§78facite, huc ut redeat noster quam primum senex, §79triennium qui iam hinc abest, prius quam omnia §80periere, et aedis et ager; qui nisi huc redit, §81paucorum mensum sunt relictae reliquiae.
make it so that our old master returns here as soon as possible, who has already been away from here for three years, before everything perishes, both the house and the field; if he does not return here, what remains of the remnants is only of a few months.
§82nunc rus abibo.
Now I will go to the country.
nam eccum erilem filium §83video, corruptum ex adulescente optumo. — §84Recórdatus múltum et diú cogitávi §85argúmentaque ín pectus ínstitui multa §86ego, átque in meó corde, si ést quod mihí cor, §87eám rem volútavi et diú disputávi, §88hominém cuius réi, quandó natus esset, §89similem ésse arbitrárer simulácrumque habére: §90id répperi iam exémplum.
For look, the master's son I see, ruined from being the most excellent young man.— Having reflected much and thought for a long time, and many arguments in my breast did I set up, I myself, and in my heart, if there is a heart for me, I revolved that matter and for a long time disputed, to what thing a man, when he is born, I should consider him to be similar and of which he has the likeness:— I have now found the illustration of it.
I consider that a man is similar to a new house, when he is born.
ei rei argúmenta dícam.
I will state the arguments for this.
§96atque hóc vosmet ípsi, sció, proinde utí nunc §97ego ésse autumó, quando dícta audiétis §98mea, haud áliter id dicétis.
And this you yourselves, I know, just as I now assert it to be, when you hear my words, will say no otherwise.
Listen while I state the arguments for this: I want you to be acquainted with this matter along with me.
§101aedés quom extempló sunt parátae, expolítae, §102factaé probe examússim, §103laudánt fabrum atque aedés probant, sibi quísque inde exemplum éxpetunt, §104sibi quísque similis vólt suas, sumptum óperam non parcúnt suam.
As soon as a house is completed, finely polished, and built perfectly to the rule, they praise the builder and approve the house, each seeks for himself a model from it, each wants his own to be similar, and they spare neither expense nor their own labor.
§105átque ubi illo ímmigrat néquam homo, indíligens §106cúm pigra fámilia, immúndus, instrénuos, §107hic iam aédibus vitium ádditur, bonaé cum curantúr male; §108átque illud saépe fit: témpestas venit, §109cónfringit tégulas ímbricesque: ibi §110dóminus indíligens réddere aliás nevolt; §111vénit imber, pérlavit párietes, pérpluont, §112tígna putéfacit, pérdit operám fabri: §113néquior fáctus iam est úsus aedium.
And when a worthless, careless man moves into it, with a lazy household, unclean and sluggish, here already damage is done to the house, when good things are badly cared for; and this often happens: a storm comes, breaks the flat tiles and gutter tiles: then the careless owner refuses to replace them; the rain comes, washes through the walls, they leak, it rots the timber, and ruins the builder's work; now the utility of the house is rendered worse.
§114átque ea haud ést fabri cúlpa, sed mágna pars §115mórem hunc induxérunt: si quid númmo sarcirí potest, §116úsque mantánt neque id fáciunt, donicum §117párietes ruont: aédificantur aédes totae dénuo.
And that is not the builder's fault, but a great part of men have brought in this habit: if something can be repaired for a coin, they continually delay and do not do it, until the walls collapse: and the houses are built all over again from scratch.
§118haec árgumenta ego aédificiis díxi; nunc etiám volo §119dicére, ut homines aédium esse símilis arbitrémini.
These arguments I have stated about buildings; now also I wish to speak, so that you may consider men to be similar to houses.
§120primúmdum paréntes fabrí liberúm sunt: §121ei fúndamentúm substruont liberórum; §122extóllunt, paránt sedulo ín firmitátem §123et ut in usum boni et in speciem† §124popló sint sibíque, haud matériae repárcunt §125nec súmptus ibí sumptuí esse dúcunt; §126expóliunt: docént litterás, iura léges, §127sumptú suo et labore §128nitúntur, ut alií sibi esse illórum similis éxpetant.
First of all, parents are the builders of their children: they lay the foundation for their children; they rear them, and prepare them diligently for strength, †and so that they may be for good use and for handsome appearance† to the people and to themselves; they do not spare the material, nor do they consider the expense there to be an expense; they polish them: they teach them letters, rights, laws, at their own expense and with labor they strive, so that others may desire for themselves to be similar to them.
When they send them, thus prepared, to the army, they give them as a support, then indeed, some relative of theirs.
§131eátenus.
So far so good.
abeunt á fabris.
They depart from the builders.
únum ubi emeritum est stipendium, §132igitúr tum specimen cérnitur, quo evéniat aedificátio.
When one term of service has been completed, then indeed the proof is seen, of how the building turns out.
For I, up to that point, was frugal and honest, while I was under the control of the builders.
Afterward, when I moved into my own disposition, I ruined the builders' work immediately and completely.
§137vénit ignávia, ea míhi tempestás fuit, §138mi ádventu suo grándinem attulit; §139haéc verecúndiam mi ét virtutís modum §140déturbavít detexítque a me ilico; §141póstilla optígere me néglegens fui.
Laziness came, that was my storm, it brought hail to me by its arrival; this stripped from me my modesty and the boundary of virtue and uncovered me, tearing them away immediately; thereafter I was careless to cover myself again.
Immediately, instead of rain, love came, it seeped all the way into my breast, and completely soaked my heart.
§144núnc simul rés, fides, fáma, virtús, decus §145déseruerunt: égo sum in usu fáctus nimio néquior.
Now, at once, property, faith, fame, virtue, and honor have deserted me: I have been made, in use, far worse.
§146atque édepol ita haec tigna úmide iam pútent: non videór mihi §147sarcíre posse aedés meas, quin tótae perpetuaé ruant, §148cum fúndamento périerint nec quísquam esse auxilió queat.
And by Pollux, these timbers are now so damply rotting: I do not seem to myself to be able to repair my house, but that the whole should completely fall, and perish along with the foundation, nor can anyone be of help.
§149cór dolet, cum scio ut núnc sum atque ut fui, §150quó neque indústrior dé iuventúte erat §151quisquam nec clárior árte gymnástica: §152dísco, hastís, pila, cúrsu, armís, equo
My heart aches, when I know how I am now and how I was, than whom there was none more industrious among the youth nor more famous in the gymnastic art: with the discus, spears, ball, running, weapons, horse.