ation
of prosperity to Asia. And since Asia was more fortunate in retaining
you than I was in my endeavour to bring you back, see that my regret is
softened by the exultation of the province. For if you have displayed
the very greatest activity in earning honours such as, I think, have
never been paid to anyone else, much greater ought your activity to be
in preserving these honours. What I for my part think of honours of that
kind I have told you in previous letters. I have always regarded them,
if given indiscriminately, as of little value, if paid from interested
motives, as worthless: if, however, as in this case, they are tributes
to solid services on your part, I hold you bound to take much pains in
preserving them. Since, then, you are exercising supreme power and
official authority in cities, in which you have before your eyes the
consecration and apotheosis of your virtues, in all decisions, decrees,
and official acts consider what you owe to those warm opinions
entertained of you, to those verdicts on your character, to those
honours which have been rendered you. And what you owe will be to
consult for the interests of all, to remedy men's misfortunes, to
provide for their safety, to resolve that you will be both called and
believed to be the "father of Asia."

XI. However, to such a resolution and deliberate policy on your part the
great obstacle are the _publicani_: for, if we oppose them, we shall
alienate from ourselves and from the Republic an order which has done us
most excellent service, and which has been brought into sympathy with
the Republic by our means; if, on the other hand, we comply with them in
every case, we shall allow the complete ruin of those whose interests,
to say nothing of their preservation, we are bound to consult. This is
the one difficulty, if we look the thing fairly in the face, in your
whole government. For disinterested conduct on one's own part, the
suppression of all inordinate desires, the keeping a check upon one's
staff, courtesy in hearing causes, in listening to and admitting
suitors--all this is rather a question of credit than of difficulty: for
it does not depend on any special exertion, but rather on a mental
resolve and inclination. But how much bitterness of feeling is caused to
allies by that question of the _publicani_ we have had reason to know in
the case of citizens who, when recently urging the removal of the
port-dues in Italy, did not complain so much of