delectat. Ipse est enim veterator magnus, et perfamiliaris Philisto. Sed quod adscribis, aggrederisne ad historiam? me auctore potes. Et, quoniam tabellarios subministras, hodierni diei res gestas Lupercalibus? habebis. Oblecta te cum Cicerone nostro 24

lissime.

23 That is, on the morrow, which was the day when the Lupercalia were held.

23

quam bel

24 Quintus's son, now with

him.

XXIV.

(AD DIV. VII. 6.)

Scr. Rome, Mense Martio, 699.

Cicero exhorts Trebatius, who was in Gaul along with Cæsar, to curb his regrets for the pleasures of the city, and to engage assiduously in the duties his situation demanded.

CICERO TREBATIO, S. D.

In omnibus meis epistolis, quas ad Cæsarem, aut ad Balbum mitto, legitima' quædam est accessio commendationis tuæ, nec ea vulgaris, sed cum aliquo insigni indicio meæ erga te benivolentiæ. Tu modo ineptias istas, et desideria urbis, et urbanitatis' depone: et, quo consilio profectus es, id assiduitate et virtute consequere. Hoc tibi tam ignoscemus nos amici, quam ignoverunt Medeæ3, quæ Corinthum arcem altam habebant matronæ

opulentæ, optimates: quibus illa manibus gypsatissimis * persuasit, ne sibi vitio illæ verterent, quod abesset a patriâ. "Nam multi suam rem bene gessere, et publicam, patriâ procul. Multi, qui domi ætatem agerent, propterea sunt improbati." Quo in numero certe fuisses, nisi te extrusissemus. Sed plura scribemus alias. Tu, qui cæteris cavere didicisti, in Britanniâ ne ab essedariis" decipiaris, caveto: et quando Medeam agere cœpi, illud semper memento: Qui ipse sibi sapiens prodesse non quit, nequidquam sapit"." Cura ut valeas."

66

4 From gypsum. As women did not act, the men who represented women's characters on the stage rubbed their arms with chalk, to give them a whiter tint.

5 Properly, persons who sat in or guided the essedum, a light war-chariot in use in Britain. It means here, the warriors who fought in them. Had Cicero lived in these days, he would have to give

similar sage advice, with regard to another species of essedarii, who labour in Britain, particularly in its metropolis.

6 There is a fragment of Euripides, quoted by Cicero, not unlike in sentiment: Μισῶ σοφίστην, ὅστις οὐκ αὑτῷ σοφός.

I hate the wise man, who is not wise for himself.

XXV.

(AD Q. FR. II. 15. extr.)

Scr. Roma, Mense Quintili, 699.

Cicero writes word to his brother, that he need not return from his province to Rome any sooner than he may find it necessary for his own affairs. Complains of the bribery going on at Rome, in the canvass for offices.

MARCUS Q. FRATRI, S.

* * * * CALAMO, et atramento temperato, chartâ etiam dentatâ1 res agetur. Scribis enim, te meas literas superiores vix legere potuisse; in quo nihil eorum, mi frater, fuit, quæ putas. Neque enim occupatus eram,

1 The finest kind of paper, much smoothened with tooth or shell.

4

neque perturbatus, nec iratus alicui: sed hoc facio semper, ut, quicumque calamus in manus meas venerit, eo sic utar, tamquam bono. Verum attende nunc, mi optime, et suavissime frater, ad ea dum rescribo, quæ tu in hâc eâdem brevi epistolâ рayμaTixos valde scripsisti. Petis, ut ad te, nihil occultans, nihil dissimulans, nihil tibi indulgens, genuinè, fraternèque rescribam. Id est, utrum huc advoles, ut dixeris, an ad expediendum te3, si causa sit, commorere. Si, mi Quinte, parva aliqua res esset, in quâ sciscitarere, quid vellem: tamen, quum tibi permissurus essem, ut faceres, quod velles, ego ipse, quid vellem, ostenderem. In hâc vero re hoc profecto quæris, cujusmodi illum annum, qui sequitur, exspectem? Plane aut tranquillum nobis, aut certe munitissimum: quod quotidie domus, quod forum, quod theatri significationes' declarant; nec laboramus, conscientiâ copiarum nostrarum, quod Cæsaris, quod Pompeii gratiam tenemus. Hæc me, ut confidam, faciunt. Sin aliquis erumpet amentis hominis furor: omnia sunt ad eum frangendum expedita. Hæc ita sentio, judico, ad te exploratè scribo. Dubitare te non assentatoriè, sed fraternè veto. Quare suavitatis equidem nostræ fruendæ causâ cuperem te ad id tempus venire, quod dixeras: sed illud malo tamen, quod putas; etenim magni æstimo upiλάper illam tuam, et explicationem debitorum tuorum. Illud quidem sic habeto, nihil, nobis expeditis, si valebimus, fore fortunatius. Parva sunt, quæ desunt, nostris quidem moribus, et ea sunt ad explicandum expeditissima, modo valeamus. Ambitus 10 redit immanis. Nunquam fuit par. Idib.

8

15

14

Quint. fœnus fuit bessibus ex triente", coïtione 12 Memmii, quam cum Domitio fecit, Scaurum ut vinceret. Messala flaccet13. Non dico vεрßоλx@ç11, vel H-S centies constituunt in prærogativâ1 pronuntiare. Res ardet invidiâ. Tribunicii candidati compromiserunt", H-S quingenis1 in singulos apud M. Catonem depositis, petere ejus arbitratu, ut qui contra fecisset, ab eo condemnaretur. Quæ quidem comitia gratuita2o si fuerint, ut putantur, plus unus Cato potuerit, quam omnes leges, omnesque judices 21.

11 The Roman as was divided into certain fractions: the triens was one-third of the whole, divided into twelve parts: and in reference to the interest of money, 4 per cent. The bes, eight-twelfths; and 8 per cent per month, not year. Fonus is here the interest on the loan of money for electioneering purposes.

12 Coalition: for then, as now, it was the practice for two of the candidates to coalesce, to keep out a third party.

13" Desponds," owing to the coalition, and because Pompey's interest was exerted against him.

14 Hyperbolically."

15 With numeral adverbs, understand centena millia. The sum is 10,000,000 sesterces.-See Adams.

19

16 They agree to lay out on the prerogative century the above-mentioned sum, if they vote for them. The centuria or tribus prerogativa was that which first gave its vote, and generally was followed in that by the rest. See Adams, for further explanation of the customs at elections. - Pronuntiare is the proper word, implying "to make an engagement" to give a certain sum, in return for the votes of a century.

17 Have made a common agreement."

18 Mille understood: 500,000

XXVI.

(AD Q. FR. II. 16.)

Scr. Roma, Mense Sextili, 699.

Cicero acquaints his brother with his freedom from occupation in law-suits &c. ;-that he was absent when the question of bribery was discussed in the Senate. On the results of the trials of Drusus, Vatinius, and Scaurus. He congratulates his brother on the ample materials he possessed for writing on the affairs of Britain, its manners, &c. :—and asks what Cæsar had thought on a poem he had written, and sent him.

MARCUS Q. FRATRI, S.

QUUM a me literas librarii manu acceperis, ne paullum otii me habuisse judicato; quum autem meâ1, ne nullum. Sic enim habeto, nunquam me a causis et judiciis districtiorem fuisse, atque id anni tempore gravissimo et caloribus maximis. Sed hæc (quoniam tu ita præscribis) ferenda sunt; neque committendum ut aut spei, aut cogitationi vestræ2 ego videar defuisse; præsertim quum, tametsi id difficilius fuerit, tamen ex hoc labore magnam gratiam, magnamque dignitatem sim collecturus. Itaque, ut tibi placet, damus operam, ne cujus animum offendamus, atque ut etiam ab iis ipsis, qui nos cum Cæsare tam conjunctos dolent, diligamur: ab æquis vero, aut etiam a propensis in hanc partem3 vehementer et colamur, et amemur.

De ambitu quum atrocissime ageretur in senatu multos dies, quod ita erant progressi candidati consulares, ut non esset ferendum: in senatu non fui. Statui ad nullam medicinam reipublicæ sine magno præsidio accedere.

Quo die hæc scripsi, Drusus erat de prævaricatione1 a

1 Manu understood.

2 That is, the hopes and thoughts of his brother and Cæsar, who were still together.

3 Those of Cæsar's party.

4 Prævaricatio (root, varus, 'crooked') is, properly, the betraying of a client's cause by his advocate, either by collusion with the opposite party, or through carelessness.