be in Rome about the Ides of October and then join my credit with yours,
and convince Gallus in person of the wisdom of my resolve, though even
now you may assure him of my good intentions. "He spake, and Kronios
nodded his dark brows." Homer again, but why should I not go on plying
you with Homeric lines? You will not let me ply you with verses of your
own, though I love them so well that I think your permission to quote
them would be the one bribe that would induce me to appear against the
Barbici. I have almost made a shocking omission, and forgotten to thank
you for the dates you sent me. They are very fine, and are likely to
prove strong rivals of my figs and mushrooms. Farewell.


1.VIII.--TO POMPEIUS SATURNINUS.

Your letter, asking me to send you one of my compositions, came at an
opportune moment, for I had just made up my mind to do so. So you were
spurring a willing horse, and you have not only spoiled your only chance
of making excuses for declining, but have enabled me to press work upon
you without feeling ashamed at asking the favour. For it would be
equally unbecoming for me to hesitate about accepting your offer as for
you who made it to look upon it as a bore. However, you must not expect
anything of an original kind from a lazy man like me. I shall only ask
you to find time to again look through the speech which I made to my
townsfolk at the dedication of the public library. I remember that you
have already criticised a few points therein, but merely in a general
way, and I now beg that you will not only criticise it as a whole, but
will ply your pencil on particular passages as well, in your severest
manner. For even after a thorough revision it will still be open to us
to publish or suppress it as we think fit. Very likely the revision
will help us out of our hesitation and enable us to decide one way or