tone as to make it seem a defamatory
statement.' With what justice this protest or words to that effect
might have been uttered the actual order of the letter will show.

83. Now, Aemilianus, try to remember whether the following were not
the words of which, together with myself, you took a copy in the
presence of witnesses, 'For since I desired to marry for the reasons
of which I told you, you persuaded me to choose Apuleius in preference
to all others, since you had a great admiration for him and were eager
through me to become yet more intimate with him. But now that certain
ill-natured persons have brought accusations against us and attempt to
dissuade you, Apuleius has suddenly become a magician and has
bewitched me to love him. Come to me, then, while I am still in my
senses.'

I ask you, Maximus, if letters--some of which are actually called
vocal[24]--could find a voice, if words, as poets say, could take them
wings and fly, would they not, when Rufinus first made disingenuous
excerpts from that letter, read but a few lines and deliberately said
nothing of much that bore a more favourable meaning, would not the
remaining letters have cried out that they were unjustly kept out of
sight? Would not the words suppressed by Rufinus have flown from his
hands and filled the whole market-place with tumult, crying that they
too had been sent by Pudentilla, they too had been entrusted with
something to say, and calling upon men to listen to _them_ instead of
giving ear to a dishonest villain who was attempting to prove a lie by
means of another's letter? for Pudentilla had never accused Apuleius
of magic, while Rufinus' accusation was tantamount to an acquittal.
All these things were not said then, but now, when they are of more
effectual service to me, their truth appears clearer than day.
Rufinus, your cunning stands revealed, your fraud stares us in the
face, your lies are laid bare; truth dethroned for a while rises once
more and slander sinks[25] downward to the bottomless pit.

[Footnote 24: i.e. vowels.]

[Footnote 25: _se ecfert--calumnia se mergit_ (Salmasius).]

84. You challenged me with Pudentilla's letter: with that letter I win
the day. If you like to hear the conclusion, I will not grudge it
you. Tell me, what were the words with which she ended the letter,
that poor bewitched, lunatic, insane, infatuated lady? 'I am not
bewitched, I am not in love; it is my destiny.'[26] Would you have
anything more