cicero-第7章

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gale　blowing　from　the　sea　carried　him　back　to　Italy　the　next　day。　He



put　again　to　sea；　and　having　reached　Dyrrachium；　on　his　coming　to



shore　there；　it　is　reported　that　an　earthquake　and　a　convulsion　in　the



sea　happened　at　the　same　time；　signs　which　the　diviners　said　intimated



that　his　exile　would　not　be　long；　for　these　were　prognostics　of



change。　Although　many　visited　him　with　respect；　and　the　cities　of



Greece　contended　which　should　honour　him　most；　he　yet　continued



disheartened　and　disconsolate；　like　an　unfortunate　lover；　often



casting　his　looks　back　upon　Italy；　and；　indeed；　he　was　become　so



poor…spirited；　so　humiliated　and　dejected　by　his　misfortunes；　as



none　could　have　expected　in　a　man　who　had　devoted　so　much　of　his



life　to　study　and　learning。　And　yet　he　often　desired　his　friends　not



to　call　him　orator；　but　philosopher；　because　he　had　made　philosophy



his　business；　and　had　only　used　rhetoric　as　an　instrument　for



attaining　his　objects　in　public　life。　But　the　desire　of　glory　has



great　power　in　washing　the　tinctures　of　philosophy　out　of　the　souls　of



men；　and　in　imprinting　the　passions　of　the　common　people；　by　custom



and　conversation；　in　the　minds　of　those　that　take　a　part　in



governing　them；　unless　the　politician　be　very　careful　so　to　engage



in　public　affairs　as　to　interest　himself　only　in　the　affairs



themselves；　but　not　participate　in　the　passions　that　are　consequent　to



them。



　　Clodius；　having　thus　driven　away　Cicero；　fell　to　burning　his　farms



and　villas；　and　afterwards　his　city　house；　and　built　on　the　site　of　it



a　temple　to　Liberty。　The　rest　of　his　property　he　exposed　to　sale　by



daily　proclamation；　but　nobody　came　to　buy。　By　these　courses　he　became



formidable　to　the　noble　citizens；　and　being　followed　by　the



commonalty；　whom　he　had　filled　with　insolence　and　licentiousness；　he



began　at　last　to　try　his　strength　against　Pompey；　some　of　whose



arrangements　in　the　countries　he　conquered；　he　attacked。　The



disgrace　of　this　made　Pompey　begin　to　reproach　himself　for　his



cowardice　in　deserting　Cicero；　and　changing　his　mind；　he　now　wholly



set　himself　with　his　friends　to　contrive　his　return。　And　when



Clodius　opposed　it；　the　senate　made　a　vote　that　no　public　measure



should　be　ratified　or　passed　by　them　till　Cicero　was　recalled。　But



when　Lentulus　was　consul；　the　commotions　grew　so　high　upon　this



matter；　that　the　tribunes　were　wounded　in　the　Forum；　and　Quintus；



Cicero's　brother；　was　left　as　dead；　lying　unobserved　amongst　the



slain。　The　people　began　to　change　in　their　feelings；　and　Annius



Milo；　one　of　their　tribunes；　was　the　first　who　took　confidence　to



summon　Clodius　to　trial　for　acts　of　violence。　Many　of　the　common



people　out　of　the　neighbouring　cities　formed　a　party　with　Pompey；



and　he　went　with　them；　and　drove　Clodius　out　of　the　Forum；　and



summoned　the　people　to　pass　their　vote。　And；　it　is　said；　the　people



never　passed　any　suffrage　more　unanimously　than　this。　The　senate；



also；　striving　to　outdo　the　people；　sent　letters　of　thanks　to　those



cities　which　had　received　Cicero　with　respect　in　his　exile；　and



decreed　that　his　house　and　his　country…places；　which　Clodius　had



destroyed；　should　be　rebuilt　at　the　public　charge。



　　Thus　Cicero　returned　sixteen　months　after　his　exile；　and　the



cities　were　so　glad；　and　people　so　zealous　to　meet　him；　that　what　he



boasted　of　afterwards；　that　Italy　had　brought　him　on　her　shoulders



home　to　Rome；　was　rather　less　than　the　truth。　And　Crassus　himself；　who



had　been　his　enemy　before　his　exile；　went　then　voluntarily　to　meet



him；　and　was　reconciled；　to　please　his　son　Publius；　as　he　said；　who



was　Cicero's　affectionate　admirer。



　　Cicero　had　not　been　long　at　Rome　when；　taking　the　opportunity　of



Clodius's　absence；　he　went　with　a　great　company　to　the　capitol；　and



there　tore　and　defaced　the　tribunician　tables；　in　which　were



recorded　the　acts　done　in　the　time　of　Clodius。　And　on　Clodius



calling　him　in　question　for　this；　he　answered　that　he；　being　of　the



patrician　order；　had　obtained　the　office　of　tribune　against　law；　and



therefore　nothing　done　by　him　was　valid。　Cato　was　displeased　at



this；　and　opposed　Cicero；　not　that　he　commended　Clodius；　but　rather



disapproved　of　his　whole　administration；　yet；　he　contended；　it　was



an　irregular　and　violent　course　for　the　senate　to　vote　the



illegality　of　so　many　decrees　and　acts；　including　those　of　Cato's



own　government　in　Cyprus　and　at　Byzantium。　This　occasioned　a　breach



between　Cato　and　Cicero；　which；　though　it　came　not　to　open　enmity；　yet



made　a　more　reserved　friendship　between　them。



　　After　this；　Milo　killed　Clodius；　and；　being　arraigned　for　the



murder；　he　procured　Cicero　as　his　advocate。　The　senate；　fearing　lest



the　questioning　of　so　eminent　and　high…spirited　a　citizen　as　Milo



might　disturb　the　peace　of　the　city；　committed　the　superintendence



of　this　and　of　the　other　trials　to　Pompey；　who　should　undertake　to



maintain　the　security　alike　of　the　city　and　of　the　courts　of



justice。　Pompey；　therefore；　went　in　the　night；　and　occupying　the



high　grounds　about　it；　surrounded　the　Forum　with　soldiers。　Milo；



fearing　lest　Cicero；　being　disturbed　by　such　an　unusual　sight；



should　conduct　his　cause　the　less　successfully；　persuaded　him　to



come　in　a　litter　into　the　Forum；　and　there　repose　himself　till　the



judges　were　set　and　the　court　filled。　For　Cicero；　it　seems；　not　only



wanted　courage　in　arms；　but；　in　his　speaking　also；　began　with



timidity；　and　in　many　cases　scarcely　left　off　trembling　and　shaking



when　he　had　got　thoroughly　into　the　current　and　the　substance　of　his



speech。　Being　to　defend　Licinius　Murena　against　the　prosecution　of



Cato；　and　being　eager　to　outdo　Hortensius；　who　had　made　his　plea



with　great　applause；　he　took　so　little　rest　that　night；　and　was　so



disordered　with　thought　and　overwatching；　that　he　spoke　much　worse



than　usual。　And　so　now；　on　quitting　his　litter　to　commence　the　cause



of　Milo；　at　the　sight　of　Pompey；　posted　as　it　were；　and　encamped



with　his　troops　above；　and　seeing　arms　shining　round　about　the



Forum；　he　was　so　confounded　that　he　could　hardly　begin　his　speech



for　the　trembling　of　his　body　and　hesitance　of　his　tongue；　whereas



Milo；　meantime；　was　bold　and　intrepid　in　his　demeanour；　disdaining



either　to　let　his　hair　grow　or　to　put　on　the　mourning　habit。　And　this；



indeed；　seems　to　have　been　one　principal　cause　of　his　condemnation。



Cicero；　however；　was　thought　not　so　much　to　have　shown　timidity　for



himself；　as　anxiety　about　his　friend。



　　He　was　made　one　of　the　priests；　whom　the　Romans　call　Augurs；　in



the　room　of　Crassus　the　younger；　dead　in　Parthia。　Then　he　was



appointed　by　lot　to　the　province　of　Cilicia；　and　set　sail　thither　with



twelve　thousand　foot　and　two　thousand　six　hundred　horse。　He　had　orders



to　bring　back　Cappadocia　to　its　allegiance　to　Ariobarzanes；　its



king；　which　settlement　he　effected　very　completely　without　recourse　to



arms。　And　perceiving　the　Cilicians；　by　the　great　loss　the　Romans　had



suffered　in　Parthia；　and　the　commotions　in　Syria；　to　have　become



disposed　to　attempt　a　revolt；　by　a　gentle　course　of　government　he



soothed　them　back　into　fidelity。　He　would　accept　none　of　the



presents　that　were　offered　him　by　the　kings；　he　remitted　the　charge　of



public　entertainments；　but　daily　at　his　own　house　received　the



ingenious　and　accomplished　persons　of　the　province；　not　sumptuously；



but　liberally。　His　house　had　no　porter；　nor　was　he　ever　found　in　bed



by　any　man；　but　early　in　the　morning；　standing　or　walking　before　his



door；　he　received　those　who　came　to　offer　their　salutations。　He　is



said　never　once　to　have　ordered　any　of　those　under　his　command　to　be



beaten　with　rods；　or　to　have　their　garments　rent。　He　never　gave



contumelious　language　in　his　anger；　nor　inflicted　punishment　with



reproach。　He　detected　an　embezzlement；　to　a　large　amount；　in　the



public　money；　and　thus　relieved　the　cities　from　their　burdens；　at



the　same　time　that　he　allowed　those　who　made　restitution　to　retain



without　further　punishment　their　rights　as　citizens。　He　engaged　too；



in　war；　so　far　as　to　give　a　defeat　to　the　banditti　who　infested



Mount　Amanus；　for　which　he　was　saluted　by　his　army　Imperator。　To



Caecilius；　the　orator；　who　asked　him　to　send　him　some　panthers　from



Cilicia；　to　be　exhibited　on　the　theatre　at　Rome；　he　wrote；　in



commendation　of　his　own　actions；　that　there　were　no　panthers　in



Cilicia；　for　they　were　all　fled　to　Caria；　in　anger　that　in　so



general　a　peace　they　had　become　the　sole　objects　of　attack。　On　leaving



his　province；　he　touched　at　Rhodes；　and　tarried　for　some　length　of



time　at　Athens；　longing　much　to　renew　his　old　studies。　He　visited



the　eminent　men　of　learning；　and　saw　his　former　friends　and



companions；　and　after　receiving　in　Greece　the　honours　that　were　due　to



him；　returned　to　the　city；　where　everything　was　now　just　as　it　were　in



a　flame；　breaking　out　into　a　civil　war。



　　When　the　senate　would　have　decreed　him　a　triumph；　he　told　them　he



had　rather；　so　differences　were　accommodated；　follow　the　triumphal



chariot　of　Caesar。　In　private；　he　gave　advice　to　both；　writing　many



letters　to　Caesar；　and　personally　entreating　Pompey；　doing　his　best　to



soothe　and　bring　to　reason　both　the　one　and　the　other。　But　when



matters　became　incurable；　and　Caesar　was　approaching　Rome；　and



Pompey　durst　not　abide　it；　but；　with　many　honest　citizens；　left　the



city；　Cicero　as　yet　did　not　join　in　the　flight；　and　was　reputed　to



adhere　to　Caesar。　And　it　is　very　evident　he　was　in　his　thoughts　much



divided；　and　wavered　painfully　between　both；　for　he　writes　in　his



epistles；　〃To　which　side　should　I　turn？　Pompey　has　the　fair　and



honourable　plea　for　war；　and　Caesar；　on　the　other　hand；　has　managed



his　affairs　better；　and　is　more　able　to　secure　himself　and　his



friends。　So　that　I　know　whom　I　should　fly；　not　whom　I　should　fly



to。〃　But　when　Trebatius；　one　of　Caesar's　friends；　by　letter



signified　to　him　that　Caesar　thought　it　was　his　most　desirable



course　to　join　his　party；　and　partake　his　hopes；　but　if　he



considered　himself　too　old　a　man　for　this；　then　he　should　retire



into　Greece；　and　stay　quietly　there；　out　of　the　way　of　either　party；



Cicero；　wondering　that　Caesar　had　not　written　himself；　gave　an　angry



reply；　that　he　should　not　do　anything　unbecoming　his　past　life。　Such



is　the　account　to　be　collected　from　his　letters。



　　But　as　soon　as　Caesar　was　marched　into　Spain；　he　immediately



sailed　away　to　join　Pompey。　And　he　was　welcomed　by　all　but　Cato；



who；　taking　him　privately；　chid　him　for　coming　to　Pompey。　As　for



himself；　he　said；　it　had　been　indecent　to　forsake　that　part　in　the



commonwealth　which　he　had　chosen　from　the　beginning；　but　Cicero



might　have　been　more　use