Lettres à Atticus Passage 3

sed redeo ad Servium. distulimus omnino sermonem in posterum, sed tardus ad exeundum multo se in suo lectulo malle, quicquid foret. odiosus scrupulus de fili militia Brundisina. unum illud firmissime adseverabat, si damnati restituerentur, in exsilium se iturum. nos autem ad haec et id ipsum certo fore et quae iam fierent non esse leviora, multaque conligebamus. verum ea non animum eius augebant sed timorem, ut iam celandus magis de nostro consilio quam ad id adhibendus videretur. qua re in hoc non multum est. nos a te admoniti de Caelio cogitabimus.

But I return to Servius. We postponed our whole discussion until later, but he is slow to leave and would much prefer whatever happens to find him in his own bed. He has an irritating anxiety about his son's military service at Brundisium. One thing alone he asserted with absolute firmness: if condemned men were restored, he would go into exile. We replied both that this would certainly happen and that what was already being done was no less serious, and we collected many examples. Yet these did not strengthen his courage, but increased his fear, so that he seemed someone from whom our plan should now be concealed rather than someone invited to share it. There is therefore little help in him. Warned by you, we shall think about Caelius.

Mais je reviens à Servius. Nous avons remis tout l’entretien à plus tard; mais il est lent à partir et préférerait de beaucoup rester dans son lit, quoi qu’il arrive. Un scrupule importun le tourmente au sujet du service militaire de son fils à Brindes. Il affirmait avec la plus grande fermeté une seule chose: si les condamnés étaient rétablis, il partirait en exil. Nous lui répondions que cela arriverait certainement et que ce qui se faisait déjà n’était pas moins grave, et nous accumulions bien des arguments. Mais ils augmentaient non son courage, mais sa peur, si bien qu’il paraissait désormais plus nécessaire de lui cacher notre projet que de l’y associer. Il n’y a donc pas grand-chose à espérer de ce côté. Avertis par toi, nous réfléchirons à Caelius.