Had the Sicilians said that they were unwilling to trust their affairs to Caecilius because they had not known him, but were willing to trust him, Cicero, whom they did know, would not even that have been reasonable enough of itself?
But the Sicilians had known both of them, had known Caecilius almost as well as Cicero, and had expressed themselves clearly.

Much as they desired to have Cicero, they were as anxious not to have Caecilius.

Even had they held their tongues about this, everybody would have known it; but they had been far from holding their tongues.

"Yet you offer yourself to these most unwilling clients," he says, turning to Caecilius.

"Yet you are ready to plead in a cause that does not belong to you! Yet you would defend those who would rather have no defender than such a one as you!"[103] Then he attacks Hortensius, the advocate for Verres.