Page:Correspondence of Marcus Cornelius Fronto volume 1 Haines 1919.djvu/191

M. CORNELIUS FRONTO

143 A.D.

Fronto to the Emperor Antoninus Pius Augustus.^{[† 1]}

As you remember, Caesar, when I returned thanks^[1] to you in the Senate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Farewell.^{[† 2]}

143 A.D.

Antoninus Caesar to Marcus Fronto.

How great is your goodwill towards myself I have long known well enough, by Hercules, but what astonishes me . . . .^{[† 3]} best of orators, is that in such a hackneyed and thread-bare subject you can find anything to say that is new and worthy of your abilities. But no doubt the mere wish is an immense help towards what you can do so well. Nothing could be more effective than your thoughts, nothing more complimentary, yet without any sacrifice of good sense, than your expression of them. For I will not be guilty of defrauding you of your legitimate praise for fear of arrogantly praising the praise of myself. You have done your duty pleasingly and in unexceptionable fashion, for which, apart from all question of the subject, you deserve every credit. But as for shewing me your mind, it has not done much in that way, for I knew well enough that you always would put the most favourable construction on every word and act of mine. Farewell, my Fronto, my very dear friend.

1. Whether this and the following letter refer to the thanks for Fronto's consulship is not clear. If so, we should have expected Pius to give Fronto his title of consul.

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1. The title may have been added by Mai.
2. The letter covered about twenty-five lines, or one column of the Codex.
3. The mutilated passage covers about eight lines: so I understand Mai, but possibly he means that eight lines are lost between Quanta and me.