DCXXI (A XIII, 10)
TO ATTICUS (AT ROME)
TUSCULUM (JUNE 20)
I am not at all surprised either at your
sorrow in regard to Marcellus or at your misgiving
as to increased sources of danger. For who would
have feared such a thing as this
—a thing that had never happened before
and which nature seemed to forbid the possibility
of happening? Therefore there is nothing that may
not be feared. But this is
an historical slip of yours—the last
person I should have expected to make
it—that "I am the sole remaining
consular." Why, what do you think of Servius?
1 However, this survival
has of course no value of any sort-especially to
me, who think that their fate is no less happy
than my own. For what am I, and what influence do
I possess? Is it at home or abroad? Well, if it
had not occurred to me to write my poor books, I
shouldn't have known what to do with myself. Yes,
as you say, I think I must dedicate to Dolabella
some treatise of a more general kind and more
political in tone. Something certainly I must
compose for him; for he is very desirous that I
should do so. If Brutus takes any step, 2 pray
be careful to let me know. I think he ought to do
it as soon as possible, especially if he has made
up his mind. He will thereby either entirely stop,
or at any rate mitigate, any little talk there may
be about it. For there are people who talk even to
me. But he will settle these things best himself,
especially if he also consults you. I intend
starting on the 21st: for I have nothing to do
here, nor, by Hercules! there either, or anywhere:
yet there, after all, there is something. Today I
am expecting Spinther; for Brutus has sent him to
me. He writes to clear Caesar in regard to the
death of Marcellus—on whom no suspicion
would have fallen, even if his assassination had
been the consequence of a plot. As it is, as there
is no doubt whatever about Magius. Does not his
madness account for the whole thing? I don't
clearly understand what he means. Please explain
therefore. However, for myself my only doubt is as
to the cause of Magius's mad fury. Marcellus had
even gone security for him. No doubt that is the
true explanation—he was
insolvent. I suppose he had asked some indulgence
from Marcellus, who—as was his
way—had answered him somewhat decidedly.
TUSCULUM (JUNE 20)