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letters of cicero-第12章

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on his trial for l?se niajest?; in accordance with the edict of C。 Alflus; he was all but crushed to the earth by a great and unanimous demonstration of the popular hatred。 Nothing could exceed his humiliating position。 However; Piso comes next to him。 So I think of introducing a marvellous episode into my second bookApollo declaring in the council of the gods what sort of return that of the two commanders was to be; one of whom had lost; and the other sold his army。 From Britain I have a letter of Qesar's dated the 1st of September; which reached me on the 27th; satisfactory enough as far as the British expedition is concerned; in which; to prevent my wondering at not getting one from you; he tells me that you were not with him when he reached the coast。 To that letter I made no reply; not even a formal congratulation; on account of his mourning。 Many; many wishes; dear brother; for your health。

XV

To P。 LENTTJLUS SPINTHER (IN CILICIA)

ROME (OCTOBER)

M。 CICERO desires his warmest regards to P。 Lentulus; imperator。 Your letter was very gratifying to me; from which I gathered that you fully appreciated my devotion to you: for why use the word kindness; when even the word 〃devotion〃 itself; with all its solemn and holy associations; seems too weak to express my obligations to you? As for your saying that my services to you are gratefully accepted; it is you who in your overflowing affection make things; which cannot be omitted without criminal negligence; appear deserving of even gratitude。 However; my feelings towards you would have been much more fully known and conspicuous; if; during all this time that we have been separated; we had been together; and together at Rome。 For precisely in what you declare your intention of doingwhat no one is more capable of doing; and what I confidently look forward to from youthat is to say; in speaking in the senate; and in every department of public life and political activity; we should together have been in a very strong position (what my feelings and position are in regard to politics  I will explain shortly; and will answer the questions you ask); and at any rate I should have found in you a supporter; at once most warmly attached and endowed with supreme wisdom; while in me you would have found an adviser; perhaps not the most unskilful in the world; and at least both faithful and devoted to your interests。 However; for your own sake; of course; I rejoice; as I am bound to do; that you have been greeted with the title of imperator; and are holding your province and victorious army after a successful campaign。 But certainly; if you had been here; you would have enjoyed to a fuller extent and more directly the benefit of the services 1which I am bound to render you。 Moreover; in taking vengeance on those whom you know in some cases to be your enemies; because you championed the cause of my recall; in others to be jealous of the splendid position and renown which that measure brought you; I should have done you yeoman's service as your associate。 However; that perpetual enemy of his own friends; who; in spite of having been honoured with the highest compliments on your part; has selected you of all people for the object of his impotent and enfeebled violence; has saved me the trouble by punishing himself。 For he has made attempts; the disclosure of which has left him without a shred; not only of political position; but every of freedom of action。 And though I should have preferred that you should have gained your experience in my case alone; rather than in your own also; yet in the midst of my regret I am glad that you have learnt what the fidelity of mankind is worth; at no great cost to yourself; which I learnt at the price of excessive pain。 And I think that I have now an opportunity presented me; while answering the questions you have addressed to me; of also explaining my entire position and view。 You say in your letter that you have been informed that I have become reconciled to Cmesar and Appius; and you add that you have no fault to find with that。 But you express a wish to know what induced me to defend and compliment Vatinius。 In order to make my explanation plainer I must go a little farther back in the statement of my policy and its grounds。

Well; Lentulus! At firstafter the success of your efforts for my recallI looked upon myself as having been restored not alone to my friends; but to the Republic also; and seeing that I owed you an affection almost surpassing belief; and every kind of service; however great and rare; that could be bestowed on your person; I thought that to the Republic; which had much assisted you in restoring me; I at least was bound to entertain the feeling which I had in old times shewed merely from the duty incumbent on all citizens alike; and not as an obligation incurred by some special kindness to myself。 That these were my sentiments I declared to the senate when you were consul; and you had yourself a full view of them in our conversations and discussions。 Yet from the very first my feelings were hurt by many circumstances; when; on your mooting the question of the full restoration of my position; I detected the covert hatred of some and the equivocal attachment of others。 For you received no support from either in regard to my vexatious to me: but much more so was the fact that they used; before my very eyes; so to embrace; fondle; make much of; and kiss my enemy mine do I say? rather the enemy of the laws; of the law courts; of peace; of his country; of all loyal men ! that they did not indeed rouse my bile; for I have utterly lost all that; but imagined they did。 In these circumstances; having; as far as is possible for human prudeuce; thoroughly examined my whole position; and having balanced the items of the account; I arrived at a final result of all my reflexions; which; as well as I can; I will now briefly put before you。

If I had seen the Republic in the hands of bad or profligate citizens; as we know happened during the supremacy of Cinna; and on some other occasions; I should not under the pressure; I don t say of rewards; which are the last things to influence me; but even of danger; by which; after all; the bravest men are moved; have attached myself to their party; not even if their services to me had been of the very highest kind。 As it is; seeing that the leading statesman in the Republic was Pompey; a man who had gained this power and renown by the most eminent services to the state and the most glorious achievements; and one of whose postion I had been a supporter from my youth up; and in my praetorship and consulship an active promoter also; and seeing that this same statesman had assisted me; in his own person by the weight of his influence and the expression of his opinion; and; in conjunction with you; by his counsels and zeal; and that he regarded my enemy as his own supreme enemy in the state I did not think that I need fear the reproach of inconsistency; if in some of my senatorial votes I somewhat changed my standpoint; and contributed my zeal to the promotion of the dignity of a most distiii  guished man; and one to whom I am under the highest obligations。 In this sentiment I had necessarily to include Caesar; as you see; for their policy and position were inseparably united。 Here I was greatly influenced by two things the old friendship which you know that I and my brother Quintus have had with Caesar; and his own kindness and liberality; of which we have recently had clear and mistakable evidence both by his letters and his personal attentions。 I was also strongly affected by the Republic itself; which appeared to me to demand; especially considering Caesar's brilliant successes; that there should be no quarrel maintained with these men; and indeed to forbid it in the strongest manner possible。 Moreover; while entertaining these feelings; I was above all shaken by the pledge which Pompey had given for me to Caesar; and my brother to Pompey。 Besides; I was forced to take into consideration the state maxim so divinely expressed by our master Plato〃 Such as are the chief men in a republic; such are ever wont to be the other citizens。〃 I called to mind that in my consulship; from the very 1st of January; such a fo

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