Letters to Atticus Passage 7

de Philotimo faciam equidem ut mones. sed ego mihi ab illo hoc tempore non rationes exspectabam quas tibi edidit, verum id reliquum quod ipse in Tusculano me referre in commentarium mea manu voluit quodque idem in Asia mihi sua manu scriptum dedit. id si praestaret, quantum mihi aeris alieni esse tibi edidit tantum et plus etiam mihi ipse deberet. sed in hoc genere, si modo per rem publicam licebit, non accusabimur posthac, neque hercule antea neglegentes fuimus sed amicorum multitudine occupati. ergo utemur, ut polliceris, et opera et consilio tuo nec tibi erimus, ut spero, in eo molesti.

I shall certainly act regarding Philotimus as you advise. But at this time I was not expecting from him the accounts he rendered to you, but rather the outstanding sum which he himself, at Tusculum, wished me to enter in my memorandum book in my own hand, and which he likewise gave me in Asia in a statement written in his own hand. If he made good that sum, he himself would owe me as much as the debt he represented me as owing, and even more. But in matters of this kind, if public affairs permit, we shall not be open to criticism hereafter. By Hercules, we were not negligent before, but were occupied by the multitude of our friends. So, as you promise, we shall employ both your assistance and your advice and, I hope, shall not trouble you over it.

Pour Philotime, je suivrai assurément ton conseil. Mais ce que j’attendais maintenant de lui, ce n’étaient pas les comptes qu’il t’a présentés, mais le reliquat qu’au Tusculanum il avait lui-même voulu me voir inscrire de ma main dans le registre, et qu’en Asie il m’avait également remis par écrit de sa propre main. S’il s’en acquittait, il me devrait lui-même autant, et même davantage, que le montant de mes dettes qu’il t’a déclaré. En cette matière, pourvu que la situation politique le permette, on ne nous accusera plus désormais; et, par Hercule, nous n’avons pas été négligents auparavant, mais accaparés par la multitude de nos amis. Nous profiterons donc, comme tu le promets, de ton travail et de tes conseils, sans, je l’espère, t’importuner à ce sujet.