§2.25.1cum aliquem apud te laudaro tuorum familiarium, volam illum scire ex te me id fecisse, ut nuper me scis scripsisse ad te de Varronis erga me officio, te ad me rescripsisse eam rem summae tibi voluptati esse.
Whenever I praise any of your intimate friends to you, I shall wish him to know from you that I have done so, just as you know that I recently wrote to you about Varro's kindness toward me, and that you wrote back to me that this matter was of the greatest pleasure to you.
sed ego mallem ad illum scripsisses mihi illum satis facere, non quo faceret sed ut faceret; mirabiliter enim moratus est sicut nosti, ἑλικτὰ καὶ.
But I should have preferred that you had written to him that he was giving me satisfaction, not because he was doing so, but so that he might do so; for he is of a wonderfully "crooked and [nothing wholesome]" character, as you know.
sed nos tenemus praeceptum illud τὰσ τῶν κρατούντων. at hercule alter tuus familiaris Hortalus quam plena manu, quam ingenue, quam ornate nostras laudes in astra sustulit, cum de Flacci praetura et de illo tempore Allobrogum diceret! sic habeto nec amantius nec honorificentius nec copiosius potuisse dici.
But we hold to that precept, "the [follies] of those who rule [must be borne]." But by Hercules, how generously, how frankly, how ornately did your other familiar friend Hortalus raise our praises to the stars, when he spoke of the praetorship of Flaccus and of that time of the Allobroges! Consider it as settled that nothing could have been said more affectionately, more honorably, or more copiously.
ei te hoc scribere a me tibi esse missum sane volo.
I certainly wish you to write to him that this was sent to you by me.
§2.25.2sed quid tu scribas? quem iam ego venire atque adesse arbitror; ita enim egi tecum superioribus litteris.
But what should you write? Whom I think is already on his way and present; for so I pleaded with you in my previous letter.
valde te exspecto, valde desidero neque ego magis quam ipsa res et tempus poscit.
I await you eagerly, I miss you eagerly, nor do I more than the matter itself and the time demand.
his de negotiis quid scribam ad te nisi idem quod saepe? re publica nihil desperatius, iis quorum opera nihil maiore odio.
What should I write to you about these affairs except the same as often? Nothing is more hopeless than the republic, nothing is held in greater hatred than those by whose agency this has been done.
nos, ut opinio et spes et coniectura nostra fert, firmissima benevolentia hominum muniti sumus.
We, as our opinion and hope and conjecture bring us, are fortified by the most firm goodwill of men.
qua re advola; aut expedies nos omni molestia aut eris particeps.
Therefore fly hither; either you will free us from all trouble or you will be a partner in it.
ideo sum brevior quod, ut spero, coram brevi tempore conferre quae volumus licebit.
I am briefer for this reason that, as I hope, it will be permitted shortly to confer in person about what we wish.
cura ut valeas.
Take care of your health.