Letter 50
Shortly afterward, I had promised to support the son of my friend Trygetius as a candidate for the praetorship [junior magistracy]. Duty demanded that I seize the opportunity of that scheduled appearance to fulfill an obligation to my father that was still owed by me — though, as I said, already discharged by the Senate itself.
So on the fifth day before the Ides of January [January 9th], I addressed the full Senate. When the transcript reaches you, your own reaction will tell you what others thought. For my part, uncertain of your verdict, I decided to keep quiet about everyone else's opinions, so as not to seem to prejudge you with the weight of so distinguished an assembly's approval.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.
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