fortunam, because the plot only failed through his accidentally giving the signal too soon.

neque enim, etc. 'Neque' negatives the whole sentence, and 'non' goes closely with 'multa'; 'for they are no secret, nor have your later offences been few.'

parva quadam declinatione et, ut aiunt, corpore. Hendiadys, 'by a mere turn of the body, so to speak.' The metaphor is taken from fencing, ('ut aiunt' being introduced, like the Greek ὡς εἰπεῖν, to soften the abruptness). Cf. Virg. Aen. 5. 437 (of boxing)

'Stat gravis Entellus, nisuque immotus eodem
Corpore tela modo atque oculis vigilantibus exit.'

[§16].

initiata ac devota. 'Consecrated and vowed'; alluding to the common practice of assassins, of dedicating the weapon to some patron deity, in case of the attempt being successful. 'Quae' is the connecting relative, and 'quibus . . . sit,' an indirect question depending on 'nescio.'

nulla, adverbial, 'which you do not deserve at all.'

tibi persaepe. In prose (except after the gerundive) the dative of the agent is only used with personal pronouns, and when the thing is done for the interest of as well as by the person. In poetry there is no such restriction. Other instances are [1. 24] 'cui sciam pactam cum Manlio diem,' [2. 13] 'quem ad modum esset ei ratio belli descripta,' [2. 26] 'mihi consultum ac provisum est.'

tandem. See [on 1. 1].

[§17].