M. T. CICER O's SECOND ORATION AGAINST M. ANTONIUS. O what Fatality attending me * The Words in the Original are, Quonam meo fato, and one Copy has it facto, which Reading is difapproved of by most of the Commentators. The Antients defined fatum thus, Omnium conne&tionem feriemque caufarum, qua fit omne quod fit. The Connection and Series of all Caufes, by Means of which all Things happen that do happen. The Words in the Original are what Rhetoricians call Exordium ex abrupto, in which he enquires in Years no Man has been the Enemy of this State, who has not at the fame time declared War against me alfo? Unneceffary it is for me to defcend to Particulars, which you yourselves may remember. More fevere was their Punishment than I could have wifhed. I am furprized, Anthony, that you dread not their Fates, as you tread in their Paths. Yet the Conduct of others " gave me lefs Surprize; for none of them chofe to be my Enemy, all of them were attacked by me on account of the State. But you, unprovoked even by Words, that you may appear more audacious than Catiline, more furious than Clodius, have by your Calumnies even attacked me; and thought that your Enmity with me would be your to the Caufes why, fince his being engaged in the State, and obtaining the Confulfhip, none who have plagued and harraffed the State, have failed to be open and avowed Enemies to him.. These are the Twenty Years which intervened betwixt Cicero's Confulate and the killing of Cafar, which happened under the Confulate of Mark Anthony. Catiline, who had confpired against the Republic, and against Cicero, was flain in a Battle, bearing Arms against his Native Country. His Accomplices in that Confpiracy were, by a Decree of the Senate, killed in Prifon. Clodius, who was an inveterate Enemy to Cicero, and who, by his Factions, had foreed him into Banishment, was flain by Milo. d He here means Clodius, Catiline, Vatinius, Pifo, and Gabinius, with regard to whom Cicero was the Aggreffsor. Anthony was the Aggreffor, and that too without a Caufe; for he wanted to compel Cicero to come into the Senate-House even when faint, and his Strength exhausted by his Journey. your strongest Recommendation to profligate Citizens. WHAT can I think; That I am despised? I fee nothing in my Life, in my Character, in my Actions, nor in my Capacity, flender as it now appears, which Anthony can defpife. Did he imagine that his Attempt to detract from me would be moft fuccessful, because made in the Senate? An Affembly which, though it has bestowed on many eminent Citizens the Praise of successfully ferving their Country, yet me alone has it distinguished with the Praise of faving it? Did he intend VOL, II. to f In the Original the Words are in gratia, and point undoubtedly at the Inftances of Kindness which the Roman People fhewed to Cicero; which were not only many in Number, but remarkable by their Quality; for when he was forced to quit the City, and go into Exile, by Clodius, and the two Confuls, Pifo and Gabinius, almoft the whole Equeftrian Order, changed their Garments, (among the Romans a Sign of Sorrow) and twenty thousand of the Youth of greatest Note, cloathed in homely Dress accompanied those who were to intercede for his Reftitution; and a full Senate decreed a Change of Drefs, as in a general Mourning. When he was on his Return from Exile, the Senate and all the People went forth to meet him, and conducted him with the greatek Shouts, and as it were in Triumph, from the Porta Capena to the Capitol; and when he was approaching the Town, in his Return from Greece, the Confluence of People was fo great, that a whole Day was confumed in receiving their Addreffes and Congratulations. See Plutarch in his Life of Cicero. When Cicero had freed the Republic of the Danger that threatened it from the Confpiracy of Catiline, the Senate decreed a Thanksgiving in Honour of him; and Marcus Cato being asked his Sentiments of the Matter, pronounced Cicero Pater Patria, the Father of his Country; an Honour till that Time never con, ferred on any in a free State. to difpute with me the Prize of Eloquence? This indeed is doing me a Favour. For can I have a fairer, a fuller Advantage, than both to plead for myself and against Anthony? But this, I have found it out, is his End: He thought, that to his Confederates, Men like himself, he could never bring full Evidence that he was the Enemy of his Country, unless he lived at Variance with me. Before I anfwer other Points, I fhall take the Liberty to touch in a few Words upon our Friendship, which he charges me with violating, a Charge which I take to be of the blackest Nature. HE complains that I appeared, I don't know when, against his Intereft. Ought I not to appear against a Stranger in favour of my Friend and Relation? Ought I not to appear against the Power of an Interest gained not by the Semblance of Virtue, but the Bloom of Youth Ought I not to appear against an Injury, by him committed through the Partiality of a fcandalous Interpofer, and not the Decifion h Who this Friend and Relation was, Cicero neither tells us, nor can we, from any Circumftances mentioned, fo much as guefs at him; but the Stranger fpoke of was Quintus Fabius Bambalio, a freed Man, whofe Daughter Anthony had married. Cicero appearing for his Friend against this Bambalio, Anthony was angry with him, and reproached him with having violated the Laws of Friendship. 1 Some Tribune of the People had it seems been bribed by Anthony or Bambalio, to interpose against Cicero's Friend. cifion of the Prætor? But this I fuppofe you have mentioned with this View, that you may recommend yourself to the lowest Rank of the People; that you yourfelf are Son-inław to a Man who had been a Slave, and that, your Children are the Grandchildren of Quintus Fadius, who had been a Slave alfo. But (you fay) you had put yourself as a Pupil under my Care", (for that was your Expreffion) you had frequently reforted to my House. Surely, had you done that, your Reputation had been more fair, and your Chastity lefs polluted. But you neither did it, nor had intended to do it, would Curio have permitted it. you You faid, that in my Favour you dropt your Pretenfions to the Augurship. Amazing Prefumption intolerable Impudence! At the Time when Cneius Pompeius and Quintus Hortenfius, for only two could do it, named me, at the Request of the whole College, to be S 2 an The Words in the Original are, Jure prætorio; now the Jus Prætorium was a Power affumed by the Pretors, of mend, ing, helping, supplying, and correcting the civil Law, as Neceffity fhould require. This Power was likewife called Jus Honorarium. This is the Plebeian Order. m It was cuftomary, when Boys had taken the manly Gown, to give them in Charge to Men of Learning and good Morals, in order to be inftructed in the Duties of Life, and get them formed to Virtue and Humanity, |