his, and confirmed in his resolution also by the kindness of those who
pardon him, to avoid all such conduct in future. And besides this, he
may hold out a hope that he will hereafter be able, in some respect or
other, to be of great use to those who pardon him now; he will find it
serviceable to point out that he is either related to the judges,
or that he has been as far back as possible an hereditary friend
of theirs; and to express to them the earnestness of his good-will
towards them, and the nobility of the blood and dignity of those
men who are anxious for his safety. And all other qualities and
circumstances which, when attributable to persons, confer honour and
dignity on them, he, using no complaint, and avoiding all arrogance,
will point out as existing in himself, so that he may appear to
deserve some honour rather than any kind of punishment; and after that
it will be wise of him to mention other men who have been pardoned for
greater offences.

And he will do himself a great deal of good if he shows that he
himself, when in power, was merciful and inclined to pardon others.
And the offence of which he is now accused must be extenuated and
made to appear as trifling as possible; and it must be shown to be
discreditable, or at all events inexpedient, to punish such a man as
he is. After that it will be advisable to seek to move pity by use of
common topics, according to those rules which have been laid down in
the first book.

XXXVI. But the adversary will exaggerate the offences; he will say
that nothing was done ignorantly, but that everything was the result
of deliberate wickedness and cruelty. He will show that the accused
person has been pitiless, arrogant, and (if he possibly can) at all
times disaffected, and that he cannot by any possibility be rendered
friendly. If he mentions any services done by him, he will prove that
they were done for some private object, and not out of any good will;
or else he will prove that he has conceived hatred since or else that
all those services have been effaced by his frequent offences, or else
that his services are of less importance than his injuries, or that,
as he has already received adequate honours for his services, he ought
also to have punishment inflicted on him for the injuries which he has
committed. In the next place, he will urge that it is discreditable or
pernicious that he should be pardoned. And besides that, it will be
the very extremity of foll