370civili video serviendum. Quid ergo? ad Kal. Ian. in Pansa spes? Λῆρος πολὺς in vino et in somno istorum.
De CCX optime. Ciceronis rationes explicentur. Ovius enim recens. Is multa, quae vellem, in iis ne hoc quidem malum[[300]] HS LXXII satis esse, adfatim prorsus, sed Xenonem perexigue et γλίσχρως praebere. Quo plus permutasti quam ad fructum insularum, id ille annus habeat, in quem itineris sumptus accessit. Hinc ex Kal. Apr. ad HS LXXX accommodetur. Nunc enim insulae tantum. Videndum enim est quid, cum Romae erit. Non enim puto socrum illam ferendam. Pindaro de Cumano negaram. Nunc, cuius rei causa tabellarium miserim, accipe. Quintus filius mihi pollicetur se Catonem. Egit autem et pater et filius, ut tibi sponderem, sed ita, ut tum crederes, cum ipse cognosses. Huic ego litteras ipsius arbitratu dabo. Eae te ne moverint. Has scripsi in eam partem, ne me motum putares. Di faxint, ut faciat ea, quae promittit! Commune enim gaudium. Sed ego—nihil dico amplius. Is hinc VII Idus. Ait enim attributionem in Idus, se autem urgeri acriter. Tu ex meis litteris, quo modo respondeas, moderabere. Plura, cum et Brutum videro et Erotem remittam. Atticae meae excusationem accipio eamque amo plurimum; cui et Piliae salutem.
[300]. After malum the MSS. have in mandatis si abunde, which was deleted by Lambinus as a gloss.
hope have we, then? In Pansa, when he enters office? There is nothing but midsummer madness in their drunken dreams.
About the £2,000[[301]]: well done! Put my son's affairs straight. For Ovius has just come, and brings much satisfactory news; among other things, what is no bad hearing, that £700[[302]] is enough, quite enough, but that Xeno treats him very sparingly and niggardly. The excess over the rental of the town houses that your bill of exchange cost, may be reckoned to the year, in which there was the additional expense of the journey. From the 1st of April on let him have up to £800,[[303]] for that is the rent of the city property now. Some sort of provision must be made for him when he comes to Rome. For I don't think he could endure that woman as a mother-in-law. I refused Pindarus' offer for the villa at Cumae. Now let me tell you why I have sent a messenger. Young Quintus is promising to be as prim as a puritan: and both he and his father have begged me to go bail to you for him, but on the condition that you only believe it when you see it. I shall give him a letter according to his fancy, but don't take any notice of it. I am writing now to prevent you from thinking that I do. God grant he keeps his promise. It would be a satisfaction to everybody. But I—I won't say any more. He is leaving on the 9th. For he says there is some money to be paid over on the 15th, but that he is very hard pressed. You will judge from my letter how to answer. More when I have seen Brutus and am sending Eros back. I accept dear Attica's apology and send her my best love. Give my regards to her and Pilia.
[301]. 210 sestertia.
[302]. 72 sestertia.
[303]. 80 sestertia.
372