“I derived great pleasure from your letter, because I saw that you held such an opinion about me as I had hoped you would hold, and wished you to hold; and although, in regard to that opinion, I had no misgivings, still, inasmuch as I considered it a matter of the greatest importance, I was anxious that it should continue unchanged.  And then I was conscious of having done nothing to offend any good citizen; therefore I was the less inclined to believe that you, endowed as you are with so many excellent qualities, could be influenced by any idle rumors, especially as my friendship toward you had been and was sincere and unbroken.  Since I know that matters stand in this respect as I have wished them to stand, I will reply to the charges, which you have often refuted in my behalf in such a way as one would expect from that kindness of heart characteristic of you and from our friendship.  It is true that what men said against me after the death of Caesar was known to me.  They call it a sin of mine that I sorrow over the death of a man dear to me, and because I grieve that he whom I loved is no more, for they say that ‘fatherland should be above friendship,’ just as if they had proved already that his death has been of service to the state.  But I will make no subtle plea.  I confess that I have not attained to your high philosophic planes; for, on the one hand, in the Civil War I did not follow a Caesar, but a friend, and although I was grieved at the state of things, still I did not desert him; nor, on the other hand, did I at any time approve of the Civil War, nor even of the reason for strife, which I most earnestly sought to extinguish when it was kindling.  Therefore, in the moment of victory for one bound to me by the closest ties, I was not captivated by the charm either of public office or of gold, while his other friends, although they had less influence with him than I, misused these rewards in no small degree.  Nay, even my own property was impaired by a law of Caesar’s, thanks to which very law many who rejoice at the death of Caesar have remained at Rome.  I have worked as for my own welfare that conquered citizens might be spared.

“Then may not I, who have desired the welfare of all, be indignant that he, from whom this favor came, is dead? especially since the very men who were forgiven have brought him both unpopularity and death.  You shall be punished, then, they say, ’since you dare to disapprove of our deed.’  Unheard of arrogance, that some men glory in their crime, that others may not even sorrow over it without punishment!  But it has always been the unquestioned right, even of slaves, to fear, to rejoice, to grieve according to the dictates of their own feelings rather than at the bidding of another man; of these rights, as things stand now, to judge from what these champions of freedom keep saying, they are trying to deprive us by intimidation; but their efforts are useless.  I shall never be driven by the terrors of any danger