§10.6.1proxima stilo cogitatio est, quae et ipsa vires ab hoc accipit, estque inter scribendi laborem extemporalemque fortunam media quaedam et nescio an usus frequentissimi.
Closely related to the pen is reflection, which itself receives strength from it, and is a kind of middle ground between the labor of writing and the hazard of improvisation, and I know not whether it is of the most frequent use.
nam scribere non ubique nec semper possumus; cogitationi temporis ac loci plurimum est.
For we cannot write everywhere nor always; for reflection, there is the greatest abundance of time and place.
haec paucis admodum horis magnas etiam causas complectitur; haec, quotiens intermissus est somnus, ipsis noctis tenebris adiuvatur; haec inter medios rerum actus aliquid invenit vacui nec otium patitur.
This, in only a few hours, embraces even major cases; this, whenever sleep is interrupted, is aided by the very darkness of the night; this finds some empty space in the midst of activities and does not allow idleness.
§10.6.2neque vero rerum ordinem modo, quod ipsum satis erat, intra se ipsa disponit, sed verba etiam copulat totamque ita contexit orationem, ut ei nihil praeter manum desit.
And indeed, it not only arranges the order of things within itself, which by itself was enough, but also joins words and so weaves the whole speech together that nothing but the hand is lacking to it.
nam memoriae quoque plerumque inhaerent fidelius, quae nulla scribendi securitate laxantur.
For those things which are not relaxed by any security of writing also usually cling more faithfully to the memory.
sed ne ad hanc quidem vim cogitandi perveniri potest aut subito aut cito.
But not even to this power of reflection can one arrive either suddenly or quickly.
§10.6.3nam primum facienda multo stilo forma est, quae nos etiam cogitantes sequatur; tum adsumendus usus paulatim, ut pauca primum complectamur animo, quae reddi fideliter possint; mox per incrementa tam modica, ut onerari se labor ille non sentiat, augenda vis et exercitatione multa continenda est, quae quidem maxima ex parte memoria constat.
For first, a habit must be formed by much writing, which may follow us even when reflecting; then practice must be acquired gradually, so that at first we may embrace in our mind only a few things which can be faithfully reproduced; soon, by increases so moderate that that labor does not feel itself being burdened, the power must be increased and maintained by much practice, which indeed for the most part consists of memory.
ideoque aliqua mihi in illum locum differenda sunt.
And therefore some things must be deferred by me to that place.
§10.6.4eo tandem pervenit, ut is, cui non refragetur ingenium, acri studio adiutus tantum consequatur, ut ei tam quae cogitarit quam quae scripserit atque edidicerit in dicendo fidem servent.
At last one arrives at this, that he whose talent does not oppose him, aided by keen study, attains so much that, in speaking, what he has reflected upon keeps faith with him just as much as what he has written and learned by heart.
Cicero certe Graecorum Metrodorum Scepsium et Empylum Rhodium nostrorumque Hortensium tradidit, quae cogitaverant, ad verbum in agendo retulisse.
Cicero certainly reported that Metrodorus of Scepsis and Empylus of Rhodes among the Greeks, and Hortensius among our own people, reproduced what they had reflected upon word for word in pleading.
§10.6.5sed si forte aliquis inter dicendum effulserit extemporalis color, non superstitiose cogitatis demum est inhaerendum.
But if by chance some improvisational color shines forth during speaking, one must not cling superstitiously only to what was reflected upon.
neque enim tantum habent curae, ut non sit dandus et fortunae locus, cum saepe etiam scriptis ea quae subito nata sunt inserantur.
For they do not possess so much care that room should not be given to fortune as well, since often even into written works those things which are suddenly born are inserted.
ideoque totum hoc exercitationis genus ita instituendum est, ut et digredi ex eo et redire in id facile possimus.
And therefore this whole class of exercise must be so established that we can both depart from it and return to it easily.
§10.6.6nam ut primum est domo adferre paratam dicendi copiam et certam, ita refutare temporis munera longe stultissimum est.
For just as it is of first importance to bring from home a prepared and certain abundance of speaking, so to reject the gifts of the moment is by far the most foolish thing.
quare cogitatio in hoc praeparetur, ut nos fortuna decipere non possit, adiuvare possit.
Therefore, let reflection be prepared for this, that fortune cannot deceive us, but can help us.
id autem fiet memoriae viribus, ut illa, quae complexi animo sumus, fluant secura, non sollicitos et respicientes et una spe suspensos recordationis non sinant providere.
And this will be achieved by the strength of memory, so that those things which we have embraced in our mind may flow without anxiety, and not permit us to be anxious, looking back, and suspended solely on the hope of recollection, preventing us from looking forward.
alioqui vel extemporalem temeritatem malo quam male cohaerentem cogitationem.
Otherwise, I prefer even improvisational rashness to a badly cohering reflection.
§10.6.7peius enim quaeritur retrorsus, quia, dum illa desideramus, ab allis avertimur, et ex memoria potius res petimus quam ex materia.
For it is worse to search backward, because while we miss those things, we are turned away from others, and we seek things from memory rather than from our material.
plura sunt autem, si utrimque quaerendum est, quae inveniri possunt quam quae inventa sunt.
But if we must search on both sides, those things which can be found are more than those which have been found.