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2. C. Plin. to his friend Arrianus, S.
1. BEcause I see your comming is somewhat slow, I send you a Book, which I promised you in my former letters.
2. I entreat you both to read and correct it, according to your wont; and so much the rather, because I seem not to have writ any thing afore, all alike with the same strift; for I have assayed to imitate Demosthenes, always yours, and Calvus, lately mine, onely in their flourishes of speech.
3. For but a few, whom God hath endued with better parts, can attain to the strength of such men.
4. N••ither hath the subject it self (I am afraid to speak too vau••tingly) withstood this emulation.
5. For it consi••ted almost wholly in an earnest kind of spea∣king, which thing roas••d me up, being grown very idle, if I be such a one as can be roused up.
6. Yet I do not wholly decline the Rhetoricall expressions of our friend Marcus, so oft as I am admonished to digresse a little from the purpose for seasonable delectability; for I desire to be witty, not severe.
7. And there is no need why you should think I desire to be excused by this note of restraint; nay rather, that I may the more set you upon correcting, I will confesse, that both I and my fellows are not against an edition, if you perhaps will but seem to favour our mistakes.
8. For I must without fail set forth something, and I wish I may set out this being the best which is ready (you hear an idle persons wish) but I must put it forth for many reasons.
9. Chiefly, because the books which I have set out are said to be in every bodies hands, though they have already lost the grace of their novelty; unlesse the Book-sellers flatter me.
10. But let them flatter and spare not, so long as by this lie they commend my labours to my face. Farewell.