MEMOIR OF PLINY. 
27 
which that emperor committed to his charge, he re- 
turned home again to his books. After a sliort and 
light repast at noon (agreeably to the good old cus- 
tom of our ancestors), he would frequently in tlie 
summer, if he was disengaged from business, repose 
himself in the sun, during which time some author 
was read to him, from whom he made extracts and 
observations ; as indeed this was his constant method, 
whatever book be read, for it was a maxim of his, 
‘ that no book was so bad, but something might be 
learned from it.’ When this was over, he generally 
went into the cold bath, and as soon as he came out 
of it, just took a slight refreshment, and then repos- 
ed himself for a little wdiile. Then, as if it had 
been a new day, he immediately resumed his studies 
till supper-time, when a book was again read to him, 
on which he would make some hasty remarks. I re- 
member once his reader having pronounced a word 
wrong, somebody at tbe table made him repeat it 
again, upon which my uncle asked his friend if he 
understood it ; who acknowledged that he did, 
‘ Why then (said he), would you make him go hack 
again? We have lost by this interruption above 
ten lines,’ — so covetous was this great man of time ! 
In summer he always rose from supper with day- 
light, and in winter as soon as 'it w'as dark ; and this 
rule he observed as strictly as if it had been a law 
of state. Such was his manner of life amidst the 
noise and hurry of the town, but in the country his 
whole time was devoted to study without intermis- 
