Will you pass over this serious accusation, or will you bring it forward? If you bring
 it forward, will you charge that as a crime against another, which you did yourself at
 the same time in the same province? Will you dare so to accuse another, that you cannot
 avoid at the same time condemning yourself? If you omit the charge, what sort of a
 prosecution will yours be, which from fear of danger to yourself, is afraid not only to
 create a suspicion of a most certain and enormous crime, but even to make the least
 mention of it? Corn was bought, on the authority of a decree of the senate, of the
 Sicilians while Verres was praetor; for which corn all the money was not paid. This is a grave charge against Verres; a
 grave one if I plead the cause, but, if you are the prosecutor, no charge at all. For
 you were the quaestor, you had the handling of the public money; and, even if the
 praetor desired it ever so much, yet it was to a great extent in your power to prevent
 anything being taken from it. Of this crime, therefore, if you are the prosecutor, no
 mention will be made. And so during the whole trial nothing will be said of his most
 enormous and most notorious thefts and injuries. Believe me, O Caecilius, he who is
 connected with the criminal in a partnership of iniquity, cannot really defend his
 associates while accusing him. The contractors exacted money from the cities instead of corn. Well! was this never
 done except in the praetorship of Verres? I do not say that, but it was done while
 Caecilius was quaestor. What then will you do? Will you urge against this man as a
 charge, what you both could and ought to have prevented from being done? or will you
 leave out the whole of it? Verres, then, at his trial will absolutely never hear at all
 of those things, which, when he was doing them, he did not know how he should be able to
 defend. 
 And I am mentioning those matters which lie
 on the surface. There are other acts of plunder more secret, which he, in order, I
 suppose, to check the courage and delay the attack of Caecilius, has very kindly
 participated in with his quaestor. You know that information of these matters has been given to me; and if I were to
 choose to mention them, all men would easily perceive that there was not only a perfect
 harmony of will subsisting between you both, but that you did not pursue even your
 plunder separately. So that if you demand to be allowed to give information of the
 crimes which Verres has committed in conjunction with you, I have no objection, if it is
 allowed by the law. But if we are speaking of conducting the prosecution, that you must
 yield ta those who are hindered by no crimes of their own from being able to prove the
 offences of another. And see how much difference there will be between my accusation and yours. I intend to
 charge Verres with all the crimes that you committed, though he had no share in them,
 because he did not prevent you from committing them, though he had the supreme power;
 you, on the other hand, will not allege against him even the crimes which he committed
 himself, lest you should be found to be in any particular connected with him. What shall
 I say of these other points, O Caecilius? Do these things appear contemptible to you,
 without which no cause, especially no cause of such importance, can by any means be
 supported? Have you any talent for pleading? any practice in speaking? Have you paid any
 attention or acquired any acquaintance with the forum, the courts, and the laws?