merely because you have granted him some privileges, allow him to usurp
what was not granted him; and do not think that just as you have conceded
some points he ought similarly to be permitted to do what has not been
conceded. Quite the reverse: you should for this very reason both hate
and punish him, because he has dared not only in this case but in all
other cases to use the honor and kindness that you bestowed against you.
Look at the matter. Through my influence you voted that there should be
peace and harmony between individuals. This man was ordered to manage the
business, and conducted it in such a way (taking Caesar's funeral as a
pretext) that almost the whole city was burned down and great numbers
were once more slaughtered. You ratified all the grants made to various
persons and all the laws laid down by Caesar, not because they were
all excellent--far from it! ,--but because our mutual and unsuspecting
association, quite free from any disguise, was not furthered by changing
any one of those enactments. This man, appointed to examine into them,
has abolished many of his acts and has substituted many others in the
documents. He has taken away lands and citizenship and exemption from
taxes and many other honors from the possessors,--private individuals,
kings, and cities,--and has given them to men who had not received any,
altering the memoranda of Caesar; from those who were unwilling to give
up anything to his grasp he took away even what had been given them,
and sold this and everything else to such as wished to buy. Yet you,
foreseeing this very possibility, had voted that no tablet should be set
up after Caesar's death which might contain any article given by him to
any person. Notwithstanding, it happened many times after that. He also
said it was necessary for some provisions found in Caesar's papers to be
specially noted and put into effect. You then assigned to him, in company
with the foremost men, the task of making these excerpts; but he, paying
no attention to his colleagues, carried out everything alone according to
his wishes, in regard to the laws, the exiles, and other points which I