and his neighbors,
and when he traveled on any road in Italy, he could readily name
and show the estates and seats of his acquaintances. Having a small
competency for his own expenses, it was much wondered at that he took
neither fees nor gifts from his clients, and especially, that he did not
do so when he undertook the prosecution of Verres. This Verres, who had
been praetor of Sicily, and stood charged by the Sicilians with many
evil practices during his government there, Cicero succeeded in getting
condemned, not by speaking, but, as it were, by holding his tongue.
For the praetors, favoring Verres, had deferred the trial by several
adjournments to the last day, in which it was evident there could not be
sufficient time for the advocates to be heard, and the cause brought to
an issue. Cicero, therefore, came forward, and said there was no need of
speeches; and after producing and examining witnesses, he required the
judges to proceed to sentence. Many witty sayings are on record, as
having been used by Cicero on the occasion. When a man named Caecilius,
one of the freed slaves, who was said to be given to Jewish practices,
would have put by the Sicilians, and undertaken the prosecution of
Verres himself, Cicero asked, "What has a Jew to do with swine?" verres
being the Roman word for a boar. And when Verres began to reproach
Cicero with effeminate living, "You ought," replied he, "to use this
language at home, to your sons;" Verres having a son who had fallen
into disgraceful courses. Hortensius, the orator, not daring directly to
undertake the defence of Verres, was yet persuaded to appear for him at
the laying on of the fine, and received an ivory sphinx for his reward;
and when Cicero, in some passage of his speech, obliquely reflected
on him, and Hortensius told him he was not skilful in solving riddles,
"No," said Cicero, "and yet you have the Sphinx in your house!"

Verres was thus convicted; though Cicero, who set the fine at
seventy-five myriads, lay under the suspicion of being corrupted by
bribery to lessen the sum. But the Sicilians, in testimony of their
gratitude, came and brought him all sorts of presents from the island,
when he was aedile; of which he made no private profit himself, but used
their generosity only to reduce the public price of provisions.

He had a very pleasant seat at Arpi, he had also a farm near Naples, and
another near Pompeii, but none were of any great value. The portion of
hi