320 The trials of a landlord 



lands that afford timber, from which there is a small but regular return, 

 A favoured land, you see: but it is suffering from the weakness 1 of 

 those who farm it. For the late landlord several times distrained 2 on 

 the tenants' goods, lessening their arrears 8 of rent for the moment, 

 but draining their substance for the future : the failure of this sent up 

 the arrears once more. So they will have to be equipped 4 with labour; 

 which will cost all the more because only trusty slaves will do. As 

 for chained slaves, I never keep them on my estates, and in those 

 parts nobody does. I have now only to tell you the probable price. 

 It is three million sesterces, though at one time it was five million : 

 but, what with the present scarcity 6 of tenants and the prevailing 

 agricultural depression, the returns from the farms have fallen, and so 

 has the market value. You will want to know whether I can raise 

 easily even the three millions. It is true that nearly all I have is in- 

 vested 8 in land ; still I have some money out at interest, and I shall 

 have no trouble in borrowing. I shall get it from my mother-in-law, 

 who lets me use her cash as if it were my own. So pray don't let this 

 consideration influence you, provided the others do not gainsay my 

 project ; I beg you to weigh them most carefully. For of experience 

 and foresight you have plenty and to spare as a guide in general 

 business, particularly in the placing of investments.' 



The glimpses of agricultural conditions that we get from Pliny's 

 letters do not as a rule give us a cheerful picture. Most of his land 

 seems to have been under vines, and the vintage 7 was often poor, 

 sometimes a failure. Drought and hailstorms played havoc 8 with the 

 crops. When there was a bountiful vintage, of course the wine made 

 a poor price. Hence the returns from the farms are small, and unsafe 9 

 at that. So he replies to similar complaints of friends. When he is at 

 any of his country places he generally has to face a chorus of grumbling 10 

 tenants. He was sometimes utterly puzzled what to do. If inclined 

 to make abatements 11 of rent, he is uneasily aware that this remedy 

 may only put off the evil day. If tenants do not recover their solvency 



1 sed haecfelicitas terrae inbedllis cultoribusfatigatur. No doubt lack of sufficient capital 

 is meant. 



2 See Digest XX 2 4, 7, for pignora on farms. 8 reliqua colonorum. 



4 sunt ergo instruendi eo pluris quod frugi mancipiis: nant nee ipse usquam vinctos habeo 

 nee ibi qtiisquam. I take instruendi as referring to agri just above. The slaves are a normal 

 part of instrumentumfundi. 



6 hoc paenuria colonorum. Not the tenants' poverty. Cf VII 30 3. 



6 sum quidem prope totus in praediis. 



7 Daubeny, Lectures p 147, regards this great variation as normal in modern experience, 

 and vineyards as the least lucrative kind of husbandry. 



8 vin 15, ix 28, iv 6, x 8 5. 9 II 4 3. 



10 querellae rusticorum, v 14 8, vn 30 3, ix 36 6. 



11 remissiones, IX 37 2, x 8 5. 



