Pro S. Roscio Amerino

40 CICEEO
he liad been guilty o£ a most dishonourable act ; according-
ly there was instituted legal procedure dealing with breacla
of trust, involving no less disgrace than that dealing with
theft, I suppose because,in matters in which we cannot
engage^^personally^the promise of ovir friends is substituted
in the place of our performance, and the man who breaks
this promise assails a bulwark which belongs to all of us
in common, and, so far as in him lies, throws our social
life into confusion. For we cannot do eveiything bj oui--
selves: one is more useful in one sphere, another in
another: and for this reason friendships are formed, so
that our common interest may be promoted by mutual
services.
112. Why do you accept a commission if you mean to
manage it carelessly, or veer round to suit your own
interest? Why do you thrust yourself upon me and,
while pretendiug to do a kindness, become a hindrance and
obstacle to my interests ? Get yourself out of the way ; I
you are
will have the business done through some one else ;
taking upon yourself the burden of an obligation whicli
you think you can support, a burden which seems far from
heavy only to those whose characters are far from worthless.
So this offence is disgraceful for the reason that it outrages
those two most sacred obligations, friendship and
good faith : inasmuch as hardly anyone entrusts a conimission
to any other than a friend, or has confidence in
anyone but him whom he believes to be faithful. Therefore
it betokens an utterly worthless character to break
the ties of friendship, and at the same time to deceive a
man who could not have been wronged had he not had
confidence in his friend.
113. Is it not so ? In matters of the smallest importance,
a man who has not attended to a trust must have a
most dishonouring sentence passed upon him, and in a
matter so serious—when the man, to whose care and keeping
were confidently entrusted the good name of the dead
and the fortunes of the living, has brought disgrace upon
the dead and destitution upon the living— sliall he be
reckoned among houourable men, or, I should rather say,
among living citizens ? In unimportant and private