gods, the altars, the hearths and the sepulchres of our forefathers, we are defending our laws, our courts of justice, our freedom, our wives, our children, and our country.  On the other hand, Marcus Antonius labours and fights in order to throw into confusion and overturn all these things, and hopes to have reason to think the plunder of the republic sufficient cause for the war, while he squanders part of our fortunes, and distributes the rest among his parricidal followers.

While, then, the motives for war are so different, a most miserable circumstance is what that fellow promises to his band of robbers.  In the first place our houses, for he declares that he will divide the city among them, and after that he will lead them out at whatever gate and settle them on whatever lands they please.  All the Caphons,[40] all the Saxas, and the other plagues which attend Antonius, are marking out for themselves in their own minds most beautiful houses, and gardens, and villas, at Tusculum and Alba; and those clownish men—­if indeed they are men, and not rather brute beasts—­are borne on in their empty hopes as far as the waters and Puteoli.  So Antonius has something to promise to his followers.  What can we do?  Have we anything of the sort?  May the gods grant us a better fate! for our express object is to prevent any one at all from hereafter making similar promises.  I say this against my will, still I must say it;—­the auction sanctioned by Caesar, O conscript fathers, gives many wicked men both hope and audacity.  For they saw some men become suddenly rich from having been beggars.  Therefore, those men who are hanging over our property, and to whom Antonius promises everything, are always longing to see an auction.  What can we do?  What do we promise our soldiers?  Things much better and more honourable.  For promises to be earned by wicked actions are pernicious both to those who expect them, and to those who promise them.  We promise to our soldiers freedom, rights, laws, justice, the empire of the world, dignity, peace, tranquillity.  The promises then of Antonius are bloody, polluted, wicked, odious to gods and men, neither lasting nor salutary; ours, on the other hand, are honourable, upright, glorious, full of happiness, and full of piety.

IV.  Here also Quintus Fufius, a brave and energetic man, and a friend of mine, reminds me of the advantages of peace.  As if, if it were necessary to praise peace, I could not do it myself quite as well as he.  For is it once only that I have defended peace?  Have I not at all times laboured for tranquillity? which is desirable for all good men, but especially for me.  For what course could my industry pursue without forensic causes, without laws, without courts of justice? and these things can have no existence when civil peace is taken away.  But I want to know what you mean, O Calenus?  Do you call slavery peace?  Our ancestors used to take up arms not merely to secure their freedom, but also to acquire