5. The fimeral of Serrauua Domesticua the son, waa a, very mournful one; it took place on the I9th of November. The fether spoke a funeral panegyric over him, of my writing, 6. Now aa to Milo: Pompey has given nothing to him, and everything to Gutta; and says that he will take care that Ciesar shall use all his endeavours to further his interest Milo is apprehensive of this, — and not without reason, — and almost despairs, if ho becomes dictator. If ho with any armed force, or with his protection, should assist any one who posed a veto to hia dictatorehip, he fears Pompey would be his enemy; and if he does not assist some one, then he ' afraid that matters will be carried by violence. Ho is pra^ paring the most magnificent games,^ of Euch a character that no man has ever exhibited any more costly ones; a double and a treble piece of folly, as they are not demanded,* — either because he had already exhibited a very £ne show, or becauaO}!
H » iQhoD is probably ' of tEa ileail, L j wh( .pt 11 he Ijatl recBJyed a teque ' By the people. See Ep. ad Fam. is. S.^Idffi.
PO JIIB BROTHER QUISTUS.
means were wanting, or because lie was a director,^ or because Le might fairly look upon himself as a director, imd not as an ledile.^ I Lave now wTitten ntarly all that I had to say. My dearest brother, take care of your bcaltli.
^^B LETTER IX.
^^^^f MarctiB to hU hrolher Quintvs, greeting.
' 1. In the matter of Gabinius, none of those things which were moat afFectionately imagined by you, ii be done: earth, witii Bmplo rnwn.
I acted with the moat consummate dignity, as opinion, and also with the greatest leuity, in all tlje steps vbich I took: I neither pressed >iim hard, nor relieved him. I was a very stroug witness; in other respects I was quiet. The disgraceful and ruinous resnlt of the trial I took very easily; and w.j prudence indeed now redounds to my advaatage; so that I am not in the least moved by these calomitiea of the commonwealth, and the licentiouanesa of aadacious citizens, with which I iised to be distracted; for nothing con bo mors utterly lost than these men and these 2. Since, therefore, no pleasure can now be derived from public affiiira, I do not know why I should veK mysalE Literature, my studies, and leisure, my country-houses, and eapedally our boya, give me great pleasure. Milo is the only one that gives me annoyance; but I wish that the consulship may put an end to it; in regard to which I will use no less exertions than I used about my own; and you, from where you are, will ba able to help me, aa indeed you do. Concerning I > ifagiaia: A director or < the legatees. — Idem.
' (Soero's meaning is, that not of magiiiri, directors or tnu only a magitler, and not ezbibitiug gniues.^ — Ideni.
MBtea to lee the property divided among I exhibit gomes was the part of ledflea, ■ustees, and that Milo, tharefare, aa ho an tedile, ought to have forbonia from and is preparing games which are to cost a hundred thousand pounds.' But in this one jMirticular I will bear with his inconsiderateuesa as well as I can; and it is for your firmness to be able to bear it.
3. With respect to the commotions of the coming year, I had wished you to understand that there is no cause for domeatio apprehension, hut oaly for the common oonditioa of the republic, about wMch, if I am not able t6 effect any good, I am still unable to be wholly indifferent. But how cautious I wish you to be in writing, you may conjecture from this, that I do not even write to you any account of the disturbances which are openly made in the republic, lest my letters, being intercepted, should hurt any one's feelings. I therefore would have yon free from domeatio anxiety. As to the interests of the commonwealtii, I know how ansious you always are about them.
I sea that our friend Messala is consul; if by the interventiou of the interrei, without any proper decision; if by the dictator's ' iafiuence, still without danger; he has no unpopularity to contend with. The ardour of Hortensius will have great influence: the acquittal of Gabinius is looked on as the promulgation of a law of impunity. By the bye, there has not been anything done yet about a dictator.
Pompey ia away; Appiua disturbs everything; Hirrus is preparing to act. Many people are counted ready to interpose their veto. The people doea not care; the chiefs are adverse; I tako no part.
4. I am greatly obliged to you for the promises which you make about the slaves, and I am, as you write word, but very poorly attended both in Rome and in the country; but take care of troubling yourself, I intreat you, about anything which regards my convenience, unleBS it ia entirely convenient to you, and quite witiiin your power.
' Copies TQ17 BB to this sum. Most of them luive HBCCC; which hu la genevally thought corrupt Per diciatorem, An nllusion to Fompef, whom a puiy wished to ■.e dictator.
TO HIS BROTHEH tJClKTOS. 89 5. I laughed at Vatinins's letter; but I am well awaro that I tin obsoryed by him in such a manner, that I must not only swallow hifl esistiBg hatred, but even digest [and put np with] it.
6. Aa to the work which yon exhort me to finish, I have finished a very pleasant epic poem, (as it appears to me,) to Cfesar; but I want a trustworthy oourier, lest that should happen which happened to your Erigona, for which alone, unce CEcsar bos had the command, the road out of Gaul bus not been safe.
7. • • * "Well! if I have not good mortar, ought I to pull down the house 1 which indeed pleases me more and more every day; and, above all, the lower portico; and the rooms out of it are ndmimfaly made. As to Arcanum, that is a work of CiesBr himself, or indeed of some still neater Trorkman: for those images, and that paljestra, and fish-pond, and stream, ia the work of many Philotimi, not Diphili. But I will myself go there, and send orders, and give directions.
8. You would complain still more of the will of Felii, if you knew the truth; for the documents which ha thought that he was signing, in which he had laid down strict directions as to the division of hia property, he did not sign; (he mistook partly though his own blunder, and partly through that of his slave, Sicuraa;) and he signed documents which ho did not intend to sign. But let him bemoan himsolf Let us take care of ourselves.
9. I love your Cicero as you beg me, and as he deserves, and as I ought; hut 1 do not keep him always with me, both that I may not withdraw him from his teachers, and because his mother Porcia ia away, without whom I am atVaid of tbe boy's appetite; but still we are a great deal together. I havo now replied to everything in your letter, my must affectiouate and most excellent brother. Fare you well, I I CICEKOS LETTEHS TO BHUTUS.
I CICERO'S LETTERS TO BRUTUS.
INTRODUCTION.
The fint of theee Lettera vb£ written in the year of Cri^sar'a murder, 710 A.u.a, in the consulebip of Autonius and Dolnbolk, who seised that office oa the death of Csisar, wlilch he hiuueU had prsrioualj promked to resigu to him.
Cioero, though be hod not been privy to the conspimey, yet bs Boon ni the deed iru done, ranged himself on the aide of the conspiraton^ I OB being the only party vith Bufficient power to secure order. In a few ^ys, however, they negotiated wiUi Antony, and he, desirous to grasp the power which had been poaBessad by Csesw, procured them diahint proviuoea, some of which had been previously assigned to them by CieaQr. Brutus wao to have Macedonia; Cnaeiua, Syria; ■nil Dacimus Brutus, CisalpUje GauL Soou afterwards Ootavius retnnied to Italy, arriving at Naples in the jniddle of April, whore he liad HU interview with Gioero; and hefore the eud of ibe month, he arrived in Rome. Brutus and CaasiuB had already become unpopolar in the city, nnd retreated to Laviniom; and Antony now begsn to show his hostility to Uieir party, forbidding Deoimus Brutus to bo to his province, and prevailing on the senato to transfer Haoedoma and Syria from Marcus Brutua sud Cassius to himself and Dolabella, while they were to have, instead, the charge of supplying tbo d^ with grain. The day after this vote was pnssed, (June 6,) Cicero bad an interview with Brutua and Casaius at Aixtium, where notliing wu decided on. As the city-pra>tor, Brutus ought to bava exhibited the Ludi ApoUinarei; but he was afnud to return to tbe city, whioh indeed even Cicero did oot think that he could do with safety. He retired to the nsighbonrbood of BeuO!, while his coUea^ie presided over the games, which were celebrated at his expense, and with great magnificence. The conspirators were a little encouraged by newa of some advantages which Seitus Fompey had gained in Spam, thoaf^«| he did not belong to their party; but he, in conaequeoce,!~* learning that Lepidus was raising an army to attacic him, propo a general disarming of all parties.
Cioero himself was absent from Rome, visiting diffan coast, during the summer, Antony reconciled himself to Antoniua, ftnd by his add prevsiled on tbe senato to allow him to resign Maoe-, ^nia to his brother Cbjiib, and to give him Docimus Brutos'a ' province of Cisalpine OauL Brutus and Cassius, as pnotors, had no ' ' ' ' ha absent from the city without leave; but they obtained It thoaf^«M iroposaj^H Brutns'a antl7 quitted Italy for Hg Eaat. with TOG TeauiutiuD CO EinaeiLTDur lo ma&e thGinselroa masters by force of the pruviiioes which had haen origiaally assi^Gd to them, and of which tiey had now been dapriToi Cicero bailed from Italy, and went to Syracuse, intending tfl proceed to Athens; bnt the wind being unfavourable, he was driven back to Itnly, He returned to JLome QD the last day of Au^at^ where he was reoeived with aodamations by all parties; hut as he rcfuaed to appear the next day in the aenat^ AntoDV was offended, and attacked him: and the day afterwards Cicero delivered his first Philippic Antony and OctavioB quarrel: Antony leaves Roma for Bnmdiisium, to take the command of the legions assembled there; and Octavius visits the coloniea in Campania, and then Ravenna, and the towns between Rome and tha frontiera of Qaul. Cieero supports Octarius. Antony returns to Home, and agaia leaics it, and goes northward ti> attnnk DedmuB Brutus, who throws himself into Mutina. The coaeule-elect for the eomiiig year were Hirtioa and Panaa.
LETTER I. Cicero to Bruttu, greeting. '" LirciDB Clodiua,^ tribune of the people elect, has a very great liking for me; or, that I may use a more emphatic expreesioi], lias a very gi-eat love for me; and as I am quite certain of that, I have no doubt that you (for you know my diaposition thoroughly) will suppose that ho also is beloved by me; for ncrthing appears to me to be less becoming to a man, than not to respond in attachment to those by whom you aiB invited to it.
He appeared to me to suspect, {and not indeed, without great ooncom,) that something baa been reported to you by his enemies, or rather through the agency of hia enemies, by which your affectlou hna heeu alienated from him. It is not my custom, my dear BmtuSj (and this 1 think you know,) to Bay anything rashly about anothar; for it is dangerous, on account of the secret nature of men's wishes, and the TMiaty of their characters. But I haye thoroughly examined and nnderstood and appreciated the disposition of Clodius; there are many indicationa of it, but not ncceasary to be written; for I wish you to look upon this rather as a testimonial than as a letter. He was promoted by the iavour of Antony, and a great portion of that very faTonr is owing to you; and therefore, as long as it did not interfere with our u J ' Nothing more la knowu of this Clodius.
I ERUTna TO CICERO.
safety, he would bo glnd to see him safe. But he i that mattera have been brought into such a state, (for he is, as you are aware, by no means deficient in acutenesa,) that both cannot be safe: and therefore he prefers that we should be so. And of you youi'self he speaks and feels with the greatest iHeudlitiess: so that if any one has written you a different account of him, or has sought to give you a difiarent impression in conversation, I beg of you over and over again rather to believe me, who am both able to judge of him more easily than any ohaouve informer, and am more sincerely at^ tached to yon; think therefore that Clodiua is most friendly to yon, and that he h such a citizen as a man of the: prudence and of the most aiHuent fortune ought to be LETTER IT. H LETTER IT. H Brvius to Ckero, greeting. I HAVE been earnestly expecting your letter, which you wrote after you received the news of the state of our affairs, and of the death of Trebouius,^ for I ha^vo no doubt that you fully esplftin your viewa to me, By a most shameful atrocity, we have lost a most excellent citizen, and have been expelled from the poasession of the province, which it ia ea^ to recover; nor will it be less disgraceful or iniquitous that it should not ba recovered, if it be possible. Antony^ is as yet with us; but, I assure you, I am hoth moved by the entreaties of the man, and I am afraid that the madness of some parties may fall upon him. I am altogether in perplexity. But if I knew what you thought best, I should be free from amiety, ' This waa tha Erst blood shed by either party after the death of Cfflaar. TraboniuB hi^d been Hs&igned the provmco of Aein Minor, and had taken pousession of it; but DoUbelta. proceeded through Asia Minor, to ta)<e poaseaeion of Syria, where CneaiuB was already io aram. Treboaiua did not dare opanlj to defy him; but the gates of the different cities were cloaed asuaat him. He attacked Smyrna, in which Treboniua himself waa, acalad thewallH by night, seized him in hia bed, and beheaded him; wbtle the soldiera mutilated the body, and tearing dawn the head from Dolabella'a tribune, kioked it about the atreeta, till the featurea could no longer bo recogniaed- This occurred about the end of February 711 i.n.c.
' Caiua Antony, who wns a prifloncr.
BBTJTDa TO CrCEHO.
for I Bboiild feel sure that that really was the best. Ab BOon as poBsible, therefore, make me acquainted nith your Cpinions.
Our friend Casfiius has Syria, and the Syrian legiona; having been invited spontaneouBly by Murcus and MartiuB, and by the troops themselves, I have written to my sister Tertia, and to my mother, not to apread any account of this moat admirable and fortunate exploit of Cassiua, till they knew your opinion, and till you thought it desirable to do bo.
I have read your two speeches; of ■which you spoke one on the 1st of January, and the other was in reply to Calenus, on the subject of my letters. Yon now doubtless expect me to prwse them; I know not whether the merit of courage or of abihty displayed in them be the greater. I now grant that they may be called Philippics, as you wrote, jestingly, in one of your letters. We are in need of two things, my dear Cicero; money, and reiuforcetneuts; one of which may bo hastened hy you, I mean that some portion of the troops front Italy may be sent to us, either secretly, and in spite of Pansa, or else by an open motion in the senate; the other thing, money, which is still more necessary, not more for mj troops than those of the other commanders, « • On this account I am the more concerned that we have lost Aaa; which I hear is oppressed to such a degree hy Dolabella, that the murder of Trebonius no longer appears his most barbarous action. Yetus Antistius, however, has aided me with money.
Your son Cicero endears himself to me so greatly by his industry, patience, diligence, and magnanimity, — in short, by the performance of every kind of duty, that he seems never for a moment to forget whose son he is. Though, therefore, I cannot make you love him more than you do, since he is already most dear to you; at least allow so much weight to my opinion, as to feel sure that be will not have to appropriate any of your glory, in order to arrive at hononrs eimilar to those of his father.
Dyrrhachium, the let of ApriL^ ' Theae letters are diffetently arrBnged in different editions. I hnvs fallowed the BJTBneemBQt oC Middieton ns most consiatent with tba historical order of tha ei^enta alluded to; tut the lettora of Brutua sra _ gust Bn Bpiirious aa those attributed to Cioero. It mny aave trouble I I LETTER III. Cicero to Bntta», greeting. Tou have been able to leai-u the admirable disposition of Plaacua for the good of the commonwealth, and the number of his legions and auxiliary troops, and, in short, of his wliole force, from his letters, of which I suppoBO that a copy has been sent to you. I imagine too, that from the letters of jonr own friends, you have arrived at a complete ^mderBtand^' ing of the levity and inconsiatenoy of your friend Lepidi to ^TO the arraDgament; of the different odttione,'— tLat adopted Mtddlston, ftiid the ordinoiy aiTangemtint, which. dividGa thcde Letti into two booki: — I Lucius Clodius..
Plancianimiim..
li. t.
Quffllitarai...Teteris Antiatii, LII.
vni..
A. A V. Calendas.
QiiBDtil wa lietUii LuoinB Bibulua..
xir..
Noli aipactare..
Soiiptd Bt obaigima ScribiJ) raiJu...I. ir.
Etaidatn^..
De Miirco Lepido.
xvin..
LIS.
HuUasadhuo..
xxir..
Lie.
Cum Btepe te..
XSIIL.
XXIV..
There ia also one given iu the orditiojy editions tis a fragment a seponte letter; but printed by Middleton as the end of Letter IL and one begioniiig " Quod egere,' ' which Middleton oonaidere a portion of Letter IV., but whiuh I have followed the ordinary edition in giving ■BB Bcparateletter, and which will be found 03 Letter IV. Letter X£1T. ' Kiddleton himnelf gives up as a forger;.
ciCEno TO Bunnja, (ffho, nest to hia own brother, hatea his relfttjons above all people,) tuid his invariably hostile feelings towards the comtnw^th. My expectation disquiets me, the fulfilment of is wholly reduced to an extfemely critical state; for all j>es depend on the deliveiy of Brutus, foe -whom I was kite of great alarm.
± present, I have suffloient difficulty here, with that madman Servihus, with whom I have borne longer than my dignity &irly allowed; but I did boor witli him for the sake of the republic, that I might not give the profligate portion of the citizens a man, not indeed of great wisdom, but of noble birth, to whom they might flock as a leader— which, DBvertheleaa, they do. But I did not think it right that he should be alienated from the republic. However, 1 have done with enduring bim now, for ho had begun to show such inaoleacei, that be looked upon no one as irtte. In the case of Plancns, he burst forth with incredible indignation, and contended with mc in such a spirit for two days, and was so completely beaten by me, that I hope that be will be moi-e modest.hereafter. And while this very contest was going on, at the time when the debate was proceeding with the great^t vehemence, on the 9th of April, a letter waa dohvered to me in the senate, &om our friend Lentulus, with an account of CossiuB and his legions, and Syria; and as Boon as I had read it aloud, Serviliiis lost heart, oa well as many others, for there arc several other pei-sons of high rank who are thoroughly disaffected: but Serviliua was esceedingly indignant that assent was expressed to my opinion about Plancus, He ia a great monster in regard to the & wealth, but * » • I I Cieei-o to BrutKS, greeting. As to your remark that you are in need of two necessary things, reinforcements and money, it is veiy diSicult to know what advice to give you; for no means occur to my recollection, which I consider that you can use, except those which the senate has voted, giving you the power of borrowing money from the different cities. But about the reinforcet ment, I do not see what ctin be from being able to afford you any portion of his aiToy, or of hia new levies, that ho is sven greatly annoyed at so many volunteers going to you; in my opinion, because he thinks that for those affairs about whieh there is now a contention in Italy, no forces can be too great; but na many people snapect, beoauao he has nodeairefor you to become too strong, I, however, have no suspicion of this kind.
With regard to what you say, that you have written to your sister Tertia, bidding her not to make public the things which have been done by Caasius, till I approved of it, I see that you were afraid of what there was good reason to fear, namely, that the disposition of Ciesar's party (as parties have Btill distinctive appellations) would be greatly excited by the intelligence. But, before we received your letters, the affair ■was known and spread abroad; and, besides, your couriers had brought letters to many of your friends. The fact was therefore not to be suppressed, since, indeed, it could not he done; and if it could have been done, we should have thought it a matter not to be published, rather than wholly concealed. With respect to my Cicero, if there really is as much in him as you say in your letter, I am as glad as I ought to be; and if, because you love hito, you make his merits so much the greater, I still rejoice extremely on that very account, that he is beloved by you.
Apiil i2th.
Apiil i2th.
LETTER V. Cmwo to Brutus, greeting. After I had given Scaptius letters for you on the morning of the 11th of April, the same day I received one from you in the eveniug, dated on the 1st of April, frtim Dyrrhachiuni; and, therefore, when on the next day I was informed by Scaptius that the men to whom he had given the lettei'S the day before had not started, but were going to set off immediately, I scratched these few hues to you in the midst of the coniusion of my taoming levee. About Cassius I am delighted, and congratulate the republic on hia success; I congra-M myself too, for having delivered my opinion in spite o£^ A ClOERO TO BRUInS.
lould puiv ^1 nred with ^| the opporition and anger of Pansa, that Caaaiiis ehould Bue Dolabellft actively as aa enemy; and I declared great boldness that he was already carrying on that war without waiting for any decree of the senate from us, I also said' about you what I thought at that time ought to he said. Tfate Bpsech of mine will be seat to you, ainco I see that you leased with my Philippics.
my adTJce that you aak respecting Caius Antoniu^: that you ought to keep him prisoner till we know the flt of the aShii's of Bnitua.' From the letters which you fasTe sent me, Bolabella secma to be oppressing Asia, and conducting himself most shamefully in that province; but you have written to several people that " Dolabclla haa been shut out by the Rhodians." Now, if he baa been to Khodes, it aeems to me that he must have!eft Asia; and if that be the case, I think that you ought to atay there; but if he has once got possession of the place, then, believe me, you ought not, but should, as I think, pursue him into Asia. Tou seem, to be likely to do nothing better at the present Cicero to Snilics, greeting.
I OONCLITDE that your relations, to none of whom do I yield in attachment to you, have informed you what letter was read publicly in the senate on the 13th of April in your name, and at the same time in that of Antony, But it was not necessary that we should all write about the same things; what was necessary for me to write to you was, what I thought of the entire conduct of this war, and what my dehberate opinion and sentiments were. My feeling, my dear Brutus, with respect to the republic in general, haa always been the same as your own; my plan of action in some points, not indeed in all, may perhaps have been a little more vigorous. You know that my opinion has always been, that the republic ahould be delivered not only from the tyrant, but from the tyranny. You adopted more gentle notions, ' Dccimus Brutus, CICERO TO BROTHS.
certainly, to your owa immortal honour; but wbich of the two plana was the better, we have felt witli great grie^ and BtUl feel, to our great danger. Ou that recent occasion you referred everything to the object of ensuring peace, which could aot he managed by mere speeches; I directed all my ainffi to BBOure hberty, which indeed can have no existence without pence; and peace itself I thought coidd be best est^ blished by war and arms. I Zeal was not wanting to those who cried for arms, but wt J repressed their impetuosity, and checked their ardour, Ib. conseqneuce, our afiblra ftil into such a state, that if some god had not inspired Coisar Octavianus with the feelings which animated him, wo must have fiiUen into the power of that most abandoned and infamous man, Mark Antony, with whom you see how great and perilous a contest there is; and there would have beun none, if Antony bad not been spared on that occoflion.'
But I forbear to speak of those matters; for the exploit then performed by you,' an exploit ever memorable, and almost divine, precludes all blame; and, indeed, it cannot bo extolled with oJl the praise that it dcsei'VES.
Ton have lately appeared of a gniTa countenance. You havo collected by yourself in a short time, an army, and troops, and a silfficient number of legions. 0 ye immortal gods, what an announcement was that, what a letter I how great was the joy of the senate! how extreme the alacrity of the whole city! I never saw anything extolled with such unanimity. There had been some expectation about the remains of Antony's force, whom you had deprived of his oavaJry and of the chief part of his legions; but it came to such an end as wa could have wished; for your letter, which was read in the senate, shows the wisdom of the general, the valour of the soldiers, the industry of your friendSj and among them of my Cicero, Had it seemed advisable to your Mends that a motion should be made respecting your letter, and had it not arrived at a most turbulent time, after the departure of Paosa the consul, proper and deserved honours woidd have beea decreed to the immortal gods ou the occasion.
Behold, on the 13th of April, early in the morning, y rapid courier, Pilus, arrives. What a man I 0 ye gods, ' CSOmO TO BBITTUB.
gi^re! how steady! ho\t well affected to the republic! He brin^ two letters, one in your name, and one in that of Antony. He delivera them to Serviliua the tribune of the people, Serviliua gives them to Coruutua; they are read in the senate: " Antony the prooonsuL" There was great astoniahment, just as if any one had read " Dolabella the emperor:" from whom, indeed, couriera had ai-rived, but no one like Pilus, bold enough to produce the lettei-s, or deliver them to the magistrates.
Tonf Jotter was read; it was short, indeed, but very mild towards Antony. The senate admired it greatly; to me it was not r^uite clear what I ought to do. Should I pronounce it forged^ But what if you owned it J Should I pronounce it genuine 1 That was not for your honour.' The day, thereftire, waa suffered to pass in silence.
But the nest day, when conversation on the matter had become geneml, and when Pilus had given a great deal of apparent offence, a commencement waa fairly made on my jart. I said a good deal about the '■ proconsul Antony." SextiuB was not wanting to the cause; and afterwards he Bpoke to rae, observing in how much danger he thought his son and mine would be, if they bad taken up arms against a proconaul. Yon know the man; he did full justice to the aj^ument. Others spoke too; and our friend Laheo remarked that your seal was not affixed to the letter, or the date added, and ihat you had not written to your relations, as you used to do. By this he wished to prove that the letter ivaa fonged; and, if you wish to know more, did prove it.
How, my dear Brutus, you Lave to decide upon the whole plan of the war. I see that you are pleased with lenity, and Hunk, it of the greatest advantage. It is very honourable, but it is in a diflorent situation of affairs, and at other seaaona, that there is room for clemency. At present, my dear Bmtns, what is the state of afiairs J The hopes of the needy and profligate point to the destruction of the temples of the immortal gods; nor, indeed, is anything else to be determined by this war, but whether we are to exist, or not.
Who is it tijat we are sparing, and what are we doing?
' For if Antony had Tjean a. legal proeonBul, it muBt bavB baen not <mSj diihonoui-ablo, but criminsl in Bnitus, to act agalmit him as na •nemy. — Middleten.
BRDTUB TO CICEKO.
Are we thinking of the safety of those, by whom, if they should be victorious, not a trace of -us will be left) For what difference is there between Dolabella and any one of tho tliree Antonios J If we spare any one of them, we ehall have been too lutrah with Dolabello. Although the state of affairs themselves cotnpellod tho senato and people of Borne to embrace such opinions as these, still it was only brought about in a veiy great degree by my prudence and authority.
If you do not approve this course, I will defend the opinion which you may express, but shall not abandon my own. Men expect from you nothing oareless on the one hand, or cruel on the other. Moderation in this matter is easy, by being strict to the leaders, but liberal to the common soldiers.
I wish, my dear Brutus, that you would have my Cicero with you as much as possible. He will iind no better sohool of virtue than the contemplation and imitation of you.
16th of April.
Srutiit to Cieero, greeting.
SnOH are the feelings of Vetus Antistius towards tho commonwealth, that I do not doubt that he would have proved himself a most atrenuons defender of tlie comnion liberty in reference to Ctesar and Antony, if he could have found an opportunity; for he who, when he encountered Dolabella in Achaia, furnished with infantry and cavalry, preferred to run any risk from the treachery of n, bandit ready for everything, raUier than seem either to have been compelled to give, or to have given willingly, any money to that most profligate and infamous person, has of bis own accord promised ua, and actually given, above sixteen thousand pounds^ out of his own funds; and, what is much more v^uable still, he has oflered us himself, and united himself to us.
I have endeavoured to persuade him to remain as general in the camp, and to aid in the defence of the republic; but he considered that he ought to depart, since he had disbanded