Ep. 27.1"Tū mē," inquis, "monēs?'Are you,' you say, 'advising me? Ep. 27.1Iam enim tē ipse monuistī, iam corrēxistī?Have you already advised yourself, then, already corrected yourself? Ep. 27.1Ideō aliōrum ēmendātiōnī vacās?"Is that why you have leisure for the reform of others?' Ep. 27.1Nōn sum tam inprobus, ut cūrātiōnēs aeger obeam, sed tamquam in eōdem valitūdināriō iaceam, dē commūnī tēcum malō conloquor et remedia commūnicō.I am not so shameless as to undertake cures while I am sick myself; but, as though I were lying in the same infirmary, I talk with you about our common malady and share remedies with you. Ep. 27.1Sīc itaque mē audī, tamquam mēcum loquar.So listen to me as if I were talking to myself. Ep. 27.1In sēcrētum tē meum admittō et tē adhibitō mēcum exigō.I am admitting you into my private chamber and, with you present, I am examining myself. Ep. 27.2Clāmō mihi ipse: "Numerā annōs tuōs, et pudēbit eadem velle, quae voluerās puer, eadem parāre.I cry out to myself: 'Count your years, and you will be ashamed to want the same things you wanted as a boy, to be procuring the same things.
Ep. 27.2Hoc dēnique tibi circā mortis diem praestā: moriantur ante tē vitia.At least do yourself this service as your dying day draws near: let your vices die before you. Ep. 27.2Dīmitte istās voluptātēs turbidās, magnō luendās;Let go of those turbulent pleasures, which must be paid for dearly; Ep. 27.2nōn ventūrae tantum, sed praeteritae nocent.it is not only those to come that do harm, but also those that are past. Ep. 27.2Quemadmodum scelera etiam sī nōn sint dēprehēnsa cum fierent, sollicitūdō nōn cum ipsīs abit;Just as with crimes, even if they were not detected when they were committed, the anxiety does not depart along with them; Ep. 27.2ita inprobārum voluptātum etiam post ipsās paenitentia est.so with shameful pleasures, there is regret even after they are gone. Ep. 27.2Nōn sunt solidae, nōn sunt fidēlēs;They are not solid, they are not faithful; Ep. 27.2etiam sī nōn nocent, fugiunt."even if they do no harm, they fly away.' Ep. 27.3"Aliquod potius bonum mānsūrum circumspice.'Look around rather for some good that will last. Ep. 27.3Nūllum autem est, nisi quod animus ex sē sibi invenit.But there is none, except what the mind finds for itself out of itself.
Ep. 27.3Sōla virtūs praestat gaudium perpetuum, sēcūrum;Virtue alone affords a joy that is everlasting and secure; Ep. 27.3etiam sī quid obstat, nūbium modō intervenit, quae īnfrā feruntur nec umquam diem vincunt."even if something gets in the way, it comes between like clouds, which drift along below and never overpower the daylight.' Ep. 27.4Quandō ad hoc gaudium pervenīre continget?When will it be granted to reach this joy? Ep. 27.4Nōn quidem cessātur adhūc, sed festīnētur.There has been no idleness so far, it is true, but let us make haste. Ep. 27.4Multum restat operis, in quod ipse necesse est vigiliam, ipse labōrem tuum inpendās, sī efficī cupis.Much work remains, on which you yourself must spend your own wakeful nights, your own toil, if you want it accomplished. Ep. 27.4Dēlēgātiōnem rēs ista nōn recipit.This business does not admit of delegation. Ep. 27.5Aliud litterārum genus adiūtōrium admittit.Another kind of literary study does allow assistance. Ep. 27.5Calvisius Sabīnus memoriā nostrā fuit dīves.Within our memory there was a rich man, Calvisius Sabinus. Ep. 27.5Et patrimōnium habēbat lībertīnī et ingenium;He had both the fortune of a freedman and the mind of one; Ep. 27.5numquam vīdī hominem beātum indecentius.I never saw a man whose prosperity was more unbecoming.
Ep. 27.5Huic memoria tam mala erat, ut illī nōmen modo Vlixis excīderet, modo Achillis, modo Priamī, quōs tam bene quam paedagōgōs nostrōs nōvimus.His memory was so bad that the name now of Ulysses would slip from him, now of Achilles, now of Priam, men whom we know as well as we knew our own tutors. Ep. 27.5Nēmō vetulus nōmenclātor, quī nōmina nōn reddit, sed inpōnit, tam perperam tribus quam ille Trōiānōs et Achīvōs persalūtābat.No aged name-caller, who does not give out names but invents them, ever greeted the tribes so wrongly as he greeted the Trojans and the Achaeans. Ep. 27.5Nihilōminus ērudītus volēbat vidērī.Nonetheless he wanted to seem learned. Ep. 27.6Hanc itaque conpendiāriam excōgitāvit: magnā summā ēmit servōs, ūnum, quī Homērum tenēret, alterum, quī Hēsiodum;So he thought up this short cut: he bought slaves for a great sum, one to know Homer by heart, another Hesiod; Ep. 27.6novem praetereā lyricīs singulōs adsignāvit.besides this, he assigned one to each of the nine lyric poets. Ep. 27.6Magnō ēmisse illum nōn est quod mīrēris;There is no reason for you to wonder that he paid a great deal for them; Ep. 27.6nōn invēnerat, faciendōs locāvit.he had not found them ready, so he contracted for them to be made.
Ep. 27.6Postquam haec familia illī conparāta est, coepit convīvās suōs inquiētāre.Once this household had been got together for him, he began to pester his dinner guests. Ep. 27.6Habēbat ad pedēs hōs, ā quibus subinde cum peteret versūs, quōs referret, saepe in mediō verbō excīdēbat.He kept these men at his feet, and though he kept asking them for verses to repeat, he would often break down in the middle of a word. Ep. 27.7Suāsit illī Satellius Quadrātus, stultōrum dīvitum adrōsor, et quod sequitur, adrīsor, et quod duōbus hīs adiūnctum est, dērīsor, ut grammaticōs habēret analectās.Satellius Quadratus, a nibbler at rich fools, and, what follows from that, a smiler at them, and, what goes with both of these, a mocker of them, advised him to keep scholars as gatherers of scraps. Ep. 27.7Cum dīxisset Sabīnus centēnīs mīlibus sibi cōnstāre singulōs servōs;When Sabinus had said that each slave had cost him a hundred thousand sesterces; Ep. 27.7"Minōris," inquit, "totidem scrīnia ēmissēs."'You could have bought as many bookcases for less,' said he. Ep. 27.7Ille tamen in eā opīniōne erat, ut putāret sē scīre, quod quisquam in domō suā scīret.Yet Sabinus held to the belief that he knew whatever anyone in his house knew.
Ep. 27.8Īdem Satellius illum hortārī coepit, ut luctārētur, hominem aegrum, pallidum, gracilem.This same Satellius began urging him to take up wrestling, a sickly, pale, skinny man. Ep. 27.8Cum Sabīnus respondisset: "Et quōmodo possum?When Sabinus replied: 'And how can I? Ep. 27.8Vix vīvō."I am barely alive.' Ep. 27.8"Nōlī, obsecrō tē," inquit, "istuc dīcere;'Please,' said he, 'do not say that; Ep. 27.8nōn vidēs, quam multōs servōs valentissimōs habeās?"don't you see how many very strong slaves you have?' Ep. 27.8Bona mēns nec commodātur nec emitur.A sound mind can be neither borrowed nor bought. Ep. 27.8Et putō, sī vēnālis esset, nōn habēret ēmptōrem.And I think that if it were for sale, it would find no buyer. Ep. 27.8At mala cōtīdiē emitur.But an unsound one is bought every day. Ep. 27.9Sed accipe iam quod dēbeō et valē.But now take what I owe you, and farewell. Ep. 27.9"Dīvitiae sunt ad lēgem nātūrae conpositā paupertās."'Riches are poverty adjusted to the law of nature.' Ep. 27.9Hoc saepe dīcit Epicūrus aliter atque aliter;Epicurus often says this, in one way and another; Ep. 27.9sed numquam nimis dīcitur, quod numquam satis discitur.but what is never learned enough is never said too often.
Ep. 27.9Quibusdam remedia mōnstranda, quibusdam inculcanda sunt.To some people remedies must be pointed out, into others they must be drummed. Ep. 27.9Valē.Farewell.