Page:The Letters of Cicero Shuckburg III.pdf/353

 and Offilius. About giving notice of the auction I myself spoke to Balbus. He agreed—I presume that Offilius has a complete inventory, and so has Balbus—well, he agreed that it should be on an early day and at Rome: but that, if Cæsar's arrival was delayed, it might be put off from day to day. But the latter seems to be on the point of arriving. Therefore consider the whole business: for Vestorius is content.

DCLV (A XIII, 38)

TO ATTICUS (AT ROME)

As I was writing against the Epicureans before daybreak, I scratched a hasty note to you by the same lamp and in the same breath, and despatched it also before daybreak. Then, after going to sleep again and getting up at sunrise, a letter from your sister's son is put into my hands, which I herewith send to you in the original copy. It begins with a gross insult. But perhaps he didn't stop to think. Well, this is how it begins: "Whatever can be said to your discredit I" He will have it that much can be said to my discredit, but says that he does not endorse it. Could anything be in worse taste? Well, you shall read the rest—for I send it on to you—and judge for yourself. My belief is that it was because the fellow was disturbed by the daily and persistent compliments of our friend Brutus—the expression of which by him in regard to us has been reported to me by a very large number of people—that he has at length deigned to write to me and to you. Please let me know if that is so. For what he has written to his father about me