do anything
for me. T. Penarius sends me a kind letter about you: says that he is
exceedingly charmed with your literary pursuits, conversation, and above
all by your dinners. He was always a favourite of mine, and I see a good
deal of his brother. Wherefore continue, as you have begun, to admit the
young man to your intimacy.

From the fact of this letter having been in hand during many days, owing
to the delay of the letter-carriers, I have jotted down in it many
various things at odd times, as, for instance, the following. Titus
Anicius has mentioned to me more than once that he would not hesitate to
buy a suburban property for you, if he found one. In these remarks of
his I find two things surprising: first, that when you write to him
about buying a suburban property, you not only don't write to me to that
effect, but write even in a contrary sense; and, secondly, that in
writing to him you totally forget his letters which you shewed me at
Tusculum, and as totally the rule of Epicharmus, "Notice how he has
treated another":[631] in fact, that you have quite forgotten, as I
think, the lesson conveyed by the expression of his face, his
conversation, and his spirit. But this is your concern. As to a suburban
property, be sure to let me know your wishes, and at the same time take
care that that fellow doesn't get you into trouble. What else have I to
say? Anything? Yes, there is this: Gabinius entered the city by night on
the 27th of September, and to-day, at two o'clock, when he ought to have
appeared on his trial for _lese majeste_, in accordance with the edict
of C. Alfius, he was all but crushed to the earth by a great and
unanimous demonstration of the popular hatred. Nothing could exceed his
humiliating position. However, Piso comes next to him. So I think of
introducing a marvellous episode into my second book[632]--Apollo
declaring in the council of the gods what sort of return that of the two
commanders was to be, one of whom had lost, and the other sold his army.
From Britain I have a letter of Caesar's dated the 1st of September,
which reached me on the 27th, satisfactory enough as far as the British
expedition is concerned, in which, to prevent my wondering at not
getting one from you, he tells me that you were not with him when he
reached the coast. To that letter I made no reply, not even a formal
congratulation, on account of his mourning. Many, many wishes, dear
brother, for your health.

[Footnote 62