within a few days after, was betrayed by his servants to those
who came to search for him, and slain, together with his young son. But
Cicero was carried to Astura, where, finding a vessel, he immediately
went on board of her, and sailed as far as Circaeum with a prosperous
gale; but when the pilots resolved immediately to set sail from there,
whether he feared the sea, or did not wholly lose faith in Caesar, he
went on shore, and passed by land a hundred furlongs, as if he was going
to Rome. But losing resolution and changing his mind, he again returned
to the sea, and there spent the night in fear and perplexity. Sometimes
he resolved to go into Caesar's house privately, and there kill himself
upon the altar of his household gods, to bring divine vengeance upon
him; but the fear of torture restrained him. And after passing through a
variety of confused and uncertain counsels, at last he let his servants
carry him by sea to Capitae, where he had a house, an agreeable place to
retire to in the heat of summer, when the Etesian winds are so pleasant.

There was at that place a chapel of Apollo, not far from the sea-side,
from which a flight of crows rose with a great noise, and made towards
Cicero's vessel as it rowed to land, and lighting on both sides of the
yard, some croaked, others pecked the ends of the ropes. This was looked
upon by all as an evil omen; and, therefore, Cicero went again ashore,
and entering his house, lay down upon his bed to compose himself at
rest. Many of the crows settled about the window, making a dismal
cawing; but one of them alighted upon the bed where Cicero lay covered
up, and with its bill, little by little pecked off the clothes from his
face. His servants, seeing this, blamed themselves that they should
stay to be spectators of their master's murder, and do nothing in his
defence, while the brute creatures came to assist and take care of him
in his undeserved affliction; and therefore, partly by entreaty, partly
by force, they took him up, and carried him in his litter toward the
sea-side.

But in the meantime the assassins had come with a band of
soldiers--Herennius, a centurion, and Popillius, a tribune, whom Cicero
had formerly defended when prosecuted for the murder of his father.
Finding the door shut, they broke them open, and when Cicero did not
appear and those within said they did not know where he was, it is
stated that a youth, who had been educated by Cicero in the liberal