§9.17.1non tu homo ridiculus es qui, cum Balbus noster apud te fuerit, ex me quaeras quid de istis municipiis et agris futurum putem? quasi aut ego quicquam sciam quod iste nesciat, aut, si quid aliquando scio, non ex isto soleam scire.
Are you not a ridiculous man, who, although our Balbus was at your house, ask of me what I think will happen to those municipal towns and lands? As if I know anything which he does not know, or, if I occasionally know something, I am not accustomed to know it from him!
immo vero, si me amas, tu fac ut sciam, quid de nobis futurum sit; habuisti enim in tua potestate, ex quo vel ex sobrio vel certe ex ebrio scire posses.
On the contrary, if you love me, see to it that I know what is going to happen to us; for you had in your power one from whom, whether sober or at least when drunk, you could know.
sed ego ista, mi Paete, non quaero, primum quia de lucro prope iam quadriennium vivimus, si aut hoc lucrum est aut haec vita, superstitem rei p. vivere; deinde quod scire quoque mihi videor, quid futurum sit.
But I, my Paetus, do not ask about those things; first, because we have been living on profit for nearly four years now—if indeed it is a profit or if this is a life, to live as a survivor of the republic—secondly, because I also seem to myself to know what will happen.
fiet enim quodcumque volent, qui valebunt; valebunt autem semper arma.
For whatever those who are powerful wish, will happen; and arms will always be powerful.
satis igitur nobis esse debet, quicquid conceditur.
Therefore, whatever is granted to us ought to be enough for us.
hoc si qui pati non potuit, mori debuit.
If anyone could not endure this, he ought to have died.
§9.17.2Veientem quidem agrum et Capenatem metiuntur; hoc non longe abest a Tusculano; nihil tamen timeo.
Indeed, they are measuring the land of Veii and Capena; this is not far from the Tusculan estate; yet I fear nothing.
fruor dum licet, opto ut semper liceat; si id minus contigerit, tamen quoniam ego vir fortis idemque philosophus vivere pulcherrimum duxi, non possum eum non diligere, cuius beneficio id consecutus sum.
I enjoy it while it is permitted, and I pray that it may always be permitted; if that should not happen, yet since I, a brave man and likewise a philosopher, have considered it most beautiful to live, I cannot but love him by whose favor I have attained it.
qui si cupiat esse rem p. , qualem fortasse et ille vult et omnes optare debemus, quid faciat tamen non habet; ita se cum multis conligavit.
And even if he should desire that there be a republic, such as perhaps he too wishes and we all ought to pray for, yet he does not have what he should do; so much has he bound himself with many people.
§9.17.3sed longius progredior; scribo enim ad te.
But I am going too far; for I am writing to you.
hoc tamen scito non modo me qui consiliis non intersum sed ne ipsum quidem principem scire quid futurum sit; nos enim illi servimus, ipse temporibus.
Know this, however, that not only I, who am not present at the counsels, but not even the leader himself knows what will happen; for we serve him, and he himself serves the times.
ita nec ille, quid tempora postulatura sint, nec nos, quid ille cogitet, scire possumus.
Thus neither can he know what the times will demand, nor can we know what he is thinking.
haec tibi antea non rescripsi, non quo cessator esse solerem, praesertim in litteris, sed, cum explorati nihil haberem, nec tibi sollicitudinem ex dubitatione mea nec spem ex adfirmatione adferre volui.
I did not write these things back to you before, not because I was accustomed to be a slacker, especially in letters, but because, since I had nothing certain, I did not want to bring you anxiety from my doubt nor hope from my assertion.
illud tamen adscribam, quod est verissimum, me his temporibus adhuc de isto periculo nihil audisse.
I will, however, add this, which is most true, that at this time I have so far heard nothing of that danger.
tu tamen pro tua sapientia debebis optare optima, cogitare difficillima, ferre quaecumque erunt.
You, however, in accordance with your wisdom, ought to pray for the best, prepare for the most difficult, and bear whatever shall be.