of the loftiest and
most irreproachable character. I cannot speak of him save with the
deepest respect. Ask him, Maximus, what was the purchase which he
authorized, and what was the trifling sum for which this wealthy lady
bought her little estate. (_Cassius Longinus and Corvinus Celer give
evidence._)

Is it as I said? Is my name ever mentioned in the deed of sale? Is the
price paid for this trifling property such as should excite any
prejudice against me, or did my wife give me even so much as this
small gift?

102. What is there left, Aemilianus, that in your opinion I have
failed to refute? What had I to gain by my magic that should lead me
to attempt to win Pudentilla by love-philtres? What had I to gain from
her? A small dowry instead of a large one? Truly my incantations were
miraculous. That she should refund her dowry to her sons rather than
leave it in my possession? What magic can surpass this? That she
should at my exhortation present the bulk of her property to her sons
and leave me nothing, although before her marriage with myself she had
shown them no special generosity? What a criminal use of
love-philtres! or perhaps I had better call it a generous action which
has not received its deserts! By her will, which she drew up in a fit
of violent irritation against her son, she leaves as her heir that
same son with whom she had quarrelled, rather than myself to whom she
was devoted! For all my incantations it was only with difficulty that
I persuaded her to this. Suppose that you were pleading your case, not
before Claudius Maximus, a man of the utmost fairness and unswerving
justice, but before a judge of depraved morals and of ferocious
temper, one in fact who naturally inclined to the side of the accuser
and was only too ready to condemn the accused! Give him some hint to
follow! Give him even the slightest reasonable opportunity for
declaring in your favour! At least invent something, devise some
suitable reply to questions such as have been put to you. Nay, since
every action must necessarily have some motive, answer me this, you
who say that Apuleius tried to influence Pudentilla's heart by magical
charms, answer me this! What did he seek to get from her by so doing?
Was he in love with her beauty? You say not! Did he covet her wealth?
The evidence of the marriage settlement denies it, the evidence of the
deed of gift denies it, the evidence of the will denies it! It shows
not only that I did not co