Nor, indeed, ought we to think of him as of a human being, but as of a most ill-omened beast.  And as this is the case, the decree which the senate has passed is not wholly improper.  The embassy has some severity in it; I only wish it had no delay.  For as in the conduct of almost every affair slowness and procrastination are hateful, so above all things does this war require promptness of action.  We must assist Decimus Brutus; we must collect all our forces from all quarters; we cannot lose a single hour in effecting the deliverance of such a citizen without wickedness.  Was it not in his power, if he had considered Antonius a consul, and Gaul the province of Antonius, to have given over the legions and the province to Antonius? and to return home himself? and to celebrate a triumph? and to be the first man in this body to deliver his opinion, until he entered on his magistracy?  What was the difficulty of doing that?  But as he remembered that he was Brutus, and that he was born for your freedom, not for his own tranquillity, what else did he do but—­as I may almost say—­put his own body in the way to prevent Antonius from entering Gaul?  Ought we then to send ambassadors to this man, or legions?  However, we will say nothing of what is past.  Let the ambassadors hasten, as I see that they are about to do.  Do you prepare your robes of war.  For it has been decreed, that, if he does not obey the authority of the senate, we are all to betake our selves to our military dress.  And we shall have to do so.  He will never obey.  And we shall lament that we have lost so many days, when we might have been doing something.

IV I have no fear, O Romans, that when Antonius hears that I have asserted, both in the senate and in the assembly of the people, that he never will submit himself to the power of the senate, he will, for the sake of disproving my words, and making me to appeal to have had no foresight, alter his behaviour and obey the senate.  He will never do so.  He will not grudge me this part of my reputation, he will prefer letting me be thought wise by you to being thought modest himself.  Need I say more?  Even if he were willing to do so himself, do you think that his brother Lucius would permit him?  It has been reported that lately at Tibur, when Marcus Antonius appeared to him to be wavering, he, Lucius, threatened his brother with death.  And do we suppose that the orders of the senate, and the words of the ambassadors, will be listened to by this Asiatic gladiator?  It will be impossible for him to be separated from a brother, especially from one of so much authority.  For he is another Africanus among them.  He is considered of more influence than Lucius Trebellius, of more than Titus Plancus [lacuna] a noble young man.  As for Plancus, who, having been condemned by the unanimous vote of every one, amid the overpowering applause of you yourselves, somehow or other got mixed up in this crowd, and returned with a countenance