A Sixth-Century Fragment of the Letters of Pliny the Younger Part 7

TOR MODO SED CUSTOS ETIAM RECTORQ_UE_ QUAERENDUS EST UIDEOR ERGO DEMON STRARE TIBI POSSE IULIUM GEN^{I}TIOREM[1]

AM^{N}ATUR[2] A ME I^{U}DICIO[3] TAMEN MEO NON OBSTAT KARITAS HOMINIS QUAE ^{EX}[4]IUDI 5 CIO NATA EST UIR EST EMENDATUS ET GRA UIS PAULO ETIAM HORRIDIOR ET DURIOR UT IN HAC LICENTIA TEMPORUM QUAN TUM ELOQUENTIA UALEAT PLURIB_US_ CRE DERE POTES NAM DICENDI FACULTAS 10 APERTA ET EXPOSITASTATIM CERNITUR UITA HOMINUM ALTOS RECESSUS MAG NASQ_UE_ LATEBRAS HABET CUIUS PRO GE NITORE ME SPONSOREM ACCIPE NIHIL EX HOC UIRO FILIUS TUUS AUDIET NISI 15 PROFUTURUM NIHIL DISCET QUOD NESCIS[5]

SE RECTIUS FUERIT NE^{C}[6] MINUS SAEPE AB ILLO QUAM A TE MEQUE ADMONEBITUR QUIB_US_ IMAGINIB_US_ ONERETUR QUAE NOMI NA ET QUANTA SUSTINEAT PROINDE FAUE_N_ 20 TIBUS DIIS TRADE eUM[7] PRAECEPTORI A QUO MORES PRIMUM MOX ELOQUENTIA_M_ DISCAT QUAE MALE SINE MORIBUS DIS CITUR UALE

C PLINIUS MACRINO SALUTEM 25

QUAMUIS ET AMICI QUOS PRAESENTES HABEBAM ET SERMONES HOMINUM

[Footnote 1: The scribe wrote _gentiorem_: a somewhat later corrector changed it to _genitorem_ by adding an _i_ above the line between _n_ and _t_ and cancelled the _i_ after _t_.]

[Footnote 2: Above the _m_ a somewhat later hand wrote _n_. It was cancelled by a crude modern hand using lead.]

[Footnote 3: _u_ added above the line by the later hand.]

[Footnote 4: _ex_ added above the line by the later corrector.]

[Footnote 5: _cis_ is added in the margin by the later hand. The original scribe wrote _nes_ | _se_.]

[Footnote 6: _c_ is added above the line by the later hand.]

[Footnote 7: _e_ added above the line.]

{fol. 52v}

EPISTULARUM

FACTUM MEUM COMPROUa.s.sE UIDEAN TUR MAGNI TAMEN AESTIMO SCIRE QUID SENTIAS TU NAM CUIUS INTEGRA RE CON SILIUM EXQUIRERE O^{P}Ta.s.sEM[1] HUIUS ETIA_M_ PERACTA IUDICI?UM[2] NOSSE MIRE CONCU 5 PISCO c.u.m PUBLIc.u.m OPUS MEA PECU NIA INCHOATURUS IN TUSCOS EXCUCURIS{SE_M_ AC} {CEPTO UT PR} COMMEATU[3] LEGATI PROVINCIAE {above COMMEATU: AEFECTUS AERARI} BAETICAE QUESTURI DE PROCONSULATU?[4]

CAECILII CLa.s.sICI ADVOCATUM ME A SE 10 NATU PETIERUNT COLLEGAE OPTIMI MEIQ_UE_ AMANTISSIMI DE COMMUNIS OFFICII NE CESSITATIB_US_ PRAELOCUTI EXCUSARE ME ET EXIMERE TEMPTARUNT FACTUM ?U??[5] EST SENATUS CONSULTUM PERQUAM 15 HONORIFIc.u.m UT DARE^{R}[6] PROVINCIALIB_US_ PATRONUS SI AB IPSO ME IMPETRa.s.sENT LEGATI RURSUS INDUCTI ITERUM ME IA_M_ PRAESENTEM ADUOCATUM POST^{U}LAUE[7]

RUNT INPLORANTES FIDEM MEAM 20 QUAM ESSENT CONTRA Ma.s.sAM BAE BIUM EXPERTI ADLEGANTES PATRO^{C}INII[8]

FOEDUS SECUTA EST SENATUS CLARIS SIMA ADSENSIO QUAE SOLET DECRETA PRAECURRERE TUM EGO DESINO IN 25 QUAM P. C. PUTARE ME IUSTAS EXCUSA TIONIS CAUSAS ADTULISSE PLACUIT ET

[Footnote 1: _p_ added above the line by the scribe.]

[Footnote 2: The superfluous _a_ is cancelled by means of a dot above the letter.]

[Footnote 3: The scribe originally wrote _excucuris | sem commeatu_, omitting _accepto ut praefectus aerari_. Noticing his error, he erased _sem_ and wrote it at the end of the preceding line, and added the omitted words over the erasure and the word _commeatu_.]

[Footnote 4: The dot over _s_ indicates deletion.]

[Footnote 5: _tum_: error due to diplography. The correction is made by means of dots and crossing out.]

[Footnote 6: _r_ added by the scribe.]

[Footnote 7: _u_ added apparently by a contemporary hand.]

[Footnote 8: _c_ added above the line, apparently by a contemporary hand.]

{fol. 53r}

LIBERIII

MODESTIA SERMONIS ET RATIO CO_M_ PULIT AUTEM ME AD HOC CONSILIUM NO_N_ SOLUM CONSENSUS SENATUS QUAMQUA_M_ HIC MAXIME UERUM ET ALII QUIDEM MINORIS SED TAMEN NUMERI UENI 5 EBAT IN MENTEM PRIORES NOSTROS ETIAM SINGULORUM HOSPITIUM[1] INIU RIAS ACCUSATIONIB_US_ UOLUNTARIIS EX SECUTOS QUO DEFORMIUS ARBITRABAR PUBLICI ^{H}OSPITII ^{I}URA[2] NEGLEGERE PRAE 10 TEREA c.u.m RECORDARER QUANTA PRO IISDEM BAETICIS PRIORE ADUOCA TIONE ETIAM PERICULA SUBISSEM CO_N_ SERVANDUM UETERIS OFFICII MERITU_M_ NOVO VIDEBATUR EST ENIM ITA COM 15 PARATUM UT ANTIQUIORA BENEFICIA SUB UERTAS NISI ILLA POSTERIORIB_US_ c.u.mU LES NAM QUAMLIBET SAEPE OBLIGA(N)[3]

TI SIQUID[4] UNUM NEGES HOC SOLUM MEMINERUNT QUOD NEGATUM EST 20 DUCEBAR ETIAM QUOD DECESSERAT CLa.s.sICUS AMOTUMQ_UE_ ERAT QUOD I[5]N EIUSMODI CAUSIS SOLET ESSE TRIS ?ITISSIMUM[6] PERICULUM SENATORIS UIDEBAM ERGO ADUOCATIONI MEAE 25 NON MINOREM GRATIAM QUAM SI UIUERET ILLE PROPOSITAM INUIDIAM

_Uir erat in terra_[7]

[Footnote 1: Deletion of _i_ before _u_ is marked by a dot above the letter and a slanting stroke through it.]

[Footnote 2: _h_ and _i_ above the line are apparently by the first hand.]

[Footnote 3: _n_ (in brackets) is a later addition.]

[Footnote 4: The letters _uid_ are plainly retraced by a later hand.

The same hand retouched _neges h_ in the same line.]

[Footnote 5: _i_ before _n_ added by a later corrector who erased the _i_ which the scribe wrote after _quod_, in the line above.]

[Footnote 6: Superfluous _ti_ cancelled by means of dots and oblique stroke.]

[Footnote 7: Added by a Caroline hand of the ninth century.]

{fol. 53v}

EPISTULARUM

NULLAM IN SUMMA COMPUTABAM SI MUNERE HOC TERTIO FUNGERE^{R}[1] FACILI OREM MIHI EXCUSATIONEM FORE SI QUIS INCIDISSET QUEM NON DEBEREM ACCUSARE NAM c.u.m EST OMNIUM OFFI 5 CIORUM FINIS ALIQUIS TUM OPTIME LIBERTATI UENIA OBSEQUIO PRAEPARA TUR AUDISTI CONSILII MEI MOTUS SUPER EST ALTERUTRA EX PARTE IUDICIUM TUUM IN QUO MIHI AEQ_UE_ IUCU^{I}NDA[2] ERIT SIM 10 PLICITAS DISSI^{N}TIENTIS[3] QUAM COMPRO BANTIS AUCTORITAS UALE

CPLINIUS MACROSUOSALUTEM

PERGRATUM EST MIHI QUOD TAM DILIGE_N_ TER LIBROS AUONCULI MEI LECt.i.tAS UT 15 HABERE OMNES UELIS QUAERASQ_UE_ QUI SINT OMNES ?EFUNGAR[4] INDICIS PARTIBUS ATQUE ETIAM QUO SINT ORDINE SCRIPTI NOTUM TIBI FACIAM EST ENIM HAEC QUOQ_UE_ STUDIOSIS NON INIUCUNDA COG 20 NITIO DE IACULATIONE EQUESTRI UNUS HUNC c.u.m PRAEFECTUS ALAE MILITA RET PARI[5] INGENIO CURAQ_UE_ COMPOSUIT DE UITA POMPONI SECUNDI DUO A QUO SINGULARITER AMATUS HOC MEMORIAE 25 AMICI QUASI DEBITUM MUNUS EXSOL UITBELLORUM GERMANIAE UIGINTI QUIB_US_

[Footnote 1: _r_ added above the line by the scribe or by a contemporary hand.]

[Footnote 2: _i_ added above the second _u_ by the scribe or by a contemporary hand.]

[Footnote 3: The scribe wrote _dissitientis_. A contemporary hand changed the second _i_ to _e_ and wrote an _n_ above the _t_.]

[Footnote 4: _de_ is cancelled by means of dots above the _d_ and _e_ and oblique strokes drawn through them.]

[Footnote 5: The strokes over the _i_ at the end of this word and at the beginning of the next were added by a corrector who can not be much older than the thirteenth century.]

PART II.