The news I get about the state of affairs in Africa is quite different to what you sent me. They say that all is as strong and as ready as possible. Then there are Spain and Italy alienated from Caesar; his legions are not what they were either in strength or in loyalty; and in the city things are in a poor plight; I cannot get a moment's peace except when I am reading your letters. They would certainly be more frequent, if you had any news which you thought would lighten my sorrows. Still I beg you not to neglect writing to me, whatever the news may be; and, if you cannot bring yourself to hate those who have shown such unfeeling hostility to me, at
non ut aliquid proficias, sed ut tibi me carum esse sentiant. Plura ad te scribam, si mihi ad eas litteras, quas proxime ad te dedi, rescripseris. Vale.
[Sidenote: _Scr. Brundisi VIII Id. Mart. a. 707_]
Confectus iam cruciatu maximorum dolorum, ne si sit quidem, quod ad te debeam scribere, facile id exsequi possim, hoc minus, quod res nulla est, quae scribenda sit, cum praesertim ne spes quidem ulla ostendatur fore melius. Ita iam ne tuas quidem litteras exspecto, quamquam semper aliquid adferunt, quod velim. Quare tu quidem scribito, cum erit, cui des. Ego tuis proximis, quas tamen iam pridem accepi, nihil habeo quod rescribam; longo enim intervallo video immutata esse omnia; illa esse firma, quae debeant, nos stultitiae nostrae gravissimas poenas pendere.
P. Sallustio curanda sunt HS X̅X̅X̅, quae accepi a Cn. Sallustio. Velim videas, ut sine mora curentur. De ea re scripsi ad Terentiam. Atque hoc ipsum iam prope consumptum est. Quare id quoque velim cum illa videas, ut sit, qui utamur. Hic fortasse potero sumere, si sciam istic paratum fore; sed, priusquam id scirem, nihil sum ausus sumere. Qui sit omnium rerum status noster, vides. Nihil est mali, quod non et sustineam et exspectem. Quarum
any rate reprove them, not in the hope of doing any good, but to make them feel that I am dear to you. I will write more, if you answer the last letter I sent. Farewell.
[Sidenote: _Brundisium, March 8_, B.C. _47_]
Worn out as I am by the agony of my grievous sorrows I should not find it an easy task to write to you, even if there were anything I ought to write; and it is far less easy, when I have nothing worth writing, especially as there is not even a gleam of hope for better days. So hopeless am I that now I do not look forward even to your letters, though they always bring me something I like to hear. So pray write, whenever you have a messenger. I have no answer to give to your last letter, though it is a long time since I received it, for I see no change in the long interval: the right cause is strong, and I am paying very heavily for my folly.
