--not merely illustrious but
loved and cherished as well, because you are engaged, as I hear, in
reviving and disseminating the good authors--with extreme diligence but
not at a commensurate profit--undergoing truly Herculean labours,
labours splendid indeed and destined to bring you immortal glory, but
meanwhile more profitable to others than to yourself. I hear that you
are printing Plato[43] in Greek types; very many scholars eagerly await
the book. I should like to know what medical authors you have printed; I
wish you would give us Paul of Aegina.[44] I wonder what has prevented
you from publishing the New Testament[45] long since--a work which would
delight even the common people (if I conjecture aright) but particularly
my own class, the theologians.

I send you two tragedies[46] which I have been bold enough to translate,
whether with success you yourself shall judge. Thomas Linacre, William
Grocyn, William Latimer, Cuthbert Tunstall, friends of yours as well as
of mine, thought highly of them; you know yourself that they are too
learned to be deceived in their judgement, and too sincere to want to
flatter a friend--unless their affection for me has somewhat blinded
them; the Italians to whom I have so far shown my attempt do not condemn
it. It has been printed by Badius, successfully as far as he is
concerned, so he writes, for he has now sold all the copies to his
satisfaction. But my reputation has not been enhanced thereby, so full
is it all of mistakes, and in fact he offers his services to repair the
first edition by printing a second. But I am afraid of his mending ill
with ill, as the Sophoclean saying goes. I should consider my labours to
have been immortalized if they could come out printed in your types,
particularly the smaller types, the most beautiful of all. This will
result in the volume being very small and the business being concluded
at little expense. If you think it convenient to undertake the affair, I
will supply you with a corrected copy, which I send by the bearer,
_gratis_, except that you may wish to send me a few volumes as gifts for
my friends.

I should not have hesitated to attempt the publication at my own risk
and expense, were it not that I have to leave Italy within a few months:
so I should much like to have the business concluded as soon as
possible; in fact it is hardly ten days' work. If you insist on my
taking a hundred or two hundred volumes, though the god of gain does