— ^An  entire  abolition  of  debts  was  never  granted  to  the  people.  At
one  time,  however,  by  a  law  of  Valerius  Flaccus,  a  fourth  part  of
the  debt  was  allowed  to  be  paid  for  the  whole.     {SaUust,  Cat,  33.)

13.  Meo  bencficiOf  &c.  "  An  abolition  of  debts  shall  be  brought
forward  through  my  kindness,  but  it  shall  be  the  result  of  sales
at  auction."  Literally,  "  new  tablets  shall  be  brought  forward,  but
they  shall  be  auction-ones,"  i.  e.  auction-lists,  containing  an  account
of  their  property  as  offered  for  sale.  Cicero  means  that  their  prop-
erty, or  a  sufficient  portion  of  it,  will  be  exposed  to  sal<»,  and  then
debts  paid  with  the  proceeds. — Emesti  objects  to  the  presence  ol
novae  in  the  text,  as  not  proper  to  be  connected  with  aucHonariae
tabulae,  remarking,  "  aiLctionariae  tabulae  nullo  modo  ac  sensu
novae  did  possum,  ut  opvnory  He  appears,  however,  to  forg^
that  Cicero  is  here  indulging  in  a  piece  of  pleasantry,  or  what  may
be  denominated  a  species  of  pun.  The  tables,  which  he' promises,
are  to  be  new,  in  another  sense,  and  one  for  which  they  were  not
prepared.     It  is  what  the  grammarians  term  an  unexpected  witti

cism,  a   **  lusus  napa.  irpoaSoKiav."

14.  Quod  si  maturius  facere  voluissent.  "Had  they  been
willing  to  pursue  this  course  sooner."  Quod  is  here  to  be  rendered
by  hoe,  as  it  commences  a  clause.
