n able at last to quarrel with
Dolabella. Dolabella had turned upon him in the end, bought by Antony's
money. He then returns to the subject of Octavian, and his doubts as to
his loyalty. He has been asked to pledge himself to Octavian, but has
declined till he shall see how the young man will behave when Casea
becomes candidate for the Tribunate. If he show himself to be Casea's
enemy, Casea having been one of the conspirators, Cicero will know that
he is not to be trusted. Then he falls into a despairing mood, and
declares that there is no hope. "Even Hippocrates was unwilling to
bestow medicine on those to whom it could avail nothing." But he will go
to Rome, into the very jaws of the danger. "It is less base for such as
I am to fall publicly than privately." With these words, almost the last
written by him to Atticus, this correspondence is brought to an end: the
most affectionate, the most trusting, and the most open ever published
to the world as having come from one man to another. No letters more
useful to the elucidation of character were ever written; but when read
for that purpose they should be read with care, and should hardly be
quoted till they have been understood.

[Sidenote: B.C. 44, aetat. 63.]

The struggles for the provinces were open and acknowledged. Under Caesar,
Decimus Brutus had been nominated for Cisalpine Gaul, Marcus Brutus for
Macedonia, and Cassius for Syria. It will be observed that these three
men were the most prominent among the conspirators. Since that time
Antony and Dolabella had obtained votes of the people to alter the
arrangement. Antony was to go to Macedonia, and Dolabella to Syria. This
was again changed when Antony found that Decimus had left Rome to take
up his command. He sent his brother Caius to Macedonia, and himself
claimed to be Governor of Cisalpine Gaul. Hence there were two Roman
governors for each province; and in each case each governor was
determined to fight for the possession. Antony hurried out of Rome
before the end of the year with the purpose of hindering Decimus from
the occupation of the north of Italy, and Cicero went up to Rome,
determined to take a part in the struggle which was imminent. The Senate
had been summoned for the 19th of December, and attended in great
numbers. Then it was that he spoke the third Philippic, and in the
evening of the same day he spoke the fourth to the people. It should be
understood that none of these speeches were heard