cicero-第13章

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



litters　came　together；　condoled　with　one　another。　But　Quintus　was



the　more　disheartened　when　he　reflected　on　his　want　of　means　for　his



journey；　for；　as　he　said；　he　had　brought　nothing　with　him　from　home。



And　even　Cicero　himself　had　but　a　slender　provision。　It　was　judged；



therefore；　most　expedient　that　Cicero　should　make　what　haste　he



could　to　fly；　and　Quintus　return　home　to　provide　necessaries；　and　thus



resolved；　they　mutually　embraced；　and　parted　with　many　tears。



　　Quintus；　within　a　few　days　after；　betrayed　by　his　servants　to



those　who　came　to　search　for　him；　was　slain；　together　with　his　young



son。　But　Cicero　was　carried　to　Astura；　where　finding　a　vessel；　he



immediately　went　on　board　her；　and　sailed　as　far　as　Circaeum　with　a



prosperous　gale；　but　when　the　pilots　resolved　immediately　to　set



sail　from　thence；　whether　fearing　the　sea；　or　not　wholly　distrusting



the　faith　of　Caesar；　he　went　on　shore；　and　passed　by　land　a　hundred



furlongs；　as　if　he　was　going　for　Rome。　But　losing　resolution　and



changing　his　mind；　he　again　returned　to　the　sea；　and　there　spent　the



night　in　fearful　and　perplexed　thoughts。　Sometimes　he　resolved　to　go



into　Caesar's　house　privately；　and　there　kill　himself　upon　the　altar



of　his　household　gods；　to　bring　divine　vengeance　upon　him；　but　the



fear　of　torture　put　him　off　this　course。　And　after　passing　through　a



variety　of　confused　and　uncertain　counsels；　at　last　he　let　his



servants　carry　him　by　sea　to　Capitie；　where　he　had　a　house；　an



agreeable　place　to　retire　to　in　the　heat　of　summer；　when　the　Etesian



winds　are　so　pleasant。



　　There　was　at　that　place　a　chapel　of　Apollo；　not　far　from　the



seaside；　from　which　a　flight　of　crows　rose　with　a　great　noise；　and



made　towards　Cicero's　vessel；　as　it　rowed　to　land；　and　lighting　on



both　sides　of　the　yard；　some　croaked；　others　pecked　the　ends　of　the



ropes。　This　was　looked　upon　by　all　as　an　ill…omen；　and；　therefore；



Cicero　went　again　ashore；　and　entering　his　house；　lay　down　upon　his



bed　to　compose　himself　to　rest。　Many　of　the　crows　settled　about　the



window；　making　a　dismal　cawing；　but　one　of　them　alighted　upon　the



bed　where　Cicero　lay　covered　up；　and　with　its　bill　by　little　and



little　pecked　off　the　clothes　from　his　face。　His　servants；　seeing



this；　blamed　themselves　that　they　should　stay　to　be　spectators　of



their　master's　murder；　and　do　nothing　in　his　defence；　whilst　the　brute



creatures　came　to　assist　and　take　care　of　him　in　his　undeserved



affliction；　and　therefore；　partly　by　entreaty；　partly　by　force；　they



took　him　up；　and　carried　him　in　his　litter　towards　the　seaside。



　　But　in　the　meantime　the　assassins　were　come　with　a　band　of　soldiers；



Herennius；　a　centurion；　and　Popillius；　a　tribune；　whom　Cicero　had



formerly　defended　when　prosecuted　for　the　murder　of　his　father。



Finding　the　doors　shut；　they　broke　them　open；　and　Cicero　not



appearing；　and　those　within　saying　they　knew　not　where　he　was；　it　is



stated　that　a　youth；　who　had　been　educated　by　Cicero　in　the　liberal



arts　and　sciences；　an　emancipated　slave　of　his　brother　Quintus；



Philologus　by　name；　informed　the　tribune　that　the　litter　was　on　its



way　to　the　sea　through　the　close　and　shady　walks。　The　tribune；



taking　a　few　with　him；　ran　to　the　place　where　he　was　to　come　out。



And　Cicero；　perceiving　Herennius　running　in　the　walks；　commanded　his



servants　to　set　down　the　litter；　and　stroking　his　chin；　as　he　used



to　do；　with　his　left　hand；　he　looked　steadfastly　upon　his　murderers；



his　person　covered　with　dust；　his　beard　and　hair　untrimmed；　and　his



face　worn　with　his　troubles。　So　that　the　greatest　part　of　those　that



stood　by　covered　their　faces　whilst　Herennius　slew　him。　And　thus　was



he　murdered；　stretching　forth　his　neck　out　of　the　litter；　being　now　in



his　sixty…fourth　year。　Herennius　cut　off　his　head；　and；　by　Antony's



command；　his　hands　also；　by　which　his　Philippics　were　written；　for



so　Cicero　styled　those　orations　he　wrote　against　Antony；　and　so　they



are　called　to　this　day。



　　When　these　members　of　Cicero　were　brought　to　Rome；　Antony　was



holding　an　assembly　for　the　choice　of　public　officers；　and　when　he



heard　it；　and　saw　them；　he　cried　out；　〃Now　let　there　be　an　end　of



our　proscriptions。〃　He　commanded　his　head　and　hands　to　be　fastened



up　over　the　rostra；　where　the　orators　spoke；　a　sight　which　the　Roman



people　shuddered　to　behold；　and　they　believed　they　saw　there；　not



the　face　of　Cicero；　but　the　image　of　Antony's　own　soul。　And　yet　amidst



these　actions　he　did　justice　in　one　thing；　by　delivering　up　Philologus



to　Pomponia；　the　wife　of　Quintus；　who；　having　got　his　body　into　her



power；　besides　other　grievous　punishments；　made　him　cut　off　his　own



flesh　by　pieces；　and　roast　and　eat　it；　for　so　some　writers　have



related。　But　Tiro；　Cicero's　emancipated　slave；　has　not　so　much　as



mentioned　the　treachery　of　Philologus。



　　Some　long　time　after；　Caesar；　I　have　been　told；　visiting　one　of



his　daughter's　sons；　found　him　with　a　book　of　Cicero's　in　his　hand。



The　boy　for　fear　endeavoured　to　hide　it　under　his　gown；　which　Caesar



perceiving；　took　it　from　him；　and；　turning　over　a　great　part　of　the



book　standing；　gave　it　him　again；　and　said；　〃My　child；　this　was　a



learned　man；　and　a　lover　of　his　country。〃　And　immediately　after　he　had



vanquished　Antony；　being　then　consul；　he　made　Cicero's　son　his



colleague　in　the　office；　and　under　that　consulship　the　senate　took



down　all　the　statues　of　Antony；　and　abolished　all　the　other　honours



that　had　been　given　him；　and　decreed　that　none　of　that　family　should



thereafter　bear　the　name　of　Marcus；　and　thus　the　final　acts　of　the



punishment　of　Antony　were；　by　the　divine　powers；　devolved　upon　the



family　of　Cicero。











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END



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