'DIUTURNI silentii, P. C. quo eram his temporibus usus, non timore aliquo, sed partìm dolore, partim verecundia, finem hodiernus dies attulit; idemque initium, quae vellem quaeque sentirem, meo pristino more dicendi. Tantam enim mansuetudinem, tam inusitatam inauditamque clementiam, tantum in summâ potestate rerum omnium modum, tam denique incredibilem sapientiam ac penè divinam tacitus nullo modo praeterire possum. M. enim Marcello vobis, P. C. reique pub. reddito, non solùm illius, sed meam etiam vocem et auctoritatem et vobis et reipublicae conservatam ac restitutam puto. Dolebam enim, P. C. ac vehementèr angebar, cum viderem virum talem, qui in eâdem causâ esset, in quâ,

1. Diuturni silentii—In a letter to Servius Sulpicius, Proconsul in Greece, Cicero, mentioning the petition for Marcellus' return, writes, "What the senate did was this; upon the mention of Marcellus by Piso, his brother Caius having thrown himself at Caesar's feet, they all rose up, and went in a supplicating manner towards Caesar: in short this day's work appeared so decent, that I could not help fancying I saw the image of the old republick reviving. When all, therefore, who were asked their opinions before me, had returned thanks to Caesar, excepting Volcatius, (for he declared, that he would not have done it, though he had been in the place of Marcellus) I, as soon as I was called upon, changed my mind; for 1 had resolved with myself to have observed an eternal silence, not through any laziness, but the loss of my former dignity; but Caesar's greatness of mind and the laudable zeal of the Senate overcame my reso lution. I gave thanks, therefore, to Caesar, in a long speech, and have deprived myself by it, fear, on other occasions, of that honest quiet, which was my only comfort in these unhappy times; but since I have hitherto avoided giving him offence, (and, if I had always continued silent, he would have interpreted it perhaps as a proof of my believing the republick to be ruined) I shall speak for the future not often, or rather very seldom; so as to manage at the same time both his favour and my own leisure for study."

2. In quá ego fuissem-Marcellus and Cicero were of the Pompeian party; after the battle of Pharsalia, Cicero accepted pardon of the conqueror; the high spirit of Marcellus and the ancient glory of his house would not permit him to receive any favours from a master. He retired to Mitylenae.

ego fuissem, non in eâdem esse fortunâ: nec mihi persuadere poteram, nec fas esse ducebam, versari me in nostro veteri curriculo, illo aemulo atque imitatore studiorum ac laborum meorum, quasi quodam socio a me et comite distracto. Ergo et mihi, et meae pristinae vitae consuetudinem, C. Caesar, interclusam aperuisti, et his omnibus ad benè de omni republicâ sperandum, quasi signum aliquod sustulisti. Intellectum est enim mihi quidem in multis, et maximè in me ipso, sed paulò antè omnibus, cum M. Marcellum Senatui populoque Romano et reipublicae concessisti, commemoratis praesertim offensionibus, te auctoritatem hujus ordinis dignitatemque reipublicae tuis vel doloribus vel suspicionibus anteferre. Ille quidem fructum omnis anteactae vitae hodierno die maximum cepit, cum summo consensu Senatûs, tum praeterea judicio tuo gravissimo et maximo; ex quo profectò intelligis, quanta in dato beneficio sit laus, cum in accepto tanta sit gloria. Est verò fortunatus ille, cujus ex salute non minor penè ad omnes, quàm ad illum ventura sit, laetitia pervenerit. Quod

3. Aemulo atque imitatore-Marcellus was famous for his foren. sick talents, and of all the orators of his time seems to have approached nearest to Cicero in the character of a complete speaker. 4. Offensionibus-While Marcellus was Consul, he endeavoured to supersede Caesar in the command of Gaul; he afterwards endeavoured to get Caesar proclaimed Enemy to his country; in a pub. lick speech he called Caesar Robber; and, during the civil war, fought against Caesar.-These, says Guthrie, with some others of smaller consequence, were the offences of Marcellus.

5. Suspicionibus-Caesar had entertained suspicions, that Marcellus intended to murder him.

6. Fructum...... vitae hodierno die-It should be remembered, that, before Cicero had risen to address Caesar, the whole Senate had paid the tribute due to the merit of Marcellus, by rising and warmly urging the request made for his return.

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ei quidem meritò atque optimo jure contigit; quis enim est illo aut nobilitate, aut probitate, aut optimarum artium studio, aut innocentiâ, aut ullo genere laudis praestantior?

II. Nullius tantum est flumen ingenii, nulla dicendi aut scribendi tanta vis, tanta copia, quae non dicam exornare sed enarrare, C. Caesar, res tuas gestas possit; tamen hoc affirmo, et hoc pace dicam tuâ, nullam in his esse laudem ampliorem quàm eam, quam hodierno die consecutus es. Soleo saepè ante oculos ponere, idque libentèr crebris usurpare sermonibus, omnes nostrorum imperatorum, omnes exterarum gentium potentissimorumque populorum, omnes clarissimorum regum res gestas cum tuis nec contentionum magnitudine, nec numero praeliorum, nec 1varietate regionum, nec celeritate conficiendi, nec dissimilitudine bellorum posse conferri ; nec verò disjunctissimas terras citiùs cujusquam passibus potuisse

7. Nobilitate-The family of the Marcelli was of plebeian original; but, by the hereditary merit of its individuals, had become noble. Those, whose ancestors or themselves had borne any Curule magistracy, that is, the Consulship, the Praetorship, the Censorship, or the office of Curule Aedile, were called Nobiles; and of the family of the Marcelli six had been Consuls, of whom one was honoured with the Consulship five times, and another three.

8. Pace-Pardon, or permission.

9. Numero praeliorum-Pliny informs us, that Caesar had fought fifty pitched battles, and had slain 1,192,000 men. If the civil wars are added to the account, says a commentator, this ambitious monster (Caesar) must have made greater desolation in the world, than any tyrant perhaps, that ever lived.

1. Varietate regionum-Caesar had carried on war in Spain, Britain, Gaul, Egypt, Germany, Asia, Africa, and Greece. He conquered Pompey at Pharsalia; Ptolemy in Egypt; Pharnaces, the son of Mithridates, in Pontus; Scipio and Juba in Africa; and in Spain the sons of Pompey.

2. Celeritate conficiendi-Such was the rapidity, with which Caesar made some of his conquests, that in describing one of them he said, “Veni, Vidi, Vic;" I came, I saw, I conquered,

peragrari, quàm tuis, non dicam cursibus, sed victoriis lustratae sunt. Quae quidem ego nisi ita magna esse fatear, ut ea vix cujusquam mens aut cogitatio capere possit, amens sim: sed tamen sunt alia majora. Nam bellicas laudes solent quidam extenuare verbis, easque detrahere ducibus, communicare cum militibus, ne propriae sint imperatorum ; et certè in armis, militum virtus, locorum opportunitas, auxilia sociorum, classes, commeatus multùm juvant ; maximam verò partem quasi suo jure Fortuna sibi vindicat, et quidquid est prosperè gestum, id penè omne ducit suum. At verò 3hujus gloriae, C. Caesar, quam es paulò antè adeptus, socium habes neminem; totum hoc, quantumcunque est, quod certè maximum est, totum est, inquam, tuum; nihil sibi ex istâ laude centurio, nihil praefectus, nihil cohors, nihil turma decerpit; quin etiam illa ipsa rerum humanarum domina Fortuna in istius se societatem gloriae non offert: tibi cedit; tuam esse totam et propriam fatetur ; nunquam enim temeritas cum sapientiâ commiscetur, nec ad consilium casus admittitur.

III. Domuisti gentes immanitate barbaras, mul

3. Hujus gloriae-The glory of pardoning a man, whom he supposed an enemy to him.

4. Centurio......praefectus, etc.-The Roman army was formed into legions; each legion was divided into ten cohorts, each cohort into three maniples, and each maniple into two centuries. There were also 300 cavalry usually joined to each legion. These were divided into ten turmae, or troops, and each turma into three decuriae, or bodies of ten men. The Centuriones were the officers, who commanded the centuries: the Praefecti were appointed to command the allies, and seem to have had powers similar to those of the legionary Tribunes, the number of whom was six in each legion, each of whom had under his command a thousand men.

5. Gentes......barbaras--Gauls, Britons, Germans, Africans, and Egyptians.

titudine innumerabiles, locis infinitas, omni copiarum genere abundantes; sed ea tamen vicisti, quae et naturam et conditionem, ut vinci possent, habebant ; nulla est enim tanta vis, [tanta copia] quae non ferro ac viribus debilitari frangique possit: verùm animum vincere, iracundiam cohibere, victoriam temperare, adversarium nobilitate, ingenio, virtute praestantem non modò extollere jacentem, sed etiam amplificare ejus pristinam dignitatem; haec qui faciat, non ego eum cum summis viris comparo, sed simillimum deo judico. Itaque, C. Caesar, bellicae tuae laudes celebrabuntur illae quidem non solùm nostris, sed penè omnium gentium literis atque linguis: neque ulla unquam aetas de tuis laudibus conticescet. tamen ejusmodi res, nescio quomodo etiam dum audiuntur, aut dum leguntur, obstrepi clamore militum videntur, et tubarum sono. At verò cùm aliquid clementèr, mansuetè, justè, moderatè, sapientèr factum, in iracundiâ praesertim, quae est inimica con

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6. Innumerabiles-It is said that Caesar conquered four hundred different people in Gaul; but these nations probably were but petty tribes, like those of the savages of this country.

7. Simillimum deo judico-Cicero has been accused of flattery and insincerity in this oration, as well as in that upon the Manilian law. The only defence and apology we shall offer shall be extracted from the writings of his greatest panegyrist. "It should be remember. ed," says Dr. Middleton, "that he was delivering a speech of thanks, not only for himself, but in the name and at the request of the Senate, where his subject naturally required the embellishments of oratory; and that all his compliments are grounded on a supposition, that Caesar intended to restore the republick; of which he entertained no small hopes at this time, as he signifies in a letter to one of Caesar's principal friends. This therefore he recommends, enforces, and requires from him in his speech, with the spirit of an old Roman; and no reasonable man will think it strange, that so free an address to a conqueror, in the height of all his power, should want to be tempered with some few strokes of flattery." Of this defence every one will form his own opinion: