his studies, refresh himself by a short sleep.  Before daybreak he used to wait upon the Emperor Vespasian, who also was a night worker, and after that attended to his official duties.  Having taken a light meal at noon, after the custom of our ancestors, he would in summer, if unoccupied, lie down in the sun, while a book was read to him from which he made extracts and notes.  Indeed he never read without making extracts; he used to say that no book was so bad as not to teach one at least something.  After this reading he usually took a cold bath, then a light refreshment, and went to sleep for a little while.  Then, as if beginning a new day, he resumed his studies until dinner, when a book was again read to him, upon which he would make passing comments.  I remember once, when his reader had pronounced a word wrongly, someone at the table made him repeat it again; upon which my uncle asked his friend if he had not understood it.  He admitted that the word was clear enough.  “Why did you stop him then?” asked my uncle; “we have lost more than ten lines by this interruption of yours.”  Even so parsimonious was he of every moment of time!  In summer he always rose from dinner by daylight, and in winter as soon as it was dark; this was an invariable law with him.

Such was his life amidst the noise and bustle of the city; but when he was in the country his whole time, without exception, was given to study except when he bathed.  And by this exception I mean only the time when he was actually in the bath, for all the time when he was being rubbed and dried he was read to, or was himself dictating.  Again, when travelling he gave his whole time to study; a secretary constantly attended him with books and tablets, and in winter wore very warm gloves so that the cold weather might not interrupt my uncle’s work; and, for the same reason, when in Rome, he was always carried in a chair.  I remember he once reproved me for going for a walk, saying that I might have used the hours to greater advantage; for he thought all time was lost which was not given to study.  It was by this extraordinary application that he found time to write so many volumes, besides a hundred and sixty books of extracts which he left me, written on both sides in an extremely small hand, so that their number might be reckoned considerably greater.

To Cornelius Tacitus

I understand you wish to hear about the earthquake at Misenum.  After my uncle had left us on that day, I went on with my studies until it was time to bathe; then I had supper and went to bed.  But my sleep was broken and disturbed.  There had been many slight shocks, which were very frequent in Campania, but on this night they were so violent that it seemed as though everything must be overthrown.  My mother ran into my room, and we went out into a small court which separated our house from the sea.  I do not know whether to call it courage or rashness on my part, as I was only eighteen years old; but