letters of cicero-第18部分

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ll　Caesar　himself　has　a　very　keen　critical　faculty；　and；　just　as　your　cousin　Serviuswhom　I　consider　to　have　been　a　most　accomplished　man　of　lettershad　no　difficulty　in　saying：　〃This　verse　is　not　Plautus's；　this　is〃　because　he　had　acquired　a　sensitive　ear　by　dint　of　classifying　the　various　styles　of　poets　and　habitual　reading；　so　I　am　told　that　Caesar；　having　now　completed　his　volumes　of　bons　mots；　if　anything　is　brought　to　him　as　mine；　which　is　not　so；　habitually　rejects　it。　This　he　now　does　all　the　more；　because　his　intimates　are　in　my　company　almost　every　day。　Now　in　the　course　of　our　discursive　talk　many　remarks　are　let　fall；　which　perhaps　at　the　time　of　my　making　them　seem　to　them　wanting　neither　in　literary　flavour　nor　in　piquancy。　These　are　conveyed　to　him　along　with　the　other　news　of　the　day：　for　so　he　himself　directed。　Thus　it　comes　about　that　if　he　is　told　of　anything　besides　about　me；　he　considers　that　he　ought　not　to　listen　to　it。　Wherefore　I　have　no　need　of　your　DEnomaus；　though　your　quotation　of　Accius's　verses　was　very　much　on　the　spot。　But　what　is　this　jealousy；　or　what　have　I　now　of　which　anyone　can　be　jealous？　But　suppose　the　worst。　I　find　that　the　philosophers；　who　alone　in　my　view　grasp　the　true　nature　of　virtue；　hold　that　the　wise　man　does　not　pledge　himself　against　anything　except　doing　wrong；　and　of　this　I　consider　myself　clear　in　two　ways；　first　in　that　my　veiws　were　most　absolutely　correct；　and　second　because；　when　I　found　that　we　had　not　sufficient　material　force　to　maintain　them；　I　was　against　a　trial　of　strength　with　the　stronger　party。　Therefore；　so　far　as　the　duty　of　a　good　citizen　is　concerned；　I　am　certainly　not　open　to　reproach。　What　remains　is　that　I　should　not　say　or　do　anything　foolish　or　rash　against　the　men　in　power：　that　too；　I　think；　is　the　part　of　the　wise　man。　As　to　the　restwhat　this　or　that　man　may　say　that　I　said；　or　the　light　in　which　he　views　it；　or　the　amount　of　good　faith　with　which　those　who　continually　seek　me　out　and　pay　me　attention　may　be　actingfor　these　things　I　cannot　be　responsible。　The　result　is　that　I　console　myself　with　the　consciousness　of　my　uprightness　in　the　past　and　my　moderation　in　the　present；　and　apply　that　simile　of　Accius's　not　to　jealousy；　but　to　fortune；　which　I　holdas　being　inconstant　and　frailought　to　be　beaten　back　by　a　strong　and　manly　soul；　as　a　wave　is　by　a　rock。　For；　considering　that　Greek　history　is　full　of　examples　of　how　the　wisest　men　endured　tyrannies　either　at　Athens　or　Syracuse；　when；　though　their　countries　were　enslaved；　they　themselves　in　a　certain　sense　remained　freeam　I　to　believe　that　I　cannot　so　maintain　my　position　as　not　to　hurt　anyone's　feelings　and　yet　not　blast　my　own　character？

I　now　come　to　your　jests；　since　as　an　afterpiece　to　Accius's　DEnomaus；　you　have　brought　on　the　stage；　not；　as　was　his　wont；　an　Atellan　play；　but；　according　to　the　present　fashion；　a　mime。　What's　all　this　about　a　pilot…fish；　a　denarius；　and　a　dish　of　salt　fish　and　cheese？　In　my　old　easy…going　days　I　put　up　with　that　sort　of　thing：　but　times　are　changed。　Hirthms　and　Dolabella　are　my　pupils　in　rhetoric；　but　my　masters　in　the　art　of　dining。　For　I　think　you　must　have　heard；　if　you　really　get　all　news；　that　their　practice　is　to　declaim　at　my　house；　and　mine　to　dine　at　theirs。　Now　it　is　no　use　your　making　an　affidavit　of　insolvency　to　me：　for　when　you　had　some　property；　petty　profits　used　to　keep　you　a　little　too　close　to　business；　but　as　things　are　now；　seeing　that　you　are　losing　money　so　cheerfully；　all　you　have　to　do；　when　entertaining　me；　is　to　regard　yourself　as　accepting　a　〃composition〃；　and　even　that　loss　is　less　annoying　when　it　comes　from　a　friend　than　from　a　debtor。　Yet；　after　all；　I　don't　require　dinners　superfluous　in　quantity：　only　let　what　there　is　be　first…rate　in　quality　and　recherche。　I　remember　you　used　to　tell　me　stories　of　Phamea's　dinner。　Let　yours　be　earlier；　but　in　other　respects　like　that。　But　if　you　persist　in　bringing　me　back　to　a　dinner　like　your　mother's；　I　should　put　up　with　that　also。　For　I　should　like　to　see　the　man　who　had　the　face　to　put　on　the　table　for　me　what　you　describe；　or　even　a　polypuslooking　as　red　as　Iupiter　Miniatus。　Believe　me；　you　won't　dare。　Before　I　arrive　the　fame　of　my　new　magnificence　will　reach　you：　and　you　will　be　awestruck　at　it。　Yet　it　is　no　use　building　any　hope　on　your　hors　d'aeuvre。　I　have　quite　abolished　that：　for　in　old　times　I　found　my　appetite　spoilt　by　your　olives　and　Lucanian　sausages。　But　why　all　this　talk？　Let　me　only　get　to　you。　By　all　meansfor　I　wish　to　wipe　away　all　fear　from　your　heartgo　back　to　your　old　cheese…and…sardine　dish。　The　only　expense　I　shall　cause　you　will　be　that　you　will　have　to　have　the　bath　heated。　All　the　rest　according　to　my　regular　habits。　What　I　have　just　been　saying　was　all　a　joke。

As　to　Selicius's　villa；　you　have　managed　the　business　carefully　and　written　most　wittily。　So　I　think　I　won't　buy。　For　there　is　enough　salt　and　not　enough　savour。

XXIV

To　L。　PAPIRIUS　PAETUS　（AT　NAPLES）

TUSCULUM　（JULY）

BEING　quite　at　leisure　in　my　Tusculan　villa；　because　I　had　sent　my　pupils　to　meet　him；　that　they　might　at　the　same　time　present　me　in　as　favourable　a　light　as　possible　to　their　friend；　I　received　your　most　delightful　letter；　from　which　I　learnt　that　you　approved　my　idea　of　having　begunnow　that　legal　proceedings　are　abolished　aiid　my　old　supremacy　in　the　forum　is　lostto　keep　a　kind　of　school；　just　as　Dionysius；　when　expelled　from　Syracuse；　is　said　to　have　opened　a　school　at　Corinth。　In　short；　I　too　am　delighted　with　the　idea；　for　I　secure　many　advantages。　First　and　foremost；　I　am　strengthening　my　position　in　view　of　the　present　crisis；　and　that　is　of　primary　importance　at　this　time。　How　much　that　amounts　to　I　don't　know：　I　only　see　that　as　at　present　advised　I　prefer　no　one's　policy　to　this；　unless；　of　course；　it　had　been　better　to　have　died。　In　one's　own　bed；　I　confess　it　might　have　been；　but　that　did　not　occur：　and　as　to　the　field　of　battle；　I　was　not　there。　The　rest　indeed　Pompey；　your　friend　Lentulus；　Afraniusperished　ingloriously。　But；　it　may　be　said；　Cato　died　a　noble　death。　Well；　that　at　any　rate　is　in　our　power　when　we　will：　let　us　only　do　our　best　to　prevent　its　being　as　necessary　to　us　as　it　was　to　him。　That　is　what　I　am　doing。　So　that　is　the　first　thing　I　had　to　say。　The　next　is　this：　I　am　improving；　in　the　first　place　in　health；　which　I　had　lost　from　giving　up　all　exercise　of　my　lungs。　In　the　second　place；　my　oratorical　faculty；　such　as　it　was；　would　have　completely　dried　up；　had　I　not　gone　back　to　these　exercises。　The　last　thing　I　have　to　say；　which　I　rather　think　you　will　consider　most　important　of　all；　is　this：　I　have　now　demolished　more　peacocks　than　you　have　young　pigeons！　You　there　revel　in　Haterian　law…sauce；　I　here　in　Hirtian　hot…sauce。　Come　then；　if　you　are　half　a　man；　and　learn　from　me　the　maxims　which　you　seek：　yet　it　is　a　case　of　〃a　pig　teaching　Minerva。〃　But　it　will　be　my　business　to　see　to　that：　as　for　you；　if　you　can't　find　purchasers　for　your　foreclosures　and　so　fill　your　pot　with　denaril；　back　you　must　come　to　Rome。　It　is　better　to　die　of　indigestion　here；　than　of　starvation　there。　I　see　you　have　lost　money：　I　hope　these　friends　of　yours　have　done　the　same。　You　are　a　ruined　man　if　you　don't　look　out。　You　may　possibly　get　to　Rome　on　the　only　mule　that　you　say　you　have　left；　since　you　have　eaten　up　your　pack　horse。　Your　seat　in　the　school；　as　second　master；　will　be　next　to　mine：　the　honour　of　a　cushion　will　come　by…and…by。

XXV　To　L。　PAPIRIUS　PAETUS　（AT　NAPLES）

ROME　（AUGUST）

I　WAS　doubly　charmed　by　your　letter；　first　because　it　made　me　laugh　myself；　and　secondly　because　I　saw　that　you　could　still　laugh。　Nor　did　I　in　the　least　object　to　being　overwhelmed　with　your　shafts　of　ridicule；　as　though　I　were　a　light　skirmisher　in　the　war　of　wits。　What　I　am　vexed　at　is　that　I　have　not　been　able；　as　I　intended；　to　run　over　to　see　you：　for　you　would　not　have　had　a　mere　guest；　but　a　brother…in…arms。　And　such　a　hero！　not　the　man　whom　you　used　to　do　for　by　the　hors　d'aeuvre。　I　now　bring　an　unimpaired　appetite　to　the　egg；　and　so　the　fight　is　maintained　right　up　to　the　roast　veal。　The　compliments　you　used　to　pay　me　in　old　times　〃What　a　contented　person　！〃　〃What　an　easy　guest　to　entertain　！〃　are　things　of　the　past。　All　my　anxiety　about　the　good　of　the　state；　all　meditating　of　speeches　to　be　delivered　in　the　senate；　all　getting　up　of　briefs　I　have　cast　to　the　winds。　I　have　thrown　myself　into　the　camp　of　my　old　enemy　Epicurus　not；　however；　with　a　view　to　the　extravagance　of　the　present　day；　but　to　that　refined　splendour　of　yours　I　mean　your　old　style　when　you　had　money　to　spend　（though　you　never　had　more　landed　estate）。　Therefore　prepare！　You　have　to　deal　with　a　man；　who　not　only　has　a　large　appetite；　but　who　also　knows　a　thing　or　two。　You　are　aware　of　the　extravagance　of　your　bourgeois　gentilhomtne。　You　must　forget　all　your　little　baskets　and　your　omelettes。　I　am　now　far　advanced　in　the　art　that　I　frequently　venture　to　ask　your　friend　Verrius　and　Camillus　to　dinnerwhat　dandies！　how　fastidious！　But　think　of　my　audacity：　I　even　gave　Hirtius　a　dinner；　without　a　peacock　however。　In　that　dinner　my　cook　could　not　imitate　him　in　anything　but　the　hot　sauce。

So　this　is　my　way　of　life　nowadays：　in　the　morning　I　receive　not　only　a　large　number　of　〃loyalists；〃　who；　however；　look　gloomy　enough；　but　also　our　exultant　conquerors　here；　who　in　my　case　are　quite　prodigal　in　polite　and　affectionate　attentions。　When　the　stream　of　morning　callers　has　ebbed；　I　wrap　myself　up　in　my　books；　either　writing　or　reading。　There　are　also　some　visitors　who　listen　to　my　discourses　under　the　belief　of　my　being　a　man　of　learning；　because　I　am　a　trifle　more　learned　than　themselves。　After　that　all　my　time　is　given　to　my　bodily　comfort。　I　have　mourned　for　my　country　more　deeply　and　longer　than　any　mother　for　her　only　son。　But　take　care；　if　you　love　me；　to　keep　your　health；　lest　I　should　take　advantage　of　your　being　laid　up　to　eat　you　out　of　house　and　home。　For　I　am　resolved　not　to　spare　you　even　when　you　are　ill。

XXVI

To　AULUS　CAECINA　（IN　EXILE）

ROME　（SEPTEMBER）

I　AM　afraid　you　may　think　me　remiss　in　my　attentions　to　you；　which；　in　view　of　our　close　union　resulting　from　many　mutual　services　a