Professors VIII. — To the Greek Grammarians of Bordeaux

After these shall I recall Romulus first, or Corinthius, or Spercheus and likewise Menestheus his son, those grammarians of the Attic Muses? All these were patient earnest teachers, although small their profit and scant their praise; yet, since they were teachers in my time, I owe a tribute to their memory. The third of these was not my tutor; the others taught me in my earliest years not to be unpolished in my speech and quite without refinement in my tongue. For a dullness of my brain, as I suppose, hindered my progress, and some mischievous perversity of boyhood estranged me from learning Greek.

May the turf lie light upon you, may the roof of the tomb that holds you keep your ashes safe, and may the epitaph I now pronounce pay you the last tribute.