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  4.30 P. M.—At Jonathan Buffum’s, Lynn. Lecture in John B. Alley’s parlor. Mr. J. Buffum describes to me ancient wolf-traps, made probably by the early settlers in Lynn, perhaps after an Indian model; one some two miles from the shore near Saugus, another more northerly; holes say seven feet deep, about as long, and some three feet wide, stoned up very smoothly, and perhaps converging a little, so that the wolf could not get out. Tradition says that a wolf and a squaw were one morning found in the same hole, staring at each other.

  The surface of the snow, now that the sun has shone on it so long, is not so light and downy, almost impalpable, as it was yesterday, but is somewhat flattened down and looks even as if [it] had had a skim-coat of some whitewash. I can see sparkles on it, but they are finer than at first and therefore less dazzling . . .

Δεκιος  Clarke, Manlius S.
Κατων  Thoreau, David H.

ΚΑΤΩΝ  Ειδυνατον ηω φιλους εμου σψακτους χαιρειν διακελευεσθαι, τουτο κεχαρισμενον αν έιη. Ου την προσαγορεθεαν βουλην χρη;

ΔΕΚΙΟΣ  Προσ σε λεγειν αψικνουμαι. Ό Καισαρ τα πραγματα σοι κακως εχειν αισθανεται, και δε αυιῳ σε μεγα ποιουνιι μελει της σης σωτηριας.

ΚΑΤΩΝ  Το αυτο εμοι και τῃ Ρωμῃ ειμαρμενον εστι, ει ό Καιουρ εμε σωζειν βουλεται κελευς αυτον ου την πατριδα πορθειν, συμεν ψρασαι τουτο τῳ αυτοκρατορι, και εμε δυσχεραινειν τον βιον όν αυτος διδοναι εχει.

ΔΕΚΙΟΣ  Ή Ρωμη και ή βουλη εκδοτους τῳ Καισαρι εαυτουσ ποιουσι, Οι αρχοντες και οί ήγεμονες, των αυτου νικωντων τε θριαμβων αυτον εμποδε ζοντες, ετελευτων. Δια τι προς τον Καισαρα κατατιθεναι χαριν ψεθγεις;

ΚΑΤΩΝ  Συρ λογος αυτος τουτο διακωλυει.

ΔΕΚΙΟΣ  ώ Κατον, κελευομαι προσψιλως σε των βουλευματων αποτρεπειν. Τον επικειμενον σοι κινδυνον διασκοπει τον τε αλεθρον εν τω νυν απειλουντι σοι. Πλειστων τιμων παρα των πολιτων απολαυσεις ειμονον προσχωρειν προς τε τον Καισαρα κατατιθεναι χαριν βουλῃ. Ή Ρωμη χαρει και σε ύπερτατον βροτων αναβλεφει.

ΚΑΤΩΝ  Λλις των τοιουτων, ου προσδοκαν τον βιον επι τοιοισδε εμοι προς ηκει.

ΔΕΚΙΟΣ  Ό Καισαρ τας σας αρετας γνωριζει, διοτι την σην σωτηριαν πολλου τιμα αυτῳ επιστελλε επι ποσῳ δεξαιτ, αν σε όμολογιας τε εκτιθει.

ΚΑΤΩΝ  Κελευε μεν αυτον τους λοχους διαπεμπειν την δε τῃ δημοκρα τιᾳ ελευθερια αποδεδοναι, και τα πεπραγμανα αναψερειν προς το συγκλητον, τουτων πειρι μενων, εγω προς αυτον ψιλιαν πραξω.

ΔΕΚΙΟΣ  ώ Κατον, παντες την σην σοψιαν αγαν επαιωουσι.

ΚΑΤΩΝ  Κελευε μεν αυτον, εμης φωνης, ουψιλουσης τους εν κακοις αλοντας απολυειν και αμαρτηματα καλλυνειν, εγωγε επι τοβημα αυτου χαριν αναβησομαι και τον δημον πειοω αυτῳ άμαρτηματα συγγινωσκειν.

ΔΕΚΙΟΣ  Τῳ νικωντι ταδε επη πρεπει.

ΚΑΤΩΝ  ω Δεκιε, ταυτα τα επη Ρωμαιῳ πρεπει.

ΔΕΚΙΟΣ  Τι εστι Ρωμαιος τῳ Καισαρι εχθρος.

ΚΑΤΩΝ  Μειζων του Καισαρος, ό φιλος της αρετης εστι.

ΔΕΚΙΟΣ  Μιμνησκου ίνα τοπου, Ουτικης ειναι, μικρης βουλης προεδρεθειν. Ουκ νου εν τῃ αγορᾳ, παντων των Ρωμαιων επιφωνουντων, δημηγορεις.

ΚΑΤΩΝ  Αυτον τουτο δια μνημης εχειν χρη ός ήμας δευρο αγει: Το του Καισαρου ειψος την της Ρωμης βουλην ωλεγωσε. Φευ, ή τουδε νικη και ή ευτυχια σε τα ομματα εκστα τικον εξαπατουσι, ει αυτον καλος οκοπεις, με – μολυσμενος φονῳ, προδοσιᾳ, θεοσυλιᾳ, και μιασμασι ών την μνημην μονην θαμβων ψανησεται, συνοιδα εμαυτῳ δυστανῳ και εχθετῳ κακοις φαινομενῳ, αλλα προς των θεων ομνυμι ότι εχατων μυριαδων κοσμων προς φερομενων, ουκ όδε Καισαρ ειην.

ΔΕΚΙΟΣ  Τοι αυτην αποκρισιν τῳ Καιραι ό Κατων, απομεμπει, αντι παντων των αυτου ευμενων προνοιων της σε φιλιας εκουσιως προςψερομενης;

ΚΑΤΩΝ  Αυτου προνοια ύβριστικη και μεταια εστιν. ώ ύπερηφαρε ανερ, οί θευι εμου προνοιαν εχουσι, ει ό Καισαρ την μεγαλοψυχιαν επιδεικ νυναι βουλεται, δει αυτον προνοιαν τωνδε εμων φιλων εχειν, και ευ θρησθαι τῃ δυναστεια κακως ειλημενῃ

ΔΕΚΙΟΣ  Δια την σην αδαματην καρδιαν επιλανθανει σε. θνητον οντα. Εισπιπτεις τον συν ολεθρον. Λλις των τοιουτων, οτε απαγγελλω πως ταυτη ή πρεσβεια διαπραττεται πασα ή Ρωμη δακρυα θιζει.

[Translation by Prof. Albert Merriman of Trinity College:]

DECIUS  Caesar bids you hail [to be well].

CATO  If it were possible to bid my slain friends to be well, it might be welcome. Ought you not to address the Senate?

DECIUS  I come to speak to you. Caesar perceives your affairs to go badly, and since he sets great store by you, he is concerned with your well being.

CATO  I share the same fate as Rome. If Caesar wishes to preserve me, bid him not to destroy his country. Tell this to the dictator, and that I scorn the life which he has to give.

DECIUS  Rome and the [Roman] Senate have given themselves up entirely to Caesar. [But] the archons [counsuls?] and the generals [tribunes?] have persisted in impeding his victories and triumphs. Why do you avoid laying up this merit with Caesar?

CATO  Your word itself [i.e., your very speech] prevents this.

DECIUS  Cato, I bid you kindly to turn from your designs. Consider the dangers overhanging you and the destruction presently threatening you. You will enjoy many honors at the hands of the citizens, if only you are willing to accede and earn Caesar’s gratitude. Rome will rejoice and look up to you as the highest of mortals.

CATO  Enough of such remarks. It does not befit me to expect [await] life on such terms.

DECIUS  Caesar is acquainted with your merits; wherefore [that is why] he values your well-being highly. inform him at what price he may receive you [i.e., your political support], and proclaim your terms of agreement.

CATO  Bid him to disperse his legions and return its freedom to the Republic, and to refer his deeds to the Senate. This done, I will make [enter upon] friendship with him.

DECIUS  Cato, all praise your wisdom too highly!

CATO  Bid him, since my voice loves not those apprehended in evil, to remove and rectify his sins. I will mount the rostrum for his sake and will persuade the people to pardon his errors.

DECIUS  It is the conqueror that these words befit.

CATO  Decius, these words befit a Roman.

DECIUS  Why is a Roman an enemy to Caesar?

CATO  Greater than Caesar, he [i.e., a Roman] is the friend of virtue.

DECIUS  Remember where you are, that you are of Utica, that you are chairman of a small junta. You do not now stir the people in the Forum, all Romans shouting assent.

CATO  He who drove us to it should remember this: The sword of Caesar has diminished the Senate of Rome. Alas! His victory and luck deceive your eyes wildly; if you regard him rightly, he is stained with murder, treason, sacrilege, pollution, of whose memory alone he will appear to be terrified. I am conscious that I appear unhappy and exposed to misfortunes, but I swear before the gods that if one hundred times ten thousand honors were offered to me, I would not be this Caesar.

DECIUS  Is such the answer Cato returns to Caesar in return for [view of] all his gracious consideration [forethought], when his friendship is voluntarily offered you?

CATO  His forethought is insulting and vain. Arrogant man! The gods have forethought for me; if Caesar wishes to show his high-mindedness, he must have forethought for these friends of mine and use well the power so wrongly seized.

DECIUS  Because of your hard heart you forget that you are mortal. You are rushing to your destruction. Enough of such words! When I report back how my embassy has fared, all Rome will shed tears.