- M
rsE. Handy. - Whittlesey Elisha
- His Son
- Spencer Ambrose
- Gregory of Albany
Went out upon my walk soon after four, and returned to see the Sun rise—
Mrs Handy
came to ask a loan of money for her
husband, which I necessarily declined. Mr
Whittlesey introduced his Son,
a young man who is about to commence business, and is going to New-York
to purchase a Stock of goods— Judge
Spencer in the Evening introduced Mr Gregory of Albany, as an old
revolutionary Officer and a neighbour of Mr Sanford the Senator,
of whose politics and family they spoke freely— Sanford married for his
third wife Mary Buchanan, who
they say is very much respected in Albany— Sanford was a friend of the
late Administration; and personally friendly to me, till he found it
prudent to desert me; and then he silently ratted— His neighbours
understand his character well; and I told them he would never be a
martyr for any thing. At present his vote in the Senate counts one for
Martin Van Buren, and a
cypher for every thing else. The 9th. Book
of the familiar Epistles contains 8 Letters to Marcus Tenentius Varro, 5 to Dolabella, and 1 from him to
Cicero, and 12 to Lucius Papirius Paetus— The Letters
to Varro are all expositions of the reasons for the course of Life which
Cicero pursued, during the civil Wars, after the Battle of Pharsalia— It
was that of submission to the power of Caesar—retirement into the Country; and devotion of all
his time to Literature and philosophy— The 6th Letter is the most particular and impressive— It is one
thing says Cicero, to endure what we cannot help, and another to approve
what should be blamed— The extremest of all evils is the victory of a
civil War— We live in a convulsed Republic—who can deny it? but let
those look to that who have no resources provided for every condition of
life— But if our Country cannot or will not command our services, who
shall deny us the privilege of resorting to that course of life which
many learned men, perhaps not correctly, but yet many have thought
preferable even to the public service— In the next Letter he says he
makes it a frequent practice to sup with the persons most in power— And
with the next he sends to Varro his four Books of Academic Questions—
The Letter from Dolabella is an earnest intreaty to Cicero, either to
take the part of Caesar in the civil War; or else to take no part in it,
and to withdraw to Athens, or some 418other place of
retirement, till the War is over— The Letters to Dolabella are written
at some distance of time from each other— One immediately after the
death of Tullia—the last, after the
Death of Caesar— Dolabella being Consul—whom he extols to the skies for
destroying an Altar, erected to Caesar— The Letters to Paetus are
remarkable for a vein of pleasantry running through them all— Paetus was
himself a joker— And Cicero says that the old Romans had more Attic Salt
than the Athenians themselves. And as for himself Ego autem mirifice
capior facetiis— In the same Letter replying to one in which Paetus had
urged him to resume his share in the transaction of public affairs, he
says—you talk of Catulus and
those times—but how different! Then, I was seated upon deck, and held
the helm—now there is scarcely room in the hold. Do you think there
would be one Senatus consultum the less, if I were at Naples? Even when
I am at Rome, and walk the forum, the decrees of the Senate are all
written at the house of my friend your admirer— And when it comes in to
his head, my name is used for writing them: and I hear of a Senatus
consultum, proclaimed in Armenia or Syria, said to have passed upon my
Motion, when I had never heard a word of it before— Do not think I am
joking. But be assured I have received Letters from remote kings,
thanking me for their royal titles confirmed upon them at my
proposition, when so far from calling them kings: I knew not so much as
their existence— There were distributions of Lands made to the Soldiers
of Caesar— Paetus was fearful that his Lands would be taken for that
purpose, and wrote to enquire of Cicero, if there was danger— The answer
is not positive— He refers Paetus to his friend Balbus, much better acquainted with
Caesar’s intentions than he, and who he says, drunk or sober, will tell
him— Arms will always give the Law— And if Caesar himself wished a
Republic as it ought to be, he could not make it, entangled as he is
with so many associates.— Therefore my friend apply your heart to
wisdom; pray for the best—expect the worst and be prepared for whatever
may happen.— In the next Letter he tells Paetus that like Dionysius of Syracuse he has opened a
school at th. he gives
an account of his daily course of life— In the 21st. observations upon the epistolary Style— In the 22d. a dissertation upon decency of language—
In the 24th. written after the death of
Caesar, he says he devotes his Nights and days to the service and
Salvation of the Republic. The 25th. and
26th. Letters appear to be of an earlier
date.