You
 demand to see our own censor's returns. I suppose no one knows that at the time of the last
 census he was with that most illustrious general, Lucius Lucullus, with the army; that at the
 time of the preceding one he was with the same man when he was in Asia as quaestor; and that in
 the census before that, when Julius and Crassus were censors, no regular account of the people
 was taken. But, since the census does not confirm the right of citizenship, but only indicates
 that he, who is returned in the census, did at that time claim to be considered as a citizen, I
 say that, at that time, when you say, in your speech for the prosecution, that he did not even
 himself consider that he had any claim to the privileges of a Roman citizen, he more than once
 made a will according to our laws, and he entered upon inheritances left him by Roman citizens;
 and he was made honourable mention of by Lucius Lucullus, both as praetor and as consul, in the
 archives kept in the treasury. 
 You must rely wholly on what arguments you can find. For he will never be convicted either by
 his own opinion or his case, or by that which is formed of it by his friends. You ask us, O Gratius, why we are so exceedingly attached to this man. Because he supplies us
 with food whereby our mind is refreshed after this noise in the forum, and with rest for our
 ears after they have been wearied with bad language. Do you think it possible that we could find
 a supply for our daily speeches, when discussing such a variety of matters, unless we were to
 cultivate our minds by the study of literature; or that our minds could bear being kept so
 constantly on the stretch if we did not relax them by that same study? But I confess that I am
 devoted to those studies, let others be ashamed of them if they have buried themselves in books
 without being able to produce anything out of them for the common advantage or anything which
 may bear the eyes of men and the light. But why need I be ashamed, who for many years have lived
 in such a manner as never to allow my own love of tranquillity to deny me to the necessity or
 advantage of another or my fondness for pleasure to distract, or even sleep to delay my
 attention to such claims? Who then can reproach me or who has
 any right to be angry with me, if I allow myself as much time for the cultivation of these
 studies as some take for the performance of their own business, or for celebrating days of
 festival and games, or for other pleasures, or even for the rest and refreshment of mind and
 body, or as others devote to early banquets, to playing at dice, or at ball? And this ought to
 be permitted to me, because by these studies my power of speaking and those faculties are
 improved, which, as far as they do exist in me, have never been denied to my friends when they
 have been in peril. And if that ability appears to any one to be but moderate, at all events I
 know whence I derive those principles which are of the greatest value. For if I had not persuaded myself from my youth upwards, both by the precepts
 of many masters and by much reading, that there is nothing in life greatly to be desired, except
 praise and honour, and that while pursuing those things all tortures of the body, all dangers of
 death and banishment are to be considered but of small importance, I should never have exposed
 myself, in defence of your safety, to such numerous and arduous contests, and to these daily
 attacks of profligate men. But all books are full of such precepts, and all the sayings of
 philosophers, and all antiquity is full of precedents teaching the same lesson; but all these
 things would lie buried in darkness, if the light of literature and learning were not applied to
 them. How many images of the bravest men, carefully elaborated, have both the Greek and Latin
 writers bequeathed to us, not merely for us to look at and gaze upon, but also for our
 imitation! And I, always keeping them before my eyes as examples for my own public conduct, have
 endeavoured to model my mind and views by continually thinking of those excellent men.
 Some one will ask, “What? were those identical great men, whose virtues have
 been recorded in books, accomplished in all that learning which you are extolling so highly?” It
 is difficult to assert this of all of them; but still I know what answer I can make to that
 question: I admit that many men have existed of admirable disposition and virtue, who, without
 learning, by the almost divine instinct of their own mere nature, have been, of their own
 accord, as it were, moderate and wise men. I even add this, that very often nature without
 learning has had more to do with leading men to credit and to virtue, than learning when not
 assisted by a good natural disposition. And I also contend, that when to an excellent and
 admirable natural disposition there is added a certain system and training of education, then
 from that combination arises an extraordinary perfection of character;