"dúm modo doleant áliquid, doleant quídlibet."
Consilium meum quod ais cotidie magis laudari, non moleste fero, exspectabamque, si quid de eo ad me scriberes. Ego enim in varios sermones incidebam. Quin etiam idcirco trahebam, ut quam diutissime integrum esset. Sed, quoniam furcilla extrudimur, Brundisium cogito. Facilior enim et exploratior devitatio legionum fore videtur quam piratarum, qui apparere dicuntur.
Sestius VI Idus exspectabatur, sed non venerat, quod sciam. Cassius cum classicula sua venerat. Ego, cum eum vidissem, V Id. in Pompeianum cogitabam, inde Aeculanum. Nosti reliqua. De Tutia ita putaram. De Aebutio non credo nec tamen curo plus quam tu. Planco et Oppio scripsi equidem, quoniam rogaras, sed, si tibi videbitur, ne necesse habueris reddere. Cum enim tua causa fecerint omnia, vereor, ne meas litteras supervacaneas arbitrentur,
Brutus was pleased with your letter. I spent several hours with him at Nesis, just after I received your letter. He seemed to be delighted at the Tereus incident, and to feel more grateful to Accius than to Antonius.[[306]] For my part the better the news is, the more it annoys and pains me, that the Roman people use their hands not for defending the constitution but for clapping. It seems to me that the Caesarian party is possessed of a positive mania for parading its disloyalty. However, "so they but suffer, be it what it will."[[307]]
[306]. There had been some exhibition of public feeling at the performance of Accius' Tereus at the games given by Brutus. Here, and in the Philippics II. 31, it is implied that it was favourable to Brutus, but Appius, B.C. III. 24, states that outbursts against Caesar's assassins drove them to decide on leaving Italy.
[307]. From Afranius. Cf. Cicero, Tusc. Disp. IV. 45 and 55.
You say my plan is daily more commended. I am not sorry, and I am looking forward to anything you may say about it. For I have met with various opinions; and, indeed, for that reason I am hesitating as long as possible before committing myself. But since I am being turned out with a pitchfork, I am thinking of Brundisium. For it seems to me to be more certain and easier to avoid the soldiers than the pirates, who are said to be in evidence.
I expected Sestius on the 10th, but he has not come, so far as I know. Cassius has arrived with his little fleet. When I have seen him, I am thinking of going on the 11th to Pompeii, and thence to Aeculanum. You know the rest. About Tutia, that is what I thought. As for Aebutius, I don't believe it; nor do I care any more than you do. I have written of course to Plancus and Oppius, as you asked me: but, if you think better of it, don't hold yourself bound to deliver the letters. For, since they have done it all for your sake, I fear my letters
376Oppio quidem utique, quem tibi amicissimum cognovi. Verum, ut voles.
Tu, quoniam scribis hiematurum te in Epiro, feceris mihi gratum, si ante eo veneris, quam mihi in Italiam te auctore veniendum est. Litteras ad me quam saepissime; si de rebus minus necessariis, aliquem nanctus; sin autem erit quid maius, domo mittito.