180 ROMAN HISTORY: 



strikingly describe the two remarkable men thus brought 

 together for the last time ; both deeply concerned in the 

 public events of the preceding twenty years/ both destined 

 to perish by a violent death. We would willingly invite the 

 attention of those of our readers who may have forgotten it, 

 to this curious and characteristic letter. We have always 

 been especially entertained by the frank confession of Cicero 

 to Atticus, that Caesar was not a guest to whom he could say 

 * Pray, pay me another visit on your return' (semel satis est) ; 

 and also by his acknowledgement that no serious matter 

 (<T7rov$aiov ovSsv) was discussed between them, but that the 

 conversation turned mainly on literary topics. The motive 

 for this restraint may readily be found in the history of the 

 time, and in the relative position of Cicero and his great 

 visitor : the direction of the conversation, we doubt not, 

 rested entirely with the latter. Even with such restraint 

 upon it, who does not wish that a Boswell had been present 

 to record what passed ? * The other anecdote to which we 

 allude, has less certain authority for its truth but great in- 

 ternal probability. Caesar was the guest of M. Lepidus at 

 supper at Rome. After the repast, a conversation arising 

 on the question which was the most desirable manner of death, 

 the Dictator pronounced as his opinion that it was c the one 

 most sudden and unexpected ; ' a sentiment natural to the 

 man, and which, in a qualified form, was afterwards repeated 

 by his first successor in the empire. 



On the very day> as we are told, after this supper, Caesar's 

 life was ended by that murder which seemed at the time 

 fated to change the condition of the world. It would be 

 difficult indeed to name any single incident of deeper interest. 



* We gather further from this letter, that Csesar had other and more ordinary 

 powers of making himself an agreeable guest at dinner. ' Edit et bibit aSews 

 et jucunde ; opipar& sane, et apparate.' We are surprised that Mr. Merirale 

 should so slightly press this curious document of Roman life. 



