Letter 7015: You ask me how I am spending my time.
Pliny the Younger→Saturninus And Umbisus|c. 107 AD|Pliny the Younger|Human translated
education booksfriendship
To Saturninus.
You ask me how I am spending my time. Just in the old way you know of; I am very busy ; I do what I can for my friends, I occasionally find time for study, and I should be much happier, though I do not say I should be better employed, if my studies were my constant and invariable, instead of only being my occasional, employment. As for yourself, I should be grieved to think you were engaged in a round of uncongenial work, did I not know that you were most honourably employed ; for there is no more laudable occupation than to look after the business of one's country and to arbitrate on the differences of one's friends. I felt sure that you would find our friend Priscus * a charming companion. I knew what an unaffected, courteous man he was, and now I find that he is also most grateful, since you say that he has pleasant recollections of the services I have done him. That was a trait in his character with which I was less familiar. Farewell.
[Note: See letter 8 of this book.]
L To Saturninus.
You ask me how I am spending my time. Just in the old way you know of; I am very busy ; I do what I can for my friends, I occasionally find time for study, and I should be much happier, though I do not say I should be better employed, if my studies were my constant and invariable, instead of only being my occasional, employment. As for yourself, I should be grieved to think you were engaged in a round of uncongenial work, did I not know that you were most honourably employed ; for there is no more laudable occupation than to look after the business of one's country and to arbitrate on the differences of one's friends. I felt sure that you would find our friend Priscus * a charming companion. I knew what an unaffected, courteous man he was, and now I find that he is also most grateful, inasmuch as you say that he has pleasant recollections of the services I have done him. That was a trait in his character with which I was less familiar. Farewell.
(*) See letter 8 of this book.
C. PLINIUS SATURNINO SUO S.
Requiris quid agam. Quae nosti: distringor officio, amicis deservio, studeo interdum, quod non interdum sed solum semperque facere, non audeo dicere rectius, certe beatius erat. Te omnia alia quam quae velis agere moleste ferrem, nisi ea quae agis essent honestissima. Nam et rei publicae suae negotia curare et disceptare inter amicos laude dignissimum est. Prisci nostri contubernium iucundum tibi futurum sciebam. Noveram simplicitatem eius, noveram comitatem; eundem esse — quod minus noram — gratissimum experior, cum tam iucunde officiorum nostrorum meminisse eum scribas. Vale.
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To Saturninus.
You ask me how I am spending my time. Just in the old way you know of; I am very busy ; I do what I can for my friends, I occasionally find time for study, and I should be much happier, though I do not say I should be better employed, if my studies were my constant and invariable, instead of only being my occasional, employment. As for yourself, I should be grieved to think you were engaged in a round of uncongenial work, did I not know that you were most honourably employed ; for there is no more laudable occupation than to look after the business of one's country and to arbitrate on the differences of one's friends. I felt sure that you would find our friend Priscus * a charming companion. I knew what an unaffected, courteous man he was, and now I find that he is also most grateful, since you say that he has pleasant recollections of the services I have done him. That was a trait in his character with which I was less familiar. Farewell.
[Note: See letter 8 of this book.]
Human translation — Attalus.org
Latin / Greek Original
C. PLINIUS SATURNINO SUO S.
Requiris quid agam. Quae nosti: distringor officio, amicis deservio, studeo interdum, quod non interdum sed solum semperque facere, non audeo dicere rectius, certe beatius erat. Te omnia alia quam quae velis agere moleste ferrem, nisi ea quae agis essent honestissima. Nam et rei publicae suae negotia curare et disceptare inter amicos laude dignissimum est. Prisci nostri contubernium iucundum tibi futurum sciebam. Noveram simplicitatem eius, noveram comitatem; eundem esse — quod minus noram — gratissimum experior, cum tam iucunde officiorum nostrorum meminisse eum scribas. Vale.