§3.12.1gratulabor tibi prius; ita enim rerum ordo postulat; deinde ad me convertar.
I will congratulate you first; for so the order of things demands; then I will turn to myself.
ego vero vehementer gratulor de iudicio ambitus, neque id, quod nemini dubium fuit, absolutum esse te, sed illud, quod, quo melior civis, quo vir clarior, quo fortior amicus es, quoque plura virtutis, industriae ornamenta in te sunt, eo mirandum est magis nullam ne in tabellae quidem latebra fuisse absconditam malevolentiam, quae te impugnare auderet.
I indeed warmly congratulate you on the trial for bribery, and that not because you were acquitted—which was doubtful to no one—but because, the better a citizen, the more distinguished a man, the stronger a friend you are, and the more ornaments of virtue and industry there are in you, so much the more wonderful is it that not even in the secrecy of the voting tablet was there hidden any malice that dared to attack you.
non horum temporum, non horum hominum atque morum negotium! nihil iam sum pridem admiratus magis.
This is not the business of these times, nor of these men and manners! I have for a long time admired nothing more.
§3.12.2de me autem suscipe paulisper meas partis et eum te esse finge, qui sum ego.
But concerning myself, assume my part for a little while and imagine yourself to be the one who I am.
si facile inveneris, quid dicas, noli ignoscere haesitationi meae.
If you easily find what to say, do not forgive my hesitation.
ego vero velim mihi Tulliaeque meae, sicut tu amicissime et suavissime optas, prospere evenire ea, quae me insciente facta sunt a meis;
I indeed would wish that those things which were done by my family without my knowledge might turn out prosperously for me and my Tullia, as you most amicously and sweetly desire; but that they should have so fallen out as to be transacted at that very time!
sed ita cecidisse, ut agerentur eo tempore! spero omnino cum aliqua felicitate et opto, verum tamen plus me in hac spe tua sapientia et humanitas consolatur quam opportunitas temporis.
I hope and desire indeed that it may be with some happiness, but nevertheless, in this hope your wisdom and humanity console me more than the opportuneness of the time.
itaque, quem ad modum expediam exitum huius institutae orationis, non reperio; neque enim tristius dicere quicquam debeo ea de re, quam tu ipse ominibus optimis prosequeris, neque non me tamen mordet aliquid.
Therefore, how I may extricate the conclusion of this speech I have begun, I do not find; for I ought not to say anything too sad about a matter which you yourself pursue with the best omens, and yet something does not fail to vex me.
in quo unum non vereor, ne tu parum perspicias ea, quae gesta sunt, ab aliis esse gesta; quibus ego ita mandaram, ut, cum tam longe afuturus essem, ad me ne referrent; agerent, quod probassent.
In which matter there is only one thing I do not fear—namely, that you should too little perceive that those things which were done were done by others; to whom I had given such instructions that, since I was to be so far away, they should not refer matters to me, but should do what they approved.
§3.12.3in hoc autem mihi illud occurrit: 'quid tu igitur, si adfuisses?' rem probassem, de tempore nihil te invito, nihil sine consilio egissem tuo.
But in this, that question occurs to me: "What would you have done then, if you had been present?" I should have approved the thing itself; concerning the time, I should have done nothing against your will, nothing without your advice.
vides sudare me iam dudum laborantem, quo modo ea tuear, quae mihi tuenda sunt, et te non offendam.
You see me sweating and laboring for a long time now, how I may protect those things which I must protect, and not offend you.
leva me igitur hoc onere; numquam enim mihi videor tractasse causam difficiliorem.
Relieve me therefore of this burden; for I seem to myself never to have conducted a more difficult case.
sic habeto tamen: Nisi iam tunc omnia negotia cum summa tua dignitate diligentissime confecissem, tametsi nihil videbatur ad meum erga te pristinum studium addi posse, tamen hac mihi adfinitate nuntiata non maiore equidem studio, sed acrius, apertius, significantius dignitatem tuam defendissem.
Still, think of it this way: if I had not already then most diligently settled all matters with the greatest regard for your dignity, although it seemed that nothing could be added to my former zeal toward you, yet upon this affinity being announced to me, I would have defended your dignity, not indeed with greater zeal, but more sharply, more openly, and more significantly.
§3.12.4decedenti mihi et iam imperio annuo terminato ante 4 d. III Nonas Sext. , cum ad Sidam navi accederem et mecum Q. Servilius esset, litterae a meis sunt redditae.
When I was departing and my annual command was already ended, on the fourth day before the Nones of August, as I was approaching Sida by ship and Q. Servilius was with me, a letter from my family was delivered to me.
dixi statim Servilio (etenim videbatur esse commotus), ut omnia a me maiora exspectaret.
I said immediately to Servilius (for indeed he seemed to be disturbed) that he should expect all greater things from me.
quid multa? benevolentior tibi quam fui nilo sum factus, diligentior ad declarandam benevolentiam multo.
Why say more? I have been made not a whit more benevolent to you than I was, but much more diligent in declaring my goodwill.
nam, ut vetus nostra simultas antea stimulabat me ut caverem ne cui suspicionem ficte reconciliatae gratiae darem, sic adfinitas nova curam mihi adfert cavendi ne quid de summo meo erga te amore detractum esse videatur.
For, just as our old enmity previously stimulated me to beware lest I should give anyone a suspicion of a falsely reconciled favor, so this new affinity brings me the care of guarding lest anything should seem to be detracted from my supreme love toward you.