Letter 338

Young Quintus has come to me very down in the mouth. So I asked, why he had the blues. "Need you ask," said he, "when I have a journey before me, a journey to a war, and one that is both turpe!" "Quae vis igitur?" inquam. "Aes," inquit, "alienum et tamen ne viaticum quidem." Hoc loco ego sumpsi quiddam de tua eloquentia; nam tacui. At ille: "Sed me maxime angit avunculus." "Quidnam?" inquam. "Quod mihi," inquit, "iratus est." "Cur pateris?" inquam, "malo enim ita dicere quam cur committis?" "Non patiar," inquit, "causam enim tollam." Et ego: "Rectissume quidem; sed, si grave non est, velim scire, quid sit causae." "Quia, dum dubitabam, quam ducerem, non satis faciebam matri; ita ne illi quidem. Nunc nihil mihi tanti est. Faciam, quod volunt." "Feliciter velim," inquam, "teque laudo. Sed quando?" "Nihil ad me," inquit, "de tempore, quoniam rem probo." "At ego," inquam, "censeo, priusquam proficiscaris. Ita patri quoque morem gesseris." "Faciam," inquit, "ut censes." Hic dialogus sic conclusus est. Sed heus tu, diem meum scis esse III Nonas Ianuarias; aderis igitur. Scripseram iam: ecce tibi orat Lepidus, ut veniam. Opinor augures velle habere ad templum effandum. Eatur; μὴ σκόρδου. Videbimus te igitur. dangerous and even disgraceful." "What is there to compel you then?" I said. "Debt," said he, "and yet not enough money for the journey." At that point I borrowed something from your style of eloquence: I held my tongue. Well, he went on, "But what worries me most is my uncle." "Why?" said I. "Because he is angry with me," he answered. "Why do you let him be so?" I said, "for I would rather put it that way than say, Why do you make him angry?" "I will not let him," he said, "for I will remove the reason." I replied, "Very right of you, too; but, if it is not a serious matter, I should like to know what the reason is." "Because my hesitation which wife I should take annoyed my mother, and consequently him, too. Now nothing is worth that, and I will do anything they like." "I hope you will have luck," I said, "and I approve of your resolution. But when are you going to do it?" "The time doesn't matter to me," said he, "since I have made up my mind to it." "Well, I think you ought to do it before you go," I said. "You would oblige your father, too, by doing so." "I will do as you advise," he said; and there the conversation ended. But, look here, you know it is my birthday on the 3rd of January. So you must come. I was just writing, and here is a request from Lepidus for me to come to town. I suppose the augurs want me for consecrating a temple. I must go; anything for a quiet life. So you will see me.

itane? nuntiat Brutus illum ad bonos viros? Eu)aggeli/a . sed ubi eos? nisi forte se suspendit. hic autem ut fultum est. Vbi igitur filte/xnhma illud tuum quod vidi in Parthenone, Ahalam et Brutum? sed quid faciat? illud optime, 'sed ne is quidem qui omnium flagitiorum auctor bene de nostro.' at ego verebar ne etiam Brutus eum diligeret; ita enim significarat iis litteris quas ad me, 'at vellem aliquid degustasses de fabulis.' sed coram, ut scribis. [2] etsi quid mi auctor es? advolone an maneo? equidem et in libris haereo et illum hic excipere nolo; ad quem, ut audio, pater hodie ad Saxa acrimonia. mirum quam inimicus ibat ut ego obiurgarem. sed ego ipse keke/pfwmai . itaque posthac. tu tamen vide quid de adventu meo censeas et ta\ o(/la , cras si perspici potuerint, mane statim ut sciam.