awaiting him there, and letters from the Galatian begging him to receive them; and if he should not be disposed to take them, to let his friends at least receive favours on his account, as they well deserved it, and Cato had not much of his own.  But Cato did not give in even to these arguments, though he saw that some of his friends were beginning to be softened and were inclined to blame him; but observing that all receiving of gifts might find a good excuse, and his friends should share in all that he got honourably and justly, he sent back the presents to Deiotarus.  As he was about to set sail to Brundisium, his friends thought that they ought to put the ashes of Caepio in another vessel, but Cato, saying that he would rather part with his life than the ashes of his brother, set sail.  And indeed it is said that it chanced that he had a very dangerous passage, though the rest got to Brundisium with little difficulty.

XVI.  On his return to Rome he spent his time either at home in the company of Athenodorus, or in the Forum assisting his friends.  Though the office of Quaestor[679] was now open to him, he did not become a candidate for it till he had read the laws relating to the quaestorship, and had learned all particulars from the experienced, and had comprehended the powers of the office in a certain shape.  Accordingly as soon as he was established in the office, he made a great change in the servants and clerks about the treasury, for as they constantly had in hand the public accounts and the laws, and had young superiors who, by reason of their inexperience and ignorance, in fact required others to teach and direct them, they did not allow their superiors to have any power, but were the superior officers themselves, until Cato vigorously applied himself to the business, not having the name only and the honour of a magistrate, but understanding and judgment and apt expression; and he resolved to make the clerks into servants as they really were, in some things detecting their evil doings, and in others correcting their errors which arose from inexperience.  But as the clerks were insolent, and attempted to ingratiate themselves with and to flatter the other quaestors, and resisted him, he expelled from the treasury the first among them whom he had detected in knavish dealings in a matter of trust concerning an inheritance, and he brought another to trial for dishonesty.  This second person Catulus Lutatius[680] the censor came forward to defend, a man who had great dignity from his office, and the greatest from his merit, being considered superior to all the Romans in integrity and temperance; and he was also an admirer and intimate friend of Cato all through his life.  Now, when Catulus found that the justice of the case was against him and openly asked to have the man acquitted for his sake, Cato would not allow him to act so:  and when he still continued to urge his request, Cato said, “It were a scandalous thing, Catulus,