The familiar epistles of M.T. Cicero Englished and conferred with the: French Italian and other translations

Caius Cassius to Cicero. Ep. 13.

I Hope you are in good health, as I was at the writing hereof. First, wee reioyce for the safetie; and victorie of

the Common-wealth; and then, in that your praises are euery day renew∣ed. For, you proouing a powerfull Consular, and greater then when you were Consull, you haue gone beyond your selfe. Whereat wee doe reioyce, but cannot sufficiently wonder. There is annexed to your vertue, something that is fatall, which we haue now ma∣ny times discerned by experience. For your gowne is more fortunate, then th'armes of other men. Which at this present also, hath wrung the Com∣monwealth, out of the hands of ene∣mies, and restored it. Now, therefore we shall liue in libertie. Now, we shall haue you, most eminent Cittizen; and my dearest, and (in the aduersities of the Common-wealth) approued friend, I say, we shall now haue you, a testimonie of our loue, both to your selfe, and to the Common-wealth, which is so neere vnto you. And those things, which you haue many times promised, both to conceale, while wee were in seruitude; and to disclose in my behalfe then, when they might be auailable: I now, desire not so much that you should vtter them: as that your selfe would but repute them what they are. For I more esteeme of your iudgement then any mans what∣soeuer: neither desire I that you should commend mee aboue my de∣serts.

And these our last exployts will not I hope, seeme dissonant from the rest; nor performed vnaduisedly, and without counsell: but conformable to those cogitations, whereof you are witnesse. Wherefore, you ought to adde no little to my esteeme, that my countrie may entertaine the best hope of me. You haue O Marcus Tullius, children, and neighbours beseeming you; and to you wor••hilie most deare. You must also in the Commonwealth, next af••er these, make a deare esteeme of those persons, who are emulous of your studies. Of which I desire there may be many; but yet I thinke not, that they are in ••o great a number, that I must be excluded; and that you haue no place left you, wherein you may embrace mee, and put mee vpon all things which concurre with your plea∣sure, and my desert. I haue peraduen∣ture laide open my minde vnto you: but what my wit is, cannot through long seruitude, be perfectly apprehen∣ded. Wee haue, from the Maritime coast's of Asia, and the Islands, taken all the shipping we could. The presse of such as were to rowe, though with great opposition of the Citties, was not long in compassing. We followed the Armada of D••labella; whereof Lu∣ciliu•• was Admirall. Who oftentimes bearing vs in hand, that hee would v∣nite

himselfe with vs; and oftentimes departing from vs; at length bare in with Corcyrus, and began to keepe him∣selfe within the port. Leauing it, wee went to Cyprus; because we thought it better to returne to the Campe, in that an other Naui•• came after; which Tullius Cymber had the yeare before, gathered together in Bithynia, which was commanded by Turulius the Quae∣stor. And from thence; wee thought good with all speed, to giue you notice of what had happened. The Tarsen∣ses most disloyall associats, and the La∣odiceni farre more foolish, haue volun∣tarily call'd vnto them Dolobella. By the aide of which Citties 〈…〉〈…〉 vp a kinde of armie, consisting of Grae∣cian souldiers. He hath encamped his men before the towne of Laodicea, hee hath broken downe a part of the wall, and hath vnited his souldiers with the townes-men. Our Cassius, with tenne Legions, and twenty Cohorts of the League, and with foure thousand horse lyes within twenty myles of Palthos; and thinkes he may vanquish without comming to fight. Because Dolabella is already enforced to buye his wheate at three Tetradrachm's. And, if he cause no prouision thereof to be conueyed in by the shipping of Laodicea; hee must of necessitie be shortly famished. And, that he shall not be able to pro∣cure

any such conueyance; by the great fleete of Cassius, which is vnder the gouernment of Sextilius Ru••us; and those three, which are vnder the conduct of my selfe, Turulius, and P••∣tichus; he will easilie be hindered. Be you therefore of good hope, and con¦fident; that as you haue there d••liue∣red the Common-wealth; so wee, ••or our parts, will therin vse all expedition. Farewell. From Cyprus, the 13. of Iune.