effected with extreme rapidity,
the copy originally sent to Atticus had in the meantime been repeatedly
transcribed; hence both editions passed into circulation, and a part of
each has been preserved. One section, containing twelve chapters, is a
short fragment of the second or Varronian edition. The other, containing
forty-nine chapters, is the entire second book of the first edition; to
which is prefixed the new introduction, together with the proper title of
Lucullus. The scene of the _Catulus_ was the villa of that statesman, at
Cumae; while the _Lucullus_ is supposed to have been held at the mansion of
Hortensius, near Bauli.

"The object proposed was to give an account of the rise and progress of
the Academic Philosophy, to point out the various modifications introduced
by successive professors, and to demonstrate the superiority of the
principles of the New Academy, as taught by Philo, over those of the old,
as advocated by Antiochus."

FIRST BOOK OF THE ACADEMIC QUESTIONS.

I. When a short time ago my friend Atticus(2) was with me at my villa in
the district of Cumae, news was sent us by Marcus(3) Varro, that he had
arrived in Rome the day before in the evening, and that if he had not
found himself too tired after his journey he should have proceeded at once
to see us. But when we heard this, we thought that we ought not to suffer
anything to delay our seeing a man so intimately connected with us by an
identity of studies, and by a very long standing intimacy and friendship.
And so we set out at once to go to see him; and when we were no great
distance from his villa we saw him coming towards us; and when we had
embraced him, as the manner of friends is, after some time we accompanied
him back to his villa. And as I was asking a few questions, and inquiring
what was the news at Rome, Never mind those things, said Atticus, which we
can neither inquire about nor hear of without vexation, but ask him rather
whether he has written anything new; for the muse of Varro has been silent
much longer than usual; though I rather suppose he is suppressing for a
time what he has written, than that he has been really idle. You are quite
wrong, said he; for I think it very foolish conduct in a man to write what
he wishes to have concealed. But I have a great work on hand; for I have
been a long time preparing a treatise which I have dedicated to my friend
here, (he meant me,) which is of great importance, and is bein