§1.3.71si modo plura mihi bona sunt, inclinet, amari §1.3.72si volet: hac lege in trutina ponetur eadem.
if only I have more good qualities, let him incline, if he wants to be loved: under this condition he will be placed in the same scale.
§1.3.73qui, ne tuberibus propriis offendat amicum, §1.3.74postulat, ignoscet verrucis illius: aequum est §1.3.75peccatis veniam poscentem reddere rursus.
He who demands that he not offend a friend with his own tumors, will forgive the warts of that man: it is fair that one asking pardon for sins should render it in turn.
§1.3.76denique, quatenus excidi penitus vitium irae, §1.3.77cetera item nequeunt stultis haerentia, cur non §1.3.78ponderibus modulisque suis ratio utitur ac res §1.3.79ut quaeque est, ita suppliciis delicta coercet?
Finally, since the vice of anger cannot be thoroughly cut out, nor other vices clinging to fools, why does not reason use its own weights and measures, and, as each thing is, so restrain offenses with punishments?
§1.3.80siquis eum servum, patinam qui tollere iussus §1.3.81semesos piscis tepidumque ligurrierit ius, §1.3.82in cruce suffigat, Labeone insanior inter §1.3.83sanos dicatur.
If anyone should crucify a slave who, when ordered to remove a dish, licked the half-eaten fish and warm sauce, he would be called more insane than Labeo among the sane.
quanto hoc furiosius atque §1.3.84maius peccatum est: paulum deliquit amicus, §1.3.85quod nisi concedas, habeare insuavis: acerbus §1.3.86odisti et fugis ut Drusonem debitor aeris, §1.3.87qui nisi, cum tristes misero venere Kalendae, §1.3.88mercedem aut nummos unde unde extricat, amaras §1.3.89porrecto iugulo historias captivus ut audit.
How much more furious and greater a sin is this: a friend committed a slight offense, which unless you excuse, you would be held disagreeable; yet you hate him bitterly and flee him as a debtor flees Druso, who, unless when the sad Kalends come to the wretched man, he scrapes up the interest or the principal from somewhere or other, hears his bitter histories like a captive with stretched neck.
§1.3.90conminxit lectum potus mensave catillum §1.3.91Evandri manibus tritum deiecit: ob hanc rem, §1.3.92aut positum ante mea quia pullum in parte catini §1.3.93sustulit esuriens, minus hoc iucundus amicus
He wet the bed while drunk, or threw down from the table a dish worn by the hands of Evander: for this reason, or because when hungry he snatched a chicken placed before me on my part of the dish, should this friend be less agreeable to me?
§1.3.94sit mihi? quid faciam, si furtum fecerit aut si §1.3.95prodiderit conmissa fide sponsumve negarit?
What shall I do if he commits a theft, or if he betrays secrets committed to his trust, or denies a pledge?
§1.3.96quis paria esse fere placuit peccata, laborant, §1.3.97cum ventum ad verum est: sensus moresque repugnant §1.3.98atque ipsa utilitas, iusti prope mater et aequi.
Those who have chosen that sins are nearly equal, struggle when they come to the truth: common sense and morals fight against them, and utility itself, nearly the mother of justice and equity.
§1.3.99cum prorepserunt primis animalia terris, §1.3.100mutum et turpe pecus, glandem atque cubilia propter §1.3.101unguibus et pugnis, dein fustibus atque ita porro §1.3.102pugnabant armis, quae post fabricaverat usus, §1.3.103donec verba, quibus voces sensusque notarent, §1.3.104nominaque invenere; dehinc absistere bello, §1.3.105oppida coeperunt munire et ponere leges, §1.3.106ne quis fur esset neu latro neu quis adulter.
When animals crawled forth from the primeval lands, a dumb and ugly herd, for the sake of acorn and lairs, with nails and fists, then with clubs, and so on progressingly with weapons, which experience had afterwards fabricated, until they discovered words and names, by which they might denote voices and feelings; thence they began to abstain from war, to fortify towns, and to establish laws, lest anyone should be a thief, or a robber, or an adulterer.
§1.3.107nam fuit ante Helenam cunnus taeterrima belli §1.3.108causa, sed ignotis perierunt mortibus illi, §1.3.109quos Venerem incertam rapientis more ferarum §1.3.110viribus editior caedebat ut in grege taurus.
For before Helen, a woman's groin was the most terrible cause of war, but those died by unknown deaths, whom, snatching uncertain love in the manner of wild beasts, the one superior in strength would slay, like a bull in a herd.
§1.3.111iura inventa metu iniusti fateare necesse est, §1.3.112tempora si fastosque velis evolvere mundi.
You must confess that laws were invented through fear of injustice, if you wish to unfold the history and chronicles of the world.
§1.3.113nec Natura potest iusto secernere iniquum, §1.3.114dividit ut bona diversis, fugienda petendis, §1.3.115nec vincet ratio hoc, tantundem ut peccet idemque, §1.3.116qui teneros caules alieni fregerit horti §1.3.117et qui nocturnus sacra Divum legerit.
Nor can Nature separate the unjust from the just, as she distinguishes good things from their opposites, things to be avoided from things to be sought, nor will reason convince of this, that he sins as much and the same, who has broken the tender cabbage stalks of another's garden, and he who by night has stolen the sacred things of the Gods.
adsit §1.3.118regula, peccatis quae poenas inroget aequas, §1.3.119ne scutica dignum horribili sectere flagello.
Let there be present a rule, which may impose just penalties on sins, lest you pursue with a terrible scourge him who is worthy of a light whip.
§1.3.120nam ut ferula caedas meritum maiora subire §1.3.121verbera, non vereor, cum dicas esse paris res §1.3.122furta latrociniis et magnis parva mineris §1.3.123falce recisurum simili te, si tibi regnum §1.3.124permittant homines.
For that you should strike with a reed him who deserves to undergo greater lashes, I do not fear, since you say that thefts are equal to robberies, and threaten that you will cut down small and great with a similar sickle, if men should permit the kingdom to you.
si dives, qui sapiens est, §1.3.125et sutor bonus et solus formosus et est rex, §1.3.126cur optas quod habes? ‘non nosti, quid pater’ inquit
If he who is wise is rich, and a good shoemaker, and alone beautiful, and is a king, why do you wish for what you have?
§1.3.127‘Chrysippus dicat: sapiens crepidas sibi numquam §1.3.128nec soleas fecit; sutor tamen est sapiens. ’ qui?
"You do not know what father," he says, "Chrysippus says: the wise man never made sandals nor shoes; nevertheless, the wise man is a shoemaker." How?
§1.3.129‘ut quamvis tacet Hermogenes, cantor tamen atque §1.3.130optumus est modulator; ut Alfenus vafer omni §1.3.131abiecto instrumento artis clausaque taberna §1.3.132sutor erat: sapiens operis sic optimus omnis §1.3.133est opifex, solus sic rex. ’ vellunt tibi barbam §1.3.134lascivi pueri, quos tu nisi fuste coerces, §1.3.135urgeris turba circum te stante miserque §1.3.136rumperis et latras, magnorum maxime regum.
"Just as Hermogenes, although he is silent, is nevertheless a singer and the best musician; as the crafty Alfenus, when every instrument of his art was cast aside and his shop closed, was a shoemaker: thus the wise man is the best artisan of every work, thus he is the sole king." Wanton boys pluck your beard, whom unless you restrain with a staff, you are pressed upon by the crowd standing around you, and, wretched, you burst and bark, O greatest of great kings.
§1.3.137ne longum faciam: dum tu quadrante lavatum §1.3.138rex ibis neque te quisquam stipator ineptum §1.3.139praeter Crispinum sectabitur, et mihi dulces §1.3.140ignoscent, siquid peccaro stultus, amici §1.3.141inque vicem illorum patiar delicta libenter §1.3.142privatusque magis vivam te rege beatus.
Lest I make it long: while you, as a king, will go to bathe for a quadrant, and no companion will follow you, silly man, except Crispinus, and my sweet friends will forgive me, if I, foolish, commit any offense, and I in turn will willingly endure their offenses, and as a private person I shall live happier than you, the king.