Letter 325

I have heard all about the gardens from your letter and from Chrysippus. I was well aware of the bad taste shown in the house, and I see there aut pauca mutata; balnearia tamen laudat maiora, de minoribus ait hiberna effici posse. Tecta igitur ambulatiuncula addenda est; quam ut tantam faciamus, quantam in Tusculano fecimus, prope dimidio minoris constabit isto loco. Ad id autem, quod volumus, ἀφίδρυμα nihil aptius videtur quam lucus, quem ego noram; sed celebritatem nullam tum habebat, nunc audio maximam. Nihil est, quod ego malim. In hoc τὸν τῦφόν μου πρὸς θεῶν τροποφόρησον. Reliquum est, si Faberius nobis nomen illud explicat, noli quaerere, quanti; Othonem vincas volo. Nec tamen insaniturum illum puto; nosse enim mihi hominem videor. Ita male autem audio ipsum esse tractatum, ut mihi ille emptor non esse videatur. Quid enim? pateretur? Sed quid argumentor? Si Faberianum explicas, emamus vel magno; si minus, ne parvo quidem possumus. Clodiam igitur. A qua ipsa ob eam causam sperare videor, quod et multo minoris sunt, et Dolabellae nomen tam expeditum videtur, ut etiam repraesentatione confidam. De hortis satis. Cras aut te aut causam; quam quidem puto futuram Faberianam. Sed, si poteris. Ciceronis epistulam tibi remisi. O te ferreum, qui illius periculis non moveris! Me quoque accusat. Eam tibi epistulam misi semissem. Nam illam alteram has been little or no alteration; however, he praises the larger bath and thinks the smaller could be made into a winter snuggery. So a covered passage would have to be added, and, if I made one the same size as that at my place at Tusculum, the cost would be about half as much in that district. However, for the erection we want to make nothing could be more suitable than the grove, which I used to know well; then it was not at all frequented, now I hear it is very much so. There is nothing I should prefer. In this, humour my whim, in heaven's name. For the rest, if Faberius pays that debt, don't bother about the cost; I want you to outbid Otho: and I don't think he will bid wildly, for I fancy I know the man. Besides I hear he has had such bad luck that I doubt if he will buy. For would he put up with it, if he could help it? But what is the good of talking? If you get the money from Faberius, let us buy even at a high price; if not, we cannot even at a low. So then we must fall back on Clodia. In her case I see more grounds for hope, as her property is worth much less, and Dolabella's debt seems so safe that I feel confident of being able to pay in ready money. Enough about the gardens. To-morrow I shall either see you or hear the reason why not. I expect that will be the business with Faberius. But come, if you can. I am sending young Quintus' letter. How hard-hearted of you not to tremble at his hair-breadth escapes. He complains about me too. I have sent you half the letter. The other half about his de rebus gestis eodem exemplo puto. In Cumanum hodie misi tabellarium. Ei dedi tuas ad Vestorium, quas Pharnaci dederas.

de epistula ad Caesarem nobis vero semper rectissime placuit ut isti ante legerent. aliter enim fuissemus et in hos inofficiosi et in nosmet ipsos, si illum offensuri fuimus, paene periculosi. isti autem ingenue; mihique gratum quod quid sentirent non reticuerunt, illud vero vel optime quod ita multa mutari volunt ut mihi de integro scribendi causa non sit. quamquam de Parthico bello quid spectare debui nisi quod illum velle arbitrabar? quod enim aliud argumentum epistulae nostrae nisi kolakei/a fuit? an, si ea quae optima putarem suadere voluissem, oratio mihi defuisset? totis igitur litteris nihil opus est. ubi enim e)pi/teugma magnum nullum fieri possit, a)po/teugma vel non magnum molestum futurum sit, quid opus est parakinduneu/ein ? praesertim cum illud occurrat, illum, cum antea nihil scripserim, existimaturum me nisi toto bello confecto nihil scripturum fuisse. atque etiam vereor ne putet me hoc quasi Catonis mei/ligma esse voluisse. quid quaeris? valde me paenitebat nec mihi in hac quidem re quicquam magis ut vellem accidere potuit quam quod spoudh\ nostra non est probata. incidissemus etiam in illos, in eis in cognatum tuum. [2] sed redeo ad hortos. plane illuc te ire nisi tuo magno commodo nolo; nihil enim urget. quicquid erit, operam <in> Faberio ponamus. de die tamen auctionis, si quid scies. eum qui e Cumano venerat, quod et plane valere Atticam nuntiabat et litteras se habere aiebat, statim ad te misi.