§4.2.43nos autem brevitatem in hoc ponimus, non ut minus, sed ne plus dicatur quam oporteat.
But we place brevity in this, not that less should be said, but that no more should be said than is necessary.
nam iterationes quidem et ταυτολογίας et περισσολογίας, quas in narratione vitandas quidam scriptores artium tradiderunt, transeo; sunt enim haec vitia non tantum brevitatis gratia refugienda.
For as to repetitions, tautologies, and wordiness, which certain writers of arts have taught should be avoided in the statement of facts, I pass them over; for these faults are to be avoided not only for the sake of brevity.
§4.2.44non minus autem cavenda erit, quae nimium corripientes omnia sequitur, obscuritas, satiusque est aliquid narrationi superesse quam deesse.
But obscurity, which follows those who cut down everything too much, must be no less guarded against, and it is better for something to be redundant in the statement of facts than to be lacking.
nam supervacua cum taedio dicuntur, necessaria cum periculo subtrahuntur.
For superfluous things are spoken with tediousness, but necessary things are withdrawn with danger.
§4.2.45quare vitanda est etiam illa Sallustiana, quanquam in ipso virtutis obtinet locum, brevitas et abruptum sermonis genus, quod otiosum fortasse lectorem minus fallat, audientem transvolat nec dum repetatur exspectat, cum praesertim lector non fere sit nisi eruditus, iudicem rura plerumque in decurias mittant de eo pronuntiaturum quod intellexerit; ut fortasse ubicunque, in narratione tamen praecipue, media haec tenenda sit via dicendi quantum opus est et quantum satis est.
Therefore, that Sallustian brevity also, although in him it holds the place of a virtue, and that abrupt style of language must be avoided, which perhaps less deceives a leisurely reader, but flies past a listener and does not wait until it is repeated, especially since a reader is scarcely anyone but a learned person, while the countryside mostly sends men to the panels of judges to pass judgment on what they have understood; so that perhaps everywhere, but especially in the statement of facts, this middle path of speaking as much as is needed and as much as is enough must be maintained.
§4.2.46quantum opus est autem non ita solum accipi volo, quantum ad indicandum sufficit, quia non inornata debet esse brevitas, alioqui sit indocta; nam et fallit voluptas et minus longa quae delectant videntur, ut amoenum ac molle iter, etiamsi est spatii amplioris, minus fatigat quam durum aridumque compendium.
But I do not wish "as much as is needed" to be understood only in this way, as much as is sufficient for indicating, because brevity ought not to be unadorned, otherwise it would be unlearned; for pleasure also deceives, and things that delight seem less long, just as a pleasant and gentle journey, even if it is of greater distance, fatigues less than a rough and dry short cut.
§4.2.47neque mihi unquam tanta fuerit cura brevitatis, ut non ea, quae credibilem faciunt expositionem, inseri velim.
Nor would I ever have so great a care for brevity that I would not wish those things to be inserted which make the exposition credible.
simplex enim et undique praecisa non tam narratio vocari potest quam confessio.
For a simple and everywhere cut-off statement can be called not so much a statement of facts as a confession.
sunt porro multae condicione ipsa rei longae narrationes, quibus extrema (ut praecepi) prooemii parte ad intentionem praeparandus est iudex; deinde curandum, ut omni arte vel ex spatio eius detrahamus aliquid vel ex taedio.
Furthermore, there are many statements of facts long by the very condition of the matter, for which (as I have instructed) the judge must be prepared for attention in the last part of the exordium; then care must be taken that by every art we detract something either from its length or from its tediousness.
§4.2.48ut minus longa sit, efficiemus quae poterimus differendo, non tamen sine mentione eorum, quae differemus: quas causas occidendi habuerit, quos adsumpserit conscios, quemadmodum disposuerit insidias, probationis loco dicam. §4.2.49quaedam vero ex ordine praetermittenda, quale est apud Ciceronem: moritur Fulcinius; multa enim, quae sunt in re, quia remota sunt a causa, praetermittam. et partitio taedium levat: dicam quae acta sint ante ipsum rei contractum, dicam quae in re ipsa, dicam quae postea. §4.2.50ita tres potius modicae narrationes videbuntur quam una longa.
That it may be less long, we shall effect what we can by deferring, yet not without mention of those things which we shall defer: "what causes he had for killing, whom he took as accomplices, how he arranged the ambush, I shall speak in the place of proof." But certain things are to be passed over entirely from the order, such as is in Cicero: "Fulcinius dies; for many things which are in the matter, because they are remote from the case, I shall pass over." Division also relieves tediousness: "I shall speak of what was done before the very contract of the matter, I shall speak of what in the matter itself, I shall speak of what afterwards." Thus three moderate statements of facts will appear rather than one long one.
interim expediet expositiones brevi interfatione distinguere: audistis quae ante acta sunt, accipite nunc quae insequuntur. reficietur enim iudex priorum fine et se velut ad novum rursus initium praeparabit.
Meanwhile it will be useful to distinguish the expositions with a brief transition: "you have heard what was done before, receive now what follows." For the judge will be refreshed by the end of the prior things and will prepare himself, as it were, for a new beginning again.
§4.2.51si tamen adhibitis quoque his artibus in longum exierit ordo rerum, erit non inutilis in extrema parte commonitio; quod Cicero etiam in brevi narratione fecit: adhuc, Caesar, Q. Ligarius omni culpa caret;
If, however, even when these arts are applied, the order of things goes to a great length, a reminder in the last part will be not useless; which Cicero did even in a brief statement of facts: "Hitherto, Caesar, Q.
domo est egressus non modo nullum ad bellum sed ne ad minimum i quidem belli suspicionem et cetera.
Ligarius is free from all blame; he went out from home not only to no war, but not even to the least suspicion of war," and so forth.
§4.2.52credibilis autem erit narratio ante omnia, si prius consuluerimus nostrum animum, ne quid naturae dicamus adversum, deinde si causas ac rationes factis praeposuerimus, non omnibus sed de quibus quaeritur, si personas convenientes iis, quae facta credi volemus, constituerimus, ut furti reum cupidum, adulterii libidinosum, homicidii temerarium, vel his contraria, si defendemus; praeterea loca, tempora et similia.
But the statement of facts will be credible, above all, if we first consult our own mind, lest we say anything contrary to nature; next, if we place causes and reasons before the deeds, not for all but for those about which there is inquiry; if we establish persons suitable to those things which we wish to be believed done, as a person accused of theft greedy, of adultery lustful, of homicide rash, or the contraries of these if we are defending; besides, places, times, and the like.
§4.2.53est autem quidam et ductus rei credibilis, qualis in comoediis etiam et in minis.
Moreover, there is also a certain credible course of the matter, such as is even in comedies and in mimes.
aliqua enim naturaliter sequuntur et cohaerent ut, si priora bene narraveris, iudex ipse quod postea sis narraturus exspectet.
For some things naturally follow and cohere so that, if you have narrated the prior things well, the judge himself expects what you are to narrate afterwards.