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 416 CATO THE YOUNGER. magistracies. For there is no virtue, the honor and credit for which procures a man more odium than that of jus- tice ; and this, because more than any other, it acquires a man power and authority among the common people. For they only honor the valiant and admire the wise, while in addition they also love just men, and put entire trust and confidence in them. They fear the bold man, and mistrust the clever man, and moreover think them rather beholding to their natural complexion, than to any goodness of their will, for these excellences ; they look upon valor as a certain natural strength of the mind, and wisdom as a constitutional acuteness ; whereas a man has it in his power to be just, if he have but the will to be so, and therefore injustice is thought the most dishonor- able, because it is least excusable. Cato upon this account was opposed by all the great men, who thought themselves reproved by his virtue. Pompey especially looked upon the increase of Cato's credit, as the ruin of his own power, and therefore con- tinually set up men to rail against him. Among these was the seditious Clodius, now again united to Pompey ; who declared openly, that Cato had conveyed away a great deal of the treasure that was found in Cyprus ; and that he hated Pompey, only because he refused to marry his daughter. Cato answered, that although they had allowed him neither horse nor man, he had brought more treasure from Cyprus alone, than Pompey had, after so many wars and triumphs, from the ransacked world ; that he never sought the alliance of Pompey ; not that he thought him unworthy of being related to him, but because he differed so much from him, in things that con- cerned the commonwealth. " For," said he, " I laid down the province that was given me, when I went out of my prcetorship ; Pompey, on the contrary, retains many prov- inces for himself, and he bestows many on others ; and