Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/67

 CICERO. 59 had gaved his country, and preserved the empire ; the truth of which oath all the people confirmed with theu-s. Caesar and the tribunes, all the more exasperated by this, endeavored to create him further trouble, and for this purpose proposed a law for caUuig Pompey home with his army, to put an end to Cicero's usurpation. But it was a very great advantage for Cicero and the whole commonwealth that Cato was at that time one of the tribunes. For he, being of equal power with the rest, and of greater reputation, could oppose their designs. He easily defeated their other projects, and, in an oration to the people, so highly extolled Cicero's consulate, that the greatest honors were decreed him, and he was publicly declared the Father of his Country, which title he seems to have obtained, the first man who did so, when Cato gave it him in this addx'ess to the people. At this time, therefore, his authority was very great in the city ; but he created himself much envy, and offended very many, not by any evU action, but because he was always lauding and magnifying himself For neither senate, nor assembly of the people, nor court of judica- ture could meet, in which he was not heard to talk of Catiline and Lentulus. Indeed, he also filled his books and writings with his owti praises, to such an excess as to render a style, in itself most pleasant and delightful, nau- seous and irksome to his hearers ; this ungrateful humor, like a disease, always cleaving to him. Nevertheless, though he was intemperately fond of his own glory, he was very free from envying others, and was, on the con- trary, most liberally profuse in commending both the ancients and his contemporaries, as any one may see in his writings. And many such sayings of his are also remembered ; as that he called Aristotle a river of flow- ing gold, and said of Plato's Dialogues, that if Jupiter were to speak, it would be in language like theirs. He