my words, "Let
us attempt something great, and requiring much thought and leisure"?
However, I _will_ do something for you, and not spare my labour.

[Footnote 232: _At comparem_ for _at quam partem_. _At_ has its usual
force of introducing a supposed objection. I can't, say you, compare the
AEmilian tribe, the Formiani, to a crowd in a court-house! They are not
so bad as that, not so wasteful of time! I take _basilica_ to mean the
saunterers in a basilica, as we might say "the park" for the company in
it, "the exchange" for the brokers in it. I feel certain that Prof.
Tyrrell is wrong in ascribing the words _sed--sunt_ to a quotation from
Atticus's letter. What is wanted is to remove the full stop after
_sunt_. The contrast Cicero is drawing is between the interruption to
literary work of a crowd of visitors and of one or two individuals
always turning up. The second is the worse--and here I think all workers
will agree with him: the crowd of visitors (_vulgus_) go at the regular
hour, but individuals come in at all hours.]

[Footnote 233: Because he would be inclined to sell it cheap in his
disgust.]

XLI (A II, 15)

TO ATTICUS (AT ROME)

FORMIAE, APRIL

[Sidenote: B.C. 59, AET. 47]

As you say, things are as shifting (I see) in public affairs as in your
letter; still, that very variety of talk and opinion has a charm for me.
For I seem to be at Rome when I am reading your letter, and, as is the
regular thing in questions of such importance, to hear something first
on one side and then on the other. But what I can't make out is
this--what he can possibly hit upon to settle the land question without
encountering opposition. Again, as to Bibulus's firmness in putting off
the _comitia_, it only conveys the expression of his own views, without
really offering any remedy for the state of the Republic. Upon my word,
my only hope is in Publius! Let him become, let him become a tribune by
all means, if for no other reason, yet that you may be brought back from
Epirus! For I don't see how you can possibly afford to miss him,
especially if he shall elect to have a wrangle with me! But, seriously,
if anything of the sort occurs, you would, I am certain, hurry back. But
even supposing this not to be the case, yet whether he runs amuck or
helps to raise the state, I promise myself a fine spectacle, if only I
may enjoy it with you sitting by my side.[234] Just as I was writing
these words, enter Sebosus! I had scar