§1.9.1periucundae mihi fuerunt litterae tuae, quibus intellexi te perspicere meam in te pietatem; quid enim dicam benevolentiam, cum illud ipsum gravissimum et sanctissimum nomen pietatis levius mihi meritis erga me tuis esse videatur? quod autem tibi grata mea erga te studia scribis esse, facis tu quidem abundantia quadam amoris, ut etiam grata sint ea, quae praetermitti sine nefario scelere non possunt.
Your letter was very pleasing to me, from which I understood that you clearly perceive my devotion towards you; for why should I speak of goodwill, when even that most grave and sacred name of devotion seems to me too light compared to your merits towards me? Moreover, as to your writing that my zeal towards you is pleasing to you, you indeed do this out of a certain abundance of love, so that even those things are pleasing which cannot be omitted without a heinous crime.
tibi autem multo notior atque inlustrior meus in te animus esset, si hoc tempore omni, quo diiuncti fuimus, et una et Romae fuissemus.
But my mind towards you would have been much better known and more illustrious to you, if during all this time we were separated, we had been both together and at Rome.
§1.9.2nam in eo ipso, quod te ostendis esse facturum quodque et in primis potes et ego a te vehementer exspecto, in sententiis senatoriis et in omni actione atque administratione rei publicae floruissemus (de qua ostendam equidem paulo post qui sit meus sensus et status, et rescribam tibi ad ea, quae quaeris); sed certe et ego te auctore amicissimo ac sapientissimo et tu me consiliario fortasse non imperitissimo, fideli quidem et benevolo certe usus esses.
For in that very thing which you show you are going to do, and which you are especially able to do and I earnestly expect from you, namely in senatorial opinions and in all action and administration of the state, we would have flourished together (concerning which I shall indeed show a little later what my feeling and status is, and I shall write back to you in reply to those things which you ask); but certainly both I would have used you as a most friendly and wise adviser, and you would have used me as a counsellor, perhaps not the most unskilful, and certainly faithful and benevolent.
quamquam tua quidem causa te esse imperatorem provinciamque bene gestis rebus cum exercitu victore obtinere, ut debeo, laetor; sed certe, qui tibi ex me fructus debentur, eos uberiores et praesentiores praesens capere potuisses; in eis vero ulciscendis, quos tibi partim inimicos esse intellegis propter tuam propugnationem salutis meae, partim invidere propter illius actionis amplitudinem et gloriam, mirificum me tibi comitem praebuissem; quam quam ille perennis inimicus amicorum suorum, qui tuis maximis beneficiis ornatus in te potissimum fractam illam et debilitatam vim suam contulit, nostram vicem ultus est ipse sese.
Although, for your sake, I rejoice, as I ought, that you are commander-in-chief and hold your province, after successfully managing your affairs, with a victorious army; yet certainly, those fruits which are due to you from me, you, being present, could have received more abundantly and more directly; and indeed, in avenging those whom you understand to be partly hostile to you because of your defense of my safety, and partly to envy you because of the grandeur and glory of that action, I would have presented myself as a wonderful companion to you; although that perpetual enemy of his own friends, who, having been honored by your greatest benefits, directed his broken and weakened power chiefly against you, has avenged our cause upon himself.
ea est enim conatus, quibus patefactis nullam sibi in posterum non modo dignitatis sed ne libertatis quidem partem reliquit.
For such were his attempts that, when they were exposed, he left for himself in the future no part not only of dignity but not even of freedom.
§1.9.3te autem etsi mallem in meis rebus expertum quam etiam in tuis, tamen in molestia gaudeo eam fidem cognosse hominum non ita magna mercede quam ego maximo dolore cognoram.
But although I would have preferred that you had experienced the loyalty of men in my affairs rather than in your own, yet in this trouble I rejoice that you have come to know that loyalty of men at a price not so great as that which I had learned with the greatest pain.
de qua ratione tota iam videtur mihi exponendi tempus dari, ut tibi rescribam ad ea, quae quaeris.
Concerning this whole policy, the time seems now to be given to me for explaining it, so that I may write back to you in reply to what you ask.
§1.9.4certiorem te per litteras scribis esse factum me cum Caesare et cum Appio esse in gratia teque id non reprehendere adscribis; Vatinium autem scire te velle ostendis quibus rebus adductus defenderim et laudarim.
You write that you have been informed by letter that I am in favor with Caesar and with Appius, and you add that you do not find fault with this; but you show that you wish to know by what reasons I was induced to defend and praise Vatinius.
quod tibi ut planius exponam, altius paulo rationem consiliorum meorum repetam necesse est.
In order to explain this to you more clearly, it is necessary for me to trace the reason for my plans a little further back.
ego me, Lentule, initio rerum atque actionum tuarum non solum meis sed etiam rei publicae restitutum putabam et, quoniam tibi incredibilem quendam amorem et omnia in te ipsum summa ac singularia studia deberem, rei publicae, quae te in me restituendo multum adiuvisset, eum certe me animum merito ipsius debere arbitrabar, quem antea tantum modo communi officio civium, non aliquo erga me singulari beneficio debitum praestitissem.
I, Lentulus, at the beginning of your actions and measures, thought that I had been restored not only to my own friends but also to the state; and since I owed to you an incredible love and all the highest and singular zeal towards yourself, I thought that I certainly owed to the state, which had helped much in restoring me, that mind by its own merit which previously I had displayed as owed only by the common duty of citizens, and not by some singular benefit towards me.
hac me mente fuisse et senatus ex me te consule audivit et tu in nostris sermonibus conlocutionibusque vidisti.
That I was of this mind, the senate both heard from me when you were consul, and you yourself saw in our conversations and conferences.