whom they were anxious to see safe, and
happy, and flourishing!

XVII. Oh miserable man, not only in fact, but also in the circumstance
of not perceiving yourself how miserable you are! But listen to the
most serious charge of all.

"In fact, what have you not sanctioned,--what have you not done? what
would be done if he were to come to life again, by?--"

By whom? For I suppose he means to bring forward some instance of a
very wicked man.

"Cnaeus Pompeius himself?"

Oh how base must we be, if indeed we have been imitating Cnaeus
Pompeius!

"Or his son, if he could be at home?"

He soon will be at home, believe me; for in a very few days he will
enter on his home, and on his father's villas.

"Lastly, you declare that peace cannot be made unless I either allow
Brutus to quit Mutina, or supply him with corn."

It is others who say that: I say, that even if you were to do so,
there never could be peace between this city and you.

"What? is this the opinion of those veteran soldiers, to whom as yet
either course is open?"

I do not see that there is any course so open to them, as now to begin
and attack that general whom they previously were so zealous and
unanimous in defending.[54]

"Since you yourselves have sold yourselves for flatteries and poisoned
gifts".

Are those men depraved and corrupted, who have been persuaded to
pursue a most detestable enemy with most righteous war?

"But you say, you are bringing assistance to troops who are hemmed in.
I have no objection to their being saved, and departing wherever you
wish, if they only allow that man to be put to death who has deserved
it."

How very kind of him! The soldiers availing themselves of the
liberality of Antonius have deserted their general, and have fled in
alarm to his enemy, and if it had not been for them, Dolabella, in
offering the sacrifice which he did to the shade of his general, would
not have been beforehand with Antonius in propitiating the spirit of
his colleague by a similar offering.

"You write me word that there has been mention of peace made in
the senate, and that five ambassadors of consular rank have been
appointed. It is hard to believe that those men, who drove me in haste
from the city, when I offered the fairest conditions, and when I was
even thinking of relaxing somewhat of them, should now think of acting
with moderation or humanity. And it is hardly probable, that those
men who have pronounced Dolabella a