MARCUS CATO. 345

profit.* He likewise lent money to those of his slaves who wished to borrow, with which they bought also other young ones, whom, when they had taught and bred up at his charges, they would sell again at the year's end ; but some of them Cato would keep for himself, giving just as much for them as another had offered. To incline his son to be of this kind of temper, he used to tell him, that it was not like a man, but rather like a widow woman, to lessen an estate. But the strongest indication of Cato's avaricious humor was when he took the boldness to affirm, that he was a most wonderful, nay, a godlike man, who left more behind him than he had received. He was now grown old, when Carneades the Academic, and Diogenes the Stoic, came as deputies from Athens to Rome, praying for release from a penalty of five hundred talents laid on the Athenians, in a suit, to which they did not appear, in which the Oropians were plaintiffs, and Sicyonians judges. All the most studious youth im- mediately waited on these philosophers, and frequently, with admiration, heai-d them speak. But the graceful- ness of C.arneades's oratory, whose ability was really great- est, and his reputation equal to it, gathered large and favorable audiences, and erelong filled, like a wind, all the city with the sound of it. So that it soon began to be told, that a Greek, famous even to admiration, winning and carrying all before him, had impressed so strange a love upon the young men, that quitting all their pleasures and pastimes, they ran mad, as it were, after philosophy ; which indeed much pleased the Romans in general ; nor could they but with much pleasure see the youth receive so welcomely the Greek literature, and frequent the com- pany of learned men. But Cato, on the other side, see-

• He lent money to the company, not lose much, and it gave him the

at high interest, and took one share advantage of sending his agent, himsel£ On this share he could Quintio, to see that all was fair.