§13.28.1hortos quoniam hodie eras inspecturus, quid visum tibi sit cras scilicet.
Since you were to inspect the gardens today, what you thought of them tomorrow, of course (I shall know).
de Faberio autem, cum venerit.
As for Faberius, however, when he has come.
§13.28.2de epistula ad Caesarem, iurato mihi crede, non possum; nec me turpitudo deterret, etsi maxime debebat.
Concerning the letter to Caesar, believe me on my oath, I cannot do it; nor is it the baseness that deters me, although it ought to do so most of all.
quam enim turpis est adsentatio, cum vivere ipsum turpe sit nobis! sed, ut coepi, non me hoc turpe deterret.
For how base is flattery, when life itself is base for us! But, as I began to say, it is not this baseness that deters me.
ac vellem quidem (essem enim qui esse debebam), sed in mentem nihil venit.
And indeed I would wish it (for I should have been who I ought to be), but nothing comes into my mind.
nam quae sunt ad Alexandrum hominum eloquentium et doctorum suasiones vides quibus in rebus versentur.
For you see what kind of subjects the advice of eloquent and learned men to Alexander is concerned with.
adulescentem incensum cupiditate verissimae gloriae, cupientem sibi aliquid consili dari quod ad laudem sempiternam valeret, cohortantur ad decus.
They exhort to honor a young man inflamed with the desire for truest glory, wishing some advice to be given to him that would avail for everlasting praise.
non deest oratio; ego quid possum? tamen nescio quid e quercu exsculpseram quod videretur simile simulacri.
Materials for speech are not lacking; but what can I do? Nevertheless, I had carved out of a rough oak some sort of thing that seemed like a statue.
in eo quia non nulla erant paulo meliora quam ea quae fiunt et facta sunt, reprehenduntur; quod me minime paenitet.
In it, because there were some things a little better than those which are being done and have been done, they are criticized; of which I least of all repent.
si enim pervenissent istae litterae, mihi crede, nos paeniteret.
For if that letter had arrived, believe me, we should have repented.
§13.28.3quid? tu non vides ipsum illum Aristoteli discipulum summo ingenio, summa modestia, postea quam rex appellatus sit, superbum, crudelem, immoderatum fuisse? quid? tu hunc de pompa Quirini contubernalem his nostris moderatis epistulis laetaturum putas? ille vero potius non scripta desideret quam scripta non probet.
What? Do you not see that that disciple of Aristotle himself, of the greatest talent and greatest modesty, after he was called king, became proud, cruel, and immoderate? What? Do you think this messmate from the procession of Quirinus will be pleased with these moderate letters of ours? Let him rather miss what is unwritten than disapprove of what is written.
postremo ut volet.
Finally, let it be as he wishes.
abiit illud quod tum me stimulabat quom tibi dabam πρόβλημα Ἀρχιδήμου.
That which was then stimulating me when I gave you the "problem of Archidamus" has gone.
multo me hercule magis nunc opto casum illum quem tum timebam vel quem libebit.
By Hercules, I now much more wish for that event which I then feared, or whatever he pleases.
nisi quid te aliud impediet, mi optato veneris.
Unless something else hinders you, you will have come as my welcome guest.
Nicias a Dolabella magno opere arcessitus (legi enim litteras) etsi invito me tamen eodem me auctore profectus est.
Nicias, having been earnestly summoned by Dolabella (for I read the letter), although against my will, yet set out on my own recommendation.
§13.28.4hoc manu mea.
This in my own hand.
cum quasi alias res quaererem de philologis e Nicia, incidimus in Thalnam.
When I was asking Nicias about scholars as if inquiring about other matters, we hit upon Thalna.
ille de ingenio nihil nimis, modestum et frugi.
He said of his talent nothing too much, that he is modest and frugal.
sed hoc mihi non placuit.
But this did not please me.
se scire aiebat ab eo nuper petitam Cornificiam, Q. filiam, vetulam sane et multarum nuptiarum; non esse probatum mulieribus, quod ita reperirent rem non maiorem d_c_c_c_.
He said he knew that Cornificia, daughter of Quintus, a quite elderly woman and of many marriages, had been lately wooed by him; that it was not approved by the ladies, because they found his property was not more than 800,000 sesterces.
hoc putavi te scire oportere.
I thought you ought to know this.