§5.7.1S. T. E. Q. V. B. E. ex litteris tuis, quas publice misisti, cepi una cum omnibus incredibilem voluptatem; tantam enim spem oti ostendisti, quantam ego semper omnibus te uno fretus pollicebar.
If you and the army are well, it is well; I am well. From your letters, which you sent publicly, I, together with everyone else, received incredible pleasure; for you showed such a great hope of peace as I was always promising to all, relying on you alone.
sed hoc scito, tuos veteres hostis, novos amicos, vehementer litteris perculsos atque ex magna spe deturbatos iacere.
But know this, that your old enemies, now new friends, lie completely prostrated by your letter and cast down from their great hope.
§5.7.2ad me autem litteras quas misisti, quamquam exiguam significationem tuae erga me voluntatis habebant, tamen mihi scito iucundas fuisse; nulla enim re tam laetari soleo quam meorum officiorum conscientia; quibus si quando non mutue respondetur, apud me plus offici residere facillime patior.
But as for the letter which you sent to me, although it contained but a slender indication of your goodwill towards me, yet know that it was pleasing to me; for I am accustomed to rejoice in nothing so much as in the consciousness of my services; and if these are not mutually returned at any time, I very easily allow a larger balance of service to remain on my side.
illud non dubito quin, si te mea summa erga te studia parum mihi adiunxerint, res publica nos inter nos conciliatura coniuncturaque sit.
I do not doubt this, that if my greatest zeal towards you has not sufficiently attached you to me, the commonwealth will reconcile and join us together.
§5.7.3ac ne ignores quid ego in tuis litteris desiderarim, scribam aperte, sicut et mea natura et nostra amicitia postulat.
And lest you should be ignorant of what I missed in your letter, I will write openly, as both my nature and our friendship demand.
res eas gessi, quarum aliquam in tuis litteris et nostrae necessitudinis et rei p. causa gratulationem exspectavi; quam ego abs te praetermissam esse arbitror, quod vererere ne cuius animum offenderes.
I have performed those deeds for which, both for the sake of our intimacy and of the commonwealth, I expected some congratulation in your letter; which I judge to have been omitted by you because you feared lest you might offend the mind of someone.
sed scito ea, quae nos pro salute patriae gessimus, orbis terrae iudicio ac testimonio comprobari; quae, cum veneris, tanto consilio tantaque animi magnitudine a me gesta esse cognosces, ut tibi multo maiori, quam Africanus fuit, me non multo minorem quam Laelium facile et in re p. et in amicitia adiunctum esse patiare.
But know that those things which we performed for the safety of the fatherland are approved by the judgment and testimony of the whole world; and when you come, you will recognize that these were performed by me with such counsel and such greatness of soul, that you, who are much greater than Africanus was, will easily allow me, not much inferior to Laelius, to be attached to you both in public affairs and in friendship.