Letter 103.11

My lord, Gratia came to me last night. But it was as good as Gratia to me that you have turned your maxims so brilliantly, and the one I received today almost perfectly, so that it could be placed in a book of Sallust without clashing or falling short. I become happy, cheerful, healthy, young again, in short, when you make progress like this. What I am going to ask is serious; but since I remember that it helped me, I cannot help asking it of you too. Turn the same maxim two or three times, just as you did with that little one. So turn the longer ones as well, two or three times, energetically and boldly. Whatever you dare, with that talent of yours you will finish, though indeed with labor. You have desired a laborious task, but a beautiful one, a new one, and one granted to few. [The text is damaged.] This will help you most in making speeches, and so will daily excerpting from Sallust's Jugurtha or Catiline. If the gods are favorable, when you return to Rome I shall again demand your daily verses from you. Give my greetings to the Lady your mother.

To my Lord. Gratia came home last night. But to me it has been as good as having Gratia, that you have turned your "maxims" so brilliantly; the one which I received to-day almost faultlessly, so that it could be put in a book of Sallust's without jarring or shewing any inferiority. I am happy, merry, hale, in a word become young again, when you make such progress. It is no light thing that I shall require; but what I remember to have been of service to myself, I cannot but require of you also. You must turn the same maxim twice or thrice, just as you have done with that little one. And so turn longer ones two or three times diligently, boldly. Whatever you venture on, such are your abilities, you will accomplish: but, indeed, with toil have you coveted a task that is truly toilsome, but fair and honourable and attained by few . . . . you have got (it) perfectly out. This exercise will be the greatest help to you in speech making; undoubtedly, too, the excerpting of some sentences from the Jugurtha or the Catiline . If the Gods are kind, on your return from Rome I will exact again from you your daily quota of verses. Greet my Lady, your mother.

ad M. Caesarem 3.12 [44 Hout; 1.12 Haines] Domino meo. 1 Cratia ad me heri nocte venit. Sed pro Cartia mihi fuit tu gnomas egregie convertisti, hanc quidem quam hocie accepi prope perfecte, ut poni in libro Sallustii possit nec discrepet aut quicquam decedat. Ego beatus, hilaris, sanus, juvenis denique fio, quom tu ita proficis. Est grave, quod postulabo, sed quod ipse mihi et profuisse memini non potest, quin a te quoque postulem. Bis et ter eandem convertito, ita ut fecisti in illa gnome brevicula. Igitur longiores quoque bis ac ter converte naviter, audacter. Quodcumque ausus fueris, cum isto ingenio perficies; at enim cum labore: Laboriosum quidem negotium concupisti, sed pulcrum et novum et paucis inpetratum de . . . . in me recips . . icula donec . . . . . perfecte absolveris. 2 Plurimum tibi in oratione facienda prodest tum certe quidem cottidie excerpere aut ex Jugurtha aut ex Catilina. Diis propitiis quom Romam reverteris exigam a te denuo versus diurnos. Dominam matrem saluta.