsultam et, quī exemplō aliīs esse dēbētis, aliōrum exemplō peccāte potius, quam aliī vestrō rēctē faciant, dum ego nē imiter tribūnōs nec mē contrā senātūs cōnsultum cōnsulem renūntiārī patiar.Imitate, senators, the thoughtless mob, and you who ought to be an example to others, sin after the example of others rather than let others act rightly after yours, so long as I do not imitate the tribunes nor allow myself to be declared consul against a decree of the senate. Liv. 3.21.7Tē vērō, C. Claudī, adhortor, ut et ipse populum Rōmānum hāc licentiā arceās et dē mē hoc tibi persuādeās, mē ita acceptūrum, ut nōn honōrem meum ā tē impedītum, sed glōriam sprētī honōris auctam invidiamque, quae ex continuātō eō inpendēret, levātam putem."You, Gaius Claudius, I urge both to restrain the Roman people yourself from this licence, and to be persuaded of this about me, that I shall take it in such a way as to think, not that my office has been blocked by you, but that the glory of having spurned office has been increased, and the ill will which would hang over me from its prolongation lightened.' Liv. 3.21.8Commūniter inde ēdīcunt, nē quis L. Quīnctium cōnsulem faceret;Then they jointly issue an edict that no one should vote for Lucius Quinctius as consul; Liv. 3.21.8sī quis fēcisset, sē id suffrāgium nōn observātūrōs.if anyone did, they would not take account of that vote.