CLXXXIII (A V, I)
TO ATTICUS (AT ROME)
MINTURNAE MAY
Yes, I saw well enough what your feelings were
as I parted from you; what mine were I am my own
witness. This makes it all the more incumbent on
you to prevent an additional decree being passed,
so that this mutual regret of ours may not last
more than a year. As to Annius Saturninus, your
measures are excellent. As to the guarantee, pray,
during your stay at Rome, give it yourself. You
will find several guarantees on purchase, such as
those of the estates of Memmius, or rather of
Attilius. As to Oppius, that is exactly what I
wished, and especially your having engaged to pay
him the 800 sestertia (about £ 6,400),
which I am determined shall be paid in any case,
even if I have to borrow to do so, rather than
wait for the last day of getting in my own debts.
1
I now come to that last
line of your letter written crossways, in which
you give me a word of caution about your sister.
2 The facts of the matter
are these. On arriving at my place at Arpinum, my
brother came to see me, and our first subject of
conversation was yourself, and we discussed it at
great length. After this I brought the
conversation round to what you and I had discussed
at Tusculum, on the subject of your sister. I
never saw anything so gentle and placable as my
brother was on that occasion in regard to your
sister: so much so, indeed, that if there had been
any cause of quarrel on the score of expense, it
was not apparent. So much for that day. Next day
we started from Arpinum. A country festival caused
Quintus to stop at Arcanum; I stopped at Aquinum;
but we lunched at Arcanum. 3 You know his property there.
When we got there Quintus said, in the kindest
manner, "Pomponia, do you ask the ladies in; I
will invite the men." 4 Nothing, as I thought,
could be more courteous, and that, too, not only
in the actual words, but also in his intention and
the expression of face. But she, in the hearing of
us all, exclaimed, "I am only a stranger here!"
The origin of that was, as I think, the fact that
Statius had preceded us to look after
the luncheon. Thereupon Quintus said to me,
"There, that's what I have to put up with every
day !" You will say, "Well, what does that amount
to?" A great deal ; and, indeed, she had irritated
even me : her answer had been given with such
unnecessary acrimony, both of word and look. I
concealed my annoyance. We all took our places at
table except her. However, Quintus sent her dishes
from the table, which she declined. In short, I
thought I never saw anything better-tempered than
my brother, or crosser than your sister : and
there were many particulars which I omit that
raised my bile more than they did that of Quintus
himself. I then went on to Aquinum ; Quintus
stopped at Arcanum, and joined me early the next
day at Aquinum. He told me that she had refused to
sleep with him, and when on the point of leaving,
she behaved just as I had seen her. 5 Need
I say more? You may tell her herself that in my
judgment she shewed a marked want of kindness on
that day. I have told you this story at greater
length, perhaps, than was necessary, to convince
you that you, too, have something to do in the way
of giving her instruction and advice. There only remains for me to beg you
to complete all my commissions before leaving town
; to give Pomptinus 6 a push, and
make him start ; to let me know as soon as you
have left town, and to believe that, by heaven,
there is nothing I love and find more pleasure in
than yourself. I said a most affectionate good-bye
to that best of men, A. Torquatus, at Minturnae,
to whom I wish you would remark, in the course of
conversation, that I have mentioned him in my
letter.
MINTURNAE MAY
