being beyond punishment, strive always for the appearances of truth,
justice, and virtue? Why does it take the trouble? I consider that to
murder a brother, a mother, a wife, is a thing worthy of some petty
Asiatic king, not a Roman Cæsar; but if that position were mine, I
should not write justifying letters to the Senate. But Nero writes.
Nero is looking for appearances, for Nero is a coward. But Tiberius was
not a coward; still he justified every step he took. Why is this? What
a marvellous, involuntary homage paid to virtue by evil! And knowest
thou what strikes me? This, that it is done because transgression is
ugly and virtue is beautiful. Therefore a man of genuine æsthetic
feeling is also a virtuous man. Hence I am virtuous. To-day I must
pour out a little wine to the shades of Protagoras, Prodicus, and
Gorgias. It seems that sophists too can be of service. Listen, for I
am speaking yet. I took Lygia from Aulus to give her to thee. Well.
But Lysippus would have made wonderful groups of her and thee. Ye are
both beautiful; therefore my act is beautiful, and being beautiful it
cannot be bad. Marcus, here sitting before thee is virtue incarnate in
Caius Petronius! If Aristides were living, it would be his duty to come
to me and offer a hundred minæ for a short treatise on virtue."

But Vinicius, as a man more concerned with reality than with treatises
on virtue, replied,--"To-morrow I shall see Lygia, and then have her in
my house daily, always, and till death."

"Thou wilt have Lygia, and I shall have Aulus on my head. He will
summon the vengeance of all the infernal gods against me. And if the
beast would take at least a preliminary lesson in good declamation! He
will blame me, however, as my former doorkeeper blamed my clients but
him I sent to prison in the country."