Letters to Atticus Passage 5

si ita factum esset ut ille Romam veniens magistratus et senatum Romae offenderet, magno usui causae nostrae fuisset. damnasse enim sceleris hominem amicum rei publicae causa videretur, quod nunc quoque videtur sed minus prodest. non enim habet cui prosit eumque arbitror paenitere, nisi forte id ipsum est falsum discessisse illum. nos quidem pro certo habebamus.

If it had happened that, on coming to Rome, Labienus found the magistrates and Senate there, it would have greatly benefited our cause. For he would have seemed to condemn a criminal for the sake of the Republic, though this is how he appears even now, but with less practical benefit. There is no one present for his action to benefit, and I think he regrets it, unless perhaps the whole report of his departure is false. We certainly regarded it as established.

Si, lorsque César arrivait à Rome, il y avait trouvé les magistrats et le Sénat, cela aurait été très utile à notre cause. Labienus aurait paru condamner un criminel, son ami, dans l’intérêt de la république. C’est encore l’impression qu’il donne maintenant, mais son geste est moins utile, puisqu’il n’a personne à qui profiter; et je crois qu’il le regrette, à moins que son départ même ne soit une fausse nouvelle. Pour nous, nous le tenions pour certain.