THE ARGUMENT. FTER Cicero had delivered the laft Ora tion against Anthony, the latter went to bis Villa, where he ftudied during feven Days for a proper Answer to Cicero. On the 13th of the Kalends of October he fummoned together a Senate in our Author's Abfence, who thought it unfafe to be present, by Reafon of a strong Party of Anthony's Ruffians guarding all the Avenues, and lining the Senate-Houfe under Arms; there he made a bitter, but a very ftupid Invective against Cicero, if we may believe the latter. This following Oration is wrote in anfiver to that Invective; but notwithstanding all the Painting and the Incidents it contains, as if Anthony had been prefent when it was delivered, it is certain that the Oration itself never was delivered. It is perhaps the feverest and the keenest Invective ever wrote, and conceived in fuch Terms, with fo thorough a Contempt, with fo ftrong a Deteftation of Anthony, that it is no wonder if the latter could ever forgive it. Our Author in the first place vindicates himSelf from feveral Objections made to his personal and 5 and moral Character by Anthony: And as he proceeds in his Vindication, takes care to lay the Folly and the Villainy of his Antagonist's Conduct very open. He treats him with lefs Ceremony than ever he did Clodius or Catiline, whom be admits to have had Parts; but Anthony, according to him, joined the most blundering Understanding, and the most clumfy Wit to the worst Heart that ever Man poffeft. He lays open all bis criminal Excelles of Debauchery, whether in Gaming, in Drinking, in Whoring, or Gluttony, with every other Species of Vice that can enter into the Compofition of human Nature. He fhews him to be a greater Tyrant in his public Character, than any that ever went before him; he holds bim forth as guilty of Bribery, Corruption, Forgery, Murder, and Rapaciousness to fupport his ill-got Power, and to pay off his Debts; and thus be traces him from his early Youth to that very Day, But the Reader is not to expect here that a Tranflator can have the Room for the fame Flow of Language and Turn of Periods, as in the other Orations, where the Subject is general; for all this Oration is perfonal, clofe, and invective. The Art of the Orator is difguifed by the Veheniency with which he is fuppofed to speak, and the Stile by no Means of that florid exuberant Kind, which which diftinguishes the Orations of Cicero. There are likewife many proverbial Expreffions and Allufions introduced through the whole, which though extremely beautiful to a Roman, lofe their Effect with us. This Oration being published was fatal to Cicero, as were the Philippics of Demofthenes to him. In what great Efteem the fecond Philippic of Cicero was with the Antients, we learn from Juvenal's tenth Satyr; where speaking of these two great Men, his Words run thus: Eloquio fed uterque periit Orator, utrumque Largus et exundans Letho dedit, Ingenii Fons. Ingenio Manus eft, et Cervix cæfa, nec, unquam Sanguine Caufidici manduerunt Roftra Pufilli. O Fortunatam Natam me Confule Romam, Antonii Gladios Potuit Contemnere, fi fic Omnia Dixiffet; Ridenda Poemata Malo Quam te confpicuæ divina Philippica Fama Volveris a prima quæ proxima The Coalition betwixt Anthony and Octavius Cæfar, gave him up to the Sword of the former; and the implacable Malice of Fulvia, the Wife of Anthony, was fuch, that she thrust out his Eyes with a Bodkin after his Death, upon the Murderer's prefenting her with his Head. M. T. |