Letter 7023: The Tiburtine villa that recently came into your possession deserves a more talented wordsmith than me.

The Tiburtine villa [the estate at Tibur, modern Tivoli], which has lately come into your ownership, calls for an extoller of greater talent; I, however, being of modest eloquence, will do honor to the place in words as best I can. What charm there is here in the disposition of its buildings! What a situation! From the height the eye is cast out over the plain! I would say that the goddesses of Orchomenos [the Graces] frequent these dwellings, and that they have diligently striven to win you, their master, for their own house. Go on, therefore, as you are doing, and restore newness to things vanquished by age. This is far easier to accomplish than the thing they relate of Hesiod, that, with old age set aside, he returned to his green years. Meanwhile, congratulate us on our good health, and that this may long attend you too is among the highest of my prayers. Farewell.

Villa Tiburs, quae proxime in ius tuum venit, maioris ingenii praedicatorem re- quirit; ego tamen linguae modicus, ut potero, verbis honorem loco faciam. quid hic in positu aedium yenustatis estl quts sitt^ ex edito /It in plana iactus ocnlorum! frequentare has sedes Orchomenias dixerim deas atque eas sedulo adnisas, u^ te con- 30 ciliarent aedibus suis dominum. perge igitur, ut facis, et victis aevo redde novita- tem. multo hoc factu promptius, quam quod Hesiodum ferunt posito senio in virides annos redisse. interea gratulare nobis bonam valetudinem, quae ut tibi quoque lon- gum secundet, inter fastigia est votorum meorum. vale. 1 //erit P, ftierlt enim (J7) actntnmP2m. 3 edlliam {/) 5 longinquiore] Scioppiu$, longlnqiio ire Pr 7 signa om. T 9 litterarnm [r) 10 idusti r 13 accensum] luretua, aocewum PF sino nt] si modo F 21 repetas post Tiburtem inser. F 22 facias om. F caelum P, aed COTT, l m. e% edito late (1) 30 ut te] luretus, uiUe P 34 e6t] e in ra8. P XXI a. 398.