ante lucem ibat ad Vespasianum imperatorem (nam ille quoque noctibus utebatur), deinde ad officium sibi delegatum. reversus domum reliquum tempus studiis dabat. saepe post cibum (qui veterum more interdiu levis et facilis erat) aestate, si otium erat, iacebat in sole, liber legebatur, adnotabat excerpebatque.
Before dawn he used to go to the Emperor Vespasian (for he also made use of the nights), then to the duties assigned to him. When he had returned home, he used to give the rest of the time to his studies. Often after food (which by the custom of his forefathers was light and easy) in summer, if there was any leisure, he used to lie in the sun, a book was read, he made notes and made extracts from it.
nihil enim legit quod non excerperet; dicere etiam solebat nullum librum esse tam malum ut non aliqua parte prodesset. post solem plerumque aqua frigida lavabatur, deinde gustabat dormiebatque minimum; mox quasi alio die studebat in cenae tempus. super cenam liber legebatur adnotabatur, et quidem cursim.
For he read nothing from which he did not make extracts; he was even accustomed to say that no book was so bad that it was not of use in some part. After the sun he was often washed with cold water, then had a snack and slept very briefly; soon, as if on another day, he studied until dinner time. Over dinner a book was read and notes made on it, and rapidly indeed.
haec inter medios labores urbisque fremitum. in secessu solum balinei tempus studiis eximebatur (cum dico ‘balinei’, de interioribus loquor); nam dum destringitur tergiturque, audiebat aliquid aut dictabat.
These things happened among the middle of his tasks and the bustle of the city. In his alone time, only the time in the baths was taken away from his studies (when I say ‘baths’ I am talking about the inner rooms); for while he was being scraped down and dried, he was listening to something or dictating.
in itinere quasi solutus ceteris curis, huic uni vacabat: ad latus notarius cum libro et pugillaribus, cuius manus hieme manicis muniebantur, ut ne caeli quidem asperitas ullum studii tempus eriperet; qua ex causa Romae quoque sella vehebatur. repeto me correptum ab eo, quod ambularem: poteras, inquit, has horas non perdere; nam perire omne tempus arbitrabatur, quod studiis non impenderetur. vale.
On a journey, as if freed from other cares, he devoted himself to this alone: at his side a secretary with a book and writing tablets, whose hands in winter were protected by long sleeves, so that not even the harshness of the weather would take away any study time; for this reason at Rome also he was carried in a chair. I remember that I was scolded by him because I was walking: he said, ‘you could have not wasted these hours’; for he thought that every moment was wasted which was not devoted to study. Farewell.
