§12.1.1FINEM nullam facio, mihi crede, Cassi, de te et Bruto nostro, id est de tota re p.
I make no end, believe me, Cassius, of thinking of you and of our Brutus, that is, of the entire republic, of which all hope is in you and in D.
cogitandi, cuius omnis spes in vobis est et in D. Bruto; quam quidem iam habeo ipse meliorem re publica a Dolabella meo praeclarissime gesta.
Brutus; which hope indeed I myself now have in a better state, since my Dolabella has conducted the republic most gloriously.
manabat enim illud malum urbanum et ita corroborabatur cotidie ut ego quidem et urbi et otio diffiderem urbano, sed ita sedulo compressa est ut mihi videamur omne iam ad tempus ab illo dumtaxat sordidissimo periculo tuti futuri.
For that urban evil was spreading and was being so strengthened daily that I indeed distrusted both the city and the urban leisure, but it was so diligently suppressed that we seem to myself to be likely to be safe for all time henceforth, at least from that most foul danger.
reliqua magna sunt ac multa sed posita omnia in vobis.
The remaining matters are great and many, but they are all placed in you.
quamquam primum quidque explicemus.
However, let us explain each first thing.
nam ut adhuc quidem actum est, non regno sed rege liberati videmur; interfecto enim rege regios omnis nutus tuemur, neque vero id solum sed etiam, quae ipse ille si viveret non faceret, ea nos quasi cogitata ab illo probamus.
For as far as has been done up to now, we seem to have been freed not from the tyranny but from the tyrant; for though the tyrant has been killed, we maintain all the tyrant's nods, and not only that, but we even approve, as if planned by him, those things which he himself, if he were alive, would not do.
nec eius quidem rei finem video.
Nor indeed do I see an end to this matter.
tabulae figuntur, immunitates dantur, pecuniae maximae discribuntur, exsules reducuntur, senatus consulta falsa deferuntur, ut tantum modo odium illud hominis impuri et servitutis dolor depulsus esse videatur, res p. iaceat in iis perturbationibus in quas eam ille coniecit.
Tablets are being fixed, immunities are being granted, immense sums of money are being assigned, exiles are being recalled, false decrees of the senate are being brought in, so that only that hatred of the impure man and the pain of servitude seem to have been cast off, while the republic lies in those perturbations into which he threw it.
§12.1.2haec omnia vobis sunt expedienda, nec hoc cogitandum, satis iam habere rem p. a vobis.
All these things must be cleared up by you, nor must you think that the republic already has enough from you.
habet illa quidem tantum quantum numquam mihi in mentem venit optare, sed contenta non est et pro magnitudine et animi et benefici vestri a vobis magna desiderat.
It indeed has as much as it never entered my mind to wish for, but it is not content, and demands great things from you in proportion to the greatness of both your courage and your service.
adhuc ulta suas iniurias est per vos interitu tyranni; nihil amplius; ornamenta vero sua quae reciperavit? an quod ei mortuo paret quem vivum ferre non poterat? cuius aera refigere debebamus, eius etiam chirographa defendimus? at enim ita decrevimus.
Up to now it has avenged its wrongs through you by the death of the tyrant; nothing more; but what ornaments of its own has it recovered? Is it that it obeys him in death whom it could not bear in life? Are we defending even the handwritten documents of him whose bronze tablets we ought to have torn down? But, you will say, we so decreed.
fecimus id quidem temporibus cedentes, quae valent in re p. plurimum; sed immoderate quidam et ingrate nostra facilitate abutuntur.
We did so indeed, yielding to the times, which have the greatest power in the republic; but certain persons are abusing our compliance immoderately and ungratefully.
verum haec propediem et multa alia coram; interim velim sic tibi persuadeas, mihi cum rei p. quam semper habui carissimam, tum amoris nostri causa maximae curae esse tuam dignitatem.
But of these things soon, and of many others in person; in the meantime, I would have you persuade yourself of this, that your dignity is of the greatest concern to me, both for the sake of the republic, which I have always held most dear, and for the sake of our love.
da operam ut valeas.
Take care of your health.
vale.
Farewell.