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It was in that same connexion
that you brought forth my Prognostics1 and some
samples of herbs—the scammony and aristolochia2
root—saying that you could see their virtue and
effect but did not know the cause.
21. "But your illustrations are not pertinent
at all. For example, the causes of meteorological
phenomena have been investigated by Boëthus3 the
Stoic, whom you mentioned, and by our friend
Posidonius; and even if the causes are not discovered by them, yet the phenomena themselves
are capable of observation and study. But what
opportunity was there for long-continued observation
in the case where Natta's statue and the brazen
tablets of laws were struck by lightning?4 'The
Nattas,' you say, 'were of the Pinarian gens5 and
of noble birth, therefore danger was to be expected
from the nobility.' So clever of Jupiter to devise
such a means to warn us of danger! 'The statue of
the infant Romulus,' you observe, ' was struck by a
thunderbolt; hence danger was thereby predicted
to the city which he founded.' How wise of Jupiter
to use signs in conveying information to us! Again,
you say, 'Jupiter's statue was being set up at the
very time the conspiracy was being exposed.'6 You,
of course, prefer to attribute this coincidence to a
divine decree rather than to chance. The man to
whom Cotta and Torquatus let the contract for the
[p. 425]
statue did not, I presume, delay the completion of
his work either from lack of energy or from lack
of funds, but his hand was stayed till the appointed
hour by the immortal gods!
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