Cum haec scripsissem, a Curione mihi nuntiatum est eum ad me venire. Venerat enim is in Cumanum vesperi pridie, id est Idibus. Si quid igitur eius modi sermo eius attulerit, quod ad te scribendum sit, id his litteris adiungam.
Praeteriit villam meam Curio iussitque mihi nuntiari mox se venturum cucurritque Puteolos, ut ibi contionaretur. Contionatus est, rediit, fuit ad me sane diu. O rem foedam! Nosti hominem; nihil occultavit, in primis nihil esse certius, quam ut
he was summoned to Caesar's presence, and discussed the difference between my views and his own and my plan of leaving Italy. Even that I write with hesitation. But it is no fault of mine: it is his disposition which must cause us anxiety. That is what corrupted Curio and Hortensius' son, not their fathers' fault.
My brother is prostrate with grief, though he does not fear for his own life so much as for mine. It is to him, to him more than me, I want you to offer consolation, if you can. The best consolation would be that what we have heard was false or exaggerated. If it was true, I fail to see what will come of this runaway existence. For if the constitution were still intact, I should know what to do both in the way of severity and in the way of kindness. Now, under the sway of some passion, be it wrath or sorrow or fear, I have written more bitterly than either your affection for him or mine warrants. If what I have said is true, you will pardon me: if it is false, I shall be only too glad to have the error removed. However it may be, you must not blame his uncle or his father.
When I had got so far, I received a message from Curio that he was coming to see me. He came to his place here yesterday evening, that is on the 13th. If any point worth mentioning to you occurs in our conversation, I will add it to this letter.
Curio passed by my house, and sent a message saying he was coming very soon. Then he hurried off to make a speech at Puteoli. He made his speech, returned and stayed a very long time. How disgusting! You know the sort of man he is: he hid nothing. In the first place he is quite sure that all
omnes, qui lege Pompeia condemnati essent, restituerentur. Itaque se in Sicilia eorum opera usurum. De Hispaniis non dubitabat, quin Caesaris essent. Inde ipsum cum exercitu, ubicumque Pompeius esset. Eius interitum finem belli[126] fore. Propius factum esse nihil, nisi[127] plane iracundia elatum voluisse Caesarem occidi Metellum tribunum pl. Quod si esset factum, caedem magnam futuram fuisse. Permultos hortatores esse caedis, ipsum autem non voluntate aut natura non esse crudelem, sed quod popularem putaret esse clementiam. Quodsi populi stadium amisisset, crudelem fore. Eumque perturbatum, quod intellegeret se apud ipsam plebem offendisse de aerario. Itaque, ei cum certissimum fuisset, antequam proficisceretur, contionem habere, ausum non esse vehementerque animo perturbato profectum. Cum autem ex eo quaererem, quid videret, quem eventum, quam rem publicam, plane fatebatur nullam spem reliquam. Pompei classem timebat. Quae si exisset, se de Sicilia abiturum. "Quid isti," inquam, "sex tui fasces? si a senatu, cur laureati? si ab ipso, cur sex?" "Cupivi," inquit, "ex senatus consulto surrupto; nam aliter non poterat. At ille impendio nunc magis odit senatum. A me," inquit, "omnia proficiscentur,"
[126] belli Manutius; illi MSS.