sententia_ first.]

[Footnote 409: Q. Caecilius Metellus Nepos, the consul. Though he had not
opposed Cicero's recall, he stood by his cousin, P. Clodius, in regard
to the threatened prosecution. Appius is Appius Claudius, brother of P.
Clodius.]

[Footnote 410: P. Sestius, the tribune favourable to Cicero, afterwards
defended by him.]

[Footnote 411: Mr. Purser's reading of _nisi anteferret_ before
_proscripsit_ seems to me to darken the passage. What happened was this.
Marcellinus's _sententia_ was never put to the vote, because Metellus,
Appius, and Hortensius (Cicero seems to mean him) talked out the
sitting. Accordingly, Marcellinus published it, _i.e._, put it up
outside the Curia to be read: and under it he (or some other magistrate
whose name has dropped out of the text) put a notice that he was going
to "watch the sky" all the _dies comitiales_, so as to prevent the
election being held. But this had been rendered inoperative by Clodius's
amendment of the _lex AElia Fufia_ (see 2 _Phil._ Sec. 81)--or at any rate
of doubtful validity--and, accordingly, the only thing left was the
_obnuntiatio_ by a magistrate, which Milo proceeded to make. The rule,
however was that such _obnuntiatio_ must be made before the _comitia_
were begun (2 _Phil. ib._), which again could not begin till sunrise.
Hence Milo's early visit to the _campus_. For the meaning of _proposita_
see Letter XLVII.]

[Footnote 412: After which the _comitia_ could not be begun.]

[Footnote 413: P. Clodius, his brother Appius, and his _cousin_ Metellus
Nepos.]

[Footnote 414: Metellus means that he shall take the necessary auspices
for the _comitia_ in the _comitium_, before going to the _campus_ to
take the votes.]

[Footnote 415: Generally called _inter duos lucos_, the road down the
Capitolium towards the Campus Martius, originally so called as being
between the two heads of the mountain. It was the spot traditionally
assigned to the "asylum" of Romulus.]

[Footnote 416: On the _nundinae_ and the next day no _comitia_ and no
meeting of the senate could be held.]

[Footnote 417: Candidate for the aedileship, of whom we know nothing.]

[Footnote 418: Apparently a poor lantern, whose sides were made of
canvas instead of horn.]

XCII (Q FR II, 1)

TO HIS BROTHER QUINTUS (IN SARDINIA[419])

ROME (10 DECEMBER)

[Sidenote: B.C. 57, AET. 49]

The letter which you have already read I had sent off in the morning.
But Licinius was po