LYCINUS 
Noblest of women, it is true I praised you, as you
say, highly and immoderately; but I do not see
what commendation I bestowed as great as the
encomium which you have pronounced upon yourself in extolling your reverence for the gods.
Really, this is more than all that I said about you,
and you ‘must forgive me that I did not add this trait
to your likeness; it escaped me because I did not
know about it, for there is no other which I should
have preferred to represent. So in that particular
at least I not only did not go beyond bounds, it
seems to me, with my praises, but actually said far
less than I should. Think what an important point
I omitted there—how very significant as evidence of
sterling character and sound judgement! For those
who assiduously reverence what pertains to the gods
will surely be above reproach in their relations with
mankind. So if the speech absolutely must be
revised and the portrait corrected, I should not
venture to take a single thing away from it, but
will add this detail to cap, as it were, and crown
the complete work.

 

There is one thing, however, for which I admit
that I am very grateful to you. After I had praised
the reasonableness of your character and the fact
that the present exalted state of your fortunes has
not engendered in you any arrogance or pride, you
confirmed the truth of my praise by censuring what
you did censure in my speech. Not to catch
greedily at such praise, but to blush for it and say
that it is too high for you betokens a reasonable and
unassuming disposition. But the more you manifest
that attitude toward praise itself, the more worth
of extravagant praise you prove yourself! Really
the thing, despite you, has come to a pass where
the remark of Diogenes applies. When he was
asked how one could become famous, he answered:
“If he were to scorn fame!” If I myself should
be asked: “Who are most worthy of praise?” I
should answer: “Those who are unwilling to be
praised!”