And at this same moment I hear that notice has been given to the Sicilians by Hortensius to come to speak to him at his house; that the Sicilians behaved in that matter with a proper sense of their own liberty, and, when they understood on what account they were sent for, they would not go. In the meantime my comitia began to be held; of which that fellow thought himself the master, as he had been of all the other comitia this year. He began to run about, that influential man, with his son, a youth of engaging and popular manners, among the tribes. The son began to address and to call on all the friends of his father, that is to say, all his agents for bribery; and when this was noticed and perceived, the Roman people took care with the most earnest goodwill that I should not be deprived of my honour through the money of that man, whose riches had not been able to make me violate my good faith.
After that I was released from that great anxiety about my canvass, I began, with a
mind much more unoccupied and much more at ease, to think of nothing and to do
nothing except what related to this trial. I find, O judges, these plans formed and
begun to be put in execution by them, to protract the matter, whatever steps it
might be necessary to take in order to do so, so that the cause might be pleaded
before Marcus Metellus as praetor. That by doing so they would have these
advantages; firstly, that Marcus Metellus was most friendly to them; secondly, that
not only would Hortensius be consul, but Quintus Metellus also: and listen while I
show you how great a friend he is to them. For he gave him a token of his goodwill
of such a sort, that he seemed to be giving it as a return for the suffrages
Did you think that I would say nothing of such serious matters as these? and that,
at a crisis of such danger to the republic and my own character, I would consult
anything rather than my duty and my dignity? The other consul elect sent for the
Sicilians; some came, because Lucius Metellus was praetor in
I ask you, Metellus, what is corrupting the course of justice, if this is not,—to seek to frighten witnesses, and especially Sicilians, timid and oppressed men, not only by your own private influence, but by their fear of the consul, and by the power of two praetors? What would you do for an innocent man or for a relation, when for the sake of a most guilty man, entirely unconnected with you, you depart from your duty and your dignity, and allow what he is constantly saying to appear true to any one who is not acquainted with you?
For they said that Verres said, that you had not been made consul by destiny, as
the rest of your family had been, but by his assistance. Two consuls, therefore, and
the judge are to be such because of his will. We shall not only, says he, avoid
having a man too scrupulous in investigating, too subservient to the opinion of the
people, Marcus Glabrio, but we shall have this advantage also:—Marcus Caesonius is
the judge, the colleague of our accuser a man of tried and proved experience in the
decision of actions. It will never do for us to have such a man as that on the
bench, which we are endeavouring to corrupt by some means or other; for before, when
he was one of the Judges on the tribunal of which Junius
we shall not have Quintus Manlius and Quintus Cornificius, two most severe and upright judges, for judges, because they will then be tribunes of the people. Publius Sulpicius, a solemn and upright judge, must enter on his magistracy on the fifth of November. Marcus Crepereius, of that renowned equestrian family and of that incorruptible character; Lucius Cassius, of a family renowned for its severity in all things, and especially as judges; Cnaeus Tremellius, a man of the greatest scrupulousness and diligence;—these three men of ancient strictness of principle are all military tribunes elect. After the first of January they will not be able to act as judges. And besides this, we elect by lot a successor in the room of Marcus Metellus, since he is to preside over this very trial. And so after the first of January, the praetor, and almost the whole bench of judges being changed, we shall elude the terrible threats of the prosecutor, and the great expectations entertained of this trial, and manage it according to our own will and pleasure.
Today is the fifth of August. You began to assemble at the ninth hour. This day they do not even count. There are ten days between this and the votive games which Cnaeus Pompeius is going to celebrate. These games will take up fifteen days; then immediately the Roman games will follow. And so, when nearly forty days have intervened, then at length they think they shall have to answer what has been said by us; and they think that, what with speeches, and what with excuses, they will easily be able to protract the cause till the period of the games of Victory. With these the plebeian games are connected, after which there will be either no day at all, or very few for pleading in. And so, when the accusation has got stale and cold, the matter will come all fresh before Marcus Metellus as praetor. And if I had distrusted his good faith, I should not have retained him as a judge.
But now I have such an opinion of him, that I would rather this matter was brought
to a close while he is judge than while he is praetor; and I would rather entrust to
him his own tablet while he is on his oath, than the tablets of others when he is
restrained by no such obligation.