scripseram librum, sicut pronuntiatis, plenum onustumque vario causarum temporum personarumque congestu: facturus rem videbar impudentissimam, si tantum mihi cuncta placuissent, ut nulla tibi displicitura confiderem; huc item, quisquis iudicii eventus foret, vidi partibus meis nequaquam pietatis ex solido constare rationem, si non saltim vobis esset anterius allatum volumen, etsi non videretur oblatum; sub hoc scilicet temperamento, ut, si forte placuissem, non vos arrogantia praeterisse, si secus, non vos improbitas expetisse iudicaretur.
Now, I had written a book, as you state, crammed and loaded with a motley assemblage of topics, times, and persons. I thought I should be guilty of gross shamelessness if I were so pleased by it all as to feel sure that nothing would displease you. And besides, I realised that, whatever the outcome of your judgment, on my side my dutiful regard for you must be entirely discounted if the book were not, at least, brought to you first, even if this seemed something different from presenting it to you. In this compromise either contingency was provided for: if I happened to give you pleasure I should not be judged to have arrogantly ignored you; and if I failed to give pleasure I should not be thought to have sought your favour out of sheer impudence.
final_alignments\Sidonius_Letters_Book9.json