§13.27.1de epistula ad Caesarem nobis vero semper rectissime placuit ut isti ante legerent.
Concerning the letter to Caesar, it has indeed always seemed most correct to us that those men should read it beforehand.
aliter enim fuissemus et in hos inofficiosi et in nosmet ipsos, si illum offensuri fuimus, paene periculosi.
For otherwise we should have been both ungrateful to them and almost dangerous to ourselves, if we had been going to offend him.
isti autem ingenue; mihique gratum quod quid sentirent non reticuerunt, illud vero vel optime quod ita multa mutari volunt ut mihi de integro scribendi causa non sit.
But those men acted frankly; and it is pleasing to me that they did not keep back what they thought, and indeed it is best of all that they want so many things to be changed that I have no reason to write it anew.
quamquam de Parthico bello quid spectare debui nisi quod illum velle arbitrabar? quod enim aliud argumentum epistulae nostrae nisi κολακεία fuit? an, si ea quae optima putarem suadere voluissem, oratio mihi defuisset? totis igitur litteris nihil opus est.
And yet, regarding the Parthian war, what ought I to have had in view except what I thought he wanted? For what other subject was there for our letter except flattery (κολακεία)? Or, if I had wished to advise what I thought best, would speech have failed me? Therefore there is no need of the whole letter.
ubi enim ἐπίτευγμα magnum nullum fieri possit, ἀπότευγμα vel non magnum molestum futurum sit, quid opus est παρακινδυνεύειν? praesertim cum illud occurrat, illum, cum antea nihil scripserim, existimaturum me nisi toto bello confecto nihil scripturum fuisse.
For where no great success (ἐπίτευγμα) can be achieved, and a failure (ἀπότευγμα), even if not great, is bound to be annoying, what need is there to run a risk (παρακ인δυνεύειν)? Especially since this occurs to me, that he, since I wrote nothing before, will think that I would have written nothing unless the whole war were finished.
atque etiam vereor ne putet me hoc quasi Catonis μείλιγμα esse voluisse.
And I also fear lest he should think that I wanted this to be, as it were, a soothing-offering (μείλιγμα) for Cato.
quid quaeris? valde me paenitebat nec mihi in hac quidem re quicquam magis ut vellem accidere potuit quam quod σπουδὴ nostra non est probata.
What more do you want? I was greatly regretting it, and indeed in this matter nothing could have happened more to my wish than that our zeal (σπουδὴ) was not approved.
incidissemus etiam in illos, in eis in cognatum tuum.
We would also have fallen into their hands, among them your relative.
§13.27.2sed redeo ad hortos.
But I return to the gardens.
plane illuc te ire nisi tuo magno commodo nolo; nihil enim urget.
I plainly do not want you to go there unless at your great convenience; for nothing is urgent.
quicquid erit, operam in Faberio ponamus.
Whatever it is, let us bestow our pains on Faberius.
de die tamen auctionis, si quid scies.
Let me know, however, about the day of the auction, if you find out anything.
eum qui e Cumano venerat, quod et plane valere Atticam nuntiabat et litteras se habere aiebat, statim ad te misi.
I have immediately sent to you the man who had come from Cuma, because he both announced that Attica is plainly well and said that he had letters.