Letters to Atticus Passage 4

de Acutiliano autem negotio quod mihi mandaras, ut primum a tuo digressu Romam veni, confeceram; sed accidit ut et contentione nihil opus esset et ut ego, qui in te satis consili statuerim esse, mallem Peducaeum tibi consilium per litteras quam me dare. etenim cum multos dies auris meas Acutilio dedissem, cuius sermonis genus tibi notum esse arbitror, non mihi grave duxi scribere ad te de illius querimoniis, cum eas audire, quod erat subodiosum, leve putassem. sed abs te ipso qui me accusas unas mihi scito litteras redditas esse, cum et oti ad scribendum plus et facultatem dandi maiorem habueris.

As for the business with Acutilius that you had entrusted to me, I had completed it as soon as I came to Rome after your departure. But it happened both that there was no need for contention and that I, having decided that you possessed judgment enough, preferred Peducaeus rather than myself to advise you by letter. Indeed, after lending Acutilius my ears for many days, and I think you know his manner of speaking, I did not consider it burdensome to write to you about his complaints, since I had thought it a small matter to hear them, although that was somewhat tiresome. But know that from you yourself, who accuse me, only one letter has been delivered to me, although you have had more leisure to write and greater opportunity to send one.

Quant à l’affaire d’Acutilius que tu m’avais confiée, je l’avais menée à terme dès mon retour à Rome après ton départ. Mais il se trouva qu’aucune contestation n’était nécessaire et que, jugeant que tu possédais assez de discernement, je préférais que Peducaeus te donnât son avis par lettre plutôt que de te donner le mien. Après avoir prêté pendant plusieurs jours mes oreilles à Acutilius, dont tu connais, je pense, la manière de parler, je n’ai pas cru pénible de t’écrire au sujet de ses plaintes, puisque j’avais estimé facile de les écouter, bien que ce fût quelque peu désagréable. Mais sache que de toi-même, qui m’accuses, je n’ai reçu qu’une seule lettre, alors que tu as eu plus de loisir pour écrire et davantage d’occasions d’en confier.