nius 5. Tibi dedi partes Antiochinas, quas a te probari intellexisse mihi videbar; mihi sumpsi Philonis'. Puto fore, ut, quum legeris, mirere, nos id locutos esse inter nos, quod nunquam locuti sumus. Sed nosti morem dialogorum. Posthæc autem, mi Varro, quam plurima, si videtur, et de nobis inter nos; sero fortasse; sed superiorum temporum fortuna reipublicæ causam sustineatR. Hæc ipsi præstare debemus. Atque utinam quietis temporibus, atque aliquo, si non bono, at certo saltem statu civitatis, hæc inter nos studia exercere possemus! Quanquam tum quidem vel aliæ quæpiam rationes, honestas nobis et curas, et actiones darent: nunc autem quid est, sine his cur vivere velimus? Mihi vero cum his ipsis vix: his autem detractis, ne vix quidem. Sed hæc coram, et sæpius. Migrationem, et emptionem feliciter evenire volo, tuumque in eâ re consilium probo. Cura ut valeas.

[This Letter is addressed to the learned Varro, Cicero's contemporary, along with the four books of Academicæ Quæstiones; which Treatise is still extant.]

5 In the Cuman Villa of Cicero; when Pomponius Atticus was one of the party.

6 Antiochus of Ascalon was Varro's master in philosophy.

Philo the Academic, the preceptor of Cicero.

8

Bear the blame."

9 Varro was removing into another new-purchased house.

LVII.

(ATT. XIII. 46.)

Scr. in Lanuvino, Id. Sextil. 708.

Cicero states, that Pollex was now with him; and that he had had an interview with Balbus on certain business. Requests Atticus to chide Vestorius for neglect. Cossinius's decease. On money promised to his brother. In consequence of the receipt, after closing his letter, of a packet, he regrets having blamed Vestorius.

CICERO ATTICO, S.

POLLEX quidem, ut dixerat, ita mihi Lanuvii pridie Idus

præsto fuit; sed plane Pollex', non index. Cognosces igitur ex ipso2.

Balbum conveni, (Lepta enim de suâ vini curatione3 laborans, me ad eum perduxerat); in eo autem Lanuvino', quod Lepido tradidit. Ex eo hoc primum": paulo ante acceperat eas literas, in quibus magnopere confirmat, ante Ludos Romanos. Legi epistolam : multa de meo Catone', quo sæpissime legendo se dicit copiosiorem factum; Bruti Catone lecto se sibi visum disertum. Tum ex eo cognovi cretionem Cluvii (O Vestorium 10 negligentem!) liberam cretionem, testibus præsentibus, sexaginta diebus. Metueban ne ille arcessendus esset". Nunc mittendum est12, ut meo jussu cernat 13. Idem igitur Pollex 14. Etiam de hortis Clu

9

That is, Pollex, Cicero's slave, brought him no news. There is a pun on the words: pollex signifying "the thumb": index, (6 an informant," also means "the forefinger."

You will learn from himself (Pollex), whom I have despatched to you, why he had no message from Vestorius. This Vestorius was to send news to Cicero of an inheritance he expected, bequeathed by Cluvius.

3 Lepta had the providing of the wines for a banquet to the Roman people, which Cæsar purposed to give.

At an estate in Lanuvium, which he (Balbus) had sold to Lepidus.

5 Supply, audivi.

6 Supply, se venturum esse. The letter was from Cæsar. For Ludi Romani, see Adams. 'Cicero's eulogy on Cato, which Cæsar had read.

8 Brutus, also, had written

vianis 15 egi cum Balbo; liberalius; se enim statim ad Cæsarem scripturum; Cluvium autem 16 a T. Hordeonio " legare et Terentiæ H-S 1000 18, et sepulchro 19, multisque rebus; nihil a nobis 20.

Subaccusa, quæso, Vestorium. Quid minus probandum, quam Plotium unguentarium per suos pueros omnia tantò ante Balbo 21; illum mî ne per meos quidem 22. De Cossinio doleo23: dilexi hominem.

Quinto delegabo, si quid æri meo alieno superabit, et emptionibus 24; ex quibus mî etiam æs alienum faciendum puto. De Domo Arpini25, nihil scio. Vestorium nihil est quod accuses. Jam enim obsignatâ hâc epistolâ, noctu tabellarius noster venit, et ab eo literas diligenter scriptas attulit, et exemplum testamenti 26.

15A garden which had belonged to Cluvius."

16 Supply, Balbus dixit.

17 Cluvius bequeathed, to be paid by the co-heir Hordeonius, to Terentia, Cicero's divorced wife.

18 50,000 Sesterces. 19 And for a sepulchre, and other things."

20 My share is encumbered with no bequests out of it." 21 Informed Balbus 80

long before." Supply, "rem

nuntiasse."

22 Not even by means of my own domestics.

23 Who had died."

24 I will accommodate my brother Quintus with money, if any be left over from my debts and purchases: owing to which latter, I fear I shall have to incur debt.

25A house at Arpinum, about which Atticus had made inquiries."

26" A copy of the will."

LVIII.

(ATT. XIII. 34.)

Scr. Asturæ, post v111 Kal. Sept. 708.

Cicero announces his arrival at Astura, and requests his friend to transact some business with Publilius.

CICERO ATTICO, S.

ASTURAM Veni vIII Kal., vitandi enim caloris causâ, Lanuvii' III horas acquieveram. Tu, velim, si grave non

1 Lanuvium lay half way between Tusculanum and Astura.

erit, efficias, ne ante Nonas mihi illuc veniendum sit. Id potes per Egnatium Maximum 3. Illud in primis, ut cum Publilio, me absente, conficias: de quo quæ fama sit, scribes. Id populus curat scilicet 5. Non mehercule arbitror". Etenim hæc decantata erat fabula. Sed complere paginam' volui. Quid plura? ipse enim adsum; nisi quid tu prorogas. Scripsi enim ad te de hortis.

(ATT. XIII. 48.)

Scr. in Tusculano, initio Sept. 708.

On an inheritance bequeathed to Lepta and Cæsar, by one Babullius. An encomium on Porcia mentioned.

CICERO ATTICO, S.

quod utinam! Lepta me rogat,

HERI nescio quid in strepitu' videor exaudisse, quum diceres te in Tusculanum venturum: iterum utinam! tuo tamen commodo. ut, si quid sibi opus sit, accurram. Mortuus enim Babullius'. Cæsar, opinor, ex unciâ3: etsi nihil adhuc: sed Lepta ex triente1. Veretur autem, ne non liceat tenere hæreditatem, aλóyws omnino; sed veretur tamen. Is igitur si accierit, accurram; sin minus, haud antequam

In the noise of the forum or streets in Rome, when Cicero took leave of Atticus.

2 Babullius had made Lepta and Cæsar his heirs in part.

3 Hæres esse ex unciâ, is to be heir to the twelfth portion;

5

as the as, or whole of any thing, was supposed to be divided into 12 parts, called unciæ.

4 The third, or 4 unciæ. 5 "Altogether unreasonably."

necesse erit. Tu Pollicem, quum poteris. Laudationem Porciæ tibi misi correctam; ac eò properavi, ut, si forte aut Domitii filio, aut Bruto mitteretur, hæc mitteretur. Id si tibi erit commodum, magnopere cures velim; et velim M. Varronis, et Lollii mittas laudatio

nem; Lollii utique 1o. Nam illam legi. Volo tamen regustare. Quædam enim vix mihi credo legisse me.

6" Mitte ad me," understood.

1 An encomium on Porcia, the sister of Cato, and wife of Domitius Ahenobarbus.

8 "If any thing should be sent."

9 Eulogies also on Porcia, written by those two persons.

LX.

(AD DIV. VII. 29.)

Scr. Patris, Kal. Nov. 708.

Curius acknowledges his gratitude to Cicero for his kindness and past favours, and requests him to recommend him to the successor of Sulpicius in Greece.

CURIUS M. CICERONI SUO, S.

Si vales, bene est: sum enim χρήσει μὲν ' tuus, κτήσει δὲ Attici nostri. Ergo fructus est tuus, mancipium3 illius: quod quidem si inter senes coëmptionales proscripserit, egerit non multum. At illa nostra prædicatio quanti est, nos, quod simus, quod habeamus, quod homines existimemur, id omne abs te habere? Quare, Cicero mi, persevera constanter nos conservare, et Sulpicii' succes