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THet 1.1 Romane commonalty finding themselues oppres∣sed by the wealthier sort, departed vnto the Aven∣tine mount, threatning the Romane nobility, that they would forsake their city, and never againe adventure them selues in war for the defence thereof; vnlesse they did finde some release and casement from those excessiue payments of vse and interest vnto their creditours: yea beside the re∣mission of their present debts, before they would returne vnto their city again, they would haue certaine magistrats chosen, which should beu 1.2 Sacrosancti .i. such as might not be hurt or violently vsed, not so much as in words: and if any had violated that law, whereby they were made Sacro∣sancti, then was he accounted homo sacer .i. an excommuni∣cate person, or such an one whose soule should be vowed vnto some God; insomuch that if any after had killed him, he should not be lyable vnto iudgement:x 1.3 quoniam illius a∣nima dijs devota amplius humani commercij non sit. To these y 1.4 magistrats the protection of the commons was commit∣ted, who because they were at first chosen out of the Mi∣litary Tribunes, therfore did they alwaies retaine the name of Tribunes, being called that they might be distinguished from the others, Tribuni Plebis, Protectours of the com∣mons. At the first institution of them they were in number but 2, asz 1.5 some haue thought:a 1.6 Others say fiue: afterward (as it is yeelded by al writers) they encreased vnto tē. Their autority at first consisted chiefely in this, that they had po∣wer to hinder any proceedings in the Senate, which they thought might proue preiudiciall vnto the commons; so that they had not autority to enact any new decrees, as af∣terward by abusing their authority they did.b 1.7 Sed eorū au∣toritas magis in intercedendo, quàm iubendo. And hence was it that in old time these protectours of the commons were not permitted to come into the Senate: butc 1.8 they sate with