Ep. 4.3.1Quod semel atque iterum cōnsul fuistī similis antīquīs, quod prōcōnsul Asiae quālis ante tē quālis post tē vix ūnus aut alter - nōn sinit enim mē verēcundia tua dīcere nēmō -, quod sānctitāte quod auctōritāte, aetāte quoque prīnceps cīvitātis, est quidem venerābile et pulchrum;That you have been consul twice, like the men of old, that you were proconsul of Asia such as scarcely one or two have been before you or after you — for your modesty does not allow me to say 'no one' — that in integrity, in authority and in age as well you are the first man of the state, is indeed venerable and splendid; Ep. 4.3.1ego tamen tē vel magis in remissiōnibus mīror.yet I admire you even more in your hours of relaxation. Ep. 4.3.2Nam sevēritātem istam parī iūcunditāte condīre, summaeque gravitātī tantum cōmitātis adiungere, nōn minus difficile quam magnum est.For to season that austerity of yours with equal charm, and to join so much affability to the greatest gravity, is no less difficult than it is great. Ep. 4.3.2Id tū cum incrēdibilī quādam suāvitāte sermōnum, tum vel praecipuē stilō assequeris.This you achieve both with a remarkable sweetness in conversation and above all with your pen.
Ep. 4.3.3Nam et loquentī tibi illa Homēricī senis mella prōfluere et, quae scrībis, complēre apēs flōribus et innectere videntur.For when you speak, that honey of Homer's old man seems to flow from you, and what you write seems to be filled with flowers and woven together by bees. Ep. 4.3.3Ita certē sum affectus ipse, cum Graeca epigrammata tua, cum mīmiambōs proximē legerem.That at any rate is how I felt myself when I recently read your Greek epigrams and your mimiambi. Ep. 4.3.4Quantum ibi hūmānitātis venustātis, quam dulcia illa quam amantia quam argūta quam rēcta!How much refinement and grace there is in them, how sweet they are, how loving, how witty, how correct! Ep. 4.3.4Callimachum mē vel Hērōdēn, vel sī quid hīs melius, tenēre crēdēbam;I thought I was holding Callimachus or Herodas, or anything better than these, if there is such; Ep. 4.3.4quōrum tamen neuter utrumque aut absolvit aut attigit.and yet neither of them either perfected or even attempted both forms. Ep. 4.3.5Hominemne Rōmānum tam Graecē loquī?That a Roman should speak such Greek! Ep. 4.3.5Nōn medius fidius ipsās Athēnās tam Atticās dīxerim.I swear I would not call Athens itself so Attic.
Ep. 4.3.5Quid multa?Why say more? Ep. 4.3.5Invideō Graecīs quod illōrum linguā scrībere māluistī.I envy the Greeks because you have preferred to write in their language. Ep. 4.3.5Neque enim coniectūra eget, quid sermōne patriō exprimere possīs, Cum hōc īnsitīciō et inductō tam praeclāra opera perfēcerīs.For there is no need of guesswork as to what you could express in your native tongue, since you have produced such splendid works in this grafted and imported one. Ep. 4.3.5Valē.Farewell.