cicero-第2章

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him　what　the　Romans　said　and　thought　of　his　actions；　as　if　the　whole



city　had　been　filled　with　the　glory　of　what　he　had　done。　His　friend



asked　him　in　reply；　〃Where　is　it　you　have　been；　Cicero？〃　This　for



the　time　utterly　mortified　and　cast　him　down　to　perceive　that　the



report　of　his　actions　had　sunk　into　the　city　of　Rome　as　into　an



immense　ocean；　without　any　visible　effect　or　result　in　reputation。　And



afterwards　considering　with　himself　that　the　glory　he　contended　for



was　an　infinite　thing；　and　that　there　was　no　fixed　end　nor　measure



in　its　pursuit；　he　abated　much　of　his　ambitious　thoughts。



Nevertheless；　he　was　always　excessively　pleased　with　his　own　praise；



and　continued　to　the　very　last　to　be　passionately　fond　of　glory；　which



often　interfered　with　the　prosecution　of　his　wisest　resolutions。



　　On　beginning　to　apply　himself　more　resolutely　to　public　business；　he



remarked　it　as　an　and　absurd　thing　that　artificers；　using　vessels



and　instruments　inanimate；　should　know　the　name；　place；　and　use　of



every　one　of　them；　and　yet　the　statesman；　whose　instruments　for



carrying　out　public　measures　are　men；　should　be　negligent　and　careless



in　the　knowledge　of　persons。　And　so　be　not　only　acquainted　himself



with　the　names；　but　also　knew　the　particular　place　where　every　one



of　the　more　eminent　citizens　dwelt；　what　lands　he　possessed；　the



friends　he　made　use　of；　and　those　that　were　of　his　neighbourhood；



and　when　he　travelled　on　any　road　in　Italy；　he　could　readily　name



and　show　the　estates　and　seats　of　his　friends　and　acquaintance。　Having



so　small　an　estate；　though　a　sufficient　competency　for　his　own



expenses；　it　was　much　wondered　at　that　he　took　neither　fees　nor



gifts　from　his　clients；　and　more　especially　that　he　did　not　do　so　when



he　undertook　the　prosecution　of　Verres。　This　Verres；　who　had　been



praetor　of　Sicily；　and　stood　charged　by　the　Sicilians　of　many　evil



practices　during　his　government　there；　Cicero　succeeded　in　getting



condemned；　not　by　speaking；　but　in　a　manner　by　holding　his　tongue。　For



the　praetors；　favouring　Verres；　had　deferred　the　trial　by　several



adjournments　to　the　last　day；　in　which　it　was　evident　there　could



not　be　sufficient　time　for　the　advocates　to　be　heard；　and　the　cause



brought　to　an　issue。　Cicero；　therefore；　came　forward；　and　said　there



was　no　need　of　speeches；　and　after　producing　and　examining



witnesses；　he　required　the　judges　to　proceed　to　sentence。　However；



many　witty　sayings　are　on　record；　as　having　been　used　by　Cicero　on　the



occasion。　When　a　man　named　Caecilius；　one　of　the　freed　slaves；　who　was



said　to　be　given　to　Jewish　practices；　would　have　put　by　the　Sicilians；



and　undertaken　the　prosecution　of　Verres　himself；　Cicero　asked；



〃What　has　a　Jew　to　do　with　swine？〃　verres　being　the　Roman　word　for　a



boar。　And　when　Verres　began　to　reproach　Cicero　with　effeminate　living；



〃You　ought；〃　replied　he；　〃to　use　this　language　at　home；　to　your　sons；〃



Verres　having　a　son　who　had　fallen　into　disgraceful　courses。



Hortensius　the　orator；　not　daring　directly　to　undertake　the　defence　of



Verres；　was　yet　persuaded　to　appear　for　him　at　the　laying　on　of　the



fine；　and　received　an　ivory　sphinx　for　his　reward；　and　when　Cicero



in　some　passage　of　the　speech；　obliquely　reflected　on　him；　and



Hortensius　told　him　he　was　not　skilful　in　solving　riddles；　〃No；〃



said　Cicero；　〃and　yet　you　have　the　sphinx　in　your　house！〃



　　Verres　was　thus　convicted；　though　Cicero；　who　set　the　fine　at



seventy…five　myriads；　lay　under　the　suspicion　of　being　corrupted　by



bribery　to　lessen　the　sum。　But　the　Sicilians；　in　testimony　of　their



gratitude；　came　and　brought　him　all　sorts　of　presents　from　the　island；



when　he　was　aedile；　of　which　he　made　no　private　profit　himself；　but



used　their　generosity　only　to　reduce　the　public　price　of　provisions。



　　He　had　a　very　pleasant　seat　at　Arpi；　he　had　also　a　farm　near　Naples；



and　another　about　Pompeii；　but　neither　of　any　great　value。　The　portion



of　his　wife；　Terentia；　amounted　to　ten　myriads；　and　he　had　a　bequest



valued　at　nine　myriads　of　denarii；　upon　these　he　lived　in　a　liberal



but　temperate　style　with　the　learned　Greeks　and　Romans　that　were　his



familiars。　He　rarely；　if　at　any　time；　sat　down　to　meat　till　sunset；



and　that　not　so　much　on　account　of　business；　as　for　his　health　and　the



weakness　of　his　stomach。　He　was　otherwise　in　the　care　of　his　body　nice



and　delicate；　appointing　himself；　for　example；　a　set　number　of　walks



and　rubbings。　And　after　this　manner　managing　the　habit　of　his　body；　he



brought　it　in　time　to　be　healthful；　and　capable　of　supporting　many



great　fatigues　and　trials。　His　father's　house　he　made　over　to　his



brother；　living　himself　near　the　Palatine　hill；　that　he　might　not　give



the　trouble　of　long　journeys　to　those　that　made　suit　to　him。　And；



indeed；　there　were　not　fewer　daily　appearing　at　his　door；　to　do



their　court　to　him；　than　there　were　that　came　to　Crassus　for　his



riches；　or　to　Pompey　for　his　power　amongst　the　soldiers；　these　being



at　that　time　the　two　men　of　the　greatest　repute　and　influence　in　Rome。



Nay；　even　Pompey　himself　used　to　pay　court　to　Cicero；　and　Cicero's



public　actions　did　much　to　establish　Pompey's　authority　and　reputation



in　the　state。



　　Numerous　distinguished　competitors　stood　with　him　for　the



praetor's　office；　but　he　was　chosen　before　them　all；　and　managed　the



decision　of　causes　with　justice　and　integrity。　It　is　related　that



Licinius　Macer；　a　man　himself　of　great　power　in　the　city；　and



supported　also　by　the　assistance　of　Crassus；　was　accused　before　him　of



extortion；　and　that；　in　confidence　on　his　own　interest　and　the



diligence　of　his　friends；　whilst　the　judges　were　debating　about　the



sentence；　he　went　to　his　house；　where　hastily　trimming　his　hair　and



putting　on　a　clean　gown　as　already　acquitted；　he　was　setting　off　again



to　go　to　the　Forum；　but　at　his　hall　door　meeting　Crassus；　who　told　him



that　he　was　condemned　by　all　the　votes；　he　went　in　again；　threw



himself　upon　his　bed；　and　died　immediately。　This　verdict　was



considered　very　creditable　to　Cicero；　as　showing　his　careful



management　of　the　courts　of　justice。　On　another　occasion；　Vatinius；



a　man　of　rude　manners　and　often　insolent　in　court　to　the



magistrates；　who　had　large　swellings　on　his　neck；　came　before　his



tribunal　and　made　some　request；　and　on　Cicero's　desiring　further



time　to　consider　it；　told　him　that　he　himself　would　have　made　no



question　about　it　had　he　been　praetor。　Cicero；　turning　quickly　upon



him；　answered；　〃But　I；　you　see；　have　not　the　neck　that　you　have。〃



　　When　there　were　but　two　or　three　days　remaining　in　his　office；



Manilius　was　brought　before　him；　and　charged　with　peculation。　Manilius



had　the　good　opinion　and　favour　of　the　common　people；　and　was



thought　to　be　prosecuted　only　for　Pompey's　sake；　whose　particular



friend　he　was。　And　therefore；　when　he　asked　a　space　of　time　before　his



trial；　and　Cicero　allowed　him　but　one　day；　and　that　the　next　only；　the



common　people　grew　highly　offended；　because　it　had　been　the　custom



of　the　praetors　to　allow　ten　days　at　least　to　the　accused；　and　the



tribunes　of　the　people；　having　called　him　before　the　people　and



accused　him；　he；　desiring　to　be　heard；　said；　that　as　he　had　always



treated　the　accused　with　equity　and　humanity；　as　far　as　the　law



allowed；　so　he　thought　it　hard　to　deny　the　same　to　Manilius；　and



that　he　had　studiously　appointed　that　day　of　which　alone；　as



praetor；　he　was　master；　and　that　it　was　not　the　part　of　those　that



were　desirous　to　help　him　to　cast　the　judgment　of　his　cause　upon



another　praetor。　These　things　being　said　made　a　wonderful　change　in



the　people；　and　commending　him　much　for　it　they　desired　that　he



himself　would　undertake　the　defence　of　Manilius；　which　he　willingly



consented　to；　and　that　principally　for　the　sake　of　Pompey；　who　was



absent。　And；　accordingly；　taking　his　place　before　the　people　again；　he



delivered　a　bold　invective　upon　the　oligarchical　party　and　on　those



who　were　jealous　of　Pompey。



　　Yet　he　was　preferred　to　the　consulship　no　less　by　the　nobles　than



the　common　people；　for　the　good　of　the　city；　and　both　parties



jointly　assisted　his　promotion；　upon　the　following　reasons。　The　change



of　government　made　by　Sylla；　which　at　first　seemed　a　senseless　one



by　time　and　usage　had　now　come　to　be　considered　by　the　people　no



unsatisfactory　settlement。　But　there　were　some　that　endeavoured　to



alter　and　subvert　the　whole　present　state　of　affairs；　not　from　any



good　motives；　but　for　their　own　private　gain；　and　Pompey　being　at　this



time　employed　in　the　wars　with　the　kings　of　Pontus　and　Armenia；



there　was　no　sufficient　force　at　Rome　to　suppress　any　attempts　at　a



revolution。　These　people　had　for　their　head　a　man　of　bold；　daring；　and



restless　character；　Lucius　Catiline；　who　was　accused；　besides　other



great　offences；　of　deflowering　his　virgin　daughter；　and　killing　his



own　brother；　for　which　latter　crime；　fearing　to　be　prosecuted　at



law；　he　persuaded　Sylla　to　set　him　down；　as　though　he　were　yet



alive；　amongst　those　that　were　to　be　put　to　death　by　proscription。



This　man　the　profligate　citizens　choosing　for　their　captain；　gave



faith　to　one　another；　amongst　other　pledges；　by　sacrificing　a　man；　and



eating　of　his　flesh；　and　a　great　part　of　the　young　men　of　the　city



were　corrupted　by　him；　he　providing　for　every　one　pleasures；　drink；



and　women；　and　profusely　supplying　the　expense　of　these　debauches。



Etruria；　moreover；　had　all　been　excited　to　revolt；　as　well　as　a



great　part　of　Gaul　within　the　Alps。　But　Rome　itself　was　in　the　most



dangerous　inclination　to　change　on　account　of　the　unequal　distribution



of　wealth　and　property；　those　of　highest　rank　and　greatest　spirit



having　impoverished　themselves　by　shows；　entertainments；　ambition　of



offices；　and　sumptuous　buildings；　and　the　riches　of　the　city　having



thus　fallen　into　the　hands　of　mean　and　low…born　persons。　So　that　there



wanted　but　a　slight　impetus　to　set　all　in　motion；　it　being　in　the



power　of　every　daring　man　to　overturn　a　sickly　commonwealth。



　　Catiline；　however；　being　desirous　of　procuring　a　strong　position



to　carry　out　his　designs；　stood　for　the　consulship；　and　had　great



hopes　of　success；　thinking　he　should　be　appointed　with　Caius



Antonius　as　his　colleague；　who　was　a　man　fit　to　lead　neither　in　a　good



cause　nor　in　a　bad　one；　but　might　be　a　valuable　accession　to　another's



power。　These　things　the　greatest　part　of　the　good　and　honest



citizens　apprehending；　put　Cicero　upon　standing　for　the　consulship；



whom　the　people　readily　receiving　Catiline　was　put　by；　so　that　he



and　Caius　Antonius　were　chosen；　although　amongst　the　competitors　he



was　the　only　man　descended　from　a　father　of　the　equestrian　and　not



of