Letter 104.5

Greetings, my dearest master. 1. We are well. Today I studied from the ninth hour of the night until the second hour of the day, with my meals well arranged; from the second hour to the third I walked up and down most contentedly in my slippers in front of my bedroom. Then, having put on my shoes and taken up my cloak (for we had been told to attend in that dress), I went off to pay my respects to my Lord. 2. We set out for the hunt and did brave deeds. We heard it said that boars had been taken, for we had no chance of seeing any. Still, we climbed a fairly steep hill; then, after midday, we made our way home. I betook myself to my books. So, having taken off my shoes and laid aside my clothes, I lingered on my little couch for two hours. I read Cato's speech On the Property of Pulchra, and another in which he arraigned a tribune. "Hallo," you say to your boy, "go as fast as you can and bring me these speeches from the library of Apollo." In vain: for those two books have followed me here. So you must work upon Tiberianus the librarian; something must be spent on the matter, which, when I come to the city, he may share out with me on a fair division. 3. But when I had read these speeches through, I wrote a little wretched stuff, fit to be dedicated either to the Water-Nymphs or to Vulcan: truly today I have written unluckily, the little drudgery of a hunter plain and simple, or of a grape-gatherer, who with their shouts make my bedroom ring, a thing as hateful and wearisome as the racket of the law-courts. What did I say? Nay, I said it rightly, for my master indeed is an orator. 4. I think I have caught a chill; whether because I walked in my slippers this morning, or because I wrote badly, I do not know. Certainly, though I am a rheumy fellow at the best of times, today I seem to myself to be far more snivelly. So I will pour the oil on my head and begin to sleep, for I intend to drip not a single drop into my lamp today, so worn out am I with riding and sneezing. 5. Farewell for my sake, my dearest and sweetest master, whom I, I would dare to say, miss more than Rome itself.

? 144–145 A.D. , most reverend master. 1. We are well. By a satisfactory arrangement of meals I worked from three o'clock a.m. till eight. For the next hour I paced about in slippers most contentedly before my bedroom. Then putting on my boots and donning my cloak—for we had been told to come in that dress—I went off to pay my respects to my Lord. 2. We set out for the chase and did doughty deeds. We did hear say that boars had been bagged, for we were not lucky enough to see any. However, we climbed quite a steep hill; then in the afternoon we came home. I to my books: so taking off my boots and doffing my dress I passed nearly two hours on my couch, reading Cato's speech On the property of Pulchra , and another in which he impeached a tribune. Ho , you cry to your boy, go as fast as you can and fetch me those speeches from the libraries of Apollo! It is no use your sending, for those volumes, among others, have followed me here. So you must get round the librarian of Tiberius's library: a little douceur will be necessary, in which he and I can go shares when I come back to town. Well, these speeches read, I wrote a little wretched stuff, fit to be dedicated to the deities of water and fire: truly to-day I have been unlucky in my writing, the lucubration of a sportsman or a vintager, such as those whose catches ring through my bedroom, a noise every whit as hateful and wearisome as that of the law-courts. What is this I have said? Nay, 'tis true, for my master is an orator . 3. I think I must have taken a chill, whether from walking about in slippers in the early morning, or from writing badly, I know not. I only know that, rheumy enough at all times, I seem to be more drivelling than ever to-day. So I will pour the oil on my head and go off to sleep, for not a drop of it do I intend to pour into my lamp to-day, so tired am I with riding and sneezing. Farewell for my sake, dearest and sweetest of masters, whom I would make bold to say I long to see more than Rome itself.

ad M. Caesarem 4.5 [61 Hout; 1.178 Haines] Have mihi magister carissime. 1 Nos valemus. Ego hodie ab hora nona noctis in secundam diei bene disposito cibo studivi; a secunda in tertiam soleatus libentissime inambulavi ante cubiculum meum. Deinde calceatus sagulo sumpto (nam ita adesse nobis indictum erat) abii salutatum dominum meum. 2 Ad venationem profecti sumus, fortia facinora fecimus, apros captos esse fandi audimus, nam videndi quid nulla facultas fuit. Clivom tamen satis arduum successimus; inde post meridiem domum recepimus. Ego me ad libellos. Igitur calceis detractis, vestimentis positis in lectulo ad duas horas commoratus sum. Legi Catonis orationem de bonis Pulchrae et aliam qua tribuno diem dixit, “Io”, inquis puero tuo, “vade quantum potes, de Apollonis bibliotheca has mihi orationes adporta.” Frustra: Nam duo isti libri me secuti sunt. Igitur Tiberianus bibliothecarius tibi subigitandus est; aliquid in eam rem insumendum quod mihi ille, ut ad urbem venero, aequa divisione inpertiat. 3 Sed ego orationibus his perlectis paululum misere scripsi quod aut Lymphis aut Volcano dicarem: ἀληθῶς ἀτυχῶς σήμερον γέγραπταί μοι, venatoris plane aut vindemiatoris tudiolum qui jubilis suis cubiculum meum perstrepunt causidicali prosum odio et taedio. Quid hoc dixi? Immo recte dixi, nam meus quidem magister orator est. 4 Ego videor mihi perfrixisse; quod mane soleatus ambulavi, an quod male scripsi, non scio. Certe homo alioqui pituitosus, hodie tamen multo mucculentior mihi esse videor. Itaque oleum in caput infundam et incipiam dormire, nam in lucernam hodie nullam stillam inicere cogito, ita me equitatio et sternutatio defetigavit. 5 Valebis mihi magister carissime et dulcissime, quem ego, ausim dicere, magis quam ipsam Roman desidero.