Letter 13.10

When your quaestor, Marcus Varro, was setting out to join you, I did not think he needed a recommendation; for I believed that the custom of our ancestors, which, as you know, wished the bond of the quaestorship to be next to the bond between parents and children, was recommendation enough. But since he himself was persuaded that a carefully written letter of mine about him would carry the greatest weight with you, and since he urged me to write as carefully as possible, I preferred to do what my friend thought was so much in his interest. To make you understand that I ought to do this: when Marcus Terentius first entered public life, he attached himself to my friendship. Then, as he matured, two reasons emerged that increased my goodwill toward him: first, he was engaged in those studies of ours which still give me the greatest delight, and with talent, as you know, and not without industry; secondly, he entered early into the tax-farming partnerships -- which I would rather he had not, for he has suffered the greatest losses -- but still, the common cause of an order most dear to me made our friendship stronger. Having then served on both benches with the best loyalty and reputation, even before this change in the republic he turned to candidacy and considered the most honorable office the proper reward for his labors. In these times he set out from Brundisium to Caesar with letters and instructions from me, in which business I perceived both his devotion in undertaking the task and his reliability in carrying it out and reporting back. I seem to myself, in having first set out the reason why I am so fond of him before speaking separately about his integrity and character, to have said enough about his integrity in the very exposition of the reason. But still I separately promise and guarantee that you will find him both a pleasure and a benefit: for you will come to know a modest man, a man of integrity, and one most removed from all greed, and moreover a man of great labor and the highest industry. These are things I ought not to promise, since they are for you to judge once you have come to know him well; but still in all new connections it matters what the first approach is like and by what recommendation the doors of friendship are opened, as it were -- which is what I wished to accomplish by this letter. Although the bond of the quaestorship itself ought to have accomplished this on its own, still that bond is none the weaker for this addition. Take care, then, if you value me as highly as both Varro thinks and I myself feel, that I may understand as soon as possible that this recommendation of mine has brought him as much benefit as he hoped and I did not doubt.

CDXLIX (Fam. XIII, 10) TO M. IUNIUS BRUTUS (IN CISALPINE GAUL) ROME (?JANUARY) As Marcus Varro was starting to join you as your quaestor, I did not think that he stood in need of any recommendation: for I thought him sufficiently recommended to you by the custom of our ancestors, which ordained — as you are doubtless aware — that this connexion of a quaestor with his chief should be as nearly as possible that of sons to their father. But as he has convinced himself that a letter from me, carefully expressed in regard to him, would be likely to have great weight with you, and as he pressed me warmly to write as fully as possible, I preferred to do what an intimate friend thought to be of so much importance to himself. I will show you, then, that I am bound to act thus. From his first entrance into public life M. Terentius attached himself to me. Presently, when he had established his position, two additional reasons appeared to increase my warm feelings towards him: one was the fact that he was engaged in the same pursuit as myself, that which still forms my greatest delight, displaying, as you are aware, both genius and no lack of industry; the second was that he early embarked on the companies of publicani-unfortunately, as it turned out, for he suffered very heavy losses: still, the interests of an order to which I was very closely bound being thus shared by us both made our friendship all the stronger. Once more, after an honourable and creditable career on both benches, just before the recent revolution he became a candidate for office, and looked upon that as the most honourable fruit of his toil. Again, in the late crisis he went from my house at Brundisium with a message and letter for Caesar : in which affair I had clear proof of his affection in undertaking the business, and of his good faith in carrying it through and bringing me back an answer. I had intended to speak separately as to his uprightness and high character, but it seems to me that in thus beginning with a statement of the reason for my loving him, I have in that statement already said enough about his uprightness. Nevertheless, I do promise as a separate thing, and pledge my word, that he will be at once delightful and useful to you. For you will find him a steady, sensible man, as far removed as possible from any self-seeking, and, moreover, a man of the most laborious and industrious character. Now it is no business of mine to promise what you must form your own judgment upon, when you have become well acquainted with him: yet, after all, in forming new connexions the first approach is always of consequence, and by what kind of introduction the door of friendship, so to speak, is opened. This is what I wished to effect by the present letter: though the tie between a quaestor and his chief ought in itself to have effected it. Vet it will not, after all, be any the weaker by this addition. Be careful, therefore, if you value me as highly as Varro thinks, and I feel that you do, to let me know as soon as possible that my recommendation has done him as much service as he himself hoped, and I had no doubt, that it would. 174

X. Scr. Romae ineunte anno a.u.c. 708. CICERO BRUTO SAL. Quum ad te tuus quaestor, M. Varro, proficisceretur, commendatione egere eum non putabam; satis enim commendatum tibi eum arbitrabar ab ipso more maiorum, qui, ut te non fugit, hanc quaesturae coniunctionem liberorum necessitudini proximam voluit esse; sed, quum sibi ita persuasisset ipse, meas de se accurate scriptas litteras maximum apud te pondus habituras, a meque contenderet, ut quam diligentissime scriberem, malui facere, quod meus familiaris tanti sua interesse arbitraretur. Ut igitur debere me facere hoc intelligas, quum primum M. Terentius in forum venit, ad amicitiam se meam contulit; deinde, ut se corroboravit, duae causae accesserunt, quae meam in illum benevolentiam augerent: una, quod versabatur in hoc studio nostro, quo etiam nunc maxime delectamur, et cum ingenio, ut nosti, nec sine industria; deinde, quod mature se contulit in societates publicanorum, quod quidem nollem—maximis enim damnis affectus est—, sed tamen causa communis ordinis mihi commendatissimi fecit amicitiam nostram firmiorem; deinde versatus in utrisque subselliis optima et fide et fama iam ante hanc commutationem rei publicae petitioni sese dedit honoremque honestissimum existimavit fructum laboris sui; his autem temporibus a me Brundisio cum litteris et mandatis profectus ad Caesarem est, qua in re et amorem eius in suscipiendo negotio perspexi et in conficiendo ac renuntiando fidem. Videor mihi, quum separatim de probitate eius et moribus dicturus fuissem, si prius causam, cur eum tanto opere diligerem, tibi exposuissem, in ipsa causa exponenda satis etiam de probitate dixisse; sed tamen separatim promitto in meque recipio fore eum tibi et voluptati et usui: nam et modestum hominem cognosces et pudentem et a cupiditate omni remotissimum, praeterea magni laboris summaeque industriae. Neque ego haec polliceri debeo, quae tibi ipsi, quum bene cognoris, iudicanda sunt; sed tamen in omnibus novis coniunctionibus interest, qualis primus aditus sit et qua commendatione quasi amicitiae fores aperiantur: quod ego his litteris efficere volui; etsi id ipsa per se necessitudo quaesturae effecisse debet; sed tamen nihilo infirmius illud hoc addito. Cura igitur, si me tanti facis, quanti et Varro existimat et ipse sentio, ut quam primum intelligam hanc meam commendationem tantum illi utilitatis attulisse, quantum et ipse sperarit nec ego dubitarim.