What a misfortune about Alexio! It has upset me more than you can believe, and not, I assure you, particularly on the score which most people seem to think it has, asking to what doctor I shall turn now. What do I want with a doctor now? And, if I do want one, is there such a dearth of them? It is his love for me, his kindness and charming manner that I miss. There is another thing, too. What have we not to fear, when so temperate a person and so skilful a physician can be overcome suddenly by such a disease? But for all these things there is one consolation: we are born under this condition, that we may not refuse anything that fate has in store for mortals.
As for Antony, I have told you before that I have not met him. For he came to Misenum when I was at Pompeii, and he left before I knew he was there. But by chance, when I was reading your letter, Hirtius was with me at Puteoli. I read it to him and pleaded with him. At first he would not make any concession worth counting, but in the end he said I should direct not only this matter but all his consulship. With Antony I shall put the matter so that he may see that, if he obliges me in this particular
294nobis satis fecerit, totum me futurum suum. Dolabellam spero domi esse.
Redeamus ad nostros. De quibus tu bonam spem te significas habere propter edictorum humanitatem. Ego autem perspexi, cum a me XVII Kal. de Puteolano Neapolim Pansae conveniendi causa proficisceretur Hirtius, omnem eius sensum. Seduxi enim et ad pacem sum cohortatus. Non poterat scilicet negare se velle pacem, sed non minus se nostrorum arma timere quam Antoni, et tamen utrosque non sine causa praesidium habere, se autem utraque arma metuere. Quid quaeris? οὐδὲν ὑγιές.
De Quinto filio tibi adsentior. Patri quidem certe gratissimae bellae tuae litterae fuerunt. Caerelliae vero facile satis feci; nec valde laborare mihi visa est, et, si illa, ego certe non laborarem. Istam vero, quam tibi molestam scribis esse, auditam a te esse omnino demiror. Nam, quod eam conlaudavi apud amicos audientibus tribus filiis eius et filia tua, τί ἐκ τούτου;[[230]]
[230]. τὸ ἐκ τούτου quid est hoc MSS. The Latin words were excluded by Lambinus, τί suggested by Kayser.
"Quid est autem, cur ego personatus ambulem?"
Parumne foeda persona est ipsius senectutis?
Quod Brutus rogat, ut ante Kalendas, ad me quoque scripsit, et fortasse faciam. Sed plane, quid velit, nescio. Quid enim illi adferre consilii possum, cum ipse egeam consilio, et cum ille suae inmortalitati melius quam nostro otio consuluerit? De regina rumor exstinguitur. De Flamma, obsecro te, si quid potes.
matter, I shall be entirely his for the future. I hope Dolabella is at home.