[97] (1) Audīstīne vocābula, quae mihi Pontiānus frāter tuus tribuerat, mē parentem suum, mē dominum, mē magistrum cum saepe aliās, tum in extrēmō tempore vītae vocāns? Postquam ... (2) tuās quoque parēs epistulās prōmerem, sī vel exiguam moram tantī putārem. Potius testāmentum illud recēns tuī frātris quamquam imperfectum tamen prōferrī cuperem, in quō meī officiōsissimē et honestissimē meminit. (3) Quod tamen testāmentum Rufīnus neque comparārī neque perficī passus est pudōre perditae hērēditātis, quam paucōrum mēnsium, quibus socer Pontiānī fuit, magnō quidem pretiō noctium computārat. (4) Praetereā nesciō quōs Chaldaeōs cōnsuluerat, quō lucrō fīliam collocāret; quī, ut audiō, – utinam illud nōn vērē respondissent! – prīmum eius marītum in paucīs mēnsibus moritūrum. Cētera enim dē hērēditāte, ut adsolent, ad cōnsulentis vōtum cōnfīnxērunt.
(5) Vērum, ut dīī voluēre, quasi caeca bēstia in cassum hiāvit. Pontiānus enim fīliam Rufīnī male compertam nōn modo hērēdem nōn relīquit, sed nē honestō quidem lēgātō impertīvit, (6) quippe quī eī ad ignōminiam lintea adscrībī ducentōrum ferē dēnāriōrum iusserit, ut intellegerētur īrātus potius aestimāsse eam quam oblītus praeterīsse. (7) Scripsit autem hērēdēs tam hōc testāmentō quam priōre, quod lectum est, mātrem cum frātre; cui, ut vidēs, admodum puerō eandem illam fīliae suae māchinam Rufīnus admovet ac mulierem aliquam multō nātū maiōrem, nūperrimē uxōrem frātris, miserō puerō obicit et obsternit.
Vocabulary
vocābulum –ī n.: a designation, name
Pontiānus –ī m.: Sicinius Pontianus, Roman knight, elder son of Sicinius Amicus and Aemilia Pudentilla, now dead
tribuō tribuere tribuī tribūtus: to assign
pārens –entis: parent
aliās: at another time
prōmō –ere –prōmpsī –prōmptus: to produce (a document), bring forth
(2)
exiguus –a –um: small, little
testāmentum testāmentī n.: will, testament
imperfectus –a –um: unfinished
prōferō prōferre prōtulī prōlātus: to bring forth
officiōsus –a –um: dutiful
Rūfīnus –ī m.: Herennius Rufinus, allegedly son of a bankrupt father, father of (Herennia)
(3)
perficiō perficere perfēcī perfectus: to complete, accomplish
hērēditās hērēditātis f.: inheritance
mēnsis mēnsis m.: month
socer socerī m.: father–in–law
computō –āre: to sum up, reckon, compute
Chaldaeus –a –um: Chaldaean, astrologer, fortune-teller
(4)
lucrum lucrī n.: gain, profit
collocō collocāre collocāvī collocātus: to place, settle (in a marriage)
utinam: "if only!" introduces an optative subjunctive
marītus –ī m.: husband
adsoleō (assoleō) –ēre (only in 3rd person): to be accustomed
cōnfingō –fingere –fīnxī –fictum: to fabricate, feign
bestia –ae f.: beast, creature
(5)
cassus –a –um: void, futile
hiō hiāre hiāvī hiātus: to gape at (with desire), drool over
comperiō comperīre comperī compertus: to find out by investigation, discover, learn
hērēs hērēdis m./f.: heir
legātum –ī n.: legacy, bequest (a gift designated in a will)
impertiō impertīre: to present with a share of (+ abl.)
īgnōminia īgnōminiae f.: disgrace
(6)
linteum –ī n.: linen cloth, linen goods, such as cloaks
ascrībō (adscr–) ascrībere ascrīpsī ascrīptum: to bequeath, to designate as a gift in a will
ducentī –ae –a; ducentēsimus –a –um: 200; 200th
dēnārius –iī m.: a Roman silver coin
aestimō aestimāre aestimāvī aestimātus: to appraise
oblīvīscor oblīvīscī oblītus sum: to forget
praetereō praeterīre praeterīvī/praeteriī praeteritus: to go by
hērēs hērēdis m./f.: heir
(7)
testāmentum testāmentī n.: will, testament
admodum: completely, quite
māchina māchinae f.: siege machine
Rūfīnus –ī m.: Herennius Rufinus, allegedly son of a bankrupt father, father of (Herennia)
admoveō admovēre admōvī admōtus: to move to, bring to
nātus -ūs m.: birth (order)
nūper: not long ago
obiiciō obiicere obiēcī obiectus: to throw in the way, foist upon
obsternō –ere –strāvī –strātus: to stretch out in front of