A. Urb. 696. Cic. 50. Coss.-P. Corn. Lent. Spinther. Q. Cæc. Metel. Nepos. up in no small hurry, and with fresh indignation at this new insult *. There was no more business done through the remaining part of December, which was taken up chiefly with holy days. Lentulus and Metellus, whose consulship expired with the year, set forward for their several governments; the one for Cilicia, the other for Spain: Lentulus committed the whole direction of his affairs to Cicero; and Metellus, unwilling to leave him his enemy, made up all matters with him before his departure, and wrote an affectionate letter to him afterwards from Spain; in which he acknowledges his services, and intimates, that he had given up his brother Clodius, in exchange for his friendship t. A. Urb. 697. Cic. 51. Coss.---Cn. Corn. Lent. Marcellinus. L. Mar. Philippus Cicero's first concern, on the opening of the new year, was to get the commission, for restoring king Ptolemy, confirmed to Lentulus; which came now under deliberation: the tribune, Cato, was fierce against restoring him at all, with the greatest part of the senate on his side; when, taking occasion to consult the Sibylline books, on the subject of some late Tum Clodius rogatus diem dicendo eximere cœpit-deinde ejus operæ repente a Græcostasi et gradibus clamorem satis magnum sustulerunt, opinor in Q. Sextilium et amicos Milonis incitata; eo metu injecto repente magna querimonia omnium discessimus. Ad Quint. Fr. 2. 1. Libenterque commutata persona, te mihi fratris loco esse duco. Ep. Fam. 5. 3. A. Urb. 697. Cic. 51. Coss.---Cn. Corn. Lent. Marcellinus. L. Mar. Philippus. prodigies, he chanced to find in them certain verses, forewarning the Roman people, not to replace an exiled king of Egypt with an army. This was so pat to his purpose, that there could be no doubt of its being forged; but Cato called up the guardians of the books into the rostra, to testify the passage to be genuine; where it was publicly read and explained to the people: it was laid also before the senate, who greedily received it; and, after a grave debate on this scruple of religion, came to a resolution that it seemed dangerous to the republic, that the king should be restored by a multitude †. It cannot be imagined, that they laid any real stress on this admonition of the Sibyl, for there was not a man either in or out of the house, who did not take it for a fiction: but it was a fair pretext for defeating a project which was generally disliked: They were unwilling to gratify any man's ambition, of visiting the rich country of Egypt, at the head of an army, and persuaded that without an army no man would be solicitous about going thither at all ‡. This point being settled, the next question was, in what manner the king should be restored: various opinions were proposed; Crassus moved, that three ambassadors, chosen from those who had some public + Senatus religionis calumniam, non religione, sed malevolentia, et illius regis largitionis invidia comprobat.-Ep. Fam. I. 1. De Rege Alexandrino factum est S. C. cum multitudine eum reduci, periculosum reipub. videri.Ad Quin. Fr. 2. 2. Hæc tamen opinio est populi Romani, a tuis invidis atque obtrectatoribus nomen inductum fictæ religionis, non tam ut te impedirent, quam ut nequis, propter exercitus cupiditatem, Alexan driam vellet ire. Ep. Fam. 1. 4. A. Urb. 697. Cic. 51. Coss.---Cn. Corn. Lent. Marcellinus. L. Mar. Philippus. command, should be sent on the errand; which did not exclude Pompey: Bibulus proposed, that three private senators; and Volcatius, that Pompey alone should be charged with it: but Cicero, Hortensius, and Lucullus urged, that Lentulus, to whom the senate had already decreed it, and who could execute it with most convenience, should restore him without an army. The two first opinions were soon over-ruled, and the struggle lay between Lentulus and Pompey. Cicero, though he had some reason to complain of Lentulus, since his return, particularly for the contemptible valuation of his houses, yet, for the great part which he had born in restoring him, was very desirous to shew his gratitude, and resolved to support him with all his authority: Pompey, who had obligations also to Lentulus, acted the same part towards him, which he had done before towards Cicero; by his own conduct and professions, he seemed to have Lentulus's interest at heart; yet, by the conduct of all his friends, seemed desirous to procure the employment for himself; while the king's agents and credi tors, fancying that their business would be served the most effectually by Pompey, began openly to solicit, and even to bribe for him*. But the senate, through * Crassus tres legatos decernit, nec excludit Pompeium: censet enim etiam ex iis, qui cum imperio sunt. M. Bibulus tres legatos ex iis, qui privati sunt. Huic assentiuntur reliqui consulares, præter Servilium, qui omnino reduci negat oportere, et Volcatium, qui decernit Pompeio. Hortensii et mea et Luculli sententia-Ex illo S. C. quod te referente factum est, tibi decernit, ut reducas regem. Regis A. Urb. 697. Cic. 51. Coss. --Cn. Corn. Lent. Marcellinus. L. Mar. Philippus. Cicero's influence, stood generally inclined to Lentulus; and, after a debate, which ended in his favour, Cicero, who had been the manager of it, happening to sup with Pompey that evening, took occasion to press him with much freedom, not to suffer his name to be used in this competition; nor give a handle to his enemies, for reproaching him with the desertion of a friend, as well as an ambition of engrossing all power to himself. Pompey seemed touched with the remonstrance, and professed to have no other thought, but of serving Lentulus, while his dependents continued still to act so, as to convince every body that he could not be sincere *. When Lentulus's pretensions seemed to be in a hopeful way, C. Cato took a new and electual method to disappoint them, by proposing a law to the people, for taking away his government and recalling Regis causa si qui sunt qui velint, qui pauci sunt, omnes rem ad Pompeium deferri volunt. Ep. Fam. 1. 1, Reliqui cum esset in senatu contentio, Lentulusne an Pompeius reduceret, obtinere causam Lentulus videbatur. In ea re Pompeius quid velit non despicio: familiares ejus quid cupiant, omnes vident. Creditores vero regis aperte pecunias suppeditant contra Lentulum. Sine dubio res remota a Lentulo videtur, cum magno meo dolore: quamquam multa fecit, quare si fas esset, jure ei succensere possemus. Ad Quin. Fr. 2. 2. Ego eo die casu apud Pompeium cænavi: nactusque tempus hoc magis idoneum, quam unquam antea post tuum discessum, is enim dies honestissimus nobis fuerat in senatu, ita sum cum illo locutus, ut mihi viderer animum hominis ab omni alia cogitatione ad tuam dignitatem tuendam traducere: quem ego ipsum cum audio, prorsus eum libero omni suspicione cupiditatis cum autem ejus familiares, omnium ordinum video, perspicio, id quod jam omnibus est apertum, totam rem istam jam pridem a certis hominibus, non invito rege ipso esse corruptam. Ep. Fam. 1. 2. A. Urb. 697. Cic. 51. Coss.---En. Corn. Lent. Marcellinns. L. Mar. Philippus. him home. This stroke surprised every body; the senate condemned it as factious; and Lentulus's son changed his habit upon it, in order to move the citizens, and hinder their offering such an affront to his father. The tribune, Caninius, proposed another law, at the same time, for sending Pompey to Egypt: but this pleased no better than the other; and the consuls contrived, that neither of them should be brought to the suffrage of the people *. These new contests gave a fresh interruption to Ptolemy's cause; in which Cicero's resolution was, if the commission could not be obtained for Lentulus, to prevent its being granted at least to Pompey, and save themselves the disgrace of being baffled by a competitor : but the senate was grown so sick of the whole affair, that they resolved to leave the king to shift for himself, without interterposing at all in his restoration; and so the matter hung; whilst other affairs, more interesting, were daily rising up at home, and engaging the attention of the city. The election of ædiles, which had been industriously. postponed through all the last summer, could not easi *Nos cum maxime consilio, studio, labore, gratia, de causa regia niteremur, subito exorta est nefaria Catonis promulgatio, quæ studia nostra impediret, et animos a minore cura ad summum timorem traduceret. Ibid. 5. Suspicor per vim rogationem Caninium perlaturum. Ad Quint. 2.2. + Sed vereor ne aut eripiatur nobis causa regia, aut deseratur. Sed si res coget, est quiddam tertium, quod non-mihi displicebat; ut neque jacere regem pateremur, nec nobis repugnantibus, ad eum deferri, ad quem prope jam delatum videtur. Ne, si quid non obipuerimus, repulsi esse videamur. . Ep. Fam, 1. 5. |