cicero-第9章

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to　himself；　he　fled　to　the　consuls。　Gabinius　was　rough　with　him；　as



usual；　but　Piso　spoke　more　courteously；　desiring　him　to　yield　and　give



place　for　a　while　to　the　fury　of　Clodius；　and　to　await　a　change　of



times；　and　to　be　now；　as　before；　his　country's　saviour　from　the



peril　of　these　troubles　and　commotions　which　Clodius　was　exciting。



　　Cicero；　receiving　this　answer；　consulted　with　his　friends。



Lucullus　advised　him　to　stay；　as　being　sure　to　prevail　at　last；　others



to　fly；　because　the　people　would　soon　desire　him　again；　when　they



should　have　enough　of　the　rage　and　madness　of　Clodius。　This　last



Cicero　approved。　But　first　he　took　a　statue　of　Minerva；　which　had　been



long　set　up　and　greatly　honoured　in　his　house；　and　carrying　it　to



the　capitol；　there　dedicated　it；　with　the　inscription；　〃To　Minerva；



Patroness　of　Rome。〃　And　receiving　an　escort　from　his　friends；　about



the　middle　of　the　night　he　left　the　city　and　went　by　land　through



Lucania；　intending　to　reach　Sicily。



　　But　as　soon　as　it　was　publicly　known　that　he　was　fled；　Clodius



proposed　to　the　people　a　decree　of　exile；　and　by　his　own　order



interdicted　him　fire　and　water；　prohibiting　any　within　five　hundred



miles　in　Italy　to　receive　him　into　their　houses。　Most　people；　out　of



respect　for　Cicero；　paid　no　regard　to　this　edict；　offering　him　every



attention；　and　escorting　him　on　his　way。　But　at　Hipponium；　a　city　of



Lucania　now　called　Vibo；　one　Vibius；　a　Sicilian　by　birth；　who；　amongst



many　other　instances　of　Cicero's　friendship；　had　been　made　head　of　the



state　engineers　when　he　was　consul；　would　not　receive　him　into　his



house；　sending　him　word　he　would　appoint　a　place　in　the　country　for



his　reception。　Caius　Vergilius；　the　praetor　of　Sicily；　who　had　been　on



the　most　intimate　terms　with　him；　wrote　to　him　to　forbear　coming



into　Sicily。　At　these　things　Cicero；　being　disheartened；　went　to



Brundusium；　whence　putting　forth　with　a　prosperous　wind；　a　contrary



gale　blowing　from　the　sea　carried　him　back　to　Italy　the　next　day。　He



put　again　to　sea；　and　having　reached　Dyrrachium；　on　his　coming　to



shore　there；　it　is　reported　that　an　earthquake　and　a　convulsion　in　the



sea　happened　at　the　same　time；　signs　which　the　diviners　said　intimated



that　his　exile　would　not　be　long；　for　these　were　prognostics　of



change。　Although　many　visited　him　with　respect；　and　the　cities　of



Greece　contended　which　should　honour　him　most；　he　yet　continued



disheartened　and　disconsolate；　like　an　unfortunate　lover；　often



casting　his　looks　back　upon　Italy；　and；　indeed；　he　was　become　so



poor…spirited；　so　humiliated　and　dejected　by　his　misfortunes；　as



none　could　have　expected　in　a　man　who　had　devoted　so　much　of　his



life　to　study　and　learning。　And　yet　he　often　desired　his　friends　not



to　call　him　orator；　but　philosopher；　because　he　had　made　philosophy



his　business；　and　had　only　used　rhetoric　as　an　instrument　for



attaining　his　objects　in　public　life。　But　the　desire　of　glory　has



great　power　in　washing　the　tinctures　of　philosophy　out　of　the　souls　of



men；　and　in　imprinting　the　passions　of　the　common　people；　by　custom



and　conversation；　in　the　minds　of　those　that　take　a　part　in



governing　them；　unless　the　politician　be　very　careful　so　to　engage



in　public　affairs　as　to　interest　himself　only　in　the　affairs



themselves；　but　not　participate　in　the　passions　that　are　consequent　to



them。



　　Clodius；　having　thus　driven　away　Cicero；　fell　to　burning　his　farms



and　villas；　and　afterwards　his　city　house；　and　built　on　the　site　of　it



a　temple　to　Liberty。　The　rest　of　his　property　he　exposed　to　sale　by



daily　proclamation；　but　nobody　came　to　buy。　By　these　courses　he　became



formidable　to　the　noble　citizens；　and　being　followed　by　the



commonalty；　whom　he　had　filled　with　insolence　and　licentiousness；　he



began　at　last　to　try　his　strength　against　Pompey；　some　of　whose



arrangements　in　the　countries　he　conquered；　he　attacked。　The



disgrace　of　this　made　Pompey　begin　to　reproach　himself　for　his



cowardice　in　deserting　Cicero；　and　changing　his　mind；　he　now　wholly



set　himself　with　his　friends　to　contrive　his　return。　And　when



Clodius　opposed　it；　the　senate　made　a　vote　that　no　public　measure



should　be　ratified　or　passed　by　them　till　Cicero　was　recalled。　But



when　Lentulus　was　consul；　the　commotions　grew　so　high　upon　this



matter；　that　the　tribunes　were　wounded　in　the　Forum；　and　Quintus；



Cicero's　brother；　was　left　as　dead；　lying　unobserved　amongst　the



slain。　The　people　began　to　change　in　their　feelings；　and　Annius



Milo；　one　of　their　tribunes；　was　the　first　who　took　confidence　to



summon　Clodius　to　trial　for　acts　of　violence。　Many　of　the　common



people　out　of　the　neighbouring　cities　formed　a　party　with　Pompey；



and　he　went　with　them；　and　drove　Clodius　out　of　the　Forum；　and



summoned　the　people　to　pass　their　vote。　And；　it　is　said；　the　people



never　passed　any　suffrage　more　unanimously　than　this。　The　senate；



also；　striving　to　outdo　the　people；　sent　letters　of　thanks　to　those



cities　which　had　received　Cicero　with　respect　in　his　exile；　and



decreed　that　his　house　and　his　country…places；　which　Clodius　had



destroyed；　should　be　rebuilt　at　the　public　charge。



　　Thus　Cicero　returned　sixteen　months　after　his　exile；　and　the



cities　were　so　glad；　and　people　so　zealous　to　meet　him；　that　what　he



boasted　of　afterwards；　that　Italy　had　brought　him　on　her　shoulders



home　to　Rome；　was　rather　less　than　the　truth。　And　Crassus　himself；　who



had　been　his　enemy　before　his　exile；　went　then　voluntarily　to　meet



him；　and　was　reconciled；　to　please　his　son　Publius；　as　he　said；　who



was　Cicero's　affectionate　admirer。



　　Cicero　had　not　been　long　at　Rome　when；　taking　the　opportunity　of



Clodius's　absence；　he　went　with　a　great　company　to　the　capitol；　and



there　tore　and　defaced　the　tribunician　tables；　in　which　were



recorded　the　acts　done　in　the　time　of　Clodius。　And　on　Clodius



calling　him　in　question　for　this；　he　answered　that　he；　being　of　the



patrician　order；　had　obtained　the　office　of　tribune　against　law；　and



therefore　nothing　done　by　him　was　valid。　Cato　was　displeased　at



this；　and　opposed　Cicero；　not　that　he　commended　Clodius；　but　rather



disapproved　of　his　whole　administration；　yet；　he　contended；　it　was



an　irregular　and　violent　course　for　the　senate　to　vote　the



illegality　of　so　many　decrees　and　acts；　including　those　of　Cato's



own　government　in　Cyprus　and　at　Byzantium。　This　occasioned　a　breach



between　Cato　and　Cicero；　which；　though　it　came　not　to　open　enmity；　yet



made　a　more　reserved　friendship　between　them。



　　After　this；　Milo　killed　Clodius；　and；　being　arraigned　for　the



murder；　he　procured　Cicero　as　his　advocate。　The　senate；　fearing　lest



the　questioning　of　so　eminent　and　high…spirited　a　citizen　as　Milo



might　disturb　the　peace　of　the　city；　committed　the　superintendence



of　this　and　of　the　other　trials　to　Pompey；　who　should　undertake　to



maintain　the　security　alike　of　the　city　and　of　the　courts　of



justice。　Pompey；　therefore；　went　in　the　night；　and　occupying　the



high　grounds　about　it；　surrounded　the　Forum　with　soldiers。　Milo；



fearing　lest　Cicero；　being　disturbed　by　such　an　unusual　sight；



should　conduct　his　cause　the　less　successfully；　persuaded　him　to



come　in　a　litter　into　the　Forum；　and　there　repose　himself　till　the



judges　were　set　and　the　court　filled。　For　Cicero；　it　seems；　not　only



wanted　courage　in　arms；　but；　in　his　speaking　also；　began　with



timidity；　and　in　many　cases　scarcely　left　off　trembling　and　shaking



when　he　had　got　thoroughly　into　the　current　and　the　substance　of　his



speech。　Being　to　defend　Licinius　Murena　against　the　prosecution　of



Cato；　and　being　eager　to　outdo　Hortensius；　who　had　made　his　plea



with　great　applause；　he　took　so　little　rest　that　night；　and　was　so



disordered　with　thought　and　overwatching；　that　he　spoke　much　worse



than　usual。　And　so