Letter 26

AUSONIUS TO HIS DEAR PAULINUS, GREETINGS AND ABUNDANT WELL-WISHES. Many and frequent occasions for being grateful to you are both put together for me by chance as it arises from time to time, and brought about by the kindly readiness of your nature, Paulinus my son. For since you refuse me nothing when I ask, you sharpen my impudence rather than blunt it: as now too you will find out in the case of Philo, once my estate-manager, who, having stored at Hebromagus [a villa of Paulinus's on the Garonne] the goods that he buys up across various estates, and having enjoyed the lodging granted by your people, is now in danger of being thrown out before his time. Unless you grant my request that he both make use of the delay in his stay for his own convenience, and that a barge or some other vessel be furnished so that a certain quantity of our grain can be carried up as far as the town, so that Lucaniacus [Ausonius's estate] may be freed from want in good time, that whole household of a literary man will belong not to Tullius's [Cicero's] Speech on the Corn Supply, but to the Weevil of Plautus. So that I might obtain this the more easily, or that you might dread greater annoyance if you refused, I have sent you a letter put together in iambics and sealed, lest you should say the letter-carrier had been tampered with, should he come to you without the warranty of a seal. I have sealed it, however, not, as Plautus says, "with wax and thread and letters as interpreters," but with a poetic stamp: you would judge it more a brand burned in than a seal pressed on. Philo, who was the manager of my estates, or, as he himself prefers, the epitropos [Greek: 'steward,' 'overseer'] (for the little Greek thinks the name glorious, because the Dorian tongue gives it a gloss), adds his own complaints to back up my entreaties, which I myself pursue only half-heartedly. You will see the very man, how he stands close at hand, the image of his own fortune, grizzled, shaggy, bristly, fierce, grim-faced, a Phormio out of Terence, bristling with rough hair like a sea urchin, or like my verses. This fellow, often disappointed by stunted harvests, came to loathe the name of manager, and, sowing too late or far too early and in his ignorance of the stars provoking the heavens and slipping out from his own fault, put the gods of the sky on trial as the guilty parties. No diligent tiller, no knowledgeable ploughman, a dispenser more than a hoarder, denouncing the soil as treacherous and barren, he preferred to turn to trade, a merchant in whatever market sells its wares, a trafficker after the Greek standard of credit, and, wiser than the Seven Sages of Greece, he joined them as an eighth sage. And now he has laid in wheat for stale salt and thrives as a brand-new trader; he visits tenants, the countryside, villages, towns, dealing in commerce by land and sea; in skiffs, in light boats, in dugouts, in galleys, on a raft he travels up and down the Tarn and the Garonne, and turning profits into losses, and losses into frauds, he enriches himself and makes me poor. He has now sailed all the way up to your seat at Hebromagus and has set up his goods there, so that from there grain might be carried down by barge for our needs, as he claims. So this guest, that you not be burdened, take care that he be on his way in a few days, so that, soon driven on with the help of your vessel all the way to the harbor of the town, he may free Lucaniacus from a famine now Perusine, now Saguntine [as dire as the starvation of besieged Perusia and Saguntum]. If I receive this favor granted by you, I will honor you sooner than Ceres: Triptolemus of old, or whom they call Epimenides, or Buzyges, the patron of estate-managers, I will rank as inferior to your godhead, for this gift will become your own doing.

MANY and various are the causes 1 have for gratitude to you, which both circumstance, arising from time to time, happily introduces, and the ready generosity of your nature voluntarily invites, my son Paulinus. For in that you deny me nothing when I demand, you whet my effrontery rather than blunt it; as now again you will realize in the matter of Philo, formerly my bailiff, who, after storing at Hebromagus1 goods which he has bought up on various estates, is in danger of being driven inconveniently from the shelter which your people afforded him. And unless you kindly grant this my request—namely that he be permitted to stay on there as suits his purpose, and that a barge or some sort of vessel be furnished him, that a little of my corn may be transported as far as the town, thereby delivering Lucaniacus2 from famine betimes—a literary man's whole household there will be reduced, not to Cicero's Speech on the Com Supply? but to the Weevil of Plautus. That I may the more easily obtain this boon, or that you may fear greater bother if you refuse, I send you a letter composed in iambics, and duly sealed, that you may not say the messenger has been tampered with, should he come to you without the guarantee of a seal. Yet I have sealed it, not, as Plautus says— With wax and thread and signs significant, 4 but with a poetic stamp: this you may regard more as a brand burnt in than a seal impressed.5 Philo, who is bailiff of my estate, or as he himself wishes, the administrator (for your Greekling thinks that a fine-sounding name which shows the gilt of the classic tongue), unites with his complaints my prayers, which reluctantly I myself dispatch. You shall see the man himself as he stands close by me, the very image of his class, grey, bushy haired, unkempt, blustering, bullying, Terence's Phormio,1 with stiff hair bristling like a sea-urchin- or my lines. This fellow, when light harvests had oft belied his promises, came to hate the name of bailiff; and, after sowing late or much too early through ignorance of the stars,3 made accusation against tin-powers above, carping at heaven and shifting the blame from himself. No diligent husbandman, no experienced ploughman, a spender rather than a getter,4 abusing the land as treacherous and unfruitful, he preferred to do business as a dealer in any sale-market, bartering for Greek credit, and, wiser than the Seven Worthies of Greece, has joined them as an eighth sage. And now he has provided grain at the price of old salt,0 and blossoms out as a new trader; he visits tenants, country parts, villages and townships, travelling by land and sea; by bark, skiff, schooner, galley, he traverses the windings of the Tarn and the Garonne, and by changing profits into losses and losses into frauds,1 he makes himself rich and me poor. He now has sailed right up to your villa Hebroinagus and made it the depot for his goods, that thence by barge grain may be carried down for my service, as he avers. This guest, then, lest you be burdened, speed on his way in a few days, that, transported forthwith by the help of your vessel as far as the township's harbour, he may deliver Lucaniacus from famine by now, by now Perusian, by now Saguntine.2 If I receive this boon I ask of you, you shall be worshipped above Ceres: old Triptolemus or, as some call him, Epimenides, or Buzyges,3 the bailiff's patron, will I arrange to make inferior to your godhead, for this corn will become your gift.

AUSONIUS PAULINO SUO sal. PL. D. multas et frequentes mihi gratiae tuae causas et occasio subinde nata concinnat et naturae tuae facilitas benigna conciliat, Pauline fili. nam quia nihil poscente me abnuis, magis acuis procaciam quam retundis: ut nunc quoque in causa Philonis procuratoris quondam mei experiere, qui apud Hebroniagmn conditis mercibus, quas per agros diversos coemit, concesso ab hominibus tuis usus hospitio, inmature periclitatur expelli, quod nisi indulseris rogante me, ut et mora habitandi ad commodum suum utatur et nauso aliave qua navi usque ad oppidum praebita frugis aliquantum nostrae advehi possit, Lucaniacus ut inopia liberetur mature: tota illa familia hominis litterati non ad Tullii frumentariam, sed ad Cureulionem Plauti pertinebit. Hoc quo facilius impetrarem, aut quo maiorem verereris molestiam, si negares, concinnatam iambis signatamque ad te epistulam misi, ne subornatum diceres tabellarium, si ad te sine signi fide veniret, signavi autem, non, ut Plautus ait, Per ceram et linum 1 litterasque interpretes; sed per poeticum characterem: magis notam inustam, quam signum impressum iudicares. Philon, meis qui vilicatus praediis, ut ipse vult, ἐπίτροποσ, (nam gloriosum Graeculus nomen putat. quod sermo fucat Dorius) suis querellis adserit nostras preces, quas ipse lentus prosequor. videbis ipsum, qualis adstet comminus, imago fortunae suae, carnis, comosus, hispidus, trux, atribux, Terentianus Phormio, horrens capillis ut marinus asperis echinus aut versus mei. hic saepe falsus messibus vegrandibus nomen perosus vilici, semente sera sive multum praecoqua et siderali inscitia caelum lacessens seque culpae subtrahens reos peregit caelites. non cultor instans, non arator gnaruris, promusque quam condus magis, terram infidelem nec feracem criminans negotiari maluit mercator quo libet foro venalium, mutator ad Graecam fidem, sapiensque supra Graeciae septem viros octavus accessit sophos. et nunc paravit1 triticum casco sale novusque pollet emporus; adit inquilinos, rura, vicos, oppida soli et sali commercio; acatis, phaselis, lintribus, stlattis, rate Tarnim et Garumnam permeat ac lucra damnis, damna mutans fraudibus se ditat et me pauperat. Is nunc ad usque vectus Hebromagum tuam . sedem locavit mercibus, ut inde nauso devehat ur triticum 1 nostros in usus, ut refert, hunc ergo paucis ne graveris hospitem cura diebus ut meet, adactus ut mox navis auxilio tuae ad usque portus oppidi iam iam Perusina, iam Saguntina fame Lucaniacum liberet. Hoc si impetratum munus abs te accepero, prior colere quam Ceres: Triptolemon olim, sive Epimenidem vocant, aut viliconum Buzygem, tuo locabo postferendos numini, nam munus hoc fiet tuum.