Letters to Atticus Passage 1

de Silio nilo plura cognovi ex praesente Sicca quam ex litteris eius. scripserat enim diligenter. si igitur tu illum conveneris, scribes ad me si quid videbitur. de quo putas ad me missum esse, sit missum necne nescio; dictum quidem mihi certe nihil est. tu igitur, ut coepisti, et si quid ita conficies, quod equidem non arbitror fieri posse, ut illi probetur, Ciceronem, si tibi placebit, adhibebis. eius aliquid interest videri illius causa voluisse, mea quidem nihil nisi quod tu scis, quod ego magni aestimo.

From Sicca in person I learned nothing more about Silius than from his letter, for he had written carefully. Therefore, if you meet Silius, write to me if anything emerges. As for the person whom you think was sent to me, I do not know whether he was sent or not; certainly nothing was said to me. Continue, then, as you have begun. If you somehow complete the matter, though I do not think it possible, on terms acceptable to Silius, you will involve Cicero if it seems good to you. It is somewhat important to him to appear to have wished it for that man's sake. For me, nothing matters except what you know, which I value highly.

En présence de Sicca, je n’ai rien appris de plus sur Silius que par sa lettre, car il avait écrit avec soin. Si donc tu rencontres Silius, tu m’écriras ce qui te semblera utile. Quant au message que tu penses m’avoir été envoyé, j’ignore s’il l’a été ou non ; on ne m’a certainement rien dit. Continue donc comme tu as commencé ; et si tu conclus quelque accord de telle sorte qu’il puisse l’approuver, ce que je ne crois pas possible, tu feras intervenir Cicéron si tu le juges bon. Il a quelque intérêt à paraître l’avoir voulu pour cet homme. Pour ma part, je n’ai d’autre intérêt que celui que tu connais et auquel j’attache un grand prix.