DXCVII (A XII, 51)
TO ATTICUS (AT ROME)
Tusculum, 20 May
Tiro is come back sooner than I hoped. Nicias has also
arrived, and I hear that Valerius is coming to-day. However
many they may be, I shall still be more alone than if you
were here by yourself. But I expect you, at any rate after
you have done with Peducæus.[1] You however give some hints
of an earlier date; but that must be as you find it possible.
As to Vergilius,[2] it is as you say. Yet what I should like
to know is when the auction is to be. I see you are of
opinion that the letter should be sent to Cæsar. Well! I
was very much of that opinion also, and the more so that
there is not a word in it unbecoming the most loyal of
citizens, that is, as loyal as the state of the times permit, to
which all political writers teach us that we must bow. But
observe, I stipulate that your Cæsarian friends read it first.[3]
So please see to it. But unless you clearly understand that
they approve, it must not be sent. Now you will detect
whether they really approve or only pretend to do so.
Pretence will in my eyes be equivalent to rejection. You
must probe that question.
Tiro told me what you thought ought to be done about Cærellia: that it was unbecoming to me to be in debt; that you were in favour of an assignment:[4]
- ↑ That is, the auction of Sextus Peducæus. See pp. 255, 268.
- ↑ One of the heirs of Scapula. See pp. 241, 252.
- ↑ He means Oppius and Balbus.
- ↑ That is, of some debts to himself. He was to assign them to Cærellia in payment of his debt to her. If we translate it "note of hand"—as though that would clear Cicero of his debt—we should be following the precedent of Mr. Micawber. The point of the quotation is that there is a great chance of Cicero not being able to get the debts to himself paid. For the word perscriptio see vol. i., p. 301 (Att. iv. 17).