Ep. 5.3.1Cum plūrima officia tua mihi grāta et iūcunda sunt, tum vel maximē quod mē cēlandum nōn putāstī, fuisse apud tē dē versiculīs meīs multum cōpiōsumque sermōnem, eumque dīversitāte iūdiciōrum longius prōcessisse, exstitisse etiam quōsdam, quī scrīpta quidem ipsa nōn improbārent, mē tamen amīcē simpliciterque reprehenderent, quod haec scrīberem recitāremque.Many as are your kindnesses that are pleasing and agreeable to me, this one is the most welcome of all, that you thought you should not conceal from me that there had been much lengthy talk at your house about my light verses, that this had gone on rather long because of the differences of opinion, and that there had even been some who, while not disapproving of the writings themselves, nevertheless criticised me in a friendly and frank way for writing and reciting such things. Ep. 5.3.2Quibus ego, ut augeam meam culpam, ita respondeō: faciō nōn numquam versiculōs sevērōs parum, faciō;To them, so as to make my guilt worse, I reply as follows: I do sometimes write verses that are not very serious, I do; Ep. 5.3.2nam et cōmoediās audiō et spectō mīmōs et lyricōs legō et Sōtadicōs intellegō;for I listen to comedies and watch mimes and read lyric poets and understand Sotadeans; Ep. 5.3.2aliquandō praetereā rīdeō iocor lūdō, utque omnia innoxiae remissiōnis genera breviter amplectar, homō sum.besides, I sometimes laugh, joke and play, and, to sum up every kind of harmless relaxation briefly, I am human.
Ep. 5.3.3Nec vērō molestē ferō hanc esse dē mōribus meīs exīstimātiōnem, ut quī nesciunt tālia doctissimōs gravissimōs sānctissimōs hominēs scrīptitāsse, mē scrībere mīrentur.Nor indeed am I annoyed that this is the opinion of my character, that those who do not know that the most learned, the most serious and the most upright men have often written such things should be surprised that I write them. Ep. 5.3.4Ab illīs autem quibus notum est, quōs quantōsque auctōrēs sequar, facile impetrārī posse cōnfīdō, ut errāre mē sed cum illīs sinant, quōrum nōn sēria modo vērum etiam lūsūs exprimere laudābile est.But from those who know what authorities, and how great, I follow, I am confident that it can easily be obtained that they allow me to go astray, but in the company of men whose playful pieces, and not only their serious work, it is praiseworthy to copy. Ep. 5.3.5An ego verear - nēminem vīventium, nē quam in speciem adūlātiōnis incidam, nōminābō -, sed ego verear nē mē nōn satis deceat, quod decuit M. Tullium, C. Calvum, Asinium Polliōnem, M. Messālam, Q. Hortēnsium, M. Brūtum, L. Sullam, Q. Catulum, Q. Scaevolam, Servium Sulpicium, Varrōnem, Torquātum, immō Torquātōs, C. Memmium, Lentulum Gaetūlicum, Annaeum Senecam et proximē Verginium Rūfum et, sī nōn sufficiunt exempla prīvāta, Dīvum Iūlium, Dīvum Augustum, Dīvum Nervam, Tiberium Caesarem?Am I to fear — I shall name no one living, so as not to fall into any appearance of flattery — but am I to fear that what suited Marcus Tullius, Gaius Calvus, Asinius Pollio, Marcus Messalla, Quintus Hortensius, Marcus Brutus, Lucius Sulla, Quintus Catulus, Quintus Scaevola, Servius Sulpicius, Varro, Torquatus, or rather the Torquati, Gaius Memmius, Lentulus Gaetulicus, Annaeus Seneca and most recently Verginius Rufus, and, if private examples are not enough, the Deified Julius, the Deified Augustus, the Deified Nerva and Tiberius Caesar, may not quite suit me?
Ep. 5.3.6Nerōnem enim trānseō, quamvīs sciam nōn corrumpī in dēterius quae aliquandō etiam ā malīs, sed honesta manēre quae saepius ā bonīs fīunt.I pass over Nero, though I know that things are not corrupted for the worse which are sometimes done even by bad men, but that things which are more often done by good men remain honourable. Ep. 5.3.6Inter quōs vel praecipuē numerandus est P. Vergilius, Cornēlius Nepōs et prius Accius Enniusque.Among these, Publius Vergilius, Cornelius Nepos, and earlier Accius and Ennius, must be counted foremost. Ep. 5.3.6Nōn quidem hī senātōrēs, sed sānctitās mōrum nōn distat ōrdinibus.These were not senators, it is true, but purity of character does not differ according to rank. Ep. 5.3.7Recitō tamen, quod illī an fēcerint nesciō.Yet I recite, and whether they did so I do not know. Ep. 5.3.7Etiam: sed illī iūdiciō suō poterant esse contentī, mihi modestior cōnstantia est quam ut satis absolūtum putem, quod ā mē probētur.Granted: but they could be content with their own judgement, whereas I am too modest in my confidence to think that what wins my own approval is finished enough. Ep. 5.3.8Itaque hās recitandī causās sequor, prīmum quod ipse quī recitat aliquantō ācrius scrīptīs suīs audītōrum reverentiā intendit;So these are my reasons for reciting: first, that the man who recites applies himself to his writings rather more keenly out of respect for his listeners; Ep. 5.3.8deinde quod dē quibus dubitat, quasi ex cōnsiliī sententiā statuit.secondly, that he settles the points he is in doubt about as if on the advice of a council.
Ep. 5.3.9Multa etiam multīs admonētur, et sī nōn admoneātur, quid quisque sentiat perspicit ex vultū oculīs nūtū manū murmure silentiō;He also receives many suggestions from many people, and if he does not receive them, he perceives what each person thinks from their face, eyes, nods, hands, murmurs and silence; Ep. 5.3.9quae satis apertīs notīs iūdicium ab hūmānitāte discernunt.signs which distinguish genuine judgement from politeness clearly enough. Ep. 5.3.10Atque adeō sī cui forte eōrum quī interfuērunt cūrae fuerit eadem illa legere, intelleget mē quaedam aut commūtāsse aut praeterīsse, fortasse etiam ex suō iūdiciō, quamvīs ipse nihil dīxerit mihi.And indeed if any of those who were present should happen to take the trouble to read those same pieces, he will see that I have either changed or left out certain things, perhaps even on his own judgement, although he said nothing to me himself. Ep. 5.3.11Atque haec ita disputō quasi populum in audītōrium, nōn in cubiculum amīcōs advocārim, quōs plūrēs habēre multīs glōriōsum, reprehēnsiōnī nēminī fuit.But I am arguing all this as though I had invited the public into a lecture hall, and not friends into my own room; to have many friends has brought glory to many, and reproach to none.
Ep. 5.3.11Valē.Farewell.