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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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