Pagina 23 van 62

Mischief take me, if you ought not to have a rod put in your hand

one day, a diadem on your brow, a tribunal raised for you; then

the herald would summon us all-why do I say "us"? Would summnon

all, those scholars and orators: one by one you would beckon them

forward with your rod and admonish them. Hitherto I have had no

fear of this admonition; many things help me to enter within your

school. I write this in the utmost haste; for whenas I am sending

you so kindly a letter from my Lord, what needs a longer letter

of mine? Farewell then, glory of Roman eloquence, boast of your

friends, magnifico, most delightful man, most distinguished

consul, master most sweet.

[26] Ad M. Caes., ii. 3.

[27] The Emperor Antoninus Pius is spoken of as dominus meus.

[28] This sentence is written in Greek.

[29] Several of these words are Greek, and the meaning is not

quite clear.