§2.8.1epistulam cum a te avide exspectarem ad vesperum, ut soleo, ecce tibi nuntius pueros venisse Roma! voco, quaero ecquid litterarum.
\nWhen I was eagerly expecting a letter from you towards evening, as is my custom, lo and behold, news came to me that the boys had arrived from Rome! I call them in, I ask if there is any letter.
negant. "quid ais?"
inquam
"nihilne a Pomponio?"
perterriti voce et vultu confessi sunt se accepisse sed excidisse in via.
They say no.\n"What do you say?"\nI say,\n"Nothing from Pomponius?"\nTerrified by my voice and look, they confessed that they had received one but had lost it on the way.
quid quaeris? permoleste tuli;
What more would you have?
nulla enim abs te per hos dies epistula inanis aliqua re utili et suavi venerat.
I took it very hard; for no letter had come from you during these days that was empty of something useful and pleasant.
nunc si quid in ea epistula quam ante diem xvi Kal. Maias dedisti fuit historia dignum, scribe quam primum, ne ignoremus; sin nihil praeter iocationem, redde id ipsum.
Now, if there was anything worthy of history in that letter which you gave on the sixteenth day before the Kalends of May, write it as soon as possible, lest we be ignorant; but if nothing but joking, write back that very thing.
et scito Curionem adulescentem venisse ad me salutatum.
And know that the young Curio came to me to pay his respects.
valde eius sermo de Publio cum tuis litteris congruebat; ipse vero mirandum in modum
"reges odisse superbos. "
peraeque narrabat incensam esse iuventutem neque ferre haec posse.
His talk about Publius agreed very much with your letter; indeed, he himself in a wonderful manner\n"hates the proud kings."\nHe related likewise that the youth were inflamed and could not bear these things.
bene habemus nos, si in his spes est; opinor, aliud agamus.
We are in a good state, if there is hope in them; I think we should do something else.
ego me do historiae; quamquam licet me Saufeium putes esse.
I give myself to history; although you may think me a Saufeius.
nihil me est inertius. §2.8.2sed cognosce itinera nostra, ut statuas ubi nos visurus sis.
Nothing is more idle than I.\n\nBut learn our journeys, so that you may decide where you wish to see us.
in Formianum volumus venire Parilibus; inde, quoniam putas praetermittendum nobis esse hoc tempore cratera illum delicatum, Kal. Maiis de Formiano proficiscemur, ut Anti simus a. d. v Nonas Maias.
We wish to come to the Formian villa on the Parilia; thence, since you think that delicious basin of water must be passed by us at this time, we shall set out from the Formian villa on the Kalends of May, so that we may be at Antium on the fifth day before the Nones of May.
ludi enim Anti futuri sunt a iiii ad pr. Nonas Maias.
For the games are to be at Antium from the fourth to the day before the Nones of May.
eos Tullia spectare vult.
Tullia wants to watch them.
inde cogito in Tusculanum, deinde Arpinum, Romam ad Kal. Iunias.
Thence I think of going to the Tusculan villa, then Arpinum, and to Rome by the Kalends of June.
te aut in Formiano aut Anti aut in Tusculano cura ut videamus.
Take care that we see you either in the Formian villa, or at Antium, or in the Tusculan villa.
epistulam superiorem restitue nobis et appinge aliquid novi.
Restore that former letter to us and scribble some news.