It was
the day after Curiatius Maternus had given a reading of his Cato, by which
it was said that he had irritated the feelings of certain great personages,
because in the subject of his tragedy he had apparently forgotten himself
and thought only of Cato. While all Rome was
discussing the subject, he received a visit from Marcus Aper and Julius
[p. 736]
Secundus, then the most famous men of genius at our bar. Of both I
was a studious hearer in court, and I also would follow them to their homes
and when they appeared in public, from a singular zeal for my profession,
and a youthful enthusiasm which urged me to listen diligently to their
trivial talk, their more serious debates, and their private and esoteric
descourse. Yet many ill-naturedly thought that Secundus had no readiness of
speech, and that Aper had won his reputation for eloquence by his cleverness
and natural powers, more than by training and culture. As a fact, Secundus
had a pure, terse, and a sufficiently fluent style, while Aper, who was
imbued with learning of all kinds, pretended to despise the culture which he
really possessed. He would have, so he must have thought, a greater
reputation for industry and application, if it should appear that his genius
did not depend on any supports from pursuits alien to his profession.
