[32]
I will relate to you this fact, O judges, most truly. I recollect that Pamphilus of
Lilybaeum, a connection of mine by ties
of hospitality, and a personal friend of mine, a man of the highest birth, told me,
that when that man had taken from him, by his absolute power, an ewer made by the
hand of Boethus, of exquisite workmanship and great weight, he went home very sad in
truth, and greatly agitated, because a vessel of that sort, which had been left to
him by his father and his forefathers, and which he was accustomed to use on days of
festival, and on the arrival of ancient friends, had been taken from him. While I
was sitting at home, said he, in great indignation, up comes one of the slaves of
Venus; he orders me immediately to bring to the praetor some embossed goblets. I was
greatly vexed, said he; I had two; I order them both to be taken out of the closet,
lest any worse thing should happen, and to be brought after me to the praetor's
house. When I got there the praetor was asleep; the Cibyratic brothers were walking
about, and when they saw me, they said, Pamphilus, where are the cups? I show them
with great grief;—they praise them.—I begin to complain that I
shall have nothing left of any value at all, if my cups too were taken away. Then
they, when they see me vexed, say, What are you willing to give us to prevent these
from being taken from you? To make my story short, I said that I would give six
hundred sesterces. Meantime the praetor summons us; he
asks for the cups. Then they began to say to the praetor, that they had thought from
what they had heard, that Pamphilus's cups were of some value, but that they were
miserable things, quite unworthy of Verres's having them among his plate. He said,
he thought so too.
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