M. CORNELIUS FRONTO
five o'clock. Oh, that this coming night might be the shortest known! so fain am I to burn less midnight oil, that I may the sooner see you. Farewell, my sweetest of masters. My mother sends her greeting. I can scarcely breathe, so tired am I.
M. Caesar to his master sends greeting.
Verily in your kindness you have done me a great service. For that daily call at Lorium,[1] that waiting till late . . . .
M. Aurelius Caesar to Fronto his master sends greeting.
1. Nay, surely it is I who am shameless[2] in ever submitting any of my writings to be read by genius so great, by judgment so great. The passage from your speech, which the Lord my father wished me to choose out, I even declaimed with appropriate action. Needless to say, the words cried aloud for their own author to deliver them: in fact, I was scarcely greeted with Worthy of the maker! But I will not delay telling you what you deservedly long for most. So struck was my Lord with what he heard that he was almost put out because business required his presence at the time elsewhere than in the court where you were to deliver your speech. He greatly admired
- ↑ Pius's villa, twelve miles from Rome, on the Via Aurelia, where he died.
- ↑ Fronto had evidently accused himself of impudentia for sending Marcus something of his (? his speech) to be criticised.
