Letters of Pliny
this season upon my books, which others throw away upon the most idle
occupations. Farewell.
XCVIII -- To ROMANUS
I AM pleased to find by your letter that you are engaged in building;
for I may now defend my own conduct by your example. I am myself
employed in the same sort of work; and since I have you, who shall deny
I have reason on my side? Our situations too are not dissimilar; your
buildings are carried on upon the sea-coast, mine are rising upon the
side of the Larian lake. I have several villas upon the borders of this
lake, but there are two particularly in which, as I take most delight,
so they give me most employment. They are both situated like those at
Baiae:[135] one of them stands upon a rock, and overlooks the lake; the
other actually touches it. The first, supported as it were by the lofty
buskin,[136] I call my tragic; the other, as resting upon the humble
rock, my comic villa. Each has its own peculiar charm, recommending it
to its possessor so much more on account of this very difference. The
former commands a wider, the latter enjoys a nearer view of the lake.
One, by a gentle curve, embraces a little bay; the other, being built
upon a greater height, forms two. Here you have a strait walk extending
itself along the banks of the lake; there, a spacious terrace that falls
by a gentle descent towards it. The former does not feel the force of
the waves; the latter breaks them; from that you see the fishing-
vessels; from this you may fish yourself, and throw your line out of
your room, and almost from your bed, as from off a boat. It is the
beauties therefore these agreeable villas possess that tempt me to add
to them those which are wanting.--But I need not assign a reason to you;
who, undoubtedly, will think it a sufficient one that I follow your
example. Farewell.
XCIX -- To GEMINUS
YOUR letter was particularly acceptable to me, as it mentioned your
desire that I would send you something of mine, addressed to you, to
insert in your works. I shall find a more appropriate occasion of
complying with your request than that which you propose, the subject you
point out to me being attended with some objections; and when you
reconsider it, you will think so.--As I did not imagine there were any
booksellers at Lugdunum,[137] I am so much the more pleased to learn
that my works are sold there. I rejoice to find they maintain the
character abroad which they raised at home, and I begin to flatter
myself they have some merit, since persons of such distant countries are
agreed in their opinion with regard to them. Farewell.
C -- To JUNIOR
A CERTAIN friend of mine lately chastised his son, in my presence, for
being somewhat too expensive in the matter of dogs and horses. "And
pray," I asked him, when the youth had left us, "did you never commit a
fault yourself which deserved your father's correction? Did you never? I
repeat. Nay, are you not sometimes even now guilty of errors which your
son, were he in your place, might with equal gravity reprove? Are not
all mankind subject to indiscretions? And have we not each of us our
particular follies in which we fondly indulge ourselves?"[138]
The great affection I have for you induced me to set this instance of
unreasonable severity before you--a caution not to treat your son with
too much harshness and severity. Consider, he is but a boy, and that
there was a time when you were so too. In exerting, therefore, the
authority of a father, remember always that you are a man, and the
parent of a man. Farewell.
CI -- To QUADRATUS
THE pleasure and attention with which you read the vindication I
published of Helvidius,[139] has greatly raised your curiosity, it
seems, to be informed of those particulars relating to that affair,
which are not mentioned in the defence; as you were too young to be
present yourself at that transaction. When Domitian was assassinated, a
glorious opportunity, I thought, offered itself to me of pursuing the
guilty, vindicating the injured, and advancing my own reputation. But
amidst an infinite variety of the blackest crimes, none appeared to me
more atrocious than that a senator, of praetorian dignity, and invested
with the sacred character of a judge, should, even in the very senate
itself, lay violent hands upon a member[140] of that body, one of
consular rank, and who then stood arraigned before him. Besides this
general consideration, I also happened to be on terms of particular
intimacy with Helvidius, as far as this was possible with one who,
through fear of the times, endeavoured to veil the lustre of his fame,
and his virtues, in obscurity and retirement. Arria likewise, and her
daughter Fannia, who was mother-in-law to Helvidius, were in the number
of my friends. But it was not so much private attachments as the honour
of the public, a just indignation at the action, and the danger of the
example if it should pass unpunished, that animated me upon the
occasion. At the first restoration of liberty every man singled out his
own particular enemy (though it must be confessed, those only of a lower
rank), and, in the midst of much clamour and confusion, no sooner
brought the charge than procured the condemnation. But for myself, I
thought it would be more reasonable and more effectual, not to take
advantage of the general resentment of the public, but to crush this
criminal with the single weight of his own enormous guilt. When
therefore the first heat of public indignation began to cool, and
declining passion gave way to justice, though I was at that time under
great affliction for the loss of my wife,[142] I sent to Anteia, the
widow of Helvidius, and desired her to come to me, as my late misfortune
prevented me from appearing in public. When she arrived, I said to her,
"I am resolved not to suffer the injuries your husband has received, to
pass unrevenged; let Arria and Fannia" (who were just returned from
exile) "know this; and consider together whether you would care to join
with me in the prosecution. Not that I want an associate, but I am not
so jealous of my own glory as to refuse to share it with you in this
affair." She accordingly carried this message; and they all agreed to
the proposal without the least hesitation. It happened very opportunely
that the senate was to meet within three days. It was a general rule
with me to consult, in all my affairs, with Corellius, a person of the
greatest far-sightedness and wisdom this age has produced. However, in
the present case, I relied entirely upon my own discretion, being
apprehensive he would not approve of my design, as he was very cautious
and deliberate. But though I did not previously take counsel with him
(experience having taught me, never to do so with a person concerning a
question we have already determined, where he has a right to expect that
one shall be decided by his judgment), yet I could not forbear
acquainting him with my resolution at the time I intended to carry it
into execution. The senate being assembled, I came into the house, and
begged I might have leave to make a motion; which I did in few words,
and with general assent. When I began to touch upon the charge, and
point out the person I intended to accuse (though as yet without
mentioning him by name), I was attacked on all sides. "Let us know,"
exclaims one, "who is the subject of this informal motion?" "Who is it,"
(asked another) "that is thus accused, without acquainting the house
with his name, and his crime?" "Surely," (added a third) "we who have
survived the late dangerous times may expect now, at least, to remain in
security." I heard all this with perfect calmness, and without being in
the least alarmed. Such is the effect of conscious integrity; and so
much difference is there with respect to inspiring confidence or fear,
whether the world had only rather one should forbear a certain act, or
absolutely condemn it. It would be too tedious to relate all that was
advanced, by different parties, upon this occasion. At length the consul
said, "You will be at liberty, Secundus, to propose what you think
proper when your turn comes to give your opinion upon the order of the
day."[143] I replied, "You must allow me a liberty which you never yet
refused to any;" and so sat down: when immediately the house went upon
another business. In the meanwhile, one of my consular friends took me
aside, and, with great earnestness telling me he thought I had carried
on this affair with more boldness than prudence, used every method of
reproof and persuasion to prevail with me to desist; adding at the same
time that I should certainly, if I persevered, render myself obnoxious
to some future prince. "Be it so," I returned, "should he prove a bad
one." Scarcely had he left me when a second came up: "Whatever," said
he, "are you attempting? Why ever will you ruin yourself? Do you
consider the risks you expose yourself to? Why will you presume too much
on the present situation of public affairs, when it is so uncertain what
turn they may hereafter take? You are attacking a man who is actually at
the head of the treasury, and will shortly be consul. Besides, recollect
what credit he has, and with what powerful friendships he is supported?"
Upon which he named a certain person, who (not without several strong
and suspicious rumours) was then at the head of a powerful army in the
east. I replied,
"'All I've foreseen, and oft in thought revolv'd;[144] and am willing,
if fate shall so decree, to suffer in an honest cause, provided I can
draw vengeance down upon a most infamous one." The time for the members
to give their opinions was now arrived. Domitius Apollinaris, the consul
elect, spoke first; after him Fabricius Vejento, then Fabius Maximinus,
Vettius Proculus next (who married my wife's mother, and who was the
colleague of Publicius Certus, the person on whom the debate turned),
and last of all Ammius Flaccus. They all defended Certus, as if I had
named him (though I had not yet so much as once mentioned him), and
entered upon his justification as if I had exhibited a specific charge.
It is not necessary to repeat in this place what they respectively said,
having given it all at length in their words in the speech above-
mentioned. Avidius Quietus and Cornutus Tertullus answered them. The
former observed, "that it was extremely unjust not to hear the
complaints of those who thought themselves injured, and therefore that
Arria and Fannia ought not to be denied the privilege of laying their
grievances before the house; and that the point for the consideration of
the senate was not the rank of the person, but the merit of the cause."
Then Cornutus rose up and acquainted the house, "that, as he was
appointed guardian to the daughter of Helvidius by the consuls, upon the
petition of her mother and her father-in-law, he felt himself compelled
to fulfil the duty of his trust. In the execution of which, however, he
would endeavour to set some bounds to his indignation by following that
great example of moderation which those excellent women[145] had set,
who contented themselves with barely informing the senate of the
cruelties which Certus committed in order to carry on his infamous
adulation; and therefore," he said, "he would move only that, if a
punishment due to a crime so notoriously known should be remitted,
Certus might at least be branded with some mark of the displeasure of
that august assembly." Satrius Rufus spoke next, and, meaning to steer a
middle course, expressed himself with considerable ambiguity. "I am of
opinion," said he, "that great injustice will be done to Certus if he is
not acquitted (for I do not scruple to mention his name, since the
friends of Arria and Fannia, as well as his own, have done so too), nor