40 Plutarch’s Lives
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hen he took ship for Brundusium, his friends would havepersuaded him to put his brother’s ashes into another vessel ;but he said he would sooner part with his life than leave them,and so set sail. And as it chanced, he, we are told, had a verydangerous passage, though others at the same time went oversafely enough. After he was returned to Rome, he spent his time for themost part either at home, in conversation with Athenodorus, orat the forum, in the service of his friends. Though it was nowthe time that he should become questor, he would not standfor the place till he had studied the laws relating to it, andby inquiry from persons of experience, had attained a distinctunderstanding of the duty and authority belonging to it. Withthis knowledge, as soon as he came into the office, he made agreat reformation among the clerks and under-officers of thetreasury, people who had long practice and familiarity in all thepublic records and the laws, and, when new magistrates camein year by year so ignorant and unskilful as to be in absoluteneed of others to teach them what to do, did not submit andgive way, but kept the power in their own hands, and were ineffect the treasurers themselves. Till Cato, applying himselfroundly to the work, showed that he possessed not only thetitle and honour of a questor, but the knowledge and under-standing and full authority of his office. So that he used theclerks and under-officers like servants as they were, exposingtheir corrupt practices, and instructing their ignorance. Beingbold, impudent fellows, they flattered the other questors hiscolleagues, and by their means endeavoured to maintain an op-position against him. But he convicted the chiefest of them ofa breach of trust in the charge of an inheritance, and turnedhim out of his place. A second he brought to trial for dis-honesty, who was defended by Lutatius Catulus, at that timecensor, a man very considerable for his office, but yet more forhis character, as he was eminent above all the Romans of thatage for his reputed wisdom and integrity. He was also intimatewith Cato, and much commended his way of living. So per-ceiving he could not bring off his client, if he stood a fair trial,he openly began to beg him off. Cato objected to his doingthis. And when he continued still to be importunate, “ It wouldbe shameful, Catulus,” he said, “ that the censor, the judge ofall our lives, should incur the dishonour of removal by ourofficers.” At this expression, Catulus looked as if he wouldhave made some answer; but he said nothing, and either through
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