§47.11Nolo in ingentem me locum inmittere et de usu servorum disputare, in quos superbissimi, crudelissimi, contumeliosissimi sumus.
I do not wish to throw myself into a vast field and dispute about the treatment of slaves, towards whom we are most arrogant, most cruel, and most insulting.
Haec tamen praecepti mei summa est: sic cum inferiore vivas, quemadmodum tecum superiorem velis vivere.
This, however, is the sum of my advice: live with your inferior in the same manner as you would wish your superior to live with you.
Quotiens in mentem venerit, quantum tibi in servum liceat, veniat in mentem tantundem in te domino tuo licere.
As often as it comes into your mind how much is permitted to you over your slave, let it come into your mind that just as much is permitted to your master over you.
§47.12"At ego," inquis, "nullum habeo dominum. "Bona aetas est; forsitan habebis.
"But I," you say, "have no master." It is a good age; perhaps you will have one.
Nescis, qua aetate Hecuba servire coeperit, qua Croesus, qua Darei mater, qua Platon, qua Diogenes?
Do you not know at what age Hecuba began to be a slave, at what age Croesus, at what age the mother of Darius, at what age Plato, at what age Diogenes?
§47.13Vive cum servo clementer, comiter quoque, et in sermonem illum admitte et in consilium et in convictum.
Live with your slave clemently, and courteously too, and admit him to your conversation, into your counsel, and into your company.
Hoc loco adclamabit mihi tota manus delicatorum: "Nihil hac re humilius, nihil turpius. "Hos ego eosdem deprehendam alienorum servorum osculantes manum.
At this point, the whole band of fastidious men will cry out against me: "Nothing is more lowly than this, nothing more disgraceful." I shall catch these very same men kissing the hand of other people's slaves.
§47.14Ne illud quidem videtis, quam omnem invidiam maiores nostri dominis, omnem contumeliam servis detraxerint? Dominum patrem familiae appellaverunt, servos, quod etiam in mimis adhuc durat, familiares.
Do you not even see this, how our ancestors removed all hatred from masters and all insult from slaves? They called the master 'father of the household', and the slaves (which still survives even in mimes) 'members of the family'.
Instituerunt diem festum, non quo solo cum servis domini vescerentur, sed quo utique; honores illis in domo gerere, ius dicere permiserunt et domum pusillam rem publicam esse iudicaverunt.
They established a holiday, not on which day alone masters should eat with slaves, but on which day they should at all events do so; they permitted them to hold offices in the house and to administer justice, and they judged the house to be a miniature republic.
§47.15"Quid ergo? Omnes servos admovebo mensae meae?" Non magis quam omnes liberos.
"What then? Shall I admit all slaves to my table?" No more than all free men.
Erras, si existimas me quosdam quasi sordidioris operae reiecturum, ut puta illum mulionem et illum bubulcum; non ministeriis illos aestimabo, sed moribus.
You err if you think that I shall reject some as being of meaner employment, as for instance that mule-driver and that cowherd; I shall not value them by their tasks, but by their characters.
Sibi quisque dat mores, ministeria casus adsignat.
Each person gives himself his character, chance assigns his tasks.
Quidam cenent tecum, quia digni sunt, quidam, ut sint.
Let some dine with you because they are worthy, and others that they may become so.
Si quid enim in illis, ex sordida conversatione servile est, honestiorum convictus excutiet.
For if there is anything servile in them from sordid association, the companionship of more honorable men will shake it off.
§47.16Non est, mi Lucili, quod amicum tantum in foro et in curia quaeras; si diligenter adtenderis, et domi invenies.
There is no reason, my Lucilius, why you should look for a friend only in the forum and in the senate-house; if you pay diligent attention, you will find one at home as well.
Saepe bona materia cessat sine artifice; tempta, et experiere.
Often good material lies idle without a craftsman; try, and you will experience it.
Quemadmodum stultus est, qui equum empturus non ipsum inspicit, sed stratum eius ac frenos, sic stultissimus est, qui hominem aut ex veste aut ex condicione, quae vestis modo nobis circumdata est, aestimat.
Just as he is a fool who, when about to buy a horse, does not inspect the horse itself but its saddle and bridle, so he is most foolish who values a man either from his clothes or from his condition, which has been wrapped around us like a garment.
§47.17"Servus est. "Sed fortasse liber animo.
"He is a slave." But perhaps free in mind.
"Servus est.
"He is a slave." Will this do him harm?
"Hoc illi nocebit? Ostende, quis non sit; alius libidini servit, alius avaritiae, alius ambitioni, omnes timori.
Show me who is not one; one is a slave to lust, another to greed, another to ambition, and all to fear.
Dabo consularem aniculae servientem, dabo ancillulae divitem, ostendam nobilissimos iuvenes mancipia pantomimorum! Nulla servitus turpior est quam voluntaria.
I will show you a man of consular rank serving an old woman, I will show you a rich man serving a little handmaid, I will show you the most noble young men as the slaves of pantomime actors! No servitude is more disgraceful than voluntary servitude.
Quare non est quod fastidiosi isti te deterreant, quo minus servis tuis hilarem te praestes et non superbe superiorem; colant potius te quam timeant.
Therefore, there is no reason why those fastidious people should deter you from showing yourself cheerful to your slaves and not arrogantly superior; let them rather respect you than fear you.
§47.18Dicet aliquis nunc me vocare ad pilleum servos et dominos de fastigio suo deicere, quod dixi: colant potius dominum quam timeant.
Someone will say that I am now calling slaves to the felt cap and throwing down masters from their high position, because I said: let them respect their master rather than fear him.
"Ita inquit prorsus: colant tamquam clientes, tamquam salutatores?" Hoc qui dixerit, obliviscetur id dominis parum non esse, quod deo sat est.
"Is that so, indeed?" he says, "should they respect him like clients, like morning salutators?" He who says this forgets that that is not too little for masters which is enough for God.
Qui colitur, et amatur; non potest amor cum timore misceri.
He who is respected is also loved; love cannot be mixed with fear.
§47.19Rectissime ergo facere te iudico, quod timeri a servis tuis non vis, quod verborum castigatione uteris; verberibus muta admonentur.
Therefore, I judge that you act most rightly because you do not wish to be feared by your slaves, because you use the chastisement of words; dumb animals are admonished with whips.
Non quicquid nos offendit, et laedit.
Not everything that offends us also hurts us.
Sed ad rabiem nos cogunt pervenire deliciae, ut quicquid non ex voluntate respondit, iram evocet.
But our luxuries compel us to arrive at madness, so that whatever has not responded according to our will evokes anger.
§47.20Regum nobis induimus animos.
We put on the minds of kings.
Nam illi quoque obliti et suarum virium et inbecillitatis alienae sic excandescunt, sic saeviunt, quasi iniuriam acceperint, a cuius rei periculo illos fortunae suae magnitudo tutissimos praestat.
For they too, forgetting both their own strength and others' weakness, flare up and rage as if they had received an injury, from the danger of which the greatness of their fortune keeps them safest.
Nec hoc ignorant, sed occasionem nocendi captant querendo; acceperunt iniuriam ut facerent.
Nor are they ignorant of this, but by complaining they seek an opportunity of doing harm; they assumed they had received an injury so that they might inflict one.
§47.21Diutius te morari nolo; non est enim tibi exhortatione opus.
I do not wish to delay you longer; for you have no need of exhortation.
Hoc habent inter cetera boni mores: placent sibi, permanent.
Good character has this among other things: it pleases itself, and it abides.
Levis est malitia, saepe mutatur, non in melius, sed in aliud.
Malice is light, it often changes—not into something better, but into something else.
VALE.
Farewell.