472 THE OCTAVIUS OP pous styleof the eloquence,but by the solidcharacterof the matter itself.Nor must our attention,as you complain,be any longercalledaway, but with absolutesilenceletus listen to the replyof our friendJanuarius,1who is now beckoning to us [thathe isabout to speak]." CHAPTER XVI. Argument. — Octaviusthereforearrangeshisreply,and trusts thathe shallbe ableto dilutethe bitternessof reproach with the riverof truthfulwords. He then proceeds to weaken the individualarguments of Cacilius. And he firstof all laysitdown, thatnobody need complain that the Christians,unlearnedthough they may be, dispute about heavenlythings,becauseit is not the authorityof him who argues,but thetruthof the argument itself,that shouldbe considered. And thus Octavius began: "I willindeed speak as I shall be able to the bestof my powers,and you must endeavour with me to dilutethe very offensivestainof recriminations in the river1 of veraciouswords. Nor willI disguisein the outset,that the opinionof my friendNatalis3has swayed to and fro in such an erratic,vague, and slipperymanner, that we are compelled to doubt whether your 4 information-was confused,or whether itwavered backwards and forwards* by mere mistake. For he variedat one time from believingthe gods,at anothertime to being in a stateof hesitationon the subject; so that the directpurposeof my reply was estab lishedwith the greateruncertainty,"by reasonof the uncer taintyof his proposition. But in my friendNatalis— I will 1Scil" Octavius." 2 Some read," inthelight." 3 Coscilius. 4 Otherwise" his." 5Some read" cavillaverit" insteadof " vacillavcrit,"whichwould givethesense," make captiousobjections."cThisisotherwisegiven" certainty,"whichhelpsthemeaningofthe passage.