letters of cicero-第16部分

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But　I　have　said　too　much　of　myself；　especially　to　you；　in　whom　singly　the　grievances　of　all　our　allies　alike　find　a　listener。　You　will　learn　the　truth　from　those　who　think　themselves　restored　to　life　by　my　administration。　And　while　all　with　nearly　one　consent　will　praise　me　in　your　hearing　as　I　most　desire　to　be　praised；　so　will　your　two　chief　client　statesthe　island　of　Cyprus　and　the　kingdom　of　Cappadociahave　something　to　say　to　you　about　me　also。　So；　too；　I　think；　will　Deiotarus；　who　is　attached　to　you　with　special　warmth。　Now；　if　these　things　are　above　the　common　run；　and　if　in　all　ages　it　has　been　rarer　to　find　men　capable　of　conquering　their　own　desires　than　capable　of　conquering　an　enemy's　army；　it　is　quite　in　harmony　with　your　principles；　when　you　find　these　rarer　and　more　difficult　virtues　combined　with　success　in　war；　to　regard　that　success　itself　as　more　complete　and　glorious。

I　have　only　one　last　resourcephilosophy：　and　to　make　her　plead　for　me；　as　though　I　doubted　the　efficacy　of　a　mere　request：　philosophy；　the　best　friend　I　have　ever　had　in　all　my　life；　the　greatest　gift　which　has　been　bestowed　by　the　gods　upon　mankind。　Yes！　this　common　sympathy　in　tastes　and　studiesour　inseparable　devotion　and　attachment　to　which　from　boyhood　have　caused　us　to　become　almost　unique　examples　of　men　bringing　that　true　and　ancient　philosophy　（which　some　regard　as　only　the　employment　of　leisure　and　idleness）　down　to　the　forum；　the　council　chamber；　and　the　very　camp　itselfpleads　the　cause　of　my　glory　with　you：　and　I　do　not　think　a　Cato　can；　with　a　good　conscience；　say　her　nay。　Wherefore　I　would　have　you　convince　yourself　that；　if　my　despatch　is　made　the　ground　of　paying　me　this　compliment　with　your　concurrence；　I　shall　consider　that　the　dearest　wish　of　my　heart　has　been　fulfilled　owing　at　once　to　your　influence　and　to　your　friendship。

XIX

To　ATTICUS　（IN　EPIRUS）

LAODTCEA；　22　FEBRUARY

I　RECEIVED　your　letter　on　the　fifth　day　before　the　Terminalia　（19th　of　February）　at　Laodicea。　I　was　delighted　to　read　it；　for　it　teemed　with　affection；　kindness；　and　an　active　and　obliging　temper。　I　will；　therefore；　answer　it　sentence　by　sentencefor　such　is　your　requestand　I　will　not　introduce　an　arrangement　of　my　own；　but　will　follow　your　order。

You　say　that　the　last　letter　you　had　of　mine　was　from　Cybistra；　dated　21st　September；　and　you　want　to　know　which　of　yours　I　have　received。　Nearly　all　you　mention；　except　the　one　that　you　say　that　you　delivered　to　Lentulus's　messengers　at　Equotuticus　and　Brundisium。　Wherefore　your　industry　has　not　been　thrown　away；　as　you　fear；　but　has　been　exceedingly　well　laid　out；　if；　that　is　to　say；　your　object　was　to　give　me　pleasure。　For　I　have　never　been　more　delighted　with　anything。　I　am　exceedingly　glad　that　you　approve　of　my　self…restraint　in　the　case　of　Appius；　and　of　my　independence　even　in　the　case　of　Brutus：　and　I　had　thought　that　it　might　be　somewhat　otherwise。　For　Appius；　in　the　course　of　his　journey；　had　sent　me　two　or　three　rather　querulous　letters；　because　I　rescinded　some　of　his　decisions。　It　is　exactly　as　if　a　doctor；　upon　a　patient　having　been　placed　under　another　doctor；　should　choose　to　be　angry　with　the　latter　if　he　changed　some　of　his　prescriptions。　Thus　Appius；　having　treated　the　province　on　the　system　of　depletion；　bleeding；　and　removing　everything　he　could；　and　having　handed　it　over　to　me　in　the　last　state　of　exhaustion；　he　cannot　bear　seeing　it　treated　by　me　on　the　nutritive　system。　Yet　he　is　sometimes　angry　with　me；　at　other　times　thanks　me；　for　nothing　I　ever　do　is　accompanied　with　any　reflexion　upon　him。　It　is　only　the　dissimilarity　of　my　system　that　annoys　him。　For　what　could　be　a　more　striking　differenceunder　his　rule　a　province　drained　by　charges　for　maintenance　and　by　losses；　under　mine；　not　a　penny　exacted　either　from　private　persons　or　public　bodies？　Why　speak　of　his　praefecti；　staff；　and　legates？　Or　even　of　acts　of　plunder；　licentiousness；　and　insult？　While　as　things　actually　are；　no　private　house；　by　Hercules；　is　governed　with　so　much　system；　or　on　such　strict　principles；　nor　is　so　well　disciplined；　as　is　my　whole　province。　Some　of　Appius's　friends　put　a　ridiculous　construction　on　this；　holding　that　I　wish　for　a　good　reputation　to　set　off　his　bad　one；　and　act　rightly；　not　for　the　sake　of　my　own　credit；　but　in　order　to　cast　reflexion　upon　him。　But　if　Appius；　as　Brutus's　letter　forwarded　by　you　indicated；　expresses　gratitude　to　me；　I　am　satisfied。　Nevertheless；　this　very　day　on　which　I　write　this；　before　dawn；　I　am　thinking　of　rescinding　many　of　his　inequitable　appointments　and　decisions。

I　now　come　to　Brutus；　whose　friendship　I　embraced　with　all　possible　earnestness　on　your　advice。　I　had　even　begun　to　feel　genuine　affection　for　himbut　here　I　pull　myself　up　short；　lest　I　should　offend　you：　for　don't　imagine　that　there　is　anything　I　wish　more　than　to　fulfil　his　commissions；　or　that　there　is　anything　about　which　I　have　taken　more　trouble。　Now　he　gave　me　a　volume　of　commissions；　and　you　had　already　spoken　with　me　about　the　same　matters。　I　have　pushed　them　on　with　the　greatest　energy。　To　begin　with；　I　put　such　pressure　on　Ariobarzanes；　that　he　paid　him　the　talents　which　he　promised　me。　As　long　as　the　king　was　with　me；　the　business　was　in　excellent　train：　later　on　he　begun　to　be　pressed　by　countless　agents　of　Pompey。　Now　Pompey　has　by　himself　more　influence　than　all　the　rest　put　together　for　many　reasons；　and　especially　because　there　is　an　idea　that　he　is　coming　to　undertake　the　Parthian　war。　However；　even　he　has　to　put　up　with　the　following　scale　of　payment：　on　every　thirtieth　day　thirty…three　Attic　talents　（7；920　pounds）；　and　that　raised　by　special　taxes：　nor　is　it　sufficient　for　the　monthly　interest。　But　our　friend　Gnaeus　is　an　easy　creditor：　he　stands　out　of　his　capital；　is　content　with　the　interest；　and　even　that　not　in　full。　The　king　neither　pays　anyone　else；　nor　is　capable　of　doing　so：　for　he　has　no　treasury；　no　regular　income；　He　levies　taxes　after　the　method　of　Appius。　They　scarcely　produce　enough　to　satisfy　Pompey's　interest。　The　king　has　two　or　three　very　rich　friends；　but　they　stick　to　their　own　as　energetically　as　you　or　I。　For　my　part；　nevertheless；　I　do　not　cease　sending　letters　asking；　urging；　chiding　the　king。　Delotarus　also　has　informed　me　that　he　has　sent　emissaries　to　him　on　Brutus's　business：　that　they　have　brought　him　back　word　that　he　has　not　got　the　money。　And；　by　Hercules；　I　believe　it　is　the　case；　nothing　can　be　stripped　cleaner　than　his　kingdom；　or　be　more　needy　than　the　king。　Accordingly；　I　am　thinking　either　of　renouncing　my　guardianship；　or；　as　Scaevola　did　on　behalf　of　Glabrio；　of　stopping　payment　altogetherprincipal　and　interest　alike。　However；　I　have　conferred　the　prefectures　which　I　promised　Brutus　through　you　on　M。　Scaptius　and　L。　Gavius；　who　were　acting　as　Brutus's　agents　in　the　kingdom：　for　they　were　not　carrying　on　business　in　my　own　province。　You　will　remember　that　I　made　that　condition；　that　he　might　have　as　many　prefectures　as　he　pleased；　so　long　as　it　was　not　for　a　man　in　business。　Accordingly；　I　have　given　him　two　others　besides：　but　the　men　for　whom　he　asked　them　had　left　the　province。　Now　for　the　case　of　the　Salaminians；　which　I　see　came　upon　you　also　as　a　novelty；　as　it　did　upon　me。　For　Brutus　never　told　me　that　the　money　was　his　own。　Nay；　I　have　his　own　document　containing　the　words；　〃The　Salaminians　owe　my　friends　M。　Scaptius　and　P。　Matinius　a　sum　of　money。〃　He　recommends　them　to　me：　he　even　adds；　as　though　by　way　of　a　spur　to　me；　that　he　has　gone　surety　for　them　to　a　large　amount。　I　had　succeeded　in　arranging　that　they　should　pay　with　interest　for　six　years　at　the　rate　of　twelve　per　cent；　and　added　yearly　to　the　capital　sum。　But　　Scaptius　demanded　forty…eight　per　cent。　I　was　afraid；　if　he　got　that；　you　yourself　would　cease　to　have　any　affection　for　me。　For　I　should　have　receded　from　my　own　edict；　and　should　have　titterly　ruined　a　statc　which　was　under　the　protection　not　only　of　Cato；　but　also　of　Brutus　himself；　and　had　been　the　recipient　of　favours　from　myself。　When　lo　and　behold！　at　this　very　juncture　Scaptius　comes　down　upon　me　with　a　letter　from　Brutus；　stating　that　his　own　property　is　being　imperilleda　fact　that　Brutus　had　never　told　either　me　or　you。　He　also　begged　that　I　would　confer　a　prefecture　on　Scaptius。　That　was　the　very　reservation　that　I　had　made　to　you〃　not　to　a　man　in　business〃：　and　if　to　anyone；　to　such　a　man　as　thatno　I　for　he　has　been　a　praefectus　to　Appius；　and　had；　in　fact；　had　some　squadrons　of　cavalry；　with　which　he　had　kept　the　senate　under　so　close　a　siege　in　their　own　council　chamber　at　Salamis；　that　five　senators　died　of　starvation。　Accordingly；　the　first　day　of　my　entering　my　province；　Cyprian　legates　having　already　visited　me　at　Ephesus；　I　sent　orders　for　the　cavalry　to　quit　the　island　at　once。　For　these　reasons　I　believe　Scaptius　has　written　some　unfavorable　remarks　about　me　to　Brutus。　However；　my　feeling　is　this：　if　Brutus　holds　that　I　ought　to　have　decided　in　favour　of　forty…eight　per　cent。；　though　throughout　my　province　I　have　only　recognized　twelve　per　cent。；　and　had　laid　down　that　rule　in　my　edict　with　the　assent　even　of　the　most　grasping　money…lenders；　if　he　complains　of　my　refusal　of　a　prefecture　to　a　ma