e than 5,000, so
as to give ten _iugera_ apiece:[239] the rest of the crowd of expectants
must necessarily be alienated from them. Besides, if there is anything
that more than another could inflame the feeling of the aristocrats, who
are, I notice, already irritated, it is this; and all the more that with
port-dues in Italy abolished,[240] and the Campanian land divided, what
home revenue is there except the five per cent. on manumissions? And
even that, I think, it will only take a single trumpery harangue,
cheered by our lackeys, to throw away also. What our friend Gnaeus can
be thinking of I can't imagine--

"For still he blows, and with no slender pipe,
But furious blasts by no mouth-band restrained"--

to be induced to countenance such a measure as that. For hitherto he has
fenced with these questions: "he approved Caesar's laws, but Caesar must
be responsible for his proceedings in carrying them"; "he himself was
satisfied with the agrarian law "; "whether it could be vetoed by a
tribune or no was nothing to do with him"; "he thought the time had come
for the business of the Alexandrine king to be settled"; "it was no
business of his to inquire whether Bibulus had been watching the sky on
that occasion or no"; "as to the _publicani_, he had been willing to
oblige that order"; "what was going to happen if Bibulus came down to
the forum at that time he could not have guessed."[241] But now, my
Sampsiceramus, what will you say to this? That you have secured us a
revenue from the Antilibanus and removed that from the Campanian land?
Well, how do you mean to vindicate that? "I shall coerce you," says he,
"by means of Caesar's army." You won't coerce me, by Hercules, by your
army so much as by the ingratitude of the so-called _boni_, who have
never made me any return, even in words, to say nothing of substantial
rewards. But if I had put out my strength against that coterie, I should
certainly have found some way of holding my own against them. As things
are, in view of the controversy between your friend Dicaearchus and my
friend Theophrastus--the former recommending the life of action, the
latter the life of contemplation--I think I have already obeyed both.
For as to Dicaearchus, I think I have satisfied his requirements; at
present my eyes are fixed on the school which not only allows of my
abstaining from business, but blames me for not having always done so.
Wherefore let me throw myself, my dear Titus, i