1Having spoken thus, he sent him away with a letter to deliver to Micipsa. 1Its substance was this: 'Your Jugurtha showed by far the greatest valour in the Numantine War, a thing which I know for certain gives you joy. 2To us he is dear on account of his services; 2we shall strive with all our power that he may be the same to the senate and the Roman people. 2For my part, in the name of our friendship, I congratulate you. 2Here you have a man worthy of you and of his grandfather Masinissa.' 3So the king, when he learned from the commander's letter that what he had heard by report was true, moved both by the man's merit and by his influence, changed his mind and set about winning Jugurtha over with kindnesses, and at once adopted him and in his will made him heir equally with his sons.
4But a few years later, when he himself, worn out by disease and age, realised that the end of his life was at hand, he is said to have spoken words of this kind with Jugurtha in the presence of his friends and kinsmen, and also of his sons Adherbal and Hiempsal: