enumerated a few moments since. This is the way in which he wishes to
execute all your decrees.

[-24-] "Has he then shown himself such a character only in these affairs,
while managing the rest rightly? In what instance? On what motive? He was
ordered to search for and declare the public money left behind by Caesar,
and did he not seize it, paying some of it to his creditors and spending
some on high living so that he no longer has even any of this left? You
hated the name of dictator on account of Caesar's sovereignty and rejected
it entirely from the constitution: but is it not true that Antony, though
he has avoided adopting it (as if the name in itself could do any harm),
has exhibited the behavior belonging to it and the greed for gain, under
the title of consulship? You assigned to him the duty of promoting
harmony, and has he not on his own responsibility begun this great war,
neither necessary nor sanctioned, against Caesar and Decimus, whom you
approve? Innumerable cases might be mentioned, if one wished to go into
details, in which you entrusted business to him to manage as consul, and
he has not conducted a single bit of it as the circumstances demanded,
but has done quite the opposite, using against you the authority that you
imparted. Now will you assume to yourself also these errors that he has
committed and say that you yourselves are responsible for all that has
happened, because you assigned to him the management and investigation of
the matters in question? It is ridiculous. If some general or envoy that
had been chosen should fail in every way to do his duty, you who sent him
would not incur the blame for this. It would be a sorry state of things,
if all who are elected to perform some work should themselves receive the
advantages and the honors, but lay upon you the complaints and the blame.
[-25-] Accordingly, there is no sense in paying any heed to him when he
says: 'It was you who permitted me to govern Gaul, you ordered me to
administer the public finances, you gave me the legions from Macedonia.'