Scr. Brundisi VII Id. Quint. a. 707

Quod ad te scripseram ut cum Camillo communicares, de eo Camillus mihi scripsit te secum locutum. Tuas litteras exspectabam; nisi illud quidem mutari, si aliter est et oportet, non video posse. Sed, cum ab illo accepissem litteras, desideravi tuas (etsi putabam te certiorem factum non esse), modo valeres; scripseras enim te quodam valetudinis genere temptari.

Agusius quidam Rhodo venerat VIII Idus Quinct. Is nuntiabat Quintum filium ad Caesarem profectum IIII Kal. Iun., Philotimum Rhodum pridie eam diem venisse, habere ad me litteras. Ipsum Agusium audies. Sed tardius iter faciebat. Eo feci, ut celeriter eunti darem. Quid sit in iis litteris, nescio, sed mihi valde Quintus frater gratulatur. Equidem in meo tanto peccato nihil ne cogitatione quidem adsequi possum, quod mihi tolerabile possit esse. Te oro

[Pg 419]

attention and help me with your advice, which you have not done in spite of many requests. I know it is a knotty question: but, as there is a choice of evils, the mere sight of you is something to me. If I get that, I shall have made some advance. Please attend to the will, as you promise.

XXIII
CICERO TO ATTICUS, GREETING.

Brundisium, July 9, B.C. 47

Camillus has written to me saying that you have spoken to him on the subject about which I suggested you should consult with him. Now I am expecting a letter from you: only I don't see how the thing is to be changed, if it is not as it ought to be. But, when I got a letter from him, I looked for one from you, though I suppose you did not know the post was going. I only hope you are well: for you said you had an attack of some kind of illness.

A man of the name of Agusius came from Rhodes on the 8th of July. He tells me young Quintus set out to go to Caesar on May 29th, and Philotimus arrived at Rhodes the day before with a letter for me. You will hear Agusius himself: but he is travelling rather slowly. So I arranged to give this to some one who was going more quickly. What there is in that letter, I don't know, but my brother Quintus offers me hearty congratulations. For my part after my great mistake I cannot even imagine anything that can possibly be endurable to me. I beg you to