5. I conceived a good opinion of Nicephorua, your bailiff, and I asked him, whether jou had given him any charge about that little building at Laterium of which you apoke to me. And then he told me, in reply, that he himself had contracted for that work for iibout a hundred and thirty pounds; but that afterwards you had added a good deal to the work to be done, but nothing to the money to be paid for it; aud that, therefore, he had given up the contract. I am in truth esoeediugly well-pleased that you should add those things as you determined; although the villa which, at present exists, seems to be somethhig like philosophy re- proving the insanity visible iu other villas: however, that addition will give great pleasure.
I praised, too. your ornamental gardener; he clothes every- thing so with ivy, not only the foundations of the villa, but the spaces between the pillars of the covered walk. So that those figures in the Greek dresses appear to be cutting the trees into shape, aud to be selling the ivy. Aa for the dressing- room, nothing can be more cool and mossy.
6. You have now heard neai'ly all that I have to say about country aflairs. He and Philotimus aud Ciucius are press- ing forward the polishing of your town-house; but I myself also frequently go to look at it, as is easy to be done; and I TO HIS BROTHER QUINTnB. 69 therefore hope jou will fael relieved from that cause of anxiety, III. 7. As to what you are always asking me about Cicero, I pardon you, indeed; but I also wish you to pardon me. For I will not aDow you to love him more than I do myself; and I wish tiiat he had been with me during those days in the country near Arpinum, as he himself had desired, and I no less. As to Fomponia, if it seems good to you, I wish you would send an order, that when wo go anywhere aho is to go with us, and take tlie boy. I shall raise a perfect uproar if I can have him with me without his having any- thing to do; for at Rome he has no breathing room. You know tliat I promised you that before gratuitously: what do yon think now that so great a bribe is offered me from you t 8. I now come to your letters; of which I received several while I was in the neighbourhood of Arpinum; for three were delivered to me ou one day, and indeed, as they seemed, all written by you at one time. One was at great length, in which the first statement was, that au earher day was men- tioned in your letter than in that of Ceesar. Oppius some- times does that from necessity; because, after he has arranged to send off the couriers, and has received a letter from ns, he is hindered by some new business; and of necessity sends it off later than he had intended to do; nor do we, when the letter is once dated, care about the date being altered.
9. You mention Caasar's exceeding regard for ua; you will do your best to cherish this; we too will increase it by all the means in our power. With regard to Pompey, I do with all diligence, and will continue to do, what you advise. That my permission for you to remain longer is acceptable to you, though to my own great sorrow and regret, I am yet ptulJy glad. What your object is in sending for horeebreakors and others I have no notion; there is not one of that sort of people who will not expect a present fi-om yon equal to a suburban &im. And as for your mixing up my friend Trebatius with that fellow, for that you have no foundation. I sent him to Cfesar, because he had previously satisfied me; if he does not please him equally, I am not bound to anything, and I acquit and release you also of any charge in respect of him. "With regard to your statement, that you are every day more and more esteemed by Ceesar, I am rejoiced beyond all expression.
CICEBO S LETIEilB I am filao very much attached to Bnlbua, who is, as you wrilj^fl aa actire assistant in tbat businesa; I iim very glad too that j my friend Treboniua is beloved by yon, and you by him.
10. Aa to what you write about the tribuneship, I naked it for CurtiuB by name; and Ctesar wrote lae back word that it was secured for Curtius, also mentioning him by name; and he reproached me for my shamefacedneBs in oalung. If J I ever a^ foe any one again, (aa I told OppiiiB too, thala he might write to him,) I siiall easily allow a refusal to b givenme, since those who are troublesome tome' do not casi^ allow refusals to be givcu them fi'oia me. I love Curtius, (tm I told the man himself,) on account not only of your askiogifl but of your testimony iu his Bivour, — because fi.-om you»l letters I easily perceived his zeal for our safety.
With respect to the affairs of Britain, I learned from y letters that there was no reason cither why wo should feai^J or why we should rejoice. With respect to public affairs, o which you wish Tiro to write to you, I was already writing to yon rather carelessly myself; because I knew that everything^ as well of the smallest as of the greatest importance, was sent to CEesor.
IV. U, I have now completed my answer to your longest letter: hear now as to your little one; in which the first remark is, about Clodius's letter to Ciesar, iu which afioir I approve of Cieaar's conduct, in not granting yon leave, though you asked it in the most afieationate manner, to write a single word of answer to that Fury. The nest observation is about the speech of Marius Calventius. I marvel at your saying that you think I should write a reply to it, especially as, no one is likely to read it if I write nothing in reply, while all the children will learn my answer to him by heart aa a lesson.
I have begun those books of mine which you are looking for, but am unable to finish them at the present time. I have completed the required speeches for Soaurus and for Planciua. The pKDem to Ciesar, which I had composed, I have destroyed.' What you ask, I will write for you, since tho springs them- selves are now thirsty, if I have any room.
' Nobla considers that the t«ib is hers lucarreot or defective.
■ Inddi, licneBti interprets thiB verb by ciNisciniicri; and 8i agrees with him in giilli£ it the eense of "outting to pieiM TO HIS BltOTHEH (JUINTUa.
12. I DOW come to tho tliird letter. As to what you say, that Balbua ia soon coming to Rome with a number of com- panious, and that he will be constantly with me till the middle of May; that will be very pleasant and delightful to me. As to the exhortations 'which you give mc, in the same letter, as oftentimes before, to ambition and to diligence, 1 will observe them; but when am I to enjoy life 1 13. A fourth letter was delivered to me on the 13th of September, which you had dated from Britain on the 10th of August. In it there was no news, ei.cept &bout tlioErigoimj which, if I receive from Oppius, I will write you word what I think of it; and I have no doubt that it will give me pleasure. And (a matter which I have passed over) with respect to the pei-son who, you say, wrote to CBCsar about the applause which Milo received, I readily allow Cscsar to imagine that the applause ■was vary great; and, in fact, so it was; and yet the applause which is given to him appears in some degree to be given to us.
14. A very old letter from you has also been brought mc, but brought rather late, in which you give me instmotions about the temple of Tellua, and the portico of Catulus. Both works are going on with all 8pee3; at the temple of Tellus, in- deed, I have also pWed your statue. Also, as to the wishes that yon express about the gardens, 1 never was very desirous of BOch things; and my house now makes up to me for the Want of the luiury of a girden.
When I came to Rome, on the 19th of September, I found ibe roof of your house completed, which, above the chambers, jou had decided should not have any great number of gables; hut it slopes down in anything but a neat manner to the roof of the colonnade below. While I have been absent, my Cicero has not ceased from his attendance on the rhetoriciaa: you hnve no reason to be anxious about his attainments, since you know hia natural abilities; aud his studious disposition I see myself Ail his other interests I look to, as if I thought that I were going surety for them.
V. 15. As yet, three parties are prosecuting Gabiniua: LuciusJLientulus, thesonof the flamcn, who has already lodged an accusation of treason' againsthim; TiberiuaWero, with hia treU-disposed backers; and Caius Memmiua, the tribune of ' Majalaa. See note, p. 7i i the people, with Lucius Capito. He arrived iu the city on the yOth of September; no eiitraaco was ever more mean or more solitary. But I do not dare to place any confidence in these trials. Eeoause Cato was indiaposedj he has not as yet been prosecuted for peculation. Pompey lahoura very hard to reconcile me to him; but he has not succeeded aa yet, and, if I retain any portion of my liberty, he ahall net Buccoed, I am extremely noxioua for a letter from you.
16. As to what you ivrite me word that you have heard, namely, that I interfered in the coalition of the candidates for the consulship, it is not true; for agreements were made in that coalition of such a character (which Memmius subse- quently esposed) that no respeotahle person ought to have been concerned iu them: and, besides, it was not a proceed- ing for me, to have anything to do with a coalition from which Messaln was excluded, — a man with whom I agree perfectly ia all points; and, in my opision, also with Memmius. I have already done many things for Domitius, which ho wished, and which he requested of me; and I have laid Scaurus under great obligations to me by defending him. Aa yet it has been uncertain, both when the comitia would take place, and who were to be the new consuls.
17. When I was just folding up this letter, o arrived from you on the Slst of September, having made the,! journey in twenty days. 0 how ansioua I am! How muob I have grieved over that most kind letter from Cjesar; but the more kind it was, the greater grief did that misfortune of his causo me.^ But I come to your own letter. In the first place, I approve above all things of your intention of remaining, especially since, as you write me word, you have consulted Cajsar on the subject I wonder that Oppius should have said anything to Puhlius, for I did not like the man.
18. As to what you write in your enclosure, that I should be appointed one of Pompey'a lieutenants in the middle of September, I have not heard it; and I have written to CBcaar, that VibuUiua brought directions from Ctesar about my stay to Pompey, but not to Oppius. With what object! Although I detained Oppius, because the right of speaking I ' It seema prabable thoit tbia refers to a, storm mentioDed in the fourth book,if his nocoimt of tho GaUio war, in whioli lie loat a great number of aliips. His daughter Julia, too, died nearly about tbi ^ 9& HIB BROTHER qUINTF3, fiiBt to Pompey belonged to VibuUius; for Cresar had tiJked the rontter over iu on iutcrviow with him; to Oppius he had written. However, I can have no second thouglits iu Cteear'a ofiairB. He is next to you and to our children in my heart; BO near, indeed, that he is almost equal to them. I seem to myself to feel thus from judgment; for indeed I ought; but fitill I am warmed with love for him.
VI. 1!). When 1 had written tliese last lines, which aro in my own hand, your Cicero came iu to uB to supper, as Pom- ponia was supping out He gave me jour letter to read, which he had received a short time before; a letter written in the Aristophanic spirit, being in truth both pleasant and sensible; and I was greatly pleased with it. lie also gave me that other letter of youra, in which you enjoin him to attach himself as much to me as to hia tutor. How those letters delighted him I how they gratified me! Nothing can fae more engaging than that boy, — no one con be more attached to me. These lines J dictated to Tiro while at I Bui-prised at their being in 20. Tour letters were very acceptable also to Annalis, as they showed that you were veiy anxious about him, and, at the same time, aasiated him with most serious advice. Publius Servilius the father, from the lettere which he says have been sent him from Caasar, intimates that you have done what was very acceptable to him, in having spoken with great courte^ and great earncstneaa of his attachment to Cteaar.
21. When I had returned to Rome from the neighbour- hood of Arpiuum, I was told that a horsebreakcr had set out to go to you. I cannot say that I was astonished at his having acted so like a barbarian as to go without any letter from me to you; 1 merely say that it was vesatious to me, — fori had boon thinking of it fora long time, — in consequence of what you wrote to mo, that if there should be anything which I should wish to be conveyed to you with extra- ordinary ciire, I was to give it to him; because, in truth, in these letters which I usually send to you, I generally write nothing which would cause me any annoyance if it fell iuto other hands. I used to keep myself for Minucius, and Salvius, and Labeo. Labeo will either go at a late period, or aud I ante CICERO S LETTERS remain here. The hoiselireaJier did not even ask if I ibed to send anything.
22, Titus Pinariua aends very kindly-espressed lettera about yon to me; saying that ho is beyotid all meaaTire delighted with your lettere, conversation, and, beaidea, with your sup- pers. That man has alwaya pleased me, and his brother is a great deal with me. Do you, therefore, as you have begun to do, cherish that young man.
TIL S3. As I have had this letter under my hands several dajfs, owing to the delay of the couriers, many different things have consequentJy been thrown into it, one thing at one time, and another at another; aa for instance this: Titus Anicius has already often said to me, that he should not hesitate to purchase a suburban villa for you, if he could nieet with one. la regard to this remark of liis, I cancot but wonder at two things: that though you write to him about buying you a suburban villa, you uot only do not write to me about it, but even write to quite the coutraiy effect; and also, that when you are writing to him, you recollect nothing about him, nothing about those letters of his which you showed me when you were at Tuaculum, and nothing about the precepts of Epioharmua, " Take notice how ho treats any one else." You forget, in short, the man's whole counteaanoa, aud language, aud disposition; and, aa I conjecture, just as '" — ^ but to theae things you must look yourself 24. Take care that I may know what you really wish lut this suburban villa, and take care at the same time that does not cause any trouble. What more have I to say?
'hati Oh, this: Gabinius, on the 28th of September, entered the city by night; and to-day, at the eighth hour, when, according to the edict of Cains Aldus, ho ought to have appeared to the accusation of majesty,^ he was almost over- whelmed by the concourse aud by the detestation of the whole people. Nothing ever was more contemptible than his ap- pearance. Piso, however, comea very near to him; I am therefore thinking of introducing a marvellous episode in the ' OrelUus says that OAa ia not a.a apoaiopeiis, but tliat bi ird or phrase is loat.
' Majesty was nearly equivalent to trenaon. It wna _ a for any offenoe oommitted agaiuBt the Roniiui people, Greek J Becood of my books: Ajwllo in the ccmnoil of the gods pre- dicting what Bort of return that of the two generala will he, of whom ooe haa loGt his army, and the other has sold it.
25. Ctesar wrote me a letter from Britain on the 1st of September, which I reoeived on the 28tfa, ^ving a aatia- fcctory account of the aftiiira of Britain; in it, tliat I may not bo Bm^riaed at receiving no letter from you, he says that he had beet) without your company, aa he had gone to the eoaat. I have not sent him. any answer to that letter, not eyen to congratuJate him, because of his private mourning. Again and again, my dear brother, I beg you to take care of your health.
LETTER II. Marcus Cicero to Iik hroiTar Quintus, greeling. 1. Os the lOtb of October, Salviua went bysea to Ostia, l&te in the evening, with the things which you wished to have Bent to you from home. On the eame day, Memuuus had given Gabinius a warming hefore the people with bo luoid au accueation, that CahdiuB was unable to utter a single word on his behalf But the day after, which was coming on aa I was irriting this before dawn, a great argument was to be held at Cato's between Memmius and Tiberius Nero, and Caius Antonius and Lucius Autonius, the sous of Marcus, as to who should manage the prosecution against Gabinius. We thought that it would bo allotted to Memrains, although there was an extraordinary struggle on the part of Nero. What would you have? The matter is well pressed forward, did not onr friend Pompey, in spite of both gods and men, upset the bufiineas.
•- 2. Understand now the boldness of the man, and that some- thing still amuses us in so distressed a condition of publio afihira. After Gabinius, wherever he went, had said that he TTOB demanding a triumph, and after this good general had suddenly entered the city by night, (aa i^ evidently, it had been the city of an enemy,) he did not venture to present himself before the senate. In the meantime, on the tenth day •aSiex bis arrival, on which he ought to have given in his report of fliB numbers of the enemies and of our troops, he sneaked I OICEROS LETTEKS I OICEROS LETTEKS into the senate-house wth a -very Bmall following. When he ' was about to depart, he was detained by the consuls. The formers of the revenues were introduced. The roan, being attacked on all sides, and being wounded by me most of all, could bear it no longer, and with a trembling voice called me an exile. On this, {0 ye gods! nothing more honourable ever happened to me,) the whole eonate to a, man rose in an uproar against him, so tlmt they cnme close to him; while the farmers of the revenue started up with a similaj noiee and ruBh. What more do you aski All of them behaved as if you yourself had been there. Nothing can be more compliracntory than the hmguago of men out-of-doors. I, however, restrain myself from accusing him, with diffioulty indeed, but I do restrain myself, not only because I do not wish to oppose Pompey, (the busiueaa which presses me about Milo is quite enough,) but because we have no judges whom wo can trust. I dread a failure. I may take also into con- Bideration the malevolence of men, and I am a&aid that if I were to accuse him, something might happen to him; nor do I despair that the matter may be accomplished without me, though in some degree by my means.
3. All who are candidates for the consulship are impeached on the charge of bribery. Domitius by Mommius, Memmius by Quintus Cnrtius, a good and accomplished young man; Messala by Quintus Pompey, Seauiua by Triarhis. It is a great measui'e in agitation, because the ruin either of the men, or of the laws, is threatened. Some efforts are made, that no trials may take place. The affiiir appears to point to an interregnum. The consuls wish to hold the comitia; the impeached parties are against it, and Memmius above all, because on the arrival of Ciesar he hopes to become consul. Eut he has an extraordinarily bad chimce. Domitius and Messala appeared sure of success; Scanrns had lost heart. Appiua asserts, that if it were not for a lex curiata, be should succeed our friend Lentulua, who on that day showed won- derful vigour against Gabiniua, (a thing which I had almost forgotten to mention;) he accused him of treason; names of witnesses were given in; while Gabinius did not say a word. Ton now know the affairs of the forum. At home things go on well, and the house itself is proceeding with great rapidity trader the hands of the contractors.
TO BIB nKOTHEK QUIKTUS.
LETTER in.
Marcus Cicero to his brolhcr Quhdw, greeting.
1. The hand of my secretary may be a sign to you how busy 1 am. Be oasured that there doea not a day p which I do not speak on behalf of some accused person. Thus, whatcTer I compose or meditate, I generally throw into the time of my walk. In this state is my public busineBs; our domestic affairs go on as I wish. The boya are well; they lenm with great diligence; they are taught with great pains; they love us, and love one another. The polishing of both our houses is going on; while your rural matters at Arcanum and Laterium aie advancing to completion.' Besides, in one of my letters, I omitted nothing to give you a clear account about the water, and the road.
Bat this subject of ansiety disturbs and annoys me, that for the space of now more than fifty days, not only no letter has come from you, none from Ceesar, none from tt^t conntiy, but not even a single report; and that sea, and that countiy, keep me now in a state of ansiety. Nor do I cease (as is the case with persons in love) to imagine the things which I least wish. I do not therefore now ask you to write to me about yourself and about affairs in that quarter, (for I know that you never omit to do so when you have an oppor- tunity,) but I wish you to know, that I scarcely ever longed for anj-thing bo much, as, when 1 wrote this, I did for a letter 3. Hear now what is going on in the republic. Bay after day appointed for the comitia is constantly cancelled by notices of ill omens, to the great joy of the well-affeoted wtizens, in such unpopularity are the consuls on account of the suspicion of their having bargained for bribes from the candidates. There are four candidates for the consulship; all are prosecuted; the causes are difficult ones; but still we will exert ourselves that Mcssala may come ofi' safe; a result which is even connected with the safety of the rest. Ptiblius Sylla has impeached Gabiniua of bribery, his stepson Mem- miua supporting the accuaiition, as well as his brother Cfficilius, ' A Romipt pBsBnge, Bays OrelliuB. There are vmoaa rendinga, but ntmo eatiafiictorf.
CICBIiO'S LBTTBRB and his soa Sjlla. Lucius Torquatus made objectioiiB, bat fiiikd iu hia purpose, to tbe great joj of all men.
3, Do you ask, what is to become of Gabinius! We ab^ know in three days about the impeachmeat for trensou - oa which charge he is weighed down by the detcBtatioa of all daaees; aad is eqjeoially damaged by the evidence. He haa very cool accusers; the bench is of a varied character j the chief judge, Alhus, is a man of high and resolute temper, Pompey is earnest in canvassing the judges; how it will end I know not; but I see no room for him in the city, I have a moderate wish for his downibl, but the faintest possible as to the result of the whole proceedings.
i. You have now an account of almost everything. I will add this one paiticulai'; your Cicero and mine is now apply- ing himself with great diligence to the instructions of PceoniuB, a rhetorician, a man, in my opiniou, well accomplished, and of excellent character; but you know well enough that my own style of education is a little more learned and philo- sophical. Though, therefore, I do not wish Cicero's progress, and that course of instriictiou, to be impeded; and the boy himself seems to be greatly charmed and delighted with tha exercise in declamation; (and as I was myself also practised in it, I would allow him to go on in my steps, for I feel sure that he will arrive at the same end,) but still, if I take him anywhere into tbe country with me, I shall lead him into my own method and practice. For a great reward is offered me from you, which certainly I shall not fail to gain through my own fault. In what parts you are going to winter, and with what espectations, I should wish you to write me word with all possible minuteness. FarewelL k LETTER IV.
Marcus Cicero to hU brother Quinttis, greeting.
1. Gabikihs haa been acquitted. Altogether, nothing could I more childish than Lentulus, bis accuser, and his fellow- prosecutors, nothing more corrupt than the bench; hut stiU, if the exertion and entreaties of Pompey had not been extra- ordinary, and if the report of a coming dictatorship had not I 3 BROTHER QCTHTCS.
been full of alarm, ho would not have made nny reply e- to Lentulus; and yet with him for his accuser, and with that boich for his judges, he Jiad tLirty-two votes against him, oerenty pei-sona voting. Certaialy, this trial is a character, that he seema likely to he coavicted on the other accuaationa, and especially on that of pocubtion; but you Bee that there is really no republic at all, no Beoate, no judges, no dignity in any one of us.
Why should I aaj more about the judges t Two men of piw- torian rank were on the bench; Domitiua Calvinns; he voted openly for hia acquittal, bo that all might see it; and Cato;' he^ after the votes had been counted, withdrew himself from the drde, and was the £rst to announce the result to Pompey.
2. Some say, and Sallust among them, that I ought to have been the accnaer. Should I trust myeelf to such judges 1 What would have been tliought of me if he Lad escaped while I Lad pleaded against him. t But other considerations inflaeneed me. Pompey would have thought that he had a diapnte with me, not about the safety of Gabinius, but hia own dignity. Ho would have entered the city. The matter would have come to a regular quarrel; I sboiiid have seamed like Pacideianus when matched with ^Beminua the Samnite; perhaps he would have bitten off my ear. He would at least have been reconciled to Clodiua. With my own conduct certainly, I am thoroughly satisfied, particularly if you do not disapprove of it. He, after he had been honoui-ed by me mth. eminent exertions on my part, and though 1 owed him nothing, and he owed everything to me, was still unable to bear my differing in opinion with him about the affairs of the commonwealth, (I will not use a harsher expression;) and even at the period when he was leea powerful, he showed how much be could do against me when 1 w»s at the height of my reputation. Now, when 1 myself am not even anxious to acquire any great influence, when the republic itself has cer- tainly no power at all, and when he Loa power over everything eould I posaihly contend with him 1 For so I must have done. I do not believe that you think that I ought to have undertaken such a tafk.
3. [You should,] Sallust still argues, [have done] one of ' What Cato, iH nncertam; but it waa not, tis Paul MaJrat th6 Cato afterwords called Uticeatii;^.
I CICEB0 8 LETTERS ja; [if you did uot accuse him,] you should bave defended him, and have granted that to the entreaty of Pompey: for indeed he did entreat veiy earnestly. A plea- sant friend certainly Salliiat iSj who thinks that I was hound either to incur a moat dangerous enmity or everlasting infamy. But I myself am pleased with this middle course; and it is gratifying to me, tliat after I had with great serious- ness given my evidence in accordance with good faith and religion, the defendant said, that if he could possibly have bflBQ ia the city, he would have satisfied me;' nor did he put a single question to me.
i. With respect to the verses which you wish me to wTita out for you, the toak cannot be undertaken by me, a task which requires not only time, but also a mind free from all care. But enthusiasm is also wanting, for I am not altogether without anxiety as to the coming year, tliough I am without apprehension. And at the same time (I assure you that I speak without the slightest irony) I assign a higher place iii that kind of writing to you thau to m.vself.