ATTILIVS Regulus, general de l’armée Romaine en Afrique, au milieu de sa gloire et de ses victoires contre les Carthaginois, escriuit à la chose publique, qu’vn valet de labourage, qu’il auoit laissé seul au gouuernement de son bien, qui estoit en tout sept arpents de terre, s’en estoit enfuy, ayant desrobé ses vtils de labourage, et demandoit congé pour s’en retourner et y pouruoir, de peur que sa femme, et ses enfans n’en eussent à souffrir. Le Senat pourueut à commettre vn autre à la conduite de ses biens, et luy fit restablir ce qui luy auoit esté desrobé, et ordonna que sa femme et enfans seroient nourris aux despens du public.
Atilius Regulus, general of the Roman army in Africa, in the midst of his glory and his victories against the Carthaginians, wrote to the state that a farmhand whom he had left alone in charge of his property, which amounted in all to seven acres of land, had run off with his farming tools; and he asked for leave to go home and see to it, for fear that his wife and children might suffer. The Senate saw to it by appointing someone else to manage his property, had what had been stolen from him restored, and ordered that his wife and children be fed at public expense.
Le vieux Caton reuenant d’Espaigne Consul, vendit son cheual de seruice pour espargner l’argent qu’il eust cousté à le ramener par mer en Italie: et estant au gouuernement de Sardaigne, faisoit ses visitations à pied, n’ayant auec luy autre suite qu’vn officier de la chose publique, qui luy portoit sa robbe, et vn vase à faire des sacrifices: et le plus souuent il portoit sa male luy mesme. Il se vantoit de n’auoir iamais eu robbe qui eust cousté plus de dix escus; ny auoir enuoyé au marché plus de dix sols pour vn iour: et de ses maisons aux champs, qu’il n’en auoit aucune qui fust crepie et enduite par dehors.
The elder Cato, returning from Spain as consul, sold his warhorse to save the money it would have cost to bring it back by sea to Italy. And while he was governor of Sardinia he made his tours of inspection on foot, with no other retinue than one public officer who carried his gown and a vessel for making sacrifices; and most often he carried his bag himself. He boasted that he had never had a gown that cost more than ten crowns, nor sent more than ten sous to the market for one day; and that of his country houses, none was plastered and rendered on the outside.
Scipion Æmylianus apres deux triomphes et deux Consulats, alla en legation auec sept seruiteurs seulement. On tient qu’Homere n’en eut iamais qu’vn, Platon trois; Zenon le chef de la secte Stoique, pas vn. Il ne fut taxé que cinq sols et demy pour iour, à Tyberius Gracchus, allant en commission pour la chose publique, estant lors le premier homme des Romains.
Scipio Aemilianus, after two triumphs and two consulships, went on an embassy with only seven servants. It is said that Homer never had more than one, Plato three, and Zeno, the head of the Stoic sect, not one. Tiberius Gracchus was allowed only five and a half sous a day when he went on a commission for the state, though he was then the foremost man among the Romans.