CATO THE YOUNGER
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uE family of Cato derived its first lustre from his great-grand-father Cato, whose virtue gained him such great reputation andauthority among the Romans, as we have written in his life. This Cato was, by the loss of both his parents, left an orphan, ~together with his brother Czpio, and his sister Porcia. He hadalso a half-sister, Servilia, by the mother’s side. As these livedtogether, and were bred up in the house of Livius Drusus, theiruncle by the mother, who, at that time, had a great share in thegovernment, being a very eloquent speaker, a man of the greatesttemperance, and yielding in dignity to none of the Romans. It is said of Cato that even from his infancy, in his speech,his countenance, and all his childish pastimes, he discovered aninflexible temper, unmoved by any passion, and firm in every-thing. He was resolute in his purposes, much beyond thestrength of his age, to go through with whatever he undertook.He was rough and ungentle toward those that flattered him,and still more unyielding to those who threatened him. It wasdifficult to excite him to laughter, his countenance seldomrelaxed even into a smile; he was not quickly or easily provokedto anger, but if once incensed, he was no less difficult to pacify. When he began to learn, he proved dull, and slow to appre-hend, but of what he once received, his memory was remarkablytenacious. And such, in fact, we find generally to be the courseof nature; men of fine genius are readily reminded of things,but those who receive with most pains and difficulty, rememberbest; every new thing they learn, being, as it were, burnt andbranded in on their minds. Cato’s natural stubbornness andslowness to be persuaded may also have made it more difficult .for him to be taught. For to learn is to submit to have some-thing done to one; and persuasion comes soonest to those whohave least strength to resist it. Hence young men are soonerpersuaded than those that are more in years, and sick men, thanthose that are well in health. In fine, where there is leastprevious doubt and difficulty, the new impression is most easilyaccepted. Yet Cato, they say, was very obedient to his pre-ceptor, and would do whatever he was commanded; but hewould also ask the reason, and inquire the cause of everything, eT Oe ea VEN ee ee |
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