Diogenes a very discreet and well gouâ—rn'd man went from me with Philo in his company from Pessinus to go seeke King Deiotarus though they know well enough that he is neither rich nor bountifull Liue in Rome ô Rufus that is in the eie of the world Men in other places become base and obscure who in Rome through industrie might quickly grow famous Hauing euâ—r knowne thus much and from my tendâ—r youth beleeued so I would I had beene constant in this opinion To tell you true I esteeme more of a â—riendly walke and familiar discourse betweene our selues then of whatsoeuer honor or profit may accrew from my Prouince 'T is questionlesse that this gouernment will conferre vpon me the respect and commendation of inâ—egritie and my gaines therein had beene as much had I remained at Rome Oh but you will tell mee of a Triumph What more glorious Triumph is there then to enioy the presence of those things that are most deere vnto me from which I haue so long beene absent But I verily hope to see you â—hortly On my way let me meet with letters worthie your selfe Farewell Cicero to Marcus Coelius Aedile Curule Ep. 13. THough your letters bee rare and those peraduenture sometimes not faithfully deliuered me yet doe they yeeld mee great contentment What wisdome might I perceiue in your last how louingly and prudently you aduise me and though I was resolued to take the same course that you prescribe me yet when the opinions of wise men and faithfull friends concur with our owne wee like our former determination the better I loue Appius deerely as I haue many times told you and hee seem'd no lesse to loue me presenâ—ly after wee were reconciled For both being Consull he gaue mee great respect and honour and he conuersed with me most louingly and appeared also to â—ffect those studies to which I was addicted And I for my part haue omitted no occasion whâ—rein I might doe him any pleasure of which I desire no other witnesse then your selfe for Phania's testimonie I thinke is of no great authoritie And I loue him the better because hee professeth so much loue towards youâ— Besides this you know how deere Pompeius is vnto mee and that I loue Bâ—utus with all my heart Why should I not â—â—raine my selfe to fauour him Is hee not of a flourishing age rich and powerfull Is hâ—e not gotten to a high degree of honour Hath he not a rare wit Doth hee not abound in progeny kindred friends And which is more is he not my Colleague Hath he not dedicated his inuentionâ— vnto mee I am transported thus far to remoue from you that suspition which our letters imply of my affection towards him You must needes haue heard something But be assured they are deceiued And though in my Prouinciall managings I take some different courses from his whereupon some may suppose that I doe this rather out of a secret hatred then through diuersity of opinion yet did I neuer either say or doe any thing with a preiudiciall intention to his honour And this case excepted which Dolobella's temerity hath exposed mee vnto I am ready to become an humble Sutor for him in any dâ—nger One part of your letter where you write that the Ciâ—y sleepes reioyced me much conceiuing thereby that that same friend of ours was growne cold But the last words of your hand-writing peirced my very heart What doth Curio defend Caesar Who but my selfe would beleeue it for as I liue I thought so Oh how I desire to laugh with you Because I had visited all parts of my Prouince and made you a relation thereof and that I had enriched he Cities and pâ—rswaded the people to pay the customers not only the impositions of these present fiue yeeres but the remainder also of those fiue that are past and had â—ound no condition of men but did thinke well therof I determined the seuâ—nth of May to passe into Cilicia and after I had beene at the Campe and hâ—d taken speedy order for whatsoeuer concerned the Army to take my iourney towards Rome according as the Senate decreed I would faine see you in your Aedile-ship And I thinke euery day a yeere till I bee in Rome and amongst my friends but especially with your selfe Faâ—ewell Cicero Imperator to Marcus Coelius Aedile Curâ—le Epist. 14. THere is great familiarity between me and Marcus Fabius a very honest a learned man And I loue him heartâ—ly not so much for his wit and learning which is great as for rare modesty I â—ee in him I recommend vnto you his cause with the same care and loue as if it were mine owne I know the custome of you great Lawyers you receiue no Client vnder an Homicide But in this mans case no excuse can seâ—ue you If you wish me well lay all other businesse apart when Fabius shall need your helpe I am very desirous to vnderstand how matters goe at Rome and aboue the rest I would know how you dispose of your selfe it being long since I heard any newes at all but this hard winter is the cause thereof Farewell Cicero Imperator to Marcus Coelius Aedile Curule Epist. 15. I Could haue wished no greater prudence or expedition then you and Curio vsed in obtaining my suitesâ— which giues mee speciall satisfaction both for their speedy prosecution and also in that our Competitor who was angrie with vs hath approued in the Senate of those high praises wherewith Câ—to honoured me in relating my actions Now prouide your selfe to procure me the Triâ—mph also for I hope to obtain it I am glad â—ou haue a good opinion of Dolobella and withall that you loue him Whereas you say my Tullia's discretion must bee the best meanes to correct some of his defects I know you speake this for that which you once wroâ—e vnto mee about him what â—ould you say now if you saw what I then wrote to Appius But what should we doe Thus goes the world God send mee good of this affinity and that Dolobâ—lla may proue as good a â—oâ— in law as we desire and as I hope he will proue the rather for the good instructions you may giue him out of your accustomed good conditions and nature Nâ—w I am wonderfully perplexed about the Common-wealth I am a friend to Curio I affect Caesars honour I could spend my life for Pompeius yet I loue the Common-wealth aboue all otherâ— Labour not you much in this behalfe for me thinks I perceiue you are taking care in that you would bee both a good Citizen and a good friend I haâ—e resign'd ouer the gouernment of my Prouince to Coelius my Quaestor To a childe youl'le say And I answer To a Quaestor and a braue noble youth And all haue almost don the like there was no man that for his honor and worth was more worthie of it Pontinius departed long before My brother Quintus had refused the charge And say I had also left it him euill
in disasters without taking greater greefe then is conuenient to the end that of all other vertues this may not onely seeme wanting in you As for the occurrents of these parâ—s when I heare of the pacification of your minde I will presently giue you aduertisement Farewell Cicero to Seruius Sulpitius Epist. 6. I Wish my deere Seruius as you write that you had beene at Rome when this grieuous accident befell me For if your letters haue somewhat â—asde my mind so much the more doe I suppose that with your presence you might haue assisted me both in comforting me and mutually mourning for the cause of my griefe For fiâ—st you set me downe reasons that are of force to stay my teares and then your selfe also as it were for a kinde of comfort haue associated your griefe with mine But yet your Sâ—ruiuâ— in all the louing offices that at such time could be shewed did manifest both in what esteeme himselfe held me and how he thought that you alâ—o â—ooke well at his haâ—d this his affection towards me Whose loue did so comfort me that I know not what greater contentment I could haue desired for ioy I cannot tearme it Neither do your words onely cheare me vp and your fellow feeling as it were of my heart griefe but your authoritie also turnes to my especiall consolation For me thinks I am ashamed I should not tollerate my mis-fortunes with that fortitude of minde as you being a man of singular wisedome thinke fit I should doe And yet sometimes I am so ouerwhelmed with sorrow that I can scarcely support it wanting those comforts which others in the like Fortunes fail'd not of whose example I propound vnto my selfe For both Quintus Maximus who lost a son that had beene Consull and after the same dignitie performed many famous enterprisâ—s and Lucius Paulus who in seauen dayes was depriu'd of two with our Gallus and Marcus Cato who had â—ne died that was replenished with prudence and valour these liued in those times that the honours which the Common-wealth afforded them were to them a comfort But no other comfort was left me then that which death bereau'd me of I had lost those ornamâ—â—â—s â—hiâ—h you recount and which I with painefull endeauours had purchased my minde was not busied neither with my friends occasions nor the managings of the Common-wealth I could not plead any cause nor could I counsell the Senate it appeared vnto mee euen as in effect it was that I had lost all the fruits of my labours and fortunes But on the other side considering â—hat this misfortune happened not to mee alone but extended it selfe further to you and some others also I arm'd my minde with patience and so much the more readily because I knew whither to flye where to repose mee and where with sweet and pleasant discourse to expell out of my minde all clouds of duskie and heaâ—uie meditations But now this greeuous wound makes me feele those olde scars which I tooke to bee healed Heretofore though I were depriued of the Common-wealth yet I found them at home which yeâ—lded me comfort But now of that societie which I so deerly loued finding my selfe left alone mee â—hinkes I haue lost all those delights that should haue eased my afflictions about the Common-wealâ—h And thus I haue lost all both publique and priuate comâ—ort which makes me the rather desire that you would speedily returne all the consolations of letters are nothing in respect of those which our conuersation and conference will afford me and herâ—of I shortly looke to receiue comfort For I heare your returne is expected I desire for many causes to see you out of hand and amongst the rest that we may before it be too late consult how to passe ouer this time wherein the forme of our life must bee fram'd according to the will and pleasure of one man who though he be replenished with wisdom and courtesie and so far as I can perceiue beares towards mee rather a good minde then otherwise and a singular affection to you yet herein we must be circumspect how wee resolue and that we stir in nothing but quietly repose our selues vnder the shadow of his gracious fauour Farewell Cicero to Marcus Marcellus Epist. 7. THough I will not presume to reprehend the courses which hitherto you haue taken not because I am likewise of the same opinion but in that I repute you so wise that I will not take vpon me to prefer mine own iudgment before yours yet for our ancient loues sake and for the infinite good will you haue borne me from your child-hood I could not but impart that vnto you which I iudge most profitable for your life without any preiudice to your honour or reputation I remember full well you are the man which in your Consulship performed wonderfull matters I likewise call to minde that you neuer approu'd that a ciuill war should bee made in such forme and manner as it hath beene Neither did you euer like of Pompeyes Armie And you alwayes fear'd the perils which since haue hapned as also you cannot forget that my selfe was euen of the same opinion And therefore as you would be present in the war but a small time so I vsed all the meanes I could to keepe from thence because there was no fighting with counsell authoritie or cause which were things wherein we excelled but the buckling was by force and hand-blowes wherein we were not equall and therefore wee were vanquished and if not vanquish't for it seemes that a iust and honest cause can neuer be ouercome at least wee were disturbed discomfited Wherin not only your counsel is by euery man to be commended in that together with the hope of victory you gaue ouer your desire of fighting giuing in this to vnderstand that euery wise good Citizen as he enters into a ciuill war against his will so doth he as vnwillingly perseuere in the same till it bee ended I see that those who followed not your aduise are diuided into two sorts For some of them did what they could to renew the war in Africa And othersome haue cast themsâ—lues at the feet of the Conquerour as also I my selfe haue done You haue kept a â—iddle way râ—puting peraduenture of the other two waies the â—ormer very imprudent the second to be scarse honourâ—ble Questionlesse most men yea all in general both censure that you did wisely and many likewise extoll therin your magnanimity and fortitude But it may suffice you that you haue made your selfe known for such a man especially â—eeing you want nothing else for the â—ecouery of your former estate but a will in your selfe For I vndestand there is nothing troubles his mind that 's Lord of all but onely the doubt he is in â—hat you will not accept of your restitution at his hands In which it boots not for me to deliuer my opinion considering what I haue done my selfe Notwithstanding if you were formerly
I thinke may stand with your safetie and dignitie as you vvith singular industrie and loue euer proseqâ—uted my occasions And this my good will I haue manifested to your most louing mother a woman of great bountie and goodnesse If you commit any thing to â—e I will doe whatsoeuer I may imagine stands to your liking And also if you write not vnto me I vvill notwithstanding with all care and diligence doe what-soeuâ—r I see may redound to your benefit Farewell THE SEVENTH BOOKE OF THE FAMILIAR EPISTLES OF M. T. CICERO Cicero to Marcus Marius Epist. 1. IF any bodily griefe or your vsuall indisposition hath detain'd you from comming to the publike sports I ascribe it rather to Fortune then to your wisedome But if you reputed these things vaine vvhich by others haue beene admired and being â—ble yet vvould not come the one and other please me well both that you are healthfull of bodie and that you had so prudent a minde in contemning those things which others admire vvithout cause so that you haue reaped the fruit of your vacancie vvhich you might wonderfully enioâ— remaining as it were alone in that Paradise Neither doe I therefore doubt but you spend all the morning in reading and studying in that roome of yours from whence you may disceâ—â—e Stabiâ—num Seiâ—num At which time they that left you there being drovvsâ—e beheld amongst the multitude those vvhich represented Comedies The other houres of the day you after spent in those pleasures that for your recreation you made choice of vvheras vve vvere vr'gd to heare the Comedies vvhich Publius Maecius forsooâ—h approued of In truth if you desire I should tell you I must needs say the sports vvere as honourablâ—e set forth as might be but not to your likingâ— vvhereof I iudge according to mine ovvne inclination First for greater honour to the Festiuitie they return'd to the Stage who I thought for their reputations sake had left it Then our Aesope who so much delights you bare him selfe so ill as he should haue done euery man a fauour not to haue gone forward in his part for hauing begunne to sweare his voyce fail'd him in that very place If I commit any decâ—it wittingly I need not describe the rest vnto you you knowing how the other playes are Neither need I to tell you that they had not the pleasing or gratefull speâ—ches of ordinary playes For the pomp tooke away the pleasure and I am most sure you wil be very glad you saw it not For to see 600. Mules in the Tragedie of Clytemneâ—â—ra or three thousand standing cups in a Troiâ—ne horse or sundrie armed showes of horse and foot in a battaile what delight yeelds it the vulgar admire these things but they would no vvaies haue contented you If in those dâ—ies you made your Protogeâ—es read vnto you so he read not my Orations vndoubtedly you found â—aâ—re sweeter recreation then any of vs. Fâ—r as for the Graecian or Oscian sports I thinke you neuer desir'd to see them in that you may see the Oscian in our Senate and the Graeâ—ian you so detest that you accustome not to goe to your countrie Farme by the Greeke way And why should I imagine that you desire to see the Champions when you would neuer see the Fencers wherein Pompeius himselfe confesseth that he hath meerely lost his time and charge in exercising them Besides this For â—iue whole dayes I denie not but there weâ—e euery day two magnificent baytings but what pleasure can an vnderstanding man take when by a forcible and strong beast a weake man is torne in peeces or when a goodlie beast is with a speare goared through from one side to the other These things if they were worthie of sight thou hast seene them more then once and we that haue beâ—ne there befoâ—e saw nothing new or strange The last day was of the Elephants who stroke the people into great wonder but gaue no delight rather a compassion and men in some sort thought that that kinde beast did participate of humane nature But because you may not imagine but that in those dayes I was not onely happie but free I will not forget to aduertise you how at the same â—ime when the Comedies were represented I was like to breake with the paines I tooke in deâ—ending the cause of Gallus Caninius your familiar friend And if the people fauour'd me as highly as they did Aesope before God I vvould leaue the art willingly and liue with you and our equals For if this kind of life did not please me then vvhen both my yeares and ambition excited mâ— to follow it and when I was not bound to defend any but such as I thought well of neither was I bound to defend whom I would not now I am so weary of it that I can follow it no more For I expect no fruit of my labours and sometimes I am enforced to defend such an one as hath done me an iniurie at their entreatiâ—s that haue benefitted me Wherefore I daily cast about how I may one day liue after mine owne humour and I cannot expresse vnto you how praise vvorthie I hold your resolution and how I am satisfied to see you liue so retired And I grieue the lesse for your comming so seldome to see vs for if you vvere at Rome neither could I enioy your sweete conuersatioÌ„ nor you make vse of mine be it what it will be by reason of my troublesome negotiations from which if I can but ease my selfe for I seeke not to be altogether free'd I haue a mind not onely to teach others but your selfe also vvho for so many years haue studied nothing else what that life is which may truely be call'd a life Attend you as you doe to maintaine and preserue your selfe in this your weake constitution to the end that we may visite our countrie houses together and at ease range vp and downe here and there in our Litters I haue beene longer then I vse to be not through the aboundance of my time but out of loue you hauing halfe inuited me in a certaine Epistle to write somewhat which might make you not repent that you were not at the sports Wherein if I haue giuen you satisfaction I am glad if not I will be of good hope that an other time you will come to see thâ—m and visite vs not expecting that my letters should herein giue you full contentment Farewell Cicero to Marcus Marius Epist. 2. I Will diligently performe what you enioyne me but certainely you were verie circumspect to commit the enterprise to one who for his owne interâ—st desires that the thiâ—g may be sold very deare but you shew'd wit in limitting me the price for which I was to buy it For if you had referr'd your selfe to me as my loue is towaâ—ds you I would haue enioyn'd my coheires to haue giuen you satisfaction therein But now I know what you will spend I will vndeâ—hand send a person
care and cogitation which may bring you the highest of esteeme and glorie And to ascend soone to renowne especially in these times when our Countrey hath beene now for manie yeeres so incumbrâ—d there is onely one way to bee a good Citizen in publike inâ—erests I thought good to write these things vnto you rather instigated out of loue then that I supposed you to haue need of my admonitions and documents For I knew that you had them from the same fountaine from whence my selfe formerly drew them Therefore I 'le end Thus much I thought good to deliuer vnto you rather to signifie my affection then to manifest anie wisdome In the meane while with all affection and diligence I will that waies bend mine endeauours wherein I suppose I may adde anie thing to yout reputation Farewell Plancus to Cicero Epist. 4. YOur letters were verie acceptable to me which as Furnius words did intimate I conceiue were written with your owne hand I had written to you before now but that I understood you were departed from Rome and I was aduâ—rtised of your returne not long before the receit of yours Mee thinkes I cannoâ— omit anie office that concernes you how small soâ—uâ—r it bee without grâ—aâ— blame Whereunto I am bound for manie reasoâ—s for fâ—iendship paternall for my ancient obseruance and for the loue you beare me equall to that which I beare you Whâ—refore perswade your selfe my Cicero that onely you as a Father I must deuoutly honour in that for your yeeres also you may be a father to me I a son to you Whereupon it comes to pasâ—e that all your counsels seeme vnto me full not onely of singular prudence which exceedeth but of fidelitie which I measure by mine owne conscience And if I were of a contrary opinion to yours your instructions doubtles might change my mind if I were doubâ—full of anie thing I would vpon your exhortations dispose my selfe to follow what course gaue you best satisfaction But now my opinion is wholly conformable to yours What fortune hath allotted me and what by mine owne endeuouâ— I haue obtained though you blinded with loue iudge it to be more then in effect it is yet it is so much in any mans iudgement though he were my verie enemie that besides a good name I see not what is wanting And therefore hold this for certaine that what I am able with my power to effect with my counsell to prouide or with my authoritie to moue it shall euer bee wholly applied to the benefit of the Common-wealth your minde lies not concealed from me and if I could bee neere you as questionleâ—sâ— I would desire In euerie thing I would follow your couÌ„sell And now I will endeuour so to order the matter as you shall not bee able in reason to reprehend anie action of mine I looke for aduertisements from all parts by which I may vnderstand what is done in the hither Gallia and what passeth in Rome in the moneth of Ianuarie In the meane while I am here in great perplexitie for fâ—are lest these people among others defects may take some euill opportunities from our countrie men But if Fortune fauour me according to my desert you shall see that I will giue good satisfaction both to your selfe which I exceedingly desire and to all men of honest meaning Haue a care of your health and loue me as I doe you Cicero to Plancus Imperator elected Consull Ep. 5. I Receiued two letters from you of one tenour which was vnto me a manifest signe of your diligence For I perceiued how much you desire that your letters more then any other thing by me expâ—cted might be deliuer'd me I say therefore they were most wellcome to me and they haue made mee doubtful whether I should hold dearer your loue towards me or the affâ—ction you did manifest towards the Commonwealth Certainely as I iudge affection borne towaâ—ds our counâ—rie is a matter of great moment but the loue and conuinction of two mindes comprehends a greater delectation That part therefore where you commemorate the friendshippe I had with your father and the lâ—uâ— which frâ—m your childehood you bare towards me and somewhat more which you haue written to that purpose afforded me infinite contentment On the other side it was pleasing to me to behold how well you were disposed both now and euer to assist the Commonwealth And this my contentment was the greater because it was annexed to the masters aboue mentioned Wherfore I doe not onely exhort you my deare Planâ—us but effectuallie I entreat you as I did in those letters to which you so courteouslie made answer that with all your vnderstanding and the whole force of your minde you will studie to procure the good of the Commonwealth There is nothing that can redound to your greater benefit and glorie And of all worldly things there is not any one more excellent and honourable then to be beneficiall to our countrie I speake freely to you because I thinke that you like an affable and wise man will accept of it as hitherto you haue done By the helpe of Fortune it seemes you haue obtained great honors The which though without vertue you could neuer haue atchieued yet in all mens opinion Fortune and the qualitie of the times haue had the greatest hand thereinâ— But now that the commonwealth stands so afflicted euery helpe which you shall administer will only be attributed to your selfe It is an incredible thing how odious Marcus Antonius is to all Cittizens except to those who together with himselfe haue betrayed their countrie We hope much in you and your armie and promise much to our selues vnderstand I beseech you how to apprehend the opporâ—unitie of such a Fortune and so great glorie I admonish you as a sonne I wish the same to you that I doe to my selfe If I incite you to Action my countrie and the great loue I beare you moues mee thereunto Farewell Cicero to Plancus Imperator elected Consull Ep. 6. THe matters which our Furnius hath deliuered touching your affection towards the Commonwealth were verie acceptable to the Senate and highly pleasing to the people of Rome But the letters openly read in the Senate seemed not to confront with Furnius speeches For in them you exhorted to peace now when Decimus Brutus your colleague a â—enowned person is beleaguered by wicked Cittizens who armes being laid apart either ought to seeke peace or if they demand it with armes in hand this peace must be obtained with victorie and not by way of accord But Lepidus letters and yours concerning the perswasion of peace how farre they were accepted of you shall vnderstand from your brother an excellent man and from Caius Furnius I for the affection I beare you although you neither want counsell neither is the loue and prudent fidelitie of your brother and Furnius euer like to faile you neuerthelesse infinite reasons of â—ur Friendship leading me thereunto am also mooued out of the
your cause that no man could with greater eloquence grauitie endeuour or earnestnesse haue pleaded it acknowledging your fauour to him and his loue to you in the best fashion he was able You know you haue displeased Marcellinus Yet this cause of the Kings excepted hâ— makes plaine demonstration that in any other occasion hee will fauour you to the vtmost of his abilitie And we are contented with his pleasure Therâ— hath beene no meanes to make him alâ—ter his course about the religion Thiâ— is the state of the businessâ— till the thirâ—teenth of Ianuarie in the morning of which day I wrote these Hortentiuâ— and I and Lucullus touching the Armie let the religion carrie it for otherwise we should doe nothing yet remitting our selues to the order made when you propounded the matter we stand for you that the Senate may commit vnto you the charge of restoring the King without the Armie as the Religion requireth so that you may doe it without indangering the Common wealth Crassus chooseth three Ambassadours not excluding Pompeius for my meaning is of such as haue publicke authoritie Bibulus also three Ambassadours priuate Cittizens and with him agree the other Consulars except Seruilius who holdeth that in no case he should be restored And Volcatius who consenting with Lupus chooseth Pompeius and Afranius who assenteth to Vâ—lcatius which thing augmenteth the suspition of the intention of Pompeius For it is found that Pompeius friends agree vnto the opinion of Volcatius The difficulties are manie and the businesse beginnes to grow doubtfull The manifest and earnest practises of Libon and Hipsaeus and the great desire of all Pompeius friends bewray the hidden fire of his ambition to haue the managing of this businesse And they that contradict him are not friends to you who haue so much extolled him My authoritie herein is the lesse by reason of my obligation to you And the impression which men haue made touching Pompeius intention drowneth my fauours they surmising that they shall gratifie him by this occasion Things are now in the same estate with vs as they were long before your departure being as wâ—ll by the King himselfe as by the intimate and domesticke acquaintance of Pompeius priuily corrupted afterwards by the Consulars openly sifted and madâ— exceeding hainous and reproaâ—hfull Euery man shall in your absence perceiue my integritie but your friends shall know the loue I beare you Had there beene trust where there should haue beene most these troubles had not fallen vpon vs. Farewell Cicero to Puâ—lius Lentulus Vice-consull Ep. 2. THE xiij of Ianuary the Senate determined nothing because the greatest part of that day was spent in Controuersies betweene the Consull Lentulus and Caninius Tribune of the people At which time I also spak much on your behalfe and by manifest tokens I perceiued that the Senate tooke wondrous wâ—ll the remembrance of your respect vnto that order Whereupon the day following they were pleased that I should make a briefe recapitulatioÌ„ of euery mans opinion For they seemed to be reconciled vnto vs which I perceiued aswell by the pleading of your cause as by their calling euery man and requesting their fauour for vs. When therefore the first sentence was pronounced which was of Bibuluâ— that the King should be by three Ambassadours restored The second that you should restore him without the Armie as Hortentius desired or as Volcatius who gaue the third that Pompâ—ius should restore him It was demanded that the particulars of that opinion of Bibulus might be considered No man opposed that part wherein he touched the Religion as being a thing not to be contradicted Touching the three Ambassadors â—he greatâ—st part flue from him Then followed the opinion of Hortenâ—ius vpon which Lupuâ— Tribune of the people because he had made the motion for Pompeius began to contend that it belonged vnto him rather than to the CoÌ„suls to command that euery one should goe to that side to which they were most addicted But his speech was interrupted by the out-cryes of all men because it was a thing new found out and without sence or reason The Consuls neither assented vnto him nor were they greatly repugnant They were contented the day should be thus driuen ouer and so it was For they well perceiued that the greatest part would follow Hortentius though they outwardly seemed to allow of the opinion of Volcatius Manie were requested to giue their opinion and that with great vexation of the Consuls whose desire was that the opinion of Bibuluâ— might be preferred This controuersie endured till night and then the Senate rose and I as it fell out supt that night with Pompeius lighting thereby vpon this occasion more fit than heretofore hath beene offered as being the first Senate day that hath since your departure prooued fortunate vnto vs. I so reasoned the matter with him that he seemed to giue credite wholly to my discourse and to deliberate how he might fauour you Hearing his own tale I must needs free him from the least touch of Ambition but when I consider the carriage or passages of his familiar acquaintance of what degree soeuer I finde that assuredly true that at length is manifested to all the world that all this cause hath beene before this time by some corrupted and not without the knowledg or priuitie of the King himselfe and of his Counsellers These I wrote the 14. of Ianuarie before day in which the Senate was to sit We shall as I hope maintaine our reputation in the Senate so far as is possible in this so persidious an age and full of iniustice As for the popular respects I thinke we haue so carried things that nothing can be done with the people without the violating of diuine authoritie or breach of lawes no nor without compulsion Yesterday the Senate ratified the things aforesaid by interposing of their graue authoritie to which though Cato and Caninius opposed themselues yet it was registred and I thinke it shall be sent vnto you I will not faile to giue you good accompt hereafter of euery thing that passeth and I will engage all my thoughts endeuours diligence and friends in the effecting this businesse to our owne contentment Farewell Cicero to Lentulus Ep. 3. AVlus Trebonius my auncient and â—amiliar friend who hath affayres of great impoâ—tance in diuerse places of your Prouince and such as may be soone dispatched hath beene heretofore very well-come thither as well for his owne worth as for being by my selfe and other friends recommended and at this present in respect of your loue towards me and for our neere alliance he is very confident that he shall be able by meanes of these my letters to purchase your gracious fauour I beseech you therefore let not his hope deceiue him and I recommend vnto you all his affayres his Freemen his agents his familie and especially that what Titus Ampius shall decree about his businesse you would be pleased to ratifie and so vse him
7. FRiâ—â—ds were not wont to bee reprehended though they slowly reioyce at other mens good fortunes so their slâ—cknesse proceeded not from negligence For I liue far off and newes comes hither but slowly I reioyce then that you haue obtained the Tribuneship and I desire euen from my heart that you may purchase therein eternall praise Further I exâ—ort you that in all things you cleaue to your owne wisdome and bee not led by the nose through other mens perswasions No man can better aduise you then your selfe You shall neuer erre if you sticke to your owne counsels I write not this without iust cause I know to whom I write it I can iudge of your vnderstanding and wisdome Questionlesse being directed by your owne iudgement you will neuer enter into any ignoble or vnworthy actions neither will you euer â—ather any other then discreet proceedings And being in these hard times of the Common-wealth possessed of your place not by chance but by your discretion not by accident bâ—t election and at this time when the state of publique affaires is in danger I am certaine you perceiue how farre the nature of times beare sway in the gouernment thereof what great varietie of affaires there is how doubtâ—ull their ends are and how easily the humors of men bend sometimes this sometimes that way Nor make I any question but you vnderstand that all negotiations in this world are carried with colour and deceit Open therefore your eyes I say open themâ— aâ—d doe as I haue directed you follow your owne course and onely rely on your owne counsels A man should hardly find one that can better aduise another then you who then should better direct your selfe Good God why am I not at Rome that I might bee an eye-witnesse of your honours and as it were enioy a part in them and bee at hand to aduise and couÌ„sell youâ— Though you haue no such need yet the sincerity and greatnes of my loue towards you would so worke that my faithfull instructions might stand you in some stead But at another time I 'le write more at large for within a few dayes I mean to dispatch priuate messengers to informe suddenly the Senate briefly of the victories wee obtained ouer our enemies all the last summer By your free-man Thraso I wrote vnto you how diligent I was about your Priesthood and the difficulties I met withall Deere Curio by the vnfained loue wee beare one another I entreat you that you will suffer mee to spend no longer time in the gouernment of this Prouince of which I now grow exceeding weary I spake vnto you hereof at Rome no wayes supposing you should this yeere haue beene Tribune And the same suit I often renewed by letters but then I sought your fauour as a noble Senator and a young Gentle-man generally beloued Now I importune it as from a Tribune of the people nay as from Curio the Tribune I pray therfore be pleas'd to vse all meanes not of comming to new consultation which ordinarily is the more â—edious course but rather to preuent the same by requesting that I may be tyed to those conditions enioyned me when I tooke vpon me this gouernment which are extant in the Senates decree and by the Lawes prescribed Let mee by all meanes craue thus much of you Farewell Cicero Vice-consull to Mâ—rcus Coelius Ep. 8. THis is not that which I expected from you It may be you thought I requiâ—ed you to write vnto me of fensing encountâ—rs the issues of suites or of the thefts of Chrâ—stus but I meant no such matter for these are things that when I was in Rome no man would presume to acquaint me with What look't I for then obserue in what nature I esteeme you and not without cause for in all my dayes certainely I haue not knowne a more vnderstanding man then your selfe in Common-wealth causes not that I care so much to haue such triuiall matters imparted to me nay nor will I that you should certifie me of matters of farre higher consequence daily discussed of in the Commonwealth except they concerned my selfe for other maâ—ters come diueâ—se wayes to mine â—ares and fame it selfe will relate them to me I expect not therefore from you either things past or present but râ—ther those future and to come as from a man that is cleare and farre sighted that beholding a draught of the Common wealths modell in your letters I may conceiue what the whole structure will be But I excuse you for not hauing sent me it â—itherto because nothing hath fallen out that any of vs might not forsee as wel as you you might rather haue foreseene then any of vs and especially my selfe who was sundry daies in Pompeies companie and euer in discourses of the Common-wealth which neither can nor ought to be exprest in writing Let me onely tell you that Pompeius is a famous and faithfull Cittizen and hee wants neither courage nor prudence to constitute those ordinances for the preseruation of the Common-wealth which are fit and expedient And therfore I would wish you to offer him your loue do but obserue how cheerefully he accepts of it For now at length he holds that those are good and those bad Cittizens that we were wont to hold so I stayed in Athens ten whole dayes where our good friend Gallus Caninius kept me alwayes companie Vpon this present being the sixt of Iulie I am to depart I commend all my businesses to your speciall care but aboue all my desire is that things may so be wrought that this office of mine may not be proroged How you should carrie your selfe herein I know you need not my direction I will remit my selfe vnto your wisedome Farewell Cicero Vice consull to Marcus Coelius Rufus chosen AEDILE Curule Epist. 9. I Am very glad both for mine owne and for your sake of the dignitie lately conferred on you and for that which you attend hereafter And though I doe this office slackly it is not out of negligence but because I heare not how matters passe at Rome the iourney being long and the wayes encombred with theeues which cuts off the expedition of newes I am glad then not onely for your present honor but for those also that are expected to succeed the same And besides my contentment I finde my selfe deepely bound vnto you neither can I deuise words to expresse my thankes because you are come to it by such a meanes that you haue giuen vs a subiect of that condition that will euer minister vnto vs matter of laughter So soone as I heard of it I set before my imagination the person of that man you know whom I meane and I represented vnto my thoughts those his youths of whom he so vainely gloried I am scarce able to speak for laughing But contemplating â—ou absent me thought I spake thus vnto you I regard not how great a matter you haue compassed nor what offence you haue committed And in that the businesse
mindes might haue reported that this was no leauing of a charge when hee but surrenders it to a Brother And they peraduenture would haue added that the Senates meaning was the gouernment of Prouinces should be giuen onely to them that neuer before had the like office and that my brother held the gouernment of Asia â—or three whole yeeres In a word I am rid of all care If I had left my brother there I should haue fear'd euery blast of winde Neither did I this out of mine owne braine but led by the example of such men who being vâ—ry mightie yet sought the generall amity of the Cassij Antenij Though for my part I stroue not so much to win this young man as not to oâ—fend and make him an enemie As I should hâ—ue done in giuing this dignity to any other You ought to appâ—oue of this my course if for nought els at least because there is no retiring backward You write very darkly to me touching Occila neither finde I any thing in the Records Your actions are so spread abroad that your very marriage is knowne beyond mount Taurus If the Eâ—sterly windes stay me not I hope out of hand to see you Farewell Cicero Imperator to Marcus Coelius Aedile Ep. 16. YOur lâ—tters would haue broughâ— me much griefe but that as wâ—ll mine owne reason free'd me of all cares as also my minde being long time pluÌ„ged in despaire is now become so obdurate that it entertaineth no new sorrow yet I know not what the contents of my former letters might be through which you should so censure of things as you write I complain'd of the present troubles whereat you also grieued For I neuer found you so blind in vndeâ—standing but that you could see the same which I discerne One thing I wonder at that you who should know me so well should euer be inducâ—d to thinke that I am either so inconsiderate that when I may saâ—le securely I will beare out into the mâ—ine or so inconstant that in an instant I should shake off the fauour of so mightie a man which I haue with so long tâ—auaile obtained and be an enemie to my selfe by my personall assistance in a ciuill warre which from the beginning and alwaiâ—s I haue shunnedâ— what is then this my pensiue resoluâ—ion peraduenture to retire me into some solitarie place for you may be sureâ— that not onely my mind to which yours once was answerable but also mine eies cannot enduâ—e to behold the iâ—solencies of some vnwoâ—thy persons Whereunto is to be added this troublesome pompe of my Lictors and this imperiall title which hath bâ—ene imposed on me For if this were not my burden would be faire more tollerable I could be content to withdraw my selfe into any obscure or sâ—litary place within Italy but this my dignitie laiâ—s me open noâ— to thâ— eyes onely but to tâ—e tongues also of such as are maleuolent and yet I neuer determine to leaue Italy withouâ— your prâ—uitâ—e But least I should be tâ—oublesome to my friends I am consâ—rained to liue at these little Farmes I haue vpon the Sea coast And vpon this diuers suspect that I mind to passe the Seas which peraduenture would stand with my liking if I thought to arriue in some peaceable part For it besitteth not me to goe to warre principally against one to whom I haue alwayes shewed my selfe a friend and in his assistance to whom I can neuer be thankefull enough And you cannot but carry in mind what I once so freely told you when you met me at Cumanum Remember you not then how far I was from abandoning Rome And when some speech grew of leauing it did I not protest vnto you that I wâ—uld rather stand to all chances then foâ—sake Italy to enter into a ciuill warre Hath any thing since fallen out to make mee alter my minde rather all accidents haue concurred to maintaine my former resolution I sweare vnto you and I suppose you doe beleâ—uâ— me that amidst these miseries I seeke nothing els but that men may perceiue that as I haue alwayes affected peace so bâ—ing out of hope to effect it I haue sâ—unned ciuill warre with all my power I hope I shall neuer repent my sâ—lfe of this my constancie For if Quiâ—tus Hâ—rtensius was wont to boast that he neuer â—ssisted in a ciuill wâ—râ—â— â—uch more should I be commended for the same For in him it was repuâ—ed but a kinde of cowardize And my former proceedings remoue this imputation Neither am I dismaid at those dangers which your viscerall loue propounds vnto me because there is no kind of disaster which seemes not to oppresse euery one in these troublesome times from which questionlesse with mine owne particular preiudice and â—uen with those which you exhort me to shunne I would most willingly haue freed the Common-wealth To my sonne whom I am glad you so dearely esteeme if the Common-wealth stand firme I shall leaue a rich patrimony in leauing him the memorâ—all of my name But if the Common wealth dissolue no worse can come to his share then falls â—o other Cittizeâ—s Whereas you pray me to be carefull of my sonne in law a worthie young man and deare vnto me you may well coniecture that I am neerely toucht on his behalfe considering the â—ntire loue I beare to him and my daughter Tullia And I tell you thus much that amongst the common miseriâ—s the small hope I had was that he would â—uoid all those molestations which his ouâ—r-free disposition made him runne into Enquire I pray you while he remain'd in Rome what dayes were they how bitter to himselfe and to me his Father in law how dishonourable Therefore I neither attend the end of the warre in Spaine which I am certaine will be such as you write vnto me nor haue I any other stratagem in my head If the Cittie euer recouer her former state vndoubtedly there shall be also some place for vs if it shall noâ— recouer I beleeue that you also will retire to the same soâ—itary places where you heare we are setled But I dreame perhaps and all these things may haue a better issue then we expect For I call to mind the feares of those which were old when I was a young man Who knowes whitheâ— I am not come to be of the same disposition following the common defect of my yeares God graunt it proue so but yet I am sure you haue heard that there is an imbrodered gowne a weauing for Oppius And our friend Curâ—ius will haue one twice dyed but the Dyer makes him dâ—uâ—ce attendance I would needs put in this clause that you might perceiue that I can still be merrie though I be a little moued I desire you may see that come to passe of Dolâ—bella which I haue told yoâ— And make reckoning that it is your owne case To conclude be assured â—hat I will do nothing without my friends counsel but I beseech you that wheresoâ—uer I shall
of my iournies from day to day with all possible expedition and diligence I neither dare nor willingly will impose vpon you any burden but if it may be with your conueniencie it greatly imports vs both that we should meete before you leaue the Prouince If any euill hap preuent this our interuiew yet notwithstanding in the gouernment of this Prouince I will haue no lesse care of your honour and reputation then if I had seene you I will not write vnto you that you should performe any thing on my behalfe till I be out of hope of meeting you Whereas you write that you requested Scaeuola during your absence to gouerne the Prouince till my arriuall I saw him in Ephesus and he kept me company for those three dayes that I stayed there but he spake not a word of your moouing him to any such matter I would he could for I cannot be perswaded that he would not haue serued you Farewell Cicero Vice-Consull to Appius Pulcher Imperator Epist. 6. WHen I compare that which I haue done with that which hath beene by you perâ—oâ—med I am far better satisfied in mine owne then in your proceedings Although I desire that in true loue we may dischâ—rge our selues recipâ—ocally Phania's fidelitie in all your affaires bâ—ing well knowne vnto me and in what esteeme he is with you in Brundusium I was bold â—o aske of him by what paâ—t he thought you would haue me make entrance into the Prouince He answering me that I could not please you better then to goe by shipping to Sida I promis'd to doe so though I did it with great discommoditie and little credit But afterwards meeting in Corcyra Lucius Clodius a man so possest of your heart that talking with him me thought I spake with your selfe I said to him that I meant to take the same course Phania prescribed me then he giuing me thankes for the entire afâ—ection I shewed herein importunâ—d me to goe directly to Laodicea affirming that you would reside in the edge or skirt of the Prouince for your more readie departure and but that I was Successor whom you so much desired to sâ—e you would haue beene gone before your Successors comming Which fitly confronted with the letters that I recâ—iued in Rome by which I perceiued what hast you made to depart I answered Clodius that I was readie to doe as he counselled me and farre more willingly then to performe my promise vnto Phania So that hereupon changing my determination I presenâ—ly wrote a letter vnto you with mine owne hand which was deliuered timely enough as your anâ—were thereunto implies In doing this I haue as I suppose discharg'd my part neither could I shew any greater kindnesse Now with this compare what you haue done You did not onely not come thither where you might with the soonest haue had sight of me but you remooued into those parts where I could not possibly arriue within the terme of those thirty daies which were assigned you for your departure as I suppose by the law Cornelia So that it seemed vnto them who were not acquainted with our mutuall affections that you seeke to auoid our meeting and consequently to say no worse that you were but a cold friend vnto me but on the other side they iudge me most louing to you And in deed before I came into the Prouince I receiued your letters in which though you certified me of your going to Tarsus neuerthelesse you gaue me assured hope of our meeting Yet some persons afterwards and as I beleeue malicious for many at this day are possest with that vice hauing fit matter to talke of and being no waies acquainted with the stabilitie of my mind laboured to alienate me from your friendship alledging vnto me that you had some interest in Tarsus that you establish't and perform'd many things whereas you might haue considered that when I was entred into the Prouince it belonged not to you further to gouerne it Which neither they were euer wont to doe that within a short time expected the arriuall of their Successor But these mens wordes neuer troubled me rather being true I was beholding to you for you eased me herein of a part of my burthen and I reioyced that whereas the imployment of my gouernment was to continue for a whole yeare which I thought ouer-long I was by your means eased of a moneths labour and trauaile One thing to speake truth displeaseth me that of those few souldiers which remain'd in the Prouince there wanted no lesse then three Cohorts which were more entire then the rest and â—hat I cannot learne how they are disposed of But aboue all it grieues me that I cannot certainly vnderstand where to see you and I defâ—rd writing for no other cause but by reason I hourely expected your presence But becauâ—e you wrote nothing to me I haue sent vnto you Antonius Conductor of the new Supplies a valiant man and one in whom I puâ— great confidence that if you thinke good you may assigne to him the charge of the Infanâ—ery that I may attempt some enterprise while the season of the yeare serues Wherein both our amitie and your letters put me in hope that I should not want your best directions neither do I yet despaire of those hopes But questionlesse when or where I may see you except you certifie me by writing I cannot so much as imagine For that which belongs to me both good and bad shall apparently see that my mind is as friendly addicted to loue you as possiblie it can be For yours you haue giuen ill disposed men some occasion to surmise the contrary doe but reclaime this errour and I will hold you most deare vnto me And because you might consider or cast where we may meete without the breach of the Cornelian law I arriued in my Prouince on the last of Iuly I goe into Ciâ—icia by way of Cappadâ—â—ia I remooued the Campe from Iconium the last of August Now for the time when you may most fitly meete with me you may take order at your pleasure casting vp the dayes iournies and the way where it may be effected and on what day without any inconuenience to either of vs. Farewell Cicero Vice-consull to Appius Pulcher. Ep. 7. VVHen I haue more time Iâ—le write more at large I wrote these in great hast Brutus seruants being to depart for Rome without any stay so as I had no time to write to any bodie else but to you and Brutus The Appian Legates brought me I cannot say a letter but rather an entire volume full of vniust complaints because by my letters I hindred their building In the same epistle you intreated me forthwith to giue them liceÌ„ce to build before the winter came vpoÌ„ them withal checking me couertly you coÌ„plained that I prohibited them to collect the tribute before my selfe made acquainted with the matter had giuen licence you affirming that this was but a kind of crossing their courses in
selâ—e about the false reports that were dâ—liuer'd you of me and in iustifying my selfe I complaine of you for giuing them credite and me thought one friend might lawfully vsâ— such expostulaâ—ions with another Buâ— if you relish them noâ— I le vse them no more And if the letters I wrote to you vpon such a subiect were as you write destitute of eloquence I tell you they were not mine For as Aristâ—rchus accounted no verse to be Homers which he approu'd not of so giue me leaue a little to be pleasant suppose you nothing to be mine which is not smooth and elegant Fâ—rewell And if you be Censor be mindfull to looke backe into the Censorship of your great Grand-â—ather Cicero Imperator to Appius Pulcher. Epist. 12. I Will first congratulate with you for so the order of things requires afterwards I 'le returne to my selfe I am glad therefore of your being cleared of the action de Ambitu not so much for your acquitall whereof no man doubted as in that the better cittizen you are the more valiant man the more constant friend and the greater aboundance there is in you of â—hose parts that deriue from vertue and endeuour so much the more was it to be admired that in the Articles oâ— so mâ—nâ—e iudges who are of power to accuse without producing the accuser there was no secret mâ—lice found ouâ— which durst oppose youâ— This was not a proceâ—ding answerable to these times to men of thesâ— daiâ—s nor to present customes For my part I haue not obâ—erued any thing this many yeares that strooke me inâ—o a greater wonder Now to come to â—hat part which concernes me Imagine your sâ—lfe â—or a while in my plâ—ce and accounâ— you are my sâ—lfe If you can easiâ—y deuâ—se what to obiâ—ct vnâ—o me shew me no faâ—our if I knâ—w not how to replie I â—ray God this aâ—finitie which my â—riends hauâ— made without my priuâ—tie procure to me and my daughter Tulliâ— that contentment which out of your loue I know you wish her Which thouâ—h I hope it will come to pasâ—â— yet should I grieue much that â—his should â—all out in time of your molestations but that your prudence and humanitie affords me comfort Wherefore I know not how to get cleare of this buâ—inesse For of the one side I ought not to disapproue a thing which you desire to be succesfull and â—â—t on the other I cannot tell what still vexeth my minde although I am perswaded I may be secure that you vnderstand very well that all this matter was brought about by my friends meanes to whom aâ— my departuâ—e I gaue commission that I hauing to liue so far of they should not attend my will and pleasure but of themselues sâ—ould doe what they thought â—iâ— and conuenient And what if you had bin personally here you may say surely I should haue entertain'd the match but concerning the time of consummation I would haue done nothing without your aduise and counsell You see how I sweat with the paines I daily take while I striue to defend a matter which I am bound to defend and noâ— to offend you Ease me therefore of this so waightie a burden For to my remembrance I neuer handled so intricate a matter And be assured that when I heard the newes of this affinity though heretofore I had beene slacke in performing any thing that appertain'd to your honor I should suddainly haue beâ—aken my selfe to the defence thereof by making you discerne not any bâ—tter affection then before â—or better I could not yet a more feruent zeale and readie will to prosequute your occasions In departing out of the Prouince the whole yeare of my gouernement being expir'd on the third of August when we drew neare to Sida by Sea I heard of this thing by my friends letters I said presently to Quintus Seruilius who was with me and sâ—emâ—d not verie glad of these newâ—s that I would affect you more then euer I did What should I â—ay more I will not protâ—st that my loue is growne greater but I 'le boldly affirme that my desire to manifest it vnto you is much augmented For as the regard of our precedent enmitie bâ—fore vrg'd me to be verâ—e warie how I gaue the least mistrust of my fained reconciliation vnto you so this new affinitie excites me to vse all my best endeuours that it may not be thought that vpon thâ—s consideâ—ation the tender affection I euer bare you should in any part be dâ—mâ—nisâ—ed Farewell Cicero Imperator to Appius Pulcher. Ep. 13. PResaging as it were to my selfe that in such alike office I should one dâ—y haue need of your fâ—uour when your goueâ—nment and proceedings in the Prouince were dâ—bâ—â—ed in â—he Senate I maintainâ—d your honour with my whole power Yeâ— I must needs say and that truely that you haue rendred me more then euer you receiu'd How many haue written to me thaâ— not onely with the authoritie oâ— youâ— words and opinion for which things of themselues from so great a man I ought to haue beene contented but â—urther with your endeuour and counâ—sell and with your repairing home to my house and solliciting al my friends you omitted no office of kindnesse to any particular in my behalfe I esteeme more of these things then oâ— those for which these endeuours are vndertaken For the ornaments of vertue haue beene obtained by many without vertue but such high fauoâ—rs from men oâ— that rariâ—iâ— none certâ—inely but a vertuous man could at any time obtaine So that I propound vnto my selfe no other reward of our amitie but meere friendship which in her selfe comprehends aboundant felicitie especially in those studies wherein we muâ—ually take lâ—king Because I offer my selfe vnto yoâ— as an associate in the cause of the Common-wealâ—h of which our oâ—inions are not different and I will daily conuerse with you in the exercise of those vertues that both the one and other of vs loueth I would to God fortune had so disposâ—d that your kindnes might haue bin as great to my friends as mine to yours and yet I despairâ— not therâ—of for a secret forâ— knowledge that my mind giues me but you need not care for this the burden is to lie on my shoulders And I entreat you to beleeue that by this new affinitie my affection towards you is not onely not diminished but it is encreased though before it seem'd to be perfect When I wrote this present letter I hop't you were Censor and for this cause I contriu'd the letter briefe and modest as letters ought to be that are directed to a master of behauiour Farewell THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE FAMILIAR EPISTLES OF M. T. CICERO Cicero to Seruius Sulpitius Epist. 1. CAinâ— Trebaâ—ius my famâ—liar fâ—iend writes vnto me â—hat you demanded of him where I was and that you were sorrie that sicknes was â—he câ—uâ—e you could not come â—o see mâ—â—fter my returne out of my Prouince and that now if I came neere Rome you
What fruit reape I by this amidst such darkenesse and so great â—uines of the Common-wealth Such is my griefe I confâ—sse that it 's scarcely capable of consolatâ—on so grâ—aâ— is the lâ—sâ—e of all things and the despâ—ire of their recouerie yet you sâ—ould mâ—tigate your soâ—row â—iâ—h this comfort that Caesar himselfe and with hâ—m al other Cittizens are possest that there remaines no other light of sanctitie prudence and repuâ—ation but your person These reasons may afford you wonderfull relaxaâ—ion Concerning your being farre off from your friends you ought the easelier to support these troubles being at one instant likewise far remou'd from many and grieuous molestations of which I would write somewhat to you but that I will not in writing certifie you of things which in that you see them not I iudge you lesse vnhappie then our selues that daily behold them Hitherto me thinkes I haue vsed all the arguments of consâ—lation that the loue I beare you could put into my minde to ease the burden of your aggreeuances other comforts remaine within your owne breast the which I know to be great yea greater then any that can be â—ound and I haue euery day a feeling therâ—of in my selfe with so great benefit of minde that methinkes I enioy a safetie thâ—reby But I well remember that you from your infancie were studioushe addictted to all leaâ—ning and especiallie to Philosophie which in prosperitie yeeldes vs profit and contentment and now being in aduersitie wee haue no other comfâ—rt but it I will not bee arrogant nor prescribe vnto you who are endued with so great learning and so noble a soule the studie of these Arts which you euer affectâ—d from your youngest yeares Thus much only I wiâ—l say vnto you and I hope you will commend me for it that I seeing how the estimation of my Art is declin'd I meane of eloquence I haue applâ—ed all my endeauours to thâ— studie of Philosophie And because you see that your Art also though it bee excellent and singular is notwithstanding almost as lightly valued as ours I need not labour to put you in minde that in so boisterouse a storm you retire your selfe also inâ—o the same Port being perswaded that alreadâ—e you are thither withdrawne for it is such refuge that though â—t cannot restore our publike losâ—e yet will it be veâ—ie available in razing out the memoriall thereof Your â—onne Sâ—ruius is a wonderfull proficient in all the lâ—bâ—râ—ll Artes and principallie in thiâ— wherein as I write my repose consisâ—eth I wish him so well that besides your owne no mans loue can exceed mâ—ne towards him Wherein he returnes me iust exchange For he louâ—s and honors me with an opinion as may easily be discerned thaâ— heerein hee performeâ—h what your owne heart desireth â—arewell Cicero to Seruius Sulpitius Epist. 4. I Accept of your excuse in hauing written vnto mee sundrie leâ—â—ers of the same tenor and in the selfe-same words but I accept it only in that you write you did so by reason through negligence and vntrustines of messengers letters oftentimes miscarried Touching that part where you excuse your selâ—e by saying that through penurie of words for so you terme it yoâ— vse to write many letters in one and the selâ—esame forme I cannot in any wise admit of it And wheras you saie by waie of a iest for so I take it that I possesse the treasures of the tongue certainely I am not ignorant that of words I am not very barren for why should I dâ—ssemble but notwithstanding all this and in this I halt as little I easilie or readilie giue place to the pregnancie and elâ—gancie of your writings Touching the gouernment of Achaia I euer liked of your course in not refusing such a charge but after the reading of your lâ—st letters I farre more highly approued it For all the reasons which you alledge are most iust and beseemâ—ng both your authoritie and prudence 〈◊〉 as you are greeued because therâ— ensued not that contentment of minde you look't for you supposing that we liue not so ill here at Rome Vndoubtedly you are deceiued But because the commotion and conâ—usion of things is such and the ruine so great which this most wicked warre hath wrought that euery man deemes himselfe vnhappie wheresoeuer therefore you repent you of your owne opinion and we at home seeme happie men vnto you But cleane contrarie wee heere iudge you not altogether to bee free from molestations but in respect of our selues fortunate or blessed And were it but in this your condition is farre better then ours for you may securely write the occasions of your griefe which wee cannot doe without danger not through any vice of the Conqueror who cannot possiblie be more clement but in respect of the victorie it selfe which in ciuill wars is alwaies insolent In one thing wee haue exceeded you because a little before your selfe we saw the grace which Caesar did to Marcellus your Colleague and withall in that I beheld how the matter was carried For I may truely affirme vnto you that since these miseries that is since that time that men began to striue for the Empire of Rome by armes there hath passed nothing in the Senate with the dignitie of the common-wealth For Eucius Piso making mention of Marcus Marcellus and Caius Marcâ—â—â—us prostrating himâ—sâ—lfe at Caesars feâ—te humblie entreating him that he would bee pleased that his Brother might returne to Rome the Senaâ—ors rising â—p altogether at the same instant submissely requested the like of him Then Caesar accusing thâ—â—usterâ—tie of Marcus Marcellus â—or so hee cal'd iâ— and in honourable tearmes exalâ—â—ng your worth and wiâ—edome on a suâ—daine bâ—yoâ—d all expectation he said that for all this hee would not forbeare to comfort the Senate Be no further inquisiâ—iue This seem'd vnto me â—o glorious a day that me thought I saw a forme and Image of the Commonwealth raised vp againe from death whereupon all they who were demanded before my selfe hauing giuen thankes to Caesar besides Volâ—â—tiuâ— who said if hee were in Marcellus case hee would neuer returne to Rome when I was sought vnto I changed my miâ—de For I resolued not oâ—t oâ— slothfulnesse but for meâ—re griefe of lost digniâ—ie neuer to speake more in the Senate But this generous part in Caesar â—nd so â—riendly an oâ—fice of the Senate broke off my resolution and in many words I gaue thaâ—kes â—o Caeâ—ar which peraduenture may bee a câ—use that I shall no more enioy that honest repose that was the only mitigation of our euills But yet I hauing begun to speake that I might not offâ—nd Caesar who if I had beene altogether silent might peraduenture haue thought that I held this Common-wealth no CoÌ„monwealth I wil heâ—eafâ—er speak so seldome as it shall rather bee too litâ—le then too much and this I 'le doe to satisfie in one both his will and mine owne studies For although from my tender yeares I was well affected to all liberall
resolued to liue in perpetuall exile rather then to behold your Countreyes seruitude yet you should consider that wherâ—soeuer you are you shall be euer vnder his power whom you flye who although hee were conâ—ent that you should liue abroad in any place in liberty and quieâ—ly yet you should doe well to bethinke your selfe whether were better either to liue at Rome and in your own house or at Rhâ—des or Mitylene But his dominion whom we so much feare being extended so far that there is no pâ—rt of the world which it reacheth not vnâ—o had you not raâ—her continue in your owne house wiâ—hout danger then abroad wiâ—h perill in another mans For my part were I to lose my life I had rather lose it in my Countrey then in strange and forraine parts What I write vnto you all that loue you thinke the same who â—or your famous noble vertues aâ—e very many We also stand in doubt of your habitations which we would not haue sackt in any wise For though peraduenture they can take no hurt of long continuance because neither Caesar who hath in his hands the Common-wealth nor yet the Common-wealth her selfe would permit it Neuertheles I knowing that in Rome there be Huckâ—ters I would not haue them outragiously entred and pilâ—â—red And who these are I durst set downe in writing but that I am assured you know them well enough Your brother Caius Marcellus who is vexed with continuall afflictions with many teares in his eyes sues for your reâ—urne And I feele no lesse greefe then he though the offices hee vndergoes to helpe you are not permitted mee to doe I hauing stood iâ— need my selfe of another mans helpe with Caesar with whom I can doe no more then what the vanquished vsually obtaine from the Conquerour Neuerthelesse I forsake not Marcellus either in my councels or endeauours your other friends make no vse of mee In all occurrents command me Farewell Cicero to Marcus Marcellus Epist. 8. I dare not aduise you nor offer you any comfort knowing you of your selfe to be exceeding wise and of great valour For if it be truâ— that you support those â—errible accidents which haue happened with such constancie as I heare I should rather reioyce in your fortitude then mitigate your sorrow If also the sinister euents of the Common-wealth excruciate you I dare not presume to haue so copious a wit as to thinke I can comfort you not being able in that kind to helpe my selfe In other offices be assured that I will neuer faile whensoeuer your friends request me to whom I will in all occasions giue to vnderstand that I am bound to doe for you not onely whatsoâ—uer I can doe but what I cannot doe also This I would request you to accept from me either as a remembrance or an opinion or else that you would beleeue that my affection towards you vrged me to speake it which is to enter into this cogitation that my selfe hath done that if there be any forme of a Common-wealth you must liue therein and though you be both in euery mans iudgement and in effect an honourable Cittizen yet the qualitie of the times must beare greater sway then your peculiâ—r will nay â—hough no forme of a Common-wealth should remaine yet you may think Rome a place fit enough for your exile For if we affect libertie what part is noâ— subiect to this dominion if like wise you care no more to liue in one place then another what sweeter residence is there then a mans owne countrie But I assure you that Caesar cherisheth all good wits and embraceth noble and estimable men so farre as may stand with the state and dignity which he holds but I goe â—urâ—her then I thought to haue done Againe I say I will ioyne my whole endeuour with that of your best friends if they be your friends if not I for mine owne part in all opportunities will satisfie whatsoeuer is due to the auncient amitie hath beene betweene vs. Farewell Cicero to Marcus Marcellus Epist. 9. THough I wrote vnto you at large before by Quintus Mutius and explained my opinion to you yet Theophilus your Free-man going thither whose fidelitie and true loue â—owards you is well knowne vnto me I would not let him passe without my letters Once againe therefore I perswade you to returne into your countrie in what state so euer it stand You may well see many things which you would not but not more then what euery day comes to your eares and thinke not but there may come as much offence vnto you by the eare as by the eye rather that which we heare seemes oftentimes far greater then it is in effect Oh but youâ—l tel me that somtimes you must needs say and doe that which willingly you would not First to yeeld vnto the times that is to obey necessitie hath euer beene reputed singulaâ— wisedome Then so farre as I can see this your argument is not trueâ— For remaining in Rome peraduenture 't is not lawfull for you to speake what you thinke but you may lawfully conceale it There is onely one at this present which gouernâ—s who is not aduised by his friends but followes his owne counsels and the like would Pompeius haue done if Fortune had permitted him to seruiue Conquerour Shall wee beleeue that aâ—ter victorie he would haue made any reckoning of vs when during the vncertainties of the warre when he saw all men runne one and the selfâ— same fortune he onely made vse of the directions of some shallow fellowes And â—f when you were Consull he would not follow your prudent instructions nâ—ither would be directed after our prescriptions in the yeare of your brothers Consulship suppose you if he had beâ—ne once possest of the whole common wealth that he would euer haue lent so much as an eare to our admonitions Ciuill warres are full of all miseries which our predecessors neuer saw and yet this present age by reiterated experience haâ—h felt them But there is nothing more lamentable then victorie itselfe the which though it forâ—une to the best qualâ—fied men yet it makes them more â—ierce and vnbridâ—ed so as though they be not such by nature yet necessitie constraines them so to be In that the victor must graunt many things contrarie to his owne minde to those by whose meanes he vanquiâ—hed Did you not perceiue as well as I how cruell likewise Poâ—peius victorie must needs haue beene If thereâ—ore he had subdued would you in this case haue forsaken your countrie because you would not behold some things displeasing to your mind If you say you meant to liue at Rome because you would haue enioy'd your substance and retain'd your dignitie I will answere that out of your vertue you ought to haue contemn'd your owne respects and to haue no other obiect but the Common-wealth Withall what will the effect of your opinion be For hitherto your resolution is not onely commended but considering the matter your
good Fortune also your resolution because necessitie draue you to a ciuill warre and your wisedome retir'd you from the issue of it your Fortune by reason that in an honorable vacancie you preseâ—u'd the qualitie and fame of your place and dignitie But now no place ought to be dearer to you then your countrie neither should you loue her the worse for her dâ—formitie nor depriue her of your comfortable presence seeing shee is become the widdow of so many so great personages Finally if you â—aue made knowne the greatnesse of your minde in not humbling your selfe to the Conquerour take heed you be not censured proud in refusing his courtesie And if we repute him wise that flies farre off from his countries oppression sometimes it is likewise esteem'd but wilfulnesse not to affect it and if we are denied to enioy publicke fortunes yet let 's make much of that we are permitted to enioy priuatly To conclude I say that if you thinke that you liue there more commodiously yet ought you to consider that you rest not peraduenture in any great securitie The libertie of Armes is vnlimitable but in other countries there is also leâ—se respect of doing iniurie I so desire your safetie that your brother Marceâ—â—us little or nothing at all surmounts me Haue a respect as is conuenient to the qualitie of the times to your wisdome to your life and to your substance Farewell Cicero to Marcus Marcellus Epist. 10. THough I had no newes whereof to write and euerie day expected your letters or rather indeed your selfe yet was I not willing Theophilus should come to you 〈…〉 lâ—tters Determine therefore to come so soon as you can and make accouâ—t you shall come long looked for not only by vs that is by your friends but of all men in generall Sometimes I muse with my selfe that you delight as much as you can to prolong your coÌ„ming questioÌ„les I should haue held you excused iâ— you had no other sence but that oâ— your eies But things heard making as deep an impression as those that are seeneâ— and being my opinion that yoâ— ought without all delay to repaire to Rome I thought good by this to instigate you thereunto And sâ—eing I haue made knowne my minde vnto you it remaines for you to resolue in such a sort as best stands with your wisdome Yet I would desire you to write vnâ—o me at what time we are to expect you Farewell Marcus Marcellus to Cicero Epist. 11. HOW farre your commands preâ—aile with mee you might euer vnderstand but in this present occurrent more then at any other time For though Caius Marcellus my most kinde brother not only exhorted me but humblie entreated mee that I would bee pleased to returne to Rome yet could hee neuer peâ—swade mee nor worke that effect which since that your letters haue done by which I perceiue how the matter went Your office of congratulation with mee springing from a most sincere affection is to me very acceptable and it yeelds mee the greater contentment because amongst so few friends and kinsmen which seriously imployed themselues for my safetie I particularly discouer your desire and the singular affection you beare me At the first I little regarded my returning into that countrie where men ruled more then laws but now I am perswaded that from such men or such friends as you are no man can liue farre distant eitherâ— in aduerse or fauourable fortunes wherfore this makes me reioyce in my selfe and I remaine so much oblieg'd vnto you that I will deuise by all meanes to make you knowe that you haue beene beneficiall to one who in his loue vnto you is no whit inferiour to the best of your acquaintance Farewell Serâ—ius Sulpitius to Ciâ—ero Epist. 12. THough I know well that I shall informe you of lamentable and fearefull newes neuerthelesse because fortune and nature exceedes all mens discourse whatsoeuer it is I thinke good not to conceale it On the xxviij of May comming by ship from Epidaurus to Piraeâ—um I there found Marcus Marcellus our Colleague and I spent all that day with him The day following when I departed from him with intention to goe into Boeotia and to visite the rest of my Prouince he as hee told me was to saile towards Italie by the way of the Malleae The day after I being to leaue Athens about ten a clocke at night Posâ—umius his â—amiliar friend came and told mee that after supper Publiuâ— Magius Câ—ilo one of Marcellus his domesticall friends had stabb'd him with a poinyard and giuen him two wounds one in the stomacke another in the head close vnder one of his â—ares but that yet there was hope that hee might escape it and that Magius after so wicked a fact slue himselfe and Marcelâ—us sent him to relate vnto me the accident and â—ntreat me that I would assemble some Phisitions the which I presently did and about break of day went without all delaie towards his lodging when not far from Pirâ—â—um I met a boy that belonged to Acidinus who deliuered me a letter which inferred that a little before day Marceâ—â—us left this life Thus a noble gentleman renowned for great valour by a base fellow and of meanest condition was lamentably murdered and hauing for his honor and dignitie been pardoned by his enemies hee met with a pretended Friend that butcher'd him I would not stay till I came to his lodging where I found none but two â—ree-men and some few seruants for the rest they said were fled distracted because their Master was slaine before his owne lodging I was enforc't to carrie him into the Citie in my litter and there I prepared for him as solemne a funerall as in Athens I could The Athenians would not grant me a place within the Citie where to burie him For they excus'd themselues that they were prohibited by their religion neither had they granted the like to any before but they were content he should be buried in any publique Schoole we best liked And we of many made choice of the most noble which was the schoole of the Acadâ—mie where burying his bodie we ordained that the Athenians should erect in his memoriall a marble sepuâ—cher You see then how both before and afâ—er his death I did him those offices whereunto I was tied both in respect of inward amitie and by reason I had beene his Colleague in the Consulship Farewell From Athens this last of May. Cicero to Publius Nigidius Figulus Epist. 13. THE reason why I haue not written to you of long time is first because I had no certaine subiect whereof to write and secondly because I could not vse those kinde of letters which are ordinarie For Fortune hath so taken from vs all kinde of cheerefull argument that wee cannot onely not write but not so much as thinke of any ioyfull matters There remaines a kinde of writing that 's miserable and lamentable and comâ—ormable to these times this I want also For when I
at my returne I found mine owne estate in as bad termes as the Common-wealth For I was not secure vnder mine owne roofe my whole house was full of entrappings and snares I found gins laid euery where for me euen by those who for my singular benefits should rather haue had a tender care of my goods and safetie Whereupon I thought by the trust of a new affinitie to secure my selfe from the perfidious practises of the olde But enough hath beene said concerning our affaires and more peraduenture then was requisite As for yours take a good heart and feare no particular contrarietie For ouercome who will I see not how you runne into any great danger Caesar hauing alreadie as far I can conceiue asswaged his anger towardes you and the Pompeians hauing neuer hated you Caesar I know hâ—th receiued you into grace and Pompâ—ius neuer wished you â—ll For mine owne part I promise you that wherein soeuer I may doe you good although â—t this present I see I can pleasure you but little yet will I striue with endeuours and â—ounsell or at least wiâ—h heartie affection and loue to procure your profit honour and safetâ—â—â— I beseech you aduertise me of what soeuer you doe or intend to doe with expedition Farewell Cicero to Cneius Plancius Epist. 15. I Receiued from you a very briefe letter wherein I was not certified of that that I desired to know and haue vnderstood that which before I knew very well For I was not informed how constantly you support the common miseries I plainly discern'd how much you lou'd me but this I knew before if the other had beene knowne vnto me I had beene furnished with matter to write of But though heretofore by letter I exprest my mind vnto you yet at this present likewise I thought good to admonish you that you would not thinke your selfe to be at any worse poiâ—t â—hen others We are all in great danger but the perill is common Thiâ— disaster is vniuersall you must not therefore shake it off â—or request that that be done for your selfe alone which is denied all others Let vs therfore still betweene vs retaine that minde which we euâ—r mâ—intain'd among our selues whereof I hope well on your behalfe and for mine owne I 'le warâ—ant you Farewell THE FIFT BOOKE OF THE FAMILIAR EPISTLES OF M. T. CICERO Quintus Metâ—llus Celer sonne of Quintus Vice-consull to Cicero Epist. 1. IF you be in health I am very â—ladâ— I sâ—ould nâ—uer hâ—uâ—â—hought that you â—ad so litâ—le estâ—â—med our mutuaâ—l loue and thâ— amitâ—â—eâ—weene vs renued that for a word only you would sâ—eke the ruine of my brotheâ— Mâ—â—elluâ— to whom some respect was duâ— if not foâ— his owne sake yet at least â—or â—he nobilitie of our familie â—or the singular loue I beare both to you and the Common wealth But now I both see him to be bâ—set with enemies and small accompt to be made of my selfe by him that had good reason to esteeme me So that I who haue charge of the Prouince and Armie I that am armed for your dâ—fence am extreamely distracâ—ed And because you haue neither borne you as â—quitie nor as the clemencie of our predecessors required you no maruaile thouâ—h hereafter you râ—pent you I did not beleeue you could haue carâ—ied so mutable a minde towards me and mine And yet your iniuries cannot be of so great efficacie as to separate me from the Common-wealth Farewell Cicero to Quintus Metellus Celer son to Quintus Vice-Consull Ep. 2. IF you and the Armie bee safe and in health I am glad You write vnto me that for the mutuall loue and late amity renewed betweene vs you could neuer haue beleeued that I should haue held you in so base an esteeme by which words I know not whaâ— you would infer But I imagine that it mâ—ght be reported vnto you how I arguâ—ng in the Senate vsed this speech That many were greeued because I had presâ—rued the Common-wealth and that your neereâ—t kinsmen whom you could not well denie wrought you â—o farre that you should not vrge my commendaâ—ion in the Senate as befâ—re you were resolued In saying of which I further added that the office of preseruing the Common-wealth was equâ—lly diuided betwixt vs. For I had defended Romeâ—rom â—rom domesticall practices from the treason of corrupt Citizens and you Italy from the armed enemy and priuie conspiracies and that this our society in so great honourable an enterprize was broken off by your kindred who tooke iâ— ill that I who had wonderâ—ully approu'd of you in matters of so great importance should be iâ— any parâ—â— by you recompenced And declaring in â—his disâ—course with what ioy I â—ttâ—ndâ—d your praise and approbâ—tâ—on and how fâ—ustrate I remaâ—n'd oâ— that hopâ— the Senators tooke conâ—entmâ—nt herâ—in and began to smile not â—or â—hat I â—pakâ— of you but because my expectatâ—on prou'd vâ—ine and â—ruâ—tlâ—sâ—e and beâ—ause openly and sincerely I reueal'd the desire I had â—o bee commended by you Iâ— cannot therefore in this be sayd that I haue not honoured you manifesting what contentment I should take to heare your testimonie adde greater grace to my renowned actions Wheras you speake of mutuall loue I know not how you vnderstand loue 〈◊〉 but I suppose that then it is truâ—ly mutuall when the one and the other pâ—rty loues with equall and ansâ—erable affection If I should haue sayd thâ—â— to doe you a fauour I renoâ—nâ—â—â— my Prouince you would rather hâ—uâ— thought mee vaine herein then otherwiâ—e For the renunciation was made to giue my selfe satisfactâ—on and euery day I am bâ—ttâ—r pleasâ—d therewith then other It is true that in giuing it vp I sought to haue it committed to you I will noâ— menâ—ion the offices I did you befâ—re you were drawne by lot onâ—ly be asâ—ured of thus much that my Colleague did nothing in it wiâ—hout my priuitie Remember you the rest with what expedition so soone as your lot was drawne I asâ—embled the Senaâ—e on the selfe same day how aboundantly I spake in your commâ—ndation Did â—ot you once tell mee your selfe that I did not onely commend you but exalted your praise with thâ— scorne and contempt of your Competitors Besides the decree which past vpâ—n such an election that day from the Sâ—naâ—e will testifie my true loue towards you so long as 't is extant And after you wenâ— into the Pâ—ouince I desire you would call to minde the fauours that I did you both in the Senate and with the people as also the letters I wrote vnto you And when you haue collected all these things consider I pray you whether at your last returne to Rome you requited so many good offices Whereas you mention our renued amity I know not herein your meaning because you terme that renued which neuer was altrâ—d Whereas you write that I haue done ill hauing by one onely word procured your brothers ruine First be assured that I like wondrous well this your
for the loue which still you manifest vnto me But if I shall not wrong your curtesie I would intreate you that you would preserue your friends and me also rather then by their arrogancie and crueltie to oppose mee you haue ouercome your selfe in pardoning the Common-wealth your priuate enmities and will you foster other mens rancors against her I giue you my faithfull promise that if out of your clemencie you lend me your aide in all occasions I will rest at your command but if you permit the Senate people and Magistraâ—es to be crosse in reuoking me out of this vnworthie banishment wherein I was driuen by wicked violence not onelie to my owne but to the ruine of the Commonwealth remember that you may heereafter desire to sucâ—our vs both at such a time when no means is left eitheâ— for her escape or my safetie Farewell Cicero to Caius Antonius sonne to Marcus Imperator Ep. 5. THough I resolu'd not to write any thing vnto you but by way of recommending some Friend not because I knew my commendations would take any great place with you but that they who entreated me might perceiue that our â—riendship was no whit impaired yet when Titus Pomponius was comming towards you who better knowes then any other what I haue desired and effected in your behalfe and doth besides long to gratifie you and bearâ—s me singular affection I thought good to write vnto you especially not being able to satisfie Pomponius in any other wise If I should say that you were much bound vnto mee I should not lie hauing euer procured your benefit honor and reputation whereas your selfe can tâ—uely testifie that you neuer did mee any fauour rather you haue sometimes sought to hurt mee for as much as I haue vnderstood from many For Iâ—le not affiâ—me that my selfe euer found it not to vse the very same word accidentallie with which they say you were wont to picke quâ—rrels wiâ—h mee But I meane not to wâ—ite that vnto you which hath beâ—ne reported to me I 'le leaue it â—or Pomponius to deliuer vnto you who apprehended the same discontentment which I did The Senate and people of Rome are witnesses of the notable offices which I haue perâ—ormed for your honour whither you euer recompenst mee in any part none knowes better then your selfe How farre you may command me lâ—t others giue their censure whatsoeuer I did for your sake I did it first out of mine owne disposiâ—ion and then to be reputed constant But now I giue you to vnderstand that such an occasion prepares it selfe that I must needes with greater zeale doe my endeauour And I will bend my selfe throughly thereunto so I finde not my paines and trauell lost for in this case you your selfe would hold me for a foole Pomâ—ponius will informe you wherein my helpe is so importing the which Pomponius though I am confident you will doe any thing for his sake neuerthelesse I commâ—nd him to you And if any of the loue remaine with you that heeretofore you bare me I pray you demonstrate it to me wholly in his person You cannot doe mee a more acceptable office then this Farewell Cicero to Publius Sextius sonne to Lucius Quaestor Epist. 6. DEcius the Notarie came and entreated me that at this present I would preuent that any man should be allotted to succeed you I â—lthough I had the best opinion of him that could bee had of one of his condition and tooke him â—or your â—riend yeâ— calling to minde what you wrote vnto me not mâ—ny daies before I thought it hard to beleeue that you should haue changed resolution neither would I â—tand to his meere word although I tooke him for a discreâ—te and modest person But after Cornelia your wife spake with Terentia and Quintus Corneâ—ius certified me thereof I was carefull to bee present in the Senate as oft as it sate And concerning your desire to remaine still in the Prouince I had much a doe to make Quintus Fusius Tribune of â—he people and the rest to beleeue it to whom a little beforâ— as also to mee you had written the contrarie The affaires of the Prouinces were dâ—fâ—rred till Ianuarie but notwithstanding at that time wee hoped â—o obtaine our purpose â—he kinde office you did me in wriâ—ing that you desire my buying of Crassus house might proue fortunate vnto me was an occasion that not long aâ—ter I bought it for an hundred and fiue thousand crownes so that I feele such a burden of debt vpon my shoulders that I could wish to enter into some conspiracie so they would accept of mee But the hatred they beare me is so great as they offer mee repulse and malice me openly as the cause of their ruine besides they are not confident and are afraid that I lay some snares for them not beleeuing that I can want money who freed the vsurers from their violence In truth I am reputed for that cause a sufficient man and there are somâ— that lend freely for sixe in the huâ—dâ—ed I went to see your house and buâ—lding which I thought in euery part verie faire I haue defended Antonius in the Senate house with the greatest seruencie and care I could and by my speech and authoritie I haue much drawne the Senate to fauour him I would not faile him though for some offices past 't is well knowne how ill hee hath requited me I pray you write oâ—ten to me Farewell Cicero to Cneius Pompeius magnus sonne to Cneius Ep. 7. I And all men else tooke great dâ—light in the letters which you wâ—ote to the Senate For you giue so much hope of a secure state as putting my trust wholly in you I haue alwaies promised to euery one But on the contrarie those your old enemies who were become your new friends hearing the newes of your victorie remain'd amazed and astonished seeing themsâ—lues frustrated of â—he hope they had â—o come to the glorie of so noble an entâ—rprize The letters you wrote vnto me though they containe but little demonstration of your loue towards me were neuerthelesse very deare vnto me For I neuer reioyce more at any thing then I doe when I vnderstand tâ—at I â—aue discharg'd my dutieâ— and if aftâ—rwards any man in â—ffects bee not answerable I am glad that I rest superior in courtesie I make no doubt but the Common-wealth will reconcile ioyne and binde vs together â—hough my affâ—ction towards you which in many respâ—cts you mâ—y haue deseru'd were not sufficient to make mee enioy your loue â—nd fauour And becâ—uâ—e you may know what I wouâ—d haue hâ—d yâ—u written to me I will tell iâ— you plainely both as my nature and our Amitie requireth I haue compassed matters of such qualitie as I firmely belâ—eued that you would reioyce with me being bound thereunto first in râ—spect of your countrie and then in consideration of our friendship But I imagine you forbare the doing of such an office for feare of offending some man Though
neighbourhood liâ—tle importeth But our age I know not through what wicked accident is light vpon times of such disposition that when we should taste of all contentment wee are asham'd euen to liue For what refuge had I left being stript of all publike and priuate good together with all comfort onely books wherein because I can doe nothing else I exercise my selâ—e continuallie but 't is a great matter that they also denie mee their help and me thinkes they exclude me out of the Port of repose and they reprehend me bitterlieâ— because I still remaine in this life Which is no other then these present miseries greater then euer were any And do you wonder then that I liue remote from that Cittie where I finde no contentment from mine owne house and where it is necessâ—rie to beare a great hatred to the times to men to publike places of meeting and to the Senate Wherevpon I entertaine my selfe with râ—ading and spend therein all my time not to finde any medicine that might absolutely cure me but to beguile onely that griefe which lies heauie vpon me And if we had had this aduertisment as we had it notâ— thorough the continuall feares that held vs in suspence We had been alwaies together neither should your vnhealthfulnesse grieue me nor should my heart sorrow offend you And therfore let 's vse all the meanes wee can to liue together seeing we caÌ„not deuise any course that will sort better with vs. Within these few daies therefore I will see you Farewell Cicero to Tiâ—iuâ— Epist. 16. THough no man is lesse able to comfort you then my selfe hauâ—ng â—aken your troubles so to hart that I my selfe neede consolation Neuerthelesse my griefe being not altogether so implacable as yours and seeing you in so terrible an agonie I thought it an office correspondent to our amitie and to the loue I beare yoâ— no longer to defer writing to you but to administer you some phisicke which may at least diminish your griefe though not absolutelie cuâ—e it And that consolation is ordinarie and well knowne to euery one of vvhich vvee ought continually to reason and debate that vvee beare in minde that vve are men borne vnder this lavv that our life must lie open to all the blowes of Fortune To which Law we must not seeke to oppose our selues in refusing that condition of life wherein we were borne rather with patience support those accidents which humane wisedome cannot preuent comforting our selues in calling to minde that nothing happens to vs that hath not befallen manie others And though this may yeeld thee coÌ„fort yet I 'le propound a thing to thee that shall bee of greater force then this or any other consolations which haue bin euer practised or written by the wiseâ—t mâ—n I say therefore that considering the miserable eâ—tate of our cittie and the wickednesse of these times you will perceiue that they are truely happie who haue had no children and thâ—y lesse vnhappie who haue now lost them then if they had lost them when the Common-wealth flourished It 's true that if thy great losse grieueth thee in respect of the damage receiued I see no course to diuert absolutely your griefe But if naturall affection moue thee to lament their miseries that are dead not to alledge now what I haue often read and heard vpon this argument that there is no euill in death after which if the soule liueth it may raâ—her be termed an immortalitie then a death and if it die together with the bodie we must not suppose that there is any miserie because no sense leauing I say this part aside I will onely intimate vnto you one reason which is very true That such a danger is approaching to the Common-wealth that euerie man should be glad to auoid with death For what receptacle shall honestie bounty vertue laudable customes good Arts and finally libertie it selfe and safetie now finde Questionlesse there is neuer a young man or childe of whose death I haue heard in this of all others most cruell and pestiferous yeare which seemes not to me by the gift of the eternall Gods to haue beene released from these miseries and from this so bad a condition of life So that if I could beate into your minde this opinion that they whom you haue lost met with no euill it would in a great part diminish your afflictions For so you should come to retaine onely that griefe which you feele not for their death but for your owne losse And surely it befits not the grauitie and wisdome which since your childhood you haue alwaies manifested to despaire for the losse of them that feele nothing Remember how you haue liued hitherto with so great moderation of minde as it is necessarie for you to perseuere in the same constancie And by wisedome and discourse we must anticipate that in our selues that at length time will bring vs which by the remedie of yeares healeth euerie greene wound For if there were neuer so base a woman which in the losse of children did not at last cease lamenting surely we are bound to draw that from our prudence which continuance of daies will bring vs and not to expect the medicine of time which reason first propounds vnto vs. If these letters take effect I shall thinke that I haue obtain'd my greatest desire If they worke nothing at all yet shall I iudge that I haue done the office of that friend which I haue euer beene and promise during life to be vnto you Farewell Cicero to Publius Sextius Epist. 17. I Wrote not heretofore vnto you not because I was forgetâ—ull of our amitie or to breake off my vsuall custome but because for a time I together with the Common-wealth found my selfe oppressed with a grieuous ruine and besides your hard and lamentable accident so afflicted me as it ministred occasion to me of not writing to you But now supposing that I had too long neglected this office and the memorie of worth greatnesse of mind wherewith I know you to be endowed vrging me thereunto I thought good to breake of silence with a firme opinion that I shall commit no â—rror You know Publius Sâ—xtius that when you were accused being far off from Româ— I defâ—nded you and afterwards the same perill hanging ouer your person as did ouer Milo I neglected no endeuour for your safetie and last of all so soone as I was returned notwithstanding your causâ— was carried oâ—herwise then I would haue aduis'd if I had beene present yet I fail'd not in affording you any help that lay in my power In which time not onely your enemie but some oâ—hers which pretended to be your friends taking opportunitie of the dearth sought to disgrace you with the people and so fâ—rre they wrought that ioyning thereunto the partialitie of Iudges and the iniquitie of many others they were of power sufficient to suppresse the truth and your iust cause Afterwards vpon any occurâ—ents whatsoeuer I nâ—uer was
not be very needfull yet some friends of yours thinking good that I should write a word vnto him for you to deliuer I desired herein to content them The copie you shall see here vnder written Farewell Cicero to Titus Furfanus Vice-Consull Epist. 9. BEtween me and Aâ—lus Caecina there hath euer been so great familiaritie and friendship that none can possibly bee greater For his father a valorous Gentle-man was my especiall friend and himselfe I alwaies loued from his infancie because hee gaue wonderfull hopes of singular bountie and eloquence And not only through amitie but â—hrough a similitude of studies we conuersed so domestically together that no man was more familiar with me then he It is not requisite that I write further you see how many occasions lead me to assist him in whatsoeuer my power extends vnto And because I haue seene it manifestly by diuers signes that you greeue much to see good men in these hard fortunes and the Common-wealth in so miserable an estate Onely I request you that the same desire you formerly had to helpe Caeâ—ina may so encrease as that it may equall the loue you beare â—â—y selfe You cannot doe mee a greater pleasure Farewell Cicero to Trebatius Epist. 10. AS there is no man better knowes then my selfe how much you loue me so am I a testimonie to my selfe of the loue which I beare to you For I euer greatly grecu'd for the counsell you followed if it were counsell and not rather destinie to perseuer in a ciuill war and now not seeing you so readily restored into your foâ—mer estate as is conuenient I am therewith no lesse troubled then you with my disgraces were heretofore tormented Postumulenus and Sextius know it our Atticus knowes it with whom I haue many times discoursed thereof at large and Theudas your Free-man to whom not long since I imparted the inward affection of my minde and to eueâ—ie one of these I haue said many times that wherein soeuer I could I should bee glad to bee emploied by you and your children to whom I would haue you write that they make vse of my endeauours counsell goods or person for all these things being in my power â—hall neuer be wanting to them If in authoâ—ity and fauour I could preuaile so far as I should preuaile in that Commonwealth of whom I haue so well deserued you should also be the man you were wont to be that is worthy of the highâ—st place of honor whatsoeuer and in your owne order vndoâ—btedly reputed aboue all others But because in â—he â—elfe same time and for the uery same occasion euery one of vs is fallen from high to low estate I promise you those things which before I told you beeing as yet mine and moreouer those which me thinks I do yet â—eserue as reliques of my former dignitie Because Caesar himsâ—lfe as in many things I discerne rather-loueth me then otherwise and almost all his familiar friends whom I haue heeretofore pleasured in matters of imporâ—aÌ„ce obseâ—ue and honor me with all respect Therefore if I may in any wise pleasure you in your substance that is for your return on which euerie thing depends euerie daie by reason of their â—ords I am in more hope I wâ—ll labour and vse therein all diligence without being requested It boots not to descend vnto particulars What may bee done with singular affection and great loue that I promise you But it imports mee much that al your friends should know thus much to the end they may bee assured that Cicero will neuer faile Trebatius in whatsoeuer hee is able and that they may thinke there is nothing so difficult but that in the effecting it for you I shall hold my selfe fortunate Farewell Cicero to Trebatius Epist. 11. I Would many times haue written to you if I had had matter to write For when friends are in such a state as you now are one should not write vnto them but to comfort them and â—o promise ayde and benefit To offer you comfort seem'd not necessarie vnderstanding by many how resolutely and wisely you support the iniutie of the times and how much the sinceritie of your owne operations and counsels doe comfort you And if you doe this you reape great fruite from vertuous â—tudies wherewith I know you were euer delighted and I earnestly exhort you so to do Besides this though you are aboundant in examples as hauing turn'd ouer all ancient and moderne histories yet I hauing more experience in the affaires of the world then I would as I haue lesse in studies then I desire vpon my credit I promise you that the hard state wherin you now stand the wrongs done you will quickely haue an end For first hee who can doe what hee will becomes in my iudgement euery day more reasonable and discends further into the nature of all things besides the cause is so iust that it necessarilie together with the Common-wealth which cannot alwaies languish will rise vp againe and resume vigor and euery daie wee finde more benignitie and fauour then wee hop't for Which things because they many times depend vpon a very little occasion of the times wee will obserue all moments and by as many meanes as is offered seeke to helpe and further you Whereupon I hope it will be more easie euery day about the matter I formerly mentioned to write vnto you and promise you helpe and I will doe it more vvillingly with effects then words Be secure that you will finde more-friends then any banished man hath or euer had so far as I discerne and yet you 'le bee beloued of none more then of my selfe Carrie an inuincible and resolued minde which lies onely in your owne power Things that remaine in the gouernment of Fortune shall bee swayed by the times and ruled by our directions Farewell Cicero to Trebatius Epist. 12. BEfore this time I onely lou'd Dolaeâ—bella but was no waies bound vnto him because I neuer had any occasion to vse him and he stood obliged to me because in his dangers I neuer failed him Now hauing procur'd you the restitution euen as I desired first of your substance and then also of your countrie he hath so interrested himselfe in me that there is no man to whom I hold my selfe more tied then to him Wherein I reioyce with you after such a manner as I would not haue you thanke me but rather to bee ioyfull with me your thanking of me being superfluous and your reioycing most iust Now that your vertue and dignitie haue opened vnto you the waie to returne among your friends like that wise and magnanimious Gentleman you are you must forget what you haue lost and remember what you haue recoâ—ered You shall liue with your allies you shall liue with your Friends There is no comparison betwixt the losse of goods and the purchase of honour you haue made Neither should your goods bee deâ—re vnto yoâ— the Common-wealth being in so miserable an estaâ—e Our
Whereupon though he be â—ree'd by the Law Licinia he seemes to be fallen into a greater danger Withall the day after the said absolution Hortensius presented himselfe in Curio's Theater as I thinke to be seene and because we should reioyce with him in his ioyes But as many as were there began to â—rample rore to make a thundring to cry out and keepe a buzzing which was the more obserued because Hortensius was come to old age without euer hauing beene whistled atâ— But on that day he was so soundly handled as it might suffice any man for all the daies of his life Of the Common-wealth I can write nothing to you Marcellus irruptions are pacified not out of neglect but in my opinion for some secret respects Of the creation of Consuls not knowing the time I can giue you no certaine aduertisement Marcus Octauius sonne to Cneius and Caius Hirrus are competitâ—rs with me in the petition for the Aedileship the one is really noble the other pretends to be noble but is not I was desirous to write this to put you into greater expectation of the issue hearing that Hirrus is my concurrent Neuerthelesse as soone as you are aduertised of my creation I pray remember the Panâ—hers and to procure Sitius to pay me I gaue to Lucius Castrinius Paeto the first volume of the matters of Rome the second to him that brings you these Farewell Marcus Caelius to Cicero Epist. 3. VVHat will you say now doe I not write vnto you doe I not quite contrarie to that you said Yes certainely so that my letters come to your hands And in this my diligence is the greater because when I haue time to spare I cannot haue a better recreation When you were in Rome and I had no businesse I vsed to come with great contentment to your house and to passe the houres with you in sundrie discourses I would I could now doe so for in truth since your departure me thinkes I am not onely left alone but that Rome remaines voyd And wheras before many times such was my negligence I let slip many daies without comming to see you Now in conclusion I am readie to teare my selfe with my â—eeth because I cannot be euery day with you But Hirrus my competitor is the greatest cause that I desire you day and night Oh! if you knew how this your concurrent in the Augurship is vexed and faynes not to see that my plots take better effect then his of which I desire you may be aduertised for in truth you would wish it more for your owne respect then mine For if I remaine Aâ—dile it may so be that I shall be created with some rich associate But if Hirrus get it not we shall haue such sport at his repulse that for all the time of our life we shal neuer want matter to laugh at May this be so 't is certainely Neither can Marcus Octauius in any sort pacifie their hatreds that are opposite to Hirrus who are many As for Milo's goods I haue so wrought that Philotimus your wiues free-man hath restored them to his kindred 〈◊〉 haue acknowledged herein his fidelitiâ— and loue giuing him in reward of his seruice as much as you set downe Now it remaines that I entreat you that if you haue spare time as I hope you shall to direct vnto me some worke that by this I may know you are mindfull of me Questionlesse you 'le say your request is not foolish but how came this into your minde I would that among so many compositions of yours some one might come to light which might also be a testimonie to posteritie of our friendship For the qualitie of the worke I referre it to you for you hauing all knowledge can best determine of the subiect In generall I tell you thâ—t I desire a thing which may be fit me and that it may be replenish't with documents to giue men occasion more willingly to read it Farewell Marcus Caelius to Cicero Epist. 4. I Enuie you because you haue euerie day so great newes as makes you wonder first that Marcus Messalla was absoluâ—d and afterwards condemned that Caius Marceâ—lus remaines Consull that Marius Calidiuâ— after his repulse was accused by Marcus Gallius and Quintus Gallius brethren that Publius Dolabella is one of the fifteene But I enuie you not because you did not see how many colours came into Lentulus Cruscâ—llus countenance when he had the repulse For certainely there was neuer a more delight some thing to behold and peraduenture he thought it would not so haue past with him and Dolabella himselfe had little hope thereof But if our Gentlemen had not had their eyes open vndoubtedly he had ouercome his sute and his opposite would almost voluntarily haue giuen ouer the enterprise I doe not thinke you wonder that Seruius chosen Tribune of the people should be condemned Whose place Curio hath demanded and in their hearts who know not his gentle disposition he hath imprinted a strange feare But as I hope and desire and as he makes shew he will not start an inch from the Senate nor from the partie of good men he is now wholly for this And that he tooke vpon him such a resolution Caesar was the occasion who not vsing to respect money for the obliging of euery man to him how base soeuer he were seemed to make little reckoning of him Wherin I thinke as also by others he hath beene aduertised that a matter of pleasant admiration ensued Curio who euer before had carried himselfe inconsiderately hauing vsed all his wit and cunning to frustrate their designes which made opposition to him in his Tribunship I speake of the Laelij Antonij and other bragadoshi's I deferred to write vnto you because the creation of Magistrates hanging in suspence I was enforced continually to attend vnto negotiations and partly I was desirous to tarry the end that so I might aduertise you of euery thing and supposing they would presently be dispatcht I expected till the first of August The creation of the Praetors was prolonged through certaine impediments I know not how fauourable fortune will be to me in the creation of the Aediles Curules It is true that in that of the Aediles of the people manifest signes appeared more in fauour of me then Hirrus Of Marcus Caelius Vicinianus I haue no feare You know how we made a scoffe of him when he said that he would put on for the creation of a Dictator The foole propounded it and remain'd vilified and many cries were heard against him The same people afterwards seemed to haue an extreame desire of Hirrus I say to pleasure him ouer the shoulders I hope 't will not be long ere you vnderstand that from me vvhich you expect and that of him which I durst scarcely hope for As for the state of the Common-wealth we did not hitherto looke for any new matter But the one and twentith of Iuly the Senate being assembled in the temple of Apollo
in vices neither wants hee wit to discerne what is best Further a great occasion of this ioy is the loue I â—eare him Doe you see Cicero how Câ—â—io hath compassed his intents For his resistance being scann'd in the Senate as it was determined and Marcus Marcellus perswading that the Tribunes should bee moued in it the Senate would not consent thereunto Pompeius hath now such a weake stomacke that almost nothing can bee â—ound to please him The Senate had decree'd that hee who would not dismisse his armie the prouinces could not stand for the Consulship which how it will please Pompeius when hee perceiues what will become of the Common-wealth if he either cannot or care not I leaue for you old rich men to consider Quintus Hortensius when I wrote these dyed Farewell Marcus Coelius to Cicero Epist. 14. IF you had taken the King of the Parthians and vanquished the Citie of Seleucia it were nothing in respect of the being present at these things Your eyes would neuer haue pained you more if you had but seene Domitius countenance when hee had the repulse for the Augureship The contestation was great each party hauing many fauours Few respected merit euery one assisted his kinsman or friend So that Domitius is my great enemy insomuch as hee hates not that acquaintance of his whom you wot of as he doth me and the rather because he thinkes he had wrong done him and that I was the principall occasion of the iniurie Now he is starke mad that men so reioyce at his crosse and that I was so fauourable to Antonius Afterwards he accuâ—ed Cneius Saturninus the younger one questionlesse for his life past infamous And now the issue of this triall is expected And he conceiues good hopes because Sixtus Peducius was absolued Concerning the staâ—e of the Common-wealth I haue written many times to you that I can yet discerne no peace And the more this controuersie encreaseth further then is conuenient so much more imminent the danger appeares Pompeius is resolued not to suffer Caius Caesar to bee made Consull by any meanes before hee leaues the armie and the Prouinces vpon which the cheefe of the Citie will contest that Caesar except he first giue ouer his armie and the one and other Gâ—llia shall not bee created Consull On the contrarie Caesar is of a constant opinion that he leauing the armie his ruine will ensue Yet he offers this condition that both of them should leaue off their armie And so that loue and discommendable vnion turnes not into secret hatred but to a manifest war I know not what side to take and I thinke for the same cause also you will be much perplexed For one part I loue and am beloued in the other I hate the opinions not the men and I think you know that euerie one followes the more honest part while they proceede without armes But when they come to a war the strongest supposing that to be most honest which is most secure in this discord I see that Cneius Pompeius will haue the Senate and Iudges of his party and to Caesar all those will apply themselues that liue in feare or with cold hopes The armies will not be equall but there will bee time enough to consider the forces of either part and to choose the best I had almost forgot to write one thing to you which was not to bee omitted Know you that Appius the Censor does miracles Know you that hee abates the pompe of statues and pictures that hee allots the measure of land that hee constraines debtors to pay hee thinkes the Censorship is either paste of beane-floure or niter but in my opinion he is deceiued for minding to purge himselfe of filthinesse he opens all his veines and all his bowels Run I beseech you for Gods and mens sake and come quickly to laugh at these nouelties that Drusus is constituted Iudge of the accused by the Scantinean Law and Appius is about statues and pictures I 'le promise yee you haue cause to come in haste 'T is thought Curio hath done very wisely in permitting a stipend to be giuen to Pompeius To conclude will you know what I iudge must fall out If one of them go not against the Parthians I see cruell discords will arise which must bee ended with the sword Either of them hath a great minde and great forces If infinite danger had not therin concurred Fortune had prepared for you a great and pleasant spectacle Farewell Marcus Caelius to Cicero Epist. 15. When did you euer see a more foolish man then Cneius Pompeius who vsing to promise so many things hath raised so many disorders But when did you either read or heare of one more prompt and couragious in an enterprize then our Caesar and more temperate after victorie But what will you say to this other thing If you did but see our souldiers now who haue done nothing all the winter but march in the raine and winde thorow difficult and cold places you would thinke they had eaten of the most delicate apples that could be gotten Oh! will you say you begin to glory in good time But if you knew in what turmoyles I am you would scoffe at this my glorie which nothing concernes me I cannot write my grâ—efe vnto you but I hope shortly to open it by word of mouth For Caesar determines to call me to Rome when hee hath driuen Pompeiuâ— out of Itaâ—y which I â—hinke is already performed Excâ—pt he had rather beâ—eaguer him in Brundusium I would I were dead if the infinite desire I haue to see you and communicate vnto you all my secrets bee not the greatest occasion of my comming thither so suddenly I haue a thousand things to tel you I am afraid lest as many times it fals out I shall haue forgotten them all when I see you But what offence haue I committed that I must now goe towards the Alpes And to goe thither about the Intimelij who for a matter of nothing are vp in armes Bellienus seruant somtime to Demetrius borne of a mayd seruant who was there with some strength tooke one Domitius a Gentle-man of that towne and a friend to Caesar and hauing receiued money of the contrarie party caused him to be strangled The City rose vp in armes whereupon I must now goe thither thorow the snow with two thousand Foot Certainely will you say the Domiâ—ij haue ill fortune euerie where And I would that Caesar who is descended from Venus had beene so resolute against your Domitius as Bellienus who was borne of an hand-mayd was against this other Salute your son in my name Farewell Marcus Caelius to Cicero Epist. 16. I Felt my life leaue mee in reading your letters by which I vnderstood that none but melancholly thoughts possest your minde And though you haue not cleerely layd open your meaning neuerthelesse you haue made manifest what your disposition was I presently wrote these letters vnto you I pray you
Counâ—ellor and to mee it brings great renowne that you being a young man and Consull should increase in vertuous operations as nourished and brought vp vnder my discipline Luciuâ— Caesar certainely whom I went to meet at Naples alâ—hough terrible bodâ—lie torments aâ—flicted him neuerthelesse before hee saluted me said I reioyce with you my Cicero in that you are of such power with Dolabellâ— that if I had as much with the son of my sister we might secure from all danger now lead a life reposed But with your Dolabella I reioyce and gâ—ue him thankesâ— to whom in truth since your time of being Consull wee may only ascribe the title of true Consull Hee afterwards vsâ—d many words about your actions and prowesse concluding that there was neuer more honourable and illustrious enterprise pâ—rformâ—d nor from which greater benefit accrewed to the Common-wealth And euerie one genâ—rallie concurreth with him in this opinion Now I â—equest you that you will permit me to assume this as it were a false inheritance of anothers glorie and suffer me in some part to enter into a participation of your praises Although my Dolabella for what I said hiâ—herto I spake out of merriment I would more willingly poure vpon you all my commendations if any praise be due vnto me then diminish any of yours For I hauing alwaies so loued you as easilie you may conceiue now especially these your atchieuements haue enflamed me with so ardent an affection that no man was euer more set on fire with loue then my selfe For there is nothing beleeue me that is more louelie beautifull or amiable then vertue I euer loued as you know Marcus Brutus for the excellencie of his wiâ— for the sweetnesse of his customes and for that bountie and constancie wherein none is comparable to him and neuerthelesse on the xiii of March my loue towardâ— him was so augmenâ—ed that I wondred how a thing could growe greater the which long time since I thought had attained to it â—ull growth And who would euer haue thought that the loue I beare you could in any soâ—t haue beene enlarged and yet it is so encreased that paralleâ—ling the loue I now beare you with that whâ—ch hitherto I professed â—owards you me thinkes that seemes vuâ—gar and this singular To what end theâ—efore should I exhort you to haue â—he obiect of your thoughts to be euer reputation and glorie Shall I set before your eyes the example of mâ—n famous for their vertue which they vsually doe that exhort men to praise I cannot finde a more famous man then your selfe You must trace your owne footesteps and seeke to goe beyond your selfe And me thinkes hauing aâ—readie wrouâ—ht such wonderfull things you can doe no lesse then resemble your own actions And being so exhortations are not necessary it is rather needfull that I should reioyce wiâ—h you a matter hauing fallen out to you which I cannot say euer happened to any other which is that the hauing with rigorous seueritie punished an offence did not displease but pleased the people and did as well to all good men as to the meanest people bring singular contentment If this had happened through the â—â—uour of Fortune I would haue reioyced with you in your hâ—ppie successe but this fell out vnto you first through the magnanimitie of your minde and then by your owne wisedome and councell For I haue read the Oration that you made vnto the people I neuer saw any thing fuller of vnderstanding For point by point you doâ— so cloâ—ely come vp to demonstrate the occasion of the fact and then afterwards you retire your selfe with that dexteritie that by an vniuersall consent of euery man It seemed the matter it selfe solicited you to chastise the malefactors You haue therefore free'd the towne from danger and the Cittizens from feare Neither onely at this instant but for euer while the memorie of so notable an act shall continue you haue exceedingly benefitted the Common-wealth Therefore you must conceiue that the whole Common-wealth relieth onlie vpon you and that to you it belongs not only to preserue but also to exalt them to honorable estate â—â—om whom the beginning of libertie is deriued But of these things so farre as I hope it will not be long â—re we discourse presentially In the meane while seeing you preserue the Common-wealth and vs attend with singular care to preserue your selfe Farewell Cicero to Papirius Paeto Epist. 15. I will answer two of your Epistles one that I receiued three daies since from Zethus another which Philerus the Poaste brought me By the first I vnderstood that you were well pleased to heare me so inquisitiue of your sicknes And I am glad that you conceiue my affection towards you though I assure you that you could not so well apprehend it by my letters as it is in effect For perceiuing my selfe to be honoured and beloued of many for I cannot say otherwise amongst all those there 's not any one more deare vnto me then you are not onely because you louâ— me and haue loued moe of long time and with perseuerance which though it be a great and peraduenture a verie extraordinarie matter yet is it common to you with many others but also because your selfe is so amiable sweet and euery waies courteous which is a part proper to you alone to which we may adde a manner of â—easting not according to the Atticke but conformable to the ancient Râ—mane vse more ingenious thâ—n that of the Aâ—ticks And I make what reckoning of me you please am wonderfullie delighted with wittie câ—nceipts especiallie with ours of Rome which heretofore lost a great deale of their lustre when our Citie came to be ouer-thronged with forraine nations in that the tittle of Cittizens which then was belonging only to the Latinâ— people now conferred vpon nations which come from beyond the mountaines is the occasion that it daily looseth that ancient facetious manner of speaking so that almost no footsteps thereof remaineth Wherefore when I see you me thinkes I see all the Graniâ— all the Lucilij and also to speake as it is all the Crassi and Laelij I would I were dead if besides your selfe I see any left me in whom I can discerne any similitude of those ancient pleasant straines of wit Whereunto adding so great loue as that is which you beare mee doe you wonder that I was so tâ—oubled for your grieuous and dangerous maladie And whereas in the other Epistle you excuse your selfe by saying that you neuer diswaded me from the purchase that I would haue made at Naples but that you aduised mee to continue at Rome neither did I euer vnderstand it otherwise In deed I conceiued that which by these letters I apprehend that you â—hought it was not good for me as I also thought to depart from hence not altogether but yet with a determination to returne hither seldome You speake to me of Catulus and of those times What conformitie is there Then it
disliked me to remaine long time farre of from the custodie of the Common-wealth For we sate in the sterne and gouerned the Rudder but now we haue scarcely any place about the pumpe Do you thinke now though I shall bee at Naples that for this cause they will forbeare to passe decrees in the Senate when being at Rome attending to publicke affaires the decrees of the Senate are registred in a friends house of thine my familiar and when they please they subscribe my name thereto as if I had beene present And I sooner heare of some decree transported into Armenia and Syria which seemes to be passed according to my minde then word is deliuered to me thereof And thinke not that I speake this in â—east Because you must note that letters are alreadie brought mee from the farthest distant Kings that are wherein they thanke me for giuing them in the Senate the title of Kings the which I had not onlie not done but scarcely knew there were any such in the world What must be done then So long as this our master of ceremonies remains heere I will neuerthelesse doe as you counsell me when he is gone I 'le come to your Mushromes If I shall haue an house the charge which the law limiteth vs for one day I 'le distribute into ten but if I cannot meet with a scare that contents me I am determined to lie with you For I know I cannot better gratifie you About Silla's house I had now almost lost all hope as I last wrote vnto you but yet I haue not altogether lost it I should be glad that you as you write had viewed it in the companie of some Masons for if there be no fault in the walles or the roofe the rest will like me well enough Farewell Cicero to Papirius Paeto Epist. 16. YOur letters pleased me and first I was glad to vnderstand that the affection you beare me induced you to write vnto me doubting lest Silius with the newes he brought mâ—e might haue put mee to some trouble of minde About which thing you wrote before vnto me twice after one manner so that I easily conceiued your dislike and I had diligently returned answer thereunto to the end that so well as in such an occasion and time I was able I might at the least in part if not altogether dispossesse you of your sorrow But seeing in these last letters also you shew what a care you haue of it be assured of this my Paeto that whatsoeuer could bee done with Art for now councell sâ—rues not the turne some new policie must bee inuented I say what by Art may bee attempted or inuented to purchase the loue of these Caesarians that hâ—ue I labouâ—ed and procured with all diligence possible and in my opinion very successefully For I am so honoured and reuerenced by them to whom Caesar wisheth well that I beleeue I am beloued of them For though I could hardly discerne true loue from fained except vpon some occasion wherein as gold by the fire so true loue may bee tried and knowne by some danger for other are but common signes neuerthelesse I build vpon this rather then any other thing to thinke that I am heartily and â—ruely beloued that both my fortune and theirs is such as there is no cause to dissemble Then as for him who is Lord of all I see not why I should feare except in that there is no security where reason hath no authority Neither can one promise any thing certaine to himselfe where on others will not to terme them appetites euery thing dependeth Notwithstanding I haue not offended his minde in any thing and therein I haue carefully vsed all my dexterity and prudence For as other whiles I thought that it rather appertain'd to mee then any other to speake freely as to him that had beene a preseruer of the common liberty so now seeing it is lost I thinke it not fit for me to speak any thing which may offend either Caesars minde or his friends But if I should omit the occasion of some excellent saying I should lose the opinion conceiued of my wit the which if I could I would not refuse to doe But yet Caesar himselfe hath a very good iudgement And euen as your brother Seruius whom I take to haue beene very learned would readily say this verse is not of Plâ—â—tus this is because he was accustomed to read Poets and to note their passages so I vnderstand that Caesar hauing of himselfe made volumes of worthy sayings if any thing bee presented him for mine which is not he vseth to reiect it and he doth it now much more because his most familiar friends leade their whole life almost with me Now many things fall in sundry discâ—ursâ—s which peraduenture after I haue vttered them yeeld some sauour of learning and vnderstanding these are ofâ—ered to him together with other conceipts which daily are inuented For so hee hath commanded From hence it proceeds that if afterwards hee heare any thing of me hee thinkes it not worthy to bee giuen eare vnto For which cause I make no vse of your Eâ—omaus though by way of merriment you haue added thereâ—o the verses of Accius But what enuy is there or what thing is there in me for which I should be enuied But suppose that it is as you say I see that it so pleased the Philosophers that is those that seeme alone vnto me to vnderstand the force of vertue it pleased them I say that a wise man should not bee bound to render accompt of any thing but of offence from which I perceiue my selfe free two wayes First because I alwaies had an vpright mind next in that when I saw there was no meanes to defend our opinions my concâ—it was that we ought not to contend with the more mighty I cannot thâ—refore certainely bee blamed in the office of a good Citizen It remaines that I neither doe nor say any thing rashly or foolishly against them that gouerne the Common-wealth And this also I deeme to bee a poynt of a wise man For other things that which another sayes I haue spoken or how Caesar construes my sayings or with what fidelity they liue with me which daily court and honour mee of this I cannot be secure And thus I comâ—ort my selfe partly with the memoriall of my life past and partly by liuing now moderately and that similitude which the Poet Attius makes I attribute not onely to enuie but to fortune also the which as a weake thing should be vanquished and broken by euery valâ—ant minde no otherwise then as a waue is broken by a rocke And in truth the Greeke stories making mention how wise men haue alwayes supported the dominion of Tyrants either in Athens or Siracusa hauing beene in some sort free during the seruitude of their Ciâ—ies I 'le not imagine that I can so preserue my state that it neither offâ—nd the minde of some man nor diminish mine owne honour
that that Cicero should neuer haue gone to such an inuitement Whose presence when the Grecians did behold They daunted fled How fast cannot be told I must confesse I knew not of her being there But neither did the Soâ—raticke Aristippus so much as blush when it was cast in his teeth that hee kept Laida I keepe Laida said he but Laida keepes not mee This sounds better in Greeke Doe you if you please expound it But none of these things euer moued me in my youth much lesse in old age I am delighted in meetings there I freely speake what I will and I turne my bitter teares into laughter Now see if you can lead a better life then this You once brake a iest vpon a Philosopher who exposing himselfe to resolue any doubt should bee propounded to him you demanded of him where you might get a supper that might dure as long as from morning to night The silly man thought that you would haue demanded of him whether there were but one or innumerable heauens What good was that to you But tell me truely did the supper doe you good especially from a Philosopher Now this life passe wee euery day we read or write somewhat then to entertaine time also with our friends we meale together yet not so that our inuâ—tements exceed the limits of the Law if now there bee any Law But rather 't is lesse then the Lawes tolerate Therefore you need not stand in feare of my comming you shall lodge a man that eats not much but will be very iocund Farewell THE TENTH BOOKE OF THE FAMILIAR EPISTLES OF M. T. CICERO Cicero to Lucius Plancus Imperator elected Consull Epist. 1. I Was departed from Rome to goe into Greece when in the mid-way imagining I was recalled as by some voyce of my Countrey I â—ooke a courâ—e to returne Since which returne Marcus Antonius hath held mee in contâ—nuall turmoyles who is I will not say so insolent for many haue this defect but so wicked and cruell as hee would not that any man not onely in words but not so much as in shew should enioy a freedome Whereupon I remaine in great perplexity not about my life to which by yeeres and endeuours and if it ought auailed I may tell you that euen with glorie also I haue giuen satisfaction but I greeue for my Countrey and principally for the expectation of your Consulship which is so prolonged as wee may desire but to liue till that time And what hope remaines if all matters bee bee ouerswayed by the armes of â—he most insolent and most vnbridled man that liues If the Senate and people be of no force If the authority of the Lawes and Tribunals is fallen If there bee no more either forme or foot-step of a Common-wealth But because it imports not that I should write vnto you all particulars they hauing been specified vnto you by others I will acquaint you with that which loue moues mee to tell you of which I haue borne you from your child-hood and haue euer not onely preserued but augmented it remembring and exhorting you to embrace with all study and care the Common-wealth which if it continue till the time of your Consulship it will be no great trouble to gouerne it but to procure that it may so long continue there is required not onely speciall diligence but also no little fauour of Fortune Yâ—t I hope wee shal enioy you soÌ„what â—ooner And besides that I am bound to giue assistance to the Common-wealth your honor doth so neerely touch mee that I will therein employ all my councell endeuour offices labour paines and diligence to augment your reputation By which meanes I know I shall easily discharge my selfe both to my Country which to me is most deere and to our amitie which in my esteeme ought by vs most sacredly to be obserued I wonder not but reioyce that you carrie your selfe towards our friend Furnius as his courtesie and place requireth And be assured that I will hold that esteeme of whatsoeuer you doe in honouring or benefitting him as if you had honoured and benefitted mine owne person Farewell Cicero to Plancus Epist. 2. I Would not haue failed to employ my selfe in your behalfe in respect of our inward amitie if I could haue come into the Senate either securely or with honour But no man that thinks freely of the Common-wealth can without danger conuerse in the middest of armes and such extreme licenciousnesâ— neither doe I iudge it befitting my quality to speake in the occasions of the Common-wealth in a place where armed men may better neerer at hand heare me then Senators Therefore in priuate occasions I wil nâ—uer faile you either in offices or fauour nor yet in publike will I euer be wanting though with perill if there be any businesse in hand that requires my presenceâ— to maintaine your dignity But in such matters as without my being there may be brought to effect I will request you to be content that I may hâ—ue reference to mine owne safety and reputation Farewell Cicero to Plancus Epist. 3. I Met with Furnius to my great contentment for his owne sake but much greater in that hearing him me thought I heard you speake He declared vnto mee how valiantly you beare your selfe in the warre how vprightly you gouerne the Prouince and finally what prudence you manifest in all your actions yeelding withall a teâ—timony both of your humanity well knowne to me before in our familiar conuersation and of your singular courtesie vsed towards him All which things haue afforded me great delight but the last together with delight contentment I retained neere amitie my Plâ—ncus with your Familie somewhat before you were boâ—ne I loued you from the tender yeeres of youâ— infancie and in confirmed age we held familiar conuersation proceeding from the loue I bare you and from the good opinion you conceiued of me And for these considerations I wonderfully affect your aduancement the which I esteeme to be common betwixt vs. Fortune but rather your owne vertue hath exâ—ltâ—d you to high degrees of honour you being yeâ— but a young man From whence the enuie of many which you haue outstripped by wit and industrie proceedeth Now if you 'l follow my rule who loue yâ—u equally to anie other olde friend of yours whatsoeuer From this time forward seeke to purchase all honour from a well reformed Common-wealth You know for being wise what know you not how there was a certaine time when men supposed that you too much followed the qualitie of the times Which I should also surmize if I thought you approued the things you tolerated But I conceiuing what you thought suppos'd you prudâ—ntly obseru'd that which you could Now all things are carried after another fashion Iudgement is your owne and free you haue beene elected Consull in your ripâ—r yeeres with notable eloquence when the Common-wealth stood in greatest need of such like persons Bend your selfe I beseech you to that
had made thereon to the end that my people might haue time to be reincouragedâ— and that in the meane while I might ioyne with Brutus whom I expected three daies after the date of this present I must euer confesse that our Laeterensis was of a singular fidelitie and courage towards the Common-wealth but certainely his too great trust in Lepidus perâ—iâ—ted him not to foresee thâ— dâ—nger whâ—ch might ensue who seeing himselfe dâ—ceiued and beâ—trayed by â—epidus would haue slâ—ine himselfe â—iâ—h his owne hand seeking to doâ— that to his owne bodie which he should haue performed vpon Lâ—pidus In which case he bâ—ing hindred he yet liueth and as it is said he will escape it But neuerthelesse of this I haue litâ—le certaintie I to the traytoâ—s great griefe haue escaped their hands For they came â—nraged against mee with the same fuâ—ie that they came against their countrie Wheâ—eunto they had fresh prouocations because I had continually solicited Lepidus to end the warre because they reprou'd the meetings helâ— to this end because I denyed the Ambasâ—â—dors to come into my presence which were sent vnder Lepidus safe conduct because I interceptâ—d Caius Caninius Vestinus Tribune of the souldiers sent vnto him from Marcus Antonius with letters Wheâ—eiâ— I take this contentment tâ—at certainâ—ly the more they sought to entrâ—p me the more grieâ—e 't was to them that they had no successe therein Looke you my Cicero to doe that which hitherto you haue done that is carefully and stoutly to fauour vs that follow the warres Let Câ—sar come with all his mightie forces or if any thing hinder him let his armie be sent considering that he also is in great danger Whatsoeuer force this accursed societie could make against their countrie is by this time at the highest And for the Citties securitie why should we not vse all our forces I certainely for what concernes my selfe if you that are there faâ—le not will euery way giue sufficient satisfaction to the Common-wealth Questionlesse deare Cicero my loue to you daily increaseth and the benefits you daily conferre vpon me augment my care that I may not loose a iot either of your loue or opinion I desire that in presence with my obseruance and endeauour I may now at length shew you that I am mindefull of your deseruings to the end that you may remaine satisfied for that which you haue performed in the behalfe of my honour Farewell the vi of Iune from Ciuaro on the confines of the Allobrâ—ges Plancus Imperator elected Consull to Cicero Epist. 24. I Cannot but giue you thankes for all your fauours and deserts but in truth I am ashamed to doe it For neither to so great a friendship as you haue pleased to hold with me seemes it that ceremoniall offices are befitting neither doe I for so great benefits receiued from you seeke willingly to giue you words for recompence I had rather personally by obseruing you by pleasing you and by being continually about you giue you to vnderstand that I thinke vpon my obligation But while life lasts me I will exceed all acceptable amities and religious affinitiâ—s in obseruing pleasing and courting you For the loue you beare me and the opinion you retaine of mee whether it will procure me more perpetuall honor or more daily content I cannot easilie determine Concerning the benefit of the soldiers I see you haue had a câ—re whom I not by reason of my greatnesse for I am priuie to mine owne minde that I affect nothing which is not profitable haue sought they may be rewarded by the Senate but first of all because I iudged that they had so deserued and then in that my intention was that vpon euery occasion they might haue beene more engaged to the Common-wealth and finally that alienating their minds from whomsoeuer would attempt to corrupt themâ— I might still vphold them in that good affection towards you wherein hiâ—herto thâ—y haue continued We haue as yet kept things in the state they were Which course of ours though I conceiue how desirous men aâ—e of such a victorie and not without reason yet I hope by you 't will be approu'd For if any discomfiture should light in these Armies the Common-wealâ—h haâ—h no great succours on â—oot by which the sudden violâ—nce and impâ—ous wills of traytors migâ—t be resisted and I thinke â—y forces are well knowne vnto â—ou In my Campe there are three old legions and one of fresh men flâ—uâ—isâ—ing aboue all the râ—st and in Bruâ—us Campe one old Legion another of â—ouldiers of two yeares standing and eight of new â—upplies And so the aâ—mie is mightiâ— in number and little in power And iâ— battailes what confidence may be put in fresh souldiers â—xâ—â—riâ—nce hath tâ—o much taught vs. Wiâ—h 〈◊〉 foâ—ces of our Aâ—mies if the Aâ—â—rican host which is of old souldiers or that of Octaâ—ianâ—s were conioyned 〈◊〉 would willingly come to a battaile and expose the Common wealth â—o hazard It is true that for what belongs to Octauian wee did see the effect something neare I haue not failed to perswade him by letters and he hath alwayes affirmed that he would come without any delay and now I perceiue that changing this resolution he enterâ— into other desseignes Nâ—uerthelesse I haue sent vnto him our friend Fâ—rnius with commission and letters to see whether he can worke any thing â—ith him You know good Cicerâ— â—â—uching the louing of Octauiâ—nuâ— that I accompanie you either because being familiar with Caesar when he liued it was then fit for me to embrace and loue him or else because he so farre as I could discerne was of a mâ—st discreâ—t and affable condition or â—lse in that I hauing entertained so inward amitie with Câ—sar me thinkes it were a bruâ—â—ish thing not to retaine Octauâ—anus in the same degree who by his and your iudgement was adopted in place of a sonne But what I write vnto you I sweâ—re I rather write it out of griefe then any rancour That Antonius at this day liues that Lepidâ—s ioâ—nes with him that they haue armies of no small account that they hope that they dare attempt they may acknowledge it wholly from Octauianuâ— Neither wil I rip vp things past but at the same instaÌ„t when hee offered to come if hee had come the warre had either now beene finished or out of Italie and to their great preiudice reduced into Spaine which is their greatest enemie Now what reason mou'd Octauianus or who aduised him that from so great a glorie and so necessarie for himselfe and his securitie he fell off and turn'd his minde to demand so foolishly or with such an insulting importunitie the two moneths Consulship to the great amazement of men I cannot imagine And as for the present necessitie I am of opinion his friends may moue him greatly no lesse to his owne then the benâ—fit of the common-wealth Your selfe may also doe much as I thinke from whom he hath receiued as great benefits as any man
the nations but euen the very slaues I vnderstand also that Parmâ— hath beene sacked that Lucius Antonius possesseth the Alps. Which things if they be true it is not fit that any of vs should stand at the gaze or expect what the Senate will determine For euery one that affects the safetie of the Empire or finally the Romaine name is enforced to giue present succour seeing Brutus as I heare hath no more but seuenteene cohorts and two imperfect Legions of new souldiers which Antonius had entertained And yet I make no doubt but all the remainder of Hirtius Armie will make head with him For of leuying of new forces I thinke there is no great hope especially there being nothing more dangerous then to giue Antonius time to be refortified and the season of the yeare the rather inuites me thereunto because the corne is either in the fields or in the villages Therefore in my first letters I will set downe what I meane to doe For I will neither be wanting to the Common-wealth nor suruiue her But yet I grieue without measure that my iourney will be so long and dangerous for all aduertisements come to me aboue fortie dayes after the execution Farewell Marcus Lâ—pidus Imperator the second time Pontifex Maximus to the Senate and people of Rome Epist. 34. IF you with your children be in health I am glad my selfe also am so I call to witnesse both gods and men O conscript Fathers of what intention and affection I haue euer beene towards the Common-wealth and how light I haue set by all other things in respect of common libertie and safâ—tie The which I had very shortly made manifest vnto you if Fortune had not by force diuerâ—ed me from the dissigne I had intended For all the Armie comming to a mutinie would maintaine their auncient custome in preseâ—uing Cittizens and embracing peace with all men and to say truth it hath enforced me to vndertake the protection of the safetie and preseruation of so great a multitude of Romane Cittizens Wherefore I beseech you and entreat the gods O conscript Fathers that laying apart all particular hatred you will prouide for the State of the Common-wealth and not repute our clemencie and the mercie of our Armie in a ciuill discord for disloyaltie And if you haue respect to the honour and safetie of all men greater benefit will redound both to you and the Common-wealth The xxix of May from Pons Argenteus Farewell Marcus Lepidus Imperator the second time Pontifex Maximus to Cicero Ep. 35. IF you be in health I am glad for so am I also Hauing heard that Antonius with his forces sending Lucius Antonius before with a part of the Cauallerie came into my Prouince I departed with my companies from that place where Rhodanus meetes with other streames and tooke my way towardes them And so by a continuall march I came to Forum Vecontij and a little beyond along the riuer Argentea I encamped against the two Antonies Publius Ventidius ioyned with him his three Legions and pitched his Tents aboue me He had before that the second Legion and out of other Legions a great multitude but disarmed He hath a strong Cauallerie for he lost but few of them in the battaile in so much as they are aboue thirtie thousand horse So that diuers of his souldiers both foote and horse departing from him are come to my campe And day by day his men diminishâ— Siâ—â—nus and Culeo haue left him We although mightily offended with them because they went to Antonius against our wiâ—l neuerthelesse out of our humanitie and loue we haue thought good to saue them And yet we employ them not nor doe we keepe them in our Campe nor haue we giuen vnto them any command As touching this warre wee will neither be wanting to the Senate nor Common-wealth Of what wee haue since that time done we will aduertise youâ— Although at all times betweene vs for the familiaritie we haue had together there haue passed great demonstrations and effects of loue â—yther of â—s striuing to exceed the other Yet I make no doubt but that in so great and suddaine a commotion of the Common-wealth by malignant mindes some things haue bin reported to you of me altogether â—alse and vnbeseemâ—ng me which haue much mooued your minde out of the affect on you beare to the Common-wealth And â—o such relatioâ—s I am certified by my Agents that you gaue no great credit nor thought you good so lightly to beleeue them Which things as they desâ—rue are most acceptable vnto mee as also I remember â—hose fauours which in times past mooued out of loue you performed to encrease my honour and reputation Whereof I will neuer be forgetfull I request you my Cicero of all fauour if in my life and care which I haue alwayes in times past most diligently employed in the gouernment of the Common-wealth you haue knowne me for such an one as is fit I should be that you would expect the same and also better peâ—foâ—mance hereafter and the more I am bound vnto you for benefits receiued the more studious be you with your authoritie to defend me Farewell THE ELEVENTH BOOKE OF THE FAMILIAR EPISTLES OF M. T. CICERO Decimus Brutus to Marcus Brutus and Caius Cassius Epist. 1. THis shall serue to informe you in what state we stand Yesterday in the euening Hirtiuâ— was with me and declared vnto me what Antonius meaning was as bad as might be and most trecherous For he said that he could not giue ouer the Prouince to me neither thought he that any of vs could remaine securâ—ly in Rome because the mindes oâ— the souldiers and plebeians were terriblie prouoked Both which things that thâ—y are false I thinke you very well conceiue and on the contrarie that that is true which Hirtius relaâ—ed that Antonius feares if our dignitie get neuer so little assistance no place would remaine for him in the Common-wealth Finding my selfe in these perplexities I thought good to demand a free Embassie for my selfe and for our oâ—her friends to finde some honest meanes for our deparâ—uâ—e Which hee hath promised me to obtaine And yet I am not confident that he can procure it so great is mens insolencie their persecution of vs. And yet if they should grant this Embassie neuerthelesse I suâ—pose that not long after wee should be eâ—â—eemed rebells and they will publish some proclamâ—tion to interdict vs â—ire and water What is therefore your aduise We must yeâ—ld to Foâ—tune leaue Italie and goe to Rhodes or into some other paâ—t of the world If better fortune present it selfe wee will returne to Rome iâ— indifferent we will liue in exile iâ— the worst of all we will haue recourse to the lâ—st refugesâ— Here peraduenture some of you will say wherefore will you attend while the last cast rather then presently attempt some thing Because wee know not whither we should goe but to Sixtus Pompeius and Bassus Ceciâ—ius who
reposed all my hope in you â—ow that you are in the fiâ—ld with a vâ—ctorious Armie may I not repose a farre greater I desire now at length my Brâ—â—us to râ—signe ouer my vigilancie to you but so that I may not be hâ—ld inconstant Whereas you write you wiâ—l râ—side in Italie till my letters come vnto your hand if you câ—n doe it without any hindrance to thâ— waâ—re I thereuâ—to aduise you For many matters are debated of in Râ—me but iâ— the warre may be finished by your departureâ— attend this rather then the other The monâ—yâ—s which were readie or consigned â—uer vnto you Seruilius is yours most affâ—ctioâ—ate I doe what so euer I am able Farewell The vj. of Iune Cicero to Decimus Brutus Imperator Epist. 25. I Expecting euery day your letters our Lupus on a suddaine gaue me to vnderstand that if I would write any thing to you I might but I though I had not wherof to write knowing that you are aduâ—rtised of what is done in Rome and concâ—â—uing that letters without matter are displeasing to you I meant to vse all breuitie according to your custome Vnderstand therefore that all hopes are in you and your Colleague And as for Marcus Brutus there is yet no certainetie knowne I as you enioyne me doe not cease with my particular letters to inuite him vnto a common warre And I would to God he were now in these parts we should the lesse feare that euill which within the cittie is not little but what doe I I forget your Laconisme I haue already written one whole page Vanquish and Farewell The xviij of Iune Decimus Brutus Imperator to Cicero Ep. 26. IN my extreamest griefe I haue this consolation thâ—t men know that I fâ—ared not the euill which hath hapned without iust cause Let them now dâ—liberate whether the Legions shall be transported out of Africa and out of Sardinia or no whether Brutus shall be sent for or no whether they will assigne a stipend to me or no. I haue written to the Senate and I tell you for a most vndoubted truth that except the prouisions I write for be made we shall all runne an infinite danger I pray you be carefull to whom you commit the charge of conducting me the Legions There is required therein both fidâ—lity and expedition Farewell The iij. of Iune from the Campe. Cicero to Caiuâ— Matius Epist. 27. I Hâ—ue not yet fully determined whether our Trebatius a very officious man and well affected to vs both bring me more trouble or contentment For comming in the euening to Tusculanum he the day following not yet well recouered came in the morning to find me And I chiding him because he had so sleâ—der care of his health he anâ—swered he was come out of a desire to speake with mâ— And I asking what 's the newes He intimated vnto me your complaint to which before I make answere I 'le deliuer some few things For as muâ—h as I remember of the times past I haue not an auncienter friend then your selfe but touching the time there are mâ—ny that in some circumstances are equall to you touching the loue none I â—esolu'd to loue you the fiâ—st day I knew you and the selfe same day I was also of opinion that you loued me Afâ—erwards your departure from Râ—me which was for a long time the course of my life vnlike to yours I hauing liu'd in pursute of honours permitted not that our mindes might with stronger knot be vnited through conuersation Neuerthelesse I knew well your good affection towards mee many yeares before the ciuill warre when Caesar was in Gallia For you procured that he wisht me well honored me and held me for his owne the which you thought could not but turne to my great benefit and to Caesar himselfe rather profitable then otherwise I omit many things which in those times we were wont most familiarly to talke of write of and communicate Because there are other poynts of farre greater consideration I remember also that in the beginning of the ciuill war when you went towards Brundusium to finde out Caesar you came to me in Formianum First what esteeme ought to be made of this onely demonstration especially in those times Then doe you imagine I can forget your discourse councell and affection At which I remember Trebatius was present Neither are your letters out of my mind which you sent vnto me at that time when I came to meete Caesar if I be not deceiued in the territory of Trebula Then ensued that time when I was constrained either by the zeale of mine honour my dutie or fortune to goe to Pompeius What office or fauour left you vnperformed eyther towards me absent or my friends present Whom did all my friends finde more kind to me and them then your selfe I came to Brundusium Now thinke you that I haue forgotten with what celeritie you came flying to me so soone as you knew it from Tarentum How great loue shewed you me in your societie discourse and rectification of my minde which was ouerlayed with extreame affliction for the miseries of my countrey Finally we began againe to be resident together in Rome where in matters of great consequence about the manner how I should proceed with Caesar according to your aduise I demeaned my selfe And in other offices you did afford this fauour to Caesar and my selfe onely to come daily to our houses and often to spend many houres in acceptable discourse At which time if you remember you vrged me to write these Treatises of Philosophie And after Caesars returne you intended nothing more effectually then to make me domesticall with him Which you obtained Now to what end haue I made this discourse larger then I thought to haue done For this respect because I much wondred that you who cannot but remember these things could beleeue that I had wronged our friendship For besides these which I haue related which are cleare and euident I haue many secret passages which with words I can scarcely explicate Your whole carriage giues me satisfaction but aboue all I am best pleased partly with your singular fidelitie in friendship your councell grauitie and constancie and partly with your mirth humanitie and learning Wherefore now I returne to your complaint First I did not thinke you had giuen your consent to that Law Thâ—n had I so thought yet I should neuer haue thought you had done it without some iust occasion Your dignitie is so eminent that all mens eyes are fixed on you and mens malignitie is the cause that there is more liberall speech of you then were befitting And if you doe not heare of these mutterings I know not what to say I for my part when it is my chance to heare them defend you so farre as I am sure you are wont to defend me against my aduersaries And I defend you two wayes Some things there are which I am accustomed absolutely to denie as particularly for this
giuing of your voyce some which I demonstrate that you haue out of zealous loue and tendernesse performed as in that about the charge of publicke sports But you who are most learned know well that if Caesar were a King as I suppose he was you may for the office you vndergoe be both praysed and blamed praised because your faith and humanitie is to be commended for louing your friend after death which reason I am wont to vse blamed because our Countries libertie should be preferred before the life of a friend vpon which your aduersaries ground themselues I much desire that the controuersies I haue had about these clamors might be related to you But amongst others there are two speciall particularities in your commendation which no man infeâ—s more willingly or oftner then my selfe which is that you perswaded more then any other that the ciuill warre might be withstood and the victorie moderated Wherein I neuer found any mâ—n that was not of my opinion Wherefore I thanke our Trebaâ—ius who was the cause that I wrote vnto you these letters To which if you giue no credite you must needs iudge me very discourteous and inhumaine which would woÌ„drously displease me and differ much from your owne disposition Farewell Caius Matius to Cicero Epist. 28. I Tooke great contentment in your letters because I vnderstood that you retaine that opinion of me which I hoped and wished you should haue Whereof though I no waies doubted yet in that I made greaâ— reckoning that it might be entirely preserued it did a little touch me 'T is true that I was priuie to my selfe that I had committed nothing that could offend the minde of any honest man And therefore I did the lesse beleeue that you being adorned with infinite and excellent sciences would be rashly perswaded to any thing especiâ—lly knowing well that I euer did and doe beare you singular affection Which hauing succeeded as I wisht I will â—nswer to the false oppositions against which you haue oftentimes defended me performing an office answerable to your most ingenuous condition and worthy of our amitie For I know what matters they obiected against me since the dâ—ath of Caesar. They accuse me because I lament the death of a great friend and that I am afflicted because a man is slaine whom I loued affâ—rming that my countrie should be 〈◊〉 before any friâ—ndship as if they had alreadie made triall that such a death was beneficiall to the Commonwealth But I will not argue subtiâ—lie I confesse thaâ— for mine owne part I cannot perceiue it and that I am not yet arriued to this height of wisedome Neither did I follow Caesar in ciuill discord but in that he was my friend though the course displeased me yet would I not abandon him Neither did I euer approue the ciuill warre much lesse the occasion thereof hauing in the very infancie oâ— it applied all my endeuour to extinguish it And therefore in his victorie though he was that great friend vnto me that he was I was neithâ—r delighted with honour or monie Of which rewards others were insatiable whose power was lesse with him then mine was And on the other side my goods by Caesars law were damagâ—d and by my fauour most of them that reioyce at Caesars death obtain'd that they might liue in their countrie That the cittizens who were vanquished might be pardoned I laboured no lesse thâ—n for mine owne safetie I therefore who laboured for eueâ—y mans preâ—eruation should I not greeue for his death from whom I purchas'd it especially being hated for their occasion who murdred him You shall therefore vndergoe the penaltie say they because you dare question that that we haue acted Oh pride neuer heard of that some may vaunt in their impietie and others cannot so much as mourne without their ouerthrow And yet in all ages seruants haue beene allowed to feare to reioyce and to grieue rather when they sawe good then any other The which libertie they now which make profession to haue giuen it vs for so they often report seeke violently to depriue me oâ— by threatnings But they labour in vaine There shall be no danger so terrible that shall make me halt in my dutie or humanitie For I haue alwaies held that an honorable death should neuer be auoided but rather oftentimes desired But why should they be angrie with me for desiring them to repent them of what they had committed I confesse I would haue euery man to be greeued for the death of Caesar. Oh But I am enioyned by the office of a good Cittizen to desire the safetie of the Commonwealth That this desire is in me if it be not knowne without my relating it both by those things which hâ—eretofore I haue effected and by those which heereafter I hope to performe I am content that in defendiug mine owne causes words may not auaile me Therfore I earnestly entreat you that you will conceiue better of my reasons â—hen I am able to vtter them and that you will thinke if you be of opinion that it is a good thing to doe well that I can hold no mâ—nner of commerce with bad men Were it peraduenture fit â—or me now that I am laden with yeares to goe out of that path wherein I haue led my youth which carryeth with it some excuse for error shall I againe nâ—w mould my selfe This error I will not commit nor will I doe any thing that may displease Except I doe lament the vnhappie fortune of my dearest friend and so great a personage And if I were of an other minde I would neuer denie it least that besides my being reâ—puted wicked in offending I might be thought timerous and a false dissembler Tâ—ue it is that I had the chaâ—ge of the publike shewes which Caesar the little youth made in honor of Caesars victorie But this had reâ—pect to a particular office not to the state of the Common-wealth In which charge notwâ—thstanding both for the memoriall I reserue of so great a â—riend and for the desire I haue to honour him thus dead as he is I could not be deficient And the youâ—h of such great hopes and so worthie of Caesar requesting me therâ—unto I was constrained to accept of it I also went many times to the house of Antonius the Conâ—ullâ— to salute him to whom you shall finde that euen they which esteâ—me me little affected â—owards my countrey resorted daily only to craue of him or carry awâ—y something But what an arrogancie is this That Caesar did neuer forbid me to conuerse with whom I thought good and euen with persons whom he loued not and these men that haue bereâ—uâ—d mee of my friend by carping or reprehending me doe their worst to enforce me nor to loue them that I like well of But I know I haue hitherto liued so modestly that heereafter euill tongues shall be little able to defame me and that also they who loue me not because I still perseuer in louing
Caesar would rather â—ish to meete with friends like me then like themselues For my part if things fall out conformable to my desire I meane to passe so much of my life as remaines quietly at Rhodes but if it so happen that any accident disturbe me I will remaine in Rome and remaine there alwaies wishing that they may doe well I giue great thankes to our Trebatius because he plainely declared vnto me how your minde stood towards me which I discerne to be full of sinceritie and affection and because he was the occasion that I hauing euer willingly loued you should now also be further tyed both to honour and respect you Farewell Cicero to Marcus Oppius Epist. 29. I being as our Atâ—icus knowes very doubtâ—ull about this iourney In that my minde on eiâ—her side suggested many râ—asons your iudgement and counâ—â—ll greatly induced mee to deliberate and make my resolution For you both plainely wrote vnto mee what your opinion therein was and Aâ—ticus related that vnto mee which you had spoken vnto him thâ—reof I euer tooke you to bee wise in deliberating and very faithfull in aduising and I haue had good expâ—rience thereof when in the beginning of the ciuill warre I requiring you by letters that you would aduise mee what I should doe either in going to Pompeius or remaining in Italie you perswaded mee to doe that that stood best with mine honour By which I perceiued what your opinion was therein and I admired that you were of so great fideliâ—ie and in aduiâ—ing mee â—o honâ—st a man â—or you thinking that the contrarie was desired by him that was your best friend you had greater râ—spect to my office then his will or pleasure Certainely before this fell out I loued you and euer knew that my selfe was by you beloued And when I was absent and stood in great danger I remember that in my absence yoâ— defended mee with great care vsing the like humanitie to all mine that were in Rome and after my returne how domesticallie you liued with mee and what opinion I retained of you and what things I diuulged all those that usuallie looke into such actions can truelie testifie But how faithfull in louing you and how constant you reputed mee you then euidently shewed when after Caesars death you betooke you whollie vnto mine acquaintance Which opinion of yours iâ— I by my dearest loue and best offices doe not acknowledge I shall not repute my selfe a man Perseuer you my Oppius in louing me although doubtlesse I write this vnto you not that I thinke you stand in neede of any such remembrance but because it is vsuall to write thus and take all my affaires into your protection Whereof that you may be fully informed I haue giuen commission to Atticus And when I shall be at better leisure I will write vnto you more at large Be carefull of your health For you cannot doe me a greater pleasure THE TWELFTH BOOKE OF THE FAMILIAR EPISTLES OF M. T. CICERO Cicero to Caius Cassius Epist. 1. BE assured Cassius that I neuer cease to think vpon you and our Brutus that is of the whole CoÌ„monwealth which hath reposed all her hope in you and Decimus Brutus And certainly from this time forward I begin to conceiue better hopes seeing may Dolabella hath performed such materiall seruice to the Common-wealth For that euill which sprung vp in the Citie continually dispersed it sâ—lfe and euerie day so encreased that for my part I held both the Citie and the peace of Citizens vtterly lost But it is so stop't that as for that reprochfull danger I suppose wee may liue for euer secure Other thâ—ngs that yet remaine to bee acted are important and many but you must be the man that must effect them al Though we are intentiue to dispatch those which are of greatest moment For touching that which hath hitherto beene done wee haue freed our selues of the King but not of the Kingdom For though the King be slaine yet we put all that in execution which the King appointed to be performed And not onely this but some things also which hee himselfe if hee had liued would not haue acted wee approue because hee designed them And of this I know not when wee shall see an end New Lawes are propounded exemptions are granted great taxes imposed banished men are restored and false decrees of the Senate are produced so as it seemes that the hatred onely of that wicked man and the greefe of seruitude is remoued but the Common-wealth is still tormentâ—d with those troubles whereinto hee brought her Of all these things you must make an end of necessitie and not suppose that the Common-wealth hath had alreadie from you what was sufficient Shee hath indeed so much as I would neuer haue hoped for but shee is not content with this and the greatnesse of your benefit and courage considered shee expects and desires froÌ„ you greater matters Hitherto with the death of the Tyrant and by your meanes she is reuenged of her iniuries but which of her ornaments hath shee recouered Take you peraduenture these for ornamenâ—s that shee obeyes him dead whom liuing shee could â—ot support or that wee defend his writings whose Lawes we ought to abrogate you 'l tell me we so determined It is true But wee did it to giue way vnto the times which in a Common-wealth are of great â—orâ—â— But some bearing themselues indiscreetly and vngratfully assume too much securitie vpon our courtesie Of which and manie other things wee will shortly discouâ—se at our meeting In the meane while perswade your selfe that I both in respect of the Common-wealth which was euer most dâ—aâ—e vnâ—o me as also for the loue we beare one another haue an especiall care of your dignity Looke vnto your heath Farewell Cicero to Caius Cassius Epist. 2. I Am verie glad that my sentence and Oration giues you content The which if I could often vse it would be no great labour to vs to re-establish the Common-wealâ—h in lâ—bertie But this foolish and debauched companion and a wickedâ—â— wretch then hee was of whom you weâ—e wonâ— to say that there was slâ—ine an impious man seâ—kes all meanes to procure a murder and hee doth for no other end charge me thâ—t I ploâ—ted Caesars death but because the old souldiers might rise vp against mee Which danger no wayes daunts me so that I may also purchase praise for that which you most gloriously haue â—ffected Aâ—d thus neither Piso who was â—he first that spake against him without anie man to second him nor I who a â—onth after did the like nor Publius Serâ—â—lius who spake after me can securâ—ly goe into the Senate For that bâ—oudie fellow vseth all meanâ—s to pâ—ocuâ—e some slaughter and the xx of Seâ—tember he thought to begin with mee And I can tell you he camâ— prouided iâ—to the Senate hauing for manie dâ—ies in Metellus villâ—ge wâ—ll consideâ—ed that which hee meant to vtter against me But what sound
with your Armie To the end that if things here had the same issue which we desired we might employ your councell and authoritie But if through hard Fortune they were doubtfull as it ordinarily falls out in warres we might be assisted by your armie which I will helpe to the best preferment I am able About which it will then be a fit time to negotiate when it shall be knowne what ayde it will now afford the Common-wealth and what formerly it hath afforded For hitherto their endeuours onely haue beene heard of extraordinary doubtlesse and generous but the effect is that that is expected Which I trust hath in some sort alreadie succeeded or will succeede very shortly For valour and magnanimitie you are aboue all men esteemed And therefore we desire out of hand to see you in Italie If we haue but you we shall thinke we haue a Common-wealth The warre had beene altogether finished if Lepidus had not receiued Antonius who disarm'd and spoâ—led tooke his heeles Whereupon Antoniuâ— was neuer so hatefull to the Cittie as Lepidus is at this present For the one raysed warre in the troubles of the CoÌ„mon-wealth the other in her peace and victorie Against this man we haue Decimus and Plancus elected Consulls In whom great hopes are conceiuedâ— But the vncertaine issue of Battailes makes vs remaine very doubtfull Be therefore perswaded that all lyes vpon you Brutâ—s And that you are boâ—h expected but Brutus hourely And though as I hopâ— your enemies will be vanquished before â—ou come yet by your authoritie the Common-wealth will get vp againe and settle her selfe in some estate that shall be tollerable For there are many things which must be lookâ—t vnto when it fortuneth that the common wealâ—h shall be wholly free'd from the daunger of her wicked'st enemiâ—s â—arewell Caius Cassius Vice-consull to Cicero Ep. 11. IF you be in health it pleaseth me I am healthfull I giue you notice that I am gone into Syria to seâ—ke Lucius Marcus Quintus Crispuâ— Imperator's Who when they had heard in what agitation things were at Rome as excellent and valiant Cittizens they gaue into my hands their Armiâ—s and couragiously together with me they apply themselues vnto the seruice of the Common-wealth And I further aduertise you that the Legion that Quintuâ— Caecilius Bâ—ssus had is come to me And that Aulus Allienus hâ—th consigned ouer the foure Legions which he conducted out of Aegypt to me also Now I cannot imagine it to be anie wayes needfull for me to exhort you to defend the common-wealth and vs so far aâ— is requisite I desire you should vnderstand that powerfull aydes are not wanting eyther to you or to the Senate Wherefore with cheerefull hopes and great courage goe on to defend the Common-wealth About the rest Lucius Carteius a friend of mine shall conferre with you Farewell This fiâ—t of March. From the Camp 's amongst the Taricheae Caius Cassius Viâ—e-consull to Cicero Ep. 12. IF you be in health I am glad my selfe am so I redde your letters wherein I perceiue your singular loue towards me For you seeme not onely to fauour vs as in respect of the common-wealth and for our owne sakes you euer did but further to be verie carefull in our behalfe and to remaine much perplexed Whereupon I supposing you thought that while the Common-wealth was supprest we could haue no repose and that you were much troubled in that you doubted of our safetie I had no sooner receiued the Legions which Aulus Allienus conducted out of Aegypt but I presently wrote vnto you and sent many post's to Rome I also wrote vnto the Senate but I appoynted that my letters should not be presented till you had red them if my people haue obserued what I commaunded But in case my letters haue not beene safely deliuered I am sure that Dolabâ—lla which killing Trebonius by trecherie hath possessed all Asia hath taken my Corrier's and intercepted them All â—he Armies which were in Syria are in my power I haue beene somewhat slow in paying â—he souldiers what I promised yet now at length I find my selfe ridde of care But because you know that I haue refused no perill nor labour in the seruice of the Common-wealth And that perswaded and aduised by you I haue taken vp Armes against a faction of wiâ—ked rebels and that I haue not onely assembled an armie in defence of the Common-wealth and libertie but also taken it by force from most cruâ—ll tyrants whereof if Dolabella had bin Commander he would haue encreased the forces of Antonius not onely by his going but with the fame and expectation of his armie let me intreat you to take mine honour to your protection And if you conceiue that the deserts of the souldiers towards the Common-wealth be of exceeding importance for this and the causes before alledged be carefull to ayde and fauour them And so procure that no man may repent him of choosing rather to follow the Common-wealth then hope of spoyle and rapine In like manner take vnder your proâ—ection so far as in you lyes the honour of Marcus and Crispus Imperator's For that retchlesse Bassus would not assigne ouer vnto me his Legion So that if the souldiers in despight of him had not sent me Ambassadors he would haue kept Apamea beleaguered till by maine force it had beene taken This I request of you not onely for the Common-wealth's sake which was euer most deare vnto you but also in regard of our amitie which I assure my selfe you greatly estimate And be secure that this Armie which I haue is for the seruice of the Senate and euery honest man but principally for your selfe And it both loues and esteemes you hearing daily of the affection which you beare it but if it vnderstand that yoâ— are carefull of their profit it will also thinke it selfe bound to doe what it is able in your behalfe After the writing hereof I heard that Dolabella was come into Cilicia with his forces I will make towardes him and endeuour to certifie you of the issue I would fortune would graunt me such happinesse as is answerable to my deserts towards the Common-wealth Looke to your health and loue me From the Campe this seuenth of May. Farewell Caius Cassius to Cicero Ep. 13. I Hope you are in good health as I was at the writing hereof First wee reioyce for the safetie and victorie of the Common-wealth and then in that your praises are euery day renewed For you proouing a powerfull Consular and greater then when you were Consull you haue gone beyond your selfe Whereat wee doe reioyce but cannot sufficiently wonder There is annexed to your vertue something that is fatall which we haue now many times discerned by experience For your gowne is more fortunate then th' armes of other men Which at this present also hath wrung the Commonwealth out of the hands of enemies and restored it Now therefore we shall liue in libertie Now we shall haue
you most eminent Cittizen and my dearest and in the aduersities of the Common-wealth approued friend I say we shall now haue you a testimonie of our loue both to your selfe and to the Common-wealth which is so neere vnto you And those things which you haue many times promised both to conceale while wee were in seruitude and to disclose in my behalfe then when they might be auailable I now desire not so much that you should vtter them as that your selfe would but repute them what they are For I more esteeme of your iudgement then any mans whatsoeuer neither desire I that you should commend mee aboue my deserts And these our last exployts will not I hope seeme dissonant from the rest nor performed vnaduisedly and without counsell but conformable to those cogitations whereof you are witnesse Wherefore you ought to adde no little to my esteeme that my countrie may entertaine the best hope of me You haue O Marcus Tullius children and neighbours beseeming you and to you worâ—hilie most deare You must also in the Commonwealth next afâ—er these make a deare esteeme of those persons who are emulous of your studies Of which I desire there may be many but yet I thinke not that they are in â—o great a number that I must be excluded and that you haue no place left you wherein you may embrace mee and put mee vpon all things which concurre with your pleasure and my desert I haue peraduenture laide open my minde vnto you but what my wit is cannot through long seruitude be perfectly apprehended Wee haue from the Maritime coast's of Asia and the Islands taken all the shipping we could The presse of such as were to rowe though with great opposition of the Citties was not long in compassing We followed the Armada of Dâ—labella whereof Luciliuâ— was Admirall Who oftentimes bearing vs in hand that hee would vnite himselfe with vs and oftentimes departing from vs at length bare in with Corcyrus and began to keepe himselfe within the port Leauing it wee went to Cyprus because we thought it better to returne to the Campe in that an other Nauiâ— came after which Tullius Cymber had the yeare before gathered together in Bithynia which was commanded by Turulius the Quaestor And from thence wee thought good with all speed to giue you notice of what had happened The Tarsenses most disloyall associats and the Laodiceni farre more foolish haue voluntarily call'd vnto them Dolobella By the aide of which Cittie 's 〈…〉 vp a kinde of armie consisting of Graecian souldiers He hath encamped his men before the towne of Laodicea hee hath broken downe a part of the wall and hath vnited his souldiers with the townes-men Our Cassius with tenne Legions and twenty Cohorts of the League and with foure thousand horse lyes within twenty myles of Palthos and thinkes he may vanquish without comming to fight Because Dolabella is already enforced to buye his wheate at three Tetradrachm's And if he cause no prouision thereof to be conueyed in by the shipping of Laodicea hee must of necessitie be shortly famished And that he shall not be able to procure any such conueyance by the great fleete of Cassius which is vnder the gouernment of Sextilius Ruâ—us and those three which are vnder the conduct of my selfe Turulius and Pâ—tichus he will easilie be hindered Be you therefore of good hope and confident that as you haue there dâ—liuered the Common-wealth so wee â—or our parts will therin vse all expedition Farewell From Cyprus the 13. of Iune Lentulus to his Cicero Ep. 14. HAuing met with our Brutus and perceiuing that hee meant to make some stay beâ—ore his comming into Asiâ— I returned thither to collect the remainder of my labours and to send money forthwith to Rome In the meane time I vnderstood that Dolobella's Nauie was in Lycia With better then an hundred great ships to embarque his armie And that Dolobella had made these preparations to the end that if his hopes in Syria were frustrated he might get aboord and make for Italie to ioyne with th' Antonij and residue of Rebells Whereof I was so fearefull that laying aside all other care with a few small shipping I made towards him And if the Rhodiâ— had not crossed me I had peraduenture ended that businesse Howsoâ—uer the greatest number of those ships were taken and the whole Nauie discomfited Through feare of our arriuall the Captaines souldiers fled and we tooke all the great merchant ships of what burden soeuer I am assured that I haue preuented Dolabella's comming with any Nauie into Italie which I greatly feared and I haue crost his vnion with his Companions which might haue put you to some trouble How greatly the Rhodij despaired both of vs and the Common-wealâ—h by the publike letters which I haue sent you may gather And certainely I haue written lesse of their inraged disposition then in effect I found it But that I haue written somewhat thereof doe not wonder Their follie is too palpable Neither did any particular iniuries to my selfe euer moue mee Their bad practises against our safetie their desire of following the factious their standing out in defiance of euerie honest man could not by me in reason be supported And yet I esteeme them not all knaues But the same parties who neither receiued my father when hee fled nor Lucius Lâ—â—tulus nor Pompeius nor other famous Captains the verie same as it were ouâ— of destinie are either now themselues in Magistracie or else haue such therein as are at their disposing So that persisting in doing euill they shew the same arrogancie And it is not onely profitable to our Common-wealth but also necessarie that such insolencie should bee chastised which will grow greater if by impunitie it be supported As for our honor I desire you would haue a care thereof and when you haue any occasion either in the Senate or in any other occurrent vouchsafe to fauor me Seeing Asia is deputed to the Consuls and they permitted that till they come themselues they may place a Lieuetenant in the gouernment entreat them at my request rather to conferre this dignitie vpon my selfe then any other and that they will constitute me Lieutenant till either of them comes vnto their gouernment For they haue no occasion to hasten their comming or to send hither any Armie For Dolobella is in Syria and will before these men come be supprest by Cassius as you diuinely foresaw and did prognosticate For Dolabella being beaten from Antiochia and in the assault he gaue ill entreated distrusting euerie other Citie is retir'd to Lâ—odicâ—a which is vpon the coast of Syria There I hope shortlie he will be rowsed and hauing no place of refuge left him nor being able to withstand so great an Armie as that of Cassius I make no doubt but that ere this time he is defeated and subdued Whereupon I thinke Pansa and Hirtius need not hasten in their Consulship to come vnto their Prouinces but
it well that you renew our league in the preseruation of the Common-wealth which you enterteined with me as an inheritance from your father Which societie my Cornificius shall alwayes continue amongst vs I am also well pleased that you are of opinion that you need not thanke me in your owne behalfe For betwixt vs this office is supâ—rfluous The Senate should often be solliciâ—ed about your dignitie but that in absence of the Consulls they are neuer assembled except vpon some new occurrents And therefore by â—he Senate ther 's nothing to be done at this present either about those six hundâ—ed Crownes or about those tweÌ„ty one thousand And therfore I am of opinion that you must impose taxations and take vp at interest Concerning the state of the common-wealth I suppose you are aduertised by their letâ—ers who vsually write vnto you of the occurrenâ—s of Rome I am in good hope And I am not wanting to my countrie with my councell care or endeuour To the enemies of the Common-wealth I shew my selfe a capitall enemie Matters appeare to me to be in good state and would be farre better if some men were not culpable Farewell Cicero to Cornificius Ep. 29. I Thinke there is not a man amongst the people of Rome much lesse you who knowes all my occasions thaâ— conceiues not what familiaritie I retain with Lucius Lamia For it was manifested to all Rome at the same time when by Aulus Gabinius the Consull he was confined because valiantly and freely he had defended my safetie Neither did our loue grow onely from this but from an affection which was great and of long continuance Whereupon hee refused not to vndergoe any daunger vpon mine occasion To which offices or rather deserts so pleasing a coÌ„uersation is to be added that there is no man with whom I ought to be more delighted Now the reason of so speciall loue being made manifest vnto you I imagine you looke not with what words I recommend him I would haue you know thus much onely that if you defend Lamia's occasions his agents his Free-men and his very slaues wherein it shall bee requisite it shall more satisfie me then if you had vouchsafed me this courtesie in defence of mine own proper substance and interest 's And I mâ—ke no doubt but without my recommendation your iudgement of men is such that for Lamia's owne sake you will doe any thing very willingly Although 't was said that you were perswaded that he was present at the recording of a decree of the Senate made in preiudice of your honor whereas he was neuer present at the passing of any decree vnder those Consulls And besides this all the decrees that then came from the Senate were false Except you also beleâ—ue that my selfe was pâ—esent at that decree of Sempronius when at the same instant I was not in Rome as I wrote vnto you when the matter was fresh in memorie But of this hitherto I request you my Cornificius with the greatest efficacie I am able that you will verily beleeue that all Lamiaâ—s negotiations are mine owne and take order that he may perceiue that this my recommendation hath beene very vsefull to him You cannot doe me a greater fauour Bee carefull of your health Farewell Cicero to Cornificius Epist. 30. DOe I then write to you for none but such as are contentious And though this be true yet you cannot say but I write often to you For you haue vs'd the matter so that no man thinkes he can obtaine your fauour without my letters But which of your men euer told me that he came from thence as a messenger by whom I haue not written backe againe Or else being denied to talke with you face to face what greater recreation doe I finde then either in writing to you or reading your letters I am rather greeu'd that I am hindred by so many employments that I haue no conueniencie to write vnto you as often as I would For then I would invite you not with Epistles but with whole volumes with which in all reason you sâ—ould prouoke me For though you are employed neuerthelâ—sse you haue more leisure then I. If you haue no time to spare be not so shamelesse and troublesome in importuning me to write often to you considering that you write so seldome to me For if heretofore I haue beene encumbred with many occupations for I was busied in defending the Common-wealth with all care much more am â— at this present For euen as they are more grieuously sicke who seeming to be cuâ—'d of a maladie are relapsed so doe we feele farre greater disturbance being enforced to warre anew when we thought the warre was almost finished But thus much may suffice for these things You my Cornificius labour to perswade your selfe that I am not of so weake an affection not to say inhumaine as that I can be out-gone by you either in loue or courtesie In truth I no wayes doubted of your loue and yet Câ—erippus hath made it me much more manifest Oh what a man is this I alwayes tooke him to be fit for my conuersation but now I apprehend him to be delightsome As I liue he hath not onely reuealed your mind vnto me with your owne words but with your gesture also So as doe not feare that I am offended with you because you wrote vnto me in the selfe same forme as you wrote vnto others True it is I was desirous you should write vnto me in another fashion then you wrote to others but this I did rather excited by loue then choller Touching the charge you say you are and haue bin at in respect of the warre verily I cannot ease you For besides that the Senate by the death of the Consulls remaines as it were without a guide and there is no way to raise any prouâ—sion you would not beleeue into what distrâ—sse of moneyes the publicke treasure is brought which is on all sides exhausted to discharge the payes of â—he best deseruing souldiers which in my opinion can neuer be wholly discharged without some new imposiâ—ions Of Accius Dionysius I thinke there is no newes in that Siratorius told me nothing of him For Publius Lucceius I graunt not that you should better affect then my selfe for he is my bosome friend but vrging the Tole-masters that they should prolong his time they made mee apparantly concâ—iue that they could not doe it by the protestation and oath that they had taken Wherefore I would aduise Luccâ—ius to come home Though if he haue followed the aduise of my letters by that time you read these he should be at Rome Of other things especially of money you not knowing of Paâ—sa's death haue written what you suppos'd you might haue obtain'd by my means Wherein you should not haue fail'd if he had liued for he loued you but being dead I see no meanes how to giue you contentment About Venuleius Latinus and Horaâ—ius in my iudgment you haue done exceeding
secretest cabinets of our Art I will extract an admirable forme of recommendation Which if I doe nor performe endeuor you that by th' effect he may he may beleeâ—e at least that I haue seru'd his turne with letters full of vnusuall Art and motiues This will be done if you shew him all mannâ—r of courtesie that either your nobilitie moues you to or by your authoritie is permitted you not only in action buâ— also in words breefly with your â—â—ry coâ—ntenance Whiâ—h things how much they preuaile in a Prouince I would you had once put in practise Neuerthelesse I hold opinion that the man I commend vnto you is very worthy of your friendship And beleeue it not onely because Cuspius affirmâ—s as much vnto me though this might suffice but in that I know hee can censure of men and hath iudgement in the election of his friends In a word I shall be enform'd of what force these letters were with you and as I hope I shall haue occasion to thanke you And in the meane while in any thing wherein I thinke you would be glad that I should vse mine endeuour I will not faile withall effectuall diligence to employ it Respect your health PVâ—lius Cornelius the bearer heeâ—â—of was commended vnto me by Pâ—blius Cuspiâ—s to whom both onâ— oâ— loue and obligation how much I desire to giue all satisfaction by what is written may be gathered My especiall request is that from this recommendation I may out of hand receiue the greatest and most frequent thankes that poâ—sible can bee giuen mee by Cuspius Cicâ—ro to Caius Cluâ—ius Epist. 7. WHen vpon your departure for Gallia moued by our interchanged affection and the great respect you beare me you came home to visit me I spake with you about the Aâ—ellani who pay tribute for that part of their Countie which lies in Gallia intimating vnto you how neerely I was touched with their interest 's And after your departure the matter being such as it mainly imported a towne of that worth and which I so much esteemed being confident in your good inclination towards me I thought my selfe obliged to write vnto you theroâ— with all possible diligence Though I am not ignorant either of the condition of the times or of your power And I vnderstand but too well that the charge yâ— was giuen you by Caius Caesar was not to iudge but to execute Wherfore I request you to do only so much as I thinke you can and will for my cause willingly And first I would haue you to conceiue it to be true that all the busines of this towne or Incorporation is that there maine interest lies in this County which paies tribute and now through the burdensome impositions it hath endur'd it is â—alne into extreame pouertie Which inconuenience though it appeareth that many other haue equally suffered neuerthelesse I assure you that this towne in particular hath suffered moâ—â— then other Which I forbeare to reâ—â—â—e vnto you least in complaining of my friends miseries I may seeme to distaste those persons whom vnwillingly I would Wherefore were I not confident in my hopes that I can manifest vnto Caesar how that towne vndeseruedly was ouercharg'd with such a burden I would neuer haue sollicited you vpon this occasion But because I am assurâ—d and perswaded that he will haue respect vnto the worth of the Towne to the equiâ—ie and also to the good affection the inhabitants thereof beare towards him I thought good to request and entreat you that you will reserue this cause to him to bee dispatched Which though I would not forbeare to entreat of you though I had not heard that you euer granted so much before yet I entertaine more liuely hopes of obtaining it seeing 't was told me how the Rhegienses had obtained from you the selfsame fauour Who though they be linked in friendship with you yet your loue towards me bids me hope that what courtesies you haue done for your owne you will also performe for mine acquaintance Especially considering that hauing many friends which would sue for the like at your hands by my meanes I request this kindenes only for these men And though I assure my selfe you vnderstand that I discharge not this office without cause and that no vaine ambition hath tickled me on with so great instance to sollicite you yet would I haue you giue credit to my sincere speeches that I am to this towne much obliged it hauing euer aswell in time of my prosperities as disasters made knowne their singular affection to me Wherefore in respect of the viscerall amitie we hold together and for that great loues sake which you haue euer borne me I do in the greatest earnest I am able entreate you that you considering that the estate of â— who le Towne is heere handled which is neere vnto me both in friendshippâ— office and affection will bee pleased to gratifie me And wee shall so value your fauour if wee obtaine from Caesar as our expected grace wee shall repute it granted by your benefit if otherwise wee shall notwithstanding remaine in the same obligation in that you labour'd to procure it vs. And besides the singular pleasure you shall doe me thereby you shall by meanes of such an important fauour further oblige vnto yoursâ—lfe most bountiful noble and most gratefull cittizens and such as shall be worthy of your friendship of whom you may alwaies make any vse either in your owne or friends occasions Farewell Cicero to Marcus Rutilius Epist. 8. BEing a sufficient testimonie to my selfe of the respect that I owe you and hauing by experience made triall of the loue that you beare mee I haâ—e had the boldnesse to requâ—st a fauour as much importing mee as it was necessarie for me to require it of you What esteeme I make of Publius Sextius there 's no man knowes better â—hen my selfe and how much I ought to esteeme him you and all men can imagine Hauing heard from others how well you stand affected to me hee requested me that I would write vnto you with all possible efficacie about the busines of Caâ—us Albinus the Senator by whose daughter the same Publiuâ— Sextius had that vertuous young man Lucius This therefore I haue written vnto you to the end you may apprehend that not only I am bound to haue a care of Publius Sextius but Sextius of Albinus Now the busines is this Caius Albinus receiu'd in payments certaine Farmes of Marcus Laberius at the prises they were valued at which Farmes Laberius bought of Caesâ—r being part of the estate of Plotius If I should say â—hat iâ— would not bee profiâ—able for the Common-wealth that they should be deuided it might seeme that I did not entreat but instruct you But it being Caesars pleasure that the sales and assignements made by Sylla should stand good to the end that his might be thought more durable if the same Farmes be diuyded which Caesar himselfe hath sold what securitie can there bee
in his sales But how much this point imports let your wisedome consider I request you and request you after such a manner that with greater affection iuster cause and hartier desire I cannot request you that you would haue respect vnto Albinus and not meddle with those Farmes once in possession of Laberius For it will not bee onely a ioy vnto mee but after a sort a glorie also if Publius Sextius to whom I am so deepely engaged can by my meanes giue to so neere a â—riend and kinsman satisfaction This therefore I double intreate you to effect for you cannot doe me a greater pleasure and you shall finde it to be vnto me most acceptable Farewell Cicero to Craâ—sipes Epist. 9. THough with the greatest care I could and by word of mouth I commended vnto you the Taxeâ—â—asters of Bithynia and knew that both in respect of my commendation and also of your owne freewill you were desirous in all things that lay within the limits of your power to shew them fauor Neuertheles I was willing to write these vnto you because they whose interests are treaâ—ed of supposed that if I did also by letters declare vnto you how I stood addicted to them it would greatly further their occaâ—ions For I would haue you to conceiue that hauing euer willingly made demonstration that I generally bare no small affection to the Publicans and customers as I stood bound to doe by the great deserts of that Order I am in particular a friend to that company which receiues the customes of Bithynia Which companie both for the place they haue and for the qualitie of the persons therein employed comprehendeth the greater part of the Citie consisting of all the other companies and in it there are by chance many with whom I retaine great friendship and cheâ—fly with Publius Rupilius sonnâ— to Publius of the Tribe Aniensis head of that companie Whose honor is now especially treated of For which reasons I earnestly intreate you that all the courtesie and liberalitie you may aâ—ford you would shew it to Cneius Pupius who is employed by the said Companie And so procure as easilie you may that his companions may remaine very well satisfied in his endeuours and wherein the interests or benefit of those his associates shall occurre for I know what you may performe heerein being Quaestor vouchsafe to assist and defend them which doing besides the effecting a matter that will giue me singular contentment I promise you and because I haue heeretofore made experience I dare assure you that you shall perceiue that you haue beene beneficiall to men that are both mindefull and thankfull Farewell Cicero to Brutus Epist. 10. I Supposed that Marâ—us Vaerro your Quaestor comming to you should not stand in need of any recommendation beleeuing that he had beene sufficiently commended out of the very custome of our predecessors Who as you know esteemed of the Quaestors as of their owne children But he being perswaded that a letter of mine written effectually in his behalfe might greatly preuaile with you I thought good to doe that which a friend supposed might bee a â—urtherance vnto him But to the end you may conceiue that I am bound to do it I thinke good to tell you that Marcus Tâ—rentius Varro when hee first began to plead entred into friendshippe with mee afterwards when hee grew to riper yeares two respects occurred of encreasing my loue towards him one was because he followed those studies wherewith we are at this day much delighted he followed it as you know with vnderstanding and diligence And withall because he entred betimes into the societie of the Tole-masters which notwithstanding I liked not in that he suffered great losses Neuerthelesse he being one of that order whom I euer receiued to speciall protection our amity grew more coÌ„firmed Besides this he hauing beene an aduocate and Iudge with apparant fidelitie and good esteeme before this mutation of the Commonwealth hee applied himselfe to demand a Quaestorship supposing that this honorable degree would be a recompence of his trauailes And not long since I sent him from Brundusium to Caesar with letters of truâ—t wherein I euidently perceiued how much he loued me in taking willingly this charge vpon him and how faithfull a friend hee was in bringing the matter to effect I was determined hauing layd open the occasion of my loue towards him to informe you particularly of his honestie good conditions but hauing declar'd the reason thereof I thinke I haue sufficiently intimaâ—ed his vprightnesse Neuerthelesse I will not forbeare to promise and secure you that you will bee much satisfied in his friendship for the benefit which will accrew vnto you therby For you shall discerne him to be a man both prudent and farre from all auarice or ambition and besides of singular endeuour and industrie Neither should I intimate vnto you these thinges which you will obserue when you haue â—ad experience of them Notwithâ—tanding in all beginnings of friendship it greatly imports what the foundation is with what good fame we enter into an amitie To which effect I meant to write these present letters though it was needlesse the obligation of Quaestorshipâ— being a sufficient induction the which neuerthelesse may the more moue you annexing thereunto my letters Wherefore if you make that esteeme of mee which Varro beleeueâ— and I am verily perswadedâ— procure that I may vnderstand that hee receiued from this my commendation that furtherance which hee hoped and I doubted not Farewell Cicero to Brutus Ep. 11. IN that I alwayes knew you very desirous to be ignorant of nothing that concerned me I make no doubt but you conceiue not onely of what towne I am but also how zealously I was wont to assist the Arpinates my countreymen who are not able by any other reuenewes then those that they haue in Gallia to maintaine the charge which they are at about the worsâ—ip of the gods and reparation of Churches and publicke places Now to view the said reuenewes to recouer the money owing by the countrie-people and to receâ—ue full information of the matter and to follow it we haue sent as Commissioners Quintus Fuâ—idius sonne â—o Quintus Marcus Fâ—ucius sonne to Marcus and Quintus Mamurâ—us sonne to Quintus all Romaine knights I earnestly entreat you for our inward amities sake that you will be mindfull of that businesse and procure effectuallie that the câ—use of the said Towne may bee heard without any impediment and wâ—thall expedition be dispatched and that towardes the fore-mentioned knights you would vse all those ceremonies of honor and courtesie which your gentle disposition shall encline you to You shall herein purchase the friendship of honest men and oblige a very gratâ—fuâ—l Towne vnto your â—elfe by meanes of such a benâ—fit And to me also you shall hereby doe a gâ—â—atâ—r pleasure for besides that I â—m alwayes accustomed to helpe my couâ—try-men there is now somewhat moâ—e to bee considered for this yeare
in my house with Diodoâ—â—s the Stoick a person in my iudgement very learned Now set on fire with the affection which he beares to your worthie acts he desires to write them in Greeke and I think he can performe it He hath wit and experience in humainâ— actions hee hath beene long time exercis'd in these manner of studies and learning and he desires to giue life and perpetuitie to your prayses This is the testiâ—onie of my opinion But you that are most wise may giue a sounder iudgement hereof And though I said I would not yet I recommend him and whatsoeuer fauour you shew him it shall vnto my selfe be aboue measure acceptable Farewell Cicero to Sâ—ruius Sulpitius Epist. 17. I Loue Manius Curius who negotiates at Patrae vpon many and worthie occasions For I haue both had auncient friendship with him enâ—ertein'd at his first calling to the barre and being sometime to goe to Patrae as well before that miserable war as in the time thereof he freely alwayes offred mee his house Which if I had beene anie wayes vrged thereunto I would haue vs'd as mine owne And there is further a more religious tye as it were betwixt vs in that he is most familiar with our Atticus and loues and honours him aboue all others If peraduenture you haue knowne him heretofore I thinke the office I do him will come too late for he is so noble and worthie that I iudge he hath alreadie beene commended vnto you by his owne demeanour Which though it be so yet I earnestly sollicite you that if before the receipt of these you had any enclination to do him goodâ— now in respect of this my further recommendation you wiâ—l heape vpon him your most enâ—ire affection But bâ—ing of a very modest naâ—ure if he came not to doâ— you â—euerence or if yet you hâ—ue no gâ—eat knowledge oâ— him or that for some occasion he hath need of further recommendation I commend him after suâ—h a manner as I am not able with greater affâ—ction or vppon more iust respects to commend any liuing man vnto you And I will do that which they ought to performe who religiously without ostentation recoÌ„mend I will promise nay I doe promise you and vpon my reputation secure you that the customes of Manius Curius are such his bountie and gentilitie of that qualitie as when you know him you will acknowledg him worthy of your friendship and this my earnest commendation Questionlesse you shall doe me a singular fauour if I vnderstand that these letters tooke such effect with you as to my selfe in writing them I promised Farewell Cicero to Seruius Sulpitius Epist. 18. I saw our friend Atticâ—â— become proud with ioy vpon the receipt of courteous and delightful letters which you wrote vnto him Which notwithstanding I will not yeeld to haue bin more acceptable to him then to my selfe For though they were equally welcome to vs both yet I wondred that you wrote and made such vnexpected offers to him as if he had intreated and sought vnto you you could not more coâ—rteously haue answer'd him which notwithstanding we are assured in such a case you would not haue omitted About which I ought not onely not to entreat you that you would performe it also more carefully for my respect for more cannot â—ee done then of your selfe you haue promised but not so much as to giue you thankes becaâ—se you haue done it for his owne sake and out of your owne free disposition I must confesse notwithstanding that what you haue done hath giuen me singular satisfaction in that I cannot but take full contentment that you should haue such an opinion of him whom I so highly estimate And being so it cannot but bee acceptable of necessitie But for all this seeing by our domesticall amitie it is permitted me that I may also commit a sinne in writing both those offices which I haue hitherto denyed shall bee now performed I desire therefore that to the sâ—me demonstration of courtesie whicâ— you made for the sake of Aâ—ticus you will adde as much more as by our loue towardes him may be procured And whereas before I durst not be so bold as to giue you thankes now I render them heartily and desire that you would assure your selfe that for what câ—urtesie soeuer in the businesses of Epirâ—â— or in any other respect you oblige Atticâ—â—â— for the same in like manner will I esteeme my selfe to be oblieged Farewell Cicero to Seruius Sulpitius Epist. 19. LYso at Patrae and I here haue long time lodged one another which domesticall friendship in my opinion ought to be respected as a sacred matâ—er But though I bee tied with many â—thers in this bond of hospitalitie â—here is none that hath in me so famiâ—iar an interest Which for many pleasures he hath done me and by continuall conuersation is so augmenâ—ed that there is nothing more intrinsicall then our familiaritie This man remaining about a yeere in Rome and leading his life so as he liued with me though wee were in great hope that by my letters written in recommendation of his goods and substance you would himselfe not being there take them as you did to your protection yet all things remaining in one mans power and Lyso taking part with vs and arming himselfe in our assistance we daily feared his occasions Neuertheleâ—se in that he is a man of quality because I fauored him together with some other of his friends we obtain'd of Caesar what he desired which you shall haue notice of by Caesars letters Now though wee had our purpose yet we doe not onely not forbeare to commend him to youâ— as if wee had obtained all that was requisite but further with great efficacy wee importune you to take Lyso into your loue and protection This mans doubtfull fortunes we did the more respectiuely commend vnto you fearing lest some such accident might fall ouâ— that neither you could haue preuented But now that we are secure of his safetie with speciall care I entreat you to doe him all the fauours you are able Amongst which not to recount them onâ— by one I recommend vnto you in generall his whole Familie And because Caius Meâ—mius Gâ—mellus my Clyent being made a Citizen of Patrae did in the calamitie of his banishment adopt the son of Lyso according to the Lawes of Patrae I request you to vndertake the protection of this young man also and to defend his cause and the right of his inheritance The maine is this that you affect Lyso whom I haue found to bee an honest man and very thankfull for good turnes receiued In doing this I am assured that in louing and recommending him hereafter to any other your selfe will bee of my iudgement and disposition I now vse this feruencie in his recommendation not only because I desire beyond measure that the matter may bee effected but because I doubt that if you doe not entirely fauour him therein he may suppose I
to the Lacedaemonians Wherefore I onely request you that when you shew the Lacedaemonians those fauours which stand with your credit dignitie and equitie if you thinke good cause them to vnderstand that you are desirous to heare that the pleasures which you doe them may by me also be approued For it concernes me that they should beleeue that I haue a care of their Interests This I request you with the greatest zeale that I am able Farewell Cicero to Lucius Plancus Epist. 29. I Make no question but you conceiue how amongst all those friends your Father left you I am nearest vnto you not onely for those reasons which carrie a great apparence of alliance but also for those that consist in familiaritie and conuersation The which you know betweene your father and mee were the greatest and most delightsome in the world From these beginnings spring the loue which I beare you Which loue made our amitie greater then that wee held with your Father And so much the more because I perceiued that so soone as you attain'd to the yeares to be able to iudge in what proportion euery one deseru'd to be esteemed of you that you began to honor obserue and loue me aboue all others Besides all this we were knit together with a farre firmer knot as by the knot of studies which of it selfe greatly imports especially being of those studies and those vertues which of themselues procure that the parties which are of one minde are also conioyn'd in familiaritie I suppose you expect what this far-fetcht discourse will tend vnto First therefore you shall vnderstand that I haue not ript vp this commemoration without great and worthie respects I frequent most familiarly with Caâ—us Atteius Capito You know both the prosperous and contrary euents of my affairs Both in the one and th' other I haue made proofe oâ— Capito'â— good will and affection And I did not onâ—ly mâ—ke vse of his endeuour authoritie and fauour but also of his goods according as the necessitie of my good or bad Fortunes required Titus Antisâ—ius was a kinsman to this man Who by accident being Quaestor of Macedâ—nia and hauing no successor therein Pompeâ—us went thither with his Armie Anâ—istius could not doe as he would For if hee might his greatest contentment had beene to haue return'd to Capito whom he loued as a Father especially conceiuing what an esteeme he â—uer had and did make of Caesar. But being vnder anothers power and in that hee could doe no lesse he tooke vpon him some commaund When the moneys were coin'd in Apoâ—â—â—nia I cannot say that he had the ouer-seeing thereof nor denie that he was present But certainly not aboue two or three moneths From that time forward he neuer was in the Campe he shunned all command Beleeue thâ—s from me as a most true testimonie For he obseru'd my discontentment in that warre he imparted all his secrets to me Whereupon he retir'd to hide himselfe in Macedonia flying from the Campe as far as he could and not onâ—ly from taking vpon him any charge but from being so much as present From thence after the battaile fought he went into Bithynia to Aâ—lus Plancius his verie good friend There Caesâ—r seeing him he gaue him not one bitter nor sharpe wordâ— he enioyned him to come to Rome A few dâ—ies after he fell sicke and recouer'd not that sicknesse Hee câ—me sicke to Corcyra and there dyed Of his goods by force of a will that he made in Rome when Paulus and Marcellus were Consulls Capito of twelue parts is to enioy ten the other two parts fall to them whose portion without any iust complaâ—nâ— of any man falls to the Publicke and amounts to the value of nine hundred Crownes My Plancus for the inward amâ—tie that passed sometimes betwixt me and your Father and for the loue we beare one another For our studies sake and conformable manner of life we haue alwaies obserued I request and entreat you as effectually and perswasiuely as I am able that you will repute it as mine owne suâ—e and employ therein your whole power and so procure that Capito by this recommendation and by meanes of your fauour and Caesars benefit may obtaine his kinsmans enheritance All the fauours which in this high renowne and esteeme you are in with Caesar I could haue had graunted from you vpon request I will thinke conferred vpon me out of your owne voluntarie free will if you doe but graunt me this petition And because you may the more readily encline to comfort him herein behold one reason well knowne to Caesar himselfe that Capito euer bare wonderfull loue and great respect to Caesar. But Caesar himselfe can testifie thus much I know he hath a verie good memorie and therefore I 'le mention it no further I require nothing else but that you will moue Caesar in the cause of Capito with equall zeale to the memoriall you shall perceiue that he retaineth of Capito I 'le deliuer vnto you what experience I haue made of him of what validitie it is your selfe shall iudge You vnderstand what part I tooke what cause was by me defended You are priuie what men and what societie of men I followed Of thus much be assured that if in this warre I perform'd any thing against Caesars mind I was aduis'd â—xhorted and euen driuen vnto it by others and I am not ignorant how Caesar himselfe knowes that I was violently haâ—â—d thereunto but if in the same warre I bare my selfe more temperately and moderately then anie other Capito was the man that councelled and perswaded me so to doe like to whom if my other friends had bin peraduenture it might haue beene profitable to the Common-wealth and my selfe I know I should haue infinitely benefitted Now my Planâ—us if you satisfie me in this my desire I shall bee confirmed in my hopes that I am of you beloued and you shall gaine the same Capito a most thankefull officious and very honest friend in requitall of a fauour so important Farewell Cicero to Acilius Vice-Consull Ep. 30. LVcius Manlius Sosis was sometimes of Catina but he is now become a Romaine Cittizen together with th' other Neapolitanes and was created Decurio of Naples For before it was granted to the conâ—ederates of the people of Rome to be free denizens and to those of Latium he was chosen cittizen of the Towne of Naples His brother not long since died in Catinâ— Wee doe not thinke he will any waies be crost about the inheritances descended to him for he is now in possession of them but in that besides these goods he hath other old negotiations in Sicilia I recommend vnto you both this inheritance left him by his brother and all other his affaires but aboue all I commend himselfe vnto you as a man of great integritie my very familiar friend and one that is adorned with those studies of doctrine and that learning wherein I especially am delighted I request you therefore that
none more deare vnto me then himselfe You know how he is in sutes with the Sardiani In Ephesus I inâ—orm'd you of the cause which notwithstanding you shall face to face better and more easily vnderstand For the rest I haue quâ—stionlâ—sse beene long doubtfull how I should wâ—ite vnto you it being plaine to youâ— great commendation made manifest after what manner you administer Iustice and we hauing neede of nothing else but that you will proceed according to your vsuall fashion Notwithstaâ—ding beâ—ng not conceal'd from me of what authoritie a Praetor is especialâ—y if he be of that integritie grauitie and clemencie wherewith it is openly knowne you are endowed I request you for our friendly league and for our equall and mutuall offices that with authoritie endeuour and fauour you will so procure that Marcus Annâ—ius may vnderstand both that you lou'd him heretofore as he supposeth and hath often told me and that my letters haue made you loue him more effâ—ctuallie During your gouernment and auâ—horitie in that Prouince no occasion can occur vnto me wherein you can shew me greater fauour Withall I am assured that you vnderstand how well your fauour and courtesie will be placed vpon a man that is so thankefull and so honest Farewell Cicero to Thermus Vice-Praetor Epist. 56. CAius Cluuius a Puteolan obserues me greatly and is my familiar acquaintance He hath certaine affayres in your Prouince which if he cannot compâ—sse while you are there Gouernour by meanes of my recommendations he will hould them for lost and desperate Now seeing so great an iniunction is laid vpon me by a friend more officious to me then any other I will impose so it be not troublesome vnto you the like charge vppon your selfe as being encouraged by your former exceeding fauours Cluuius should haue money of the Mylasij and the Alabandenses Euthydâ—mus told me once in Ephesus that he would cause the Mylasij to send their Proctours to Rome And there 's nothing yet performed I vnderstand they haue sent thither Ambassadors but I should be more glad that their Proctours were come that I might deale with them and conclude somewhat Wherefore I require at your hands as a fauour that you would enioyne them and the Alabandâ—nses to send their Proctours to Rome Besides Philotes the Alabandensian hath bound and made ouer vnto Cluuius certaine lands I desire that you would vrge Philotes either to put the agents of Cluuius in possâ—ssion of the said morgages or else to paie the moneys And moreouer that you would take order that Hâ—racleotae and Bargyletae satisfie the debt they owe to Cluuius either with readie coyne or out of their reâ—enues The Caunij are also his debtors but they say the money was committed vnto them vpon â—â—ust whereof I would desire you to be informed And if you finde that theâ—e be no decree nor â—dict passed that free 's them from paying interest for the money so dâ—poseâ— procure that it may be pay'd him according to the cusâ—ome in your Prouince Oâ— the matters aboue menâ—ioned I take the greater care because it conceâ—nes the particular inâ—erest of my deare frâ—nd Cneius Pompeius and in that I see that he is more carefull thereof then Cluuius himselfe and because I much desire that he may remaine satisfied in my best offices I beseech you therefore in all loue that you will be pleased to graunt what I haue requested Farewell Cicero to Thermus Vice-Praetor Ep. 57. THe more I heare by letters and messengers that there is great war in Syria the more I entrâ—at and enioyne you by the great friendsâ—ip that is betwixt vs to send me presently Marcus Annelus my Legate backe againe because I know I may make vse of the endeuour counsell and experience he hath in Militarie discipline to the infinite benefit of the Common-wealth And if necessitie had not vrged him to come vnto you neyther would he vpon any tearmes haue lâ—ft me or I haue graunted that he should I make account to set forward towards Cilicia about the first of May and Anneius must needs before that â—ime be râ—turned I formerly spake and wrote vnto you about a matter he hath in hand with the Sardian people And I now againe most earnestly request and entreat you to procure that he may according to the merit of his cause and dignitie be dispatched I conceiu'd by your words when I talked with you about it in â—phesuâ— that you were enclin'd to shew all fauour to Marcus Anneius for his owne sake neuerthelesse be assured if I vnderstand that he hath by your meanes a good end of the forâ—â—â—d businesse according to his expectation I shall thinke I haue receiu'd from you a singular kindnesse And I most â—arnâ—stly entreat you to vse therin all expâ—dition Farewell Cicero to Caius Titius Rufus sonne to Lucius Praetor in Rome Ep. 58. LVcius Custidius is my kinsman country-man and familiar friend Hâ— hath a certaine suâ—e which is likelie to come into your Court. I should bee as much asham'd to demand any thing dishonest in his behalfe as you out oâ— your respect to your office and honor would be to grant it I therefore onely entrâ—at you that he may haue fauourable accesse vnto you And that hauing right you will graunt it him That he may vnderstand that my friendship euen when I was furthest off was of force with you to further him Farewell Cicero to Curtius Poeduceanus Praetor Epist. 59. I Beare a singular affectâ—on to Marcus Fabius and we haue conuersed together of long time wâ—th great familiaritie In his sutes I request you not to iudge one way or other for you will obserue that which vpon edict and your ordâ—r belongs to your credit and your dignitie but that he may onely haue the benefit to be heard and that you will but willingly graunt him what is iust to the end he may know that my friendship though I were farre absent was beneficiall to him and especiallie with your selfe Which I make my earnest request Farewell Cicero to Caius Munatius sonne to Caius Ep. 60. LVcius Liuineius Trypho is free-man to Lucius Regulus my verie familiar acquaintance whose mis-fortune is a cause that I am more officious to him then vsuall For I cannot be more affectionate to him then I haue beene But I loue Trypho for his owne deserts For hee did me great pleasuâ—â— in the time of my mis forâ—unes â—â—erâ—in â— might euidently perceiue each mans good will and coâ—stâ—ncie I recommend him therefore to you with the same vehemencie with which those that would be accompted grateâ—ull are bound to recommend them fâ—om whom they haue receiu'd a benefit I shall be highly pleas'd thaâ— he might perceiue that you out of your loue vnto me tooke in good part also the kindnesse he did me in exposing himselfe to many daungers for my safetie and his often going to Sea for me in the midd'st of Winter Farewell Cicero to Publius Silius Vice-Praetor Epist. 61. I Suppose
of Iulie Cicero to Terâ—ntia his wife and to Tulliola his young daughter Epist. 14. 'T Is well with vs if you bee well You must not hereafter expect that I should aduise you what couâ—se to take in that â—ou may herein counsâ—ll your selues If he come to Rome with an intention to permit nothing to bee done otherwisâ— then what 's bâ—sitting it will not be much out of the way for you now to keepe still at home but if he come enflamed with furie and resolued to sack the Citie I beleeue in that case Dolabella himselfe would hardly bee able to preserue you And besides this you must consider that in delaying your departure the waies may bee all so laid that then you cannot goe when you would Aboue all you must obserue whether anie womâ—n of your qualitie continue in Rome which you may better enforme your selues of then I. And if none remaine for my part I see not how you can staie there with your honour Howsoeuer the matter goe so the gouernment of these quarters be left vnto me this will be a verie conuenieÌ„t residence for you you may either reside together with mee in the townes or in your Granges And besides the reasons aboue mentioned I must needes likewise acquaint you with this that I feare within few daies there will grow a great dearth within the Citie Communicate with Pompâ—nius and Camillus about all things and by whom you thinke good bee aduised but in anie wise be of a resolute mind The comming of Labienus stood vs in great stead Piso also here assists vs For hee attends not his sonne in law Caesars comming into the Citie but hee termes him Impious and leaues Rome because he would not see him You my deerest soules write often vnto mee both what you doe and how matters passe there abouts My brother and his son and Rufus salute you Fare ye well From Minturnae the xxiiij of Iune Cicero to his wife Terentia Epist. 15. SOme daies since I wrote vnto you that I was determined to send Cicero to meet Caesar but since I chang'd my minde hauing no certainty of his comming For other matters though there be no newes neuerâ—helesse from Siâ—â— you shall vnderstand my minde and aduice how we are to beare our selues at this present Tullia shall now remaine with mee Preserue your health careâ—ully Farewell The xx of Iune Cicero to his wife Terentia Epist. 16. THough the times are such as it is not materiall that either I should â—xpect your letters or you mine Neuerthelesse I daily looke for them and whâ—nsoeuer I hâ—ue opportunitie I likewiâ—e write vnto you and I know not why Vâ—luâ—â—â—a should hâ—ue beene more officious to yâ—u then shâ—â— hath beene and â—hat little sâ—e hath donâ— she might hâ—ue pâ—râ—orâ—'d it moâ—e diligenâ—ly and wâ—â—h grâ—â—teâ— caution But what imports this there â—re other maâ—ters of greâ—ter conâ—â—qâ—â—nce and greaâ—er molâ—â—tation which procure â—e thaâ—â—ffliction whiâ—h they arâ— glaâ— of â—hat haue beaten mee from mâ—â—e own opinionâ— Be careâ—ull of youâ— health The iiij of Ianuarie Cicero to Terentia his wife Epist. 17. IF I had anie thing to write I would doe it freely and verie often You now see to what passe matteâ—s are brought But how I am aâ—fected yoâ— may know of Leptâ— and Trebatius â—ee you haue a care of your owne health and Tullia's Farewell Cicero to Terentia his wife and to Tuâ—â—iola his daughter Epist. 18. I Beseech you deare soules to bee weâ—l aduised what you meane to doe whether to remaine in Rome or to come and liue with mee in some secure place It belongs not onely to me buâ— to you also to take some course herein Me thinkes you may continue secuâ—elie in Râ—me by Dolabelia's protectâ—on through whose meanes if anie violence or rapine should begin you might haue a waie to preserue your goods and persons But on the other side I feare seeing all good men are out of Rome and haue their women wiâ—h them So that it would not bâ—e muâ—h amisâ—e that you should come to mâ—e in theâ—e parts which are vnder my Gouernment where you might remaine with me during your pleasure and when you would depart you may be secure in our Guâ—risâ—ns In conclusion I cannot discerne which is the better course Obserue you what other Gâ—ntle-women doe and tâ—ke heede â—hat you be not enforced to staie when â—ou would bee gone Consider thereâ—pon verie aduiâ—edly amoâ—gst your â—elues and with our friends Cause Philotimus to make Bulwarkes about the house place a Gard about it And I pray you take vp Corrier's of purposâ— to the end no daie may passe without receiuing letters from you And aboue all things as you desire our healths looke to your owne From Formiae The xx of Ianuarie Cicero to his wife Terentia Epist. 19. AMongst other excâ—eding great sorrowes the sicknesse of our Tullia goes verie neere me Of whom it imports not that I write anie thing else vnto you being assured that you haue as great a care of her as I haue Wheras you desire that I would come neerer hand I see it requisite and had alreadie done so but that I met with manie impediments which as yet aâ—e not remoued But I expect letters from Pomponius which I praie you conuey presâ—ntlie vnto meâ— Tender your health Cicero to his wife Terentia Epist. 20. WE thinke to bee at Tusculanum within ten or eleuen daies See euerie thing be there prouided for it may so falâ— out that wee may bring manie with vs and I beleeue wee shall continue there sometime together If there bee not a bathing â—ub within the stoue let one bee gotten as also all other necessaries that belong eithâ—r to nourish or preserue vs. Farewell The xxviij of September Cicero to his wife Terentia Epist. 21. I Should be glad you were in health as I was at the wriâ—â—ng hereof Endâ—uor to grow strong againe Mâ—ke prouision of things necessâ—rie Let vs haue them â—ccoâ—ding to the â—imes And aduerâ—ise me of alâ— occurrenâ—s Farewell Cicero to his wife Terentia Epist. 22. I Should be glad c. We daily expect your Corrier's when they come wâ—e shall peraduenâ—ure conceiue what wee are to doe and will presently acquaint you Bee verie carefull of your health Farewell The first of September Cicero to his wife Terâ—ntia Epist 23. IF you bee as I am all 's well Hitherto I can heare no certaintie either of Caesars comming or of the letters which they say Philâ—timus hath When the truth is knowne I will forthwith aduertise you Bee carefuâ—ly respectiue of your health The eleuenth of August Cicero to his wife Terâ—ntia Epist. 24. IF you be as I am all 's well I haue at leâ—gth receiued letters from Caesar full of loue and courtesie and 't is reported he will be heere sooner then is imagined When I haue made my determination You shall know whether I meane to meet him or expect him Dispatch the Corrier's with all expedition And be verie carefull
testimonie of the affection you beare him and of his owne worth for which you reputed him worthie of your protection The King hauing heard this Embassie he began fiâ—st to thanke you in the best manner he could and then my selfe taking it for a great grace and wonderfull honor â—hat the Senate and people of Rome should haue so great a caâ—e of his saâ—etie and that I vs'd so much diligence to let him know it And so proceâ—ding in his discourse he told me to my great contentment how he â—â—ued freâ— from all feare and suspicion as well of his life as of his kingdome whereat reâ—oycing with him and expressing the contenâ—ment of minde I felt therebyâ— I exhorted him to be mindeâ—ull of the horrible accident of his fatherâ— death and carefully to looke to himsâ—lfe and by our aduise to lay foâ— his owne safetâ—e After this taking leâ—ue of me he returned to Cybistrâ— The day after hee came much disturbed and lamâ—nting to me in my Tents togeatherâ— with Ariarâ—thes hiâ— brother and with his fathers ancientest fâ—iends who lâ—mented no lesse then himselâ—e and hauing pittiâ—ully demanded ayde of mee I cast with my selfe what might be the meaning thereof And â—e at largâ— laid open vnto me the occasion inferring how certaine practises were diâ—couered intended against him Whâ—ch hithâ—rto had lyen hid in respect that they who might haue reuealed them for feare had concealed them And though they saw themâ—elues free'd of the danger yet they fâ—ared to discouer them but being secuâ—ed in my power they boldly made them knowne And amongst these was his louing and courteous broâ—her who also in my presence affirm'd how he had beene prouoked to make a way to the kingdome by his brothers death in that hee could not raigne while he liued but for feare of worie he neuer reueal'd it to him before my arriuall which procur'd such securitie that these treasons came to be discouered Vnderstanding the matter I entreated the king to be circumspect and to vse all meanes and endeauour for the preseruation of his life State And I exhorted those faithfull friends and followers who were so beloued of his father that bearing in minde the disastrous accident befallen the old King with all care and vigilancie they should intend the preseruing of this man present Herâ—upon the King requesting me to lend him a part of my horse and infanterie though I had not onely ample licence from you but also strict iniunction that so I might and should doe yet the necessities of the Commonâ—wealth enforcing me to conduct my Armie vpon the confines of Cilicia without interposing any delay for the bad newes which euery day came out of Syria and supposing the King able enough to defend himselfe without the succor of my Armie in that the trecheries were now made knowne I perswaded him that the first demonstration of himselfe to be a king was to preseruâ— his owne life then that he should be a seuere persecutor of whomsoeuer had committed any treason against his person that hee should punish the heads of the conspiracie and beare himselfe chearefully to others for the rooting of all suspition out of their mindes And that he would rather make vse of mine Armie to daunt the courage of the delinquenâ—s then any wayes to contest with thâ—m Heereunto adding that your decree would be of so great force that no man dâ—â—st innouâ—te any thing they conceiuing that I had expresse commissioâ— from you to ayde him and to curâ—e their insolency that plotted against him And after I had with liuely reasons perswaded him to bee of good courage I rais'd my Campe from the foresaid place directing my march towards Cilicia And so I departed out of Cappâ—doâ—ia hauing miraculously preserued both the life and state of Ariobarzanes Whom you had prudently recommended vnto mee granting him first out of your owne â—ree-will the titâ—e of a King by decree's full of affection Wherein you shewed the great care you tooke of his sâ—fetie whereof I thought good to giue you notice that you might vndeâ—stand how you by your circumspection preuented a great euill which ere long would haue produced wicked effects And I write the more willingly to you heâ—reof because me thinkes I discern'd in king Ariobarzanes so many and such like signes of wit fidelitiâ— and loue as it may be conceiu'd that not without speciall reason you tooke so principall a care of his well doing Fare you well Cicero to Marcus Cato Epist. 3. THE third of September the Embassadors of king Antiochus Commagenus came vnto mee there where I had pitched vnder Iconium bringing newes how the sonne of the Parthian king kinsman to the king of the Armenians with an innumerable companie of Paribians and a great number also of other nations was come to the banks of Euphrates had already begun to transport his Souldiers Hâ—reunto annexing how it was reported that the king of Armenia would make some incursion into Cappadocia whereof I was desirous to adueâ—tise you for our friendships sake not being willing to write publikely thereof for two reasons one because the Ambassadors informed me that the foresaid king Commagenus presently dispatched messengers to the Senate with letters wherein he certified them of all th' other because I made reckoning that Marcus Bibulus vice-Consull being departed from Ephesus euer since the midd'st of August and hauing had faire windes was now come into his Prouince and so consequently with greater certaintie might write vnto the Senate of the euents of Syria And because I see all other meanes excluded of defending these Countries I labor to purchase the loue good will of the people and to keepe our Colleagaâ—es in fidelitie And nothing else occurring worthie of inâ—ormation I beseech you to loue and fauour me as you were wonâ— to doe Farewell Cicero to Marcus Cato Epist. 4. BEing resolued to make a sute vnto the Senate which questionlesse in it selfe is iust and honest neuerâ—helesse I thought fit therein to vse your authoritie as an instrument knowing what fauour and assiâ—tance the rare quâ—lities of your minde may affoord me which haue brought you into such reputation with euery man that your meanes in obtaining any great matter of moment are exceeding powerfull And to this effect I was dâ—sirous in this present letter fully to aduertise you of the course I tooke to retaine the amiâ—ie of our associat's and of the Iustice and Chaâ—itie which I shewed to their Subâ—ectes hoping that by this way I should more easilie encline you to fauour me The last of Iuly I was in my Prouince and perceiuing how it was a season to repaire to the Armie without any delaie I stayed onely in Laodâ—cea three daies in Apameae foure three in Sinadis and as many more in Philomelum and leauing in all these townes multitudes of souldiers I disburdened manie other Citties who were surcharged with intollerable tributes and heauie vsuries and clear'd them of infinite debts vnsufferable growing by
Deiotarus These put all together cannot peraduenture speake so far that they can with words adde anie thing to the effects But because in all ages there was a lesser number of those that could subdue their owne appetites then of those that knew how to vanquish an enemie certainely you ought to repute my operations the greater and more iust comparing with the excellencie of armes these parts which are more rare and found with greater difficultie I will not proceed to more â—fficacious entreaties But as it were distrusting to be heard I will cal Philosophie to mine ayde which is the dearest thing that I esteeme in the world and the most worthie giâ—t that euer the Gods bestowed vpon humane generation This communion therefore of studies wherby both of vs hauing from our childhood applied all our thoughts and endeuors thereunto we haue almost alone brought that ancient true Philosophie which some hold to taste of sloth idlenesse into the Foruâ— and Common-wealth almost into the armie shal preâ—ch my deserts vnto you which I suppose Cato cannot but vnlawfully denie Wherefore assure your selfe that if it so happen that the Senate through your perswasion grant me this honour I shall repute I haue aâ—tained to my intention by the means I most desired that is by the loue you beare mee and your owne authoritie Farewell Marcus Cato to Cicero Imperator Epist. 5. HAuing vnderstood of the vigilant care you haue taken of the people committed to your charge and the Iustice you haue executed in your gouernment your zeale in procuring their happines I haue found such contentment therein as our friendship and the loue I beare vnto my Countrey requireth Which notwithstanding to me is no new thing nor to anie that haue knowne the diuine forme by you obserued in the Regiments of Rome wherefore not thinking it fit that your praises should bee concealed hauing with innocencie and good counsels defended the Prouince preseru'd the Kingdome of Ariobarzanes with the King himselfe recalled to the obedience of our Empire the Confederates I spake openly in the Senate in testimonie of your vertues which had produced so happie effects The Senate vndâ—rstanding your desire according to the ancient order did delâ—berate that all the Temples of the Citie should bee visited And if for that which you haue effected not by anie fauour of prosperous Fortune but by meanes of your owne moderation and prudence you had rather the people of Rome should giue thankes to the immortall Gods then acknowledge it from your selfe I in like manner reioyce thereat But if you affect this honour esteeming it an earnest of your Triumph And would for this haue vs more bouud to Fortune then to your selfe Know that Triumph doth not alwaies second such honor In my opinion 't is farre greater glorie when the Senate iudges that the Prouince was maintain'd and preseru'd rather by the clemencie and sinceritie of the Captaine then either by the force of Souldiers or the Gods benignitie And about this point I haue been longer then vsuall to make you conceiue the great desire I haue to settle you in this opinion that I haue both procur'd that for you which in my iudgement did accrue most vnto your greatnesse and that I reioyce that you haue obtained what you most desired Farewell Loue vs and as you haue begun prosecute the affaires of the Common-wealth and our Associates with diligence and seueritie Cicero to Marcus Cato Ep. 6. NAEVIUS as I remember by the mouth of Hector saith I finde O Father inestimable contentment in hearing my selfe commended by you a commendable person The like may I say who thinke I haue gained wonderfull glory because you congratulate with mâ—e for my obtained honour and much more in that with the testimonie of your opinion you haue praised my actions For that Fame which springs from the iudgement of some graue man and one of authoritie augmenteâ—h a mans râ—nowne and reputation and euâ—ry man presumes that it proceeeds from truest vertue But what in this I take for a singular fauour and yeelds mee high contentment is that I conceiue how in respect of our friendship you haue been most liberall to me of that which you would willingly haue afforded any for the tâ—uths sake And if our Citie in which it is a miracle to finde one Cato had not onely that one but did abound in many Cato's there is no Pompe nor Triumph so magnificent which I would not esteeme as nothing in comparison of the praises which you haue deliuered of me For according to my opinion and in their iudgement who with discreeâ— and sound vnderstanding respect the end of true glory nothing in the world could haue addâ—d vnto my good name so much as by your speeches hath beene added In which as I haue beene aduertised from home you exalted me to heauen I will not contend in alledging the reasons that made me not ambitious but desirous to purchase vnto my selfe that genâ—rall grace which is so much esteemed hauing written thereof at large in my last letters And though you infer â—hat a mâ—n sâ—ould not bend to such like respects this no waies distasâ—s me for â—'is true that honors should not be so openly hunted afâ—er but when they are oâ—fâ—red by the Seâ—â—te they ought not to be reâ—used And because it pleaseth me to suppose that the Senate in recompence of my labours sustained in the seruice of the commonwealth reputes me not vnworthy of an ordinary fauour In such a case I desire no other from you but after you haue granted me what your owne iudgement implyes that you will also reioyce if I happen to attaine to my desire as you reioyced at the honor which not long since was conferred on me Whereof I know you tooke that contentment which was requisite in that you were present at the recording of the decree thereupon passed considering that such delâ—berations are vsually registred by the dearest Fâ—iends of that part whom the Act concerneth I hope we shall shortly see one another againe and God grant in a better State then I can expect of the Commonwealth Farewell Cicero Vice-consull to Marcus Marcellus Consull Ep. 7. I Am wonderfull glad that you obtained the end of your reaâ—onable desire For your piety towards your friendâ— and loue towards your country deserued the reputation which your singâ—lar and excellent vertues in your Consulship haue procured you wherein you haue set vp a ladder as it were for Caius Marcellus to mount vnto the same degre of dignitie I am assured there is none in Rome that will not shew himselfe therewith as contented as we doe Who being sent by you to the vttermost bounds of our Empire doe highly exalt you with iust and true praises For though I haue specially loued you from your childe-hood and you haue not onely satisfied mee at all times and vpon anie occasion but also reputed me worthie of all honour Neuerthelesse obseruing the kinde part that you
expect all courtesie from him and bee not yoâ— too hastie to follow me for I had much rather see you come late cured then presently infirmed Labour therefore onely to recouer and leaue the rest to my prouidence Many times farewell Vpon my departure from Leucas the vij of Nouember Cicero to his Tiro Epist. 2. WEE haue beene seuen daies at Corcyra But my brother Quintus and his son are at Buthrotum Wee were maruellous carefull about your health neither doe I wonder that wee receiue no letters from you For with those windes that should serue you hither we should saile from hence which if they had serued we would not haue lien waiting at Corcyra Looke therfore vnto your selfe and get strength and when coâ—ueniently both for your health and season of the yeare you can haue passage come vnto vs that loue you dearely None loues vs that likes not you Euery man wisheth you well and lookes for your comming Good Tiro haue a singular care of your health Farewell This xviij of October From Corcyra Cicero to his friend Tiro Epist. 3. I Thought I should more easily haue endured your absence but I finde I cannot And though it greatly concernes miâ—e honour to be with all possible speed at Rome Yâ—t mee thinkâ—s I sin in leauing you But in thaâ— I thought you were firmely resolu'd not to put your selfe vpon the voyage before you were well recouered I approued your determination as now I doe if you be also of the same opinion But after you haue recouered your appetite if you finde your selfe in state to follow mee doe your pleasure I haue sent Mario to you that if you thinke good to come he may beare you companie If not I would haue him presenâ—ly turne backe againe Bee assured I desire nothing else but that you should come with your owne ease if it be possible but if you perceiue it requisite to remaine some daies in Patrae for your better recouerie Know that I desire nothing more then to haue you cured If you presently commit your selfe to sea follow vs by Lâ—ucas But if you meane to attend till you are absolutely well bee carefull of youâ— companie of the weather and of getting good shipping But as you loue mee Tiro take heede that you let not Mario's comming or these letters anie way moue you for in doing that which shall bee most auailable for your health you shall doe mee the greatest pâ—easure Therefore looke you vnto it for I so desire you as you may finde I loue you My loue would see you here sound my desire preâ—ently but the first especially Therefore aboue all bee careâ—ull to bee well for amongst the infinite courtesies which you haue done me this will proue the greatest Farewell The third of Nouember Cicero â—o his Tiro Epist. 4. I Neither can nor am willing to write vnto you how it troubles me to be without you I onely write it will be an exceeding greaâ— content vnto vs both if we could presently come so together that I might see you recouered The third day after wee departed from you we arriued at Alyzia a place on this side Leucas some foureteene miles In Leucas I hope you will ouertake mee or at least Mario with your letters As you loue me or thinke I loue you so looke to â—our health From Alyzia This v. of Nouember Cicero to his friend Tiro Epist. 5. WE staied all yesterdaie at Alyzia from whence I wrote before vnto you Quintus not being yet arriued To day which is the fifth of Nouember I write these before daie being in a readinesse to deparâ— I entreat you for the loue you beare to all of vs but especially to my selfe your Master endeuour to recouer With a verie vnquiet minde I expect especially your selfe and then Mario with your letters Wee long all but I aboue the rest to see you presently but in no case without your health good Tiro And therefore make no haste I shall thinke I haue euerie daie seen you so you come lustie and strong vnto vs. I can doe what is to bee done without your helpe and therefore suppose not that mine owne benefit driues mee to desire your health so much as the loue I beare you Farewell Cicero to his Tirâ— Epist. 6. I Haue read your leâ—ter with diuers agiâ—ations of minde the first side much disturbed me but the other gaue me some relaxation Wherefore now know seriously that you must not take anie iourney either by land or sea till you are perfectly â—uâ—ed You write vnto me how you haue a good opinion of the Physician and I heare no lâ—sse But yet I commend not in anie sort his course of dieting sicke persons for I tooke it not to be well done that hee made you drinke broth hauing a distempered stomacke Notwithstanding by a letter of mine I entreat him efâ—ectually that he would cure you with all diligence and in another I likewise recommend you to Lyso To Curius being of so sweet a dâ—sposition full of integritie and couâ—tesie I haue written at large about your occasions and among other things if you so thinke good that hee should conueigh you to his owne house because I put no confidence in Lyso's diligence first because the Greâ—kes ordinarily are verie negligent and then in that hee return'd mee no answer to my letters which he receiued but you commend him and therefore take what course shall best please your selfe One fauor I require at your hands my Tiro that you will spare no charge in things â—equisite for your health I write to Curius that hee should giue the Physician what you appoint because it were good to giue him some thing to the end he may attend you with the greater diligence When in what or wheresoeuer it hath beene may hap to employ you I haue receiued good satisfaction euer was highly contented with your endeuour But you shall exceed whatsoeuer you haue formerly done for me if as I hope I may but see you lustie If you finde your selfe strong in bodie you may imbarque your selfe with Messinius the Quaestor for I suppose you shall haue pleasing and louing companie of him Hee is verie affâ—ble and so far as I can perceiue beares an affection to you But as I said take counsell of your abilitie of bodie and then bee carefull to saile commodiously and in seasonable weather I desire no other but that you may returne in health and safetie And bee assured my Tiro that there 's none who loues mâ—e but beare you singular affection And though it more imports vs then anie other that you were in health yet manie besides also are desirous of the same Hitherto because you would not leaue me in anie place you could not recouer your maladie Now there 's nothing hinders you Laie aside all cares and attend wholly to your recouerie for if you bee carefull thereof I shall thinke you make great esteeme of mine affection Farewell my Tiro Be healthfull and merrie
Farewell Cicero to his Tiro Epist. 14. I Haue had an ill night and full of distractions by reason that Andricus came not yesterday as I expected This morning hee came with your letters from which though I could conceâ—ue no further of your state and being yet am I somewhat recomforted Tiâ—l I see you I shall haue no apprehension of delight neither can I betake my selfe to my vsual studies Prouide that the Physition may be promised the reward which he demaundeth as I gaue order to Manius I heare you are oppressed with melancholie and that the Physition perceiues as much Rowse vp from sleepe your reading and your humane studies for which you are so deare vnto me You must diâ—ourden your minde that your bodie may fare the better And this I request you both for your owne benefitâ— for my contentment Reserue Acastâ—câ— for the attendance of your person and preserue your selfe for my consolation Now comes the time of the promises which I will also exhibite at your comming Farewell The xiij about eleuen of the clocke in the forenooâ—e Farewell Cicero to his Tiro Epist. 15. IF you should giue me the whole world you cannot doe me a greater pleaâ—ure then to let mee see your selfe in health Nâ—ither shall I bee quiet in minde till Menander returne whom I â—eâ—t vnto you If you loue me be carefull of your recouerie And when you feele your selfe in good plight come â—nto vs. Farewell the tenth of Aprill Quintus to Marcus Cicero his brother Epist. 16. I Would I might neuer see your selfe my Cicero my Tulliola or your son if you did not highly fauour mee when you made Tiro rather our companion then our seruant finding him worthie of a better Fortune then hee formerly liued in You would not imagine with what ioy both his and your letters haue possessed me And I thankefully congratulate with you For if the fidelitie of Statius please me so well how much more esteeme doth the same propertie deserue being accompanied with knowledge disâ—ourse and humanitie Which vertues farre exceed all other considerations I loue you for all and most worthie respects as also for this and for hauing written vnto me in so chearefull a style For I reade your verie selfe in your letters I will performe what I promised to the seruants of Sabinus Farewell Cicero to his Tiro Epist. 17. I Know your desire you would haue me put your Epistles in a volume also But harke you Sir How comes it that you that were wont to be the corrector of my writings should be so improper in your speeches as to say Attending â—aithfully to my recouerie from whence comes faithfully to be placed here the proper place of this word is in office Though it may be mâ—nie other wayes applied as when we say faithfull doctrine a faithfull house a faithfull Art and also a faithfull field So that the application thereof be made with modestie and according to the true meaning of Theophrastus but this shall bee discussed when we come together Demetrius came vnto me you are sufficiently enformed with what companie but I haue rid him of them But you 'le tell me you could not see him To morrow he will be here againe and then you shall for the day following I 'le be gone fâ—om hence I am much perplexed about your recouerie But attend vnto it and doe euery thing that is befitting for so you shall not onely giue me full satisfaction but I shall imagine you are present with me I am glad you pleasured Cuspius For I wish him all contentment Farewell Cicero to his Tiro Epist. 18. WHat now must it not bee so I know it must and it 's necessarie that To his should bee added Yet if you haue a desire vnto it let vs to shunne that enuie you speake of leaue it out though I alwayes contemned such like enuie I am verie glad your breathing did you so much good And if the ayre of Tusculanum would bee also helpefull O Gods How it would content me But if you loue me which surely you doe or at least after a cunning manner you dissemble yet howsoeuer attend your recouerie You know the best Physicke to bee light meats moderate exercise a chearfull mind and a soluble bodie Labour to returne with your vsuall alacritie I shall thinke the better not onely of you but euen of our Tusculanum Try vnderhand if you can get Parhedrus to hire my garden for that 's the way to make the gardener desperate See the fume of this glutton that dares venture fiue and twentie thousand Crownes vpon one possession where neither Sunne nor water commeth neyther hath it wall or house for habitation Shall this fellow laugh at vs with so great expences Put a tricke vpon him as I intend vpon Marcus Othâ— Whereupon I neglect his presented garlands I would faine know what is done about the water of Crabra though now we haue water in aboundance When tâ—me serues I will send the horaloge and the Bookes But is it possible that you should bee in want of Bookes Or are you about some composition in imitation of Sophocles Let the worke bee published Auluâ— Ligurius Caesars familiar acquaintance is dead He was an honest man and my verie friend Aduertise mee of your comming Farewell Cicero to his Tiro Epist. 19. I Expect your letters in answer to many things but much more your comming Purchase the loue of Demetrius and if you can do him any other kindenes doe it About my debt with Aufidius I say nothing because I know you to bee very carefull thereof but dispatch it If this stay you I excuse you if not come flying I greatly expect your letters Farewell Cicero to his Tiro Epist. 20. AS I liue my Tiro your infirmity troubles me But I hope if you prosecute with the same care you haue begun to see you shortly in perfect health Set you vp the bookes in good order and let an Index of them be made when it pleaseth Metrodorus sâ—eing we must liue according to his direction Concerning the Gardener I refer my selfe to your discretion The first of this monâ—th you may stay to see the Fencers and the next come away for thus I thinke good but doe as you will If you wish me well be carefull to preserue your selâ—e Farewell Cicero the sonne to his sweetest Tiro Epist. 21. AFter a tedious and daily expectation for sixe whole weekes togeather after my depaâ—ture from you your welcome mesâ—engers came with letters The Epistle of my most sweet and deare Father gaue me wondrous contentment and your owne letter ouerioy'd me Whereupon I repent no longer my silence but am glad thereof In that it brought mee wondrous encrease of the fruite of your humanitie Whereby you haue made good my excuses I am sure my sweet Tiro that the good reports which according to your desire were spread of me did highly please you And I will employ all my endeauour that this growing opinion of me may
time of my gouernment be not prolonged And entreat Hortensâ—us our Colleague and familiâ—r friend that if euer he did or intended to doe me a pleasure hee will not now perseuer in his opinion of the gouernment for two yeeres for nothing can more molest or discontent me Wheras you would know in what state I stand I departed from Tarsus the seuenth of October and the day following I wrote these in the Countie of Mopsuhesâ—ia where I was with the Armie If I atchâ—ue any thing you shall bee aduertis'd thereof and I 'le neuer write home but you shall bee written to Concerning the Parthians I take it for a fable Those Araebians that came into my Prouince in Parthian habit are gone away as it 's reported and there is no feare of any warre in Syria I would willingly haue you write often of your affaires of mine and of the whole state of the Common-wealth at which I am much troubled so much the rather in that you write our friend Pompeius is to go into Spaine Farewell Ciâ—ero Imperator to Appius Pulcher. Epist. 9. WIth much a doe I haue at last read a letter well beseeming Appius Clodius full of humanity courtesie and friendly care Out of question the very sight of Râ—me hath returned you your former sweet proceeding For when you wrote vnto me on the way while you were yet in Asia about the matter of the Legates whose comming to Rome I prohibited and when you complain'd that I hindred the Appian edifications it gaue mee no small distaste mine own conscience witnessing that I had beene euer constant in louing you I returned an answer halfe in choller yet after I read the letters deliuered to Philotimus my Free-man I perceiued there were many in the Prouince which affected our falling out But after you came to Rome or at least as soone as you had seene your friends you vnderstood of them my perpetuall loue and affection towards you manifesting it selfe vpon all occurrents while you stay'd in your Prouince wherefore imagine how neere my heart those words went you wrote vnto meâ— If any thing fall out for my aduancement and dignity though it be vnpossible yet render me equall kindnesse This you may easily doe for what is there in this world which endeauour will not compasse Neither can any attempt be so difficult but a true affection may ouercome it I euer thought so my friends write that you should obtaine a Triumph but yet I am exceedingly satisfied in the certainty you giue me thereof and not becâ—use I hope my selfe as easily to get it for this were but an Epicurean part but in that your honour and dignity is of it selfe most deere vnto me Seeing therefore you haue greater conueniencie of messengers then any other for none would come hither without giuing you notice when my suit hath gotten that successe which you expect and I desire I should bee very glad to be therof aduertised If through those long Sessions of the Senate as our friend Pompeius was wont to terme them you are delayed a day or two for there is no likely-hood it shall bee longer your dignity will no wayes be impeach't by this deferring But for the loue you beare mee and for that that you expect from mee Vouchsafe to cheere me vp with this acceptable information and â—emember to keep promise with me about the present which you promised to make mee For besides that I am desirous of the Science of Auguration any gifts of yours infinitely please me they being an apparant testimony of the loue you beare me And because you demand some equall remuneration I must ruminate well vpon it that I may make you the like requitall For if I should not take the paines in this that vsually I doe in my other compositions which you are wont to thinke worthy of admiration You might haue iust cause to repute me not onely negligent but vnthankfull And of these matters enough Further now my desire is that you bring to effect the offer which you made me my meaning is that you labor by all means possible to compasse me my suites vsing therein your wonted diligence that the Senate may pleasure mee and out of hand with the honourablest demonstrations that may be You promis'd it me see you doe not faile and doe it likewise for the sake of our ancient amâ—tie I doubt I haue ouer-long deferred my writing thereof to the Senate and that my lettersâ— through difficult passage by sea came in time of the vacations But herein I followed your example and I thinke I did well in not writing so suddenly after my being called Imperator but after the end of many enterprizes brought to passe in all this summer Be therefore carefull of this according to your promise and so in all other occasions vouchsafe to take my affaires my selfe and all mine into your friendly protection Farewell Cicero Imperator to Appius Pulchâ—r Epist. 10. VVHen I heard of their presumptuous boldnesse that molested you though at the first hearing I was astonished becausâ— nothing could haue hapned further beyond my expectation yet when I more aduisedly considered thereof I tooke heart at grasse putting great hope in your selfe but greatest in your friends And many reasons perswaded me to think that this trouble would rather augment then extenuate your honor It vext me much that enuious men had found out a meanes to depriue you of the glory of your Triumph which questionlesse you should haue obtained conformable to your deserts Of which losse if you make the same reckoning that I euer esteemed should be made you shall do wisely triumph at last in the sorrow of your enemies For I know you to be so strong in friends and so prudent that vndoubtedly it will greatly grieue them that euer they run into such a leuity For mine own part I assure promise you calling all the gods to witnesse of my heart that for your dignitie for so I will rather terme iâ— then safetie in this Prouince which you gouerned I will haue more then ordinarie care entreating for you affectionately endeauouring my selfe no otherwise then if you were my kinsman vsing what authoritie and power one may haue that is deare as I hope to be vnto the Cities and hath the title of Imperator Command mee and expect at my hand all good offices for my endeuours shall surmount your imagination Quintus Seruilius deluer'd me a briefe letter of yours which notstanding I thought too long for your intâ—eating me made me take it for an iniurie I am sorrie the time is come wherein you shall haue cause to know what esteeme I make both of you and of Pompeius whom I must regard aboue all others and what loue I beare to Brutus Although you should haue discern'd it by some other way as no doubt but you shall But seeing such an occasion is offered if euer I faile in any thing let me be reputed a dishonourable and very bad man Pontinius
whom I know to be much boâ—nd vnto you returnes you those offices that hee owes you Hee was gone to Ephesus vpon businesse of his owne of no small importance but when hee heard of this accident of yours he presently returned to Laodicea I knowing that you shall haue a number of such men to fauour you I make no doubt but this present crosse will redound to your greatnes But if you obtaine to bee Censor and discharge the Censorship as you ought and can I plainely discerne that you will not be a perpetuall and firme defence to your selfe only but to all your well willers also Well labour what you can that there may be no prorogation of my office that when we haue procured you all satisfaction from hence we may also stand you in some steed there if any thing happen wherein I may pleasure or â—urther you Whereas you write of some fauours shewed you which my friends also haue wriâ—ten from thence vnto me it was no newes but yet it infinitely contented me not onelie for your owne respect whose friendship yeelds me much satisfaction and benefit but also because by this I see there is some esteeme made in our Cittie of valour and worth which reward I alwaies receiued in paiment of my trauell and paines But me thought it verie strange this young man should bee so rash and headstrong to incurre your enmitie without all regard of me whom with singular endeauour I defended twice in capitall causes especiallie you being back't with manie qualities and assistances that to himselfe are wanting for I 'le speake no worse of him and these words that slipt from him like a childe and a foole as hee was were first certified me in writing by my friend Marcus Coelius and of the same you haue also written to mee at large Certainâ—lâ—e if I had tooke him for your enemie I would rather haue shâ—ken off mine old then entred into any new amiâ—ie with him For you shall haue no cause to doubt of my affection which I haue made manifest to euâ—rie one both now heere in my Prouince and before in Rome Neuerthelesse because in your letters I obserue some little iealousie of me I am enforced to iustifie my selfe with you For now 't is no time for me to complaine But tell me now when prohibited I any embassie from comming to Rome in your praise see you not how I could haue done nothing of lesse preiudice to you then this if I had profest open hatred to you And againe in case I meant closelie to malice you I could haue vndertaken no action would more haue laid me open then this Were I as persidious as they that report this of me I had not beene so palpably foolish to breake out suddainly with you into so great enmitie especiallie in a matter wherein I might well discouer my desire but that in effect I could no waies offend you I remember diuers came and told me that the rated charge of Embassies farre exceeded the vsuall proportion whom I did not enioyne to any thing but onely said I thought it fit that the charge thereof should mount no higher then was determin'd by the law Cornelia And in this likewise I referred my selfe to their pleasure as the accompts of the Citie can testifie by which it appeares that the charge was such as themselues thought good to be at but bad men haue striuen to peruert truth with a thousand lies giuing you to vnderstand that prouisions were not onely taken from those Embassadors who were going to Rome but were redemanded and caus'd to be restor'd by their Agents who were alreadie departed and that this was the cause that many forbare comming to Rome I could finde in my heart to bee verie plaine with you were it not as before I told you that my meaning is as reason requires onely to iustifie my selfe and not accuse you no waies to aggrauate your minde which is alreadie sufficiently disturbed So that I condemne you not for beleeuing these mens words but ' I le not spare to set downe some reasons why you should not haue beleeued them And certainly if you repute me an honest man and for a man worthie of opinion or fame in those Sciences whereunto â—rom my childhood I haue beene addicted if you suppose in mee any generosity of minde or if you value me of any iudgement in matters of waightie consequence I cannot perceiue how it should enter into your minde that I would practise I will not say any trecherie any deceiâ— or dissimulation in our friendship buâ— so much as the least base or dishonourable part But if you please to delineate me for an hollow and double-hearted fellow what is there more vnlikelie to bee thought of in a man of such a nâ—ture then to cast off the loue of a person placed in high dignitie or to take away his good name in the Prouince whose honor blemished by others I haue at Râ—me defended or to shew an ill minde where I haue no powâ—r to hurt or to intend trecherie in that place where it would be discouer'd to no end nor purpose And why should I bee so implacable towards you hauing vnderstood by my brother that you were not my enemie when without blame you might haue beene so And seeing with reciprocall desire we encline to concord what fauour required you of me during my Consuâ—lship that I deni'd you when I accompanied you on your way to the Prouince what charge left you with me aâ— Puteoli wherein my care surmounâ—ed not your expectations and if it be true that fallacious and double hearted men howsoeuer haue a regard to their pâ—culiar profits what in conclusion could bee more beneficiall and profitable to mee then ioyning in loue with a noble and honourable person whose power accompanied with such wisedome and valour whose progenie and kindred might be vnto me a wonderfull ornament and preualent protection Neither sought I your friendship with any particular end or aime but because these your parts and endowments I esteemed them and loued them for their owne sake Moreouer how value I those bands thinke you by which I reioyce to see we are linked or ioyn'd together The likenesse or identitie of studies the sweeâ—nes of mutuall conuersation liâ—e and discoursâ— and that litterature that is not of many possessed These things I passe ouer as being better knowne to our selues then others What shall I say of those things which are well knowne to the people The peace and agreement wee made in which being so generally noted the leaft halting in the world would haue rais'd suspition of trecherie The colledge of Angures in which amongst our predecessors it was not onely vnlawfull to violate amitie but further no man could bee aduanced to thâ—t dignitie who professed hatred to any one of the Colledge But to leaue matters so waightie and important where finde you that any man held could hold or ought to hold another in that reuerence as I
you know well the great familiaritie which I haue had with Titus Pinnius which he made maniâ—est in his last will and testament he leauing me both Guardian his second heire His sonne a verie studious learned and modest childe is to receiue a round summe of money of the Nicaeenses of about an hundred and sixtie thousand Crownes and for as much as I heare they are willing to giue him satisfaction seeing thereâ—ore not onelyâ— the other Guardians who know how much I am able to preuâ—ile with you but the youth himselfe is also perswaded that you will doe any thing for my sake you shall doe me a great pleasure to vse the meanes so farre as may stand with your honour and place that by order of the Nicaeenses the foresaid mâ—neyes may be presently pay'd to Pinnius Farewell Cicero to Publius Silius Vice-Praetor Epist. 62. I Remain'd both much engaged vnto you in the cause of Aâ—ilius for though I came late yet through your nobilitie and courtesie I preseru'd an honourable Romane knight And certainly I euer carried this minde that by reason of the coniunction and inward amitie which is betweene me and our Lamia you were whollie mine Wherefore first I thanke you because you free'd me from all trouble and then I must presumptuously requiâ—e another kindnesse but I 'le be a good pay master for all for both at all times and with all vigilancie I will obserue you and will euer haue that care of your selfe and affaires that ought to be had of one to whom I beare a singular affection I therefore request you if you wish mee well that you will make as great an esteeme of my brother Qâ—inâ—us as oâ— my selfe And so you shall greatly augment the greatnesse of your benefit Farewell Cicero to Publius Silus Vice-Praetor Ep. 63. I Thought it a thing vnpossible that words should haue fail'd me and yet I want them to recommend Marcus Leâ—ius Whereupon I will in few words relate the matter yet so that you may manifestlie obserue my desire therein It is incredible what accompt I and my most deer brother made of Marcus Lenius Which proceedes aswell from his manie offices done for vs as froÌ„ his singular sinceritie and modestie I vnwillingly gaue him leaue to come into your parts by reason of the familiarity and delight I took in his conuersation and because I was desirous to vse his faithâ—ull and good counsell but I feare lest you thinke I ouerflow in words wherein I said I should bee defectiue I commend him vnto you with that affection with which you iudge it conuenient to commend one of whom I haue deliuered what I formerly haue written And I request you in the best manner I can that you will end the busines for him which hee hath in your Prouince giuing him therein the best directions you are able You shall finde him verie affable courteous And therfore I entreat you to send him forthwith backe againe vnto mee absolued and freed from all molestation with your absolute dispatch of his businesse For thus you shall haue both my selfe and brother yours oblieged Farewell Cicero to Publius Silius Vice-Praetor Ep. 64. I Shall neuer bee able to relate vnto you how much my Nero commendeth you Questionlesse he exalts you maruellously telling me that he could deuise no respects wherwith you haue not graced him You shall thereby reape from him great benefit for he is the gratefullest young man the world affordeth and certainly I also take iâ— verie kindlie For of all the Nobility there is no man dearer vnâ—o mee You shall therefore doe mee a singular pleasure to performe what I require at your hands vpon his request First touching Paâ—sania the Alabandensian that you will put off the matter so long till Nero come whom I perceiue to be verie studious of his good and therefoâ—â— I entreat you herein Then that you would esteem the Nicaeâ— who are Nero's greatest friends and whom he defends with all his abilitie and power as zealously recommended that the same Citie may vnderstand that Nero's Patrocime is vnto them a prâ—ualent protection I many times commended vnâ—o you Strabo Seruilius but now I doe it more effectually in that Nero hath vndertâ—ken to defend his cause We require nothing at your hands but â—hat you will procure an end of the cause and not suffer Seruilius an harmelesse person to bee tired out in a tedious suite depending in the Court of such a man as taking contrarie courses to you onely affects gaine that is vnlawfull Wherein besides the doing me a pleasure you shall also giue mâ— occasion to obserue the vse you make of your noble disposition The sum of this Epistle is that you will giue Nero satisfactâ—â—n in all points of fauour as you haue determined and effected Your â—rouincâ— hath a large Theâ—ter which mâ—ne haâ—â— not Wherein the glorie and commendation of so noble so ingâ—nuousâ— and so honest a young man may bee admired Wherefore if you be fauourable to him as vndoubtedlie you will and haue alreadie beene the multitude of Clients left him by his predecessors may bee oblieged and confiâ—med by his owne benefits Wherein if you aide him with the assistance that you pretend vpon occasion hee will returne your fauor with great aduantage and you shall besides doe me a singular pleasure Farewell Cicero to Publius Silius Vice-Praetâ—r Epist. 65. I Haue great familiaritie and daily conuersation with Publius Terentius Hyspo who in the publique customes hath the place of Toll-masterâ— and we are tied one to another by infinite and mâ—â—uâ—ll fauours It much concernes his honour to haue an accord with the other Cities Which as I remember wee attempted in Ephesus and could by no meanes from the Ephesians obtaine it but seeing as â—uerie mâ—n beleeues and I my selâ—e perceiue that out of your great bountie singular humanitie and clemencie you may confidently impose anie thing vpon the Graecians at your pleasure let me with all efficacie request you to do me th' honour that Hyspo may haue this commendation Besides this I haue inward friendship with the Receiuers not onlie in that all the same companie are vnder my protection but because I familiarlie frequent with diuers of them so that you shall first â—atisfie Hyspo for my sake and further you shall encrease the affection of the Toll-gatherers towards mee and besides your selfe shall reape great benefit by pleasuring one that is a most thankfull man haue the loue of the Toll-gatherers who are men of verie good worth and on me you shall bestow a fauour of importance For I would haue you imagine that in all the Prouince and Gouernment vnder your command there is nothing wherein you may doe mee a greater pleasure Farewell Cicero to Publius Seruilius Isauricus Vice-Consull Epist. 66. COnsidering how readie you are in your accustomed assistance of your friends and how full of feeling commiseration towards the afflicted I would not recommend vnto you Aulus Caecina a most