to marry a man, or a widow to wed a
bachelor some years her junior. There are more charges equally
frivolous. 'Apuleius,' he persists, 'keeps a mysterious object in his
house which he worships with veneration.' Surely it would be a worse
offence to have nothing to worship at all. 'A boy fell to the ground
in Apuleius' presence.' What if a young man or even an old man had
fallen in my presence through a sudden stroke of disease or merely
owing to the slipperiness of the ground? Do you really think to prove
your charge of magic by such arguments as these; the fall of a
wretched boy, my marriage to my wife, my purchases of fish?

[Footnote 9: _et simplicia_, vulgo.]

28. I should run but small risk if I were to content myself with what
I have already said and begin my peroration. But since as a result of
the length at which my accusers spoke, the water-clock still allows me
plenty of time, let us, if there is no objection, consider the charges
in detail. I will deny none of them, be they true or false. I will
assume their truth, that this great crowd, which has gathered from all
directions to hear this case, may clearly understand not only that no
true incrimination can be brought against philosophers, but that not
even any false charge can be fabricated against them, which--such is
their confidence in their innocence--they will not be prepared to
admit and to defend, even though it be in their power to deny it. I
will therefore begin by refuting their arguments, and will prove that
they have nothing to do with magic. Next I will show that even on the
assumption of my being the most consummate magician, I have never
given cause or occasion for conviction of any evil practice. I will
also deal with the lies with which they have endeavoured to arouse
hostility against me, with their misquotation and misinterpretation of
my wife's letters, and with my marriage with Pudentilla, whom, as I
will proceed to prove, I married for love and not for money. This
marriage of ours caused frightful annoyance and distress to
Aemilianus. Hence springs all the anger, frenzy, and raving madness
that he has shown in the conduct of this accusation. If I succeed in
making all these points abundantly clear and obvious, I shall then
appeal to you, Claudius Maximus, and to all here present to bear me
out, that the boy Sicinius Pudens, my step-son, through whom and with
whose consent his uncle now accuses me, was quite recently stolen from
my cha