To Trajan.
Up to the present moment, Sir, I have not granted anyone a special permit, * nor have I despatched any messenger except on your service. However, I have been obliged to break from this rule of mine, for when I heard of the death of my wife's grandfather, ** and my wife was anxious to hasten to the side of her aunt, † I thought it would be hard to deny her the use of a permit, especially as the value of such an act of kindness on her part depended on her prompt arrival, and as I knew that I could approve to you the cause of a journey which was motivated by family affection. I have written this letter because I thought I should not be showing you the gratitude I ought, if I omitted to mention that I owed this particular favour to your kindness, in addition to all those you have showered upon me. I was so confident of your kindness that, without asking your permission, I did not hesitate to do what, if I had asked your permission, would have been done too late.
[Note: Diploma: see letter 45 of this book.
]
[Note: Calpurnius Fabatus.
]
(†) Calpurnia Hispulla.
L To Trajan.
Up to the present moment, Sir, I have not granted anyone a special permit, * nor have I despatched any messenger except on your service. However, I have been obliged to break from this rule of mine, for when I heard of the death of my wife's grandfather, ** and my wife was anxious to hasten to the side of her aunt, † I thought it would be hard to deny her the use of a permit, especially as the value of such an act of kindness on her part depended on her prompt arrival, and as I knew that I could approve to you the cause of a journey which was motivated by family affection. I have written this letter because I thought I should not be showing you the gratitude I ought, if I omitted to mention that I owed this particular favour to your kindness, in addition to all those you have showered upon me. I was so confident of your kindness that, without asking your permission, I did not hesitate to do what, if I had asked your permission, would have been done too late.
(*) Diploma: see letter 45 of this book.
(**) Calpurnius Fabatus.
(†) Calpurnia Hispulla.
◆
To Trajan.
Up to the present moment, Sir, I have not granted anyone a special permit, * nor have I despatched any messenger except on your service. However, I have been obliged to break from this rule of mine, for when I heard of the death of my wife's grandfather, ** and my wife was anxious to hasten to the side of her aunt, † I thought it would be hard to deny her the use of a permit, especially as the value of such an act of kindness on her part depended on her prompt arrival, and as I knew that I could approve to you the cause of a journey which was motivated by family affection. I have written this letter because I thought I should not be showing you the gratitude I ought, if I omitted to mention that I owed this particular favour to your kindness, in addition to all those you have showered upon me. I was so confident of your kindness that, without asking your permission, I did not hesitate to do what, if I had asked your permission, would have been done too late.
[Note: Diploma: see letter 45 of this book.
]
[Note: Calpurnius Fabatus.
]
(†) Calpurnia Hispulla.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.