most important affairs in
the state: that when I put them in the mouth of men of such ancient date
they would have an air of unreality: that I had shewn good taste in my
books about the science of rhetoric in keeping the dialogue of the
orators apart from myself, and yet had attributed it to men whom I had
personally seen: and, finally, that Aristotle delivers in the first
person his essays "On the Republic" and "On the Eminent Man." I was
influenced the more by this from the fact that I was unable to touch on
the most important commotions in our state, because they were subsequent
to the age of the speakers. Moreover, my express object then was not to
offend anyone by launching into the events of my own time: as it is, I
shall avoid that and at the same time be the speaker with you.
Nevertheless, when I come to Rome I will send you the dialogues as they
originally stood. For I fancy that those books will convince you that
they have not been abandoned by me without some chagrin.

I am extremely gratified by Caesar's affection of which you write to me.
The offers which he holds out I do not much reckon on, nor have I any
thirst for honours or longing for glory; and I look forward more to the
continuation of his kindness than to the fulfilment of his promises.
Still, I live a life so prominent and laborious that I might seem to be
expecting the very thing that I deprecate. As to your request that I
should compose some verses, you could hardly believe, my dear brother,
how short of time I am: nor do I feel much moved in spirit to write
poetry on the subject you mention. Do you really come to me for
disquisitions on things that I can scarcely conceive even in
imagination--you who have distanced everybody in that style of vivid and
descriptive writing? Yet I would have done it if I could, but, as you
will assuredly not fail to notice, for writing poetry there is need of a
certain freshness of mind of which my occupations entirely deprive me. I
withdraw myself, it is true, from all political anxiety and devote
myself to literature; still, I will hint to you what, by heaven, I
specially wished to have concealed from you. It cuts me to the heart, my
dearest brother, to the heart, to think that there is no Republic, no
law courts, and that my present time of life, which ought to have been
in the full bloom of senatorial dignity, is distracted with the labours
of the forum or eked out by private studies, and that the object on
w