person and his property from every injury and every inconvenience to which they may be exposed. In the mean time, I will venture to assure you myself, (what all your family will, I doubt not, confirm,) that you may depend upon deriving great satisfaction from my friendship, as well as much advantage from the faithful returns of my gratitude. Farewell. LETTER III. [A. U. 709.] TO CURIUS. YOUR letter affords me a very evident proof, that I possess the highest share of your esteem, and that you are sensible how much you are endeared to me in return; both which I have ever been desirous should be placed beyond a doubt. Since, then, we are thus firmly assured of each other's affection, let us endeavour to vie in our mutual good offices; a contest in which I am perfectly indifferent on which side the superiority may appear. I am well pleased that you had no occasion to deliver my letter to Acilius.* I find, likewise, that you had not much for the services of Sulpicius; * See the latter end of the first Letter in this Book. having made so great a progress, it seems, in your affairs, as to have curtailed them (to use your own ludicrous expression) both of head and feet. I wish, however, you had spared the latter, that they might proceed a little faster, and give us an opportunity of one day seeing you again in Rome. We want you, indeed, in order to preserve that good old vein of pleasantry which is now, you may perceive, wellnigh worn out amongst us; insomuch, that Atticus may properly enough say, as he often, you know, used, "if it were not for two or three of us, my friends, what would become of the ancient glory of Athens!" Indeed, as the honour of being the chief support of Attic elegance devolved upon Pomponius,* when you left Italy; so, in his absence, it has now descended upon me. Hasten your return, then, I beseech you, my friend, lest every spark of wit, as well as of liberty, should be irrecoverably extinguished with the republic. Farewell. * Pomponius Atticus. LETTER IV. [A. U. 709.] TO CORNIFICIUS. I HAVE the satisfaction to find, by your very obliging letter, that my last was safely delivered. I doubted not of its affording you pleasure; and, therefore, was so much the more uneasy, lest it should lose its way. You inform me, at the same time, that a war is broken out in Syria;* and that Cæsar has given you the government of this province. I wish you much joy of your command, and hope success will attend it, as, in full confidence of your wisdom and vigilance, I am well persuaded it will. Nevertheless, I am truly alarmed at what you mention concerning the invasion, which, it is suspected, the Parthians are meditating. I find, by your letter, that the number of your forces is agreeable to what I should have conjectured; I hope, therefore, that these people will not put themselves in motion, till the legions, which I hear are ordered to your assistance, shall arrive. But, if you should not, even with these supplies, find yourself in a condition to face the enemy, I * See p. 140. note. need not remind you to follow the maxim of your predecessor, Marcus Bibulus, who, you know, during the whole time that the Parthians continued in your province, most gallantly shut himself up in a strong garrison.* Yet, after all, circumstances will best determine in what manner it will be proper for you to act in the mean time, I shall be extremely anxious, till I receive an account of your operations. As I have never omitted any opportunity of writing to you, I hope you will observe the same punctuality with respect to me. But, above all, let me desire you to represent me, in letters to your friends and family, as one who is entirely yours. Farewell. your * This seems to be intended as a sneer upon the conduct of Bibulus. Cicero was governor of Cilicia when Bibulus commanded in Syria, and they both solicited, at the same time, the honour of a public thanksgiving for the success of their respective arms. Cato gave his suffrage, upon this occasion, in favour of Bibulus, but refused it to Cicero; a preference which extremely exasperated the latter, and which was, probably, the principal cause of that contempt with which he speaks of Bibulus in the present passage. See Vol. II. p. 245, note. You will judge, by this letter, in what posture our affairs stand. I received a visit yesterday, in * Decimus Brutus, of the same family with Marcus Brutus, served under Cæsar in the wars in Gaul; at the end of which, in the year 708, he returned to Rome, and was chosen one of the city quæstors. It does not appear that he distinguished himself by any thing remarkable, till he engaged with Marcus Brutus and Cassius in the conspiracy against his friend and benefactor. This was executed, as all the world knows, by stabbing Cæsar in the senate, on the ides, or the 15th of March, a few weeks before the present letter was written. When one considers the characters of those, who were the principal actors in this memorable tragedy, it is astonishing, that they should have looked no farther than merely to the taking away of Cæsar's life; as if they imagined, that the government must necessarily return into its proper channel, as soon as the person, who had obstructed its course, was removed. They were altogether, therefore, unprepared for those very probable contingencies, which they ought to have had in view, and which accordingly ensued. Whatever, then, may be determined as to the patriotism of the fact itself, it was, unquestionably, conducted, as Cicero frequently and justly |