1By saying these and other things of this kind repeatedly, Memmius persuaded the people that Lucius Cassius, who was then praetor, should be sent to Jugurtha and should bring him to Rome under a pledge of public faith, so that the misdeeds of Scaurus and the others whom he was accusing of taking money might more easily be exposed by the king's evidence. 2While these things were being done at Rome, those who had been left by Bestia in Numidia in command of the army followed the example of their general and committed very many most disgraceful acts. 3There were some who, corrupted by gold, handed back the elephants to Jugurtha, others sold deserters, and some drove off plunder from peaceful districts: so violently had avarice invaded their minds, like a plague.
5But Cassius the praetor, once the bill had been carried by Gaius Memmius and the whole nobility had been struck with dismay, set out to Jugurtha, and persuaded him, fearful as he was and, from a guilty conscience, distrustful of his position, that since he had surrendered himself to the Roman people he should not choose to experience their force rather than their mercy. 5Privately, besides, he pledged his own word, which Jugurtha valued no less than the public pledge: such was the reputation of Cassius at that time.