2 PLINT's l^ATTJEAL HISTOET. [Book I. 



liis anxiety to show liis friendship for his dear little Veranius 

 and Fahius^. At the same time this my importunity may 

 effect, what you complained of my not having done in an- 

 other too forward epistle of mine ; it will put upon record, 

 and let all the world know, with what kindness you exercise 

 the imperial dignity. You, who have had the honour of a 

 triumph, and of the censorship, have been six times consul, 

 and have shared in the tribunate ; and, what is still more 

 honourable, whilst you held them in conjunction with your 

 Father, you have presided over the Equestrian order, and 

 been the Prefect of the Prsetorians^ : all this you have done 

 for the service of the Eepublic, and, at the same time, have 

 regarded me as a fellow-soldier and a messmate. Nor has 

 the extent of your prosperity produced any change in you, 

 except that it has given you the power of doing good to the 

 utmost of your wishes. And whilst all these circumstances 

 increase the veneration which other persons feel for you, 

 with respect to myself, they have made me so bold, as to wish 

 to become more familiar. You must, therefore, place this 

 to your owTi account, and blame yourself for any fault of this 

 kind that I may commit. 



But, although I have laid aside my blushes^, I have not 

 gained my object ; for you still awe me, and keep me at a 

 distance, by the majesty of your understanding. In no one 

 does the force of eloquence and of tribunitian oratory blaze 

 out more powerfully ! With what glowing language do you 

 thunder forth the praises of your Father ! How dearly do 

 you love your Brother ! How admirable is your talent for 

 poetry ! What a fertility of genius do you possess, so as to 



^ These names in tlie original are Yaraniolus and Fabullus, wMcli are 

 supposed to have been changed from Yeranius and Fabiiis, as terms of 

 familiarity and endearment ; see Poinsinet, i. 2 i, and Lemaire, i. 4. 



2 The narrative of Suetonius may serve to illustrate the observation of 

 Pliny : " Triumphavit (Titus) cima patre, censiu'amque gessit una. Ei- 

 dem coUega et in tribunicia potestate, et in septem consulatibus fuit. 

 E-eceptaque ad se prope omnimn officiorum cm'a, cum patris nomine et 

 epistolas ipse dictaret, et edicta conscriberet, orationesque in Senatu reci- 

 taret etiam qusestoris vice, prsefecturam quoque prEetorii suscepit, nun- 

 quam ad id tempus, nisi ab Equite Romano, admiaistratum." (viii. 5.) 



^ " Perfricui faciem." Tliis appears to have been a proverbial expres- 

 sion among the Romans ; Cicero, Tusc. Qua;s. iii. 41, employs " os per- 

 fricuisti," and Martial, xi. 27. 7, "perfricuit frontem," in the same sense. 



