§8.13.1gratulor tibi adfinitate viri medius fidius optimi; nam hoc ego de illo existimo.
I congratulate you on your marriage alliance with a man who, by my troth, is most excellent; for this is what I think of him.
cetera porro, quibus adhuc ille sibi parum utilis fuit, et aetate iam sunt decussa, et consuetudine atque auctoritate tua, pudore Tulliae, si qua restabunt, confido celeriter sublatum in; non est enim pugnax in vitiis neque hebes ad id quod melius sit intellegendum.
Furthermore, as for his other traits, in which he has so far been of little use to himself, they have both been already shaken off by age, and, if any shall remain, I trust will be quickly removed by your society and influence, and by Tullia's modesty; for he is not obstinate in his vices, nor dull in understanding what is better.
deinde, quod maximum est, ego illum valde amo.
Then, what is most important, I love him dearly.
§8.13.2voles, Cicero, Curionem nostrum lautum intercessionis de provinciis exitum habuisse; nam cum de intercessione referretur, quae relatio fiebat ex senatus consulto, primaque M. Marcelli sententia pronuntiata esset, qui agendum cum tribunis pl. censebat, frequens senatus in alia omnia iit.
You will be glad, Cicero, that our friend Curio has had a splendid outcome to his veto concerning the provinces; for when a motion was being made about the veto, which motion was made in accordance with a decree of the senate, and the first opinion was delivered by Marcus Marcellus, who was of the opinion that negotiations should be held with the tribunes of the plebs, a crowded senate voted in the opposite direction.
stomacho est scilicet Pompeius Magnus nunc ita languenti, ut vix id quod sibi placeat reperiat.
Pompey the Great is, of course, now of so failing a spirit that he can scarcely find anything to please him.
transierant illuc, rationem eius habendam qui neque exercitum neque provincias traderet.
They had gone over to the view that account should be taken of one who was handing over neither army nor provinces.
quem ad modum hoc Pompeius laturus sit, cum cognoscam; quidnam rei publicae futurum sit, si †aut non curet, vos senes divites videritis.
How Pompey is going to bear this, when I find out [I will let you know]; what will become of the republic, if he does not care, you wealthy old men must see to it.
Q. Hortensius, cum has litteras scripsi, animam agebat.
Quintus Hortensius, when I wrote this letter, was breathing his last.