or at any rate lessen it. For there are people who talk even to me. But he is the best judge himself, especially if he talks it over with you too.
I am thinking of setting out on the 21st, for I have nothing to do here, and precious little to do there or anywhere else; still there is something to do there. To-day I am expecting Spinther, for Brutus has sent him to me. He writes to exculpate Caesar of Marcellus' death. But no suspicion would have fallen on Caesar, even if his death had been due to treachery; and now that Magius is known to be mad, surely that accounts for everything. I don't see his point at all. Perhaps you will explain. However, there is nothing I am in doubt about except the reason for Magius' madness; why, I had even gone security for him. That no doubt was the point; he was insolvent. I suppose he asked some favour of Marcellus, and the latter, as was his way, gave a rather decided answer.
XI
CICERO TO ATTICUS, GREETING.
Arpinum, June 23, B.C. 45
"Not the same look."[[104]] I thought it was easy; but it is quite the reverse, now I am farther away from you. But it had to be done, that I might fix some trifles like the rents of my farms and might not lay too great a burden of attendance on our friend Brutus. For in the future we shall find ourselves able to cultivate each other's society at Tusculum more easily. But at the present time, when he wanted
[104]. A quotation from Euripides, Ion, 585:—
οὐ ταὐτόν εἶδος φαίνεται τῶν πραγμάτων
πρόσωθεν ὄντων ἔγγυθέν θ' ὁρωμένων.
"Not the same look wear things, when seen far off and near at hand."
128ille me cotidie videre vellet, ego ad illum ire non possem, privabatur omni delectatione Tusculani. Tu igitur, si Servilia venerit, si Brutus quid egerit, etiam si constituerit, quando obviam, quicquid denique erit, quod scire me oporteat, scribes. Pisonem, si poteris convenies. Vides, quam maturum sit. Sed tamen, quod commodo tuo fiat.