NATURAL HISTOEY OP PLINY. 
BOOK 1} 
DEDICATION. 
C. PLINIUS SECUNDTTS TO HIS PEIEND TITUS TESPASIAK. 
This treatise on Natural History, a novel work in Soman 
literature, which I have just completed, I have taken the 
liberty to dedicate to you, most gracious^ Emperor, an appel- 
lation peculiarly suitable to you, while, on account of his 
age, that of great is more appropriate to your Father ; — 
" For still thou ne'er wouldst quite despise 
The trifles that I write 3 ; " 
if I may be allowed to shelter myself under the example of 
Catullus, my fellow-countryman^, a military term, which you 
well understand. For he, as you know, when his napkins 
had been changed^, expressed himself a little harshly, from 
^ Lemaire informs us, in his title-page, that the two first books of the 
[Natural History are edited by M. Alexandre, in his edition. 
2 '* Jucundissime it is not easy to find an epithet in our language 
which wUl correctly express the meaniag of the original, affectionate and 
famUiar, at the same time that it is sufficiently dignified and respectful. 
3 Lamb's trans. ; Carm. i. 4. of the origiaal. 
" Conterraneus ; " we have no word in EngHsh which expresses the 
idea intended by the origiaal, and which is, at the same time, a miUtary 
term. There is indeed some reason to doubt, whether the word now 
inserted in the text was the one employed by the author : see the remarks 
of M. Alexandre, in Lem. i. 3 ; also an observation ia Cigalino's disser- 
-tation on the native country of Phny ; Yalpy, 8. 
5 " Permutatis prioribus ssetabis;" Carm. xii. 14; xxv. 7; see the 
notes in Lamb's trans, pp. 135 & 149. 
TOL. I. B 
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