C. PLĪNIUS AUGURĪNŌ SUŌ S.
Sī laudātus ā tē, laudāre tē coeperō, vereor nē nōn tam prōferre iūdicium meum quam referre grātiam videar. Sed licet videar, omnia scrīpta tua pulcherrima exīstimō, maximē tamen illa dē nōbīs. (2) Accidit hoc ūnā eādemque dē causā. Nam et tū, quae dē amīcīs, optimē scrībis, et ego, quae dē mē, ut optima legō. Valē.
notes
A thank you note from Pliny to Augurinus for his praise of some of Pliny's writings.
Augurīnō: Q. Gellius Sentinus Augurinus was proconsul of Macedonia, and hence still a praetorian senator under Hadrian (Sherwin-White).
In letter 4.27 Pliny tells of greatly enjoying hearing Augurinus recite his poetry. Evidently Augurinus also admired Pliny's literary efforts.
(1) Sī laudātus ā tē, laudāre tē coeperō: order: Sī coeperō laudāre tē, laudātus ā tē. Pliny's order foregrounds the key issue, that Augurinus praised Pliny first.
prōferre iūdicium meum: "give my (honest) critical opinion."
referre grātiam: "(merely) show gratitude."
licet: “even if," + subjunctive, as normal when licet is a conjunction. LS licet II.
omnia scrīpta tua pulcherrima: indirect statement with esse understood governed by exīstimō.
dē nōbīs: “about me." Fully interchangeable with dē mē, as seen in the next section.
(2) Accidit hoc: “this happens.”
tū, quae dē amīcīs, optimē scrībis: order: tū optimē scrībis (ea) quae (scribis) dē amīcīs.
ego, quae dē mē, ut optima legō: order: ego ut optima legō (ea) quae (legō) dē mē.
ut optima legō: "I read as (your) best," "I find it your best" (Radice).
vocabulary
prōferō –ferre –tulī –lātus: to bring forth
scripta –ōrum, n. pl.: writings, works (in poetry or prose)