those whom he was gladdening with the other. Herein he compares
favourably with Joseph, who sold corn to the Egyptians, but on such
terms that they lost their personal freedom. Doubtless that holy man
was placed in a dilemma between the necessity of satisfying a covetous
King on the one hand, and that of rescuing a starving people on the
other. Still I must think that the Egyptian, whose life was preserved,
groaned over the loss of his liberty; and if I may say so, with all
respect to so great a patriarch[903], far nobler is it to sell corn to
freemen who remain freemen, and to lighten their taxes on account of
poverty. This is really a gratuitous distribution, when both the money
with which to buy is handed over to you [by the abatement of tribute],
and a price is fixed on purpose to please you.

[Footnote 903: 'Pace tanti patris dixerim.']

'The generosity of the State therefore will sell 25 modii, when the
peasant has lost his crops, at the price at which 10 are usually
sold[904]. Humanity has altered the usual course of affairs, and by a
strange kind of chaffering, but one which truly becomes a King, just
when the famished peasant is willing to offer us an enhanced price
for food, we are directed to offer it to him for a smaller one.

[Footnote 904: Probably one solidus: making the largesse price 15s.
4d. a quarter (about four shillings less than the price named in the
preceding letter for millet); while the market price was 38s. 4d. a
quarter. I read these sentences thus: 'Vendit itaque largitas publica
vicenos quinque modios, dum possessor invenire non possit, ad denos.
Ordinem rerum saeculi mutavit humanitas.' The construction is harsh
and elliptical, but this makes sense, which the ordinary punctuation,
throwing 'ad denos' into the following sentence, does not.]

'The King himself had seen your calamity, and thereupon bestowed on
you previously one favour. Now, on hearing of its continuance, he adds
to it a second. Happy calamity, which forced itself on the notice of
such an eye-witness!

'Now, oh Ligurian, rejoice in the good fortune which has come to thee.
Compare thy lot with the Egyptian's and be happy. He was fed, but lost
his freedom; thou art fed, and at the same time defended from thy
enemies. Joseph gave back the purchase-money to his brethren in their
sacks, showing a greater kindness to his kindred than to his subjects.
Our King shows no such partiality, but bestows on all the taxpayers
larger b