§1.15.1Messalam habes.
You have Messala with you.
quibus igitur litteris tam accurate scriptis adsequi possum, subtilius ut explicem quae gerantur quaeque sint in re publica, quam tibi is exponet qui et optime omnia novit et elegantissime expedire et deferre ad te potest? cave enim existimes, Brute (quamquam non necesse est ea me ad te quae tibi nota sunt scribere;
With what letters, therefore, written however accurately, can I succeed in explaining more subtly what is going on and what the state of the republic is, than he will explain to you, who both knows all things best and is able to set them forth and report them to you most elegantly?
sed tamen tantam omnium laudum excellentiam non queo silentio praeterire), cave putes probitate, constantia, cura, studio rei publicae quicquam illi esse simile, ut eloquentia, qua mirabiliter excellit, vix in eo locum ad laudandum habere videatur; quamquam in hac ipsa sapientia plus apparet; ita gravi iudicio multaque arte se exercuit in verissimo genere dicendi.
For beware of thinking, Brutus (although it is not necessary for me to write to you those things which are already known to you; but yet I cannot pass over in silence such great excellence of all praises), beware of thinking that anything is like him in honesty, constancy, care, and zeal for the republic, so that eloquence, in which he wonderfully excels, seems scarcely to find room for praise in him; although in this itself wisdom appears more; so much has he exercised himself with grave judgment and much art in the truest kind of speaking.
tanta autem industria est tantumque evigilat in studio ut non maxima ingenio, quod in eo summum est, gratia habenda videatur.
But his industry is so great, and he watches so much in study, that the greatest thanks seem not to be due to his genius, which is supreme in him.
§1.15.2sed provehor amore.
But I am carried away by love.
non enim id propositum est huic epistulae Messalam ut laudem, praesertim ad Brutum cui et virtus illius non minus quam mihi nota est et haec ipsa studia quae laudo notiora.
For it is not the purpose of this letter to praise Messala, especially to Brutus, to whom his virtue is no less known than to me, and those very studies which I praise are even better known.
quem cum a me dimittens graviter ferrem, hoc levabar uno, quod ad te tamquam ad alterum me proficiscens et officio fungebatur et laudem maximam sequebatur.
And when I was bearing his departure from me heavily, I was relieved by this one thing alone, that in setting out to you as to another self, he was both performing a duty and pursuing the greatest praise.
sed haec hactenus.
But so much for this.
§1.15.3venio nunc longo sane intervallo ad quandam epistulam, qua mihi multa tribuens unum reprehendebas quod in honoribus decernendis essem nimius et tamquam prodigus.
I come now, after a indeed long interval, to a certain letter in which, while bestowing many compliments on me, you blamed one thing—that I was excessive and, as it were, prodigal in decreeing honors.
tu hoc; alius fortasse, quod in animadversione poenaque durior, nisi forte utrumque tu.
You blame this; another, perhaps, that I am too harsh in animadversion and punishment, unless perhaps you blame both.
quod si ita est, utriusque rei meum iudicium studeo tibi esse notissimum †neque solum ut Solonis dictum usurpem† qui et sapientissimus fuit ex septem et legum scriptor solus ex septem.
But if this is so, I desire that my judgment on both matters be very well known to you—not only that I may employ the saying of Solon, who was both the wisest of the Seven and the only lawmaker among the Seven.
is rem publicam contineri duabus rebus dixit, praemio et poena.
He said that the republic is held together by two things, reward and punishment.
est scilicet utriusque rei modus sicut reliquarum et quaedam in utroque genere mediocritas.
There is, of course, a limit in both matters, as in other things, and a certain moderation in both kinds.
sed non tanta de re propositum est hoc loco disputare; §1.15.4quid ego autem secutus hoc bello sim in sententiis dicendis aperire non ahenum puto.
But it is not my purpose to dispute about so great a matter in this place; But I do not think it foreign to the purpose to lay open what I pursued in delivering my opinions in this war.
post interitum Caesaris et vestras memorabilis Idus Mart. , Brute, quid ego praetermissum a vobis quantamque impendere rei publicae tempestatem dixerim non es oblitus.
After the death of Caesar and your memorable Ides of March, Brutus, you have not forgotten what I said had been overlooked by you, and what a great tempest was impending over the republic.
Magna pestis erat depulsa per vos, magna populi Romani macula deleta, vobis vero parta divina gloria, sed instrumentum regni delatum ad Lepidum et Antonium; quorum alter inconstantior, alter impurior, uterque pacem metuens, immicus otio.
A great pestilence had been driven away by you, a great stain on the Roman people wiped out, and divine glory won for you; but the instrument of kingly power was transferred to Lepidus and Antonius; of whom the one was more unstable, the other more impure, both fearing peace, enemies to tranquility.
his ardentibus perturbandae rei publicae cupiditate quod opponi posset praesidium non habebamus; erexerat enim se civitas in retinenda libertate consentiens, §1.15.5nos tum nimis acres, vos fortasse sapientius excessistis urbe ea quam liberaratis, Italiae sua vobis studia profitenti remisistis.
While these were burning with the desire to throw the republic into confusion, we had no protection that could be opposed to them; for the state had indeed aroused itself, agreeing in retaining its liberty, we being then too eager, while you perhaps more wisely departed from that city which you had freed, and withdrew from Italy, which was declaring its zeal for you.
itaque cum teneri urbem a parricidis viderem nec te in ea nec Cassium tuto esse posse eamque armis oppressam ab Antonio, mihi quoque ipsi esse excedendum putavi; taetrum enim spectaculum oppressa ab impiis civitas opitulandi potestate praecisa.
And so, when I saw the city held by parricides, and that neither you nor Cassius could be safe in it, and that it was oppressed by the arms of Antonius, I thought that I too must depart; for a state oppressed by impious men, when the power of bringing aid was cut off, was a shocking spectacle.
sed animus idem qui semper infixus in patriae caritate discessum ab eius periculis ferre non potuit.
But my mind, the same as ever, fixed in love for my country, could not bear to depart from its dangers.
itaque in medio Achaico cursu cum etesiarum diebus auster me in Italiam quasi dissuasor mei consili rettulisset, te vidi Veliae doluique vehementer.
And so, in the middle of my Achaean voyage, when during the days of the Etesian winds the south wind had brought me back to Italy as if to dissuade me from my plan, I saw you at Velia and grieved vehemently.
cedebas enim, Brute, cedebas, quoniam Stoici nostri negant fugere sapientis.
For you were yielding, Brutus, you were yielding—since our Stoics deny that a wise man flees.