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called by the general voice of the republic; but the conduct of Marc Antony ever face my return, has not permitted me to Foy a moment of repofe. The ferocity (ie to call it pride would be imputing a ve to him which is nothing uncommon), the ferocity of his temper is fo exceffive, that he cannot bear a word, or even a lock, which is animated with the leaft pirit of liberty. It is this that fills my heart with a thousand difquietudes; but quietudes in which my own prefervais by no means concerned. No, my friend, I have nothing farther to with with refpect to myfelf; whether I confder the years to which I am arrived, the actions that I have performed, or the glory (if that may be mentioned as of any value in the account) with which they have been crowned. All my anxiety for our country alone: and the more So, my dear Plancus, as the time appointed for your fucceffion to the confular of

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[A. U. 709.]

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e is fo remote, that it is rather to be A Greeably to the friendship which fub

wibed than expected, that we fhould be ale to preferve our liberties fo long alive. What rational hopes indeed can poflibly be entertained, where a commonwealth i totally oppreffed by the arms of the mt violent and outrageous of men; where neither the fenate nor the people have any authority; where neither laws For juftice prevail; and, in one word, where there is not the leaft trace or fhadow of civil government remaining? But as you receive, I imagine, the public acCounts of what is tranfacted amongst us, I need not defcend into a detail of particulars. Let me rather, in confequence of that affection I bear you, and which has been fill increafing from our earliest youth; let me rather remind and exhort you to turn all your thoughts and cares towards the republic. If it should not be tterly destroyed ere you enter upon the confalar office, it may without difficalty be fteered right: though I will add, that much vigilance, as well as great good fortune, must concur, in order to preferve it to that defirable period. But I hope we may fee you here somewhat before that time fhall arrive. Meanwhile, beides the inducements that arife to me from my regard to the well-being of the republic, you may be affured, that from my particular attachment likewife to your Jelf, I fhall exert my utmost efforts for

Cicero was at this time in his 63d year,

fifts between us, my fervices fhould not have been wanting to advance your dignities, if I could have been prefent in the fenate confiftently with my honour or my fafety. But no man can freely deliver his opinion in that affembly, without being expofed to the violences of a military force, that are licensed to commit their outrages with full impunity and it would ill become my rank and character to speak upon public affairs in a place where I am more attentively obferved, and more clofely furrounded, by foldiers vate concern my best offices fhall not be than by fenators. In any inftance of priwanting to you; nor fhall they indeed hazard I may run, where my appearance even in those of a public nature, whatever is abfolutely neceffary to promote your intereft. But where it advanced without my concurrence; fuffer may be equally me, I intreat you, to pay a proper regard to my own dignity and prefervation. Farewel.

LETTER CLIV.
To Tiro.
[A. U. 709.]

SEE into
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your

fcheme: you have a defign that your letters, as well as mine, fhould make their appearance in public. But tell me how happened it,

He was lieutenant to Plancus in Gaul.

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that you who are wont to be the fupreme judge and critic of my writings, thould be guilty of fo inaccurate an expreffion as to defire me "faithfully to preferve my health?" That abverb furely can have no business there; as its proper employment is to attend upon fome word that imports a moral obligation. In figurative language its ufe indeed is various; as it may be applied even to inanimate and intellectual objects, provided (as Theophraftus obferves) the metaphor be not too bold and unnatural. But we will referve this for a converfation when we meet.

Demetrius has been bre: but I had the addrefs to avoid both nim and his retinue. Doubtlets, you will regret that you loft the opportunity of feeing him. It is an opportunity, however, which you may fill recover; for he returns, it feems, to-morrow. Accordingly 1 parpole to leave this place the next morning.

I am extremely unealy about your health; and intreat you not to emit any means that may contribute to its re eilablishment. It is thus that you will render me infenible of your abience, and abundantly discharge all the fervices I require at your hands.

I am obliged to your good offices towards Cufpius; for I greatly intereft myfelf in the fuccefs of his affairs. Adieu.

LETTER CLV.
To Cornificias.

[A. U. 700.] THERE is no man that cultivates my friendship with greater marks of efteem than Sextus Aufidius: nor is there any of equeftrian rank, who bears a more diftinguished character. The frictnels of his morals is fo happily tempered with the fweetnefs of his difpofition, that he unites the fevereft virtue with the eafieft and most engaging address. I recommend his affairs in Africa to you, with the utmoft warmth and fincerity of my heart. You will extremely oblige me therefore by fhewing him that you pay the highest regard to my recommendation; and I very earnestly intreat you,

* There was no fuch duty as fidelity owing from the matter to the flave; ad con cquently Tiro could not in flict propriety have oppoed it to Cicero,

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Cicero the Son, ta kis dearest Tiro.
[A. U. 7on.]

AFTER having been in daily and

earned expectation of your couriers, they are at length, to my great fatisfac tion, arrived;" having performed their voyage in forty-is das from the time they left you. The Joy I received from my dear father's molt alf-conote letter, was crowned by the very agrecable one which attend dit from sourtcit. no longer rep at therezore of having neglisted wating to you; as it has proved a mean of fernithing me with an ample proct of your good nature: and it is with 110 h pleasure I find, that you admit the apology I made for my silence.

I can

That the advantageous reports you have heard of my car luct, were perfectly agreeable, my demet Tiro, to your withes, I can by no means doubt; and it fhall be my conilant cadeavour to confirm and incitate the general good opinion which is thus g in my favour. You may venture therefore with great confidence to be, what you obligingly promife, the herald of my fame. Indeed, I reflect with to much pain and contrition of mind on the errors into which my youth and inexperience have betrayed me, that I not only look upon them with abhorrence, but cannot bear even to hear them mentioned; and I am well convinced, that you take a part in the uneafinefs which 1 futter from this circumftance. It is no wonder you thould be folicitous for the welfare of a perfon, whom both intereft and inclination recommend to your good wifhes; as I have ever been defirous you fhould partake of all the advantages that attend me. But if may conduct has formerly given you pain; it fhall henceforward, be affured,

He was at this time purfuing his ftudies at moft celebrated philofophers of the peripatetic lect. Athens under the direction of Cradippus, one of the If youn, Cicero had not the tab nt of his father;

his genius, however, ems by no means to have bren contemptible: and the prefent letter, written when he was but nineteen years of age, is a full confutation of thefe who have changed him with a want of lende even to a digice of Rupidity.

afford

d you reafon to think of me with dble fatisfaction.

Live with Cratippus rather as his fon, this pupil; and not only attend his es with pleasure, but am extremely gated with the peculiar fweetnefs of converfation. Accordingly I fpend wae days in his company, and frecantly, indeed, the most part of the night; as I intreat him to fup with me as chen as his engagements will permit. Since the introduction of this cuftom, he every now and then unexpectedly fteals in upon us while we are at table; and having afide the feverity of the philofopher, enters with great good humour into all the mirth and pleafantry of our convertation. Let me request you then to hatten hither as foon as poffible, in order to enjoy with us the fociety of this moft agreeable and excellent man. As to Bratias, I never fuffer him to be abfent from me a fingle moment. His company is as entertaining as his conduct is exemplary; and he perfectly well knows how to reconcile mirth and good humour with the ferious difquifitions of philofophy. I have taken a house for him near mine; and affift his narrow fortunes as far as my fender finances will admit *.

I have begun to declaim in Greek under Caffius; as I choose to employ myelf in Latin exercifes of that kind with Brattius. I live in great familiarity alfo with thofe learned and approved friends of Cratippus, whom he brought with him from Mitylene; and pafs much. of my ae likewife with Epicrates, one of the ot confiderable perfons in Athens, together with Leonides, and feveral others of the fame rank and merit. Thus I lave given you a general sketch of my

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As to what you mention concerning Gorgias; notwithstanding that he was of fervice to me in my oratorical exercifes, yet my father's commands were fuperior to all other confiderations; and as he peremptorily wrote to me that I should immediately difmifs him †, I have obeyed

The allowance which Cicero made to his fon

earing his reñidence at Athens, was about 700%.

yer. Vid. Ad Att. xvi. 1.

This unworthy tutor had encouraged his puaa paffion for drinking; a vice in which the Yung Cicero, how fincerc foever he might have been in his prefent refolves, mott fhamefully figfed himfelf in his more mature years. Plut. in Vé, Cle. Plin. Hift. Nas. xiv. 22.

his injunctions. I would not fuffer myfelf indeed to hefitate a moment, left my reluctance fhould raise any fufpicions in my father to my disadvantage. Befides, I thought it would ill become me to take upon myfelf to be a judge of the propriety of his orders. I am extremely obliged to you, however, for the friendly advice you give me in this affair.

I very readily admit the excufe you make on account of your want of leisure, perfectly well knowing how much your time is generally engaged. I am extremely glad to hear that you have bought a farm; and wish you much joy of the purchase. But you must not wonder that I deferred my congratulations to this part of my letter; for you will remember it was about the fame place in yours that you communicated to me the occafion of them. You have now a retreat from all the fatiguing ceremonies of the city, and are become a Roman of the true old rural kind ‡. I take pleasure in figuring you to myself in the midft of your country employments, buying your tools of hufbandry, dealing out your orders to your bailiff, and carefully treasuring up the fruit-feeds from your defert. To be ferious; I fincerely join with you in regretting, that I could not be of fervice to you upon this occafion. But be affured, my dear Tiro, I fhall not fail to affift you, if ever fortune should put it in my power; efpecially as I am fenfible you made this purchase with a view to my ufe as well as your own.

I am obliged to your care in executing my commiffion. I defire you would fee that I have a writer fent to me who underftands Greek; as I lofe much time in tranfcribing my lectures. But above all, I intreat you to take care of your health, that we may have the pleasure of enjoying together many philofophical converfations. I recommend Antherus to your good offices, and bid you farewel,

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juft: but I hope that these excufes will not very frequently recur. 'Tis true, I receive intelligence of public affairs from particular expreffes, as well as from general report; and am continually affured likewife of my father's affection, by his own hand; yet I always take great pleasure in reading a letter from yourself, be it upon ever fo trifling a fubject. I hope, therefore, fince I am thus earnestly defirous of hearing from you, that you will not for the future fend me apologies instead of epifiles. Farewel.

IF

LETTER CLVIII.

Bithynicus to Cicero.

[A. U. 700.]

we were not mutually attached to each other by many fingular good of fices, I fhould remind you of that friendthip which formerly fubinted between our parents: but I leave arguments of this kind to thofe who have neglected to improve their hereditary connections. For my felf, I am well fatisited with going no farther for my claim to your fervices, than to our own perfonal amity. In confidence of which let me intreat you, if you be lieve that none of your favours will be thrown away upon me, that you would, upon all occafions during my abfence take my interefts under your protection. Farewel

LETTER CLIX. To Plancus.

[A. U. 710.]

THE vifit I lately received from Furnius afforded me great fatisfaction, not only upon his own account, but more particularly on yours; as he painted you to ftrongly to my mind that I could not but fancy, during the whole converfation, that you were actually prefent. He reprefented to me the heroilm you difplay in the military affairs of your province; the equity of your civil administration; the prudence which diftinguithes every part of your conduct in general; together with what I was by no means indeed a

* In Sicily: to which province he fucceeded as govern at the expiration of his præorth.p. P. * ra. ii. p. 470.

Die was one of the lieutenants of Plancus.

ftranger to before, the charms of your focial and friendly qualities. To this he did not forget to add likewife, the fingular generolity which you have fhewn in your behaviour towards himfelf. Every one of thefe articles I heard with pleafure; and for the last I am much obliged to you.

The friendship I enjoy with your family, my dear Plancus, commenced fomewhat before you were born; and as the affection which I conceived for you begun from your childhood, fo in your more mature years it was mutually improved into the stricteft intimacy. Thefe are confiderations which ftrongly engage me to favour your interefls, which I look upon indeed as my own. Merit in conjunction with fortune have crowned you, even thus early in your life, with the highest distinctions; as the diligent exertion of your fuperior talents has fruftrated the oppofition of thofe many envious antagonitts, who vainly endeavoured to obtruct your way. And now, if you will be influenced by the advice of a man who greatly loves you, and who from a long connection with you has an equal claim to your regard with the oldest of your friends; you will receive all the future honours of your life from the republic in its beft aid most conftitutional forn. There was a feafon, you know, (for nothing furely could have escaped your difcerament) there was a feafon § when the world thought you too compliant with the prevailing faction of the times; and I should have thought fo too, if I had imagined that your approbation was to be measured by your fubmiflion. as I knew the fentiments of your heart, I was perfuaded you had prudently confidered the extent of your power. Public affairs, however, are at prefent in a far different fituation; and you may now freely act in every point as your judgment fall direct. The time is fhortly approuching when, in confequence of your prefent dengnation, you will enter upon the confular olice; and you wil enter upon it, my friend, in the prime of your years; with the advantage of polfailing the nook and moil commanding eloqueace; and at a period too when there is the utmot fcarcity of fach illus

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trious citizens as yourself. Let me conjare you then, by the immortal gods, ad careftly to purfue those measures that will infure the highest glory to your charter. Now there is but one poffible method of acting towards the republic this advantage to your reputation; kat there is but one in the prefent centure, as the commonwealth has for so many years been disturbed by our inteftine commotions.

When I write to you in this ftrain, it is rather in compliance with the dictates of my affection, than as fuppofing that you and in need either of precepts or admotions. I am fenfible that you are fufcently fupplied with reflections of this aure, from the fame fource whence I derive them myfelf; it is time therefore put an end to what I defigned, not as an oftentation of my wifdom, but merely an inftance of my friendship. I will cay add, that you may depend upon the no zealous of my fervices upon every occafion, wherein I fhall imagine your Credit and character are concerned.

LETTER CLX. Plancus to Cicero.

as indeed the great disparity of our ages may well juftify me in looking up to you with all the facred respect of filial veneration. I received your admonitions, therefore, as fo many dictates of the most confummate wifdom; at the fame time that I confidered them as inftances likewife of your unfeigned fincerity; for in this refpect I judge of your heart by what I feel in my own. If I had any doubt then what measures to purfue, or were inclined to adopt others than those you recommend, I fhould moft certainly be determined by your judgment, or reftrained by your advice; but in my prefent fituation, can there poffibly be an inducement to draw me from those paths you point out? The truth is, that whatever honourable diftinctions I have acquired either by my own industry, or by the favours of fortune, though far inferior to what your affection reprefents them; yet they want no other luftre, perhaps, but that of having been attained with the general approbation of the commonwealth; and this even the most inveterate of my enemies acknowledge. Be affured then, that the whole of my power, my prudence, and my authority, fall ever be exerted in the fervice of the republic. As I am no ftranger to your fentiments, I am well perfuaded that mine would never difagree with yours, if I had the happiness of having you fo near me as to be able to confult them. But though I cannot enjoy this very defirable advantage, yet I truft you will never have occafion to condemn my conduct.

[A. U. 710.] IAM exceedingly obliged to you for your letter: a favour for which I am debted, I perceive, to the account that Farnius gave of me in the converfation you mention. If I have not written to You fooner, you must impute it to my beg informed that you were fet out upon our expedition into Greece; and I was t apprifed of your return till a very fort time before I learned it from your ttter. I mention this because I fhould turk myself deferving of the highest reproach, if I were intentionally guilty of an omision even in the flightest office of friend hip towards you. The intimacy deed which was contracted between you my father; the early esteem I conceived of your merit, together with thofe tances of affection I have received fupply me with many powertel reafons for not failing in the regards I owe you. Be affured, therefore, my dear Cicero, there is no man whom I am fo much difpofed to revere as yourself;

from you;

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I am extremely impatient to learn what is tranfacting in the nearer Gaul, as well as what effect the prefent month may produce in regard to affairs at Rome. In the mean time, I am earnestly labouring to prevent the people of this province from purfuing the example of their neighbours, by taking advantage of the public difturbances to throw off their allegiance. And fhould my endeavours be attended with the fuccefs they deserve, I doubt not of being approved, not only by every friend of liberty in general, but, what I am most ambitious of, by yourself in particular. Farewel, my dear Cicero, and love me with an equal return of that affection I bear you.

January: when the new confuls always entered upon their office. The confuls for the prefent year were Hirtius and Panfa. H 4

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