[Footnote 635: M. Æmilius Scaurus was acquitted on the 2nd of September on a charge of extortion in Sardinia. The trial had been hurried on lest he should use the Sardinian money in bribing for the consulship. Hence he could not begin distributing his gifts to the electors till after September 2nd, and his rivals Domitius and Messalla got the start of him. See Asconius, 131 _seq._] [Footnote 636: He means that Atticus--as a lender of money--would be glad of anything that kept the rate of interest up (see p. 286). He is, of course, joking.] [Footnote 637: Antius is not known. Favonius was a close imitator of Cato's Stoicism. He was now opposing both Pompey and Cæsar strenuously, but on the Civil War breaking out, attached himself strongly to Pompey. He was put to death by Augustus after the battle of Philippi (Suet. _Aug._ 13). He had a very biting tongue. See Plut. _Pomp._ 60.] [Footnote 638: Drusus was probably Livius Drusus, the father of Livia, wife of Augustus; he was accused by Lucretius of _prævaricatio_, "collusion."] [Footnote 639: This time for _ambitus_.] [Footnote 640: The _de Oratore_.] CXLIX (Q FR III, 2) TO HIS BROTHER QUINTUS (IN GAUL) ROME, OCTOBER [Sidenote: B.C. 54, ÆT. 52] In the evening of the 10th of October Salvius started on board ship for Ostia with the things you wished sent to you from home. On that same day Memmius[641] gave Gabinius such a splendid warning in public meeting that Calidius couldn't say a word for him. To-morrow (which is strictly the day after to-morrow, for I am writing before daybreak) there is a trial before Cato for the selection of his prosecutor between Memmius, Tiberius Nero, and Gaius and Lucius, sons of M. Antonius. I think the result will be in favour of Memmius, though a strong case is being made out for Nero. In short, he is in a fairly tight fix, unless our friend Pompey, to the disgust of gods and men, upsets the whole concern. Let me give you a specimen of the fellow's impudence, and extract _something_ amusing from the public disasters. Gabinius having given out wherever he came that he was demanding a triumph, and having suddenly, the excellent general! invaded the city of his enemies by night,[642] did not venture to enter the senate. Meanwhile, exactly on the tenth day, on which he was bound to report the number of the enemy and of his own soldiers who had been killed, he slunk into the house, which was very thinly attended. When he made as if to go out, he was stopped by the consuls. The _publicani_ were introduced. The fellow was assailed on every side, and my words stinging him more than all, he lost patience, and in a voice quivering with anger called me "Exile." Thereupon--Heavens! I never had such a compliment paid me in all my life!--the senate rose up to a man with a loud shout and made a menacing movement in his direction: the _publicani_ made an equal noise and a similar movement. In fine, they all behaved exactly as you would have done.