cicero-第12章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




trusting　them；　let　Dolabella　go　without　him；　promising　Hirtius　that　he



would　go　and　spend　his　summer　at　Athens；　and　return　again　when　he



entered　upon　his　office。　So　he　set　out　on　his　journey；　but　some



delay　occurring　in　his　passage；　new　intelligence；　as　often　happens；



came　suddenly　from　Rome；　that　Antony　had　made　an　astonishing　change；



and　was　doing　all　things　and　managing　all　public　affairs　at　the　will



of　the　senate；　and　that　there　wanted　nothing　but　his　presence　to　bring



things　to　a　happy　settlement。　And　therefore；　blaming　himself　for　his



cowardice；　he　returned　again　to　Rome；　and　was　not　deceived　in　his



hopes　at　the　beginning。　For　such　multitudes　flocked　out　to　meet　him；



that　the　compliments　and　civilities　which　were　paid　him　at　the



gates；　and　at　his　entrance　into　the　city；　took　up　almost　one　whole



day's　time。



　　On　the　morrow；　Antony　convened　the　senate；　and　summoned　Cicero



thither。　He　came　not；　but　kept　his　bed；　pretending　to　be　ill　with



his　journey；　but　the　true　reason　seemed　the　fear　of　some　design



against　him；　upon　a　suspicion　and　intimation　given　him　on　his　way　to



Rome。　Antony；　however；　showed　great　offence　at　the　affront；　and　sent



soldiers；　commanding　them　to　bring　him　or　burn　his　house；　but　many



interceding　and　supplicating　for　him；　he　was　contented　to　accept



sureties。　Ever　after；　when　they　met；　they　passed　one　another　with



silence；　and　continued　on　their　guard；　till　Caesar；　the　younger；



coming　from　Apollonia；　entered　on　the　first　Caesar's　inheritance；



and　was　engaged　in　a　dispute　with　Antony　about　two　thousand　five



hundred　myriads　of　money；　which　Antony　detained　from　the　estate。



　　Upon　this；　Philippus；　who　married　the　mother；　and　Marcellus；　who



married　the　sister　of　young　Caesar；　came　with　the　young　man　to　Cicero；



and　agreed　with　him　that　Cicero　should　give　them　the　aid　of　his



eloquence　and　political　influence　with　the　senate　and　people；　and



Caesar　give　Cicero　the　defence　of　his　riches　and　arms。　For　the　young



man　had　already　a　great　party　of　the　soldiers　of　Caesar　about　him。　And



Cicero's　readiness　to　join　him　was　founded；　it　is　said；　on　some　yet



stronger　motives；　for　it　seems；　while　Pompey　and　Caesar　were　yet



alive；　Cicero；　in　his　sleep；　had　fancied　himself　engaged　in　calling



some　of　the　sons　of　the　senators　into　the　capitol；　Jupiter　being



about；　according　to　the　dream；　to　declare　one　of　them　the　chief



ruler　of　Rome。　The　citizens；　running　up　with　curiosity；　stood　about



the　temple；　and　the　youths；　sitting　in　their　purple…bordered　robes；



kept　silence。　On　a　sudden　the　doors　opened；　and　the　youths；　arising



one　by　one　in　order；　passed　round　the　god；　who　reviewed　them　all；　and；



to　their　sorrow；　dismissed　them；　but　when　this　one　was　passing　by；　the



god　stretched　forth　his　right　hand　and　said；　〃O　ye　Romans；　this



young　man；　when　he　shall　be　lord　of　Rome；　shall　put　an　end　to　all　your



civil　wars。〃　It　is　said　that　Cicero　formed　from　his　dream　a　distinct



image　of　the　youth；　and　retained　it　afterwards　perfectly；　but　did



not　know　who　it　was。　The　next　day；　going　down　into　the　Campus　Martius；



he　met　the　boys　returning　from　their　gymnastic　exercises；　and　the



first　was　he；　just　as　he　had　appeared　to　him　in　his　dream。　Being



astonished　at　it；　he　asked　him　who　were　his　parents。　And　it　proved



to　be　this　young　Caesar；　whose　father　was　a　man　of　no　great



eminence；　Octavius；　and　his　mother；　Attia；　Caesar's　sister's　daughter；



for　which　reason；　Caesar；　who　had　no　children；　made　him　by　will　the



heir　of　his　house　and　property。　From　that　time；　it　is　said　that　Cicero



studiously　noticed　the　youth　whenever　he　met　him；　and　he　as　kindly



received　the　civility；　and　by　fortune　he　happened　to　be　born　when



Cicero　was　consul。



　　These　were　the　reasons　spoken　of　but　it　was　principally　Cicero's



hatred　of　Antony；　and　a　temper　unable　to　resist　honour；　which　fastened



him　to　Caesar；　with　the　purpose　of　getting　the　support　of　Caesar's



power　for　his　own　public　designs。　For　the　young　man　went　so　far　in　his



court　to　him；　that　he　called　him　Father；　at　which　Brutus　was　so　highly



displeased；　that；　in　his　epistles　to　Atticus；　he　reflected　on　Cicero



saying；　it　was　manifest；　by　his　courting　Caesar　for　fear　of　Antony；　he



did　not　intend　liberty　to　his　country；　but　an　indulgent　master　to



himself。　Notwithstanding；　Brutus　took　Cicero's　son；　then　studying



philosophy　at　Athens；　gave　him　a　command；　and　employed　him　in



various　ways；　with　a　good　result。　Cicero's　own　power　at　this　time



was　at　the　greatest　height　in　the　city；　and　he　did　whatsoever　he



pleased；　he　completely　overpowered　and　drove　out　Antony；　and　sent



the　two　consuls；　Hirtius　and　Pansa；　with　an　army；　to　reduce　him；



and；　on　the　other　hand；　persuaded　the　senate　to　allow　Caesar　the



lictors　and　ensigns　of　a　praetor；　as　though　he　were　his　country's



defender。　But　after　Antony　was　defeated　in　battle；　and　the　consuls



slain；　the　armies　united；　and　ranged　themselves　with　Caesar。　And　the



senate；　fearing　the　young　man；　and　his　extraordinary　fortune；



endeavoured；　by　honours　and　gifts；　to　call　off　the　soldiers　from



him；　and　to　lessen　his　power；　professing　there　was　no　further　need



of　arms　now　Antony　was　put　to　flight。



　　This　giving　Caesar　an　affright；　he　privately　sends　some　friends　to



entreat　and　persuade　Cicero　to　procure　the　consular　dignity　for　them



both　together；　saying　he　should　manage　the　affairs　as　he　pleased；



should　have　the　supreme　power；　and　govern　the　young　man　who　was　only



desirous　of　name　and　glory。　And　Caesar　himself　confessed　that；　in　fear



of　ruin；　and　in　danger　of　being　deserted；　he　had　seasonably　made　use



of　Cicero's　ambition；　persuading　him　to　stand　with　him；　and　to



accept　the　offer　of　him　aid　and　interest　for　the　consulship。



　　And　now；　more　than　at　any　other　time；　Cicero　let　himself　be



carried　away　and　deceived；　though　an　old　man；　by　the　persuasion　of　a



boy。　He　joined　him　in　soliciting　votes；　and　procured　the　good…will



of　the　senate；　not　without　blame　at　the　time　on　the　part　of　his



friends；　and　he；　too；　soon　enough　after；　saw　that　he　had　ruined



himself；　and　betrayed　the　liberty　of　his　country。　For　the　young　man；



once　established；　and　possessed　of　the　office　of　consul；　bade　Cicero



farewell；　and；　reconciling　himself　to　Antony　and　Lepidus；　joined　his



power　with　theirs；　and　divided　the　government；　like　a　piece　of



property；　with　them。　Thus　united；　they　made　a　schedule　of　above　two



hundred　persons　who　were　to　be　put　to　death。　But　the　greatest



contention　in　all　their　debates　was　on　the　question　of　Cicero's



case。　Antony　would　come　to　no　conditions；　unless　he　should　be　the



first　man　to　be　killed。　Lepidus　held　with　Antony；　and　Caesar　opposed



them　both。　They　met　secretly　and　by　themselves；　for　three　days



together；　near　the　town　of　Bononia。　The　spot　was　not　far　from　the



camp；　with　a　river　surrounding　it。　Caesar；　it　is　said；　contended



earnestly　for　Cicero　the　first　two　days；　but　on　the　third　day　he



yielded；　and　gave　him　up。　The　terms　of　their　mutual　concessions　were



these：　that　Caesar　should　desert　Cicero；　Lepidus　his　brother　Paulus；



and　Antony；　Lucius　Caesar；　his　uncle　by　his　mother's　side。　Thus　they



let　their　anger　and　fury　take　from　them　the　sense　of　humanity；　and



demonstrated　that　no　beast　is　more　savage　than　man　when　possessed　with



power　answerable　to　his　rage。



　　Whilst　these　things　were　contriving；　Cicero　was　with　his　brother



at　his　country…house　near　Tusculum；　whence；　hearing　of　the



proscriptions；　they　determined　to　pass　to　Astura；　a　villa　of



Cicero's　near　the　sea；　and　to　take　shipping　from　thence　for



Macedonia　to　Brutus；　of　whose　strength　in　that　province　news　had



already　been　heard。　They　travelled　together　in　their　separate　litters；



overwhelmed　with　sorrow；　and　often　stopping　on　the　way　till　their



litters　came　together；　condoled　with　one　another。　But　Qu