A. Urb. 697. Cic. 51. Coss.-Cn Corn. Lent. Marcellinus. L. Mar. Philippus.

him with great fierceness, and laid open his perfidy to Cicero, to whom he paid the highest compliments, and was heard with much attention by all Pompey's enemies.

Pompey answered him with an unusual vehemence ; and reflecting openly on Crassus, as the author of these affronts, declared, that he would guard his life with more care than Scipio Africanus did, when Carbo murdered him. These warm expressions seemed to open a prospect of some great agitation likely to ensue: Pompey consulted with Cicero on the proper means of his security; and acquainted him with his apprehensions of a design against his life; that Cato was privately supported, and Clodius furnished with money by Crassus; and both of them encouraged by Curio, Bibulus, and the rest, who envied him; that it was necessary for him to look to himself, since the meaner people were wholly alienated, the nobility and senate generally disaffected, and the youth corrupted. Cicero readily consented to join forces with him, and to summon their clients and friends from all parts of Italy for though he had no mind to fight his battles in the senate, he was desirous to defend his person from all violence, especially against Crassus, whom he never loved: they resolved likewise, to oppose with united strength all the attempts of Clodius and Cato against Lentulus and Milo *. Clodius, on the other

* Neque ego in senatum, ne aut, de tantis rebus tacerem, aut in Pompeio defendendo, nam is carpebatur a Bibulo, Curione, Favonio, Servilio filio, animos bonorum offenderem. Res in posterum diem

dilata

A. Urb. 697. Cic. 51. Coss.--Cn. Corn. Lent. Marcellinus. L. Mar. Philippus.

hand, was not less busy in mustering his friends against the next hearing of Milo's cause: but as his strength was much inferior to that of his adversary, so he had no expectation of getting him condemned, nor any other view, but to teize and harass him +: for after two hearings, the affair was put off by several adjournments to the beginning of May; from which time we find no farther mention of it.

The consul, Marcellinus, who drew his colleague Philippus along with him, was a resolute opposer of the Triumvirate, as well as of all the violences of the other magistrates: for which reason, he resolved to suffer no assemblies of the people, except such as were necessary for the elections into the annual offices: his view was, to prevent Cato's law for recalling Lentulus, and the monstrous things, as Cicero calls them, which some were attempting at this time in favour of Cæsar.

dilata est. Eo die nihil perfectum.—Ad diem II. Id. Cato est vehementur in Pompeium invectus & eum oratione perpetua tanquam reum accusavit. De me multa me invito, cum mea summa Cum illius in me perfidiam increpavit, auditus est magno silentio malevolorum. Respondit ei vehementer Pompeius, Crassumque descripsit; dixitque aperte, se munitiorem ad custodiendam vitam suam fore, quam Africanus fuisset, quem C. Carbo interemisset. Itaque magnæ mihi res moveri videbantur Nam Pompeius hæc intelligit, mecumque communicat insidias vitæ suæ fiere: C. Catonem a Crasso sustentari; Clodio pecuniam suppeditari: utrumque et ab eo et a Curione, Bibulo, cæterisque suis obtrectatoribus confirmari: vehementer esse providendum ne opprimatur, concionario illo populo, a se prope alienato, nobilitate inimica, non æquo senatu, juventute improba; itaque se comparat, homines ex agris arcessit. Operas autem suas Clodius confirmat. Manus ad Quirinalia paratur. In eo multo sumus superiores, &c. Ad Quint. 2. 3.

+ Vid. Dio. p. 99.

A. Urb. 697. Cic. 51. Coss.-Ca. Corn. Lent. Marcellinus. L. Mar. Philippus.

Cicero gives him the character of one of the best consuls that he had ever known, and blames him only in one thing; for treating Pompey on all occasions too rudely; which made Cicero often absent himself from the senate, to avoid taking part, either on the one side or the other . For the support therefore of his dignity and interest in the city, he resumed his old task of pleading causes; which was always popular and reputable, and in which he was sure to find full employment. His first task was the defence of L. Bestia, on the tenth of February, who, after the disgrace of a repulse from the prætorship in the last election, was accused of bribery and corruption in his suit for it; and, notwithstanding the authority and eloquence of his advocate, was convicted and banished. He was a man extremely corrupt, turbulent, and seditious; had always been an enemy to Cicero ; and supposed to be deeply engaged in Catiline's plot ; and is one instance of the truth of what Cicero says, that he was often forced, against his will, to defend certain persons, who had not deserved it of him, by the intercession of those who had *.

Consul est egregius Lentulus, non impediente collega: sic inquam bonus, ut meliorem non viderim. Dies comitiales exemit omnes. Sic legibus perniciosissimis obsistitur, maxime CatonisNunc igitur Catonem Lentulus a legibus removit, et eos, qui de Cæsare monstra promulgarunt.-Marcellinus autem hoc uno mihi minus satisfacit, quod eum nimis aspere tractat, quanquam id senatu non invito facit: quo ego me libentius a curia, et ab omni parte reip. subtraho. Ad Quint. 26.

* A. D. III. Id. dixi pro Bestia de ambitu apud prætorem Cn. Domitium, in foro medio, maximo conventu.-Ad Quint. 2. 3. Cogor nonnunquam homines non optime de me meritos, rogatu

eorum

A. Urb. 697. Cic. 51. Coss.-Cn. Corn. Lent. Marcellinus. L. Mar. Philippus.

Cæsar, who was now in the career of his victories in Gaul, sent a request to the senate; "that money

might be decreed to him for the payment of his ar"my; with a power of chusing ten lieutenants, for "the better management of the war, and the conquer"ed provinces ; and that his command should be prolonged for five years more." The demand was thought very exorbitant; and it seemed strange, that, after all his boasted conquests, he should not be able to maintain his army without money from home, at a time when the treasury was greatly exhausted; and the renewal of a commission, obtained at first by violence, and against the authority of the senate, was of hard digestion. But Cæsar's interest prevailed, and Cicero himself was the promoter of it, and procured a decree to his satisfaction; yet not without disgusting the old patriots, who stood firm to their maxim of opposing all extraordinary grants: but Cicero alleged the extraordinary services of Cæsar; and that the course of his victories ought not to be checked by the want of necessary supplies, while he was so gloriously extending the bounds of the Empire, and conquering nations, whose names had never been heard before at Rome and though it were possible for him to maintain his troops without their help, by the spoils of the enemy, yet those spoils ought to be reserved for the splendour of his triumph, which it was not just to defraud by their unseasonable parsimony t

eorum qui bene meriti sunt, defendere. Ep. Fam. 7. 1. Vid. Philip. XI. 5 Sallust. 17, 43. Plutar. in Cic.

Illum enim arbitrabar etiam sine hoc subsidio pecuniæ retine

re

A. Urb. 697. Cic. 51. Coss.-En Corn. Lent. Marcellinus. L. Mar. Philippus.

stop

He might think it imprudent perhaps at this time, to call Cæsar home from an unfinished war, and the progress of his arms in the very height of his success; yet the real motive of his conduct seems to have flowed, not so much from the merits of the cause, as a regard to the condition of the times, and his own circumstances, For, in his private letters, he owns, "That the malevolence and envy of the aristocratical "chiefs had almost driven him from his old principles, " and though not so far as to make him forget his dignity, yet so as to take a proper care of his safety, "both which might be easily consistent, if there was

66

any faith or gravity in the consular senators: but they had managed their matters so ill, that those "who were superior to them in power, were become "superior too in authority, so as to be able to carry "in the senate what they could not have carried e"ven with the people without violence: that he had "learned from experience, what he could not learn so

well from books, that no regard was to be had to "our safety, without a regard also to our dignity so "the consideration of dignity ought not to exclude "the care of our safety *." In another letter, he says,

re exercitum præda ante parta, et bellum conficere posse: sed decus illud et ornamentum triumphi minuendum nostra parsimonia non putavi.

Et quas regiones, quasque gentes nullæ nobis antea literæ, nulla vox, nulla fama notas fecerat, has noster imperator, nosterque exercitus, et populi Romani arma peragrarunt.-De Prov. Consul. XL. 13.

* Quorum malevolentissimis obtrectationibus nos scito de vetere illa nostra, diuturnaque sententia prope jam esse depulsos: non nos

quidem