On the 6th of April, the eve of my departure from town, I gave a betrothal party to Crassipes. That excellent boy, your and my Quintus, was not at the banquet owing to a very slight indisposition. On the 7th of April I visited Quintus and found him quite restored. He talked a good deal and with great feeling about the quarrels between our wives. What need I say more? Nothing could have been pleasanter. Pomponia, however, had some complaints to make of you also: but of this when we meet. After leaving your boy I went to the site of your house: the building was going on with a large number of workmen. I urged the contractor Longilius to push on. He assured me that he had every wish to satisfy us. The house will be splendid, for it can be better seen now than we could judge from the plan: my own house is also being built with despatch. On this day I dined with Crassipes. After dinner I went in my sedan to visit Pompey at his suburban villa. I had not been able to call on him in the daytime as he was away from home. However, I wished to see him, because I am leaving Rome to-morrow, and he is on the point of starting for Sardinia. I found him at home and begged him to restore you to us as soon as possible. "Immediately," he said. He is going to start, according to what he said, on the 11th of April, with the intention of embarking at Livorno or Pisa.[482] Mind, my dear brother, that, as soon as he arrives, you seize the first opportunity of setting sail, provided only that the weather is favourable. I write this on the 8th of April before daybreak, and am on the point of starting on my journey, with the intention of stopping to-day with Titus Titius at Anagnia. To-morrow I think of being at Laterium,[483] thence, after five days in Arpinum, going to my Pompeian house, just looking in upon my villa at Cumæ on my return journey, with the view--since Milo's trial has been fixed for the 7th of May--of being at Rome on the 6th, and of seeing you on that day, I hope, dearest and pleasantest of brothers. I thought it best that the building at Arcanum[484] should be suspended till your return. Take good care, my dear brother, of your health, and come as soon as possible. [Footnote 481: In B.C. 357 a "college" was established for celebrating the _ludi Capitolini_, in celebration of the failure of the Gauls to take it. It consisted of men living on the Capitoline (Livy, v. 50). The _Mercuriales_ were a "college" or company of merchants who celebrated the _fête_ of the consecration of the temple of Mercury (B.C., 495) on the Ides of May (Livy, ii. 27; Ov. _F._ v. 669; C. _I. L._ i. p. 206).] [Footnote 482: It was on this journey that Pompey visited Luca tomeet Cæsar and Crassus.] [Footnote 483: The name of a property of Quintus at Arpinum.] [Footnote 484: Another property of Quintus near Mintumæ.] CVI (A IV, 4 b) TO ATTICUS (RETURNING FROM EPIRUS) ANTIUM (APRIL) [Sidenote: B.C. 56, ÆT. 50]