Ep. 7.6.1Rāra et notābilis rēs Varēnō contigit, sit licet adhūc dubia.A rare and remarkable thing has happened to Varenus, though it is still uncertain. Ep. 7.6.1Bīthȳnī accūsātiōnem eius ut temerē incohātam omīsisse narrantur.The Bithynians are reported to have dropped their prosecution of him as rashly begun. Ep. 7.6.1"Narrantur" dīcō?'Reported', do I say? Ep. 7.6.1Adest prōvinciae lēgātus, attulit dēcrētum conciliī ad Caesarem, attulit ad multōs prīncipēs virōs, attulit etiam ad nōs Varēnī advocātōs.A deputy of the province is here; he has brought the council's decree to Caesar, he has brought it to many leading men, he has brought it also to us, Varenus' advocates. Ep. 7.6.2Perstat tamen īdem ille Magnus;Yet that same Magnus persists; Ep. 7.6.2quīn etiam Nigrīnum optimum virum pertinācissimē exercet.indeed, he keeps harassing Nigrinus, an excellent man, most persistently. Ep. 7.6.2Per hunc ā cōnsulibus postulābat, ut Varēnus exhibēre ratiōnēs cōgerētur.Through him he was demanding of the consuls that Varenus be compelled to produce his accounts. Ep. 7.6.3Assistēbam Varēnō iam tantum ut amīcus et tacēre dēcrēveram.I was standing by Varenus now merely as a friend, and had decided to keep silent.
Ep. 7.6.3Nihil enim tam contrārium quam sī advocātus ā senātū datus dēfenderem ut reum, cui opus esset nē reus vidērētur.For nothing would have been so damaging as if I, an advocate assigned by the senate, were to defend as a defendant a man who needed not to seem a defendant at all. Ep. 7.6.4Cum tamen fīnītā postulātiōne Nigrīnī cōnsulēs ad mē oculōs rettulissent, "Sciētis" inquam "cōnstāre nōbīs silentiī nostrī ratiōnem, cum vērōs lēgātōs prōvinciae audieritis."When, however, Nigrinus' demand was finished and the consuls had turned their eyes to me, I said: 'You will see that there is good reason for my silence when you have heard the true deputies of the province.' Ep. 7.6.4Contrā Nigrīnus: "Ad quem missī sunt?"Nigrinus in reply: 'To whom have they been sent?' Ep. 7.6.4Ego: "Ad mē quoque: habeō dēcrētum prōvinciae."I: 'To me as well: I have the decree of the province.' Ep. 7.6.5Rūrsus ille: "Potest tibi liquēre."He again: 'It may be clear to you.' Ep. 7.6.5Ad hoc ego: "Sī tibi ex dīversō liquet, potest et mihi quod est melius liquēre.To this I said: 'If what favours your side is clear to you, what is better may be clear to me too.' Ep. 7.6.6Tum lēgātus Polyaenus causās abolitae accūsātiōnis exposuit, postulāvitque nē cognitiōnī Caesaris praeiūdicium fieret.Then the deputy Polyaenus set out the reasons for abandoning the prosecution, and asked that Caesar's hearing should not be prejudged.
Ep. 7.6.6Respondit Magnus iterumque Polyaenus.Magnus replied, and Polyaenus again. Ep. 7.6.6Ipse rārō et breviter interlocūtus multum mē intrā silentium tenuī.I myself, interjecting rarely and briefly, kept for the most part to silence. Ep. 7.6.7Accēpī enim nōn minus interdum ōrātōrium esse tacēre quam dīcere.For I have learnt that it is sometimes no less the mark of an orator to be silent than to speak. Ep. 7.6.7Atque adeō repetō mē quibusdam capitis reīs vel magis silentiō quam ōrātiōne accūrātissimā prōfuisse.And indeed I recall that I have helped certain men on capital charges more by silence than by the most carefully prepared speech. Ep. 7.6.8Māter āmissō fīliō - quid enim prohibet, quamquam alia ratiō scrībendae epistulae fuerit, dē studiīs disputāre?A mother who had lost her son — for what prevents me, although I had another reason for writing this letter, from discussing our pursuits? Ep. 7.6.8- lībertōs eius eōsdemque cohērēdēs suōs falsī et venēficiī reōs dētulerat ad prīncipem, iūdicemque impetrāverat Iūlium Serviānum.— had accused his freedmen, who were also her co-heirs, of forgery and poisoning before the emperor, and had obtained Julius Servianus as judge.
Ep. 7.6.9Dēfenderam reōs ingentī quidem coetū;I had defended the accused before an immense gathering; Ep. 7.6.9erat enim causa notissima, praetereā utrimque ingenia clārissima.for the case was very well known, and besides there were very distinguished talents on both sides. Ep. 7.6.9Fīnem cognitiōnī quaestiō imposuit, quae secundum reōs dedit.The investigation, which went in favour of the accused, put an end to the hearing. Ep. 7.6.10Posteā māter adiit prīncipem, affirmāvit sē novās probātiōnēs invēnisse.Afterwards the mother approached the emperor and declared that she had found new evidence. Ep. 7.6.10Praeceptum est Subūrānō, ut vacāret fīnītam causam retractantī, sī quid novī afferret.Suburanus was instructed to give his time to her as she reopened the concluded case, if she brought anything new. Ep. 7.6.11Aderat mātrī Iūlius Āfricānus, nepōs illīus ōrātōris, quō audītō Passiēnus Crispus dīxit: "Bene mehercule, bene;Julius Africanus was appearing for the mother, the grandson of that orator after hearing whom Passienus Crispus said: 'Good, by Hercules, good; Ep. 7.6.11sed quō tam bene?"but what is the point of being so good?' Ep. 7.6.11Huius nepōs, iuvenis ingeniōsus sed nōn parum callidus, cum multa dīxisset assignātumque tempus implēsset, "Rogō" inquit, "Subūrāne, permittās mihi ūnum verbum adicere."His grandson, a talented young man but not a little crafty, after saying a great deal and filling his allotted time, said: 'I ask you, Suburanus, to allow me to add one word.' Ep. 7.6.12Tum ego, cum omnēs mē ut diū respōnsūrum intuērentur, "Respondissem" inquam "sī ūnum illud verbum Āfricānus adiēcisset, in quō nōn dubitō omnia nova fuisse."Then, when everyone was looking at me as if I would reply at length, I said: 'I would have replied if Africanus had added that one word, in which I do not doubt that all the new evidence would have lain.' Ep. 7.6.13Nōn facile mē repetō tantum assēnsum agendō cōnsecūtum, quantum tunc nōn agendō.I do not easily recall winning so much approval by pleading as I did then by not pleading.
Ep. 7.6.13Similiter nunc et probātum et exceptum est, quod prō Varēnō hāctenus tacuī.In the same way my having so far kept silent on Varenus' behalf has now been both approved and well received. Ep. 7.6.14Cōnsulēs, ut Polyaenus postulābat, omnia integra prīncipī servāvērunt;The consuls, as Polyaenus requested, kept everything open for the emperor; Ep. 7.6.14cuius cognitiōnem suspēnsus exspectō.his hearing I await in suspense. Ep. 7.6.14Nam diēs ille nōbīs prō Varēnō aut sēcūritātem et ōtium dabit aut intermissum labōrem renovātā sollicitūdine iniunget.For that day will either give us security and rest on Varenus' behalf, or lay upon us again our interrupted labour with renewed anxiety. Ep. 7.6.14Valē.Farewell.