- Ruggles Benjamin
- M’Creery
- Yarnall
- M’Kee
- Lincoln Heman
- Sharp. Rev
d - White Joseph M.
- Williams of Florida
Mr
Ruggles, Senator from Ohio, introduced three of his
friends. Mr
Yarnall had been here before. Mr Lincoln of Boston came
with Mr
Sharp, a Baptist Clergyman, and Mr Williams of Florida
accompanied Mr
White the Territorial delegate— Both houses of Congress
adjourned this day, to attend the funeral of Alexander Smyth, one of the members
of the House from Virginia— He died the day before yesterday, after a
short illness. I took a short walk about midday, and another at the dusk
of Evening. The 15th. book of the Epistles
ad diversos contains 21. Letters. The first and second are public
despatches from the Government of Cilicia, addressed to the Consuls,
Praetors, Tribunes of the People and Senate, and contain the narrative
of his military operations against the Parthians. They are succeeded by
431two Letters to Marcus Cato, the latter relating much more in detail his
warlike atchievements, and intreating Cato most earnestly to favour in
the Senate his claim for a decree of Supplications, equivalent to a
modern Te Deum. This was one of the usual accompaniments, or
preliminaries to a Triumph— Cato did not comply with this request; but
the Senate did decree the Supplications— Cato in his answer says that he
is glad the Senate did pass the decree though he could not vote for its
adoption— His reason for which, he tells him is, that he ascribes to
Cicero himself all the glory of his great actions; while the
Supplications would give a great part of the credit to the Gods— There
is more of complaisance than of ingenuousness in this apology, which in
our time would scarcely be deemed consistent with sentiments of true
piety— Cicero replies by thanking
him for his good opinion, and for his rejoicing at that which he could
approve— Adding that he proposes to demand the honours of a Triumph—on
which occasion he again prays Cato to favour him, or at least to rejoice
again if he should succeed— The breaking out of the Civil War
immediately after his return from Cilicia prevented him from obtaining
the Triumph— The Letters to Cato are followed by several to Marcus and
Caius Marcellus, then by
two to Lucius Paulus, acting and
designated Consul’s; then by six to Caius
Cassius, and finally two to Trebonius— There is a Letter to Trebonius in the 10th. book, and several to Cassius in the
12th. The separation from each other of
Letters to the same person shews the careless arrangement of them; and
the Chronological order is much disregarded— Cassius was an Epicurian,
and Cicero occasionally rallies him upon his philosophy. In the 18th. Letter, written in the midst of Caesar’s Spanish War he says after
apologizing for the shortness of his Letter— [“]It would be longer if I
had any gossiping news, for to touch upon any thing serious would be
dangerous— You will say, we can laugh— Faith not easily—but we have no
other consolation— Where then say you is Philosophy?— Your’s is in the
kitchen— Mine is troublesome; for I am ashamed of servitude. So to avoid
hearing the rebuke of Plato, I task
myself to something else.”— I have no better lesson but Christian
resignation.