letters of cicero-第16章

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mber；　on　the　7th　at　Actium。　There　we　were　detained　till　the　8th　by　a　storm。　Thence　on　the　9th　we　arrived　at　Corcyra　after　a　charming　voyage。　At　Corcyra　we　were　detained　by　bad　weather　till　the　15th。　On　the　16th　we　continued　our　voyage　to　Cassiope；　a　harbor　of　Corcyra；　a　distance　of　120　stades。　There　we　were　detaine4　by　winds　until　the　22nd。　Many　of　those　who　in　this　interval　impatiently　attempted　the　crossing　suffered　shipwreck。　On　the　22nd；　after　dinner；　we　weighed　anchor。　Thence　with　a　very　gentle　south　wind　and　a　clear　sky；　in　the　coarse　of　that　night　and　the　next　day　we　arrived　in　high　spirits　on　Italian　soil　at　Hydrus；　and　with　the　same　wind　next　daythat　is；　the　24th　of　Novemberat　io　o'clock　in　the　morning　we　reached　Brundisium；　and　exactly　at　the　same　time　as　ourselves　Terentia　（who　values　you　very　highly）　made　her　entrance　into　the　town。　On　the　26th；　at　Brundisium；　a　slave　of　Cn。　Plancius　at　length　delivered　to　me　the　ardently　expected　letter　from　you；　dated　the　13th　of　November。　It　greatly　lightened　my　anxiety：　would　that　it　had　entirely　removed　it！　However；　the　physician　Asclapo　positively　asserts　that　you　will　shortly　be　well。　What　need　is　there　for　me　at　this　time　of　day　to　exhort　you　to　take　every　means　to　re…establish　your　health？　I　know　your　good　sense；　temperate　habits；　and　affection　for　me：　I　am　sure　you　will　do　everything　you　can　to　join　me　as　soon　as　possible。　But　though　I　wish　this；　I　would　not　have　you　hurry　yourself　in　any　way。　I　could　have　wished　you　had　shirked　Lyso's　concert；　for　fear　of　incurring　a　fourth　fit　of　your　seven…day　fever。　But　since　you　have　preferred　to　consuit　your　politeness　rather　than　your　health；　be　careful　for　the　future。　I　have　sent　orders　to　Curius　for　a　douceur　to　be　given　to　the　physician；　and　that　he　should　advance　you　whatever　you　want；　engaging　to　pay　the　money　to　any　agent　he　may　name。　I　am　leaving　a　horse　and　mule　for　you　at　Brundisium。

At　Rome　I　fear　that　the　1st　of　January　will　be　the　beginning　of　serious　disturbances。　I　shall　take　a　moderate　line　in　all　respects。　It　only　remains　to　beg　and　entreat　you　not　to　set　sail　rashlyseamen　are　wont　to　hurry　things　for　their　own　profit：　be　cautious；　my　dear　Tiro：　you　have　a　wide　and　difficult　sea　before　you。　If　you　can；　start　with　Mescinius；　he　is　usually　cautious　about　a　sea　passage：　if　not；　travel　with　some　man　of　rank；　whose　position　may　give　him　influence　over　the　ship…owner。　If　you　take　every　precaution　in　this　matter　and　present　yourself　to　us　safe　and　sound；　I　shall　want　nothing　more　of　you。　Good…bye；　again　and　again；　dear　Tiro！　I　am　writing　with　the　greatest　earnestness　about　you　to　the　physician；　to　Curius；　and　to　Lyso。　Good…bye；　and　God　bless　you。

XXIII

To　L。　PAPIRIUS　PAETUS　（AT　NAPLES）

TUSCULUM　（JULY）

I　WAS　charmed　with　your　letter；　in　which；　first　of　all；　what　I　loved　was　the　tenderness　which　prompted　you　to　write；　in　alarm　lest　Silius　should　by　his　news　have　caused　me　any　anxiety。　About　this　news；　not　only　had　you　written　to　me　beforein　fact　twice；　one　letter　being　a　duplicate　of　the　othershewing　me　clearly　that　you　were　upset；　but　I　also　had　answered　you　in　full　detail；　in　order　that　I　might；　as　far　as　such　a　business　and　such　a　crisis　admitted；　free　you　from　your　anxiety；　or　at　any　rate　alleviate　it。　But　since　you　shew　in　your　last　also　how　anxious　you　are　about　that　matter　make　up　your　mind　to　this；　my　dear　Paetus：　that　whatever　could　possibly　be　accomplished　by　artfor　it　is　not　enough　nowadays　to　contend　with　mere　prudence；　a　sort　of　system　must　be　elaborated　however；　whatever　could　be　done　or　effected　towards　winning　and　securing　the　goodwill　of　those　men　I　have　done；　and　not；　I　think；　in　vain。　For　I　receive　such　attentions；　such　politenesses　from　all　Caesar's　favourites　as　make　me　believe　myself　　beloved　by　them。　For；　though　genuine　love　is　not　easily　distinguished　from　feigned；　unless　some　crisis　occurs　of　a　kind　to　test　faithful　affection　by　its　danger；　as　gold　in　the　fire；　there　are　other　indications　of　a　general　nature。　But　I　only　employ　one　proof　to　convince　me　that　I　am　loved　from　the　heart　and　in　sinceritynamely；　that　my　fortune　and　theirs　is　of　such　a　kind　as　to　preclude　any　motive　on　their　part　for　pretending。　In　regard；　again；　to　the　man　who　now　possesses　all　power；　I　see　no　reason　for　my　being　alarmed：　except　the　fact　that；　once　depart　from　law；　everything　is　uncertain；　and　that　nothing　can　be　guaranteed　as　to　the　future　which　depends　on　another　man's　will；　not　to　say　caprice。　Be　that　as　it　may；　personally　his　feelings　have　in　no　respect　been　wounded　by　me。　For　in　that　particular　point　I　have　exhibited　the　greatest　self…control。　For；　as　in　old　times　I　used　to　reckon　that　to　speak　without　reserve　was　a　privilege　of　mine；　since　to　my　exertions　the　existence　of　liberty　in　the　state　was　owing；　so；　now　that　that　is　lost；　I　think　it　is　my　duty　to　say　nothing　calculated　to　offend　either　his　wishes　or　those　of　his　favourites。　But　if　I　want　to　avoid　the　credit　of　certain　keen　or　witty　epigrams；　I　must　entirely　abjure　a　reputation　for　genius；　which　I　would　not　refuse　to　do；　if　I　could。　But　after　all　Caesar　himself　has　a　very　keen　critical　faculty；　and；　just　as　your　cousin　Serviuswhom　I　consider　to　have　been　a　most　accomplished　man　of　lettershad　no　difficulty　in　saying：　〃This　verse　is　not　Plautus's；　this　is〃　because　he　had　acquired　a　sensitive　ear　by　dint　of　classifying　the　various　styles　of　poets　and　habitual　reading；　so　I　am　told　that　Caesar；　having　now　completed　his　volumes　of　bons　mots；　if　anything　is　brought　to　him　as　mine；　which　is　not　so；　habitually　rejects　it。　This　he　now　does　all　the　more；　because　his　intimates　are　in　my　company　almost　every　day。　Now　in　the　course　of　our　discursive　talk　many　remarks　are　let　fall；　which　perhaps　at　the　time　of　my　making　them　seem　to　them　wanting　neither　in　literary　flavour　nor　in　piquancy。　These　are　conveyed　to　him　along　with　the　other　news　of　the　day：　for　so　he　himself　directed。　Thus　it　comes　about　that　if　he　is　told　of　anything　besides　about　me；　he　considers　that　he　ought　not　to　listen　to　it。　Wherefore　I　have　no　need　of　your　DEnomaus；　though　your　quotation　of　Accius's　verses　was　very　much　on　the　spot。　But　what　is　this　jealousy；　or　what　have　I　now　of　which　anyone　can　be　jealous？　But　suppose　the　worst。　I　find　that　the　philosophers；　who　alone　in　my　view　grasp　the　true　nature　of　virtue；　hold　that　the　wise　man　does　not　pledge　himself　against　anything　except　doing　wrong；　and　of　this　I　consider　myself　clear　in　two　ways；　first　in　that　my　veiws　were　most　absolutely　correct；　and　second　because；　when　I　found　that　we　had　not　sufficient　material　force　to　maintain　them；　I　was　against　a　trial　of　strength　with　the　stronger　party。　Therefore；　so　far　as　the　duty　of　a　good　citizen　is　concerned；　I　am　certainly　not　open　to　reproach。　What　remains　is　that　I　should　not　say　or　do　anything　foolish　or　rash　against　the　men　in　power：　that　too；　I　think；　is　the　part　of　the　wise　man。　As　to　the　restwhat　this　or　that　man　may　say　that　I　said；　or　the　light　in　which　he　views　it；　or　the　amount　of　good　faith　with　which　those　who　continually　seek　me　out　and　pay　me　attention　may　be　actingfor　these　things　I　cannot　be　responsible。　The　result　is　that　I　console　myself　with　the　consciousness　of　my　uprightness　in　the　past　and　my　moderation　in　the　present；　and　apply　that　simile　of　Accius's　not　to　jealousy；　but　to　fortune；　which　I　holdas　being　inconstant　and　frailought　to　be　beaten　back　by　a　strong　and　manly　soul；　as　a　wave　is　by　a　rock。　For；　considering　that　Greek　history　is　full　of　examples　of　how　the　wisest　men　endured　tyrannies　either　at　Athens　or　Syracuse；　when；　though　their　countries　were　enslaved；　they　themselves　in　a　certain　sense　remained　freeam　I　to　believe　that　I　cannot　so　maintain　my　position　as　not　to　hurt　anyone's　feelings　and　yet　not　blast　my　own　character？

I　now　come　to　your　jests；　since　as　an　afterpiece　to　Accius's　DEnomaus；　you　have　brought　on　the　stage；　not；　as　was　his　wont；　an　Atellan　play；　but；　according　to　the　present　fashion；　a　mime。　What's　all　this　about　a　pilot…fish；　a　denarius；　and　a　dish　of　salt　fish　and　cheese？　In　my　old　easy…going　days　I　put　up　with　that　sort　of　thing：　but　times　are　changed。　Hirthms　and　Dolabella　are　my　pupils　in　rhetoric；　but　my　masters　in　the　art　of　dining。　For　I　think　you　must　have　heard；　if　you　really　get　all　news；　that　their　practice　is　to　declaim　at　my　house；　and　mine　to　dine　at　theirs。　Now　it　is　no　use　your　making　an　affidavit　of　insolvency　to　me：　for　when　you　had　some　property；　petty　profits　used　to　keep　you　a　little　too　close　to　business；　but　as　things　are　now；　seeing　that　you　are　losing　money　so　cheerfully；　all　you　have　to　do；　when　entertaining　me；　is　to　regard　yourself　as　accepting　a　〃composition〃；　and　even　that　loss　is　less　annoying　when　it　comes　from　a　friend　than　from　a　debtor。　Yet；　after　all；　I　don't　require　dinners　superfluous　in　quantity：　only　let　what　there　is　be　first…rate　in　quality　and　recherche。　I　remember　you　used　to　tell　me　stories　of　Phamea's　dinner。　Let　yours　be　earlier；　but　in　other　respects　like　that。　But　if　you　persist　in　bringing　me　back　to　a　dinner　like　your　mother's；　I　should　put　up　with　that　also。　For　I　should　like　to　see　the　man　who　had　the　face　to　put　on　the　table　for　me　what　you　describe；　or　even　a　polypuslooking　as　red　as　Iupiter　Miniatus。　Believe　me；　you　won't　dare。　Before　I　arrive　the　fame　of　my　new　magnificence　will　reach　you：　and　you　will　be　awestruck　at　it。　Yet　it　is　no　use　building　any　hope　on　your　hors　d'aeuvre。　I　have　quite　abolished　that：　for　in　old　times　I　found　my　appetite　spoilt　by　your　olives　and　Lucanian　sausages。　But　why　all　this　talk？　Let　me　only　get　to　you。　By　all　meansfor　I　wish　to　wipe　away　all　fear　from　your　heartgo　back　to　your　old　cheese…and…sardine　dish。　The　only　expense　I　shall　cause　you　will　be　that　you　will　have　to　have　the　bath　heated。　All　the　rest　according　to　my　regular　habits。　What　I　have　just　been　saying　was　all　a　joke。

As　to　Selicius's　villa；　you　have　managed　the　business　carefully　and　written　most　wittily。　So　I　think　I　won't　buy。　For　there　is　enough　salt　and　not　enough　savour。

XXIV

To　L。　PAPIRIUS　PAETUS　（AT　NAPLES）

TUSCULUM　（JULY）

BEING　quite　at　leisure　in　my　Tusculan　villa；　because　I　had　sent　my　pupils　to　meet　him；　that　they　might　at　the　same　time　present　me　in　as　favourable　a　light　as　possible　to　their　friend；　I　received　your　most　delightful　letter；　from　which　I　learnt　that　you　approved　my　idea　of　having　begunnow　that　legal　proceedings　are　abolished　aiid　my　old　supremacy　in　the　forum　is　lostto　keep　a　kind　of　school；　just　as　Dionysius；　when　expelled　from　Syracuse；　is　said　to　have　opened　a　school　at　Corinth。　In　short；　I　too　am　delighted　with　the　idea；　for　I　secure　many　advantages。　First　and　foremost；　I　am　strengthening　my　position　in　view　of　the　present　crisis；　and　that　is　of　primary　importance　at　this　time。　How　much　that　amounts　to　I　don't　know：　I　only　see　that　as　at　present　advised　I　prefer　no　one's　policy　to　this；　unless；　of　course；　it　had　been　better　to　have　died。　In　one's　own　bed；　I　confess　it　might　have　been；　but　that　did　not　occur：　and　as　to　the　field　of　battle；　I　was　not　there。　The　rest　indeed　Pompey；　your　friend　Lentulus；　Afraniusperished　ingloriously。　But；　it　may　be　said；　Cato　died　a　noble　death。　Well；　that　at　any　rate　is　in　our　power　when　we　will：　let　us　only　do　our　best　to　prevent　it