BOOK I.] Pliny s Epistle to T. Vespasian . 15 



And however this great Majesty resplendent in you on 

 every Side, in regard of those high Dignities, may induce the 

 World at large to reverence your Person, yet 1 for my part 

 am aided only with the strength of Confidence to shew my 

 Duty in a more familiar manner than others : and, therefore, 

 this my Boldness you will impute unto your own Courtesy ; 

 and if it be a Fault in me, you will seek your Pardon from 

 yourself. I have laid Bashful ness aside, but to no Purpose. 

 For although your Gentleness and Humanity induce me to 

 draw near to your Presence, yet you appear in other re- 

 spects in great Majesty : for the Sublimity of your Mind, 

 your high Attainments, set me as far behind as if the Lictors 

 marched before you. Was there ever any Man, whose 

 Words passed from him more powerfully, and who more 

 truly might be said to flash forth as Lightning the Force of 

 Eloquence ? What Tribune was ever known more effectu- 

 ally to move the People with agreeable Language ? How 

 admirably you thundered out the Praise of the worthy Acts 

 of your Father ! What a Testimony of Love to your Bro- 

 ther! How skilful in Poetry! How ingeniously you find 

 means to imitate your Brother 1 in this respect 2 ! But who is 

 able boldly to give sufficient Estimate of these Gifts ? How 

 may any One enter into the due Consideration of them with- 

 out Fear of the exact Judgment of your Wit, especially being 

 challenged therunto as you are ? For the case of such as 

 publish a Work in general is unlike theirs who dedicate it 

 by Name to yourself. For had I set forth this my Book 

 without any personal Dedication, I might have said, Sir, 

 why should a mighty Commander and General 3 busy him- 

 self to read such Matters ? These Treatises were written for 

 the lower Classes, for rude Husbandmen and Peasants of 

 the Country, for the Mass of Artisans, and those who had 

 Leisure for studying them. Why should you make yourself 



1 For Domitian Vespasian was reputed an excellent Poet. 



2 The sense of the passage, as seen by supplying the ellipsis of the 

 original, is this : " With what testimony of love you set forth the praises 

 of your brother to the full." Wern. Club. 



' A Iraperator. 



