nigh every blessing that life can offer, she left it only when the Republic itself was falling. The account is closed, and what have you, what has she, to charge of injustice against Fate? In a word, forget not that you are Cicero-that you are he who was always wont to guide others and give them good advice; and be not like those quack physicians who when others are sick boast that they hold the key of the knowledge of medicine, to heal themselves are never able; but rather minister to yourself with your own hand the remedies which you are in the habit of prescribing for others, and put them plainly before your own soul. There is no pain so great but the lapse of time will lessen and assuage it: it is not like yourself to wait till this time comes instead of stepping forward by your philosophy to anticipate that result. And if even those who are low in the grave have any consciousness at all, such was her love for you and her tenderness for all around her, that surely she does not wish to see this in you. Make this a tribute then to her who is dead; to all your friends and relations who are mourning in your grief; and make it to your country also, that if in anything the need should arise she may be able to trust to your energy and guidance. Finally, since such is the condition we have come to that even this consideration must perforce be obeyed, do not let your conduct induce any one to believe that it is not so much your daughter as the circumstances of the Republic and the victory of others which you are deploring. I shrink from writing to you of greater length upon this subject, lest I should seem to be doubtful of your own good sense; allow me therefore to put before you one more consideration, and then I will bring my letter to a close. We have seen you not once but many times bearing prosperity most gracefully, and gaining yourself great reputation thereby let us see at last that you are capable also of bearing adversity equally well, and that it is not in your eyes a heavier burden than it ought to seem; lest we should think that of all the virtues this is the only one in which you are wanting. : As for myself, when I find you are more composed in mind I will send you information about all that is being done in these parts, and the state in which the province finds itself at present. Farewell, FROM CICERO AT ASTURA TO SERVIUS SULPICIUS RUFUS AT ATHENS. Reply to the Preceding. Yes, my dear Servius, I could indeed wish you had been with me, as you say, at the time of my terrible trial. How much it was in your power to help me if you had been here by sympathizing with, and, I may almost say, sharing equally in, my grief I readily perceive from the fact that after reading your letter I now feel myself considerably more composed; for not only was all that you wrote just what is best calculated to sooth affliction, but you yourself in comforting me showed that you too had no little pain at heart. Your son Servius, however, has made it clear by every kindly attention which such an occasion would permit of, both how great his respect was for myself, and also how much pleasure his kind feeling for me was likely to give you; and you may be sure that, while such attentions from him have often been more pleasant to me, they have never made me more grateful. It is not, however, only your arguments and your equal share, I may almost call it, in this affliction which comforts me, but also your authority; because I hold it shame in me not to be bearing my trouble in a way that you, a man endowed with such wisdom, think it ought to be borne. But at times I do feel broken down, and I scarcely make any struggle against my grief, because those consolations fail me which under similar calamities were never wanting to any of those other people whom I put before myself as models for imitation. Both Fabius Maximus, for example, when he lost a son who had held the consulship, the hero of many a famous exploit; and Lucius Paulus, from whom two were taken in one week; and your own kinsman Gallus; and Marcus Cato, who was deprived of a son of the rarest talents and the rarest virtue, all these lived in times when their individual affliction was capable of finding a solace in the distinctions they used to earn from their country. For me, however, after being stripped of all those distinctions which you yourself recall to me, and which I had won for myself by unparalleled exertions, only that one solace remained which has been torn away. My thoughts were not diverted by work for my friends, or by the administration of affairs of state; there was no pleasure in pleading in the courts; I could not bear the very sight of the Senate House; I felt, as was indeed too true, that I had lost all the harvest of both my industry and my success. But whenever I wanted to recollect that all this was shared with you and other friends I could name, and whenever I was breaking myself in and forcing my spirit to bear these things with patience, I always had a refuge to go to where I might find peace, and in whose words of comfort and sweet society I could rid me of all my pains and griefs. Whereas now under this terrible blow even those old wounds which seemed to have healed up are bleeding afresh; for it is impossible for me now to find such a refuge from my sorrows at.home in the business of the State, as in those days I did in that consolation of home which was always in store whenever I came away sad from thoughts of State, to seek for peace in her happiness. And so I stay away both from home and from public life; because home now is no more able to make up for the sorrow I feel when I think of our country than our country is for my sorrow at home. I am therefore looking forward all the more eagerly to your coming, and long to see you as early as that may possibly be; no greater alleviation can be offered me than a meeting between us for friendly intercourse and conversation. I hope, however, that your return is to take place, as I hear it is, very shortly. As for myself, while there are abundant reasons for wanting to see you as soon as possible, my principal one is in order that we may discuss together beforehand the best method of conduct for present circumstances, which must entirely be adapted to the wishes of one man only, a man nevertheless who is far-seeing and generous, and, also, as I think I have thoroughly ascertained, to me not at all ill disposed and to you extremely friendly. But admitting this, it is still a matter for much deliberation what is the line, I do not say of action, but of keeping quiet, that we ought by his good leave and favor to adopt. Farewell. FROM CICERO AT THE HOUSE OF MATIUS NEAR ROME, TO ATTICUS AT ROME, ABOUT APRIL 7, B.C. 44. On the Murder of Cæsar. I have come on a visit to the subject of our conversation this morning. Desperation can go no farther. "The entanglement was hopeless: for if so great a genius could find no way out of it, who will find it now? In short all," he said, "was lost." And I am not sure but that he may be right, only he says it with satisfaction, and is positive about a rising in Gaul before three weeks are over. As for himself, "since the Ides of March he had not entered into conversation with anybody at all except Lepidus," and the summary was that "it would be impossible for such deeds to get off so lightly." Oh for your delicacy, Oppius! He grieves for his friend just as truly, and yet never says a word that could offend any good patriot. But enough of this. Please do not think it a trouble to write me any news there may be there is much indeed that I am expecting to hear; — among other things whether it is fully known about Sextus Pompeius, and above all what about our friend Brutus? As to him indeed, I hear from the friend with whom I am staying that Cæsar used to say, "It makes all the difference what our friend sets his heart on, but whatever he does it is with his whole heart;" and that he had impressed him with this characteristic in his speech for Deiotarus at Nicæa; he seemed to be speaking with such extreme vehemence and freedom from restraint. Another fact― for I like jotting anything down just as it occurs to me:- quite recently when I called upon him at the entreaty of Sestius, and was sitting there waiting till I should be summoned, they say he remarked: "Can I have any doubt that I must be intensely disliked when Marcus Cicero is sitting there, and cannot come in and see me at his own convenience? Yet if anybody is easytempered it is he; but for all that I have no doubt he hates me bitterly." This and plenty more of the kind for you. But to my point: will you write anything, whatever it is, not only an important thing, but any little one as well? I for my part will omit nothing at all. VOL. V. - -14 JULIUS CESAR. BY SHAKESPEARE. [WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE was born 1564, and died 1616.] Brutus ACT III.. SCENE I. AFTER THE MURDER. Let no man abide this deed, But we the doers. Cassius Where's Antony? Trebonius-. Reënter TREBONIUS. Fled to his house amazed: Men, wives, and children stare, cry out, and run, Brutus Fates! we will know your pleasures: That we shall die, we know; 'tis but the time, And drawing days out, that men stand upon. Cassius Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life, Cuts off so many years of fearing death. Brutus Grant that, and then is death a benefit: So are we Cæsar's friends, that have abridged His time of fearing death. Stoop, Romans, stoop, And let us bathe our hands in Cæsar's blood Up to the elbows, and besmear our swords: Then walk we forth, even to the market place: And, waving our red weapons o'er our heads, Let's all cry, Peace! Freedom! and Liberty! Cassius Stoop, then, and wash. How many ages hence, In states unborn, and accents yet unknown! How many times shall Cæsar bleed in sport, So oft as that shall be, So often shall the knot of us be called |