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could one settle more pleasantly than in one's own home? But take my word for it, even he who is the master of the world has a partiality for men of ability; certainly, so far as circumstances and his own interests allow him to do so, he cordially welcomes noble birth and men of high position. But I have written at greater length than I intended. I return therefore to the one dominant fact that I am your friend, and that I shall stand by your friends, if only they prove themselves your friends. If not, I shall at any rate satisfy in every respect the claims of our close intimacy and mutual affection. Farewell.

¹ Though it is but a very few days since I gave Q. Mucius a somewhat long letter for you, in which I made it plain what I believed should be your resolve, and what I thought you should do, still, when your freedman Theophilus, of whose loyalty and goodwill towards yourself I had satisfied myself, was setting out, I felt sorry that he should reach you without a letter from me. Repeating, therefore, the arguments I used in my former letter of exhortation, I exhort you again and again to decide to take your place as soon as possible as a member of the Republic, whatever it is. You will perhaps see much to which you may object, but still not worse than you hear every day. Besides, it is not characteristic