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once loyal to Pompey and in the best interests of both alike. My other predictions I pass over; for I would not have Cæsar think that I gave Pompey advice, by which, if he had followed it, Cæsar himself would have now been a man of illustrious character in the state indeed, and the first man in it, but yet not in possession of the great power he now wields. I gave it as my opinion that he should go to Spain;^[1] and if he had done so, there would have been no civil war at all. That Cæsar should be allowed to stand for the consulship in his absence I did not so much contend to be constitutional, as that, since the law had been passed by the people at the instance of Pompey himself when consul, it should be done. The pretext for hostilities was given. What advice or remonstrance did I omit, when urging that any peace, even the most inequitable, should be preferred to the most righteous war? My advice was overruled, not so much by Pompey—for he was affected by it—as by those who, relying on him as a military leader, thought that a victory in that war would be highly conducive to their private interests and personal ambitions. The war was begun without my taking any active part in it; it was forcibly removed from Italy, while I remained there as long as I could. But honour had greater weight with me than

↑ It seems almost impossible that Cicero should ever have given this advice. Whilst in Cilicia, indeed—when, as we have seen, he got rather behindhand in his knowledge of the inner nature of things—he was strong for Pompey not going to Spain (vol. ii., pp. 30, 73). On his return he had an interview with Pompey on the 10th of December (vol. ii., p. 223), in which he certainly made no such suggestion. As the days of December went on, and the fatal days of January approached, he all along supposes Pompey's presence in the senate, and himself to be supporting him (vol. ii., pp. 226, 229). Nor in a second interview with Pompey, on the 25th of December, does his account admit of the idea of his having expressed such an opinion (vol. ii., p. 230); in fact, though Pompey apparently did mention it, Cicero thought it the worst of all the alternatives (vol. ii., p. 232). After about January 7th, he saw Pompey no more till he joined him in Epirus, when such a suggestion could not have been made. He was cognizant, however, of the proposals of Cæsar—sent through Lucius Cæsar—one of which was that Pompey should go to Spain, though he characterized them as "utterly absurd" (vol. ii., p. 249); still they were accepted—on condition of Cæsar withdrawing from Italy—about the 25th of January, and Cicero may then have expressed this opinion, but so did others, only with this impossible condition (vol. ii., pp. 253-254).

[1] It seems almost impossible that Cicero should ever have given this advice. Whilst in Cilicia, indeed—when, as we have seen, he got rather behindhand in his knowledge of the inner nature of things—he was strong for Pompey not going to Spain (vol. ii., pp. 30, 73). On his return he had an interview with Pompey on the 10th of December (vol. ii., p. 223), in which he certainly made no such suggestion. As the days of December went on, and the fatal days of January approached, he all along supposes Pompey's presence in the senate, and himself to be supporting him (vol. ii., pp. 226, 229). Nor in a second interview with Pompey, on the 25th of December, does his account admit of the idea of his having expressed such an opinion (vol. ii., p. 230); in fact, though Pompey apparently did mention it, Cicero thought it the worst of all the alternatives (vol. ii., p. 232). After about January 7th, he saw Pompey no more till he joined him in Epirus, when such a suggestion could not have been made. He was cognizant, however, of the proposals of Cæsar—sent through Lucius Cæsar—one of which was that Pompey should go to Spain, though he characterized them as "utterly absurd" (vol. ii., p. 249); still they were accepted—on condition of Cæsar withdrawing from Italy—about the 25th of January, and Cicero may then have expressed this opinion, but so did others, only with this impossible condition (vol. ii., pp. 253-254).

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