o be present at every meeting of the senate, and found that the
greatest trouble was to make Fufius the tribune, and the others to whom
you had written, believe me rather than your own letters. The whole
business has, after all, been postponed till January, but there is no
difficulty about it. Roused by your congratulations--for in a letter
sometime ago you wished me good luck on the completion of my purchase of
a house from Crassus--I have bought that very house for 3,500 sestertia
(about L28,000), a good while subsequent to your congratulation.
Accordingly, you may now look upon me as being so deeply in debt as to
be eager to join a conspiracy if anyone would admit me! But, partly from
personal dislike they shut their doors in my face and openly denounce me
as the punisher of conspiracy, partly are incredulous and afraid that I
am setting a trap for them! Nor do they suppose that a man can be short
of money who has relieved the money-lenders from a state of siege. In
point of fact, money is plentiful at six per cent., and the success of
my measures has caused me to be regarded as a good security. Your own
house, and all the details of its construction, I have examined and
strongly approve. As for Antonius,[65] though everyone notices his want
of attention to my interests, I have nevertheless defended him in the
senate with the utmost earnestness and persistence, and have made a
strong impression on the senate by my language as well as by my personal
prestige. Pray write to me more frequently.

[Footnote 64: P. Sestius was serving as proquaestor in Macedonia under
Gaius Antonius. As tribune in B.C. 57 he worked for Cicero's recall, but
was afterwards prosecuted _de vi_, and defended by Cicero.]

[Footnote 65: Gaius Antonius, Cicero's colleague in the consulship. He
had the province of Macedonia after the consulship, Cicero having
voluntarily withdrawn in his favour to secure his support against
Catiline. Scandal said that he had bargained to pay Cicero large sums
from the profits of the province. He governed so corruptly and
unsuccessfully that he was on his return condemned of _maiestas_.]

XVI (A I, 12)

[Sidenote: B.C. 61. Coss., M. Papius Piso, M. Valerius Messalla.]

The letters of this year are much concerned with the sacrilege of
P. Clodius, who, it was alleged, had been detected in disguise in
the house of the Pontifex Maximus Iulius Caesar, when his wife was
celebrating the myster