d that neither had he recommended that they should be
put to death, but that they should be imprisoned; for to a Roman this
was the extreme of punishment.

XXIII. Such had been the change, and all the Senators in a body had
gone over to the milder and more humane proposal, when Cato rising to
deliver his opinion, commenced his speech in anger and passion,
abusing Silanus for changing his mind, and attacking Caesar, whom he
charged with a design to overturn the State under a popular guise and
pretext of humanity, and with making the Senate alarmed at things at
which he himself ought to be alarmed, and therewith well content, if
he escaped unharmed on account of what had passed and without
suspicion, when he was so openly and audaciously endeavouring to
rescue the common enemies of all, and admitting that he had no pity
for the state, such and so great though it was, and though it had so
narrowly escaped destruction, but was shedding tears and lamenting
because those who ought never to have existed or been born would by
their death release the state from great bloodshed and danger. They
say that this is the only speech of Cato which is preserved, and that
it was owing to Cicero the consul, who had previously instructed
those clerks who surpassed the rest in quick writing in the use of
certain signs which comprehended in their small and brief marks the
force of many characters and had placed them in different parts of the
Senate house. For the Romans at this time were not used to employ nor
did they possess what are called note-writers,[689] but it was on this
occasion, as they say, that they were first established in a certain
form. However, Cato prevailed and changed the opinion of the Senate,
who condemned the men to death.

XXIV. Now as we perhaps ought not to omit even the slight tokens of
character when we are delineating as it were a likeness of the soul,
it is reported that on this occasion when Caesar was making much
exertion and a great struggle against Cato, and the attention of the
Senate was fixed on both of them, a small letter was brought in for
Caesar from the outside. Cato attempted to fix suspicion on this
matter, and alleged that some of the senators were disturbed at it and
he bade him read the writing, on which Caesar handed the letter to Cato
who was standing near him. Cato read the letter, which was an amatory
epistle addressed to Caesar by his sister Servilia[690] who was
enamoured of Caesar and h