uld reach him; but action lent a pleasantness and a
grace to it all. It is sweet to fight with the hope of victory. But now,
when young Caesar had marched into Rome with his legions, and was
doubtless prepared to join himself to Antony, there was no longer
anything for Cicero to do in this world.

It is said, but not as I think on good authority, that Cicero went out
to meet Caesar--and if to meet him, then also to congratulate him. Appian
tells us that in the Senate Cicero hastened to congratulate Caesar,
assuring him how anxious he had been to secure the Consulship for him,
and how active. Caesar smiled, and said that Cicero had perhaps been a
little late in his friendship.[232] Dio Cassius only remarks that Caesar
was created Consul by the people in the regular way, two Consuls having
been chosen; and adds that the matter was one of great glory to Caesar,
seeing that he had obtained the Consulship at an unusually early
age.[233] But, as I have said above, their testimony for many reasons is
to be doubted. Each wrote in the interest of the Caesars, and, in dealing
with the period before the Empire, seems only to have been anxious to
make out some connected story which should suit the Emperor's views.
Young Caesar left Rome still with the avowed purpose of proceeding
against Antony as against one declared by the Senate to be an enemy; but
the purpose was only avowed. Messengers followed him on the road,
informing him that the ban had been removed, and he was then at liberty
to meet his friend on friendly terms. Antony had sent word to him that
it was not so much his duty as young Caesar's to avenge the death of his
uncle, and that unless he would assist him, he, Antony, would take his
legions and join Brutus and Cassius.[234] I prefer to believe with Mr.
Forsyth that Cicero had retired with his brother Quintus to one of his
villas. Plutarch tells us that he went to his Tusculan retreat, and that
on receiving news of the proscriptions he determined to remove to
Astura, on the sea-side, in order that he might be ready to escape into
Macedonia. Octavian, in the mean time, having caused a law to be passed
by Pedius condemning all the conspirators to death, went northward to
meet Antony and Lepidus at Bononia, the Bologna of to-day. Here it was
necessary that the terms of the compact should be settled by which the
spoils of the world should be divided among them; and here they met,
these three men, on a small river island, r