will confirm the decrees made by T. Ampius in his
regard, and treat him in all respects so as to convince him that my
recommendation is no mere ordinary one.[447]

[Footnote 447: This is a specimen of the short letter of introduction to
a provincial governor which were given almost as a matter of course by
men of position at Rome. We shall have many of them in the course of the
correspondence: and Cicero elsewhere warns the recipient of such letters
not to pay attention to them unless he expressly indicates his wish by
some less formal sentence (see Letter CXIV). T. Ampius was the
predecessor of Lentulus in Cilicia.]

XCVII (F I, 4)

TO P. LENTULUS SPINTHER (IN CILICIA)

ROME, JANUARY

[Sidenote: B.C. 56, AET. 50]

Though in the senate of the 15th of January we made a most glorious
stand, seeing that on the previous day we had defeated the proposal of
Bibulus about the three legates, and the only contest left was with the
proposal of Volcatius, yet the business was spun out by our opponents by
various obstructive tactics. For we were carrying our view in a full
senate, in spite of the multifarious devices and inveterate jealousy of
those who were for transferring the cause of the king from you to some
one else. That day we found Curio very bitterly opposed, Bibulus much
more fair, almost friendly even. Caninius and Cato declared that they
would not propose any law before the elections. By the _lex Pupia_, as
you know, no senate could be held before the 1st of February, nor in
fact during the whole of February,[448] unless the business of the
legations were finished or adjourned. However, the Roman people are
generally of opinion that the pretext of a trumped-up religious scruple
has been introduced by your jealous detractors, not so much to hinder
you, as to prevent anyone from wishing to go to Alexandria with a view
of getting the command of an army. However, everyone thinks that the
senate has had a regard for your position. For there is no one that is
ignorant of the fact that it was all the doing of your opponents that no
division took place: and if they, under the pretext of a regard for the
people, but really from the most unprincipled villainy, attempt to carry
anything, I have taken very good care that they shall not be able to do
so without violating the auspices or the laws, or, in fact, without
absolute violence. I don't think I need write a word either about my own
zeal or the injurious procee