LETTER XXII.

To the fame.

[A. U. 699.]

YOU remember the character given of the Phrygians in the play; "that their wifdom ever came too late:" but 32 are refolved, my dear cautious old gentleman, that no imputation of this And thall be fixed upon you. Thank Haven indeed, you wifely fubdued the mantic fpirit of your first letters; as you were not fo obftinately bent upon new adventures as to hazard a voyage for at purpose into Britain: and who, in th, can blame you? It is the fame difpation, I imagine, that has immovably ed you in your winter-quarters: and cerLly there is nothing like acting with circonfpection upon all occafions. Take my word for it, Prudence is the fafeft fhield. If it were ufual with me to fup from me, moft undoubtedly I could not rethe your gallant friend Octavius. I will cwn, however, I love to mortify the Jan's vanity and whenever he invites me, I always affect to look with fome prife, as not feeming to recollect his ption. Seriously, he is a wondrous pretty Low: what pity it is that you did not ake him abroad with you!

Let me know how you are employed, d whether there is any probability of Ang you in Italy this winter. Balbus atures me, that you will certainly return menfely rich: but whether he means the vulgar fenfe, or agreeably to the rain of his friends the Stoics, who maintain, you know, that " every man is rich who has the free enjoyment of earth and air;" is a doubt which time

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44

will clear up.

I find by thofe who come from your part of the world that you are grown wonderfully rejerved: for they tell me, you anfwer no queries †. However, it is

A tragedy called the Trojan Horse; which f, by Cicero's frequent quotations from it, to Lave been in great esteem.

The witticifm of this paffage confifts in the ok fenfe of the verb refpendere, which, befiles common acceptation, fignifies likewife the givEen opnun as a lawyer. This conceit, fuch as

on all hands a fettled point (and you have reafon, certainly, to congratulate yourself upon it), that you are the most profound fage in the law throughout the whole city of Samarobrivat. Farewel.

LETTER XXIII.

To Quintus Philippus, Proconful.
[A. U. 699.]

I Congratulate your fafe return from your province in the fulness of your fame, and amidst the general tranquillity of the republic. If I were in Rome, I fhould have waited upon you for this purpofe in perfon, and in order likewife to make my acknowledgments to you for your favours to my friends Egnatius and Oppius.

I am extremely forry to hear, that you have taken great offence against my friend and hoft Antipater. I cannot pretend to judge of the merits of the cafe: but I know your character too well not to be perfuaded, that you are incapable of indulging an unreafonable refentment. I conjure you however, by our long friendship, to pardon for my fake his fons, who lie entirely at your mercy. If I imagined you could not grant this favour confiftently with your honour, I fhould be far from making the request: as my regard for your reputation is much fuperior to all confiderations of friendship which I owe to this family. But if I am not mistaken (and indeed I very poffibly may), your clemency towards them will rather add to your character, than derogate from it. If it be not too much trouble, therefore, I fhould be glad you would let me know how far a compliance with my request is in your power: for that it is in your inclination I have not the leat reafon to doubt. Farewel.

it is, feems to have been a favourite one with our author: for he repeats it in a fubfequent letter, where he is rallying another of his friends upon an occafion of the fame nature.

Antoni gladies potuit contemnere, fi fie
Omnia dixiffet !

Juv.

A principal town in Gaul, now called Amiens, and where Trebatius feems to have had his winterquarters.

LETTER XXIV.

To Lucius Valerius*, the Lawyer.

[A. U. 699.]

FOR why thould not gratify your vanity with that honourable appellation? Since, as the times go, my friend, confidence will readily pals upon the world for skill.

I have executed the commifion you fent me, and made your acknowledgments to Lentulus. But I with you would render my offices of this kind unneceffary, by putting an end to your tedious abfence. Is it not more worthy of your mighty ambition to be blended with your learned brethren at Rome, than to ftand the fole great wonder of wisdom amidit a parcel of paltry Provincials? But I long to rally you in perfon: for which merry purpose I defire you would haften hither as expeditiouily as poffible. I would by no means, however, advife you to take Apulia in the way, left fome difaftrous adventure in thofe unlucky regions fhould prevent our welcoming your fafe arrival. And in truth, to what purpofe fhould you visit this your native province? For, like Ulyffes when he firit returned to his Ithaca, you will be much too prudent, undoubtedly, to lay claim to your noble kindred. Farewel.

[A. U. 700.] THOUGH I am forry you should fufpe&t me of neglecting you, I will ac

Valerius is only known by this letter and another, when Cice,o trein meads hita to ppius, as a perfoy who lived in his fimily, and for whom he entertained a very fingular affction. By the air of this cpittle, Le fren. to have been one or that fort of lawyers, who may more properly he fud to be of the proflion then the science. But

as the vein of humour which runs through this be

ter partly confits in living upon words, it is not very eafy, perhaps it is imp lible, to b picferved in a trafition: and 15 1. a) udes to circumdances which are now alto, eher urkrown, it must neceffarily lofe much et its original fphit.

The abrupt he inning of this letter has induced fome of the Cimentet rs to fafject that it is not entire. But Manutius has very jutiy obfervid, that it evidently iciers to the intcription: and he produces an initince of the fame kind from one of the epistles to Atticus. d. ad Att. iii. 20.

I Manutius imagines that Cicero means to rally the obfcurity of his friend's birth.

Curio was a young nobleman of great parts, fpirit, and eloquence; but addicted to the prevailing luxury and gallantries ta molt dalblute age.

you

concife. Thus, you fee, I can justly releft Rome; and thofe too extremely tort your charge: you must not therefore pals too fevere a fentence on your part, if mine. But I will dwell no longer on this you hope to receive a favourable one on article than to allure you, that fince you are difpefed to accept thefe memorials of my friendship, I doubt not of acquitting milf to your full fatisfaction.

thus long deprived of your agreeable Though I regret extremely the being company; yet I cannot but rejoice at an abience which has contributed fo much to your honour as fortune indeed has, in all that concerns you, anfwered my warmest withes. I have only to offer you one fhort piece of advice: and I offer it in compliance with the fincere dictates of that fingular affection I bear you. Let me carnellly then intreat you to come well prepared at your return to act up to thofe great ideas which the world has, with fo much reafon, conceived of your ípirit and talents. And as nothing can ever wear out the deep impreflions your good office, have flamped upon my

nind;

fo I hope you will not forget, on your file, that you could not have attained the honours or advantages that attend you, if you had not in the earlier part of your life complied with my faithful and Have I not affectionate admonitions. reafen then to expect in return, that as the weight of old age now begins to bend

me down, you will fuffer me to repofe declining years upon your youth and fadthip? Farewel.

LETTER XXVI.

To Trebatius.

[A. U. 700.]

IF you were not already in the number of our abfentees, undoubtedly you would be tempted to leave us at this juncture: for what bufinefs can a lawyer expect in Rome during this long and general fufpenfion of all juridical proceedings! Accordingly, I advise my friends who have any actions commenced against them, to petition each fucceffive interrext for a double enlargement of the ufual time for putting in their pleas and is not this a proof how wonderfully I have profited by your fage inftructions in the law? But tell me, my friend, fince your letters, I obferve, have lately run in a more enlivened ftrain than ufual, what is it that has elevated you into fo gay a humour? This air of pleafantry I like well; it looks as if the world went fuccessfully with you: and I am all impatience to know what it is that has thus railed your fpirits. You inform me indeed, that Cæfar does you the honour to advife with you. For my own part, how ever, I had rather hear that he confulted your intereft, than your judgment. But feriously; if the former is really the cafe, or there is any probability of its proving fo, let me intreat you to continue in your prefent fituation, and patiently submit to the inconveniences of a military life; as on my part, I fhall fupport myself under your abience with the hopes of its turning to your advantage. But if all expectations of this kind are at an end, let us fee you as foon as pofble: and perhaps fome method may be found here, of improving your fortunes. If not, we fhall at leaft have the fatisfaction of enjoying each other's company and one hour's

converfation together is of more value to us, my friend, than the whole city of Samarobriva. Befides, if you return foon, the difappointment you have suffered may pass unremarked: whereas a longer purfuit to no purpose would be fo ridiculous a circumftance, that I am terribly afraid it would fcarce efcape the drollery of thofe very arch fellows Laberius and my companion Valerius §. And what a burlefque character would a British lawyer furnish out for the Roman ftage! You may fmile perhaps at this notion: but though I mention it in my ufual ftyle of pleafantry, let me tell you it is no jetting matter. In good earnest, if there is any profpect that my recommendations will avail in obtaining the honours you deferve, I cannot but exhort you, in all the fincerity of the warmest friendship, to make yourself eafy under this abfence, as a means of increafing both your fortunes and your fame: if not, I would ftrongly advise your return. I have no doubt, however, that your own merit, in conjunction with my moft zealous fervices, will procure defire. Farewel. you every advantage you can reasonably

Laberius was a Roman knight, who diftin. guifhed himself by his comic humour: and he had written feveral farces which were acted with great

applaufe. He was prevailed upon by Cæfar to take the prologue which he spoke upon that occafion is a part himself in one of his own performances: and ftill extant. The whole compofition is extremely fpirited, and affords a very advantageous specimen of his genius: but there is fomething fo peculiarly lines, that the reader, perhaps, will not regret the juft and beautiful in the thought of the concluding being carried out of his way in order to obferve it. Laberius was 60 years of age, when in complaifance to Cæfar he thus made his first entrance upon the ftage: and in allufion to a circumftance fo little favourable to his appearing with fuccefs, he tells the audience,

Ut bedera fe pens vires arboreas necat;
Ita me vetuftas amplexu annorum enecat :
Sepulcbri jimilis, nibil nifi nemen retineo!
While round the cat the fraudful ivy twines,
Robb'd of its ftrength the faplefs tree declines:
Thas envious age, advanc'd with fiealing pace,
Clafps my chill'd limbs, and kills with cold embrace.
Like empty monuments to heroes fame,
Of all I was retaining but the name!

Macrob. Saturn. ii. 7.

This Valerius is fuppofed by fome of the commentators to be Quintus Valerius Catullus, a celebrated poet, who, as appears by his works which are still extant, was patronized by Cicero.