§343ut ita te aliorum miserescat, ne tis alios misereat.
Pity others in such a way, lest others have pity on you.
§344Deserere illum et deiuvare in rebus advorsis pudet.
It is shameful to desert him and withhold help in adversity.
§345Pol pudere quam pigere praestat, totidem litteris.
By Pollux, it is better to be ashamed than to regret, with just as many letters.
§346Edepol, deum virtute dicam, pater, et maiorum et tua §347multa bóna bene parta habemus, bene si amico feceris §348ne pigeat fecisse, ut potius pudeat si non feceris.
By Pollux, by the favor of the gods, I should say, father, and of our ancestors and yours, we have many goods well-acquired; if you do good to a friend, let it not regret you to have done so, so that you would rather be ashamed if you had not done it.
§349De magnis divitiis si quid demas, plus fit an minus?
If you take something away from great riches, does it become more or less?
§350Minus, pater; sed civi immuni scin quid cantari solet?
Less, father; but do you know what is usually sung to a citizen who pays no dues?
§351“quod habes né habeas et illúc quod non habes habeas, malum, §352quandoquidem nec tibi bene esse pote pati neque alteri. ” §353Scio equidem istuc ita solere fieri; verum, gnate mi, §354is est immunis, cui nihil est qui munus fungatur suom.
“May you not have what you have, and may you have that evil which you do not have, since you cannot bear that things should be well either for yourself or for another.” Indeed I know that is usually the case; but, my son, he is the one who pays no dues, who has nothing with which to perform his duty.
§355Deum virtute habemus et qui nosmet utamur, pater, §356et aliis qui comitati simus benevolentibus.
By the favor of the gods, father, we have both that which we may use ourselves, and that with which we may be generous to others who are well-disposed.
§357Non edepol tibi pernegare possum quicquam quod velis.
By Pollux, I cannot refuse you anything that you wish.
§358cuí egestatem tolerari vis? eloquere audacter patri.
Whose poverty do you wish to be relieved? Speak out boldly to your father.
For this young man Lesbonicus, the son of Charmides, who lives over there.
§360bQuin comedit quod fuit, quod non fuit?
Didn't he devour what was and what was not?
§361Ne opprobra, pater; múlta eveniunt homini quae volt, quae nevolt.
Do not reproach him, father; many things happen to a man which he wishes, and which he does not wish.
§362Mentire edepol, gnate, atque id nunc facis haud consuetudine.
By Pollux, you are lying, my son, and you are doing so now contrary to your habit.
§363nam sapiens quidem pol ipsus fingit fortunam sibi: §364eo non multa quae nevolt eveniunt, nisi fictor malust.
For a wise man, by Pollux, shapes his own fortune for himself: therefore, not many things which he does not wish happen to him, unless the shaper is a bad one.
§365Multa illi opera opust ficturae, qui se fictorem probum §366vitae agundae esse expetit: sed hic admodum adulescentulust.
He has need of much effort in shaping, who desires himself to be a proper shaper of the life to be led: but this youth is still quite a stripling.
§367Non aetate, verum ingenio apiscitur sapientia; §368sapienti aetas condimentum, sapiens aetati cibust.
Wisdom is acquired not by age, but by natural disposition; age is the seasoning for the wise man, wisdom is the food for age.
§369agedum eloquere, quid dare illi nunc vis?
Come now, speak out, what do you wish to give him now?
Nothing at all, father; only do not prevent me from accepting, if he should give me anything.
§371An eo egestatem ei tolerabis, si quid ab illo acceperis?
Will you relieve his poverty by that, if you accept something from him?
§372Eo, pater.
By that, father.
§372bPol ego istam volo me rationem edoceas.
By Pollux, I wish you would explain that reasoning to me.
§372cLicet.
Very well.
§373scin tu illum quo genere natus sit?
Do you know from what family he is born?
§373bScio, adprime probo.
I know, an exceedingly good one.
He has a sister, a grown-up young woman; father, I desire to marry her without a dowry.
§375bSine dote uxorem?
A wife without a dowry?
§375cIta;
Yes.
§376tua re salva hoc pacto ab illo summam inibis gratiam, §377neque commodius ullo pacto ei poteris auxiliarier.
With your property safe, by this means you will win the greatest gratitude from him, nor will you be able to assist him more conveniently in any other way.
§378Egone indotatam te uxorem ut patiar?
Am I to allow you to take a wife without a dowry?
You must allow it, father; and by that means you will add a beautiful reputation to our family.
§380Multa ego possum docta dicta et quamvis facunde loqui, §381historiam veterem atque antiquam haec mea senectus sustinet; §382verum ego quando te et amicitiam et gratiam in nostram domum §383video adlicere, etsi adversatus tibi fui, istac iudico: §384tibi permitto; posce, duce.
I can speak many wise sayings and with any amount of eloquence, my old age holds many old and ancient histories; but when I see you drawing both friendship and gratitude into our house, although I was opposed to you, I judge in this way: I permit you; ask for her, marry her.
§384bDi te servassint mihi.
May the gods preserve you for me.
§385sed adde ad istam gratiam unum.
But add one thing to that favor.
§385bQuid id est autem unum?
But what is that one thing?
§385cEloquar.
I will speak.
§386tute ad eum adeas, tute concilies, tute poscas.
Go to him yourself, arrange it yourself, ask for her yourself.
§386bEccere.
Look at that!
§387Nimio citius transiges: firmum omne erit quod tu egeris.
You will transact it far more quickly; everything you do will be firm.
§388gravius tuom erit unum verbum ad eam rem quam centum mea.
One word of yours will carry more weight in this matter than a hundred of mine.
§389Ecce autem in benignitate hoc repperi, negotium.
But look, I have found this trouble in your kindness.
§390dabitur opera.
I will do my best.
§390bLepidus vivis.
You are a fine fellow.
haec sunt aedes, hic habet; §391Lesbonico est nomen.
This is the house, here he lives; his name is Lesbonicus.
age, rem cura.
Come, attend to the business.
ego te opperiar domi. —
I will wait for you at home.
These things are not the best, nor as I judge right; but they are better than the worst.
§394sed hoc me únum consolatur atque animum meum, §395quia qui nihil aliud nisi quod sibi soli placet §396consulit advorsum filium, nugas agit: §397miser ex animo fit, factius nihilo facit.
But this one thing consoles me and my mind: because he who, against his son, consults nothing else than what pleases himself alone, acts foolishly; he becomes miserable at heart, and makes nothing more done.
He prepares a sharper winter for his own old age, when he summons up that troublesome storm.