The senators were crossing the floor in support of this view,[430] when Clodius, being called on, began trying to talk out the sitting. He spoke in furious terms of having been attacked by Racilius in an unreasonable and discourteous manner. Then his roughs on the Græcostasis[431] and the steps of the house suddenly raised a pretty loud shout, in wrath, I suppose, against Q. Sextilius and the other friends of Milo. At this sudden alarm we broke up with loud expressions of indignation on all sides. Here are the transactions of one day for you: the rest, I think, will be put off to January. Of all the tribunes I think Racilius is by far the best: Antistius also seems likely to be friendly to me: Plancius, of course, is wholly ours. Pray, if you love me, be careful and cautious about sailing in December. [Footnote 419: Quintus Cicero was in Sardinia as Pompey's _legatus_ as superintendent of the corn-supply, to which office he had been appointed in August. The letter is written not earlier than the 10th of December, for the new tribunes for B.C. 56 have come into office, and not later than the 16th, because on the 17th the Saturnalia began. Perhaps as the senate is summoned and presided over by Lupus, it is on the 10th, the day of his entrance upon office.] [Footnote 420: "Full," that is, for the time of year. A "full house" is elsewhere mentioned as between three and four hundred.] [Footnote 421: P. Rutilius Lupus, one of the new tribunes.] [Footnote 422: This refers to Cicero's attempts to exempt the _ager publicus_ in Campania from being divided (see Letter XXIV, p. 55); and not only to his speeches against Rullus. It was because Cæsar disregarded the ancient exception of this land from such distribution that Cicero opposed his bill, and refused to serve on the commission.] [Footnote 423: _Nihil vos moramur_ were the words used by the presiding magistrate, indicating that he had no more business to bring before the senate. If no one said anything, the senate was dismissed; but any magistrate, or magistrate-designate, could speak, and so continue the sitting up to nightfall, when the house stood adjourned.] [Footnote 424: Because consul-designate. L. Racilius, one of the new tribunes.] [Footnote 425: The _sortitio iudicum_ was performed by the prætor drawing out the required number of names from the urn, which contained the names of all liable to serve. The accused could, however, challenge a certain number, and the prætor had then to draw others.] [Footnote 426: The formula whereby the senate declared its opinion that so and so was guilty of treason. It had no legal force, but the magistrates might, and sometimes did, act on it.] [Footnote 427: C. Porcius Cato, distant relation of Cato Uticensis, one of the new tribunes.] [Footnote 428: _I.e._, Marcellinus (Cn. Cornelius Lentulus).]