answer to return Regulus; you ought not to be deceived by me. I
am waiting for Mauricus'7 return" (for he had not yet come back
out of exile), "so that I cannot give you any definite answer either
way, as I mean to be guided entirely by his decision, for he ought
to be my leader here, and I simply to do as he says." Well, a few
days after this, Regulus met me as I was at the praetor's; he kept
close to me there and begged a word in private, when he said he
was afraid I deeply resented an expression he had once made use
of in his reply to Satrius and myself, before the Court of the
Hundred, to this effect, "Satrius Rufus, who does not endeavour to
rival Cicero, and who is content with the eloquence of our own
day." I answered, now I perceived indeed, upon his own
confession, that he had meant it ill-naturedly; otherwise it might
have passed for a compliment. "For I am free to own," I said, "that
I do endeavour to rival Cicero, and am not content with the
eloquence of our own day. For I consider it the very height of folly
not to copy the best models of every kind. But, how happens it that
you, who have so good a recollection of what passed upon this
occasion, should have forgotten that other, when you asked me my
opinion of the loyalty of Modestus?" Pale as he always is, he
turned simply pallid at this, and stammered out, "I did not intend
to hurt you when I asked this question, but Modestus." Observe the
vindictive cruelty of the fellow, who made no concealment of his
willingness to injure a banished man. But the reason he alleged in
justification of his conduct is pleasant. Modestus, he explained, in
a letter of his, which was read to Domitian, had used the following
expression, "Regulus, the biggest rascal that walks upon two feet :"
and what Modestus had written was the simple truth, beyond all
manner of controversy. Here, about, our conversation came to an
end, for I did not wish to proceed further, being desirous to keep