Fam. 14. [...]2.1. Mark Tullie Cicero to Terentia sendeth many greetings.

1. IF you be in good health, it is well; I am in good health.

2. We look for your Letter- carriers every day; who if they come, we shall perhaps be certified what we are to do, and shall certifie you forthwith.

3. Be diligently carefull of your health.

4. Farewell. The first of September.

Fam. 14.21.2. Mark Tullie Cicero to Terentia, sendeth greeting.

1. IF you be in good health, it is well; I am in good health.

2. Do your endeavour that you may recover your strength; Provide what shall be necessary, and help me (with it) as time and occasion requireth, and send Letters to me as often as may be, concerning all occurrences. Farewell.

Fam. 14 8.3. M. T. Cicero to Terentia, &c.

1. IF you be in good health, it is well; I am in good health.

2. I would have you be very charie of your health.

3. For it is both wrtiten to me, and told me, that you fell in­to a feaver on a suddain.

4. In that you quickly let me know of Caesar's Letter, you did me a pleasure.

[Page 5] 5. Likewise hereafter, be sure to let me know, if there be any need, or if there be any news.

6. Have a care of your health. Farewell.

7. Dated, June 11.

Fam. 14.23.4. M. T. Cicero, to Terentia &c.

1. IF you be in good health, it is well; I am in good health.

2. We have no certainty as yet, either concerning Cae­sar's comming, or concerning the Letter which Philotimus is said to have.

3. If there be any thing certain, I will acquaint you forthwith.

4. See that you have a care of your health.

5. Farewell. August 11.

Fam. l. 14. Epist. 24.5. M. T. Cicero, to Terentia &c.

1. IF you be in good health, it is well; I am in good health.

2. I have received now at last a very kind Letter from Caesar, and it is reported, that he will come sooner than is imagined.

3. Whom whether I should go to meet, or tarry for him here, when I shall have resolved, I will let you know.

4. I would have you dispatch the Letter-posts back again with all speed.

5. Look diligently to your health.

6. Farewell. August 12.

Fam. l. 14. Epist. 17.6. M. T. Cicero to Terentia, &c.

1. IF I had any thing to write to you, I would do it, both more largely, and more often.

2. You see how matters now stand.

3. And you may know by Lepta and Trebatius, how I am af­fect [...]d.

4 See you have a care of your own▪ and Tullia's health. Farewell.

Fam. l. 14. Epist. 15.7. M. Cicero to Terentia, &c.

1. IF you be in good health, it is well; I am in good health.

2. I was resolved, as I writ to you heretofore, to send Cicero to meet Caesar; but I altered my purpose, because I heard nothing of his comming.

3. As for other matters, though there was no news, yet you may know by Sicca what I desire, and what I think to be needfull at this time.

4. I keep Tullia yet with me.

5. Have a diligent care of your health.

6. Fa [...]ewell. The twentieth of June.

Fam. 14.19.8. M. T. Cicero to Terentia, &c.

1. THe sicknesse of our Tullia doth much trouble me, amid my very great sorrows; concerning whom, there is no cause why I should write more unto you, for I am sure you have as great a care of her as I have.

2. Whereas you desire I should come nearer ha [...]d▪ I see it is fit­ting I should do so; and I had done so already, but many things have hindred me, which are not as yet dispatched.

3. But I expect a Letter from Pomponius, which I pray you take care it may be conveyed to me with all speed.

4. Endeavour to keep your health.

Fam. 14.12.9. M. T. Cicero to Terentia, &c.

1. FOrasmuch as you rejoyce that we are come safe into Italy, I wish you may alway rejoyce.

2. But I fear, lest, through the grief of a troubled mind, and great wrongs done us, we have taken such a course, as we cannot well dispatch.

3. Wherefore, aid us what you can.

4. But what you are able to do, I do not conceive.

5. There is no cause for you to undertake a journey at this season; the way is both long and dangerous.

6. Besides, I do not see what good you can do me if you do come.

7. Farewell, Dated the fourth of November at Brundusium.

Fam. 14 11.10. M. T. Cicero to Terentia, &c.

1. IF you be in good health, it is well; I a [...] in good health.

2. Our Tullia came to me the twelfth of June, in respect of whose very great vertue, and singular humanity, I am also the more grieved, that it should be long of my negligence, that she is in a far other-gates condition, than her piety and worth did deserve.

3. I was in mind to send Cicero to Caesar, and Cneius Salu­stius with him.

4. If he shall make a journey, I will give you notice.

5. Look diligently to your health.

6. Farewell. June 15.

Fam. l. 16. Epist. 2.11. M. T. C. to Tyro, &c.

1. WE have been held now seven days at Corcyra; and my brother Q [...]intus and his son at Buthrotum.

2 We were very solicitous about your health; nor did we wonder that we received no Letters from you; for men sail from thence where you are with those winds, which if they had served, we would not have waited at Co [...]cyra.

3. Look therefore to your self, and get strength, and when conveniently, both for your health, and the season of the year, you can sail, come to us that love you very well.

4. No man loveth us, but he liketh you.

5. You shall come welcome to all, and looked-for.

6. My Tyro, have an especiall care of your health.

7. Farewell. The 18th. of Octob. From Corcyra.

Fam. 16. Epist. 4.12. M. T. Cicero to Tyro, &c.

I neither can, nor have I any mind to write with what passion I am troubled: I onely write, that it will be very great content both to you and me, if I may see you recovered as soon as may be.

2. We came, the third day (after we departed) from you, to Alyzia.

3. That place is some fourteen miles on this side Leucas.

4. I thought I should find either you, or your Letter by Mario, at Leucas.

[Page 10]5. As you love me, or know that I love you, so look to your health.

6. From Alyzia, Nov. 5.

Fam. 16.25.13. Cicero the son to Tyro, &c.

1. ALthough you have used a just and fit excuse of the forbearance of your Letters, yet I entreat that you would not often do it.

2. For though I be certified by reports and messengers con­cerning the Common-wealth; and my father writes continually to me concerning his good-will towards me; yet a Letter written from you to me upon any the least occasion, hath always been very welcome.

3. Wherefore seeing I desire your Letters above all things, do not deal so, as to satisfie for the omission of your duty in writing rather by an excuse than by continuall sending of Letters. Farewell.

Fam. 13.25.14. M. T. Cicero to Servius Sulpitius, &c.

1. HAgesaretus Larissaeus having received great favours from me in my Consulship, hath been mindfull and thankfull, and hath ever since honoured me with all respect.

2. I heartily commend him to you, as both one that hath entertained me and my familiar friend, and a thankfull per­son, and a good man, and a chief man of his City, and most worthy of your acquaintance.

3. You will do me an especiall favour, if you endeavour that he may conceive, that this my recommendation hath had great power with you. Farewell.

Fam. 17.18.15. M. T. C. to Trebatius, &c.

1. I Cutt in pieces your harmlesse Letter which I received of Lucius Aruntius; for it had nothing in it which might not well be read in an open Assembly.

2. But both Aruntius said, that you had given charge so, and you had writ to that purpose underneath.

3. But let that passe, I wonder that you writ nothing to me since, especially there being so much news stirring. Farewell.

Fam. 13.6.16. M. T. Cicero, to Quintus Valerius the son of Quintus Orca, &c.

1. PUblius Cornelius, who delivered you this Letter, is re­comme [...]ded to me by Publius Cuspius; for whose sake, you may indeed easily gather from me, how much I desire and am bound (to give satisfaction.)

2. I ear [...]si [...] request you, that Cuspius may give me very great thanks, out of hand, and as often as can be possible. Farewell.

Fam 13.3.17. M. T. C. to Caius Memmius, &c.

1. I Would have you so entertain Aulus Fusius, one of my inti­mate friends, very observant and affectionate towards me, and a learned man, and full of courtesie, and very worthy of your friendship; as you promised me when we were to­gether.

2. It will be as pleasing to me, as any thing in the world can be.

3. Besides, you shall engage him to you for ever, to be your most especiall servant, and most especially observant of you. Farewell.

Fam. 12.27.18. M. T. Cicero, to Cornificius, &c.

1. SExtus Aufidius both comes near to my own kindred, in the respect which he beareth towards me; and he comes behind no Roman Gentleman in gallantry.

2. And he is of such temperate and moderate behavi­our, that singular gravitie (seems to) be coupled with courteousnesse.

3. Whose businesses, which are in Asia, I so recommend to you, that I cannot recommend them with more earnestnesse, or more heartily.

You shall do me a great favour, if you do your endea [...] that he may conceive this Letter of mi [...] hath prevaile [...] [...] much with you.

5. And this, my Cornificius, I most earnestly request of you. Farewell.

Fam. 6.16.19. Cicero to Basilius, &c.

1. I Congratulate with you, I rejoyce with my self; I love you, I protect your affairs.

2. I desire to be beloved by you, and to be certified what you do, and what is done in those parts.

Fam. 11.4.20. Decimus Brutus Imperator, to M. T. Cicero.

IF I made any doubt of your good-will towards me, I would entreat you more at large, that you would defend me in my honor; but doubtlesse it is so as I perswaded my self, that you are carefull of me.

2 I went on to them beyond the Alps with an Army, not so much catching at the name of Imperator, as desiring to satisfie my souldiers, and to make them firm to defend our cause; which me-thinks I have obtained, for they have had triall of my liberality and affection.

3. I have encountred with the most warlick people of all, I have taken many Castles, I have dismantled many.

4. I sent a Letter to the Senate for a good reason.

5. Aid me with your opinion, which if you shall do, you shall almost-wholly do service to the Common-wealth. Farewell.

Fam. 13.20.21. M. T. Cicero, to Servius Sulpitius, &c.

1. I Am very well acquainted with Asclapo, a Physician of Patrae; and both his Conversation was delightfull to me, and also his Art, which I have had triall of in my friends sick­nesse, wherein he gave me content, both for his judgment, and likewise for his fidelity and his good-will.

2. I therefore recommend him to you, and request you, that you would endeavour, that he may conceive, that I have written very diligently concerning him, and that my commendations hath been a great furtherance to him.

3. It will be a very great favour to me. Farewell.

Fam. 10.9.22. M. T. Cicero to Appius, &c.

1. I Suppose you are informed touching my care for your wel­fare and safe [...]y, by the Letters of your friends, whom I am sure I have abundantly satisfied; neither will I come be­hind them, though they bear you singular good-will, that they should wish your welfare more than I.

2. They must needs yield to me in this, that I am able to do you more good at this time than they; which certain­ly I have not failed to pe [...]form, nor will I fail; and I have al­ready do [...] an important matter, and have laid the foun­dations of your safety.

3. See that you be of a good and stout spirit, and be confident I will not fail you in any thing.

4. The sixth of July. Farewell.

Fam. 7.4.22. M. T. Cicero to M [...]ius, S. P. D.

1. THe 24th of June I came into Cumanum, with your Libo, or o [...]rs rather; I th [...] to go forthwith to Pompeianum; but I will let you know before.

2. I desire, bo [...]h [...]hat you may always enjoy your health, and surely, while we are here.

4. Wherefore if you be resolved to apply any thing to the Gout, see you put it off till another day.

5. Be carefull th [...]n of yo [...]r h [...]lth, and look for me with­in this two or three daies. Farewell.

Fam. 10.14.24. Cic [...]o to Pl [...] I [...]pe [...]ator, Con [...]ul elect &.

1. O The gratefull report two d [...]ys [...] V [...]ctory, con­cerning thy succour, and [...] th [...] forces, and also the enemies routed! All [...].

2. Fo [...], the most noted Commanders [...] [...]rs are said to have fled from the Battl [...] of Matina.

3. And it is [...]o less [...] pleasing to destroy the remainder, than to discomfit the first.

4 I indeed expected your Letter ere this, [...]n [...] that with many others.

[Page 18]5. And I hoped that Lepidus being admonished by the Times, would give content to you and the Common-wealth.

6. Endeavour therefore, my Plancus, that no spark of that mischievous war may be left.

7. Which if it be do [...], you shall both do an extraordinary great benefit to the Common wealth, and gain everla­sting renown to your self.

8 The thirteenth of May. Farewell.

Fam. 9 23.25. M. T. Cicero to Papirius Praetus, &c.

1. YEsterday I came to Cumanum, to morrow perhaps I will come to you.

2. But when I shall know the certainty, I will acquaint you a little before.

3. Although Marcus Ceparius, when he met me in the Poul­try-wood, and I asked him how you did, said, That you kept your bed, because that you were troubled with the Gout. I was truly sorry at it, as I might well: Yet I resolved to come to you, that I might both see you, and give you a visit, and likewise sap with you.

4. For I do not think you have a Cook with the gout in his fingers.

5. Therefore expect a guest that is both a man that is no great eater, and one that cannot abide costly suppers. Farewell.

Fam. 4.1526. M. Cicero to Cneius Plancius, &c.

1. I Received a very short Letter of yours, whereby I could not understand that which I desired to know; but I un­derstood that which I made no doubt of.

2 For I did not understand how gallantly you bare the common miseries; but I plainly perceived how much you loved me: but this I knew; if I had known the other, I should have framed my Letter to it.

3. Yet for all that, although I have writ to you before, what I thought fitting to be written, yet I thought good to admonish you in short at this time, that you would not think your self to be in any peculiar danger; we are all in a great, but yet in a common dysaster.

[Page 20]4▪ Wherefore you ought not to desire a private fortune, or the best, or refuse that which is common.

5. Let us therefore be of that mind one towards ano­ther, which we ever were.

6. Which I can hope for on your behalf, and can warrant on my part.

Fam. 9.12.27. Cicero to Dolabella, &c.

1. I Congratulate our Baiae, seeing, as you write, they are be­come wholsome on a suddain: unlesse perhaps they are enamour'd of you, and flatter you, and forget themselves, as long as you are there.

2. Which if it be so, I do not wonder that even the air and the earth forgoe their naturall disposition, if it be for your commodity.

3. I had the short Oration in the defence of Deiotarus, which you desired, by m [...]; which I did not think.

4. I have therefore sent it to you, which I would have you look upon, as a mean subject, and uncapable of ornament, and not much worth the writing. But I would send my old hoste and friend a small gift, as it were a piece of Linsey­wolsey, of a course thread, such as his Presents use to be.

5. I would have you to be wise and valiant, that your mo­deration and gravity may bring dishonour upon others that offer you wrong. Farewell.

Fam. 2.14.28. M. T. Cicero to Caelius Imperator, an head-officer of State, &c.

1. THere is great familiarity betwixt me and Marcus Fabi­us, a very good man and a great schollar; and I love him exceedingly, both for his great wit, and extraordinary learning, and for his singular modesty.

2. I would have you undertake his businesse so, as if it were my own matter.

3. I know yee are great Counsellors.

4 He must kill a man, that will be your Client; but I admit of no excuse about this man.

5 You shall say aside all other businesse, if you love me, when Fabius shall desire to use your help.

[Page 22]6 I earnestly expect and desire to know how things go at Rome, and above the rest I would understand how you dispose of your self.

7. For now no news hath been brought us of a long time, by reason of the hardnesse of the winter. Farewell.

Fam. 7.22.29. Cicero to Trebatius, &c.

1. YO [...] plaid upon me yesternight amongst our cups, because I said it was a doubtfull case, Whether an heir m [...]ght lawfully accuse one of theft, which theft had been com­mitted b [...]fore.

2. Therefore although I returned home full of drink, and late at night:: yet, I noted the Chapter where this Case is, and have sent it to you written out, that you may know that Sextus Aelius, Ma [...]s Manlius, and Marcus Brutus are of that opinion, of which you said no body was.

3. Yet I agree to Scaevola and Testa's opinion. Fare­well.

Fam. 11.15.30. M. T. Cicero to Decimus Brutus Imperator, &c.

1. ALthough your Letters gave me very great content­ment, yet it pleased me more, that in the throng of businesse, you commanded Plancus your collegue, that he should excuse you to me by his Letter, which he hath performed diligent­ly; and there is nothing liketh me better, than your cour­tesie and diligence.

2. Your union with your Collegue, and your concord which was intimated by both your Letters, was most acceptable to the Senate and people of Rome.

3. For the rest, go on, my Brutus; and now do not strive with others, but with your self.

4. I must write no more, especially to you, whom I think to imitate in brevity.

5. I earnestly expect your Letters, and indeed such, as I heartily wish for. Farewell.

Fam. 6.9.31. M. Cicero to Titus Furfanus Praetor, &c.

1. THere was ever so great familiarity and acquaintance be­twixt me and Aulus Cecinna, that none could possibly be greater: for I was both well acquainted with his father, a wor­thy man, and a brave gentleman; and I so loved him ever from a child, (because he gave me great hope of his singular honesty and eloquence, and lived very familiarly with me, not onely in all friendly offices, but also in like studies) that I liked to live with no man more than with him.

2. It is to no purpose for me to write more: You see how needfull it is for me, to preserve his welfare and fortunes, by all the means I am able.

3. It remains, that, forasmuch as I understand many ways, what you think of the condition of good men, and the calamities of the Common-wealth, I require nothing of you, but that such an addition may be made to that good-will, which of your own accord you bare to Cecinna, by my commendation, according as I conceive you respect me.

4 You cannot do me a greater pleasure than this. Farewell.

Fam. 12.2032. M. Cicero to Cornificius his Collegue, &c.

1. YOur Letters pleased me well, but that you disdained the little inne at Sinuessa; which contempt the poor little village will take very unkindly, except you make amends for all in Cumanum and Pompeianum.

2. Therefore you shall do so, and let me have your love, and egge me on by some Letter.

3. For I can more easily answer, than provoke another.

4. But if you shall be negligent, as you are, I will urge you, lest your lithernesse breed sloth.

5. I will write more when I have more leisure.

6. I scribled these, when I was in the Senate. Farewel.

Fam. 12.81.33. M. T. Cicero to Cornificius, S. P. D.

1. CAius Anitius a familiar friend of mine, a man well-accomplished in all things, comes with a ti­tular Ambassage into Africa, about his own occasions; I would have you further him in all things, and assist him that he may dispatch his businesse with all conveniency.

2. And especially, I recommend his honour unto you, a thing which is very dear to him.

3. And I request you, which I used to do my self in my own Province without entreatie, to allow Lictors to all Senators; which very thing I had heard and known to be usually done by eminent persons.

4. Therefore, my Cornificius, do this, and upon all occasions (if you love me) consult for his honour and businesse.

5. You cannot do me a greater pleasure.

6. Be carefull of your health.

Fam. 12.9.34. M. T. Cicero to Cassius, &c.

1. THe shortnesse of your Letters makes me also more brief in writing; and (that I may say the truth) I do not well know what to write.

2. For I am sure, that our proceedings are brought to you in the Diurnalls, but we know nothing of yours.

3. For as if Asia were stopped, no news is brought to us, onely rumors of Dolabella being vanquished; which are indeed very constant, but as yet without any Author.

4. When we thought the war had been done and end­ed, your friend Lepidus put us in a great deal of fear.

5. Therefore assure your self, that the greatest hope that the Common-wealth hath is in you and your forces.

6. We have the Armies very constant to us; neverthelesse though all things fall out happily, (as I hope they will) it imports you to come.

7. For the Common-wealth hath but little hope, I am loth to say none at all: but what ever it is, it is failing in the year of your Consulship. Farewell.

Fam. 13 30.35. M. T. Cicero to Atilius, &c.

LUcius Manlius is of Sosa, he was sometimes of Catina; but he is now become a Citizen of Rome together with the other Neapolitans, and he is made an Alderman at Naples.

2. For he was made free of that Corporation before the freedom of that City was granted to the Confederates, and the Latines.

3. His brother is lately dead at Catina, I suppose he will have no controversie at all about the Inheritance, and he is already possessed of the estate.

4 But forasmuch as he hath old businesses besides in his coun­try of Sicily, I recommend unto you both his brother's inheritance, and all his affairs; and above all I commend him to you as a very honest man, and familiar friend of mine, and one that is furnished with those studies of learning and Philosophy, which I am most taken withall.

5. I request you therefore, that, whether he come or not come into Cicilie, you would take notice, that he is one of my intimate and nearest friends; and that you would so en­tertain him, that he may perceive, my commendation hath stood him in great stead. Farewell.

Fam. 16.1.36. Tully and Cicero and Quintus, to the most courteous and honest Quintus Tyro, &c.

1. SEe what pleasantnesse is in you; we have been two hours at Thyreum: our hoste Xenomanes loveth you, as if he had lived with you.

2. He hath promised to provide you all necessaries, and I think he will do it.

3. I liked it well, if you were better, that you should remove to Leucas, if there you might wholly recover your self.

4. See how Curius, Lyso, and the Physician, like of it.

5. I had thought to send Mario back again to you, whom you might send to me, when you were somewhat better; but I considered, that Mario could bring but one Letter, and I expected many.

[Page 30]6. You may therefore procure, (and you will do it, if you love me) that Acastus may be every day about the haven.

7. There will be many by whom you may readily send Letters, that will be willing to bring them to me.

8. I indeed will not omit any body that goeth to Patrae.

9. I am very confident of Curius, that he will be diligent in looking to you: he is very kind and loving to us; refer your self wholly to him; I had rather see you well a little after, than presently sickly.

10. Therefore mind nothing else but to recover your health; I will look to other things.

11. Farewell again and again.

12. As I went from Leucas the seventh of November.

Fam. 16.7.37. M. Cicero the father and the son, to Tyro, &c.

1. I Have written to you this third Epistle on the same day, rather to hold my resolution, than that I have any thing to write.

2. Therefore, according to the love you bear me, be dili­gent in that matter.

3. Add this to your very many courtesies, which will please me the best of all; seeing, as I hope, you have a care of your health, have a care also of your sailing.

4. Send Letters to me by them that go into Italy, as I om [...]t no body that goeth to Patrae.

5. Have a care, have a care of your self, my Tyro; and seeing it hath fallen out, that you could not sail with us, there is no cause why you should make haste; neither should you mind any thing, but that you may recover your health.

6. Farewell again and again.

7. From Actium, the seventh of November, in the evening.

Fam. 16.12.38. M. T. Cicero to Tyro, S. P. D.

1. TRuly I have a desire you should come to me, but I am afraid of the way; you have been very sore sick, and [Page 32] are wasted away, what with fasting, and purging, and the strength of the disease.

2. Great hurts use to come of great diseases, if any dis­order be committed.

3. Now to that two days, that you will be upon the way, whilst you come to Cumanum, there will be five days added for your return forthwith.

4. I will be in Formianum untill the latter end of the month

5. Let me find you there, my Tyro, lustie.

6. My studies (or ours rather) have languished for want of you; yet by this Letter which Acastus brought, they have lifted up their eyes a little.

7. Pompeius was with me when I writ these things, I told him merrily and freely, when he desired to hear of our affairs, that all mine were mute without you.

8. Do you prepare to make amends to my Muses for your diligence omitted, ours shall be done at the day ap­pointed; for I have taught you the Etymology of Fides.

9. See that you be throughly well; we are ready present.

10. Farewell. The fourteenth of the Calends of January.

Fam. 2.4.39. M. T. Cicero to Curio, &c.

1. YOu know very well there are many sorts of Epistles, but that one is the most notable, for whose sake the thing it self was invented; that we should certifie them that are ab­sent, if there should be any matter, which it may concern us or them, that they should know it.

2. Surely you do not expect such Letters as these from me, for you have those that write and bring you news of your private affairs, and in mine there is no new thing at all.

3. There are yet two sorts of Epistles, which please me; the one familiar and conceited, the other familiar and grave.

4. I know not, whether of these I should lesse make use of.

5. Should I quibble with you by Letters? Truly I do not think he is a Citizen, that can laugh in these times.

6. Should I write any thing grave? What is it that Cicero can write gravely to Curio, except it be concerning the Common-wealth?

[Page 34] 7. And in this [...]nd my case is such, that I am loth to write what I think.

8. Wherefore, because I have no other subject lest whereon to write, I will close as I am wont, and encourage you to p [...]oceed to the heighth of glory.

9. For you have a great adversary set and provided, a marvailous expectation; which you shall very easily overcome by one thing, If you resolve to employ your self in those matters, the glory of whose praise you admire, by such means as those praises are obtained.

10. I would write more to this purpose, but that I be­lieve you are sufficiently incited on, of your own accord; and this whatever it is that I have toucht, I have not done it to enflame you, but to testifie my love. Farewell.

Fam. 13.14.40. M. T. Cicero to Brutus, &c.

1. I Make use of Lucius Titius Strabo, a very noble and gal­lant Roman Knight, as my bosome friend: we observe all Laws of strict acquaintance betwixt us.

2. Publius Cornelius oweth him mony in your Province.

3. That matter is remitted into Gallia by Volcatius, a Judge in Rome.

4. I desire you more earnestly than if it were my own case, (because it is more honest for one to stir about a friend's mony than his own) that you would take order to dispatch the businesse, that you would undertake it, and put an end to it; and that you would endeavour (so far as you think it just and reasonable) that Stra­bo's freeman, who is sent about that matter, may finish his busi­nesse upon very good tearms, and come by his mony.

5. This will both give me very great content, and you your self shall acknowledge L. Titius to be worthy your friendship.

6. Wherein I heartily desire that you would have a care, a [...] you are wont to do in all things which you know I desire Farewell.

Fam. 5 8.41. M. T. Cicero to Titus Fabius.

1. ALthough I, who desire to comfort you, stand in need to b [...] comforted my self, because I have a long time take [...] [Page 36] nothing so much to heart as your losse; yet I do not onely earnestly exhort you, but for our love's sake I request and entreat you, that you would recollect your self, and play the man, and consider in what condition all men, and what times we are born in.

2. Your own worth hath given you more, than fortune hath taken from you: because you have obtained that, which few up­start men have gotten; and have lost that, which many great no­bles have lost.

3. Besides, such a condition of the Laws, of judgments, and times, seems to approach, that he may seem to be best dealt with­all, that is departed from this Common-wealth with the leightest punishment.

4. B [...]t you, that have means and children, and us with others linked with you in the nearest tye of acquaintance and love, and who are like to have a great liberty to live with us, and all your friends; and seeing there is but one judgment of so many, which may be blamed, as that which by one sentence, and that a doubtfull one, may be thought to be yielded to the power of some one man: For all these reasons, you ought to bear that trouble very leightly.

5. My affection shall always be such as you desire, and as it ought to be towards you and your children. Farewell.

Fam. 6 11.42. M. T. Cicero to Trebatius, &c.

1. HEretofore I onely loved Dolabella, and was nothing be­holden to him, neither had it hapned that I had need; and he was engaged to me, because I failed not him in his perills.

2. Now I am obliged to him by his so great courtesie, in that he hath given me abundant satisfaction, both heretofore con­cerning your estate, and at this time concerning your safety, that I am more tied to no man.

3. Wherein I rejoyce with you so much, that I had rather have you be ioyfull with me, than give him thanks.

4. I do not at all desire the one, and you may do the other.

5. As for that which is behind, seeing your vertue and worth hath opened you a way to return to your friends; it will be a point of your wisdom and gallant-mindednesse, to forget what you [Page 38] have lost, and to consider what you have recovered.

6. You shall live with your friends, you shall live with us: you have gained more honor, than you have lost in estate, which would then have been more pleasing to you, if there were any Common-wealth.

7. Our friend Vestorius writ to me, that you give me great thanks.

8. This divulging of yours pleaseth me very well, and I am willing you should use it both with others, and especially with our friend Syro.

9. For what we do, we desire may be very well liked on by every wise man.

10. I desire to see you, as soon as may be. Farewell.

Fam. 7.14.43. Cicero to Trebatius, &c.

1. CHrysippus Vectius, free-man to Cyrus the Architect, made me think that you had not forgotten me; for he brought me commendations from you.

2. You are now become very nice, who think much to write unto me, being especially a friend almost as familiar as one of your own house.

3. But if you have forgotten to write, not many will be over­thrown in their suits, if you be their Counsellor.

4. And if you have forgotten us, I will endeavour to come thither, before I be razed quite out of your mind.

5. If the fear of Summer-quarters discourage you, invent some excuse, as you did about Britannia.

6. I was very glad to hear by the same Chrysippus, that you a [...]e familiar with Caesar; but indeed it would like me better, a thing which was more reasonable, to understand as often as may be your own proceedings by your own Letter, which certainly would be so, if you would choose rather to learn the Laws of Amity than of Pleading.

7. But I have jested thus far, both after your wont, and some­thing after my own.

8. I love you very dearly; and both desire, and am confident, that you love me. Farewell.

Fam. 10 27.44. M. T. Cicero to Marcus Lepidus, &c.

1. FOrasmuch as I have a great desire, according to the infi­nite love I bear you, that you should arise to some high de­gree of honor; I took it ill, that you did not thank the Senate, seeing you were preferred to eminent honors by that Order.

2. I am glad that you are desirous to make peace among the Citizens.

3. If you quit that peace from servitude, you shall do for the good of the Commo [...]-wealth, and your own honor: but if that peace be like to re-establish that forlorn fellow in the possession of his unbridled Dominion, know, that all honest men are of this mind, to prefer death before servitude.

4. And therefore, in my judgment, you shall do wiselier, if you do not interpose your self in this Pacification, which is neither liked on by the Senate, nor the people, nor any good man.

5. But of these matters you shall hear by others, or be certi­fied by Letters.

6. You, according to your discretion, will consider what is best to be done. Farewell.

Fam. 10.2.45. M. Cicero to Cneius Plancus Im­perator, Consul elect, &c.

1. MY endeavour had not been wanting to your honor, in re­spect of our acquaintance, if I could have either soon, or safely, come into the Senate.

2. But no man that hath a free thought of the Common-wealth, can, without danger, converse in this great licentiousness of sword-men; nor doth it seem to consist with my honor there to de­liver my opinion touching the Common-wealth, where men in Arms shall hear me better and nearer hand, than Senators.

3. Wherefore in private matters, you shall neither want any office or service that I can do you; nor will I be wanting to your honor in publick occasions, no though it be to my perill, if there be any thing whereat I must needs be present.

4. But in these things, which may neverthelesse be done, though I be absent, I desire you, that you would let me have a respect both of my own safety and honor. Farewell.

Fam. 9.19.46. M. T. Cicero to Papirius Paetus, &c.

1. ANd yet you forsake not your malice; you hint, that Bal­bus was contented with a very little provision.

2. This you seem to infer, Seeing kings are so sparing, men that have been Consuls ought to be much more.

3. You know not that I have fished all things out of him; for you know not that he came straight from the gate to my house: neither do I wonder at this, that he came not rather to yours; but that, that he came not to his own house.

4. And I asked him in the three first words, How doth our Paetus? and he sware to me, that he never was more willingly in any place.

5. If you have done this with words, I will bring you ears as dainty as his; but if with good cheer, let me entreat you, not to think the Balbi are more to be regarded than the eloquent.

6. One thing after another hindereth me every day.

7. But if I can acquit my self so as I may come into those parts, I will make, that you may not think that you were too late advertised by me. Farewell.

Fam. 12.16.47. Caius Tribonius to Cicero, &c.

1. IF you be in health, it is well.

2. I came to Athens the 22 of May, and there (a thing which I very much desired) I saw your son addicted to the no­blest studies, and in great repute for his modesty.

3. In which thing what pleasure I took, you may understand, though I say nothing.

4. For you know very well, how much I value you, and how, in regard of our antient and reall love, I rejoyce at all, even your least, prosperities, and not onely at this so great a good.

5. Do not thi [...], my Cicero, that I speak this to flatter you.

6. There is no [...] more beloved than your young son, and there­fore mine, (for there can nothing be mine but it is yours) by all them that are at Athe [...]s, nor more studious of those arts, which you most love, that is, of the best.

7. So that I willingly congratulate with you, (because I can truly do, it) and also with my self, that we find him, whom [Page 44] we must of necessity love, to be such as we may willingly also love him.

8. Who, when he had cast out a word to me, that he had a desire to see Asia, he was not onely invited, but also entreated by me, that he would do it, especially whilst I was governour there.

9. Whom you need not doubt, but we will use him with as much dearnesse and affection, as you would do your self.

10. And I will take order, that Cratippus may be with him, that you may not think he shall be like to lose time in Asia, from those studies, which you exhort him to.

11. For I do not cease to exhort him, being, as I see, well-disposed, and far entred, to go forward every day further, by learning and exercising himself.

12. I knew not what ye did in the Common-wealth, when I wrote these Letters.

13. I heard some turbulent reports, which I desire may be false, that I once may enjoy quiet liberty, which thing I never yet obtained in the least.

14. Yet having gotten a little leasure in my Navigation, I have prepared you a small present according to my wonted manner, and have added in the end a Saying which you spake in much honour of me, and underwritten it beneath for you.

15. In which verses, if I seem more free than one ought to speak in some words, the basenesse of that person against whom I inveigh too freely, will excuse me.

16. Pardon also my choler, which is but just against such men and Citizens.

17. Besides, why shall it be more lawfull for Lucilius to as­sume this liberty to himself, than for us? considering, that al­though he bare them like hatred, whom he nipped; yet verily he had none more worthy, against whom he might raile with such liberty of words.

18. You, as you have promised me, will presently bring me in your Dialogues.

19. For I make no question, but if you write any thing of the death of Caesar, you will afford me no small part both of the mat­ter, and your love.

[Page 46] 20. Farewell, and let me commend my mother and all mine unto you. From Athens, May 25.

Fam. 7▪ 41.48. Cicero to Curius, &c.

1. BY your letters I plainly perceive two things, (which I al­ways desired) that you both love me very well; and that you conceive, how much I love you.

2. Which seeing we have both of us obtained, it remaineth, that we strive one with another in good-turns, with which I may contentedly outstrip you, or be out-stripped by you.

3. I am well-pleased, that it was not needfull for my Letter to be delivered to Ancilius.

4. I perceive by your Letter, that you had no great need of Sulpitius's help, because your matter [...]s are so shuffled together, that, as you write, they have neither head nor feet: truly, I wish they had feet, that you might once return.

5. For you see, that old witty-jesting is already decayed, as our friend Pomponius might be bold to say, except we few do re­tain the antient Attick glory; he then comes very near you, and I to him.

6. Come therefore, that such a seed of urbanity may not be ex­tinguished together with the Common-wealth. Farewell.

Fam. 13.32.49. M. T. Cicero to Acilius Viceconsul, &c.

1. IN the pleasant and noble City Alesa, I have Marcus and Caius Claudius's; Archagathus and Philo, my very good friends, both in their entertainments and familiarity: but, I am afraid, lest because I commend unto you many at once after an especiall manner, I should seem out of a certain ambition to make my commendations all alike: although you have abundantly satisfied both me and all my friends.

2. But I would have you understand, that this family and all these men are linked to me by old acquaintance, good turns, and loving affection.

3. And therefore I the rather request you, that you would fur­ther them in all things, as far as may stand with your honour and credit.

4. If you do this, I shall take it as a very great favour. Fare­well.

Fam. 13 33.50. M. T. Cicero to Acilius Viceconsul, &c.

1. I Make use of Cneius Otacilius Naso as my very familiar friend, and so far, that I am not more familiar with any man of his ranck: for I am very much delighted both with his humanity and honesty, in my daily converse with him.

2. You need not now expect, with words I should commend him to you, whom I so make of, as I have written.

3. He hath some businesse in the Province, which his freemen Hilarius, Antigonus, Demostratus look after, whom I commend to you, and all Naso's affairs, just as if they were mine own.

4. You will do me a very great favour, if I may understand, that this commendation of mine hath prevailed much with you. Farewell.

Fam. 13.34.51. M. T. Cicero to Acilius Viceconsul, &c.

1. I Have had antient acquaintance with Lyso of Lilybaeum, the son of Lyso, and I am much respected by him; and I know him to be worthy both of such a father, and grandfather, for it is a very noble family.

2. Therefore I do the more earnestly commend to you his estate and house, and heartily desire you to take care, that he may un­derstand that this commendation of mine hath been a great fur­therance and honour to him with you. Farewell.

Fam. 13.35.52. M. T. Cicero te Acilius Viceconsul, &c.

1. CAius Avianus Philoxenus is my old hoste; and, besides his hosteship, also my very familiar friend, whom Caesar, to do me a courtesie, made a Citizen of Novum Comum.

2. Besides, he hath taken upon him the name of Avianus, because he was more acquainted with no man, than with Flaccus Avi­anus, one that was my very familiar friend, as I suppose you know.

3. All which things I have ripped up together, that you may conceive this is no ordinary commendation of mine.

4. Therefore I request you, that you would assist him in all things, which you may do without any trouble to you, and rec­kon him in the number of your friends; and effect things, that [Page 50] he may understand, that these my Letters have been a great fur­therance to him.

5. That shall be a very great favour to me. Farewell.

Fam. 10.13.53. Cicero to Plancus Imperator, Consul elect, &c.

1. AS soon as I had occasion given me to advance your honour, I omitted nothing in your commendations, which consisted in the reward of vertue, or in the honor of words.

2. You may perceive that, by the order of the Senate; for it is so recorded, as I gave my judgment out of a writing; which a full Senate allowed, with an earnest desire, and generall consent.

3. Though I perceived by the Letter which you sent me, that you were more delighted with the approbation of good men, than with the badges of glory; yet I deemed, we ought to consider, though you desired nothing, how much the Common-wealth was engaged to you.

4. You shall finish that which others have begun.

5. For he, that shall suppresse Marcus Antonius, shall put an end to the war.

6. Therefore Homer called neither Ajax, nor Achilles, but Ulysses, A Conqueror of Cities.

Fam. 12.6.54. M. T. Cicero to Cassius, &c.

1. WHat was the state of things then when I writ this Letter, you may know by Tidius Strabo, an honest man, & wel-affected to the Commonwealth; for why should I say, most affectionate towards you, who having left his house and means is gone chiefly to you?

2. Therefore I do not so much as commend him to you, his comming wil sufficiently commend him unto you.

3. I would have you thus think, and perswade your self, that all the refuge of good men lyeth in you and Brutus, if any thing crosse happen, which I should be loth.

4. For when I writ these things, matters were brought to the last cast.

5. For Brutus had now much ado to hold out at Mutina; [Page 52] who, if he be preserved, we have got the victory; but if he be suppressed, (which God forbid) all men will flie unto you.

6. Wherefore see you have so much courage, and so much pro­vision, as is necessary for recovering the whole Common-wealth. Farewell.

Fam. 12.1755. M. T. Cicero to Cornificius his Collegue, &c.

1. YOur mindfulnesse of me, which you signified in your Letter, is very pleasing to me; which I entreat you keep, not be­cause I doubt of your constancy, but because it is a fashion to en­treat thus.

2. Some news of tumults have been told us out of Sy [...]ia, which because they are nearer you then us, they trouble me more for your sake than for mine own.

3. All things are very qui [...]t at Rome, but so as one would wish rather some wholsome and honest doing; which I hope will be, because I perceive Caesar hath a mind to it.

4 Understand, that while you are absent, I write more boldly, as having gotten an occasion and liberty, and other things per­haps, which even you your self would allow me.

5. But I writ lately of the best form of speaking, wherein I often suspected that you differed a little from my judgment, as one schollar may do from another.

6. I would have you give your good-liking to this Book from your heart; if it be not so deserving, yet to do me a courtesie.

7. I will tell your friends, that they may write it out if they please, and send it to you.

8. For I think, though you do not so well like the subject, yet, in that your solitude, any thing that commeth from me will de­light you.

9. Whereas you recommend to me your reputation and honour, you do as all others do: but I would have you think, that I both respect you much for the love, which I know is betwixt us, and have such an opinion of your vertuous studies, and the hope of your arising to great honor, that I prefer no man before you, and think you have but few your equalls. Farewell.

Fam. 1 [...]. [...]4.56. M. T. Cicero Thermus, &c.

1. BOth many things have liked me well, which you have done upon my recommendation, and this especially, that you have so courteously used Marcus Marcilius my friend's and interpreter's son.

2. For he came to Laodicea, and thanked you very much unto me, an [...] [...]e because of you.

3. Wherefore, as for what is behind, I request you, seeing you have bestowed a savour upon gratefull persons, that you would the more willingly benefit them; and endeavour, as far as it may consist with your credit, that the young-man's mother-in-law may not be questioned.

4. As before I much commended Marcilius, so now I commend him much more; because in his long attendance I have had ex­perience of the singular, and almost incredible fidelity, abstinence, and modesty, of his father Marcilius. Farewell.

1. C. Plin. Secundus, to his friend Septitius, Greeting.

1. YOu many times perswaded me to collect and publish my Epistles, if I had been any whit more exact in writing them.

2. I have collected them, not observing the order of time, (for I did not make an History) but as any one came to my hand.

3. It remaineth, you neither repent of your advice; nor [...] of my willingnesse to pleasure you.

4. For so it shall come to passe, that I may seek up those which hitherto lie neglected, and not keep them by me if I shall make any more. Farewell.

2. C. Plin. to his friend Arrianus, S.

1. BEcause I see your comming is somewhat slow, I send you a Book, which I promised you in my former letters.

2. I entreat you both to read and correct it, according to your wont; and so much the rather, because I seem not to have writ any thing afore, all alike with the same strift; for I have assayed to imitate Demosthenes, always yours, and Calvus, lately mine, onely in their flourishes of speech.

3. For but a few, whom God hath endued with better parts, can attain to the strength of such men.

4. N [...]ither hath the subject it self (I am afraid to speak too vau [...]tingly) withstood this emulation.

5. For it consi [...]ted almost wholly in an earnest kind of spea­king, which thing roas [...]d me up, being grown very idle, if I be such a one as can be roused up.

6. Yet I do not wholly decline the Rhetoricall expressions of our friend Marcus, so oft as I am admonished to digresse a little from the purpose for seasonable delectability; for I desire to be witty, not severe.

7. And there is no need why you should think I desire to be excused by this note of restraint; nay rather, that I may the more set you upon correcting, I will confesse, that both I and my fellows are not against an edition, if you perhaps will but seem to favour our mistakes.

8. For I must without fail set forth something, and I wish I may set out this being the best which is ready (you hear an idle persons wish) but I must put it forth for many reasons.

9. Chiefly, because the books which I have set out are said to be in every bodies hands, though they have already lost the grace of their novelty; unlesse the Book-sellers flatter me.

10. But let them flatter and spare not, so long as by this lie they commend my labours to my face. Farewell.

3. C. Plinius to his friend Caninius, &c.

1. WHat doth Comum, which is your delight and mine? what doth the most pleasant mannor-house? what doth the gallery which is always open to the Sun? what doth [Page 58] the shadie grove of Plane-trees? what doth the green and pear­ly rivolet? what doth that Pond which lieth near your house, and serves your uses? what doth that soft and yet solid place for one to be born up and down in? what doth that Bath, which the Sun shineth fully upon, and goeth round about it? what do those dining-rooms for entertaining of a many? what do those which are for entertainment of a few? what do the chambers which are to rest in on the day-time, and those to sleep in at night? Do they take you wholly up, and share you by turns?

2. Or, as you w [...]re wont, out of an earnestnesse to look after your estate, are you distracted with often running to and fro? If they take you up, you are an happy and blessed man; but if not, you are one of the ordinary sort.

3. But do you (for it is time) commit these base and sordid cares to others, and amid this great and quiet retirement, buckle close to your studies.

4. Let this be your businesse, this your leisure; let this be your labour, this your rest; let your watching and your sleep also be set upon these.

5. Invent, and print something, which may be your own for ever.

6. For, your other things will have one master after another, after you.

7. This will never cease to be yours, if once it begin.

8. I know what a spirit, what a disposition I exhort.

9. Do but you strive to be of so much worth to your self, as you shall seem to be to others, if you but value your self.

4. C. Plinius to Pompeia Celerina his wives mother.

1. THat one short and stale epistle of mine (for now there needs none of yo [...]rs) is sufficient to prove what great! plenty there is in your Mannor at Ortegoli, in that at Nerni, in that at Arceolo, in that at Perug [...]a; and that there is also a Bath at Nerni.

2. Truly those things are not so much mine, which are mine owne, [...]s those which are yours; yet herein they differ, in that your servants entertain me more car [...]fully and busily, than my own do.

[Page 60] 3. The same perhaps will befall you, if at any time you lie at my Mannor; which I would have you do, first, that you may as well enjoy my things, as I do yours; and besides, that my folks may be awakened sometimes, who do carelesly, and almost negligently wait on me.

4. For the awfull respect of mild masters doth decay amongst servants by custome: they are excited with novelties, and strive to be commended to their masters rather by others, than by them­selves. Farewell.

5. Caius Plinius to his friend Voconius Romanus, &c.

1. HAve you seen any man more fearfull and base than Ma [...] ­cus Regulus, since the death of Domitian; under whom he had acted no lesser villanies than under Nero, but more co­vert?

2. He began to be afraid, lest I should be angry with him; and he was not mistaken, for I was angry.

3 He had fomented the danger of Rusticus Arulenus, he had rejoyced at his death, insomuch as he recited and published a Book, in which he inveigheth against Rusticus, and also calleth him the Stoick's Ape.

4. He saith moreover, that he was branded with a scar, which he got in Vitellius's quarrell.

5. You know Regulus's eloquence of old.

6. He raileth against Heren [...]ius Senecio indeed so beyond all modesty, that Metius Carus said to him, What have you to do with my dead friends? Am I any whit vexatious either to Crassus or Camerinus? whom he had killed under Nero.

7. Regulus thought, that I was grieved at these things; and therefore when he read his book, he invited not me to it.

8. Besides, he remembred how he had provoked me before the Centumviri, to the danger of my l [...]fe.

9. I was for Arrio [...]lla Timon's wife, at the request of Arule­nus Rusticus; Regulus was for the other partie: We argued upon that part of the controversie, in which judgment had been passed concerning Vertius Modestus, a very good man; he was then ba­nished by Domitian.

[Page 62] 10. Lo, then saith Regulus, I demand of you, Secundus, what you think of Modestus?

11. You see what had been the danger, if I had answered, Well; what a shamefull act it had been, if I answered, Ill.

12. I cannot say but that some God was then with me.

13. I will answer, say I, what I think, if the Centumviri will determine about it.

14 Again, saith he, I demand what you think concerning Modestus.

15. I made answer again, Witnesses are wont to be interro­gated against them that are cited to appear, not against them that are already condemned.

16. He said the third time, I do not now ask what you think of Modestus, but what you think concerning Modestus's loy­alty.

17. Do you ask, said I, what I think? but I do not so much as think it lawfull to enquire touching one, upon whom judgment is passed.

18. He was quashed. I was commended and applauded, for that I had not wronged my credit by any answer, which might perhaps have been profitable, yet withall dishonest; nor ensnared my self in the wiles of such a treacherous question.

19. Being now therefore terrified in his conscience, he caught hold of Caecilius Celer; by and by he entreateth Fabius Justus, that they would make me friends with him; and being not thus contented, he came to Spurina.

20. He said to him in a begging manner, (as he useth to be most s [...]eaking when he is afraid) I entreat you to see Plinie in the morning at his house; but be sure in the morning, (for I am not able to bear my trouble of mind any longer) and work by any means that he may not be angry with me.

21. I had sate up all night at my studie.

22. Saith Spurina that brought his errand, I am comming to you. Nay, rather, said I, I am comming to you.

23. We went together into Livia's walk: when we were tur­ned o [...]e to another, he told me Regulus's commands to him; and added entreaties of his own, as it became a very honest man for one that was quite unlike himself; saying, Forbear him.

[Page 64] 24. To whom I made answer, You your self shall judge what answer you think it is fitting for me to make Regulus. It is not fit that I should deceive you.

25. I look for Mauricus (for he was not yet returned from exile) and therefore I can make no answer either way, being like to do whatsoever he shall think fitting.

26. For it is fit he should first give his advice herein, and I should follow it.

27. A few days after, Regulus met me in the Judgment-hall.

28. And following me thither, he desired to speak with me in secret; he said, He was afraid lest it should stick deeply in my stomack, what he had once said in a case before the Centumviri, when he answered me and Satrius Rufus, one that hath emula­tion with Cicero, and that is not contented with the eloquence of our age.

29. I answered, That I now understood it was naughtily spoken, because he himself had confessed it; but it might have been thought a thing honorable.

30. For (said I) I emulate Cicero; nor am I contented with the eloquence of our age.

31. For I think it a great folly for one, not to set the best things before him to imitate.

32. But why have you, that remember this case so well, for­gotten that wherein you asked me, what I thought concerning Metius M [...]estus's loyalty.

33. He grew notably pale, though he look always palely.

34. Being put to a stand, he said▪ I asked not that I might do you any hurt, but Modestus.

35. See the cruelty of the fellow, who doth not dissemble, that he had a mind to hurt an exile.

36. He added a fine excuse.

37. He writ (said he) in an epistle which was read before Domitian, Regulus the veriest Rogue that ever went on two leggs.

38. Which Modestus indeed had written very truly.

39. Here was almost the end of our talk, for I would proceed no further, that I might keep all things free till Mauricus came.

[Page 66] 40. Nor am I ignorant that Regulus is a man not easily to be over­come: For he is rich, and factious; many men attend him, and more fear him; which is for the most part a thing stronger than love.

41. Yet it may fall out, that these things being once shaken, may fall; for the reputation of bad men is as treacherous as themselves.

42. But that I may say the same thing often over, I look for Mauricus; he is a grave man, discreet, much experienced, and one that is able to foresee things to come by what are past.

43. I shall see plain reason to attempt something, or desist, when he adviseth me.

44. I have writ this to you, because it was fit that you, ac­cording to the love that is betwixt us, should not onely know what I do and say, but also what I purpose. Farewell.

6. C. Plinius to his friend Cornelius Tacitus &c.

1. YOu will laugh, and laugh and welcome.

2. I, the Plinie whom you know, have caught three Boars, and those indeed very fair ones.

3. You your self, say you? I my self: yet not so that I did quite forsake my leisure and quiet.

4. I sate by the toyles.

5. I had by me not a hunting-spear, or a lance, but a poitrell, and a table-book.

6. I did meditate something, and noted it down, that I might carry away, if empty hands, yet my table-book full.

7. You have no reason to sleight this kind of studying.

8. It is a wonder to see, how the mind is raised up by this stirring, and motion of the body.

9. Besides, the woods on all sides, and the solitude, and that very silence which is to be observed in hunting, are great en­citements to meditation.

10. And therefore when you shall go on hunting, you shall, by my advice, carry a table-book, as well as a bread-basket and a flaggon with you.

11. You shall find, that Diana doth not more wander in the mountains than Minerva. Farewell.

7 C. Plinius to his friend Octavius Rufus, &c.

1. SEe, in what Majesty you have set me, when as you give me the same power and rule, which Homer gave to great Jupiter. God granted him the one, the other he denyed. For I can answer your request also by the like Yea-say and Nay-say.

2 For as it is lawfull for me, especially at your request, to put off the pleading for the Baetici against one man; so neither is it suitable to my credit and constancy, to appear against a Province which you love, and which I have once engaged by so many good offices, so many pains, and so many perills of mine.

3. Therefore I shall keep this moderation, that of the two things which you desire, I may chuse that the rather, in which I may not onely satisfie your desire, but also your judgment.

4. For I ought not so much to consider, what you, being a worthy man, do desire at present, as what you will be likely to approve at all times.

5. I hope I shall be at Rome about the fifteenth of October, and that, being present, I shall make these things good to Gall [...]s, according to your promise and mine; to whom, for all that, you may even now engage, as touching my resolution,

This Jove did say, and beckened with his brows.

6. For why should I not discourse with you continually in Hom [...]'s verses? forasmuch as you do not suffer me to talk in yours, which I so earnestly covet, that me-thinks I may be cor­rupted with this fee onely, to appear even against the Baetici.

7 I had like to have omitted one thing, which was by no means to be omitted, that I have received your most excellent Dates, which now strive to exceed figs and mushroms.

8. C. Plinius to his friend Pompeius Saturninus, &c.

1. YOur Letter was delivered to me in very good time, in which you desire earnestly, that I would send you some of my writings, whereas I had determined that very same thing.

2. You therefore have put spurrs to a free running horse, and at o [...]ce took away from your self the pardon of refusing the pains, and from me the bashfulnesse of requiring it. For it neither be­commeth me to be loth to use that which is offered, nor you to [Page 70] think much with that which you have desired.

3. Yet there is no cause why you should expect any new work from an idle person: for I am to request, that you would again take leisure-time to peruse that Oration which I made to my fellow-Citizens, when I was to dedicate a Library.

4. I remember indeed, you have already noted some things, but in a generall way; and therefore I now entreat you, that you would not onely mind its generall subject, but also that you would correct every bit of it as exactly as you are wont: for it will be free for me, after it is corrected, either to publish it, or keep it by me.

5. Besides, perhaps the manner of correcting will encline this very lingring of mine to agree to either way; which will either find it not, to deserve putting forth, whilst it peruseth it often over; or make it worthy, whilst it trieth it: though the reasons of this my delaying do not appear so much in the words, as in the sense of the matter.

6. For it is, as it were, somewhat more vain-glorious and lofty: this will blemish my modesty, although the style it self be mean and low, because I am forced to treat both concerning my parents munificency, and my own.

7. This is a tickle and slippery subject, yea, when necessity doth fawningly allure it.

8. For if other mens praises use not to be willingly heard, how hard is it to obtain, that the speech of one that speaketh of him­self or his friends, may not seem troublesome?

9. For we both envy honest men themselves, and their glory, and the spreading of it abroad somewhat more; and we lesse wrest and carp at such things as are well done at the last, which are laid up in obscurity and silence.

10. For which cause I often thought with my self, Ought I to have composed that, be it better or worse, onely for my self, or for others as well as my self?

11. That also putteth me in mind, that many things which are requisite for the dispatch of a businesse, have neither the like profit or grace, when the same is done.

12. And that I may not fetch examples from afar off, What was more profitable, than to pen out the manner of our munificen­cy?

[Page 72] 13. For by this I gained, first, that I paused upon honest thoughts; and besides, that I saw the beauty of it by a longer tract; and lastly that I avoided repentance, which is the com­panio [...] of hastie lavishnesse.

14. There arose from these a certain practise of scorning mo [...]y.

15. For, whereas nature hath tied all men to the keeping of it; on the quite contrary, a love of liberality being much, and a long time together po [...]dered, freed me from the common bonds of covetousnesse: and my munificencie seemed likely to be so much the more commendable, because we were drawn to it not by force, but upon deliberation.

16. This came in as another reason, that we did not promise sports, or sword-plays; but yearly costs, for the maintenance of inge [...]uous children.

17. Besides, things that please the eyes and ears so far, need no commendation, because they ought not so much to be set on by an O [...]ation, as to be repressed.

18. And that one may willingly undergo the toyl and [...]ains of education, it must be done not onely by rewards, but also by ex­quisite perswasions.

19 For [...]f Physicians set out their wholsome, but unpleasant meats, by f [...]ir speech [...]s; how much mo [...]e doth it become one, that consults for the publick good, to bring in a most profitable gift, but not altog [...]ther so popular by kindnesse of speech; especially seeing it was needfull for me to strive, that what was applied to my parents, might be allowed on also by me, and that others might patiently both behold and wonder at the honour of a few.

20. But as I then aimed rather at a common good, then pri­vate bragging, when I desired that the intent [...]on and end of my gift might be conceived: so now I fear, lest perchance I may seem not to have minded others benefit, but my own praise, by this manner of edition.

21. Besides, I remember, with how much more delectation the fruit of well-doing may be laid up in one's conscience, than in his commendation.

22. For reputation ought to f [...]llow, not to be followed after; and if by some accident it do not follow, that which merits fame is not therefore the lesse-comely.

[Page 74] 23. But they that set down their own good deeds in words, are thought not to talk of them, because they have done them; but to have done them, that they may talk publickly of them.

24. So, that thing which is gallant, when another relateth it, commeth to nothing, when he speaks of it who did it.

25. For when men cannot destroy a thing, they inveigh against the bragging of it: so as if you do things that are not worthy to be spoken of, the deed it self; but if you do things praise-worthy, you your self are blamed, because you hold not your peace.

26. But a certain particular consideration troubleth me; for I made not this speech before the Commonalty, but before the Aldermen; not openly in every bodies sight, but in the Town-hall.

27. I fear therefore it may not be convenient, that after I have avoided the flattery and acclamation of the common sort in the speaking, I should now seek after those very same things in the publishing: and that after I had shut the Commons them­selves (whose good was intended) without the doors and walls of the Court, lest I might seem to make any shew at all of am­bition, I should now seek after those, as it were, by a fawning kind of flattery, who are like to get nothing from my gift, but the example.

28. You have the reasons of my delay; yet I will follow your advice, whose authority shall be sufficient to me instead of a reason.

9. C. Plinius to his friend Minutius Fundanus, &c.

1. IT is a wonder to see how in the City an account may be given, or may seem to be given, for severall days; but for many or all it cannot be given.

2. For if you ask any one, What have you done to day? he may answer, I waited on one that put on his toga virilis, I have been at an espousall or a wedding; this man intreated me to seal to a Will, that man entreated me to be his days-man, an­other entreated me to be of his counsell.

3. On what day you do these things, they seem necessary; if you consider that you haue done them every day, they seem vain; much more when you withdraw your self.

[Page 76] 4. For then you recall to mind, how many days you have spent, and about what poor matters.

5. Which befalleth me after I either read or write any thing in my Country-house Laurentium; or else am at leisure to recreate my body, by whose props the mind is sustained.

6. I hear nothing, which it may repent me to have heard; I speak nothing, which it may repent me to have spoken.

7. No man speaketh ill of any one to me; I find fault with no body but my self onely, when I do not write very well.

8. I am troubled with no hope, nor any fear; I am disquieted with no rumours, I discourse onely with my self and my books.

9. O upright and sincere life! O sweet and honest leisure, and almost finer then any kind of work!

10. O thou sea! O thou shore! a true and private place for study How many things do you invent? how many things do you dictate?

11. Therefore do you also leave that noise, and idle running up and down, and those very fond labours, as soon as you shall have opportunity, and give your self to study or ease.

12. For it is better, as our Attilius said very learnedly and wittily, to sit idle, than to do nothing. Farewell.

10. C. Plinius to his friend Atrius Clemens, &c.

1. IF ever our City flourished in liberall Arts, it flourisheth most of all at this day.

2. We have many and eminent examples: Euphrates the Philo­sopher hath afforded us one.

3. When I, being a young man, was a soldier in Asia, I was inwardly and familiarly acquainted with him, and I strove that he might love me, though I had no need to strive.

4. For he is a very gentle and familiar man, and full of cour­tesie, which he taught.

5. And I wish I have but answered that hope, which he then conceived of me, as he hath added much to his own ver­tues.

6. But now I do admire them, because I understand them more; though indeed I do not so much as now understand them sufficiently.

[Page 78] 7. For as none but an artist can judge of a painter, a carver, or a maker of earthen vessells; so none but a wise man [...] see tho­roughly into a wiseman.

8. Yet, as far as I am able to discern, many things [...] so eminent, and shine forth in Euphrates, that they may al [...] [...] and delight them also that are but mean schollars.

9. He disputeth subtly, gravely, and neatly; he often also imitateth that heighth and broadnesse which was in Pla [...].

10. His speech is copious and various, very sweet, a [...] such as also draweth and enforceth them that gain-say it

11. Besides he hath a tall body, a handsome face, long hair, a great and hoary beard; which things, though they may be thought to be such as come by chance, and not worth taking notice of, yet they win him very much respect.

12. There is no frightfulnesse in his look, no sowrenesse; but much stayednesse: one would so fear him, as not to be afraid to meet him.

13. There is a great deal of holinesse in his life, and as much gentlenesse.

14. He inveigheth against vices, not men; nor doth he find fault with them that do amisse, but maketh them better.

15. One would follow him when he giveth advice, being at­tentive, and expecting more from him, and desire to be perswa­ded, even when he hath perswaded him.

16. And now he hath three children, two sons, whom he di­ligently instructeth.

17. Pompeius Julianus was his wives father, one great and famous both for the rest of his life, and also for this one thing, in that he being a ruler of the Province, amongst many high profers, made choice of this son-in-law as a great man, not for honors, but for wisdom.

18. Though why should I write any more concerning a man, whom I may not enjoy? That I should be more troubled? which is not lawfull.

19. For I am busied in an office, which as it is a very great one, so it is very troublesome.

20. I sit in the Judges seat, I subscribe bills, I order the Books of accounts; I write a great many, but very illiterate let­ters.

[Page 80] 21. I use sometimes (for this befell now and then) to com­plain unto Euphrates of these employments.

22. He cheereth me up; and saith also, That this is a part of Philosophy, and indeed the chiefest, to mind businesse of pub­lick concernment, to hear matters; to judge, to declare, and ex­ercise justice, and to put in practice what they teach.

23. Yet he doth not convince me of this one thing, that it is better to do those things, than to spend whole days in hearing and learning.

24. And therefore I do the more exhort you, that have leisure, that when you come next unto the City, (and you may come for this reason the sooner) you would put your self into his hands to be polished and perfected.

25. For I do not (as many do) envie others that good, which I want my self; but, on the contrary, I take a kind of delight and pleasure, if I see my friends enjoy those things which are denyed to me. Farewell.

11. C. Plinius to Justus, &c.

1. YOu have sent me no letters this great while.

2. There is nothing, say you, that I can write: But write this very thing, that there is nothing that you can write; or only that, with which the antients were wont to begin, If you be in health, it is well, I am in health.

3. This contenteth me, for it is the main matter.

4. Do you think I am in jest? I request it in good earnest. Let me know how you do, touching which, I cannot remain ignorant, without very great trouble of mind.

12. C. Plinius to Calestrius Tyro, &c.

1. I Have had a very great losse, if the forgoing of so worthy a man may be called a loss.

2. Coraelius Rufus is deceased, and indeed of his own vo­luntary will, which doth exasperate my grief.

3. For it is a most sorrowfull kind of death, which seemeth to [...]e neither naturall nor fatall.

4. For howsoever there is great comfort to be taken from ve­ry necessity, touching those that die upon some disease; in those [Page 82] who die a voluntary death, the grief is incurable, because they are thought to have been able to live a long time.

5. Indeed a main reason, which wise men account as a ne­cessity, enforced Corellius to this course, though he had many rea­sons to live, a very good conscience, a very good repute, a very great authority; besides, he had a daughter, a wife, a nephew, a sister, and amongst so many pledges of love, true friends.

6. But he strugled with such a long and such a grievous sick­nesse, that these so great engagements to live were outvied with the reasons of his death.

7. He had been troubled with the gout (as I heard him say) three and thirty years.

8. This was hereditary to him; for diseases too, for the most part, as well as other things, are delivered by certain suc­cessions.

9. Whilst his youth lasted, he overcame and mastered it by abstinence and sanctity: now at last he bare it with the strength of his minde, as it encreased in his old age, when indeed he en­dured incredible tortures, and most cruell torments.

10. For now the pain did not settle in his feet only, as it did afore, but went over all his limbs.

11. I came unto him in the time of Domitian, as he lay in his Country-house.

12. His servants went away out of the chamber, for he used this fashion, as oft as any friend that was more trusty, came in; and his wife also, though she was very able to conceal any secret, went aside.

13. He cast his eyes about, And why do you think (said he) do I abide these so great pains so long a time? Truly, that I may outlive that villain but one day.

14. Had one given this Mind a Body like it, he had done what he desired.

15. Yet God heard his wish; which after he had obtained, as one that was now like to die without care, and free, he brake those many, but lesser stays, which would have kept him alive.

16. His sicknesse had encreased, which his temperance strived to mitigate, and his constancy avoided when it continued still.

17. Now a second, third, and fourth day he forbore food: [Page 84] his wife Hispulla sent to me our common friend Cajus. Geminius with a very sad errand, that Coraellius had resolved to dye, and could neither be perswaded by hers nor his daughters entreaties; and that I was the onely man who was able to recall him to life.

18. I ra [...] I was come into the next room, when Julius Atti­cus told me from the same Hispulla, that now not so much as I could prevail with him, that he was grown more and more ob­stinately resolute.

19. He had said indeed to the Physician, that advised him to take meat, I am dead; which word left as much want, as ad­miration of him in my mind.

20. I consider what a friend, what a man I want.

21. He had lived full threescore and seven years; which age is lo [...]g enough, even for those that are the most lustie.

22. I know, he hath got away from a continuall sicknesse; I know, he dyed leaving his friends alive after him; and when the Commonwealth was in its flourish, which he valued more than he did all his friends, I know this too.

23. Yet I grieve as for the death both of a young man, and one that was very strong; but I grieve, although you may think me weak, for my own sake.

24 For I have lost, I have lost the witnesse, the ruler, the master of my life; let me tell you in short, what in my fresh sor­row I told my friend Calvisius; I am affraid lest I should live more carelesly.

25 Do you therefore apply comforts to me; not such as these: He was an old man, he was infirm (for I know these) but some new ones, but great ones; such as I never heard, such as I never read.

26. For those which I have heard, and those which I have read, came into my mind of themselves, but they are overborn by so great sorrow. Farewell.

13. C. Plinius to Sosius Senecio, &c.

1. THis year hath afforded great store of Poets.

2. There was not a day almost in all the month of April, in wh [...]ch some one did not read.

[Page 86] 3. It pleaseth me that studies do flourish, that mens wits put forth and shew themselves; though they come slowly to hear, and many do sit in the walks, and spend the time for hearing in talk­ing, and ever now and then bid some body bring them word, whether the Reader be gone in already, whether he hath done with his preface, and whether he have almost read out his book or not.

4. Then at last, and then too they come but slowly and lei­surely; neither for all that do they tarry it out, but go away again before it be done; some closely, and as if they stole away; others, openly and freely.

5. And truly, within the memory of our parents, they report, that Claudius Caesar, when he walked in his palace, and heard a noise, asked the cause; and when it was told him that Nonia­nus read, he went in on him as he read on a suddain and unex­pected.

6. Now every one that hath least to do, being entreated long before, and ever and anon put in mind, either commeth not at all; or, if he commeth, he complaineth that he hath lost a day, because he did not lose it.

7. But they be so much the more to be commended and appro­ved on, whom this lazinesse, or pride of the hearers, doth not hinder from their desire to write and recite.

8. Truly I failed no man almost: the most indeed were my friends.

9. And there is no man almost that loveth learning, that doth not also love me.

10. For these reasons I spent longer time in the city, then I had intended.

11. I may now retire my self and write something, which I must not read openly, lest I should seem not to have been a hea­rer but a creditor to them, at whose readings I was present.

12. For as in other things, so in this charge of reading, a good turn is lost if it be demanded again. Farewell.

14. C. Plinius to his friend Junius Mauricus, &c.

1. YOu desire me to look out a husband for your brother's daughter, which you do well to enjoyne chiefly upon me.

2. For you know how much I respected and loved that wor­thy man, and by what exhortations he cherished me being a youth, and by what commendations he wrought that I might seem praise-worthy.

3. There is nothing that you command me, either greater or more pleasing; nothing that I can more honestly undertake, than to make choice of a young maid, of whom it may befit grand­children should be born to Arulenus Rusticus.

4. Who indeed might have been long to be sought for, but that Minucius Acilianus was ready, and as it were provided to hand, who loveth me dearly, as one young man loveth another, (for he is younger then me by a very few years) and reverenceth me as if I were antient; for he desireth to be taught and instru­cted by me, as I was wont to be by you.

5. Brixia is his Country, a part of our Italy, which yet retain­eth and keepeth much of its modesty, frugality, and even antient rusticity.

6. His father, Minutius Macrinus, a very noble gentleman, because he desired no higher preferment, being elected by Divus Vespasian to be one of the Praetors, constantly pre­ferred honest quiet before this ambition, shall I call it, or ho­nour of ours.

7. He hath a grandmother by the mother's side, Serrana Procula, of the corporation of Padua; you know the fashions of the place.

8. Yet for all that, Serrana is a pattern of stayednesse to them of Padua.

9. He hath an uncle also by the mother's side, of almost pas­sing gravity, prudence, and faithfulnesse.

10. In short, there will be nothing in the whole family, which will not like you as well as in your own.

11. But Acilianus himself is vigorous and industri­ous, [Page 90] though withall very bashfull; he hath very honestly gone thorough the Quaestorship, the Tribuneship, and the Praetorship; and hath acquitted you of the trouble of getting voices for him.

12. He hath an ingenuous countenance, very sanguine, and ver [...] [...]uddy.

13▪ The personablenesse of his whole body is gentlemanlike; and indeed his gracefull carriage is such as becommeth a Sena­tor; which things I suppose are in no wise to be neglected: For this ought to be bestowed as a reward upon young women's cha­stity.

14. I know not whether I should say besides, that his father hath a large estate; for when I imagine what manner of man you are, for whom we seek a son-in-law, I think I must be silent concerning means; when I look upon the publick customs, and also the laws of the city, which do presume, that men's estates are chiefly to be considered, not so much as that indeed seemeth to be omitted.

15. And truly, for one that hath consideration of grand-chil­dren, and more that shall descend from these, this is to be ob­served in choosing proffers.

16. You perhaps may think that I have followed my own fan­cy too much, and to have set out these things more then is true; but I dare engage upon my credit, that you shall find all things to be far more then I have spoken of them.

17. Truly I love the young man most ardently, as he deserv­eth.

18. But this is the duty of one that loves his friend, not to praise him over-much. Farewell.

15. C. Plinius to his friend Septitius Clarus, S.

1. HOe! you Sir, you promised me to come to supper, but you did not.

2. The controversie is decided, you shall pay the charges to the full, and that is not a little.

3. There were provided Lettuces for every one, three Snails, a couple of Eggs, Frumenty, with sweet wine and snow, (for you shall reckon this also, yea, this especially, which melteth in a dish of Spanish Olives) Gourds, Onyons, and a thousand other things, as dainty as these.

[Page 92] 4. You might have heard a Comedian, or a Reader, or a Har­per, or, such is my liberality, all these.

5. But you chose rather to have Oysters, Sows bellies, Sea Hedg-hogs, and Gatidane Songs, with I know not who.

6. You shall be punished, I will not tell you how.

7. You have dealt very unkindly; I know not whether you en­vied your self, certainly you did me; but yet you envied your self also.

8. How much should we have played, laughed, and studied?

9. You may sup more gallantly with many, but never more merrily, plainly, and securely than with me: in short, do but try.

10. And if hereafter you cannot rather excuse your self to others, excuse your self always to me. Farewell.

16. C. Plinius to his friend Euritius, &c.

1. I Loved Pompeius Saturninus, I call him our friend; and I commended his wit even before I knew, how full of variety, how pliant, and how capacious it was: and now it detaineth me wholly, taketh me up, and possesseth me.

2. I have heard him pleading sharply and earnestly, and no lesse exquisitely and neatly, whether he uttered words premedita­ted or extemporary.

3. There are apt and often sentences, a grave and comely com­posure of sounding words, and such as are antient.

4. All these are wonderfully taking, when they are pronounced with a kind of vehemency, and thundring: they take, if they be repeated again.

5. You will be of my mind, when you have taken his Orations into your hands, which you will readily compare to any of the Antients; whom he desireth to imitate.

6. Yet in his History he will give you more satisfaction, either for its brevity, or clearnesse, or pleasantnesse, or elegancy; and likewise for its gallantnesse of style.

7. For there is the like pithinesse in his speeches that there is in his Orations; yet it is closer, shorter, and more con­tracted.

[Page 94] 8. Besides, he maketh verses, such as my friend Catullus and Calvus have made.

9. How much pleasantnesse, sweetnesse, spitefulnesse, and love doth he implant in them?

10. And indeed he doth on set purpose make some verses more wanton, some more smooth, some more rough; as my friend Ca­tullus and Calvus did.

11. He read me lately some Epistles, which, he said, were his wives; I thought Plautus or Terence were readd, being resolved into prose.

12. Which whether they are his wise's, as he affirmeth; or his own, as he denieth; he deserveth like renown: who either made them himself, or made his wife, which he had of a maid, so learned and compleat.

13. His book is therefore by me all the day long: I read it as if it were not the same, before I write, when I have written, and also when I recreate my self.

14. Which I both exhort and advise you also to do.

15. For it ought to be no prejudice to his works, that he is alive.

16. If he had lived amongst them that we never saw, we should not onely enquire after his books, but also his pictures; And shall the credit of the same man now living, and his praise, wax lesse, as it were, out of loathsomnesse?

17. But this is naught and wicked, not to admire a man, that is most worthy admiration, because it falleth out that we may see him, speak to him, hear him, and embrace him; and not onely commend, but also love him. Farewell.

17. C. Plinius to his friend Cornelius Titianus, &c.

1. MEn have yet some care of their credit and duty.

2. There are some that shew themselves also friends to the dead.

3. Titinius Capito hath got leave of our Emperour, that he may set up Lucius Syllanus's statue in the common-place.

4. It is a fine thing, and such as deserveth great commenda­tion, to make use of the Prince's favour for this end; and in pro­moting others to honour, to try how much you are in favour.

[Page 96] 5. It is Capito's wont altogether to have gallant men in esti­mation; it is a wonder to see with what devotion, and with what affection, he keepeth the pictures of the Bruti, the Cassii, and the Cato's at his house, where he may do it.

6. He also sets out the life of every most famous man in ex­cellent verses.

7. One may judge him to exceed in vertue himself, who loveth other men's vertues so well.

8. Lucius Silanus hath his due honour restored unto him, for whose lasting memory he hath consulted, as well as for his own.

9. For it is not more honorable and excellent to have a statu [...] in the common place at Rome, than to set one up.

18. C. Plinius to his friend Tranquillus, &c.

1. YOu write that you was made afraid by a dream, lest you should miscarry in your pleading.

2. You entreat, that I would petition for a Demurre, and that but for a very few days; truly, I may excuse to morrow, it is hard to gain any delay, but I will try.

3. Yet it is a great matter to know, whether you dream of things like to come to passe, or the contrary.

4. That which you fear seemeth to me, when I consider my own dream, to portend a gallant pleading.

5. I had undertaken Julius Pastor's cause, when my wife's mother seemed to me, when I was asleep, prostrate at my feet, to beseech me that I would not plead.

6. And I was ready to plead, being somewhat young yet; I was in a cause before the Centumviri; I was against the chief men of the City, and also such as were Caesar's friends: all which things had been able to daunt me after so hard a dream.

7. Yet I pleaded, considering that saying, ‘One presage is the best, to fight for one's country.’

8. For my promise seemed to me as my country, if yet any thing be dearer to me then my country.

9. It had a good event, and therefore that pleading got me mens favourable attention, and opened a way to my renown.

10. See you therefore, whether you cannot interpret that dream [Page 98] of yours to any good, after this example of mine: or if you think that precept of a very discreet man to be more safe, What you doubt of do not do, write back what that is you doubt of.

11. I shall find some subtile trick or other, and so speak in your cause, that you may plead it your self when you will.

12. For certainly your mind is one, and mine was another.

13. For a cause before the Centumviri can no way be delayed; that of yours can hardly, yet it may be delayed.

19 C. Plinius to his friend Romanus Firmus, &c.

1. YOu were my towns-man, and school-fellow, and fellow-tabler from four or five years of age; your father was well acquainted with my mother, and my uncle by my mother's side, and me also, so far as the diversity of our age would suffer: there are great and weighty reasons, why I should defend and add to your honour.

2. That you have an estate of 500 l. doth plainly enough ap­pear, forasmuch as you are an Alderman in our corporation.

3. And therefore that we may fully enjoy you, not onely as an Alderman, but also as a Gentleman of Rome, I offer you 1500 l. to make up the means of a Roman Gentleman, which is 2000 l.

4. The constant continuance of our friendship doth engage, that you will be mindfull of this that I give you.

5. I do not indeed mind you of that, because I ought to mind you, saving that I know you will strive of your own accord to use that honour, which I have bestowed upon you, very modestly, as bestowed upon you by me.

6. For that honor is more carefully to be preserved, wherein al­so a friend's courtesie is to be regarded. Farewell.

20. C. Plinius to his friend Cornelius Tacitus, &c.

1. I Have many disputes with a learned and skilfull man, whom nothing pleaseth so much in pleading causes, as bre­vity; which I confesse is to be observed, if the cause permit; otherwise it is but collusion to passe by things that are to be spo­ken; it is collusion too to touch those things hastily and briefly which are to be insisted upon, fastned in, and repeated; for many things have a certain force and weight by larger handling.

[Page 100] 2. For as a dart is fastned in the body, so speech in the mind, not by the force more than by the stay.

3 In this he dealeth with me by testimonies, and amongst the Greeks, he boasts to me of Lysias's orations; amongst our own, of the Gracchi and Cato, many of whose indeed are curt and short.

4. I oppose Demosthenes, Aeschines, and Hyperides, to Lysias, and man, besides to the Gracchi and Cato, viz Pollio, Caesar, Caelius, and chiefly Marcus Tullius, whose oration is said to be the best, which is the biggest.

5. And truly, as other good things, so every good book is the better, the bigger it is.

6. [...]ou see how nothing more than their greatnesse commendeth statues, images, pictures; besides, the shapes of men, and many living things, and trees also, if they be but handsome.

7. So it betides in Orations; moreover their bulk addeth a kind of authority and grace to the very volumes.

8. These arguments, and many others which I use to allege to the same purpose, as he is very full of his shifts and slippery in disputing, he so shifteth, that he maintaineth, these very same men, upon whose Orations I grounded, to have spoken fewer words than they have published.

9. I am quite of another mind.

10. Many orations of many men are my witnesses, and those of Cicero for Marena, for Varenus, wherein a short and bare no­ting, as it were, of some crimes is shown by their titles alone.

11. By these it is apparent, that he spake very many things, and omitted them, when he put forth his orations.

12. The same Tully pleading for Cluentius, saith, That he alone pleaded a whole cause to the end, after the old custom, and that he pleaded for Cornelius four days together; we can make no doubt, but that he abridged what he had spoken at large for many days together, as it was needfull, being afterwards pared and purged, into one book, a great one indeed, and yet but one.

13. A good pleading is one thing, an oration another.

14. I know some think it to be so, but I (perhaps I am mista­ken) am perswaded, that it may fall out, that a pleading may be good, which is not a good oration; and that it cannot be but a good pleading which is a good oration.

[Page 102] 15. For an oration is the pattern of a pleading, and, as it were, the first copie.

16. And therefore in every good oration, we find a thousand extemporary flourishes; & in these too which we know were onely set forth, as in that against Verres, an Artificer, Whom? You do well to put me in mind. They said it was Polycletus.

17. It followeth then, that that pleading is the most absolute, which doth most resemble an Oration, if so be it gain a conveni­ent and due time; which if it be denyed, it is no fault of the Oration, but the greatest of the judge.

18. Those Laws make for my opinion, which allow the lon­gest times, and do not perswade them that plead to brevity, but to copiousness, that is, diligence: which briefness cannot shew but in very narrow causes.

19. I will add what use, which is an excellent master, hath taught me; I have often pleaded, I have often been a judge, I have often sate in counsell: one thing moves one man, one an­other; and for the most part small matters draw on the greatest; mens judgments are various, their wills are various; hence it is, that they that have heard the same cause together, often think another, sometimes the same thing, but according to their several affections.

20. Besides, every one favoureth his own invention, and holdeth that for most certain which he hath foreseen, when it is mentioned by another.

21. We must therefore grant to every one something, which they may apprehend, and which they may own.

22. Regulus said once to me, when we pleaded together, You think all things that belong to a Cause are to be prosecuted, but I presently espy the throat, and I presse upon it. He presseth in­deed what he chooseth, but he often mistaketh in his choise.

23. I made answer, That there may hap to be a knee, or a leg, or an anckle, where he thinketh the throat to be.

24. But I (said I) who cannot espy the throat, assay all things, I try all things; in short, I remove every stone.

25. And as in husbandry, I mind and order not onely my vineyards, but also my woods; and not onely my woods, but also my plain grounds; and in my plain grounds, I do not sow wheat [Page 104] and rye alone, but barley, beans, and other pulse: So in pleading, I scatter many seeds, as it were, far and wide, that I may gather what do come of them.

26. For judges wits are full as dubious, uncertain, and fal­lacious, as the nature of weather and grounds.

27. And I know very well, that that excellent orator Pericles was thus commended by the Comick Poet Eupolis.

28.

29. But neither did that goddesse of speech, nor that he che­risheth them, befall Pericles himself by a shortnesse or quickn [...]sse of speech, or both these (for they differ) without an excellent fa­culty of speaking.

30 For to delight, to perswade, require copiousnesse of speech, and time; and he onely is able to leave a sting in his hearers minds, who doth not prick, but fasten it in.

31. Adde, what another Comoedian saith of the same Pericles.

32. For not a curt and short oration, but a large, stately, and lofty one flasheth, and in conclusion troubleth and confoundeth all things.

33. Yet a mean is best, who denyeth it? Yet he as well mis­seth the mean, that commeth below a thing, as he that goeth above it; that speaketh too little, as he that speaketh too much.

34. And therefore as you often hear that, too much, and more than needeth, so you may this, poorly and weakly; one is said to have outgone the matter, another is said to have fallen short of it; they both offend alike, the one by his weaknesse, the other by his strength; which truly, though it be not the token of a more pure, yet it is the signe of a greater wit.

35. Nor indeed, when I say this, do I like him in Homer, that had no measure in his words, but him that spake

not but that he also pleaseth me exceeding well, who uttered Few words, but very sweet.

36. Yet if I might have my choice, I would have that oration [Page 106] which is like a winter's snow, that is, thick, continuall, and plentifull; at the last, divine and heavenly.

37. But a short pleading is more taking with many.

38. It is so indeed; but to idle persons, to respect whose niceness and sloth, as a judgment, is a fondnesse.

39. For if you advise with these, it is not onely better to plead briefly, but not at all.

40. This my opinion yet, which I shall alter, if you dissent; but I pray you tell me plainly, why you dissent?

41. For though I ought to yield to your authority, yet I think it better in so weighty a matter to be over-ruled by reason than authority.

42. Therefore, if I seem not to mistake, write so in as short a letter as you will; but yet write, for you will settle my judgment; but if I seem to mistake, provide a very large letter.

43. I have not hurt you, who have enjoyned you to a necessity of a short epistle, if you be of my mind; of a very long one, if you dissent from me. Farewell.

21. C. Plinius to his friend Paternus, &c.

1. AS I rely very much upon your judgment, so upon that of your eyes; not because you are so very wise, lest you should be too proud of your self, but because you are as wise as I, though this be also a great deal.

2. But to let jesting go, I believe these are handsome servants which are bought me by your counsell; it remaineth that they be honest, which is a thing to be judged concerning them that are to be sold, rather by the ears than the eyes. Farewell.

22. C. Plinius to his friend Catilius Severus, &c.

1. I Have tarried now a long time in the city, and indeed as one astonished.

2. The long and continued sicknesse of Titus Aristo doth much trouble me, one whom I both admire and love exceedingly; for he is as grave, as honest, and as learned, as any man in the world: so that I think not one man, but learning it self, and all good arts, are very much endangered in one man.

3. How well skilled is he both in the civil and in the common-law? [Page 108] what a deal of histories, examples, and antiquities doth he understand? there is nothing that you desire to learn, which he cannot teach: He is indeed to me a treasury, as oft as I enquire after any thing that is mysterious.

4. Besides, how much credit there is in his words, how much authority, what a fine and gracefull lingring? What is there which he doth not know out of hand? and yet he maketh a stop for the most part, and is at a doubt through the diversity of rea­sons; which, with a sharp and great judgment, he fetcheth, dis­cerneth, and considereth from their original and first causes.

5. Besides, how sparing he is in his diet? how moderate in his apparell?

6. I use to look upon his very chamber and bed, as a kind of picture of antient frugality

7. His gallantnesse of spirit doth set out these things, which doth nothing for outward show, but all things according to his conscience; and looketh for the reward of what is well done, not from people's talk, but from what is done.

8. In short, one shall have much ado to compare any one of those that make a shew of Philosophy, to this gallant man.

9. He doth not follow the schools, nor the galleries, or please other mens and his own leisure with long disputations; but he is in his gown, and in his businesse, he helpeth many by pleading for them, and more by his counsel.

10. Yet he will come behind none of those that are the chief in chastity, piety, justice, or fortitude.

11. You would wonder, if you were by, to see with what pa­tience he beareth this very sicknesse, how he strugleth with his pain, how he abideth thirst, how lying still and all covered, he passeth over the incredible heat of his ague-fits.

12. A while ago he called me, and some few with me, whom he loveth very well, and entreated us that we would ask the physitians concerning the chief point of this sicknesse, that if it were past remedy, he might die a voluntary death; but if it were onely difficult and long, he might abide it.

13. For he must yield to his wife's entreaty, he must yield to his daughter's tears, he must yield also to us his friends, that he may not forsake our hopes, if they be not in vain, by a volun­tary death.

[Page 101] 14. I think that to be a very hard matter, and worthy especial commendation.

15. For to run upon death by a kind of fury and instinct, is an ordinary thing with many; but to deliberate and consider its causes, and to undertake, or lay aside a resolution for life or death, as reason shall perswade, is the property of a gallant spirit.

16. And the Physitians indeed do promise us, that all will be well; it remaineth, that God say Amen to what they say, and at last deliver me from this thought somnesse: which when I am freed from, I will go again to my Laurentinum, that is, to my books, and my writing-tables, and my leisure to study.

17. For now I have either no leisure, whilst I sit by him, to write or to read any thing; or I have no list, being so much troubled.

18. You now understand what I fear, what I wish, and like­wise what I intend for hereafter.

19. Do you in like manner write to me again what you have done, what you do, and what you mean to do, but in a more pleasant manner.

20. It will be no small ease to my grief, if you complain of nothing. Farewell.

23. C. Plinius to his friend Pompeius Falco, &c.

1. YOu ask me whether I think it fitting for you to plead cau­ses for you in your Tribuneship.

2. It is very much to the matter, what you think the Tribune­ship to be; an empty shadow, and a title without honour, or a reverend office, and how fitting it is, as it should not be controu­led by any, so neither by it self.

3. When I was Tribune my self, perhaps I might be mistaken, who thought my self to be any thing; but as if I had been so, I forbare pleading causes: First, because I thought it an ugly thing for him, to whom every body ought to rise up, to whom every one ought to give room, to stand, whilst all other folks sate: and for him, that might bid every one hold his peace, to be commanded silence by an hour-glasse; and for him, whom it was not lawfull to interrupt as he spake, to hear even reproachfull [Page 112] words; and if he let them go unrevenged, to be taken for a cow­ard; if he did revenge them, for a proud fellow.

4. I considered this trouble also, if one by chance had appealed to me, either he for whom I was, or he against whom I pleaded, whether I should help him, or sit still and be silent, and make my self a private person, as if I had forsworn my office.

5. Being swayed by these reasons, I chose rather to behave my self as a Tribune to every body, than a Counsellor to a f [...]w.

6. But hark, (I will say it again) it is very much to the mat­ter, what you think the Tribuneship [...]o be, and what person you will take upon you, which is to be so fitted to a wise man, as that it be born out to the last.

24. C. Plinius to his friend Bebius Hispanus, &c.

1. TRanquillus my chamber-fellow is desirous to buy a little field, which a friend of yours is said to offer to sell.

2. I desire you to take order that he may buy it at a reasonable rate, for so it will please him to have bought it.

3. For a bad purchase is always unpleasing, most of all, be­cause it seemeth to upbraid the owner with his folly.

4. But in this little field there are many things which set my friend Tranquillus on, (if he like the price) its nearnesse to the city, the conveniency of the way, the smalness of the village, the quantity of the ground, which may rather invite than busie one.

5. Besides, to scholars that are addicted to their studies, as this man is, so much ground is enough in all reason, as that they may ease their brain, refresh their eyes, walk softly about the bounds, and use one track, and know and count all their little vines and small trees.

6. I have told you these things thus particularly, th [...] [...] may the better know how much he is like to be beholden to me, and I to you, if he buy that little farm, which is commended for those conveniences, at a reasonable rate; that it may not give him cause to repent of his bargain. Farewell.

Epist. 1.

1. I Had a desire long ago to speak with you, and to advise in very few words, at the entreaty of your friends, which may be for your good.

2. I and some of your friends, who have always won your favour to them from a child, supped at my house yesterday.

3. When we talked together of several things, as we were at supper, there came to us an unlooked-for messenger, I know not who he was, an intimate friend of yours, as he said.

4. Your mother presently (as parents are inquisitive after their children) began to ask, in what case her son was, how well he had his health, and how much he had benefited in his learning.

5. He made answer, That you were in good liking indeed, and that you were willing to be advised by your friends in all things; but that you had no mind at all to your book.

6. Which when the poor woman heard, (ah me) how she took on!

7. My words would have no credit with you, if I should lay open to you her complaints of your negligence.

8. For she took on more heavily than can be believed.

9. I entreat you, that, if you have played the fool hith [...], you would now grow wise, and give your mind to your studies.

10. For if through your negligence you should always (as they say) take a long sleep, you would cause the death of her, which was the cause of your life. Farewell.

Epist. 2.

1. A Great many of your friends have taken it very ill, that they have a great while since admonished you with daily reproofs what may be for your credit, and yet you give occasion to their continual clamours.

2. They desired, and hoped that it would come to passe, that your Works, which have lien a long time amongst worms and moths, may be published; that both by the edition you may gain some credit, and also that young students may be benefited by them.

3. What harm, I pray you, would it do you, if you should an­swer all our desires? Do you not think that it is a great trouble to your parents, to have a repulse from you, from whom they pro­mised themselves all things?

4. I am not so unexperienced in things, but that I easily con­ceive, that nothing ought to be committed to men's curious cen­sures, till it be ripe, and concocted.

5. Moreover, the works and labours of the best writers are for the most part scratched and blotted by critical readers.

6. Neverthelesse, seeing you (that is, a man which is a great scholar) have exactly perfected your labours, you may safely (in my judgment) bring forth, what you have a long while been in travail withall.

7. For I deem you to be beyond all danger of blots, and marks; neither do I conceive any harm likely to come thence, but that thereby you will win the good-will of docible young men, and satisfie the desires of your friends: to whom, if you do not yield, you will be sure to have an ill name as long as you live. Fare­well.

Epist. 3.

1. I Am ashamed of this age of ours, wherein this custom is grown into use, that if any ordinary fellow, or one that is but half a scholar, hath after a grosse manner (as they say) ra­ther patched together, than handsomely made a piece of work, [Page 118] we presently think it fitting to be committed to mens censures, that are ready to carp at every thing, and such as every body will desire to read and to buy.

2. As though we had not had triall, that nothing is so well done, but it is sometimes dasht out with the reader's sharp nails, and black-lead pens.

3. But some ask, to what end do you speak these words?

4. You perswaded me a few days ago, that I would take or­der to print some frivolous toys, which I had made when my studie was interrupted for the most part: besides, you seemed to blame my folly, because I had forborn so long to do this.

5. Truly you are far out of the way, who dost not consider Ho­race's advice, who adviseth, That an edition should not be hastned too fast, but be nine years before it be printed.

6. Do you not see, that many very eloquent men have abidden the Censor's sponges, that wipe out things?

7. If therefore I should examine these first fruits of my labour, what would you say would come thereof, seeing I have writ no­thing worth setting out; nothing, which may not rather incline the squeasie stomack of the reader to sleep, than force it to read more.

8. Whatsoever I have, I am beholden to my parents for it; yet I will strive rather to consult for my own credit, than to yield rashly to their unwary judgments.

Epist. 4.

1. SEeing your parents have sent you thither for delight, whi­ther they use to be sent that love learning; endeavour, I pray you, not to fail that opinion which they have of you.

2. I told you in the last Letter which I sent you, how much your mother took on, because she heard that you profited little as yet, or nothing at all in your learning.

3. You would be of a perverse disposition if you should not yield to your friends entreaties, who advise you honest things, and such as may be for your good.

4. It is your duty to obey us, as well as ours to perswade you.

[Page 120] 5. Do we perswade you any thing, which is not good to be done?

6. We, if you do not know, busie our selves about your benefit, not our own.

7. We should not care what commeth of your negligence, or sloth, but that we know it will do you hurt.

8. Therefore do as we advise you, and all things will go well with you.

9. For if you do so, we will plentifully afford you all things according to your desire. Farewel.

Epist. 5.

1 FOrasmuch as you see for certain, that one cannot come to the heighth of any thing, but from beginnings that go be­fore, I much wonder, that you so sleight the lesser disciplines, (without which notwithstanding, there is no room for the grea­ter) that you altogether debar your self from the study of them.

2. Do you think them unprofitable and fruitlesse, because they are so far from ostentation?

3. It usually hapneth, that they which refuse or blush at first, to be exercised in the first elements, shew and make triall of the slender reach of their own wit, in those things which are more lofty.

4. For it is not to be believed, that a house will be strong, which standeth upon weak and decayed foundations; or that they will not be like to lie down under a great burden, that are weary with a little one.

5. If you were wise, you would not attempt too high things, but rather imitate young-birds, which never go out of their nests till they be fledge, nor adventure their small bodies to the aire, before they have learnt that they are fit to flie, having made triall beforehand. Farewell.

Epist. 6.

1. THere arise to me every day new troubles, which do every way torment my mind more than any man can believe.

2. But there is nothing that doth more encrease my grief, than when I remember your base course of life.

3. Three years are already gone and past, since your parents have maintained you at the University with no small charge, and have afforded you all things in abundance, according to your own desire.

4. Yet there were some persons of very good credit, who told me a few days ago, that you profited little as yet, or nothing at all at your studies, so as at every third word you commit a Bar­barism.

5. You may do as you please: live as you list your self; I will give you over: Yet know, that all your matters will go to wrack, except you reform your course of living.

Epist. 7.

1. YOu regard not, as far as I hear, your friends advice, who for all that strive to benefit you.

2. Neither do I care, or am I much troubled, that you set so light by my words.

3. But I am troubled that you do not obey them, who are able to do you hurt as well as good.

4. You will take a very bad course, as I perceive, if you per­sist in your wonted folly, neither shall you obtain from your friends pardon for your fault, except you repose your self upon them, to whom you are most deeply engaged.

5. Farewell, and think that I speak in earnest, not in jest.

6. For unlesse you do as I advise you, you will scarce make an honest man.

Epist. 8.

1. IF I thought that my Letters would be any whit pleasing to you, and be liked by you, I would as well strive to satisfie you by writing, as you have long since forced me by your often calling upon me to do it.

2. For I cannot desire pardon for my fault, or exempt my self from blame, if you should have a nay-say from me, to whom you have hitherto wholly devoted your self, and whom you have al­ways assisted with your means and advice.

3. But when I see their credit is most in danger, who expose and let flie abroad their fooleries, not so much to be read, as to be laught at, by scholars at least, and such men as you are; I be­ing deterred with the guilt of my own weaknesse, dare not expose my toys to the judgment of such a man.

4. For if I should write (I am sure) my barbarisms would make you laugh, and perhaps would cause you not to love me.

5. Wherefore I desire you would not deny to pardon me at my entreaty.

6. Farewell, most excellent scholar.

Epist. 9.

1. SInce you are become a new man, and have avoided their company, who are not ashamed, like beasts, to give them­selves to lust and pleasure, you have raised up your fame so in every place, that all men talk of you in the streets and high-ways, and almost make a god of you.

2. But if you go on as you have begun, I am certain your friends will be so glad thereof, that they will not flinch one jot from commending you.

[Page 126] 3. Your father (I will feign nothing) was so pleased at that matter, that now he seemeth to be wholly for you, and neglecting his other children which he hath, to have sworn to do you good.

4. Wherefore, in my judgment, you shall do wisely to follow vertue.

5. Farewel, and be guided by one that adviseth you well.

Epist. 10.

1. YOu thought, as I suppose, to affright me with your words, when you was angry of late, and vented what came nex [...] to your mind.

2. I am not one that fears flashes of lightning from a glasse, and whom foolish and outragious threatnings, such as you then made a noise withall, affright.

3. Your railing speeches do me no hurt.

4 Yet if you [...]ex me with your babling which you always use, I will make you repeat of your folly: for else I should take upon me the blame of some injury which I had done you; whereas for all that, I ha [...]e hitherto always looked after your matters, as if they had been mine own. Farewell.

Epist. 11.

1. I Know not how distastefull the proud and impudent arro­gancy of so [...]e m [...]n hath been to me, especially of those, who when they hav [...] [...] from a mean and poor condition to a weal­thy estate, grow so v [...]y proud, and forget their former poverty, that they r [...]sp [...]t [...]o men more than themselves.

2. With which [...], because you are very much troubled, I had a mind to [...]y, whether I could with any Hellebore (as it were) purg [...] [...] contagious madnesse of your brain.

3 Who I w [...]h you would a little more strictly examine the meanness of your stock, and remember how often your father hath begg'd an a [...]s from [...] to [...]ore, and from house to house.

4. You had not so much as an half-penny to buy a halter with, the day before you came hither.

5. You were as naked as ever you were born.

[Page 128] 6. If fortune hath dallied more kindly with you, and given you (as they say) both teats to suck, ought you therefore to take so much upon your self, and grow so proud, as to shew your pea­cock's plume, or your lion's skin?

7. If you ascribe those riches more to your own vertue, than the chance of fortune, you are utterly mistaken; for if fortune should dispense and bestow wealth according to mens deserts, certainly many should go a begging, and be starved for want of meat, who have goods in abundance: On the contrary, many, to whom the same fortune playeth the step-dame, should grow rich, and be over-loaded with mony.

8. Wherefore know your self, and remember your pedigree, which is lesse known than the head of Nilus. Farewell.

Epist. 12.

1. I Do not cease to burden you with Letters almost every day, and to exhort you, that you would refrain your self from words which are grown antient, and out of use.

2. Yet for all that, as often as you write, your whole speech is so full of obsolete words, that I am fain to ghesse, for the most part, what they mean.

3. I know not whether you think that kind of unusual speech to be pleasing to any body; yet know, that it so much displeaseth me, as Cicero is pleasing to scholars.

4. I should much more value common and ordinary words, than those old ones, which neither afford benefit to your self, nor delight to them that are learned.

5. And therefore (if you love me) do as Phavorinus would have you, who adviseth you, that we should use the words of the present times, and live after the old fashion. Farewell.

Epist. 13.

1. SOme told me of late, that you were grown so impudent, that now you do not blush to keep company with ruffians, and most dissolute wasters of what their parents left them, who spend and waste all in riotous fare.

[Page 130] 2. Which when I first heard, I could not forbear weeping, I so far pittied your undoing.

3. But what should I say of your father? I should hardly be believed, if I should expresse in words, how he tormented and vexed himself.

4. I wonder you are not ashamed of your savagenesse, who so afflictest that decrepit man, so near his grave, and already (as they say) one of Proser [...]ina's cattel; who never seemed in the least to forbear to love you.

5. You may do as you please, yet you shall never avoid lash­ing speeches, and the virulent stroaks of toungs, till you behave your self again like an honest man. Farewel.

Epist. 14.

1. IF they that breed their own misery, and strike the chip­ax against their own shins, fall into any danger, there is no reason why they should be angry with any man, or spit out the venom of their bitternesse against others than themselves.

2. You, after you had given your self to lust and gluttony, and had abandoned all vertues from you, though your friends cryed out against you in vain, are at last brought to such misery, that you know not which way to turn you, nor whom to implore.

3. I pray you, who is in the fault? Did we not all strive to tell you, that this very thing would befall you?

4. You slighted and scoffed at our words.

5. Now if for your own sake alone you suffer a misfortune, you must take it patiently. Farewel.

Epist. 15.

1. I Wonder exceedingly, that since you are grown older, you are never a jot wiser, than when you talked gibberish in your childhood.

[Page 132] 2. There is no man so far out of his wits, that doth not repent him of his solly at the last.

3. But you are neither grieved nor ashamed, even now when all your things go to wrack, and every one jeereth you, scoffeth at you behind your back, because you have not yet left your boyish sports.

4. Tell me, I pray you, what reckoning you will make to your parents for your faults, unlesse you get out of this darknesse of ig­norance?

5. It was the utmost of my desires always to do you a good turn, and to use all means to prefer you.

6. Do you think it an idle piece of service to obey them, that are busied about your good?

7. Hitherto I have advised you, with as great good-will as I could.

8. But except your mind soften at such fair words, I will change them streight into chiding tearms, and (as folks use to say) I will set you out in your own colours.

Epist. 16.

1. I Know not wherein you offend your father; yet some four days agoe, when he read your Letter, and I was by, me-thought-he frowned.

2. For it is likely he either found some barbarism, or had some other triall of your ignorance.

3. Endeavour, I pray you, that you may keep in his love, and take away his anger.

4. Which you shall easily do, if he may see you have benefited in learning.

5. I told you these things long ago softly, and in your ear; I tel you again, that you may not hereafter hope to be excused.

6. You ought to mind how much he hath loved you hitherto, fo [...] asmuch as he hath let you want nothing at any time.

7. Unlesse you do as I advise you, I see it is like to go very ill with you; for besides the scorn that will be cast upon you, all [Page 134] your friends will forsake you; which if it come to passe, how will you do to live, when no body will lend you a hand? Farewell.

Epist. 17.

1. I Am going abroad, I know not when I shall come again; yet I will return as soon as possibly I can.

2. I commit my houshold affairs to you.

3. You shall win my favour, if, whilst I am absent, all things be carried on without noise, and without any hurly-burly.

4. See you live so, as my children may see nothing in you that is worthy to be blamed.

5. For they can scoff prettily, and they take nearer notice of those things which are worse.

6. If you be apt to commit any lewdnesse, they will remember it, and will not be able to respect you, whom they know to be liable to any fault.

7. But if they perceive your life to be blamelesse, they will not onely be obedient to your commands, but also be affraid of your very look. Farewel.

Epist. 18.

1. I Have a very pretty boy, and one that is very witty; whom, because he gives us great hopes that he will make a good man, I am resolved to make a scholar, and to commit him first to your teaching.

2. If he shall benefit any whit under you, I will see that you may not repent you of your pains.

3. If he shall chance to offer you any thing, I would not have you take a farthing, or above so much, in gifts.

4. I will abundantly content you, and with a large over-plus for your labour, if you but make him such a one, as he may once do something which may make all his friends memories immortall.

[Page 136] 5. Which he will do, if you have such a desire to teach him as he hath to learn. Farewell.

Epist. 19.

1. I Know not how I always come to pitty other men's miseries; yet as oft as my friends sustain any harm, or suffer any misfortune, their loss no less troubleth me, than if I my self had made shipwrack, or saw my own business to go to wrack.

2. Therefore when I see your credit to be endangered every day, I must needs (to satisfie my grief, and ease my mind) put an helping hand to your affairs.

3. We are all very much troubled that you keep company with some knaves, and such as are known to be basely given, who neither fear God nor reverence men.

4. Who if they intoxicate you any longer with their corrupt manners, you will presently leave us no hope of ridding you from them, and your credit will be past recovery.

5. But if you quickly get your self out of their inveglements, we may yet be able to cure your disease.

6. And though your former behaviour hath angered your father, yet whether he will or no we will wrest pardon from him, so that you forbear to tarry any longer amongst them, and not fail my expectation.

7. It shall not be long of me that you do not come into your parents favour again.

8. God grant, that this perswasion of mine may leave some impression in your mind. Farewell, and remember my words.

Epist. 20.

1. I Love you more (my most sweet Cornelius) than any man can suppose; and I pray not so often for any thing, as [Page 138] that fortune may always do as you would have her, and that you may have all things according to your own hearts desire: and if I kn [...]w you wanted my help, I would fit my self to serve your occasions, so far as my conscience would give me leave.

2. Yet when I remember that gray-headed and decrepit father of yours, whom you forsook most basely, not without blame, and many men's privie scoff, I cannot forbear but be angry with your ingratitude, or (that I may say more truly) with your undu­tifulnesse.

3. For what ought to be said to be more inhuman, than if a son hardly look upon his father shaking for age, and troubled with diseases; much lesse if he do not help him: forasmuch as this very thing is hateful to brutes that want reason, and small living creatures.

4. The Storks nourish their dams in their old age again, as they did them.

5. The Dor-mice maintain their sires, disabled with old age, with notable dutifulness.

6. But why do I praefer these testimonies before domestick ex­amples; and such as we have in our own houses?

7. The very dogs oft-times defend them that brought them up with their own death; of whom for all that they get nothing but a poor alms, to wit, little scraps of bread, and that made of barley too.

8. And yet you are not troubled, that your nature seemeth worse than brutes.

9. Who would not curse this? who could forbear invective speeches?

10. Your father languisheth daily; he is troubled with a dis­ease every hour, and is (as they say) more aguish than the very goats: neither for all this do you offer to help him being ready to die.

11. O strange! how is honesty now banished! how are good manners gone to wrack, when children now do not pitty their parents!

[Page 140] 12. Tell me in good earnest, if now you have wherewithall to feast it daintily, if you have plenty of all things, to whom is it fit for you to be thankfull for these things, but your father, to whom, whether are you beholding for your life or not?

13. You impudent fellow, do you not think what men talk of you in every town? what a fault it is imputed to you, when you go with a sleek and pamper'd skin, and well-fed body, with your belly standing out, whilst your father is half-dead?

14. Hortensius the Orator bewailed a dead Lamprey many days together, going in mourning; and will not you pitty your dying father?

15. O bad times! O wretched age! But whether I will or no I must hold my tongue.

16. For my grief of mind doth not suffer me to say any more.

17. It onely remaineth, that you wax wiser, or else take it not ill that I forbear to love you. Farewel.

1. M. T. Cicero Terentiae salutem plu­rimam dicit. Fam. 14.22.

1. SI vales, bene est; ego valeo.

2. Nos quotidie Tabellarios vestros expectamus; qui si venerint, fortasse crimus certiores, quid no­bis faciendum sit, faciemus (que) te statim certiorem

3. Valetudinem tuam cura diligenter.

4. Vale. Calend. Septembr.

2. M. T. C. Terentiae S. P. D. Fam. 14.21.

SI vales, bene est; ego valeo.

2. Da operam ut convalescas; quod opus erit ut res tem­pus (que) postulat, provideas atque administres, & ad me de om­nibus rebus quàm saepissime literas mittas. Vale.

3. M. T. C. Terentiae S. P. D. Fam. 14.8.

1. SI vales, bene est; ego valeo.

2. Valetudinem tuam velim cures diligentissimè.

3. Nam mihi & scriptum & nunciatum est, te in fe­brim subitò incidisse.

4. Quòd celeriter me fecisti de Caesaris literis certio­rem, fecisti mihi gratum.

[Page 5]5. Item posthac, si quid opus erit, si quid acciderit novi, facies ut sciam.

6. Cura ut valeas. Vale.

7. Datum 4 Nonas Junias.

4. M. T. C. Terentiae S. P. D. Fam. 14.23.

1. S [...] vales, bene est; va [...].

2. Nos neque de Caesaris adventu, neque de lite [...], quas Philotimus habere dicitur, quicquam adhuc certi habe­mus.

3. Si quid erit certi, faciam te statim certiorem.

4. Valetudinem tuam fac ut cures.

5. Vale. Tertio Idus Sextiles.

5. M. T. C. Terentiae S. P. D. Fam. l. 14. Epist. 24.

1. SI vales, bene est; valeo.

2. Redditae mihi jam tandem sunt à Caesare literae satis liberales ▪ & ipse opinione celeriùs venturus esse dicitur.

3. Cui utrùm obviam procedam, an hic eum expectem, cum constituero, faciam te certiorem.

4. Tabellarios mihi velim quamprimùm remittas.

5. Valetudinem tuam cura diligenter.

6. Vale. Prid. Id. Sext.

6. M. T. C. Terentiae S. P. D. Fam. l. 14. Epist. 17.

1. SI quid haberem quod ad te scriberem, facerem id, & pluribus verbis & saepius.

2. Nunc quae sunt negotia vides.

3. Ego autem quomodo sim affectus, ex Leptâ & Tre­batio poteris cognoscere.

4. Tu fac ut tuam & Tulliae valetudinem cures. Vale.

7. M. T. C. Terentiae S. P. D. Fam. l. 14. Epist. 15.

1. SI vales, bene est; valeo.

2. Constitueramus, ut ad te antea scripseram, ob­viam Ciceronem Caesari mittere; sed mutavimus consili­um, quia de illius adventu nihil audiebamus.

3. De caeteris rebus, etsi nihil erat novi, tamen quid velimus, & quid hoc tempore putemus opus esse, ex Sic­câ poteris cognoscere.

4. Tulliam adhuc mecum teneo.

5. Valetudinem tuam cura diligenter.

6. Vale. 12. Calend. Quintiles.

8. M. T. C. Terentiae S. P. D. Fam. l. 14. Epist. 19.

1. IN maximis doloribus excruciat me valetudo Tulliae nostrae: de quâ nihil est quod ad te plura scribam, tibi enim aequè magnae curae esse certò scio.

2. Quòd me propiùs vultis accedere, video ita esse fa­ciendum: etiam antè fecissêm, sed me multa impedierunt, quae nè nunc quidem expedita sunt.

3. Sed à Pomponio expecto literas, quas ad me quamprimum perferendas cures velim.

4. Da operam ut valeas.

.9 M. T. C. Terentiae S. P. D. Fam. 14.12.

1. QUòd nos in Italiam salvos venisse gaudes, perpe­tuò gaudeas velim.

2. Sed perturbati dolore animi, magnisque injuriis, me­tuo nè id consilii ceperimus, quod non facilè explicare possimus.

3. Quare, quantum potes, adjuva.

4. Quid autem possis, mihi in mentem non venit.

5. In viam quòd te des hoc tempore, nihil est: & longum est iter, & non tutum.

6. Et non video quid prodesse possis, si veneris.

7. Vale. Datum pridiè Nonas Novembris, Bru [...]dusii.

10 M. T. C. Terentiae S. P. D. Fam. 14.11.

SI vales, bene est; valeo.

2. Tullia n [...]stra venit ad me pridie Idus Junii, cujus summa virtute & singulari humanitate, graviore etiam sum dolore aff [...]ctus, nostra factum esse negligentia, ut long [...] alià in fortunâ esset, atque ejus pietas ac dignitas postulabat.

3. Nobis erat in animo Ciceronem ad Caesarem mit­tere, & cum eo Cneium Salustium.

4. Si profectus erit, faciam te certiorem.

5. Valetudinem tuam dilige [...]ter cura.

6. Vale. 17 Calend. Quint.

11. M. T. C. Tyroni S. P. D. Fam. l. 16. Epist. 2.

SEptimum jam diem Corcyrae tenebamur: Q. autem pater & filius Buthroti.

2. Soliciti eramus de tuâ valetudine mirum in modum; nec mirabamur nihil à te literarum; iis enim ventis istinc na­vigatur, qui si essent, nos Corcyrae non sederemus.

3. Cura igitur te, & confirma, & cùm commodè, & per va­letudinem, & per anni tempus navigare poteris, ad nos amantissimos tui veni.

4. N [...]no nos amat, qui te non diligit.

5. C [...]arus omnibus, expectatus (que) venies.

6. Cura ut val [...]as etiam at (que) etiam, Tyro noster.

7. Vale. 15 Cal. Novemb. Corcyrae.

12. M. T. C. Tyroni S. P. D. F [...]m. 16. Epist. 4.

1. NOn queo ad te, nec lubet scribere, quo animo sim af­fectus; tantùm scribo, & tibi & mihi maximae vo­luptati fore, si te firmum quàm primùm videro.

2. Tertio die abs te ad Alyziam accesseramus.

3. Is locus est citra Leucadem stadia 120.

4. Leucade aut teipsum, aut tuas literas à Marione puta­bam me accepturum.

[Page 11]5. Quantum me diligis, tantum fac ut valeas, vel quantum à me seis diligi.

6. Nonis Novemb. Alyziae.

13. Cicero filius, Tyroni S. P. D. Fam. 16.25.

1. ETsi justâ & idoneâ usus es excusatione intermissionis li­terarum tuarum, tamen id nè saepius sacias, rogo.

2. Nam etsi, de republicâ, rumoribus & nuntiis certior fio, & de suâ in me voluntate semper ad me perscribit pa­ter; tamen de quavis minimâ re scripta à te ad me Epistola, semper fuit gratissima.

3. Quare cùm imprimis tuas desiderem literas, noli com­mittere ut excusatione [...]otiùs expleas officium scribendi, qu [...]m assiduitate literarum. Vale.

14. M. T.C. Servio Sulpitio S. P. D. Fam. 13.25.

1. HAgesaretus Larissaeus, magnis meis beneficiis ornatus in consulatu meo, memor & gratus suit, me (que) postea diligentissimè coluit.

2. Eum tibi magnopere commendo, ut & hospitem & fami­liarem meum, & gratum hominem, & virum bonum, & principem civitatis suae, & [...]uâ necessitudine dignissimum.

3. Pergratum mihi feceris, si dederis operam ut is intelli­gat hanc meam commendationem magnum apud te pondus habu­isse. Vale.

15. M. T. C. Trebatio S. P. D. Fam. 17.18.

1. EPistolam tuam, quam accepi ab Lucio Aruntio con­scidi innocentem; nihil enim habebat, quod non vel in concione rectè legi posset.

2. Sed & Aruntius ita te mandâsse aiebat, & tu ad­scripseras.

3. Verùm illud esto: nihil te ad me postea scripsisse demiror, praesertim tam novis rebus. Vale.

16. M. T. Q. Valerio Q. F. Orcae. Fam. 13.6. S. P D.

1. P. Cornelius, qui tibi has literas tradidit, est mihi à P. Cuspio commendatus; cujus causâ quantopere cuperem, deberemque, profectò ex me facilè cognovisti.

2. Vehementer te rogo ut cures, ut ex hac commenda­tione mihi Cuspius, quàm maximas, quàm primùm, quàm saepissimè, gratias agat. Vale.

17. M. T. C. S. P. D. C. Memmio. Fam. 13.3.

1. A [...]um Fusium unum ex meis intimis, observantissi­mum studiosissimum (que) nostri, eruditum hominem & summâ huma [...]tate, tuâ (que) amicitià dignissimum, velim ita tractes, ut mihi co [...]m recepisti.

2. Tam mihi gratum id erit, qu [...]m quod gratissimum.

3. Ipsum praeterea summo officio & summâ observanti [...] tibi in perpetuum devinxeris. Vale.

18. M. T. C. S. P. D. Cornificio. Fam. l. 12. Epist. 27.

1. SExtus Aufidius, & observantiâ, quâ me colit, accedit ad Proximos: & splendore; equiti Romano nemini cedit.

2. Est autem ita temperatis moderatis (que) moribus, ut summa severitas summa cum humanitate jungatur.

3. Cujus tibi negotia, quae sunt in Africâ, ita commen­do, ut majore studio, mag [...]sve ex a [...]mo, commendare non possim.

4. Pergratum mihi feceris si dederis operam ut is intelli­gat meas apud te literas maximum pondus habuisse.

5. Hoc t [...] [...]menter, mi Cornifici, rogo. Vale.

19. Cicero Basilio S. P. D. Fam. 6. Ep. 16.

1. TIbi gratulor, mihi gaudeo; te amo, tua tueor.

2. A te amari, & quid agas, quid (que) isthîc agatur, certior fieri volo.

20. D. Brutus Imp. M. T. C. S. P. D. Fam. 11.4·

1. SI de tuâ in me voluntate dubitarem multis à te verbis pete­rem, ut dignitatem meam tuerére; sed profectò est ita ut mihi persuasi, me tibi esse curae.

2. Progressus sum ad Transalpinos cum exercitu, non tam nomen captans Imperatorium, quàm cupiens militibus sa­tisfacere, firmos (que) eos ad tuendas nostras res efficere; quod mi­hi videor consecutus, nam & liberalitatem nostram & animum sunt experti.

3. Cum omnium bellicosissimis bellum gessi, multa castella cepi, multa vastavi.

4. Non sine causâ ad Senatum literas misi.

5. Adjuva nos tuâ sententiâ, quod cùm facies, ex magna parte communi commodo inservîeris. Vale.

21. M. T. C. Servio Sulpitio S. P. D. Fam. 13.20.

1. ASclapone Patrensi medico utor valdè familiariter, ejusque tum consuetudo mihi jucunda fuit, tum eti­am ars, quam sum expertus in valetudine meorum; in quâ mihi tum ipsâ sententiâ, tum etiam fidelitate, benevolen­tiaque satisfecit.

2. Hunc igitur tibi commendo, & à te peto, ut des ope­ram, ut intelligat diligenter me scripsisse de se, meamque commendationem usui magno sibi fuisse.

3. Erit id mihi vehementer gratum. Vale.

22. M. T. C. Appio S. P. D. Fam. 10.9.

1. DE meo studio erga salutem & incolumitatem tu­am, credo te cognoscere ex literis tuorum, quibus me cumulatissimè satisfecisse certò scio; nec iis concedo, quan­quam sunt singulari in te benevolentiâ, ut te salvum malint, quàm ego.

2. Illi mihi necesse est concedant, ut tibi plus quàm ipsi, hoc tempore, prodesse possim; quod quidem nec destiti facere, nec desistam; & jam in maxima re feci, & fundamenta jeci salutis tuae.

3. Tu fac bono animo magno (que) sis, me (que) tibi nulla re defatu­rum esse confidas.

4. Pridie Nonas Quintiles. Vale.

23. M. T. C. Mario S. P. D. Fam. 7.4.

1. AD VIII Kal. Julias in Cumanum veni cum Libone tuo, vel nostro potiùs; in Pompeianum statim co­gito; sed faciam te antè certiorem.

2. Te cùm semper valere cupio, tum certè dum hîc sumus.

3. Quare si quid constitutum cum podagrâ habes, fac in ali­um diem differas.

4. Cura igitur ut valeas, & me hoc biduo aut triduo expecta. Vale.

24. Cicero Planco Imper. Cons. Des. S. P. D. Fam. 10.14.

1. O Gratam famam biduò ante victoriam de subsidio tuo, de celeritate, de copiis atque etiam de hostibus fusis! Spes omnis in te est.

2. Fugisse enim ex praelio Mutinensi dicuntur notissimi lat ronum duces.

3. Est autem non minùs gratum extrema delere, quàm prima depellere.

4. Equidem expectabam jam tuas literas, id (que) cum multis.

[Page 19]5. Sperabamque etiam Lepidum temporibus admoni­tum, tibi & Reipub. satis esse facturum.

6. In illam igitur curam incumbe, mi Plance, ut ne­qua scintilla teterrimi belli relinquatur.

7. Quod si erit factum, & Rem [...]ub. divino beneficio affe­ceris, & ipse aeternam gloriam consequêre.

8. Tertio Idus Maii. Vale.

25. M. Cic. Papirio Praeto S. P. D. Fam. 9.23.

1. HErì veni in Cumanum, cras ad te fortasse.

2. Sed cùm certum sciam, faciam te paulò ante certiorem.

3. Etsi Marcus Ceparius, cùm mihi in sylvâ gallinariâ obviam venisset, quaesissemque quid ageres, dixit te in lecto esse, quod ex pedibus laborares; tuli scilicet molestè, ut de­bui: sed tamen constitui ad te venire, ut & viderem te, & viferem, & caenarem etiam.

4. Non enim arbitror, coquum etiam te arthriticum ha­bere.

5. Expecta igitur hospitem cùm minimè edacem, tùm inimicum coenis sumptuosis. Vale.

26. M. Cicero S. D. Cn. Plancio. Fam. 4.15.

1. ACcepi perbreves tuas literas, quibus id quod scire cupiebam, cognoscere non potui: cognovi autem id, quod mihi dubium non fuit.

2. Nam, quàm fortiter ferres communes miserias, non intel­lexi; quàm me amares, facilè perspexi: sed hoc sciebam; illud si scîssem, ad id meas literas accommodâssem.

3. Sed tamen ersi antea scripsi, quae existimavi scribi opor­tere, tamen hoc tempore breviter te commonendum pu [...]avi, nè quo periculo te proprio existimares esse: in magno omnes, sed tamen in communi sumus.

[Page 21]4. Quare non debes, aut propriam fortunam, aut prae­cipuam postulare, aut communem recusare.

5. Quapropter eo animo simus inter nos, quo semper faimus.

6 Quod de te sperare, de me praestare poss [...]m. Vale.

27. Cicero Dolab. S. D. Fam. 9.12.

1. GRatulor Baiis nostris, si quidem, ut scribis, salubres repentè factae sunt; nisi fortè te amant, & tibi as­sentantur, & tamdiu, dum tu ades, sunt oblitae sui.

2. Quod quidem si ita est, minimè miror coelum etiam & terras vim suam, si tibi ita conveniat, dimittere.

3. Oratiunculam pro Deiotaro q [...]am requirebas, ha­bebam mecum; quod non putâram.

4. Itaque eam tibi misi, quam velim sic legas, ut causam tenuem & inopem, nec scriptione magnopere dignam. Sed ego hospiti veteri & amico munusculum mittere volui levi­dense, crasso filo; cujusmodi ipsius solent esse munera.

5. Tu velim animo sapienti fortique sis, ut tua modera­tio & gravitas aliorum infamet injuriam. Vale.

28. M. T. C. Imperatori Caelio Aedili Curuli S. P. D. Fam. 2.14.

1. MArco Fabio, viro optimo & homine doctissimo, fami­liarissimè utor; mirificc (que) eum diligo, cùm propter summum ejus ingenium, summamque doctrinam, tum propter singularem modestiam.

2. Ejus negotium sic velim suscipias, ac si esset res me [...].

3. Novi ego vos magnos patronos.

4. Hominem occidere oportet, qui vestrâ operâ uti velit: sed in hoc homine nullam accipio excusationem.

5. Omnia relinques, si me amabis, cùm tuâ operâ Fabi [...]s uti volet.

[Page 23]6. Ego res Romanas vehementer expecto & desidero, imprimisque quid agas scire cupio.

7. Nam jamdiu propter hyemis magnitudinem nihil novi ad nos afferebatur. Vale.

29. Cicero Trebatio S. P. D. Fam. 7.22.

1. ILluseras herì inter scyphos, quòd dixeram controversiam [...]sse, Possetne haeres, quod furtum antea factum esset, rectè furti agere.

2. Itaque et si domum bene potus, seróque redieram; ta­men id [...]aput ubi haec controversia est, notavi, & descrip­tum tibi misi; ut scires, id, quod tu neminem sensisle dice­bas, Sext. Aelium, M. Manilium, M. Brutum sensisse.

3. Ego tamen Scaevolae & Testae assentior. Vale.

30. M. T. C. D. Bruto Imper. S. P. D. Fam. 11.15.

1. ETsi mihi tuae literae jucundissimae sunt, tamen jucundius fuit, quòd in summ [...] occupatione tuâ Planco Collegae mandâsti, ut te mihi per literas excusaret; quod fecit ille diligenter: mihi autem nihil amabilius officio t [...]o, & diligen­ti [...]

2. Conjunctio tua cum Collegâ, concordiaque vestra, quae literis communibus decla [...]ata est, S. P. Q. R. gratissima accidit.

3. Quod superest, perge, mi Brute; & jam non cum aliis, sed tecum ipse certa.

4. Plura scribere non debeo, praesertim ad te, quo magistro brevitatis uti cogito.

5. Literas tuas vehementer expecto, & quidem tales, quales maxime opto. Vale.

31. M. Cicero T. Furfano Praetori S. D. Fam. 6.9.

1. CUm A. Caecinnâ tanta mihi familiaritas consuetu­doque semper fuit, ut nulla major esse possit: nam & patre ejus, claro homine & forti viro, plurimùm usi sumus; & hunc à puero, (quòd & spem mihi magnam afferebat probitatis summaeque eloquentiae, & vivebat mecum con­junctissimè, non solum officiis amicitiae, sed etiam studiis com­munibus,) sic semper dilexi, ut non ullo cum homine con­junctiùs viverem.

2. Nihil attinet me plura scribere: Quàm mihi necesse sit ejus salutem & fortunas, quibuscun (que) rebus possim, tueri, vides.

3. Reliquum est, ut cùm cognôrim, pluribus rebus, quid tu, & de bonorum fortunâ, & de Reipublicae calamitati­bus sentires, nihil à te petam, nisi ut ad eam voluntatem, quam tuâ sponte erga Caecinnam habiturus esses, tantus cumulus accedat commendatione meâ, quanti me à te fieri intelligo.

4. Hôc mihi gratius facere nihil potes. Vale.

32. M. C. Cornificio Collegae S. Fam. 12.20.

1. GRatae mihi tuae literae, nisi quod Sinuessanum diversorio­lum contempsisti; quam quidem contumeliam villa pusilla iniquo animo feret, nisi in Cumano & Pompeiano red­dideris [...].

2. Sic igitur facies, meque amabis, & scripto aliquo lacesses.

3. Ego enim respondere faciliùs possum, quàm provocare.

4. Quod si, ut es, cessabis, lacessam; ne tua inertia etiam ig­naviam afferat.

5. Plura otiosus.

6. Haec cùm essem in Senatu, exaravi. Vale.

33. M. T. C. Cornificio S. P. D, Fam. 12.21.

1. CAius Anitius familiaris meus, vir omnibus rebus orna­tus, negotiorum suorunt causa legatus est in Africam, legatione libera; eum velim rebus omnibus adjuves, operamque des, ut quàm commodissimè sua negotia conficiat.

2. Imprimisque, quod ei charissimum est, dignitatem ejus ti­bi commendo.

3. Idque à te peto, quod ipse in provinciâ facere sum so­litus non rogatus, ut omnibus Senatoribus Lictores darem; quod idem acceperam, & cognoveram à summis viris factita­tum.

4. Hoc igitur, mi Cornifici, facies, caeterisque rebus omnibus ejus dignitati, reique (si me amas) consules.

5. Id erit mihi gratissimum.

6. Da operam ut valeas.

34 M. T. C. Cassio S. P. D. Fam. 12.9.

BRevitas tuarum literarum me quo (que) breviorem in scribendo facit: &, verè ut dicam, non satis occurrit quid scribam.

2. Nostras enim res in actis perferri ad te certò scio, tuas autem ignoramus.

3. Tanquam enim clausa sit Asia, sic nihil perfertur ad nus, praeter rumores de oppresso Dolabellâ; satis illos qui­dem constantes, sed adhuc sine autore.

4. Nos confectum bellum cùm putaremus, repente à Le­pido tuo in summam solicitudinem adducti sumus.

5. Itaque persuade tibi, maximam Reipublicae spem in te & in tuis copiis esse.

6. Firmos omnino exercitus habemus; sed tamen ut omnia (ut spero) prosperè procedant, multùm interest te venire.

7. Exigua enim est spes Reipublicae; nam nullam non libet dicere: sed quaecunque est, ea despondetur anno consulatûs tui. Vale.

35. M. T. C. Atilio S. P. D. Fam. 13.30.

1. LUcius Manlius est Sosis: is fuit Catinensis: sed est unà cum reliquis Neapolitanis civis Romanus fa­ctus, [...]ecurio (que) Neapoli.

2. Erat enim adscriptus in id municipium, ante civitatem Sociis & Latinis datam.

3. Ejus frater Catinae nuper mortuus est; nullam om­nino arbitramur de eâ haereditate controversiam eum habiturum: & est hodie in bonis.

4. Sed, quando habet praeterea negotia vetera in Sici­lia suâ, & hanc haereditatem fraternam, & omnia ejus tibi commendo; imprimisque Ipsum, virum optimum mihique familiarissimum, iis studiis literarum doctrinaeque praeditum quibus ego maximè delector.

5. Peto igitur abs te, ut eum, sive aderit, sive non ve­nerit in Siciliam, in meis intimis maxime (que) necessariis scias esse: itáque tractes, ut intelligat meam commendationem sibi magno adjumento fuisse. Vale.

36. Tul. & Cic. & Q. Q. Tyroni huma­nissimo & optimo S. P. D. Fam. 16.1.

1 VIde quanta in te sit suavitas. duas horas Thyrei fumus; Xenomanes hospes tam te diligit, quàm si vixerit tecum.

2. Is omnia pollicitus est, quae tibi essent opus: facturum puto.

3. Mihi placebat, si f [...]mior esses, ut te Leucadem deportares, ut ibi te planè confirmares.

4. Videbis, quid Curio, quid Lysoni, quid medico placeat.

5. Volebam ad te Marionem remittere; quem, cùm me­liu sculè tibi esset, ad me mitteres; sed cogitavi unas literas Marionem afferre posse, me autem crebras expectare.

[Page 31] 6. Poteris igitur, (& facies, si me diligis) ut quotidie sit Acastus in portu.

7. Multi erunt, quibus rectè literas dare possis, qui ad me li­benter perferant.

8. Equidem Patras euntem neminem praetermittam.

9. Ego omnem spem tu [...] diligenter curandi in Curio ha­beo; nihil potest illo fieri humanius, nihil nostrî amantius: ei te totum trade: malo te paulò pòst valentem, quàm statim imbecillem videre.

10. Cura igitur nihil aliud, nisi ut tu valeas; caetera ego cu­rabo.

11. Etiam at (que) etiam vale.

12. Leucade proficiscens septimo Idus Novembris.

37. M. Cicero pater & fil. Tyroni S. P. D. Fam. 16.7.

1. TErtiam ad te hanc Epistolam scripsi eâdem die, magis instituti mei tenendi causà, quàm quòd haberem quid scriberem.

2. Igitur illâ, quantum me diligis, tantum adhibe in re di­ligentiae.

3. Ad tua innumerabilia in me officia adde hoc; quod mihi erit gratissimum omnium: cùm valetudinis rationem, ut spero habueris, habeto etiam navigationis.

4. In Italiam euntibus ad me literas dabis, ut ego cuntem Pa­tras neminem praetermitto.

5. Cura, cura te, mi Tyro: quando non contigit ut simul navigares, nihil est quòd festines; nec quicquam cures, nisi ut valeas.

6. Etiam atque etiam vale.

7. Septimo Idûs Novembris, Actiô, vesperì.

38. M. T. Cicero Tyroni S. P. D. Fam. 16.12.

1. EGo verò cupio te ad me venire, sed viam timeo; gra­vissimè aegrotâsti, inedi [...] & purgationibus & vi [Page 33] ipsius morbi consumptus es.

2 Graves solent offensiones esse ex gravibus morbis, siqua culpa commissa est.

3. Jam ad id biduum, quod fueris in viâ, dum in Cu­manum venis, accedent continuò ad reditum dies quinque.

4. Ego in Formiano ad tertium Calendarum esse volo.

5. Ibi te ut firmum offendam, mi Tyro, effice.

6. Literulae meae (sive nostrae) tuî desiderio oblanguerunt; hâc tamen Epistolâ, quam Acastus attulit, oculos paulùm sustulerunt.

7. Pompeius erat apud me, cùm haec scribebam; hilarè & libenter ei cupienti audire nostra, dixi, sinc te omnia mea mu­ta esse.

8. Tu Musis nostris para ut operas reddas, nostra ad diem dictum fient: docui enim te, fides [...] quod haberet.

9. Fac planè ut valeas, nos adsumus.

10. Vale. Decimo quarto Calendarum Januarii.

39. M. T. Cicero Curioni S. P. D. Fam. 2.4.

1. EPistolarum genera multa esse non ignoras: sed unum illud certissimum, cujus causâ inventa res ipsa est, ut certiores faceremus absentes, si quid esset, quod eos scire, aut nostrâ, aut ipsorum interesset.

2. Hujus generis literas à me profectò non expectas; domesti­carum enim rerum tuarum habes & scriptores & nuncios; in meis autem rebus nihil est sanè novi.

3. Reliqua sunt epistolarum genera duo, quae me magno­pere delectant: unum familiare & jocosum; alterum seve­rum & grave.

4. Utro me minùs deceat uti, non intelligo.

5. Jocerne tecum per literas? Civem me-herculè non puto esse, qui temporibus his ridere possit.

6. An gravius aliquid scribam? Quid est, quod possit gra­viter▪ à Cicerone scribi ad Curionem nisi de Republicâ?

[Page 35]7. Atque in hoc genere mea causa est, ut, ne (que) ea quae sentio, velim scribere.

8. Quamobrem, quoniam mihi nullum scribendi ar­gumentum relictum est, utar eâ clausulâ, quâ soleo, te (que) ad studium summae laudis cohortabor.

9. Est enim tibi gravis adversaria constituta & parata, in­credibilis quaedam expectatio; quam tu unâ re facillim [...] vin­ces, si hoc statueris, Quarum laudum gloriam admiraris, quibus artibus eae laudes comparantur, in iis esse labo­randum.

10. In hanc sententiam scriberem plura, nisi te tuâ sponte sa­tis esse incitatum confiderem; & hoc, quicquid attigi, non feci inflammandi tuî causâ; sed testificandi amoris mei. Vale.

40. M. T. Cicero Bruto S. P. D. Fam. 13.40.

1. LUcio Titio Strabone, equite Romano imprimis honesto & ornato, familiarissimè utor; omnia mi­hi cum eo intercedunt jura summae necessitatis.

2. Huic in tuâ provinciâ pecuniam debet Publius Cor­nelius.

3. Ea res à Volcatio, qui Romae jus dicit, rejecta in Galliam est.

4. Peto à te hoc diligentiùs quàm si mea res esset, (quò est honestius de amicorum pecuniâ laborare, quàm de suâ) ut negotium conficiendum cures, ipse suscipias, tran­sigas; operamque des, (quod tibi aequum & rectum vide­bitur) ut quàm commodissimâ conditione libertus Stra­bonis, qui ejus rei causâ missus est, negotium conficiat, ad nummosque perveniat.

5. Id & mihi gratissimum erit, & tu ipse L. Titium cognosces amicitia tuâ dignissimum.

6. Quod ut tibi curae sit (ut omnia solent esse, quae me velle scis) te vehementer etiam atque etiam rogo. Vale.

41. M. T. Cicero S. D. T. Fabio. Fam. 5.18.

1. ET si egomet qui te consolari cupio, consolandus ipse sum, propterea quod nullam rem graviù [...] jam diu [Page 37] tuli, quàm incommodum tuum; tamen te magnopere non hortor solùm, sed etiam pro amore nostro rogo atque oro, te colligas, virumque praebeas, & quâ conditione omnes homines, & quibus temporibus nati sumus, cogites.

2. Plus tibi virtus tua dedit, quàm fortuna abstulit; propterea quòd adeptus es, quod non multi homines novi; amisisti quod plurimi homines Nobilissimi.

3. Ea denique videtur conditio impendêre legum, ju­diciorum, temporum, ut optimè actum cum eo videatur esse, qui quàm levissimâ poenâ ab hâc Republicâ disces­serit.

4. Tu verò, qui & fortunas & liberos habeas, & nos caeterosq [...]e necessitudine & benevolentiâ tecum conjun­ctissimos; quique magnam facultatem sis habiturus no­biscum, & cum omnibus tuis vivendi; & cùm unum sit judicium ex tam multis quòd reprehendatur, ut quod unâ sententiâ, eaque dubiâ, potentiae alicujus condona­tum existimetur; Omnibus his de causis, debes istam mo­lestiam quàm levissimè ferre.

5. Meus animus erit in te, liberosque tuos semper, quem esse vis, & qui esse debet. Vale.

42. M. T. Cicero Trebatio. S. D. Fam. 6.11.

1. DOlobellam antea tantummodò diligebam; obli­gatus ei nihil eram, nec enim acciderat mihi opus esse; & ille mihi debebat, quòd non defeceram ejus peri­culis.

2. Nunc tanto sum devinctus ejus beneficio, quòd & antea in re, & hoc tempore in salute tuâ, cumulatissimè mihi satisfecit, ut nemini plus debeam.

3. Quâ in re tibi gratulor, ita vehementer, ut te quo­que mihi gratulari, quàm gratias agere malim.

4. Alterum non omnino desidero, alterum verò facere poteris.

5 Quod reliquum est, quando tibi virtus, & dig­nitas tua reditum ad tuos aperuit; est tuae sapientiae, mag­nitudinisque animi, quid amiseris, oblivisci; quid [Page 39] recuperaveris, cogitare.

6. Vives cum tuis, vives nobiscum: plus acquisivisti dignitatis, quàm amisisti rei familiaris, quae ipsi tum esset jucundior, si ulla Res esset publica.

7. Vestorius noster familiaris ad me scripsit, te mihi maximas gratias agere.

8. Haec praedicatio tua mihi valdè grata est; eâque te uti facilè patior, cùm apud alios, tum mehercule apud Syronem nostrum amicum.

9. Quae enim facimus, ea prudentissimo cuique maxi­mè probata esse volumus.

10. Te cupio videre quàmprimum. Vale.

43. Cicero Trebatio S. Fam. 7.14.

1 CHrysippus Vectius, Cyri Architecti libertus fecit, ut te non immemorem putarem mei; salutem enim mihi tuis verbis nunciavit.

2. Valdè jam lautus es, qui gravêris literas ad me dare, homini praesertim propè domestico.

3. Quòd si scribere oblitus es, minùs multi, te advocato, causâ cadent.

4. Sin nostri oblitus es, dabo operam, ut istûc v [...]niam, antequam planè ex animo tuo effluam.

5. Sin aestivorum timor te debilitat, aliquid excogita ut fecisti de Britannia.

6. Illud quidem perlibenter audivi ex eodem Chrysip­po, te esse Caesari familiarem; sed meherculè mallem, id quod erat aequius, de tuis rebus ex tuis literis, quàm sae­pissime cognoscere; q [...]od certè ita fieret, si tu maluisses benevolentiae, quàm litium jura perdiscere.

7. Sed haec jocati sumus, & tuo more, & nonnihil etiam nostro.

8. Te valde amamus, nosque à te amari tum volumus, tum etiam con [...]idimus. Vale.

44. M. T. Cicero M. Lepido S. P. D. Fam. 10▪ 27.

1. QUòd mihi, pro summâ erga te benevolentiâ, mag­nae curae est, ut quàm amplissimâ dignitate sis; mo­lestè tuli, te Senatui gratias non egisse, cùm esses ab eo Ordine ornatus summis honoribus.

2. Pacis inter cives conciliandae te cupidum esse laetor.

3. Pacem eam si à servitute sejungis, consules & Rei­publicae, & dignitati tuae: sin ista pax perditum hominem in possessionem impotentissimi dominatûs restitutura est, hoc animo scito esse omnes sanos, ut mortem servituti ante­ponant.

4. Itaque sapientiùs, meo quidem judicio, facies, si te in istam pacificationem non interpones, quae neque Sena­tui, neque populo, neque cuiquam bono probatur.

5. Sed haec audies ex aliis, aut certior fies literis.

6. Tu, pro tuâ prudentiâ, quid optimum factu sit, vide­bis. Vale.

45. M. Cicero Cn. Planco Imperat. Fam. 10.2. Cons. Des. S. D.

1. MEum studium honori tuo pro necessitudine nostrâ non defuisset, si aut citò in Senatum, aut honestè venire potuissem.

2. Sed nec sine periculo quisquam liberè de Republicâ sentiens, versari potest in summâ impunitate gladiato­rum; nec nostrae dignitatis videtur esse, ibi sententiam de Republicâ dicere, ubi me & meliùs & propiùs audient armati, quàm Senatores.

3. Quapropter in privatis rebus nullum neque officium, neque studium meum desiderabis; nec in publicis quidem, si quid erit in quo interesse necesse sit, unquam decro, ne cum periculo meo, dignitati tuae.

4. In his autem rebus, quae nihilominus, ego ut absim, confici possunt, peto à te, ut me rationem habere velis & salutis & dignitatis meae. Vale.

46. M. T. C. Papirio Paeto S. D. Fam. 9.19.

1. TAmen à malitiâ non discedis; tenuiculo apparatu significas Balbum fuisse contentum.

2. Hoc vidê [...]is dicere, Cùm reges tam sint continentes, multò magis consulares esse oportere.

3. Nescis me ab illo omnia expiscatum: rectà enim à portâ domum meam venisse: neque hoc admiror, q [...]òd non ad tuam potiùs; sed illud, quod nec ad suam.

4. Ego autem tribus primis verbis, Quid noster Paetus? at ille adjurans, nusquam se unquam libenti [...]s.

5. Hoc si verbis assequutus es, aures ad te afferam non minùs elegantes: sin autem obsonio, peto à te, ne pluris esse Balbos q [...]àm disertos putes.

6. Me quotidie aliud ex alio impedit.

7. Sed, si me exped [...]ero ut in ista loca venire possim, non committam ut te serò à me certiorem factum putes. Vale.

47. C. Tribonius M. T. C. S. P. D. Fam. 12.6.

1. SI vales, bene est.

2. Athenas veni ad 11 Calend. Junii; atque ibi, quod maximè optabam, vidi filium tuum deditum optimis studiis, summâ que modestiae famâ.

3. Quâ ex re quantam voluptatem ceperim, scire potes, etiam me tacente.

4. Non enim nescis, quanti te faciam; & quàm, pro nostro veterrimo, verissimoque amore, omnibus tuis etiam minimis commodis, non modò tanto bono, gaudeam.

5. Noli putare, mi Cicero, me hoc auribus tuis dare.

6. Nihil adolescente tuo, atque adeò nostro, (nihil enim mihi à te potest esse sejunctum) aut amabilius om­nibus iis qui Athenis sunt, est; aut studiosiùs earum arti­um, quas tu maximè amas, hoc est, optimarum.

7. Itaque tibi, quòd verè facere possum, libenter quo­que gratulor, nec minùs etiam nobis, quòd eum, quem [Page 45] necesse erat diligere, qualiscunque esset, talem habemus, ut libenter quoque diligamus.

8. Qui cùm mihi in sermonem injecisset, se velle Asi­am visere, non modò invitatus, sed etiam rogatus est à me ut id potissimum, nobis obtinentibus provinciam, face­ret.

9. Cui nos & charitate & amore tuum officium praestitu­ros non debes dubitare.

10. Illud quoque erit nobis curae, ut Cratippus unà cum eo sit; ne putes in Asiâ feriatum illum ab iis studiis, in quae tuâ cohortatione inci [...]atur, futurum.

11. Nam illum paratum, ut video, & ingressum pleno gradu, cohortari non intermittimus, quo indies longiùs discendo, exercendoque se, procedat.

12. Vos quid ageretis in Republicâ, cùm has literas da­bam, non sciebam.

13. Audiebam quaedam turbulenta, quae scilicet cupio esse falsa, ut aliquando otiosâ libertate fruamur: quod vel minimè mihi adhuc contigit.

14. Ego tamen nactus in navigatione nostrâ pusillum laxamenti, concinnavi tibi munusculum ex instituto meo; & Dictum, cum magno nostro honore à te dictum, conclu­si, & tibi infrà subscripsi.

15. In quibus versiculis, si tibi quibusdam verbis [...] videbor, turpitudo personae ejus, in quam li­beriùs invehimur, nos vindicabit.

16. Ignosces etiam iracundiae nostrae, quae justa est in ejusmodi homines, & cives.

17. Deinde, quî magis hoc Lucilio licuerit assumere libertatis, quàm nobis? cùm etiamsi odio pari fuerit in eos, quos lae sit; tamen certè non magis dignos habuerit, in quos tanta libertate verborum incurreret.

18. Tu, sicut mihi pollicitus es, adjunges me quam­primùm ad tuos sermones.

19. Namque illud non dubito, quin, si quid de interitu Caesaris scribas, non patiaris me minimam partem & rei & amoris tui ferre.

[Page 47]20. Vale, & matrem meosque tibi commendatos habe. VII Calend. Jun. Athenis.

48. Cicero Curio S. P. D. Fam. 7.31.

1. FAcilè perspexi ex tuis literis (quod semper studui) & me à te plurimi fieri, & te intelligere, quàm mihi carus esses.

2. Quod quando uterque nostrûm consecutus est, re­liquum est ut officiis certemus inter nos, quibus aequo ani­mo vel vincam te, vel vincar abs te.

3. Acilio non fuisse necesse meas dari literas, facilè pa­tior.

4. Sulpitii tibi operam intelligo ex tuis literis, non multum opus fuisse, propter res tuas ita contractas, ut, quemadmodum scribis, nec caput, nec pedes: equidem vellem utì pedes haberent, ut aliquando redires.

5. Vides enim exaruisse jam veterem urbanitatem, ut Pomponius noster suo jure possit dicere, nisi nos pauci re­tineamus gloriam antiquam Atticam; ergo is tibi, nos ei succedimus.

6. Veni igitur, ne tantum semen urbanitatis, unà cum Republica, intereat. Vale.

49. M. T. C. Acilio Procon. S. P. D. Fam. 13.32.

1. IN Alesina civitate, tam lautâ quàm nobili, con­junctissimos habeo & hospitio & familiaritate M. & C. Claudios; Archagathum, & Philonem: sed vereor, ne, quia complures tibi praeci [...] commendo, exaequare vide­ar ambitione quâdam commendationes meas; quanquam à te cumulatè satisfit & mihi & meis omnibus.

2. Sed velim sic existimes, hanc familiam, & hos ho­mines mihi maximè esse conjunctos vestutate, officiis, benevolentiâ.

3. Quamobrem peto à te majorem in modum, ut his omnibus in rebus, quantum tua dignitas fidesque patietur, commodes.

4. Id si f [...]ceris, erit mihi vehementissi nè gratum. Vale.

50. M. T. C. Acilio Proc. S. P. D. Fam. 13.33.

1. CNeio Otacilio Nasone utor familiarissimè; ita prorsus, ut illius ordinis nullo familiariùs; nam & humanitate ejus, & probitate, in consuetudine quotidia­nâ magnopere delector.

2. Nihil jam opus est expectare te, quibus eum verbis tibi commendem, quo sic utor, ut scripsi.

3. Habet in provinciâ tuâ negotia, quae procurant li­berti, Hilarius, Antigonus, Demostratus; quos tibi, ne­gotiaque omnia Nasonis non secus commendo, ac si mea essent.

4. Gratissimum mihi feceris, si intellexero, hanc com­mendationem magnum apud te pondus habuisse. Vale.

51. M. T. C. Acilio Proc. S. P. D. Fam. 13.34.

1. AVitum mihi hospitium est, cum Lysone Lysonis filio Lilybetano, valdeque ab eo observor, cogno­vique dignum & patre & avo; est enim nobilissima fami­lia▪

2. Quapropter commendo tibi majorem in modum rem domumque ejus, magnóque opere abs te peto, cures ut in­telligat meam commendationem maximè sibi apud te & adjumento & ornamento fuisse. Vale.

52 M. T. C. Acilio Proc. S. P. D. Fam. 13.35.

1. CAius Avianus Philoxenus, antiquus est hospes me­us, & praeter hospitium valdè etiam familiaris, quem Caesar meo beneficio in Novocomenses retulit.

2. Nomen autem Aviani consecutus est, quòd homine nullo plùs est usus, quàm Flacco Aviano, meo (quemad­modum te scire arbitror) familiarissimo.

3. Quae ego omnia collegi, ut intelligeres non vulga­rem esse commendationem hanc meam.

4. Peto igitur abs te, ut omnibus rebus, quod sine mo­lestia tuâ facere possis, ei commodes, habeasque in nu­mero tuorum; perficiasque ut intelligat has literas meas [Page 51] magno sibi usui fuisse.

5. Erit id mihi majorem in modum gratum. Vale.

53. Cicero Planco Imper. Cons. des. S. P. D. Fam. 1013.

1. UT primùm potestas data est mihi augendae dignita­tis tuae, nihil praetermisi in te ornando, quod posi­tum esset aut in praemio virtutis, aut in honore verborum.

2. Id ex ipso Senatûs consulto poteris cognoscere; ita enim est perscriptum, ut à me de scripto dicta sententia est: quam Senatus frequens sequutus est summo studio, magnóque consensu.

3. Ego, quanquam ex tuis literis quas mihi misisti, perspexi te magis judicio bonorum, quàm insignibus glo­riae delectari; tamen considerandum nobis existimavi, etiamsi tu nihil postulares, quantum tibi à Republicâ de­beretur.

4. Tu contexes extrema cum primis.

5. Qui enim M. Antonium oppresserit, is bellum con­fecit.

6. Itaque Homerus non Ajacem, nec Achillem, sed Ulyssem appellavit [...].

54. M. T. C. Cassio S. P. D. Fam. 1 [...].6.

1. QUi status rerum fuerit, tum cùm has literas dedi, scire poteris ex C. Tidio Strabone, viro bono, & optime de Republicâ sentiente; nam quid dicam cupi­dissimo tuî, qui, domo & fortunis relictis, ad te potissi­mum profectus sit?

2. Itaque eum tibi ne commendo quidem, adventus ip­sius ad te satis eum commendabit.

3. Tu velim sic existumes, tibique persuadeas, omne perfugium bonorum in te & Bruto esse positum, si, q [...]od nolim, adversi quid evenerit.

4. Res enim cùm haec scribebam, erat in extremum de­ducta discrimen.

5. Brutus enim Mutinae vix jam su [...]tinebat; qui si [Page 53] conservatus erit, vicimus; sin oppressus ibi erit (quod Dii omen avertant) omnis omnium cursus erit ad vos.

6. Proinde fac tantum animum habeas, tantumque ap­paratum, quanto opus est ad universam Rempublicam re­cuperandam. Vale.

55. M. T. C. Cornificio Collegae S. Fam. 12.17.

1. GRata mihi vehementer est memoria nostrî tua, quam significâsti literis; quam ut conserves (non quòd de tuâ constantiâ dubitem, sed quia mos est ita ro­gandi) rogo.

2. Ex Syriâ nobis tumultuosiora quaedam nunciata sunt, quae, q [...]ia tibi sunt propiora quàm nobis, tuâ me causâ magis movent, quàm meâ.

3. Romae summum otium est, sed ita, ut malis salubre aliquod & honestum negotium: quod spero fore, quia vi­deo id curae esse Caesari.

4. Me scito, dum tu absis, quasi occasionem quandam & licentiam nactum, scribere audaciùs, & caetera quidem fortasse, quae etiam tu concederes.

5. Sed proximè scripsi de optimo genere dicendi, in quo saepe suspicatus sum te à judicio nostro, sic scilicet, ut doctum hominem à non indocto, paulum dissidere.

6. Huic tu libro, maxime velim ex animo; si minùs, gratiae causâ suffragêre.

7. Dicam tuis, ut eum, si velint, describant, ad têque mittant.

8. Puto enim, etiamsi rem minùs probabis, tamen in istâ solitudine, quicquid à me profectum sit, jucundum tibi fore.

9. Quod mihi existimationem tuam, dignitatemque tuam commendas, facis tu quidem omnium more: sed ve­lim sic existimes, me, cùm amori, quem inter nos mu­tuum esse intelligam, plurimum tribuere, tum de summo ingenio, & de optimis tuis studiis, & de spe amplissimae dignitatis tuae ita judicare, ut neminem tibi anteponam, comparem paucis. Vale.

56. M. T. C. Q. Thermo S. P. D. Fam. 13.34.

1. CUm mihi multa grata sunt, quae tu adductus meâ commendatione fecisti; tum primis, quòd M. Mar­cilium amici atque interpretis mei filium liberalissimè tracta visti.

2. Venit enim Laodiceam, & tibi apud me, mihique propter te gratias maximas egit.

3. Quare, quod reliquum est, à te peto, quando apud gratos homines beneficium ponis, ut eò libentiùs his com­modes; operamque des, quoad fides tua patitur, ut socrus adolescentis rea ne fiat.

4. Ego cùm antea studiosè commendabam Marcilium, tùm multò nunc studiosiùs, quòd in longâ apparitione sin­gularem & propè incredibilem patris Marcilii fidem, ab­stinentiam, modestiamque cognovi. Vale.

1. C. Plin. Secundus Septitio s [...]o S.

1. FRequenter hortatus es, ut epistolas, si quas paulò accuratiùs scripsissem, colligerem, publica­remque.

2. Collegi, non servatô temporis ordine (neque enim historiam componebam) sed ut quaeque in manus venerat.

3. Superest ut nec te consilii, nec me poeniteat obsequii.

4. Ita enim fiet, ut eas, quae adhuc neglectae jacent, requiram; &, si quas addidero, non supprimam. Vale.

2. C. Plinius Arriano suo S.

1. QUia tardiorem adventum tuum prospicio, librum, quem prioribus epistolis promiseram, exhibeo.

2. Hunc rogo ex consuetudine tua & legas & emendes: eo magis, quòd nihil antè peraeque eodem [...] scripsisse videor; tentavi enim imitari Demosthenem, semper tuum, Calvum, nuper meum, figuris duntaxat orationis.

3. Nam vim tantorum virorum pauci, q [...]os aequus amavit Jupiter, assequi possunt.

4. Nec materia ipsa huic (vereor ne improbè dicam) aemulationi repugnavit.

5. Erat enim tota in contentione dicendi, quod me lon­gae desidiae indormientem excitavit, si modò is sum ego qui excitari possim.

6. Non tamen omninò Marci nostri [...] fugimus, quoti [...]s paululùm itinere decedere non intempestivis amaenitatibus admonebamur; acres enim esse, non tristes, volebamus.

7. Nec est quòd putes me sub hâc exceptione veniam postulare; immò, quò magis intendam limam tuam, con­fitebor & ipsum me & contubernales ab editione non ab­horrere; si modò tu fortasse errori nostro calculum adje­ceris.

8. Est enim planè aliquid edendum, atque utinam hoc potissimum quod paratum est, (audis desidiae votum) edendum autem ex pluribus causis.

9. Maximè quod libelli quos emisimus, dicuntur in manibus esse, quamvis jam gratiam novitatis exuerint; nisi tamen auribus nostris bibliopolae blandiuntur.

10. Sed sanè blandiantur, dum per hoc mendacium no­bis studia nostra commendent.

3. C. Plinius Caninio suo S.

1. QUid agit Comum, tuae meaeque deliciae? quid sub­urbanum amoenissimum? quid illa porti [...]us verna [Page 59] semper? quid [...] opacissimus? quid Euripus viridis & gemmeus? quid subjectus & serviens lacus? quid illa mollis, & tamen solida gestatio? quid balineum illud, quod plurimus Sol implet, & circumit? quid triclinia illa popularia? quid illa paucorum? quid cubicula diurn [...], noctúrnaque? Possidéntne te, & per vices partiuntur?

2. An, ut solebas, intentione rei familiaris obeundae, crebris excursionibus avocaris? Si te possident, felix bea­tusque es: sin minùs, unus ex multis.

3. Quin tu (tempus est enim) humiles & sordidas curas aliis mandas; & ipse te in alto isto pinguique secess [...], stu­diis adseris.

4. Hoc sit negotium tuum, hoc otium; hic labor, haec quies; in his vigilia, in his etiam somnus reponatur.

5. Effinge aliquid & excude, quod sit perpetuò tuum

6. Nam reliqua rerum tuarum post te alium atque ali­um dominum sortientur.

7. Hoc nunquam tuum desinet esse, si semel coeperit.

8. Scio quem animum, quod hortor ingenium.

9. Tu modò enitere, ut tibi ipse sis tanti, quanti vide­beris aliis, si tibi fueris. Vale.

4. C. Plinius Pompeiae Celerinae socrui S.

1. QUantum copiarum in Ocriculano, in Narniensi, in Carsolano, in Perusino tuo; in Narniensi verò etiam balineum; ex epistolis meis (nam jam tuis opus non est) una illa brevis & vetus sufficit.

2. Non mehercule tam mea sunt, quae mea sunt, quàm quae tua; hoc tamen differunt, quòd solicitiùs & intentiùs tui me, quàm mei accipiunt.

[Page 61]3. Idem fortasse eveniet tibi, si quando in nostra di­verteris; quod velim facias: primùm ut perinde tu nostris rebus, ac nos tuis perfruaris; deinde, ut mei expergiscan­tur aliquando, qui me securē ac propè negligenter ex­pectant.

4. Nam mitium dominorum apud servos ipsâ consuetu­dine metus exolescit; novitatibus excitantur, probarique dominis per alios magis, quàm per ipsos laborant. Vale.

5. C. Plinius Voconio Romano suo S.

1. VIdistîne quenquam Marco Regulo timidiorem, humil [...]oremque post Domitiani mortem: sub quo non minora flagitia commiserat, quàm sub Nerone, sed tectiora?

2. Coepit vereri ne sibi irascerer; nec fallebatur, iras­cebar.

3. Rustici Aruleni periculum foverat, exultaverat mor­te; adeò ut librum recitaret, publicaretque in quo Rusti­cum insectatur, atque etiam Sto [...]corum Simiam appellat.

4. Adjicit, Vitellianâ cicatrice stigmosum.

5. Agnoscis eloquentiam Reguli.

6. Lacerat Herennium Senecionem tam intemperanter quidem, ut dixerit e [...] Metius Carus, Quid tibi cum meis mortuis? Nunquid ego aut Crasso aut Camerino molestus sum? quos ille sub Nerone accusaverat.

7. Haec me Regulus dolenter tulisse credebat; ideoque eiam cùm recitaret librum non adhibuerat.

8. Praeterea reminiscebatur quàm capitaliter ipsum me apud Centumviros lacessisset.

9. Aderam Arrionillae Timonis uxori, rogatu Aruleni Rustici: Regulus contrà: nitebamur nos in parte causae sententia Vertii Modesti optimi viri; is tunc in exilio erat à Domitiano relegatus.

[Page 63]10. Ecce ibi Regulus; Quaero, inquit, Secunde, quid de Modesto sentias.

11. Vides quod periculum, si respondissem, Benè: quod flagitium, si, Malè.

12. Non possum dicere aliud tunc mihi quàm Deos adfuisse.

13. Respondebo, inquam, quid sentiam, si de hoc Centumviri judicaturi sunt.

14. Rursus ille, Quaero quid de Modesto sentias.

15. Iterum ego, Solebant testes in reos, non in dam­natos interrogari.

16. Tertiò ille, Non jam quid de Modesto, sed quid de pietate Modesti sentias, quaero.

17. Quaeris, inquam quid sentiam? at ego ne interrogare quidem fas puto de quo pronunciatum est.

18. Conticuit. Me laus & gratulatio secuta est, quòd nec famam meam aliquo responso (utili fortasse, inhonesto tamen) laeseram, nec me laqueis tam insidiosae interroga­tions involveram.

19. Nunc ergo conscientiâ exterritus apprehendit Cae­cilium Celerem; mox Fabium Justum rogat, ut me sibi reconcilient: nec contentus pervenit ad Spurinam.

20. Huic suppliciter (ut est, cùm timet, abjectissimus) Rogo, inquit, manè videas Plinium domi, sed planè manè, (neque enim diutiùs ferre solicitudinem possum) & quo­que modò efficias ne mihi irascatur.

21. Evigilaveram.

22. Nuncius Spurina; Veni [...] ad te: Immò ego, ad te.

23. Coìmus in porticum Liviae: cum alter ad alterum tenderemus, exponit Reguli mandata: addit preces suas; ut decebat optimum virum pro dissimillimo: Parce, inqui­ens.

[Page 65]24. Cui ego, Despicies ipse, quid respondendum Regulo putes; te decipi à me non oportet.

25. Expecto Mauricum (nondum enim ab exilio vene­rat) ideo nihil alterutrum in partem respondere tibi pos­sum, facturus quicquid ille decreverit.

26. Illum enim esse hujus consilii ducem, me comitem decet.

27. Paucos post dies ipse me Regulus convenit in pra [...] ­torls officio.

28. Illuc persecutus secretum petit; ait timere se ne animo meo penitus haereret, q [...]od in Centumvirali judi­cio aliquando dixisset, cùm responderet mihi & Satrio Rufo; Satrius Rufus, cui est cum Cicerone aemulatio; & qui contentus non est eloq [...]entiâ seculi nostri.

29. Respondi, nunc me intelligere malignè dictum; quia ipse confiteretur; caeterum potuisse honorificum exi­stimari.

30. Est enim, inquam, mihi cum Cicerone aemulatio: nec sum contentus eloquentiâ seculi nostri.

31. Nam stultissimum credo, ad imitandum non optima q [...]aeque proponere.

32. Sed tu qui hujus judicii meministi, cur illius oblitus es, in quo me interrogâsti, quid de Metii Modesti pietate sentirem.

33. Expalluit notabiliter: quamvis palleat semper.

34. Haesitabundus, Interrogavi, non ut tibi nocerem, sed ut Modesto.

35. Vide hominis crudelitatem: q [...]i se non dissimulat exuli nocere voluisse.

36. Subjunxit egregiam causam.

37. Scripsit, inq [...]it, in epistolâ quâdam, quae apud Domitianum recitata est, Regulus omnium bipedum ne­quissimus.

38. Quod quidem Modestus verissimè scripserat.

39. Hic fere nobis sermonis terminus: neq [...]e enim vo­lui progredi longiùs; ut mihi omnia libera servarem, dum Mauricus venit.

[Page 67]40. Nec me praeterit, esse Regulum [...]. Est enim locuples, factiosus, curatur à multis, timetur à plu­ribus: quod plerunque fortius amore est.

41. Potest tamen fieri, ut haec concussa labantur: nam gratia malorum tam infida est, quàm ipsi.

42. Verùm, ut idem saepiùs dicam, expecto Mauricum: vir est gravis, prudens, multis experimentis eruditus, & qui futura possit ex praeteritis providere.

43. Mihi & tentandi aliquid & quiescendi, illo authore, ratio constabit.

44. Haec tibi scripsi; quia aequum erat, te pro amore mutuo, non solùm omnia mea facta & dicta, verum eti­am consilia cognoscere. Vale.

6. C, Plinius Cornelio Tacito suo S.

1. RIdebis, & licet rideas.

2. Ego, Plinius ille quem nôsti, Apros tres, & quidem pulcherrimos, cepi.

3. Ipse, inquis? Ipse: non tamen, ut omnino ab inertiâ meâ, & quie te discederem.

4. Ad retia sedebam.

5. Erant in proximo non venabulum, aut lancea, s [...]d stylus & pugillares.

6. Meditabar aliquid, enotabamque; ut, si manus vacuas, plenas tamen ceras, reportarem.

7. Non est, quod contemnas hoc studendi genus.

8. Mirum est, ut animus hâc agitatione, motúque cor­poris, excitetur.

9. Jam, undiquesylvae, & solitudo, ipsumque illud si­lentium, quod venationi datur, magna cogitationis incita­menta sunt.

10. Proinde, cùm venabere, licebit, authore me, ut pa­narium & lagunculam, sic etiam pugillares feras.

11. Experiêtis non Dianam magis montibus quàm Mi­nervam inerrare. Vale.

7. C. Plinius Octavio Rufo suo S.

1. Vde, in quo me fastigio collocâris, cùm mihi idem potestatis, idemque regni dederis, quod Hom. Jovi Opt. Max. [...]. Nam ego quoque simili nutu, ac renutu, respondere voto tuo possum.

2. Etenim sicut fas est mihi, praesertim te exigente, excusare Baeticis contra unum hominem advocationem; ita nec fidei nostrae, nec constantiae, quam diligis, conve­nit adesse contra provinciam, q [...]am tot officiis, tot labo­ribus, tot etiam periculis meis aliquando devinxerim.

3. Tenebo ergo hoc temperamentum, ut ex duobus, quorum alterutrum petii, eligam id potiùs, in quo non so­lûm studio tuo, verûm etiam judicio satisfaciam.

4. N [...]que enim tantopere mihi considerandum est, quid vir optimus in praesentiâ velis, quàm quid semper sis probaturus.

5. Me circa Idus Octobreis spero Romae futurum: ea­demque haec praesentem quoque tuâ meâque fide Gallo confirmaturum; cui tamen jam nunc licet spondeas de animo meo.

6. Cur enim non usquequaque Homericis versibus agam tecum? quatenus tu me tuis agere non pateris▪ quo­rum tantâ cupiditate ardeo, ut videar mihi hâc solâ mer­cede posse cortumpi, ut vel contra Baeticos ad sim.

7. Penè praeterii, quod minimè praetereundum fuit, ac­cepisse me cariotas optimas, quae nunc cum ficis & bole­tis certamen habent. Vale.

8. C. Plinius Pompeio Saturnino suo S.

1. PE [...]opportunè mihi redditae sunt literae tuae, quibus flagitabas ut tibi aliquid ex scriptis meis mitter [...], cum ego id ipsum destinâssem.

2. Addidisti ergo calcaria sponte currenti, pariterque & tibi veniam recusandi laboris, & mihi exigendi verecun­diam sustulisti: nam nec me timidè uti decet eo quod [Page 71] oblatum est, nec te gravari quod depoposcisti.

3. Non est tamen quod ab homine desidioso aliquid novi operis expectes: petiturus sum enim, ut rursus vaces sermoni, quem apud municipes meos habui, Bibliothecam dedicaturus.

4. Memini quidem te jam quaedam adnotâsse, sed ge­neraliter; ideo nunc rogo, ut non tantùm universitati ejus attendas, verùm etiam particulas quâ soles limâ perse­quaris; erit enim & post emendationem liberum nobis, vel publicare, vel continere.

5. Quinimo fortasse hanc ipsam cunctationem nostram in alterutram sententiam emendationis ratio deducet: quae aut indignum editione, dum saepi [...]s retractar, inveniet; aut dignum, dum id ipsum experitur, efficiet: q [...]anq [...]am hujus cunctationis meae causae non tam in scriptis, quàm in ipso materiae genere, consistunt.

6. Est enim paulò quasi gloriosius & elatius: onerabit hoc modestiam nostram, etiamsi stylus ipse fuerit pressus demissusque, propterea quòd cogimur, cùm de munifi­centiâ parentum nostrorum, tum de nostrâ, disputare.

7. Anceps hic & lubricus locus est, etiam cùm illi necessitas lenocinetur.

8. Etenim si alienae quoque laudes parùm aequis auri­bus accipi solent, quàm difficilè est obtinere, ne molesta videatur oratio de se aut de suis disserentis?

9. Nam cùm ipsi honestati, tum aliquanto magis glo­riae ejus praedicationíque invidemus; atque ea demum rectè facta minùs detorquemus & carpimus, quae in ob­scuritate & silentio reponuntur.

10. Quâ ex causâ saepe ego mecum, Nobísne tantum, quicquid est, istud composuisse, an & aliis debeamus ut nobis?

11. Admonet illud quoque, quòd pleraque quae sunt agendae rei necessaria, eádem peractâ nec utilitatem pa­rem, nec gratiam retinent.

12. Ac ne longiùs exempl [...] repetamus, quid utilius fuit, quàm munificentiae rationem etiam stylo persequi?

[Page 73]13. Per hoc enim assequebamur, primùm, ut honestis cogitationibus immoraremur; deinde ut pulchritudinem longiore tractu pervideremus; postremò ut subitae largiti­onis comitem poenitentiam caveremus.

14. Nascebatur ex his exercitatio quaedam contemnen­dae pecuniae.

15. Nam cùm omnes homines ad custodiam ejus na­tura restrinxerit, nos contrà multùm ac diu pensitatus amor liberalitatis communibus avaritiae vinculis exime­bat: tantoque laudabilior munificentia nostra fore vide­batur, quòd [...]d illam non impetu quodam, sed consilio trahebamur.

16. Accedebat his causis, quòd non ludos aut gladia­tores; sed annuos sumptus in alimenta ingenuorum polli­cebamur.

17 Oculorum porrò & aurium voluptates adeò non egent commendatione, ut non tam incitari debeant ora­tione, quàm reprimi.

18. Ut verò aliquis libenter educationis taedium labo­remque suscipiat, non praemiis modò, verùm etiam exqui­sitis adhortationibus impetrandum est.

19. Nam si medici salubres, sed voluptate carentes, cibos blandioribus alloquiis prosequuntur: quanto magis decuit publicè consulentem, utilissimum munus, sed non perinde populare, comitate orationis inducere: praesertim cùm enitendum haberemus, ut, quod parentibus dabatur, etiam nobis probaretur, honoremque paucorum caeteri pa­tienter & spectarent & mirarentur.

20. Sed ut tunc communibus magis commodis, quàm privatae jactantiae studebamus, cùm intentionem effe­ctumque muneris nostri vellemus intelligi: ita nunc in ratione edendi veremur, nè fortè non aliorum utilitatibus, sed propriae laudi servisse videamur.

21. Praeterea meminimus quanto majore animo hone­statis fructus in conscientiâ, quàm in laude reponatur.

22. Sequi enim gloria, non appeti debet: nec si casu aliquo non sequatur, idcirco quod gloriam meretur, minùs pulchrum est.

[Page 75]23. [...]i verò, qui benefacta sua verbis adornant, non ideo praedicare quia fecerint; sed, ut praedicarent, fecisse creduntur.

24 Sic, quod magnificum referente alio fuisset, ipso qui gesserat recensente, vanescit.

25. Homines enim cùm rem destruere non possunt, ja­ctationem ejus incessunt; ita si silenda feceris, factum ip­sum; si laudanda, quòd non sileas, ipse culparis.

26. Me verò peculiaris quaedam impedit ratio; etenim hunc ipsum sermonem non apud populum, sed apud De­curiones habui; nec in propatulo, sed in curia.

27. Vereor ergo ne sit satis congruens, cùm in dicendo assentationem vulgi acclamationemque defugerim, nunc éadem illa editione sectari; cumque plebem ipsam (cui consulebatur) limine curiae parietibusque discreverim, ne quam in speciem ambitionis inciderem, nunc eos etiam ad quos ex munere nostro nihil pertinet praeter exemplum, velut obviâ assentatione conquirere.

28. Habes cunctationis meae causas, obsequar tamen consilio tuo, cujus mihi authoritas pro ratione sufficiet. Vale.

9. C. Plinius Minutio Fundano suo S.

1. MIrum est quàm singulis diebus in urbe ratio aut constet, aut constare videatur; pluribus cunctis (que) non constet.

2. Nam si quem interroges, Hodie quid egisti? respon­deat, Officio togae virilis interfui, sponsalia aut nuptias fre­quentavi; ille me ad signandum testamentum, ille in ad­vocationem, ille in consilium rogavit.

3. Haec quo die feceris, necessaria, eadem si quotidie [...]isse te reputes, inania videntur; multò magis cùm se­cesseris.

[Page 77]4. Tunc enim subit recordatio, quot dies quàm frigidis rebus ab [...]umpseris.

5. Quod evenit mihi postquam in Laurentino meo aut lego aliquid, aut scribo; aut etiam corpori vaco, eujus ful­turis animus sustinetur.

6. Nihil audio quod audisse, nihil dico quod dixisse poeniteat.

7. Nemo apud me quenquam sinistris sermonibus car­pit; neminem ipse reprehendo, nisi unum me, cùm parùm commodè scribo.

8. Nulla spe, nulla timore sollicitor, nullis rumoribus inquietor, mecum tantùm & cum libellis loquor.

9. O rectam! sinceramque vitam! O dulce otium ho­nestumque, ac penè omni negotio pulchrius!

10. O mare, O litus, ve [...]um secretumque [...]! Quàm multa invenitis, quàm multa dictatis?

11. Proinde tu quoque strepitum istum, inanemque discursum, & multùm ineptos labores, ut primùm fuerit occasio, relinque; teque studiis vel otio trade.

12. Satius est enim, ut Attilius noster eru litissimè simul & facetissimè dixit, otiosum esse, quàm nihil agere. Vale.

10. C. Plinius Atrio Clementi suo S.

1. SI quando urbs nostra liberalibus studiis floruit, nunc maximè floret.

2. Multa claraque ex emplasunt; suffecerit nobis unum, Euphrates philosophus.

3. Hunc ego in Syriâ cùm adolescentulus militarem, pe­nitus, & domi inspexi; amarique ab eo labotavi, etsi non erat laborandum.

4. Est enim obvius & expositus, plenusque humanitate, quam praecepit.

5. Atque utinam sic ipse, quam spem tunc de me conce­pit, impleverim, ut ille multum virtutibus suis addidit.

6. At ego nunc illas miror, quia magis intelligo; quan­quam ne nunc quidem satis intelligo.

[Page 79]7. Ut enim de pictore, sculptore, fictore, nisi artifex judicare; ita nisi sapiens non potest perspicere sapien­tem.

8. Quantum mihi tamen cernere datur, multa in Eu­phrate sic eminent & elucent, ut mediocriter quoque doctos advertant, & afficiant.

9 Disputat subtiliter, graviter, ornatè; frequenter eti­am Platonicam illam sublimitatem, & latitudinem effin­git.

10. Sermo est copiosus & varius; dulcis imprimis, & qui repugnantes quoque ducat & impellat.

11. Ad hoc proceritas corporis, & decora facies, demis­sus capillus, ingens & cana barba; quae, licèt fortuita & inania videantur, illi tamen plurimum venerationis ac­quirunt.

12. Nullus horror in vultu, nulla tristitia; multum se­veritatis; reverearis, ut occursum non reformides.

13. Vitae sanctitas summa, comitas par.

14. Insectatur vitia, non homines; nec castigat er­rantes, sed emendat.

15. Sequaris monentem attentus, & pendens; & per­suaderi tibi, etiam c [...]m persuaserit, cupias.

16. Jam verò liberi tres, duo mares, quos diligentissimè instituit.

17. Socer Pompeius Julianus, c [...]m coeterâ vitâ tum vel hoc uno magnus & clarus, quòd ipse provinciae princeps, hunc inter altissimas conditiones generum non honoribus principem, sed sapientiâ elegit.

18. Quanquam quid ego plura de viro, quo mihi frui non licet? an ut magis angar? quod non licet.

19. Nam distringor officio, ut maximo, sic molestissi­mo.

20. Sedeo pro tribunali, subnoto libellos, conficio ta­bulas; scribo plurimas, sed illiteratissimas literas.

[Page 81]21. Soleo nonnunquam (nam id ipsum quandoque con­tigit) de his occupationibus apud Euphratem queri.

22. Ille me consolatur: affirmat etiam esse hanc philo­sophiae, & quidem pulcherrimam partem, agere negori­um publicum, cognoscere, judi [...]are, promere & exercere justitiam, quaeque ipsi doceant in usu habere.

23. Mihi tamen hoc unum non persuadet, satius esse ista facere, quàm cum illo dies totos audiendo, discen­doque, consumere.

24. Quo magis te, cui vacat, hortor, cùm in urbem proximè veneris (venias autem ob hoc maturiùs) illi te expoliendum limandumque permittas.

25. Neque enim ego (ut multi) invideo aliis bonum, quo ipse careo: sed contrà, sensum quendam volupta­temque percipio, si ea quae mihi denegantur, amicis vi­deo superesse. Vale.

11. C. Plinius Justo S.

1. OLim nullas mihi epistolas mittis.

2. Nihil est, inquis, quod scribam: at hoc ipsum scribe, nihil esse quod scribas; vel solùm illud, unde in­cipere priores solebant, Si vales, bene est; ego valeo.

3. Hoc mihi sufficit, est enim maximum.

4. Ludere me putas? Seriò peto: fac sciam, quid aga [...]; quod sine solicitudine summâ nescire non possum.

12. C. Plinius Calestrio Tyroni S.

1. JActuram gravissimam feci, si jactura dicenda est tan­ti viri amissio.

2. Decessit Coraellius Rufus, & quidem sponte, quod dolorem meum exulcerat.

3. Est enim luctuosissimum genus mortis, quae non ex naturâ, nec fatalis videtur.

4. Nam utcunque in illis qui morbo finiuntur, mag­num ex ipsâ necessitate solatium est: i [...] iis verò q [...]os [Page 83] accersita mors aufert, hic insanabilis dolor est, quòd cre­duntur potuisse diu vivere.

5. Corellium quidem summa ratio, quae sapientibus pro necessitate est, ad hoc consilium compulit, quanquam plurimas vivendi causas habentem, optimam conscienti­am, optimam famam, maximam authoritatem; praeterea, filiam, uxorem, nepotem, sorores, interque tot pignora, veros amicos.

6. Sed tam longâ, tam iniquâ, valetudine conflicta­batur, ut haec tanta pretia viv [...]ndi mortis rationib [...]s vin­cerentur.

7. Tertio & tricesimo anno (ut ipsum audi [...]bam) pe­dum dolore correptus est.

8. Patricius hic illi: nam plerunque morbi quoque per successiones quasdam, ut alia traduntur.

9. Hunc abstinentiâ, sanctirat [...], q [...]oad viri [...]is aetas, vicit & fregit: novissimè eum senectate ingravescen [...]em, viribus animi sustinebat; cùm quidem incredibiles crucia­tus, & indignissima tormenta pateretur.

10. Jam enim dolor non pedibus solis, ut priùs, inside­bat; sed omnia membra pervagabatur.

11. Veni ad eum Domitiani temporibus in suburbano jacentem.

12. Servi è cubiculo recesserunt: habebat enim hoc mo­ris, q [...]oties intrâsset fidelior amicus: quinetiam uxor, quanquam omnis secreti capacissima, digrediebatur.

13. Circumtulit oculos, & Cur (inquit) m [...] putas hos tantos dolores tamdiu sustinere? ut scilicet [...] [...]ationi vel uno die supersim.

14. Dedisses huic animo par corpus, fecisset quod op­tabat.

15. Affuit tamen Deus voto; cujus ille compos, ut jam securus liberque moriturus, multa illa vitae, sed minora retinacula abrupit.

16. Incr [...]verat valetudo, quam temperantia mitigare tentavit, perseverantem constantia fugi [...]

17. Iam dies alter, tertius, quartus abstinebat cibo: [Page 85] misit ad me uxor ejus Hispulla communem amicum C. Geminium cum tristissimo nuncio, destinâsse Coraellium mori, nec aut suis aut filiae precibus flecti; solum superesse me, à quo revocari posset ad vitam.

18. Cucurri; perveneram in proximum, cùm mihi ab eâdem Hispullâ Julius Attic [...]s nunciat, nihil jam ne me quidem impetraturum; tam obstinatè magis ac magis in­duruisse.

19. Dixerat sanè medico admonenti cibum, [...]; quae vox quantum admirationis in animo, tantum deside­rii reliquit.

20. Cogito quo amico, quo viro caream.

21. Implevit quidem annum septimum & sexagesimum; quae aetas etiam robustissimis satis longa est.

22. Scio, evasit perpetuam valetudinem; scio, decessit superstitibus suis; florente Repub. quae omnibus suis cha­rior erat, & hoc scio.

23. Ego tamen tanquam & juvenis & fortissimi morte doleo: doleo autem, licèt me imbecillum putes, meo no­mine.

24. Amisi enim, amisi, vitae meae testem, rectorem, ma­gistrum; in summâ, dicam, quod recenti dolore contuber­nali meo Calvisio dixi; Vereor ne negligentiùs vivam.

25. Proinde adhibe solatia mihi: non haec, Senex erat, Infirmus erat (haec enim novi) sed nova aliqua, sed mag­na; quae audierim nunquam, legerim nunquam.

26. Nam quae audivi, quae legi, sponte succurrunt; sed tanto dolore superantur. Vale.

13. C. Plinius Sosio Senecioni S.

1. MAgnum proventum Poetarum annus hic attulit.

2. Toto mense Aprili nullus ferè dies, quo non recitaret aliquis.

[Page 87]3. Iuvat me quòd vigent studia, proferunt se ingenia hominum & ostentant; tametsi ad audiendum pigrè coi­tur, plerique in stationibus sedent, tempusque audiendi fabulis cónterunt, ac subinde sibi nunciari jubent, an jam recitator intraverit, an dixerit praefationem, an ex magnâ parte evolverit librum.

4. Tum demum, ac tunc quoque, lentè cunctanterque veniunt; nec tamen permanent, sed ante finem recedunt; alii dissimulanter & furtim, alii simpliciter & liberè.

5. At hercle, memoriâ parentum, Claudium Caesarem ferunt, cùm in Palatio spatiaretur, audissetque clamorem, causam requisiiste, cumque dictum esset, recitate Nonia­num, subitum recitanti inopinatumque venisse.

6. Nunc otiosissimus quisque multò antè rogatus, & identidem admonitus, aut non venit, aut, si venit, queritur se diem, quia non perdiderit, perdidisse.

7. Sed tanto magis laudandi probandique sunt, quos [...] scribendi recitandique studio haec auditorum vel desidia vel superbia non retardat.

8. Equidem propè nemini defui: erant sane plerique amici.

9. Neque enim est ferè quisquam qui studia, ut non simul & nos amet.

10. His ex causis longiùs quàm destinaveram, tempus in urbe consumpsi.

11. Possum jam repetere secessum, & scribere aliquid; quod non recitem, ne videar, quorum recitationibus affui, non auditor fuisse, sed creditor.

12. Nam ut in caeteris rebus, ita in audiendi officio, pe­rit gratia si reposcatur. Vale.

14. C. Plinius Junio Maurico suo S.

1. PEtis ut fratris tui filiae prospiciam maritum; quod meritò mihi potissimum injungis.

2. Scis enim quantopere summum illum virum sus­pexerim, dilexerimque, quibus ille adolescentiam meam exhortationibus foverit, quibus etiam laudibus ut laudan­dus viderer effecerit.

3. Nihil est quod à te mandari mihi aut majus aut gra­tius, nihil quod honestius à me suscipi possit, quàm ut eligam juvenem ex quâ nasci nepotes Aruleno Rustico deceat.

4. Qui quidem diu quaerendus fuisset, nisi paratus & quasi provisus esset Minucius Acilianus, qui me, ut juve­nis juvenem (est enim minor pauculis annis) familiarissi­mè diligit, reveretur ut senem: nam ita à me formari & in­stitui cupit, ut ego à vobis solebam.

5. Patria est ei Brixia, ex illâ nostrâ Italiâ, quae mul­tum adhuc verecundiae, frugalitatis, atque etiam rustici­tatis antiquae retinet ac servat.

6. Pater Minucius Macrinus equestris ordinis princeps quia nihil altius voluit, allectus à Divo Vespasiano inter Praetorios, honestam quietem huic nostrae ambitioni di­cam an dignitati, constantissimè praetulit.

7. Habet aviam maternam Serranam Proculam, è mu­nicipio Patavino: nôsti loci mores.

8. Serrana tamen Patavinis quoque severitatis exem­plum est.

9. Contigit & avunculus ei P. Acilius, gravitate, pru­dentiâ, fide propè singulari.

10. In summâ, nihil erit in domo totâ quod non tibi, tanquam in tuâ placeat.

11. Aciliano verò ipsi plurimum vigoris, & indu­striae, [Page 91] quanquam in maximâ verecundiâ: Quaesturam, Tribunatum, Praeturam, honestissimè percurrit; ac jam pro se tibi necessitatem ambiend [...] remisit.

12. Est illi facies liberalis, multo sanguine, multo ru­bore suffusa.

13. Est ingenua totius corporis pulchritudo, & quidem Senatorius decor; quae ego nequaquam arbitror negligen­da; debet enim hoc castitati puell [...]rum quasi praemium dari.

14. Nescio an adjiciam, esse patri ejus amplas facultates: nam cùm imaginor vos quibus quaerimus generum, silen­dum de facultatibus puto; q [...]um publicos mores, atque etiam leges civitatis intueor, quae vel in primis census hominum spectandos arbitrantur, ne id quidem praeter­eundum videtur.

15 Et sanè de posteris, & his pluribus, cogitanti, hic quoque in conditionibus deligendis ponendus est calculus.

16. Tu fortasse me putes indulsisse amori meo, supra (que) ista quàm res patitur sustulisse; at ego fide meâ spondeo futurum, ut omnia longè ampliora, quàm à me praedican­tur, invenias.

17. Diligo quidem adolescentem ardentissimè, sicut meretur.

18. Sed hoc ipsum amantis est, non onerare eum lau­dibus. Vale.

15. C. Plinius Septitio Claro suo S.

1. HE [...]s tu! promittis ad coenam, nec venis.

2. Dicitur jus; ad assem impendium reddes, nec id mo­dicum.

3. Paratae erant Lactucae singulae, Cochleae ternae, Ova bina, Alica cum mulso, & Nive (nam hanc quoque com­putabis, immo hanc in primis, quae perit in ferculo olivae Baeticae) cucurbitae, bulbi, alia mille non minus lauta.

[Page 93]4. Audisses Comaedum, vel Lectorem, vel Lyristen, vel, quae mea liberalitas, omnes.

5. At tu apud nescio quem, Ostrea, Vulvas, Echinos, Gaditana maluisti.

6. Dabis poenas, non dico quas.

7. Durè fecisti: invidisti nescio an tibi, certè mihi; sed tamen & tibi:

8. Quantum nos lusissemus, rifissemus, studuissemus?

9. Potes apparatiùs coenare apud multos, nunquam hila­riùs, simpliciùs, incautiùs: in summâ, experire.

10. Et nisi postea te aliis potiùs excusaveris, mihi sem­per excusa. Vale.

16. C. Plinius Euritio suo.

1. AMabam Pompoium Saturninum, hunc dico no­strum; laudabamque ejus ingenium, etiam ante­quam scirem, quàm varium, quàm flexibile, quàm mul­tiplex esset: nunc verò totum me tenet, habet, possidet (que).

2. Audivi causas agentem acriter & ardenter, nec mi­nus politè, & ornatè, sive meditata, sive subita proferret.

3. Adsunt aptae crebraeque sententiae, gravis & decora constructio, sonantia verba & antiqua.

4. Omnia haec mirè placent, cum impetu quodam, & fulmine praevehuntur; placent, si rettractentur.

5. Senties quod ego, cùm orationes ejus in manus sump­seris; quas facilè cuilibet veterum, quorum est aemulus, comparabis.

6. Idem tamen in historiâ tibi magis satisfaciet vel bre­vitate, vel luce, vel suavitate, vel splendore etiam & sublimitate narrandi.

7. Nam in concionibus eadem quae in orationibus vi [...] est; pressior tamen, & circumscriptior, & adductior.

[Page 95]8. Praeterea facit versus, quales Catullus meus aut Cal­vus.

9. Quantum illis leporis, dulcedinis, amaritudinis, amoris inserit?

10. San [...], sed datâ operâ, molliusculos, leviusculosque, duriusculos quosdam; & hoc quasi Catullus meus aut Calvus.

11. Legit mihi nuper Epistolas, quas uxoris esse dicebat: Plautum vel Terentium metro solutum legi credidi.

12. Quae sive uxoris sunt, ut affirmat; sive ipsius, ut negat; pari gloriâ dignus est: qui aut illa componat, aut uxorem, quam virginem accepit, tam doctam, politamque reddiderit.

13. Est ergo mecum per diem totum: eundem antequam scribam, eundem quum scripsi, eundem etiam quum re­mitto, non tanquam eundem, lego:

14. Quod te quoque, ut facias, & hortor, & moneo.

15. Neque enim debet operibus ejus obesse quòd vivit.

16. An, si inter eos quos nunquam vidimus floruisset, non solùm libros ejus, verùm etiam imagines conquireremus; ejusdem nunc honor praesentis & gratia quasi satietate languescet?

17. At hoc pravum malignumque est, non admirari ho­minem admiratione dignissimum, quia videre, alloqui, audire, complecti, nec laudare tantùm verùm etiam ama­re contigit. Vale.

17. C. Plinius Corn. Titiano suo S.

1. ESt adhuc curae hominibus fides & officium.

2. Sunt qui defunctorum quoque amicos agunt.

3. Titinius Capito ab Imperatore nostro impetravit ut sibi liceret statuam L. Syllani in foro ponere.

4. Pulchrum, & magna laude dignum, amicitiâ princi­pis in hoc uti, quantumque gratiâ valeas, aliorum hono­ribus experiri.

[Page 97]5. Est omnino Capitoni in usu, claros colere: mirum est, quâ religione, quo studio imagines Brutorum, Cassi­orum, Catonum domi, ubi potest, habeat.

6. Idem clarissimi cujusque vitam egregiis carminibus exornat.

7. Scias ipsum plurimis virtutibus abundare, qui alienas sic amet.

8. Redditus est L. Silano debitus honor, cujus immor­talitati Capito prospexit pariter, ac suae.

9 Neque enim magis decorum & insigne est, statuam in foro populi Romani habere, quàm ponere. Vale.

18. C. Plinius Tranquillo suo S.

1. SCribis te, perterritum somnio, vereri ne quid adver­si in actione patiaris.

2. Rogas, ut dilationem petam, & pauculos dies; certè proximum excusem, difficile est, sed experiar,

3. Refert tamen, eventura soleas, an contraria somniare.

4. Mihi reputanti somnium meum, istud quod times tu, egregiam actionem portendere videtur.

5. Susceperam causam Julii Pastoris, cùm mihi quies­cen [...]i visa est socrus mea advoluta genibus, ne agerem, ob­secrare.

6. Et eram acturus adolescentulus adhuc: eram in qua­druplici judicio: eram contra potentissimos civitatis, at (que) etiam Caesaris amicos: quae singula excutere mentem mi­hi post tam triste somnium poterant.

7. Egi tamen [...] illud, ‘ [...].’

8. Nam mihi patria, etsi quid charius patria, fides vi­debatur.

9. Prospere cessit: atque ideò illa actio mihi aures ho­minum, illa januam famae patefecit.

10. Proinde dispice, an tu quoque sub hoc exemplo som­nium [Page 99] istud in bonum vertas: aut si tutius putas illud cau­tissimi cujusque praeceptum, Quod dubitas ne feceris, id ipsum rescribe.

11. Ego aliquam stropham inveniam, agamque causam tuam, ut ipsam agere, cùm voles, possis.

12. Et enim sanè alia ratio tua, alia mea fuit.

13. Nam judicium Centumvirale differri nullo modo, istud aegrè quidem, sed tamen potest. Vale.

19. C. Plinius Romano Firmo suo, S.

1. MUniceps tu meus, & condis [...]ipulus, & ab ineunte aetate contubernalis: pater tuus, & matri, & avun­culo meo, mihi etiam quantum aetatis diversitas passa est, familiaris: magnae & graves causae, cur suscipere & augere dignitatem tuam debeam.

2. Esse autem tibi centum millium censum, satis indi­cat, quòd apud nos decurio es.

3. Igitur ut te non decurio ne solùm, ver [...]m etiam equite Romano perfruamur, offero tibi ad implendas equestres facultates CCC. millia nummûm.

4. Te memorem hujus muneris amicitiae nostrae diu­turnitas spondet.

5. Ego ne illud quidem admoneo, quòd admonere de­berem, nisi te scirem sponte facturum, ut dignitate à me datâ, quàm modestissimè, ut à me datâ, utare.

6. Nam solicitius custodiendus est honor, in quo etiam beneficium amici tuendum est. Vale.

20. C. Plinius Corn. Tacito suo, S.

1. FRequens mihi disputatio est cum quodam docto ho­mine, & perito, cui nihil aequè in causis agendis, ut brevitas placet; quam ego custodiendam esse confiteor, si causa permittat, alioqui praevaricatio est transire dicen­da; praevaricatio etiam, cursim & breviter attingere, quae sint inculcanda, infigenda, repetenda: nam plerisque lon­giore tractu vis quaedam & pondus acc [...]dit.

[Page 101]2. Utque corpori ferrum, sic oratio animo non ictu m [...] gis quàm mo [...]â imprimitur.

3 Hic ille mecum auctoritatibus agit, ac mihi [...]x Graecis orationes Lysiae ostentat, ex nostris, Gracchorum Catonisque, quorum sanè plurimae sunt circumcisae & b [...]eves.

4. Ego Lysiae Demosthenem, Aeschinem, Hyperidem [...] multosque praeterea Gracchis, & Catoni, Pollionem [...] Caesarem, Caelium, & imprimis Marcum Tullium oppo­no, cujus oratio optima fertur esse, quae maxima.

5. Et hercule, ut aliae bonae res, ita bonus liber quisque melior est, q [...]o major.

6. Vides ut statuas, signa, picturas, hominum denique, multorumq [...]e animalium formas, arborum etiam, si modò sint decorae, nihil magis quàm amplitudo commendat.

7. Idem etiam orationibus accidit: q [...]in etiam volumi­nibus ipsis auctoritatem quandam & pulchritudinem ad­jicit magnitudo.

8. Haec ille, multaque alia, quae à me in eandem sen­tentiam solent dici, ut est in disputando incomprehensibilis & lubricus, ita eludit, ut contendat hos ipsos, quorum ora­tionibus nitar, pauciora dixisse, quàm ediderint.

9. Ego contrà puto.

10. Testes sunt multae multorum orationes, & Cicero­nis pro Murena, pro Vareno; in quibus brevis & nuda quasi subscriptio quorundam criminum solis titulis indicatur.

11. Ex his apparet, illum permulta dixisse, cùm ederet, omisisse.

12. Idem pro Cluentio ait se totam causam veteri insti­tuto solum perorasse, & pro Cornelio q [...]atriduo egisse; ne dubitare possimus, quae per plures dies, ut necesse e­rat, latius dixerit, postea recisa, ac purgata, in unum li­brum, grandem quidem, unum tamen, coarctasse.

13. At aliud est actio bona, aliud oratio.

13. Scio nonnullis ita videri, sed ego (forsitan fallor) persuasum habeo, posse fieri, ut sit actio bona, quae non sit bona oratio: non posse non bonam actionem esse, quae sit bona oratio.

[Page 103]15. Est enim oratio actionis exemplar, & quasi [...].

16. Ideo in optimâ quâque mille extemporales figuras invenimus; in his etiam, quas tantùm editas scimus, ut in Verrem, Artificem, quemnam? rectè admones. Polycle­tum esse dicebant.

17. Sequitur ergo, ut actio sit absolutissima, quae maxi­mè orationis similitudinem expresserit, si modò justum & debitum tempus accipiat, quod si negetur, nulla orationis, maxima judicis culpa est.

18. Ad sunt huic opinioni meae leges, quae longissima tempora largiuntur, nec brevitatem dicentibus, sed copi­am, hoc est, diligentiam, suadent: quam praestare in an­gustissimis causis non potest brevitas.

19. Adjiciam quod me docuit usus, magister, egregius; frequenter egi, frequenter judicavi, frequenter in consilio fui; a [...]iud alios movet; ac plerunque parvae res maximas trahunt; varia sunt hominum judicia, variae voluntates; inde qui eandem causam simul audierunt, saepe diversum, interdum idem, sed ex diversis animi motibus sentiunt.

20. Praeterea suae quisque inventioni favet, & quasi fortis­simum complectitur, quum ab alio dictum est, quod ipse praevidit.

21. Omnibus ergo tandum est aliquid, quod teneant, quod agnoscant.

22. Dixit aliquando mihi Regulus, quum simul adesse­mus: Tu omnia, quae sunt in causâ putas exequenda; ego jugulum statim video, hunc premo; premit sanè quod eli­git, sed in eligendo frequenter errat.

23. Respondi, posse fieri, ut genu esset aut tibia, aut talus, ubi ille jugulum putaret.

24. At ego (inquam) qui jugulum perspicere non pos­sum, omnia pertento, omnia experior, [...] denique [...].

25. Utque in agriculturâ, non vineas tantùm, verùm etiam arbusta; non arbusta tantùm, verùm etiam campos curo, & exerceo: atque in ipsis campis non far, aut siligi­nem [Page 105] solam, sed ordeum, fabam, ceteraque legumina se­ro: sic in actione plura quasi semina latiùs spargo, ut q [...]ae provenerint, colligam

26. Neque enim minus imperspicua, incerta, fallacia (que) sunt judicum ingenia, quàm tempestatum, terrarumque

27. Nec me praeterit summum oratorem Periclem sic à comico Eupolide laudari.

28.

29. Verùm huic ipsi Pericli nec illa [...], nec illud [...] brevitate vel velocitate, vel utrâ que (differunt enim) sine facultate summâ contigisset.

30 Nam delectare, persuadere, copiam dicendi spaci­umque desiderant; relinquere verò aculeum in audienti­um animis is demum potest, qui non pungit, sed infigit.

31. Adde, quae de eodem Pericle comicus alter,

32. Non enim amputata oratio & abscissa, sed latà & magnifica, & excelsa tonat, fulgurat, omnia denique per­turbat ac miscet.

33. Optimus tamen modus est, quis negat? sed non minus non servat modum, qui infra rem, quàm qui supra: qui adstrictiùs, quàm qui effusiùs dicit.

34. Itaque audis frequenter, ut illud immodice & re­dundanter, ita hoc jejunè & infirmè: alius excessisse ma­teriam, alius dicitur non implesse; aequè ute [...]que, sed ille imbecillitate, hic viribus peccat; quod certè etsi non li­matioris, majoris tamen ingenii judicium est.

35. Nec verò cùm haec dico, illum Homericum [...] probo, sed hunc,

non quia non & ille mihi validissimè placeat, [...].

36. Si tamen detur electio, illam orationem [...]milem [Page 107] nivibus hybernis, id est, crebram, assiduam & largam, postremò divinam & caelestem volo.

37. At est gratior multis actio brevis.

38. Est quidem, sed inertibus, quorum delicias desidi­amque, quasi judicium respicere, ridiculum est.

39. Nam si hos tu in consilio habeas, non sol [...]m satius est breviter, sed omnino non dicere.

40. Haec est adhuc sententia mea, quam mutabo, si dissenseris tu; sed planè cur dissentias, explices, rogo.

41. Quamvis enim cedere autoritati tuae debeam, re­ctiùs tamen arbitror in tantâ re, ratione, quàm autoritate superari.

42. Proinde si non errare videor, id ipsum quàm voles brevi epistolâ, sed tamen scribe; confirmabis enim judi­cium meum; si verò errare, longissimam para.

43. Non cor [...]upi [...] [...], q [...]i tibi si mihi accederes, brevis epistolae necessitatem; si dissentires, longissimae, imposui. Vale.

21. C. Plinius Paterno suo S.

1. UT animi tui judicio, sic oculorum plurimum tribuo: [...]on quia multum, ne tibi placeas, sed quia tantum quancum ego sapis; quanquam hoc quoque multum est.

2. Omissis jocis, credo decentes esse servos qui sunt empti mihi ex consilio tuo; superest ut frugi sint: quod de venalibus, meliùs auribus, quàm oculis judicatur. Vale.

22. C. Plinius Catilio Severo suo S.

1. DIu jam in urbe haereo, & quidem attonitus.

2. Perturbat me longa & pertinax valetudo Titi Ari­stonis, quem singulariter & miror & diligo: nihil enim est illo gravius, sanctius, doctius: ut mihi non unus homo, sed literae ipsae, omnesque bonae artes in uno homine sum­mum periculum adire videantur.

3. Quàm peritus ille & privati juris & publici? quan­tum [Page 109] antiquitatis tenet? nihil est, quod discere velis, quod ille docere non possit: mihi certè quoties aliquid abditum quaero, ille thesaurus est.

4. Jam quanta sermonibus ejus fides, quanta authoritas, quàm pressa & deco [...]a cunctatio? quid est quod non sta­tim sciat? & tamen plerunque haesitat, dubitat diversitate rationum; quas acri magnoque judicio ab origine causis (que) primis repetit, discernit, expendit.

5. Ad hoc quàm parcus in victu? quàm modicus in cul­tu?

6. Soleo ipsum cubiculum ejus ipsumque lectum, ut imaginem quandam priscae frugalitatis aspicere.

7. Ornat haec magnitudo animi, quae nihil ad ostenta­tionem, omnia ad conscientiam refert: recteq [...]e facti, non ex populi sermone mercedem, sed ex facto petit.

8. In summâ, non facilè quis quenquam ex istis qui sapientiae studium habitu corporis praeferunt, huic viro comparârit.

9. Non quidem gymnasium sectatur, aut porticus, aut disputationibus longis aliorum ocium suumque delectat; sed in togâ, negotiis (que) versatur, multos advocatione, plu­res consilio juvat.

10. Nemini tamen istorum castitate, pietate, justitiâ, fortitudine primo loco cesserit.

11. Mirareris, si interesses, quâ patientiâ hanc ipsam valetudinem toleret, ut dolori resistat, ut sitim differat, ut incredibilem febrium ardorem immotus opertusque transmittat.

12. Nuper me paucosque mecum, quos maximè diligit, advocavit, rogavitque, ut medicos consuleremus de sum­mâ valetudinis, ut, si esset superabilis, sponte exiret è vitâ, sin tantùm difficilis, & longa, resisteret, maneret (que).

13. Dandum enim precibus uxoris, dandum filiae la­chrymis, dandum etiam nobis amicis, ne spes nostras, si modo non essent inanes, voluntariâ morte descreret.

[Page 111]14. Id ego arduum imprimis, & praecipuâ laude dignum puto.

15. Nam impetu quodam, & instinctu procurrere ad mortem, commune cum multis; deliberare verò, & causas ejus expendere, utque suaserit ratio, vitae mortisque con­silium suscipere, vel ponere, ingentis est animi.

16. Et medici quidem secunda nobis pollicentur: su­perest, ut promissis Deus adnuat, tandemque me hac so­licitudine exolvat; quâ liberatus Laurentinum meum, hoc est, libellos, & pugillares, studiosumque otium re­petam.

17. Nunc enim nihil legere, nihil scribere, aut assi­denti vacat, aut anxio libet.

18. Habes, quid timeam, quid optem, quid etiam in posterum destinem.

19. Tu quid egeris, quid agas, quid velis agere, invi­cem nobis, sed laetioribus epistolis, scribe.

20. Erit confusioni meae non mediocre solatium, si tu nihil quereris. Vale.

33. C. Plinius Pompeio Falconi suo S.

1. COnsulis an existimem te in Tribunatu causas agere decere.

2. Plurimum refert, quid esse Tribunatum putes; ina­nem [...] [...]bram, & sine honore nomen, an potestatem sacro­sanctam, & quàm in ordinem cogi ut à nullo, ita ne à se deceat.

3. Ipse cùm Tribunus essem, erraverim fortasse, qui me esse aliquid putavi, sed tanquam essem, abstinui causis agendis: primùm, quòd deforme arbitrabar, cui assurgere, cui loco cedere omnes oporteret, hunc omnibus sedenti­bus stare; & qui jubere posset tacere quemcunque, huic silentium clepsydrâ indici; & quem interfari nefas esset, hunc etiam convitia audire; & si inulta pateretur, iner­tem; [Page 113] si ulcisceretur, insolentem videre.

4. Erat hic quoque aestus ante oculos, si forte me ap­pellâsset, vel ille cui adessem, vel ille quem contra inter­cederem, auxilium ferrem, an quiescerem, sileremque, & quasi ejurato magistratu privatum ipse me facerem.

5. His ràtionibus motus, malui me tribunum omnibus exhibere, quàm paucis advocatum.

6. Sed tu (iterum dicam) plurimum interest, quid esse tribunatum putes; quam personam tibi imponas, quae sapi­enti viro ita aptanda est, ut perferatur.

24. C. Plinius Bebio Hispano suo S.

1. TRanquillus, contubernalis meus, vult emere agel­lum, quem venditare amicus tuus dicitur.

2. Rogo cures, quanti aequum est, emat: ita enim de­lectabit emisse.

3. Nam mala emptio semper ingrata est, eò maximè quòd exprobrare stultitiam domino videtur.

4. In hoc autem agello (si modo arriserit pretium) Tranquilli mei stomachum multa solicitant, vicinitas urbis, opportunitas viae, mediocritas villae, modus ruris, qui advocet magis quàm distringat.

5. Scholasticis porrò studiosis, ut hic est, sufficit abun­dè tantum soli, ut relevare caput, reficere oculos, reptare per limitem, unamque semitam terere, omnesque viticulas suas nôsse, & numerare arbusculas possint.

6▪ [...]ec tibi exposui, quò magis scires, quantum ille esset mihi, quantum ego tibi debiturus, si praediolum istud quod commendatur his dotibus, salubriter emerit, ut poe­nitentiae locum non relinquat. Vale.

Epistola 1.

1. HAbui jampridem in votis, mutuis te verbis convenire, & paucis admodùm, quae in rem tu­am sint, amicorum precibus hortari.

2. Caenabamus pridie hujus diei domi meae ego & aliquot amicorum tuorum, qui te à parvulo semper sibi demeruerunt.

3. Inter caenandum cùm variis de rebus unà loque­remur, accessit, nescio quis, insperatus nuncius, tuus (ut dicebat) familiaris.

4. Protinus (ut liberorum curiosi sunt parentes) mater tua percuntari caepit, quomodo esset filio suo, quàm pros­perè valeret, quantumque in literis profecisset.

5. Respondit ille, bene quidem tibi esse, teque paren­tum tuorum monitis ubique semper acquievisse, praeter­quam quòd literarum studia non amavisses.

6. Quod ubi accepit pauperrima illa muliercula (mi­serum me!) quantum indoluit!

7 Verba mea apud te fidem non caperent, si ejusdem de tuâ hâc negligentiâ querimonias tibi apperirem.

8 [...]ndoluit siquidem vehementius, quàm ut credi valeat.

9. Te oro, si hactenus dementaveris, nunc resipiscas, & ad literas animum convertas.

10. Si enim tuâ semper negligentiâ Epimenidis (quod aiunt) somnum indormires, esses ei causa mortis, quae tibi fuit vitae. Vale.

Epist. 2.

1. AMicorum tuorum permulti satis aegrè tulerunt, quòd quotidianis penè convitiis tui te honoris jam­pridem monuerint, neque tamen assiduis eorum clamo­ribus locum reliqueris.

2. Volebant, & ità sperabant futurum, opera tua, quae jam diu cum blattis ac tineis rixantur, in lucem emitti: cùm ut ex eâ editione aliquid tibi laudis accederet, tum etiam, ut inde fructum caperent studiosi adolescentes.

3. Quam, quaeso, jacturam faceres, si nostris omnium votis responderes? Existimásne parentibus esse permole­stum, repulsam à te pati, à quo omnia sibi promittebant?

4. Non sum adeò imprudens rerum, ut non facilè vide­am nihil non maturum & concoctum curiosis hominum judiciis committi oportere.

5. Quinetiam summo [...]um quoque scriptorum opera & labores criticis lectorum unguibus & lituris plerunque va­pulant.

6. Nihilominus cùm multos annos tu (hoc est, homo doctissimus) vigilias tuas ad unguem elimaveris; securè (meâ quidem sententiâ) potes parere, quod jam pridem parturis.

7. Ego enim te extra omnem liturarum & obeliscorum aleam esse dijudico: neque jacturam ullam inde futuram video, praeterquam quòd docilem tibi juventutem deme­reberis, & amicorum precibus satisfacies; quibus si non pareas, quamdiu certè vives, tamdiu malè audies. Vale.

Epist. 3.

1. PUdet me nostri hujus seculi, quo jam ea inolevit consuetudo, ut si quis vel proletarius vel semidoctus opus aliquod rudi (quod aiunt) Minervâ compegerit ma­gis, quàm fabrefecerit, dignum statim existimemus, quod [Page 119] nihil non vellicantibus hominum judiciis committatur, quodque lecturiant omnes, & empturiant.

2. Quasi verò non esset nobis compertum, nil esse usque adeò elimatum, quod non interdum lectorum unguibus & graphiis expungatur severissimis.

3. Quorsum verò haec? roget aliquis.

4. Hortabaris me paucis adhinc diebus, ut ego frivolas quasdem nugas, à me tumultuario & interrupto plerun­que studio congestas, curarem imprimendas; quinetiam, me stultitiae arguere videbaris, quòd tamdiu hoc ipsum facere supersedissem.

5. Nae tu ipse multum deliras, qui Horatii non perpen­dis consilium, monentis nè praecipitetur editio, nonumque prematur in annum.

6. An verò non vides plerosque primae in dicendo ce­lebritatis viros, deletiles Censorum spongias pertulisse?

7. Si ergo has mei laboris primitias eventilarem, quid inde futurum diceres, cùm nihil dum commentatione dig­num scripserim, nihil, quod marcentem lectoris stoma­chum non magis ad somnum provocet, quàm ad ampliùs legendum everberet?

8. Quicquid habeo, parentibus refero acceptum; magis tamen nitar honori meo consulere, quàm incautis eorum judiciis temerè assentiri. Vale.

Epist. 4·

1. CUm propter voluptates eò tui parentes miserunt, quò folent, qui bonas amant disciplinas: da ope­ram, quaeso, ut eam quam de te caeperunt omnes, non fal­las opinionem.

2. Dicebam novissimis, quas ad te dedi, literis, quan­tum matri tuae doluisset, quòd accepisset, te parùm ad­huc, aut nihil omnino, in bonis literis promovisse.

3. Esses malignae conditionis, si amicorum (qui tibi ho­nesta & profutura consulunt) precibus nihil condonares.

4. Tuum est nobis obedire, ut nostrum, te hortari.

[Page 121]5. Aliquidne tibi suademus, quod factu non sit utile.

6. Nos, si nescis, tuae, non nostrae utilitatis sata­gimus.

7. Negligentiam tuam & inertiam susque deque ferre­mus, nisi eam sciremus tibi futuram detrimento.

8. Fac ergo quod monemus, & prospere tecum agetur.

9. Si enim f [...]ceris, omnia ex animi sententiâ abundè tibi suppeditabimus. Vale.

Epist. 5.

1. CUm certò videas ad nullius rei summam nisi prae­cedentibus initiis perveniri posse, miror maximè quod minores disciplinas (sine quibus tamen non est ma­joribus locus) adeò spreveris, ut earum studio tibi omnino interdixeris.

2. An quia procul ab ostentatione positae sunt, inutiles propterea & infrugiferae tibi videntur.

3. Usu venit, ut qui minoribus primùm elementis ex­erceri vel recusant, vel erubescunt, in his quae sublimiora sunt, infirmum ingenii sui captum praebeant, & experi­antur.

4 Neque enim credibile est, firmum fore aedificium, quod invalidis ruinosisque nititur fundamentis; aut eos magno oneri non succubituros, qui permodico fatiscunt.

5. Si saperes, altiora non molireris; sed potiùs imiteris aviculas, quae nidis suis nunquam egrediuntur implumes; neque priùs aëri corpuscula committunt, quàm facto pri­mùm periculo, sese idoneas ad volatum didicerint. Vale.

Epist. 6.

1. EMergunt quotidie novae mihi anxietates, quae ani­mum meum suprà quàm cuiquam credibile sit, varie disto [...]quent.

2. Sed nihil est, quod dolorem meum magis adaugea [...], quàm cùm turpissimae tuae vitae venit in mentem.

3. Effluxit jam triennium, ex quo sumptu non modico tui te parentes in scholis nutrierunt, tibique omnia ex animi tui sententiâ abundè suppeditarunt.

4. Fuêre tamen receptae fidei homines plerique, qui paucis abhinc diebus mihi narr [...] runt, te parum adhuc, aut nihil omnino in literis promovisse: ita ut tertio quoque vo­cabulo barbarismum committas.

5. Egeris, ut voles; vive tuis legibus: ego te missum fa­ciam: sciveris tamen rebus tuis pessime consultum iri, nisi vitam in melius mutaveris.

Epist. 7.

1. NIhili facis, ut audio, amîcorum consilia, qui tuae tamen student utilitati.

2. Neque laboro, neque gravatè fero, quòd verba mea susque deque habeas.

3. Doleo tamen quod his non pareas, qui tibi nocere non minùs q [...]àm prodesse valeant.

4. Pessimè ut video rebus tuis consuletur, si solitae sem­per dementiae institeris, neque apud amicos culpam de­precabere, nisi eis acquiescas, quibus & animam debes.

5. Vale, & me seriò, non joco loqui existimes.

6. Nam nisi feceris quod moneo, periclitaberis parùm tibi frugis accidere.

Epist. 8.

1. SI existimarem literas meas aliquid ad stomachum tuum facturas, tibique for [...] plausibiles, ego te non minùs scribendo satiarem, quàm tuis ipse clamoribus ad hoc agendum me jampridem compulisti.

2. Culpam enim deprecari, aut noxâ me eximere non possum, si repulsam à me patereris, cui hactenus te to­tum devovisti, quemque tuis semper opibus juvisti, & consiliis.

3. Sed cùm videam eorum nomen periclitari maximè, qui suas ineptias, viris saltem eruditis, tuique similibus, non tam legendas, quàm ridendas exponunt, & eventi­lant; ego infirmitatis meae deterritus conscientiâ, nugas meas tanti viri judicio non ausim exponere.

4. Nam si scriberem risum (certò scio) moverent tibi mei barbarismi, & te ab amore mei fortasse diverterent.

5. Quare nostrae vellem deprecationi veniam non de­roges.

6. Vale, decus literarum.

Epist. 9.

1. EX quo tempore ad bonam frugem te recepisti, cavi­stique ab eorum commercio, quos, more pecudum, Veneri & voluptatibus non pudet indulgere; tantam ubi (que) locorum famam tui nominis concitasti, ut vicatim com­pitatimque praedicent omnes Deumque penè faciant.

2. Quòd si eo, quo coepisti, pede petrexeris, certò scio, tantum amicis futuram inde laetitiam, ut nè digitum qui­dem transversum à nominis tui commendatione recessuri sint.

[Page 127]3. Pater tuus (nihil commiscar) tantam ex eâ re cepit voluptatem, ut jam se totum devovisse, relictisque om­nibus aliis, quos habet, liberis, in tuam jurâsse utilitatem videatur.

4. Quare prudenter, meâ quidem sententiâ, feceris, si à scopo virtutis non declines.

5. Vale, & rectè monontem sequere.

Epist. 10.

1. CRedebas, ut opinor, te tuis verbis fore mihi formi­dolosum, cùm nuper irascereris, evomeresque quic­quid in buccam veniret.

2. Non sum is qui fulgura ex vitro reformidem, cuique terrori sint futiles & importunae, qualibus tunc temporis strepebas, comminationes.

3. Convitia tua nullo me detrimento afficiunt.

4. Si tamen solitâ semper loquacitate stomachum mihi moveris, faciam te tuae stultitiae poenitere: secus enim il­latae tibi injuriae culpam praestarem; cùm tamen rebus tuis, perinde ac meis, hactenus semper consuluerim. Vale.

Epist. 11.

1. NEscio quàm odiosa mihi semper fuerit superba & impudens hominum arrogantiâ, eorum maximè, qui cùm ex humili & peregrinâ conditione ad perpin­guem conscenderunt, adeò protinus insolescunt, primae (que) paupertatis obliviscuntur, ut neminem prae se ducant ho­minem.

2. Cujusmodi morbo quoniam totâ laboras cervice, pe­riclitari mihi libuit, possem necne aliquo velut Hellebo­ro contagiosam hanc cerebri tui expurgare dementiam.

3. Qui utinam pressiùs paulò generis tui vilitatem ex­aminares, ac reminiscereris, quoties pater tuus ostiatim, domesticatimque stipem emendicavit.

4. Tu pridie quàm huc venisses, ne obolum quidem ha­bebas, unde restim emeres.

5. Nudus eras tanquam ex matre.

[Page 129]6. Si benignior tecum fortuna luscrit, & utramque (quod dicitur) mammam dederit lactandam, debes prop­terea tantum tibi arrogare, tuoque indulgere supercilio, ut jam pavonis flabellum & exuvium leonis prae te feras?

7. Si divitias illas tuae virtuti magis, quàm fortuito casui adscribis, totâ erras viâ: nam si fortuna ex hominum meritis opes dispensaret, & largiretur, multi certè emen­dicarent, & inediâ consumerentur, qui bonorum habent myrmecias: multi contrà (in quos novercatur eadem for­tuna) opulescerent, & drachmae grandine opirentur.

8. Quare nosce teipsum, & tuorum natalium, q [...]i ortu Nili sunt obscuriores, reminiscere. Vale.

Epist. 12.

1. NOn desisto literis ferè quotidianis aures tuas one­rare, teque hortari, ut verbis antiquatis & inusitatis tibi interdicas.

2. Nihilominus tamen quotiescunque scribis, tota tua oratio obsoletis ade [...] scatet vocabulis, ut conjectare ple­runque me oporteat, quid sibi velint tua verba.

3. Nescio an inusitatum ejusmodi sermonem gratum [...]uiquam existimes; sciveris tamen tantum mihi displicere, quantum literatis placet Cicero.

4. Pluris multò facerem protritas & proculcatas dicti­ones, quàm priscas illas, quae nec tibi frugem afferunt, nec eruditis voluptatem.

5. Proinde (si me ames) Phavorinum sequere consulen­tem, ut verbis utamur praesentibus, & moribus priscis vi­vamus. Vale.

Epist. 13.

1. NUper mihi quidam retulerunt, eò te impudentiae conscendisse, ut jam non erubescas cum ganeoni­bus perdit issimisque patrimoniorum decoctoribus conver­sari, qui omnia prandiorum gurgitibus absumunt & abli­guriunt.

[Page 131]2. Quod ubi primùm accepi, non potui à lachrymis temperare; adeò me tuae calamitatis miseruit.

3. Quid autem de patre tuo loquar? vix certe fidem im­petrarem, si verbis vellem consequi quantum se distor­queat, & excruciet.

4. Miror quod te non pudeat tuae immanitatis, qui de­crepitum illum, morti & capulo vicinum, & jam in Pro­serpinae (quod dicitur) peculio numero numeratum sic affligas; qui ab amore tui nunquam nè latum quidem un­guem recessisse visus est.

5. Egeris ut voles, nunquam tamen satyras, virulenta linguarum verbera declinabis, quantisper ad bonam fru­gem te receperis. Vale.

Epist. 14.

1. QUi miseriam sibi fabricant, & asciam cruribus suis illidunt, si fortè fortunâ in discrimen aliquod im­pegerint, non est quod cuiquam irascantur, aut in alios quàm seipsos acerbitatis suae virus evomant.

2. Tu, ubi satis Veneri & gulae indulsisti, virtutesque omnes, reclamantibus nequicquam amicis, à te relegasti, eò tandem miseriae redactus es, ut quorsum te vertas, aut quem implores, nescias.

3. Quis, quaeso, in culpâ? Nonne certatim omnes hoc ipsum praediximus tibi futurum?

4. Verba nostra contemptui tibi fuerunt & ludibrio.

5. Nunc si tuâ unius causâ infortunium feras, patienter patere. Vale.

Epist. 15.

1. INcredebilis me tenet admiratio, quòd crescentibus annis nihilo plus sapias, quàm cùm in puerilibus bal­butires cunabulis.

[Page 133]2. Nemo est adeò delirans animi, quem suae tandem s [...]ultitiae non poeniteat.

3. Te verò nec piget, nec pudet, rebus tuis etiam pes­sum [...]untibus, cunctisque naso te suspendentibus, & po­stic [...] [...]ludentibus sannâ, quòd nuces nondum reliqueris.

4. Dic, quaeso, quonam modo apud parentes super vi­tia ratiocinabere, nisi his ignorantiae tenebris emergas?

5. Fuerat nobis in summâ votorum bene semper de te mereri, teque nullo non honoris genere prosequi.

6. Videreturne tibi vacantis operae, si his obedires, qui tuae satagunt utilitatis?

7. Hactenus quantâ maximâ potui benevolentiâ te monui.

8. Verùm, nisi blandis hujusmodi verbis animus tuus remollescat, praeceps in convitia mutabo, tuisque (quod dici solet) te pingam coloribus. Vale.

Epist. 16.

1. NEscio quid in patrem deliqueris, tamen nudius­quartus, cùm epistolam tuam me praesente legeret, visus est mihi frontem caperare.

2. Est enim credibile, aut barbarismum reperisse, aut aliquod aliud ignorantiae tuae fecisse periculum.

3. Da operam, quaeso, ut eum in amore tui contineas, ejusque indignationem exarmes.

4. Quod erit tibi factu facile, si quid in bonis literis te profecisse viderit.

5. Haec ego jampridem tacitè & in aurem tibi dixe­ram: iterum dico, ne posthac excusationis veniam fore tibi confidas.

6. Observare debes quantum hactenus te dilexerit, cùm nihil unquam tibi deesse permiserit.

7. Nisi feceris quod moneo, pessimè rebus tuis video consultum iri: nam praeter ludibrium, quo affi [...]ieris, amici [Page 135] tui omnes te deserent, quod si fiat, quomodo vives, nullo manum porrigente? Vale.

Epist. 17.

1. EO foras, quando rediturus nescio: quàm citissimè tamen potero, redibo.

2. Commendo tibi rem domesticam.

3. Suffragium meum demereberis, si me absente sine tumultu omnia, & citra pulveris jactum sese habeant.

4. Ita vivas, ut nihil in te notatu dignum percipiant liberi mei.

5 H [...]bent enim nasum, & haec propiùs observant, quae deteriora su [...]t.

6. Si [...]u [...] flagitio succumbas, reminiscentur, nec te po­terunt rev [...]eri, quem crimini obnoxium cognoverunt.

7. Quod si inculpatam tuam vitam perceperint, non solum mandatis tuis assurgent, sed & aspectum reformida­bunt. Vale.

Epist. 18.

1. PUerum habeo eleganti formâ, & ingenio facili: quem, quoniam magnam spem futurae virtutis polli­cetur, studio literarum devovere constitui, & tuae primùm committere disciplinae.

2. Si quid sub te profecerit, faciam ut tui te laboris non poeniteat.

3. Si quid fortasse tibi offerat, nolo ut assem quidem, aut eo plus, in muneribus ab illo accipias.

4. Laboribus tuis cumulatè & largo foenore satisfaciam, si modò eum talem reddas, qui aliquando suâ doctrinâ amicos omnes ab in juriâ mortalitatis asserat, & oblivi­onis.

[Page 137]5. Quod faciet, si tantum docendi illum desiderium te teneat, quanto discendi ille trahitur. Vale.

Epist. 19.

1. NEscio quo pacto alienae semper calamitatis teneat me commiseratio: quotiescunque tamen amicī mei quid detrimenti capiunt, aut fortunae flagellis va­pulant & confodiuntur, eorum jactura non minus ani­mum meum everberat, quàm si ipse naufragium facerem, aut meis quoque rebus pessimè viderem consultum.

2. Propterea cùm videam famam tuam indies pericli­tari, me oportet (ut dolori satisfaciam, & animus meus conquiescat) rebus tuis manum dare.

3. Omnes magnopere tristamur, quòd perditissimis quibusdam & libidinis compertae nebulonibas adhaereas, qui neque Deum timent neque homines reverentur.

4 Qui si corruptis suis moribus aliquantò diutiùs te inebriaverint, jam nullam tui liberandi spem relinques, & actum erit de tuo nomine.

5. Sin eorum vinculis properè te eximas, adhuc morbo tuo mederi poterimus.

6. Et quamvis primi tui mores patri stomachum mo­verint, tamen velit nolit ab eo veniam extorquebimus, modò in hisce longiùs morari desinas, & meam expecta­tionem non destituas.

7. Per me non stabit, quo minùs in parentum amorem redeas.

8. Dii faciant, ut nostra haec exhortatio aliquem tuae menti relinquat aculeum! Vale, & verborum meorum memineris.

Epist. 20.

1. AMo te plus quàm capiat humanae mentis conje­ctura, Corneli suavissime, neque est mihi frequen­tius [Page 139] votum, quàm ut tuae semper voluntati respondeat for­tuna, & omnia ex animi tui sententiâ consequare: & si scirem meâ operâ tibi esse opus, accommodarem me tuis rebus, usque ad aras.

2. Cùm tamen venit in mentem canescentis illius & decrepiti parentis tui, quem non sine notâ & posticâ mul­torum [...]annâ turpissimè reliquisti, nequeo mihi temperare, quo minus ingratitudini tuae irascar, vel (ut veriùs di­cam) impietati.

3. Quid enim inhumanius debet dici, quàm si tremen­tem senio, & morbis affectum, parentem filius gravatim videat, nedum non adjuvet, cùm ratione carentibus bru­tis, modicisque animantibus hoc ipsum sit odiosum?

4. Ciconiae genitricum senectam invicem educant.

5. Glires genitores suos, fessos senectâ, alunt insigni pietate.

6. Quid autem haec testimonia exemplis praepono do­mesticis ac vernaculis?

7. Canes ipsi alumnos suâ morte mutantur saepe nume­ro: à quibus tamen nil praeter vilissimam stipem (utpote modica panis, idque hordeacei fragmenta) suscipiunt.

8. Neque moveris, tuam ipsius naturam videri brutis deteriorem.

9. Quis hoc non execretur? quis temperet invectivis?

10. Pater tuus assiduè languet; nullâ non horâ labo­rat morbo, & capris ipsis (quod aiunt) est febriculo­sior: neque tamen morienti dextram porrigis.

Dii immortales, ut jam exulat probitas! ut pessùm iêre boni mores, cùm jam natos nihil parentum misereat.

[Page 141]12. Dic bonâ fide, si nunc epulari lautè, si abundè re­rum omnium tibi suppetit, id ipsum cui acceptum referri convenit, nisi patri, cui vitam ipsam debes etiamnum?

13. Meditarisne impudentissimè, quid de te vicatim praedicetur, aut quanto tibi crimini vertatur, cùm nitidâ & bene curatâ cute ac probè saginato corpore incedis am­pullosus, patre tuo jam semi-mortuo?

14. Mortuam muraenam flevit Hortensius Orator multos dies atratus; tu patris morientis non miserebere?

15. O mala tempora! O perditam aetatem! velim, no­lim, taceam oportet.

16. Plura enim dicere non permittit animi aegritu­do.

17. Superest tantùm, ut resipiscas, aut non aegrè feras si ab amore tui recessero. Vale.