§8.6.1non dubito quin perlatum ad te sit Appium a Dolabella reum factum sane quam non ea qua existimaveram invidia; neque enim stulte Appius, qui, simul atque Dolabella accessit ad tribunal, introierat in urbem triumphique postulationem abiecerat; quo facto rettudit sermones paratiorque visus est quam speraverat accusator.
I do not doubt that you have heard that Appius has been prosecuted by Dolabella, and indeed with far less unpopularity than I had anticipated; for Appius acted not foolishly, who, as soon as Dolabella approached the tribunal, entered the city and abandoned his demand for a triumph; by doing which he blunted people's gossip, and appeared better prepared than the prosecutor had hoped.
is nunc in te maximam spem habet.
He now has the greatest hope in you.
scio tibi eum non esse odio; quam velis eum obligare in tua manu est.
I know he is not hated by you; how far you wish to put him under an obligation is in your hands.
Cum quo si simultas tibi non fuisset, liberius tibi de tota re esset; nunc si ad illam summam veritatem legitimum ius exegeris, cavendum tibi erit ne parum simpliciter et candide posuisse inimicitias videaris.
If you had not had a feud with him, you would have had more freedom of action in the whole matter; now, if you enforce your legal right to the utmost rigor, you must take care lest you seem to have laid aside your enmity with too little sincerity and frankness.
in hanc partem porro tutum tibi erit si quid volueris gratificari; nemo enim necessitudine et amicitia te deterritum ab officio dicet.
Furthermore, in this direction it will be safe for you if you wish to show any favor; for no one will say that you were deterred from your duty by intimacy and friendship.
illud mihi occurrit, quod inter postulationem et nominis delationem uxor a Dolabella discessit.
The thought occurs to me that between the application and the formal indictment, Dolabella's wife left him.
§8.6.2quid mihi discedens mandaris memini; quid ego tibi scripserim te non arbitror oblitum.
I remember what you commissioned me to do on your departure; I do not suppose you have forgotten what I wrote to you.
non est iam tempus plura narrandi; unum illud monere te possum, si res tibi non displicebit, tamen hoc tempore nihil de tua voluntate ostendas et exspectes quem ad modum exeat ex hac causa.
It is not now the time to tell more; I can give you this one piece of advice: even if the matter is not displeasing to you, yet at this time show nothing of your inclination, and wait to see how he comes out of this case.
denique invidiosum tibi sit, si emanarit porro significatio ulla intercessit, clarius, quam deceat aut expediat, fiat.
In short, it would bring unpopularity upon you if it should leak out, and furthermore, if any indication of your intention should intervene, it would become clearer than is proper or expedient.
neque ille tacere eam rem poterit, quae suae spei tam opportuna acciderit quaeque in negotio conficiendo tanto inlustrior erit, cum praesertim is sit qui, si perniciosum sciret esse loqui de hac re, vix tamen se contineret.
Nor will he be able to keep silent on a matter which has happened so opportunely for his hopes, and which will be so much more conspicuous in concluding the business, especially as he is a man who, even if he knew it was ruinous to speak of it, could scarcely contain himself.
§8.6.3Pompeius dicitur valde pro Appio laborare, ut etiam putent alterum utrum de filiis ad te missurum.
Pompey is said to be working hard for Appius, so that people even think he will send one or other of his sons to you.
hic nos omnes absolvimus, et hercules consaepta omnia foeda et inhonesta sunt.
Here we are acquitting everybody, and by Hercules, all things foul and dishonorable are fenced in.
consules autem habemus summa diligentia; adhuc s. c. nisi de feriis Latinis nullum facere potuerunt.
Moreover, we have consuls of the greatest diligence; so far they have been able to pass no decree of the senate except about the Latin Festivals.
Curioni nostro tribunatus conglaciat.
Our friend Curio's tribuneship is freezing.
§8.6.4sed dici non potest quo modo hic omnia iaceant.
But it cannot be told how everything lies prostrate here.
Nisi ego cum tabernariis et aquariis pugnarem, veternus civitatem occupasset.
If I were not fighting with the tavern-keepers and water-inspectors, lethargy would have seized the state.
si Parthi vos nihil calficiunt, nos frigore frigescimus.
If the Parthians do not warm you up at all, we are freezing with cold.
tamen, quoquo modo potuit, sine Parthis Bibulus in Amano nescio quid cohorticularum amisit.
However, in whatever way it could be, Bibulus, without any Parthians, has lost some small cohorts on Mt. Amanus.
hoc sic nuntiatum est.
This is how it was reported.
§8.6.5quod tibi supra scripsi Curionem valde frigere, iam calet; nam ferventissime concerpitur.
As to what I wrote above about Curio being very cold, he is now hot; for he is being attacked most warmly.
levissime enim, quia de intercalando non obtinuerat, transfugit ad populum et pro Caesare loqui coepit legemque viariam non dissimilem agrariae Rulli et alumentariam, quae iubet aedilis metiri, iactavit.
For on the most trivial grounds, because he did not obtain his point about the intercalary month, he went over to the people and began to speak for Caesar, and boasted of a road law not unlike Rullus's agrarian law, and a food-distribution law which orders the aediles to measure grain.
hoc nondum fecerat, cum priorem partem epistulae scripsi.
He had not yet done this when I wrote the former part of the letter.
amabo te, si quid, quod opus fuerit Appio, facies, ponito me in gratia.
Please, if you do anything that Appius needs, put me in his good graces.
de Dolabella integrum tibi reserves suadeo.
I advise you to keep your hands free regarding Dolabella.
et huic rei de qua loquor et dignitati tuae aequitatisque opinioni hoc ita facere expedit.
It is expedient to do this, both for this matter of which I speak, and for your dignity and reputation for equity.
turpe tibi erit pantheras Graecas me non habere.
It will be a disgrace to you if I do not have Greek panthers.