eech upon the whole story of P. Clodius's
mad proceedings and murderous violence: I impeached him as though he
were on his trial, amidst frequent murmurs of approbation from the whole
senate. My speech was praised at considerable length, and, by Hercules!
with no little oratorical skill by Antistius Vetus, who also supported
the priority of the legal proceedings, and declared that he should
consider it of the first importance. The senators were crossing the
floor in support of this view,[430] when Clodius, being called on, began
trying to talk out the sitting. He spoke in furious terms of having been
attacked by Racilius in an unreasonable and discourteous manner. Then
his roughs on the Graecostasis[431] and the steps of the house suddenly
raised a pretty loud shout, in wrath, I suppose, against Q. Sextilius
and the other friends of Milo. At this sudden alarm we broke up with
loud expressions of indignation on all sides. Here are the transactions
of one day for you: the rest, I think, will be put off to January. Of
all the tribunes I think Racilius is by far the best: Antistius also
seems likely to be friendly to me: Plancius, of course, is wholly ours.
Pray, if you love me, be careful and cautious about sailing in December.

[Footnote 419: Quintus Cicero was in Sardinia as Pompey's _legatus_ as
superintendent of the corn-supply, to which office he had been appointed
in August. The letter is written not earlier than the 10th of December,
for the new tribunes for B.C. 56 have come into office, and not later
than the 16th, because on the 17th the Saturnalia began. Perhaps as the
senate is summoned and presided over by Lupus, it is on the 10th, the
day of his entrance upon office.]

[Footnote 420: "Full," that is, for the time of year. A "full house" is
elsewhere mentioned as between three and four hundred.]

[Footnote 421: P. Rutilius Lupus, one of the new tribunes.]

[Footnote 422: This refers to Cicero's attempts to exempt the _ager
publicus_ in Campania from being divided (see Letter XXIV, p. 55); and
not only to his speeches against Rullus. It was because Caesar
disregarded the ancient exception of this land from such distribution
that Cicero opposed his bill, and refused to serve on the commission.]

[Footnote 423: _Nihil vos moramur_ were the words used by the presiding
magistrate, indicating that he had no more business to bring before the
senate. If no one said anything, the senate was dismissed; but any
magis