e　in　regard　to　politics　　I　will　explain　shortly；　and　will　answer　the　questions　you　ask）；　and　at　any　rate　I　should　have　found　in　you　a　supporter；　at　once　most　warmly　attached　and　endowed　with　supreme　wisdom；　while　in　me　you　would　have　found　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　1which　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　every　of　freedom　of　action。　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　Cmesar　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　firstafter　the　success　of　your　efforts　for　my　recallI　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　in　old　times　shewed　merely　from　the　duty　incumbent　on　all　citizens　alike；　and　not　as　an　obligation　incurred　by　some　special　kindness　to　myself。　That　these　were　my　sentiments　I　declared　to　the　senate　when　you　were　consul；　and　you　had　yourself　a　full　view　of　them　in　our　conversations　and　discussions。　Yet　from　the　very　first　my　feelings　were　hurt　by　many　circumstances；　when；　on　your　mooting　the　question　of　the　full　restoration　of　my　position；　I　detected　the　covert　hatred　of　some　and　the　equivocal　attachment　of　others。　For　you　received　no　support　from　either　in　regard　to　my　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　prudeuce；　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　postion　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　distiii　　guished　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　have　recently　had　clear　and　mistakable　evidence　both　by　his　letters　and　his　personal　attentions。　I　was　also　strongly　affected　by　the　Republic　itself；　which　appeared　to　me　to　demand；　especially　considering　Caesar's　brilliant　successes；　that　there　should　be　no　quarrel　maintained　with　these　men；　and　indeed　to　forbid　it　in　the　strongest　manner　possible。　Moreover；　while　entertaining　these　feelings；　I　was　above　all　shaken　by　the　pledge　which　Pompey　had　given　for　me　to　Caesar；　and　my　brother　to　Pompey。　Besides；　I　was　forced　to　take　into　consideration　the　state　maxim　so　divinely　expressed　by　our　master　Plato〃　Such　as　are　the　chief　men　in　a　republic；　such　are　ever　wont　to　be　the　other　citizens。〃　I　called　to　mind　that　in　my　consulship；　from　the　very　1st　of　January；　such　a　foundation　was　laid　of　encouragement　for　the　senate；　that　no　one　ought　to　have　been　surprised　that　on　the　5th　of　December　there　was　so　much　spirit　and　such　commanding　influence　in　that　house。　I　also　remember　that　when　I　became　a　private　citizen　up　to　the　consulship　of　Caesar　and　Bibulus；　when　the　opinions　expressed　by　me　had　great　weight　in　the　senate；　the　feeling　among　all　the　loyalists　was　invariable。　Afterwards；　while　you　were　holding　the　province　of　hither　Spain　with　imperiuni　and　the　Republic　had　no　genuine　consuls；　but　mere　hucksters　of　provinces；　mere　slaves　and　agents　of　sedition；　an　accident　threw　my　head　as　an　apple　of　discord　into　the　midst　of　contending　factions　and　civil　broils。　And　in　that　hour　of　danger；　though　a　unanimity　was　displayed　on　the　part　of　the　senate　that　was　surprising；　on　the　part　of　all　Italy　surpassing　belief；　and　of　all　the　loyalists　unparalleled；　in　standing　forth　in　my　defence；　I　will　not　say　what　happenedfor　the　blame　attaches　to　many；　and　is　of　various　shades　of　turpitudeI　will　only　say　briefly　that　it　was　not　the　rank　and　file；　but　the　leaders；　that　played　me　false。　And　in　this　matter；　though　some　blame　does　attach　to　those　who　failed　to　defend　me；　no　less　attaches　to　those　who　abandoned　me：　and　if　those　who　were　frightened　deserve　reproach；　if　there　are　such；　still　more　are　those　to　be　blamed　who　pretended　to　be　frightened。　At　any　rate；　my　policy　is　justly　to　be　praised　for　refusing　to　allow　my　fellow　citizens　（preserved　by　me　and　ardently　desiring　to　preserve　me）　to　be　exposed　while　bereft　of　leaders　to　armed　slaves；　and　for　preferring　that　it　should　be　made　manifest　how　much　force　there　might　be　in　the　unanimity　of　the　loyalists；　if　they　had　been　permitted　to　champion　my　cause　before　I　had　fallen；　when　after　that　fall　they　had　proved　strong　enough　to　raise　me　up　again。　And　the　real　feelings　of　these　men　you　not　only　had　the　penetration　to　see；　when　bringing　forward　my　case；　but　the　power　to　encourage　and　keep　alive。　In　promoting　which　measureI　will　not　merely　not　deny；　but　shall　always　remember　also　and　gladly　proclaim　ityou　found　certain　men　of　the　highest　rank　more　courageous　in　securing　my　restoration　than　they　had　been　in　preserving　me　from　my　fall：　and；　if　they　had　chosen　to　maintain　that　frame　of　mind；　they　would　have　recovered　their　own　commanding　position　along　with　my　salvation。　For　when　the　spirit　of　the　loyalists　had　been　renewed　by　your　consulship；　and　they　had　been　roused　from　their　dismay　by　the　extreme　firmness　and　rectitude　of　your　official　conduct；　when；　above　all；　Pompey's　support　had　been　secured；　and　when　Caesar；　too；　with　all　the　prestige　of　his　brilliant　achievements；　after　being　honoured　with　unique　and　unprecedented　marks　of　distinction　and　compliments　by　the　senate；　was　now　supporting　the　dignity　of　the　house；　there　could　have　been　no　opportunity　for　a　disloyal　citizen　of　outraging　the　Republic。
  But　now　notice；　I　beg；　what　actually　ensued。　First　of　all；　that　intruder　upon　the　women's　rites；　who　had　shewn　no　more　respect　for　the　Bona　Dea　than　for　his　th