Pharmacy, a kind of soft purgative electuary, so called, as being supposed an universal purger of all humours.

Catiline, Lucius, a Roman of a noble family, who, having spent his whole fortune in debauchery, formed the design of oppressing his country, destroying the senate, seizing the public treasury, setting Rome on fire, and usurping a sovereign power over his fellow-citizens. In order to succeed in this design, he drew some young noblemen into his plot; whom he prevailed upon, it is said, to drink human blood as a pledge of their union. His conspiracy, however, was discovered by the vigilance of Cicero, who was then consul. Upon which, retiring from Rome, he put himself at the head of an army, with several of the conspirators, and fought with incredible valour against Petreius, lieutenant to Antony, who was colleague with Cicero in the consulship; but was defeated and killed in battle. See (History of) Rome.—Sallust has given an excellent history of this conspiracy.

Cato, Marcus Porcius, the censor, one of the greatest men among the ancients, was born at Tusculum in the year of Rome 519, about the 232d before Christ. He began to bear arms at 17; and, on all occasions, showed extraordinary courage. He was a man of great sobriety, and reckoned no bodily exercise unworthy of him. He had but one horse for himself and his baggage, and he looked after and dressed it himself. At his return from his campaigns, he took himself to plough his ground; not that he was without slaves to do it, but it was his inclination. He dressed also like his slaves, sat down at the same table with them, and partook of the same fare. He did not in the meanwhile neglect to cultivate his mind, especially in regard to the art of speaking; and he employed his talents, which were very great, in generously pleading causes in the neighbouring cities without fee or reward. Valerius Flaccus, who had a country seat near Cato, conceiving an esteem for him, persuaded him to come to Rome; where Cato, by his own merits, and the influence of so powerful a patron, was soon taken notice of, and promoted. He was first of all elected tribune of the soldiers for the province of Sicily; he was next made quæstor in Africa under Scipio. Having in this last office reproved him for his profuseness to his soldiers, the general answered, that "he did not want to exact a quæstor, but would make war at what expense he pleased; nor was he to give an account to the Roman people of the money he spent, but of his enterprises, and the execution of them." Cato, provoked at this answer, left Sicily, and returned to Rome.

Afterwards Cato was made praetor, when he fulfilled the duties of his office with the strictest justice. He conquered Sardinia, governed with admirable moderation, and was created consul. Being tribune in the war of Syria, he gave distinguished proofs of his valour against Antiochus the Great; and at his return stood candidate for the office of censor. But the nobles, who not only envied him as a new man, but dreaded his severity, set up against him seven powerful competitors. Valerius Flaccus, who had introduced him into public life, and had been his colleague in the consulship, was a ninth candidate, and these two united their interests. On this occasion Cato, far from employing soft words to the people, or giving hopes of gentleness or complaisance in the execution of his office, loudly declared from the rostra, with a threatening look and voice, "That the times required firm and vigorous magistrates to put a stop to that growing luxury which menaced the republic with ruin; censors who would cut up the evil by the roots, and restore the rigour of ancient discipline." It is to the honour of the people of Rome, that notwithstanding these terrible intimations, they preferred him to all his competitors, who courted them by promises of a mild and easy administration; the comitia also appointed his friend Valerius to be his colleague, without whom he had declared that he could not hope to compass the reforms he had in view. Cato's merit, upon the whole, was superior to that of any of the great men who stood against him. He was temperate, brave, and indefatigable; frugal of the public money, and not to be corrupted. There is scarce any talent requisite for public or private life which he had not received from nature, or acquired by industry. He was a great soldier, an able statesman, an eloquent orator, a learned historian, and very knowing in rural affairs. Yet, with all these accomplishments, he had very great faults. His ambition being poisoned with envy, disturbed both his own peace and that of the whole city as long as he lived. Though he would not take bribes, he was unmerciful and unconscionable in amassing wealth by all such means as the law did not punish.

The first act of Cato in his new office, was naming his colleague to be prince of the senate: after which the censors struck out of the list of the senators the names of seven persons; among whom was Lucius the brother of T. Flaminius. Lucius, when consul, and commanding in Gaul, had with his own hand murdered a Boian of distinction, a defector to the Romans; and he committed this murder purely to gratify the curiosity of his pathetic, a young Carthaginian, who longing to see somebody die a violent death, had approached the general for bringing him away from Rome just when there was going to be a fight of gladiators. Titus Flamininus, full of indignation at the dishonour done to his brother, brought the affair before the people; and insisted upon Cato's giving the reason of his proceeding. The censor related the story; and when Lucius denied the fact, put him to his oath. The accused, refusing to swear, was deemed guilty; and Cato's censure was approved. But no part of the censor's conduct seemed so cruel to the nobles and their wives as the taxes he laid upon luxury in all its branches; dyes, household furniture, women's toilette, chariots, slaves, and equipage. These articles were all taxed at three per cent. of the real value. The people, however, in general, were pleased with his regulations; inasmuch that they ordered a statue to be erected to his honour in the temple of Health, with an inscription that mentioned nothing of his victories or triumphs, but imported only, that by his wife ordinances in his censorship he had reformed the manners of the republic. Plutarch relates, that before this, upon some of Cato's friends expressing their surprise, that when many persons without merit or reputation had statues, he had none; he answered, "I had much rather it should be asked why the people have not erected a statue to Cato, than why they have." Cato was the occasion of the third Punic war. Being dispatched to Africa to terminate a difference between the Carthaginians and the king of Numidia, on his return to Rome he reported that Carthage was grown excessively rich and populous, and he warmly exhorted the senate to destroy a city and republic, during the existence of which Rome could never be safe. Having brought from Africa some very large figs, he showed them to the conscript fathers in one of the lapses of his gown. "The country (says he) where this fine fruit grows is but a three days' voyage from Rome." We are told, that from this time he never spoke in the senate upon any subject, without concluding with these words, "I am also of opinion, that Carthage ought to be destroyed." He judged, that for a people debauched by prosperity, nothing was more to be feared than a rival state, always powerful, and now from its misfortunes grown wise and circumspect. He held it necessary to remove all dangers that could be apprehended from without, when the republic had within so many distempers threatening her destruction.

From the censor, dignified and severe, the reader will not perhaps be displeased to turn his view upon Cato sociable and relaxed. For we should have a false notion of him, if we imagined that nothing but a sad austerity prevailed in his speech and behaviour. On the contrary, he was extremely free; and often with his friends at table intermixed the conversation with lively discourses and witty sayings. Of these Plutarch has collected a pretty large number; we shall relate but one, and make use of Balzac's paraphrase, and the preface with which he introduces it. "The very censors, though sardonic seemed to be one of the functions of their office, did not altogether lay aside railing. They were not always bent upon severity; and the first Cato, that troublesome and intolerable honest man, ceased sometimes to be troublesome and intolerable. He had some glimpses of mirth, and some intervals of good humour. He dropped now and then some words that were not unpleasant, and you may judge of the rest by this. He had married a very handsome wife; and history tells us that she was extremely afraid of the thunder, and loved her husband well. These two passions prompted her to the same thing; she always pitched upon her husband as a sanctuary against thunder, and threw herself into his arms at the first noise she fancied she heard in the sky. Cato, who was well pleased with the storm, and very willing to be careless, could not conceal his joy. He revealed that domestic secret to his friends; and told them one day, speaking of his wife, "that she had found out a way to make him love bad weather; and that he never was so happy as when Jupiter was angry." It is worth observing, that this was during his censorship; when he degraded the senator Manlius, who would probably have been consul the year after, only for giving a kiss to his wife in the daytime, and in the presence of his daughter.

Cato died in the year of Rome 624, aged 85. He wrote several works. 1. A Roman History. 2. Concerning the art of war. 3. Of Rhetoric. 4. A treatise of Husbandry. Of theft, the last only is extant.