see to the matter being concluded. Take it in hand personally, settle it, and do your best—so far as it shall appear to you to be fair and right—that Strabo's freedman, who has been sent to represent him, may bring the matter to a conclusion on the most favourable terms possible and get at the money. You will thus be doing me a very great favour, and at the same time will yourself have reason to know that L. Titius is in the highest degree worthy of your friendship. That you may bestow attention upon this, as you usually do on everything which you know me to wish, I warmly and repeatedly entreat you.[1]
CCCCLIV (F IX, 1)
TO M. TERENTIUS VARRO[2]
Rome (?)
From a letter of yours, which Atticus read to me, I learnt
what you were doing and where you were; but when we
were likely to see you, I could gain no idea at all from the
letter. However, I am beginning to hope that your arrival
is not far off. I wish it could be any consolation to
me! But the fact is, I am overwhelmed by so many and
such grave anxieties, that no one but the most utter fool
- ↑ We have seen before how these private letters were sent to provincial governors on matters upon which they had to act judicially (see vol. ii., pp. 121, 122). They would be thought highly improper now. But we must remember that Cicero did not expect such formal letters to be very much attended to. See vol. i., pp. 208, 241. There is no means of dating these letters of introduction to Brutus.
- ↑ Varro, the "most learned of the Romans," and author, it is said, of 490 books (two only of which remain even partially), had been one of Pompey's legates in Spain in B.C. 49, where he had to surrender his legions to Cæsar. He, however, joined Pompey in Epirus. Whilst Cæsar was at Alexandria, Antony seized Varro's villa at Casinum (2 Phil. § 103), but on his return Cæsar restored him to his property and civil position, and indeed employed his services in the collection of the public library. He was the oldest of the leading men of this period, yet survived them all. He was born B.C. 116, and died B.C. 28.
