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ORAT. IN P. VATINIUM TESTEM CAP. 1. suffragio, nemo civitate, nemo luce dignum putet, nulla me caussa impulisset, nisi ut ferocitatem istam tuam comprimerem, et audaciam frangerem, et loquacitatem paucis meis interrogationibus irretitam retardarem. Etenim debuisti, Vatini, etiamsi falso venisses in suspicionem P. Sestio, tamen mihi ignoscere, si in tanto hominis de me optime meriti periculo et tempori ejus et voluntati parere voluissem. Sed hesterno pro testimonio esse mentitum, quum affirmares nullum tibi omnino cum Albinovano sermonem, non modo de Sestio accusando, sed nulla umquam de re fuisse, paullo ante imprudens indicasti, qui et T. Claudium tecum communicasse et a te consilium P. Sestii accusandi petisse, et Albinovanum, quem antea vix tibi notum esse dixisses, domum tuam venisse, multa tecum locutum dixeris; denique contiones P. Sestii scriptas, quas neque nosset neque reperire posset, te Albinovano dedisse, easque in hoc judicio esse recitatas. In quorum altero es confessus a te accusatores esse instructos et subornatos;

adds that hunc honorem. . ut' is different from 'hunc honorem. . quod.' But Cicero means that it was an honor to be examined, a mark of respect to a witness, and he tells Vatinius that his interrogatio' has a different meaning.

nemo suffragio] This might mean that nobody thought him worthy to have the suffragium;' to which he adds nor worthy to be a citizen.' It may also mean, if we connect 'suffragium' more immediately with what precedes, that nobody thought him a fit person to give his vote to. The context seems clearly to show that the second is the meaning. See c. 16.-' paucis meis:''paucissimis,' G.

etiamsi falso] Sestius believed or said that Vatinius combined with Albinovanus in his prosecution of Sestius (Introduction to the oration Pro Sestio, Vol. iii.).—' tempori ejus :''his difficulty,' or 'difficult position.' He says, "ut a nullius umquam me tempore aut commodo aut otium meum abstraxerit aut &c." (Pro Archia, c. 6, Vol. iii.)

sed hesterno] Hesterno ' is to be taken as an adverb, as Madvig says, like 'repentino,' Pro P. Quintio, c. 4; Cæsar, B. G. ii. 33. It is a mistake to join it with 'tes timonio.' The Romans said 'pro testimonio,' which means in the evidence;' as In Verr. ii. 4, c. 9, "verum pro testimonio dixisse." Klotz compares the German expression 'an zeugen statt,'' as a witness.' - sed nulla:' P. G. Some editions have 'sed ulla.' The critics explain the negative in various ways. Madvig calls it an

anacoluthon. There are many uses of negatives which can be brought under no rule. Whether we have 'ulla' or 'nulla' the same meaning is intended, and the same sense must be given to the passage. Cicero having said nullum . . sermonem,' would or might have said 'ulla de re,' if no words had been interposed; but it would be a feeble form of expression, and his meaning would not be so clear if he said 'ulla de re,' when these words are so far separated from ' nullum sermonem.' And this is the meaning of Madvig's remark, who however says, that 'sed nulla' is used on account of the words 'non modo;' but I think it might stand even if 'non modo' were not there, at least if it were separated from nullum sermonem' by any parenthetical matter.-' qui et:' 'cum et,' Halm.

...

T. Claudium] Who seems to have intended to prosecute Sestius, or who was a 'subscriptor' to Albinovanus in the prosecution (Manutius).

contiones.. scriptas] The harangues of Sestius during his tribunate, when he was endeavouring to make the people favourable to Cicero's recall. A passage of Isidorus (Origg. i. 21, p. 39, Lind.) is instructive : "Notarum usus erat ut quidquid pro contione aut in judiciis diceretur, librarii scriberent complures simul astantes, divisis inter se partibus quot quisque verba et quo ordine exciperet." See Pro Sulla, c. 14, note on shorthand writing.

in quorum altero] In quo alterum,' P. Halm. Madvig's reason for preferring

in altero inconstantiam tuam quum levitate tum etiam perjurio implicatam refellisti, quum, quem alienissimum a te esse dixisses, eum domi tuae fuisse, quem praevaricatorem esse ab initio judicasses, ei te quos rogasset ad accusandum libros dixeris dedisse. II. Nimium es vehemens feroxque natura: non putas fas esse verbum ex ore exire cujusquam, quod non jucundum et honorificum ad aures tuas accidat. Venisti iratus omnibus; quod ego, simulac te aspexi, prius quam loqui coepisti, quum ante Gellius, nutricula seditiosorum omnium, testimonium diceret, sensi atque providi. Repente enim te, tamquam serpens e latibulis, oculis eminentibus, inflato collo, tumidis cervicibus, intulisti, ut mihi renovatus ille tuus in to * *

** veterem meum amicum, sed tamen tuum familiarem, defenderim, quum in hac civitate oppugnatio soleat, qua tu nunc uteris, nonnumquam, defensio numquam vituperari. Sed quaero a te cur C. Cornelium non defenderem; num legem aliquam Cornelius

the reading of P. is this: "Cicero had not, in what he had said distinguished two things, to which things these words can be severally referred; but he had signified that one testimonium' of Vatinius comprehended several parts." Hermann also says, "one thing only precedes, from which Cicero infers two things." The difference in meaning is not much between the two readings, hardly any.

subornatos] See Pro Q. Roscio, c. 17, note, Vol. ii.-'implicatam :' the same as 'conjunctam,' as Ernesti says.-' refellisti :' 'you have proved your own inconsistency.' Garatoni compares Pro Ligario, c. 5: "refellere et coarguere nostrum mendacium."'praevaricatorem :' Pro Cluentio, c. 21, note. The 'libri' are the speeches of Sestius taken down in shorthand, which were to be used as evidence against him.

2. accidat] Pantagathus, 'accidit' P. 'accedat' G. 'Accidat' is, 'falls on the ear,' which accedat' would not express. It is a good correction.-Gellius:' see Pro Sestio, c. 52. Abrami refers to Juvenal vii. 148: "nutricula caussidicorum Africa;" and Gellius is here called 'nutricula,' to mark his effeminacy and lewdness, says Abrami.

inflato collo, &c.] Manutius supposes that Cicero alludes to the passionate temper of Vatinius; but he jokes on the swellings on Vatinius' neck. (Pro Sestio, c. 65). Halm well observes that we may wonder at Tullius practising this kind of urbanitas' so often, if Seneca (De Const. Sap. c. 17) has told

In

the truth: "Vatinium, hominem natum
ad risum et odium, scurram fuisse venustum
ac dicacem memoriae proditum est.
pedes suos ipse plurima dicebat et in fauces
concisas sic inimicorum, quos plures habe-
bat quam morbos, et in primis Ciceronis
urbanitatem effugit." The fellow had
humour and sense, and Cicero shewed his
want of sense as well as his want of decency
in alluding to the personal deformities of a
man who had disarmed his enemies by his
own good humour and jokes against him-
self.-'te intulisti:''you presented yourself.'

tuus in to**] In P. there is a great
'lacuna' after 'to:' "Sunt enim vacui
unius columnae, quae 36 versibus constare
solent, 23 versus, et praeterea tota pagina
sive duae columnae quas vocant.
In G.
jam nullum est defectus signum " (Halm).

C. Cornelium] C. Cornelius, who was tr. pl. in B. c. 67, brought on himself the hostility of the senate by the Leges which he proposed. One of his most important Leges was this, that only the Populus should have the power of releasing any person from the obligation of a Lex. The tr. pl. P. Servilius Globulus, who was gained over by the other side, used his veto and resisted the reading of the Lex by the Praeco, upon which Cornelius read it himself (codicem legisse dicebatur). A great disturbance was raised against the consul C. Piso, who was opposed to Cornelius, and Cornelius dismissed the meeting. However Cornelius was charged with exciting a disturbance and not yielding to the Intercessio of his

contra auspicia tulerit; num Aeliam, num Fufiam legem neglexerit ; num consuli vim attulerit; num armatis hominibus templum tenuerit; num intercessorem vi dejecerit; num religiones polluerit, aerarium exhauserit, rem publicam compilarit. Tua sunt, tua sunt haec omnia. Cornelio ejusmodi nihil objectum est. Codicem legisse dicebatur. Defendebat testibus collegis suis non se recitandi caussa legisse, sed recognoscendi. Constabat tamen Cornelium concilium illo die dimisisse, intercessioni paruisse. Tu vero, cui Cornelii defensio displicet, quam caussam ad patronos tuos aut quod os afferes? quibus jam praescribis quanto illis probro futurum sit, si te defenderint, quum tu mihi Cornelii defensionem in maledictis objiciendam putaris. Ac tamen hoc, Vatini, memento, paullo post istam defensionem meam, quam tu bonis viris displicuisse dicis, me, quum universi populi Romani summa voluntate, tum optimi cujusque singulari studio, magnificentissime post hominum memoriam consulem factum, omniaque ea me pudenter vivendo consecutum esse, quae tu impudenter vaticinando sperare te saepe dixisti.

colleague. Soon after he went out of office, he was prosecuted for Majestas by C. and P. Cominius on the ground of not having yielded to the Intercessio of his colleague. But the Praetor, L. Cassius Longinus, not appearing on the tribunal, and the friends of Cornelius putting the prosecutors to flight, Cassius stopped the proceedings, and the prosecutors did not appear again on the next day. In the next year, B.C. 65, the prosecution of Cornelius was taken up by P. Cominius again, and Cicero defended Cornelius on four several days. Cornelius was acquitted (Rein, Das Criminalrecht der Römer; Asconius, In Cornel. p. 56).

contra auspicia] which Vatinius had done (c. 9), and all the rest that Cicero mentions.Aeliam :' see Index, Vol. iii. 'codicem :' which contained the terms of his Lex. It was the usual practice to publish (promulgare) the terms of a Lex by setting it up in the Forum or other places, where it could be copied. (De Lege Agraria, ii. 5, Vol. ii.) The Lex was sometimes read by a Scriba (Appian, B. C. i. 12), as in this case: "Is (P. Servilius tr. pl.), ubi legis ferendae dies venit, et praeco subjiciente scriba verba legis recitare populo coepit, et scribam subjicere et praeconem pronuntiare passus non est. Tum Cornelius ipse codicem recitavit" (Becker, Röm. Alt. i. p. 26, note 41).

defendebat] P. G. have 'defendebatur,'

but as the best MSS. have 'non se recitandi,' and not non recitandi,' Madvig made the correction defendebat.' He affirms that 'defendor fecisse' is not Latin, but as Halm remarks, there is no reason why the Romans could not say 'defendor fecisse,' which means, it is maintained that I did;' and Cicero uses this form, as he shows (De Inv. ii. 32): "Necessitudo autem infertur, quum vi quadam reus id quod fecerit fecisse defenditur."

sed recognoscendi] For the purpose merely of seeing if it was correctly written, says Manutius; and he compares Pro Balbo, c. 5: "nos Cn. Pompeii decretum, judicium de consilii sententia pronuntiatum recognoscemus." praescribis :' 'you show them how disgraceful it will be to them.'

paullo post] The defence was in B. C. 65, and Cicero was elected consul in B. C. 64.-' bonis viris:' the Optimates whom, as Vatinius said, Cicero offended by defending Cornelius.-post hominum :' see what Cicero says of his election, De Lege Agraria, ii. 1.-' vaticinando:' his declaration that he should be consul sometime, and so he was at last, for a few days, B. c. 47: "In consulatu Vatinii, quem paucis diebus gessit, notabilis Ciceronis urbanitas circumferebatur: Magnum ostentum, inquit, anno Vatinii factum est, quod illo consule nec bruma, nec ver, nec aestas, nec autumnus fuit" (Macrob. Sat. De jocis M. Tullii

III. Nam quod mihi discessum objecisti meum, et quod horum, quibus ille dies acerbissimus fuit, qui idem tibi laetissimus, luctum et gemitum renovare voluisti, tantum tibi respondeo, me, quum tu ceteraeque rei publicae pestes armorum caussam quaereretis, et quum per meum nomen fortunas locupletium diripere, sanguinem principum civitatis exsorbere, crudelitatem vestram odiumque diuturnum, quod in bonos jam inveteratum habebatis, saturare cuperetis, scelus et furorem vestrum cedendo maluisse frangere quam resistendo. Quare peto a te ut mihi ignoscas, Vatini, quum ei patriae pepercerim quam servaveram; et, si ego te perditorem et vexatorem rei publicae fero, tu me conservatorem et custodem feras. Deinde ejus viri discessum increpas, quem vides omnium civium desiderio, ipsius denique rei publicae luctu esse revocatum? At enim dixisti, non mea sed rei publicae caussa homines de meo reditu laborasse. Quasi vero quisquam vir excellenti animo in rem publicam ingressus optabilius quidquam arbitretur quam se a suis civibus rei publicae caussa diligi. Scilicet aspera mea natura, difficilis aditus, gravis vultus, superba responsa, insolens vita; nemo consuetudinem meam, nemo humanitatem, nemo consilium, nemo auxilium requirebat, cujus desiderio, ut haec minima dicam, forum

Ciceronis, ii. 3). In the word vaticinando,' as Hotmann observes, Cicero is playing on the name of Vatinius.

3. discessum] Cicero's leaving Rome when he was threatened by Clodius. Vatinius charged him with being afraid, as Goveanus supposes, but Halm observes that Vatinius meant his leaving Rome to be taken as a proof of Cicero's unpopularity; which is the better opinion. See Pro Sestio, c. 22.-' horum:' all the whole people in the court, judices and hearers.

pestes] P. Clodius, A. Gabinius, L. Piso, and their faction.-' per meum nomen:' 'using my name as a pretext.'

If any one has listened to a modern speaker,
he will often find two words of like signifi-
cation used, and the weaker word placed
second; but this is a proof of the speaker's
weakness. It is common to see this order
of words in writing too, and for the same
reason. The writer does not exactly know
what he is saying. Cicero may have known
what he was talking about. He calls
Vatinius a 'perditor rei publicae,' one who
would have ruined the state, if he could;
and Cicero had saved the state at a criti-
cal time.
He was the 'conservator,'
while Vatinius was the 'perditor.' Again,
after this attempt to be a 'perditor,'
Vatinius was a vexator rei publicae,' a
turbulent fellow, and Cicero was a 'custos,'
a guardian, a protector. For he does not
call himself custos,' because he retired
from Rome to avoid the conflict, as Garatoni
supposes, which would be a strange kind of

་

custodia;' but because of his present disposition towards the state he calls himself custos,' as Hermann says.

vir excellenti animo] a man of a good disposition.'-'insolens vita:''arrogantiae plena' (Abrami).

cujus desiderio] The Scholiast thinks that Cicero speaks rather arrogantly. But it was his fashion. See Pro Sestio, c. 60.

maestum, muta curia, omnia denique bonarum artium studia siluerunt. Sed nihil sit factum mea caussa: omnia illa senatusconsulta, populi jussa, Italiae totius, cunctarum societatum, collegiorum omnium decreta de me rei publicae caussa esse facta fateamur. Quid ergo, homo imperitissime solidae laudis ac verae dignitatis, praestantius mihi potuit accidere? quid optabilius ad immortalitatem gloriae atque in memoriam mei nominis sempiternam quam omnes hoc cives meos judicare, civitatis salutem cum unius mea salute esse conjunctam? Quod quidem ego tibi reddo tuum. Nam ut tu me carum esse dixisti senatui populoque Romano non tam mea caussa quam rei publicae; sic ego te, quamquam sis omni diritate atque immanitate taeterrimus, tamen dico esse odio civitati non tam tuo quam rei publicae nomine.

IV. Atque ut aliquando ad te veniam, de me hoc sit extremum. Quid quisque nostrum de se ipse loquatur, non est sane [non est] requirendum. Boni viri judicent: id est maximi momenti et ponderis. Duo sunt tempora quibus nostrorum civium spectentur judicia de nobis; unum honoris, alterum salutis. Honos tali populi Romani voluntate paucis est delatus ac mihi;

He says 'haec minima,' in comparison with the senatusconsulta and the indications of the popular good-will towards him on the occasion of his recall. Klotz defends Cicero from the charge of arrogance. See the next note.

bonarum artium] A commentary on Cicero would be endless, if it contained all that has been said on him. A reader of sound judgment, who keeps his attention fixed on his author, may often rightly understand him without being aware that there is a difficulty. And so it is here. Cicero says that in the sorrow for his absence, the Forum was mourning, the Senate was silent, finally all liberal pursuits were struck dumb. There are artes liberales' and artes sordidae' (De Off. i. 42). There were many bonae artes;' and those which he is here speaking of seem to be the 'artes' of those who were engaged in public life, and chiefly the 'ars' of eloquence. These kept silence in the Forum and the Curia only because they were vexed at the fate which had befallen such an active combatant in these places; as Klotz says.

salus tanto studio

in the editions is 'cum mea unius.' Comp. Pro Sestio, c. 60.—' quod quidem... tuum:' which is, as Manutius explains it, 'tibi par pari referam,' 'I will give you as good as you give me,' or following the order, which indeed I to you give back as your own.' Goveanus compares Terence, Phorm. Prol. v. 22:

"Quod ab ipso allatum est, id si esse rela

tum putet."

quamquam sis] Halm has quamquam es,' the emendation of Wesenberg; which is probably right.

4. duo sunt tempora quibus... spectentur] There are two occasions well suited for trying men's opinions about us.' So Caesar (B. G. i. 6) says "Erant omnino itinera duo, quibus itineribus domo exire possent:" there were two roads and only two for leaving the country by. The

honos' is the popular election to the office of a magistratus; the 'salus,' the time when a man's life and fortune are at stake; and here it is Cicero's restoration from exile, as he says soon after.

honos tali] See In Pison. c. 1; and what he says of his election to the Praetorship, De Imp. Cn. Pompeii, c. 1. Hand

tali... voluntate... ac mihi] quoted by Halm refers to Terence, Phormio v. 9. 38: "Faxo eum tali mactatum atque hic est infortunio." The origin of the form