an
adviser, perhaps not the most unskilful in the world, and at least both
faithful and devoted to your interests. However, for your own sake, of
course, I rejoice, as I am bound to do, that you have been greeted with
the title of _imperator_, and are holding your province and victorious
army after a successful campaign. But certainly, if you had been here,
you would have enjoyed to a fuller extent and more directly the benefit
of the services which I am bound to render you. Moreover, in taking
vengeance on those whom you know in some cases to be your enemies,
because you championed the cause of my recall, in others to be jealous
of the splendid position and renown which that measure brought you, I
should have done you yeoman's service as your associate. However, that
perpetual enemy of his own friends, who, in spite of having been
honoured with the highest compliments on your part, has selected you of
all people for the object of his impotent and enfeebled violence, has
saved me the trouble by punishing himself. For he has made attempts, the
disclosure of which has left him without a shred, not only of political
position, but even of freedom of action.[653] And though I should have
preferred that you should have gained your experience in my case alone,
rather than in your own also, yet in the midst of my regret I am glad
that you have learnt what the fidelity of mankind is worth, at no great
cost to yourself, which I learnt at the price of excessive pain. And I
think that I have now an opportunity presented me, while answering the
questions you have addressed to me, of also explaining my entire
position and view. You say in your letter that you have been informed
that I have become reconciled to Caesar and Appius, and you add that you
have no fault to find with that. But you express a wish to know what
induced me to defend and compliment Vatinius. In order to make my
explanation plainer I must go a little farther back in the statement of
my policy and its grounds.

Well, Lentulus! At first--after the success of your efforts for my
recall--I looked upon myself as having been restored not alone to my
friends, but to the Republic also; and seeing that I owed you an
affection almost surpassing belief, and every kind of service, however
great and rare, that could be bestowed on your person, I thought that to
the Republic, which had much assisted you in restoring me, I at least
was bound to entertain the feeling which I had