M. CORNELIUS FRONTO
share with her protégée the tit-bits sent her by you. Nor is my Gratia a great eater, as lawyer's wives are said to be. She will live contentedly enough even on nothing but your mother's kisses. But what will become of poor me? There is not even a single kiss left anywhere in Rome. All my fortunes, all my joys are at Naples.
Tell me, I beseech you, what is the custom of lajdng down an office under oath a day earlier. What, am I not ready to swear by as many more gods as I can swear myself out of office days sooner? Again, am I to swear that I resign my consulship? Yea, and I will swear this, too, that I have long wished to resign it, that I may embrace Marcus Aurelius.
Marcus Aurelius to Fronto
To the most honourable consul and my best of masters.
Verily this alone was wanting, that over and above all the other signal marks of your affection towards us you should also send Gratia here to join us in keeping my mother's birthday . . . .[† 1]
Fronto to Domitia Lucilla
To the mother of Marcus.
1. Willingly, willingly, by heaven, aye, with the greatest pleasure possible, have I sent my Gratia to keep your birthday with you, and would have come myself had it been lawful. But for myself this
L 2
- ↑ Several pages are missing between this fragment and the beginning of Ad M. Caes. ii. 10 given above, p. 136.
