XIV
CICERO ATTICO SAL.
Scr. in Tusculano V K. Quint. a. 710
VI Kalend. accepi a Dolabella litteras. Quarum exemplum tibi misi. In quibus erat omnia se fecisse, quae tu velles. Statim ei rescripsi et multis verbis gratias egi. Sed tamen, ne miraretur, cur idem iterum facerem, hoc causae sumpsi, quod ex te ipso coram antea nihil potuissem cognoscere. Sed quid multa? litteras hoc exemplo dedi:
"CICERO DOLABELLAE COS. SUO.
"Antea cum litteris Attici nostri de tua summa liberalitate summoque erga se beneficio certior factus essem, cumque tu ipse etiam ad me scripsisses te fecisse ea, quae nos voluissemus, egi tibi gratias per litteras iis verbis, ut intellegeres nihil te mihi gratius facere potuisse. Postea vero quam ipse Atticus ad me venit in Tusculanum huius unius rei causa, tibi ut apud me gratias ageret, cuius eximiam quandam et admirabilem in causa Buthrotia voluntatem et singularem erga se amorem perspexisset, teneri non potui, quin tibi apertius illud idem his litteris declararem. Ex omnibus enim, mi Dolabella, studiis in me et officiis, quae summa sunt, hoc scito mihi et amplissimum videri et gratissimum esse, quod perfeceris, ut Atticus intellegeret, quantum ego te, quantum tu me amares. Quod reliquum est, Buthrotiam et causam et civitatem, quamquam a te constituta est (beneficia autem nostra tueri solemus),
XIV
CICERO TO ATTICUS, GREETING.
Tusculum, June 27, B.C. 44
On the 26th I received a letter from Dolabella, and I am sending you a copy of it. In it he says he has done everything you wanted. I answered at once, thanking him profusely. However, to prevent his wondering why I should do so twice, I gave as a reason that I had not been able to get any information from you before when I met you. But, to cut it short, here is a copy of my letter:—
"CICERO TO HIS FRIEND DOLABELLA THE CONSUL.
"Once before, when our friend Atticus had informed me by letter of your great liberality and the great kindness you had shown him, and when you yourself had written that you had done all that we wished, I sent you my thanks couched in such terms that you might understand that you had done me the greatest favour. But afterwards, when Atticus came himself to me at Tusculum solely to declare his gratitude to you, as he had observed your remarkable and indeed wonderful kindness in the matter of the people of Buthrotum and your strong affection for himself, I could not help expressing my thanks again more clearly in this letter. For of all the favours and services you have done for me, and they are overwhelming, my dear Dolabella, let me assure you that the highest and the most gratifying is, that you have shown Atticus how great my affection is for you, and yours for me. For the rest, as one generally wishes to secure favours received, though the case of Buthrotum and its existence as a city have been set on a firm footing by you, I