Letter 7016: Our friendship had led me to expect your visit.

Our friendship had led me to expect your visit. I'm almost ready to believe I was wrong to hope you'd come see a parent of your own accord. Since you apparently can't do the right thing without being asked: please come, and soon. If proud Tibur [Tivoli] has had its fill of you, trade it for the charms of the Laurentine woods [coastal forest south of Rome]. Don't be put off by the idea of a rough countryside. Hunters can see the ocean from right where they stand, the villa sits along a well-traveled road, and the approach to the animals' own lairs is flat and open. And even if all that were missing, surely good conversation between friends and a free exchange of ideas would outweigh the pleasures of Tarentum or Sicily. So if you agree with this line of thinking, add yourself to the ranks of us country folk and play Cato or Atilius [famous Romans celebrated for simple rural life] for a little while -- men whom the plow and the plow-handle [Text breaks off in source.]

Amicitiae nostrae contemplatio spem mihi adventus tui fecerat: prope est, ut errasse me credam, qui te speravi in conspectum parentis sponte venturum. quando igitur sine ambitu nostro recte facere nescis, oratus adpropera, et si te superbum 25 Tibur explevit, Laurentibus silvis amoena commuta. nec verearis ruris horridi de- nuntiationem : in oculis est venantibus mare, celebri itinere villa praestringitur ; in ipsa igitur ferarum cubilia planus ac patulus accessus est, et si haec abessent, ante- iret nimirum sermo inter nos mutuus et litterarum liberalis conlatio Tarentinas aut Siculas voluptates. quare si tu quoque huic sententiae manum porrigis, adde te ru- 30 sticantium numero et paulisper Catones atque Atilios aemulare, quos vomis et stiva