The familiar epistles of M.T. Cicero Englished and conferred with the: French Italian and other translations

Cicero, to Quintus Metellus Ce∣ler; son to Quintus, Vice-Consull. Ep. 2.

IF you and the Armie bee safe, and in health: I am glad. You write vnto me, that for the mutuall loue, and late amity renewed betweene vs, you could neuer haue beleeued, that I should haue held you in so base an esteeme: by which words I know not, wha•• you would infer: But I imagine, that it

m••ght be reported vnto you, how I ar∣gu••ng in the Senate, vsed this speech; That many were greeued, because I had pres••rued the Common-wealth: and that your neere••t kinsmen, whom you could not well denie, wrought you ••o farre, that you should not vrge my commenda••ion in the Senate, as be∣f••re you were resolued. In saying of which, I further added, that the office of preseruing the Common-wealth, was equ••lly diuided betwixt vs. For, I had defended Rome ••rom domesticall practices, & from the treason of corrupt Citizens, and you, Italy, from the ar∣med enemy, and priuie conspiracies: and that this our society, in so great & honourable an enterprize, was broken off, by your kindred: who tooke i•• ill, that I, who had wonder••ully approu'd of you, in matters of so great impor∣tance, should be i•• any par•••• by you re∣compenced. And declaring in ••his dis••course, with what ioy I ••tt••nd••d your praise, and approb••t••on; and how f••u∣strate I rema••n'd o•• that hop••; the Se∣nators tooke con••entm••nt her••in, and began to smile; not ••or ••hat I ••pak•• of you, but because my expectat••on prou'd v••ine and ••ru••tl••s••e: and be••ause openly, and sincerely, I reueal'd the de∣sire I had, ••o bee commended by you. I•• cannot therefore in this be sayd, that I haue not honoured you, manifesting

what contentment I should take, to heare your testimonie, adde greater grace to my renowned actions. Wher∣as you speake of mutuall loue, I know not how you vnderstand loue 〈◊〉〈◊〉 but I suppose, that then it is tru••ly mu∣tuall, when the one, and the other p••rty loues, with equall and ans••erable affe∣ction. If I should haue sayd, th•••• to doe you a fauour, I reno••n•••••• my Prouince; you would rather h••u•• thought mee vaine herein, then other∣wi••e. For the renunciation was made, to giue my selfe satisfact••on, and euery day I am b••tt••r pleas••d therewith, then other. It is true, that in giuing it vp, I sought to haue it committed to you. I will no•• men••ion the offices I did you, bef••re you were drawne by lot: on••ly, be as••ured of thus much, that my Col∣league did nothing in it, wi••hout my priuitie. Remember you the rest: with what expedition, so soone as your lot was drawne, I as••embled the Sena••e on the selfe same day; how aboundantly I spake in your comm••ndation. Did ••ot you once tell mee your selfe, that I did not onely commend you, but ex∣alted your praise, with th•• scorne and contempt of your Competitors? Be∣sides, the decree, which past vp••n such an election that day from the S••na••e, will testifie my true loue towards you, so long as 'tis extant. And after you

wen•• into the P••ouince, I desire you would call to minde the fauours, that I did you, both in the Senate, and with the people; as also the letters I wrote vnto you. And when you haue colle∣cted all these things, consider I pray you, whether at your last returne to Rome, you requited so many good offi∣ces. Whereas you mention our renu∣ed amity, I know not herein your mea∣ning, because you terme that renued, which neuer was altr••d. Whereas you write, that I haue done ill, hauing by one onely word, procured your bro∣thers ruine; First, be assured, that I like wondrous well, this your zeale, and good will, accompanied with such vi∣s••••rall loue and affection to your bro∣ther: And then, if in any thing, for the respect of the Common-wealth, I haue beene opposite to your brother; I re∣quest you to p••rdon me; For, no man can loue the Common-wealth, bet∣ter then my selfe: but if I defended my reputation, from his violent passion towards mee; i•• may suffice you, that I neuer complained to you, of the iniury hee did m••e: who, be∣cause I knew, that he prepared, and di∣sposed the whole power of his Tribune∣ship to my destruction: I besought Claudia your wife, and Mucia your si∣ster, whose good opinion towards me, I discouered in many things, for the

amities sake betwixt me and Pompeius, that they would diuert him from so wicked a determination. But hee, not∣withstanding I had been Consul, & had preserued the Commonwealth, did me such an iniury, as was neuer offred to a∣ny Magistrate, of what mean rank soe∣uer; nor to the worst Citizen. For, at the last of December, as peraduenture you haue heard, he prohibited me, in the re∣signation of my Consulship, to giue ac∣count vnto the people of my procee∣dings: which iniurie notwithstanding, at last redounded to my great honour. For, hee permitting me no further inti∣mation, then mine oath; I swore aloud, and the people with a loud voyce, and to my great glory, swore likewise, that mine oath was most true. Hauing re∣ceiued this grosse disgrace; yet the same day, I sent to Metellus, those that were friends to vs both; requesting him to remoue that resolution, he had vndertaken against me; To whom he made answer, That it was not in his power: because, speaking to the peo∣ple, he had formerly implyed, that there was no reason, that he should haue au∣thoritie giuen him to speake, who would not grant the same to others, but had punished them, without permitting them lawfull plea. Oh, what a graue Gentle-man, and braue Citizen was this! who, though I had deliuered the

Senate from death, Rome from combu∣stion, and Italy from war, thought mee worthy of that punishment, which the Senate, out of the consent of all good men, had inflicted vpon them, who meant to set Rome on fire; hew the Ma∣gistrates & Senators in peeces; and to haue rais'd vp, a most bloudy or cruell war. Vpon this, I oppos'd my selfe to your brother, who was present. For, the first of Ianuary, I so buckeld with him in the occasions of the Common-wealth, as hee might perceiue, I wan∣ted neither courage, nor constan∣cie. And afterwards on the third of the same moneth, hee hauing conuocated the people, in the beginning of his O∣ration, he went about to depraue mee, naming, and threatning me euery third word, with full resolution, vtterly to sinke mee; not by way of Iustice, or e∣quitie, but by bitter violence, and passi∣onate outrage. Whose temeritie, if I had not stou••ly withstood; who would not haue thought, that in my Consul∣ship, I shewed resolution, rather out of the benefit of my Fortunes, then either for vertue, or fortitude of mind: If you neu••r perceiu'd how ill Metellus stood affected to mee; this may bee an eui∣dent signe, that he little esteemes you; neuer writing vnto you, of a matter of so great importāce. But if he did impart his minde vnto you, you sho••ld thinke

me very milde, and tractable, in that I neuer complain'd therof to you, though I had all the reasons [in the world] to doe it. For, not onely in words, as yo•• write, but with all man∣ner of iniuries, he labour'd to persecute me. Now, obserue my humanitie, if it may be termed humanitie, when a man does not onely suppresse the choler of his mind•• but further humbleth himself, to his enemie. I, though your brother had shamefully iniuried me, yet neuer shew'd my ••elfe to him, otherwise then fauorable. And, whensoeuer his name came in question in the Senate; I al∣waies ioyn'd with them in opinion, that proceeded mildly with him. Neither content with this; although hee were mine enemie: yet in that hee was your brother. it did not onely displease mee, but further, I wrought by al my means, and power, that the decree enacted a∣gainst him, might be cancell'd. So, as I oppos'd not your brother; but I haue resisted your brother, neither was I towards you, mutable, as you write; but so constant, that I haue perseuer'd in louing you, though you gaue me oc∣casion to the contrarie. As also at this present, though you write to mee after a threatning manner, yet will I not complaine. Because I doe not onely pardon, but highly commend your passion 〈◊〉〈◊〉 naturall affection intimating

in this, of what force brotherly loue is. But yet I entreat you, that you will also truely waigh my passion; allowing, that if your friends did bitterly, and with cruelty, persecute me without cause; I ought in this case, nor onely, not to giue them place, but make my repai••e to you for aid; and make vse of the power, as well of your selfe, as of the whole Armie, vnder you. I euer desir'd to haue you my friend, as likewise, I haue omitted no endeauour, whereby it might appeare, that I was not your friend onely, but your most louing friend. My heart is now, that which it euer was, and so shall continue, so long as you please: and if the hatred that I deferuedly beare to your bro••her, can any whit extenuate the loue be••wixt vs; I will hereafter forb••are to hate him, l••ast it be an occasion, that I bee no•• beloued. Farewell.