lis autem toga erat omnino alba, sed
praetexta clavum purpureum in margine habebat. [10]Deponere togam
praetextam et sumere togam virilem erat res gratissima puero Romano,
quod postea vir et civis Romanus habebatur.

[11]His rebus gestis Lentulus ad uxorem suam has litteras scripsit:

[12]"Marcus Iuliae suae salutem dicit. Si vales, bene est; ego valeo.
Accepi tuas litteras. Has nunc Roma per servum fidelissimum mitto ut de
Publio nostro quam celerrime scias. Nam hodie ei togam virilem dedi.
Ante lucem surrexi[13] et primum bullam auream de collo eius removi. Hac
Laribus[14] consecrata et sacris factis, eum toga virili vestivi.
Interim plures amici cum multitudine optimorum civium et honestorum
clientium pervenerant [15]qui Publium domo in forum deducerent. Ibi in
civitatem receptus est et nomen, Publius Cornelius Lentulus, apud civis
Romanos ascriptum est. Omnes ei amicissimi fuerunt et magna[16] de eo
praedicunt. Sapientior enim aequalibus[17] est et magnum ingenium habet.
[18]Cura ut valeas."

[Footnote 1: /morabatur\, translate as if pluperfect.]

[Footnote 2: /sibi\, _for himself_.]

[Footnote 3: /Ei\, why dat.?]

[Footnote 4: /de ... poterant\, in English, _all regarded him as a
very promising youth;_ but what does the Latin say?]

[Footnote 5: /ut ... praeberet\, Sec. 501.43.]

[Footnote 6: /curia\, a famous building near the Roman Forum.]

[Footnote 7: /ut ... audiret et videret\, Sec. 501.44.]

[Footnote 8: /sedecim, etc.\, cf. p. 210, l. 5, and note.]

[Footnote 9: /bullam\, cf. p. 210, l. 3, and note 4.]

[Footnote 10: These infinitive clauses are the subject of /erat\.
Cf. Sec. 216.]

[Footnote 11: /His rebus gestis\, i.e. the assumption of the _toga
virilis_ and attendant ceremonies.]

[Footnote 12: Compare the beginning of this letter with the one on
page 206.]

[Footnote 13: /surrexi\, from /surgo\.]

[Footnote 14: The Lares were the spirits of the ancestors, and were
worshiped as household gods. All that the house contained was
confided to their care, and sacrifices were made to them daily.]

[Footnote 15: /qui ... deducerent\, Sec. 350.]

[Footnote 16: /magna\, _great things_, a neuter adj. used as a
noun.]

[Footnote 17: /aequalibus\, Sec. 501.34.]

[Footnote 18: /Cura ut valeas\, _take good care of your health_. How
does the Latin express this idea?]

LXIX. PUBLIUS JOINS