Altogether - translation

ante lucem ibat ad Vespasianum imperatorem

Before dawn he used to go to the emperor Verspasian

(nam ille quoque noctibus utebatur),

(for he also used to make use of the nights)

deinde ad officium sibi delegatum.

then to the duty assigned to him

reversus donum reliquum tempus studiis dabat.

After he returned home he used to give the remaining time to his studies.

saepe post cibum (qui veterum more interdiu levis et facilis erat)

Often after breakfast (which in the manner of our forefathers during the day was light and easily digested)

aestate, si quid otii erat, iacebat in sole,

in the summer time if there was any leisure time he used to lie in the sun

liber legebatur, adnotabat excerpebatque.

a book was read, he used to make notes and take extracts.

nihil enim legit quod non excerperet;

For he read nothing which he did not take extracts from;

dicere etiam solebat nullum librum esse tam malum ut non aliqua parte prodesset.

he even used to say that no book was so bad that it was not of use in some part.

post solem plerumque aqua frigida lavabatur, deinde gustabat dormiebatque minimum;

After the sun he was usually washed in cold water, then used to have a snap and sleep a very little;

mox quasi alio die studiebat in cenae tempus.

soon as though another day he used to study until dinner time.

super cenam liber legebatur adnotabatur, et quidam cursim.

Over dinner a book was read, notes were made, and indeed rapidly.

haec inter medios labores urbisque fremitim.

(He did) this in the middle of other works and the bustle of the city.

in secessu solum balinei tempus studiis eximebatur

Away from the city only the time in the baths was taken away from his studies

(cum dico 'balinei', de interioribus loquor;

(when i say in the baths i am talking about the inner rooms;

nam dum destringitur tergiturque, audiebat aliquid aut dictabat).

for while he was being scraped and dried he used to listen to something to dictate).

in itinere quasi solutus ceteris curis, huic uni vacabat:

On a journey as though free from other cares, he made time for this one thing:

ad latus notarius cum libro et pugillaribus,

at his side a secretary with a book and writing tablets,

cuius manus hieme manicis muniebatur,

whose hands were protected by long sleeves in winter,

ut ne caeli quidem asperitas ullum studii tempus eriperet;

so that not even the harshness of the weather should take away any time for study;

qua ex causa Romae quoque sella vehebatur.

for this reason he used to be carried in a litter to Rome too.

repeto me correptum ab eo, quod ambularem:

I remember i was scolded by him, because i was walking:

'poteras' inquit 'has horas non perdere';

"You were able," he said, "not to waste these hours";

nam perire omne tempus arbitrabatur, quod studiis non impenderetur.

for he believed all time was wasted, which was not spent on studies.

vale.

Goodbye