1As soon as your favour, my lord, promoted me to the prefecture of the treasury of Saturn, I gave up all advocacy — which in any case I had never practised indiscriminately — so that I might devote my whole mind to the office entrusted to me. 2For this reason, when the provincials had wanted me as their counsel against Marius Priscus, I both asked to be excused from this duty and obtained my request. 2But when afterwards the consul-designate had proposed that we, whose excuses had been accepted, should be asked to place ourselves at the senate's disposal and allow our names to be thrown into the urn, I thought it most in keeping with the tranquillity of your age not to oppose the will of that most distinguished order, especially when it was so moderate.
3I hope you will consider that this compliance of mine is well grounded, since I desire all my deeds and words to win the approval of your most upright character. 1You have played the part of both a good citizen and a good senator by showing the most distinguished order the compliance which it most justly required. 1I am confident that you will fulfil that part in keeping with the trust you have undertaken.