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Article CHARACTER OF CICERO. ← Page 3 of 3
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Character Of Cicero.
Cicero seems to have followed , in great measure , the glorious plan of government which his master , Scievola , had observed in Asia Minor . Cicero principally gave his attention to relieve the grievances of his province , by lightening that _ heavy load of debts with which the avarice of his predecessors had incumbered it ; and by remedying all the other evil of their
consequences bad government . The Asiatics , who had joined with the former governors in oppression and plunder of their country , were by Cicero obliged to refund whatever they had thus extorted . Cicero protected the province also from all Roman oppressors ; from some in particular who were of the hi ghest rank in Rome , and otherwise greatly connected with himself . Nor was he less
diligent in averting evils rising from other causes ; he alleviated the scarcity of provisions , which at that time afflicted Cilicia and Cyprus almost like a famine . . He prepared with great spirit to defend the frontiers against the threatened and then most formidable invasion of the Parthians . He permitted to the natives of his whole provincethe use of their
, own laws . He was kind and affable at all times to all : indeed the spirit of every part of his government was , like that of every other part of his life , most mild and merciful , though at the same time very prudent and very active . Nor was he less remarkable for his noble
disinterestedness . For as he supported the dignity of his office of proconsul liberally , not sumptuously , he had no temptation to fraud or rapine . He was able to refuse the immense perquisites , presents , and contributions , & c . with which his predecessors had disgraced their administration . Cicero accepted only the most just and moderate duties of his office ; and even from those his lawful appointments
he bestosved several thousand pounds to the relief of distressed particulars or communities in his government . At his departure he declined the acceptance of several then usual public honours : he declined also the great Free gift , which was offered to him voluntaril y by the province , and which is said on the whole to have amounted to upwards of two hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterlingYou
. seem surprised , dear sir : but the generosity of Cicero in his government of Cilicia was much greater in other articles , according to two extracts which I have made from Dr . Middleton ' s History : the sum mentioned in the second extract is so excessive , that I should even apprehend there must be some mistake in the calculation .
All the wealthier cities of this province used to pay to all their proconsuls large contributions for being exempt from furnishing winter quarters to the army ( Cyprus alone paid yearly on this single account two hundred talents , or about forty thousand pounds ) ; but Cicero remitted this whole tax to them , which alone made a vast revenue . In his province of Cilicia he saved to the public a full million tterling , which all other governors had applied to their private use .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Character Of Cicero.
Cicero seems to have followed , in great measure , the glorious plan of government which his master , Scievola , had observed in Asia Minor . Cicero principally gave his attention to relieve the grievances of his province , by lightening that _ heavy load of debts with which the avarice of his predecessors had incumbered it ; and by remedying all the other evil of their
consequences bad government . The Asiatics , who had joined with the former governors in oppression and plunder of their country , were by Cicero obliged to refund whatever they had thus extorted . Cicero protected the province also from all Roman oppressors ; from some in particular who were of the hi ghest rank in Rome , and otherwise greatly connected with himself . Nor was he less
diligent in averting evils rising from other causes ; he alleviated the scarcity of provisions , which at that time afflicted Cilicia and Cyprus almost like a famine . . He prepared with great spirit to defend the frontiers against the threatened and then most formidable invasion of the Parthians . He permitted to the natives of his whole provincethe use of their
, own laws . He was kind and affable at all times to all : indeed the spirit of every part of his government was , like that of every other part of his life , most mild and merciful , though at the same time very prudent and very active . Nor was he less remarkable for his noble
disinterestedness . For as he supported the dignity of his office of proconsul liberally , not sumptuously , he had no temptation to fraud or rapine . He was able to refuse the immense perquisites , presents , and contributions , & c . with which his predecessors had disgraced their administration . Cicero accepted only the most just and moderate duties of his office ; and even from those his lawful appointments
he bestosved several thousand pounds to the relief of distressed particulars or communities in his government . At his departure he declined the acceptance of several then usual public honours : he declined also the great Free gift , which was offered to him voluntaril y by the province , and which is said on the whole to have amounted to upwards of two hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterlingYou
. seem surprised , dear sir : but the generosity of Cicero in his government of Cilicia was much greater in other articles , according to two extracts which I have made from Dr . Middleton ' s History : the sum mentioned in the second extract is so excessive , that I should even apprehend there must be some mistake in the calculation .
All the wealthier cities of this province used to pay to all their proconsuls large contributions for being exempt from furnishing winter quarters to the army ( Cyprus alone paid yearly on this single account two hundred talents , or about forty thousand pounds ) ; but Cicero remitted this whole tax to them , which alone made a vast revenue . In his province of Cilicia he saved to the public a full million tterling , which all other governors had applied to their private use .