§6.18.1simul atque accepi a Seleuco tuo litteras, statim quaesivi e Balbo per codicillos quid esset in lege.
As soon as I received the letter from your Seleucus, I immediately asked Balbus by a note what was in the law.
rescripsit eos, qui facerent praeconium, vetari esse in decurionibus; qui fecissent, non vetari.
He wrote back that those who were practicing the office of herald were forbidden from being among the decurions, but those who had done so were not forbidden.
qua re bono animo sint et tui et mei familiares; neque enim erat ferendum, cum qui hodie haruspicinam facerent in senatum Romae legerentur, eos qui aliquando praeconium fecissent in municipiis decuriones esse non licere
Therefore, let both your friends and mine be of good cheer; for indeed it was not to be endured that, while those who today practice the art of haruspicy are chosen into the senate at Rome, those who at some time had practiced the office of herald should not be allowed to be decurions in the municipalities.
§6.18.2de Hispaniis novi nihil.
As to the Spains, there is nothing new.
Magnum tamen exercitum Pompeium habere constat; nam Caesar ipse ad suos misit exemplum Paciaeci litterarum, in quo erat illas xi esse legiones.
Nevertheless, it is established that Pompey has a large army; for Caesar himself sent to his supporters a copy of a letter of Paciaecus, in which it was stated that those were eleven legions.
scripserat etiam Messalla Q. Salasso P. Curtium, fratrem eius, iussu Pompei inspectante exercitu interfectum, quod consensisset cum Hispanis quibusdam, si in oppidum nescio quod Pompeius rei frumentariae causa venisset, eum comprehendere ad Caesaremque deducere
Messalla had also written to Q. Salassus that P. Curtius, his brother, was put to death by order of Pompey in the sight of the army, because he had agreed with certain Spaniards that, if Pompey should come to some town or other for the sake of provisions, they would seize him and deliver him to Caesar.
§6.18.3de tuo negotio, quod sponsor es pro Pompeio, si Galba, consponsor tuus, redierit, homo in re familiari non parum diligens, non desinam cum illo communicare, si quid expediri possit; quod videbatur mihi ille confidere
As to your business, since you are a surety for Pompey, if Galba, your co-surety, returns—a man not a little diligent in his private property—I will not cease to communicate with him to see if anything can be settled; which he himself seemed to me to be confident of.
§6.18.4'oratorem' meum tanto opere a te probari vehementer gaudeo.
I am exceedingly glad that my "Orator" is so highly approved by you.
mihi quidem sic persuadeo me, quicquid habuerim I iudici de dicendo, in illum librum contulisse.
For my part, I am convinced that whatever judgment I possessed concerning oratory, I have poured it all into that book.
qui si est talis qualem tibi videri scribis, ego quoque aliquid sum; sin aliter, non recuso quin, quantum de illo libro, tantundem de mei iudici fama detrahatur.
If that book is such as you write it appears to you, then I too am somebody; but if otherwise, I do not refuse that just as much should be detracted from the reputation of my judgment as from that book.
Leptam nostrum cupio delectari iam talibus scriptis.
I desire that our Lepta should already take delight in such writings.
etsi abest maturitas aetatis, tamen personare auris eius huius modi vocibus non est inutile.
Although maturity of age is lacking, yet it is not useless for his ears to ring with voices of this kind.
§6.18.5me Romae tenuit omnino Tulliae meae partus.
My keeping at Rome was entirely due to the confinement of my Tullia.
sed cum ea, quem ad modum spero, satis firma sit, teneor tamen, dum a Dolabellae procuratoribus exigam primam pensionem; et me hercule non tam sum peregrinator iam quam solebam.
But though she is, as I hope, sufficiently recovered, I am still detained until I can exact the first installment from Dolabella's agents; and by Hercules, I am not so much of a traveler now as I used to be.
aedificia mea me delectant, et otium; domus est quae nulli mearum villarum cedat, otium omni desertissima regione maius.
My buildings delight me, and my leisure; my house is such as to yield to none of my villas, and my leisure is greater than in any most deserted region.
itaque ne litterae quidem meae impediuntur, in quibus sine ulla interpellatione versor.
And so not even my literary pursuits are interrupted, in which I employ myself without any distraction.
qua re, ut arbitror, prius hic te nos quam istic tu nos videbis.
Therefore, as I think, you will see us here before we see you there.
Lepta suavissimus ediscat Hesiodum et habeat in ore th=s d' a)reth=s i(drw=ta et cetera.
Let the sweet Lepta learn Hesiod by heart, and have on his lips th=s d' a)reth=s i(drw=ta and the rest.