[Footnote 276: Under the _lex de sicariis_ of Sulla carrying a weapon with felonious intent was a capital crime, for which a man was tried _inter sicarios_. See 2 _Phil._ §§ 8, 74.] [Footnote 277: Q. Lutatius Catulus, who died in the previous year, B.C. 60, had been a keen opponent of Cæsar, who tried to deprive him of the honour of dedicating the restored Capitoline temple, and beat him in the election of Pontifex Maximus.] [Footnote 278: Servilia, mother of Brutus, was reported to be Cæsar's mistress. As Cicero is insinuating that the whole affair was got up by Cæsar to irritate Pompey with the _boni_, this allusion will be understood.] [Footnote 279: If Vettius did say this, he at any rate successfully imitated Cicero's manner. These names are always in his mouth. See 2 _Phil._ §§ 26, 87; _pro Mil._. §§ 8, 82, etc. For a farther discussion of Vettius, see Appendix B.] [Footnote 280: Probably a prætor, not the triumvir.] [Footnote 281: Q. Considius Gallus, who, according to Plutarch (_Cæs._ 13), said in the senate that the attendance of senators was small because they feared a massacre. "What made you come, then?" said Cæsar. "My age," he replied; "I have little left to lose."] LI (A II, 25) TO ATTICUS (IN EPIRUS) ROME (JULY OR AUGUST) [Sidenote: B.C. 59, ÆT. 47] When I have praised any one of your friends to you I should like you tell him that I have done so. For instance, you know I lately wrote to you about Varro's kindness to me, and that you wrote me back word that the circumstance gave you the greatest delight. But I should have preferred your writing to him and saying that he was doing all I could expect--not because he was, but in order that he might do so. For he is a man of astonishing whims, as you know, "tortuous and no wise----."[282] But I stick to the rule "Follies of those in power," etc.[283] But, by Hercules, that other friend of yours, Hortalus--with what a liberal hand, with what candour, and in what ornate language has he praised me to the skies, when speaking of the prætorship of Flaccus and that incident of the Allobroges.[284] I assure you nothing could have been more affectionate, complimentary, or more lavishly expressed. I very much wish that you would write and tell him that I sent you word of it. Yet why write? I think you are on your way and are all but here. For I have urged you so strongly to come in my previous letters. I am expecting you with great impatience, longing for you very much; nor do I call for you more than circumstances themselves and the state of the times. Nothing can be more desperate than the position of politics, nothing more unpopular than the authors of it, I--as I think, hope, and imagine--am safe behind a rampart of goodwill of the strongest kind. Wherefore fly to me: you will either relieve me from all annoyance or will share it. My letter is all the shorter because, as I hope, I shall be able in a very short time to talk over what I want to say face to face.