§4.5.1ain tu? me existimas ab ullo malle mea legi probarique quam a te? cur igitur cuiquam misi prius? urgebar ab eo ad quem misi, et non habebam exemplar.
Is that really what you say? Do you think I would rather have my writings read and approved by anyone than by you? Why then did I send it to anyone else first? I was hard pressed by the one to whom I sent it, and I did not have a copy.
quid? etiam (dudum enim circumrodo quod devorandum est) subturpicula mihi videbatur esse παλινῳδία.
What? Besides (for I have been nibbling for some time at what must be swallowed whole), that "palinode" seemed to me to be slightly discreditable.
sed valeant recta, vera, honesta consilia.
But a long farewell to right, true, and honorable counsels!
non est credibile quae sit perfidia in istis principibus, ut volunt esse et ut essent si quicquam haberent fidei.
It is beyond belief what treachery there is in those leaders of ours, as they wish to be, and as they would be if they had any loyalty.
senseram noram inductus, relictus, proiectus ab iis.
I had felt it and known it, having been led on, deserted, and cast off by them.
tamen hoc eram animo ut cum iis in re publica consentirem.
Yet I was of such a mind as to agree with them in public affairs.
idem erant qui fuerant.
They were just what they had been.
vix aliquando te auctore resipui.
At last, with difficulty, on your advice I came to my senses.
dices ea te monuisse, suasisse a quae facerem, non etiam ut scriberem.
You will say that you advised and urged me to do what I was doing, but not also to write.
ego me hercule mihi necessitatem volui imponere huius novae coniunctionis, ne qua mihi liceret labi ad illos qui etiam tum cum misereri mei debent non desinunt invidere.
By Hercules, I wished to impose upon myself the necessity of this new connection, so that it might not be possible for me to slip back to those who, even when they ought to pity me, do not cease to envy me.
sed tamen modici fuimus ὑποθέσει, ut scripsi.
But yet I was moderate in my theme, as I wrote.
erimus uberiores si et ille libenter accipiet, et ii subringentur qui villam me moleste ferunt habere quae Catuli fuerat, a Vettio emisse non cogitant; qui domum negant oportuisse me aedificare, vendere aiunt oportuisse.
I shall be more copious if he receives it gladly, and if those people are annoyed who are vexed that I have a villa which belonged to Catulus, not reflecting that I bought it from Vettius; who say I ought not to have built my house, and say I ought to have sold it.
sed quid ad hoc, si, quibus sententiis dixi quod et ipsi probarent, laetati sunt tamen me contra Pompei voluntatem dixisse? finis sit.
But what does this matter, if, when I expressed sentiments which they themselves would approve, they nevertheless rejoiced that I had spoken against Pompey's wishes? Let there be an end of this.
quoniam qui nihil possunt ii me nolunt amare, demus operam ut ab iis qui a possunt diligamur.
Since those who can do nothing do not wish to love me, let us take care to be loved by those who can do something.
dices
"vellem iam pridem. "
scio te voluisse et me asinum germanum fuisse.
You will say "I wish you had done so long ago." I know you wished it, and that I was a regular ass.
sed iam tempus est me ipsum a me amari, quando ab illis nullo modo possum.
But now it is time that I should be loved by myself, since I can by no means be loved by them.
domum meam quod crebro invisis est mihi valde gratum.
I am very grateful to you for visiting my house so frequently.
viaticum Crassipes praeripit.
Crassipes is intercepting my journey money.
tu de via recta in hortos.
Come straight from your journey to my suburban estate.
videtur commodius ad te; postridie scilicet; quid enim tua? sed viderimus.
It seems more convenient to come to your house; on the next day, of course; for what does it matter to you? But we shall see.
bibliothecam mihi tui pinxerunt constructione et sillybis.
Your men have beautifully adorned my library with the shelving and the labels.
eos velim laudes.
I should like you to praise them.