letters of cicero-第22部分

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uld　be　offensive　for　me　to　express　an　opinion　on　a　decision　of　my　father's。　However；　your　interest　and　advice　are　welcome　and　acceptable。　Your　apology　for　lack　of　time　I　quite　accept；　for　I　know　how　busy　you　always　are。　I　am　very　glad　that　you　have　bought　an　estate；　and　you　have　my　best　wishes　for　the　success　of　your　purchase。　Don't　be　surprised　at　my　congratulations　coming　in　at　this　point　in　my　letter；　for　it　was　at　the　corresponding　point　in　yours　that　you　told　me　of　your　purchase。　You　are　a　man　of　property！　You　must　drop　your　city　manners：　you　have　become　a　Roman　country…gentleman。　How　clearly　I　have　your　dearest　face　before　my　eyes　at　this　moment！　For　I　seem　to　see　you　buying　things　for　the　farm；　talking　to　your　bailiff；　saving　the　seeds　at　dessert　in　the　corner　of　your　cloak。　But　as　to　the　matter　of　money；　I　am　as　sorry　as　you　that　I　was　not　on　the　spot　to　help　you。　But　do　not　doubt；　my　dear　Tiro；　of　my　assisting　you　in　the　future；　if　fortune　does　but　stand　by　me；　especially　as　I　know　that　this　estate　has　been　purchased　for　our　joint　advantage。　As　to　my　commissions　about　which　you　are　taking　troublemany　thanks！　But　I　beg　you　to　send　me　a　secretary　at　the　earliest　opportunityif　possible　a　Greek；　for　he　will　save　me　a　great　deal　of　trouble　in　copying　out　notes。　Above　all；　take　care　of　your　health；　that　we　may　have　some　literary　talk　together　hereafter。　I　commend　Anteros　to　you。

XXXV

QUINTUS　CICERO　TO　TIRO

（TIME　AND　PLACE　UNCERTAIN）

I　HAVE　castigated　you；　at　least　with　the　silent　reproach　of　my　thoughts；　because　this　is　the　second　packet　that　has　arrived　without　a　letter　from　you。　You　cannot　escape　the　penalty　for　this　crime　by　your　own　advocacy：　you　will　have　to　call　Marcus　to　your　aid；　and　don't　be　too　sure　that　even　he；　though　he　should　compose　a　speech　after　long　study　and　a　great　expenditure　of　midnight　oil；　would　be　able　to　establish　your　innocence。　In　plain　terms；　I　beg　you　to　do　as　I　remember　my　mother　used　to　do。　It　was　her　custom　to　put　a　seal　on　wine…jars　even　when　empty　to　prevent　any　being　labelled　empty　that　had　been　surreptitiously　drained。　In　the　same　way；　I　beg　you；　even　if　you　have　nothing　to　write　about；　to　write　all　the　same；　lest　you　be　thought　to　have　sought　a　cover　for　idleness：　for　I　always　find　the　news　in　your　letters　trustworthy　and　welcome。　Love　me；　and　goodbye。

XXXVI

To　M。　IUNIUS　BRUTUS　（IN　MACEDONIA）

ROME　（MIDDLE　OF　JULY）

YOU　have　Messalla　with　you。　What　letter；　therefore；　can　I　write　with　such　minute　care　as　to　enable　me　to　explain　to　you　what　is　being　done　and　what　is　occurring　in　public　affairs；　more　thoroughly　than　he　will　describe　them　to　you；　who　has　at　once　the　most　intimate　knowledge　of　everything；　and　the　talent　for　unfolding　and　conveying　it　to　you　in　the　best　possible　manner？　For　beware　of　thinking；　Brutusfor　though　it　is　unnecessary　for　me　to　write　to　you　what　you　know　already；　yet　I　cannot　pass　over　in　silence　such　eminence　in　every　kind　of　greatnessbeware　of　thinking；　I　say；　that　he　has　any　parallel　in　honesty　and　firmness；　care　and　zeal　for　the　Republic。　So　much　so　that　in　him　eloquencein　which　he　is　extraordinarily　eminentscarcely　seems　to　offer　any　opportunity　for　praise。　Yet　in　this　accomplishment　itself　his　wisdom　is　made　more　evident；　with　such　excellent　judgment　and　with　so　much　acuteness　has　he　practised　himself　in　the　most　genuine　style　of　rhetoric。　Such　also　is　his　industry；　and　so　great　the　amount　of　midnight　labour　that　he　bestows　on　this　study；　that　the　chief　thanks　would　not　seem　to　be　due　to　natural　genius；　great　as　it　is　in　his　case。　But　my　affection　carries　me　away：　for　it　is　not　the　purpose　of　this　letter　to　praise　Mesalla；　especially　to　Brutus；　to　whom　his　excellence　is　not　less　known　than　it　is　to　me；　and　these　particular　accomplishments　of　his　which　I　am　praising　even　better。　Grieved　as　I　was　to　let　him　go　from　my　side；　my　one　consolation　was　that　in　going　to　you　who　are　to　me　a　second　self；　he　was　performing　a　duty　and　following　the　path　of　the　truest　glory。　But　enough　of　this。　I　now　come；　after　a　long　interval　of　time；　to　a　certain　letter　of　yours；　in　which；　while　paying　me　many　compliments；　you　find　one　fault　with　methat　I　was　excessive　and；　as　it　were；　extravagant　in　proposing　votes　of　honour。　That　is　your　criticism：　another's；　perhaps；　might　be　that　I　was　too　stern　in　inflicting　punishment　and　exacting　penalties；　unless　by　chance　you　blame　me　for　both。　If　that　is　so；　I　desire　that　my　principle　in　both　these　things　should　be　very　clearly　known　to　you。　And　I　do　not　rely　solely　on　the　dictum　of　Solon；　who　was　at　once　the　wisest　of　the　Seven　and　the　only　lawgiver　among　them。　He　said　that　a　state　was　kept　together　by　two　thingsreward　and　punishment。　Of　course　there　is　a　certain　moderation　to　be　observed　in　both；　as　in　everything　else；　and　what　we　may　call　a　golden　mean　in　both　these　things。　But　I　have　no　intention　to　dilate　on　such　an　important　subject　in　this　place。

But　what　has　been　my　aim　during　this　war　in　the　motions　I　have　made　in　the　senate　I　think　it　will　not　be　out　of　place　to　explain。　After　the　death　of　Caesar　and　your　ever　memorable　Ides　of　March；　Brutus；　you　have　not　forgotten　what　I　said　had　been　omitted　by　you　and　your　colleagues；　and　what　a　heavy　cloud　I　declared　to　be　hanging　over　the　Republic。　A　great　pest　had　been　removed　by　your　means；　a　great　blot　on　the　Roman　people　wiped　out；　immense　glory　in　truth　acquired　by　yourselves：　but　an　engine　for　exercising　kingly　power　had　been　put　into　the　hands　of　Lepidus　and　Antony；　of　whom　the　former　was　the　more　fickle　of　the　two；　the　latter　the　more　corrupt；　but　both　of　whom　dreaded　peace　and　were　enemies　to　quiet。　Against　these　men；　inflamed　with　the　ambition　of　revolutionizing　the　state；　we　had　no　protecting　force　to　oppose。　For　the　fact　of　the　matter　was　this：　the　state　had　become　roused　as　one　man　to　maintain　its　liberty；　I　at　the　time　was　even　excessively　warlike；　you；　perhaps　with　more　wisdom；　quitted　the　city　which　you　had　liberated；　and　when　Italy　offered　you　her　services　declined　them。　Accordingly；　when　I　saw　the　city　in　the　possession　of　parricides；　and　that　neither　you　nor　Cassius　could　remain　in　it　with　safety；　and　that　it　was　held　down　by　Antony's　armed　guards；　I　thought　that　I　too　ought　to　leave　it：　for　a　city　held　down　by　traitors；　with　all　opportunity　of　giving　aid　cut　off；　was　a　shocking　spectacle。　But　the　same　spirit　as　always　had　animated　me；　staunch　to　the　love　of　country；　did　not　admit　the　thought　of　a　departure　from　its　dangers。　Accordingly；　in　the　very　midst　of　my　voyage　to　Achaia；　when　in　the　period　of　the　Etesian　gales　a　south　windas　though　remonstrating　against　my　designhad　brought　me　back　to　Italy；　I　saw　you　at　Velia　and　was　much　distressed：　for　you　were　on　the　point　of　leaving　the　country；　Brutusleaving　it；　I　say；　for　our　friends　the　Stoics　deny　that　wise　men　ever　〃flee。〃　As　soon　as　I　reached　Rome　I　at　once　threw　myself　in　opposition　to　Antony's　treason　and　insane　policy：　and　having　roused　his　wrath　against　me；　I　began　entering　upon　a　policy　truly　Brutus…likefor　this　is　the　distinctive　mark　of　your　familythat　of　freeing　my　country。　The　rest　of　the　story　is　too　long　to　tell；　and　must　be　passed　over　by　me；　for　it　is　about　myself。　I　will　only　say　this　much：　that　this　young　Caesar；　thanks　to　whom　we　still　exist；　if　we　would　confess　the　truth；　was　a　stream　from　the　fountain…head　of　my　policy。　To　him　I　voted　honours；　none　indeed；　Brutus；　that　were　not　his　due。　none　that　were　not　inevitable。　　For　directly　we　began　the　recovery　of　liberty；　when　the　divine　excellence　of　even　Decimus　Brutus　had　not　yet　bestirred　itself　sufficiently　to　give　us　an　indication　of　the　truth；　and　when　our　sole　protection　depended　on　the　boy　who　had　shaken　Antony　from　our　shoulders；　what　honour　was　there　that　he　did　not　deserve　to　have　decreed　to　him？　However；　all　I　then　proposed　for　him　was　a　complimentary　vote　of　thanks；　and　that　too　expressed　with　nioderation。　I　also　proposed　a　decree　conferring　imperium　on　him；　which；　although　it　seemed　too　great　a　compliment　for　one　of　his　age；　was　yet　necessary　for　one　commanding　an　armyfor　what　is　an　army　without　a　commander　with　imperium？　Philippus　proposed　a　statue；　Servius　at　first　proposed　a　license　to　stand　for　office　before　the　regular　time。　Servilius　afterwards　proposed　that　the　time　should　be　still　farther　curtailed。　At　that　time　nothing　was　thought　too　good　for　him。

But　somehow　men　are　more　easily　found　who　are　liberal　at　a　time　of　alarm；　than　grateful　when　victory　has　been　won。　For　when　that　most　joyful　day　of　Decimus　Brutus's　relief　from　blockade　had　dawned　on　the　Republic　and　happened　also　to　be　his　birthday；　I　proposed　that　the　name　of　Brutus　should　be　entered　in　the　fasti　under　that　date。　And　in　that　I　followed　the　example　of　our　ancestors；　who　paid　this　honour　to　the　woman　Laurentia；　at　whose　altar　in　the　Velabrum　you　pontiffs　are　accustomed　to　offer　service。　And　when　I　proposed　this　honor　to　Brutus　I　wished　that　there　should　be　in　the　fasti　an　eternal　memorial　of　a　most　welcome　victory：　and　yet　on　that　very　day　I　discovered　that　the　ill…disposed　in　the　senate　were　somewhat　in　a　majority　over　the　grateful。　In　the　course　of　those　same　days　I　lavished　honoursif　you　like　that　wordupon　the　dead　Hirtius；　Pansa；　and　even　Aquila。　And　who　has　any　fault　to　find　with　that；　unless　he　be　one　who；　no　sooner　an　alarm　is　over；　forgets　the　past　danger？　There　was　added　to　this　grateful　memorial　of　a　benefit　received　some　consideration　of　what　would　be　for　the　good　of　posterity　also；　for　I　wished　that　there　should　exist　some　perpetual　record　of　the　popular　execration　of　our　most　ruthless　enemies。　I　suspect　that　the　next　step　does　not　meet　with　your　approbation。　It　was　disapproved　by　your　friends；　who　are　indeed　most　excellent　citizens；　but　inexperienced　in　public　business。　I　mean　my　proposing　an　ovation　for　Caesar。　For　myself；　howeverthough　I　am　perhaps　wrong；　and　I　am　not　a　man　who　believes　his　own　way　necessarily　rightI　think　that　in　the　course　of　this　war　I　never　took　a　more　prudent　step。　The　reason　for　this　I　must　not　reveal；　lest　I　should　seem　to　have　a　sense　of　favours　to　come　rather　than　to　be　grateful　for　those　received。　I　have　said　too　much　already：　let　us　look　at　other　points。　I　proposed　honours　to　Decimus　Brutus；　and　also　to　Lucius　Plancus。　Those　in