letters of cicero-第17部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


cture　to　a　man　in　business；　which　I　refused　to　our　friend　Torquatus　in　the　case　of　your　prot？g？　Lamius；　and　to　Pompey　himself　in　the　case　of　Sext。　Statius；　without　offending　either　of　them；　if；　finally；　he　is　annoyed　at　my　recall　of　the　cavalry；　I　shall　indeed　feel　some　distress　at　his　being　angry　with　me；　but　much　greater　distress　at　finding　him　not　to　be　the　man　that　I　had　thought　him。　Thus　much　Scaptius　will　ownthat　he　had　the　opportunity　in　my　court　of　taking　away　with　him　the　whole　sum　allowed　by　my　edict。　I　will　add　a　fact　which　I　fear　you　may　not　approve。　The　interest　ought　to　have　ceased　to　run　（I　mean　the　interest　allowed　by　my　edict）；　but　I　induced　the　Salasninians　to　say　nothing　about　that。　They　gave　in　to　me；　it　is　true；　but　what　will　become　of　them　if　Paullus　comes　here？　However；　I　have　granted　all　this　in　favour　of　Brutus；　who　writes　very　kind　letters　to　you　about　me；　but　to　me　myself；　even　when　he　has　a　favour　to　ask；　writes　usually　in　a　tone　of　hauteur；　arrogance；　and　offensive　superiority。　You；　however；　I　hope　will　write　to　him　on　this　business；　in　order　that　I　may　know　how　he　takes　what　I　have　done。　For　you　will　tell　me。　I　have；　it　is　true；　written　you　a　full　and　careful　account　in　a　former　letter；　but　I　wished　you　clearly　to　understand　that　I　had　not　forgotten　what　you　had　said　to　me　in　one　of　your　letters：　that　if　I　brought　home　from　this　province　nothing　else　except　his　goodwill；　I　should　have　done　enough。　By　all　means；　since　you　will　have　it　so：　but　I　assume　my　dealings　with　him　to　be　without　breach　of　duty　on　my　part。　Well；　then；　by　my　decree　the　payment　of　the　money　to　Statius　is　good　at　law：　whether　that　is　just　you　must　judge　for　yourselfI　will　not　appeal　even　to　Cato。　But　don't　think　that　I　have　cast　your　exhortations　to　the　winds：　they　have　sunk　deeply　into　my　mind。　With　tears　in　your　eyes　you　urged　me　to　be　careful　of　my　reputation。　Have　I　ever　got　a　letter　from　you　without　the　same　subject　being　mentioned？　So；　then；　let　who　will　be　angry；　I　will　endure　it：　〃for　the　right　is　on　my　side；〃　especially　as　I　have　given　six　books　as　bail；　so　to　speak；　for　my　good　conduct。　I　am　very　glad　you　like　them；　though　in　one　pointabout　Cn。　Flavius；　son　of　Anniusyou　question　my　history。　He；　it　is　true；　did　not　live　before　the　decemvirs；　for　he　was　curule　aedile；　an　office　created　many　years　after　the　decemvirs。　What　good　did　he　do；　then；　by　publishing　the　Fasti？　It　is　supposed　that　the　tablet　containing　them　had　been　kept　concealed　up　to　a　certain　date；　in　order　that　information　as　to　days　for　doing　business　might　have　to　be　sought　from　a　small　coterie。　And　indeed　several　of　our　authorities　relate　that　a　scribe　named　Cn。　Flavius　published　the　Fasti　and　composed　forms　of　pleadingso　don't　imagine　that　I；　or　rather　Africanus　（for　he　is　the　spokesman）；　invented　the　fact。　So　you　noticed　the　remark　about　the　〃action　of　an　actor；〃　did　you？　You　suspect　a　malicious　meaning：　I　wrote　in　all　simplicity。

You　say　that　Philotimus　told　you　about　my　having　been　saluted　imperator。　But　I　feel　sure　that；　as　you　are　now　in　Epirus；　you　have　received　my　own　letters　on　the　whole　subject；　one　from　Pindenissus　after　its　capture；　another　from　Laodicea；　both　delivered　to　your　own　messengers。　On　these　events；　for　fear　of　accidents　at　sea；　I　sent　a　public　despatch　to　Rome　in　duplicate　by　two　different　letter…carriers。

As　to　my　Tullia；　I　agree　with　you；　and　I　have　written　to　her　and　to　Terentia　giving　my　consent。　For　you　have　already　said　in　a　previous　letter　to　me；　〃and　I　could　wish　that　you　had　returned　to　your　old　set。〃　There　was　no　occasion　to　alter　the　letter　you　sent　by　Memnius：　for　I　much　prefer　to　accept　this　man　from　Pontidia；　than　the　other　from　Servilia。　Wherefore　take　our　friend　Saufeius　into　council。　He　was　always　fond　of　me；　and　now　I　suppose　all　the　more　so　as　he　is　bound　to　have　accepted　Appius's　affection　for　me　with　the　rest　of　the　property　he　has　inherited。　Appius　often　showed　how　much　he　valued　me；　and　especially　in　the　trial　of　Bursa。　Indeed　you　will　have　relieved　me　of　a　serious　anxiety。

I　don't　like　Furnius's　proviso。　For；　in　fact；　there　is　no　state　of　things　that　alarms　me　except　just　that　of　which　he　makes　the　only　exception。　But　I　should　have　written　at　great　length　to　you　on　this　subject　if　you　had　been　at　Rome。　I　don't　wonder　that　you　rest　all　your　hope　of　peace　on　Ponipey：　I　believe　that　is　the　truth；　and　in　my　opinion　you　must　strike　out　your　word　〃　insincerity。〃　If　my　arrangement　of　topics　is　somewhat　random；　blame　yourself：　for　I　am　following　your　own　haphazard　order。

My　son　and　nephew　are　very　fond　of　each　other。　They　take　their　lessons　and　their　exercise　together；　but　as　Isocrates　said　of　Ephorus　and　Theopompus；　the　one　wants　the　rein；　the　other　the　spur。　I　intend　giving　Quintus　the　toga　virilis　on　the　Liberalia。　For　his　father　commissioned　me　to　do　so。　And　I　shall　observe　th？　day　without　taking　intercalation　into　account。　I　am　very　fond　of　Dionysius：　the　boys；　however；　say　that　he　gets　into　mad　passions。　But　after　all　there　could　not　be　a　man　of　greater　learning；　purer　character；　or　more　attached　to　you　and　me。　The　praises　you　hear　of　Thermus　and　Silius　are　thoroughly　deserved：　they　conduct　themselves　in　the　most　honourable　manner。　You　may　say　the　same　of　M。　Nonius；　Bibulus；　and　myself；　if　you　like。　I　only　wish　Scrofa　had　had　an　opportunity　to　do　the　same：　for　he　is　an　excellent　fellow。　The　rest　don't　do　much　honour　to　Cato's　policy。　Many　thanks　for　commending　my　case　to　Hortensius。　As　for　Amianus；　Dionysius　thinks　there　is　no　hope。　I　haven't　found　a　trace　of　Terentius。　Maeragenes　has　certainly　been　killed。　I　made　a　progress　through　his　district；　in　which　there　was　not　a　single　living　thing　left。　I　didn't　know　about　this；　when　I　spoke　to　your　man　Democritus。　I　have　ordered　the　service　of　Rhosian　ware。　But；　hallo！　what　are　you　thinking　of？　You　generally　serve　us　up　a　dinner　of　herbs　on　fern…pattern　plates；　and　the　most　sparkling　of　baskets：　what　am　I　to　expect　you　to　give　on　porcelain？　I　have　ordered　a　horn　for　Phemius：　one　will　be　sure　to　turn　up；　I　only　hope　he　may　play　something　worthy　of　it。

There　is　a　threat　of　a　Parthian　war。　Cassius's　despatch　was　empty　brag：　that　of　Bibulus　had　not　arrived：　when　that　is　read　I　think　the　senate　will　at　length　be　roused。　I　am　myself　in　serious　anxiety。　If；　as　I　hope；　my　government　is　not　prolonged；　I　have　only　June　and　July　to　fear。　May　it　be　so！　Bibulus　will　keep　them　in　check　for　two　months。　What　will　happen　to　the　man　I　leave　in　charge；　especially　if　it　is　my　brother？　Or；　again；　what　will　happen　to　me；　if　I　don't　leave　my　province　so　soon？　It　is　a　great　nuisance。　However；　I　have　agreed　with　Deiotarus　that　he　should　join　my　camp　in　full　force。　He　has　thirty　cohorts　of　four　hundred　men　apiece；　armed　in　the　Roman　fashion；　and　two　thousand　cavalry。　That　will　be　sufficient　to　hold　out　till　the　arrival　of　Pompey；　who　in　a　letter　he　writes　to　me　indicates　that　the　business　will　be　put　in　his　hands。　The　Parthians　are　wintering　in　a　Roman　province。　Orodes　is　expected　in　person。　In　short；　it　is　a　serious　matter。　As　to　Bibulus's　edict　there　is　nothing　new；　except　the　proviso　of　which　you　said　in　your　letter；　〃that　it　reflected　with　excessive　severity　on　our　order。〃　I；　however；　have　a　proviso　in　my　own　edict　of　equivalent　force；　but　less　openly　expressed　（derived　from　the　Asiatic　edict　of　Q。　Mucius；　son　of　Publius）〃　provided　that　the　agreement　made　is　not　such　as　cannot　hold　good　in　equity。〃　I　have　followed　Scaevola　in　many　points；　among　others　in　thiswhich　the　Greeks　regard　as　a　charta　of　liberty。that　Greeks　are　to　decide　controversies　between　each　other　according　to　their　own　laws。　But　my　edict　was　shortened　by　my　method　of　making　a　division；　as　I　thought　it　well　to　publish　it　under　two　heads：　the　first；　exclusive。Iy　applicable　to　a　province；　concerned　borough　accounts；　debt；　rate　of　interest；　contracts；　all　regulations　also　referring　to　the　publicani：　the　second；　including　what　cannot　conveniently　be　transacted　without　an　edict；　related　to　inheritances；　ownership　and　sale；　appointment　of　receivers；　all　which　are　by　custom　brought　into　court　and　settled　in　accordance　with　the　edict：　a　third　division；　embracing　the　remaining　departments　of　judicial　business；　I　left　unwritten。　I　gave　out　that　in　regard　to　that　class　of　business　I　should　accommodate　my　decisions　to　those　made　at　Rome：　I　accordingly　do　so；　and　give　general　satisfaction。　The　Greeks；　indeed；　are　jubilant　because　they　have　non…Roman　jurors。

〃Yes；〃　you　will　say；　〃a　very　poor　kind。〃　What　does　that　matter？　They；　at　any　rate；　imagine　themselves　to　have　obtained　〃autonomy。〃　You　at　Rome；　I　suppose；　have　men　of　high　character　in　that　capacityTupio　the　shoemaker　and　Vettius　the　broker！　You　seem　to　wish　to　know　how　I　treat　the　publicani。　I　pet；　indulge；　compliment；　and　honour　them：　I　contrive；　however；　that　they　oppress　no　one。　The　most　surprising　thing　is　that　even　Servilius　maintained　the　rates　of　usury　entered　on　their　contracts。　My　line　is　this：　I　mirrie　a　day　fairly　distant；　before　which；　if　they　have　paid；　I　give　out　that　I　shall　recognize　only　twelve　per　cent。：　if　they　have　not　paid；　the　rate　shall　be　according　to　the　contract。　The　result　is　that　the　Greeks　pay　at　a　reasonable　rate　of　interest；　and　the　publicani　are