same time, that
Atticus would not have been patient had not Cicero been affectionate and
true. The Consuls for the new year were Lentulus and Metellus Nepos. The
former was Cicero's declared friend, and the other had already abandoned
his enmity. Clodius was no longer Tribune, and Pompey had been brought
to yield. The Senate were all but unanimous. But there was still life in
Clodius and his party; and day dragged itself after day, and month after
month, while Cicero still lingered at Dyrrachium, waiting till a bill
should have been passed by the people. Pompey, who was never
whole-hearted in anything, had declared that a bill voted by the people
would be necessary. The bill at last was voted, on the 14th of August,
and Cicero, who knew well what was being done at Rome, passed over from
Dyrrachium to Brundisium on the same day, having been a year and four
months absent from Rome. During the year B.C. 57, up to the time of his
return, he wrote but three letters that have come to us--two very short
notes to Atticus, in the first of which he declares that he will come
over on the authority of a decree of the Senate, without waiting for a
law. In the second he falls again into despair, declaring that
everything is over. In the third he asks Metellus for his aid, telling
the Consul that unless it be given soon the man for whom it is asked
will no longer be living to receive it. Metellus did give the aid very
cordially.

It has been remarked that Cicero did nothing for literature during his
banishment, either by writing essays or preparing speeches; and it has
been implied that the prostration of mind arising from his misfortunes
must have been indeed complete, when a man whose general life was made
marvellous by its fecundity had been repressed into silence. It should,
however, be borne in mind that there could be no inducement for the
writing of speeches when there was no opportunity of delivering them. As
to his essays, including what we call his Philosophy and his Rhetoric,
they who are familiar with his works will remember how apt he was, in
all that he produced, to refer to the writings of others. He translates
and he quotes, and he makes constant use of the arguments and
illustrations of those who have gone before him. He was a man who rarely
worked without the use of a library. When I think how impossible it
would be for me to repeat this oft-told tale of Cicero's life without a
crowd of books within reach of my hand,