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miseries of ruined states, ruined mainly, too, through the action of their own magistrates, it was impossible that, in the matter of that unnecessary expenditure, I should show no concern. And on your side, if tales of that sort about me were reported to you, you ought not to have believed them. If, on the other hand, this is the sort of thing which gives you pleasure—attributing to others the ideas that occur to yourself—you are introducing into the conversation of friends an element by no means generous. Why, if I had ever intended to disparage your reputation in the province, I should not have consulted your son-in-law, nor your freedman at Brundisium, nor your commander of engineers at Corcyra, as to the place where you wished me to meet you.

And that being so, you may well rid your style of speech (and you will have the support of very learned men who have written brilliant treatises on the Practice of Friendship) of all this kind of thing—"they argued so and so," "I, on the contrary, maintained so and so," "they stated so and so," "I contradicted them."

⁶ Do you suppose that I have never been told anything about you? Not even that, when you had expressed a wish that I should come to Laodicea, you yourself crossed the Taurus? That on the very days I was holding assizes at Apamea, Synnada, and Philomelium, you were holding them at Tarsus? I shall quote no more instances, lest I appear to imitate what I condemn in you. Thus much I will say, and I feel it; if you yourself feel what you declare that others are saying, you are seriously to blame; if on the other hand it is those others who say such things in your presence, you are still some-