DCXXX (A XIII, 21, §§ 4-7)
TO ATTICUS (AT ROME)
ARPINUM (JUNE 30)
Now just tell me—do you think it
right, to begin with, to publish at all without an
order from me? Hermodorus himself used not to do
that—the man who made a practice of
circulating Plato's books, whence came the line:
"In note-books Hermodorus makes his
gain." 1 And again: do you think it right to shew
it to anyone before Brutus, to whom, on your
advice, I dedicate it? For Balbus has written to
tell me that you have allowed him to take a copy
of the fifth book of the de Finibus, in which,
though I have not made very many alterations, yet
I have made some. I shall be very much obliged to
you if you will keep back the other books, so that
Balbus may not have what is uncorrected, and
Brutus what is stale. But enough of that, lest I
seem "to make a fuss about trifles." 2 Yet, in the present
circumstances, these things are of the utmost
consequence in my eyes. For what else is there to
care about? What I have written 3 I am
in such haste to send to Varro, as you advise,
that I have already despatched it to Rome to be
copied out. This you shall have at once, if you so
wish. For I have written to tell the copyists that
your men should have permission to make a copy of
them if you chose. Please, however, keep it to
yourself till I see you, as you always do with the
greatest care when you have been told by me to do
so. But how did it escape me to tell you?
Caerellia—wonderfully inflamed no doubt
by a zeal for philosophy—is taking a
copy from yours: she already has those very books
of the de Finibus. Now I assure
you—though I am mortal and
fallible—that she did not get them from
mine, for they have never been out of my sight:
and so far from my men having made two copies,
they scarcely completed one copy of each book.
However, I don't charge your men with any
dereliction of duty, and so I would have you
think: for I omitted to say that I did not wish
them to get abroad yet. Dear me! what a time I am
talking about trifles! The fact is, I have nothing
to say on business. About Dolabella I agree with
you. Yes, I will meet my co-heirs, as you suggest,
at my Tusculan villa. As to Caesar's arrival,
Balbus writes to say that it will not be before
the 1st of August. I am very glad to hear about
Attica, that her attack is lighter and less
serious, and that she bears it
cheerfully. You mention that idea of ours, in
which I am as earnest as yourself. As far as my
knowledge goes, I strongly approve of the man, the
family, and the fortune. What is most important of
all, though I don't know him personally, I hear
nothing but good of him, among others recently
from Scrofa. We may add, if that is of any
consequence, that he is better born even than his
father. Therefore when we meet I will talk about
it, and with a predisposition in favour of him. I
may add that I am—as I think you
know-with good reason attached to his father, and
have been so for a long time past, more even than
not only you but even he himself is aware. 4
ARPINUM (JUNE 30)