s. Peace and ease, prosperity and protection, it would
be for the Rome of his dream to bestow upon the provinces. Law and
order, education and intelligence, it would be for her rulers to bestow
upon Rome. In desiring this, he was the one honest man among many. In
accordance with that theory he had lived, and I claim for him that he
had never departed from it. In his latter days, when the final struggle
came, when there had arisen for him the chance of Caesar's death, when
Antony was his chief enemy, when he found himself in Rome with authority
sufficient to control legions, when the young Caesar had not
shown--probably had not made--his plans, when Lepidus and Plancus and
Pollio might still prove themselves at last true men, he was once again
alive with his dream. There might yet be again a Scipio, or a Cicero as
good as Scipio, in the Republic; one who might have lived as gloriously,
and die--not amid the jealousies but with the love of his countrymen.

It was not to be. Looking back at it now, we wonder that he should have
dared to hope for it. But it is to the presence within gallant bosoms of
hope still springing, though almost forlorn, of hope which has in its
existence been marvellous, that the world is indebted for the most
beneficial enterprises. It was not given to Cicero to stem the tide and
to prevent the evil coming of the Caesars; but still the nature of the
life he had led, the dreams of a pure Republic, those aspirations after
liberty have not altogether perished. We have at any rate the record of
the great endeavors which he made.

Nothing can have been worse managed than the victory at Mutina. The two
Consuls were both killed; but that, it may be said, was the chance of
war. Antony with all his cavalry was allowed to escape eastward toward
the Cottian Alps. Decimus Brutus seems to have shown himself deficient
in all the qualities of a General, except that power of endurance which
can hold a town with little or no provision. He wrote to Cicero saying
that he would follow Antony. He makes a promise that Antony shall not
be allowed to remain in Italy. He beseeches Cicero to write to that
"windy fellow Lepidus," to prevent him from joining the enemy. Lepidus
will never do what is right unless made to do so by Cicero. As to
Plancus, Decimus has his doubts, but he thinks that Plancus will be true
to the Republic now that Antony is beaten.[224] In his next letter he
speaks of the great confusion which has come