When Mark Antony spoke from the rostrum in the forum anent the death of Caesar, and thence descended to gather the crowd about him while he excited them to revenge, he was stirring in them the evil passions which ere long set Rome ablaze. "Mischief, thou art afoot, take thou what course thou wilt!" he said, caring not to guide the storm bat only to have it rage. It is said of a similar case that when a public orator had excited a crowd to riot and they were speeding away to do mischief, one asked him, "Why do you run after the crowd?" "I must keep up with them," he said, "for I am their leader."
The desire to be in evidence as leader, ruler, and commander has its parable in the history of kings. At first some small group would choose the man of greatest knowledge to lead them, and to order into some sense of unity their conjoint efforts. His ruling established a realm, his chair became a throne, the circlet upon his head a crown. Thus the best knowing man had power, which the envious would covet and seek to possess for its own sake, that they might overbear others, subdue the noble, and take tribute of the rich. This ambition is well expressed in the words of that malformed Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who became a king through his bloody contrivances:—
Then, since this earth affords no joy to me.
But to command, to check, to o'erbcar such
As are of better person than myself,
I'll make my heaven to dream upon the
crown,
And, whiles I live, to account this world
but hell,
Until my mis-shap'd trunk that bears this
head
Be round impaled with a glorious crown.
