A leading barrister would hardly leave behind him a record of his work in chambers.

It has thus come to pass that, though we can picture to ourselves a Cicero before the judges, or addressing the people from the rostra, or uttering his opinion in the Senate, we know nothing of him as he sat in his office and did his consular work.

We cannot but suppose that there must have been an office with many clerks.

There must have been heavy daily work.

The whole operation of government was under the Consul's charge, and to Cicero, with a Catiline on his hands, this must have been more than usually heavy.