The above rendering assumes the punctuation found in the text of J. E. King, rev. ed. 1945, which omits the commas: 'Cum quorum res esset sua ipsi non videbant, etc.' 'Cum' cannot be causal here, as it takes the imperfect indicative; were it causal rather than temporal, it would take the subjunctive (save often in early Latin). In fact, the whole is a past general condition, one species of which is the imperfect indicative in protasi and the perfect indicative in apodosi. Thus 'when' is better translated 'whenever'.

'Res' could be translated in innumerable ways. Here it seems best rendered by 'condition', maintaining the concord of the Latin; but the 'condition' refers to a number of people.

It comes from an anecdote concerning C. Drusus (consul 112, censor 109), related by Cicero, as Stephen points out, at Tusculanae Disputationes, 5.38.112: "C. Drusi domum compleri a consultoribus solitam accepimus: cum quorum res esset, etc.", "We have heard that the home of C. Drusus was wont to be filled by those seeking advice whenever they themselves did not see, etc.".