letters of cicero-第10节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


t　the　applause　given　to　Milo　I　am　not　unwilling　that　Caesar　should　think　that　it　was　as　warm　as　possible。　And　in　point　of　fact　it　was　so；　and　yet　that　applause；　which　is　given　to　him；　seems　in　a　certain　sense　to　be　given　to　me。

I　have　also　received　a　very　old　letter；　but　which　was　late　in　coming　into　my　hands；　in　which　you　remind　me　about　the　temple　of　Tellus　and　the　colonnade　of　Catulus。　Both　of　these　matters　are　being　actively　carried　out。　At　the　temple　of　Tellus　I　have　even　got　your　statue　placed。　So；　again；　as　to　your　reminder　about　a　suburban　villa　and　gardens；　I　was　never　very　keen　for　one；　and　now　my　town　house　has　all　the　charm　of　such　a　pleasure…ground。　On　my　arrival　in　Rome　on　the　18th　of　September　I　found　the　roof　on　your　house　finished：　the　part　over　the　sitting…rooms；　which　you　did　not　wish　to　have　many　gables；　now　slopes　gracefully　towards　the　roof　of　the　lower　colonnade。　Our　boy；　in　my　absence；　did　not　cease　working　with　his　rhetoric　master。　You　have　no　reason　for　being　anxious　about　his　education；　for　you　know　his　ability；　and　I　see　his　application。　Everything　else　I　take　it　upon　myself　to　guarantee；　with　full　consciousness　that　I　am　bound　to　make　it　good。

As　yet　there　are　three　parties　prosecuting　Gabinius：　first；　L。　Lentulus；　son　of　the　flainen；　who　has　entered　a　prosecution　for　l？se　majest？；　secondly；　Tib。　Nero　with　good　names　at　the　back　of　his　indictment；　thirdly；　C。　Memmius　the　tribune　in　conjunction　with　L。　Capito。　He　came　to　the　walls　of　the　city　on　the　19th　of　September；　undignified　and　neglected　to　the　last　degree。　But　in　the　present　state　of　the　law　courts　I　do　not　venture　to　be　confident　of　anything。　As　Cato　is　unwell；　he　has　not　yet　been　formally　indicted　for　extortion。　Pompey　is　trying　hard　to　persuade　me　to　be　reconciled　to　him；　but　as　yet　he　has　not　yet　succeeded　at　all；　nor；　if　I　retain　a　shred　of　liberty；　will　he　succeed。　I　am　very　anxious　for　a　letter　from　you。　You　say　that　you　have　been　told　that　I　was　a　party　to　the　coalition　of　the　consular　candidatesit　is　a　lie。　The　compacts　male　in　that　coalition　afterwards　made　public　by　Memmius；　were　of　such　a　nature　that　no　loyal　man　ought　to　have　been　a　party　to　them；　nor　at　the　same　time　was　it　possible　for　me　to　be　a　party　to　a　coalition　from　which　Messalla　was　excluded；　who　is　thoroughly　satisfied　with　my　conduct　in　every　particular；　as　also；　I　think；　is　Memmius。　To　Domitius　himself　I　have　rendered　many　services　which　he　desired　and　asked　of　me。　I　have　put　Scaurus　under　a　heavy　obligation　by　my　defence　of　him。　It　is　as　yet　very　uncertain　both　when　the　elections　will　be　and　who　will　be　consuls。

Just　as　I　was　folding　up　this　epistle　letter…carriers　arrived　from　you　and　Caesar　（20th　September）　after　a　journey　of　twenty　days。　How　anxious　I　was！　How　painfully　I　was　affected　by　Caesar's　most　kind　letter！　But　the　kinder　it　was；　the　more　sorrow　did　his　loss　occasion　me。　But　to　turn　to　your　letter。　To　begin　with；　I　reiterate　my　approval　of　your　staying　on；　especially　as；　according　to　your　account；　you　have　consulted　Caesar　on　the　subject。　I　wonder　that　Oppius　has　anything　to　do　with　Publius　for　I　advised　against　it。　Farther　on　in　your　letter　you　say　that　I　am　going　to　be　made　legatus　to　Pompey　on　the　13th　of　September：　I　have　heard　nothing　about　it；　and　I　wrote　to　Caesar　to　tell　him　that　neither　Vibullius　nor　Oppius　had　delivered　his　message　to　Pompey　about　my　remaining　at　home。　Why；　I　know　not。　However；　it　was　I　who　restrained　Oppius　from　doing　so；　because　it　was　Vibullius　who　should　take　the　leading　part　in　that　matter：　for　with　him　Caesar　had　communicated　personally；　with　Oppius　only　by　letter。　I　indeed　can　have　no　〃second　thoughts〃　in　matters　connected　with　Caesar。　He　comes　next　after　you　and　our　children　in　my　regard；　and　not　much　after。　I　think　I　act　in　this　with　deliberate　judgment；　for　I　have　by　this　time　good　cause　for　it；　yet　warm　personal　feeling　no　doubt　does　influence　me　also。

Just　as　I　had　written　these　last　wordswhich　are　by　my　own　handyour　boy　came　in　to　dine　with　me；　as　Pomponia　was　dining　out。　He　gave　me　your　letter　to　read；　which　he　had　received　shortly　beforea　truly　Aristophanic　mixture　of　jest　and　earnest；　with　which　I　was　greatly　charmed。　He　gave　me　also　your　second　letter；　in　which　you　bid　him　cling　to　my　side　as　a　mentor。　How　delighted　he　was　with　those　letters！　And　so　was　I。　Nothing　could　be　more　attractive　than　that　boy；　nothing　more　affectionate　to　me　！This；　to　explain　its　being　in　another　handwriting；　I　dictated　to　Tiro　while　at　dinner。

Your　letter　gratified　Annalis　very　much；　as　shewing　that　you　took　an　active　interest　in　his　concerns；　and　yet　assisted　him　with　exceedingly　candid　advice。　Publius　Servilius　the　elder；　from　a　letter　which　he　said　he　had　received　from　Caesar；　declares　himself　highly　obliged　to　you　for　having　spoken　with　the　greatest　kindness　and　earnestness　of　his　devotion　to　Caesar。　After　my　return　to　Rome　from　Arpinum　I　was　told　that　Hippodamus　had　started　to　join　you。　I　cannot　say　that　I　was　surprised　at　his　having　acted　so　discourteously　as　to　start　to　join　you　without　a　letter　from　me：　I　only　say　that；　that　I　was　annoyed。　For　I　had　long　resolved；　from　an　expression　in　your　letter；　that　if　I　had　anything　I　wished　conveyed　to　you　with　more　than　usual　care；　I　should　give　it　to　him：　for；　in　truth；　into　a　letter　like　this；　which　I　send　you　in　an　ordinary　way；　I　usually　put　nothing　that；　if　it　fell　into　certain　hands；　might　be　a　source　of　annoyance。　I　reserve　myself　for　Minucius　and　Salvius　and　Labeo。　Labeo　will　either　be　starting　late　or　will　stay　here　altogether。　Hippodamus　did　not　even　ask　me　whether　he　could　do　anything　for　me。　T。　Penarius　sends　me　a　kind　letter　about　you：　says　that　he　is　exceedingly　charmed　with　your　literary　pursuits；　conversation；　and　above　all　by　your　dinners。　He　was　always　a　favourite　of　mine；　and　I　see　a　good　deal　of　his　brother。　Wherefore　continue；　as　you　have　begun；　to　admit　the　young　man　to　your　intimacy。

From　the　fact　of　this　letter　having　been　in　hand　during　many　days；　owing　to　the　delay　of　the　letter…carriers；　I　have　jotted　down　in　it　many　various　things　at　odd　times；　as；　for　instance；　the　following：　Titus　Anicius　has　mentioned　to　me　more　than　once　that　he　would　not　hesitate　to　buy　a　suburban　property　for　you；　if　he　found　one。　In　these　remarks　of　his　I　find　two　things　surprising：　first；　that　when　you　write　to　him　about　buying　a　suburban　property；　you　not　only　don't　write　to　me　to　that　effect；　but　write　even　in　a　contrary　sense；　and；　secondly；　that　in　writing　to　him　you　totally　forget　his　letters　which　you　shewed　me　at　Tusculum；　and　as　totally　the　rule　of　Epicharmus；　〃Notice　how　he　has　treated　another〃：　in　fact；　that　you　have　quite　forgotten；　as　I　think；　the　lesson　conveyed　by　the　expression　of　his　face；　his　conversation；　and　his　spirit。　But　this　is　your　concern。　As　to　a　suburban　property；　be　sure　to　let　me　know　your　wishes；　and　at　the　same　time　take　care　that　that　fellow　doesn't　get　you　into　trouble。　What　else　have　I　to　say？　Anything？　Yes；　there　is　this：　Gabinius　entered　the　city　by　night　on　the　27th　of　September；　and　today；　at　two　o　clock；　when　he　ought　to　have　appeared　on　his　trial　for　l？se　niajest？；　in　accordance　with　the　edict　of　C。　Alflus；　he　was　all　but　crushed　to　the　earth　by　a　great　and　unanimous　demonstration　of　the　popular　hatred。　Nothing　could　exceed　his　humiliating　position。　However；　Piso　comes　next　to　him。　So　I　think　of　introducing　a　marvellous　episode　into　my　second　bookApollo　declaring　in　the　council　of　the　gods　what　sort　of　return　that　of　the　two　commanders　was　to　be；　one　of　whom　had　lost；　and　the　other　sold　his　army。　From　Britain　I　have　a　letter　of　Qesar's　dated　the　1st　of　September；　which　reached　me　on　the　27th；　satisfactory　enough　as　far　as　the　British　expedition　is　concerned；　in　which；　to　prevent　my　wondering　at　not　getting　one　from　you；　he　tells　me　that　you　were　not　with　him　when　he　reached　the　coast。　To　that　letter　I　made　no　reply；　not　even　a　formal　congratulation；　on　account　of　his　mourning。　Many；　many　wishes；　dear　brother；　for　your　health。

XV

To　P。　LENTTJLUS　SPINTHER　（IN　CILICIA）

ROME　（OCTOBER）

M。　CICERO　desires　his　warmest　regards　to　P。　Lentulus；　imperator。　Your　letter　was　very　gratifying　to　me；　from　which　I　gathered　that　you　fully　appreciated　my　devotion　to　you：　for　why　use　the　word　kindness；　when　even　the　word　〃devotion〃　itself；　with　all　its　solemn　and　holy　associations；　seems　too　weak　to　express　my　obligations　to　you？　As　for　your　saying　that　my　services　to　you　are　gratefully　accepted；　it　is　you　who　in　your　overflowing　affection　make　things；　which　cannot　be　omitted　without　criminal　negligence；　appear　deserving　of　even　gratitude。　However；　my　feelings　towards　you　would　have　been　much　more　fully　known　and　conspicuous；　if；　during　all　this　time　that　we　have　been　separated；　we　had　been　together；　and　together　at　Rome。　For　precisely　in　what　you　declare　your　intention　of　doingwhat　no　one　is　more　capable　of　doing；　and　what　I　confidently　look　forward　to　from　youthat　is　to　say；　in　speaking　in　the　senate；　and　in　every　department　of　public　life　and　political　activity；　we　should　together　have　been　in　a　very　strong　position　（what　my　feelings　and　position　are　in　regard　to　politics　　I　will　explain　shortly；　and　will　answer　the　questions　you　ask）；　and　at　any