DCXXXII (A XIII, 20)
TO ATTICUS (AT ROME)
ARPINUM (2 JULY)
I have received a letter of consolation from
Caesar, dated 31st of May, at Hispalis. 1 I did not understand the
nature of the bill published for extending the
boundaries of the City: I should much like to know
about it. 2 I am
glad that Torquatus is satisfied with what I have
done for him, and I will not cease adding to those
services. To the speech for Ligarius it is not now
either possible to add a clause about Tubero's wife and step-daughter 3 —for the speech is by this time
very widely known-nor do I wish to annoy Tubero:
for he is astonishingly sensitive. You certainly
had a good audience! For my part, though I get on
very comfortably in this place, I nevertheless
long to see you. So I shall be with you as I
arranged. I suppose you have met my brother. I am
therefore anxious to know what you said to him. As
to "reputation," I am not at all inclined to
trouble myself, though I did say foolishly in that
letter that it was "better than anything else."
For it is not a thing for me to be anxious about.
And don't you see how truly philosophical this
sentiment is—"that every man is bound
not to depart a nail's breadth from the strict
path of conscience"? Do you think that it is all
for nothing that I am now engaged in these
compositions ? 4 I would
not have you feel distressed by that remark, which
amounted to nothing. For I return to the same
point again. Do you suppose that I care for
anything in the whole question except not to be
untrue to my past? I am striving, forsooth, to
maintain my reputation in the courts! Not in them
I trust! I only wish I could bear my home sorrows
as easily as I can disregard that! But do you
think that I had set my heart on something that
has not been accomplished? Self-praise is no
commendation: still, though I cannot fail to
approve of what I did then, 5 yet I can
with a good grace refrain from troubling myself
about it, as in fact I do. But I have said too
much on a trivial subject.
ARPINUM (2 JULY)
