MARCUS TULLIUS CICERO. 237 



of clients which accompanied the candidate for office, a tyrannical 

 disregard for the feelings of the poor. 1 So great indeed is his talent, 

 that (as we have before hinted) he even hurts a good cause by an excess 

 of plausibility. 



But it is not enough to have barely proved his point ; he proceeds, 

 either immediately, or towards the conclusion of his speech, to heighten 

 the effect by exaggeration. 2 Here he goes (as it were) round and 

 round his object ; surveys it in every light ; examines it in all its 

 parts ; retires, and then advances ; turns and returns it ; compares 

 and contrasts it; illustrates, confirms, enforces his view of the ques- 

 tion, till at last the hearer feels ashamed of doubting a position which 

 seems built on a foundation so strictly argumentative. Of this nature is 

 his justification of Rabirius in taking up arms against Saturninus ; 3 his 

 account of the imprisonment of the Roman citizens by Verres, and of 

 the crucifixion of Gavius ; 4 his comparison of Antonius with Tarquin; 5 

 and the contrast he draws of Verres with Fabius, Scipio, andMarius. 6 



And now, having established his case, he opens upon his opponent 

 a discharge of raillery, so delicate and good-natured, that it is impos - 

 sible for the latter to maintain his ground against it. Or where the 

 subject is too grave to admit this, he colours his exaggeration with all 

 the bitterness of irony or vehemence of passion. Such are his frequent 

 delineations of Gabinius, Piso, Clodius, and Antonius; 7 particularly his 

 vivid and almost humorous contrast of the two consuls, who sanctioned 

 his banishment, in his oration for Sextius. 8 Such the celebrated 

 account (already alluded to) of the crucifixion of Gavius, which it is 

 difficult to read, even at the present day, without having our feelings 

 roused against the merciless praetor. But the appeal to the gentler 

 emotions of the soul is reserved (perhaps with somewhat of sameness) 

 for the close of his oration ; as in his defence of Cluentius, Muraena, 

 Caelius, Milo, Sylla, Flaccus, and Rabirius Postumus ; the most striking 

 instances of w r hich are the poetical burst of feeling with which he ad- 

 dresses his client Plancius, 9 and his picture of the desolate condition 

 of the Vestal Fonteia, should her brother be condemned. 10 At other 

 times, his peroration contains more heroic and elevated sentiments ; as 

 in his invocation of the Alban groves and altars in the 'peroration of 

 the ' Pro Milone,' the panegyric on patriotism, and the love of glory 

 in his defence of Sextius, and that on liberty at the close of the third 

 and tenth Philippics. But we cannot describe his oratorical merits 

 more accurately than by extracting his own delineation of a perfect 

 orator : " Sic igitur dicet ille, quern expetimus, ut verset sa?pe multis 

 modis eandem et unam rem ; et hagreat in eadem, commoreturque seu- 

 tentia : ssepe etiam ut extenuet aliquid, saepe ut irrideat : ut declinet "a 



1 Pro Mursen. 14. 2 De Orat. partit. c. viii. 16, 17. 



3 Pro Rabir. 5. 4 In Verr. v. 65, &c., and 64, &c. 



5 Philipp. iii. 4. In Verr. v. 10. 



7 Pro Kedit. in Senat.; pro Dom.; pro Sext. Philipp. 



8 Pro Sext. 8-10. 9 Pro Plane. 10 Pro Fonteio. 



