§9.4.53quorum fuerunt, qui velut lyricorum quorundam carmina ut varias mensuras coegerunt.
Among whom there were some who forced [prose], like the songs of certain lyric poets, into various measures.
at Cicero frequentissime dicit totum hoc constare numeris, ideoque reprehenditur a quibusdam, tanquam orationem ad rhythmos adliget.
But Cicero very frequently says that all this consists of numbers, and therefore he is blamed by some, as if he bound speech to rhythms.
§9.4.54nam sunt numeri rhythmi, ut et ipse constituit, et secuti eum Vergilius, cum dicit
"
numeros memini, si verba tenerem,
"
et Horatius
"
numerisque fertur
lege solutis. "
For numbers are rhythms, as he himself established, and Virgil following him, when he says, "I remember the numbers, if I held the words, "and Horace, "and is carried along in numbers free from law.
§9.4.55invadunt ergo hanc inter ceteras vocem: neque enim Demosthenis fulmina tantopere vibratura dicit, nisi numeris contorta ferrentur.
"Therefore they attack this word among others: for he says that the thunderbolts of Demosthenes would not vibrate so much, unless they were hurled spinning with numbers.
in quo si hoc sentit rhythmis contorta, dissentio.
In which, if he means "hurled spinning by rhythms", I disagree.
nam rhythmi, ut dixi, neque finem habent certum nec ullam ut contextu varietatem, sed qua coeperunt sublatione ac positione, ad finem usque decurrunt; oratio non descendet ad crepitum digitorum et pedum.
For rhythms, as I said, have neither a fixed end nor any variety in context, but run all the way to the end with the same elevation and position with which they began; speech will not descend to the snapping of fingers and feet.
§9.4.56quod Cicero optime videt ac testatur frequenter se quod numerosum sit quaerere, ut magis non ἀπάλαιστοι. quod esset inscitum atque agreste, quam ἔνρυθμον, quod poeticum est, esse compositionem velit; sicut etiam quos palaestritas esse nolumus, tamen esse nolumus eos qui dicuntur ἀπάλαιστοι.
Which Cicero sees best and frequently testifies that he seeks what is numerous, so that he wants the composition to be rather not "untrained" (apalaistoi), which would be ignorant and rustic, than "rhythmical" (enrythmon), which is poetic; just as we do not want those whom we do not want to be wrestlers to be, nevertheless, what are called "untrained".
§9.4.57verum ea quae efficitur e pedibus apta conclusio nomen aliquod desiderat.
But that fitting conclusion which is made from feet demands some name.
quid sit igitur potius quam numerus, sed oratorius numerus, ut enthymema rhetoricus syllogismus? ego certe, ne ut calumniam cadam, qua ne M. quidem Tullius caruit, posco hoc mihi, ut, cum de compositionis dixero numero et ubicunque iam dixi,oratorium dicere intelligar.
What should it be, then, rather than number, but oratorical number, as an enthymeme is a rhetorical syllogism? I certainly, lest I fall into calumny, which not even Marcus Tullius escaped, demand this for myself, that, when I speak of the number of composition and wherever I have already spoken of it, I may be understood to speak of the oratorical.
§9.4.58collocatio autem verba iam probata et electa et velut adsignata sibi debet connectere; nam vel dure inter se commissa potiora sunt inutilibus.
But collocation must connect words already approved and chosen and, as it were, assigned to themselves; for even words harshly joined together are better than useless ones.
tamen et eligere quaedam, dum ex iis quae idem significent atque idem valeant, permiserim, et adiicere dum non otiosa, et detrahere dum non necessaria, et figuris mutare casus atque numeros, quorum varietas frequenter gratia compositionis adscita etiam suo nomine solet esse iucunda.
Yet I would permit both to choose certain words, provided they are from those which mean the same and have the same force, and to add, provided they are not idle, and to detract, provided they are not necessary, and to change cases and numbers by figures, whose variety frequently assumed for the grace of composition is usually pleasing even on its own account.
§9.4.59etiam ubi aliud ratio, aliud consuetudo poscet, utrum volet, sumat compositio, vitavisse vel vitasse, deprehendere vel deprendere.
Even where reason demands one thing and custom another, composition may take whichever it wishes, 'vitavisse' or 'vitasse', 'deprehendere' or 'deprendre'.
coitus etiam syllabarum non negabo, et quidquid sententiis aut elocutioni non nocebit.
I will not deny even the union of syllables, and whatever will not harm the thoughts or the elocution.
praecipuum tamen ut hoc opus est, §9.4.60scire quod quoque loco verborum maxime quadret.
Yet the chief task is this, to know what fits best in each place of words.
atque is optime componet, qui hoc non solum componendi gratia facit.
And he will compose best, who does this not solely for the sake of composing.
ratio vero pedum ut oratione est multo quam ut versu difficilior: primum quod versus paucis continetur, oratio longiores habet saepe circuitus; deinde quod versus semper similis sibi est et una ratione decurrit, orationis compositio, nisi varia est, et offendet similitudine et ut adfectatione deprehenditur.
But the ratio of feet in speech is much more difficult than in verse: first because verse is contained in few words, while speech often has longer circuits; second because verse is always similar to itself and runs on one principle, while the composition of speech, unless it is varied, will both offend by similarity and is detected as affectation.
§9.4.61et ut omni quidem corpore totoque (ut ita dixerim) tractu numerus insertus est; neque enim loqui possumus nisi syllabis brevibus ac longis, ex quibus pedes fiunt.
And indeed in every body and in the whole (so to speak) tract number is inserted; for we cannot speak except with short and long syllables, from which feet are made.
magis tamen et desideratur ut clausulis et apparet, primum quia sensus omnis habet suum finem poscitque naturale intervallum, quo a sequentis initio dividatur, deinde quod aures continuam vocem secutae ductaeque velut prono decurrentis orationis flumine tum magis iudicant, cum ille impetus stetit et intuendi tempus dedit.
Yet it is more demanded in clausulae and appears there, first because every sense has its own end and demands a natural interval by which it may be divided from the beginning of the following, second because the ears following the continuous voice and led, as it were, by the steep river of the down-running speech, judge better then, when that impetus has stopped and given time for contemplating.
§9.4.62non igitur durum sit neque abruptum, quo animi velut respirant ac reficiuntur.
Therefore let it not be harsh nor abrupt, where minds, as it were, breathe again and are refreshed.
haec est sedes orationis, hoc auditor exspectat, hic laus omnis declamantium.
This is the seat of speech, this the auditor expects, here is all the praise of declaimers.
Proximam clausulis diligentiam postulant initia; nam et ut haec intentus auditor est.
The next diligence after the clausulae is required by the beginnings; for the auditor is intent also upon these.