§3.11.1Cum essem in castris ad fluvium Pyramum, redditae mihi sunt uno tempore a te epistulae duae, quas ad me Q. Servilius Tarso miserat.
When I was in camp by the river Pyramus, two letters from you were delivered to me at one and the same time, which Quintus Servilius had sent to me from Tarsus.
earum in altera dies erat ascripta Nonarum Aprilium, in altera, quae mihi recentior videbatur, dies non erat.
On one of them the date of the Nones of April was written; on the other, which seemed to me to be more recent, there was no date.
respondebo igitur superiori prius, in qua scribis ad me de absolutione maiestatis.
I will therefore reply first to the former, in which you write to me about your acquittal on the charge of treason.
de qua etsi permulto ante certior factus eram litteris, nuntiis, fama denique ipsa (nihil enim fuit clarius; non quo quisquam aliter putasset, sed nihil de insignibus ad laudem viris obscure nuntiari solet), tamen eadem illa laetiora fecerunt mihi tuae litterae, non solum quia planius loquebantur et uberius quam vulgi sermo, sed etiam quia magis videbar tibi gratulari, cum de te ex te ipso audiebam.
Although I had been informed of this much earlier by letters, messengers, and finally by rumor itself (for nothing was more notorious; not that anyone had thought otherwise, but nothing concerning men distinguished for praise is accustomed to be reported obscurely), yet your letter made those same things more joyful to me, not only because it spoke more clearly and fully than the talk of the crowd, but also because I seemed to congratulate you more when I heard about you from yourself.
§3.11.2complexus igitur sum cogitatione te absentem, epistulam vero osculatus etiam ipse mihi gratulatus sum; quae enim a cuncto populo, a senatu, a iudicibus ingenio, industriae, virtuti tribuuntur, quia mihi ipse adsentor fortasse, cum ea esse in me fingo, mihi quoque ipsi tribui puto.
Therefore, I embraced you in thought though absent, and kissing the letter, I congratulated even myself; for what is attributed by the whole people, the senate, and the judges to talent, industry, and virtue, because I perhaps flatter myself when I imagine those things to be in me, I think is also attributed to myself.
nec tam gloriosum exitum tui iudici exstitisse, sed tam pravam inimicorum tuorum mentem fuisse mirabar.
I did not wonder so much that such a glorious exit of your trial had occurred, but that the mind of your enemies had been so depraved.
'de ambitu vero quid interest,' inquies, 'an de maiestate?' ad rem nihil; alterum enim non attigisti, alteram auxisti.
"But what interest is there," you will say, "whether it is concerning bribery or treason?" To the matter, nothing; for you did not touch the one, and you increased the other.
†verum tamen est maiestas, etsi Sulla voluit, ne in quemvis impune declamari liceret; ambitus vero ita apertam vim habet, ut aut accusetur improbe aut defendatur.
Yet treason exists, even if Sulla wished that it should not be allowed for anyone to be declaimed against with impunity; but bribery has such open force that it is either accused wickedly or defended with difficulty.
quid enim? facta necne facta largitio, ignorari potest? tuorum autem honorum cursus cui suspectus umquam fuit?
For why? Can a bribe that has been made or not made remain unknown? But who ever suspected the course of your offices?
§3.11.3me miserum, qui non, adfuerim! quos ego risus excitassem! sed de maiestatis iudicio duo mihi illa ex tuis litteris iucundissima fuerunt, unum, quod te ab ipsa re publica defensum scribis, quae quidem etiam in summa bonorum et fortium civium copia tueri talis viros deberet, nunc vero eo magis, quod tanta penuria est in omni vel honoris vel aetatis gradu, ut tam orba civitas talis tutores complecti debeat; alterum, quod Pompei et Bruti fidem benevolentiamque mirifice laudas.
Wretched me, for not having been present! What laughter I would have excited! But concerning the trial for treason, those two things from your letter were most pleasant to me: one, that you write that you were defended by the Republic itself, which indeed ought to protect such men even in the greatest abundance of good and brave citizens, but now all the more because there is such a scarcity in every grade of honor or age, so that a state so bereaved ought to embrace such guardians; the other, that you wonderfully praise the fidelity and goodwill of Pompey and Brutus.
laetor virtute et officio quom tuorum necessariorum, meorum amicissimorum, tum alterius omnium saeculorum et gentium principis, alterius iam pridem iuventutis, celeriter, ut spero, civitatis.
I rejoice in the virtue and duty both of your relatives, who are my closest friends, and of the one who is the leader of all ages and nations, and of the other who has long been the leader of the youth and, as I hope, soon of the state.
de mercennariis testibus a suis civitatibus notandis nisi iam factum aliquid est per Flaccum, fiet a me, cum per Asiam decedam.
Concerning the mercenary witnesses to be marked by their own states, unless something has already been done through Flaccus, it will be done by me when I depart through Asia.
§3.11.4nunc ad alteram epistulam venio.
Now I come to the other letter.
quod ad me quasi formam communium temporum et totius rei publicae misisti expressam, prudentia litterarum tuarum valde mihi est grata; video enim et pericula leviora, quam timebam, et maiora praesidia, siquidem, ut scribis, omnes vires civitatis se ad Pompei ductum applicaverunt; tuumque simul promptum animum et alacrem perspexi ad defendendam rem publicam mirificamque cepi voluptatem ex hac tua diligentia, quod in summis tuis occupationibus mihi tamen rei publicae statum per te notum esse voluisti.
In that you sent to me, as it were, a copy of the public times and of the whole Republic clearly expressed, the prudence of your letter is very grateful to me; for I see both that the dangers are lighter than I feared, and the protections greater, since indeed, as you write, all the forces of the state have applied themselves to the leadership of Pompey; and at the same time I perceived your prompt and eager mind for defending the Republic, and I received wonderful pleasure from this diligence of yours, because in your greatest occupations you yet wished the state of the Republic to be known to me through you.
nam auguralis libros ad commune utriusque nostrum otium serva.
As for the augural books, keep them for the common leisure of both of us.
ego enim, a te cum tua promissa per litteras flagitabam, ad urbem te otiosissimum esse arbitrabar; nunc tamen, ut ipse polliceris, pro auguralibus libris orationes tuas confectas omnis exspectabo.
For when I was demanding your promises from you by letter, I thought you were very at leisure at the city; now however, as you yourself promise, instead of the augural books, I will expect all your finished speeches.
§3.11.5D. Tullius, cui mandata ad me dedisti, non convenerat me; nec erat iam quisquam mecum tuorum praeter omnis meos, qui sunt omnes tui.
Decimus Tullius, to whom you gave messages for me, had not met me; nor was there anyone of yours with me now, besides all of mine, who are all yours.
'stomachosiores' meas litteras quas dicas esse, non intellego. Bis ad te scripsi me purgans diligenter, te leviter accusans in eo, quod de me cito credidisses.
I do not understand what you mean by saying that my letters are "somewhat angry." I wrote to you twice, diligently clearing myself, and gently accusing you in that you had quickly believed concerning me.
quod genus querelae mihi quidem videbatur esse amici; sin tibi displicet, non utar eo posthac.
Which kind of complaint indeed seemed to me to be that of a friend; but if it displeases you, I will not use it hereafter.
sed si, ut scribis, eae litterae non fuerunt 'disertae,' scito meas non fuisse.
But if, as you write, those letters were not "eloquent," know that they were not mine.
ut enim Aristarchus Homeri versum negat, quem non probat, sic tu (libet enim mihi iocari), quod disertum non erit, ne putaris meum.
For as Aristarchus denies a verse of Homer which he does not approve, so you (for I am pleased to joke), whatever is not eloquent, do not think it is mine.
vale et in censura, si iam es censor, ut spero, de proavo multum cogitato tuo.
Farewell, and in your censorship, if you are already censor, as I hope, think much of your great-grandfather.