CCCCXXX (A XI, 17)
TO ATTICUS (AT ROME)
Brundisium, 14 June
I am giving this letter to another man's letter-carriers, who
are in a hurry to start; that, and the fact that I am about
to send my own, accounts for its brevity. My daughter
Tullia reached me on the 12th of June, and expatiated at
great length on your attention and kindness to her, and
gave me three letters. I, however, have not got the pleasure
from her own virtue, gentleness, and affection which I ought
to get from a matchless daughter, but have even been overwhelmed
with extraordinary sorrow, to think that a character
like hers should be involved in circumstances of such distress,[1]
and that that should occur from no fault of hers, but
from my own consummate folly. Accordingly, I am not
expecting from you now either consolation, which I see you
desire to offer, or advice, which is impossible of adoption;
and I understand on many occasions from your previous,
as well as from your last letters, that you have tried everything
practicable.
I am thinking of sending my son with Sallustius[2] to Cæsar. As for Tullia, I see no motive for keeping her with me any longer in such a sad state of mutual sorrow. Accordingly, I am going to send her back to her mother as soon as she will herself consent to go. In return for the letter which you wrote in the consolatory style, pray consider that I have made the only answer which you will
- ↑ According to Plutarch (Cic. 41) Terentia had allowed Tullia to undertake this journey without proper provision or escort. See also p. 41.
- ↑ Whose arrival at Brundisium we heard of, p. 28. Mueller begins a fresh letter with this sentence. It seems likely that he is right. Yet it is practically a continuation of the former hasty note.
