pains I should take in it. I have provided for L. Cincius 20,400 sestertii, (£170) for the Megaric statues. The Mercuries of your pentelic, marble with bronze heads, about which you wrote to me, already delight me exceedingly; and I should be glad if you would send them, and the other statues, and whatever else you may judge suitable to the place, and to my studies, and to your taste, as many, and as soon as possible; especially what you think proper for my gymnasium and portico; for I am transported with such a fondness for this sort of things, that while I request you to assist me, I must expect others to blame me. If Lentulus' ship is not ready, let the things be embarked in any other you please. My darling Tulliola is anxious for your present, and calls upon me as a surety; but it is safer for me to swear off than to pay." ¶ II. OF LETTERS OF PERSUASION. 1. Letters of persuasion are those which have for their object, to persuade a person. 2. That which is to form the subject of persuasion, must be reasonable and useful, if not necessary. 3. The point must be clearly set forth; the (1.) What are letters of persuasion ? (2.) What requisites must the thing to be persuaded have? (3.) How must it be set forth? reasons or proofs must be laid down in order, proceeding from the weakest to the strongest. 4. The style may be either simple, or adorned, or sublime; as when a pathetic appeal, or a touching description, is to be made. 5. All arrogance, self-reliance, and obstinacy of purpose, whereby the mind of the reader may be prejudiced against the writer, is to be carefully avoided in persuasive letters. 6. Letters of this kind are more frequent among business men, and superiors toward inferiors, than among any other class of persons. 7. The following letter is an example of a letter of persuasion : Cicero to Toranius. (A. U. 707.) "As I wrote to you three days ago by some domestics of Plancius, I shall be so much the shorter at present; and as my former was a letter of consolation, this shall be one of persuasion. I think nothing can be more for your advantage, than to remain in your present situation, till you shall be able to learn in what manner you are to act. For, (4.) What must the style of persuasive letters be? not to mention that you will by this means avoid the danger of a long winter voyage in a sea that affords but few harbors; there is this very material consideration, that you may soon cross over into Italy, whenever you shall receive any certain intelligence. Nor do I see any reason for your being desirous of presenting yourself to Cæsar's friends on their return. In short, I have many other objections to your schemes, for the particulars of which I refer you to our friend Chilo. You cannot, indeed, in these unfortunate times, be more conveniently placed than where you now are; as you may, with great facility and expedition, transport yourself from thence to whatever other part of the world you shall find it necessary to remove. If Cæsar should return at the time he is expected, you may be in Italy soon enough to wait upon him; but should anything happen (as many things possibly may,) to prevent or retard his march, you are in a place where you may receive an early information of all that occurs. To repeat it, therefore, once more, I am altogether of opinion that you should continue in your present quarters. I will only add, (what I have often exhorted you in my former letters to be well persuaded of,) that you have nothing to fear beyond the general danger to which every citizen of Rome is equally exposed. And though this, it must be owned, is sufficiently great; yet, we can both of us look back with so much satisfaction upon our past conduct, and are arrived at such a period of life, that we ought to bear with particular fortitude whatever unmerited fate may attend us. Your family here are all well, and extremely regret your absence, as they love and honor you with the highest tenderness and esteem. Take care of your health, and by no means remove without duly weighing the consequences. Farewell.” 1. T. III. OF LETTERS OF PETITION. DEFINITION AND QUALITIES. Letters of petition are those in which some thing is asked or entreated. 2. The subject of petition, or thing asked must be reasonable, necessary, or useful. 3. The petition must be accompanied by reasons, in order that it may be granted; hence, all the rules which regard letters of persuasion, apply to this class also. 4. Letters of this kind are in use especially among friends, relations, and inferiors to superiors. 5. The following is an example of a letter of petition: (1.) What are letters of petition? (2.) What qualities must the subject of petition have? (3.) What may accompany a petition? (4.) By whom are letters of this kind addressed? (5.) Give an example of a letter of petition. Cicero to Publius Lentulus, Proconsul. (A. U. 697.) "Aulus Trebonius, who is an old and intimate friend of mine, has some important affairs in your province, which require immediate dispatch. His own illustrious character, together with the recommendations of myself and others, have, upon former occasions of this kind, obtained for him the indul gence of your predecessors. He is strongly persua ded, therefore, from that affection and those mutual good offices which subsist between you and me, that this letter will not prove a less effectual solicitor in his behalf; and let me earnestly entreat you not to disappoint him in this his expectation. Accordingly, I recommend his servants, his freedmen, his agents, and in short, his concerns of every kind, to your patronage; but particularly I beg you would confirm the decree which Titus Ampius passed in his favor. In one word, I hope you will take all opportunities of convincing him that you do not consider this recommendation as a matter of common and unmeaning form. Farewell." DEFINITION AND QUALITIES. 1. These are letters which have for their object the consolation of a person on account of (1.) What is the object of letters of consolation? |