[63]
You request Plancius to mention any faults of Laterensis. He cannot mention
any, unless he thinks him too ill-tempered towards himself. At the same time
you extol Laterensis highly yourself. I have no particular objection to your
spending a number of words on what has nothing to do with the trial, and to
your occupying so much time, while conducting the prosecution, in saying
what I, who am the counsel for the defence can admit without any danger. And
I do not only admit that every sort of high quality is to be found in
Laterensis, but I even find fault with you, for not enumerating his chief
excellences, but descending to look for trifling and insignificant subjects
for panegyric. You say “That he celebrated games at Praeneste.” Well; have not
other quaestors done the same? “That at Cyrene he was liberal towards the farmers
of the revenue, and just towards the allies.” Who denies it? but
so many important transactions take place at Rome, that it is difficult for those things which are done
in the provinces to get heard of.
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M. Tullius Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, literally translated by C. D. Yonge, B. A. London. George Bell & Sons, York Street, Covent Garden. 1891.
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