Chapter III: Part I (2)

_T_ with a very small, sinuous horizontal top stroke (except at
the beginning of a line when it often has an exaggerated
extension to the left).

7. Extreme fineness of parchment, at least in parts of the
manuscript.

8. Perforation of parchment along furrows made by the pen.

9. Quires signed by means of roman numerals often preceded by the
letter _Q·_ (= Quaternio) in the lower right corner of the last
page of each gathering.

10. Running titles, in abbreviated form, usually in smaller
uncials than the text.

11. Colophons, in which red and black ink alternate, usually in
large-sized uncials.

12. Use of a capital, _i.e._, a larger-sized letter at the
beginning of each page or of each column in the page, even if the
beginning falls in the middle of a word.

13. Lack of all but the simplest ornamentation, _e.g._, scroll or
ivy-leaf.

14. The restricted use of abbreviations. Besides B· and Q· and
such suspensions as occur in classical inscriptions only the
contracted forms of the _Nomina Sacra_ are found.

15. Omission of _M_ and _N_ allowed only at the end of a line,
the omission being marked by means of a simple horizontal line
(somewhat hooked at each end) placed above the line after the
final vowel and not directly over it as in later uncial
manuscripts.

16. Absence of nearly all punctuation.

17. The use of {Symbol: infra?} in the text where an omission has
occurred, and {Symbol: supra?} _after_ the supplied omission in
the lower margin, or the same symbols reversed if the supplement
is entered in the upper margin.

If we now turn to the Morgan Pliny we observe that it lacks a number of the characteristics enumerated above as belonging to the oldest type of uncial manuscripts. The parchment is not of the very thin sort. There has been no corrosion along the furrows made by the pen. The running title and colophons are in rustic capitals, not in uncials. The manner of forming such letters as {B E M R S T} differs from that employed in the oldest group.

_B_ with the lower bow not so markedly larger than the upper.

_E_ with the horizontal stroke placed nearer the middle.

_M_ with the left bow tending to become a distinct curve.

_R S T_ have gained in breadth and proportionately lost in height.

[Sidenote: _Date of the Morgan manuscript_]

Inasmuch as these palaeographical differences mark a tendency which reaches fuller development in later uncial manuscripts, it is clear that their presence in our manuscript is a sign of its more recent character as compared with manuscripts of the oldest type. Just as our manuscript is clearly older than the Codex Fuldensis of about the year 546, so it is clearly more recent than the Berlin _Computus Paschalis_ of about the year 447. Its proper place is at the end of the oldest series of uncial manuscripts, which begins with the Cicero palimpsest. Its closest neighbors are, I believe, the Pliny palimpsest of St. Paul in Carinthia and the _Codex Theodosianus_ of Turin. If we conclude by saying that the Morgan manuscript was written about the year 500 we shall probably not be far from the truth.

[Sidenote: _Later history of the Morgan manuscript_]

The vicissitudes of a manuscript often throw light upon the history of the text contained in the manuscript. And the palaeographer knows that any scratch or scribbling, any _probatio pennae_ or casual entry, may become important in tracing the wanderings of a manuscript.

In the six leaves that have been saved of our Morgan manuscript we have two entries. One is of a neutral character and does not take us further, but the other is very clear and tells an unequivocal story.

The unimportant entry occurs in the lower margin of folio 53r. The words “_uir erat in terra_,” which are apparently the beginning of the book of Job, are written in Carolingian characters of the ninth century. As these characters were used during the ninth century in northern Italy as well as in France, it is impossible to say where this entry was made. If in France, then the manuscript of Pliny must have left its Italian home before the ninth century.[31]

[Footnote 31: This supposition will be strengthened by Professor
Rand; see p. 53.]

That it had crossed the Alps by the beginning of the fifteenth century we know from the second entry. Nay, we learn more precise details. We learn that our manuscript had found a home in France, in the town of Meaux or its vicinity. The entry is found in the upper margin of fol. 51r and doubtless represents a _probatio pennae_ on the part of a notary. It runs thus:

“A tous ceulz qui ces p_rese_ntes l_ett_res verront et orront
Jeh_an_ de Sannemeres garde du scel de la provoste de
Meaulx & Francois Beloy clerc Jure de p_ar_ le Roy
nostre sire a ce faire Salut sachient tuit que p_ar_.”

The above note is made in the regular French notarial hand of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.[32] The formula of greeting with which the document opens is in the precise form in which it occurs in numberless charters of the period. All efforts to identify Jehan de Sannemeres, keeper of the seal of the _provosté_ of Meaux, and François Beloy, sworn clerk in behalf of the King, have so far proved fruitless.[33]

[Footnote 32: Compare, for example, the facsimile of a French deed
of sale at Roye, November 24, 1433, reproduced in _Recueil de
Fac-similés à l’usage de l’école des chartes_. Premier fascicule
(Paris 1880), No. 1.]

[Footnote 33: No mention of either of these is to be found in
Dom Toussaints du Plessis’ _Histoire de l’église de Meaux_. For
documents with similar opening formulas, see ibid. vol. ii (Paris
1731), pp. 191, 258, 269, 273.]

[Sidenote: _Conclusion_]

Our manuscript, then, was written in Italy about the year 500. It is quite possible that it had crossed the Alps by the ninth century or even before. It is certain that by the fifteenth century it had found asylum in France. When and under what circumstances it got back to Italy will be shown by Professor Rand in the pages that follow.

So it is France that has saved this, the oldest extant witness of Pliny’s _Letters_, for modern times. To mediaeval France we are, in fact, indebted for the preservation of more than one ancient classical manuscript. The oldest manuscript of the third decade of Livy was at Corbie in Charlemagne’s time, when it was loaned to Tours and a copy of it made there. Both copy and original have come down to us. Sallust’s _Histories_ were saved (though not in complete form) for our generation by the Abbey of Fleury. The famous Schedae Vergilianae, in square capitals, as well as the Codex Romanus of Virgil, in rustic capitals, belonged to the monastery of St. Denis. Lyons preserved the _Codex Theodosianus_. It was again some French centre that rescued Pomponius Mela from destruction. The oldest fragments of Ovid’s _Pontica_, the oldest fragments of the first decade of Livy, the oldest manuscript of Pliny’s _Natural History_--all palimpsests--were in some French centre in the Middle Ages, as may be seen from the indisputably eighth-century French writing which covers the ancient texts. The student of Latin literature knows that the manuscript tradition of Lucretius, Suetonius, Cæsar, Catullus, Tibullus, and Propertius--to mention only the greatest names--shows that we are indebted primarily to Gallia Christiana for the preservation of these authors.

{Transcriber's Note: Superscript letters are shown as in mathematical notation: ^{L} The twelve-page transcription retains the page and line breaks of the original text, representing the manuscript itself. In a few places the authors used V in place of U. This appears to be an error, but has not been changed.}

[TRANSCRIPTION] [A]

{fol. 48r}

LIBER·II·

CESSIT UT IPSE MIHI DIXERIT CUM CO_N_ SULERET QUAM CITO SESTERTIUM SESCE_N_ TIES INPLETURUS ESSET INUENISSE SE EX TA DUPLICATA QUIB_US_ PORTENDI MI^{L}LIES[1] ET DUCENTIES HABITURUM ET HABEBIT SI MODO UT COEPIT ALIENA TESTAMENTA QUOD EST IMPROBISSIMUM GENUS FAL SI IPSIS QUORUM SUNT ILLA DICTAUERIT UALE

[2]·C·PLINI·SECUNDI

EPISTULARUM·EXP_LICIT_·LIBER·II.

·INC_IPIT_·LIB_ER_·III·FELICITER[2]

[Footnote A: The original manuscript is in _scriptura continua_. For
the reader’s convenience, words have been separated and punctuation
added in the transcription.]

[Footnote 1: _L_ added by a hand which seems contemporary, if not
the scribe’s own. If the scribe’s, he used a finer pen for
corrections.]

[Footnote 2-2: The colophon is written in rustic capitals, the
middle line being in red.]

{fol. 48v}

AD CALUISIUM RUFUM[1]
NESCIO AN ULLUM 5
AD UIBIUM·MAXIMUM
QUOD·IPSE AMICIS TUIS
AD CAERELLIAE HISPULLAE[2]
CUM PATREM TUUM
AD CAE^{CI}LIUM[3] MACRINUM 10
QUAMUIS ET AMICI
AD BAEBIUM MACRUM
PERGRATUM EST MIHI
[4]AD ANNIUM[4] SEUERUM
[4]EX HEREDITATE[4] QUAE 15
AD CANINIUM RUFUM
MODO NUNTIATUS EST
AD SUETON[5] TRANQUE
FACIS AD PRO CETERA
AD CORNELIUM[6] MINICIANUM 20
POSSUM IAM PERSCRIB
AD UESTRIC SPURINN·
COMPOSUISSE ME QUAED

[Footnote 1: On this and the following page lines in red alternate
with lines in black. The first line is in red.]

[Footnote 2: The _h_ seems written over an erasure.]

[Footnote 3: _ci_ above the line by first hand.]

[Footnote 4-4: Over an erasure apparently.]

[Footnote 5: _t_ over an erasure.]

[Footnote 6: _c_ over an erasure.]

{fol. 49r}

AD IULIUM GENITOR· EST OMNINO ARTEMIDORI 5 AD CATILINUM SEUER· UENIAM AD CENAM AD UOCONIUM ROMANUM LIBRUM QUO NUPER AD PATILIUM 10 REM ATROCEM AD SILIUM PROCUL· PETIS UT LIBELLOS TUOS ad nepotem adnotasse uideor fata dictaque·[1] AD IULIUM SERUIAN·[2] RECTE OMNIA 15 AD UIRIUM SEUERUM OFFICIU CONSULATUS AD CALUISIUM RUFUM· ADSUMO TE IN CONSILIUM AD MAESIUM MAXIMUM 20 MEMINISTINE TE AD CORNELIUM PRISCUM AUDIO UALERIUM MARTIAL·

[Footnote 1: Added interlineally, in black, by first hand using a
finer pen.]

[Footnote 2: This is followed by an erasure of the letters _um_ in
red.]

{fol. 49v}

·EPISTULARUM·

·C·PLINIUS·CALUISIO SUO SALUTEM NESCIO AN ULLUM IUCUNDIUS TEMPUS EXEGERIM QUAM QUO NUPER APUD SPU RINNAM FUI ADEO QUIDEM UT NEMINEM MAGIS IN SENECTUTE SI MODO SENESCE 5 RE DATUM EST AEMULARI UELIM NIHIL EST ENIM ILLO UITAE GENERE DISTIN CTIUS ME AUTEM UT CERTUS SIDERUM CURSUS ITA UITA HOMINUM DISPOSITA DELECTAT SENUM PRAESERTIM NAM 10 IUUENES ADHUC CONFUSA QUAEDAM ET QUASI TURBATA NON INDECENT SE NIB_US_ PLACIDA OMNIA ET OR^{DI}NATA[1] CON UENIUNT QUIB_US_ INDUSTRIA SER^{U}A[1] TURPIS AMBITIO EST HANC REGULAM SPURIN 15 NA CONSTANTISSIME SERUAT·QUIN ETIA_M_ PARUA HAEC PARUA·SI NON COTIDIE FIANT ORDINE QUODAM ET UELUT ORBE CIRCU_M_ AGIT MANE LECTULO[2] CONTINETUR HORA SECUNDA CALCEOS POSCIT AMBULAT MI 20 LIA PASSUUM TRIA NEC MINUS ANIMUM QUAM CORPUS EXERCET SI ADSUNT AMICI HONESTISSIMI SERMONES EXPLICANTUR SI NON LIBER LEGITUR INTERDUM ETIAM PRAE SENTIB_US_ AMICIS SI TAMEN ILLI NON GRAUA_N_ 25 TUR DEINDE CONSIDIT[3] ET LIBER RURSUS AUT SERMO LIBRO POTIOR·MOX UEHICULU_M_

[Footnote 1: Letters above the line were added by first or
contemporary hand.]

[Footnote 2: _u_ corrected to _e_.]

[Footnote 3: Second _i_ corrected to _e_ (not the regular uncial
form) apparently by the first or contemporary hand.]

{fol. 50r}

·LIBER·III·

ASCENDIT ADSUMIT UXOREM SINGU LARIS EXEMPLI UEL ALIQUEM AMICORUM UT ME PROXIME QUAM PULCHRUM ILLUD QUAM DULCE SECRETUM QUANTUM IBI A_N_ TIQUITATIS QUAE FACTA QUOS UIROS AU 5 DIAS QUIB_US_ PRAECEPTIS IMBUARE QUAMUIS ILLE HOC TEMPERAMENTUM MODESTIAE SUAE INDIXERIT NE PRAECIPE REUIDEATUR PERACTIS SEPTEM MILIB_US_ PASSUUM ITE RUM AMBULAT MILLE ITERUM RESIDIT 10 UEL SE CUBICULO AC STILO REDDIT SCRI BIT ENIM ET QUIDEM UTRAQ_UE_ LINGUA LY RICA DOCTISSIMA MIRA ILLIS DULCEDO MIRA SUAUITAS MIRA HILARITA[.T][.I]S[1] CUIUS GRATIAM CUMULAT SANCTITA[.T][.I]S[2] SCRI 15 BENTIS UBI HORA BALNEI NUNTIATA EST EST AUTEM HIEME NONA·AESTATE OCTA UA IN SOLE SI CARET UENTO AMBULAT NUDUS DEINDE MOUETUR PILA UEHE MENTER ET DIU NAM HOC QUOQ_UE_ EXER 20 CITATIONIS GENERE PUGNAT CUM SE NECTUTE LOTUS ACCUBAT ET PAULIS PER CIBUM DIFFERT INTERIM AUDIT LE GENTEM REMISSIUS ALIQUID ET DULCIUS PER HOC OMNE TEMPUS LIBERUM EST 25 AMICIS UEL EADEM FACERE UEL ALIA SI MALINT ADPON^{I}TUR[3] CENA NON MINUS

[Footnote 1: The scribe first wrote _hilaritatis_. To correct the
error he or a contemporary hand placed dots above the _t_ and _i_
and drew a horizontal line through them to indicate that they should
be omitted. This is the usual method in very old manuscripts.]

[Footnote 2: _sanctitatis_ is corrected to _sanctitas_ in the manner
described in the preceding note.]

[Footnote 3: _i_ added above the line, apparently by first hand.]

{fol. 50v}

·EPISTULARUM·

NITIDA QUAM FRUGI IN ARGENTO PURO ET ANTIQUO SUNT IN USU ET C^{H}ORINTHIA[1] QUIB_US_ DE LECTATUR ET ADFICITUR FREQUENTER CO MOEDIS CENA DISTINGUITUR UT UOLUPTA TES QUOQ_UE_ STUDIIS CONDIANTUR SUMIT ALI 5 QUID DE NOCTE ET AESTATE NEMI^{NI}[1] HOC LO_N_ GUM EST TANTA COMITATE CONUIUIUM TRAHITUR INDE ILLI POST SEPTIMUM ET SEPTUAGENSIMUM ANNUM AURIUM OCULORUM UIGOR INTEGER INDE AGILE 10 ET UIUIDUM CORPUS SOLAQ_UE_ EX SENEC TUTE PRUDENTIA HANC EGO UITAM UO TO ET COGITATIONE PRAESUMO INGRES SURUS AUIDISSIME UT PRIMUM RATIO AE TATIS RECEPTUI CANERE PERMISERIT[2] IN 15 TERIM MILLE LABORIB_US_ CONTEROR QUI HO RUM MIHI ET SOLACIUM ET EXEMPLUM EST IDEM SPURINNA NAM ILLE QUOQ_UE_ QUOAD HONESTUM FUIT OB^{I}IT[1] OFFICIA GESSIT MAGISTRATUS PROVINCIAS RE 20 XIT MULTOQ^{_UE_} LABORE HOC OTIUM ME RUIT IGITUR EUNDEM MIHI CURSUM EU_N_ DEM TERMINUM STATUO IDQ_UE_ IAM NUNC APUD TE SUBSIGNO UT SI ME LONGIUS SE EUEHI[3] UIDERIS IN IUS UOCES AD HANC EPIS 25 TULAM MEAM ET QUIESCERE IUBEAS CUM INERTIAE CRIMEN EFFUGERO UAL_E_·[4]

[Footnote 1: The letters above the line are additions by the first,
or by another contemporary, hand.]

[Footnote 2: _permiserit_: _t_ stands over an erasure, and original
_it_ seems to be corrected to _et_, with _e_ having the rustic
form.]

[Footnote 3: The scribe first wrote _longius se uehi_. The _e_ which
precedes _uehi_ was added by him when he later corrected the page
and deleted _se_.]

[Footnote 4: _uale_: The abbreviation is marked by a stroke above as
well as by a dot after the word.]

{fol. 51r}

·LIBER·III·

_A tout ceulz qui ces presentes lettres verront et orront
Jehan de sannemeres garde du scel de la provoste de
Meaulx & francois Beloy clerc Jure de par le Roy
nostre sire a ce faire Salut sachient tuit que par._[1]

·C̅·PLINIUS·MAXIMO SUO SALUT_EM_ QUOD IPSE AMICIS TUIS OPTULISSEM·SI MI HI EADEM MATERIA SUPPETERET ID NUNC IURE UIDEOR A TE MEIS PETITURUS ARRIA NUS MATURUS ALTINATIUM EST PRINCEPS 5 CUM DICO PRINCEPS NON DE FACULTATI BUS LOQUOR QUAE ILLI LARGE SUPER SUNT SED DE CASTITATE IUSTITIA GRA UITATE PRUDENTIA HUIOS EGO CONSI LIO IN NEGOTIIS IUDICIO IN STUDIIS UT 10 OR NAM PLURIMUM FIDE PLURIMUM VERITATE PLURIMUM INTELLEGENTIA PRAESTAT AMAT ME NIHIL POSSUM AR DENTIUS DICERE UT TU KARET AMBITUI[2] IDEO SE IN EQUESTRI GRADU TENUIT CUM 15 FACILE POSSIT[3] ASCENDERE ALTISSIMU_M_ MIHI TAMEN ORNANDUS EXCOLENDUS QUE EST ITAQ_UE_ MAGNI AESTIMO DIGNITATI EIUS ALIQUID ADSTRUERE INOPINANTIS NESCIENTIS IMMO ETIAM FORTASSE 20 NOLENTIS ADSTRUERE AUTEM QUOD SIT SPLENDIDUM NEC MOLESTUM CUIUS GENERIS QUAE PRIMA OCCASIO TIBI CO_N_ FERAS IN EUM ROGO HABEBIS ME HABE BIS IPSUM GRATISSIMUM DEBITOREM 25 QUAMUIS ENIM ISTA NON ADPETAT TAM GRATE TAMEN EXCIPIT QUAM SI CONCU

[Footnote 1: A fifteenth-century addition, see above, p. 21.]

[Footnote 2: The scribe originally divided _i-deo_ between two
lines. On correcting the page he (or a contemporary corrector)
cancelled the _i_ at the end of the line and added it before the
next.]

[Footnote 3: _i_ changed to _e_ (not the uncial form) possibly by
the original hand in correcting.]

{fol. 51v}

·EPISTULARUM·

PISCAT·UALE ·C̅·PLINIUS·CORELLIAE·SALUTEM· CUM PATREM TUUM GRAUISSIMUM ET SAN CTISSIMUM UIRUM SUSPEXERIM MAGIS AN AMAUERIM DUBITEM TEQ_UE_ IN MEMO 5 RIAM EIUS ET IN HONOREM TUUM I^{U}NU^{I}ICE[1] DILIGAM CUPIAM NECESSE EST ATQ_UE_ ETIA_M_ QUANTUM IN ME FUERIT ENITAR UT FILIUS TUUS AUO SIMILIS EXSISTAT EQUIDEM MALO MATERNO QUAMQ^{U}AM[2] ILLI PATER 10 NUS ETIAM CLARUS SPECTATUS^{Q_UE_}[3] CONTIGE RIT PATER QUOQ_UE_ ET PATRUUS INLUSTRI LAU DE CONSPICUI QUIB_US_ OMNIB_US_ ITA DEMUM SIMILIS ADOLESCET SIBI INBUTUS HONES TIS ARTIBUS FUERIT QUAS PLURIMUM REFER[4] 15 ṘȦT[5] A QUO POTISSIMUM ACCIPIAT ADHUC ILLUM PUERITIAE RATIO INTRA CONTUBER NIUM TUUM TENUIT PRAECEPTORES DOMI HABUIT UBI EST ERRORIB_US_ MODICA ^{U}E^{L}ST[6] ETIA_M_ NULLA MATERIA IAM STUDIA EIUS EXTRA 20 LIMEN CONFERANDA SUNT IAM CIRCUMSPI CIENDUS RHETOR LATINUS CUIUS SCHO LAE SEUERITAS PUDOR INPRIMIS CASTITAS CONSTET ADEST ENIM ADULESCENTI NOS TRO CUM CETERIS NATURAE FORTUNAEQ_UE_ 25 DOTIB_US_ EXIMIA CORPORIS PULC^{H}RITUDO[7] CUI IN HOC LUBRICO AETATIS NON PRAECEP

[Footnote 1: _inuice_: corrected to _unice_ by cancelling _i_ and
_ui_ (the cancellation stroke is barely visible) and writing _u_ and
_i_ above the line. The correction is by a somewhat later hand.]

[Footnote 2: _u_ above the line is by the first hand.]

[Footnote 3: _q·_ above the line is added by a somewhat later hand.]

[Footnote 4: Final _r_ is added by a somewhat later hand.]

[Footnote 5: The dots above _ra_ indicate deletion. The cancellation
stroke is oblique.]

[Footnote 6: A somewhat later corrector, possibly contemporary,
changed _est_ to _uel_ by adding _u_ before _e_ and _l_ above _s_
and cancelling both _s_ and _t_.]

[Footnote 7: _h_ added above the line by a hand which may be
contemporary.]

{fol. 52r}

·LIBER·III·

TOR MODO SED CUSTOS ETIAM RECTORQ_UE_ QUAERENDUS EST UIDEOR ERGO DEMON STRARE TIBI POSSE IULIUM GEN^{I}TIOREM[1] AM^{N}ATUR[2] A ME I^{U}DICIO[3] TAMEN MEO NON OBSTAT KARITAS HOMINIS QUAE ^{EX}[4]IUDI 5 CIO NATA EST UIR EST EMENDATUS ET GRA UIS PAULO ETIAM HORRIDIOR ET DURIOR UT IN HAC LICENTIA TEMPORUM QUAN TUM ELOQUENTIA UALEAT PLURIB_US_ CRE DERE POTES NAM DICENDI FACULTAS 10 APERTA ET EXPOSITA·STATIM CERNITUR UITA HOMINUM ALTOS RECESSUS MAG NASQ_UE_ LATEBRAS HABET CUIUS PRO GE NITORE ME SPONSOREM ACCIPE NIHIL EX HOC UIRO FILIUS TUUS AUDIET NISI 15 PROFUTURUM NIHIL DISCET QUOD NESCIS[5] SE RECTIUS FUERIT NE^{C}[6] MINUS SAEPE AB ILLO QUAM A TE MEQUE ADMONEBITUR QUIB_US_ IMAGINIB_US_ ONERETUR QUAE NOMI NA ET QUANTA SUSTINEAT PROINDE FAUE_N_ 20 TIBUS DIIS TRADE eUM[7] PRAECEPTORI A QUO MORES PRIMUM MOX ELOQUENTIA_M_ DISCAT QUAE MALE SINE MORIBUS DIS CITUR UALE

·C· PLINIUS MACRINO SALUTEM 25

QUAMUIS ET AMICI QUOS PRAESENTES HABEBAM ET SERMONES HOMINUM

[Footnote 1: The scribe wrote _gentiorem_: a somewhat later
corrector changed it to _genitorem_ by adding an _i_ above the line
between _n_ and _t_ and cancelled the _i_ after _t_.]

[Footnote 2: Above the _m_ a somewhat later hand wrote _n_. It was
cancelled by a crude modern hand using lead.]

[Footnote 3: _u_ added above the line by the later hand.]

[Footnote 4: _ex_ added above the line by the later corrector.]

[Footnote 5: _cis_ is added in the margin by the later hand. The
original scribe wrote _nes_ | _se_.]

[Footnote 6: _c_ is added above the line by the later hand.]

[Footnote 7: _e_ added above the line.]

{fol. 52v}

·EPISTULARUM·

FACTUM MEUM COMPROUASSE UIDEAN TUR MAGNI TAMEN AESTIMO SCIRE QUID SENTIAS TU NAM CUIUS INTEGRA RE CON SILIUM EXQUIRERE O^{P}TASSEM[1] HUIUS ETIA_M_ PERACTA IUDICIȦUM[2] NOSSE MIRE CONCU 5 PISCO CUM PUBLICUM OPUS MEA PECU NIA INCHOATURUS IN TUSCOS EXCUCURIS{SE_M_ AC} {CEPTO UT PR} COMMEATU[3] LEGATI PROVINCIAE {above COMMEATU: AEFECTUS AERARI} BAETICAE QUESTURI DE PROCONSULATUṠ[4] CAECILII CLASSICI ADVOCATUM ME A SE 10 NATU PETIERUNT COLLEGAE OPTIMI MEIQ_UE_ AMANTISSIMI DE COMMUNIS OFFICII NE CESSITATIB_US_ PRAELOCUTI EXCUSARE ME ET EXIMERE TEMPTARUNT FACTUM ṪU̇Ṁ[5] EST SENATUS CONSULTUM PERQUAM 15 HONORIFICUM UT DARE^{R}[6] PROVINCIALIB_US_ PATRONUS SI AB IPSO ME IMPETRASSENT LEGATI RURSUS INDUCTI ITERUM ME IA_M_ PRAESENTEM ADUOCATUM POST^{U}LAUE[7] RUNT INPLORANTES FIDEM MEAM 20 QUAM ESSENT CONTRA MASSAM BAE BIUM EXPERTI ADLEGANTES PATRO^{C}INII[8] FOEDUS SECUTA EST SENATUS CLARIS SIMA ADSENSIO QUAE SOLET DECRETA PRAECURRERE TUM EGO DESINO IN 25 QUAM P. C. PUTARE ME IUSTAS EXCUSA TIONIS CAUSAS ADTULISSE PLACUIT ET

[Footnote 1: _p_ added above the line by the scribe.]

[Footnote 2: The superfluous _a_ is cancelled by means of a dot
above the letter.]

[Footnote 3: The scribe originally wrote _excucuris | sem commeatu_,
omitting _accepto ut praefectus aerari_. Noticing his error, he
erased _sem_ and wrote it at the end of the preceding line, and
added the omitted words over the erasure and the word _commeatu_.]

[Footnote 4: The dot over _s_ indicates deletion.]

[Footnote 5: _tum_: error due to diplography. The correction is made
by means of dots and crossing out.]

[Footnote 6: _r_ added by the scribe.]

[Footnote 7: _u_ added apparently by a contemporary hand.]

[Footnote 8: _c_ added above the line, apparently by a contemporary
hand.]

{fol. 53r}

·LIBER·III·

MODESTIA SERMONIS ET RATIO CO_M_ PULIT AUTEM ME AD HOC CONSILIUM NO_N_ SOLUM CONSENSUS SENATUS QUAMQUA_M_ HIC MAXIME UERUM ET ALII QUIDEM MINORIS SED TAMEN NUMERI UENI 5 EBAT IN MENTEM PRIORES NOSTROS ETIAM SINGULORUM HOSPİTIUM[1] INIU RIAS ACCUSATIONIB_US_ UOLUNTARIIS EX SECUTOS QUO DEFORMIUS ARBITRABAR PUBLICI ^{H}OSPITII ^{I}URA[2] NEGLEGERE PRAE 10 TEREA CUM RECORDARER QUANTA PRO IISDEM BAETICIS PRIORE ADUOCA TIONE ETIAM PERICULA SUBISSEM CO_N_ SERVANDUM UETERIS OFFICII MERITU_M_ NOVO VIDEBATUR EST ENIM ITA COM 15 PARATUM UT ANTIQUIORA BENEFICIA SUB UERTAS NISI ILLA POSTERIORIB_US_ CUMU LES NAM QUAMLIBET SAEPE OBLIGA(N)[3] TI SIQUID[4] UNUM NEGES HOC SOLUM MEMINERUNT QUOD NEGATUM EST 20 DUCEBAR ETIAM QUOD DECESSERAT CLASSICUS AMOTUMQ_UE_ ERAT QUOD I[5]N EIUSMODI CAUSIS SOLET ESSE TRIS ṪİTISSIMUM[6] PERICULUM SENATORIS UIDEBAM ERGO ADUOCATIONI MEAE 25 NON MINOREM GRATIAM QUAM SI UIUERET ILLE PROPOSITAM INUIDIAM

_Uir erat in terra_[7]

[Footnote 1: Deletion of _i_ before _u_ is marked by a dot above the
letter and a slanting stroke through it.]

[Footnote 2: _h_ and _i_ above the line are apparently by the first
hand.]

[Footnote 3: _n_ (in brackets) is a later addition.]

[Footnote 4: The letters _uid_ are plainly retraced by a later hand.
The same hand retouched _neges h_ in the same line.]

[Footnote 5: _i_ before _n_ added by a later corrector who erased
the _i_ which the scribe wrote after _quod_, in the line above.]

[Footnote 6: Superfluous _ti_ cancelled by means of dots and oblique
stroke.]

[Footnote 7: Added by a Caroline hand of the ninth century.]

{fol. 53v}

·EPISTULARUM·

NULLAM IN SUMMA COMPUTABAM SI MUNERE HOC TERTIO FUNGERE^{R}[1] FACILI OREM MIHI EXCUSATIONEM FORE SI QUIS INCIDISSET QUEM NON DEBEREM ACCUSARE NAM CUM EST OMNIUM OFFI 5 CIORUM FINIS ALIQUIS TUM OPTIME LIBERTATI UENIA OBSEQUIO PRAEPARA TUR AUDISTI CONSILII MEI MOTUS SUPER EST ALTERUTRA EX PARTE IUDICIUM TUUM IN QUO MIHI AEQ_UE_ IUCU^{I}NDA[2] ERIT SIM 10 PLICITAS DISSI^{N}TIENTIS[3] QUAM COMPRO BANTIS AUCTORITAS UALE

·C̅·PLINIUS MACRO·SUO·SALUTEM

PERGRATUM EST MIHI QUOD TAM DILIGE_N_ TER LIBROS AUONCULI MEI LECTITAS UT 15 HABERE OMNES UELIS QUAERASQ_UE_ QUI SINT OMNES ḊĖFUNGAR[4] INDICIS PARTIBUS ATQUE ETIAM QUO SINT ORDINE SCRIPTI NOTUM TIBI FACIAM EST ENIM HAEC QUOQ_UE_ STUDIOSIS NON INIUCUNDA COG 20 NITIO DE IACULATIONE EQUESTRI UNUS· HUNC CUM PRAEFECTUS ALAE MILITA RET· PARI[5] INGENIO CURAQ_UE_ COMPOSUIT· DE UITA POMPONI SECUNDI DUO A QUO SINGULARITER AMATUS HOC MEMORIAE 25 AMICI QUASI DEBITUM MUNUS EXSOL UIT·BELLORUM GERMANIAE UIGINTI QUIB_US_

[Footnote 1: _r_ added above the line by the scribe or by a
contemporary hand.]

[Footnote 2: _i_ added above the second _u_ by the scribe or by a
contemporary hand.]

[Footnote 3: The scribe wrote _dissitientis_. A contemporary hand
changed the second _i_ to _e_ and wrote an _n_ above the _t_.]

[Footnote 4: _de_ is cancelled by means of dots above the _d_ and
_e_ and oblique strokes drawn through them.]

[Footnote 5: The strokes over the _i_ at the end of this word and at
the beginning of the next were added by a corrector who can not be
much older than the thirteenth century.]