complaining of debt; but he always
speaks of it as a temporary inconvenience rather than as a permanent
burden. It does not oppress him; he can always find spirits enough to
laugh at it. When he buys his great town mansion on the Palatine Hill
(it had belonged to the wealthy Crassus), for thirty thousand pounds, he
says, "I now owe so much that I should be glad to conspire if any body
would accept me as an accomplice." But this is not the way in which a
man who did not see his way out of his difficulties would speak.

Domestic affairs furnish a frequent topic. He gives accounts of the
health of his wife he announces the birth of his children. In after
years he sends the news when his daughter is betrothed and when she is
married, and tells of the doings and prospects of his son. He has also a
good deal to say about his brother's household, which, as I have said
before, was not very happy. Here is a scene of their domestic life.
"When I reached Arpinum, my brother came to me. First we had much talk
about you; afterwards we came to the subject which you and I had
discussed at Tusculum. I never saw any thing so gentle, so kind as my
brother was in speaking of your sister. If there had been any ground for
their disagreement, there was nothing to notice. So much for that day.
On the morrow we left for Arpinum. Quintus had to remain in the Retreat;
I was going to stay at Aquinum. Still we lunched at the Retreat (you
know the place). When we arrived Quintus said in the politest way,
'Pomponia, ask the ladies in; I will call the servants,' Nothing
could--so at least I thought--have been more pleasantly said, not only
as far as words go, but in tone and look. However, she answered before
us all, 'I am myself but a stranger here.' This, I fancy, was because
Statius had gone on in advance to see after the lunch. 'See,' said
Quintus, 'this is what I have to put up with every day.' Perhaps you
will say, 'What was there in this?' It was really serious, so serious as
to disturb me much, so unreasonably, so angrily did she speak and look.
I did not show it, but I was greatly vexed. We all sat down to table,
all, that is, but her. However, Quintus sent her something from the
table. She refused it Not to make a long story of it, no one could have
been more gentle than my brother, and no one more exasperating than your
sister--in my judgment at least, and I pass by many other things which
offended me more than they did Quintus. I went on t