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Ante lucem ibat ad Vespanianum imperatorem (nam ille quoque noctibus utebatur), deinde ad officium sibi delegatum.
Before dawn, he used to go to the emperor Vespasian (for he also used the nights), then to the duty assigned to him.
Reversus domum reliquum tempus studiis dabat.
Having returned home, he would allot the rest of his time to his studies.
Saepe post cibum (qui veterum more interdiu levis et facilis erat) aestate, si quid otii erat,
Often after food (which, after the custom of his forefathers during the day was light and easy on the stomach), in summertime, if there was any free time,
Iacebat in sole, liber legebatur, adnotabat excerpebatque.
He would lie in the sun, a book would be read, he would make notes and take extracts from it.
Nihil enim legit quod non excerperet; dicere etiam solebat nullum librum esse tam malum ut non aliqua parte prodesset.
For he read nothing from which he would not take extracts; indeed, he used to say that no book was so bad that it was not useful in some part.
Post solem plerumque aqua frigida lavabatur, deinde gustabat dormiebatque minimum.
After sunbathing he generally bathed in cold water, then had a snack, and slept for a very short time.
Mox quasi alio die studebat in cenae tempus.
Soon afterwards, as if it were on another day, he would study till dinner time.
Super cenam liber legebatur adnotabatur, et quidem cursim.
Over dinner, a book would be read and notes taken, but hastily.
Haec inter medios labores urbisque fremitum.
These things took place during the middle of the toils and noise of the city.
In itinere quasi solutus ceteris curis, humid uni vacabat:
On a journey, as if released from all other anxieties, he had time for this alone:
Ad latus notarius cum libro et pugillaribus, cuius manus hieme manicis muniebantur, ut ne caeli quidem asperitas ullum studii tempus eriperet;
At his side there would be a secretary with a book and writing tablet, whose hands were protected in mittens in winter, so that not even the harshness of the weather might take away any study time;
Qua ex causa Romae quoque sella vehebatur. Repeto me correptum ab eo, quod ambularem:
For this reason he rode in a sedan chair at Rome also. I recall that I was rebuked by him because I walked;
‘Poteras’ inquit ‘has horas non perdere’; nam perire omne tempus arbitrabatur, quod studiis non impenderetur. Vale.
He said “you could not have wasted these hours”; for he thought that all time, which was not spent on studies, was wasted. Farewell.
