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cicero-第6部分
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advocacy; immediately prosecuted his friend Sabinus; he said in the
warmth of his resentment; 〃Do you suppose you were acquitted for
your own merits; Munatius; and was it not that I so darkened the case;
that the court could not see your guilt?〃 When from the rostra he
had made a eulogy on Marcus Crassus; with much applause; and within
a few days after again as publicly reproached him; Crassus called to
him; and said; 〃Did not you yourself two days ago; in this same place;
commend me?〃 〃Yes;〃 said Cicero; 〃I exercised my eloquence in
declaiming upon a bad subject。〃 At another time; Crassus had said that
no one of his family had ever lived beyond sixty years of age; and
afterwards denied it; and asked; 〃What should put it into my head to
say so?〃 〃It was to gain the people's favour;〃 answered Cicero; 〃you
knew how glad they would be to hear it。〃 When Crassus expressed
admiration of the Stoic doctrine; that the good man is always rich;
〃Do you not mean;〃 said Cicero; 〃their doctrine that all things belong
to the wise?〃 Crassus being generally accused of covetousness。 One
of Crassus's sons; who was thought so exceedingly like a man of the
name of Axius as to throw some suspicion on his mother's honour;
made a successful speech in the senate。 Cicero; on being asked how
he liked it; replied with the Greek words Axios Crassou。
When Crassus was about to go into Syria; he desired to leave
Cicero rather his friend than his enemy; and; therefore; one day
saluting him; told him he would come and sup with him; which the other
as courteously received。 Within a few days after; on some of
Cicero's acquaintances interceding for Vatinius; as desirous of
reconciliation and friendship; for he was then his enemy; 〃What;〃 he
replied; 〃does Vatinius also wish to come and sup with me?〃 Such was
his way with Crassus。 When Vatinius; who had swellings in his neck;
was pleading a cause he called him the tumid orator; and having been
told by some one that Vatinius was dead; on hearing; presently
after; that he was alive; 〃May the rascal perish;〃 said he。 〃for his
news not being true。〃
Upon Caesar's bringing forward a law for the division of the lands
in Campania amongst the soldiers; many in the senate opposed it;
amongst the rest; Lucius Gellius; one of the oldest men in the
house; said it should never pass whilst he lived。 〃Let us postpone
it;〃 said Cicero; 〃Gellius does not ask us to wait long。〃 There was
a man of the name of Octavius; suspected to be of African descent。
He once said; when Cicero was pleading; that he could not hear him;
〃Yet there are holes〃 said Cicero; 〃in your ears。〃 When Metellus Nepos
told him that he had ruined more as a witness than he had saved as
an advocate; 〃I admit;〃 said Cicero; 〃that I have more truth than
eloquence。〃 To a young man who was suspected of having given a
poisoned cake to his father; and who talked largely of the
invectives he meant to deliver against Cicero; 〃Better these〃
replied he; 〃than your cakes。〃 Publius Sextius; having amongst
others retained Cicero as his advocate in a certain cause; was yet
desirous to say all for himself; and would not allow anybody to
speak for him; when he was about to receive his acquittal from the
judges; and the ballots were passing; Cicero called to him; 〃Make
haste; Sextius; and use your time; to…morrow you will be nobody。〃 He
cited Publius Cotta to bear testimony in a certain cause; one who
affected to be thought a lawyer; though ignorant and unlearned; to
whom; when he had said; 〃I know nothing of the matter;〃 he answered
〃You think; perhaps; we ask you about a point of law。〃 To Metellus
Nepos; who; in a dispute between them; repeated several times; 〃Who
was your father; Cicero?〃 he replied; 〃Your mother has made the answer
to such a question in your case more difficult;〃 Nepos's mother having
been of ill…repute。 The son; also; was of a giddy; uncertain temper。
At one time he suddenly threw up his office of tribune; and sailed off
into Syria to Pompey; and immediately after; with as little reason;
came back again。 He gave his tutor Philagrus; a funeral with more than
necessary attention; and then set up the stone figure of a crow over
his tomb。 〃This;〃 said Cicero; 〃is really appropriate; as he did not
teach you to speak; but to fly about。〃 When Marcus Appius; in the
opening of some speech in a court of justice said that his friend
had desired him to employ industry; eloquence; and fidelity in that
cause; Cicero answered; 〃And how have you had the heart not to
accede to any one of his requests?〃
To use this sharp raillery against opponents and antagonists in
judicial pleading seems allowable rhetoric。 But he excited much
ill…feeling by his readiness to attack any one for the sake of a jest。
A few anecdotes of this kind may be added。 Marcus Aquinius; who had
two sons…in…law in exile; received from him the name of King Adrastus。
Lucius Cotta; an intemperate lover of wine; was censor when Cicero
stood for the consulship。 Cicero; being thirsty at the election; his
friends stood round about him while he was drinking。 〃You have
reason to be afraid;〃 he said; 〃lest the censor should be angry with
me for drinking water。〃 Meeting one day Voconius with his three very
ugly daughters; he quoted the verse…
〃He reared a race without Apollo's leave。〃
When Marcus Gellius; who was reputed the son of a slave; had read
several letters in the senate with a very shrill and loud voice;
〃Wonder not;〃 said Cicero; 〃he comes of the criers。〃 When Faustus
Sylla; the son of Sylla the dictator; who had; during his
dictatorship; by public bills proscribed and condemned so many
citizens; had so far wasted his estate; and got into debt; that he was
forced to publish his bills of sale; Cicero told him that he liked
these bills much better than those of his father。 By this habit he
made himself odious with many people。
But Clodius's faction conspired against him upon the following
occasion。 Clodius was a member of a noble family; in the flower of his
youth; and of a bold and resolute temper。 He; being in love with
Pompeia; Caesar's wife; got privately into his house in the dress
and attire of a music…girl; the women being at that time offering
there the sacrifice which must not be seen by men; and there was no
man present。 Clodius; being a youth and beardless; hoped to get to
Pompeia among the women without being taken notice of。 But coming into
a great house by night; he missed his way in the passages; and a
servant belonging to Aurelia; Caesar's mother; spying him wandering up
and down; inquired his name。 Thus being necessitated to speak; he told
her he was seeking for one of Pompeia's maids; Abra by name; and
she; perceiving it not to be a woman's voice; shrieked out; and called
in the women; who shutting the gates; and searching every place; at
length found Clodius hidden in the chamber of the maid with whom he
had come in。 This matter being much talked about; Caesar put away
his wife; Pompeia; and Clodius was prosecuted for profaning the holy
rites。
Cicero was at this time his friend; for he had been useful to him in
the conspiracy of Catiline; as one of his forwardest assistants and
protectors。 But when Clodius rested his defence upon this point;
that he was not then at Rome; but at a distance in the country; Cicero
testified that he had come to his house that day; and conversed with
him on several matters; which thing was indeed true; although Cicero
was thought to testify it not so much for the truth's sake as to
preserve his quiet with Terentia his wife。 For she bore a grudge
against Clodius on account of his sister Clodia's wishing; as it was
alleged; to marry Cicero; and having employed for this purpose the
intervention of Tullus; a very intimate friend of Cicero's; and his
frequent visits to Clodia; who lived in their neighbourhood; and the
attentions he paid to her had excited Terentia's suspicions; and;
being a woman of a violent temper and having the ascendant over
Cicero; she urged him on to taking a part against Clodius; and
delivering his testimony。 Many other good and honest citizens also
gave evidence against him; for perjuries; disorders; bribing the
people; and debauching women。 Lucullus proved; by his
women…servants; that he had debauched his youngest sister when she was
Lucullus's wife; and there was a general belief that he had done the
same with his two other sisters; Tertia; whom Marcius Rex; and Clodia;
whom Metellus Celer had married; the latter of whom was called
Quadrantia; because one of her lovers had deceived her with a purse of
small copper money instead of silver; the smallest copper coin being
called a quadrant。 Upon this sister's account; in particular;
Clodius's character was attacked。 Notwithstanding all this; when the
common people united against the accusers and witnesses and the
whole party; the judges were affrighted; and a guard was placed
about them for their defence; and most of them wrote their sentences
on the tablets in such a way that they could not well be read。 It
was decided; however; that there was a majority for his acquittal; and
bribery was reported to have been employed; in reference to which
Catulus remarked; when he next met the judges; 〃You were very right to
ask for a guard; to prevent your money being taken from you。〃 And when
Clodius upbraided Cicero that the judges had not believed his
testimony; 〃Yes;〃 said he; 〃five…and…twenty of them trusted me and
condemned you; and the other thirty did not trust you; for they did
not acquit you till they had got your money。〃
Caesar; though cited; did not give his t
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