Quinctius being perplexed at this desertion, obtains a few days'
 delay from the Scapulae; he sends into Gaul to
 have those things sold which he had advertised; being absent, he sells them at a less
 favourable time than before; he pays the Scapulae with more disadvantage to himself than
 he would have done. Then of his own accord he calls Naevius to account, in order, since
 he suspected that there would be a dispute about something, to provide for the
 termination of the business as soon as possible, and with the smallest possible trouble.
 He appoints as his umpire his friend Marcus
 Trebellius; we name a common friend, a relation of our own, Sextus Alphenus, who had
 been brought up in his house, and with whom he was exceedingly intimate. No agreement
 could be come to; because the one was willing to put up with a slight loss, but the
 other was not content with a moderate booty. So from
 that time the matter was referred to legal decision. Lit.
 “recognizances were entered into.” When the praetor had granted an
 action, the plaintiff required the defendant to give security for his appearance
 before the praetor on a stated day, commonly the day but one after the in jus vocatio . After many delays, and when much time had
 been wasted in that business, and nothing had been done, Naevius appeared before the
 judge. I beseech you, O Caius Aquillius, and you the assessors in this suit, to observe
 carefully, in order that you may be able to understand the singular nature of this
 fraud, and the new method of trickery employed. He
 says that he had had a sale by auction in Gaul ;
 that he had sold what he thought fit; that he had taken care that the partnership should
 owe him nothing; that he would have no more to do with summoning any one, or with giving
 security; if Quinctius had any business to transact with him, he had no objection. He,
 as he was desirous to revisit his farm in Gaul ,
 does not summon the man at present; so he departs without giving security. After that,
 Quinctius remains at Rome about thirty days.
 He gets any securities which he had given other people respited, so as to be able to go
 without hindrance into Gaul .