Letter 13.18

I shall not allow that the letter you wrote most charmingly and graciously to our friend Atticus, whom I saw transported with joy, was more delightful to him than to me. For although it was almost equally welcome to both of us, I was the more amazed: that you, who, if asked or certainly reminded, would have responded generously to Atticus -- about which we had no doubt -- had written to him of your own accord and conveyed to him, unsuspecting, so great a display of your goodwill by letter. About this I ought not only not to ask you to do it even more zealously for my sake as well -- for nothing could be done more abundantly than what you promise -- but I should not even thank you, since you did it both for his sake and of your own accord. But this I shall say: that what you did is most welcome to me. For such a judgment of yours about a man whom I am uniquely fond of cannot fail to be supremely pleasant to me; and since that is so, it must be welcome. But still, since our close connection permits me even to err in writing to you, I shall do both of those things I said I should not do: I ask that to what you have shown yourself willing to do for Atticus's sake, you add as much as our friendship can contribute, and -- what I was just reluctant to do -- I now plainly thank you, and I wish you to understand that whatever services you bind Atticus with in his Epirote and other affairs, you will bind me equally.

DXI (Fam. XIII, 18) TO SERVIUS SULPICIUS RUFUS (IN ACHAIA) ROME: I WILL not allow that your most kind and courteous letter to Atticus — whom I see to be transported with delight-was more gratifying to him than to myself. For, though it was almost equally pleasing to us both, yet I was the more struck with admiration of the two. You would, of course, have made a courteous answer to Atticus if asked, or at least reminded: but (as for my part I never doubted that you would do) you spontaneously wrote to him, and, without his expecting it, offered him so warm an expression of goodwill. On this subject not only ought I not to ask you to be more zealous in that respect for my sake also — for nothing could go beyond your promises — but I should be wrong even to thank you, since you have acted for his own sake and on your own initiative. However, I will say this, that I am exceedingly gratified at what you have done. For such appreciation on your part of a man who has a place apart in my affections cannot fail to be supremely delightful to me: and, that being so, it of course excites my gratitude. But all the same, since considering our intimacy a faux pas in writing to you is allowable to me, I will do both the things that I said that I ought not to do. In the first place, to what you have shown that you will do for the sake of Atticus I would have you make as large an addition as our mutual affection can suggest: in the second place, though I said just now that I feared to thank you, I now do so outright: and I would wish you to believe that, under whatever obligations you place Atticus , whether in regard to his affairs in Epirus or elsewhere, I shall consider myself to be equally bound to you by them.

XVIII. Scr. Romae a.u.c. 708. CICERO SERVIO SAL. Non concedam, ut Attico nostro, quem elatum laetitia vidi, iucundiores tuae suavissime ad eum et humanissime scriptae litterae fuerint quam mihi; nam, etsi utrique nostrum prope aeque gratae erant, tamen ego admirabar magis te, qui, si rogatus aut certe admonitus liberaliter Attico respondisses—quod tamen dubium nobis, quin ita futurum fuerit, non erat—, * * * ultro ad eum scripsisse eique nec opinanti voluntatem tuam tantam per litteras detulisse. De quo non modo rogare te, ut eo studiosius mea quoque causa facias, non debeo—nihil enim cumulatius fieri potest, quam polliceris—, sed ne gratias quidem agere, quod tu et ipsius causa et tua sponte feceris: illud tamen dicam, mihi id, quod fecisti, esse gratissimum; tale enim tuum iudicium de homine eo, quem ego unice diligo, non potest mihi non summe esse iucundum, quod quum ita sit, esse gratum necesse est. Sed tamen, quoniam mihi pro coniunctione nostra vel peccare apud te in scribendo licet, utrumque eorum, quae negavi mihi faciunda esse, faciam: nam et ad id, quod Attici causa te ostendisti esse facturum, tantum velim addas, quantum ex nostro amore accessionis fieri potest, et, quod modo verebar, tibi gratias agere, nunc plane ego teque ita existimare volo, quibuscumque officiis in Epiroticis reliquisque rebus Atticum obstrinxeris, iisdem me tibi obligatum fore.