§24.1Sollicitum esse te scribis de iudicii eventu, quod tibi furor inimici denuntiat, existimas me suasurum, ut meliora tibi ipse proponas et adquiescas spei blandae.
You write that you are anxious about the outcome of the trial, which the fury of your enemy threatens you with; you think that I will advise you to picture better things to yourself and to acquiesce in flattering hope.
Quid enim necesse est mala accersere, satis cito patienda cum venerint, praesumere ac praesens tempus futuri metu perdere? Est sine dubio stultum, quia quandoque sis futurus miser, esse iam miserum.
For what necessity is there to summon evils, which must be suffered soon enough when they come, to anticipate them and to lose the present time through fear of the future? It is without doubt foolish, because you are destined to be miserable at some time, to be miserable already.
Sed ego alia te ad securitatem via ducam: §24.2si vis omnem sollicitudinem exuere, quicquid vereris ne eveniat, eventurum utique propone, et quodcumque est illud malum, tecum ipse metire ac timorem tuum taxa; intelleges profecto aut non magnum aut non longum esse, quod metuis.
But I will lead you to security by another path: if you wish to strip off all anxiety, whatever you fear may happen, assume that it will definitely happen, and whatever that evil is, measure it with yourself and appraise your fear; you will surely understand that what you dread is either not great or not long.
§24.3Nec diu exempla, quibus confirmeris, colligenda sunt; omnis illa aetas tulit.
Nor must examples by which you may be strengthened be collected for a long time; every age has produced them.
In quamcumque partem rerum vel civilium vel externarum memoriam miseris, occurrent tibi ingenia aut profectus aut inpetus magni.
In whatever direction of affairs, whether domestic or foreign, you direct your memory, great minds or progress or great impulses will run to meet you.
Numquid accidere tibi, si damnaris, potest durius quam ut mittaris in exilium, ut ducaris in carcerem? Numquid ultra quicquam ulli timendum est quam ut uratur, quam ut pereat? Singula ista constitue et contemptores eorum cita, qui non quaerendi, sed eligendi sunt.
Can anything harder happen to you, if you are condemned, than to be sent into exile, to be led into prison? Is there anything further for anyone to dread than to be burned, than to perish? Set down each of these things and summon those who despised them, who are not to be sought, but to be chosen.
§24.4Damnationem suam Rutilius sic tulit, tamquam nihil illi molestum aliud esset quam quod male iudicaretur.
Rutilius bore his condemnation in such a way, as if nothing else were troublesome to him than that he was judged badly.
Exilium Metellus fortiter tulit, Rutilius etiam libenter; alter, ut rediret, rei publicae praestitit, alter reditum suum Sullae negavit, cui nihil tunc negabatur.
Metellus bore exile bravely, Rutilius even gladly; the former obliged the state to bring about his return, the latter refused his return to Sulla, to whom nothing was then refused.
In carcere Socrates disputavit et exire, cum essent qui promitterent fugam, noluit remansitque, ut duarum rerum gravissimarum hominibus metum demeret, mortis et carceris.
In prison Socrates disputed, and he refused to go out, although there were those who promised flight, and remained, so that he might take away from men the fear of the two most serious things, death and prison.
§24.5Mucius ignibus manum inposuit.
Mucius placed his hand on the fires.
Acerbum est uri; quanto acerbius, si id te faciente patiaris! Vides hominem non eruditum nec ullis praeceptis contra mortem aut dolorem subornatum, militari tantum robore instructum, poenas a se inriti conatus exigentem; spectator destillantis in hostili foculo dexterae stetit nec ante removit nudis ossibus fluentem manum, quam ignis illi ab hoste subductus est.
It is bitter to be burned; how much more bitter if you suffer it with you yourself doing it! You see a man not learned nor equipped with any precepts against death or pain, furnished only with military strength, exacting punishment from himself for his unsuccessful attempt; he stood as a spectator of his right hand dripping in the enemy's hearth, nor did he remove his hand flowing with bare bones before the fire was withdrawn from him by the enemy.
Facere aliquid in illis castris felicius potuit, nihil fortius.
He could have done something happier in that camp, but nothing braver.
Vide quanto acrior sit ad occupanda pericula virtus quam crudelitas ad inroganda: facilius Porsenna Mucio ignovit, quod voluerat occidere, quam sibi Mucius, quod non occiderat.
See how much sharper virtue is in seizing dangers than cruelty in imposing them: Porsenna more easily forgave Mucius for wanting to kill him, than Mucius forgave himself for not having killed him.
§24.6"Decantatae," inquis, "in omnibus scholis fabulae istae sunt; iam mihi, cum ad contemnendam mortem ventum fuerit, Catonem narrabis. "Quidni ego narrem ultima illa nocte Platonis librum legentem posito ad caput gladio? Duo haec in rebus extremis instrumenta prospexerat, alterum ut vellet mori, alterum, ut posset.
"Those," you say, "are stories chanted in all the schools; now, when we come to despising death, you will tell me about Cato." Why should I not tell of him, on that last night reading Plato's book with a sword placed at his head? He had provided these two instruments in extreme circumstances: the one that he might wish to die, the other that he might be able to.
Compositis ergo rebus, utcumque componi fractae atque ultimae poterant, id agendum existimavit, ne cui Catonem aut occidere liceret aut servare contingeret.
Having settled his affairs, therefore, however much his broken and extreme affairs could be settled, he thought he must act so that no one should be allowed either to kill Cato or happen to save him.
§24.7Et stricto gladio, quem usque in illum diem ab omni caede purum servaverat: "Nihil," inquit, "egisti, fortuna, omnibus conatibus meis obstando.
And with drawn sword, which he had kept pure from all slaughter until that day, he said: "You have accomplished nothing, fortune, by opposing all my endeavors.
Non pro mea adhuc sed pro patriae libertate pugnavi, nec agebam tanta pertinacia, ut liber, sed ut inter liberos viverem.
I have fought not for my own freedom so far, but for my country's freedom, nor did I act with such persistence that I might live free, but that I might live among free people.
Nunc quoniam deploratae sunt res generis humani, Cato deducatur in tutum. " §24.8Inpressit deinde mortiferum corpori vulnus.
Now, since the affairs of the human race are despaired of, let Cato be led to safety." He then inflicted a mortal wound upon his body.
Quo obligato a medicis cum minus sanguinis haberet, minus virium, animi idem, iam non tantum Caesari sed sibi iratus nudas in vulnus manus egit et generosum illum contemptoremque omnis potentiae spiritum non emisit, sed eiecit.
When this was bound up by the physicians, since he had less blood, less strength, but the same mind, angry now not only at Caesar but at himself, he thrust his bare hands into the wound and did not emit, but cast out that noble spirit, despiser of all power.