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Epistulae ad Familiares, V. xii.-xiii.

together some notes on all that occurred; but if you put me off till a later date, I shall talk it over with you in person. Meanwhile I am sure you will not be idle, and will complete the polishing of the works you have in hand, and remain my dear friend.

XIII

Cicero to Lucceius

Astura, March, 45 B.C.

1 Though the consolation your letter affords me is very acceptable to me in itself—for the genuine friendliness it evinces is matched by the sound sense with which it is combined—still quite the greatest profit I derived from that letter was the inference I drew from it, that you had a magnificent contempt for the vicissitudes of human affairs and were admirably prepared and equipped to bear the blows of fortune; and indeed, in my judgment, the highest achievement of philosophy is this—to be independent of the outside world, and not to make your interpretation of life, as happy or unhappy, dependent upon external circumstances.

2 Now though this belief had not wholly fallen away from me (for it had taken deep root), yet it had been seriously shaken and shattered by the violence of tempests and the concentrated assault of misfortunes; but now I see that you are coming to its rescue, and feel that you have actually done so by your last letter, and with much success; and so I think I should tell you repeatedly, and not only

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