AMBITUS,
an earnest Solicitation to get into publick Offices. Properly, 'tis the sur∣rounding a Person to have his Vote in Electi¦ons, being always busie about him, embracing and caressing him for that end. The Romans made it a Crime to solicite Offices by too eager Applications, as by extraordinary Gifts, Threatnings or open Force: they made seve∣ral Laws to hinder this soliciting, and punish those that were found guilty of it. The most considerable of them was that which was made in the Consulship of Cieero, called from his Name Lex Tullia. By that Law, the Candidates were forbidden to bestow any Combats of the Gladiators on the People, to make any pub∣lick Feast, or to cause themselves to be fol∣low'd by a Crowd of Clients, for two years before they put in for any place.
A Senator, who was guilty of a Breach of this Law, was punish'd with ten years Banish∣ment; others were find and render'd incapa∣ble of any Dignity for ever; as may be seen in Cicero's Oration against Vatinius and Sextius. Nevertheless, these things had gone so far in the corrupt times of the Commonwealth, that some would publickly tell the Tribes what Sums of Money they would give them for their Votes, which was call'd Pronuntiare in tri∣bus, says Cicero. They made use of three sorts of Persons for this purpose, which they call'd Interpretes, Mediators, who assisted in making the Bargain, per quos pactio inducebatur, says A∣sconius Pedianus: Sequestres, who are the Tru∣stees, in whose hands the Money agreed for is deposited: and lastly Divisores, Dividers, who were to distribute the Money to every particu∣lar person in the Tribe.