§1.30.1Bello Helvetiorum confecto totius fere Galliae legati, principes civitatum, ad Caesarem gratulatum convenerunt: §1.30.2intellegere sese, tametsi pro veteribus Helvetiorum iniuriis populi Romani ab his poenas bello repetisset, tamen eam rem non minus ex usu [terrae] Galliae quam populi Romani accidisse, §1.30.3propterea quod eo consilio florentissimis rebus domos suas Helvetii reliquissent uti toti Galliae bellum inferrent imperioque potirentur, locumque domicilio ex magna copia deligerent quem ex omni Gallia oportunissimum ac fructuosissimum iudicassent, reliquasque civitates stipendiarias haberent.
When the war with the Helvetii was concluded, ambassadors from almost the whole of Gaul, the leading men of the states, assembled to congratulate Caesar: they declared that they were aware that, although he had by war inflicted punishment on them for the past injuries done by the Helvetii to the Roman people, yet that event had happened no less to the advantage of Gaul [the Gallic land] than of the Roman people, for the reason that the Helvetii had left their homes at a time of the greatest prosperity, with the design of making war upon the whole of Gaul and obtaining the sovereignty, and of selecting from so wide an extent a place for a habitation which they should judge the most convenient and fruitful in all Gaul, and of holding the other states as tributaries.
§1.30.4Petierunt uti sibi concilium totius Galliae in diem certam indicere idque Caesaris facere voluntate liceret: sese habere quasdam res quas ex communi consensu ab eo petere vellent.
They requested that it might be permitted them to summon an assembly of all Gaul for a certain day, and to do that with Caesar's consent; they declared that they had certain matters which they wished to ask of him in accordance with general consent.
§1.30.5Ea re permissa diem concilio constituerunt et iure iurando ne quis enuntiaret, nisi quibus communi consilio mandatum esset, inter se sanxerunt.
This request being granted, they appointed a day for the assembly, and bound themselves by an oath that no one should disclose their deliberations except those to whom this charge should be committed by common consent.