§10.28.1quam vellem ad illas pulcherrimas epulas me Idibus Martiis invitasses! reliquiarum nihil haberemus.
How I wish you had invited me to that most beautiful feast on the Ides of March! We should have had no leftovers.
at nunc cum iis tantum negoti est, ut vestrum illud divinum in rem p. beneficium non nullam habeat querelam.
But as it is, we have so much trouble with them that that divine service of yours to the republic is not free from some complaint.
quod vero a te, viro optimo, seductus est tuoque beneficio adhuc vivit haec pestis, interdum, quod mihi vix fas est, tibi subirascor; mihi enim negoti plus reliquisti uni quam praeter me omnibus.
Indeed, as for the fact that this pest, having been led aside by you, an excellent man, still lives by your favor, sometimes I am slightly angry with you—which is scarcely lawful for me; for you have left more work for me alone than for all others besides me.
ut enim primum post Antoni foedissimum discessum senatus haberi libere potuit, ad illum animum meum reverti pristinum, quem tu cum civi acerrimo, patre tuo, in ore et amore semper habuisti.
For as soon as the senate could be held freely after Antony's most foul departure, I returned to that former spirit of mine, which you, along with your father, a most zealous citizen, always had on your lips and in your affection.
§10.28.2nam cum senatum a. d. xiii K. Ian. tr. pl. vocavissent deque alia re referrent, totam rem p. sum complexus egique acerrime senatumque iam languentem et defessum ad pristinam virtutem consuetudinemque revocavi magis animi quam ingeni viribus.
For when the tribunes of the plebs had summoned the senate on the thirteenth day before the Kalends of January and were referring another matter, I embraced the whole republic and spoke most vigorously, and recalled the senate, already languishing and exhausted, to its former virtue and custom, more by the strength of my spirit than of my intellect.
hic dies meaque contentio atque actio spem primum populo R. attulit libertatis reciperandae; nec vero ipse postea tempus ullum intermisi de re p. non cogitandi solum sed etiam agendi.
This day and my exertion and action first brought to the Roman people the hope of recovering their liberty; nor indeed did I myself afterwards let any time pass without not only thinking but also acting on behalf of the republic.
§10.28.3quod nisi res urbanas actaque omnia ad te perferri arbitrarer, ipse perscriberem, quamquam eram maximis occupationibus impeditus.
But if I did not believe that city affairs and all the public acts were being reported to you, I would write them down myself, although I was hindered by the greatest occupations.
sed illa cognosces ex aliis; a me pauca, et ea summatim.
But you will learn those things from others; from me a few words, and those in brief.
habemus fortem senatum, consularis partim timidos, partim male sentientis; magnum damnum factum est in Servio;
We have a brave senate, but the consulars are partly timid, partly ill-disposed; a great loss has been sustained in Servius; L.
L. Caesar optime sentit sed, quod avunculus est, non acerrimas dicit sententias; consules egregii, praeclarus D. Brutus, egregius puer Caesar, de quo spero equidem reliqua;
Caesar has excellent sentiments but, because he is an uncle, he does not deliver the most vigorous opinions; the consuls are excellent, D.
hoc vero certum habeto, nisi ille veteranos celeriter conscripsisset legionesque duae de exercitu Antoni ad eius se auctoritatem contulissent atque is oppositus esset terror Antonio, nihil Antonium sceleris, nihil crudelitatis praeteriturum fuisse.
Brutus is illustrious, the young Caesar is excellent, of whom I indeed hope for the rest; but hold this for certain, that if he had not quickly enrolled the veterans and if two legions from Antony's army had not betaken themselves to his authority, and if that terror had not been opposed to Antony, Antony would have omitted no crime, no cruelty.
haec tibi, etsi audita esse arbitrabar, volui tamen notiora esse.
I wished these things, even though I thought they had been heard by you, to be better known to you.
plura scribam, si plus oti habuero.
I will write more if I have more leisure.