§479. Tenses of the Indicative

In Letters, the Perfect Historical or the Imperfect may be used for the present, and the Pluperfect for any past tense, as if the letter were dated at the time it is supposed to be received:—

• neque tamen, haec cum scrībēbam, eram nescius quantīs oneribus premerēre (Fam. 5.12.2), nor while I write this am I ignorant under what burdens you are weighed down.
• ad tuās omnīs [epistulās] rescrīpseram prīdiē; (Att. 9.10.1), I answered all your letters yesterday.
• cum quod scrīberem ad tē nihil habērem, tamen hās dedī litterās (Att. 9.16), though I have nothing to write to you, still I write this letter.