n being reported to me; who, while in
public affairs they were really in sympathy with my policy, and had
always been so, yet said that they were glad that Pompey was
dissatisfied with me, and that Caesar would be very greatly exasperated
against me. This in itself was vexatious to me: but much more so was the
fact that they used, before my very eyes, so to embrace, fondle, make
much of, and kiss my enemy--mine do I say? rather the enemy of the laws,
of the law courts, of peace, of his country, of all loyal men!--that
they did not indeed rouse my bile, for I have utterly lost all that, but
imagined they did. In these circumstances, having, as far as is possible
for human prudence, thoroughly examined my whole position, and having
balanced the items of the account, I arrived at a final result of all my
reflexions, which, as well as I can, I will now briefly put before you.

If I had seen the Republic in the hands of bad or profligate citizens,
as we know happened during the supremacy of Cinna, and on some other
occasions, I should not under the pressure, I don't say of rewards,
which are the last things to influence me, but even of danger, by which,
after all, the bravest men are moved, have attached myself to their
party, not even if their services to me had been of the very highest
kind. As it is, seeing that the leading statesman in the Republic was
Pompey, a man who had gained this power and renown by the most eminent
services to the state and the most glorious achievements, and one of
whose position I had been a supporter from my youth up, and in my
praetorship and consulship an active promoter also, and seeing that this
same statesman had assisted me, in his own person by the weight of his
influence and the expression of his opinion, and, in conjunction with
you, by his counsels and zeal, and that he regarded my enemy as his own
supreme enemy in the state--I did not think that I need fear the
reproach of inconsistency, if in some of my senatorial votes I somewhat
changed my standpoint, and contributed my zeal to the promotion of the
dignity of a most distinguished man, and one to whom I am under the
highest obligations. In this sentiment I had necessarily to include
Caesar, as you see, for their policy and position were inseparably
united. Here I was greatly influenced by two things--the old friendship
which you know that I and my brother Quintus have had with Caesar, and
his own kindness and liberality, of which we