Letter 103.12

My teacher, I received two letters from you at about the same time. In one you scolded me and showed that I had written a sentence carelessly; in the other you tried to sustain my effort with praise. Yet I swear to you by my health, my mother's, and yours, that the earlier letter of yours brought more joy into my mind, and that while reading it I cried out again and again, "How fortunate I am!" Someone will say, "Do you call yourself fortunate because you have someone to teach you how to write a maxim more skillfully, clearly, briefly, and elegantly?" That is not why I call myself fortunate. What is it, then? That I learn from you to speak the truth. Speaking the truth is a hard matter for gods and men alike. There is no oracle so truth-telling that it does not contain something two-sided, crooked, or tangled, by which the unwary person may be caught and, after taking the saying according to his own wishes, realize the trap only when the time and business are past. Such a thing is profitable, and clearly people excuse such devices as pious error and illusion. But your accusations, or your reins, whichever they are, at once show the road itself, without deceit or invented words. And so I owe you thanks for this above all: you teach me both to speak the truth and to hear the truth. A double price, then, must be paid, though you will labor to make sure I cannot pay it. If you want no repayment, how can I return like for like except by obedience? [The rest is damaged.] Farewell, my good teacher, my best teacher. I rejoice, best of orators, that I found you. My Lady greets you.

To my master. I have received two letters from you at once. In one of these you scolded me and pointed out that I had written a sentence carelessly; in the other, however, you strove to encourage my efforts with praise. Yet I protest to you by my health, by my mother's and yours, that it was the former letter which gave me the greater pleasure, and that, as I read it, I cried out again and again O happy that I am! Are you then so happy , someone will say, for having a teacher to shew you how to write a maxim more deftly, more clearly, more tersely, more elegantly? No, that is not my reason for calling myself happy. What, then, is it? It is that I learn from you to speak the truth. That matter—of speaking the truth—is precisely what is so hard for Gods and men: in fact, there is no oracle so truth-telling as not to contain within itself something ambiguous or crooked or intricate, whereby the unwary may be caught and, interpreting the answer in the light of their own wishes, realize its fallaciousness only when the time is past and the business done. But the thing is profitable, and clearly it is the custom to excuse such things merely as pious fraud and delusion. On the other hand, your fault-findings or your guiding reins, whichever they be, shew me the way at once without guile and feigned words. And so I ought to be grateful to you for this, that you teach me before all to speak the truth at the same time and to hear the truth. A double return, then, would be due, and this you will strive to put it beyond my power to pay. If you will have no return made, how can I requite you like with like, if not by obedience? Disloyal, however, to myself, I preferred that you, moved by excess of care . . . . since I had those days free, I had the chance . . . . of doing some good work and making many extracts . . . . Farewell, my good master, my best of masters. I rejoice, best of orators, that you have so become my friend. My Lady greets you.

ad M. Caesarem 3.13 [44 Hout; 1.14 Haines] Magistro meo. 1 Duas per id tempus epistulas tuas accepi. Earum altera me increpabas et temere sententiam scripsisse arguebas, altera vero tuere studium meum laude nitebaris. Adjuro tamen tibi meam, meae matris, tuam salutem mihi plus gaudii in animo coortum esse illis tuis prioribus litteris meque saepius exclamasse inter legendum: “O me felicem!” “Itane”, dicet aliquis, “felicem te ais, si est, qui te doceat, quomodo γνώμην sollertius dilucidius, brevius, politius scribas?” Non hoc est, quod me felicem nuncupo. Quid est igitur? Quod verum dicere ex te disco. Ea res, verum dicere, prorsum diis hominibusque ardua: Nullum denique tam veriloquium oraculum est, quin aliquid ancipitis in se bel obliqui vel inpediti habeat, quo inprudentior inretiatur et ad voluntatem suam dictum opinatus captione post tempis ac negotium sentiat. Sed ista res lucrosa est et plane nos talia tantum pio errore et vanitate excusare. At tuae seu accusationes seu lora confestim ipsam viam ostendunt sine fraude et inventis verbis. Itaque haberem etiam gratias agere vel, si verum me dicere satius simul et audire verum me doces. Duplex igitur pretium solvatur, pendere, quod ne valeam, elaborabis. Sei resolvi vis nil, quomodo tibi par pari exprendam nisi obsequio? Inpius tamen mihi malui te nimia motum cura . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 E . . . . . . . minitando postquam . . . . . . nam et acuit me et scribendo ac legendo ad ea et excerpendo . . . . i . . . . . tota e . . . on . . . lego . . . . . . . . . . insecatas paulatim . . . nmi . . . etsi . . . . . . . . est enim . . . . . . . qui laborem hic facilluma gloria pericl . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Vale, mi . . . . . . . . . . . . . ne . . . . im . . . . . . . . . . . et optime, magister optime, gratissime . . . ., quantum te invenisse gaudeo. Domina mea te salutat.