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MARCUS BRUTUS. 327 But Hector, 3-011 To me are father and are mother too, My brother, and my loving husband true, Brutus, smiling, replied, " But I must not answer Porcia, as Hector did Andromache, ' Mind you your loom, and to your maids give law.' For though the natural weakness of her body hinders her from doing what only the strength of men can per- form, yet she has a mind as valiant and as active for the good of her country as the best of us." This narra- tive is in the memoirs of Brutus written by Bibulus, Porcia's son. Brutus took ship fi-om hence, and sailed to Athens where he was received by the people with great dem- onstrations of kindness, expressed in their acclamations and the honors that were decreed him. He lived there with a private friend, and was a constant auditor of The- omnestus the Academic and Cratippus the Peripatetic, Avith whom he so engaged in philosophical pursuits, that he seemed to have laid aside all thoughts of pubhc business, and to be wholly at leisure for study. But all this while, being imsuqaected, he was secretl}' making "preparation for war; in order to which he sent Herostratus into Macedonia to secure the commanders' there to his side, and he himself won over and kept at his disposal all the young Romans that were then students at Athens. Of this number was Cicero's son, whom he everywhere highly extols, and says that whether sleeping or waking he could not choose but admire a young man of so great a spirit and such a hater of tyranny. At length he began to act openly, and to appear in public business, and, being informed that there were sev- eral Roman ships full of treasure that in then- course from Asia were to come that way, and that they were