Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/49

 CICERO. 41 Cicero ? " This for the time utterly mortified and cast him down, to perceive that the report of his actions had sunl: into the city of Rome as into an immense ocean, without any visible effect or result in reputation. And afterwards considering with himself that the glory he contended for was an infinite thing, and that there was no fixed end nor measure in its pursuit, he abated much of his ambitious thoughts. Nevertheless, he was always ex- cessively pleased with his own praise, and continued to the very last to be passionately fond of glory; which often interfered with the prosecution of his wisest resolu- tions. On beginning to apply himself more resolutely to pub- lic business, he remarked it as an unreasonable and absurd thing that artificers, using vessels and instruments inani- mate, should know the name, place, and use of every one of them, and yet the statesman, whose insti-uments for carrying out public measures are men, should be negli- gent and careless in the knowledge of persons. And so he not only acquainted himself with the names, but also knew the particular place where every one of the more eminent citizens dwelt, what lands he possessed, the friends he made use of, and those that were of his neigh- borhood, and when he travelled on any road in Italy, he could readily name and show the estates and seats of his friends and acquaintance. Having so small an estate, though a sufficient competency for his o^vn expenses, it was much wondered at that he took neither fees nor gifts from his clients, and more especially, that he did not do so when he undertook the prosecution of Verres. This Verres, who had been proetor of Sicily, and stood charged by the Sicilians of many evil practices during his govern- ment there, Cicero succeeded in getting condemned, not by speaking, but in a manner by holding his tongue. For