cicero-第11节

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Caesar　give　Cicero　the　defence　of　his　riches　and　arms。　For　the　young



man　had　already　a　great　party　of　the　soldiers　of　Caesar　about　him。　And



Cicero's　readiness　to　join　him　was　founded；　it　is　said；　on　some　yet



stronger　motives；　for　it　seems；　while　Pompey　and　Caesar　were　yet



alive；　Cicero；　in　his　sleep；　had　fancied　himself　engaged　in　calling



some　of　the　sons　of　the　senators　into　the　capitol；　Jupiter　being



about；　according　to　the　dream；　to　declare　one　of　them　the　chief



ruler　of　Rome。　The　citizens；　running　up　with　curiosity；　stood　about



the　temple；　and　the　youths；　sitting　in　their　purple…bordered　robes；



kept　silence。　On　a　sudden　the　doors　opened；　and　the　youths；　arising



one　by　one　in　order；　passed　round　the　god；　who　reviewed　them　all；　and；



to　their　sorrow；　dismissed　them；　but　when　this　one　was　passing　by；　the



god　stretched　forth　his　right　hand　and　said；　〃O　ye　Romans；　this



young　man；　when　he　shall　be　lord　of　Rome；　shall　put　an　end　to　all　your



civil　wars。〃　It　is　said　that　Cicero　formed　from　his　dream　a　distinct



image　of　the　youth；　and　retained　it　afterwards　perfectly；　but　did



not　know　who　it　was。　The　next　day；　going　down　into　the　Campus　Martius；



he　met　the　boys　returning　from　their　gymnastic　exercises；　and　the



first　was　he；　just　as　he　had　appeared　to　him　in　his　dream。　Being



astonished　at　it；　he　asked　him　who　were　his　parents。　And　it　proved



to　be　this　young　Caesar；　whose　father　was　a　man　of　no　great



eminence；　Octavius；　and　his　mother；　Attia；　Caesar's　sister's　daughter；



for　which　reason；　Caesar；　who　had　no　children；　made　him　by　will　the



heir　of　his　house　and　property。　From　that　time；　it　is　said　that　Cicero



studiously　noticed　the　youth　whenever　he　met　him；　and　he　as　kindly



received　the　civility；　and　by　fortune　he　happened　to　be　born　when



Cicero　was　consul。



　　These　were　the　reasons　spoken　of　but　it　was　principally　Cicero's



hatred　of　Antony；　and　a　temper　unable　to　resist　honour；　which　fastened



him　to　Caesar；　with　the　purpose　of　getting　the　support　of　Caesar's



power　for　his　own　public　designs。　For　the　young　man　went　so　far　in　his



court　to　him；　that　he　called　him　Father；　at　which　Brutus　was　so　highly



displeased；　that；　in　his　epistles　to　Atticus；　he　reflected　on　Cicero



saying；　it　was　manifest；　by　his　courting　Caesar　for　fear　of　Antony；　he



did　not　intend　liberty　to　his　country；　but　an　indulgent　master　to



himself。　Notwithstanding；　Brutus　took　Cicero's　son；　then　studying



philosophy　at　Athens；　gave　him　a　command；　and　employed　him　in



various　ways；　with　a　good　result。　Cicero's　own　power　at　this　time



was　at　the　greatest　height　in　the　city；　and　he　did　whatsoever　he



pleased；　he　completely　overpowered　and　drove　out　Antony；　and　sent



the　two　consuls；　Hirtius　and　Pansa；　with　an　army；　to　reduce　him；



and；　on　the　other　hand；　persuaded　the　senate　to　allow　Caesar　the



lictors　and　ensigns　of　a　praetor；　as　though　he　were　his　country's



defender。　But　after　Antony　was　defeated　in　battle；　and　the　consuls



slain；　the　armies　united；　and　ranged　themselves　with　Caesar。　And　the



senate；　fearing　the　young　man；　and　his　extraordinary　fortune；



endeavoured；　by　honours　and　gifts；　to　call　off　the　soldiers　from



him；　and　to　lessen　his　power；　professing　there　was　no　further　need



of　arms　now　Antony　was　put　to　flight。



　　This　giving　Caesar　an　affright；　he　privately　sends　some　friends　to



entreat　and　persuade　Cicero　to　procure　the　consular　dignity　for　them



both　together；　saying　he　should　manage　the　affairs　as　he　pleased；



should　have　the　supreme　power；　and　govern　the　young　man　who　was　only



desirous　of　name　and　glory。　And　Caesar　himself　confessed　that；　in　fear



of　ruin；　and　in　danger　of　being　deserted；　he　had　seasonably　made　use



of　Cicero's　ambition；　persuading　him　to　stand　with　him；　and　to



accept　the　offer　of　him　aid　and　interest　for　the　consulship。



　　And　now；　more　than　at　any　other　time；　Cicero　let　himself　be



carried　away　and　deceived；　though　an　old　man；　by　the　persuasion　of　a



boy。　He　joined　him　in　soliciting　votes；　and　procured　the　good…will



of　the　senate；　not　without　blame　at　the　time　on　the　part　of　his



friends；　and　he；　too；　soon　enough　after；　saw　that　he　had　ruined



himself；　and　betrayed　the　liberty　of　his　country。　For　the　young　man；



once　established；　and　possessed　of　the　office　of　consul；　bade　Cicero



farewell；　and；　reconciling　himself　to　Antony　and　Lepidus；　joined　his



power　with　theirs；　and　divided　the　government；　like　a　piece　of



property；　with　them。　Thus　united；　they　made　a　schedule　of　above　two



hundred　persons　who　were　to　be　put　to　death。　But　the　greatest



contention　in　all　their　debates　was　on　the　question　of　Cicero's



case。　Antony　would　come　to　no　conditions；　unless　he　should　be　the



first　man　to　be　killed。　Lepidus　held　with　Antony；　and　Caesar　opposed



them　both。　They　met　secretly　and　by　themselves；　for　three　days



together；　near　the　town　of　Bononia。　The　spot　was　not　far　from　the



camp；　with　a　river　surrounding　it。　Caesar；　it　is　said；　contended



earnestly　for　Cicero　the　first　two　days；　but　on　the　third　day　he



yielded；　and　gave　him　up。　The　terms　of　their　mutual　concessions　were



these：　that　Caesar　should　desert　Cicero；　Lepidus　his　brother　Paulus；



and　Antony；　Lucius　Caesar；　his　uncle　by　his　mother's　side。　Thus　they



let　their　anger　and　fury　take　from　them　the　sense　of　humanity；　and



demonstrated　that　no　beast　is　more　savage　than　man　when　possessed　with



power　answerable　to　his　rage。



　　Whilst　these　things　were　contriving；　Cicero　was　with　his　brother



at　his　country…house　near　Tusculum；　whence；　hearing　of　the



proscriptions；　they　determined　to　pass　to　Astura；　a　villa　of



Cicero's　near　the　sea；　and　to　take　shipping　from　thence　for



Macedonia　to　Brutus；　of　whose　strength　in　that　province　news　had



already　been　heard。　They　travelled　together　in　their　separate　litters；



overwhelmed　with　sorrow；　and　often　stopping　on　the　way　till　their



litters　came　together；　condoled　with　one　another。　But　Quintus　was



the　more　disheartened　when　he　reflected　on　his　want　of　means　for　his



journey；　for；　as　he　said；　he　had　brought　nothing　with　him　from　home。



And　even　Cicero　himself　had　but　a　slender　provision。　It　was　judged；



therefore；　most　expedient　that　Cicero　should　make　what　haste　he



could　to　fly；　and　Quintus　return　home　to　provide　necessaries；　and　thus



resolved；　they　mutually　embraced；　and　parted　with　many　tears。



　　Quintus；　within　a　few　days　after；　betrayed　by　his　servants　to



those　who　came　to　search　for　him；　was　slain；　together　with　his　young



son。　But　Cicero　was　carried　to　Astura；　where　finding　a　vessel；　he



immediately　went　on　board　her；　and　sailed　as　far　as　Circaeum　with　a



prosperous　gale；　but　when　the　pilots　resolved　immediately　to　set



sail　from　thence；　whether　fearing　the　sea；　or　not　wholly　distrusting



the　faith　of　Caesar；　he　went　on　shore；　and　passed　by　land　a　hundred



furlongs；　as　if　he　was　going　for　Rome。　But　losing　resolution　and



changing　his　mind；　he　again　returned　to　the　sea；　and　there　spent　the



night　in　fearful　and　perplexed　thoughts。　Sometimes　he　resolved　to　go



into　Caesar's　house　privately；　and　there　kill　himself　upon　the　altar



of　his　household　gods；　to　bring　divine　vengeance　upon　him；　but　the



fear　of　torture　put　him　off　this　course。　And　after　passing　through　a



variety　of　confused　and　uncertain　counsels；　at　last　he　let　his



servants　carry　him　by　sea　to　Capitie；　where　he　had　a　house；　an



agreeable　place　to　retire　to　in　the　heat　of　summer；　when　the　Etesian



winds　are　so　pleasant。



　　There　was　at　that　place　a　chapel　of　Apollo；　not　far　from　the



seaside；　from　which　a　flight　of　crows　rose　with　a　great　noise；　and



made　towards　Cicero's　vessel；　as　it　rowed　to　land；　and　lighting　on



both　sides　of　the　yard；　some　croaked；　others　pecked　the　ends　of　the



ropes。　This　was　looked　upon　by　all　as　an　ill…omen；　and；　therefore；



Cicero　went　again　ashore；　and　entering　his　house；　lay　down　upon　his



bed　to　compose　himself　to　rest。　Many　of　the　crows　settled　about　the



window；　making　a　dismal　cawing；　but　one　of　them　alighted　upon　the



bed　where　Cicero　lay　covered　up；　and　with　its　bill　by　little　and



little　pecked　off　the　clothes　from　his　face。　His　servants；　seeing



this；　blamed　themselves　that　they　should　stay　to　be　spectators　of



their　master's　murder；　and　do　nothing　in　his　defence；　whilst　the　brute



creatures　came　to　assist　and　take　care　of　him　in　his　undeserved



affliction；　and　therefore；　partly　by　entreaty；　partly　by　force；　they



took　him　up；　and　carried　him　in　his　litter　towards　the　seaside。



　　But　in　the　meantime　the　assassins　were　come　with　a　band　of　soldiers；



Herennius；　a　centurion；　and　Popillius；　a　tribune；　whom　Cicero　had



formerly　defended　when　prosecuted　for　the　murder　of　his　father。



Finding　the　doors　shut；　they　broke　them　open；　and　Cicero　not



appearing；　and　those　within　saying　they　knew　not　where　he　was；　it　is