§1.13.1de M. Lepido vereri me cogit reliquorum timor.
Regarding M. Lepidus, the fear of the rest forces me to be afraid.
qui si eripuerit se nobis, quod velim temere atque iniuriose de illo suspicati sint homines, oro atque obsecro te, Cicero, necessitudinem nostram tuamque in me benevolentiam obtestans, sororis meae liberos obliviscaris esse Lepidi filios meque iis in patris locum successisse existimes.
If he should extricate himself from us—which I would wish men to have suspected about him rashly and unjustly—I beg and implore you, Cicero, appealing to our close relationship and your goodwill toward me, to forget that my sister's children are the sons of Lepidus, and to consider that I have succeeded to the place of a father to them.
hoc si a te impetro, nihil profecto dubitabis pro iis suscipere.
If I obtain this from you, you will certainly not hesitate to undertake anything on their behalf.
aliter alii cum suis vivunt; nihil ego possum in sororis meae liberis facere quo possit expleri voluntas mea aut officium.
Different people live in different ways with their own kin; I can do nothing for my sister's children by which my desire or my duty could be fulfilled.
quid vero aut mihi tribuere boni possunt, si modo digni sumus quibus aliquid tribuatur, aut ego matri ac sorori puerisque illis praestaturus sum, si nihil valuerit apud te reliquumque senatum contra patrem Lepidum Brutus avunculus?
Indeed, what good can they bestow on me, if only we are worthy of having anything bestowed upon us, or what am I to perform for my mother and sister and those boys, if their uncle Brutus has no influence with you and the rest of the senate against their father Lepidus?
§1.13.2scribere multa ad te neque possum prae sollicitudine ac stomacho neque debeo.
I can neither write much to you because of my anxiety and vexation, nor ought I to.
nam si in tanta re tamque necessaria verbis mihi opus est ad te excitandum et confirmandum, nulla spes est facturum te quod volo et quod oportet.
For if, in so great and necessary a matter, I need words to rouse and encourage you, there is no hope that you will do what I wish and what is proper.
qua re noli exspectare longas preces; intuere me ipsum qui hoc a te, vel a Cicerone, coniunctissimo homine, privatim vel a consulari tali viro remota necessitudine privata, debeo impetrare.
Therefore, do not expect long prayers; look at me myself, who ought to obtain this from you, either privately from Cicero, a most closely connected man, or, setting aside private relationship, from such a consular man.
quid sis facturus velim mihi quam primum rescribas.
I wish you would write back to me as soon as possible what you are going to do.
Kal. Quintilibus ex castris.
July 1st, from the camp.