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TRANSCRIPT
T H E
L E T E R S
W“
“ BLI N Y the Y O U N GER
WithOBSERVAT IONS on eachLE T TER.
By JOH N E A R L of O R R E R Y.
V O L UME 11.
E D I T I O N.
L 0 N D 0 N,
by 7mm: Bean bag),
F or VA I L L A N T in the Str and.
MDCCLI.4 - 8 1 7.
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S.
B o ok VI .
’
E P I S T L'
E I .
P L I N Y to C A L E S T R I U S T Y R O.
H ILE I r emained on the other fide ofthe Po, and ou in the ter r itor ies of
P icenum,- 1 di not feel the lofs of you
fo much. Butnow , when I am return- i
cd to Rome, and you {till remain at
P icmua , I am muchmore defirous to fee you 5 whevther that the places , where w e ufed to be together ,iharpen my r emembr ance of on, or that nothing ex
‘ ites a vehement defir e to cc our abfent fr iends , fo
t uchas our approachto them 5 and thatthe mor e
pes w e have of enjoying our w iihes , the mor e imatient w e are for their accompliihment. Whateverthe r eafon
,deliver me from my uneafinefs come
_
Vor. . II, A to
a“
Pt-t; rm is
‘
E P] s T‘
L‘
E s .
in the fame manner
W e learn- fromthis epifi
'le, thatT vno was the intimate{fr iend of PL INY. But,in whatpartof Picmum thehoufe.o f T vno.ms fituated, is not mentioned. P icenum is a
{flange (1M of Italy, beyond theApmnir m. Itis thus defcrtbetl by.ST RABo. Regiahalite, tr am l pmninum, ab ip/ism ay: qfque ad mar e l dr iaticum ex tenj a, inter Efvin ct
W iwflu'm’
o: fl‘A region of Italy beyondthe Apem iner ,1“ ed} : ofe
‘
mountains to the l dr z'
atic fea, betw een the r ivers Z7315: and Lag/3mm es eaftw ard
of Umbr x'
a . PL I NY , the hifior ian, calls it, quinta r egia I ra
lie T he fifthr egion of Italy.
”He tells us , thatthe Sa
bine: w ere the fir it inhabitants of this country, whichbecame (0 populous , thatno lefs than thr ee hundr ed and fix tythoufand of the P la nter fubmitted themfelves , and enter ed
into an alliance w iththe Romans . T hus far of their hifiorymay be depended upon : the der ivation of their name is fa
hulous . P icenum is (aid to be fo called fr om pica , a magpye,whichbirdw entbefor e the Sabina , andw as their guide to conduétthem from Sabinia, and to fettle them in P icmum. T he
profper ity and the acquifitions of the Roman: w er e (0 rapid,
and ex tenfive, that itis by no mean s furpr ifing to find mira
cles , and var ious fupernatur al caufes , afiigned to the (even !events , that, in r ealit w ere the fpr ings , and four ces , of theencr eafing pow er of am ,
The metropolis of Pittman is called [maria itwas builtby
the Sicilians , on the Ad riatic (here . T RAJAN adorned itwithaw ryMk pat
EP I S T LE
B O O K VI.
E P I S T L E II .
P L I N Y to AR R I A N U S.
N the courts of judicatur e I cannothelp, fomec .
times , looking round, as ufual, for MARCUS REGU LU S . I w ill notfay, I defir e to feehim ther e ; whythen lhould I look for him ? H e held our profeflionin gre athonour , and endeavour ed to fueceed in ita
.
buthe alw ays tr embled, grew pale, and w rote before:
he pleaded and he never could leaveoff the cuftomof anointing, fometimes his r ight, and fometim¢s hisleft eye his r ight, if he w as to lead on the fide ofthe plaintiff ; his left, if on the f of the defendant.If he trans fer red this paint, or white patches , fromone eyebrow to another , itw as ow ing to an unmanlyfuper ftition and itw as the fame w eaknefs , added ta
a mifiaken love of know ledge in general, thatmadehim confiiltfoothfayer s upon the event of eachcaufe.
T o mention particular ly whatwas agreeable in him to
thofe, who wer e concerned w ithhim in the famecaufc he w as the man, who defired they mightnotbe circumfcr ibed in time, and alw ays took care to
provide an audience. What therefore could be mor eagre eable, than that you might fpeak as long as you»
pleafed, while another perfon fuffer ed all the odium;whichmight ar ife from the tediouihefs of your har angue : and thatyou might fpeak in the manner youchufe before an audience, whichdid not
flier atyour defir e P Buthowever thefted, Reovw s did well to die had hewouldhave done better for he mi
ght
Without any danger to the public, un r a pr ince, in
whofe reign he could have done no mifchief. It is
therefore allowable, to be now and then ata 1015; fon
him : for after he died, tlx
cufiom of being confined
2 (0
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T LE S .
to the (pace of two water -
glafi'
es or one, or fometimes half a one, prevailed, and w as e lifhed. F or ,
the advocates now grow tir ed of fpeakrng befor e thecaufe is fully ex plained ; and the ju would r atherhave the pleadings finifhed, than eir judgementsrightly informed. 80 greatis the negligence, fo greatthe indolence, and, above all, fo greatthe ir reverencefilewn to our profefiion, and the dangerous confe
uences ar ifing from that difrepeét. A r e w e w ifer
an our ancefior s A re our law s more juft thantheir s , which allowed fo many hour s , fo manydays , fo many adjournments of every pleadingWer e they more flow of apprehenfion, or beyond
meafure dilatory ? We fpeak more freely, under l’tand
clear ly,'
udge mor e r ighteouily, becaufe w e
hur ry over caniles , in few er hour s , than they allow ed
days for the hear ing of them . 0 REGULUS ! yourambition gained you from all, whatvery few men, of
the mofi: ex cellent character , could procure . Indeed,as often as . l fit in judgement, whichhappens oftnerthan when I plead, I allow as muchtime, as any perfon r equires for I think itwould be r afhnefs to guefs ,what f ace of time a caufe, whichI have notheard,may t e up or to putan end to an affair , the mer its of whichI cannotforefee ef cially when patience in a judge oughtto be confi ered as one of thechief branches of hi s duty, as itcertainly is of julh
'
ce .
Well, butfome unnecefi'
ary things ar e faid : true, butit is better , thatwhat is unnecefi
‘
ary fhould be fpoken,than that what is necelfary fhould be omitted . Be
fides , you cannot tell, what is unnecefi'
ary, till you
hear it. ‘ But of ‘
thefe, and all other cor ruption
p ut city,-a per fonal conve rfation w ill be belt
your love of the public, as w ell as mine,‘
makes you
w ithmany things amended, which, ar prefent, are
poteafily to be r eformed
a Clap/fi lm s anfwerable to our hour glalfis . s éc Book 5. Ep.
I l
B O O K VI .
Now letus look back towards our doineltic affair sA re all things r ightw ithyou Withme there is notany new occur rence the good, thathappens , becomesmore agreeable, bye
i
e
ts conftancy ; the evil, mor e toler able, as I have n ufed to it. F arewell.
O B S E R VA T I O N S
T hroughoutthefe Miles , w e frequently meetw ithr efer - 5ences to particular cu
e
fioms , amongthe Romans , whichhowever common and pr evalentin the days of PLI NY , appear ,to us , unaccountable and furpr iz ing. Of
‘
thefe a very ex
traordinary infiance is her e r elated of REGULU S Oculum
mods dex tr um, mode j iuiflr um cir cumlinebat He paintedfometimes his r ight, and fometimes his lefteye.
” Dex
tr am,[i a petite”, alter um,j i a pqfléflbr e (fitafi ur ur Accordin to the fide, on whichhe w as retained, his r ightor his lefte e w as anointed.
”
T he nex t entence tells us the paintw as white,didum[plenium in bat autilludfizper cilium tr ansfer ebat He
changed the white patchalternately‘
fr om eyebrow , to'
eyebrow .
”T he jplm ium w as ufed upon var ious oc c
one, and in differ entmanner s ; by fome itw as ufed medic i
nall‘
y, by other s , ornamentally and by REGULU S, w e find,fuper fl itioufly. T he fcholiafis give us this account of it.
Splem'
a j imtempla/ir a qua dam ex ungumtir , m lmedic-
amine ali- r
qua, ad capitis dalar am, m l acalor am mor bum adbibita ar c ui
temf r ontis bonor atelegantia confia r a , q cia candida adbibebaé
tar . P ar r o guidam f r antem liniebant unguento, m l ecr u/adeinde panniculumj ivefafiiam ponebant, quad/plantain dicebafur a quibufdam ex i/iimatum acalor am aper immtum _
ad ar cm -k
dam'
nimiam lucem Thefilm ia ar e certain plaifter s made
up of oils , or fome other medicinal compofition for thehead- ach, ‘or any ailmentof the eyes : butthatthe gr ace;fulnels and elegancy of the face, mightnotbe defiroyedthey w er e fpnead upon a white bandage. Some 1nde
anointed their fates w ithoil, or white lead and then put'
on a fine thin filk, or linen band, whichw as calledfi le- Jnium, and w as looked upon as a proteél ion to the eye!againll too lar ing a light.
” Notw ithflanding this ex polition, w e ar e ill ata 1012s , to conceive theex actform of the
jflmia . T hey feem to have been applied only to a partien
lar part of the face, as in the cafe of REGULU S ; who r e
A 3 mov
a
a
P L I N Y’
s E P I S‘
T L E S .
moved them, like patches , from one eyebr ow to
,
thebut w e learn from MART I AL, thatthey w ere notalways
placed upon the forehead, or over the eyes .
In PHt NtM.
Car fib rin”[capeprau'mmmanta,
Albaw piflur j ana 1aPutna m, gu n
‘
s
ThatI patch, and I paint, bothmy lips andmy chin,Pa n n ier s muchtakes itamifs :
Butthe nymphlittle dreams of my cunningtherein,’
T is a lhield againlther , andher kifs .”
And by another epigram in the fame author , we are inducedto believe, thatthe fplmia were no larger than patches , butWer e of a {hining colour on the outfide, and
number s upon the face.
E: numer q/h[inuntfltllantem{plania
’
flontemIgnor ar quit[cit fi lmia toIt, lager
Y ou w antto know thatface which tebes hide,You
’
ll r ead the man, turn butthol'
e eaves afide.”
F rom thefe differ entquotations , it is not eafy to deter
mine, whether the Romanfplmiummay pafi under the denmmination of a malls , or whether We mull confine itto themore nar row limits
'
of a patch.The l
'
ubfequentparts of this epifilc are fo very abitr ufe,and ar e fo entirely w r itten in the il ile and charaéter of aRoman lawyer , that they are almolt unintelligible to an
Englilhr eader . It is fear ce poflible by a olofe tr anllation, tofve a full idea of Ptmv’
s meanin I (hall therefore trancr ibo fame of the moltdifi cultpaiages , and attempt theirex planation atlarge.
yam iIla per quamj umnda and dicentibur , quad liber a tempur apmbat, quad audimr or ram gabat Letme now mention,fays PLINY, the inlhnces , wher ein REGULU S acted, noton
d
ly'
in a r ight, butin an agreeable manner . It w as hisd me, that the lawyer s Ihould {peak as long as they
Mann “. Lib. X. Ep. XXII. 1’ Idem Lib. II . Ep. XXIX.
pleafed 3
F L I N -Y’
s E P I S T L E S.
Apnong the feveral pr ecedin letter s from oPe r toArtlu ANU S 3
, whichw e have hi erto perufed, there is nota
{tronger inf’rance ,
of his confidence in this particular fr iend,than what appears from two fentences in the epiflle,
befor e
us : the fir ltr elates to public affair s Sad dc bi:meliur car am,at d: plur ibus vitiir civitatis Butthis , as
.
w ell as manyother vices thathave c r ept into our conftitution, maybethe fubjeél:of our difcour fe, when w e meet Whichin
eludes a promife of unbofoming his thoughts , upon thecor r uptions of the age, even when T im 1AN r eigned, ina perfonal conver fation. T he other , w ithwhichhe finilhesthe epiflle, r elates to his ow n family, and the fpher e, inwhichhe moves athome. Lw iar a imammada , quad aj imzi
Ufe has lightened the burthen of my misfortunes .”It
appear s from this hint, that whatever c roll'
es , and incon
veniences , our author may have felt in domef’tic life, and
from whichthe happieftman cannotboal’thimfelf entir elyex empt, they had been all communicated to Ann r nnu s .
“Book 1 . Ep. 2 . Book z . Ep. r t, 1 2 . Book 4. Ep. 8. ta .
E P I S T L E III .
P L I N Y ta V e n u s .
Return’
you thanks , thatyou have undertaken tothatfmall piece of land, whichI gave toItwas worth, atthe time of my makingan hundred thoufand fefterces a . After
ear ly income decr eafing, the value of itwas alfo diminifhed, which, under your care, w ill nowbe rel’tor ed. But r emember , that I do not recommend to your care, the culture of the trees , or thefoil, (althoughI would nothave them neglected) but
Cm rm mil/imp: nammam, in Englilhmoney, 807 l . 5 a. to d.
Nummm, when mentioned as a piece of money, w as the fame as
thefifier tim, the lefl'
er felter ce : a filver coin equal to the fourthpar t of a denar ius . Se/tem
'
am, in the neuter gender , fignifiesmil/e j } er tz
‘
am whichoccafions the gr eatdifference,when ellerces are mentioned.
I recommend
~r n o o x vr
I recommmd.my own gift F or the, who received itfrom me, cannot be more folicitous for its improvement, than I am, who gave ittoher . Adieu.
O B S E RVA T I O N S .
T he nur fes of the anc ients w er e looked upon as a fecondkind of parent, and they w ere tr eated accordingly. In theear ly age of HOMER, w e find EVRYCLEA , the nur fe ofU LY S SES, r cpr efented as a w oman of r emarkable pr udence ;the bear s a confider able part in the Odyj
'
ey, and her namea lw ays appear s
'
to advantage. e on . has befiow ed an eter
nal monument upon the nurfe of E NEA S 3 he begins hisfeventhbook toher memory.
Tr:mque, Iittar ibus nqflr ir , E Nal a nutr ix ,CAJET A , dedi/Iitun:
You too, CAJET A , whofe indulgentcar esNurfi the great chief, and form
’dhis tender year s ,
Ex pir in her e (an ever - honour ’d name 1)Adorn ESPE
'
R I A w ithimmortal fameT hy name furvives to pleafe thy penfive hoft;Thy facr ed reliques gr ace the Latina coal? 3
T he prophecy of the poethathbeen fulfilled, and Cumhas notloft, {hehas only ex changed one letter of her name.
Ca iera is a port in the old Campaniafi lix , fituated on thefea of Naples , in the pr inc ipality of Lavor o. When theAg/i r iam r educed the kingdom of
,Naples , in the year one
thoufand feven hundred and feven, this c ity held outa confiderable time. And again, when the Spania r ds r ecovered
Naples from the Arc/tr im s , in the ear feventeen hundr edand thirty four , Gaieta made a nob e defence, and fur r en
der cd upon veryhonour able terms . W e may hence fuppofe, in defer ence to VIRGI L, thatthe Nurfe CAJE T A {tillremains the tutelar genius of the place .
T he per fons , whofe milk has fufiained, and whofe carehas defended us in our infantRate, ought to receive fr om
3 Pt'r '
r’
s Virgil. E neid 7.
l o P L I N Y’s E P I S T L E S.
us , m our r xper years , fuchrename! gratitude, as an ex
emplified in this cpime. u make the deem of lirefinooshand eafy to thore, who madc the afcentof itgentle anddual to us , feems as indifpenfable a moral duty, as an “753.
ever : and our enerofrty w ill appear the mor e con picuousupon this occ ion, as itmay be prefumcd, thatfcar ce anyother motive, ex cept gratitude, a n pr ejudice us , in favourof females , whofe breads , fo definable to helplefs infants ,have long fince loftall their Charms .
E P I S T L E IV.
P L I N Y to C A L P U RN I A .
Y bufinefs w as never more difagr eeablc to me,than atprefent, fmce itnotonlyhindered me
from accompanyingyou, when youwent, uponaccountof your hea lth, intoCmapauia, butfrom following youthither . I w as now indeed molt articular ly impatient
to‘
be w ithyou, that I ht Iieve my own eyes ,and learn from them, Whe er you gather (pi
- its and
ftr cngth; andhow you pals away your time amidftthedelights , and the rodigious fertilityfor , it is w ithnogu ll concern, that
I have dcfired to
°
nc all 1
(
gai' fear , my mind dwells moi-tI moftdread
or even two
ur letter s , my pain w ill ecafe ;are read, all my alarm w ill retur n. F arewell.
O B S E R
B O O K VI .
O B S E R V A T I O N S .
T here are three letter s only ex tentfrom PLINY to CALP URNIA but they are fuch, as make us w iththeir numbermuchgreater . Th]? are images of a conftant, tender heart,f elling upon the 18 of true virtue, and con
'
ugal affection.
Ca n vama have been a lady o a very r efinedthe ex preflion, quid carpet/bile ar
gm'
rer a , w e may infer , thatthe fr ame of her body was not
23?tender , but fmall ; like a delicate flower , unable to
ure a (form, and bending atevery blaftof w ind.
It is no w onder , that the nephew of PLINY the naturalhiftor ian thould commend the foil and produce of Cama
m'
a, a ter r itory, whicht nno calls the anary of Ital 5and which, in general, obtained the title 0 Campam
'
a f: it.T he defer iption of it, by Lucw s F Loans , appear s in thehighefi terms : Omm
'
m , non mods Italia,led tots or b:
r um peltber n'
ma Campania plaga c if»? m ilim reels
Denim hisflar ibus w n at Nibz'
ubm'
ur j blo ideaCermfiac “flames: dir itar . Nibil Ira/pitches mar i Hie ifliinfi ll : porter , Cq
'
eta, Mfmw , C9 repeater anti“: Bar}: 5M n : 8 11m m adornman
'
s aria he country ofnet 0 y ex ceeds all Italy, butis notto be pa
tall’d in the whole wer ld. Nothing
aim be (after than
9 ‘ the c limate : Itbears a double fpr ing of were. Nothingcan be mor e fruitful than the foil It is faid therefore tohave occafroned a contefi betw een Ba c c a u s and Cane s ,Who {hould adorn itmolt. T he fea itfelf is hofpitableand conunodious : Her e are thol
'
e noble harbour s , Caj eta,M and the w arm fpr ings of Bake ; the Lucr incan Aver nine lakes , whichfeem receffes from the fee .
”
PLINY the elder is no let'
s profufe in his praifc s of Campaniahe zfi rms , gmdmti: opus (I t? natur e
”:“that itwas a work
of nature in the hetfightof jo Upon the whole, there
could not be a finer tuation or the r ecovery of declininghealth. One of the fcholiafi’
s tells us , thatoil/a Commie“,
the Country featof CALPURN IA’S grandfather, FA BA T US,
was in Campam'
a ; and w e may ther efor e fix her athis houfe,
thangee received this molt affectionate epifile fromher
ufban
s L. ANNE . F lor . Lib. 1 . Cap. 1 6.
5 Pu n. Natur . Hill . Lib. 3 . Cap. 5.
EP I S T LE
P L I N Y’
s'
E P I S T L E S.
E P I S T L E V.
P L I N Y to U R S U S.
Informed you already, thatVARENU S had obtainedleave to fummon w itnefi
'
cs on his behalf : Thisappeared equitable to many, and to
Bothfides w ere obftinate in their w ayc rN ru s New s in particular ,
at the nex t meeting of the fcnate, when they w eredebating upon other affairs , made a fpeechconcer ning their laftrefolution, and revived a caufe, thathadbeen before concluded. He
'
alfo added, that theconfuls fhould be r cquefied, to propofe, whether ,under the ex ample of the law , to hinder votes frombeing illegally rocur ed by candid
fices , it fhoulclJ
pleafc the fenatethis addition fhould be made to the law againft br i
bery, that, as the accufcr s , by that, law , had a r ight.to ex amine, and fummon their w itnefi
’
es , the accufed
alfo ihould_be impowered to do the fame. This
l
ipeech difpleafed many they thought it unfea
onable, improper , and prepoflterous ; and that hew as in the w rong, after having omitted {peaking in"
due time, to find faultnow w itha decree, to which,whili’t itw as in debate, he mighthave made his oh
jeétions . JUBENT I U S Catsvs , the pr aator , r epr io
mended shim fever ely, and w ithmany words , callinghim a r eformer of the fenate . NEPOS anfwer cdhim,
and CF.LSU S replied Neither of them r efr ained fromreproaches . I am unw illing to tell on, whatI couldnothear w ithout concer n . F or w
'
ehr eafon, I wasthemore inclined to condemn the behaviour of fomeof our fi'
aternity who, from a defir e of hear ing,
The Latin is e numer o rte/fr o, whichmay r efer either to thefenator s , or the lawyer s ; probably to the latter .
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E s .
Meltthe eye fepar ately, and s lithered by itfelf, amidfi allthe confuflon of diforder .
Permi an a confufibur , at r efer r ers: j ab ex emplo Iegz'
r am
bit“ de lege r epet dar um, an plarer et infidw m ad caj u
legem adj ici, at, fimt arwfator ibur inguin a l}, tyi‘ibufque de
M andi patfi as ex ea lege Jet, ita n o game fier etT hat ther e {hould be a requeil to the confuls , that they{bould declar e their fenfe on the fubjeétof the law ‘ of
canvafling, and.the law againft r eceivin br ibes , whe
ther for the futur e, they'
udged this ad itiou pr oper to
the for ementioned law , t as the accufer s had fr omthatlaw , a pow er granted to make enquiry, and dec la
r ation of any offender s , fo thofe, who w er e accufed,might have the fame pr ivilege.
”By this pafi
'
age, it is
plain, thatc r e s NEPOS thought there w as a dil’cinction betw een the forms of tr ial on theic tw o law s , the 1mambitzi s , and lex de r epetundr
'
r . His Opinion w as , that theIex ambitzir gave the accufed equal pow er of fummoningw itneffes w iththe accurate ; butthat the lex de r epetzmdirdid notgrantthe fame. T he Iegar de ambita w er e or iginallymade
°
nfi indirt or ~unlaw ful courfes , ufed in can
vafiing for ofi ces . T he leger de pecuniir r epetundir w ere
made againftfuchpublic]: officer s , judges , and magiftr atesof every kind, whohad taken br ibes .T he propofal of N 1:POS was an infultupon the fenate,
theyhaving gr anted toVARENU S a permifiion of fummon
ing his w itnell'
es . Let the confals , fays New s , propofe
a quefiion, whether for the futur e ther e {hall be fucha
permiflion granted.
”F rom hence it appear s , thatNE
r q s abfolutely fuppofes , that per fons accufed, under the{ a d. r epemndir, never before had (ucha liberty allowed
them5 a fafi , whichwas nottrue. His quefiipn w as in
fidious , and the debate upon fuch a duefi ion muft
brought a r efleaion upon the fenate : F or , if the opi
nion had prevailed, that the on accufed fllould not
have fucha ermiflion ; the cosquence muttbe, that the
fenate had ecreed a licence to ARENOS, whichw as a
in& law, and improper to be made a precedent; or , ift e Opinion fhould be, that for the futur e fucha licence
{hould be permitted, even that. dec ifion mull imply, that
therehad notbeenbefore any (uchpmfi ice allowed.
P L I N Y’s em s - L E S .
E P I S T L E'
VI . "
P L I NY to .M. 1 N U'
r r u s F un n n u u’
s a
Was never more delirous toatprefent, and I entreat
you can. I want a fr iend, my intentions ,and divide my prefent labour , and care. JuttuaNA s o is a candidate for an office of muchhonourhis competitors are many, and of good char acter , inovercoming whom, the difficulty is not lefs , than the
fuchfufpenfe, and am lband fear , that
li'forgetI
a to m e n a
candidate for thofe very emplol
yhie
e
a
fits , myrdugh
a
idl
timpafi
'
ed. Na s o’
s long attachmentto mefr iendihip between me
and his father could not be indeed, upon accountofmy age but hi s father has been r epr efented to me,when I w as a young man, as a perfon of high us
,
tation . He had notonly an efteem for learningIQ
but'for learned men, and came almoftevery day tohearQJINT ILIAN and NICET ES the pr ieft, whofe declamations I then confiantly attended. He was a man, be
highly r efpeéted, and of great dignity, and
memory ought to be ferviceable tohis fon on
all occafions butthere ar e many fenator s , who w er eunacquainted w ith
'
the father , and many, who knew .
him w ell thefe latter onlyhonour a man, while living
‘
: ther efor e the fir uggle and difficulty w ill be the
greater burthen upon my fr iend, as his interefi: is not
yetw ell efiabliihed. F or althoughhe muftalw ays der ive muchhonour from his father ’ s great char acter ,yetthatw ill be of little ufe tohim in his prefentpurfuit. He feems tohave been fenfible of this , andhasacted accordingly, by making and cultivating fr iend
fhfips a,as if hehad for efeen this particular time. He
B O O K VI.
chofe me as worthy of his affection and imitation, as
foon as his year s permitted him to form a judgementH e always has been afliduous at my pleadings , and
at my r ehear fals ; he has been the ear liei’t in attend
ance upon all my little per formances , even attheirvery firfi appearance : of late, alone ; heretofore, w ithhis brother ,whofe charge, as he is now dead, I ought
‘
to
undertake, and whofe place I oughtto fu ply. ; for I
am gr ieved atthe unhappy and undefervegfate of theone, and that the Other lhould w antthe aflif’tance Ofthe hell: of brother s , and be left to depend entirelyupon fr iends ; for whichr eafons , I infiltupon your
coming and joining your inter efl: w ithmine. It is
muchto my advantage, thatyou fhould fbew your(elf, and accompany me, while I am canvafiing.
Your author ity is fo gr eat, that I believe, I can even
afk my own fr iends w ithmore certainty of fuccefi .
Break any engagements , that may,
r etain you . Myc ircumftances , my fr iendfhip, and myRation r equire
this . I have undertaken to folic it for and my"
aking is univerfally known. The a plication ismine, the haz ard is mine , In Ibort, i a o fuc
c oeds , the honour is his Own ; if he is defeated, thed ifgrace is mine. Adieu .
O B S E RVA T I O N S .
Ther e ar e three letter s ex tant from PL r NY toMi mi 'r rvs'
F UNDANUS. T he ninth epiflle of the fir itbook, whichtr eats Of common oc cur r ences the fifteenthepiftle Of thefou rthbook, whichc ontains not only a character of As !
8 1 08 RU FU S, but an earnef’t r equeil to F UNDA NU S, whow as then conful elect, to chufe RUFU S, as his uaefior
and this epifile, in favour Of JUL I U S a o. from allthefe epifiles it appear s , thatF UNDA NU s w as the particularfr iend of PL I NY . T he account given Of him by CATANEU s is in thefe w ords . Er udita s f air, at qm
'
fi, ab irr
ezmte aerate, altior ibur fi adiz'
r dea'
er at ex duabur natir , alte
r am vix puber tatem ingr eflbm and/ft. P r oton/i d z
giee ex
ADR I AN I r efcr ipta monitur, 71:fine abj efiu cf iminum rif f/iiVOL. II. B fr
‘
‘7
B O 0 K VI.
Sufizpi candidatum“ I have undertaken to actthe partof
a c andidate. T he candidates afl'umed their name, a toga‘
pandidé, from a white gow n,”whichthe w or e. The
toga candida differ ed very muchfrom the toga a lba'a. T hey
w er e bothwhite gow ns T he latter had only the natural
w hitenefs of the w ool the former , w orn by candidates for
employments , had an artific ial white dye, or , if thatcouldnotbe procur ed, chalk was ufed, to encr eafe the whitenefsof the garment Intendendae albedini: can/a
”
cr eiam “Hid:
r ant‘: T o au mentthe whitenefs , they added chalk.
”As
if artifice w as t e w ay to pr eferment, the part to be a£ted
by the candidate w as difficult in every partic ular He w as
to make a c ir cuit r ound the c ity very often : He w as to call
every individual perfon byhis name : But in this partof thelabour he had an aflifiant, a nomenclator , who whifper ed then ame in his ear , andhe w as to behave himfelf w iththe ut
moftaddr efs , and c ivility, to the meaneftand moltinconii
derable c itiz en. Is it laz inefs or pr ide, thatpr ompts a manof a r etired natur e to imagine, ther e is fcar ce any emplo
mentin the w or ld, either fufiic iently lucr ative or honourab eto make amends for fuchneedlefs indufiry ?
a The toga a léa was the gown ordinar ily wor n by the Romanc itiz ens .
b T he candidates always wor e their gowns open and ungirted.
Rosm l antignitater , Lib. 5 .,Cap. 3 3 . ex I s m ono .
PL INY in his 9thep. B. 2 . haththis ex pr eflion upon the fameoccafion, f r om fappli r o, audio don or ,fia tioa gne d r eam ,
whiche x plains in general the duty of a candidate .
E P I S T L E VII .
P L I N o C A L P U R N I A .
YO U R letter tells me how deeply you wer e af
feéted by my abfence, and thatyou often place
my w r itings near youa, as your only comfort. I am
muchpleafed to find, that I am to often in your
3 In ‘vlyiigiom o (allow s . This {entence is ex plained by BU CHnnnu s the commentator , in a manner , “
thatmull make us (mile.
3 , fpeaking as in the perfon of t r , (in wgflx’
gm) ea lath“
pa r-
te, our? alias r adar :[blocfir e j2m .
B a
19
20 P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S.
thoughts , and that you can f upply the w ant of mycompany in this obliging manner . In retur n, I amemployed in reading over and over your letter s , whichto me alw ays appear new : but they {till ex cite myimpatience of feeing you ; for , if your letter s con
tain fo muchfweetnefs , how muchmore charmingmultyour converfation prove How ever , continue tow r ite frequently ; althoughwhat ives me pleafur e,torments me atthe fame time. A
'
eu.
O B S E R V A T I O N S.
The lofs of CALPURN IA ’
S letter s , in anfw er to thofe,which{he received from her hufband, is muchto be r e
gr etted. A lady of her delicacy and accompliihments multbe happy in the {tile and manner of her w r itings , mor e efpe}c ially, when they w er e dictated and infpir ed by love.
Hifio I car ce affords a br ighter ex ample of matr imonial
fr iendKip, than that whichappear s betw een PLI NY and
CA LPURNx A . T hey feem to have been fuited to eachother ; and perfectly harmonious in difpofition, and inclinations : nor did the w antof childr en hinder the cementfrombeing as clofe, and as firm, as the moltnumerous , or themolthopeful offspr in could have render ed it. PLINY
indeed, in feveral epi es , teltifies a great defir e to be a
But if he knew not the joy of a parent, neitherdid he know the for row : he efcaped number lefs fears , and
manyhour s of inex pr eflible anx iety hour s , whichthe happicli par ent mufi undergo.
‘ E P I S T L E VIII .
P L I N Y to P a r s on s .
OU have long known, and you efteem AT T I
s Ca as c an s , as every worthy man muftdo,who is acquainted w ithhim . My affection for himis not like thatof many other s , but is of the {trongeft
The cities , in whichwe were born, ar e atno
greater diltance, than one day’
s journey and whilewe
22 P L I N Y’
s E P I S T IL E S .
temper , and the? inoffenfive wit of his conver fation.
I cannot bear to fee a fr iend dif ir ited, whofe mirthhinder s me from dejeftion. In ort
’
, you know theof the man ; whichI beg you to pre
no injury may change it into r aucour
and bitter nefs . Depend upon it, his r efentments are
as firong, as his affections . A noble and an Open
heart, cannot bear a lofs attended w ithan affr ont.
But, however he may bear it, I {hall look upon myfelf as injured, and ill ufed ; and {hall refcnt itmoreupon hi s account, than upon my own. But, whydo I fend you thefe injunctions , which indeed ar e
almoitthreats I had better proceed in the path,whichI pur fued athr i
’c, by entreating and befeeching
you to granthim your affiftance thathe may haveno r eafon to imagine himfelf neglected by me, whichI : muchdread, nor I, to think myfelf difregarded byyou . But, you w ill granthim your affif
’cance, if m
requeits ar e as prevalent w ithyou, as his are w i
me. F arewell.
O B S E R V A T I ON S .
T his letter , whichis w r itten upon a particular occafion,and to a particular fr iend, car r ies in it nothing mor e r e
markable, than what w e have alr eady feen the confiant
and unwear ied fr iendlhip of PL I NY to thofe, for whom he
pr ofefl'
ed an affeétion . W e find in T U LLY many epii’tles
of this kind the thirteenthbook ad familia r e: is almoft
filled w ithletter s of r ecommendation. T ULLY w as themodel,
‘from whom our author planned his w r itings . He
te lls REGULu s , E] ? mibi cum C I CERONE a mulatio notfun:r ontentur eloquentia fienli no/r
'
r i a I w ould w ifhto emulate
f‘ CI CERO, and my ideas of eloquence go beyond whatWe meet w ith in the pr efent times .
” And, when heWr ites to ARR I ANUS, he lays , 7 2 quidenz (at/Zr ibis ) ob botina x inze delefi at aagnr atm m a r , quad MARCUS T ULLm s
cugur'
fail . Latar i: onion, quad bonor ibus ej u: in/i/Iam, gum
9 Lib. 1 . ep. 5 .
B 0 O K VI;
upjo The '
cir cumftanee of my beinyoumolt(as you e
flx
prefs in your letter?
had been in that6 cc:before : for you,ar e glad, thatI fhould follow him in my r ife tohonour s ,whom I w ilhto emulate m literatur e.
” In a letter to
Am s r o, his fear s are ex pr efl'
ed ve
fimodeftly ; Egover ear ,
tie me non/irtir defeat, quad decait A RCUMT ULLI UM b
I fear , thatdignity would fit ill upon me, whichgr eatly:became T ULLY .
”
C I CERO in pr ofe, like HOMER in poetry, fiands alone,n ever to be equalled, alw ays to be im itated. T he per feé
’tion
of theRoman languagewas eftablifhed in the day s of T U LLY ;
itw as in the decline in the days ofPL I NY . Butwhatabilities ,what eloquence can make amends , for thofe inhumane ex
pr efiions , whichw e'
find in fome of T U LLY’s letter s , when
he (peaks of the mur der of JUL IU S Caes a r. Qua rtz ¢val
Ifln, ad ilia: pulcber r ima: opalas me idiba:Ma r iu s invitafli r IReliqa ia r um nibil baber rmu: 0 that I had been inviteda to that deli htful banquet, on the ides ofMar ch!W e
w ould have ad no offals .
”And again, Vg/i r i pale/Jer r i
mi fafli illef ur iofi u (i . e. ANT ON I U S ) ' me pr incipem dicit
f nifi ; utinam quide’
mflgifléin T hat madman, MA RK
ANT HONY, fays , that ] w as the infi r ument and firft
promoter of that noble deed I w ifhI had been .
”How
differ ent ar e fuche x c lamations from that inc enfe of flat
tery, whichT ULLY fr equently offer s to JU L I U S CE SA R,
when living ? Suchinfults upon the dead make T ULLY ap
pear mean fpir ited, and below himfelf (0 that in a comparifon between Cr c ano and Ptv , wemay determinethe firftto be the gr eate r or ator , butthe lafi the better man.
Lib. 4. ep. 8.5 Lib . 5 . ep. 3 .
E P I S T L E m.
P L r N Y to C O R N E L I U S T A C I T U S .
U have fentme a recommendation of JuLI U sA SO the candidate. Is it to me you r ecom
a s o What if you had recommended me to
m elf ? However I can cahl for V: on ; IyfB
Y 9 Y3 1 um4 o
3 3
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T LE S.
fhould have fent on a letter inhis favour , if youhadbeen atRome an I in the country. But in tr uthourfolicitudefor our fr iends makes us imagine every ap
plication in their behalf indifpenfably necefl'
ary. How ;
ever don’
tneglectto folicitother s . I fhall be a partaker of your good w ithes , and {hall do what I can
to forward and shiftthem . Adieu.
O BS E R V A T I ON S .
T he fi x thepifile of this book Ihew s us how w armlyPL I NY efpoufed the pr etenfions of JUL I U S NA s o, who,we find by his applications to CORNEhl U S T A C I T U S
, had
afi ed in the manner , whichPLr NY certifies to F U NDA NU Sin thatepifile : Qua/i pr oviden tbot tempus , fiduloflcit pa
oja'vitamicos ; quotpa r aver atcoluit He acted carefully, as
if he had for efeen the time : He had rocur ed to him6‘ felf fr iends , and thofe, whom he had
)
gained, he preferved
E P I S T L E X .
P L I N Y to A L B I N U S .
H E N I came to the country houfe of mymother - in- law , in the Alfian ter r itor ies , a
houfe, whichonce belonged to e us Vs a ornw s ,
the place renewed in me, not w ithout gr ief, the te
membr ance of that great and good man : F or he
ufed to live muchin this r etir ement, and called itthe
little nefi:of his old age . Whichw ay foever I turned,my heart and my eyes {till w ifhed, and foughtforhim. The fightof his monumentgave me pleafur e,but itw as fuéceeded by pain for itis yetunfinilhed,nor is the difficulty of the w ork, whichis moder ate,or r ather fmall, the r eal caufe ; but the negligence
of the per fon, to whom the car e of it w as commit
ted. The confider ation, thatthe albes and unr egard
9d r emains of aman, the glory of whofe memory iskilown
£6 P L I N Y’
s E P I S/ F LE S:
Ne: mmArgalico dikflum litre:ALB.so
AndAlfium’s lhore, ALESU S near delight.
The fituation of 11q is mentioned by PL INY the hifior ian Butthe tow n is now r educed to a fmgle cafile, in theduchy of Br accz
'
ano. T he ver fes , which r efer to a mofi:
noble felf- conquefi in VERGI N I U S RU FU S, are again ih
ferted in the hineteenthepifile of the ninthbook, wherehisfiory may be mor e particular ly r elated.
E P I S T L E XI .
P L I N Y taMA X I MU s .
the pleang men of greathopes , and
us , againitNUMIDru s (Lua
DRA T U S Their worth is equal, and they w ill notonly be an ornamentto this age, butto learning itfelf.They ought to be admired for their probity, ftéadinefs , decentdr efs , unaffected langu manly voice,firong memory, greatw it, and u judgement altwhich ave me the moftfenfible e afure. And more
particufar ly, becaufe they locke upon me as their
guide, and infiruétor ; and feemed to thofe, whoheard them, to be,
defir ous of treading in my foot?
fieps . O joyful day l (letme again repeat It) and tobe marked w iththe whitefl: {tone z for what can
pleafe the public more efi‘
eftually, than thattwo noblemen fhould endeavour to obtain honour and
a The particular charaéter of F u s co s Su tu r es w ill be”
found in the z 6thepiftle of this book.
5 The education of Nummw s t anna r vs is defcr ibed byPu t“, in the a4thepifile of book 7.
r eputation
9 0 0 K fVl‘
.
reputation by their Rudies ? Or , what can be moreac ceptable to me, thanthatI lhould be propofed, as
their ex ample, in the purfuitof virtue ?Suchjoy I befeechthe Gods always to allow me
and I implore the fame Gods , you are my w itnefs
that they would make all there per fons , who thinkm e worthy of imitation, better men than I am.
F arewell.
O B S E R V A T I ON S .
T he generolity of PLI NY , in encouraging, and com
m ending tw o hopeful youn‘gRomans , is muchlell
'
ened by(everal
’
vain ex preflions , di per fed throuohout this epifile.
T he mor e glory a man afl'umes to himfel the mor e glory .
the w or ldw ill take from him . Cr ow ns of laurel ar e tobe
r eceived from other s , not to be given to us by our felves.But, fuch is human frailty, that even the w ifef't, and thebeltmen ar e often fub
‘
jeétto vani Itwas fo pr evailing a‘
p'
aflion among the Romans , that It w as fearce looked upon
as a fault. T U LLY w as r emarkably vain : PLINY has imin'
tared him, now and then, too clofely in that particular .ButT ULLY appear s co
'
nfcious of his er ror , Where he fays ,
firm avidior etiam quamfan'
s g/z‘
glor iz I am covetous offame perhaps to a fault.
”
n v reems either nottoknow, or r elblved notto ow n his w eaknefs whichalthought‘
oo apparent in this , and in fome other ep'
iltler , yet, is fofar to be ex cufed
,as ittakes r ife in virtue, and is only a
donfc ioufnefs of r eal,
mer itcar r ied to ex cefs .
Aflibitm in confilium a pr ceflfi our bir T he pre fectadv5‘ mitted me into his counc il.
”Here w e fee the
pow er of the pr z feét of Rome ; but the particular e
tion, in canfilium, ma bear differ entfignifications .
lium fometimes fignilies the Roman fenate Thus T ULLY
dz Divinatiane, Ner wer e famm'
a gr aviar a, a fizmma cary'
zlia,neglefla funt ‘9 Nor does the fenate neglect} dr eams , that
a This (entence is tranllated according to the edition of P r une
by LONGOLtU s . Dear ar e tcfie tr , pm . In the wa s
r iarm edition w e r ead it, dear or o a c eofdcm refit:pcto. MA T
T A I RB infer ts the former r eading, which, in my opinion, feems
moltagreeable tothe fenfe Of the author .
P L I N Y’
s E PI S T L E S.
em to car ry importance w iththem.
” It fametimes a
gamfignifies the Roman pr ivy council, as in SU BT ON I U S,who {peaking of Auc u s '
r u s , rays , Sibique iryi ituit
far tir ifimej i r ia, cam guibu dc mgotm , adf r equentemfinatum
rfi'
er endzlr, ante tr aflar et And for his ow n purpofes , he‘ 5 ordered counc ils to be held every fix months , where hemightdifcufi; the affair s, thatw ere to be produced in the .
open fenate .
” In this epifile, the myilium feems to fignify, a counc il convened together , and chofen by the powe r , and at the difc r etion of the city prafi é? a magifi rate
or iginally infiituted by ROMULU S, and in fome meafur e
anfw erable to Our LordMayor ; butwhofe author ity w as fomuchenc r eafed under the emperor s , that it feemed a new
T he pr efiflm ur bis , in the time of RomuLU s , fatas city judge, in all caufes betw een the mafier and the fervant; the orphans and their guardians ; the buyer and thefellerfl In the abfence of the king, all the r egal author itywas Veiled in him : And the fame pow er s , and jur ifdié
’rion,
Wer e continued to him under the confular government.
In the r eign of AUGU S T U S, this cfiice is mentioned bySU I-z 'r onw s as a new infi itution uogue plum partemadihingfir andx r eign: caper ent, nova 0 cm ex cogitaoit cur am
apes-
um pablicor um, oia r um, aguar am, aloei‘Tiber is , f r um nti
popula dioidundi, prififlur am ur bi: T hatmore hands
mightbe employe in the management of public affair s ,‘
the emperor invented new employments . A praefeét ofthe . c ity w as appointed for the fuper intendency of the
public buildin s , roads , w ater s , channel of the Tiber ,and for the iitr ibution of corn to the people.
”T he
fame author , in the r eign of JULI U S CE SA R, tells us ,
Ofiicer s of this denomination w er e appointed by the em
peror infiead of pr z tor s But in fucceeding r eigns ,the pr afi fi a: ur bis w as a fingle magifi rate whofe pow er ,in the time of PLINY , w as very ex tenfive. He ex amined
Soar . J. CE SAR: Cap. Lx x vr . pr afiflofgue pr o pr e lor iéu;c'
pryi ituer it.b T n c r'
r vs informs us , thatdur ing the civil war s , thegovernment of Rome w as given toMECE NA S ; afterwards toMESS A LA
Convruvs , whoproved infixfiic ientto difcharge the office then toT nva u s S '
r a'
r rmu s ; and after him, to Pr s o, who fufiained theemploymentw ithgreathonour for twenty year s together . T nc r r .
Annal . Lib. VI . cap. XI.
P L I N Y’
s E P I'
S T L E S .
heart Butthefe letter s are foch, as I would clinic to
n um ber . F or , from them I chiefiy learn, to whata degr ee you love me, when you tr eatme as your ownfon. And Iown, they w ere the more gr atefulcaufe I was on the r ight fide, lince I had taken theutmoltcare of theparticular s r ecommended to me by
again, and again, entreatyou, always
w ithoutceremony to r eproachme, when I {hall appear to become negligent I fay, appear becaufe I
never iball be
guilt
y;lof any neglecttoward s you.
Sucha repr iman I all underfiand d mer e
ly from your affection for me and you w ill be gladto find, I
O B S E R V A T I ON S .
At the fame time, that there is avow edly the 14din this letter , it{till contains a certain air of. r e
fpeé’r, that fhew s PLI NY looked upon his w ife
’s r elations ,
w iththe fame e e of duty and affeéi ion, as upon his own .
A nd although A RA T U S is not of the leaftconfequence .to
the prefentage, andhis name fcar ce ever mentioned, I be
lieve, ex cept in thefe epifiles ; yet there is a pleafure, in
r eading PLINY’S letter s tohim ; as from them he appear s to
have been an amiable, fw eetnatured old man, equally lov
ing, and beloved byhis family.
Vids bor dice. In fome editions of PLINY thefe words ar eThey ar e infer red in the edition of. Los cou vs , and
give a r eal beauty tothe letter .
E P I S T L E XIII .
P L I N Y to U a-
s u s .
A V E you ever {Seen a man, who has under- and
‘
vex ation, than our fr iend
B O O K vr,
find, as itwere, again to petition, for whathe hadobtained befor e Withgreatdifficulty. The Bitbyniawhad the afi
'
urance to c r iticife, and endeavour to overt
throw the decree of the fenate, befor e the confuls
and even to complain of itto the emperor , althoughhe was then abfent from Rome. The emperor {cutthem back to the fenate, and they {till perfifted intheir attempt.CLAUDIU S CAP I T O pleaded for them w ithmore in
decency,than refolution ; as he irnpeached beforethe fenate their own dec ree. F aou '
r o Ca r rus an
him w ithdignity and fteadinels .. The behaviour of the fenate, u n this occafion,
w as admir able. F or even they, w 0 had before denied VARENUS whathe alhed, w er e of Opinion, thatwhathad been granted, {hould (till be allow ed himBecaufe, if the opofed to the fenate w as new ,
his own freedom and dilfent
determined by thema'
it w as te to u rt thatdeflation . A s rLru s RUFUS , feconded
mdhly byperfified in theirw ere fome, whofe
temporary viry, or r ather appear ance of gravity,w as laugh at. But I leave you to confider , whateatlh'
uggles , andhow gr eatoppofition, {till remain
gr us to undergo, in a difpute, the very beginning ofwhichhathoccafioned thefe contefts . F ar ewell.
O B S E RVA T I O N S .
This is - a continuance of the canfo betw een VA RENU‘s
and the Bitbyniam, mentioned in the fifthepifile of thisbook : And fr om hence it appear s , that the Bitbym
'
am ohd iinately per fever ed in their vindiétive difpofition they,
peeled from the decr ee of the fenate to the judgement .of
the emperor hutT RAJAN r efer r ed them back again to thefenatefl
‘
As he w as notprefent, when the caufe w as hea rd,hewould notcenfure any fenator ial decr ee ; nor w ould h
’
e
P L INY’
S E P I S T L E S.
imagine, that an affembly, whichOughtto be cornpofed ofw ife and equitable. judges , had given a partial, or a w rongdefermination.
T he Bitbyniam li ill w ent on in their purfuit of VA R ]!NU S . Their advocate w as CLAUDIUS Ca r l r o ; he arguedi r r ever ent” magi: qua rtz caryianter w ithmore impudence
than fieadinefs . He dared to find fault.w iththe decr ee,
even befor e the judges , who had pronounced it. Rehearings ar e frequently admitted in our courts of equity ; buttheya re alw ays introduced w ithgreatdefer ence and refpeétto thec ourt. When the proofs in a caufe have not been fufiici
ently laid befor e the court, there is often a neceflity for rehear ing thatcaufe the judges , from notbeing fully appr if
ed of every c ir cumflance, may have beenmiftaken but in
thatcafe, the law yer s , who petition for the r ehear ing, ar eonly blamed ; the juftice of the court itfelf is never , in
any degree, impeached. Our lefl'er courts of jufiice ar e
mor e facr ed, it feems , than the fupr eme judicatur e of oldme.
8m m: ifle mir ifirar Thatmiraculous fenate. T hise x traordinary pr aife, bellow ed upon the fenate, car r ies w ithit the appearance of a cenfur e, as if it w as amaz inglyfi r ange, that an determination from that alliambly lhouldbe equitable r , perhaps , PL I NY r efer s to the cor rupt
fiate, in whichthe fenate of Romahad former ly been immer fed : And this conje£tur e is the mor e pr obable, as our
author never omits an opportunityof ibewing the happi
nefi and impartialit
yof T RAJA N s r ei n.
c r LrUS tantam UP U S, at a m an eptem an om, feptemim , in pr ior :fententiri perfw er a r uat The only per fon
who perfever ed in his former opinion, was Ac Imu s RuF U S, at the head of feven or eightmore, nay only, offeven.
”This ACILIUS RU FU S had, in all probabilit
feven votes at command ; certain follower s , of no confequence in themfelves , butwhofe aétions and voices were diteéted by RU F U SF rom the conclufion of this epiftle, w e may feehow very
muchan affeéted fan£tity, tempor ar ia gr avitas , oel potiar
gr avitati: imita ria, a tempor iz ing gravi or r ather themimickry of fucha charafter ,
”was d pifed among the
Romans . Hypoc r ify w ill be ever deteftable, and r idiculousin all ages , and in all nations : And yetthis mafk of courttenance has had dreadful effeéts in our own kingdon
t
r
gé
B O O K VI.
the fanatics having once overtur ned the government, by ani nmoveable gravity, and a length rh
'
face, that, like theGorgon
’
s head, deftroyed all, who beheld it.
E P I S T L E X IV .
P L I N Y to JU N I U S MA U R I C U S .
O U invite me to F ormianum. I w ill come,upon this condition Ct
r-iii
], thatyou {hall do no
thing contrary to your co ant manner of livin
In'
this agreement, my regard is mutual to us both.T he fea and the ihore are not the Objects in my intended journ I follow retir ement, liberty, and
you : otherw i e Rome itfelf would be referable. In
all things there is a compliance nece ary, either toour felves , or to other s fuchis my natur al inclination,thatI would be totally and fOlely employed in Whatever I undertake. Adieu.
OB S E RVA T I O N S .
T his epifile is addrefl'
ed to JUNI U SMA UR I CU S fl, who
probably had r etir ed, after his r eturn from banilhment, to acountry houfe, near F an nie ; wher e, it is evident, he en
joyed one of the greateli blefli ngs upon earth, otium r um Ii
hr tata, leifure and liberty.
”
T he par ticular fpot, wher e the villa ofMA UR I CU S was
fituated, is notto be afcertained w e find, that the houfecommanded a profpeétof the fea, and the adjoining lhor ew e may therefor e pr efume to place itnear F ormica, a fea port
of the mar e Tyr rhenum, whichPL INY the elder mentions
thus Oppidum F ormiaz, Hermite pr im olim diflum t ex iflim er e, antiques L
ei/Irygonumfid a T he tow n of F ormia
(anc iently call Harmia) according to the general opinion, w as thou
ght to have been the feat of the Let/fir m
gea r .” T he hi or ian took hi s accountof the Lw/fi
'
ygom
from HOMER, as w e are informed by his fcholiaftHA auU
3 See the obfervations on Ep. 5 . of the fir ltbook.
.VOL. II. C m us ,
3 3
P L I N.Y’
s’
E P I S T L E S.
INU s , whofe words are, Lee/irygaue: r e ipfi in Sicilia‘
tar ta r
e fid ex Sicilia tr argflulit ea: in Italian HOMERU S , in.
tabulei, gleam contex cbatdc ULY S S I s er r ar ilm: T he Lara
j irygom in factw er e only in Sicily butHOMER , in the
geographical defc r iption, whichhe w as making of thevoyages of ULY SSES, broughtthem from Sicily into
ly .
”Althoughin general, HOMBR
’S defc r iption of his
hero’s voyage is poetical, yet, in this particular , his ac
count may not be fabulous a colony of Lag/lrygom m ighttranfplantthemfelves from Sicily into Italy, and m ight forma fettlement upon this partOf theMediter r anean lhor e ; butwhether the Lee/bygone, or the Laccdeemaniam, ac cording to,
ST RA BO 3, builtthe c ity of F ormica, it is certain, the ter
r itor ies of it, in the days of PL INY,w ere in every refpeétdelic ious , and fruitful. T heir vines ar e r ecorded by B o
RA CE in hi s invitation toME CENA S ; wher e hetions the F ormiani caller , as produfiive of a choice w ine!whichhis (e conomy, and Ration, 90girl notaf ord.
Lib. t. Ode 20.
E P I S T L E XV.
P L I N Y ‘to
occur rence ; nor w as I, but theme juftafter it happened. Pa s s r auu s PAULU S , aRoman Knightof an illul
’tr ious family, and a per fon
Of great. learning, compofes elegies . It is an heredi - stary accompliihment for he is the countr yman of;PROPRR '
r w s , whom he always reckons , among hisanceltor s . In the rehearfal of his vor fes , he thus beegan, 0 Pa r s on s , doyou command ? Upon this JABO- z
L'
ENU S F amou s , (for he was prefent, as he is the particular fr iend Of PAULUS ) c r ied out,Indeed I do
what laughter , what jelts en
fued Pa r s ons is a good deal difordered in his {CD-1.
a In the edition Of LONGOLI U S, this epiftle, as the former , isaddrell
'
ed toMi le s tone, butin moltother editions , toROMA NU S
P L I N Y’
s
'
E P I S'
T L E S .
E P I S T L E XVI .
P L I N Y coC O R N E L I U s T A C I'
r u s .
OU are defirous , that I fhould give you an s e
countof the deathof my uncle ; thatyou maybe enabled to tr anfmititto pofter ity w iththe greatertr uth. I r eturn you thanks . I forefee, thathis death,when celebrated by you, muftprocure eternal honourtohis name for althoughhis fall w as attended bythe deltr uétion of mofl:beautiful ter r itor ies , feeming,as 1twere, deftined to be r emembered equally w iththofe nations and cities , who per ifhby fome memor aable event; althoughhe had compiled works bothnumerous , and lafting ; yetthe immortality of yourw r itings w ill lengthen out the charaéter , whichhehas eftablifhed to himfelf. I confider it as a blefi
'
to be pofi'
efi'
ed of endowments , whicheither qual°
us for aétions worthy of public record, or infpire u s
to w r ite any thin worthy of public attention. But,I think thofe pa i ns peculiar ly favoured fromheaven,who obtain boththefe qualifications . My uncle, byhis own works , and by your s , may be number edamong there lait. F or whichr eafon, I mor e readilyundertake, and even w ithfor the employment, thatyou enjoin.
H e w as atMj izmcm, where he had the commandof a fleet, whichw as {tationed there. On the ninthof the calends of September about the feventhhour my mother informed him, that a cloud
of unufual fiz e and ihape. After having te
himfelf in the fun, and ufed the cold bath, hetafied a flight re aflx, and was r eturned to his
findies ; he immediate y called for his fandala, and
a On the 23d of Augull . One o’
clock.
P L I N Y’
s
blacker and more difmal than night, whichhoweverw as fometimes difper fed by fever alflafhes , and er u
tions from the mountain . They agreed to go farther mupon the ihor e, and to look out from the neighbouring land, if they might venture to fea ; but the feacontinued r aging and tempeftuous . Then my uncle
laying himfelf down upon a cloth fpread on theground, called tw ice for fome w ater , and dr ank it;
buttheflames , and a {tenchof fulphur , whichpr eceded them, obliged other s to immediate flight, and
touz ed him . H e r aifed himfelf upon his fee
ptorted by two fervants , but his r efpir ation beingopt, he immediately droptdown ; fiifled, as I ima
gine, by the fulphur , and grofl‘
nefs of the air . H is
lungs , as he was nar row cheited, w ere naturally weak,and fubjeétto inflammations . When the light re .
turned, which w as nottill the third day after hisdeath, his body w as difcover ed untouched by the .fire,w ithoutany vifible hurt, in the dr efs in whichhe fell ;appear ing r ather like a perfonfleeping, than like one
who was dead.
My mother and I fill] continued atMfinum. But,
this has no relation tothe hiftory, nor did you defire
any particular s , ex ceptthofe of my uncle’
s death. I
lhall therefore finiihmy letter ; adding only, that Ihave fent on all the circumflances , whichI eitherfaw myfe or were communicated to me, at a time
when the truthof every fingle incidentcould be eafilyr ecollected. F rom hence you w ill feleétfuch afl‘
ages
as you iball think pr0per : for it is one t'
ng to
w r ite a letter, another to c ompile an hiitory; nor is
the difference lefs between w r iting to a fr iend in par ?
ticular , than to the wor ld in gener al. Far ewell,
OB S E R VA T I ON S
T her e ar e fome few obfcur e pafl'
ages in this epiflle, whichembar rafs the tranflation, and inter ruptthe thread of a verypar ions nar rative.
ho o x vr .tr epidatione, igner r eliflor, defirtafiue villa:arder e, in r emedium formidrnit, diflitabat.this confufed fentence is , thatthe fear s of
POMPONI ANUS, and of his compan ions , beginning to augment, as they obferved theflames encr eafmg and fpreadingthemfelves W ider , F LINY , to calm thofe appr ehenfions , deelated itas his opinion, thatthe fir e from the mountain w as
notencr eafed, nor did it fpr ead itfelf w ider now , than befor e : butthatthe country people, bavin in their ter r or ,
deferted their habitations , fome of the ioufes had taken
fir e, and had communicated their flames to other houfes ad
join ing ; and, as no inhabitants w er e r efident to flop theprogrefs of the conflagration, all the houfes upon the fhor e,whichw er e contiguous to eachother , mull inevitably be inflames .
Quad tanzenper iculor um collatio clegit etapical illum accident
r atio r ationem, apud alias timor em timer ‘vicit. Her e is a
Jingle of w ords , r atio r ationem, rimar em timer , that by no
means ex pr efi; the calmnefs and confider ation, w ithwhichPL I NY actedy amidfl: the fcene of hor r or from Vefuviur ,and the gr eatalarms of thofe few fr iends , who fur roundedhim, and whofe fear s drove them backw ards , or forw ards ,withthe utmoftprec ipitation. Wher e a plain nar r ative is
to be pur fued, fimplicity and natur al r efleél ions not onlyex plain, but in r eali
éyembellilhthe fie ry ; and his nephew
mighthave faid una ,eé’tedly, that the part, whichother s
acted from the difir aétion of fear , w as purfued by hisuncle, from the firengthof r eafon, and from matur e deliber ation.
”In infianoes of this fort, our author fame
times lays himfelf too Open to c enfur e ; yet the c r itic ifml
can only be levelled againfl: his flile, which, if divelled of
c ertain little turns , the faihion of thatage, would appear tous mor e nervous and important.
T he w r itings of PLINY the elder have been fpec ified inthe fifthepiflle of the thir d book. T he particular s of hislife, as a fiatefman, or a foldier , (for he afi ed in boththefe ca ac ities ,) ar e not fo illuftr ious , as to leave any te
markabl:r ecords of his militar or political actions . Theconfidence r epofed in him by ‘ASPA S I A N, and T 1 T 0 8, is
muchtohis honour . He w as employed in the counc ils of
YB SRA S I A N : Ante lacem iaat ad VESPA S I AN
form He wentto the emperor VESPAS I AN
a Lib. E3 i) 5‘6 break.
4:
B O O K VI .
particular manner and who could only have been
prevented by deathfrom giving a muchmore ex actaccount
Of Verd i“;
you W hoa'
m'
r incide nt, qua pr opiur am dermr, calidiar
I tJa
g?”
j am pumice: etiam, nigr ique, a ambqfii, atf r aflr'
1°
c T he afhes now began to alighton the decks ,and w er e hotter and thicker , as the {hips approached.
F ‘ Now pumice and other (tones , {batter ed to pieces by thevehemence of the flames , flew about : they w er e quite
black and burntto a coal. In the year one thoufandfevenhundr ed and feveenteen, Doétor BERK LBY 5
, the pr effent bifhop of Cloym in I r eland, vifited q u'viur , at lcail
w ithas muchboldnefs and cur iofity as PLI NY the elder .
T he account given by the bilhOp of that mountain w as
c ommunicated to the r oyal foc iety by Doctor ARBU T H- s
NOT , and is publifhed in the Philofophical T r anfaétions'.
Itagrees , in man particula r s , w iththis defc r iption butIam inclined to be ieve, thatthe pumice {tones her e mentioned, w er e a kind of glutinous matter , whichis
‘
thus ded
fcl'ibed by the bilhop. T he other mouthw as low er in thefide of the fame new formed hill I could difcern it to be
filled w ith redhot liquid matter, like that in the furnaceof a glafs - houfe, whichr aged and w r ought as the w avesof the fee, caufing
’
a {hon abr upt na ife, like what maybe imagined to pr oceed from a rea ctquickfi lver , daily
uneven r ocks . T his {buff w ould {ome
ovor , and r un dow n the convex fide of theand appeared at fir it red hot; it changed
colour , andhar dened as it cooled, fhew ing the fir ft r uidiments of an eruption, Or , if I may fo fay, an er ups
tion in miniatur e.
”
F or te: for tune fw or : POMPON I ANUMpert F ortune
f ‘ emits the brave : Letus fail to Pom ’om nnu s . T his
a E tna u m mime incendiz’
r . Cr é rer (in: pore! m éiluXX. F ew/Ia Tm arm z ium at Ca b
'
z a tr u/qzte pi t-mam? ) farm er/r
M ar w e a]Ma r n e»: ctGen tiles roller . Ptmu Nat. Hifi. Lib.
3 . cap. 8 .
b T o Baa x u v every virtue under heaven. Por n.
Naturalifis are nOt agr eed as no the or igin of the pumice(tones . Some
,
imagine them to be pieces of r ock,calt up from
Volca no.” other s fay, they a re fr equently found i n parts of theflea far r emote from all Volcanar . The natur e of them is (pungy,
pad porous .
43
P L I N Y’
S E P I S T L E S .
allufion toV I RG I L, whofe w ords are, audmm for tune j ut-4vat 3
, fhew s gr eat intr epidity and pr efence of mind ; and
18 c ertain] not infer ior to the famous faying r ecorded of
UL I U S E SAR, who findinghis pilot intimidated by ther oughnefs of the w aves , and the r efiftance of the tide, ene
cour aged him in w ords to this purpofe ; F ear nothmag,
fr iend, go on, you car ryCE SAR and his fortune ;luding to the conftantgood luck, whichhad attendedhimlC 15 3 AR w as led forw ard by ambition ; PL I NY , by a thir ft.
of know ledge. Each had his r uling pallion ; a paflion,which, in the one, w as deftruétive ; but, in the other , benefic ial to mankind.
Innitem duabus a ur r ex it, atfiatim concidz'
t, at
caligine pir z'
tu oéflr ufi o, clauj bqueflomainvalidus , atf r equenter infi rm/91mm er at
He r aifed himfelf, and leaning, for a moment, upon tw o
of his fervants , immediately funk dow n again, fufl’
ocated,as I ima ine .
”In this manner died PL I NY the elder ,
whofe con'
tution, w e find, w as far from being robuit
occafioned probably by the intenfenefs of his fiudies . He
l“had naturall continues his nephew , tender lungs , w as
nar row chefll
ed, and often liable to inflammations in hisbr eaft.” Suchcomplaints muft r ender him let}. able to
tehitthe fulphur eous vapour s from fifw iur, where the biihop of Cloyne tells us , his ow n fafety w as ow ing, in a great
meafure, to the favour able difpofition of the w ind. His
w ords ar e, Had the w ind dr iven in our face, w e hadbeen in no final] danger of fiifling by the fulphureousfmoke, or being knocked on thehead by lumps of moltenminerals , whichw e faw had {ometimes fallen on thebr ink of the Cr ater , upon thofe {hot from the lphat
the bottom : but, as the w ind w as favour able,-had an
Opportunity to furvey this odd feche for above an hourand a half together ; dur ing which, it w as very obferv
able, that all the vollies of fmoke, flame, and bur nin
{tones came only out of the hole to our left, while theliquidfluff in the other mouthw rought and overflow ed,as has been already defc r ibed.
After (0 very particular an account, as w e have feen of
PLr uv’s laltmoments , it is fcar ce w orthwhile to mention
a cir cumfiance, whichmay be found in a life of him,(up
a The line is anhemiflichinVi x en . E neid 10 i 234»
pofed
" U
B O O K VI .
ed the rehearfal of one of my fr iends letme therefor eventmy anger in this letter , becaufe we cannotenter intoa per fonal conver fation .
” Our author is never lefs entertraining, than when he gives an accountof his attendanoe
'
to
thefe r ehear fals . I am fufpic ious , that the many epifiles'
upon this fingle topic ar e by no means advantageous tohisepifiolary char afi er , either in point of elegance, or impor
tance ; and indeed, the r eader muftbe mofttr uly devoted to
PLI NY, who can r elifhperpetual r epetitions of a cufiom en.
titely ufelefi to the pr efentage. Y et, in this appeal to RR.
S T l T U T U S, may be difcerned many ex cellentand judic iousremarks joined to the mall benevolent difpofition pofi bletowards; the fc ientific arts .
E P I S T L E XVIII .
P L I N Y to S A B I N U S .
0U defire me to undertake the public caufe ofthe F irmam
’
. A lthoughI have atprefentmuchnds , I {hall apply myfelf entirelya lawyer , I am defirous to ferve
thatmoftilluitr ious colony, and, atthe fame time, tooblige y
l
r
pu, by acting the part, whichmay be moltto OH.
Since you hive been fo good to look uponmy inti
macy, as youhave often declar ed, as an advantage, andan honour , ther e is nothing, whichI can refufe you
cfpecially, as your prefent requeil is in favour of your
country. F or what can be more engaging, than theentre
'
aties of a man of virtue ,or mor e‘
cflicacious ,than the defires of a friendTher efore, plightmy faithto your fr iends , or now
r ather to my fr iends , the F irmani, who, if their ow nbr ight character did not r ender them worthy of myutmofl: {kill and afliduity, mull {till be efizeemed by.me, as ,
‘
the bell: fet of eople in the wor ld, fince a
man, like you, makeshis r cfidence,amongfl: them.
O B S E R
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S.
O B S E RVA T I O N S .
In the tenthepiftle of the fourthbook, w e find, thatSn am u s had been leftjointheir w ithPLINY , to a lady,whofe name was SA B I NA . T his inc ident probably cthe intimacy betw een our author and Sa am u s . T here ar emany perfons of thatname ; but, I appr ehend the fr iend ofPL I NY to be CE s w s . Sa am u s , whomMART l AL in a
very elegantepigr am, calls , mautame dew : Umbr e T he
joy of Umbr ia, and her mountain’
s pr ide.
”And if the
compliments of the epigrammatiitar e tr ue, he w as endued
w ithgr eataccomplifhments , and w as a particular judge, andtron of poetry. Such a man muftbe highl w orthy ofL I NY
’S fr iendfhip, which, w e find, he looked
,
upon as an
advantage, and an honour .F irmanor um
43:51am tau/am .
T he public caufe of theF irmani.
” he F irmam’
w er e the people of F irmium, in
the r egion of P icenum, now d rama . T he c ity is called
F m . Itis an archbilhopr iclt belongingto the ecclefrafiical
Ornatfflz'mam noble colony. T here is a
m fon perhaps , why PLI NY fpeaks of this colony in thehi hell: terms . T he F irmani ar e praifed by T ULLY to
w om our author’
s devotion is fo entir e, and implic it, thatwe may conclude the pr aifes of C r c z no w er e a fuflic icntc aufe to r ender the f irm ni ever fplendid, and difiin iihedin the judgementof Pr. 1 NY and therefore he m havehad particular pleafur e in being employed to defend a people,whofe predecefl
'
or s had been honourably mentioned by CrCERO.
Lib. 7. epigram . 96.5 See the 7thPhilippic:
E P I S T L E X IX .
P L I N Y to N E P O S .
AVE youheard, thatthe pr ice of lands has ofbeen very muchenhanced, efpecially near
he reafon of this fudden dearnefs , an affair,whichhas admitted of muchdebate, proceeded from
an
52 PL I NY’
s E P I S T L E S.
E P I'
S T L E XX .
P L I N Y ta CO R N E L I U S T a u r u s .’
O U tell me, thatmy former letter , which, at
your own defire, I wr ote to you concerning myuncle
’s death, has tempted you to enquire, notonly
into the ter ror s , butthe dillr efs I futiered, while I wasleft for , w iththatparticular , my letter
I w ill rcfir ain my tear s , and br iefly tell
uncle was gone from us , I employed myfield behind for thatpu fe) atmy {tu
dies . I ba ed ; wentto In r ; an had a very'
im - t
oftand refilelis fleep. ehad for fever al precedmg days together felt an earthquake, whichbeingcommon in Campania, did notmuchalarm us ; but
the {hacks were lb violentthis particular night, thatall things around us were notonly moved, but feemed upon the brink of dcl
’cruétion. My mother
ened into my bed- chamber , atthe momentof time
when I w as r ifing, w ithan intention to awaken her ,if I had found her deeping. We retired into a little
court, whichlay between thehoufe, and the fea. I
am in doubt, to be called
I was then bu I called for a
to atcafe ; and
far as to (cleft
Du nn E neid. z . 9. i s .
i
P L I N Y’
S E ' P I S 'T L E S .
now began to befeech, advife, and command me £6make.my efcape in any manner I could. She obferved, that as I' was young, I might eafily take myflight but that lhe, who w as in year s , and leisr ive, could patiently relign her felf to death,
‘
in edit.
lhe was notthe occali'
on of my deltruétion. Myfwer was , I w ill never attemptatratery, if we are
6‘ nottogether .”
And then leadingher by thehand,I
‘
allifted her togo falter : lhe yielded w ithregret, {tillangry ather félf for delaying me.
The albes now fell upon us ; however , in no great
quantities . I looked back. A thick dark vapour ,jul
’c behind us , rolled along the ground like a tor rent,
and followed us . I then faid, Let us turn outof
1“thi s road, whilfl:we can fee our w ay, leftthe peo
ple, who croud after us , trample us to'
death.
”
We had fcar ce‘
con fidered what was to be done,when we were fur rounded w ithdarknel
'
s , not like thedarkncfs of a Cloudy night, or when the moon dif
am, but{uchas is in a olofe room, when all 1°
t
ex c luded. You mightthen have heard the fhrieksof women, the moans of infants , and the outcr ies ofmen 3 ihmetheir childremade themtheir own fate other s the fate of their r elations ,
There w ere {ome, who even ftom a fear of death,
grayed to die . Many . payed their adorations to theads 5 butthe greater number were of opinion, that
the Gods no longer ex ifired, and that this night w asthe final and eternal per iod of the world. Therewere othefs , whomagnifiedthe
33h‘
on it v1.Pofier ity, pofier ity, this is your concern
and fi y’
enlightens the next,‘
thathex timproves the third.
T w en times , fince the c reation of the fun-has Jw ius bis a
’
d, never ,w ithoutahor r id
f“‘
deiiruétion o£ thofe, thathelitated tofly.
This is a w arning, that itmay neverfeiz e you
‘
unappr iz‘d.
off this mountain is antw ithbitumen, alum, iron, gold, er , nitr e
and fdunu ins of water .
the fee
E P I S T L E
So P L I N fY'
s E P I S T L E S.
E P I S T L E XXI .
P L I N Y to C A NJ N I U S R-
u r u s .
IAm one of thofe, who admire the ancients , not
in the manner praétifed' by certain par ibus , who
defpife every genius of our own times . I cannotthinknatur e either (0 wear ied, or (0 bar ren, that {hebr ings forthnothin atprefentworthy of pr aife. Andtherefore, I have ately attended Vs nom ru s ROMANU S, when he read to fame few fr iends a comedy,compofed b him in the manner of the ancientcomicdrama ; an the compoiition is (0 ex cellent, thatitmay
'
ferve hereafter as a {tandard for that kind of
taken notice of. He has w r itte
be termed eloquent. He has alfo writ fome come
dies , in:imitationofMs ukunen, andthe dr amatic wr i
him,
'
whichI will fend you,
r: o 0 K .vr..
thatthe,Andr ia and theAdelpbi ex cel chiefly
the character s , and the nice delineation of .
e Eunucbus and the Pbormia in the vivacity'
ile the Heautantimar ummor and Hecyr a havethe advantage in the fitnplicity and eaiinefs of fille. The oh
jeaionmade byJon e s Om an, to the plays of T annuc e,
is undeniably jufi . The vi: cornice is w antingI
.
~
His come
dies are fitter for the c lofet than the Rage. hey ma be
r ead w ith r pleafure, than they can be feen . hecontain fo tttle action, and var iety, thatthe audience mugow languid, and w eary, befor e the conclufion . Y et,his
guage l s'
fo polite; althou hhe is no ex cellentpoet, thatunlefs w e have a relilhfor im, it is impoiiible to ar r ive"
at any per fection in the Latin tongue. T he works of
Vnnc m rvs Roma nc e, in imitation of thefe dramatic an.»
there, are entirely loii .
E P I S T L E XXII .
P L I NY to Ca r e s r n w s T Y R O.
Great affair has been tranfaéted, whichafi'
eflnall, who aretogovern provinces , and all, who
mcautiouflyglace too
, great a confidence in fr iends
Lus '
r nrcu s nu r'
r ra uus having detectedhis legato,Mon r aup s A
'
r'
r l c iuu s in the commiflion of manyvilla-rues , w rote to Cae s a r; upon the occafion. A T
r x cn ws aggravated his w ickednefs , by acculingBau'
r'
r l auu s , whomhehad purpofely deceived. Thecaufe was initituted. I w as appointed one of the
judges . Bothparties pleaded for themfelves , but inafummary w ay, and only touching on the r incipal
heads of the matter s in controverfy by w'
ehmethod w i this foon difcovered. BRU T T I ANU S produc
ed his hit.w ill and teitament, whichhe affirmed to
be w r itten by the hand of A '
r'
r r cmus . F rom thiscircumfiance it appeared, how intimate a fr iendihiphad fuhfified betw een them, andhow necefi
'
ary itwas ,thatBnu r r l a u p s lhould complain of the man, for
whom’
he had formerly entertained fo true an afibc r'
non,
B O O K VI.
be his legate 11. He had entertained fo good an opinion of
A '
r'
r r cm u s , thathe had even tr ufiedhim w iththe fec retsof his w ill. A '
r'
r r c rNu s w as guilt-
gof fome mifdemean
our s in his emplo cutas a legate. RU T T I ANUB thoughtitneceilary to let RAJAN know the difcovery,whichhehadmade of thefe enormities . A '
r'
r r cm u s , confc ious of guilt,and awar e of the proconful
’
s intentions , found means to
br ibe a clerk belonging to the chief fecr etary of BROT
T r a nu s ; and getting pofl'
efiion of the difpatches intendedfor the Emperor , he cut outfuchparts of thofe papers , as
- related to himfelf, and haftened to Rome to accufe BROTfn a uu s of evil adminiftration in his proconfulfhip. Bu r n
a nu s r eturned from his government, notonly to defend
his own chara& er , butto accufe A 'r
'
r r cm u s . T hus , twocanfes w ere infiituted. But the iniquities of AT T I c n ws
w ere immediately manifefi : He was banilhed to an illand
Bnu r r r a uu s w as acquitted w ithhonour .P rmdir BRU T T I ANU S tg/fammtm fi mm, quad ATT I C!
NI m utt[a rm dies bar. Hotm in: atar cane familiar ia r , a gr a n d? dc co, gramfir am ct, mafi a: indicabatuf .
Em er avit m'
m’
na fa de, max i/b agar Bnu '
r'
r m nu s
in Open court, his w ill, w r itten by the veryhand of A '
r'
r r c r uu s . T his w as atonce a proof, of thatpr ivate confidence, whichhad fubfifted betw een them,and ofthe abfolute neceflity of complainin againfi a man,whom he had former ly efbeemedhis fr ien T he cr imes ,"
whichhe pointed out, w er e fcandalous , and evident.”
T his particular partof the epiftle r equir es ex planation. Thedaft fentence, mumer avitcr imina fa de , m ug
'
ftfiaqw , oughttohave been placed befor e the account, whichPLr NY givesc oncer ning the w ill 5 otherw ife it appear s , as if the w ill
w as a br anchof the acculation : but itwas only produced,as an evidence of the fr iendihip, whichhad fubfifted be“
tw een A '
r'
r l c r nvs , and BRU T T I ANU S, and as a proof,thatBnu '
r'
r r ANU s was nota&uated by malice againfl:his
com m . The word cu m fignifies , in this lace, a le~
gate, a perfon nex tin author ity to the proconfulhim If.5 Scr iba - is the fecr etary of a magma
-
ate in his public employment. Thus , ther e wer e fecr etar ies called j et- ides m i les , pr x rom ,
j am . And it is r emarkable, thatthey w ere nor admitted to“chief c ilices of the ftate, till they had publicly r enounced
thei r profellion as fecrets r ies . See Lrvr , book 9 . chap. 46.
E
db
and s end“ of T natu re’
s
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T LE S .
legate, whofe cr imes had been fo notor ious , that the pro»conful foundhimfelf under a necefi ty of ac cufing the ve
perfon, whom he had entrulted to tranfc r ibe his laltw'
And after thefe c r imes had been fully pr oved, the fight ofthe Will mull neeefihr ily reife the higheft indignation in
who appeared at once urn
z it‘
heen the decree of CE SAR .only,Pti u r w'
ouldhave « poem rtotherwtfe. He wouldhav‘
é
an.flash»Ar r - s emen M ir, et in infulm r akguvx‘
t
ThatC'
k l a’n n ondm ned A '
r 'r s c r rw s, and bm il sdl
withthe Equity
EP IS T LE.
76 P L I N Y'
s'
E P I S T L E S .
as Omhfllum in oom'
WithSc aunus ghoce whi
pchnytlmehem
Yon defirg thatScauau
call it, mayhave happened to Ros u s'
rvs , that finitetime time befel my countrymanMar -m u s Ca rs pus .
I had obtained for him a military employment; andwhen he went to take fi
'
efiion of it, I liad made
him a refent of forty d mimmi g that hemight rnilhhimfelf w itha pro r equipage . But,fromthe time of his departure, never received anyletter fromhim, (it faw any petfon, who could
‘
ve
me an account of his death. Whether he was led
byhis own fervants , or whether they w ere murderedWithhim, is not known. It,is certain, neither he,nor any of his fervants , ever appeared afterwards .
I w ilhwe may notfind,'
thatRonus '
r us has metw iththe fame fate. However , I w ill find for Sc a uau s .This obedience I owe to your commands . This obea
diehce I owe to the very commendable requeltof
that molt ex cellent with fuckis in fa ith
covering his father , as he has already been in difcot
w r inghis father’
s companion F ar ewell.
"O B S E R V A T I ON S .
T he fubjedtofthis epifile is very ex traordinary. Itis in a nfwer to a letter Hu m mus , in whichhehad told F LINY ,thatRoau s r u s , aRoman knight, who w as accompanied byA r r rntus Seam u s , as far as Or r-fruiting, had been fumetime milling, and was foughtafter , w iththe utmoltdegree
pf anx ieg , by -his family, and fr iends . PLI NY replies , that
l' Equalto323 i. if } . Afllhxdi sbhu‘
a’ir s .
he
B O O K VI ;
be fu r s Ronn sfr tj s is murder ed i and then mentions a mirfortune of thatkind, whichhappened toMa r i L r U s Clu s
v , who, being an officer , had fetout tow ards the armyto take poll
'
eflion of his poll , and was either murder ed byhis m ferv
'
ants , or by robber s . T here are notany othercircumfiances related of this affair . Nor are w e told, in
any fixtur e epiftle, the catafirophe of Roau s r vs . But
from the eflion, inter rupt” m fit a fair, an a n
b lit z , tis doubtful, whether his fer -vants killed m,
‘f or diet!w ithhim,
”w e may conjecture, that if he per im
cd by the hands of robber s , they mull have confined ofye largo {quadrons 5 fince Ronu s
'r m from his quality,
CRter m from his Ration,mufi have travelled w ith‘
a
fufi clent to have guarded them againfl: a final!
E P I 8 T L E XXVI .
P L I N Y to S n nv r n N u - s .
oice, and congratulate you, that you haveof mar rying your daughter to Fus e“
as s urn ‘on. He is of a patr ieian family ; his father
is ' in highreputation ; his mother is equally cfieem
6d. Sau mvr on himfelf is fiudious , learned, andw itty. In innocence, he is a child m cheer fulnefs ,a youth; in fcdatcnefia, an old man. Think me notdeceived by fr iendfhip. My afi
'
eftion for him indeed
his kindnefi‘
es . andhis regards towardsit. But yet I can judge of him ; and
the fironger m affection, the nicer w ill be my judgement. And { w ill take upon me to promife, from
my own errper ience, that your hopes could notformamor e acceptable fon
- in - law .
74 P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S .
O B S E R V A T I O N S .
The d iameter here given of Fvac ue Sa am a'
r on is a
flinguilhed piece of painting, and
the charafier given ofhim, jointly w ithNUMtnw s Qp a ;DRA
'
r us in the eleventheplflzle of this boolt. T he w ordsther e ar e, rm: made tanpm
'
bm rig/Ir is , fid Iirn'ir ipfir ama
pmdo f launt»: sulf a“
pr ofits”, coryiantia j b lva, decom lia
h'
tm, or Latiauan, m vir ilir , am W e}, magnum in
x m'
am, j udia‘
wm e quals T hathe [Qy nna a'
r u s ] w ouldbe an ornamentnotonly.to this age, but to the {late of
i f letter s in all times : his pr obity w as amaz ing, his con
fiancy nnquefiioned, his manner s w ere.genteel, his Ian'
e true Latin, his voicemanly,his memory tenac ious ,9‘ is wit great, his judgement not infer ior .
”T he w ords
here are, ipfifindiqfiu, literaru‘r, etiam diff r tur pur r-
{mph}
; itate, éamita’
te°
uw ais , firm: gr avitate He ha great
application, hter ature, and even eloquence 5 he had thefimplic iz
of a child, the agreeablenefs of ,youth, and thefedatene of; age.
”Ther e is a r emarkable conc ifencfi in
the idiom of the Latin lang e,‘that conveys a great
fir engthof ex preflion in very ew w ords 3 of whichthisquotation is
‘
an elegantex amme . ButF u s'
cvs Sa u NA'
r oa
is one of the many, among PL I NY’S fr iends , whore names
are notex tant in any other author , He is again mentioned
the tenthbook.
“5 J ad e ? [mm inc/011°
: j ap a n (peg, F u s cpm Sau na r onam,U Num nrvu w anna
-
r u st,gr og
-ism: par .
E P I S T L E XXVI].
P L I N Y to S e vn n v s .
OU defire me, as you are conful elect, to con
fider in whatmanner you ought to fr ame yourof the em ror ,
ntof it, di cult.
Howe
74 P L I N Y’
S E P I S T L E S.
bomDou r'r r a rt, thatan emperor , far inferior inhumamry
'
to T RAJAN, mull have appeared beautiful in theirBut it is impofi ble to agree w ithPu wv, wher e he ys ,omni bar , or]? not n it/aria",ml lam «M om
'
s ab imd .
I notonly abfiained from buteven avoid everyappearance of it.
” itfelf, almofi from thebeginning to the end, is an ex ception againfi this averment:ther e is a firain of adulation, that r uns thr oughout thewhole ; and althoughmany parts of itare
‘
ufil applicableto thatex cellentpr ince, to whom it w as addre yettheafl'ertion, in this epifile, convinces us , thatPu uv, like
mofi other0
authho
‘
r s , i
;am pw pfl judg
fell)
:his c i
ty:works . r ps , repetition o ttery,flatterer himgl
e
f
r
atlafi'y
es, thathe fpeaks truth.T he Latin of this e
'
e is far from being el t,or
eafy. .The {tile is laboured, and the whole letter eems to
have been w r itten under a conitraint; of whichPar NY apfenfible, thathe r efers his more particular , and
E P I S T L E XXVIII .
P Lv to P o n r r vs .
of the reafon, why I did notarr ival in Comm . But
firing meotherwife,
'
I was under apprehenlions . that I mighthave incur red your difpleafure againft myfelf andthem. F or the future, ualefa you w ill put fomebounds to futhex cefi, I mutt. And I have alreadydeclared to your domefiic s , thatif ever hereafter theylhould ofi
'
cr to me futha profufe table, I was teiblved to acceptof nothing. You will lay I oughttoufe whatever is your property, as if itwere m own.
r ue 5
yo P L I N'
Y’
s"
E P I S T L E S.
E P I S T L E XXIX.
P t r n v to a n R A'
r u s‘.
Vw ru s QJIET US, whohad an ex treme affectionme, and (to my no leis fafis fa& ion,) ap
d7of my behaviour , ufed to mention, among
otherpr ecepts of,
T HRA SEA, (w ithwhom hew as intimate y acquainted) this particular max im K:
That caufes , either of friends ,“
of the ,poor , or of
to be u ndertaken.
”
Here no ex planatio'
n
Why of the poor ? Becaul'
e in ruchCirboththe integr ity and thehumanity ofar e moltconfpicuous thofe of annatur e ? Becaufe it 18
good ‘
or a bad p recedent is citadifibrcnt infiances I w ill add, poi
:
fibly out of ambition, [uchcaufcs , as are eminent,and illufir ious in themfclves . F or , itis juftfom
'
e
times .
1
to plead for the fake of and re ut
,Then the ,
caufe belon s to the himle f.As youhave conf tedme u occafion, thefe
are the bounds , whichI have inted out, for your
dignity,and your modcfiy. gm do'
I forget,,cufiom not only is , but is acknow l
‘
ed to be thebell mafier in the art of fpcaking. or , I oblbrve
‘
many, who, mean capacities , and no learning,have from practice only, ar rived to a oodmanner of
leading. Butby ex perience, I find e truth,of that
(Paying, of whichEm ma ,
is the r eputed author ; Byp leading well, I obtained greatpractice ; by eat
rafticc I was difablcd from pleading as w‘
as
fore.”Becaufe, by too continual a confianc
”
in
the famemanner of (peaking wehabituate ourfe yes
i The nephew of (hunts -r u m . See book 7f ep. 24.
80 PL I N Y’
S E P I S T L E S.
r ation is certainly r ight. {he words ,
Cb
in
ththe
'
ir c
acceptation, and the o r er , in whi ar e
difi cult to
[lie r econciled to fcnfe. Dagmar , m iscrm tab: tam pen'
ndc acmflr o: celebr ar e, cumLetitia via/i r anu ex mi: pendent, a
?“a dilz
'
gmtié ctcar d bi: bilater , i/i‘t'
e
ficw i Im us . Atfirfl: lat w e imagine natal “runs , to fig
s
nify your birth- da e tranflations have encmll
yr un
in that channel. uthow the celebration o a bin - daycould give PLI NY fecur ity abroad, althoughitmightmakehim happy and chearful at home, is impoflible to devife.If we read farther, and confider the occafion of this letter ,'
w e find it totally r elative to a houfe in Can-peak , the 40a
,Cqmilb
'
ana , wher e F A BA '
r u s w as born. ought to hohour the place of your nativity, ,
fa PLINY, as I honourow n.
” The houfe feems to ve been in (0 ruinous
a condition, at the time when PLI NY. w rote this epifile,that it w as nothabitable w ithany de of fecur ity. He
refolves ther efore to applyhimfelf, w i care and dili'
cc, towards“
refitting it nor could he eal'
yenhappy'
atme, tillhe was certain, that thevilla 04) ;i was per ;
feétly ,
repaired. And he Rays in Campanile for'that parti
c ular purpofe
The epifile is evidently in anfwer to a l etter from F A
BA'
r vs , defir ing PL INY to infpeétinto the condition of thism nfion houfe and to procur e for him a fieward, or over
overloolthis lands, and regulate his d iamin (Jamaica.
The word ag’
u embar rafl'cs the (entence Jami: or milk mullbe underflood.
E P I S T L E XXXI .
P L tN Y to C onu n u a u u s .
TH E emperorhaving fummoned me to council,
0
at Cmtum ella , (that is the name of the place)I enj oyed there the hi heft fatis faé
'
tiori. F or whatcould be more agrecab e, than to behold the julticc,mqefty, . and
_
afi'
ability of our : imperial .matter , eventn
B 0 O K VIt
in his retirement, where thefe qualifications becomemore conf icuous Caufes of different kinds were
and)
in fuchvar ious fhapes , as were fuflieientto rove the virtues of the judge .
taunw s Ants '
r o, a man of
the p efiam, pleaded in his
generofity of his temper , hehad gained, w ithouttheleafl: iniquity, the afi
‘
efifion of .
cived fatis faétion.
of GALI T T A , accufed of
was mar r ied to a militarywho w as then in purfuit of otherflprefer 4
ments : {he had fiained her own honour , and the honour of her bulband, by a c r iminal conver fation w itha
‘centur ion. The bulband w rote an accountof itto
the confular legate, the confular legate to Cares s a .
T he emperor having hear d, and confider ed all theevidence, broke the centur ion,
‘
and even banifhedhim.
T wowere involved in the cr ime, one of whom as yet
remained unpuniihed butthe hufband, fill] in lovew ithhis w ife, r etarded her profccution, not w ithoutfome reflections on his patience. He retained her inhis houfe, after the accufation was exhibited againfi:
her for adultery as if the removal of his r ival madehim per feétly cafy. He was fummoncd to finifhthecharge, whichhe did, againfi
‘his w ill :'
buteven in
fpite of the accufer , it w as necefl'ary {he fhould becondemned .
_P
She was found guilty, and {entenced to
the punifhment infliéted by the Julian law . Cas s AR
added to the fentence, boththe name of the centu- n
an accotmtof the milita ry difcipline ; leftitmightbe imagined, he referved the ,power of all fucktr ials tohi felf.
«Thethirdday another caufewas introduced, whichhad engaged muchdifcourfe, and occafioned a var ietyVOL. 11. F of
8!
82 P L I NY’
S - E P' I S T L E S .
of r’
3concerning the codicils of Jan u s T YRO‘
partof'
Whichwas allowed to be real, and other partswer e charged . to have been forged . Sam' s om u s
S s u ac ro, a Roman knighty and EURY'
T HMU s , thefreedman of Cas s i a , and
o
'
an officer of his houfhold,were accufed of this crime . WhenC ae s a r. was in
himfelf he undertook it. Upon his return, he a
intedc a day for thehear ing ; and when fume ofeir s w ould have quitted the profecution, in refpeét,as it were, to EURY T HMU S, the emperor made thisadmirable anfwer ; Neither is he - POLYCLn'
r u s , nor
am I Nz ao.
”Yet, - at their defire, he indulged
them w ithan adjour nment: when the time was clapfed, he fatdowntohear the caufe . T wo of the heir sonly peared : they infifted, thatall the heir s thooidbe ob iged to pr ofecute, fince they had all
commenced the a€tion, or , that they alfo m
to quit the profccution. Cm s a a {pokedignity, and temper . And when the ad
vocate of Sm ac xo and Evavr nmu s infii’ced theywe re
a IC‘
d”
Then, agr eeable 00°
theadmitted to the . council, the empenotice fhould be given to the heir s
to profecute their caulk or thateachof them {houldanighhis reafons otherw ife that heWould pronounce them as calumni
You fee inhow honour able and wei hty afi'
ai
were paft; to whichfucoeeded e moltagree
amufemcnts . We were admitted every day to
flipper 5
84 P L I N Y’
s TE P I S T L E S.
O B S ERVA T I O N s
By the fir ftex pr efiion in this letter , macaw: in confiliam a
CE SAR! nqflr a, I w as fummoned to counfel by our imper ial mallet,
”itis evident, that the emperor had no cer
tain number fix ed and appointed as his pr ivy counc il ; hefummoned only fuchper fons , as he thoughtproper .T he equity and firmnefs of T RAJA N
’S difpofition are
amply fpec ified in this epiflle, particular ly in the cafe of
GA LI T T A , whofe a dultery the emperor could by no
'
means
be prevailed upon to pardon, althoughthe bafe fubmiilion of
her bulband had fethim the ex ample. JUL I E legit parm'
s
r elifla g/I She w as punilhed accordin to the Julian law .
In all probability the w as banifhed. e punifhments lnfiiéled by the Julian law w ere var ious ; butas AUGU S T U S
banifhed his daughter and grand- daughter , whofe names
w er e JULI A, for adultery, it ma be fuppofed, that GA
L l T T A underw entthe fame punilhment.JULI ! T YRON l s codicilli, quot ex pa r te w r os
ex pa r t:faI/i dicebantur T he codicils of JUwhichpartly appeared to be true, and partly falfe . By
this ex pr eflion T YRO mufi have made feveral codic ils , ,part
of whichw ere faid to be r eal, and other s w ere fufpeéted to
be forged. T he Romans , in making their codic ils , ti red
lofs folemnity, and ex aétnefs , than in making their teliaments . T he codic ils ther efor e w ere more liable to forgerE
.
EU RY T HMU s CE SARJ S liber tas ct pr ocur ator
RY T HMU S , the fr eedrnan of CE S AR, and his procurator .T he pr ocur ator her e ftgnifies the per fon, who took upon
him'
the charge . and‘
care of his mafier’
s affair s , particular lyhis r evenue. T RAJAN w as in Dacia at the time, whenEURY T HMUS w as fupp
’
ofed tohave committed this cr ime,whichanfw er s the definition of the pr ocur ator , given by an
old author , pr ocur ator efl, qm'
negotiumgr
atis fufi‘ipit
T he procurator is the .per fon, who under es the bu mcfsof one, who is abfent. T he emperor
's behaviour upon
this occafion is ex tr emely br i ht. He is muchmoved by theapprehenfion of being fufpeged as too
'
partial tow ards hisfr eedman . He difavow s the practice of former emperor s ,
and in a very r emarkable anfw er , points out the diflimilitude between himfelf and NERO, and between EURY T H
n u s
B O O K VI .“
theO
lafi tpkensas
Of hofgitabla afi'
céiioa .
of d the ear
all (by ; be bad [his pofieflions inbfiance of his iches] unto ISA AC ,
he unto thefin: Of:the r ancubiner, w id) ABRAHAM In d,Ana amm gave “and ti) em
the eafiern magm cence, A s unn
mentions this3 5 5
R
departed from‘
ALc rnous towards Itbaca.
Of Ax e r e’
s ° tram,Three chofm maids .attendhimto themamT his {lees a tunic and white veil convey ;A var ious cafketthatof r ichallay
d
When T BLBMA CHU S leaves the court ofMeneLA u s ,he 13 loaded w ithprefents . And w e find in Vmc u fome
pathetical lihes , in E NEAS and his train ane moltbountifullyfupplied
m
witi'idl
tfts , by Ha nuvs and Am moMA c r-l a ‘ Suchw een i e new hof the Themodems have noton] aholilhed, but r evealed this cuRom .
By the efiablifhed tu of our ageandnation, ailaiepartingguefis are obliged to leavey refents , and to purchafe at an
ex cdliive dear r ate, theenterta mentand attendance, whichthey r ece ive in the houl
'
es Jitheir nmfi intimate, and af
kfi ionat’
e fr iends .
j’illa pukber r inta eingitur wir idi s agr is T his
“char rmng villa 1s fur r ounded by elightful
gfields . T he
‘
villa Centumrellar flood upon the fame fpot, wher e Ciuita
placed. Imminet liter i, ruj ur in f nu quammax imu: par ties , mint ampbitbeatr um
h It l s pr ominent
Geneiis , ch. m . i sb Eilber , ch. 11. i . 1 8.
The w ife of ALC INOU S . Pop e’
s Odyfll B. 1 3 . i . 8 1 .
OdyE R 1 5 .
‘ E neid. Li .b3 In the t4rhepifile of book the fifth, Pu mr has this ex pref
fion, x eniirfimper abfiinui . The x enia ther e fignify fees or prefents from c lients to their lawyer s .
I have her e followed the edition of PL I NY , b Canta aw s ,
as it 18 eeable to the defcr iption of this harbour y RU T I L I U S .
The reaghg in the edition, by Lo s oomU s , runs thus , imminetdilar i, ay
’
ur infinufitcumma x im) par ties .over
158 P L I N'
Y’
s E P I S T L E S .
.a
OVel‘ the (bore, in be feen a very noble
P°f fa fFCf¢l b1ing T he partur T r aui is to be feen in a commodious har
the (bor e of Tu (any: It is defcr ibed inthe itine- r ary
‘
of RU T I L IU S an'
the defcr iption cor r efponds V3 17aéilyw iththis epifile. T he lines ar e thefe :
T o Centunu-
ella w iththe w ind w e fieer ,T he fhipping finds a fr iendly harbhur thereThe w aves an amphitheatr e difplay,And a form
’d iflandhides the nar row w a
Two fow’
r s ar ife, two difP’
r ent chafms divide,A
’fl'onding eacha pathon either ftde’T is notenough, thatdocks ar e ther e
‘
aliign’d,
Leftthe unfafe fhipping feel the w and’
r ing w ind.
Butthe mild bay condufi ed, while itgoes5‘ Up to thehoufes , as invited, flow s ,f‘ A
'
nd midftfur rounding w aves no br eez e annoyingknow s .
”
D
3 CLAUD1U s NUMANT I ANU S GALLU S RU '
r r Ltu s lived in thebe
'
nuing of the fifthcentury. He w as a man of gr eatlearning,
an of confider able Ration inRome. He compofed an itiner ar in
ver fe, eonfili ing of two books , one of whichonly r emains eu
tire, partof the fecond is lofi.
E P I S T LE
B 0"
0 K VI .
T Ami ?ds . file film cor ruptionmayvery pofi bly have hapépened in the editions of PLINY.
E r 1 s T LE x x x m.
P L I N Y to V o c o a s R om a u u s .
WA fays VULCAN, your w or k: began;
er you ar e at
or reading, command all
11 am at liberty to vie With'
ac count of the dignity of ,
of the caufe , and the imThis lady, of noble birth,
her a - mother , whom, in the folly of love,- efpouf in the eightieth ar ofhis age,
fined for.
her father ’s efi'
edts , be ore the centumvir i.
hundred and eightyany ar e appointed
wi re many advocates on bothfades ; even the feats ofd, es a very numerous
and confufed cir cle of people, fur roundi the wholeitis fo fpac ious . Thetn unal itfelf
w as thronged . Men and women we re leaning overthe galleries , as itw as ez fy to fit: whatpaliitd,thoughit was difficult to hear from thathighpartof thec ount. Gr eat was the ex pectation , not only of father s and daughter s , but alfo of fiep
- mother s . Var,
r iety Of evens enfiaed. F or in two of the courts weprevailed, in the other tw o we were cait.Such
'
an afi’
air is ex tremely amaz ing and
able, Thatfogreata diverfityof judgements ihould
91
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S .
mpgchance, in the fame caufe, tr ied before
the ame judges , pleaded by the fame advocates , andat one and
.
the fame time. But this cannot appear
the effectof chance.
The Rep- mother w as call . A fix th art of her
hufband’
s efi'
eél s had‘ beeni
devifed to her gy his Will .Su s r am u s w as cal
’t. He had been difinhe
'
r ited byhisfather ; and by a fingular piece of impudence, al
thoughhe'
dar ed n'
otto claim his ow n father ’s effects ,had utin retenfions to
’
the efi'
eéts ofhis father - in - law .
I ve et thefe particular s before you, firfiz, thatmy letter may inform you of what you
'
w ill notfind
i n the or ation : and again (for I w ill difcover myarts ) that you may read
“
the fpeechs w ithmore attention althoughperhaps you w ill leem rather to be
prefcntatthe very tr ial itfelf, than only to read an
account ,of. it: nor {hall I defpair , that this or ation,
althoughlong, {hall procure your favour , as muchasif it w ere lhorter . F or , it is often made to appearnew b the greatvar iety of facts , and the nice diftinctionozthem , by fever al little digr eflions , and b dif
fer entkinds of eloquence . Many parts of it(I ould
notdare to advance the afi'
ertion butonly to yourfelf)are f ublime ; many ar e controverfial ; many very art
ful. F or , in the midltof the moltcontentious , and
elevated parts of my pleading, I w as under a need
fity of making up accounts, and almoftof calling for
a table, and counter s , for thatparticular urpofe. So
thatof a fudden, the centumvir al tr ibunal w as tur n,
ed into the form of a pr ivate countin -houfe 3. I
gave w ings tomy indignation, to my ry, and to
my gr ief and in (0 ex tended a caufe, I w as borne
aw ay, as itw ere, througha val’tfea, by a multipli.
city of w inds . In a w ord, fom'
e of my intimate comv
panions ar e pleafed to think (I mufl:again advance it)3 Wher e domefiic accounts were fettled by counter s , [take/f,
l ittle flintfiones] between the matter of a pr ivate family, and hi sfieward.
P L IN Y’
s E P I S T L E S .
ing of T ru aw s , rays , Ne: pan-
um togm'
tionibu: fi riaru ,j udiciir adj idcbat in com a tr ibunalis , nopr c torm am di dr
pdlcr et Not content w ithaflifiifii
in the fenate, heconfiantl attended the courts of ice, fitting in one
corner o the tr ibunal, thathe mig tnotdr ive the prtetorout of the curule chair .
” V 1 T nuvrus gives us the ex
aétfine and form of a tr ibunal in the palace of AUGU ST US.T r ibunal g/i i71 ea e ds bemiq rcliofibematis mimr is trim aran
formatum ej ur autem bemicydii ia f r ame gflinter oa llum pederquadr aginta fax , intr orfam curvatur e:pa ler guindecim, uti qui
apudmagyir arur/ia rmt, negotianm in Baj ilica am impedirm i ,
quad ipj b a gnatiom auge/iiflimam videryr , a in arms fi r
mam, qua? emicirmlominor g/i‘
, cum ad diametr umm per tin
gar, ”dam n By this defcr iption, the (pace, to contain
uchperfons , who w er e in confiant attendance upon thepa stor , o r were called near him upon bufmefs , w as fifteen
feetin the depth, and fortyfix feet in the frontof the curve :and this fpace w e find was amfly filled at the tr ial betw eenVARIOLA, andher flop- mother .Dunbar coa/iliis wicimm, toridem vifli[warts We car
r ied our point, by the opinion of tw o courts , and, in our
turn, w e wer e cafi b the fame number .”If
fentence is to be confi ued literally, that the advocates forVa nrota pr evailed tw ice, and w ere tw ice defeated, theconfequence would be, that ther e w as no dec ifion : but
the determination of the fu-ir is pointed outbyPu m r
felf, who tells us , oifla eflW m,via“ Su s anm us u It
is very difi cultto ex plain this partof the epiftle. T he ex
preflion may poflibly fignify, that many points w ere ih
lifted upon in behalf of Ac c ra VARIOLA , fame of whichw ere granted, and other s denied : good non sofaswhichdid not appear to me, fay: PLINY, the efi
'
eétof
chance, butofThe cafe of Sm anmvs feems very ex traordinary. Un
der what pretence, or by what law couldhe lay claim to thecitate of his mother ’s fecond hufband ? We can only {up
pofe, thatthe old man, in the doating fondnefs of his new
w ife, had been prevailed upon to lign fome deed in favour
of her fon, b whichhe difinher ited his own daughtera lady, who by this epifile, and by the (econd epiltle of
the firfi book, appear s to have been of mofi diftinguiihedworthand dignity.
. T a c r r r Annal. Lib. 3 . cap. 75 . Vr 'r tw vr r Lib. c. cap. 1 .
E P I S T L E
B O O K VI .
E P I S T L E XXXIV.
P L I N Y to MA X I MU S .
OU acted r ight in promifing an entertainmentof gladiator s to my clients the Vermonfis they
have long loved, admired, and honoured you : yourwife, whofe perfon was fo dear , and whofe conductw as fo engaging to you, was a native of thatcountry:and toher memory, fome public work, or f
cfpecially one of this kind, as it is molt
a funer al. Befides , fmce the r equeil was
on by focha general voice, your refufal
appear ed rather ill - natured, than deliberate .
It is muchto your honour to have ted it in fo
eafy, and fo generous a manner . or , by thefe initances
,the magnificence of your mind is made evi
dent. I w ilh, that the panther s from Afr ica, of
but although“theythemer it is
fame -and as be acknowledgedfince it did no thatthe entertainmentwas not Adieu.
OB S E R VA T I O N S .
m w exhibitedibyM. indD. Ban -r ue, w thememoryM emfithenf This barbarous cufi'
om afterwards became
men . only, till’ j m w s CE SAR, who never omitted any
W ?of entertaining the populace, a public
9 tutors, attended With a magnificent
fd , upon deathof his daughter JULIA . This was thefirfi time, according to Sue
'r om us a, thatthofe obfequies
O VideStn '
r os n Jot-m tCI OAR. cap. 3 6.
were
95
B O O K VII. ~
temptmadetowards difeoveting the family, charaaer , or fia'
tion of the three performnamed. We have only one epiljie from PL I NY to Rns
'
r r'
r u'
r vs 5 the feventeenthof thefix th
’
book: n or ar e ther e any. c ir cumfiances in it, bywhichw e may conclude this letter w r itten to the fame per fon.
T here are no traces , I believe, of GEMINI U S . W e ofin'
dm u s (hu m us mentioned by T n c r
'
r vs a s an‘
“liner of verygreate x per ience in w ar . He quelled a damus infur refi ion ,
in P enna , raifed by Au l cm'
u s1‘againfi
as pa s u mo ; and by that conguefi w as one of the chief
means , to fettle VESPAS I AN in the empire. But it is mofi
probable, that this letter is w r itten to Duosmew s GEMtoNU S, who w as one of the confide:fuf efli in the fourthyearof Ni ne : At leafi: in all PLINY S e if’tles to GEMI NU S,whichare fi x in
‘
number , ther e is not c l ean}hint, by whicll
.came into the placedeeds w er e dated 1)wer e fr equenti di
placed either by refigna or death an thetwo ofi cer s , who w er e chol
'
en to fucceed them, w er e call
canfi derflfi é‘
h’
. Thus on the ‘
firfi of yuly, in the eighthun~‘
dr ed and n inthyear of Rome, Ducnumu s Ga r/ta rs u s andPomp s w s Pa tnn ws w ere appointed oonfuls , in the
gm of Nano CLA UDI U S Cms nn, and L. CALPURNw s
1 3 0.
Hifioriar qm,
T gtc r'r r, lib. 3 . cap. 48 .
Hehad been aflave, and afterwards a fieedman to Panam a
{ L- the lafi king of Pos t e r , a nd taking - advantage of the civilbetw een V r 'r nLs .and .V- EU ABI AN, endeavoured by the
fence of arms , to r efcue his country f rom being a province 40Rum, and to refiore itagain to a kingdom.
E P I S T L E II .
P L I N Y to F A B I U S J.u s r
'
u s .
T the fame time thatyou tell me, you defire to
fine) you likewife affirm, thatyou arehindered . by aG 2 multiplicity
100 P L I N Y’
s E -P I‘
S T L E S .
multiplicity of bufinefs . How can fuchcontradié'
ti
b us agree P I w ill therefore letthe fummer pafs : yourcontinual employments , atthat fearon, leave you feldom at reit; and nex t w inter , when it is probable
your nights may be free to your felf, I w ill fear ch,among .my tr ifling performances , for fuch, as may be
moltproper for your per ufal. In the mean time, it
flic ient, if my letter s are not troublefome but
they are, and therefore they {hall be ibort. Adieu.
O B S E R VA T I O N S .
It is difiicult to imagine, what w ere‘
the occupation s ,
whichemployed‘
F A B IU S Jus T U s in the fummer feafon, foas to r ender his w inter nights the fcenes of his gr eater leifur e. And it is equally difficult to know , who Ju s
'
tu s
w as . T w o letter s only are ex tanttohim . T he formeris w r itten upon as tr ifling, uninterefiing a fubjeét as thisepifile.
Book 1 . ep . x i.
E P I S T L E III .
P L I N Y to P R E S E N S .
T ILL ar e you r efolved to fiay (ometimes in La
a mz’
a, fometimes in Campania .9 You anfwer me,
I w as born in Lucam'
a ,.my w ife in Campama . The
r eafon is allow able for a very long, butnotfor a per
petual abfence . Wher efor e then w ill you notfome
times r eturn to Rome the only place, wher e you can
ex peétan honourable employment, and fr iendfhips ofeve kind . How longw ill you r eign in the countryMu you always w ake, and alw ays flee atthe hour s
you pleafe A re you never to be out0? an undr efs
Is your drefs for the public to remain ufelefs Muft
your whole day be pafi'
ed in eafy fr eedom It is hightime for you to r evifitus amidftour moleftations , ifthere was no other reafon, than thatonly your plea
furcs
P L IN Y’
s E P I S T LE S.‘
The cake? bu t}were appropr iated to fenator s andof eminence ; fa
"thatPLI NY , by this hint, feems to
Are you never tocome to the fenate - houfe T hereis notthe leua’ occafion for the w or d lunati to be introducedin a familiar letter . T he lunati cal m
'
w ere fo called fromthe clafps (belonging to the (hoes ,) thatw er e made in
‘
the{Rape of a half moon s Some author s are of opinion, thatthis figu r e r efembling a Roman C, fignified one hundr ed;intimating the ex a& n umber of the or iginal fenator s . But
perhaps the quefiion in gener al may be only relative to drefe,and PLINY m
imean no mor e, than whatis frequently (aid
among us , e you always to live in a night- gown andflipper sToga fm
'
ata .9 This inter rogatory relates alfo to drefs , and
is the farm , as if PLI NY had faid, Ar e you never to returnf‘ to Rome .
9 ”T he fever al kinds of the Roman toga 'I w er e
differ ent. T he fiz e of the gow n w as according to ther iches of the per fon, who wor e it. T he moitweal R0mam had gow ns of the largefi and of the finefi fort. al
luhou to which, HORACE fays ,
gueat
And cloaths , tho’
coatfe, to keep me from the cold
As I’ll ins u re lived confiantly either in Campania, or Lapgania, he had no occafion for an habit of parade. But at
Ram , no man appeared in pub ic w ithoutthe raga,ther efor e called, mflr’s fi rm/is , ahabitfitto appear in,
‘
and adapted for the m y».
Liber tutu: die: or as fome fcholiafl's determine, libl rrm : die: 9’ In eachof thefe readings the w or ds w ill beat:differ ent interpretations . They r efer either to fr eedom, or
books ; and may be r ender ed, Is y‘
Our book to employyour whole day or , as Team mofi conformable to the
teufe '
and tur n of the epifhle, Is your whole day to he_a
{bene of uninter r upted liberty ?”
A quotation . fromT ufiz if
'
,“Wher e the w ord lihr is made ufe of adjetftivelf,
Q‘
T lie ghw'
a"
was the mark of diltinétion of the Rm fi omthe Greek , who '
wor e a metric, and were called pa liz’
mi as“
them , froin ih
'
eir gowns , were {w ean ed rega l ia9 F a rme r s .
3 0 0 3 ; Villa.
“3 0953 16, appeats tohave been the rulingMoa of Plu t
s eus , entices . our s anctity. to enquire. intohis charafier .QAT AR43m , in. a note uponthe name, gives us this information : Hic a rnxtmPea s ants mm cum : pa ea
Aur ouw ua.Pnu os omaus {upstream gm
‘
am
no fit? filo, eui deface}: impr ratait, ma r inad e j unThi s . Bantw a Panam a was afterwards of lb
55 great author ity, that the emperor AN'
r oum u s Pu r l -0s bptw s mar r iedhis fun Con s tantia, whofuccmdedhim
“a in the empire, to the daughter of PRE SENS .” I appr et
head the com muter is mittalten in his afl'erfion. It isimprobable in pointof time. This entitlew r itten (and w e w ill fuppofe the lateflaura) in the r eign ofT RAJAN . F rom the deathof T RA j AN to the deathofMA Rc u s AUREL I U S, furnamed Au r oum u s PH ILOSOPHUSis a fpace of about fix ty four year s How youn therefore mufl:a s w s have been atthe time, when thi s letterwas addrefl'ed tohim ? Certainly too youngtohave r enounced the plenfur es of Rome, for the t uility of Lucam
'
a,
or Carnpania. COMMODUS, the eighteen emperor of Rome,w as the (on ofMARCUS Aua atru s AN '
r om uu s PH I LO
s or r-m e, by the famous emprefs F au s'
rm a . He was“
mar r ied about a year befor e his father died. His w ife’
s
nann waa r s A ; but I dare afiirm fhe . w as not thedaughter of a s nu s , to whom this letter is addr eflbd.She might be the daughter of Bnu
'n u s Pa nts uits , who
T ou r de fin. s . cap. to.5 Editio Loueotu . p. 48 1 .
"MARCV S Au s atm e affirmed the name of Au'r ou rnu s , from
his father - in law and adopter , Aur ounw s Pius . As he was an
eminentStoic philofopher , he wa s difiinguilhed by the farm of
I nn os r a u s .
Annu m reigned near twenty two year s . AN'
r oumu s Pw s
r eigned near twenty three year s . M. Anr onmu s Pa xtos or nu sr eigned nineteen year s .
so;
104 P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S .
was conful at the time, when Au r om vs Pn rtos or nus
died. How ever , Mr . ECHARD tells 1 us , I know notfromauthor ity, thatBRNT IU S VA
'
B‘
BNB, a ntti‘
mof oenfifihr dignity, w as father of Cnl s pm n . It is the height
?
ofimprobability to imagine, thatPLI NY w as cor relbonding
‘
fir
the r eign of T RAJAN, w itha per fon, who, inthe reignasCommoDU s , enjoyed the confuhhip ; or who, whenyoung,lived by choice in privac and f retirement, and, iwhen eta;chofe an employment 0 the greatefi dignity, and trouble:
T he commentator s ought to be mor e car eful and
thattend to fettle hiflaor ical facts , and to fatis fy. fome
degree of cur iofity. PRE SEN 3 , the fr iend of our anther ,m ight pollibly be the grandfather of CRI S P INA b utherfather , or atlealther mother , muflhave been too young tobe mentioned by Ptmv, even in the latefi partof his life.Comvronu s w as fcar ce ci hteen ear s old, when he w asmar r ied ahis w ife mofi a ur edly ore fome degr ee
portion to her hufband’s age . DION informs us , {he w asput to deathby her hufband COMMODU S , after havingbeen banifhed for adulter
y, to the ifland of Capr ea . COM
Monu s himfelf was gui ty of every vice, that can be
named.
3 Ec na an’
s Roman Hillary, Vol . 3 . p. 3 36 .
E P I S T L E IV.
P L I N Y to P O N T I U S .
O U fay youhave read my verfes and you re
Y quir e from me an accountof whatfirftinducedme to w r ite verfes who am, as I appear to you, a
m an of a grave difpofition, and who am, as I confefsmyfelf, far from an
‘
idler .
I w as never aver fe'
(for I w ill begin atmy ear lieftfcenes of life) to poetry : atfourteen year s old I w rotea Gr eek tr agedy. You afk, Whatkind of a tr agedy ?-I know not only itwas called a tr agedy. Return
ing from the army foon afterwards , . I was detained bycontr ary w inds inthe ifland of I car ia ; there ,
I com
pofed Latin elegies , upon the inand,
itfelf, and tihe3 3
B O O K’
VII”
.
c aufe information,M‘
T m sm feptlcbrm cm fi'
tragi
m .Iq iaw r . Non tam gmd tr adrmttrdgwdiam“me dia wrgfiiorm We r ead, thatatT n as nus
’
s burying place,
if the tragedians contended in their r ecitals notthatthetradition is true, that tragedy is older than comedy,
"
T he fame author fays , Qm'
cam pr imur deder it, baud ita pr ocamper”habetur atis my?“”lid , 4 T HE3 P I pom? f aflamaitidiar em ho fir ft invented it, is a faétnotfo w ell
afeertained : It is evident enough, that it w as cultivatedand improved b the poetT HBBP I S, All author s agr ee,
according toMr . YMER thattragedy, in the beginn ing,was a r eligious war
-(hip. Theflm 'ious cr itics ,whohavew r ittenvery copioufly upon this fubjeét, have.
{till left us undetermined, as to the ab
‘
folute or iginal of the drama. T he Gr ec ian
tragedies ; thatremain to us , appear very differ entfrom thofe,whichareacceptable to our later ages . T hey r ather feemframed to {tr ike hor ror , and infpir e fear , than to advance
them ason, benefit, and delightof mankind.
’
T he defini iow of tragedy, by Sc a nroz a , r uns thus Ibritatioperafliou s {liq/Ir is firm , tr im irgfllici, amtime gravi ma r ia
nfi; T he imitation of aaions in highlife, the catafirophefi‘ of whichi s unhappy, and the langua of the charaéteufupported in fialemnmeafur e.
”It is om this definition
perhaps , that our modern w r iter s Of tragedyhave r un into
mus n
gnfenf
izigfnc
;eve
f
luri
nglof
t
r
jfijiculous bom
gafi‘
.
ne t e ves a'
olu o ed to repr ent
ti‘minces upon the»fiage 3 arid the? infer , that fuel!
ted being: ongat not m talk like ordinary men. Thuby endeavour ing to make their heroes think and [peak abovethe common level of the ir ow n fpec ies ; the royal conver fa
tion is compofed of rants , thatcontain neither fenfe, meaning, nor amufement. And as the w ords ar e fir iétly pinion
ed w ithin the bounds of a certain meafure, the fentimentsof the molt -
powerful monar chin the wor ld appear onlylike m dnefs , confined in the limits of a cage. I amnotcertain thatpr inces qu iz, or think better than other man.
Butallow ing the fup‘
pofltion to be tr ue, I believe the w r itersof tr agedy have feldom opportunities of khow in theirmanner s , or charat‘l ers fufi c iently, to draw either e one
Or the other in any degree of perfhétion. If aGreektra0
.
SCALI C. P0666 . lib. I . cap. 5 . 143m,W e 60c SeeRr un
’
s then view of tragedy.
toy
roS P L I N Y’
s E P I ' S- T L E S .
y, in the days of PLINY, was fucha compofition, as to
calil mode led by a youthof fourteen year s old, thelofs of ucha piece is not in the lcail to be r egretted :Andit is to be w ilhed, that this epiftle had per iihed atthe fame
E P I S T L E V .
P L I N Y to C A L P U R N I A .
H E eagerneis of m defire to fee y ou is in
c redible. Love is the fir ltfpr ing of it. Thenex t arifes from our having been fo feldom fe
‘
par ated .
‘
F or thefe r eafons , I pafs a greatpartof the nightinthinking of you . In the day too, at thofe hour s ,when , I ufed to fee you, my feetcar ry me fpontaneoufly, in the ltr iéteitfenfe of the ex preil ion, to your
apartment, from whence I conf’tantly r eturn as muchout of humour , and dejeéted, as if I had been tefufed admittance into your chamber . There is onepart of the day only, thataffords relief to my mifery I mean the articular time, ,
when I am employed
in pleading caufds for my fr iends . Judge what a
kind of life mine mull be, when labour is my r eft,an
él when perplex ity and cares ar e my comfort.
,A ieu.
O B S E R V A T I O N S .
In this epifile appear s not only the ex c ellive fondnefs ofPLI NY to CALPURNI A , but the r egular ity and ex aétnefs
of his domefiic life. Certainhour s in every day, qra'
bus bar f:
t: vi/Z'r e
cfalebam, hour s in whichhe w as accufiomed to
vifit A LP URN I A ,
”w er e ex empted from public bufi.
nefs , and dedicated to the conver fation of CA LP URN I A in
her apartment. T he .epifile gives a captivating idea of themar r ied Rate. Every line glow s w iththe w armthof con
'
n
love. Amidftall the fior es of antiquity, and of epifloary Wr itin s , the delicacy, tendernefs , and ele ance of thisletter , m thine in a very highdegr ee. T ere are ex
B O O K VIL,
who were alfo his coheir s , of poifoning their mafier ,forginghis w ill. She brought the caufe before
the and obtained JULIU S Sz nvr s uvs ford efended the accufed in avery greatat}the ennfe was become very notorious ;there were, on bothhdr s , perfons of
were tortured 1;
mour of the aceufed. The m other afterwards ad
d refi d -the «emper or , and afiirmed lhehad found new
p roofs S znvm'nvs was commanded to r eheat fill:
c aufe, althoughalready determ ined, if the broTfiew matter . Jur w s A ntenna s , andfon of n
for mother , andwas heard out, Pa s s rm ws Ca mpus (and,
hthis n o:
ru nn ers , to fiifi'
er m e »to
when all“
had"
looked upon.me ae read to anfwer a long time, faid, I w ould
wered , ifA r nroanvs had added thatsonc44 w ord, which, II 1doubt not, w ould have contained
-nll -
'
that'
was new .
”1 cannotmcolleét,
°
that '
I ever
bypleading, as'
I’
then,gaiaea
ow , my filenee for Va u nit!
3 13 5 Im plied p f, and- Ponw nnus delir ed, left
irnprefs upon me fta’
ih renewi ng my fol
lidtude for my fr iend. F arewell.
O B S ERo
1 1 2 P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L’E S
"
O B S E R V A T I ON S .
T he affair related by PL I NY in this epifile is introduced'
tohis fr iendMa ck m u s , as a very unufual and r emarkable
jtnnfaéi ion. T he Bitbyniam‘
w ere fuppofed tohavedroppedthe profecution of their complaint againfi VARBNUS, and
to that urpofe had fentthe lo te of their p rovince to ac
quaintt e emperor , the mini of hate, [pr incipes vir us]and the advocates of VA RENUS, w iththeir r efo
Notw ithflanding this folemn a& of the Bitbyniqm, MAG,»
bur s , (orMa c ro s , the editor s differ inhis name who hadbeen
‘
the firfi, and mail: violent profecutor of ARBNU s ,
fled in car r ying on the caufe to a final determina
ronm u s ,i by the perpetual and teafing application
.
‘
ofMAGNU S, w as prevailed upon' to demand of the conful's ,
UtVA'
RBNU S exhiber a afliamr cogen t-tr T hatVARBNUs5“ {hauld ibew caufe, why the
[profecution fhould not be
car r ied on .
” ‘
T he ‘
chief que ion ther efore feems to be ,whether the Bitbym
'
am had fo deferted their accufatibn, thatVARBNU S could not be profecuted upon the motion rev
hew ed by MAGNUS or whether , notw ithftanding theirl ate r efolution, they w ere {till atliberty to pur fue their former
New tr ials muft be attended w ithvery pernic ious ecafe
quences , netonly in capital, but'
in all cafes . No i nnocentcan be fafe, where {ucha cuftom is introduced. T he
practic e is not agreeable to the law s of En and.
ever found place among the Romans itcould on y have prey aihd 'under the tyranny
‘
of thofe emperor s , who tr ainpledupon law ,
°
ufi ice, and all c ivil r ights . Butitappear s, that
this partic debate dur ing the r eign of RAJANwho certainl w ould not allow fuchiniquitous pr ecedentsto be eltabl
'
Cd;
POLY E M!3 can a: acmfatr'
enis b ysae, m cognitioni .
‘
E SAR I s pr ej udicial”:fa ir .of this fentence ma be thus ex plained15:
POLYE NUS, the legate of . the Barby-aim s , informed the
t The accufation of Va n r uu s w as fubfequent to the trial of
Ja n u s Ba s s u s , who, by the 9thepifile of the 4thbook, aphave been tr ied at the latter end of N s nva
’
s r eign, or
the r eign of T l A j AN. See the z othepiille of the sth
fenato
1 14. P L IN Y’
s E RRS T L E S .
trial, and the other by a compolition, you w illto enjoy a little leifuoe; w ithWhichwhenyou
fatiated, youw ill retur n as us . Adieu.
O BSER V A T I ON S .
This fbort and amicable addrhfi to SAT URN i ifi I s oughtnottohave ded, buttoHave follow ed the epifile, whi ch
uentto it. Pi nt? here tells‘
SAT Ua fecoiid time ob
'
eyed his command;Er tox ins? Pn l s c o rte/fr o, ctf ur/it: quid itn /fi, r atzas
{i Yelterda I delivered your thank s to F R i s c ii andain to- day{have repeated them ”
. This fe’v'
eiithletteris sfiinly in confeq ixence of theeighth, arid therefor e lhouldnothave been placed before it.
E P I S T L E mm
P s r n r t E k A'r r vs P a r s o n
'
s ;
Y pleafure is loex reQible, in finding our fr iendMSA '
w t NU s w ting in the lettbr after letter ,to return you ~
his beltthanks . Go .on as you havebegun, and e
'
fieeni To ex éefléht a man w ithom theleaft referve. You w
whichhillof his
m g many
0 B S E -RVA T I ON'
S'
.
F ive letter s are ex tantfromPu nvtoPnr s éus .are Wid thf‘ies
of thethe ci hthof
nineteenthepifi le of this b’
o’
o is all?)In all five ar e evidentmarks of draft
5
Pu ur , E: a:M ac:
B O O K VII ."
g o.maria ; liber ties dam You are 2117 deli ra rt tspoblige me 5 I am always defirous to obliged byon .
”
ERA T IUS Pa l ac e s , to whom this epiitle is addr efléd.Was the gr eatei’e c ivilian of his time. He
.was in l'
o hifat/our w ithT RAJAN, and his courtier s , thatih loo
upon him as worthy of fuceeflion to the empire. Pu n‘i r
had outlived his imper ial mafier , Incha .fiwoefiohmightbpbly. have takenp lace. ADR
'
I A I , althoughmar l mted to T RA JA N, had notgained the emperor
’s a
'
on,.
He was adopted by PLOT I NA , when perhaps her dyinghuiband, whore illhei
'
s favour edher artifice, wouldhave pee;fer red Nana '
r w s Pru s cos , as his fuc‘
ceii’
or .
a Vide epilt. 1 3 . 1ib. z‘
E P I s T L E I X ,
F e s c u s r rfi
U s
your undies ;
m
“8 P L IN'
Y’S E P I 3 T L E S.
’
hufinefs in the for um, and the taufes -
atthe 'haw : I n
fuchfortof ver fes w e find aifa the fame -ufefulnefs ,a in all other poetry : w e take pleafur e in the f reedom of a profe oration, as foon as we are loofed from
,
the chains of metre . Compar ifon ihew s us , whichisthe eafieflt, and there we w r ite w iththenefs . I have now fent you mor e particular s than
but there is fiill ‘
one point, whichII have nottold you whatbooks you
ought to r ead, althoughperhaps I relied mymeaning, by telling you what you on
- to wr ite .
You w ill remember to chufe the beltauthor s of everykind . The faying runs ,
tfif e jbould r ead muck, not
m y books . Who. thofe author s are, is a point too
well known, and too uniVerf‘
ally}a proved, to need
any partic ular defcription :
‘
Andbefidhs , Ied out my letter 0 irnmoderately, that while I am
perfuading you in whatmanner to findy, I am break
mg in uponyour time of ftudying. How ever , refume
your table- books , and either w r ite upon the fubjeéts ,
whichI have mentioned, or continue the particular
O B S E RV A T I O N S .
If PLINY had not inter r upted his precepts by a very inver fes , this letter had contained afer ies of as
antpime sfpfulnefs of
Li za P L I N Y’
s E'
P I S T'
L E S .
fix th'
book. In'
this letter F u s cu s is fiudying the m of
eloquence 5 in thate pifile he appear s tohave attained it.
E P I 8 T L E X .
PLI N Y to MA CR I N U S .
S I“
am alw ays impatientto know the conclufionof an affair"
,when the nar rative has been inter .
tu ted in the beginning ; I mufi: imagine you defirous9 hearing the event concer ning VARENU S, and theBithynians . Potvmnus pleaded
for Va u rw s , and
MAGNUS for the Bithymans . When the (peacheswere finifhed, Neitber pa rty, fays CE SAR, [ball com.
I w ill take car e to be informed of tbee province. In the mean time Vann
eatgainer . F orhow doubtfulmull:itbe, whether e w as juftly accufed, fince it is uh
certain, whether he w as accufed or not? What re,mains is to know , if the provincials are now pleafedto profecute the point, which, it is laid, they con- t
doomed ; or if they r epent of their former r epent
ance. Adieu.
O B S E R VA T I O N S .
Thisi
letter contains as final a conclufion of the affair r e.
lating to VARBNU S , as w e can lear n fr om any of PLI NY’
sepil
’des . We here fee the cqnfequence of thedecree, mentioned in the fix thepiftle of this book. T he
e find, camebefor e theemperor for his determination .
file point in queflion w as , whether the Bithyniansad not deferted their or iginal accufation
? T he advocates , who pleaded in p r efen
'
ce of theMa c nu s ‘
and‘
Pov emj s . T he formeaébu
'
lbdVa nw vs , and {till perflfied in thatlatter,
”
earn»”
the author ity'
velted'
in him
P L I N‘
Y’
s“E P I S T L E S.
to us 3 butiiill itis a matter , in whichthe law has notbeen fumc iently ex plicit nor have inflances of this kind
t‘ been often enoughput into pr aéiice. They are undohbg.t‘ gdlyjufi .
”The
“inflice indeed of[ucha proceeding is very
wifible ; for itwo d be in vain to give a man the liberty ofdefendin himfelf, and yet to deny him the means of provia his efence.
In the fifthepiitle of the fir thbook, c m rus Nz r os , afcnator ; in an abrupt and impr oper manner , endeavour s todraw the late determination into debate. His fpeeChoccafions gr eatheat:muchanimofity appear s betw eenNBPos andthe pre tor JUBnNT rU s Cn s us ; butfromhence nocan,c lufion is formed.
In the thirteenthepillio of the fix thhook, the Bithyniansappeal from the judgementof the fenate to the emperor .d b ills adfenatim rm i the emperor fends thanback tos ‘ the fenate,
”who iii adher e, Ac ru us RUFU S, and fe
ven or ci htfenator s ex cepted, to their former opinion, infavour o Va nn u s .
In the fix thepii’tle of this book
tir ed, or aihamed of the profecto difmifs the canfo. Per at
em s . Neverthelefs F ONT E IU S AGNU S, the chief profocntor of VaRENU s , oppofes the difmiflion, and evaiupon Ntoam u s , [optimum oir um a good natur e
to demand from the confuls , that Ani mus ,ihonid ve
reafons , whyhis profecution ihonld notbe car r iedon. Thedifpute is r efer r ed to
f
t
u
be
In the pr efent epi e the emperor declar es , n hear lnthe arguments ofMa ouu s and POLYE NUS,thathe miknow the true intentions of the Bithynians from themfclvea.As no farther notice is taken of thi s caufe, we mayflung, that a nnvs r eceived no more tr ouble, eitherfr omMa onus , or the Bithynians .
T he feven ! epiiiles r eiatingutoVa a s nu s , oughttohave
been placed to and to ve fucceeded immediatelytou
se ninthep
'
of the fourthbook, r elating to Jou s ta s s e s .
E P I S T L E
r y , .
P L I N’
Y’
s E P I S, T L E S .
fee how firongly I am obliged to r atify an aft, inwhich my freedman has followed m own fenti
ments . It remains, that my coheir s ould not be
difpleafed, thatI fold, Withouttheir concur rence, anefiate, of whichthe
'
They are nor
for theyhave nottheMLLI A . thereforevantage.
reit. F ar ewell.
O B S E R VAT I ON S.
"
T his : epifi'le is man
'
in ani'
w er to a letter receivedfrom F a nn ‘
r us , in which bad ex prefl'
ed ~a furpr iz e, . not
haps .w ithout fome degree of . anger, that certain lands0 b ngin to f u rl ? had been fold byHanmx s atan underr ate. Ti e manner , in whichPLINY juilifies his freedman,and eitpreil
'
es his r egard for CORELLI A , fhew s the'
fentiments of his heart to have been far fuper ior to any pr ivateadvantage. His generoiity appear s in fo many var ious lightsthroughouthis epiitles , thatnota line mor e need be added
trpnn'
that fub°
e& . His gener al motto w as the concludingfentenee to ABAT US, P ro utilitatc alibi fair amidtia2‘ Fr iendibip, inmy mind, feems preferable to inter efi.
”
It is pla in from this epiltle, thatthe land was left amongcoheir s , and by the w ords , pr o
‘
mea guinamre, that fivetw‘
elfths bf‘
the at, . the whole inheritance, w ere left toas folicitous -to ex cufe himfielf to hisF A RM -
u s : it is more than pofliblejom him entirely in their manner of
E P . I ;S T LE x 11. .
.P L I N Y toMr n r c r u s ,
H E little boolt ia .c
B O O K VII .
ofa very old obfervation, That a man differ s more fromW , thanfrom all the r efi of mankind.
B P I S T L E XIV.
P L I N Y to C o lu m n H r s r o'
L L A .
OU 3 61: indeed molthonoutably in defir ing‘,and earnefily pu lling me, to acce t your pay
s
the fields , notatthe r ate of ven hundred(haufind felter ces , for whichyou agreed w ithmyheedmm, butatthe r ate of nine hundred thoufandfefierces accordi to the ur chafe ou made, of
part, roamthe armets o the revenuemwflfi m aMa mfihp fi yw n m
rt, whichyen are noch am to fultain.
of inimd, Whichhas everifie
’
, in other w as , to obey you,
O B S E RVA T I O N S.
The turn of this epifile is elegtnt ; the generofity of it
admirable 5 and the language, in the or iginal , particular ]
polite. It is moltimproper lyfeparzted om the eleventh
epiflle of thi s Book, by whio ive find, A BA T US had ex
prefl'
ed teat fur pr iz e, thatPLI NY {hould have fufl'
er ed an
eflhe '
ttflk fold at an under value. a a'r u s ,
'
in all’prd
hability, fufpefied fame oollufion between HERME S,afi
907,3 1.e 5 : butthe d iameter of Coun t.“ is c léarod up
1' See'
th'
e r iiii epilile and the note where the fella -
cc!ar e r e
alrdéd into EhF unn els Béé lheflbférfilfi’
onsz .
eT hem an pmm hm and Gill i a n appear s by the
g'
d ep. of bookgo:Shewas daughter oi H rs r uu a i nd Com te
w eEu r o s . kl». ep. 1 1 Pi xux pw er mentitfi'
l s hertwiththe tunnel!mason.
1 28 P L I NY’
s E P I S T L E S.
titely by this epifile ; and them to us of adifpolitidfiequally generous w ithPLI N
‘
Y hi
Quanti a publicanis pa r tem vice/imam emifi i T hetiethpart pur chafed by
‘
you‘
from the publicans .”T he
publicans w er e oflicer s of the r evenue at Rome . T heyw ere employed to receive the public money, -
and to therin the tax es , whichwer e impofed upon the people. heyare fpoken of by T ULLY in thehighefi terms ; and
‘
fented as tbc fiaw er of tbe Roman bu‘ibeM eat
city, and'
tbc fuppar tof the camm'
onwm b T h?bear a vary
differ ent charaéter in the New T efiament . an are :alw ays
put upon a level w iththe har lot, theheathen, and the finner . The Jew s , who called theml
'
elves a free people; heldthefe commiflioner s in the utmofi abhor r ence. T he publicans in the provincespow er and fortune intheir feveral difir ifls buttheir depties w er e of low ex traétion, and through indigence; or
n avety, w ere guilty of (uchoppreflivc violations , as to
tender their name and entdetachable : fo -thatT HRocn l
'
r u s . being alked, Wt hwas the molt cruel of A llbeafls , r eplied, Among the beefis of the w ilder nefs , thebear and the lion amon
publican and the parafite.”
m ofdim continetx r . Grou ps-
a Cit. PLANCIO.
E P I 8 T L E XV.
P L I N Y to P OMP'
E w s'
S A 'i' tf RN r NU s .
enquire how I pafs my time ? Itis dc
to my duty in the manner youI am employed in little lérvice
'
s for myI ftudy fometimes . I dare notfay my life would bebetter , but certainly itwould be happ
ier , if my flu-
g'
es w er e my confiant and only pm oymcnts .I ihould be muchgrieved to fin you continually
en in a manner, to'
whichyour ind lnations areab lutely aver fe, were not thofe engagements highl
fy
haircut-
able. F or certainly, tomanage the greatf
a
air s
B O O K VII.
imbloyhem in theRate. A‘
ctifio'
rhir iq byAUG‘
OO
r u s , and continued bymceeeding princes .
In ”Eartha W omb! j ar : pr a ceflit T he tiibune‘
thn'p“w as nllotmd to him, by the r ighth
’
e h'
ad in ha chi!dr cn .
”PLINY had no children . Cnm s
'
r nm s n o,who was a parent, had a right
“
to preeede bim in the tribune‘
ihip'
by the Pappian law . T he particular s‘
of this law -huhbeen e lfewher‘e very ful eitplained
Ego illum in pr aetur a um conficutur , cum mibi CE SAR; aili
r mn r emifij d I fucceeded T YRO as praetor , the empe
petor nothaving infdted upon mynot adequate to the legal time forfiracy.f
’
By the eleventhepiftle of the thknow , thatFL I NY w as appointed pr aetor in the fame yearwhen the
, philofopher s wer e banilhed Rome, in the thirty,year of his age, and the thirt
'
eehthof Do'
MI 'r IA N’s
Whoever was eleéted pr ai bor , oughtwhich infiitution gives
the words , anuum r amififi t, in a different
manner from the literal confiruétion, beéaufe PLINY want
ed eight year s of the fitfi d ent age.3 ? p51“vindifi a liber ar e, qua: pr ox ime infer amicos ma
'
numi
,
a If you are willing to give entire fr eedom tomofe,‘
fillb'
m you have already manumitted befor e fome of your1‘ fiiénds . T his (entence {hew s the difference hemfile viz difla, and theM y p f manumifiion
q sfl'
es , who w ere to
kand “pm i o e 0 J
Avoids, bum: bamz'
nem Izber am e c 71010 It 18 my Wlll, thatif
‘
man becomes fre e.
” hus w as the Sam : ex empted‘ft‘dt
'
n thehardfhips and puniihments offlavery, butnotplacedin
‘
a'
fiate of entire liberty Iibor vr at, fid non in Iiber tatt.'
Hi§ abfo‘
lute freedom.
was in confequence of the vindifla, in.which‘thc manmmzfio was included. F or , as in the fir ft
a, five fr iends only need be pr efent5 in the fecond, thee w ords w er e to be pronounced before a m te if
m'
.Rdme, befor e a praetor 5 if outof Rome, b or e a pro
dutiful. When the mailer had madehis declaration, theflair, bf pr oconful, holding a certain w and in his hand,
In - the obfervationa uponthe 7thep. of the 2dbook. And
‘
again in the chin . upon ep. 1 5th0 thnphbook.
I s whet
1 3 1
P L IN Y’
s E P I -S T L E S.
called vindifla, and at the fame time l'aifinghi s[in te Iiber um mor eQuir itium I
‘deelar e you a fi x man,
9‘according to the cuftom of the Romans .
”T hefe are
the chief points relating to the vindifla, or manner of publicly granting all the privileges of freedom to aflave. FABA T U s , we find, intended this honour and indulgence to
the thirty fecond epifile ofw e are told, he put thofe intentions into ex ecu
E P I S T L E XVII .
P L I N Y to N o - s C E L E R .
VERY manhas his reafons for rehear iing.
chief inducement is to receive
points , as may, and w ill certainly, fome
notice . I am ther efor e much
is (0 far from being oftentatious , that it is confined
abfolutel
yeto truthand fmcer ity Or why,
mouldtr agedy read
,to
.
a pr ivate audience, when neithertherecues nor the actor s can be introduced Or why
infiead of being read, fhouldthe lyre ? But it ma be . an
of fuchpieces are e blilhed“
into a cuftom. Was he then to blame, who intromethod of reading fpeeches
is praEtifed bothby'
the Greeks and Romans .
.
T o
this it may be r eplied, that it is needleis to"
rehearfea"
fpeechafter it has been fpoken . T rue if u
immediately r ehear fe it, w ithout the leafi: alteratrbn,fame per fons . But, if you make fever al infizr
tions and alterations ,"
if your'
audience -be not theC,
P L I N_
Y’
s EPI S'
EL E S .
when one of his iarimate fr iends difi'
u'.
of his works ,
advice of his fr iends . 50 great
Whether he was in or in the w rong, is
my enquiry. F or , my method is notto afi'
em
blc the whole populace, but a certain {electnumber ,whom I rever ence, in whom I have a confidence,
whom I honour , and of whom I fiand in awe, whenthey are feparate , or together . The fentirnenrs of
T ULLY concerning the pen in my mind, feem ap
plicable to the dread of (peaking in public : F ear is
1170fli r ty} cr itic in tbe w or ld. The fear of r ehearfmgcor rects our rehear fals the fear of enter ing into a.
Siblic afi
'
cmbly improves us . Our pale looks , our‘
adful thoughts , our timorous circumfpeétion, ar e.
all fo many emendations . I cannotther efore r epentof a cufiom, of whichI have found the advantage 3
nor can the trifling objeétions of thefe caviller s deter
me from entr eating you to add, if poflible,method, thatmay render my w r itings {till more perfeft, My endeavour s , in this
, particular , ar e never
to be fatisfied . The great haz ard of fending anycomPolition into the wor ld is confiantly in my.
qhou ts 5 am“am fully per fuadbd, that any work,
whi you are defirous ma pleafe univerfally, and.
may live for ever , oughtto revifed very frequent.
ly, and by a great number of fr iends , F ar ewell.
O B S E R VA T I O N S .
In this epifile Pam ? Rates all the objefi ions , thatcan bemade, againft rehearfals of fpeeches to a feleél audience .
He attempts to anlwer thofe objefifions and in his m fw era,
S See d e ohfervu ions on this epiflk .
B O O K VII .
he mentions many particular s , thatmufi prove ufeful and advantageous to anther s , and orator s of every age. He r epre
fents fear and r efpeét, in a light, thatmay pr omote and err
courage eloquence and he praftifes delicacy and cor r ectnefsto a degree, that ou ht to be imitated, and thatcannotbetoo muchadmir ed. ow ards the latter end of the epifile healludes to a {entence in T U LLY , Nam quadM. Cr c z no dc
fi ilo, ego de metafintio which, w ithoutex planation, appear sa little obfcur e. T he literal tranflation is , WhatCICEROfays of the pen, I think applicable to fear . T he w ords
of T ULLY ar e, Stilur g/I optima: er pr efi antifimus dicmdi effeflor , atqae magi/fer T he pen is the befi, and the mofl:
e x cellent mailer , and diretflor of elocution .
”I fcarce
need tell you, CH A RLES, thatthe book, from Whence thisapophthegm is taken, w as w r itten b T U LLY , atthe r equefiof his brother QU I NT U S, who difeed from him in his opinion concerning eloquence. MARCUS (l UtN '
r U s alledges ,that natur al abilities , w ithfome ex per ience, ar e fuflic ienttomake a conipleat or ator . MA RCU S T U Ls notonly re
quir es abilities in an or ator , butan entir e know ledge of allthe liber al arts and fciences . T he dif ute is maintained inthe w ay of dialogue . T he opinion of ARCU
‘
S 0 0 1110 isdefended by L. CR A s s vs the opinion of Qp IN T U s , byM. AN T H ONY b
. T he fentiments , whichPLINY thinks apcable to fear , ar e deliver ed by Cn n s s u s , to this pus
-
pole.
Speeches ought not only to be pr emeditated, but to be
w r itten A method, whichis (0 labor ious , thatfew peo
ple pr aétife it. OUR PENS ARE OUR BEST MAT ERS IN ELOQUENCE. T he orator , who ex er c ifeahimfelf in a confiantpr aéi ice of w r iting dow n his thoughtsand arguments , w ill, if r equired, fpeak immediately w ithgr eatcafe, and w ithoutthe tr ouble of pr emeditation
Cr e s no do Orator e, lib. 1 . c ap. 3 3 .
l
b GOT T A, Svm r r u r s , and other s , are introduced into the diapO ue .g
in i/ii s ipfis ex tr cita tianihr , eat/i w ile efi, d iam/346123
fat) : diter e, tamer: illud utiliw ,[m ptoflatio ad cogi randam, par atiw , a rgue a ccur a tz
'
ur dz'
cer e. Ca at a utem eff, and (atw er e dia m)M u df atim r {a}? m in magm
'
bar is , guem p er i uefugimtl r ) quainplumb er}: j cr z
'
éer e . S ‘TILUS OP‘THWUS . ET P E STANTISSSI
MUS DICENDI EF F ECTOR, ACMdGIS‘TER a rgue ify'
ur ia .
Namfificbitam erfi r tuiram or atiamm commmtatioCfl' cogita riaf ad /5wimit; ban: ip/Zmpr ofifleaf rdaa a c d iligew fi r iprar a fuper aéit.
Ptmv,
l 3 5
P L INY’
s E P I S T L E S .
PLw Y, by the ex pr eliion, WM 99 emmdator afper r imur ,’
F ear is a c r itic of greatfever ity,”feems to efiabliihfuck
a r ule in favour of r ever ential aw e due to a public audience,that a true or ator oughteither to be naturally modea
'
, or to
E P I S T L E XVIII.
P L I N Y to C A N I N I U S R U F U S .
OU afk me, in whatmanner the money, whichyou havegi
ren tomy fellow citiz ens for an an
nual feen'
, may fecured to them after your death3Your enquiry is noble. The anfwer to itis difficult.Will you give the whole fum to the comrrmnity In
that cafe, it is in being fquandered . Willbelonging to the ublic
Indeed I can find no meth more
atwhichI urfued m felf.
I had promifed five bu d tho and fefler cesfor the maintenance of perfons of bothfex es , whow er e bor n fi'
ee I conveyed to the treafur er of the
public r evenue a articular partofmy efiate ofmuchgreater value. e reconveyed the fame e
'
f’cate to me,
refe in an annual rentof thirty thoufand fefier cesBy 1116nmeans the fimd is fecur ed to the community,to whom the profitar if from the land is r e
and the land itfel as it is of fo muchhighervalue than the rent referved, w ill alw ays find a pro
convinced, that by this method I have loftfirmethingmore than I appear tohave befiowed, finccthe necel
'
fity of paying the referved r entmufi diminifhthe value ,
of fo fair an cfiate . But the benefitof the
public is tobe prefer red to pr ivate interefi and gifts ,
0 Equal to 4036 1. 9 1 . 2 1 .
“b In q lz‘
m ata ingem rm , ingm aa'
gac. See the obfervations .Equal to 3 ; 94.
P L I N 'Y’
S E -P I S -T L E S .
is of fomuchhigher a value, than the r entr efer eed, willnever w ant a propr ietor .
”This fentence r equir es fome
ex planation. T he meaning .of it feems to be, T hat, ifPLI NY , or any fimi re
’
pT'
Oprietor of the cftate {hould havean inc lination to fell thefe lands , he could not fail of a pur
chafer , finc e the certain income w as annually muchmor e,than the r entreferved to the community. T o illufir ate thisinter pr etation, if w e fuppofe the r ent roll of.
four hundr ed pounds a year , as the income appropr iated to
the ingenui w as only abouttwo hundr ed andm inder , of above one hundr edhufw er able to all inc idents and outgox whichoc cafionsPu t”! to obferve, immediate afterw a
’
is:3 , thathe fhouldbe a lofer in the fale of an e ate, the greater partof whichw as devoted to a certain and indifputable r ent
while the leli'
er partwas left liable to events and of
every kind.
P I S T L E‘
XIX .
P L I N Y to N E R A T I U S F a i s e u s .
AMex tremely concer ned at the illnefs of F ANm a occafioned by her attendance (whichw as
untary, afte rw ards at the command of thehighpr iefts ) upon JUN IA VI RGIN I A her r elation . If
the veftal virgins , by ex cefs of illhealth, ar e obliged
to quitthe temple of their goddefs , they ar e plac ed
in the care and cufiody of matrons . While FANN IAwas per formin her duty in that charaéter , the con(metedher pr entdangerous indifpofition . She hasa continued fever , her cou henc r eafes , the is verymuchemaciated, and has requent fits of faintingbutfiill preferves a gr eatneis of foul, and a vivacityof fpir it,.thatmightbecome herhulband HELvrnw s ,
and her father T HRASEA . All the r ei’t of her faculties
B O 0 K,VII .
he mentions many particular s , thatmuff prove ufeful and advantageous to anther s , and orator- s of every age. He r epte
fents fear and r efpeél, in a light, thatmay promote and en
courage eloquence and he pr ael ifes delicacy and cor r ectneisto a degree, that on ht to be im itated, and thatcannotbetoo muchadmir ed. ow ards the latter end of the epiftle healludes to a fentence in T U LLY , Nam quadM. Cr c s no dc
fi ilo, ego cle metafintio which, w ithoutex planation, appear sa little obfcur e. T he literal tranflation is , WhatCICEROfays of the pen , I think applicable to fear . T he w ords
of T U LLY ar e, Stilus gfloptima: atpr ag/Iantg'flimur dicerzdi ef
feflor , a rgue magi/fer T he pen is the heft, and the moltex cellent mailer , and diredlor of elocution.
”I fcarc e
need tell you, CHARLES, thatthe book, from whence thisapophthegm is taken, w as w r itten b T U LLY , atthe r equefiof his brother (LU I NT U S, who dil r ed fr om him in his opinion concerning eloquence. MARCUS n '
r u s alledges ,that natur al abilities , w ithfome ex per ience, ar e filflic ienttomake a compleat or ator . MARCU S T u ts notonly r e
quires abilities in an or ator , butan entir e know ledge of allthe liber al arts and. fc ienees . T he dif ute is maintained in
the w ay of dialogue. T he opinion of ARc u s Cx cnRo isdefended by L. CR A S SU S ; the Opinion of QJI N T U S, byM. ANTHONY b
. T he fentiments , whichPLINY thinks apecable to fear , ar e deliver ed by Ce a s s u s , to this pur pofe.Speeches ought not only to be pr emeditated, but to be
w r itten A method, whichis fo labor ious , thatfew peo
le pr aétife it. OUR PENS ARE OUR BEST MA - o
T ERS IN ELOQUENCE. T he orator , who ex er c ifeehimfelf in a coufiant pr actice of w r iting down his thoughw
5“ and arguments , w ill, if r equired, fpeak immediately w ithgr eatcafe, and w ithoutthe trouble of pr emeditation
Ci c r ao de Or ator e, lib. 1 . c ap. 3 3 .
lo
b Cor r a , Su r r r r ur s , and other s , ar e introduced into the diaue .é.Qgta rrr sh'
rm in z'
j r‘z'
r ip/z'
s ex r r r ita tiawibur , et/i atile efi, d iam/i ds? )
fat}: di r er e, tamer: illud utilim ,[camer a/patio ad cogx'
tamlum. pa r atiw , a rgue a r r a r a tiur dicer e. Ca at a utem elf,f
und (atw er e dicam)M udf a tim r (efi em
’
mmagm’
bor is , gum p er z'
uefugimur) quaintplus j cr z
'
éer e . S‘T ILUS OPTIMUS , E‘T P E STANTISSSI
MUS DICENDI EF F EC‘TOR, AC MAGIS‘TER a rgue iagjur ia .
Namfifitbz’
tam e!fi r tm'
tam or atiamm rommmta tio {9'
rogr'
tatiof a cileWincit; bane ipfampr oflfldafi dua a c d iiigm:fi r iptar a[upem bih
PLmv,
1 3 5
P'
L INY’
s E BI S T? L E S .
O B S ERV A T I ON S .
This epifile is oneof the man infiances of Fe
y’s z eal
chmenttohis fr iends . Ifhis recommen atory letter s
wer e all placed to ther , they w ould amountto a very large
number . Part 0 the charaeler of V ILrlr eR s , DUK E ofBuc rn c HaM,‘
as given by Logo CLARENDON, is ex ,
trcmd y a plicable to Pr im : His kindnefs and affection‘
fi
‘
, to “his ends
“
w ere”
fo'vehement, thmar r iages , for better , for w rfc .
”
only particular c ircum ance r elating to ConNEu usI ANu s, ,
is '
_
to be deduc ed fi‘
oni the ex tcflion, amas
r e g'
ia'
r m m, by whichhe appear s to ave been one
a re inert/Er, a,native of the Gune province w ith
m, for I can fcarce think itnature, has iniin
'
us facho
an unaccountable partiality to ther ies , in whic we w ere born, thatw e are not only fond bf
the (pot itfelf, but ar e more inclined to the perfons ,birthhappens in the fame dili r iél , than to an other fet of
people in the univerfe . Yetupon cool’
er mile'
ou, all thefe
prejudices ougittobe thrown alide,becaufe every w ife manw ould w ifhto appear a c itiz en of the wor ld.
E P I S T L E XXIII .
PL I N Y to F ai a T U S, bis wffi'
r gr anfiathr .
Rejoice lineeie 3 you ar e fa robult, as to beable tomeet r an atM alena”: 3
. But thatmay notbe in the leafl: impai red,
'I fi n
to irhpofe upon your age 16 greata fa
l Media/anus»(Milan) was built by the Gauls , in the year ofRm : 395 . The city i s molthighly ex tolled among theflame
of A'
u‘
s ou i ti s'
00min copra ”mm,
P L I N'
Y’
S E P I S T 'L E S .
vernOr . T owards the evening, while he was walkingin a portico, the fi r e of a woman fairer and larger
the human iz e prefented i elf. to him. He
w as muchfr ightene She faid, the was‘
A r nr c a ,who came to foretel him future events ; adding, thathe w as deftined
'
to go to Row , to enjoy‘highho
nour s ther e ; to return governor of the province, inwhichhe then refided ; and to die in that province.
All thefe fa& s were fulfilled . It is farther r eported,thatthe - fame figure methim u on the fhore of Caf
w as commg outo .a fhip. Itis certain,as he found himfelf ill,
hopes of recovery, althoughnone of
{pair ed of his life . The remembrance ofhis pafthonour s convinced him of his future end whichhe
approaching from his fbrmer profperity.
‘
how ,
’
if the‘
follow ing flory is notas wonder ful, and {till more ter r ible, than the former . I {hallrelate it in the manner , that I received it. Ther ew as atAthens a very large and fpacious houfe butof
evil r epor t, and fatal to the inhabitants .
of night, the clinking of iron, and, upon a clofer attention, the r attlin of chains was heard ; fir ft, ata greatdiftance, and erwards very near . A fpeétr e immediately appear ed, r e re
'
fenting an old man, emaciated,and fqualid, H is d lon his hai r ftar ipg boltsupon his legs ; up
on his han s chains whi chhe r attled, as he car r ie the in
160 P L I -N -Y’
s‘ E P I S T L E 8.
film ! enigma: inter- ir e, a rgue mania mar t: deler i
f‘ I cant
not agr ee. w iththofe, who have lately begu
1“that our fouls per ifhwithour bodies , and that deathdellroys
‘
all our faculties . Bold and uncommon affertions are too often r eceived w ithap ‘
laufe butan affertionof this kind takes aw ay
“
the mofl)
comfortable profpeel,thathuman nature is capable of enjoying. It encour agesthe molt impious pr aél ices , that can be devifed and it
impr ints an idea of the fupr eme Being, abfolute
‘ly repugnant
to the w ifdom, benignity, and goodnefs , that 0 viftbly dif
play themfelves throughoutthe w orks of the cr eation Itis
indeed impoflible to join w ithPLINY in the c redit, whichhe gives to fabulous accounts of ghofis ,appar itions . On the other hand, it is equally impofiible toconceive, thatour foul per ilhes entir ely, and after a feveretrial of threefcore, or fourfcore year s , moulder
’
s like our
body, into duff.lW e perceive in Ourfelves , and in all our
°
os , a natur al defir e of complete and perfeéthappineis rvery aétion ‘
of our lives tends to this ultimate end. Ourthoughts and faculties are conflantly employed to this particular purpofe. W e ex ertambition, w e pur fue r iches andhonour s , w e form fr iendfhips and alliances , alw ays w itha viewof pofl
'
efling one certain particular frtuation, whichex ill s onlyin our ow n thoughts , and cannotbe foundon this fide ofthe grave . But fmce none ,
of the ell'
ee'
ts,
of natur e ar e
formed in vain, and fmce all other beings , mankind ex
cepted, enjoy benefits , futlicient and fatis faétory to theirnatur al appetites it is far from a prefumption to believe,that the ALMIGHT Y cannothave implanted this natural
defire fo {trongly in all the fons of ADAM, w ithouthavingallotted a proper and agreeable fatis faE
’tion for it; Thatfa
tis faétion, we muftconfefs , is not attainable w ithin the limits of this wor ld. Our moitr eafonable inference then isto conclude, that itmay be appropr iated to
'
a future (late.
l T urn :4: m ia‘
tz'
a. cap. 3 .
E P I S T L E
té z F L IN Y’
s EP I S T'
L E S.
by our profeffed enemies . Suchfr iends are fuppofed to {peakfrom a know ledge of our er ror s
,and a pity of our infirmi
ties while our avow ed enemies ar e imagined to be influenced,in their cenfu res
,by pr ejudice or r evenge. The former {tab
us in the dark 5 the latter wound us openly eachfrom thefame inducement, a defir e of appear in fuperiour to us in
conductand underfianding. If the phil her lighted a candle at noon- day to find outan honeftman, I am afraid, hewould think muchmore lightnecelfary to find outa fr iend,as dilinterefled and fmcere as PLINY.
E P I S T L
‘
E XXIX .
P L I N Y to‘
C u a'
r'
r u s MO N T A N U S.
OU w ill laugh, and then you w ill be provokedthen again you will laugh, if you read a faét,
which, till you have read, you cannotbelieve.
Nata mile upon the T iburtine road (I obfervedxitzlatcly) is the monumentof Paw a s , thus infer ibed ;1m smu rfs , on a c couu fr or m s F IDELI TY AND
(DU T Y r o uts ma'
ra ous , DEGREE!) am PRAIT OR I AN
u natc s p r m s'
rm c'
r tou, AND F IVE MI LLION S o r S b
e‘
r u cas Ha cour aur z o am s atr WI T H T HE
nonoua s Omar .I own, I am never fo muchfurpr ifed gifts ,
whichate behaved by fortune, as atthe‘
fts , whichfire the e
‘
fi'
efi s of judgement. .
Butthis in cr i tion hasfmoltevidently lhewn me the r idicule and ab urdity ofhonour s . when thus thrown away upon mire and dirt.
IHonours.whichthis bafe villain had the impudence
gauze road to the city Tiber , fix reenmiles 24
m;3 ’ "Q"! M u fiuuc in $ 1t 403 tt r .f i '
OB S ER
B O O K VII.
O B S E R VA T r O N s
PALLA S was the freed of CtAtmw s CE SAK, who,fromthe time ofhis fucceflion to the enipire fulferedhimfelfto be governed entir ely by his w ives and favorites . Amongthe latter ,NA Rc r s s u s and PALLAS were particularly diltina
guifhed. T he r iches of Pa nea s , like his power ,Were unliom ited and amaz in they are fpoken of all theRomanhidfior ians . In the 1x thepifile of the eigh bookWe (hall finda farther accountof this infamous decree. T he r ife and occalion of it is mentioned by T AétT tI s , in the twelfthbookof his annals 5 .PL INY, in this epil
’tle, lheWs a particular w armthand ind
dignation. He even lofes himfelf in anger , and is heated ink
to a {train very diflimilar fromhis afnal politenefs . He themtions Pa u a s as the them of the earth; as a dunghill 05 3fpr ing [in bar (m um, in ba r[bf
-dos ]. andhe applies tohiman appellation, [ills/
un i er ]thatcon the utmofi fever ity.T he wordfur rg
'
fer igniés a (lave,mfor punifhmem offome bafe crime, particular ly theft, was obliged to
'
carrythroughthe city a fork or gallow s uponhis neck. F rom a
pallhge in Sua r omvs , this unilhnientof the gTae
an
tohave been one of the old Rbman itifiitlr'
titms'
.
'
hi
The freedomof this letter ve M arcel -aha the dateu!it. Itmutthave been w r itten the deathofDohtt'r u fl,either in the reign ofNnnva or d T RAJAN. Althoufi b
'
ythe eXprefiion [new alumna],wemightfitppofe,thatPe n
‘;
had nottill lately taben notioe of this monumtion ; yetas itwar plaoedwithin amile ofRoim,M ill 3M
I
éIe fucceeded Cau cu s . d id win the fifthemperorall 5 3 °
“
am - m m
B O O K .vn'
.
ex cellent, and is {tilluncommon for molt
only in a[file of complaint. Embrace this man, whois (I repeat it) moltdefirous of your fi
'iendfhip : takehim, nay invite him, and elteem him in fucha manner , as if you owed him for , iii
the duties of fr iendlhi the firfl: is notonly‘
to be obliged, butto rewarded.
:O B S E RV A T I O N S
T he i‘
til'
e of this e pifile, in the or iginal,"
differentfrom thatpur ityof language, whichwas
”
thebrh'
amehtof theAnguilan age. Itis burdened and entan edwithparenthefes .T he ideas are croudedand eonfufed. ar ious
'hints and cir
cumfiances break in u n the firfi defign, {he recom mda.
tion and char acter of La um u s POLLro. hi s fa me pofi -n
ble to inventa more embarrafl'
ed fentence, thanwhere a r,
{peakingof PoLLIo, fays , rdem(tram r ever ent”, guamfidd iteramicar taint, multor um[32
mm j udicit'
r, in bi:Mu'
s om l 3 4 3s I , gr a
‘w'
zmi civic, tr epater, mjm memor ia ls tam gr ate
pr zedz’
mtzom pr or dgatat (n a dir, at”br an! dc jvrta ejm (mamfi udia quoque,ficutalias ar m
“bond s , m ember l dt'
dcr it By.
the hitthoughts of mahy per fons , efpeci y ofMus eum :
BA s s u s ,‘
a c itiz en of worthand importance, u may bef ‘ induced to believe w ithWhat r efpeétand 6d ity he pr eferved his fr iendfhips . The memory of.Du n n w as fo
particular ] dear tohim; that he ublifhed a book of thelife of
,
U s omU s Ba s s u s , w illin as he is a lover ofletter s and all good arts ) to ex tend e e ofhis fr iend,by a grateful panegyr ic .
”
A s no compofitions ar e faultlefs , and as antiduity itfelf,how ever vener able, cannot{lamp per feétion the blemilhesand the beauties of every author oughtto be equally and
E P I S T L E XXXI -I .
P r. I N Y to F A B A T U S, bi:
tIsleafetl, thatthe ar r ival of my fr iend
T n o was agreiable
‘to you. ButI
4.
r68 P L I NwY’s
, E P I S T L E S .
all methods ,
eirc umftance is the {trongefi rtof cities . You
add, that you and I have bothfqharmhonour ed, upon
this hccafion,l w iththanks and praife. m s is anotherfubieétofJoy, butnot outof
pan ambitious pr inciple.
F or , as X euoeaou fwcet to hear the4“ found of raife ,
thatyoudc erve it.
OBS ERVA T I ON S .
F our letter s in this boo]; are ex tantto F A BA T U S TheM rs concerningfdme lands foldbyHERMES ,pf
‘Ptm v, to CORELLI A Hr s PULLA, atan underother three ihfurmus , thatCa te s r a rvs T r i o,
FAns tu s at
lieveraldome-v
the benignity Of’
F AB
by the ex ample, and atthe
The n th, the rem, them a dam344.
E P I s T L'
E: XXXIII.
P L I N
'
Y to C ox u p c l u s-T '
A C q T U s .
Forefee, he r am I deceiveli bythe of falfe
B O 0 K VIII.
E P I S T L E IL
P L r N Y to CA L V I S I U S.
OME people goto their efiates to gain moneyI go there to lofe it. to
c ertain mer chants , who hadit.
T o r emitto them in
fable in pnvate, as in public
as in great; in our own afl'air s , as in the affair s of other s . If
r ewards
to all, and to each articular n, an e’
thof the pr ice he w as
pto give.
Pe
Vl
l
lhfo
en I hadgnemI took afide fuchamongfi them, who had made thelarge& contracts . F or , as the chiefeftfervice to me, (0 was the moftcohfider able. Therefore,
gave a tenthpart of the fum above the ten thoufand,as an.additional remiflion to the e ighthpart, whichIhad already given in common, and, as itwere, a pub
afr aid Ihave
ample, if thehe re
ceived back the eighthof fifteen thoufand, and the0 Equal in Engliflr money to 801. up . 7 l .
Equal to UN I. r 3 . m i ni .
P L I N Y’
S'
E P I S T L E' S .
tenthof five thoufand more Befides , as fome of thecontr actor s had made larger pa ments , other s fmaller ,Other s none at all, I did not think itjufi that equalallow ances {hould be made to all, butonly in propor ~tion to the fever al fums they had advanced. Again
thofe, who“
had paid me, I remitted lI made every man roper
according to his mer it, and oblige him, by this actof agenerofity, notonly to deal withme for the fUture,butto make ready paym ents .
This equitable, or if you w ill, this eafy method Ofadjuiting matter s ,
has been a,confidetable lots tome :
butitwas well wethe whole country, boththeand the manner of i t, i s
as‘
they found, that itw as notby me,Tbe wit/ted and thep od w rr r beam ed bath4e
Ew e“;
O B S E'R VA T I O N 5 .
This epifile is byMonfieur Rou m , in hisJmimm, e infiances of
.
PLINY'S gr eat
itWill"
alwa 3 But
fo loudly'
y(elf, and the tune is lb ofiehrepeated, that itmull found
ha'
r ihand tedious town impartial ear . The farm Rorytold in a few w ords , w ithout the many minute c ircum s
3 3 116 6 8, that are inferted in this letter, would have captivared pofier ity
-in a
method, Wl‘l lChPL,
avar icious of fame,cio
'
us ofmoney : kt
The total of whichamounts to 1 9 1. 3 3 . 15 4. a}.Vide Hom ax Iliad. lib. x . i .
P L I N iY’s E P I S T L E S .
Ca libre, in general, proceed: either fromenvy, or vanity. Itwould w illingly focus the ofl’efi of a
nice judgemmt5 but rt is too. fre quently the offs pr ing of a
malicious r age . W e are not ther efore lcfs vain, butmoreartful, than our pr edecelior s . Our ends and deligns ar e thefame. We differ only in the method of fulfilling them .
PL INY .is certainly in an er ror , when he raifes the ex pectations of 3
t to an immoderate b
right. T his er ror
is r eadily confel'
fed by him, and yethe p ues it. An in
fiance,-
.that felfgloy e w ill make us w ade throughthe detpefiroads of abfurdity.
This’
is the fecond andhitletter to Su as us ; the full is thefilthepiltle of
‘
the fourthbook.
E P I S T D E W.
P L I N Y toGa u n tl e t R U F U S .
OU cannot do better , than in prepar ing mate’
s
r ials for the biliary of the Dacian w ar . Whatmore copious , more exalthoughall truth, more
of life. You w ill farther mention two
was
greatefl:difficulty,
it
?the barbarous and favage names , cf cially that
c the king himfelf, r un linoothl in reek verfe‘
.
Butdlerc is nothing. whichan and,
diligence w ill not
h P L I N’
Y’
s Ep l s 'f‘ L E s .
Aaion'
s .of this kind were fine mater ials for the fabr ic,Which Camm u s intended to w ife . Bill: above all, thecharafler of the em eror himfelf alforded a foundation, that,llke the walls of
£57, feemed to require cz lefiial hands tome.
E P I S T L E V.
P LWY to DU C E N N I U S GEMl N U S .
U R fr iend MAéRINU s has received a heavyO wound. Hehas loll his w ife A mofl:ex emplar y woman She wouldhave appeared fuch, even
among our anceftor s . He lived w ithher nine
thirty year s , Withoutthe leafl: eevifl'mefs , or difagreement. How {hall
'
we w ei
ghthe highregard the paid
her hufband, when the eferved the highell: regardhbffelf
‘
? How many, and how great ,virtues were
from differentages , and united in her perfon !its has indeed this folid comfort, thathe haslono in pofi
'
eflion of fucha blefiing. But
then, again rom thatvery caufe, fince he has now
loll her , his affliction fmufi {till be eater . F or the
gfief OF infing a benefitis encreaf byhaving oncebigoyed it. I am therefore in reat anx iety for fofl’ear a film ; until he (hall be alfie to admitof relax ,
ation to‘his pain, and healing medicines to fucha
wonnd : A circumi’tance, whichcan {car ce be afi
'
eéted,
but by of fubmiflion, lengthof tirne, and
OB S ERVA T I O N S .
T he Jail fentence of this epiftle, necgflitarImgd , at. aria s : debr is , is legtr emel. fine, and
mous . c find itoften quoted upon thefe me]
T he death.
of an afi'
eefim w ife is indeed a very deephadonceto repair
the
memory of,
f0 ex cellent a lady, fulferme to give you his thoughts of her in the followingverfes
If utefi virtue, fenfe rehn’d in and!Religious w ifdom, and a love math,A m ind, thatknew no thought ignoblym a.
A temper (w eedy cheerful,gferene
A br eafi , thatglow’d w ith e imnw rtal fires ,
Whichgodlike char ity alone infpiresIf thefe could lengthen face
’
s tr emendous dow n,
And fnarchone momentfrom the gapin tomb,Deathhad r elenti throw n his dart dc,AndHa nnto'
r , myHARnro'
r , had notdied.
E P I S T L E VI .
P L I N Y to
O U muft alreadyhavéter a
, that.I had lately takenlow ing particular infcr iption uponALLA S .
The fenate, on accountofhis fidelity, and dutytohis patrons , decr eedhim marks of diltin
'
c
tion, and five millions
himfelf w iththe honour only.
Afterwards I thought it worthmy arm to lookfor the decree itfelf. I have found it very ex tr a
ordinar y, and boundlefs , thatthemonumental infcr iption, proud as it is to thehighefi degree, feems modefi, and even humble.
Letour anceftor s afl'
emble, I w ill notfay the Afr ithe Acbaici, or the Nr mantim
'
, but thofe of a
nearer age, the .Mar iz’, the SylLe, the Pompeii, (for I.w ill go nohigher ) and let them join theirfeveral praifes they w ill {till fall Ihoflowed upon PALLA S . Shall I think, that the per
3 Book ep. 4 «See the obfervations upon thatcpifile.S.C. mm : W The
4.
M4 P L I NY’
S E P I S T L E S,
foils , wh’o cltablilhed lthis decr ee, w e ac
‘
tuated byafpir it of raillery, or of [lave I ould pronounce
itan actof mer r iment, w er e
l
liicha°
ocofe dif ofition
filitable to the fenatc of Rome. M I there ore cal lthem flavesn.
p But no man furely cambe fucha (lave,as to {too to thefe fervilities . Was itambition then,and the pir it of preferme
'
nt? But who could be fo
depr ived of reafon, as , at the ex pence of his own
honour, and the honour of the republic , to defir e
pr eferment‘
in a city, where the advantage of themoltfiouriihing fituation was only a gr eater abilityof
Ipaying adulation to PALLASomit, thatpr ator ianhonour : to
LA S , a flave' i '
beca.ufe they w ere'
ofi'
cr ed by flaves .I omit, thattheir opinion w as , that be jboald not om}loentr eated, but even compelled to w ear thegold r ings 5,
Rennie, if a Roman, of prmtor ian dignity, had worn‘
on‘
r ings , itwouldhave been agai nl’t the majefty of
the fenate. Thefe are tr ifles , and may pais unnoticed.
But be it r emembered, that in the name of P ALLA S ,nor fince thattime has the fenate - houfe been ex piar
ed) I fay, in tbe name of PALLA S , thefina le r etur nedthanks toCE SAR ,
’
thatbehad made bononr al le mention”
to them of bis fr eedman and loadgiven tbem tbepow er
of jbmoing their benevolentr egar ds to thatper/on. What
greater acquifition of glory could accr ue to the fenate,than that they had made evidenttheir utmoftgratitude to PALLAs
It is added,“
thatPALLA S, to whom all degr ee: ofpeople, according to tbeir fiver al abilities , mnj l eonfej }Mom/Elves obliged, ongbtto enjoy tbefr uits of bi t r emar kable integr ity, and lair no left r emarkable indafiry . You
would fr omhence be induced to believe, thathe had
ex tended the bounds of the empire, and had preferved the arm of the r e ublic .
Itis farther a ded, thatt e[mate andpeopleof Romecould never find a mor epr oper occafion of f ex erting their
rom an, tbanb .adding to finewealthof[o very dinn
tor e/led
P L I NY‘s E P I QT LE S .
gus tex wefiiom, likethe(aft fade s: of as snow, help bwound. deeper , and tel 64857 thei r dartagetter length, thanany other "naive weapon w aved! w e
:files a
:am end )! cur ious. and oughtnottohave hum
paras:
E P I S'
T L E VII .
P L I NO
Y to C O R N E L I U S T a c r'
r u s .
OU‘have ma nn a book. no: as if it.were
(em from one preceptor to am ther , or from one
difciple to another ,but as a mafier to
and I am the fchol
lionmg
being your
Richa cafe
OB S ERVAT IO N S,
T his epifile, like‘
ali Other s to T a c x'r u s , {hews the eafy
familiar ity, that Pu uv but it
1 1 11 the or iginal, the beginning of'
this letter is loaded withparenthefes 3 butthere is notthehall reafon to retain them a efpe o
éially as the):m afia M ax ie t
192 P L I NY’
s E P I S T'
LE S.
w ithalh, and w ithpoplar whichare aigu n
by the clearnefs of . the d ream, fo as to eem grow ingat the bottom of the r iver , and fo d iltiné
’
tly'
as to be
numbered. The water is as cold ; as fnow , and thecolour of it is as white. Adjoining is an
aw efii l temple. The god CLI T UMNU s appear sing cloathed, and ador ned w iththe pr e te rm.
or acles deliver ed lhew the god propitious and rophetic . Ther e ar e little temples fcatte
‘
red up and)
in every one of which is the flame of theEachhas a diltinétwor lhip, and a particular name
fome of the fpr ings ar e held in r eligious veneration.
For befides the or iginal, whichi'
eems , as itwereg
‘
the
parentof the roll , there ar e again l efs fpr ings ldivfiedfrom .the chief {bur ce. They mix w iththe r iver ,over which a br idge terminates 3the fac r ed from the
profane places . Above the br idge you are permittedonly to go in boats ; below ityou ate l icenfed to fw im .
The people of Hijpellum furnilhbaths , and even lodgings atthe public ex
fpence . T his . diltr iétw as afiign
cd to them , as a pre cutfrom the emperor AUGUST U S .
The pleafantnefs of the r iver has tempted fever al inhabitants to build fmallhoufes upon its banks . In' a r
word, every objeétthere. w ill give you delight; foryou may even Rudy, by r eading many raifes of thefpr ing itfelf, and of the tutelar god, iac r ibed by var ious author s upon all the columns ,and all the w al ls .Many of thefe per formances you w ill commend
other s of them you w ill laughat. No, your laughter:A
w ill be curbed by your humanity. Adieu.
O B S E R V A T I ON S .
T her e is a fufiic ient r efemblance in the r eal and in the fahulous account of CL I T UMNU S , to put u s in mind
‘
of St.W IN I F RED’
S w ell in Wales . T he w ater s of eachar e equally r apid. T he holy- w ell in F ling/bin tu rns thr ee mills w ithin a fur long of
‘
the or iginal four ce . T he fpr ing in Umbr z'
a
is , according to PI.m Y, fans adbar ,‘
ttj am amp/{05m mflu
594 P L I NX'
S B R)I S T L E S .
forget, thatitwas the iA ll defended himfelf. in his 123 moments .
{are are laid té have wounded eachotherdagger s , in their fury againfi the niaatar butthe fa rmifo
appear ex travagant, f ave fuppofe, thatC a s s ia ,armed only withthe f ilm, gave thole wounds to his all
'
af
fins 3. In fochahand the pen became a kind of linear , and
might have been prevalent“
agairrll: every other w eapon, butthe dagger of BRU T U S.Iliad imp j acundum tam e,
‘
m'
ln'
l agar-
c,m'
bil $ 2
Si That indolent, but a eeable fituadon of doingnothing,f§_ angl beingnothing
.
” Earned enfe i s the molthappy (late,that w e are capab e of enjoying : But the confequences ,whichattend it, are gener ally pernic ious , and {ometimes fa
tal. Itdr ives the mind into a lethargic indolence, thatoften
proves defl ruélive to the body. Itis aptto c r eate in us too
gr eat an averfiq n to the w orld . As w e grow better ac
quainted w ith‘
the dead, w e
‘
are lei'
s defirous to conver fe
w iththe living. We become of no‘
farther benefit to our
country, and we fca‘
r’
ce feem is anfw er the ends of our cr e
ation. Our focial virtues ar e bellow ed upon books , {lead
of melt. Welcontra'fla kind of f ifli‘, that proves
'
i onve
all other s . Sb thatifis nota virthe. But
nsn fltbih'vicnfi ‘to his
ofhis difes fifim . andit became a
advocate, and a
a Surinout‘vs tells ; us”that wounded Ca s s ie - s . CE ‘
s a x Ca s s“ br ad? um a r r eptum gr apbz'
a tr qj ecit. SU E T . JU LI U SC E SA R, cap. 8 ; T he word gr‘gpbjamj s the f e asflilur thepen, w ithwhichthe Romans wrote in théir table
1, 5 T L E
‘
X .
Pi. I N f ig-EAlina ,I :(i s , bit wifl”
:gr andfather .
U R concernwill rifeinto
graxflaughter
W augh ha finil'
car rted, frombeingthroughini
ex per ience, not. fenfible of her condition : byWhichmeans the omitted the necefi
'
ary recautions , whichought to be obfervél i
'
n Tuchci feé, ahd “committed
fome er ror s in her conduct, whichoughttohave beenavdided . But {he has féverely Ifrillihred fior this negleét,by the ex tr eme danger , to whichher life w as reduced.
T her efore, as you mui’c be very
,
fenfibly afi'
eéted tofind our old as yetdepr ived of an immediate
Elam her ; 0‘s‘
it'
incumbent on you"
to thankthe gods , Who, at the fame time’
theyhave denied
you this blefling,have pre'
ferved your gr Andaught'
er to
that even her pregnancy, althoughnow unfuccefs ful’
ga
tfif
gr
fls
fi
a more fure prn‘l'
peét, that they will repair0
I’
éarnefily r¢c0nhhend to you thofit'
argume’
nts ,withwhichI have confir rfied and fuppo
‘
rtedmy own mindupon this occafion nor can you bemore defirous tbfe
he
flgr eat grandchildren, than I am to fee my dwn
c dren.
Open tothem an eafythattheir names may
At‘
prei
m born, and this fcene offorrbw
O B S E RVA T I ON S .
The fubjeftof this epiitleis ex tremelydelicate, and théR
‘
yle of it is very concife the{entiments ar e fo beautifulthe or iginal , that they r equir e a pa
'
r aphr a‘
itical turn in thirtr anflation . T he manner , in whichPLINY difclof
'
es a mis i
fortune, that mutt fenfibly affect the grandfather of CA I.
PURNI A ,is tender
, and confiderate ahd d ie conclufion,althoughtinétured z
w ithvanity, theI
mofl: alltir ing com
oJthat PLINY céhldb fi
'
er to A BAT t . Thatkind ofpr
'
i e, whichafifes from the
'
{plendohandnobility of our
antefior s , is iriéfi‘
Wifilyimplaifitbd irihiih‘ii
’
n nature as it
2
195
P L IN Y’
s E P‘
I S T LE S.
incites us tothofevirtuous actions , whichmaymake us thine,w itha luitre, equal to our predecefl
'
or s .
'
E P 1 3 T L ] ?‘
XI .
PL I N Y to C O R E L L'
I A H I S P U L L A .
H EN I r eflect upon your affection to your
brother ’s daughter an affection even beyond
am other ’s tendernefs , I think I‘
oughttomention thofec rr cumfiances fir ft, whichotherw ife would have beenmentioned lafi ; fo thatthe immediate impr eflions of
joy may leave no room for future affliction. How
ever , I am {till apprehenfiye, that your ex ultations
w ill be fuccceded your fear s and that as foon
as you find ou'
rfel,
hap y in the thoughts of Ca nPuau ra
’s f ty, you w i l tr emble to .think {he has
been in ger .
She is at pr efent per feétly chearful, perfectly te
fiored to her felf and me . Her fpir its begin to re
tur n, and by recover ing her health, the is gainingthe ground {he had loft. She has been in
.
the ut
moitdanger , (I may now fafely own ir,) not fromany fault, ex cept in r icuce to this w as ow ingher mifcar r iage, and al the dreadful confequences of
Butif the loft of your brother is not fupplied bythe comfortof a nephew , or a
'
niece, {till r emember ,that the confolation is rather defer r ed than denied ;hnoc ihe is alive, from whom fucha blefiing maybe ex pected, Ex cufe alfo to your father a mis for .
tune, to whichyour fex are always ready to thewulgence.J F ar ewell.
This epifile is judicioufly placed after the precedingletter to Fm '
rvs . tis w r itten to CORELLI A Hx s r un a ,
a
P L‘
I N Y’s E P I S T L E S .
der. lei; 9191383 6011 to theattends my rehear fals ? If
'
OB S ERVA T I O N &
Gonueu us Minu 'r rn nus , to whom this letter is ad,
dr efi'
ed, isrchataéterifed by PLINY, in the twenty fecond epi
lfle of the feventh'
book ; as is T t'
pmw s CAPr r o,in
(w eak en?epiitle of the fir ltbook MrNU T I ANu s w as a
lawyer 4 111 7 0 was .a poet,‘
Ne ither the fpeeches of the,( ruler , nor
.
the poetry of the latter , have efcaped ,
the r uins ,
time.
T he character , whichHOR'ACE gives of F on 'r r-zru s CA -e
P1 1 105, perhaps the m ed ia of T 1 T I N I U S, feems very ap
pli¢able tO)C‘
AMT G, the fr iend. of PL INYbomo
‘
A,man perfectly accomplifhed.
”In. the two Cpl
wher ein CA P I T O is mentioned, he is delineated as a
CI 110111; Roman, who ,paida ll pofiible veneration to °
er itand virtue, in ,whatever age, or under whatever difad
theyhad appeared.
See thatepiftle , ahd the obfervations upon it.
Hou r r r Lib. r . Satir . 5 . fi.
many illufir ious . permdear to me . Itfeem s
on me, to be pr eftme
nds , whoié obfequies:
celebrate. A s it is long fmce
w ill car ry the greater certainty
B 03 0 K'
Vm.
‘
E P I S T L‘
E XIII
P L I N Y’ to G'
E N I A L I S
AM“
muchpleaféd, that{nuhave read my
in company w ithyour fat of.
greater advantage to you,“
than taccompliih
'
ed a
whicharefittobe bl
'
améd and
her , as always toin who‘fé fobtflfe‘
ps
py, find: your 10:of the beftmodel,even he, whom o
'
u
fate, is the perfd'
n,
the greate'
ftrefemblance ’
. Adieu.
O B S E RV A T I O N S .
T l’lis is the only ep‘
iftle ei thnt' toGEN‘
rAL'
I s . His amissname ‘mufi -
r emain '
unknow ntb us . Nor can we lear n ’
leaftc ir cumftance r elating to himfelf. T he fubjeét'
of this ‘
letter is no otherw ife cur ious , than from thatpar ticular deli:cacy, w ithwhichPLINY endeavour s to
into the heart of Gam nm s . Virtue i
author in allher br anches he m iil'
e'
s no
moting everyduty in c ivil life : and En mo
letter s , ~ we maygenerally ex trafi'
fome'
point of moral
or forn'
e infl'
ance of politenefs
E P I S T L E XIV.
P L I N Y to T r'
r u s A n‘
r s r o .
S you are a'
per fee'
tmafter of all aé'
ts of thdlegiflatur e, both
‘
private and public, of
leftthe denaturialf law i
iipart, 1 preferably chui
l
i
l
e‘td
4 car
P L I N“ E Pma T zL E S .
ex pene‘
need the par tingla p uefiionr which!I {hall lay before you . In thefe c irgumfiances 5mylmotmaltmor e eafily find a pardon, and your jddge -
t
requir e a greater (hare of praifef if»
yew
can refolve me this obfcure point, as c lear lyI as a ifi '
itf
had: already come w ithin“
the :verge of your ex peliu
A. debate arofe rin'the fanate concerning the.
{i ced
menof the confid Am am u s‘
Emm a ; itbeing an;
cu tain, whether he‘ltilled lfimlelfi or whether he‘ diedI
by thehands of his freedmeng and again, Whether"tlnyr
'
lcilled him from a fpir itoff -malice, or of obediu
‘
ance. One of the fenatots‘
. (it is -of little '
pu fe to1
tell) you, I w as the perfon) declar ed, that:he t ought
thefe .fi'
eedmen oughtto be put to the quefiion, and'
d wrwwards t r eleafed .
‘
The {entiments of another w er e,that the freedmen (hould be banifhed and of ar r - J
Other ,thatwheywould afiifi’m' death. It.was irnpoflible toreconcile fuchad iverfity of opinions . Whatagr eementfcan be fr amedtbetween the fentence .for death, and the
’
fentence for banifhment No more indeed that between the fentence for banifhment, and for acquit
tel. The two latter ar e however a little near er thanformer . In boththe ~lafi ~caies , life is fpared ;former morion, it is taken away. In theme, fuchof the fenatops , whohad given rtheirfor d eath, and {uchof them, who had d eclet
ednfoo ban ilhment; far t er : by- this t rary
‘
faint.ofumnimityytheir d“
uni‘
oa eould notbe cover - 3
I sdefir ed them, thatthe three dififi‘
erentopinitms
"B 0
The debate toricerning A I-tka i uus De x 'r ltn is inuélr
perplex ed. Itis Rated partially, and the arguments upon it;ar e quibblin and myfier ious . T he plain and legal queftionto be decide b the fenate w as , whether DEXTER had beenkilled by his eedmen, from their malice, or in purfuance
ofhis own command ? If they w ere conviéted of kill'
himmalic ioufly, the punifhmentinfliéled b law , on fuc
'
h0 end
er s'
,- w as death. If they were prove tohave killedhim if;
Obedience to his own order s , they ought to have been ac
quitted. T he opinion of PLI NY therefor e is by no means
to be jufiified. He declar es , thatthe freedmen oughtto beput to the ,
uel’cion, and afterwards r eleafed. If they w ereinnocent, w y lhould they be punilhed If guil why r es :leafed ? Perhaps , indeed, the evidence againft m mightnotbe
‘
fuific ientfor their conviétion, yet m ight be c ir cumflantial enoughto afiix the {trongelt pr efumption of theirguilt. . In that ca fe, the fentence for banifhment oughttohave pr evailed ; and indeed Pr.m Y , by his application to
An r s r o, thew s himfelf fufpic ious ofhis own conduét, which,in this articular inflame, feems not[0 Well founded in tea.
fon an equity as u'
fual. T hroughoutthe whole epifile, the
guibbles of the lawyer
‘
are muchmore eonfpicuous , than theignity of the fenator .
E P ] 3 T L E XV.
"
P LI N Y ta T ER E N T I U S JU N I o n.
Y fendingto you fucha number of volumes atittime, they will be a burden : butIhave burden};
ed you, hr f’c, becaufe you defir ed me ; then becaufe,
as your letter informed me, your vintage was fo veryfmall, that I could plainly perceive you w as at lei
fure, whichfignifies , ac cording to. the vulgar phr afe,you had time enoughto r ead a book. F rom myown little efiate, they fend me the fame fort of
new s . I {hall ther efore have the fame fort of lei
for w r iting and you may read my works , if
I have money'
fiaflicient to buy paper . But {houldthat paper be too rp
'
ung , or too rough, I mufi at;ther not wr ite, or ; by ne Whatever I Wr ite,
a08,
P L I’
N Y’
s E P I S T L E S.
whether a itbe good or bad, w ill be fo blotted- as not
,
O B S E R V A T I O N S .
PLINY , in the tw enty fifth epifile of the feventhbook,gives us a very r emarkable char aéler of T ERENT I U S JunN IOR
,and feems furpr iz ed at the learning, and elegance,»
whichhe had difcovered in the conver fation of a man, whohad long retired from the highfcenes of life, andhad entiréi
f
ly devoted himfelf to r ural and domefiic avocations . Such”
a difcovery atonce engaged the fr iendfhip, r egar ds , and cor - 2
r efpondence of Pu rs e : and accordingly w e find this repifth'
an anfw er to a letter r eceived from JU N IOR, whereinhe had;complained, thathis vintage had not fulfilled his hopes ande x peétations .
Tam gr acilu {flitvindania: (j ) , atNa if- {r emfibf
term (quad vulgo dicitur ) Iibr r/m lager : Your vintageshave been fo little anfw erable, that on could not
'
w a itleifur e for the per ulal of a book.
” he commentator s“
very jufi ly imagine this fentence to allude to fome Roman"
proverb, fignifying, If you cannot gather gr apes , gather ,
lear nin p files of this kind w er e fcar ce ever defigno
'
ed for pu lic view w e may r eafonably fup fe, thatPLINY , accordi to his declar ation in the fir epiftle of thefirfi book, c led in the whole colleétion of his letter s 3 ,w ithan intention to digefi, and
'
publifhthem in a propermanner . Upon fucha r eview , this letter and many other s ,equally obfcure and infignificant, mull have been rejeéted.
But it is probable, thathe died before he had car r ied thefeintentions into ex ecution.
Ea r [epi/701m] gut adbuc uegltflc j au nt,r eguz
'
r a rri.
E P I S T L E XVI .
P L I N Y to P A T E R N U S.
AMmuchdifconcerted by the illnefs of my fervants , amon whom fome of the youngef
’t
died. T wo co elations only are leftme { they are notby
2 10 P L I N Y’
s E'P r s T L E s .
fervarrts ; or his forvants uncommonly fortunate in their m e
fier . T he latter is the mor e probable cir cumfiance . Hetreats his domef’tic s w iththe tendernefs of a fr iend, and helaments their death, as if he w ere their parent. His Haves ,w e find, are made entirely free, or enjoy fome of the choroefi' bleflings of freedom . T hey w er e permitted to maketheir w ills , althoughthe law depr ived them (if that pr ivile e.gMandant, r oganiqm , quad vi m inf
lame utkjagfl'
m. Dig} .
duet, dermal, r elinquwgt“ hey ue outtheir order s , q:defire what they chufe to be done : I comply w iththeirr equefi, as if entrulied withtheir commands . They diftr ibute, they ive, and they leave le Ho
‘
w anti
able is PL INY in'
s pr ivate charaéber ! ow amiable in thisparticular epillle ! an epiltle, in whichno comm
'
entator'
ie
neeeflhry to ex plain the meaning, no bio or to illulh'
ate
the aétibn, no editor to r eftify e fiyle .
'
s generofitymuffhave been at once an e x ample, and
‘
a reproach3 fince it,is
certain, thatllaves were fr equently enfranchiz ed to the vild tpurpofes . Their mailer s w er e notafiuated, like Pu ntbymotives of cornpaflion and benevolence. But
'
onthe“
con;
trary, they made the manumill‘
ron of their fer r ants of benefit to themfelves . F or ex ample, a maile r , who had' bimi s
mitted any c r ime, whichmight render :him punifhable bylaw , granted imniediate liberty to fuchofhis flar es , whomhe had enttufied, made partner s in his guilt5 ,
lefid b‘y
being tortured, theymight di. 6; his fecrets , and becomew itnefi
'
es againfi: him : but as oon as they had‘
obtainedtheir fr eedom, they w er e .no longer liable to corporal punilhmer its . And as citiz ens of Rome ex emptedfl'om a ll indignities , and oppr eflions , they could not be fcourged to btmgthem to a confeflion of aby c riminal prac
'
tices they mighthave committed. T hus the matter defended, and fecuredhimfelf by an afi ion, whichMind the fpecious appearanc eof gene rality, and like the fr uit near the lake . djpbaltita ,
bor e a fair outw ar d afpcél, when the tafie w ithin W”ml’
eous and detellable.
E P I S T L E
H 0 0 K VIII .
. .P i I N Y toM-hc n r u u s h
AS the weather been as inclementand te rnpefi m
ous w ithyou, as it has been withus , wher eand inundations are fr neat and
“
almoltcontinual The Tiber has overflow its channel, andrifle high The emperor had, w itha pr eper for efight caufed a ditchto be made to préwent inundations : but:the r iver , notwithftanding thatdrain; has ex tended itfelf over the
“
valliesg and cover s
ed all the fields . Wherever there is level ground;ther e the w ater colle€ts i‘tfel
'
f. Thus that r iver , which
3
ufed'
only to receive certain fupplies from other tivulets , and .to . convey. them united in its channel, now
witha new refiitance , repels the fuperfluoutwater s , and e over
'
s the fields w iththem, but r ifes not
itfelf beyond i ts natural bounds . The Ania whoibtgentle motion difiinguilhes it above all other r iver s ;and which
'
feems , on that‘account, to be allured and
‘detained in“it
'
s courl'
e byvillas builtupon its border s
.has broken and car r ied off a greatpart of thofe woods ,w ithwhichitwas lhaded. Ithas fubverted mounM the fall rof whichhas , in many ces , choakedup die
. river-L;
and it has railed ex tended itfelf
rums .
Pr o-ri é rzr z‘
fim guaran tor . Cree to ex plains the meaning ofthis epithet, by telling ; us , pr w ua fia per gi antfu ur qm a/i
quid«wi l der ant? gum / 21523 0:fit. Cr c s uou. dc Invent. 3
ca 3 .I; The Ania. atthis day 1a
‘Tecver one, is mentioned by Hoa a c n,
er a mp: Ania. By the epithetpr o n) : the poetalludes to the r a
pi manner , in whichthis r iver falls into the T iber , and thereforethe place is called Ia Cafcata . Vid. Ho AT . Lib. r . ode 73
Numerous houfes wer e built on the des of this r iver theinhabitants of whichwere called Anim
’
calc .
é r i
an; P L I N Y'
S E P I S T L E S .
daughter w as not given, but refiore'
d
been the means of his acquiring it. F or Cun '
r w s.
N au r u , entirely d’
eteitirrg his Ton- iff - lavvDom ? !A“
was c nm r s , (who was brother of
the daughter of Dom r rnuu s , whofi ughter of Cun
'
r w s , hisdition, that {he fhould beout of the cufiody and power of her father . DOMrT I ANU S accordingly made
‘her free, and T uLLu s heruncle adoptedher . And in this manner having elud~
'
ed the meaning and intention of the w ill, the bro- r
ther being a partner in the fpoils by the fraud of
refiored the enfr anchiz ed daughter into
r of her father , and withher ve ry great
‘
Thefe brother s in other infiances became r ich, asif"fate ordained them to be Opulent, even againfiz
‘
thew ills and inclinations of the perfons ,. who enr ich}ed them. F or Dom '
rw s An n, who adopted them,l‘
left a w ill made by him eighteen year s before ; althoughthat will was ~fo muchdifapproved bythat he had caufed the goods of their father to be;
The fever ity of An n in this cafe was
trunc of the two
‘l3 ‘0 0 k VII-I . 2 19“a n d we c onquer c ares , and inward lh‘ife
r etr ieve, and gmfp-the tr ee of life ;
00“Elf ? mirg aw e cut.th’ a ther ialflty,And trace th
’
Adm withmortal e ye.
E P I S T L E XX.
'
P L I N‘
Y to G A L L U S .
E undertake long voyages bothby fea andland, to behold thofe curiofities , which, if
placed before our eyes , we totally neglect. Whetherit is , thatwe are lo formed ‘by nature, as to be incu
r ious aboutthe nearer , and intentonly upon the morediftantobjeéts or that our defir e grow s languid tofuchthings , as may be enjoyed withoutany difficulty ;or that w e are apt to defer taking a fingle view ofwhat we can at any time fee as often as w e pleafe.
Whatever may be the reafon, there are in Rome, and
near it, number lefs cur iofities , whichhave never occurred e ither to our e yes , or even to our ear s . Yet
w ere they in Gr eece, zEgyp'
t, or A/z'
a, or anyof thorecountries , whichp roduce and r ecommend mir acles ,we lhould have heard them, r ead of them, and examined them. I have moltcertainly feen, not longago, What I never either heard of, or faw before.
My w ife’s ather prefl'
ed me to view his landsinHmm
'
a . hile I was .walkin there, a lake w as
fhewed tome a little below the onfe, called Vadi
mm Of whichthe accountgiven to me w as incredi
ble. 1 came .to it. The form of this piece of w ateris ciru rlar , like a wheel when itlies on the ground 5and regular in every part without any curve or to
jeéfion of themore ; butall uniform, e ual, hol owed, ,and, as itwere, cuto
'
utby the ban of an artifi.
The colour is az ure, only whiter , more green, and'
more diftinét. The {mail is fulphureous , and thetal’te mineral whichrender s the w ater par ticular lybeneficial in firengthening fr a&ured limbs . The cir
as : P L I N‘
Y'
S E P I S T L E S .
Saavwo'
qvefigm a '
gfi atmod»: Here alfo an emmddfihfeems '
r equifite and plaufible. T he confi rufi ion of this‘
r
pi b
(g raph- according to the te x t, mutt r un thu'
s‘
;
inandfall'
umes a particular figur e, acctdrdingtoits li fe.
"
The -
flee of the iflahds '
Cbuld’
ndt‘
détefrii ihe’
their fi rm, but,on the contr ary, mul’t be determined by it. If the‘Wbi’d
'
mode s be changed into motur , the confir uétion w ill be, T hemotion of eachifland appropr iates to ita particular form .
”
T hefe iflands w er e dr iven about by the w inds , andby theirdiffer ent motions mull: necefi
'
ar ily all'
nme different appear -
g
anees , ac cording totheir var ious fituat'
tons towar ds‘
the fhor esand tow ards eachother . This ‘
conje'flrure is firongly fup
e epifile, thatenlarge the defc r lptitm,maj or ibur, velat ‘eyfhbulee oner a r iis ,
par levitas'
. The word levitar hereof the (aris e
T he obfervation made by pmPcable to
heaper ienee, and We km’
w fo'
little of a
w e ar e amaz ed, rather than improved byon the continent. W e go forthat a time of life, whehr eafon and r efleCtion are not fuflic iently r i med and wer eturn long before either of them are broug to matur ity.
Butan Englifhman, whowotddy ropofe tohimfelf anya real
y oughtfirft'
to underftandthe natural
3 Ear eai’
fiu el oneou t.
B 0 0 K VIII .
hither}; and.cmfiimtion of his own coun i whichwilloften . fupply him w ithmore valuable know edge, and w itha greater fund of curiofities , than may occur in an other
om At leafi fucha kind of ex per imental earningenable him to judge accurately, and to form proper oh
fervation s upon the var ious works of nature, and the hete
aMaud is admirably defer ihed in the two following lines-
3
A land, thatfrom'
her feems to ulhthe r efi,
A land withinher felf w ithwon er s blell .
E P I S T L E XXL'
P L I NY m A R R I A N U &
S in life, fo in ftudies , according tomyit gives .mofi: pleafime, and is moltagreeable
tm fociety tomingle mirthw ithgr avity leftby the”
one w e might be dr iven into melancholy, by theOther into licentioufiieis . F or this reafon, Ihave beeninduged to mix my more fer ious works withtr ifles ,and jokes . .
I chofe to produce them, in the preper eflztime and place poflible 5; and I began by acculiomingthe molt laz y per fons of my ac ip aintance to hearthem at table. I had gathered my fr iends together
‘
in the monthof yuly, a
'
timewhen ther e is the reat
fi'
om bulinefs in the courts , and hadlaced deflts before their feveral feats IthappenedBy chance, thatI. was thatda 1
, ear ly in the morninfummoned to pear as an vocate in a caufe, .whiwas
,
to, _come on immediately this incidentmade it
a (cleft
m
22"
6 P L INY’
s EP I S T LE S.
E P I S T L
‘
E'
XX II .
P L I N Y ta D U C E N N I U S GEMI N U S .
R E you not acquainted w ithacertain '
fet3ofmen, who are naves ,
to all kinds of pallionsand yet are fo angry atthe particular viceéof Other s ,that they fcom to envy them, and to puriifhw iththegreateltfever ity the faults , whichthey chiefly imitate 2But certainly nothing is preferable to. lenity, even in
thofe per fons , who { land in no need of indulgencefrom others . And I mufi:efteem thatman the befit',and the moil; pet
- feet, who s ets , byas if he was continually committingabltains . fromfaults . as if he never ;There is no r ule therefore, which
ilarion of life, than that of being inex orable . to our {and compafiionate toall other s even
‘
totholb,who f eel not any compaflion, ex cept for ,
themfelAnd w e fhould ever keep inremembrancethema f,of T na a s ea, whofe
'
remarkable humanity renderhis greatnefs confpicuous in thatvirtue, as in all other s ;H E, WHO Har es m um s , HAT ES MANK IND.
You wonder perhaps ; .by what moduced to w r ite upon this fubjeét. A perfon lately
But articular s when we meet ; or
rather never becaufe'
am.
afraid by'
animadverfrons ,and fever ity, I {hall aél
‘
direél ly contrary to the rule,whichI have been eftablifhing. Whoever ther efor e,or whatever this r fon w as , lethim be bur ied in
filence. It woul be of ibme benefit, for ex ample
fake, to ex Pofe him butnotto ex Pofe him, is muchmor e humane. Adieu .
O B S E R V A T I ON S .
It is impoflible to have lived long in the w or ld, w ithouthavingfr equentlyobfervedthe fetofmen defcr ibed by PLI NY
o m
B O O K VIII .
in the beginning of this epiltle. T he malevolence, whichman bear s to man, is not to be parallelled in any other
partof the cr eation : nor are the br utes fubjeél:to the ihameful pallions , to whichthe human fpec ies is liable . T hefierceit animals of prey feel: for blood as the ir food, notas
their honour . And theynbear ac c other malice to their
fellow creature, than w is occaiioned by jealoufy, in
concupifcence, or appetite, in hunger . But refleétions ofthis kind, as they border upon fever ity and cenfure, ar e im.
proper for this epiflle in whichPLINY (w ithoutknow ingit) aéts , as if he had been influenced hythe doar ines {0 ex
cellently, and (0 fr equently ex panded, throughoutthe gofpelof Cu s ter .
E P I S T L E XXIII .
P L I N Y to Ma n c s t t n r u s .
Y affliction is fo y erygreat, for the deathofUNIUS Avr 'ru s , that ithas inter rupted all
me from all other cares , and
and belides , heme, that he foand r eceived in
ong our youngmen fuchan inftance w as uncommon for , whichof them will allow a fuper ior on
account of his age or dignity They imagine, thatat once they ar e ar r ived to the higheltpitchof wifdom, and of learning. They think no per fon wor
thy of their regard, or their imitation. T heyupon their own actions as the moi’tperfeétmodels .ButAvr 'r u s , on the contra ry, gave the greateli in~ftance of his w ifdom, in efieeming other s w ifer thanhimfelf, and of his learning, in being defirous of in
itruétion. His converfation always turned on fome
point relating tohis Rudile’
s , or conduétin life. He
a
227
I
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S .
confiantly parted from his fr iends , whofe advice hehad deffr ed, w ith a confcious pleafur e
' of being im
proved and,this improvement w as ow ing to that
attention, w ith whichhe heard Other s , and to thefh‘iél: inguir ies he made upon all fubjeéts whatever .
Whi t refpeétdid he pay to S ERV I ANMS , aman of
a moltcompleat character ? Itw as his office, as mili
tary tr ibune, to efcort S eavram rs , when he w as appointed legate. Avr r u s
per formed this partin f uch
a manner , and fo agreea ly to the legate’
s temper ,thatwhen he pafi
'
ed throughGermany into Paénom'
af
,
he feemed to attend the legate r ather as a companion
and favour ite, than an .ofiicer who ferved under him .
Withwhatmédé r ation and induftry, when qux f’tor ,
did he approve himfelf tohis confuls (who w ere notfew in number ) appear ing notmor e acce table, and
agr eeable to them, on account of his pubi c tern/ ices ,than for his amiable call:of mind Withwhatdhiduity and car e did he folicit the,
‘
l i of aidile; frhmwhichhe w as thus immaturely taken aw ay
‘
It is
this confider ation, aggravates my for row . H is unr e
‘
w arded labour s , his folioitations’
,(now fruitlefs ) andthehonour , which, althoughconfer red onhim, w as notenjoyed, are perpetually befor e my ,
eyes . I,reflecton
the cir cumftance bf the fenator ial habit, whichfir fi:
gr aced him in my houfe my voice for his firflz,and laft preferm
‘
ent our p r ivate conferences , and
confultations , whichw e held'
on thefe occafions ,fi ill r etur n upon my mind. H is youth, whichpromifed a long cour fe of year s , and the mis for tune of
his fam ily, whofe happin'
efs abfolutely depended on
his life, fucceflivcly afii iétme.
H e had an aged parent. He had a w ife, whom,
fcar ce a year before, he had'
taken a virgin to hisarms . H e had a daughter lately born . So many
The fituation and ex tentof Pa r mom'
a is given by DION Ca s
8 103 , t h a defc r iptlon of the inhabitants . ex tremely c ur ious .
Vide DION. Hill . Rom: l ib. 59. page 4r 3 .
334dea d greater men, than could be equalled in number getabilities in all the other parts of the w or ld. Literamre andthe fc iences notonly took their firfl: rootthere, but grew to
a furpr ifing perfeaion . Agr icultur e, and feveral mechanicarts , ow e their or iginal to thatfoil, whichfoams indeed tdhave been under a particular influence of heaven. FLI NT
learnin tothefe
(corner or later , I
The END of the B ionr n Boon .
P L I Y’
s E P I S T L E S .
B O O K IX .
E P I S T L E I .
P L I N Y toMA X I MU S .
Have often advifed you to publilh, asfoon as pollible, either the traé
'
ts , whichyou
him, and in ofwhichI am now informed, obliges me particular ly to
renew my defir e : for , althoughyouhave read thofe books to many fr iends , andhave allowed them to be read by many more, I fhould beex tremelyfortytohave itaprevailingopinion,that on
33 6 .P L
‘
IN Y’
s E P I S T L E S .
fucha work after his death, whichyouin his life- time. I w ilhyour r emarkable
I’teadinefs may ever r emain unimpeached ;y w ill, if you convince, notonly the im
partial, but the prejudiced reader , thatthe deathof
your antagonif’t, notyour wantof r efolution, hinder
edhim from feeing thefe books publilhed. Thus youwill avoid the reproach, thatfays ,
U njufl: ar e all the infults o’
er the dead
work immediatelyEnteritw ill be eiteemed as pub
all
yif itw as finilhed, andof’tpone therefore any
other undertaking, thatyou have inhand and finifhthis performance, whichto me, When I r ead itfometime ago, feemed entir ely perfeét: let itnow feem foto you fince the work itfelf r equir es no farther delay,and the particular junéture of time demands ex pedi
tion. F ar ew ell.
O B S E R V A T I ON S .
S x pe te mom a'
, ar Iibr or qua: m1pr o ta, m l in PLAN T AM“wI have often admoniihed you to publifh thofe books
,
whichar e in your ow n defence, or r ather againfl:PLANT A .
” T he commentator s have taken notice, thatin fomeold editions of PLI NY , the proper name BLA T ERA , is r eadinfiead of PLA NT A , a nd LONGOLI US i s fo inclined to thatreading, that he begins the argument to this letter in thefew ords , Ma x imum mand , ar libr as , qua: i BLA T ERAM vi
i untem, & c . How ever in other editions , d even afterw ards
.in Lonc ou u s
, We find the name of PLANT A in full for ce .
A fentence in this epifile jufiifies the pr eference, althoughitfeems notto have been taken notice of by any of the { choliafis . Salvafittibz
'
cau/ianticefarm May the char acter ,
¢90p frow u iw’
airdga c ir s tix t'
ln'
a aOm Homer . 0. d
which
P L INY’
s EP I S T L E S.
my information, in whatnar row limits I am confined 9ua lefa I were w illing to fend
'
you letter s , in the natureof {chool ex ercifes upon tr ifling fubjefi s . But in myinion, fuck topic s would be entir e]
when I confider you in a camp, amiall the aoife of war aboutyou, or Ofed to
“
the fun.and covered w ithfweat and duft.
ex
phave now fentl
you,L as I imagine, a butcan fcarceupon myfelf to
F or certainly no
a pear , than toof a r iend for
are founded in r'
eafon. Adieu.
OB S E RVA T I ON s .
In the eighteenthepifile fof this book, we (hall find, thatSA BINOS , who, in this epilile, is mentioned as a foldier ,w as a profeifed adm ir er of all Ptmv
’s works . His r elations
w er e fo numemuS, and we find fo few tr aces of himfelf,that, as has been alr eady hinted, it is very diflic’ult, if notimpofiible, to fix the certainty of the perfon, to whomthis letter is dineéted; Men .
of the higheft diftinétion,of the name SA B INOS, ar e frequently mentioned by T A
c r'
r U s , and other hiitorians ; and particular ly F ta vw s
Sn am u s . He w as conlin german to DOMI T I A N, and
colle e to ‘that emperor , in his eighthconfiilihip, and inthe '
ligand year of his reign. The public cr ier , i n dedf .
ing the confuls of the year , had unhap‘qi
a
l
-yém iftaken
, andnamed Sna r x u s as emper or A’ mi which gavefuch unr eafonable jealoufy to Domvr mN,
‘
that he puthis kinfman to death, w ithout the. ic ail colour of anyc r ime. SAB INU s had fome time before mar r ied JuNrA ,the daughter of the late emperor T l
'
r U s an alliance, whichhad probably given the original caufe of this j ealoufy ; fmceit feemed to r ender him fiill a nearer , and a mor e appr oaching r ival to the throne. In the
'
mu rder of Fa m s Sa a r - f
8 03 , w as firfi: difcovered the (anguinary difpofition of D04MI T rA N’
s mind till then,he had fatiatedhis c ruelty uponflies only ; he now began to faerifice the human fpec ies , and
to embrue his hands in the blood oi - his fellow- crea m? t
34a P L I N.Y
‘
.
s E PDS T LE S. ,
enquire after you) deferves the utmoftapplaufe. For '
it is a chief partof juftice to- difi inguiihall perfons of
mer it, and toacquir e the love of the common peo
ple, in fuch3a“
manner , a s nOtto forfeitthe cfieem of
their fu
meta whiCh; is zdue to dreamconfounded, and; all thrown upo
can be.mote -
u nequal; than that kindmf
T he fever al editions of PiJiNY differ in the'
iirfi par agraphof this epifile .
"LONGOLIU S pr ints it r eg“fame
:
(inquir e a lign) d perfmer a, q ia d j qflitiamm m mdd iémmulta humanitata comfimada s . - .T he oconftmdiiml of whichwould r um thus .
0
“
a
epifile ofthe fix thbook, PL IN Y ads‘
vifes T i me tol take wa rn ing, from the ex ample of B a l i ? »
m u ms , and A’r'r r cm u s , in whatmanner to Behave -him;
felf dur ing his proconfulfhip. In this letter he applauds !“behaviour of T YRo, and {till offer s to him fome ex cellentand amicable advice . CALE s T Rw s T YRO w e find, by thefix teenthepifile of the feirenthbook, w as appointed proconful of J udah/in, after having filled many other greatofficesof theRate.
E P I S T L E
B O O K IX.
E P - I S T L E VI .‘
P L I N Y to
Have been of late molt empldyed, bothin r eading and w r iting.
mm is that“ a
pofiible in the midil of
thoufand people ihould be child?over and over, aparcel of. pace »
r ioteer s . If, however ,e ither thefpeed of the former , or the {kill of the latter , e’ircitas
ed their cur iofity, they would be in fome meafure excufab
‘
le. But it is the 60101” of tbe r ider s , that attracts their attention. So that if the r acer s , dur ingthe courfe, ,{and in the midfl: of the contefi, ihould
antic had b een attached, and whom th h’
ad‘
entoné
the loudeit acclamations O to:greataus
’
I takedefpica-lu:when
ng it, I am nou difpleafed, that1 cans
notr elilhibeh‘
an entertainment. And dur i
my‘
leifu‘
re mofif agreeably in udy a
are lofing their time in the r‘nofi: idle
O R S E R
m
246
Ins/mipam'
dniunr I have found a juftifiable ex ample .
Itis diflicultto know whatPLINY means by this ex pr eflion :boththe ‘be
'
ginning and the end of the letter , contain ex cuk s
for building ata place,dll lwhichthe defcr iption notonly
tities , but“
even demands“~
an unde rtaking of thatkind 3his there ‘
wére fume . .r‘
eafo'
ns to the contrary, that are not
deduc ible from any e‘XprelIions in this letter .
ad Lar iam law n: I am building at the Laris ahereditary fortune, as appear s from man
bf his letter s , was lituated upon the border s of the LagaCam . T his lake,from the moltfouthern part of it, thecity of cim ,
'
in'
which1’ l w as born, ex tends itfelf,according to limit: geographer s , thi miles in length but
in breadthflzar ce above five . Acco ing toDa r nu u s , the
this {bor e I haveme in mind.
mutatomrlfi is w as thatmerely for the
’
change ofiabode.
h' ”N
111m): tragardiam, bane appella r t comwdiamfoleo One I4‘ c all my tragedy, the
'
othcr , f my comedy."T hel
'
e’
two
houfes , under the names of tr agedy and comedy, as her e diin
guilhed, ar e given to u s by ORT ELI U S in his map of
Ga Zia s alMa . T he one placed on the well , the other on
the cal}? Ge of the I ar ian lake . T he r eafon, afiigned byPL I NY , for . their difi
'
er ent- appellations , according to thefuck and bufkin, is r ather tr ifling and jejune, than appofite,
g
I." a t“ :tu g"?
B O O K IX .
differentGrape, and of a great length. T he r eafon ma beaffumed from a paffage inMBRCURI A Lr s , who fays , at
AURELI ANU S j udicavit, capiti: dolor e vex ata: per Ion
gam viam ggflar i mf r eqw nti w rfiam4: r otauti ver tigo
mducer ctur Can to s AURELI A NU S dir ed thofe, whovier e troubled w ithhead- ache, to ufe ex ercife. in a long{trait road leftby going round in a cir cular Bum themight be fubjeétto vertigos , or other inconyeniencie
'
s .
T he phyftcians in PLINY'
S da 8 might pr obably be of thefame opinion. The x xflw , gthin lt, when belonging to
any pr ivate perfon, alw ays lignifies a terrace : in this parar epiltle, w e find
.it was a declini ter race, that led
by a gentle defcent from thevilla tothe e . The publicayfli, and have been elfewher e e x plainedI am inc lined to imagine, thatthis letter was w r itten
‘
v
ear ly in PL INY’S life 5 befor e he w as in polI
'
eflion of hi shoufe in Latiwn, or in Tufcany ; when his fortune w as muchc ir cumfc r ibed and when his ex pences of building mightbe cenfured as ex travagani and unnecefl
'
aryfi Such a fuppolition at lealtaccounts for the ex preflion, e difice enim j amratiom, quid tmqm F or now I build w ithjufi: reafon, be‘fcaufe I follow our ex ample 5 and for the whole team
of the epifile.
“
T fituation of the tr q e dia , and a u d io,
the latter of whid i w as (0 convenient fou the pleafix e offilhing, mull have been ex tr emely beautifuh
Lib. 6 . cap. to.1' Inthe s ilky on Pu nr
’
s life.
"
E P I S T L E VIII.
P L I N Y to A U GU R I NU S.
S I have b een ra‘
ifed u, if I :
“Iii“lbem
byrat
yiim' an
y judgement. But
pearance be what itw ill, I mull:et’teern
’
ail your wr itia
'
which I am
is -
T b¢l i}
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S .
Withr emarkable pleafure, Whatever fubjefitconcernsmyfelf. Adieu
O B S E R V A T I O N S .
T his {hortepifile is w r itten in the ex cel'
s of vanity. T helaftpara
fiaph, in the or iginal, is notonly vain, butquib
bling. am at ta, qua: d: amicir , optimifcr ibir ct ego qua
de me, atoptima , Iago F or , as the letter s concerning yourfr iends , ar e ve w ell w r itten, (0 w iththofe concerningmyfelf, I am very w ell pleafed. I am afraid, thatfrom
thefe afi’eé’ted, ofientatious letter s , PLINY has too juftlydr aw n upon himfelf the cenfure ofMONT AGNE, and othermodern c r itics . Vanity, like fmoak, {mothers and obfcur eetheflame, fromwhence itproceeds .
E P I S T L E IX‘
.
P L I N Y m C o Lo N .
IApprove entirely of the gr ief, whichyou ex prefsupon the deathof Pou pnw s
ggnu
'
r m x vs . Your
for row lhew s the ex tent of your eétion tow ard s thefr iend, whom you have loft. You are far from rel
l’
embling thofe, (and they ar e many in number ,) who(can only love the living, or , rather , can only (eem tdfl
'
l
love them ; nor even ar e able to car ry on thatappear -L1."
perfons ar e not only living,
profperous for the unhappy, and the dead, are,
equally forgotten. Butyour fr iendfhip is continual“and there is a confiancy in your afi
'
eé‘
tion, thatganglife. (firm
-
r u ne s indeed was a n
ego
.
EUs
“z
‘hutLthey ’
are followed by therpof
P L I NY’
s‘
E P I T -BLE S .
15M 5“01 1 been Coachman, dr ive w e; n thuhpf
E P I S T L E X.
P L I N Y ta C OR N E L I U S T A c u s .
Should w ithgreat pleafure obey your commands ,if boar s were not fo~very fcar ce,
rfi
a
l
s
1
to a
gord me
o rtuni of a'
ual wo'
, w°
ch ou
afiir rftpgo be
qdue, Iao
ydhn
goe
II/Imanva a
Idd toDml’
m.
I mufftherefore dedicate myfelf only toMm enva 5
but cautioufly, as is fuitable to the retirement of this
place, and the heat0In my w a hither , I amufed myfelf by w r iting fome
tr ifles , fit0 y to be dei’croyed, their {tile refembl
’
the idleeonverfation of traveller s upon the road;m
ghave made add
itions to d
im time my ar rivalhere,
when not 0 mor e co uence engaged at
tention.
lu’
I'
l'
lgofe poems thereI'gre, whichyoudi
l
l
yh
ed mighthave been eafily broughttoperfeétion dfl:woods , and groves , have lain entirely atfelt. I haveretouched one or two of m y orations althoughthatkind of em loymcnt is neither agreeable nor engag
It re embles the labour s , rather than the pleafures , of the country. Adieu .
O B S E RVA T I O N S .
epifile is notthe letter of PLINY, but of T au r us , and is in anfw er to thefix thepif
’cle of the firfi
.
book. The cr iticifm itfelf is equalunimportant, and groundlefs the differ ent opinions ofa s a u s on and Ca r a va ns are given to us by LONGo
rfive dncAs pa n BA
'
n'
e s , whichfeems pe eétly jT ACI T UM Itis abfolutcly a letter
from
‘
B‘
O 'O K IX.
'
from PLINY, not from T a u r u s .
” T he letter itfelf isfo tr ifling, thatitis fcar ce worthwhile to confider , bywhomitwas w r itten.
E P I S T L E X I .
P L I N Y to D U C E N N I U S G E MI N U S .
IHave r eceived your letter , whichwas perfeétly acceptable to me, as you defire my anfw er to be
fuch, as may be infer red in your w orks . I {hall w r iteto you in that manner ; either upon the fubjeétyoupropofcd, or , upon fome better for feveral objeétions have oc cur r ed to me, upon thatparticular oint
te - ex amine it, and the w ill occur to you . I id not
think, that any bookfdller s had been fettled in Lugdzmum and ther efore your information of the faleof my books gave me the eater leafure beingmuchrejoiced to know , that ey fupport, in forre i parts , ,
the fame degree of applaufe, whichthey
ha acquir ed in Rome. begin now to eflzeem themty, as they have met w ithapprobation in a
var iety.of c ountries , and among a var iety of judge-2
O B S E R V A T I ON S .
Thefie few lines feem a prelude to fome futur e compofition,whichw a s to be w ritten in a manner , and upon a
’
fubjeét,adapted to appear amon the works of Geu m u s . But
even r from this thor tepifiIe w e find caufe to r egretmany va
Mable pm , p lready c ompofed by PLI NY , and in thehighscft
‘
reputafi‘
on, not only in Italy, but in F r ame.
Bibliopaléi“Lugdzmi gflé non putabam I thought
w as not atLyons ." A particular r eafonmaybe
afligned, Whylft‘
m r might fuppofe, thatno bookfeller w as
The city of Lyons . Author s vary in the etymology of Lagdamum ; but, if w e adher e to the moltantientder ivation , itw as
built by Lu c nu s , a King of Celi a : and, by contr action for~was called Lxgdvm , the hill of Lu c nus .
1 54 P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S .
ceptable, or by whicha man might gain more honour , than a proficution of the oppr efi
’
or s , and a
vindication of the f ufi'
er er s , dur ing that reign. Be
fides , among the many cr imes of the numerous de
linquents , none appear ed to me of a blacker nature,than that a fenator , in the fenate, fhould layhandsupon a fenator ; a pr aetor , upon a man of confular
dignity ; a judge, upon a perfon accufed. A great:fr iendfhip had fubfified between H u mmus and me 3as greatas I could cultivate w itha per fon, who, indread of thofe
,dangerou s times , endeavoured, by
living in obfcur ity and retir ement, to conceal his err - a
cellent char aéter , andno lefs remarkable virtues . 1had alw ays entertained a fmcer e ali
'
eétion for Aan IA
and FANNIA the latter w as mother - in - law to H 3 ).
vm ru s , and the former w as mother of that mather qin- law But my inducements , pr eferable to everyivate confider ation, wer e, the inter elt of the uh¢
‘
c, an indignation at the committed, theimportance of makingfacha precedent. It is ? true;that in the ve ry beginning of the r efioration of ourliberties , every individual, in his own behalf, and ina mall: diforder ly and tumultuous manner , broughthis particular enemies to tr ial, men indeed on ly of thelow er r ank, and obtained their condemnation . I
thought itmor e confiftentwithmodelty and firmnefsof m ind, not to accule any cr iminal, althoughever
fo gull on the general outcry againftthe pr acticesof the ate reign, but only on account of his ow n
particular cr imes . When die fir fi heats were abated,and violence every day gr ew more languid, and fell
into a mor e r egular cour fe of jufiice, although, at thattime, I w as under the deepeltafi iction, on the deathof my w ife, I fent to ANTMA , who had been thew ife of H u vmw s , delir ing her to come '
to me, be
caufe the time of mourning confined me (till to mya Seethe obfervations upon
‘
ep . 19, of book 7,"
in whichis iafer red the genealogy of boththeic funnies .
B'
O 0 K . IX .
houfe . As foon as [he came, I'
faid toher , I amr efolved, that the deathof your bulband H arv!Dm s lhall . no longer r emain unreven
ged . Com
municate my refolution to Ann rn an FANNIA .
”
(They were .retur ned from baniihment. ) Confider
.w irhin your felf, and confultthem, whether they arew illing to join in the profecufion, in whichI wantno feoond : buton the other hand, I am notlb ava
r itious of my own ry, as to en them a {hare '
in the honour of it. AN'
r a r n de ive
very feafonably fat in thr ee days .It was always my cufiom . to confultCORBLLIUS,
whom I knew . to~be the moltprudent and w ife man'
of our age yet, in this aEair , I depended upon myown judgement, being apprehenfive, that he might?
the rogrefs of my dcfign, as he was naturallymo deliberate and cautious difpofition. How
ever , I could notthink of concealing my intentionsfrom:him, on the da when I intended to putthem
s hut was telblved not to alk hisadvice 5 being fully convinced by eXper ience, thatwhen . we are determined upon an point, we
. lhouldnot advife upon the fii bjeét, witht fe perfons , whofeOpinion we ought implicitly to obey.
When I came into the lenate, I defimd liberty to(peak, and, for a little time, was heard withthe ut
moltapplaufe ; till I began to touchupon the c r ime,and to hintat the per fon I intended to ac cufe, not as
yethaving mentioned his name. I w as then 0 pofedon a ll fides w ithc lamour . Lat us know , faysone man, atwhom you aim, in this ex rraordinarmanner i
” Whowas ever accufed, {hys'another ;
befor e his ac cufation had been refer red to ~the fenate Shfi’er us , fays another , who havei
furvived former danger s , to r emain in prefentfafe
ty.
”I heard them w ithout fear , or confufion .
Confidence, and ter ror , ar e in proportion to the honour
255
P L INY’
s E P I S T L E S .
ments , whichthe matfiagitious'
c r imes deferved,thatat leafi fame brand bf infamymightbe fiarned
‘
upon Canto s , in the fame manner , as if
had been blic ly degr aded by the cenfor sAfter e, Sna s RUF US took the middle way
between bothpar ties , and giving an ambiguous turnto his fpeech, faid, Itis my opinion, thatif Pue
r
mom s Can '
w s is net acquieted, he is muchin
jured he has been openly named by his own
friends , and by the fr iends of Ann a and F an “
N IA . . It is certain, thatw e oughtnotto betons for his particular fuccefs for we , who enter
tain a good- Opinionof Gr a n ts , {hall agree in out
giving judgementwiththofe, think ill ofhim .
If he is innocent, as I bothhepe, and am Willingto believe he is , I think, till fome particular fafl: ispeeved againfthim, you may veryWell acquithimof thefe general aceufatiens .
”
T o thi s purpofe were their {eye r al fpeechesliver ed in the order, as eachman was cited to give
‘his opinion. My turn came nex t. I ar ofie, and be‘
gan in the manner mentioned infwer ed every fiugle perfon. It
whatattention, and lip‘
laufe,ceived every word I
‘
oke
taken cfieé’
tin theminds of
«Was made, thathe was obliged to fay, Confqr iptfather s , I entreat, that I
‘
may not be obliged to
impldrethe aflifianeeof thetr ibu‘
nes .” Me n us ,
Ne w ga l/f (erg/ar ia imbfl'w . See the ob
In feeming compliance, and by way of agr eementto what
M been advanced who had r oncluded his'
fpe‘ech
by faying. The caufe, and notthe per fon, was under the confiden tion of the fennte.
262 P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S.
polled and refolute, amidfl: their clamours and r‘epmaclfes ,
yet he w as film ed ; or , to ufe a parhammtaryex p'
eflibrr}was called to or der by the tohful who toldhim heflied !(peak inhis turn,when the time came,thathis ftntima itiMto be demanded : whichw as (0 far fiom being a grant
'
of. ft :
T :thatPL IN
g’s anfw er deternun
'
es ittohwecn a
t
riumg r i htand cu om , f an“: and : w e om i t}:
m'
j ig: You w ill fizzéhy n’ie the/lame pr ivilege, vitichi
i s al low ed to all other s .
Note CERT O guafi can/ar ia im ata r CORNU ‘r vs T ani:
T ULLU S w as of opinion, thatCan'
r us oughtto receivefome mark of infamy, in as public a manner , as if he he i!been d ed by the cenl
'
ors .
”T he oenfor ial m wad
very ex ten w e. T he lhortefta nd beltaccount thefe om}eer s is given by LI VY . Idem bit w as can/er a iniriw rzfm
'
ta
m‘
a‘
pa r a : ed in arm ; me dtiude tw o iflm m tbM g(fl, atmer it”: jfiiplirw que 0mm pent: cam r egimen, fine ;m , cgaitamque centur ies , dea n
'
s ,Ma r i/Que difr r z'
mm fag dintime a
'
us magi/i r atm, publicor um 1 113 , pr ivator umqm bcar'
{t vedigalia populi Romani,[rib m y atqu a r bitr in c h
9‘ This fame year [of Rome threehundr ed and tw elve gat'e
5‘ r ife to the cenfor ihip. T he omoe in the w asf‘ inconliderable, but the jur ifdiétion of it afierw s
"en lt
i f cm fed to fuchaheight, thatthe mor als and difeipline of9‘ the Rbman people w er e under the direction of the can -i
Tom. The (enate, and the centur ies of the knights , w ereentir ely(subjected to the power of thefe m ifir ates . They;
9‘ albeitatned the difiinétion of honour and dlfhonour andt! the r ivileges of public and pr ivate places .
‘
The tax es of9‘ the oman e w er e alfo under their direction,and analthority.
” B lt'
rvs mufl:have been de ded out& the111t
‘
of khatora, if he had undergone e cenfor ial jur ifi
diétion. But PLINY lets us know,in this epiitle, thatthe
ment, intended, w as not to affecthim in his fenatosal capacity, but to hinder him from enjoyin the confabihip.
"The effects were anfwerable to the deb
5P‘ a
gained his point and another conful was fubftituted in theroom of Cna '
r u s .
Hz : illi, ao guifque ardr
'
m (ad mirer T hefe w ere
if their {pet es, delivered in the order thatthey were call:
Qw jfime Eon/u] Sm l c,[u remia loco dim , j i gm’
d whe n s .J
i’T . Tan i , lib. 5 . esp. 8.
P L I N'
Y‘
e B RI 'S'
E‘L E SJ
E ? I 3 T'
L'
E "XIV .
P u tt? to COR N E L I'
U S
Lthoughyou do. not chm to hmr your c wn
never a nploy .my pen with.more
ought to entitle us te e certain de os of reputati rn uin (ht e “IM F, filfi
although it has advanced
height‘of
’fame and w .
many outof darknefi, and
OB SE RVA T I ON S.
more n cbnjuw itheachother 3 but th are neither afcermtained, nor have reached our times ;
a By the lafi paragraphin theenginal‘
epifile [Quad «a pa ce: inhem , & c.] we may pr efume they wer e biographical.
E P I S T L E
. B O O K IX.
E P I S T L E XV.
P L I N Y to P om r e r o s F A L c o.
T ook r efuge m Tafiaxy, in to pair fametime there, to buteven m
Tefcan ter r itor ie s genoe. F or
anumber of papm , andbymy farmer s . I r ead
w ithmor e r eluctance, than 1‘
r ead my own works , which, atpr efent, ar e notveryagreeable to me t
. for I am employed in
tain fmall tr eatifes , that, by lengthof time, are be
come in fipid and difagr eeable.
My accounts are as entir ely neglected, as when Iam abfent. H owever , I now ,and then geton horfe- rback, and feem. to actthe part of a carefulhufbamhman, by r iding throughmy fields but I r ide throughthem haf’til and only for ex er c ile Continue tqme your 0 d cufiom of returning, in ex change forcm
’
y rur al new s, an account of tranfaét
O B S E RV A r TON s
By the whole turn of thisegfile
,and indeed of fever s!
other s of the fame kind, w e cl in ir, . that negléét, and
inattention to money, which, althoughlaudable in compa
r ifon of avar ice, often car r ies w ithitpernic ious , if notdei’truétive confequences . No man whatever can, w iththelegitfecur ity, .wimdraw himfelf from the cares , and afiiduityof his pr ivate fortune : and althoughPate r {cems to think;that by r iding, or r ather galloping throughhis fields , hemaintains the fpecious afpeét
'
of an indufir ious landlord, andl huibandman, he is certainly mifiaken in the fuppo
lition . His farmer s, and dependants w er e as capable to dif-n
cover his defects , and ignorance, - in.the,ir fphe re of lear ning,
as he could difcqyer their want of know ledge in his own
literature. There is a certain w ifdom, and can ,
5
P L I N Y’
s E P I S TL E S.’
ning, in that low er c lafs of people, that can outreachthedeepefl: philofopher s , the compleateft fcholar s in thew or ld : the moltauk hind is notto be deEeived by outw ard appear ances , and afl
‘
eétations . T heir eyes ar e the eyesof natur e ; and they fee diflinétly all the objeéts , thattendeither to their pr efervation or d
'
eil'ruél ion . Self- interefi is
their infilrift and, like other infiiné'
ts in the br ute cr ea
tion, itofien guides them w itha fieadier hand, than r eafon .
When they meetw itha landlord of PLINY’
s'
difpofition, theyfail notto torment him w ithmemor ials , and petitions a
lur e method to fr om a liudious , or a generous than,
me phints , w°
chcould notbe obtained by a lefs teiz ing
‘
E P I S T L E XVI .
P L I N Y to MA MI L I A N U S.
AMnot in the lealtfurpr iz ed, when your hunt:i afforded you fachvafi plenty of
youl
liould be infinitelypleafed w iththe fport efpe- i
cially'
,as you tell me, in the hifior ical fi'ylc, that the
thin w ere innumer able. I have neither leifure, nor
inclination for hunting no leifure, becaufe my vint
age is upon my hands no inclination, becaufe thevintage is fmall. I {hall fend you therefore new ver fes ,
infiead of new w ine and as you aik for them in themolt genteel manner poli ible, they {hall be lent to
you, as foon as their fermentation is over . Adieu .
O B S E RVA T I O N S .
PRflvr im ’um mor e[tr ibe s tram »:inir i mmpotuffli Like9
‘
our hiftor ians , you fay, that the number of thin is be
yond computation.
”T his gx pr eflion feems tohint, tha
i
the hiftor ical accounts r elating to the number s , of whithe antient armies are
'
faid to confifi, wereI looked u it}
even in PLINY’S days , as ex agger ated and fabulous .”Hie!appear to us , indeed, inc redible, efpe
‘
cially; if we obferve,thatthe feven ]hiitor‘ians feldom a amongthemfelves , inthe cunfa number . The- army of s i x e s is ; I belieyefi Yna
37° P L I N Y’
S‘E P I S T L E S .
novelty,-nor pleaiiu
'e . . In this particular , I am°
n
gyou an accountof my judgement, butof
i s?» non. And diemfore you ma be certain,
the entertaiments , by,
whichyou a I'
are captivated ,and amufed, mull appear to fever al of our acquaint
ance, neither w ifely, nor well chofen. Itis obfervable,’
that many people, as foon as a r eader , a mufician,or a player
t’
, is introduced, im
ihoes Or , if they continue
as uneafy a lituation, as you ex prefs atthe fight(toufe your own appellation of thefe monfier s . Let
us , ther efor e, gr ant indulgence to the leafures of
other s , thatwe may obtain from them (Pine fame ln
O B S E RV A T I ON S .
In former ages , and even in the laltcentury, the it
;had his jefier , and every man had his fool. T
onegos are intr oduced u Jon s s ou, as the domefiic delights of VOLPom
-z, in an ex tafy of joy, cr ies
Call forthmy dw arf, my eunuch, and m fool,And let
‘em make me fport. Whathe d I do,
Butcocker up my genius , and live freeT o all delights my fortune calls me to i
T he fool, and dw arf, are outof faihion ; butthe charmsof the eunuchfiill pr evail. ~ His voice, like the voice ofAMPHION, draw s together a numerous audience, the gr eat
Pu t” , in the fifteenthepifile of the book, defexifingan entertainment. Whichhe had prepared or his fr iends athisownhoufe, and from whichSap -
n u ns Ctn u s had been abferii,mehtions thefe particular per former s , as introduced by his ow
'
n
d ir efi ions, to exhilarate the diverfions of the night:My }: aAnd they are m tiow dof this book.
m y: fays oneof the commentators .
B 0 O”
K IX.
cit of whom would perms be compared,the (eves 'ity of his difp
yofition, to the fizclr s and
fiones offlight, attracted by the enchanting power of thefon
’g‘fier , w ithoutunderfianding one fyllable of the fong.
he indelicate and vitiated entertaimnents of the Romansare of a nature to be pafl
'
ed over ,. if poifible, in eternal li
lencc.
E P I S T L E
P u s s to S a nm u s .
OUR letter convinces me, w ithwhata degreeof application, Rudy, and
,
firengthofmemory,you have read my book. Al l trouble, therefore, w illbe ow ing to yourfelf, fince you entice, and invite meto communicate to you, as many of my Works as poi
”
I {hall obey butI w ill fend them in par cels ,forne manner digefied leftby too large, or
too labor iotxs a portion, I‘fhould fati e your memo
ry, to whichI am To deeply indebte nor would I
w illingly overbur den you in fucha manner , as tou
and to quitwhat
O B S E R V A T I ON S.
letter is muchtbe lhme w iththeSu m learnt
of men in the inatim .
z iency of hming,“ of ium virtae,
bob]:“
the W e pon the w cfiflt vf the m
z ys
s ya P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S .
to give a natural and noble fund of humanity, which, peterhaps , is more than equal to the greatefi acquilitions , thatcan be obtained from books .
E P I S T L E XIX .
P L I N Y to C R EMU T I U S R o s e“.
0 U inform me, that you have r ead, in one ofmy letter s
b
, an infeription, whichVs aom ru s
RUFUS commanded to be placed uponhis tomb.
RU F US, who V INDEX over came,Lies bur ied in this tomb
You cenfur e him for fucha command 5 and youadd, F aoN
'
r m us acted in a better , and more unbi
alTed manner , byforbidding anymonumentwhatfoeverto be erected to himfelf. In the latter partof our
you . requir e my opinion upon thefe twodifferent commands . I bore a true afi
'
eétion to boththemen. I admired moit the perfon, whom you ecu-
p
furc ; and I admir edhim (0 much, thatI thoughthenever could be fufiiciently raifed. Yet, I now find
myfelf under a necefiity ofPdefending him . I look
upon all thofe, whohave done fome noble and memOo
r'
able action, as notonly to be pardoned, but to be
praifed in their pur fuit of that immortal char aé'
ter ,whichthey have deferved and in their articular
defir e of perpetuating, by monumental incr iptions ,the acknow ledged glory of their names . Nor can I
believe, that itw ill be eafy to find a per fon, who, afterhaving acted, in a manner equally gr eatw ithVene rNIUS, would be equally modclt in {peaking of his
See book 6. ep. 23 .l”Book 6 . ep. s o.
1 74: P L I N Y’
s EP I S T L E SJ
O B S ERVA T I O N S
The monumentofa orum s RU FU S is defc ribed in thetenthepiftl
'
e of the fix thbook. His char aéter , his death, andhis public funeral, ar e the entir e fubjevStof PL INY
’
s firfl: epifile in the fecond book. In the obfervations upon thatletter ,ihme part (if his Rory is curfor ilyhinted at: her e itmay bemor e fully r elated.
VBRGe s RU FU S was governor of the upper Ger
many, at the time when GA LBA had follow ed the ex ample
of JULI U S Va Ex andhad r aifed confiderable for ces, in,
oppolition to the outr ages ofNERO. T he for ces of.
GA LBAWer e Spaniards thofe of VINDEX w er e Gauls the pu rpleof boththefe provinces had been fo .cr uelly haralfed, and fo
ex orbitantly tax ed, thatthey r evolted w iththe utrnoit_
alat:r iagainft
‘
their emperor . In the mean time, Veuo rmv'
q
Ui-‘U S had under his command the moltex per ienced, and
the beltdifc iplined legions in the whole Roman empire. Hew as known to be a man, who bor e an entire abhor rénc
'
e to
the intolerable tyrannies , thathad been fuc’
éefs ffilly p"
fed by NERO. All eyes ther efor e w er e turned upon theconduétof Vs norm u s , which, atfirfi, feemed v ddubta
ful and referved. He r efufed to declar e himfelf for A LBA ,
i nd he mar ched in Oppolitiop to VINDEX . T he two an»
came in r eachof eachother , for ced theirthem to en age V I NDEX w as entir ely
over come, and, upon his de eat, putan end to his own life.
The troops of VERGI N I U S immediately falutedhim as
petor ,"
andOffered to car ryhim tr iumphantly to Rome . HeWas defcended of an cqueftr ian family, andhis virtues and
accompli‘lhments w ere fuch, as had been long eftablifhed and
admir ed. He had all the pr etenfions to empire, that eitherfamil or mer itcould alfemble . Notw ithfianding thefe cir
cum ces , he r ejected the ofi'
er w ithmol’tex emplary firmnefs , declar in at the fame time, T hathe notonly abfolutely r efugd the empire himfelf, but w ould not fulferany other perfon to afi
'
ume the imper ial pow er ,not eleéted to it by the fenate .
”‘
A glor ious r efolution,
GALBA w as atthis time governor of Ga l/fa Ta r r a canetr/ir .b a ax was gover nor of Celtic Gaul .
Ptu r a nc n compares the two gener als to two char ioreer s , whohave no longer the reins atcommand.
P L INY’
s E lf r s'
r‘f -L a s .
Mi ngus, Cum u l u s RU FUS, the hifiorian 33673: (5
happ its his chan dler , thatalthoughhe was one ofNE I O’
;chi favoritifeu and acquired muchw ealthfrom fhati ituz !tion
'
, ethé‘
vvuf hever knoWn -to'
u
'
re'
an man,or tof d
petratzany ad!(if or mad a m y T his d ifpbfigiris evident from his e x cufe to
'
Veno rn ru s e us , whomhe fear s to have -mentioned in his htfio m a manner thnmight offend him,fi-
quid in bfflor iir' in'
a : legi: aliter ac velz'
r ,
r aga, igzg‘
ca s“'
If fome c ir cumfiaric'
e s or fafls , '
not
le to“
you, occur in your penifal of m(hall -hOpe for y our ex cufe .
”T her e is a dc rcacy in the
compliment, that- difcover s the per fOn,-'
wh'
o made ir , ex .
emel fearful of-
giving! offence . The anfw er -
of RUI U:is nob e, You may be
’
certain, myE'
eonduétwas v'
yith“
a
view , thato
autlior s m ighthave the libe rty of wr itin‘
in
the manner“ pleafed Alludingto the max im, whichhe had eftabl
'
of fuffer ing no emperor to r eign“
, w bd
w as not choferi bythe fe’
nate , and cénfequently w ould ,
Vern accordin its the law s and liberties .
of Rome. 1512;
max im in itf Was ex c ellent, and coul'
d‘ be only injur ious by
the cor ruption-or
’
the RomanMate ; whole fervilityandadulation mightatany time change -themoihvirtuous pr inceinto a tyrant. Vanc m w s RUr U s
'
an'
d j ULru s F aou‘
mt-a
have been two
r'r uf '
qubtet'
fome partof his hifiory, - in the fourteenthbook of his annals , cap. a; w
t: 4
E r r-
s r L . E,x x .
P L I N Y.ta
OUR letter was rendered m'
ore agreeableby'
tliele
vmtage
B 0 0 K IX .
r etur ns . The warmefl; emotions are.often the 00“qof fuchdifappointments whichpqflibly might be the cafeof SAB INI ANU S, whofe natur e w as ex ceeding enerbus and
noble,fince in the tw enty fourthepifile of is book w e
{hall find, thathe immediately lifienecl to the entreaties of
PLINY, and again r eceivedhis own fervant into favour .
E P I S T L E XXII .
P L I NY to ,Cn'
r u r u s S a va n u s .
H E illnefs of Pa s s us rw s Pa uw s has afliiéledme to the greatefi:degree : and indeed, I hadvery juft reafons for my uneafinefg.
‘ He is aman of the beltdifpolition, and the gr eatefi virtueand he is one of my .mofi afi
'
eEtionate fr iends .
fide s , he nOt only r ivals , but ex plains and r ei’toresthe ancient author s . Pa os nn '
r w s is his chief fa:ovour ite : he is defcended from him ; tr uly defcended.
In their br ightefi featur es their likenefi is molt ex aec.
When you per ufe his elegies , you w ill per ceive a hitneis , a foftnefs , and a gaiety peculiar to the f y ofPROPERT I U S .
PAULUS lately a lied himfelf to l r ic t inwhich, you w ill b
lipof Opinion, thatyhe lgs
o‘
e
irilyitatedHORACE, withthe fame nicety, that he imitatedPnor s n '
r ru s : (0 that if a fimilitude of genius is a
proof of affinity, he is as near ly related to the former ,as he is to the latter . H is var iety is pleating, his
fran fitions are beaUtifiJl he appear s the mail: tenderover ,
as if the
Cdngratulat
use'
P L IN Y’
s E P I S T L E S.‘
nefs threatened as muchdanger , as his recovery pro.
mifes glory. F arewell.
O B S E RV A T I O N S. .
An unlucky, buta mer ry incident, thathappened to PA S - e
s r nuu s PA ULU S, is r elated in the fifteenthepiftle of thefix thbook.
-According to PLI NY’
s accountof him , he w asequal to the poets of the Augufian age. But as PL I NY w as
obferved to entertain too highanopinion of his fr iends , itisnot improbable, that PA U LU S w as one of the infiances ,lwhichmight occafion fucha r efleé’tion.
SBX T U S AUR EL I U S PROPER T IUS , the countryman and
relation of PA ULU S, w as born atMw ania , now Bevagh‘
q ,
in Umbr ia, the prefentdutchy of Spoleto. He w as called theRoman CA LLIMA CHUS andflour ifhed near the fame timefw ithOvm, GALLU S, and T I BULLU S
3. His compofiti
~ons ar e amorous and elegant. e sm s goes (0 far in
as to fay, PROP ERT I UMqui non amat, cum pr anon amant He, Who loves notPROPERT I U S,
cannotbe beloved by the mufes .”
On », in a defcr iption of his own bir thand family, and ofhis early and immoveable inclinations to the mufes , has four lines ,that fettle the chronology‘
of thefe poets .
Vntc e Mmidi net a sua f u T I B U LLQ
i, GA LLE ; Puop s n'
r w s illi
E P I S T L E XXIII.
P L I N Y’
to MA X IMU S .
U R I N G the time of my pleading, I haveoften known the centumvir z
’
, after havingpreferved their proper gravity and author ity, r i
atonce, as if urged by irrefifiible impulfe, to apme. I have alfo frec
'
mently r eceived as gr eata
from the (mats , as I could pof fibly hpope
r ..J
P L I N Y’
:
O B S E RV AT I O N S.
This epiflle puts us in mixid of a noted line in Pn s rg s ;
41p11k 90digitomorgflr ar i, ctdicier bis
Ohbut ’tis brave to be admired, to fee
The c rowd, w ithpointing fingers , cry, T HA T’
S a s
AlthoughPLm ? endeavours to ex cufe the ofientation and
{elf- pr aife, that difplay themfelves thr oughout this epifileand althoughthe ex cufes ar e as plauiible, as the er ror w illadmit; yet, whenever w e meetw ithletter s of this kind,whichhe fpeaks ofhimfelf as an author , a former obfervation
r ecur , that in treating, upon the topic of hisand r eputation, he
'
ves too great a {copetohis vanity, and afl'umes to himf a golden c row n, whichhe ought to ex pefi from mor e proper , and leis partial
es .Juéfhe editors are divided in
par agr aphof this epiftle . CORT EZ andLONGO s r ead itthus , Na r r abatfidifi'f: tum quodam Cir ceryz
'
bu; pr os- im a, 8m.
T A CI T U S told me, thatatthe lafi Cir cenfian games , hefat nex t to a cer tain perfon, who, after many quefiionsconce rning literatur e, eikedhim, if he w er e of Rome, orof the provinces i
”CELLAR IUS ,Ma n am a , and the
editio w r ior w rz, pr int the fentence in a difi'
er entmanner.Na r r abatjut] ? ficum Cin emas pr ox imis g
r im Rom ania
T A CI T US told me, that at the laft , ir cenfian games,
he fat n‘
ex t to a ROMA N KN IGH T , who, after m
q uefiions , C‘fc .
” T ACl'
r U s , as a fenator , might indhave feate'l himfelf, if in an undr efs , in vgfle pr im edamong the Roman knights but the former reading, an»!
am, reconciles all difiiculties , and is befides , mote agree
able to the fte andmanner of PLINY .
t Satyr . l . j . 28. DRYDEN. Vide Dion. lib. 6o.
CLAta s .
E P I S T L E
no o n Ix .
E P I S T L E XXIV.
P t r s v to S A B I N r A sfu s'
.
0U are ex tremely kind, upon the r ecommendof my letter , tohave r eceived yourwho oncewas efieemed you; into yohrinto favour . Sucha con efcenfion w ill be
to your felf, as ithas been to me ; firflz,I fee your temper lo traé’cable, thatyou can
conquer your paliipn 3. then again, becaufe l find my.
{elf of lb muchauthpr itywith ou, thatyou are clrhobedienttomy influence,or imlhl cuttomyfollicitatiéons . Letme atonce ther efor e app and and thank yousand, at the fame time, letme advil
'
e you for the fulmm,
‘
to be more favour able to your domellzics , alfind an inter cefi
‘
or . F arewell.
OB SE RV A T I ON S.
T hel'
e few lines contain the tr uell (entiments of fr iendlhipand benevolence : F r iendlhip tow ards SAM A NU S ; benevolence tow ards his freedman , T he achnonr on, atthe latter end, is fo far r emarkable, as it reems to confirm the faf
picion ar ifingfrom the tw enty fir ltepifile, thatSA BIN I ANU swas fubje
'
étto palfion, and to be eafily rovoked athi s fervants . ‘9 F or the future, fays PLINY , etme advil
'
e_you to
forgive the error s of your domefiic s , even w ithoutany intcrcefiion.
” T his advi ce mull have been unne'
cellbry to aman, whole c almnefs of temper w as notl
’
ubjeél to be r ather!by (udder) fiorms , ar ifing w ithin his own breath Butfromwhatever caufe the advice mayhave arifen, the pr aélic e of it
w ill certainly prove benefic ial in pr ivate life. T he mailer ofa family, who preferves a firmnefs of mind, impenetr able toall gull s of peevilhnel
'
s and paflion, w ill find inhim l'
elf aper
petual fund of chear fulnel'
s and fatis faé’tion and w ill appear
amonghis domefiic s , like one of thofe demi- gods called Jagdigeres , who, m idfi ‘tlaehappinefs of their own celefiialflare,became confiantprotefiors ..of particular ‘pw ple
'
, by whom
theywere worlhlppedwithtrue adoration,E P I
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S;
E P I S T L E . XXV.
P L I N Y toMA M I L I A N U s :
OU make great
entertain of theif not, confinethem to or w ithin a cage. Adieu.
oBS E RVAET I ON S .
MAMI LI ANU S, from the {eventeenthepillle of this book,appear s to haVe been a confiantadmirer of PLINY
’
s poetry.
In r eturn for (o foothing an infiance of fr iendlhip, our authorbellow s uponhim the highefl prail
'
cs , andhonour s w ithitles , vir igr avfflimi, er uditifimi, rtfirper jfla
T he compliments w er e probably ex aggerated on
E P I S T L E XXVI ;
P L I N Y to L u p e n c u s .
N my Opinion, I , judged t- of a certain oratorofour ‘
owa txmes , who is and ex aét, butnot
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S .
looked upon as complete . W e have not onlycr itieifim of Lu r e x c u s , butthe orations , on whichthefecfiticifms w ere founded. But in the fentence now quoted,the partiality of PLm Y , as an author , might lead us 00 (id
pefi ,thatthe obfervations of Lun a c u s w ere jufi and un
anfw erable : atleafi, the pr ejudice, whichPL IN’
Y often thew :infavour ofhis ow n w orks , encourages fucha fufpicion.
T he feveral notations fromDr»:n on s en s e, and E s c a r
“8 8, w ere ges , in whichLU P ER CUS mverfed. T hey ar e intended as ex amples of thefin e of the pafl
'
age s ar e admir ed as fuchby the cr itics ;tim iar ly
1“Weren't” p ineal, a;‘
x o'
Aa x tt, 39 aim s- d e;
as only the beginn ings of fentences ar e introduced, and fametimtz not mor e than tw o w ords 5
, itis impofiible to der ive
any illuftr ation from fuch imper feéthints , fo confufedl
throw n T hey an'
e eafily to be found in their{erent a or s , and w id appear in their fizver al placa , tg
muchmor e advantage, than in this epifile.
a Vide Longin . c efi Nae. cap. 26 . b A s No’
a'
npa 78g.
E P I S T L E XXV II .
P L I N Y to L A T E R A N U S .
Have often been convinced, efpecially of late, thatI power , dignity, majefity, and mor e than humaninfluence, are appendentto hiitory. A cer tain per fon
rehearfed partof a nar r ative, filled w ithgreattr uths 3but r eferved the remainder to fome other day. Be
hold, many ofhis fr iends came tohim , begging, andimplor ing, thathe w ould not rehearfe the r eit. Tw er e afhamed tohear whattheyhad done, althouthey wer e not afhamed to do what they blufhed to
hear . H e promifed to gr ant their requelt; and .hemay keep his promife. F or the book, like the afi ions , of whichittreats , w ill {till r emain, and be read 3and the more, becaufe it is not immediately pnbliihed ; the cur iofityof mankind being confiandy ex citedby delays . F arewell.
B d o it IX.
O B S E R V A T I ON S.
This epifile is r emarkable. It thaw s , that eat libertia
were often taken atr ehearfals , w iththe Chara er s of partié
c ular perfons . Suchfr eedoms , how ever d I'
, w ould havebeen ex tremely dan érous under the tyr ann ofDOMI T I A N
' ;the {bene her e r epr e nted undoubtedly palfed in T RA JA N
’
s
r eign : Rar d temper a»: felicitate, uhi fentir e guts velis , ct
quee fentias , dicer e licet A time, fays T A CI T US, of r ar e
felicity, when We ar e allow ed to think as We pleafe, and
to ex pr efs our thou hts w ithoutthe leafl: r efir aint.” But
notw ithfianding this glor ious fituation, whoever r ehear fed inthe manner her e defcr ibed, muff have been a bold man. Hemufl:have been fuper ior tohopes , fear s , orflattery 3 he muffhave prefer r ed tr uthto all per fonal affeétion, and mufi havea& ed in defiance of malice, hatr ed, or r evenge . Atthefarnetime, thatw e w ill: to know the name of fuchanhifior ian
‘
,
the lofs of thehif’tory itfelf is a fubjeéi ofmuchgreater regret;
E P I S T L E XXVIII .
P L I N Y to V o c o n r u s R OMA N U S.
AF T E R a long interval of time, IhaVe r eceivsed atonce thr ee letter s from you : A ll moltcler
gant, mofi affeétionate, and particular ly, as they camefrom you, moltacceptable. In the firflt, you give mea very agr eeable commiflion ; that I fhould deliveryour letter s to thatmolt ex cellent lady PLo
'
r m a z Iw ill take care to deliver them . In the fame letter , your ecommend to me POP ILI U S An r amr s rus . I immer
diately gr anted his r equeil . You alfo tell me, thatyour vintage has been butmoder ate : I can make to
’
you the fame complaint; althoughour eitates ar e indiffer entfituations .
Your fecond letter tells me, thatyou are fr equentlydiétating, or w r iting feveral compofitions , which,
r e‘
call me to your r emembr ance . I return you man
thanks 31 and the ftili encr eafed, tyf
29
Qt P L INY’
s E B I S T L E S.
.lis ation and attention in a mifcellzneous manner , 3 ;ormer letter s , w e find, that his w r itings w ere fomctimqq
biogr aphical, {ometimes poetical, and (ometimes or ator ial .
In the latter fcieuce, he became ex tr emely eminent hisbiogr aphic pieces are not know n to us ; and, as a poet, I
henever couldhave ex celled.
. 0
E P I S T L E XXX .
PL I N Y’
to D U C E N N I U S GE MI N U S ,
TH E
,praifes of your fr iend Nom u s , as a man
of great enerofity to particular er fons , hasbeen frequently e tepic of your conver igtion to me,
and is the fubjeétof your laftletter . I applaud him
too provided, that he w ill nOt always confine hisbounty to particular objects . F or my own Opinion
is , that a man, who would be truly bountiful, oughtex erthis liberality tow ards his country, his neigh
bour s , his relations , his fr iends ; and letme fay, byway of diftinétion, his fr iends in the greatefl: indi:gence ; not like thofe per fons , who chufe to apply
only where they fee a probability of finding
ple peturn. Suchgifts , in my Opinion, ar e
like baited hooks ; they are notmeant to bef’tow your
own ro tty, but to catchthe property of other sOf
.
e m e turn of mind ar e thofe, who take aw ayfrom pne per fon, to give to another ; and by thatind of avar ice, aim at the r eputation of generofity.
“0 be contented w ithour own, is the firfi point the
nex t, to go round the whole foc iety of our fr iends
in a
‘
kind of}
cir cle,r elieving and afi
'
ifiing all fuch,
whom w e know to be m w ant.
If NONm s obferves all thefe rules , the pr aifes oflhould be unlimited : if he only fulfils one of
them,he is to be a leffer degree,
I
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S.
lively cepious . How admir ablyhave you multiplied;and varied your obfervations , w ithoutfaying the famethings of the fame perfon Shall I join my pr aifesw ithmy thanks I cannotex Prefs either , in a fufiici - o
entmanner : or , if I could, I ihould be under greata pr ehenfions of appear ing ar rogant, by commendingthofe particular palTages , for whichI oughtto r etur n
my thanks Letme’
add one word more . The mofltperfect arts ap d to me the mofi agreeable ; and
the mo agr ees le parts appear ed tomethemofl:per
Adieu:0
O B S E R VA T I O N S .
epiftle from PLI NY to SARDU S, is of little confo
neneo. We‘
can Only gather from it, that SA RDu s , in?ome of his w r itings , hadmentioned PLINY , in an honour
d confequently in an ameptable manner .
thor is never mor e elated, than by the applaufes of hisfr iends . Andhe has labor ioufly fiudied to e x pr efs his ac
know ledgments in thefe few lines whichar e (0 filled w ithflow er s and fiour ifhes , and (0 defic ient in an eafy epiftolaryfiyle, that it is probable, the ihortnefs of the letter is ow ingto the pains , whichit coil:him T he w orks of Sa nn u s
are loft.
E P I S T L E XXXII .
P L I N Y to C ORN E L I U S T I T I A N U S .
WHA T are you doing ? or what do you in,
tend to do F or my ow n part, I lead the
happieft, becaufe the mof’t indolentlife imaginable
for whichreafon, I am inclined notto w r ite long let
ter s , but am defirou s to r eceive them . The formerinclination proceeds from a love of pleafure ; the latter from a love of cafe . F or all lux ur ious men ar e
indolent; and all indolent men ex ceed s
OB S E Rq
P L I N Y’
S E P I S T L E S.
certain boy, who w as more cour agiou s than the refi ,
‘
advanced to the very entr ernity of the canal whena dolphin pre
‘r
'
ented itfelf, and wentbefor e him, thenfollowedhim, then w entroundhim ,
'
then tookhim tip,then lethim
'
down, then again came under
c ar r iedhim (the boy all the time ex cefiively afi‘
rightetizfir l
’t into the fea, and then turning to the more;
broughthim back ta. the land, and to his atrociatea f‘
The r umour of this eventfoon fpr ead itfelf through-5
outthe whole colony all the inhabitants r un out to
behold the boy, as a kind of miracle ; and to inter ro-v
gate him, andhear from him the particular s .
T he nex t day the the r e w as cover ed w ithpeople,who kept their eyes fix ed upon the fea, and upon
every piece of w ater w ithin fight. The boys beganto fw irn and thi s boy among the roll , but w ith
greater caution than befor e . The dolphin r etur ned
atthe - fame hour , and to the fame boy, who immediately fwam aw ay, and his companions w ithhim.
“
The dolphin, as if he ‘
defigned to invite a nd r ecall
him, leaped, dived, and tw ined his body into a var i .
ety of forms . The dex tday, the day after , and dur - o
ing fever al days together , the .fame fcene appeared,
till the inhabitants , who from their childhoodlived near thatfea, grew afhamed of their fear s , andnot only approached the dolphin, but playedhim, touched, and even ltroaked him . Their cou
r age encreafed by their ex per ience. And in particw
lat, the boy, who had fir ftmethim, now fwam w ithhim, and leaped upon his back he w as car r ied for
ward, and broughtback again by him : the boy now
imagined himfelf known to him, and beloved byhim,
and in r eturn entertained an s fi'
eftion for the dolphinfear being banilhed from eachparty, the confidence
of the former , and the doc ility of the latter , mutu
ally eric reafed. A s an inducement and encour age
ment, the other boys fwamoneachfide, to the right.and t9 the
19° P L I N'
Y’
s E P I S T L E SJtraditions
, thatw ere wonderful and furpr iz ing, hehad z eéc identally recolleéted a matter of faét, whichcar r iedw ithjitthe appear ance of fiétion, r ather than of truth. Butitw astold by an author ,whofe char aé
’ter putthe certainty of the
eventbeyond a poflibility of doubt and who w as a manof fucheftablilhed candour and impartiality, thateven as anhif’cor ian, his ver ac ity w ould never be called in quefi
'ion .
”
T his author w as PLI NY the elder . In the eighthchapter ofhis ninthbook, he r elates , notonly the particular fcene, thathappened at Hippo, but feveral other ex amples of the famekind, all tending to demonfl'r ate the afi
'
eétion, whichdolphins enterta in for mankind. LUCIAN, in a dialogue betw een NEPTUNE and a dolphin, makes the latter alliga a
very good r eafon for fuch an afi’et‘l ion. Mil S avpot'
o'
nc, gHe
'
d-
rd”, ti “I' ll;Meow ; £3 w eigh“, 35 020996 e ye x; aah-
oi£76965 ; ytvo
'
p rvot‘ “You mull not Wonder , NEP T UNE, at
our particular regards for mankind, fmce w e cur felveawer e men before w e became filli es .
”
T he anc ient author s univer fally agree, thattheex clulive of all poetical or fabulous accounts , w as ever te
markable for a fondnefs of the human fpec ies . The bell:philofophy cannot c lear ly ex plain this fortof infiinét: butas infiinél s ar e generally direé
’ted by fome impr efiion upon
the fenfes , fr om thence only w e can attempt to folve ind
fiances of fo very ex tr aordinary a natur e . In many animal s ,no fenfe is (0 acute, as the fenfe of fmelling nor affor dsmor e ex quifite pleafure, or pain . A catis furpr ifingly af t-3&cd w iththe fcent of ma r um, and by a var iety of motion sc x prefl
'
es the gr eatel’c delight. A dog w ill trace the lightefi:
fieps of a hare, or ofhis ow n mail er , by diflinguifhing thefew eak qfium
’
a in the air from any other . If a natur al r eafoncould be given for the conduétof the dolphin mentioned inthis letter , I fhould be apt to impute itto fome particularfmell in the boy; whichdifiinguifhedhim, and, like a charm,
attr aéted the dolphin tow ards him . T his filhfeem s to havebeen violently influenced by the fenfation of fmelling, as hew as afi
'
efited to fo great a degr ee w iththe ointmentpour edupon him, from a r idiculous fuperfiition, by OCT A V I U S
A VI T U S , the (cent of whichdifiurbed him in fucha manner , that itdrove him back into the fea, and made him lan
guilhfor many days together .Whatever was the canfs of this
it is certain,“
that the generous d
302 P L I N Y’
s E‘
P I S T L E S.
head ill, or whether or not, I ought to perms:
a smethods , whichI propofed. F arewell .
O B S E RVA T I O N S .
® I NT I LI A N, who might probably have obferved is}PLINY an harmonious manner of r eadin ver fe, r ecomm ends
the method of teaching childr en to r ea poefiy,as ea r ly
p'
ofiible . Verfe s , fays be, ar e a kind of m re z and mufibe r ead in a very differ ent manner from pr ofe . He roic
poetry elevates the m ind the importance of the fubjefi:infpir es attention ; and ther efor e HOMER and V I RG ILar e to be r ehearfed befor e they ar e underflood. F r equent
r epetitions w ill open the beauties of every authori.
”
T he anc ients took infinite pains to modulate their voices ,and to r ender the cadence of their w ords mufical, and di
fiiné’t. T hey made particular gargles for their throats , fi ndtr ied a var iet
yof ex per iments to improve themfelves in over}
of e ocution . As r ehear fals in poetry were emi
nently cultivated and difiinguifhe‘
d, w e may obferve, that
PL IN Y in this epifile, w ithouthaving r ecourfe to any ef e
m inate methods , difcover s an impatient defir e to ar r ive at
fome degree of per feé’tion in an art, thathad been long
efieemed a polite, and almofta neceflary accomplilhmeah
3 Lib. 1 . cap. 8.
E P I S T L E XXXV.
P L I N Y to O P P I U S .
Have r eceived .your book, whichyou fentto meand I r eturn you thanks for it. But atthis June
tur e, I happen to be (0 ex ceflively employed, thataithough impatiently defirous to read it, I have notyethad that pleafure and I have that vener ationfor all polite liter atur e, and efpecially for your wr itings , that I lhould think it a kind of impiety, if Ioffered to perufe them, when my mind could not be
’
per feftly attentive. I approve very muchof your
great
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S .
and ninety five, invented the G fydr a, .whicl1 ,‘
(fw ater from one nto ano er , divided th ours mtgtw elve equal parts , and made the fame divifion alfo“
of theflight.
°
All perfons of difiinél ion among the Gr eeks andRomans kept a nave to
‘
den’
ouhce the time bf use my;the Grecians called him ‘
neommn‘
; x dcatgfup‘
oex Noem i?eular name is afligned for fucha tervant aniongtl omam;bu he is often mentioned in va riou s authors -
7. as , by theelder Pu nY, who, {peaking of thefluddw dedthoi CR. B at
BIUS T AMPH I LU S fays ,if
ef unfi us gfl, ,cum a puer o
fitbar d s He died ju atthe time when he w asingof his fervant, what itw as O
’
c lock Andby JU VE‘
AL, who, ihr idiculing old age, has this'
e x pr ellion ;
opus (ff, utfiatiataur ir ,
Quartz dzcatw ai/Epuer , qua numietbor ar b
The footman’
s voice mul’c needs be fhr ill, and c lear ,T o tell the hour atnoon, or Who is ther e ,Or elfe
’
tw ill never r eachhis fluggifhear .
”
Pu tz ? r emained in a fix ed uninter rupted cour fe of Rudy,m thr ee or four hour s together . At ten or eleven
o’
clocgk, [bar d quar ta
'
val Quinta] he began his courfe‘
of ex erc ife, by walking in his gallery, or upon his ter r ace ; and bytaking the air in his char iot.T he ex celiiVeheats of the c limate made r etir ementnecef
Tary at noon . Sex ta quiet Iafli r , fays MA R T I ALc
. ButPL INY allow ed as little time as pofiible tofleep, and mu chlefs , to any r epaft before it.
‘He has noteven mentionedhis dinner . T he pr andz
'
amWas taken aboutnoon andwas
aways a very filortmeal, agreeable to the defcr iptlon inGRA CE
P r att/u: nan avid}, quantum interpelletinam'
Veutr e diam dur ar e, domg/t’icu: otiar
At dinner when a mod’
r ate meal I’
ve made,By whichthe calls of hunger are allay
’
d,
PLm . Nat. Hiltor . Lib. 7. Cap. 53 .
bJUV ENAL Satir . X . f . 2 1 6 . Lib. 4. Epig. 8.
PL INY , in his accountof the er uption of Vq/uw ius , Whichappear ed like a black cloud, aboutone o
’
clock after noon, (peakingof his uncle, fays , gu amer a tj a cem He had eaten his dinner ashe lay upon his be B. 6. ep. 16 . See the obfer . on the "fir lt
epiltle of the fecond book. Hou r . fat. 6 . lib . r .
j ,Studious
3 10 P L I N'
Y’
s E P I S T LE S:
the yearT a nya
-n, and S s x r u s An r l cuu w s
E P I S T L E XXXVIII .
P L I N Y ta P OMP E I U S S A T U R N I N‘
n'
s .
UR friend Rur u s mufi always and mapprobation. Notbecaufe you defirehe[bond
have it,‘
whichcertainly would appear tome a fiaflieigent reafon, butbecaufe,
‘ in reality, he defer s/ar ia I
O B S E R VA T I O N S.
T his is the fifthand the laftletter to SA r unnmtJe. We
may eafily determine the per lbn her e mentioned to be thefame,who is charaéter iz ed and r ecommended PLINY toF UNnAny s , in the fifteenthepiftle of the fourth T hatletter begins w itha V61
2;thong, and a very remarkable e x
prefiion, j i quid omniaa, c r er te j udiciafacia, quad ASIN I UMRU F UMfinguIa r iter ama If I amdir eéted by the a lerting
eye of'
udgement in any cafe whatever , itis in my pal-
ti?
culat a a ion for A sm w s Rnr u s .
” And in the fameepifile w e ar e told, thathe notonly enjoyed the fr iendfltipof Ptmvi and of CORNELI U S T A c r
'
r u s , butw as peculi
arly blefl'
ed in the eminentvirtues of A sm r u s BA s s U s , hiseldeft(on . Suchc ircumftances , of rare felicity, prove himtohave been a very fortunate man .
E P I S T L E XXXIX.
P L I N Y toMu s'
r r u s .
admoniihed by the arufpioes to repai
and beautify the temple of thegoddefi.s a s s ,
B 0 0 K IX.
Cents , whichis built-
upon my eftate : the edificeindeed is very old and inconvenient, efpecially, as on
a particular day of the year it is ex celiively crouded.
For on the thirteenthof Se tember , a greatconcourfe
of people afi'
emble there igom all arts of the neighbourhood . At that time it is a cene, where manyafi
‘
air s are tr anfaéted where alfo Vow s ar e paid, and
where new vow s ar e ofi'
er ed : but yet there is no
fhelter either from the fun, or from the r ain.
Itw ill appear in me ther efore, at once a work of
piety and munificence, if I r ebuild this temple‘
in a
veryhandfome manner , and add to ita portico. Thefirfi:for the ufe of the goddefs , the latter for the ufe
for e, that you w ould buy four marblecolumns , of Whatever fortyou think fit buy alfo a
fufficient quantity of marble for the pavement, and
for the fide~w alls . A fiatue of the goddefs her felfmuttbe either made or bought the prefentold ftatueis of w ood, and in fever al pa rts of itis muchimpairedby time. A s to the por tico, I have mentioned all
particular s belonging to it, thatare necefl
’
ary to be fent
rorn the place where you are ; unlefs you w ill lketchout a plan agreeable to the fituation. F or the porticocannotbe joined to the tem le itfelf, becauiethe tem
ple is clofe to the fieep b s of a r iver on one fide,and on the other to the highroad.
. There is beyondthe hi hroad an ex tenfive field, in which, ex actlyoveragain the temple, the rticom i htvery commodioufly be lituated unleligou {hall e of another 0 i.nion, for I know all difficulties of fituation are calilycor rected by your art. F arew ell.
O B S E R V A T I ON S .
T his old temple of CER ES w as placed near fifer num T iber inum,
in Tufiany. In the firfl: epiftle-of the fourthbook,
PL INY tells F A BA T U S, thathe is goingw ithCA LP URN I Ainto Tufcany, notto vifit
‘hisvefiate, butto dedicate a temple,
4.
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S .
whichhe had builtther e athis ow n ex pence and in point
ing outthe fituation, he fays , oppidum ej I pr e dii: mflr i: vicimm , from fifm um fi bm
'
num the c ity is adjoining to
my efiate : the name of it isCI
’
ifir num,upon the ir ;
In this epiftle w e find, thatthe temple {toad upon fome part
of PLI NY’
s efiate [a]? mibi cede: CEREk r s in pr z diiJ] at a
finall difiance, it is to be fuppofed, from the tow n .
Mu s'
r w s , fr om the (object, and efpec iallyby the lafl:paragr aph, appear s to have been an ar chitect and w as probablya man of eminence ; but his name, I believe, is notm en
tioned b any other author . PL I NY defir e s him to befpeak
four marble pillar s for the portico a fepar ate bu ildin
?al
thoughin fome degr ee appe rtainingto the temple itfelf. r om
hence the ufe and benefit of thefe po rticos may eafily be de
duced they w e r e, as has been befor e obferved3
, like a public
e x change, and they w er e fometimes detached from the edific e,to whichthey proper ly belonged ; as in this infiance, whe r e
PLINY intends to build this portico over againftthe temple,and on the othe r lide of - the r oad.
T he ar k/pica5,by whofe admonition max im]
PLINY had undertaken to r ebuild the temple of CERE S , w er e
always mor e rever ed in Tuf mny, than in any other part of
Itab. T heyw er e in fohi hefteem, from their artof divination by the intr ails of he s , thatin the r eign of ROMU LU S,fame of thefe pr iefis w er e broughtfrom Hetr ur ia , and fettled
in Rome and fame of the youn Romans , of patr ic ian fam i
lies , w er e afterwards fentinto afiany to be initiated into thisparticular fcience. PLrNY probably pa id an obedience and
refpeé’t to the e r a/pica , from the fame r eafons , which in
duced Cr c s x o to thinkthem w orthy of vener ation . He r a .
jfia'
nam ego r eipublicar tau/23, cammuq ue r eligionir , calenda r}:
tag/fro I am of opinion, fays T ULLY , that for the goodof the flare, and the common caufe of r eligion, thisinfpeétion of intr ails , and the pr ediétions ar ifing from it,oughtto be encour aged.
”
I cannotdifmifs my thoughts upon this fubjeé’r, w ithout
mentioning an inftance, that r elates to the myfier ious partofthis divination . AGE S I LAU S , when he was in E gypt, pe rceivedhis foldier s lefs alertand cour agious than he ex pected .
0 give them fpir its , he performed the partof an ar ufpex
a See the obfer . on the r z thepifl. of the 5thbr ok .
116 e r it {rt/pitimdir . Thefe pr iefis w er e alfo called ex tiQica ,
d (x ii: iffi ia'
mair . 3 Dev z'
natiou . Lib. 2 .
The P R E F A C E .
pointed .pwfeflof the treafuty of SAT URNfound bah/enin the favour and goodopinionJAN, he fegeerted all his pow er w iththe emperor , to11:honour and adtwntage of his own p ar ticular fii enl gfiu
‘h-
as Vocom u s ROMANU S, ANT dN I A .Mnx nvn x'
n
LA, and HARPOCRAS , the plyfician. The letter s , r e
lating to the]? perfons may, I think, be dated in thefirfi and[econdyear s of T RAJAN
’
s r eign.
Thefeventhletter may be aflined tothedr ed and fifiy one ; becau/E in thatepi/ile, PLINY mentions his intentions tomeetthe emper or , whofiepr ej/ence inthe metropolis w as notlej fs expetted, than defir edT RAJAN, on account of his abjénoe in Germany,
having r efufed the con/ut]hip, Sos s w s S ENECI O, andA . CORNELI US PALMA , w er e the canfuls of theyear .The ex at
'
t‘
time of T RAJAN’
s r etur n to Rome is not
adjufted by DION, or my other author itw a s prohabétow ards the w inter fiafon, having madefomejtay in thefever al tow ns and pr ovinces , thr oughwhichhe pafl'
ed.
His ar r ival w as very difi'
er entf r om the pompous magsmficence of his pr edecflor s . He enter ed the eity onfoot,and fainted all his fi iends w ithhis final opennej s , and
familiar ity . He appear ed an emper or , only b the appla uj és of thepeople, whichhe r eceived w ithgr eatdecency and compo/
“
ar e. His fidt attention firm s to ha sbeen to r eligion as tow ar ds the latter end of this year ,and the beginning of the nex t, the thirdtion of the Chi/fians w as car r ied on by
In this year , PLm y made an ex cite/ion into T ufcany,to lay the foundation of a temple, whichhe had longfince dehgned to build at T ifernum T iber inmn . hethe epi/ile addrfiéd to the emper or , for leave of ab
fcnee, PLm y propojhs togofromRome, about the ba
ginning of September ; atwhichtime, itis pr obable, thatT RAJAN w as notar r ived.
gpifiles 3. 4. 5, 1 nd 7. Vide Panegyr ic, (ea . 50.
p . 8.
3 19
320
853 .
T I AJAI .
30
A. U . C.
T : AJA N .
The P R E F A C E:
The canfuls for the year eighthundr ed fifty twowe»:the emper or himd and M. CORNELIUS Faor r r o.
‘PLINY, in his panegyr ic, tells us , that T RA j AN r eviv
ed the antient method of chuj ing confuls , by pr efintinghimfelf as a candidatefor thatmagi/tr acy, and byfieingfor thefufl'
r ages of the tr ibes , in thehe had been a pr ivate citiz en. Sucha condo/205607:may?have engagedhim mojtefl'et‘tually to the Roman peopleand he appear s to have accepted the con/
‘
uifln’
p w ith no
other view , as he r e/igned the fafces to Se x'
r u s Pou
PB IU S COLLEGA , on the calends of thefollow ing Adar chxPLINY pafled par t of this year athis villa in T afea
n but w as r ichlled fiwm thence by the entr eaties oft e Andalu fian s , who
'
implor ed his patr onage and aflance again/ttheir latepr oconful Cm c xmu s CLA s smu s .
S punw s CORNU T U S T ERT ULLU S, and C. Pmm u s
Cos c su u s SECUNDUS, w er e eletted confuls on the ca
lends of September . The famous panegyr ic, in honourof T RAJAN, w as jpo/cen by PLINY upon this occafioneThe dignity feems tohave been given him only for that
purpofe. On the calends of November , the confules fuf.feé fiw er e, JULIUS FBROX, and A CU T I U S NERVA .
The confuls for the yea r eighthundr ed andfifty thr eew er e, the emper or T RAMN, and Sex '
r w s ART I CU
Law s F E T U S . In this year a vfiniflred his temple at T ifemum T iber inum, and w as prohut at thededication ofo it. He vzfited his native city Comum
and contr ibuted tow a rds thefoundation of a public fihoolther e. Athis r etur n to Rome, he w r ote an epi/ile toL l c im us SURA , giving him an accountof a w onder
ful fipr ing, whichhad been difcover ed in a mountainnea r Comum SURA w as at this time attending theemper or in his expedition again]? the Daci. The vietory obtained over that nation r educed their king Dt-
g
CEBALU S , to acceptfuchterms , as the emper or thought
See book 4. e 6 . and book 9. ep . 1 5, 36, and 40.
‘ Book 4. epifife 1 3 .c Book 4. ep. 30.
3 22 The P R E F A C E.
“
find his epihle to A l umnu s in thefourthbook", bfl‘
fr omthofe resentments exhibited by GRUT ER, upon whichthe[cu r d titles and d ignities of P i ne? ar e
The emperor , onhis r eturn into Italy, vihted the gym!wor ks , whichhehad beencar rying on for to»yea r pm}atCentumcellz : and Pa ts y , you any a m ber , Mtions the honour , whichhe r eceived in beingMar ooned to
T RAJAN, whohadfltewed -
gr eat
Pu mr w e evenhinted in [ea/bu of theyearhe embar ked. We a n,
of his government, . by ex aminitg theufa. a city atthefootof mountO lq
pus . d : PLINY made fame[toy atm a, the letter s ,whichhe may berfipp
'ofid to have w ritten in that city,
par ticular ly in the en j ? of FLavw s Aa cn rpm u n
‘ Book 6 e ep. 3 1.
p .
314 The P R E F A C E.
As[hon as he leftNic’
omedia, he w entto Prui'
a J
town of Bithynia, upon the Eux inemor e, near the r iverHypius
F r om -m a, I fuppofiehim topr oceed toClaudiopolis otherw i/hcalled Bithynium. The latter , I believe,w as the or iginal name. Theformer w as pr obably 4Med inhonour of CLAUDIU S CE SAR .
The nex tcpl/ile is dated atAmafir is , which, P LINYthe elder tells us , w as antiently called Sefamus l ie
the time of our author itw as a city of gr eatbeauty and.
magnificence. Itlies to theNor thBahof Claudiopolis ,near to the r iver Parthenias , whichthe T urks call ther iver Dolap.
Sinope w as the nex tplace, atwhichour author r ej ided, or at lead, was the nex tplace, from whencecan date an epi/ile S inope w as built, in theyear ofRome, one hundr ed and tw enty five. In the time ofJULIUS Cons AR, immediately after the w ar betw ix thimand POMPEY, this city, whichw as thenfub
’
etttoM1
T HRIDAT ES, king of Pontus , fell intoRomans , and became a Roman colony Itnow belongstothe T urks , who call itS inabe .
F r om Sinope, P1.m y pr oceeded to the city Amlfus .Two of his epi/tles w er em i ttenfr omthence butwecan tr acehim nofarther on the Eur inejhar e.IV: mufi then fuppoj i him r etur ning tow ar ds N ico
media, and ther efor e the nex tepiflle is dated fromJuli0polis
EP° 64. P r u/a ad Hypiumflumen, velficundum alias[uhHypicuence. Cellar ii Lib. 3 . Cap. 8. Sea . 34.
b Itwas called Pr ufa ad llypium, to difiinguilb itfrom Pnfi ad
Olympus». See obfervations on epillle 19.
8.
Sefi'amum oppidumgated nunc Amaflr is . PL1 111 1 Nat. Hill. Lib.6 . ca z .
Ep
po 73 0
PHARNAC I S , (on ofMl ‘l‘HRl DAT BS, by betrayinghis father ,ed poll
‘
cflion of Shape and Ami/us . He then r ebelled againfi
the Romans ; buthe was fubdued, and his army was entir elyrouted by Jame s 05 3 1111. I Epilllc 75, and 77.
326
857.
P R E F A C E.
T il”A li’
s bir th-day .
tified, and new vows con enced in how gf T RAj-AR
The epi/ile on this occa/ion
take nctice, thatRos nm s , in
es
CA I US, a civilian, for his author ity. The qaotation isr ight butCAI US is u ifiaken. PLU T ARCH, warmvary w ithPLINY , decides the pointbeyond all contrtion. Inhis liftof CICEROhefaj s , T ex emac J: Ka tee-an
AW " aw duw ; um c r ow ; Abx woem mils m p 05,
Mega r em w : m»M , a n m as a
s,e: a s,
c 3 !»s fi t ht} ! hf C ream) ,
his mother , He w as bor n on the thir d of f anta sy,
0 Ep . 107.
s agas { wr ar jfij fifififlthl{f
em r w ere a nd
The ca lends were the firflday of the month.which
.3o P L I N s
'
FJP I S T L‘
E s .
O B S ERV A T I O N s
or an invocation to the Goh, n th:
AJAN‘
in thein the year eighthundred and fix ty.
-E P I S T L E II .
P L I N Y to T x n j n n .
O RD S,Sir , cannot
have reached the very (ummitofmyfelf the objefl of your peculiar
ginning of your moltaufpicious reign.
You w ill eafily believe, b my two mar r iages ,howdefirous I have ever been of
),
having children. I even
for them in the worfi: of times . But, theGods have decreed a more preferable fate ; andhave
all my, felic ity to be crowned by yourI fhould chul
'
e mol'
t ytobe a
at this time, when I have a certain profpeél: of fit»
tur e happinefs and fafety.
O B S E RV A T I O N S .
11m friendfli ip -between Intro s Senvrnwvs andPtm'i'
w as r eciprocal. F rom this epiitle we find,thatSenvm nua
B O O K X .
W hitm oltpower in favour of PLINY : and in thelevenwenthepillle of the third book, andepifile of the fix thbook, PLI NY ex pr efi
'
es gr eatand affefi ion tmvm ls Snuvm uu s and lpeaks of him inOther places w ithgr eatdefer ence and r efpeét.
The follow ing fentence has reduced fome of the comfi entator s into a mil’take. Eoqnemagis liber os concnpi/Z
'
e, quothaber e etfdntillotr iflifimo ecalovalid,ftcut tes duohastr immii s tneis cr eder e. ey imagine, that LI NY , whoam w ives , was twice mar r ied befor e the deathof Dt - o
‘r r AN but in a letter to a na a r u s5, he particular ly
mentions the time w lwn his firflWife died, ‘
and ex cufeshimfelf from w aiting upon ANT EI A, becaufe he had they;lately loll his w ife, and w as confined from goin abroadby detency, and the ex cels of his afllié’tion .
” hatepi(ile
, from the urport of it, evident
gaappear s to
Wr itten Anna lg. C. in the year of NERVA’S
r eign . A parenthefis . would notonlyp revent any chronological mifiake, butwould clear up the obfcur ity of the par agraph, and r ender it anl
'
w erable to the (cure.
in whichitistranflated. Eaga
te m
igs fiber os concgpcfio, (ques haber e etiarn
illo tr i/l 0ficnb voui)fcntpater daobus matr imoniis cr eder eAnd omhence I am particular ly defirous to
”haVe children, (fince I Wilhed for them indeed in the moil inani
3‘ fpic ious times ) as you may imagine bymy twomar r iages ."
a Book 7. epifiie 6 . .ahd book 8 . epilile 2 3..3 00k 9. epifile 1 3 !
E P I S T L E III .
P L I N Y to T R A JA N .
3 3
0U R indulgence to me, moltex cellentempeg F romhas been lo unlimited, that it (ti ll . em A -
s
U
éC
no me to feel: favour from you, even in behalf T x n j lin
of my fr iends , among whom Voc om vs Re su me s
claim the highefi: place. In our ear liefi
year s , the fame bed‘contained us , and the fame fchool
gave us education. F or whichr eafons , I former ly
petitioned your royal father , to promote my fr iendhot e
I
32 P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S.
the fenator ial orderthe completion of
ROMANU S had not per formed her promife, in'
ving him the free of four hundred thoufandFel
fier ces which, by letter s to your father , fhehadpro d to give. She has fmcs , by my advice,
fulfil ed her promife for , fhehas noton] conveyedto him the lands , but .has al 0 ex er cifedevery other
Since
the ex ecution of my hopes , w iththe greateftconfidenoe I offer you my fecurity for the morals of myfriend ROMANUS , whichap
pear in full luftre, byhi s
own polite learning, and by is filial piety. A piety,thatnotonly procur ed to him this benefaé
'
tion from
his mother , buteven puthim into immediate pofi'
ef
(ion of his own father ’s efiate, and ained him theadeption ofhis father - in- law . All thefe advantageousc itoumfiances are encreafed the f lendour of
‘
hi sfamily, and by his greatweal an I believe, thateven my commendation of his particular virtues mayprobably entitle him to your indulgence. I befeechyou, Sir , to grant me the muchdefir ed opportunityof congr atulating ROMANU S, and of boafi ing, (fmcemy alfeétions are, as I hope, founded in virtue) that
your approbation and
gudgementhave not only been
confer red upon me, utupon my fr iend.
O B S E RVA T I O N S .
By this epifile w e are informed, that the fenator s w ereobliged to prove themfelves wortha certain number of fefier
ces , before they could ar r ive at the fenator ial dignity. SUr r onw s mentions the particular fum. Senator wn w y
'
ant
ampliavit ac pr o ottingentor nnt millinnt fum e .duo deciesH . S , nonhabentibus it T he qualifi
'
r
ation for e fenator ial order w as enlarged byAQGQSv
Equal to 3 229 1. 3 s . 4d.
Su r r onu . Ctr-su it,Auou s'
r us , Cap, 41 .T US.
B4 P L I N Y’
s‘
E P I S'
T L E S.
name is H ARPOCRAS . H is patroneis was T H E;
tu r n s , the daughter of T n eou . She is fince dead .
Letme farther aflt you, to give the r ights of 3 Ci .
as inftituted by ROMULU S, to HELIA , and ta
ANT ON I A H anu anr s , the freedwomen of Anr ou raMnx ru rtu . This requeftis made to you by me,
E P I 8 T L E V.
P L I N Y to T R A J A N .
Return you thanks , Sir , for having foly indulged me, by.granting
the r ights of Romancitiz ens to the freedwomen o a lady, w ithwhom Iam clofely connected in fr iendfhip and the peculiarr ights of a Roman citiz en to H anpocna s my hyfician. But while, according to your order , Ew anemployed in regiitefinghis age, and citate, form per
fons , more ex per ienced than myfelf, told me, that Ioughtfirfi, tohave afked for him the freedom of thecity of Alex andr ia, becaufe he was an E gyptian, and
afterw ards the fr eedom of the c ity of Rome. But, as Idid notimagine, thatthere w as any efl
’
ential difl'er enoebetw een the birthof an fEm tian, and of other for eigner s , I contented myfelf, by telling you only,thathe w as afi
'
ranchifed by a lady, who w as a foreigner , and who had been dead fome time. Nor , can I
yet r epent of my ignor ance, fince it allow s me to
receive {lepeated obligations from you, for the fame
man. atI may ther efor efit, which an intended me,
granthim t e freedom ,
’
bothRome. And, that no accidentmay again fiOp yourintended goodnefs , I have fent, as you commandedme, an account of his age and his efiate, to your
E P I S T L E
0 0 K"
X. .
E P I S T L E VI .
T R A J A N to P L I N Y .
know , to whatprovince of (Egyptthat I may fend to you a letter for my
friend “r am s PLANT A, the prefectof
E P I S T L E VII .
P L I N Y to T R A J A N.
0RD S , Si r , cannot ex refs thefJoy,
whichyour letter has afi'
me, fmce I find
that youhyfhave granted the freedom of Alex
to my phyfieian H anpocna s al ac
cording to the rule of ur pr edeoeflbr s , youto confer l
ychgifts w ithout long deli
ber ation. I muttinform you, thatHanpoc aa s 18 ofthe province ofMmpbis . Letme therefore entreat
you, my moltindulgent royal matter , to fend me,as you promifed, s hatter to Pos s u m PLANT A , the
pre fefi: of [E
As I with, Sir ,foon as
a dif’tance as l can
O B S ER;
3 85
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S .
whether it was intended as an honour , or a r efir aintuponthe n yptiam, cannotbe difcover ed atthis infiance of time .
Sucha neceffary qualification tow ards the civitas Ramana , fo
entirel unknow n even to PLI NY himfelf, is a furpr ifing and.regr ul cir cumfiance, and is one of the many ini
’tan cm to
convince us , how defic ient our know ledge muflremain in.
var ious branches of the Roman conflitution . 4
Rage ergo, indulgentiflimc imper ator , a; alibi ad Pou r : iqPLA NT AMpr aflflum E gypti, amicum
,taunt, da . I an;
you ther efore, moflz indulgent emperor , thatyqu would ,
w r ite to your fr iend POMPE I U S PLA N T A , the praefefii of(Egypt? The feveral countr ies , whichhad bee-n e on .
quered by the Roma ns , w er e overned either .by a pi er“a pr opnetar , or a pr afi fi as . hofe, whichw ere,
0;vby the tw o forme r , w er e called pr ovincias . Tho e, Whichw ere
governed by a {m a efi a s , were termed
pr a
yiflar a . and
thefe all w er e gener al y fuchplaces , as a incur red thefufpicion of the Roman Rate . T he prayed?“
E gypti w as never continued longer than one year m hisovernment: and when he w ent fr om Rome, w as obli edto leave his children w iththe eruperor , as a fecur i for i iaown fidelity and behaviour . So gr eat a degree a jcautionin the governmentof (Egypt, may enc line us to imagine, thatthe civita s Alex andr ina w as meantr ather as an impediment,than a Prep ofhonour to the civita s ROW “ . IEgypt, immediately after the deathof CLEOPA T R A , w as reduced to a
Roman province, by AUGU ST U S , who w as particulady fir iétin r eftrairzing perfons of pow er and diftinétion, from travelling out of cur iofity, w ithout fome neceffary avocation intothat country. He looked upon E gypt, fays T A c r
'
r U s c
,
as the key to Italy, bothby fea and land :a nd imagined,thatif itw er e once feiz ed, itcould noteafily be r ecover
ed, being fo fituated, as to defend itfelf w itha ver finallnumber ofmen, againfta very numerous army.
”LI NY ,
in his panegyr ic calls the {Egyptians ventofa ci infilam na
A vain -
glor ious and infolentpeople and from ex
3 The inhabitants of the pr ominent pr ftf eéi am ’ w er e divefied of
their ow n law s , and w er e entirely fubjefted to the law s , cufioms ,and magiiir acy of Rome .
b In the r eign of AUGUS T U S, the officer fentto gover n af gyptwas called pr a
’
fiflw Auger/141i:i
Annal . lib. 2 . cap. 59.
3Cap. 3 1 .
i
s
preflions
B O O K X.
that a t1ot ja loufzpw as maintained
'
nations [0 that the man emperor s , from a motive of
licy and reftr iétion,a,
arid conltantl
whofe allegiance an int'
ty theymightconfide. Suchw as
POMPEI U S PLANT A , w om PLINY ignifies in this epiftle,by the title of T RAJAN
'S fr iend ; and the emperor, in his
anfwer , confirms the application .
Ta, ex m mm fir, norm mibifi ccr e w a s
ihould letme know of whatnome Ha a poona s is a mtive.
”IEfltwas divided into mam . Dividitur inpr a
feflurar app? am, qua: mm } m m»: b Itis divided intodifir ifi s of tow ns , whichthe call name: and thus w e
find the fepmaginttranllation 0 the bible Ho'
mgbr i “fr o'
Aw,
x ai vo'
po; Ear l vo'
pov3 ° City againll city, and nome againft
name .
”- T hefe names we re in fame de cc anfw erable to
the divifion of our countr ies . T he mid e
ticular ly called Hlptm mir , from the fevenit or iginally contained. PLI NY, in anfwer to T RAJAN
’
e
quefiion, lets him know , thatHARPOCRA 8 was pm;M‘P‘
{pflmi' j of the province belonging toMmpbir, whichfeems
3 39
tohave been an honourable cir cumfiance in favour of Ha n - 6 .
Poena s as was once the capital of E t andin the days of PLI NY , a moltflour ilhin
gand opuigit
’
c i
T he fituation of it, Doétor Pot:oc x te ls u s , cannot
afoertained ; nor are the leafi remains of itatthis day to be
l Ep. z 3, EdithLes s or “.
PLm u Natur . Hifi. lib. 5 . cap. 9.
Ha z i n g,l
Kn¢. x ix . 2. I SMAH’
S prophecy Of confulion; andn in JE t.
See Doam‘gi coc x ’
s defer iption- oi the Eafi. Vol . I . ch. 5 4
E P I S T L E VIII.
P L I N Y ta T RA JA N.
S foon, Sir , as your augul’tfather , by a very
fine or ation, and byhis own eminent ex ample,A
had exhorted allhis fubjcfts to py ticular acts of geneY a r ofitv,
F romRom.
U . G.
85 1 .
T u rn er .
20
34° P L I N Y’
s‘
E R I S T L E S.
rofity, I delivered tohim a petition, that I might"
place in a municipal city a'
colleétion of fiatues , be
longing to me, of former emperor s , and'
that Imightadd to them a ftatue ofhimfelf.” The col
lection fell into my poii‘
eflion by inher itance, and theare upon var ious parts of my mutt diitantHe was leafed to indulge me w ithhis entir e
ation, and immediatelym ore to theDecur ions , to chufe out a piece of ground, upon whichImight build a temple, at my own exg
'
ence. T horemagiitr ates , in honour of the intende work, abfolutely leftto me the choice of the ground. Butflrflz,my ow n illnefs , then, the illneis of your father , and
latel the necefi‘
ary attendance upon theWayment,inw ,
‘
ch ouhave‘
placed me, have hi‘
nde any pro
grei‘
s in t t undertaking.
‘
At this time, I think itmay be particular ly convenient to me to complete
the whole defign, my monthof attendance ending on
the fir itof September , and the nex tmonthhaving init many holydays . Permit me therefore, belbre all
other confider ations , to place your {tatue as the chiefornamentof a fir u£ture, whichI am impatientto be
gin : and, thatthe edifice may be finiihed in the moh:ex peditious mannertI mull entr eatyour leave of ahfence. But the fmcer ity, whichI confiantly prafi ifetowards you, w ill not fufi
'
er me to impofo upon your
goodnefs , by concealing from you'
the advantages ,that mufi accrue upon this occafion, to my own pr ivate affair s . My eli ate in that country,
amounts to
four hundred thoufand {citer ces I muft
the cr op ofccfiion of under a .neceility of
gr anting fome abatements and fuchconceflions canonlybe made by myfelf, while I am upon the{hall ow e therefore, Sir , to your indulgence, the expedition of a work of piety, and the fettlement of
Equal to 3 3 3 91. as 44
PL I NY’
s E P - I S T L E S .
E P I S T L E X .
P L I N Y to T R A JA N.
S foon, Sir , as by your gr eatindulgence, I mr ailed to be razfeétof the tr eafury of Satur n,
that I might entirelydevote myfelf to the particularduty of my office, I renounced the employmentof anadvocate, which, indeed, I had never ex ercifed in a.
promifcuou s‘manner . And from the fame r eafon,
when the provincials entreated me to undertake thei rgaufe againftMARIU S Pa r s cu s , I aflc’
ed, and I obrained leave to be ex cufed. But, when the confillelectdeclared his Opinion, thatwe, whohad been ex ;
puled, ou
ght notonly to decline our pr ivilege on
pccafion ut to fubmit to the power of the fenate,and f er our names to be thrown into the urn ; I
then thought it rfefl‘
ly agreeable to thatunanimity,whichdifhngui es your r eign, notto oppofe that ii .~
lufir ious afi'
embly, efpecially in (0 mild an inllance of
pow er . I w ilh, thatmy obedience, in this point,may meetw ithyour a probation, as I ardently dc .
at all my wor s and actions may be conform:
able to the ex cellentrules , whichyou praftife
E P I S T L E XI .
T R A J A N to P L I N Y .
AOU have aéled the partof a good citiz en, and
mod fenator , by your obedience to the fenar s ,other c ity“1 in an i nee, where itwas moltJuil ly requincd£
3237; have I the leali doubt, thatyou w ill aftthe fame partA U C in the employment, whichyou have undertaken.
T:”a s .
O B S E R
B O O K. X.
O B S ER V A T ION S .
PLINY w as now in his (econd year , as pmflfi urAll payments to be ex hibited by the flare, particular ly thee x pences neceflhry for the maintenance of the naval and military force, the re ception of embafl'ador s , the public buildings , the games , the tr iumphs , and ovation s , w er e dilburfedout of the tr eafury ~of Satur n. The pr xfi fi i a r ar ii w er ethree in number of whichtwo w er e alw ays requir ed to ar
tend, and the third could notbe longer abfentthan a month,
as may be gather ed fr om PL INY’
s ex pr eflion in the c i hthepiftle. Nam et mmflr uum meum calend. Septmlbr z
'
r mtur ,at[equa l s mmfir comp/ur n dies fi r iatar babe: or mymonthof attendance ends the fi ll of September , and thene x tmonth- is full of fefiivals .
”T he [cholialtupon this is
mifiaken , where he (aye, thatComm-
r ue T ER T ULLU S was
the only collegue w ithPa rty in the treafury, and thateachof the comm ifiioner s attended monthly in his office : butthecommentator forgets , that in the fourthepif
’tle of the third
book, PLI NY mentioning the par ticular s r elating to the tr ialof CLa s s r c u s , ex pr efs ly fays to MACR I N
'
US , Colkgar aptimz
'
, ma'
gue amantrfimi d: communis qfia’
i ne
ge
ftatibm, pr g .
lacuti, ex cufa r e me, ctex imer e tentar zmt yvery worthycollegues , who w ere alfo my particu lar fr iends , havingfpoken of the ex igenc ies of our common employment,endeavoi
‘
ir ed to ex cufe and ex emptmy attendance.
”.F rom
DION CA s s w s w e know the ex actnumber of thel'
e ofl‘i‘.c er s , as fettled by AUGUSTU S 5 and there ar e not anyrounds to imagine, that the number w as diminilhed byfiucceeding emperor s .T he date of this letter may very near ly be afoertained.
PLI NY ’
tellS ARRI ANU S‘
, in the eleventhepifile of the fecond book, thatPRr s c u s w as tr ied in January, when theemper or was cenful, and prelided in the fenate
4. This ,epia
file, therefore, mull:have been w r itten in the pr ecedin year ,befor e the emperor
’s return from .Germa rgy, and r
'
u h?had made his ex cur lion into n fiany, where he field all
a Editio Louoou t. Ep . 24. p g. 73 5.
Ibid . Pag. 1 88.
Lib. 5 5 . A . U . C. 7 9 .
Pr incep: pr ttfidebat2am ! em'
m con/u!) ad 50: yanuar im
P L I N Y’
s E P I S - T L E S:
O B S E R V A T IO N S.
“My“[film y Aeew - s
d guilhed, in this'
epifile, as a manT he fcholialtCa r a ua vs mentions feveral Rom = o£hianame, and among them, c w m s SURA 0
, WBOW Mful the enfuing year ; and whom DION CA s s w s defer ibesi s remarkably r ich, and in highfavourT RAJAN.
PL I NY , who generally pall'
ed part of the rummer at hisT ufian villa, may be fuppofed to have w r itten thi s letterfrom thence, in confequence of a per fons ] converfation betw een the emperor and him atRome, wherein he had obta in
ed from his imper ial mafter a promife of the'
prz tor lhip forAc c rU s SURA . The pr a tor s w ere nex t in dignity, and
g adual fucoeflion, to the confuls .
3 The 30thepiftle of the 4thbook, and the 27thepillle of the7thbook, are addrefl
'
ed to him. By boththofe letter s , and bythe 46thepigram of the 7thbook ofMART I AL, he appear s to
have been a man of lear ning.
E P I S T L E XIV.
P L I N Y to T R A JA N .
Congr atulate you, Sir , and I congr atulate thecommonwealthUpon your viétor y ; of all your
conquefis the gr eatefi , the molt complete, and themolt memor ableu May heaven grant f uchevents to your future enterpr ifes , that the empire,from your many virtues , may find itfelf fel’te red,and augmented to the highelt degree of its former
glory.
O B S E R V A T I O N S .
T RAJAN, after having obtained a tr iumphfor his latefuccefs over the Dad, r emained, dur ingthe year e ighthundr ed
and fifty four , in Italy, from whence he,was foon r ecan
ted
Y
B O 0 K X.
bythe perfidious behaviour of Dr c s na tu s . The unperorar r ived in Dacia ear ly in the year fifty five, and his conqueltsther e w er e mor e rapid and complete, than they had ever
been in his former e x pedition. T his epifi'le is wr itten
upon thatmemorable occafion, ”thr ice the, optimaany) .max im , pull
-bar r irme antiqug’
fi uaz, drew F rom the ex ptelfienantiqmfima, w e may obferVe, in hbw greatveneration th
'
e
antientglor y of Rama wa s efteemed atthattime . Pt.marr ifes in his epithets , and places thatparticular word, (0 as to
appear the highefi'
and mail confummate term of fpcéch,that could give an adequate idea of T RAJA N
’
S viflory.
E P I S T L E XV.
P L I N Y to T R A JA N.
342
S I am convinced, Sir , thatnothing can tend E F rom an».U . c .
efi'
eétually to the approbation, and pr aifeconduct, as to r eceive marks of diftinétion from
ex cellent a pr ince, I humbly entreatyou, to .add to
the dignity, whichI have alr eady r eceived from your
favour , the office either of augur , or of feptemvir
(thofe offices being new vacant) that I may never
fail to pray for you publicly in my facerdotal r ight, asyou are at prefent the confiantobjeétof my pr ivatedevotion.
O B S E R V A T I O N S .
T he college of augur s confil’ted of fifteen prielts theeldeftof whom pr efided over the r eft:he w as called magi/hrcollegiz
'
. Upon the deathof any one of thefe pr iefl'
s , the
per fon, who offered himfelf as a candidate, w as to be na
commended by two of the collegians to the r eftof the fr ater nity, who, if they thou ht proper , chofe him into theirfoc iety. T his . method ha been eftablilhed from the timeof the confular flate 3
, till it w as inte r r upted by JULI USCE SA R, who tr ansfer red the pow er of eleél ion to the peo
ple, and by the popular fulfrages and author ity, w as chofen
9The augur s wer e originally chofen by the kings .high-
pr ick
85 5 .
T RA I L ] .
348.
From Rm .
A . U . C.
855.T a u r u s .
6.
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S.
high- pr ied pontifix max im :.in the mom of MB T S L
1 0 3 a : butupon the deathof E SAR, the r ightof eleéizionagain devolved to the magma themfelves , and r ema ined
them, (ex ceptan inter r uption byM. ANTH ON Y , in
of E mi rate s Lap rnu s ) till the reign of An o nad
7 08, when itwas given up, and dhblilhed ver after w ar ds
in the emperor s . TRAJAN complied w i PLI NY’
S te
ueit, and appointed him augur in the room of Sex x u s
juu us F aou r m u s .
Thefeptm vir i w er e pr iel’cs appointed to govern, and over
looltthe {calls and entertainments onholy- da from whencethey w ere mor e proper ly called epuloms . hey w er e .
or igi
nally three“
in number , and afterwards leven
a See Pnu r x ac n’
s life of Jumu s Clan k.Vi
ge Au x “ ab Au x auoao geniales dies . Vol. I . lib . 3 .
u p. 1
E P I S T L E XVI.
P L I N Y to T R'
A JA N.
I N CE I may prefume to think, S ir , thatmyyour follicitnde, I inform you,
ybeyond theprorhontoryMkd gmy ,
r etinue atEphd’
w , althoughI w as detained for fome time by contrary Wind-
f». Inow intend to go forward to .my province, partly infinal] lhips , that fail clofe to themore, and par tly inland - car r iages . F or , as
blefome by land, (0 the continued Etefian winds op:
a voyage by fea.
E P I S T L E XVII .
T R A JA N to P L I N Y .
O U R information is very acceptable,my deareftS e cunou s . The manner , in whichyou pur
fue your Journey toyour province, is a point, that I
have
“
B O O K X .
E P r L S T L E XVIII .
P L I N Y to T R A JA N.
Had a ve good pafi'
age by (ea, as far as p a Pr elu d e
I fut, but w en I attempted to put(ue my journeyfrom thence in land - car riages , I w as obliged to tell(ome time atPergamus , being {topped by the ex cefliveheats , and by (ome flight fits of a fever . Afterw ards , when I wentforward in (mail coafting ved
‘
eis ,I was detained by contr ary w inds ; (0 that I did not 855 .
ar r ive in Bitbwt'
a, till the (eventeenthof September ,T"2“
whichwas later than I ex pec'
ted. However , ,I can - r
of the delay, fmce ithappened (0 au
fpicioufly, as to. (ufi'
er me to celebrate your birth- day.
in the province.
Atpr efcnt, I am employed in ex amining the publiceXpences , revenues , and debts of the P r ufimfir and.the farther I proceed in my ex amination, the more necefi
‘
ary I find it: for var ious (urns of money, undervar ious pretences , are
.detained in thehands of parti
cular per ibns , and (everal illegal demands are madeupon the (tare.
Thefe hints , Sir , I have w r itten to you atmy veryfir ftentrance upon bufinefs . Atmy ar r ival here onthe feventeenthof September , I found the provincefull of that duty, and attachment to you, whichyou deferve from all theConfider , S ir , whether you may notthink itproper ,
to fend hither a furveyor : for I believe, if a faithfulmeafur ement w er e made, w e might poflibly recalllar ge (urn s of money from the undertaker s of the publ ic works at leaflr, (o it appear s to me, from the viewof the accounts , ex amined byMAX IMU S and me to
gether , and broughtin by the Pr u/Em}: themfelves .
mount 0.
E P I S T L E
356 P L I N Y’s
‘
E P I S T L E S .
If any man has obtained a pr ivate, or a public
pr ivilege, from one of the former em eror s , lethim .
not imagine, he is to be depr ived of ucha pr ivilege,merely that he may ow e the te - eflrablilhment andconfirmation of it to me. Neither w ill I r eceive
thanks for petitions long fince confirmed . Letthofe,who have notyetreceived any marks of my bounty,wait till fortune, whichfeems to have diitinguilhcdme moftkindly from my
Ipredecefi
'
or s , {hall allow m e
to dif nfe my r ew ards . aftly, letme never be follicite for favour s already gr anted.
The Epifile of NERVA to
INC E I have pofitively decr eed, thatallbegun and accomplilhed in former reigns , ihould
be confirmed, the letter s of DOMI T IAN,muttr emain
valid.
E P I S T L E XX I .
P L I N Y to T R A JA N.
LAVI U S ARCH I P P U S has conjured me,by your facred name, and by your immortal
to you a petition, whichmaking the r e
thoughtproper to comply w ithit, refolvinglet you know the name of the w oman, who
‘
accufed him . She alfo delivered in a petition to me,
whichI fend withthefe letter s 5 bywhichmeans , you.
w ill be able to judge, and fix your determination inthe fame manner , ‘as if you hadheard bothparties .
E P I S T L E
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S.
ARCHIPPU S , affirmed, thatDION oughtto give in an,
ex actaccountof thatwork, befor e the paymentof itw as afligned by the r epublic infinuating, thatDI ON
had not acted, as he oughttohave done . H e added
farther , that your {tatue had been placed, wher e thebodie s of DION
’
s w ife and fon w ere bur ied ; and herequir ed me to take cogniz ance of this affair , in m ypublic
‘
capacity. A s foon as I appear ed w illing to
proceed immediately to the enquiry, and dec lared,that I w ould Ofipone my jour ney for thatpu rpofehe then defired:that I w ould allow a longer time for
the prepar ation Of the caufe itfelf, and would hear itin fome Other city. I anfw ered, thatI w ould hear itatNicea, where, when I had taken my feat, the fameEumoLpu s , as if his infi ruétions had not been yet
E ffic iently perfect, began to petition for a farther ad
journment. DION, on the other fide, infrfted upon
an immediate hear ing. In this difpute many cir cumfiances arofe , that r elated to the chief points . But,when I found, thatan affair of this kind w as likely tobe el
’tablifhed into a precedent, I thoughtdelay and
deliber ation w er e abfolutely neceffary, and ther efor eordered eachparty to pr epare for me a {late of theirdifferent demands , in w r iting ; being defirous , thatyou fhould know their fever al allegations , as far as
poIIible, in their ow n w ords . DION faid, that heWould immediately obey me ; and EumoLpu s an
fwer ed, that he would draw up fucha Rate of thecafe, as fhould contain the pr etenfions of the r e ublic .
But, as to what related to the per fons u r ied,EUMOLPUS alledged, he w as not the accufer , but
the advocate of F tnvw s ARCH IPPU S , whofe commands he had obeyed. ARCH IPPU S, for whom
'
EUMoapvs had pleaded in the fame manner here, as
atP ru/Is , faid, thathe would deliver in a memor ialbut neither EUMOLPU S nor ARCH IPPU S, although Iha te w aited Iéveral days , have yet given in theflame
has, whichI have mnex cddlto
Is
this letter . I have been upon the fpot, and I faw
your flame placed in the libr ary. The edifice, in
whichthe w ife and fon ofDION ar e fai
d to be bur ied,fiands w ithin a court fur rounded by galler ies .
I befeechyou, Sir , vouchfafe to dir eftme in thenice point of giving my judgementonthis particularaffair . All eyes are upon me, as indeed itis unavoid
able, when facts ar e publicly avowed on eachfide,and fuppor ted by precedents .
E P I S T L E XXIV.
T R A JA N to P L I N Y .
3 59
OU need nothave hefitated, my deareft S s F romU
Ro
ge
CUNDU S , upon the point, in whichyou con
fa lted me, as you per fectly w ell know , that I am»
determined in my r efolution, not to ex tort a r eve
rence to my name, by putting my fubjeéts into dreadand ter ror s or by encour aging accufations of hightreafon. That quefi ion therefore is fully c red ;nor w ill I fufi
‘
er itto be debated, althoughpr ecedentsmay be produced to fupport it.
Let the eftimate of the whole work, done under
the direction of COCCIANU S DIon, be thoroughly examined. A s the public benefit is concerned, DION
neither can, nor ought to refufe fuchan ex amina
tion.
O B S E R V A T I O N S.
T he foregorng e iftles all relateto FLA V IU S ARCH I P P US,a philofopher .
i
T e tw entiethand tw enty firftare w r ittenfrom P r u/b ; the twenty third from Nina , a large c ity ata
fin all difiance dailw ard of Br ufa . It is called by the Tur ks ,render ed particularly famous by the firfi ge
neral counc il held ther e in the r eign of CONS T A N T I NE theGr eat
, in the year of CHRI S T three hundr ed and tw entyfive ; atwhichwer e prefent,
aot only the emperor himfe
blf,
4 ut
855 .
T u na s ,
6.
B 0 .0 X X. fi this poddon.
‘
I thought- ir cones to my duty ms
deny the requefl; and thereforethe petition, in delivered by them tome.
E P I S T L E XXVH.
‘
T R A JA N to PL I NY
0 U mull: ex amine into the pr etenfions of the F rom Km
Y Nicetms , who affirm, that, by a gr antfrom Au“3251
“
c om e s , they have a r ightto the efiates of fuchof T u m .
their citiz ens , as die intefiate. Convene all parties ,6‘
thatar e in any degr ee concerned in this affair and
then, in concertw ithm u s Gay n tm us , and myfr eedman EP IMACHU S, who, being my officer s 3, are
r eprefentatives of me . You muttweighthe differ entallegation s , and from thence determine, in the manner you iball judge moltequitable .
O B S ERV A T I O N S .
By PLINY’S letter s to T na ya u, w e may obferve, that
the name CE SA R w as held in fuchaw e and devotion . thatno petition, when i ntroduced and offered by adjurations , tothe glory and immortality of the emperor , could be difre
garded or r efufed.
T he r eigning emperor w as notonly pantifi x mar inas , but
was w or lhipped as a God and in the ninety feventhletterw e {hall find PL INY obligin the Chr ifiians to r enounce
CH R I S T ,and to ador e the atues of the heathen deities
,
and of T RAJA N in particular .
In the emperor’
s anfw er he mentions tw o perfons , w ithwhom PLINY is to actin conc ert. Adbibz
'
tis V I RD I O G15.
MELLI NO, ci EP IMA CHO liber to meo, pr ocur ator ibm Inconcertw ithVIRB IU S GEMELL I NU S, and my fr eedman
EP IMA CH U S, who,be in my officer s , ar e r epr efenta
tives of me.
”The tr an tion of the w ord procm oni
bus is , perhaps , too loofe, butmay be jufiified, in formmeafur e, by the note of CA T A NJS US, who fays , Qyin
fi
flfla3 Pr ocur ator z
’
bm.
(fies .
A . U . C .
55 °
T I A JA N o
P L I N -Y’
s3E P I
’
S T'L E S .
ggflafu fimtaW ater : Cu shni s fit a fart/km cliff com:
pr obantur , 41:fi 4 CE SARE ggfla'ffrt The '
etermina - Jw
tion of a procurator w as , by fanétion and opin ion ofJ
the law yer s thought equally valid w ithwhatever theemperor ratifiedhimfelf.
”
E P I S T L E XXVIII .
P L I N Y ta T n a j a'u .
N a letter to me from LYCORMAS, yourhe defired, Sir , if any embafi
'
from BojpbomW
path!throughthis place tow ards m e, that I {horrid }
detain the embafiador s , till LYCORLMAS himfelf carné"
hither . The embafiador is not yet ar r ived in the:
c ity, .wher e, atprefent, I refide but
come from San teria, and I refolvcd
this opportunity, whichchance has givenhim forward w iththe meflénger , whohad been beforé ‘
difpatched'
tome from LYCORMA S thatby the fever al letter s from LY CORMA S , and the king of Sa rma
tia , you may be informed of fuchaffair s , as perhaps ,you ought to know atone and the fame time.
I
Raff/90m : Cimmr r z'
ur , the kingdom, in whichMx r u w a r rb‘
,
took r efuge, and wher e he killed. himfelf . It comprehended;many provinces , all fubjeét to the Bofphor an pr inces . It lies
‘
NorthBaitof the Thracian Bo/ilborm , on the Oppofite fide ofithe Eux ine fea .
E P I S T L E XXIX .
P L I N Y to T R A
'
JA N .
E T T E RS from the king of Sarmatz’
a afi‘
ur e
me, thatthere are certaina ffair s , of whichyouought to be informed, as foon as pofiible therefor e,to forward the earpedition of the mefi
'
enger , whobr ings
P L I NjY
’
s
‘
E r‘f s
‘
iT L E S .
E P I S T L E XXXI .
P t r nY - ta T hA JtAN .
YOUR meli
'
enger S r avitw s Pun r n s ar r ived,Sir , in Ni
‘
comedia on the twenty fourthof No
w hen and delivered the fromthe anx iety“
of a 10 33
O B S E R VA T I O N S .
This is the firfi letter , thatappear s tohave beenw iden
PLI NY fromMa ud ie ; where, in all probability,he atabout the middle of November , and we mayfuppofe, thathe p
aired the r emaining part“
of the winter inthe metropolis o Bitbynia.
E P I S T L E XXXII
P L'
I N Y to T R A JA N.
E F O R E my ar r ival, Sir , at this place, theMm rdiamhad begm tom ake a In ge additionof whichM
whichis obferved atRome. Confider therefore, S ir ,whether a temple, notlegally
'
cOnl'
eCrated, may be r emoved w ithout any prejudice to relf
on . If it maybe done w ithout impiety, the remov on all other accounts , will be ex tr emely convenient.
Pr ior ifor a. b CY B ELE .
E P I S T L E
B O O K X
E P I S T L E XXXIII .
T R A JA N to P L I N Y .
OU need notbe fc rupulous on account'
of reli F rom an ,
gion, my dearcttS z c unnvs , if you think pro
per , that the temple of Cr eate ihould be removed
into a mor e commodious fituation nor need you 6»
ive your felf any uneafinefs , althoughyou cannot
find a particular”
law for the former confecr ation, becaufe a foreign c ity may not be capable of thofe exter ior r ights , whichthe law s have enjoined atRome.
O B S E R V A T I O N S .
T hefi n:Roman w ere builtin fucha manner , as to be thepr ide and ornamentof Romy. T heyw er e of two forts , civiliaand vena lia 3
. T he latter appear tohave been molt anfwer
able to our markets . T he w ord ma r ketcannot indeed convey a proper idea of thefi r a Ma lia , as our metropolis is
rather a c ity of tr ade, than of magnificence.
fplendor and convenience w er e happily blended together,“w er e never car r ied to a greater ,
height, than in theit
}!
(if T RAJAN. We may promote, that all the cities er
the Raman government and protection endeavoured to te
commend thqrnfelves to the emperor adorning, and r e
edifying their public buildings . T he immediam ther efore,In preparation of PhrNY ’
s arr ival, had begun a new form at,whichw as civil: and w k
,enoompaired
witharched containing a large (“
pace in themiddle, for e commer ce and -
oonv‘bnience of the inhabitants .
Vide e s u , lib. 3 .
T P } S T D L E
8 0
T aA51
6
; m
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S.
E P I S T L E XXXIVi
P L I N Y to T R A JA N .
B have this day r atified and renewed, S ir , ouri
folemn vow s for yourOn you depends the ublic welfare.
gr ant us ever to rati y, and renew vow s .
E P I S T L E XXXV.
T R A JA N .to P L I N Y
OU R .letter , my deaneftSncumms , bywhichI learn, that you, and the provincials have ta
tified,and renewed your folernn vow s for myhem ;
and profpetity, is very acceptable to me.
O B S E R VAT I O N s
Solemn’
a vote pr o incabam'
tate tad , & c. One of the comthe follow ing note to this pafi
'
age ;w ta almm
'
tate publica{it/Zip: debu t tl r t.
’
T efe public vow s , or the calthof the’emperor s , w er e per formed on the third of the nones of
January.
” Rosm u s , in his obfervations on the fefiivals '
of January, marks dow n the third of the nones thus C. C.
‘
Yer tim yanua r ii dies , Latin? ter tius mna r um, ct er at co
mitia lis . T he die: camitiales fignified thofe days , on
whichthe maple afl‘emblod. Var ious r eafons might cori
to afi x this cer emony on the third day of the new
T he die: ater w as immediately fubfequentto the ha;or firfi da of the month: and the number thr ee w as
held in the mo fuper ltitious veneration by the Romans .
T he fir it of January w as facr ed to the conful s , who thentook pofl
'
efiion of their dignity the fecond w as an unluckyday, on whichno public undertakin ought to be folemn ized ; the third ther efor e w as the ear ieltfefi ival, that could
be dedicated to the emperor .E P I S T L E
‘ 0 U . c .
8 0
T 3 35 8 .
5 .
P L I N Y’
S E P I S‘
T L E S.
E P I S T L E XXXVII .
T R A JA N to Pa n s y . .
A R Emuttbe taken, that the city of Niam e
dia may be ftIpplied w ithw ater . I am thoroughly perfuaded, that ye ar diligence will be fachas itoughtto be, in br ingingthis work to petfeétioh.
But, in the“
name of heaven i, i s itnetamatter , that
perfons . Communicate to
fiancee, thatmay refultfrom fuchan enquiry.
O B S E R V A T I ON S .
T he feveral accounts , and the few r emains of the Romana queduéts , ar e f r ifmgly magnificent. Snx ‘r u s
'
Ju sF RONT rNU S 5, w 0 w as contemporary w ithPf l tnr , hasw r itten a treatife upon this fubjeét The public conduitsand aqueduéls were committed to his care
,itr theHound
year of Nanva'
and, if I am notm itt-aken, l ie-
reckons
only nine aquedufln, in his lime, atRome towhichbelonged thirteen t-houfand, five hundr ed, and zifigety four
pipes ; eachpipe being one inch in diameter,"and three
inches in c ir cm fercnce.
The method (if difir ibutihg the w ater s was by r'
efervo'
irs ,called cqflella intow hichthe w aterflowed thr ough{ulsterr aneous vaulted paliages made either (if brick orfloat.
3 t fidim .
Whom Pu s v fucceeded in the augur ihip.
Entitled F aos r m u s dc agac daa ibm .
T o thefe kind of arched pafl'
ages PL INY alludes , in his lent ,
when he filys , Mar atafi acm fl’u’
a r ea , St .
B p IO‘
K X6 371
Pr oper over feer s w ere appointed, to whom the diftr ibution of
the w ater s w as entrufied. A duty was laid onall the Wate rcommunicated to pr ivate houfes ; and fuchw ater , as was notfit for dr inking, w as applied to other ufas . It ferved thebaths , the naumacbz
'
a, the dyer s of cloth, and the tanner s ofhides ; and w as lafil conveyed to the Claacq, whichthemfelves into the iber . So nice and ex aéi was the public
.
(economy of Rome.
The capital of the empir e was fuchan ex ampleto thefer c ities , that w e cannotbe furpr iz ed to find the Nicenean: at a confider able ex pence in undertaking works which.
were atonce ornamental, and ul'
oful to their city. eL
fwer fr om T RAJA N to PLI ‘NY fhew s the, ,erip eror of a f
and
l‘
c
i
liipofuion . equal, and adaptedtothegovernment the?W01
'
5
E P r s T L E x x x -m i.
P u mi to T a iw a n .
I T H a joyfiltable ,to the ti,
celebrated. Sir ; the day, by ac
ccptmgthe im r ial dignity, y the empireits ;felf and w e ve earneftly implored the Gods , mpr eferve and profper you, as the fafety and w elfar e ofmankind is annex ed to your profper ity. Atthe fametime I placed myfelf at the head of the troops , andof the provincials , who all vied w ith
'
me in renew ing,in the molt felemn manner, our . oaths of fidelity to
your perfon.
E P I S T L E x x x rx .
T a u - A s to Pu uv.
OUR letter ,mydearefi Sem ira mi s em F ronitam .
ly acceptabkm me, as it informs me, w ithhowA
821
61“
mud : joy and devotiop'
the army and the provincials , T u n a .
yde . bd ng their leader, hme e'
elobrated the day of my7‘
m edian/to them pitt
0 B S E. R
373 P’
L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S .
O B S E R V A T I O N S .
The date of the thirty eighthepiftle may be almofi
pointed outto a day. T he provinc ials and the army annu
ally celebr ated the acceflion of T RAj A N to the empir e,which, as has been alr eady mentioned, w as on the tw entyfeventhof January. PLI NY undoubtedly w as as ex peditious
as poflible, in acquainting the emperor w iththe joyful c e r emonies of that day. His letter therefor e may be afi gned tothe tw enty eighthof January.
Diem, Domine, 9m fer 'vqfli imper ium damfirfcif is . T hefcholiaits are of opinion, thatthis fentence, particular ly thew ords [m fi i inpatient, allude to the day of T a AJA N
’s
'
adoption by Nx avn , and not to the day of his acceflion;But the emp tor could notbe faid, fizy
ciper e imper ium fi '
om
the time whenhewas adopted, but.oh y from the deathof
NBRVA : the full meaning of the complimentfeems to be,that T RAJAN w as the only pei
'fon fit to fuftain theRoman government, whichunder a lefs w ife, or a
'
le£s
equitable pr ince, mutthave fallen . into former diffr ac
In fuch a compliment, the adoption indeed
mighttac itly be included, but the celebration of the feltimutthave been the anniverfary, on whichT RA
'
JAN fue
s eeded to the empir e.
39 The fix tiethepifile in the edition of Lonc ou u s
3 Ca r a umu s and Bu CHNERI U S . See note 4. and 5 . on ep. 60 .
E P I S T L E XL.
P L I N Y toT R A JA N .
Intreatyou, Sir , to afliftme w ithyour Jud ement,upon a point, in whichI am doubtful.0
not, whether I ought to
pr ifons to thep ublic flaves ,tifed, or to the foldier s T
act w ithfidelity : and the employment, g ill W ill!too large a number of the _ latter . In the mean time, Ihave added fome few foldier s tothepublicflaves . Y et,
I per
376
A . U . C.
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S
E P I S T L E XLIV.
P L I N Y'
ta T R A JA N .
AB IU S BA S S U S, who is praefefi u n thecoali of Pontiac, came hither,Sir , in e molt
dutiful“
and re manner . He itaid w ithme feveral days , an as far I could difcern, he is a man of
mand,'
he innitbear ii i', two captains of hotfe, and one centur ion. He
anfwered, that the number w as notfullicient for hispurpofe, and, that he would w r ite to you upon thepecafion for whichreafon, I did notthink itproper
a See the obfervations .
E P I S T L E XLV.
T a iw a n to P L I N Y .
Have likew ife had a letter from Ga nrvs Ba s s u s ,in whichhe tells me, the number of foldiers , that
I.had allotted for him, is nor fufiicient. You feem
delirbus of know ing my anfw er, and you w ill find itter . It is of greatconfequence tonecel
'
lity r equires , or ambition
prompts a man to make large demands but thepublic w elfare ought to be the pr incipal pointin ourview ; confr
fiuently all poflible care Ihould be
taken,that the oldi
I'
S .
QB S E R.
P L I N Y’
s
'
E P I S T L E S.
E P I S T L E XLVI .
P L I N Y to T R A JA N .
AX IMU S, Sir , who is your freedman, andone of the officer s of your houlhold, has ar
fured me, thathe muttrequire more foldier s ,the ten q fia
'
am , whom you ordered me to afiigntoGEMELLINUS 3 . In the mean time, I tho
aqightpr o - r
er , notto take aw ay thofe, who were alre y in theervice ofMa x m u s ; efpecially as he w as going intoP
qpbhgonia to procure corn. Athi s defire therefor e,
an for his fecur ity, Ihave added twohorfe-
guards . Ientreat you to let me know , in whatmanner , youwould have me aftfor the future.
t Gs u s au no, optima w ir e T o the moltex cellentGau nv s .
”Suchan ex pr ellion is confident w iththe idiom of the
Latin language, butfounds ill in a tr anflation, as notbeing agreeable, or peculiar to our manner of w r iting familiar letter s .
E P I S T L E XLVII .
T R A JA N to P L I N Y .
O U have aéted r ight, in allow ing foldier s at
this particular time to my freedmanMne u s .
When he was going for a fupply of corn, he w as ,in that. infiance, employed upon an ex traordinary oc
cafion. But, when he returns tohis former employment, the two foldier s , which you have already
gr anted to him , and the fame number , whichw ereallowed him bym u s G
s
amattm u s , one of the officer s of my houfhold, who is his alfifiant, .Will “126 ,
O B S E R
B O O K X .
. O B S E RV A T I O N S .
The difcipline obferved by T a n j a n, in the conduitandr egulation of his army, is r emarkable throughoutall thofeletter s , whichr elate to military affa ir s . He {hew s greatunWillingneis , that the foldier s fhould ever be employed, or
called off from their poll s , unlefs upon a very necefi'
ary, or aVery ex traordinary occalion : fuchindeed w as the employ
.
mentofMAXIMU S, who w as fentinto Papblagom’
a, to br ing
corn from thence toMcomedia . T he Romans acted w ifely,in afligning to their foldier s a certain daily allow ance of corn,whichw as difir ibuted by the pr oper officer s , w iththe ut.
moltcar e and ex aétnefs and w as of mor e benefit, thanan equal fiipend paid to them in money. T he provincesw ere obliged to fupply the Roman Rate w itha tenthpartoftheir c rops of corn ; whichproportion w as called Datum .
As MAX IMU S r equir ed the allil’rance of a guard, in hisjourney to Papblagom
'
a , w e may fuppofe, thathe went noe x a£tthe f r um ntm dammanum, a tax , that could notbe
gathered, perhaps , w ithoutfor ce and compulfion.
E P I S T L E XLVIII .
P L I N Y w T R A JA N.
EMPRON IU S CE L IANU S, a youngmanof an ex cellentchar acter , has fent to me two
flaves , who w ere difcover ed among the r ecruits .
defer r ed their punifhmenttill I had confulted you, in
whatmanner they oughtto be pun ilhed, as you are
atonce the founder and pr eferver of all military dif
c ipline. T o me their cafe alépear s a little dubious ;
for , althoughthey have alrea y taken the militaryoath, they have not been as yetenl
'
rfied‘
into any of
the legions } r'
I entreat, Sir , that you w ill letme
know ,
‘i'
n‘
What‘
mannér I am to proceed,~
as-my dc
perminatibn muttbe efiablilhed into a precedent.
EP I S T L E
379
339P L I N Y
’
s. E P I S T L E S.
E P I S T L E XLIX .
T R A J A N to P L I N Y
EMPRON IU S C IEL IANU S has afi ed . in
conlequence of my order s , by fending to you
thofe men, concer ning whom it w ill be necefl'ary to
enquire, whether they appear to have deferved a ca
ilhment ? But the differ ence is mater ial, ifred themfelves voluntar ily, or if they w er e
or indeed, if they fu plied the place of
other s . If they w er e chofen, the guilt w ill be ori
their officer s : if they appeared infiead of other s , thefons , who placed them there, are only blarneable
ut if they came fpontaneoufly, and were confcious
of their fituation, they ou htto be punilhed. It is
notofmuchconfequence, tthey were notenlilted
into any of the legions . F or , from the day on whichthey were admitted into the fervice, they ought to
have given ajufi:accountof their Ration and char acter .
O B S E R VA T I O N S .
The law s of Rome prohibited flaves fr om enlifting themfelves into the Roman army. Vm on . alludes to this probibitiou, where he fays ,
anon
LY CIMN IA fur timT r oj an: mij ér atarm
'
s
Han s on, elder of the tw o ; by birth,On one fide royal, one a {on of earth,Whom to the Lydian king,
‘LYCIMNIA bare,And fenther boafied bafiard to the war(Apr ivilege, whichnone butfr eemen (hare
E)”
Public ex igencies , how ever , {ometimes r equir ed a fufpea - l’
lien of the w ifefi law s : as in the fecond Punic w ar , wher e‘E neid. 9 fi 545. DRYDBN.
F
3823 P L I N .Y
’
s E P I S T L E S.
A cafe of this latter forthas latel fallen under my.
cogniz ance. A per fon, condem to perpetual u p .
ile by the proconful JULIUS'
was brought beforethe. As I knew , that the acts of Ba s s u s wer e an?:
dulled, and that the fenate had allowed all thpllt',Whohad fufl'
e red b his decifion, to.appeal fi
'
om hisif they gbr their appeal w ithin two
year s ; I aflted this man, if he had appeared beforethe proconful, or had acquaintedhim w ithhis fituation ? He m fwer ed, he had not.
blige s me to confultyou, whether he is to unde rgo’
the fame punilhment allotted for him former ly, or
any other of afeverer kind, and particular ly in whatmanner he, or others in his circumfiances , are to be
treated I fubjoin to this letter the decree and ediél;of CaLvu s , and alfo the decree of Ba s s u s .
{ JULIU S 3 5 35 11 3 . See book epifile 9.
E'
P . I S T L E L}.
T RA JA N tn PL I N Y .
‘
Shall notfail tg let
‘
and were rmer
“
manner .
386
A . U . C.
T nA JA N.
P L I N Y'
s E F J S'
E L E S .
men w ill willirg l offer thpmfeivcs .n the
.o'
cea
lion . One cir cumllance {till remains , tu
hpa:you mould
fend hither , if you think proper , a fnrveyor or anarchitect, who maylake is higher than
'
affirm, thatthe heighth
as a commm icationifrom.the.
dcrtaking w as- fmftrated by the deathof the or
by the abfolute defpair of br inging it to perfe fbn.
U nder thefe cir cumfl'
ances , your glory (you w ill pardon my ambition ) incites , and
forw ard, as I am defirous , thatyou
perfection thofe works , whichkings weto begin.
Lidr atgf em Th' proper ly lignifies an engineer , wLo
COM 3 water from fpr in s to conduits , by levelling the g round,or ty cubits are equ tonineteen yards , one footand a l falfa
or to fifty eightfeet and'
l half.
E P I S T L E LV.
' T RA JA N to P L I N Y .
H E account of the lake near Mmmedia hamade filChan imprefiion upon me, that I
may probably think it ex pedientto open a commulake and the fee z» but certainlyO i n we
B 0 0 K X. 3 337we mightto enquire very fir iétl whether , by fochacommunication, the water of t lake itfelf may not
entimly be loft: nor ought you to be ignor ant of
what q uantity of water i s contained in it, and from
whence thatwater ar ifes .You may demand a Cntpunmus
Mac nx , and 1 w ill hence a per ion,
perfefi ly well verfed in
E P I S T L E LVI ,
P L I N Y to T R A JA N.
ROMthe ex cellence of your judgement; you F rom
a prehenfions'
, S ir , that the A . U , c .
l e to the r iver may occa 856
fion the lake itfelf to be exhaufted, and loft in'
the T ' A
7?”
fea : but I think, in this particular cafe, I have foundout
‘
a remedy toobviate that inconvenience for thelake “may be brought througha trenchas far as ther iver , fo as not to e admitted into it ;
"but a bank
ma be leftbetween them, that {hall atonce contam,
and,
difunite the w ater s 5 the confequence of whichwill be, that the lake w ill not feem joined to ther iver , and w ill have the fame efi
'
eéts , as if they wereunited . We {hall find no difficulty in br inging an
burdens over the fmall intermediate {pace - of gr oun
This -method muttbe purfued, if there is an abfolute
necefiity for it but I hope there w ill be no“
occafion,becaufe the lake itfelf is very deep, and {applies a
river , whichr uns on the Oppofite fide If w e {top11 this old paflhge, and Open a new courfe in the
p ace, whichwe intend, the lake w ill furnifhu s w ithw ater fuflic ient for our purpofe, thoutlofing anyof its prerent quality : befides , that[pot of ground,
In contr ar z'
am pa r tmflame» cmi l‘h'
t: It fu
whichr uns on the tide Oppoéit
;to our intended works .
2
P L INY’
s E'
P I S T L E S.
on’ directly
back all the water , thattide) may be exhauited from the lake.
naturehad denied all thefe advantageswe mighthave tr ied another
”ex pedient,
gates mighthave r eftr ained the courfe
within preper bounds : but a furveyor w ill be able
to ex arr'
xine, and confider all thefe articular s . Andindeed, Sir , you oughtto fend us ucha perfon, u p.
promife for this affair is worthy‘
df
your attention, and becoming your dignity. I n“
th'
émean time, Ihave w r itten in your name to thatand ex cellent man, CALPURNIUS
hither a furveyor , per fectly well
E P I S T L E LVII .
TR A J A N to P L I N Y .
’
that in the affair of the lake notbeen
deficient, either in pr udence or d
ve provided ex pedients to fe
being exhaufted 3 and to render itto ,us her eafter ,p f
muchmore gener al benefit. F ix ther efore upon thatmethod, whichthe thing itfelf (hall point
'
outto you,as moftexpedient.
CALPURN I USMAc s R, I believe, w ill fupply youw itha Iurveyor artificer s of thatfortare never want
,IT is very evident to me, my dearefl:S z c i mnus ,
O R S E R
to make the trench, conwhich, if collected, w ill
thatmay be taken from the lake .
of opinion, thatthe trenchought?longer , and nar rower , and to be car r iedto the fea,
3903
A . U . C.
856 .
0
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S.
E“? 1 s T L E LIX?
T R A JA N to'
P tm v'
.
TH E patents , of whichthe terms areought net to be in for ce : and
make it one of my pr incipal r ules , to fend new pa
tents into all the provinces , before the time whenthey can pofiibly be w anted.
O B S E RVA T I O N S.
in this fenfe the w ord is ex plained by ST EPHnN s ,
finger , who was fentto T a n j a n from
tha t: ard the word lignifies a pafi'
port, or ,.as
m u s ex plains it, Iite m comment'
s itiner is . Thus ain,when CA LP URNIA is r ecalled into Italy by the dea
,
of
F A nA 'r u s , her grandfather , PLINY ex cufes hini d f to the
erhperor , for havm given her a pafl’
port, whenhehad neverbefor e gr anted fuchan indulgence to any per fon, who .w a s
not employed in bufinels r elatin to the Rate l'. The fi feor application of the diphmata , (goken of in the,two . laflepifiles , is not afcertained. We can on] tell, thatthelbkind of gr ants w er e temporary : and that RAJA N w as particular ly careful, notto admitthe old patents to be of efi cacybeyond their limited time.
E P I'
s T L E
X ;
E -P 1 s q‘
tan L'
X'
- P -A § ,‘1
H E condition and'
tminwnance eflshofe,whichis a queil iqn,
‘
Sir,great confequence, and affects this whdlbp rovmoesA fter having heard the decrees of former emperor s ,I cannotpofiibly. difmven
'
a l'lypattidulhr , or any gener al rule, that in this cafe mightguide the Bithynians . I have thought it necefiiufy therefore to enquirefrom you, in whatmanner youwould have us pro;ceed. And indeed,
_
I could‘
notbe of opinion, thatit was
.
. proper for me to be"contented withpiece -1dents , in an affair , whichcertainly demands your ownauthor ity. An edict, faid to be the edictof Au
ous'
r os , concer ning JA smu g the letter s of VESPAFs um and Thu s to the Laudammiam, and tb c thdAcbaiafls ,
‘
and the letter s‘
of Dom 'r r AN to ~the'
pro'
d
confuls Av-
runts'
N’
r c nrnvs , and Anms'
nw s Enoc i
onu s ; and of the fame erriperor totheto me.
,As they'
did not appear CQI'
1
refit, and j nany of themnotgenuine, and, as I fuppofe, the true and cor rect.c opies may be found in
your archives , Phave notfont them to you.
n P 1 i t LT
E LXI'
T R A JA N to"
P L I N Y .
F rom
A . U . (H
quefiion relating to children b orn free, From Rom .
ex ofed by their par ents , and afterwards A '
s ;C:
up by ot r per fons , and educated in a Rate of T a iw a n .
flavery, has been often difcufi'
ed : nor as yet can w e
find, among the infiitutions of my predecefi'
or s , any
general r ule, thatmightbe eftablifhed throughout allthe provinces . It is tr ue, there are epiftles ex tant
B b4 from
70
3“ P L I N’
Y’
S E P'I 'ST L E S,
Que attem infirmior er1 3. I
at m (as , qua: in dent,
Oc 'r a vm s Ane u s '
r
take upon him the {ole vernmentof
heellablifhed an admimfiration of thefrom whathad fornier ly been enacted{elf all fuchprovinces as w er e molt
whom the greateltdanger mightbe ex pected, and‘
whifi i
had either enemies [to the [late] w ithin their c onfines -”a ?
w ere formidable enoughof themfelvestions . T hofe, who w ere w eaker , and
peace, he left at the difpol'
al of themightnominate the officer s for
the per rons , to whom the peoplw er e called proconfuls .
F rom henCe w e per ceive, thatAUGU s T bs divided the ad
minil’tration of the provinces betw een himfelf andthe people.
The provincial governor s , chufou by the people, w er e called
begins thus , C. PLINIUS C. F . C. N . CE CI LI U S‘
nu s c os . A UGUR . LEG'
A T . PROPRJr'
r . PRovm c
CONSOLAR I IN RAMPROVI NCI AMAB IMP .
CE SAREN r nva TRAJANO A UG.GBRMAN ICO MI S SU S,ts
’
c. CA IUS Ptm w s SECUNDU S , the {on of CA I U S
Cu s w s Cmcu w s Snc uup us . oonful. augur . procur a
tor . legate of the province w ith confular pow er . Hew as (cut into the province [Bitbynia ] by the emperor
CE SAR NERVA TRAJAN AUGU S T U S .
”
Dur ing the r ei n of AUGU S T U S, the Afiatic . province§were allotted, as m u Ca s s w s informs u s , to the poopiButfucceeding emperor s , upon the mifbehaviour of thepubeonfuls , affirmed thofe . provinces to their ownthe governor s of Bitbynia and P entax w ere under the ap
a Roam . Anfiq. lib. 7.
pomtment
‘ l ’ 010 K X .:395
hirnfelf, and for that reafon were
m y - l t' r
V I f. a n T - I r-
E - °
LX IV.
P r un er to T n AJAN .
i f
:I. HE PM
I
a- e ; have a b oth, that is Old
i
F rou fi ,
“find Wild“YO“? Permiflion are 3233332:repute. . Yfim as A . U . C.
1 amentirely of Opinion,856 .
There w ill be e- 109W for this purp0fethe :fim s l figh, _
I have begun . to levy, and call in
from private per fons then again, as the ; Pr ufenfi s
they ufed to ex penditfelf ; the beauty of the city,
and the glory of, your ,reign, are additional motives
sothe anode
E P I S T L E LXV.
T R A JAN to P L I N Y .
funds of the P r ufmfer will not be F rom Rm .
a bath, I am willing toA '
s
‘
ls' c .
reitriétion, notto taife T n231m.any new contr ibutions , nor to leiTen, for the time to 7°
come, the necefi'
ary eXpences of their Prate.
E P I S T L E LXVI .
P L I N Y to T R A JA N .
HILE I wu fear ching for a fituation to build F rom i jc.the bath, whichyou permitted in this
m"d“
city, I w as
fpartia llarly pleefed w itha fpotof ground, A . U . c.
where was or rner ly, I am told, averybeautifulhoufethe ruins of whichnow disfigure the whole
plac
e. 7.
e e
F rom Row .
A . U . C.
856 .
T I A JANo
70
P L I N fY’
s .E P I ’B T L E S.
this moltunfightly partof itmay nowand enlarged nor is it necefl'ary tobuildings , butonly r fuch, .as
'
moliihed by time.
The particular s r elating to the houfiCLAUDIUS POLYE NU S left i
the bathwhere the old building i
’tood, w ithfeats and galler ies 1;
to confecr ate itto you, the benefaétor of In elegant. a
w ork, and to make itworthy of your name.I have fentyou an imperfectcopy of the w ill by
whichyou w ill fee, thatPOLY tE NU S l eft a greatdealof fur niture in the benfe , all whichis loft, w iththehoufe itfelf however , I {hall make as muchenquiryas I can to recover it.
Of Cu mul u s Pomrmnvs .
E P I S T L E LXVII .
T R A JA N to P L I N Y .
AMw illing, that the court and houfc atP rams ,whichyou mention to be vacant, ihould be ap;
plied to the ufe of the bath. But you have nOt
fufli ciently ex plained one cir cumfiance whether thetemple
P L I NTY’
S B P I -
‘S -T LE S .
is notcertaint'
of deliber ation, no confider ,he finiihed, or to remam in tlw '
ilatw‘itr
ewhiek riefi ior whether it ought to be taken . am ? Fo r ; the
props and buttr efi'
es , which, in mit, appear tomes o: tohe (0 firm,
tuons .
notfi rong enoughforfupport ; the quantity middle part
being infuflicicnt, and the brick-Work notwell put
The c itiz en s of Claudiopefi: have chofen fo low a
fituation at the foot of a mountain, for a very large
public bath, that the edifice feems r ather hn lc ' htothe ear th, than r aifed
money, ar ifing from is .preferableto all fums whatever , may not be mifapplied.
I mull:
P L I N Y S E P I S T L-E S :
O B S E R VA T I O N S .
epifile begins w ithan among:of yet itw as probalflt
r ittenat
Claudiepelis , itfrom thence.
lion, ingm balirmm df edi lmtmagi: quamare linking, rather than building a public feem s to
favour this opinion. PLx NY fpealts of the bath, as of a
w ork, whichhe has immediately under his eye : and hetakes an opportunity in the fame letter, to mention the the,furditiee and ex travagance, of whichthe Ma nn: had bea tequally guilty
w iththe people of Claudiepelir , in their publicbuildings . ghis ftay atMeta , he mightnothave teceived fufi cient information of the ex pence and difi cultieo
attending the place of ex er cife, of which, perhaps , at thattime, the foundations w er e only laid. Heir theatr e e
grveter an: pellieitatienfbm multa deba ter , dx . Man thefubfc r iptions promifed by pr ivate perfons tow ardsthe theatre, are not yet
’
d in . He'
might pofliblywait fome months , to fee if
pa
the fubfcr iptions , whichw erepromifed, would take effect: butbeing difippointed in hisex pectatitms , he r efolved to lay before the emperor two or
thr ee cafes of the fame kind, and thought enchcafe of famuchimportance, as to r equir e an ar chitefl:from Rem .
But the chief reafon for dating the letter from Claud io
palr'
r, is the fituation of that ItliesM of P r u/b,and feems to be in the road
E P I S T L E LXX .
P L I N Y to T R A JA N.
TH E c ity of the Ame/tr im , Sir , is very ele
gaudy and finely built. On the fide of thevery longeftfir eet, r eaching from one end to theother , is what they call a r iver , but whatis in trutha common ihore ; the afpeét of whichis not onlyfilthy and unfightly, but is alfo attended witha verypeftilential finell. F or thefe r eafons , it is not let}.upon account of wholefomenefs , than of decency ,
that
P L I N Y’s E P
'
I S f L E S .
a f un cund, a r s likely to contain 51 f LI hlaveggrdge
r
red fomepli'c
niall ertpence to be laid,giltm
ign
ex amining, whether the place itfelf be
proper for an aqueduct. I have taken
money {hall notbe deficient, in cafe, Sir , that a w orkof this kind, whichw ill at once be falutiferous and
ornamental to the city, {hall meetw ithyour approbetiou.
E P I S T L E LXXIIIQ
T R A J A N‘
to P L I N Y .
8 you have begun, my deatefi Si cw nu s , {tillcontinue to enquire mofi
that particular place, which ou fay appear s likely,can proper ly fuitain the edi e of an aqueduct. I
cannothefitate a momentne
'
cell'
a to br ingand if
r
ziofiible, it fhould beas being a circumfiance, that w ill eonduce Jfi
ofi'
eétually to the healthand pleafum of the city.
O B SERVA T I O NS
Shape,‘
in lyes at‘
a oonfiderable'
diflmwe eafiilt. is placed on a peninfula in -the
Eux ine fee. 0 the’
faibulout pw e mull fuppofe it to have been built by Sw or n,
daughter of As opus , who“
is thus mentioned by VALER IU SF LACCUS
Raditur , r tmagme tr emitumbr a Shapes.
VAL. F taecu s , lib. 5 :fi 308.
and had thereb.
‘
almofl:fi
e"de‘dm
a‘
d ed, thata Ié'
rig’
fiiof time had elapfed fince the donation, and heeh;treated, that a prefent, whichhe had received folong fince, and for (0 many real fervioes , mightbe r ecalled, to . the utter r uin of his remhining hoanour s . F or thefe reafons , Sir , I thought fit to na
‘
joum this caufe, till I had confulted you in the me;thod, whichoughtto be purfued.
E P I S T L E LXXVIII .
T R A J'
A N to P L I N Y .
S donations out of the public treafiiry ar e abv
folutely prohibited by my edicts , yet in ordernotto overthrow the fettlements of particular per fons ,it is not proper to make a revocation of fuchas have been efiablifhed b lengthof time,
therefor e, letus not ontave the tranfaétions‘
of thiskind, whichmay have pafi
‘
ed above twenty year s
ago. F or I am determined not to be moreprovidentof the public money, than of the private p ro
perty of the fever al citiz ens of every place what
ever .
O B S E R V A T I O N S .
from whence the feventy fifthand forma t)? fe
venthepiftles ar e dated, is a c ity of P entax , fituated new
to the Eux ine ihor e . An l ANu s a, who w as a native of
Mr amedia,fays , Ap ia
- d;“ca
-5M; EAAnvig AQsm fwv a’
ir ozx oc ’
dmifus is a c ity of Greece, and w as a colon of the l ibef‘ niam.
”Like the other Gr ecianc ities in fid, it
‘
w as 0
r iginally free, butafter w ards fell under the tyr annyarid opprefiion of the kings of P antm, who
,according to T
-tiLLY,
Svr nn s fur names him the young Xnnor nou, and-
adds ,that his great er udition r aifed him to the confulfhip. He. lived
ig the tune of ADRIAN
B 0 OTK X ;
had built wetnes s palaces atgs‘inope, and atzlmi u; T he
defeat of r r nnmu‘
ns by L CULLUS elivér ed the«(mi/End from the tyr anny of the anti: kings , and putthementire ly under fulfiefihn to the Romans , by whom theyw er e r eflected to the ir original liberty, and to the eftabliih.mentof their own law s . However , it is plain from an e x
prefiion in PLLNY’
S epifile4, thatthe enjoyment of this Ii.
ber ry depended upon the w ill and pleafur e of the Romanemperor s
“
. Beneficia indukm iae tug bgz'
bmfair biffa r By
your indulgence, Sir , they have the benefitof their ownlaw s .
”
It is mor e than probable, fr om PL I NY’s epifile, and from
T RAJA N’
Ganfwer that the er aui contr ibutions r aifed
on the public on a char itable account, tow ards the main
tenance of per fons, who w e r e fallen inevitably under
had been very much abufed and mifap
plied A fate, to whichpublic char ities ar e too often ]
T he feventy feventhepiftle, whichis To placed, becaufeit bear s r eference to thefe [cr ani] public contr ibutions , hasin itfome difficulties . A paraphr aftical manner of tr eatingthe whole letter may c lear them, perhaps , better than anyother method.
T he follicitor , Sir , to the treafury of the dmzKém
'
hasmade a demand upon JUL IUS P I SO of for
?! t oufand
denam . T his fum of money w as given to 1 80 above
twenty yea r s ago, outo f the fund allotted for public cha4 ‘ tides , and itw as given tohim by the confentof the fenate
and people of Ann/i n.T he claim from the follic itor is founded upon your im
per ial mandates , whichr ecall all pafi, and prohibit allfutur e donations of this kind.
81'
q a rgue Ami/i m, guiéu; in oppidz'
r er a»: domicilia n gis ,m m
’
bufqae r ebut or ndta , a rgue r tfi r ta . CICERO pr o LegeManil.ca
The city of Ami/it: held out fome time againi’tthe Romam,
the conductof CALLIMA CHU S , gover nor of the place. It
w a s r educed by c vttu s , who fhew ed greatlenity to the ihhabitants . T hey met
'
w ithno lefs indulgence afterwards from
j U Lm s CE SAR . So thatthis c ity w as always- looked upon by
the Romans , as a place of importance, and worthy to be pr e
fer ved .
Epiflle 7g.
Epiltle 78.
P L I N Y’
s E P I'
S T L E S.
P1 30, in defenee of himfelf, all thathis fortunehad been ever employed, antihis wh e income in a man
ner u pended in the caufe of the cbmmon'
ivealth. He
farther defir ed, that we {hould impartial? oonfider thelengthof ti
me, whichhas pafi, finc‘
e he r eceived the donation. And he alfo infifted, that a fum of money,given to him fo long ago, for fervices of a publ it? hat-z ,
oughtnotnow to be refunded, fmce thatver y fu’
trr hadabled him to r ife tomale public honour s , and to fuppmtthat public fiation, whichhe now enjoys . Honour s ;whichw ere indeed the laftand only r emains of his for - s
é‘ tune : fo thatwhen he w as no lon er able to fupporthisdignity, from thatmomenthe mu be abfolutely
“
uhdoh'
e.His reafons appear ed fufliciently pow er ful to hindei:
me from coming to any final determination in the caulk;till I had re ceived, Sir , your commands , in what ment?!
net I oughtto proceed.
”
E P I S T L E LXXIX.
P L I NY tq T R A JA N .
N giving your order s , Sir , to fo eminent a man"
as CALPURN IU SMACER, to fend a legionary centur ion to Byz antium, you have acted w ithall kn?
“ameable prudence . Confider, the
motive, you w ill not think proper to fend a centu
r ion to the c itiz ens of fulz'
apalis . Theirthoughit is fmall, fuf
’tains reat char
the lefs able they ar e to on, the greaterinj ur ies they are obliged Whatever in ?dulgence you think proper to ibew to the inhabitantsof yuliopalis , it mutt be of benefitto the .whole pr oVince. 714.7:
"
0polir is placed atthe entr ance into Effigy:m
'
a, and'
is the confiant paffage for molttraveller s ,who come into this country.
EP I S T L E
om.
P L I N Y’
S z.’ E P
‘I S T L E S .
of Gor diu - come. LI VY calls itGar diuticbor , the w all of
Gor dim .
”ST RABO fays , it w as a fmall vill e cal led
Gar dur , but‘
was enlarged, and made a c ity by L EONI»,
who gave itthe name of, uliopolz’
r
T R AJAN’
s anfw e'
ru
s ex tremely fine . I have diffin
guilhed it ther efor e by differ ent paragr aphs . T hr oughoutthe epiftle there is a fiyle of m agnificence, bee
emperor 5 a br evity, becoming a man of fenfe ; a,
jufiioe, becoming a fover eign 3 and a tendernefs ,the fathe r of his people.
Acaptain of a band of robber s .
S '
r a a ao mentions this faét, as happening in his own fi rm;He lived in the r eigns of Ande s
-
r u e and T r au m a.
Epifiie 80 .
E P I S T L E LXXXI .
P L I N Y to T R A J A N .
H EN I attempted, Sir , to enquir e into thefiate of Apamea, the debts due to that r e
its revenue and ex pences , I w as anfw er ed, N0
thing could be'
more univer fall acceptableto thepeople, thanthatthe accounts of e whole colony fil ould
‘f be fettled by me ; but as yet, the public accountshad never been fubmitted to any proconful and
‘ f the Apameam had a pr ivilege, fupported byvery an i
tient"cuftom, of regulating their own commonw ealthin the manner , whichthey thoughtproper .
”
I infified, thatthe fever al faéts , whichthey alledgetiand r epeated, fhould be dr aw n up into a memor ial,which
,I have now fent to you ex actly in the fam e
form , thatI ~received it althoughI have obferved itin kver al additional alle
gations ; notpertinentto the
tprcfent‘
difquifitiOn.
'
I entreat, S ir , thatyou w ill do‘me the honour to infi ructme What method to pu r
fibc ; for I am appr ehenfrve of ap car ing either to
have eitceeded, or nottohave fillfil ed the duties of
my employment.EP I S T LE
B O‘
O K X.
E P I S T L E - LXXXII.
T R A J A N to P L I N Y.
H E memor ial Of the citiz ens of zflbamd, From Roz .
oonfuls , who have former y been governor sof your province, did not infpeét into their publicrevenues , fmce by that memor ial, they are w illingto fubmit their accounts to your infpet
‘tion Theircandour therefore ought. to be rew arded : let themknow then, that as I have directed you to ex amine
their accounts , fo I give thofe order s , w ithan enti re
referve to the fever al pr ivileges , whichthey have a
rightto enjoy.
O B S E RVA T I O N S .
q mea 3, fr om whence PL I NY ’
s e ighty fir fi letter w as
dated, is fituttted upon the P r opontir , near the r iver Rbyndarur . It w as built by MYRLU S, a gener al of the Colo
pbom'
am ; and from him calledMr lea . T he pr ivileges of
this city [eem to’
have been ex traordinary, fince it appear s
by PLINY’s epiftle, thatthe public accounts of I am had
never .been fubjeéied to‘
thofe perfons , who had a ed in thecharaéier s
,of proconfuls . The emperor , on his part, ap
pear s gene'
ro'
ully car eful, thatthe Jpamm m {hall notbe de
pr ived of whatever r ights or pr ivileges they ought legally toenjoy.
T his is the lafi of PMNY ’
S epiftles , thatcan be dated atany diftance fromMcomedia .
This city affirmed the name of Apam a , from An n a , wife
of Pau s u s , king of Bitbyru’
a . The Tur k: call itJpapzi .
EP I S T L E
whichwas annex ed to your letter , has ex cufid f‘
3 5heceflity of ex aminin
ginto the reafons , 1
‘
am .
7.
4& P L IN Y’
s‘
t!E P I S T L E S .
E P I S T L E Lxm ui,
P L I N Y . ta'
T RA JA N.
H ILBf
1havebeen going round[theC)
and two of the ublic
houfe, and the temple Di r,lay between them. It would
far , had it not been afiifted
w ind, and by the fiupiditynifef’tly {tood idle, and mo
the fcene of fo dreadful a
hand, there is nor in the whole c ity,‘
either an en
gine to throw up w ater , or a fingle bimke'
t, orj _other infirumentwhatever to ex tinguifhfire: but
a
ggthe immediate order s , whichI ,
have‘
ven, prepafal'
;
tions of this fortw ill notbe wantingfit the time toc ome.
You w ill confider , Sir , whetherfir emen, notex ceedingonehundr ednot
“
be el'
tablilhed in‘
this city;"
rioworkmen {hall be'
received
cepttholir, who are proper ; no
to any other ufe. So finall
m en may be kept under due reg ulation, withoutanydifficulty.
E P I S T L E LXXXIV.
T R A JA N to P L I N Y ,
Fxmvx ‘
g“ F ind you are of opinion, that after the ex ample;
856. of fever al other cities , a corporation of fir emenTM?” may be eftabl Mcomedia . But let us r e
member , that thofe cities , and this particular proVince,
m .
F rom
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T LE S.
In every anfwer , whichthe emperor returns to P r m v’s
epiflles , he Ihew s his fagacjty and his goodnpfs . Wher ePLI NY
’
s r equefi is petrounl, it is certainly grained: But in
order s r elating to the government of the rovinces , he {ometimes grants , and fomettmes denies the req cit. His grants ar eattended w ith a politenefs , that enhances their value hisdenials are the efl‘et‘l of jufiice, w ifdom, and
‘
pblicy.
E P I S T L E LXXXVJ
P L I N Y to T R a JA N.
U R ING the whole time, Sir , thatMu rmur;your fr eedman, and one of the officer s of your
houfhold Raid .w ithme, I have obferved in himand diligence
ular afi'
air s ; andI moitw illi
owe to you.
O B S E R V A T I O N S.
It is of little confeguence where this letter is placed, butis allowable, thatMa n tr a s , who is mentioned
fay-Pu tt? in the Eighteenthepiitle,had attended the proiébn is
ful in his late prog'
tefs , and w as now returningtogive T R 5 3
JA N an account of the lfzatic provinces 5, and to particula r
r iz e the feveral tranfaétions , thathad paffed, in confequenc e
of thoge o
t
r
hder s , wh
f
ifi
chPLI NY had r eceived from the e rhpeie ex pr e on, (If a
'
limp tmaciflimam ”tar ,found
,
him moltfir ié’tly e/aiapftin difc ipline,” 3 may pr e
fume, thatMAX IMUS was a foldier .a P r om r ator . See obfervations on epifile 3 x . book 6. page 84.
3 1751 15123 and Perm “.
E P I S T L E .
P L I N .Y'
S E P I S T L E S }
E P I S T L E LXXKVIL
T Ro A j A'
N tu P L I N Y.
OU haveactedc unnus ,
and the governor of Inc/$4than be content an acknowledgment fromthem
, if they ofi'
er it in a muchlefs ex penfive man
O B S E RVAT ION S.
The eighty fix thepifile is the only letter from PL I NY,mentions the c ity of Byz antium,
‘
now Cmfi antimh
ple. Ptm r had proconfixlar'
pow er over the republic ofthe Byz antine: ; but no hint can b e drawn from any of hisletter s , thathe ever crofi
'
edthe Tbr aa'
an Bofpbar ur , or r efidedthe contr ary, the ex prefiion r equir entiinfer , that he (cutto the Byzantine: for
the accounts of their annual ex ces .
Byz antium, in the time of gx s r nur m e the ‘Gr eat;beani e the feat of the Rbman empi re :
vbut in the time ofT RAJAN, it does not appear to have been a c ity of anygreat confequence. It w as tr ibutary, w e find, to the governor ofMafia and althoughthe emperor declares himfelf w illing to lefl’en the ex orbitance of the tr ibute, yet he{till infilts , that an annual acknowledgment {hall be con
0
E P I S T L E
P L I s f -Y’
s E P I S T L E S.
Opinion, that foch, who are chofen fenator s againfl:their inclination, ought, upon that account, to be
tax ed in a lefs proportion than other s .
O B S E R V A T I ON S.
The two preceding epiltles give us an infightfiate of the minor [mate s in Bitbynia and P aul i na PL I NY
begins his letter byflying, thatthe Pompeian law , whichw as prevalent in thole two provinces , did,
not r equir e
the feveral fenator s , who w ere eleéted by the c enfo r s in
the fr ee towns , to pay a {um of mone for their admiffion into the fenate .
”He ex prell
'
es hinifelf thus , LaxPompeia, (lamina, qua Bitbyni ct Pmtia
'
rmmtur , ear , gm m
Balm a cenfor ibur leguydur , da r e petunia»: not:j abet. T hew ord Bule lignifies the fenate, or council qf rm, who w ere
called r ivitatum patr er s er ial“, or d aur iomr M cipa lesT hey w er e alfo calledbonam r ii mm idpior umfmatar n . T hey.
wer e electeda lmofi w iththe fame ceremqny as the fenator sofRam . T he d efiion w as madeon the calends ofMar ch.
T he income, whichentitled them to this honour , w as to
amountto twohundred and tw enty five pounds a year and
ex cept where the Pompeian law pr evailed, eachdecur ion,when chofen, w as topay a tr ibute to the whole body, whichw as equally divided among them all. T heir courtwas calledcutie dcmr iauum, and minor[enemaT he nex t lbntence lbew s , that the emperor , when he
thought propen, could augment their number ; (0 that thecourt(ometimes confifted of more than ten, qua: indulgm tiatua uibufdam ci -vz
'
tatibus fuper legitimum numer um a rlyrcer e
per mg/ir‘f Your indulgence has admitted fqme zfenator s to
be elected, above the Prated and legitimate number .”
Ea: etiam quj a renfis r ibus lpgcrmtur Even thole, whow er e chofen fenator s by the cenfor s . F rom hence w e
5 iti s a Greek word, Bah}
, ar i afindfar iiu , whiéhPLINY feemsto have latinil
'
ed. He makes ufe of it in the 77th e ifthis book, where he fa
'
ys , Bate er « cle/m e
‘f nate and the body of the people giving their confent. In the88thepifile he calls the fenator s By law .
b See obfervatio‘
ns onep. 8. book 1 . page 32 .
T he cenl'
ors keptan ex actregiiier .of the name an'
d eflate of
,c r r rn ctfm
B O O K -X .
learn, that in the proconfular provinces rthe. fenator s hatl’a
~
power of chufing the dtcur iomi municipales . It does n otap
pear from this epifile, whether they chofe the whole number !or
'
oniy fuchas w ere fuper numer ary. By thewords to: atiwe ma
.prefume, that their choice w as abfolutely confingé’
ito the upernumerarymember s of theMk, or minor finai
‘
ui .
T reAJAN’s anfw er to PL INY fully informs us
'
, thatthedem r ioncr , or hid e , w er e {ometimes c ieéled
. ag'
aiiilt
w ill m'm'
ti firmtdecur z'
om r . T his hardihip, for fuchftheemperor feems to think it,) was probably oc toned by theincome of their d iets , which, if it amounted to the rmr enuifite for the fenator ial dignity, might involve
'
them inhonour s , thatthey v
'
Vilhéd toavoid. defirous t“
alleviate their fituation, infifis‘
, thatthe proconful {hall ohdemand (0higha tax ation from them
'
,as from any Other ft?
0
l v
a The proportion of.
this tax feems tohave been entirely in'
I iflpoWer of . the proconful . Antc w s Mn x u ws , En nv
’
s redesce ll
'
or , fettled it as he pleafed ; and T ammi , in ,
e 89 , s tir es ,Pu m r to lefl‘en the taxhtion of thole’, whoWere fenator’s by dddf-fP0550“.
' l" t
E P -I 'S T L E X0.
P L I N Y i‘a T'
R A J
'
A N .
T is enaéted by the Pompeian law , whichis infor ce among the Bitlyniam, thatno r fon iball
enter into any magiltr acy, or become a enator , till
he has attained thirty year s of age. The fame lamordains , that thoft, who have acted as magifiratée,may become membbr s of the fenato.
AUGUS T U S afterwards p ubliflied an edict, bywhldt
pe
f
rfons , atth;age of
dxd
f
twenty,enjoyin t s lower . d iftracy.The qugition therefor e ar ifing f
i
shing:hence isq lwheéther any per
-Ion; who,under the e of thirty,“hi s
enjoyed the magiftr acy, ma be choa
lgn'
by the cenfortinto the fenate And if e can, whether , in confe
quence of fucha confirué’
tion of thatlaw , the r'
D d a' £35,
4r9.
F rom
P L I N .Yis E. P il Sl'
l‘
fL E S.
lbhs , whohave notbeen magiftrates , may be elected
fenator s at the fame age,‘
thatthey mighthave beenfir atcs This . method
‘
is faid to haveand as yettohave been thoughtnec
Caufe it is muchmore pligible to elect
perfons, of highr ank into thechildren of plebeians .
When the cenfor s w ere (cut to afk my fentiments
upon thefe points , I faid, I Jwas of o inion,“
thatbothby the ediétof AUGU S T U S, and y the P om
geian law , the perfons , .whohad been magifltl'ates
'
un
er the age of thirty, mightbe chofen fenator s A U
GUST US having permitted the enjoyment of“the . m a
giltracy under the a of thirty, and the Pompeianlaw having allowed ofe, who had enjoyed the m agi
fir acy, to be elected into the fenate. ButI was as yet
ata lofs , in whatmanner to give my determination , as
tothofeperfons ,whohad attainedthe age,ofmagiftr acy,
butwhohad notbeen magiftr ates . This delay, S ir ,occafions me to enquir e your Opinion upon the points .
I fend to you the heads of the,Pornpeian law , and
the edictof AUGU ST U S, ,
fubjoined to this letter .
E P
'
I S T L E x 01.
T R A J A N to P L I N Y.
Agree withyou entirely, my deareftSECUNDU S,that the Pompeian law is repealed by the ediftof
AUGUST U S , whichhaving allowed per fons to enjoy themagifiracy attwo and tw enty year s of age, has giventhem a r ight, afier being magiflr ates , to become fenator s in any .city : but I cannot think, that thofe
ger fons , whohavehotbeen ar e un
er thirty year s 0tor s in any place
O B S E R’
B O O K X .
and atthe inftigation of the fenate, the cenfor s w ere created.
”T he w ere tw o in number ; bothPatr icians
but nothing ten ed fo effectually tow ards the immediate enc reafe of their author ity, as the or iginal inftitution of pc f
fedin the c enfor ihip dur ing five year s .Al author s , who tr eat of this magiltr acy, feem to agree,
that the cenfor s had the powe r to ex pel any fenator , whofemorals and conduétappeared to them unworthy of the dign i whichhe enjoyed.
1 PS I U S adds ,[Imam q zcer e, equum adimar e, tr ibu matur e,r a r ios f arer e potuer unt T hey could ex pel
they could take horfes fr om the knights they could r e
move the c itiz ens fr om the ir feveral tr ibes , and divellthem of their pr ivileges . F rom PLI NY
’
S epifile it ap
pear s , that by the Pompeian law , the cenfor ial pow er in
the provinces of Bitbynia and P antu: w as equally. reatas at
Rome and that pow er , w e find, w as again confirmed byT RA JAN .
E P I S T L E XCIV.
P L I N Y to T R A JA N .
Y w ifhes are, Sir , that you may pafs thisbirth- day, and very many other s , in the ut
moit felicity the glory of your virtues , ever en
c reafing w iththeir pr aife your healthper fectly eftablifhed, and your valour attended by a fuccefiion of
noble ex ploits .
E P I S T L E XCV.
T R A JA N to P L I N Y .
IAcknow ledge your w ifhes , my dearefi SECUNDUS,by whichyou hope, that I may pafis many birth
days in that highdegree of happinefs , whichtheflour iihing {tate of the commonwealthmuttoccafion .
O RS E R
F rom
Fr cm RW G
A . U . C.
856.
T RA JAN.
7.
434» P L I N Y’
S E P I S T LE S.
O B S E RVA T I O N S .
T he epifile from Pu mr to T a ry n ! ma be dated w ithgreat ex aétnefs . It was w r itten on the ci teenthof September .
T his is the fecond anniverfag,
of~ T RAJAN’
S birth, thatw as celebr ated by Pam ? in
°
tbynié . He ar r ived in the
province on the feventeenthof September in the hityw ,
and thought the fatigue of the journey fufi ciently r ecom
penfed by an ar r ival, whichallowed him to make the firthactofhis proconfular government, the celebration of T R a
JAN’S birth- day.
‘ See epiiile r s .
E P I S T L E XCVI .
PL I N Y to T R A JA N .
AB IU S BA S SU S , Sir , is pre fectupon thecoafi: of Pontica . He is a man of great inte
gr ity, probity and indultry, and among all thofe (Nalifications , I have found him per fectly devoted to m e .
I cannottherefore avoid ex erting all the power and ihter ef
’t, whichI mayhave w ithyou in his favour , but
they are ex erted w iththatfidelity, whichis due fromme tow ards you .
I have obferved, thathis (hill in military affair s hastaken r ife from his having been an officer in you r
army : fo that to your ow n difcrpline he ow es themer it of deferving your diftinc
'
tion. The foldier s ,and the low er claiTeS of people w ithin my jur ifdiétion,having often ex per ienced his humanity and juiticefhewed themfelves emulouily impatientto give theirtef
’timonies , bothpublic] and r ivately, of his vir
tues . Thcfe are parti ar s , w'
chI recommend to
your notice, withthatfidelity; whichis due from meto you.
OR SE R
43 6 P L I N Y’
S E P I S T L E S.
E P I S T L E XCVII .
P L I N Y to T RA JA N.
T is , Sir , a r ule, whichI prefc r ibe to myfelf, toconfultyou upon all difficultoccafions . F or who
can better directmy doubts , or infiruétmy igno
rance I have never been prerent at the r efolutions
taken concer ning the Chr iItians therefore I knowact for what caufes , or how far they may be objectsof puniihment; or to what degree our com ts
may be car r ied on againftthem. Nor have helitated a little in confider ing, whether the differ ence of
1d not make fome var iation in our
dures , or whether the weaker , and the mor eIhould be equally punifhed . Are thofe, who repent,to be pardoned Or is it to no purpofe to r enounce
Chr il’tianity, after having once profefl‘
ed it ? Mufi:
they be punilhed for the name , althoughOther w ife
innocent Or is the name itfelf fo fiagitious , as to
be puniihable ? In the mean time, I have pur fuedthis method w iththofe Chr iftians , who, as fuch,have been brought before me . I have aiked them ,
if they w ere Chr ifiians , and to thofe, who have a
y owed the profefiion, I have putthe fame queftion a
fecond and a third time, and have enfor ced .ir bythreats of punifhment. When theyhave perfever ed,I have put my thr eats into ex ecution. F or I did
not in the leaitdoubt, thatwhatever their confefiion
might be, their audacious behaviour , and immovev
able obftinacy, r e uired abfolute punilhment. Some,
who w er e infectedw iththe fame kind of madnefs ,butwere Roman citiz ens , have been r eferved by meto be fentto Rome.Soon afterwards the cr ime, as itoftenhappens , by
being pur fued, became mor e diffufive, and a var ietyof matter s of fact were fpecified to me. An infor
P L I N Y’
S E P I ST
T 'LE S.
fuperftition, car r ied to great ex cels . And there - f
ihre pofiponin any refolution of my own, I .havew aited the ref tof your judgement. T o me an .af
fair of this fortfeems worthy of your confideration,
pr incipally from the multitude involved in the’
den
ger . F or many per fons of all ages , of alland of bothfew , are already, and w ill be tlybrou ht into danger b thefe accufations . Nor isthis uperftitious contagion confined only to theties , it fpreads itfelf throughthe villa
fiand the
country. A s yet, I think it may be pped and
cor reéted. It is very certain, that the temples ,whichwere almoitdeferted, now begin to fill againand the facr ed r ites , whichhave been a long time
in performed. The victims , whichew pur chafer s , are now fold
. ever ywhere . F romhence we may eafily infer , whatnumber s of ple might be reclaimed, if there w as a
proper owance made for repentance.
E P I S T L E XCVIII .
T R A JA N to P L I N Y .
0 U have ex actly purfued the method, whichyou ought, my S ecrmnus , in ex amin
'
thefever al caufes of thofe perfons , who, as Chr i
'
ans ,
w ere brought befor e you . F or in an affair of thisner al nature, it is impofi ible to lay down an fettled
orm . The Chr iftians need not be fought er . If
they are brought into your prefence and convicted,they mufi be punifhed ; but w iththis refervation,that if any one of them has denied himfelf to be a
Chr ifiian, and makes his affi rtion manifeft, by an ih
vocation to our ods , althoughhe may have beenfufpeéted before, is repentance muttentitle him to
a pardon. But anonymous informations ou
ght not
tohave the leaitweightagainfi a ny cr ime'
w atever
43° P L I N .Y’
s
. Sa am m adam m betm'
au'
am orou s Accent.cg ing to your ppmmmds , I have rbiddea all public Mings .
”T he baffli¢ , as has been
~
alr eady obferved9
1 w er e
particular ly difagr eeable to T R AJA N he looked upon themas dangerous to the Prate.
.
T he . afi'
emblies ,of the Chr ifi ians
w ent under this deno'
rnination .
' They afl’
ociated pr ivatelyin lar e number s , and even befor e da li ht. T h bound
them elves tothe per formance oftheir lit? 15 an 052. The irmeetings wer e confiantand (ecr et, and m havew
fufi ciently myfier ious to alarm the Rom» overhment: atleafi:w e cannotavoid w ifhi
a
n
ég1for fome platfiible ex cufe, to
palliate a me ltbarbarous'
on, that appear s ln thé nex t
bantur , quid efi t ver t'
d iam per tor n ado grocer” Pthought it neeell
‘
aty to gain the truth, even by putting to’
the torture mic women, who wer e faid to bear- ( part int
their cer emonies This ex per imentfeetns‘
tohu e been’
the very heightof inhumanity :‘
the (ex , and the 4011 con
dition of thefe bond- women, for Etchis the fignificafion of
and[le , ought tehave defended them from infults‘
, ahd pu~'
nifhments of every kind. Letus not‘
car ry on this,
thoughfany farther , leftw e recollectinftanpe
fs , where Chrifiiarr z eal
has outdone pagan c r uelty, and where Chr ifiian pr ieflil haveappear ed more like the blood- hounds of hell
,than the fer
vants , or ambaffador s of the Pr inceo f peace.
T he mini/9m: her ementioned are gener allythought'
tbhavebeen
°
of whom '
the follow ing accoun'
twill be a
fufiicient ex plan'
ation.
’ T he'
za
'
pofiles , as they ord aineddeacons to
.
afliff the ' bifhops and priefik at divine fervice ,(0 they
'
likew ife fet up the office of deaconefl'
es'
,Jw‘ho,I
notw ithi’tanding they had no cler ical ordination, We'
r e
called deaconeffes , upo'
n account“of the fervic
’
es '
theyper formed. W idow s w er e commonly itched upon for
this purpofe ; and in the firfi ages of hr iftianit‘y, theyw e r e not taken into this office till fix ty ear s old. T hew ords of St. PAUL 5 , Letnota w idow e taken into M:number , under tbmfcor e year s old, ar e fuppofed to relate to
thefe deaconefl'es f.
”
See obfervations on epillle 84. p . 41 3 .
l‘1 T imothy, chap. v. we
’
r fe 9 .
Age mighthave pleaded in defence of th'
e"
unhappy m uffle
butno c ir cumflance was fufiiciently thong to item the tor rentofNot
B O O K X .
Notw ithfianding the detefiation of Chr ifiianity, whichPL I NY ex prefl
'
es in this epiflle the l endary author s havethoughtitworththeir pains to convert im foon afterwards
by a mira cle . The fiory needs no other confutation, thanto be r elated. PLI NY the younger r eturning from his
province of Bithynia, landed in Cr ete, where the empe
r or had commanded him to erect a temple to JU P I T ER .
When the temple w as compleated, St. T r'
r u s curfed'
it,and the building immediately tumbled to the ground.
PLINY , afionilhed atthe fight, applied w ithtear s to St.
T I T U s , for his counfel an afiifiance : the faint order ed
him to begin it in the name of the God of the Chr iftians :he did fo, and having finifhed it, w as himfelf, togetherw ithHr s s ou, baptifedIn T RAJAN
’
s anfw er nothing can mor e r edound tohishonour , than his politive commands to PL INY , notto te
ceive informations w ithout a name, nor give the lealtencouragement to informer s . Sucha procedure, fays he,mufi' be of pernic ious confequence, and particular ly un - J
becoming the candour and jufiice of my r e i
Conquermdi non m t T he Chr iftians need not ofi cioufly be fought .f
’T his order . is in the fiyle of com
pallion and good nature . Italmoftmakes us imagine, thatthe emperor was , ,
ih fome meafur e, repentantof his formerperfecutions . T he legendary w r iter s , in gratitude probablyfor this infiance of mildnefs , after having fentT RAJA N
’
s
foul tohell; have eneroufly delivered it. fromthe pr ayer s of St. én z c omr the great.
4 He calls ita n terior, firperfiih’
o pr ama at battal ion : and theprOpofal, whichhe.makes to the emperor ,
‘
to give room to theChr iItians for r epentance, feems rather an actof policy, than of.
good natureSee Cave
’
s life of St. T l T u e .
fEpifile 98 .
E P I s T L E LXCIX.
P L I N Y ff T R - A J-A N.
SEVE RAL . per fons have petitioned me to in;dulge them, w iththe permiflion gr anted byfor
mer proconfuls , of r emoving the albes of their an
ceflzor s ,
43 s
A . U . C.
8 6S o
T RA JA !“
431 .
P L I N'
Y’
S"
E P I S T L E S
T R A JA !‘ ta P L r u v.
JULrus LARGUS has repofed in you the Game con
“
fidence, as if he had . been perfeétly. acq'
w ith'
you ._ _
Confider ther efore, in whatmanner , fuitable to the .
,ctutoms of eachparticular place, youmay be able mofi efi
’
eétually to perpetuate his me
mo and follow whatever you {hall judge to be‘
.
the determination.
O B S E RVA T I O N S .
Notany letter s in this whole colle€tion can be more polite than the two lafi. PLI NY begins his addr efs to T RA
JA N b faying, It is ow ing, Sir , to the highopinion ,w ic JULIUS LARGti s , a native of Ponie s , had con i
ceived of your judgement, thathehas notonly bequeatheda legacy of fifty thoufand fefter c es , buthas entrufi ed m e
w iththe application and dir eftion of his whole eflzatc . Iw as not even perfonall acquainted w ithLARc u s : but,as the {tron eft and laff
7
infiance of his devotion to you ,he has made choice of me, from an aifur ance, thathemay r ely on a per lbn, whom you honour withyourfiinfi ion . Hehas allotted the gr eateftpartof his fortnnto two Pontir c ities on the Eux ine lhote, E r otica
Yior , leaving it in my option, either to difpofe of themoney in public buildings , or in public games : if in the
'
latter , they ar e to be performed every five year s , and to
be cal led T r aj an gamer . My determination, Sir , mufl:be guided by the particular order s , whichyou (hall bepleafed to fend me.
T he emperor’
s anfwer is to this purpofe : Jotm s
LARGU s , my PL I NY, has acted, as if he had been perfectlywell acquaintedw ithyour virtues . Your part is to
“1perpetuatehis memory in fucha manner , as may be (hit
able to the cuftoms of Tia: and I ler adea . Thefe are my(entiments . Your own judgement w ill dir ect you, in
whatparticular manner to'
proceed.”
E T I S T L E
O
B O O K X.
H P 1 S T L E CIII .‘ 2
P L I N Y m T R A JA N.
IEntr eat you, Sir , to fend me your infiruétions ,in whatmanner the r ights of the cities in Bitby zié
and F aun amuttbe adjuflzed, when debts due to theircommunities , either from letting houfes , fellinggoods , or any other caufes , are to be gathered in .
1 find, that many proconfuls have gr anted them thec laim of firfl: creditor s : and that pr ivilege has beenof equal validity w ith a law . But it feems to be a
pointappmpr iated to your greatw ifdom,-
to confider
and efiablifha fix ed r egulation, that may afcertain
their r ights for the future ; for all former infiitutions ,althoughever {0 w ifely founded, mull: be of a the ftduration, unlefs they are fupported by your authority.
E P'
I S T - L -E CIV.
T R A JA N to P L I‘
N‘
Y .
S to the r ights belonging to the feveral cities of f rown/R”?
Bitlym'
e and Pentax , in demanding their debts ,A
3 56:upon Whatever account thofe debts may be due to T M !“
the r epublic, the law of eachcity is to guide7‘
determination. F or , if the communities have theprivilege of being laced as fir it
‘
c reditor s , thatpr ivilegemull notbe no r inged : if they have no fochr ight,I can by no means allow it, as itmufl: prove detr iamental to pr ivate per lons .
O B S E RVA T I O N S .
‘
PLrNY nits the part of a mofi'
dufiful, and a moltprudent fubjeft, by taking car e. that all his procedures , and
even the minutefi orders ,gluchhe i, togive inhis governe 2 ment,
Q8 P L I N Y’
sJ ’E P I S T L E S .
i s -muy'be s inferr ed from T unynw
’
s anfiver‘,in the capacity of augur, but of governorthe provinces . Topr a w n, you wer e at
faercd r ites :~
you performed them in perfim.
”
Cum'
prmimia£6m MW tufmfx The pmvind ablhew ing the gra nd]: joy itpon the occafion .
”T heir joy
w as fmcer e. T uAJAN w as honoured, and almoft ador ed
throughoutthe whole empire . So that after his d eath, theconfiantvow made on the die: Ore/ar t
'
s , for eachfucceedingemperor , w as , T hat he might be mor e fortunate thanAuoo s
'
r u s , mor e ex cellentthan T RAJAN.
"
E P I S T L E CIX.
\
P L I N Y to T R A JA N.
B have celebrated, withdue devotion,day on which, b fuccefiion to the empire,
ankind evolved upon you, r ecome
EP I s T L e c x
T R A J AN to P L I N Y .
OU R'
letter , my dearefl:Secunnu s , whichin,
forms me, that at the head offthe army androvincials youhave celebr ated, w ithdue joy and
the dayofmy inaugur ation,was very acceptme.
O B S E R V A T I O N S .
PLINY's epifile compleats three greatfeftivals , whichhave
been twice celebrated byhim in Bitbym'
a the birth- day ofT RAJA N, September the eighteenth the die: q j b r ir ,January the third l' : and T RAJAN
’
s acceflion to the empire,Ep. i s . Ep. 94.
31 - 31} m
L B -O Ofli n X .”
January the tw enty feventh3. The emperor now entered
into the eighthyear '
of his r eign, andw z s in the forty fourthyear of his age.PL I NY r eturned thiS
fyear to Itdy. T he r ema ining epi
files are r equefis for r iends , or fubjeéts r elating to theprovince.
3 Ep. 3 8. Ep. 109 .
E P I S T L E CX I .
P L I’
N Y to T R A JA N .
U s'
ronw s
Tannog rtw s , S ir , is a man of (0
at know ed e, robi and inte r i and
I havge
r
i'o truly efieefr
gnedphis v
t
iitues and higs Earning,
that for fome year s pal’t I have confiantlymadehim
my domeltic companion ; and the more Ihave know nhim, the more I have admi red him.
T wo r eafons feem to make the Rom n
afiriviiege of
the father s , who have three children, otted in a
manner for him. The firfltis , he deferves the goodopinion of all his fr iends : the fecond is , thathe hasnot been veryhapp
y in his mar riage .
By my means t erefor e lethim procur e fromyour
goodnefs , thatfelicity, wh
i
chthe maligna o
ate has hitherto denied him. I knqw , it. howvery great a favour I alk
.but I all: it from you,
whofe ind ,nce to all my delires I have,ever
‘
found
unlimited. on may imagine, w ithwhat earnei‘b
nets I make this application ; fince Hhould not preyfume to afk fucha favour till -I w aited upon you, if Iwere notuncommonly anx ious toobtain my requeft.
‘
E P I S T L
‘
E
439
FromA . U . C.
7.
T a r-tu g.
M3 P L I N Y’
s -I E P‘
I S T L E S .
enroll, in the public xegiftexs . mr gmm ofiehe alignsof c iti z ens to thoft, whom you named i o ume, “
I!“I
am r eady, upon your application to grant the amerwm wd hmmm
O B S E RvA T I ON aVALERI U S PA ULINU S could nothave {hew ed gr eaterkindnefs to his afl
'
r anchifednaves , than by bequeathing themto the patronage of PLv , whofe generous manner of ad!
ing ex cited him to lofe no time in endeavour ing to ex tend
the pr ivileges , whichthey enjoyed by manumifiion, to the
greater pr ivile es of Roman Citiz ens . T he aétion
more commen le becaufe by the law of the twelveif the fr eedmen died intefiate, their whle fortune was ta beappropr iated to the patron, or the chifdr en of that patron.
Si Iiber tu: {mtg/fate mor itur , a dfim: bran : nee gx tabit, patr oma amiliam babeto eademqu: j ur a Iiber i pan
-
011i babmto
en a freedman dies inteftate, and w ithoutheir s , ifhis patron be alive, or has leftchildren, let the efi
'
efi s of
the freedman go to the'family of his patron
This law had afterniards additions , or rather alterationsmade to it ; butfiill the patron had a r ightover partof the good:of the fr eedman, as has been taken notice of in former obfervations .
E P I S T L E CXV.
P L I N Y to T R A JA N. .
T is the cuftom w iththofe, who afl'
ume the manlygown, whomar ry, who enter upon anymagiltracy,
or who dedicate any public work, to invite the wholefenate, and a large number of the plebeians , and to
pr efent one or tw o damn? to eachparticular guelta cuftom, whichI beg to know , whether you would
have continued, andhow long ?
fi The da ar iu was the chief iilvex' ann exi n g them .
a dm in value q nal w z l . i .
P L I N Y’
s E P I S T L E S;
pired in her infancy, if the shamhad notbeen trea cherouf.l deluded by an afl‘embl
yfolemnly convened, under the
{gecious appear anee of. piety, and ,fr iend£hip.
E P I S T L E CXVII .
P L I N Y to T R A JA N .
H E w reftler s , Sir , imagine, that the falar‘
ies
appointed by you for the games , whicha r e
ifelaih'
c , oughtto commence from the day, on whichthe conqueror s receive their c rowns , w ithout any te
rd to the time when they made their folemnmto their own country. They think them
'
felves ehto their reward, as foon as they become
‘
eonque- r
rots ; becaufe from that moment they mighthome in a tri umphantmanner . I difi
'
entfrom
and while I am w r iting to you, I cannotavoid
ing upon the name of thofe, who are called
flies . It is from thence ther efore, that,I have my
doubts , whether their r ewards ought to commenceat any time befor e the make their public entr y.
The fame w r efiler s emand a pr iz e in thofe games ,whichhave been lately made by you, ifelafitic al
thoughtheyhad conquered before the appointment‘
of
that infiitution. They aflert, that in equity theyought to r eceive r ewards ih
'
games , whichar e atpr efentbecome ifelal’tic, after having conquered ingames ,to whichthe ifelaltic honour s , althoughlately fupprefi
'
ed, were former ly annex ed. Ihefitate againuponthis point, and am unwilling to allow any retrofpeét,hute in that cafe, it is poflible they may
'
receive
r ewards , to whichtheyhad no r ightwhen they con ?
quer ed. I entr eat therefore, that you would deter
mine my doubts , or rather would,
condefcend
plain fully your own acts of generofity..
EP I S T LE
L I S T ; E P I S T L E S .
in char iots drawn by four hor fc s
i t: Hi s , {3 partof Wt l'l was on thofe ocea
down] and a year ly falary w as allotted to
commonwealthdur ing the ir lives .
”
from Sur r ouw s may {till afli it us in a
of thefe games and ovations . Rev:
,J in ca pr zmum a r tem pr oiulcr at,
m “ .
‘w the
hg“.
ex planation
u0 Jul”6
2?
$ 252difj fb‘lMm man , at.
mar bier onica r am q}.q
. "
4
364,Anti”!indi 1 15mm , mdc Roman NERO,
$11
;t mumtoM, 5 from Gr eece, where he had ex hi
bited theell?! s of INS art, made his entry, dr aw n
a by whitehorl'
cs , after he had throw n down part p f the
a $6433, as
is the cuflom of per fons , who contend in theas He wentto Aub urn, to Albanian, and to
j},the fame manner .”
1New Claudius Catfar . cap, 3 5 .
E P I S T L E CXIX .
PL I N Y to T R A JA N .
ave nottill now , Sir , fupplied a ny perfou what
I evCl' withpafl'
ports , nor have I employed a fmgle
any iervice, ex ceptyour own . A caf e
has inter rupted this li r ici obfervance of
My w ife, having heard of the deathof
ther , w as defirous to make all poll ible
aunt. A s the mer itof the vifit confifted
in the ex pedition, I thought it would be unkind to
denyher a pafi'
por t efpec rally as I w as certain, that
a
'
oumCYa of whichduty was the motive, could not
of receiving your approbation.
This letter , S ir , is w r itten from a confc ioulhel'
s ,
thatmuftappear ungrateful, even in my ow n eye ,
if I omitted to mention the particular truft of pail:
a s among many other afts of favour tome, which
Firm f enfible are all ou ing to your indulgence . In
confidence of thatgoodnefs , I have acted in the fame
manner , as if I had received your inltr uc'
tions fmce
C.
. B 0 0 K K. 1
in waiting for thofe initr uétions , the point of timemuithave been elapfed.
E P I S T LE CXX .
TR A JA N to P L I N Y .
OU have entertained ver yjufi imprefiions , mydearefi Se etmou s , of the {entiments of myheart. A U c
1 am perfuaded, if your w ifehad waited an youhadapplied to me for my licenfe, thore pafl
'
ports would8.
not only have been of little fervioe in forwardingher
jour ney, but my intention in giving them, for youroccafional purpofes , would have been e loftefpecially as the ex pedition of your mufihave endeared her to her aunt.
O B S E R VA T I O N S .
Here ends the fer ies of T RAJAN’
s letter s to PLI NY : Allfilled w ithfeure, fpir it, dignity, and kindnefs . In thisw e fee T R A JAN inter efiinghimfelf in the fpeedy
‘ar rival o
CALP URN l A , merely beenak he imagines , that the ex
pedition of the jour ney ma mor e efi'
eétuallyher auntHI SPULLA , who e fituation, by the deathof FAB A T U S, w as render ed melancholy, and full of affliction.
T he empe ror fympathiz es in the gr ief of PLI NY’
s family.
He condefcends to confider the minuteftc ircumftance, thatmay, in fome meai
'
ur e, alleviate the for r ow of CALPUR
m a and her aunt.'
Suchinfiances of tendernefs wer e onlyto be produced by a heart fiiled w iththe truefi afi
’
ea ion.
Gr aces andhonour s from pr inces are generally confer r ed in a
public, and in a diftantmanner they are intended to r eheata reater luftre upon the pr ince, who gives , than upon the{aged} , who receives the benefit. Itmuii be a noble m indindeed, thatcould la afide the pr ide of empire, and the governmentof the w
'
or d, to fulfil the foc ial, the amiable, and
the virtuous character of a pr ivate friend.
E P I S T L E
fician,
P L I N Y’
S E P'
I‘
S T LE S .
E P I s T L E c x x r.
P L I N Y to T R A j A m
Y laft illnefs , Sir , laid me under fuchoblio
tions to Pos '
r rw iuu s Ma nm us , my phyat I {hall never be able to acquitmyfelf to
him, unleis w ithyour ufual goodneis you indulgewhichI now offer to on. I ther efore
entr eat you, to beftow the r ights 0 a Rom citi z en
Uponhis relations , Ca avs rppu s fon of
and upon S r a a'
r our c a the daughter of E9 100, and
the w ife of CHRY'
s rp pu s : and I entreatthe fame favour for Ep rc o
'
and .MI T HR IDAT BS, the childr enof CHRY S I PPU S 2 fo that they may be in the powerof their father , and thattheymay pr eferve the r ightof atrons over their freedmen.
.
lljet me alfo entreat you to indu c m s SA ‘
r am s Ana s c au r ru s , and PUBLIUS m s tu s Pnos o
pnoa u s , and PANCARI A S Sor s a ros s , withthe r ightsof Roman citiz ens . I offer this petition to you, bythe confentof their patrons
O B S E R VA T I O N S .
T his epifile is placed by Louc omu s ve early in thetenthbook and follow s a letter , in which LtNY r eturns
thanks to the emperor , for having granted the r ights of a
c itiz en of Alex andr ia to HARPOCRA S . Words , Sir , faysPL INY , cannot ex prefs the joy, w ithwhichyour letterhas affeé’red me, fmce I find by it, thatyouhave gr antedthe fr eedom of J lex andr ia tomy phyfic ian HARPOCRA S .
”
It feems improbable, (as I have hinted in the preface) thatPL I NY , as foon as he had gained his r equeftfor HA RP Oa s , fhould be immediately fuing in favour of another
cian. A s the epifile is of little importance, letus fdpthatPOST HUMU S MAR INU S was a Bitbynia rr, and
3 Epifile 6.
PLINY’
s EPIST LES.
amm s amwm
B O O K VI .
PAGE.
EP I ST LE I . T o CALEST RIU S T vno.
PL IN Y impatience/hr T vno
’
s r etur n toRome.
II . T o Anamuus .The gr eat vener ation, in whic/J RE0ULU s bald tbsfli
erm:of or atory, and tbs m r d ficperflitin s cer emonies ,w i nd: be put inproai who b:m: toplead.
III. T o
The I N D E X .
III . T o Venu s .
afizrm, wbicbPLIuvbad
PAGE
IV. T o CALPURNIA.
PLI NY laments bis abfcnccf r omCALPU RN I A , wbo wa sgone intoCampania on accountof bcr bcaltb.
V . T o U RSU S.
A continuation of tbc tr ial of VA RENU s , f r om tbs tw entictb epi/ile of tbcfifi b boob.
VI . T o MINUT IU S F UNDANU S .
PLI NY mtr cats F UNDA NUS to ba/lcn toRome, and to
j oinmirbbim in endeavour ing topr omoteJULIUS NA s o,
a young man of gr eatmer it.
VIl . T o CALPURNI A .
PLINY afi r cs CALPURN I A , tbattbo loaficr c of r eadingbcr letter s is tbe onlyfatisfaflion, w icb be is capable of
"
r eceiving in bor abj cncc.
VIII. T o Pa r s on s .PL INY
’
: r ecommendation of AT T I L I U S CRE SCENS upona pa r ticula r accu/ion, in w bicb a[am of money, lentbyCRE SCENS , w as in danger of being lg/l .
IX . T o CORNELIUS T ACI T US .
In anfw er to a lettcnf r om T ACI T U S, in wbicb be bad
r ecommended JULIUS NA s o to PLv .
X . T o ALBINUS .
Otto/zonal rgiec
'
z‘ions upon tbc unfini/bcdmonumentof VER
GI NI U S U F p s .
X I . T o MAX IMU S .7l n cbar afler s of FU SCUS SALI NA TOR, and NUMIDI U S Qp ADRA
'
r U S .
X II. T o FABAT OS, PLINY’S w ife
’ s grandfather .VECT I U S Par s ons , wbomFn
4
The I‘
N D'
E x .
XXIII . T o T RIARIU S .PL INY, on confida
'
atlon, thatCnBu UT IU s RUs o 93be a j oint advocate w ithhim,
.premi/es toundertakecanj e r ecommended by T R I AR I U s .
XXIV. T oMAC‘
ER.
An ire/lance o conj ugal love in a
dr own bet elf w ithher bee/band.
XXV . T o Bu m s H I SPANU s .
PLINY pr omi/es to enquir e for ROBUST U S, a Roman
bnigbt, o whom his f riend:couldhear no“
account. A
par allel nytance in the lofi ofMm u w s Cn l s pvs .
XXVI. T o SERV I ANU S.
PLm Y con
gr atulates SERVI ANUS on the intended ma r
of‘
s daughter toEUs CU s SALINA T OR.
XXVH. T o CA T ILIUB Snvm ws .
Concer ning afi nch, which VERU S, as con/i d, w as tomal e in honour of T RAJAN .
PAGE;
XXVIII. T o PONT IUS .
The elegant enter tainment, whichPL 1NY had r eceived at
the bou/e of PONT I US in Campania, in the abfence ofPon '
r w s himfiy‘
.
XXIX . T o (LUAURAT U S .
Jdvice given to QUADRA T U S in whatmanner toplead,and what can/es to under take.
XXX . T o F ABA '
r U s , PLINY’
s Wife’s grandfather .
PLINYflay: in Campania, tofie thehon]? of FA BA T U Spr oper ly r epair ed.
XXXI . T o CORNELIANUS .
J defcr iption of the w or ks ca r rying on b] \T RAJAN at
Ccntumcellae, and in whatmanner the emper or paj ed
B O O K
PAGE.
XXXII. To QUINT ILIAN, or r ather (amenANU &
I’LI NY fends him a fifty tbouj'
andfifi ef'
ces ,
to pr ovide his do be, intended nuptials . NONI US
(3.2L .
XXX III. T o VOCONIUS ROMANUS .PLINY
{ends ROMANUS bis or ation in def ence of Ac
c AR I OLA .
XXXIV. T o MAX IMUS .PLINY applauds MAX IMUS for havx givenan entertainment of gladiator s tothe Ver onergs , in new ofhis deceaj éd w i e.
wm w anm n mmm m m om
B 0 0 K VII .
new nm w m mm m aw em nnm
E P I S T L ! I . T o DU CBNN I US GEMIN'
US.
PI.INY (Ii/Em ” gr eat anx iety at the tedious illfleff ofGEMI NU S .
II . T o F ABIUS JUST US .PL I NY pr oml e: to endflame of his w r itings soJU STUS, who ad dc tr ed tofee them.
III. T o Pam sm s .
Rome, and not to dedicate
try.
IV. T o PONT IU S .PLINY gives PONT IU S an accountof his having w r ittena Gr ec/I tr agedy atfour teen year s of age and adds ,that/f r om that time, behad continued tow r iteverf a at
his ezfur ehour s .
PAGE.
V. T o CALPURNIA .
PLI NY’s uneajy j ituation while he is abj entf r om CA L
PURNI A O
VI . T o MACR INU S .
PLI NY’s behaviour in the can/e betw een VARENU S a nd
the Bithynians . T he canfo is alr eady mentioned byPLI NY in thr ee of his epifiles to URSU S thetw enty fifthof the fourthbook, and the fifth and
thirteenthof the fix thbook.
VII . T O POMPE IU S SAT URN INU S .
PLINY r ejoices ,at the
‘
r ecipr ocal fi iend/bip betzueen SAT URNI NUS and PR I SOUS .
VIII. T o NERAT IU S PR ISCU S .
PLINY endeavour s to cultivate, and encr eafi: thef r iendj up betw een F RI SCOS and SA T URNI NUS.
IX .
“
T o CORNELI U S F U SCU S .
PLINY’
s advice to FUSCUS, in whatmanner he ought to
X . T o MACR INU S .
The canola/ion of the mu
g,mentioned in
’
thegir thepi/i le
of this book, betw een ARENUS and the itbynians .
X I. T O F ABAT U S, PLINY’
S w ife’
s gr andfather .
PLI NY ju/lifies his f r eedman HERME S, whobad /61d cer‘
tain lands belonging to PLI NY , to CORELLI A ~HI SPULLA, at an under r ate.
X II. T O MINI CIUS .
PLIN‘
Y ends a book to IVI IN IC I U S, compo/iedfor the‘
bene
fit. 0 one of their mutua l f r iends .
X III . T O JULIUS FBRox .
Jn epi/ile in anfw er toa letter r eceivedfromFEROx
XIV. T o
The I N D E X.
XX II . T o POMPEIUS F ALOO.
the char acter of CORNELIU SMI NICI ANU S.
XX III. T o F ABAT US, PLINY’S w ife
’
s grandfather .
PLI NY afi r es F A BA T U S, thatT YRO w ill waituponhim athis houfe, w ithgr eatpleafur e.
XXIV.‘
T oDUCI NN IU S GEMINUS.The cha r ae
’
z‘er o NUMIDI A QUADRA ‘
I‘
I LLA, and ofher gr anayon U ADRA
'
I‘
U S .
XXV. T O CAN IN IU S RUFUS .The cbar atter of T EREN
'
F IU S JUNI OR.
XXVI. T OMAX IMUS .PLINY
’s thoughts onfichnefi.
XXVII . T OL I
‘
C INI US SURA .
Sever alflor ies of appar itions .
XXVIII . T O SEPT I T I U S CLARU S .
PL I NY decla r es him/elf qf opinion, thathe cannotlovehi s
f r iends toomuc
XXIX . T O CURT IU SMONT ANU S .
Rema r ks upon themonumentcr eeled to thehonour of PALLA S inhis lif e time, in the r oad tothe city T ibur .
XXX . T oJULIU S GENI 'I‘OR .
PLI NY condoles w ithGENI 'I ‘OR, upon the deathof one
of his peepils .
XXXI. T o CORNU T U S T ER'
F ULLUS ..
The cha r aeter of CLA UD I U S POLLI O.
XXX II . T O PARAT U S, PLINY’
S w ife’
s grand
father .-PLINY r ej oices , thatT YRo
’
s vifit toPABA T U S , and is plea ed, thatheS ee the fix teenthep tle of this
PAGE;
XXX I II .
Q0K VIII:PAGE.
XXXIII. T oCORNELIUS T ACIT US .
'
PLINY defer es tobe mentioned by T AC I T U S inhis bi/ioty . 1 68
B O O K VIII .
EP I ST LE I. T oSEPT I T IU S CLARUS .The illne/i of ENOOLF IU S, fi eedman and r eader to
PLINY .
II . T O CALV I BIU S .
PLINY ’s account of
111. T o SPARSU S .
PLINY intends tofend SPA RSU S an or ation latelyfini/hed. I 77
IV. T oCANIN IU S RU F US.PLINY encour ages CANIN I U S to under take a poem on the
V. T oROS I ANUS GEMINU S .
PLINY informs GEMINU S, that the w ife ofMAOR I8 U S, afler a ma r r iageof thirty nineyear s , is dead.
VI . T O CURT IUSMONT ANUS .
A copyof the[material fi er ce infavour of PALLAS .
VII . T O CORNELIUS T Ae I 'r US.PLINY intends to cor r el‘ta book/enttohim by T AC I T U S .
VIII. T oVOCONIUS ROMANUS..l de/cr iption of the Clitwnneanfi r ing.
P hIX . T o URSUS .
‘
LINY declares t e dictits o r ived/hi tobe er a’
ble toall kinds qffiady.
f f P pr ef
The - I N D E 1PAGE
X . T o F ABAT U S, PLINY’S wife
’s grand
father .The danger ous illnej i of CALPURNI A, occaj ioned by ab” .
tion.
X I . T O CORELLI A H I SPULLA, the aunt ofCALPURN IA .
o
.
CALPURN I A om her dangerous illne s
ofthe pr eceding .pgiio.
XII . T o CORNELI USMINUCI ANUS.‘Ihe char atter of T I
'
F INI U S CA P I T O.
X III . T OGEN IALI S .
In commendation If thefather qf GENI ALI S .
X IV. T O T I 'F U S ARI ST O.
A debate in the[mate concerning thef r eedmen If the confulA F RAN I U S DEXT ER, who wer e fuppcytd to have
XV. T O T ERENT I US JUNIOR .
PLINYfinds a la rgepar celof his w r itings toJUNI OR .
XVI . T o PAT BRNU S .
PLINY’s anx iety on the illnefs and deathof[ever al of his
XVII . T OMACRINUS .
A defcr iption of anhur r icane and inundation.
XVIII . T O RU F INUS.The char atter o DOMI T I U S T ULLUS, and the dijpcyition of his ar tane athis death.
X IX . T oMAX IMU S .
PL INY alleviates his melancholy, by purfuing his j ludies ,dur ing the film]? g
"his w ife andfervants .
XX . T O GALLU S .A defir iption of themoving ij lands in the lake of Vadimon.
The I N D E X.
VI . T O CALvIsm s .
PLINY’
s[entiments on the Cir ca/tan games .
PAGE.
VII. T O VOOON I U S R
wNUS .
A de cr i tion of PLI NY’
s tw o countty es near the Lar i/a
‘
n
,iake one of whichhe calls Commdia, the other
n mdia.
VIII. T oAUGUR INUS .
PLI NY applauds the w r itings of AUGURINUS.
IX . ToCOLON.
The char atter of POMPEI US Qy I N'
I'
IANUS.
X . T o CORNELI US T ACI T U S .
PLINY’s w r itings dur ing his r etir ementin the country.
XI . T O DUOENNI U S GEMINU S .
PLI NY ’
s w or ks much/bughtafi er in var ious countr ies .
XII . T O T EREN'
I‘
I U S JUNIOR.
l dvice toJUNIOR, notto be toobar/bor aufier e, as af ather .
XIII . T oQ IADRA'
I US.
PLI NY’
s defence of the cha r acter and memory of HEL V II
éI U S PR I SCU S, and his accufation of PUBL I CI U SERT U S .
X IV. T o CORNELIU S T ACIT U S .Shor thints of the mutual fi udies of T A G I T U S andPLINY
XV. T O POMPEI U S FALCO.
PI . INY’
: aver/ion to r ur al avocatians .
XVI . T OMAM!LIANUS.PLI NYhas neither lei/ur e nor inclinationfor hunting .
XVII. T O JULIU S GEN I T OR .
PLINY advi/Z's GENI T OE to r emitfonsetimes'his u/ical j }
.B O O K IX.
XVIII . T O SAEINU S .
Apr omi/éte SABINOS gf PLINY'J w r itings .
X IX . T OCREMU T I US RU SO.
Some par ticular s r elating to VERGIN I U S RU F U S, and
SEXT U S JULI U S FRONT I NUS .
XX . T O VENA 'I OR .
PLI NY employed in his vintage probabbvinT ufoaay.
XX I . T O SAB IN I ANUS .
Infavour qf thef r eedmen of Sa nI N I A NU S .
XX II . T O CAT ILIU S SEVERUS .
The char ac‘ter of PA s S I ENU S PA U LU S .
XX III . T OMAX IMUS .PLINY is muchelated athis ow n gener al r eputationamong
men,
XX IV . T O SAB IN I ANUS .
Thanks , and admonition toSA B INI ANU S .
XXV . T oMAMI L I ANU S .
PLINY eaprefi s gr eathappinefi in the appr obation,his w r itings had r eceivedf r omMAMI LI ANU S.
XXVI . T o Lu p ERc US .
The qualifications nece myfi r an omtor . Quotationsf r omlEs cu INE s and BMOST HENKS .
XXVH. T O LAT ERANUS .Yhew eightand influenceof hyior ical tr eatifes .
XXVIII. T O VOCON IU S ROMANU S.In anfw er tothr ee letter s r eceivedf r omROMANU s .
XX IX . T oRU ST I CU S.
PLINY’s mi/Zellaneousfiudies .
XXX . T ODUOENN I U S GEMINU s .73 s def er ence between tr ue andfol/egeneryity.
The .I N D E X.
XXXI. T o SARDUS.
Thanks toSARDU S,for his appr obation ff PLINY?
PAGE.
XXXII. T oCow l- 1 08 T I 'IIANUS .In pr ai/E of indolence.
XXXIII . T oCAN IN’
I USRUF US.I very ex tr aor dinaryfiery of a dolphi n.
XXXIV. T O SUET ONI US T RANQU I LLU S .PLI NY deftr es the advice and ity
‘lr uflion of T RA NQ I I L
LU S, in whatmanner tomakehis poetical r eheatfa ls .
XXXV. T oOPP I US.
PLINY is hinder ed by bet/incl }, from a due attention to theworks of OPPI U S.
XXXVI. T o CORNELIUS FUSOUS.PLI NY
’s manner of If}? infummer atT ufcq m.
XXXVII:To VALER I U S PAULLINUSPLINY muchemployed in letting new lea/2s of his gflate.
XXXVIII. T O POMF E I US SAT URN INU S.Inpr e ife of a bookw r itten byA SINI U S RUFUS.
XXXIX . T OMUS'
F IU S.
XL:T o CORNELIUS F U SOUS .
PLINY’s manner of Izflin w inter atLaur entinum.
”
B O O K
Thé I N D E X .
Lou c oz un.
T RAJAN’
s Anfwcr ;waves all r efentntentagairyiD10N con
or der s the'
can/2,
PLINY to T RAJAN .
l l r ecommendation of NYMPH IDI U S Lup u s the X IXyounger , whofe father accompanied PLINY into
727:Bithynia.
PLI NY to T RAJAN.
PmNY tr anfmits to the emper or a petition f r om the LX XXVII.citiz ens of Nicea. 806.
T RAJtm’
s Anfwer .
XXVII The entper or refer s the mer its of the£etition toPL I M
363, NY , on conj unflion w ithVm DI U S EMBLLINU S,and EP IMAcnu s .
PLINY to T RAJAN .
XXVIII. PL I NY[ends toT RAJAN letter s f rom LYCORMA S,andfr om thehing of Sarmatia .
PLINY to T RAJAN .
A paflim‘tgr anted to the ntefi nger , whoter s to T RA1AN f r om the hing of Sarmatia.
PLINY to T RAJAN .
I n embaflbdor f r om the king of Sam) atia j iays twodays w ithPLI NY , inhis w ay toRome.
PL I NY intends todepar timmediatebfi omNicea.
PLINY to T RAJAN.
XXXI . The ar r ival Nicomedia, on the366. tw t
'ntyfou
PLINY to T RAJAN.
XXXH. To know wheéher tl
‘he that the66. temple o ybe e,3
Nicoméia, and
r emoved.
T RA] AN’
s
The I N ‘E ‘E X.
Pu n r’c eps
mm; The Subjea of eachEpiMe.tru nnion.
T RAJAN’
S Ari wee.XLHL Dir eetions to Pu t“, in what.
,mm er .thqfim m
Page 374. ar e tohe tr eated. HQ 15
PLINY wT nnpm .
thatthe numher
T nAJAN’
s Anfwer .betw een a cafe of
a pointof ambition hut ion/fi t, thatmay nothe ahfirntflops their colour s ,
PLINY to T RAJAN .
Defir ing tohnaw in whatmanner he is to45 , asmtoXXXVI.
the numher of foldier s tohealbum!toMn xmw s‘
, 745 ,
T RAJAN’
s Anfwer .
The emper or a llow s a number of foldier s to attend XXXVH.
MAX IMU S on his r etur nf r om Paghlagonia.
PLINY to T RAJAN .
XLVIII . De/ir ing the dir et’
tions ,concer ning tw oflames , x x x vm,
379? hy SEMpnom ua u A NU s 2479
T RAJAN’s Anfw er .
The emper or or der s an enquiry tohe made, hy whomand in whatmanner , thofiflow s wer e enlgted.
PL INY to T RAJAN .
the emper or’
s or der s , iatwhatmanner heis to puni/hperfons , whohad been ex iled, buthadnot
'
fuhmitted totheir fintence.
T R_AJAN
’s Anfwcr .
ata par ticu LXV .
a“,
"0 728.
. B 0 0 1 X .
Pu x r’e on
’m Subjectof cachEpiftle.
Lou c ou vei
PH I“! to T RAJAN.
tothemew ,
Pig! puhlic money, or to”
place itatx thehighe/tPage? ”amon the decur iones , enfor cing them to
r eceive ituponthe]?
T RAJAn’
s Aafwcr .L1“. The emper or agr ees to the fir/l, and r ej efi s the In]?
384.
PLINY to T RAJAN.
T RAJAN’
s Anfwer .
Theemper or is defir ous ,he madehetw een
‘
the late and thel id, and dir eetsPLINY tomakepr oper enquir ies upon the
t
“
vPmmr to T RAJAN.
LVI . Mr e particular s r elating tothe lahe of Nicomedia. IQ‘
XIX .
387. 785 .
T RAJAN’S Anfivcr . a
t
.
,r -
5
LVII .“The emper or appr oves o PLI NY
’
s prbpo/b ls to tom LXX .
388. manicate the let». of ieomedia w ithtoffee . 785 .
PLINY to T RAJAN'
.
LVIII . Ddir ing the emper or’
s
389. patents , as
T RAIAN’S Anfwcr .
PLINY to T RAJAN .
LX . De/ir ing the emper or’
s d r efi ions concer ning expo/ing LXXI .339 1 . childr en. 7 7
T unys u’s Anfwcr .
emper or b ehr es his opinion, inwhata PLI LX‘XII.
Y oughtto at? togar ds tho/ftchiMn . 789.
g4‘
The Subjefl: of w eb Epiflzle.
Le x i con “.
PMNY m T RAJAN.
Page 393 . he adj tyted by the emper or .
T RAJAN’S Anfwcr .
LXIII. The emper or defer s his poj itive dir eflions ti”he ha s m m.
393 fit”thefinator ial decr ee, aé'
tyling tho/2 claims and 794
hirthr ights .
PLINY to T RAJAN .
LXIV. Thatthe w ith.
the em x x x w ,
3 95 . puhlsc hath, 744”
’s Anfwcr .that the hathmayhe r e XXXV.
pahlic r evenue.
I’LtNY to T RAJAN .
PLI NY mentions the town t x x v.
a temple, 79 1 .toJULI US CE SA been built,
T RAJAN’
s Anfwcr .
LXVII . De/ir ing a fa r ther ex planation concer ning the temple LX XVI .
396. mentioned in thefi r egoing letter . 792 ,
PLINY to T RAJAN .
an unfini/hed theatr e, and Gymnzfium XLVIII .
at Nicea, and a hathatClaudiopolis . PLI NY 75 8,de/tr es the emper or tofend an a r chitet
'
t‘
f r om Rome,to eon/ider and injpee
‘tthefever al w or ks .
T RAJAN’
S Anfwer .
T RAJA N difinclines tofind an a r chiteétf rhmRome,KLDI .and or der s the buildings atNicea and Claudiopolis 76 1to he fini/hed in fucha manner , as FLINY[hall
P1;
B 0 0 ”K X.
The Subjeétof mhEpiftlc .
Lou c ou vl .
PLINY to T RA}ANf,
pr ovinces .
T BA1AN’
S ~ Anfw et.
r elating to their fina CXIYand that tho/e f
enator s , 836.
their ow n inc inations ,
PLINY to T RAJAN .
Wedit? of AUGUs'
s u s has r epealed the Pong.
peian haw . Thatper/Ions , whohave notbeen ma
giflr ates , mtg? not be finator s , unlej } they a r e
above thir ty year s of ar e.
PLINY to. T RAJAN .
The Pompeian.law concer ning citiz ens of Bithynia : CXV,
expuyion of for eigner s f r om thethe pr ohibition of aliens to
T RAJAN’
s . Anfwer .
No innovations tobemade in thefix edlaw s ofBithynia. CXVI ,
PLINY to T RAJAN ,
Congr atulations on the annivetfaty ti T RAJAN’
s
bir th. A. U . C. 856.
T RAJAN’
s Anfwcr .
Thanks for the celebr ation of his bir th- day.
PLINY to T RAJAN .
XCVL A r ecommendation of Gan u s Ba s s us , pr zfiet‘
ttf XVIII,424. Pontica. 726.
PLINY
The I N »D‘
E X .
Pu n v'
e e;
The Subjea of eachepifile.
Lon c ou vs .
PLINY to T RAJAN.
in whatman"
XCVII .
Pageu b. ner he is to Page 8 14:
be
T RAJAN’
s Anfwcr .
That the Chr iflians need notbe enquir ed after w itha XCVIII.deftgn topunik them buti br oughtbefor e PLINY , 82 2 .
and convihted, they a r eto pumfi ed, unle s
pent. d nenymous informateons muflnot e r
PLINY to T RAJAN .
bis govm t LXXIII.mentmay bepermitted tor emovethe ajhes of their an 789 .
T aMom’
s Anfiver .
PLINY to T RAJAN .
of legacy leftto PL INY by JUL IU S LARGU S, andLXX IX .
the r emainder of his for tune to T ios and Hera 794.
Clea, to be expended tnpublic w or ks . PLI NY de
fir es the emper or’s dir et
'
t'
ions , in what w or ks hejhall employ the public bequtfi s of LARGU S.
’
T RAJAN’
s Anfwer .
The emper or advifis PL I NY to apply the beque/ts of LXXX .
LA RGU s , fuitably to the cit/toms of T ios andHe 796 .
r ac lea.
PLINY to T RAJAN.
ng ityl r ue‘tions f r om the emper or , in whatman CIX.
ner cer tain r ights 0 the cities in Bithynia andPon 832 .
tus ar e to be adiu/{edT RAJAN
’
s Anfwer .
That the law of eachcity ought to guide PLINY’
s CX .
determination. 833
PLINY
I N
PAR II‘
I CULAR PA S SA GE S
l N T H E
O B S E R VA T I O N S
ON fi A CH
E J P I S fF L ILQQM MQMMQMGQQQQQM M N Q
B 0 O K VI .
w w auuem m ememm n m am
E p 1 s T L r. 1.YR0
’
s boa/3 tn the r egion: of Piccmun.
i n augus tgf Piccnnm f fm Su mac and ? “NY tbe elder .
Tbe metr opolis qf Picenumi: nowW hom“.
p s'
a II.77”Splenia of the antients .T r anfiatian qf tw a epi am: inMART I AL on ihSplenia.REGULUS afi ing intecbar afler qf a buyer .
The I N D E X;
PLINY m o
of PLINY and Annm uvs .
EP I S T LE III .7hnutfe: of tbe antients .
Quotationf r omPI TT’
: Virgil an Cajeu .
EP I ST LE~
IV .
CALP UR
,EP I ST LB V..
on tbepr opo/al if Nnr os .
JUBEN T I U S CELSUS .par allel cafe in tbe r eign of KingW ILL I AM
EP I ST LE VI.T i e ebar afi er F UNDANU S .
R I AN intoA fia.
Tbe n tae ex prflion, dicere and m ime.
77k toga candida, and t e toga alba.
EP I ST LE VII.fi e lo]? of CALPURN I A
’: letter : m l) to be r egr etted.
PLI NY and CALPURNIA , by notbatting ebildr en,tbej ot
-r ow and anx iety inevitabletopar ents .
EP I ST LE VIII .PL I NYfi rm: bis w r iting: on tbe plan of CI CERO.
Infi anees of CI c aRO’
J'
. infineer ity.
C I CERO tbe gr eater or ator , PL INY tae better man.
EPIST LE IX .
7
bgr eatf r iend/kip wbieb PLINY tefiifies for InI. I U 3
A SO.
EP IST LE
PAGE.
He otts b dictates of r eafons , while other s aftf r om the
themy m m the tllm
t j ef“
eruption (in AWprobd ility) f Vt'fi v'
p s .
The bi/hop of Cloyne’
s a ccountof Vefuvius .I fa r ther accountof V
‘
efuvius bytheW Raf Cl'oym
J biogr apher of the life of F L I NY the olde r, my“ 45
gmpar i/bn of P L I N Y the elder ‘tt i f?
R oth-a ?OYLE.
EPIST L-E XVI I.PLI NY
’:
,
‘
letter s upon "hear/aha, a r e; ingeneral, thatmy;
tertaining.
EP I ST LE XVII I .
The epi/tiepr obably addr efi dtoCes éw s Se amu s , whomMA RT I A I. callsMontana décas Umb
'
fiz .
EP I ST LE XIX .
The Roman lattes w er e numer ous again/l br ibery in «la .
teans .
Enter ta inments made by the elettor s .TheMuner ar u .
Cor r uption a s penetr ahle asAUGU § '
l: SUETON! us ) theangina
EP ISTL’
E XX :
77”nar r ative of the wr uption of MountVefuvius con
tinnedf r om epi/He I 6th.‘Ihe var ious : names in cla te author s , of VéfuviusDI ON ’CA SS Ib Sfiys ,
'
t tthe'
cities of I- Ie
'
r culanilm and
Pompeu w er e fiua llow ecl up by the er uption of Vefuvms .
A q’
uotationf r om V I Rc‘
n‘
r ela'
tbq toNola.
The eruptions of V efuvius‘
unz‘trtain.
A cur ious infcr iption, re lating to Vefuvlus placed near
Naples ) tr anfiated ver batim.
Em s r u
2 9 8 3? ePAGE.
Belem X2.“Gem “ Beam s , «of!4mm?
chief w r i er s of the antientcomedy(f cr iticifm on PLAU T U S and
XX IIaccount
‘
of Lu s'm x c us Baufi x
’
a nys andTANUS AT T IC I NU s , ex tr att
'
glfi ogn the
EI’I ST LE XXIII.
'EPIS T LE - XXV.
mentions anhx
and r elations could lear’
n j io acce
. XXVI .A T U S and SA LINA T OR». She
Begum. x x vnRefleétions on the r eigns of NERVA and T RAJAN, and
on PLI NY’
s panegyr ie..Xhis epi/ilefiems labour ed, and the lam e of itfight/Jet
“
elegantnor ea/y.
EP I S T LE XXVIII .Ex tr afls outof the epi/ile, pa r aphr qflically tr an/Iated.
EP I ST LE XXIX .
The ma x im of T HRA S EA [F E T US]The ma x im of POLLI O.
EP I ST LE XXX .
I n ex planation of a difi'
cultpafi ge in the epi/ile.
Rh2 EPI ST LE
EP I ST LE XXXI .
ThatT RAJANhad nofix ed number fir his council .The cafeof GA LI T T A .
codia ls of T vx o.
The Procur ator Ca far is .J
.
notationf r om T ACI T U S r elating tothe Br itons , tr anf3hated intoEnglilh.
TheRoman law a a iry? calumny.
The char at'
ter of I'
RMAN f r om theagr aphin PLI NY
’
s panegyr ic.Xenia .
The villa Centumcellz .
A quotationfi om the itiner ary o RU T I LIUS, (on the
k
of Centumccllz ,) tr on/late intoEnglilhverj } .M
EP I ST LE XXXII.That the editor s havewhom the epi lo isand r eafins o er edfor ‘
thatp
PAGE.
EP I ST LE XXX III.
1! quotationf r om VI T RUVIUé.PL INY ca r r ies his pointin the other tw ohe is ca
The ca/i of SU BERINUS ex tr aor dinary.
EP I ST LE XXXIV.
T'
he muaera gladiatoria.
B O O K
me'
1"
Nb ‘E
’
X .
EP IST LE VII .
EP I ST LE VIII.NI RA '
r w s Plu s cvs , the greatf riend of PLINY , and
the gr eatfavour iteof T RAJAN. , I I 5
EP IS T LE IX .
Some hints concer ning tr anj lation, and the Englifll lanJW ‘
{he epi/tie, pr obablywr ttten toConuu w s I’vs cu s A
L INA T OR.
EP I STLEJ
Thfi
conclu/ion of the ca'
tcfe hetw‘
ée’n A ItI:NUs ai d the
EP I ST LE XI,I’I INY[aper ior to anypr ivateperj bnal advantage.
EP I ST LE X II.
Thatthe joeofe ir onicalflyle, is little[uitld toPLINY ’
s na
tur al di/pbfition,
EP I ST LE XIII,gheentleto F ak e ): aflanda r d of epi/lolar lypolitemyi .
EPI ST LE XIV,
EP I ST LE XV.
EP I STLE XVI .‘
CALEST RIUS T YRO appointedpr oton/i dof Ba tica.
B Q Q K - VH.
PAGE.
8 the or i inal in/iitution, ,g ll pr ocon gels r ovincesyoughttohave been eonfielt9? Rome.
f P
Q es Caefar is .
The Candidati Pr inc ipis .The P appian law .
The P r eetor .
The Vindiéta, and theManumiflia .
EP I S T LE X VII .
Remarhs upon a quotationf rom T uLLy,de Or atore.
Thatan or ator oughttohe needed, or to aficme the appearance of mode
-fly.
Ew en ; XVIII .
CA N I NI U S RU F U S conj ur edfor his gifttoComum.
The Ingenu i.1 par agr aphin the epiflle explained.
E PIS T LE XIX .
F ANNI A the gr andaughtar of the firj l, anddatqhter oftheficend ARR I A .
The Helvidian ft/ler s .F A NNI A , mother - in - law of HELVIDI U S .ARR I A , mother of F A NNI A .
CE CI NNA F OE T U S .
T HRA S EA F OET U S .
Hu mm us PRtSc U s .
HBLV IDI U S the younger .
EP I S T LE XX .
PL INY’
s .r emarhahle fi iendfi ip w ithT A CI T U S .
J compa r betw een the w or ks of T A CI T U S, and theepi/iles PL INY .
EP I ST LE XXI .
The delicacyof PLINY’s con/iitution.
Bathing.
EP IS TLE XXII .A quotationf r om Lor d CLA RENDON. I46
CORNELI U S MI N I CI A NU S, one of the Novocomenfes .
m nhindfor thegace of nativit
h4. ”s u n
B o o 14 III?PAGE.
The char ab'
ier o SI j uLI US PRON T INU S, whocommanded t Romanfor ces inBr itain, and w asfitt- iceededby AGRI COLA .
The char ac‘ter ofMARCU S CLA isbIU’
é RU FU S thetar tan.
EN S TL! X I .
The epifile, perfeo'
tly tr ivial.
EPI s -r x zx XXI.
SABI NIANU S a good natur ed man, butpaj ionate.
EP IST LE XX II .I 5thepi/tie of the 6thhooh.
char abi'er of PROPER T I U S a s apoet.
EP I ST L-E XX III .-Y gives toogr eata j iapotohis vanity.
Va r ious cr itici/ms upon a par ticular par agmphin
mm ]; XXIV.
PL‘
INY’s f r iendly and benevolentj i ntiments .
Refer ence to the 2 Ifi epi/lit of this boat.
compliments of PIM‘
NY a ndMAM‘
H J‘ANU S
prbbdbly e x agger ated on‘hothfides .
EP I ST LE XXVI .of or atory among the antients a r e of[mall
advantage to the modem s .
.Hints , (whichur ij bf r om the/ epiflle) . r elatingtoLUPER
mos .
EPI S T LE XXVII.
EP I ST LE XXVIII.r! quotation f r om the[choliaj tCu m s:mus r elating
‘
to
VOCONI U S ROMANU S . ’
EP I ST LE
B O O K X.
PAGE
to the[enator s .Iatr aljptae.
The Civitas Romana.
the Jus Qx ir itium.
Thepower of the Patronus over the Liberals .The Civitas Alex andr ina.
The P r oconj ul, P r opr c tor , and F r ee ec'
tus .
The Provinc ia , m eéim z , and t e Pr z feéhxs E gypfi‘
Pl quotation f r om T A C I T U S concer ning E gypt.
[J
province of Mem
T"
he uncommon afi a ion o T RAJAN toPLINY .
di r/Eol
Pr aefeéti c ram and.
the r otation of
The emper or’s ar r ival in Rome late in the year 85 1 .
PLI NY'
s hear t i s not only full, but overflow s w ithafi c
tie'
m tohis fi lm‘s .Ac ew s SURA of a noblefamily.The emper or
”s ar r ival, and conqueflin Dacia in the year
855 .
The college of augur s .
.
Septemvir i, or E ulones
P r omontesy of aiea in
Ephefus the capital o Ionia.
A quotation r ant St. A UL.
city 0 Ephefus now reduced to
longing to the T urks
The nay es or ar ia .
I tr atylation of j bme y er/2's in LUCRET I US upon the0
Nile.
PAGE.
The Pr imipilax is .The Pr z fcélus Legionis .The r eigning emper or w a s always the Pontifex Max .
CA T A NE US concer ning the Precau
The Sarmatia.
The Civilia andVcnalia.
TheThe
gries ate
; f d h [IJ? o anna ry acre to t e can u s .
The ficauJ/hn nnlnchy day.
whichT RAJANfucceeded to empir e. 372The cuflody of the pr i/hns afligned to the publicflaw s . 3 75The Benchmar ii.A quotation f r om LI P S I U S, concer ning the mun‘
ificwand immunes . 377
T RA 1AN’
s r ema rhable conduct in his miEta afi ir s . 3 9The Roma nfla ws pr ohibitedf r om enlij tinggent/fives , 3 o
A quotation f r om VI RGI L. 3 80The political e conomy of the Roman ar ray. 3 81The Relegatio, and Ex ilium . 3 83J quotationf r om CvID tr ail/laud. 3 83The Pra feéli Pr z tom .
.T RA JAN’
s r ema r kable ex pr ej ion, upon the inmflitur e q?SU BURA NUS intothe ofi ce of Pr aefetfitus Praetor ii. 383
The public loans at tw dw per cent. in the r eign cfT RAJAN.
defi r iption of Nicomedia by FLI NY the elder .
T RAJAN s magnificence in his public’
worhs .The Diplomata.
The cu om o ex am new
.Thec banflawpagatgnj l thatcit/lam.
PLINY had notthe title of pr oconful qf Bithynia.J uot
jtionfi omSUET ONI US concer ni ngpr awn/ids , tr a
'
nfate
The'
. I N D E’
X.
‘
TheAnc illz .
TheMin iflr c .
P m at TThe endmy account ma y term .
T 3 11
3AN’
s moder atiohftow a r ds theChr i/iians .T RA j AN
‘s foul deliver edf romhell by St. Gaec oat fit
‘
eat.
ff fipulchr es of the antients held in my? r eligion:
The[upeglitious r egar d pa id to dead bodies .
J pa r a afi ical tr anfiation of the I OIfl,PLINY sfi r ietobfervance cy
r T RAJAN’J
T RA JA N’
s benevolence to hishinted atby PL INY .
votive day celebr ated by PLINY inBithyniaenniver a ry of T RAJAN
’: noti on“whim .
pi r e celebr ated PLINY inBithynit.Aa
T RAJAN’s conduct? inhis difpdb lofpuHit=
the tw elve tables r elating tofi eedlnen. 44:PLINY ala rmed,atla rge cong
i
r egatieno,and aj émblies
,l quotationf r omAnother f r om SunT omvs .Rema r ks upon T RAJA N
’
s letter s .
ThatPOST HUMU SMA R I NUS w as , pr obably, PLINY’
:
in the ar r angementof what
The con/ichThatPLI NY r emat in Bithynia about 1 8months .
The End of the SECOND VOLUME .
An Ex planation of the COPPER PLAT ES in thisVOLUME .
PLA T E I . BOO K VI .
PLINY atMfenumaccompanied byhis mother , and
inter r upted by one of his uncle’s r iends as he w as
LIVY, durin the dreadful eru tion of
Defcr ibed in t e twentiethepifte .
II . The people ofMfenum cover ing their headswithpillow s , and endeavour ing to efcape from thatcity. Epiltle the fix teenth.
B 0 0 K VII .
ar ition appear ing to A'm m ononu s the
atAthens . Epiflzle the twenty feventh.
II . T iff mbnumentof PALLAS . Epiltle the twentyninth.
B 00K VIII .
'
I . The Clitumnean fpr ing, and the temples of thegod CLI T UMNU S . Epifile the eighth.
II . The floating iflands in the lake of Vadimon.
Epiftle the twentieth.
B O 0 K IX .
1. One of PLINY’
s country- houfes (clofe to the
Larian lake) called Comedia. Epiltle the feventh.
II . The itory of the In the thir ty third
B OO K X .
I , In the frontifpiece two medals one of the em,
peror T RAJANéda
ftld the other of the emprefs PLo
T INA : engrav tomthe or i Is in the colleftionof Doétor
'MEAD.
gma
II , The theatr e of Nicea unfinilhed. Epifile thefix ty eighth.
111. Roman cnfigns .