Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.4, 1865).djvu/431

 CATO THE YOUNGER. 423 Ariminum, and was marching with his army toward Rome, then all men, even Pompey, and the common people too, cast their eyes on Cato, who had alone foreseen and first clearly declared Caesar's intentions. He, therefore, told them, "If you had believed me, or regarded my advice, you would not now have been reduced to stand in fear of one man, or to put all your hopes in one alone." Pom- pey acknowledged, that Cato indeed had spoken most like a prophet, while he himself had acted too much like a friend. And Cato advised the senate to put all into the hands of Pompey ; " For those who can raise up great evils," said he, " can best allay them." Pompey, finding he had not sufficient forces, and that those he could raise, were not very resolute, forsook the city. Cato, resolving to follow Pompey into exile, sent his younger son to Munatius, who was then in the coun- try of Bruttiura, and took his eldest with him ; but want- ing somebody to keep his house and take care of his daughters, he took Marcia again, who was now a rich widow, Hortensius being dead, and having left her all his estate. Caasar afterward made use of this action also, to reproach him with covetousness, and a mercenary design in his marriage. " For," said he, " if he had need of a wife, why did he part with her ? And if he had not, why did he take her again ? Unless he gave her only as a bait to Hortensius ; and lent her when she was young, to have her again when she was rich." But in answer to this, we might fairly apply the saying of Euripides. To speak of mysteries — the chief of these Surely were cowardice in Hercules. For it is much the same thing to reproach Hercules for cowardice, and to accuse Cato of covetousness; though otherwise, whether he did altogether right in this mar-