Ep. 2.9.1Ānxium mē et inquiētum habet petītiō Sextī Erucī meī.The candidacy of my friend Sextus Erucius keeps me anxious and restless. Ep. 2.9.1Afficior cūrā et, quam prō mē sollicitūdinem nōn adiī, quasi prō mē alterō patior;I am affected by concern, and the anxiety which I did not undergo for myself I suffer as if for a second self; Ep. 2.9.1et aliōquī meus pudor, mea exīstimātiō, mea dignitās in discrīmen addūcitur.and besides, my honour, my reputation, my standing are brought into jeopardy. Ep. 2.9.2Ego Sextō lātum clāvum ā Caesare nostrō, ego quaestūram impetrāvī;It was I who obtained for Sextus the broad stripe from our Caesar, I who obtained the quaestorship; Ep. 2.9.2meō suffrāgiō pervēnit ad iūs tribūnātūs petendī, quem nisi obtinet in senātū, vereor nē dēcēpisse Caesarem videar.it is by my support that he has reached the right to stand for the tribunate, and unless he obtains it in the senate, I fear I may seem to have deceived Caesar. Ep. 2.9.3Proinde adnītendum est mihi, ut tālem eum iūdicent omnēs, quālem esse prīnceps mihi crēdidit.So I must strive that all may judge him to be such as the emperor believed him to be on my word.
Ep. 2.9.3Quae causa sī studium meum nōn incitāret, adiūtum tamen cuperem iuvenem probissimum gravissimum ērudītissimum, omnī dēnique laude dignissimum, et quidem cum tōtā domō.Even if this reason did not spur my zeal, I should still wish to help a young man most upright, most serious, most learned, in short most worthy of every praise, and indeed together with his whole house. Ep. 2.9.4Nam pater eī Erucius Clārus, vir sānctus antīquus disertus atque in agendīs causīs exercitātus, quās summā fidē parī cōnstantiā nec verēcundiā minōre dēfendit.For his father is Erucius Clarus, a man upright, old-fashioned, eloquent and practised in pleading cases, which he defends with the utmost good faith, equal firmness and no less modesty. Ep. 2.9.4Habet avunculum C. Septicium, quō nihil vērius nihil simplicius nihil candidius nihil fidēlius nōvī.He has as his uncle Gaius Septicius, than whom I have known nothing more truthful, more straightforward, more candid, more loyal. Ep. 2.9.5Omnēs mē certātim et tamen aequāliter amant, omnibus nunc ego in ūnō referre grātiam possum.They all love me in rivalry, and yet equally; now in one person I can repay my gratitude to them all.
Ep. 2.9.5Itaque prēnsō amīcōs, supplicō, ambiō, domōs statiōnēsque circumeō, quantumque vel auctōritāte vel grātiā valeam, precibus experior, tēque obsecrō ut aliquam oneris meī partem suscipere tantī putēs.So I canvass my friends, I beg, I solicit, I go round houses and public meeting places, and I test by entreaty how much I can achieve by authority or by influence, and I implore you to think it worth while to take on some share of my burden. Ep. 2.9.6Reddam vicem sī reposcēs, reddam et sī nōn reposcēs.I will return the favour if you ask it back; I will return it even if you do not. Ep. 2.9.6Dīligeris coleris frequentāris: ostende modo velle tē, nec dēerunt quī quod tū velīs cupiant.You are loved, courted, attended: only show that you wish it, and there will be no lack of those who desire what you wish. Ep. 2.9.6Valē.Farewell.