bout the
state of her health; there was no longer any reason for her to persist
in remaining a widow; she had so remained for thus long and had
sacrificed her health solely to procure him the inheritance of his
grandfather's fortune, a fortune to which she had by the exercise of
the greatest care made considerable additions: Pontianus himself was
now by the grace of heaven ripe for marriage and his brother for the
garb of manhood. She begged them to suffer her at length to solace her
lonely existence and to relieve her ill health: they need have no
fears as to her final choice or as to her motherly affection; she
would still be as a wife what she had been as a widow. I will order a
copy of this letter to her son to be read aloud. (_The letter is
read._)

71. This letter makes it, I think, sufficiently clear that it needed
no incantations of mine to move Pudentilla from her resolve to remain
a widow, but that she had been for some time by no means averse to
marriage, when she chose me--it may be in preference to others. I
cannot see why such a choice by so excellent a woman should be brought
against me as matter for reproach rather than honour. But I admit
feeling surprise that Aemilianus and Rufinus should be annoyed at the
lady's decision, when those who were actually suitors for her hand
acquiesce in her preference for myself. She was indeed guided in
making her choice less by her personal inclination than by the advice
of her son, a fact which Aemilianus cannot deny. For Pontianus on
receiving his mother's letter hastily flew hither from Rome, fearing
that, if the man of her choice proved to be avaricious, she might, as
often happens, transfer her whole fortune to the house of her new
husband. This anxiety tormented him not a little. All his own
expectations of wealth together with those of his brother depended on
his mother. His grandfather had left but a moderate fortune, his
mother possessed 4,000,000 sesterces. Of this sum, it is true, she
owed a considerable portion to her sons, but they had no security for
this, relying--naturally enough--on her word alone. He gave but silent
expression to his fears; he did not venture to show any open
opposition for fear of seeming to distrust her.

72. Things being in this delicate position owing to the matrimonial
intentions of the mother and the fears of the son, chance or destiny
brought me to Oea on my way to Alexandria. Did not my respect for my
wife prevent me, I wou