Ep. 9.23.1Frequenter agentī mihi ēvenit, ut centumvirī cum diū sē intrā iūdicum auctōritātem gravitātemque tenuissent, omnēs repente quasi victī coāctīque cōnsurgerent laudārentque;It has often happened to me, when pleading, that the centumviral judges, after keeping themselves long within the dignity and gravity of judges, all suddenly rose to their feet, as if conquered and compelled, and applauded; Ep. 9.23.2frequenter ē senātū fāmam quālem maximē optāveram rettulī: numquam tamen maiōrem cēpī voluptātem, quam nūper ex sermōne Cornēlī Tacitī.often I have brought back from the senate such fame as I had most desired: yet never have I felt greater pleasure than lately from a conversation with Cornelius Tacitus. Ep. 9.23.2Narrābat sēdisse sēcum circēnsibus proximīs equitem Rōmānum.He told me that at the last races a Roman knight had sat beside him. Ep. 9.23.2Hunc post variōs ērudītōsque sermōnēs requīsīsse: "Italicus es an prōvinciālis?"After varied and learned conversation this man had asked him: 'Are you from Italy or from the provinces?' Ep. 9.23.2Sē respondisse: "Nōstī mē, et quidem ex studiīs."He had replied: 'You know me, and indeed from your reading.' Ep. 9.23.3Ad hoc illum: "Tacitus es an Plīnius?"To this the man said: 'Are you Tacitus or Pliny?' Ep. 9.23.3Exprimere nōn possum, quam sit iūcundum mihi quod nōmina nostra quasi litterārum propria, nōn hominum, litterīs redduntur, quod uterque nostrum hīs etiam ē studiīs notus, quibus aliter ignōtus est.I cannot express how pleasing it is to me that our names are attributed to literature as if they belonged to literature and not to men, and that each of us is known through these studies even to those to whom he is otherwise unknown.
Ep. 9.23.4Accidit aliud ante pauculōs diēs simile.Something similar happened a few days ago. Ep. 9.23.4Recumbēbat mēcum vir ēgregius, Fadius Rūfīnus, super eum mūniceps ipsīus, quī illō diē prīmum vēnerat in urbem;A distinguished man, Fadius Rufinus, was reclining beside me at dinner, and above him a fellow townsman of his, who had come to the city for the first time that day; Ep. 9.23.4cui Rūfīnus dēmōnstrāns mē: "Vidēs hunc?"pointing me out to him, Rufinus said: 'Do you see this man?' Ep. 9.23.4Multa deinde dē studiīs nostrīs;Then a great deal about my studies; Ep. 9.23.4et ille "Plīnius est" inquit.and the man said, 'It is Pliny.' Ep. 9.23.5Vērum fatēbor, capiō magnum labōris meī frūctum.I will confess the truth: I reap a great reward for my labour. Ep. 9.23.5An sī Dēmosthenēs iūre laetātus est, quod illum anus Attica ita nōscitāvit: celebritāte nōminis, meī gaudēre nōn dēbeō non debeo?If Demosthenes was rightly delighted that an old woman of Attica recognised him thus: 'This is Demosthenes', ought I not to rejoice in the celebrity of my name? Ep. 9.23.5Ego vērō et gaudeō et gaudēre mē dīcō.I do indeed rejoice, and I say that I rejoice.
Ep. 9.23.6Neque enim vereor nē iactantior videar, cum dē mē aliōrum iūdicium nōn meum prōferō, praesertim apud tē quī nec ūllīus invidēs laudibus et favēs nostrīs.For I am not afraid of seeming too boastful when I put forward others' judgement of me, not my own, especially to you, who envy no one's praises and favour mine. Ep. 9.23.6Valē.Farewell.