New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-03
MR.. TROLLOPE'S CICERO.
TIE LIFE OF CICERO. BY ANTHONY TRoLLoPE.
Two vols l2mo. pp 347 3i6. Harper & Brothers.

Two vols. l2mo, pp. 347, 3i6. Harper Brothers
"1om sometimes ut n loss says Mr.. Trolope, in
AMAZING of tbe censors of Cicero's character.
" whether TO wonder most that a man of letters
dead Two fhousaod wears ago should have enemies
so bitter or friend kcculy in earnest about
HIM rs | am" Mr. TrollOpc is undoubtedly very
much in earnest and the zeal OF his apology Tor
his book is m apology rather than formal history
gives cert ain animation 10 tins essay OF ms III
style Of composition not specially his own. In the
ordor Of his admiration for Cicero he has never as
hc frankly tells Ms found his literary acquaintance
unite in agreement with him; and he has been in
s,i,otcI 81 orrcal from them 10 tlIs public. Tho
r-o;rct was anterior 10 the biography 81 Mr.. For
svtb nuLli,hrl We believe, nearly fifteen years
ago The special provocaton which causes It's he
ing taken ND now after So long postponrm"nt
SOON, 70 hc the appcarancc Of Mr.. IrOudcs Life
of C.rsarv In That work Nr FrOudo sails Cicero
with .avorc severity AMI with even more than his
u-ual rrcE lcs,nr,s in the citation oi an hnrlcs III
has been SAID that Mr. froudc has never learned
the mranir OF inverted commas. Certainly the IN
stances iroduccl hy Nr. Trollorc "i THIS ialInE Oh
the part of his adversary are amazing enough. MI
Irondc states that III n letter To Attiru'' CICERO
spnk. of Caesar, continuance i'll life ~ di-Srdcr
10 the state and H. gives the words: a." r"'re
ipsrlp furpo 81 lytis l'ut The words nave No such
meaning The translation is correctly though
freely given 10y Mr. Tro.opr, Zen even I" draw
the breath Of iifr ut such time. i di-gracr I"
u" Mr. Froudr's h!und,r aros' from imagining III
his haste that rucrC iSHm. "rNcn 10 li'r, meant
that he should live at has been s'rh also,
adde Mr. Froujr. thai Ciccr" mad long th"rthi 81
assassination as the rcalic,t means of ending
C2.sll5 hl": AMI he tells ny that Cicero had hailed
CAESARS eventual murder with Iapturr.' ior this
H., ms ono q Ip N r
to At,icus as his authority: Henc pro"an mor!,lca
,,se. dindf ,;dm ilaihs oiIs Griagei po.." "o1fd-
ram. These words have 10 reference 90 murder:
Cicero WAS sprakiu. Of tie reasons for not despair
ing of the stability Of the Republic, and hr wrote:
" bcthought myself that this man probably
Poinpcynot C.rsarl mortal. and then that there
were u hundred way, IN which H. might bt pat on
one side" The kcpahhr, You say. ~ m'na"rd hy
this man we'll hc may die. or III ANY one al hun
bred ways lac may cease to lie "i weight. pur mas
here 10 rapturcus contemplation Of mur'cr.
Really Mr. FIoudc is a sore TRIAL 10 liz patience OF
the critic.
Mr. Trollopc DOES not 0attcr himself that h" has
any newly discovered facts to add to the story Of
Ciccros life lie presents himself as an advocate.
arguing the siCnIiirancc Of facts already known.
and exposing the cirourousncs, OF haty nfcirucr~,
drawn from nisun,, rstood texts. We shall not fol
sion. which is somewhat proX abouudin& IA nm
necessary rcpctiiOns and displaying lci-urcly cr
haustivtness If reasoning cuTiouSly like the
analyses of the troubled female mind 80 familiar 70
the readers OF his novels. rho follow r extract
from the close Of the narrative will show precisely
the spirit OF the book, and give good specimen Of
It's style:
That Shich Cicero has produced in literature l. A.
n Iulr admitted 10 hc excellent hut his character
as man has been held 10 be- tarshrd hy three faults
dishonesty, cowardICc aud In>inccriiV A. 10 the
first. nave denied 1t altogether. and my denial -
now submitted to the reader Tor ms Judgment /.
seems TO have been brought against HIM not III order
10 make him appeal guilty, but becausc 1t has ap-
prared to bc impossible that, when others were
deeply in fault. ho should have been innor'nt.
hat he should have asked for netting. that he
sh uld have taken Illicit rcwards that he should
not have submitted to he feed hut that lac should
have kept his hands clean while all around linn were
grabping ~ everything taking money, selling their
aid for stipulated payments grinding miserable
creditors has been too much for men 10 believe. |
will not take my readers back Oyp the cases
brought against him but Will ask them 10 ask
themselves whether there IS one supported 10y evil
dcnce lit 10 20 before u my The accusations have
been made 10y men clean handed Themselves: but
10 them tt has appeared unreasonable 10 believe
that a Roman OIlgdrch Ol those day should DC an
honest gentleman.
As to his cowardcc feel more doubt AZ to my
power of carrying my readers with :.c, though no
doubt a. to Ciccro's courage. Cowardce in a man
il abominabc. But what ~ cowardIcc' and what
courage IL il matter IN which many errors are
made! Tinsel il so apt To- shine like gold and
dazzle the sight In one Ct the earlier chapters of
tins book, when speaking OF Ca;alinc, ! have re
terred to tho remarks of n contemporary wrtor
The world has generally generous word for tho
memory OF a brave man dying Tor his cause" I" All
wounded in font ia quoted by this author from
Saust. Not a man taken alive, Catalina him
self gaspng ont his Lille rIngcd around with coIpscs
of his friends That is given rs picture of
brave man dying for his cause 10 should ca cite
our admiration even though his cause werc bad. In
the previous lines We have an intended portrait of
Cicero. who. thinking 70 donht, than he had
done good days work for his patrons, declined to
run himself into more danger llerc is one story
told OF courage and another OF fear. Let us pause
for u moment and regard the facts. Catalina when
hunted to the last gasp. faced his enemy and died
fighting like q man-oI u bull. Who ~ there cannot
do as much as thatf For slllllng or eighteen
pence day we can get an army OF brave men who
will face an encmy-and die, If death should come.
IL is not n great thing. nor rare. for q man in
battle not to run away. With regard 10 Cicero the
allegation is that he would not DO allowed 10 he
hribcd to accuse Caesar. and thus incur danger
The accusation which is thus brought against him
Is borrowed from SallUst and IL no doubt false
but take il in the spirit in which it is made. Cicero
feared to accuse Caesar lest hc should find himself
enycloped through Caesar means, in fresh danger
Grant that he did 80. Was he wrong at such
moment to save his life for the Republic for
hmseiff His object was to Danish Catalina. aud
not 10 catch in his net every existing conspIrator
lie could stop the conspiracy by securing n few,
and mil ht drive many into arms by cndcaNoring to
encrce all. Was this cowardcci During all those
DAYS lie han I'D i've Win lie IN Ills nhnus, pass
ing about among cOnSprators who ho know wcro
sworn to kill him. and in the midst OF his danger he
could ak and talk and think like man. 1t was
the same when ho went down into the court to
plead for Milo with the gladiators of Clodius and
the soldicry OF Pom2cy equally adverse TO him. IL
was the same when he uttered Philippe after Phil
ippic in the presence of AntonYs friends True
courage. to my thinking consists I OF in facing an
unavoidable danger. Any man worthy of the name
can do that The fclon that will be hung To-
morrow shall walk mp to the scahold and seom
ready to surrender tho life he cannot save but he
who with the blood running hot through his veins
with n full desire OF life at lis heart. with high
aspirations to the future, with everything around
him to make him happy-love and friendship ana
pleasant work-when he can willingly inper oil
because duty requires It, he is brave. OF such u