CCLXXVI (F III, 13)
TO APPIUS CLAUDIUS PULCHER (AT
ROME)
ASIA (AUGUST)
JUST as though I divined that some day or
other I should have to ask for your zealous
support, I worked hard for your reputation when
the question of your actions was on the tapis.
However, I will not disguise the truth: you have
given more than you got. For every single person
has written to tell me that, not only by the
weight of your eloquence and your senatorial
vote—which from such a man were quite
enough for me—but also by personal
exertion, by offer of advice, by coming to my
house and calling on my friends, you left nothing,
however troublesome, for anyone else to do. All
this is a much greater honour to me than the thing
itself for which the trouble is being taken. For
the outward rewards of virtue many have attained
without possessing virtue: but such great zeal
from such men as you virtue alone' can secure.
Accordingly, I set before my-self as the profit to
be derived from our friendship that friendship
itself, than which nothing can be more fruitful,
especially in those studies to which we have both
devoted ourselves. For I profess myself to be both
your ally in politics, on which our sentiments
agree, and closely united in daily life, which we
devote to such accomplishments' and studies. I
could have wished that fate had so ordained it
that you could value all my family as highly as I
do yours. Even as to this, however, I have a sort
of intuition which prevents my despairing. But
this does not touch you: the burden is wholly
mine. I wish you to clearly understand that in
this change of circumstances something has been
added to my affection towards you—to
which no addition seemed
possible—rather than anything detracted
from it. when I write this I hope you are already
censor. My letter is all the shorter and more
modest as being addressed to a "director of
morals." 1
ASIA (AUGUST)