ZUR RECHTFERTIGUNG DER BR1EFE DES CICERO AN BRUTUS. 



221 



nur verhaltnissmassig geringe Zelt zu thun haben werden. 



Namentlirh besleht 



Alles, was Tunstali gegen den sec hz elm ten aufzubringen vermoclit 

 hat 18+ ), darin, dass Brutus nur einen kleinen Theil des von Cicero an Octa- 



i 



vian geschriebnen Briefs durch Atlicus erhalten liaben wolle, und dass zu 



solchcn Bitten, wie sie Cicero hieroach an Octavian gericlitet haben solle, 

 vor dessen Vereinigung mit Lepidus kein Anlass geweseii sey; und von diesen 

 Einwiirfen selbst beruht der erstere wieder nur auf der ganz willkurlichen 

 Unte rstellung, dass auch der iibrige Theil jenes Briefs an Octavian habe Dinge 

 enthalten miissen, bei welchen Brutus interessirt gewesen ware 185 ), der an- 

 dere aber auf dera handgreiflichen Missverstandnisse, als ob jene Fiirbitte sich 

 auf die Bache bezogen hatte, welche allerdings Octavian erst Spates den Ver- 

 schworenen zu drohen anfing 186 ) ? und nicht viehnehr auf die politische Aus- 



judgment and attention ; und Markland p. 20 : for tho 7 there are some ob- 

 jections to the language of it, and more to the matter and the contents, 

 jet I think it comes nearer to the style and manner of the age of the declai- 

 mers, which succeded that of Cicero, than any other of them, tho 9 in 

 reality the mistakes are such as could ^scarce have been made by one of 

 this age; for as to Brutus's other famous epistle, there are so many 

 and so strong objections to it, that I think it must needs be the perfor- 

 mance of one who had but a very moderate knowledge of the Latin ton- 

 gue, and as small a share of sound judgement, tho* it must be confest^ 

 that the sentiments are great and generous and worthy of an antient 

 Roman; it seems to have been the essay of some lively, high-spirited, 

 ingenious young man I 



184) Observ. p. 171: in which because J observed nothing contrary to the true 



history, here being hardly any thing historical in it ... . lei us now see, 

 whether objections may be found partly from its want of history , partly 



from that little matter of history which it has etc. 



men 



to 



f> 



one another parts of 



mo 



of these three great 

 letters , which were 



186) Das. p. 173: this time I acknowledge to be precisely adapted to the matter 



>/ 



Octavius having 



ifficiently ft 



when he laid claim to the consulship, the first measures of 



were 



