VII.  His conversation seems also to have had this character, for he was cheerful and harsh all at once, pleasant and yet severe as a companion, fond of jokes, but morose at the same time, just as Plato tells us that Sokrates, if judged merely from his outside, appeared to be only a silly man with a face like a satyr, who was rude to all he met, though his inner nature was earnest and full of thoughts that moved his hearers to tears and touched their hearts.  For this reason I cannot understand how any persons can see a likeness between the orations of Lysias and those of Cato; however, this point must be decided by those who are more skilled than myself in the comparison of oratorical styles.  I shall now relate a few of his more remarkable sayings, believing that a man’s real character can be better judged of by his words than by his looks, although some people hold the contrary opinion.

VIII.  Once when he wished to restrain the Romans from distributing a large quantity of corn as a largesse to the people, he began his speech:  “It is difficult, my fellow-citizens, to make the stomach hear reason, because it has no ears.”  When desiring to blame the extravagance of the Romans, he said that a city could not be safe in which a fish sold dearer than an ox.  He said, too, that the Romans were like sheep, who never form opinions of their own, but follow where the others lead them.  “Just so,” said he, “when you are assembled together you are led by men whose advice you would scorn to take about your own private affairs.”  With regard to female influence he once said, “All mankind rule their wives, we rule all mankind, and we are ruled by our wives.”  This remark, however, is borrowed from Themistokles.  He one day, when his child was instigating its mother to lay many commands upon him, said, “Wife, remember that the Athenians rule the Greeks, I rule the Athenians, you rule me, and your child rules you; wherefore let him not abuse his power, which, though he knows it not, is greater than that of anyone else in Greece.”  Cato also said that the Romans fixed the price, not only of different dyes, but of different professions.  “Just as the dyers,” said he, “dye stuff of whatever colour they see people pleased with, so do our young men only study and apply themselves to those subjects which are praised and commended by you.”  He used also to beg of them, if they had become great by virtue and self-restraint, not to degenerate; and if, on the other hand, their empire had been won by licentiousness and vice, to reform themselves, since by the latter means they had become so great as not to need any further assistance from them.  Those who were always seeking office, he said, were like men who could not find their way, who always wished to walk with lictors[28] before them to show them the road.  He blamed his countrymen for often electing the same men to public offices.  “You will appear,” said he, “either to think that the office is not worth much, or else