[8]
My client, O judges, was indeed, by lot the
quaestor of Caius Antonius, my colleague, but by his sharing in all my
counsels he was in effect mine. I am prevented by scruples concerning the
pledge of confidence, as I interpret it, under which such duties are
performed, from explaining to you how much information he brought to me, and
what great foresight he displayed. And of Antonius I will only say this one
thing; that in that time of exceeding fear and danger to the state, he never
once attempted either to remove by any denial or to allay by any concealment
the general apprehensions of all men, or the especial suspicion conceived by
some persons with respect to himself. And if you were accustomed with truth,
while I was occupied in supporting and restraining that colleague of mine,
to praise my indulgence to him, united as it was with the greatest
watchfulness over the interests of the republic, almost equal praise ought
to be given to Publius Sestius, who kept such a watch on his own consul that
he seemed to him to be a good quaestor, and to all of you to
be a most excellent citizen.
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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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