§9.9Hae sunt amicitiae, quas temporarias populus appellat; qui utilitatis causa adsumptus est, tamdiu placebit, quamdiu utilis fuerit.
These are the friendships which the common people call temporary; he who is taken on for the sake of utility will please only so long as he is useful.
Hac re florentes amicorum turba circumsedet; circa eversos solitudo est, et inde amici fugiunt, ubi probantur.
For this reason, a crowd of friends surrounds those who are flourishing; around those who are ruined there is solitude, and friends flee from there where they are put to the test.
Hac re ista tot nefaria exempla sunt aliorum metu relinquentium, aliorum metu prodendum.
For this reason, there are those many infamous examples of some deserting out of fear, and others being betrayed out of fear.
Necesse est initia inter se et exitus congruant.
It is necessary that the beginnings and the ends agree with each other.
Qui amicus esse coepit, quia expedit, et desinet, quia expedit.
He who began to be a friend because it is expedient will also cease because it is expedient.
Placebit aliquod pretium contra amicitiam, si ullum in illa placet praeter ipsam. §9.10In quid amicum paro? Ut habeam pro quo mori possim, ut habeam quem in exilium sequar, cuius me morti opponam et inpendam.
Some price against friendship will please, if anything in it pleases except itself. For what purpose do I procure a friend? So that I may have someone for whom I can die, so that I may have someone whom I can follow into exile, for whose death I may oppose and sacrifice myself.
Ista, quam tu describis, negotiatio est, non amicitia, quae ad commodum accedit, quae quid consecutura sit spectat. §9.11Non dubie habet aliquid simile amicitiae affectus amantium; possis dicere illam esse insanam amicitiam.
That which you describe is business, not friendship, which approaches for the sake of advantage, which looks to what it will attain. Undoubtedly, the affection of lovers has something similar to friendship; you could say that it is an insane friendship.
Numquid ergo quisquam amat lucri causa? Numquid ambitionis aut gloriae? Ipse per se amor omnium aliarum rerum neglegens animos in cupiditatem formae non sine spe mutuae caritatis accendit.
Does anyone, then, love for the sake of gain? Or for ambition or glory? Love itself, of itself, neglecting all other things, inflames minds into a desire for beauty, not without the hope of mutual affection.
Quid ergo? Ex honestiore causa coit turpis adfectus?" §9.12Non agitur," inquis, "nunc de hoc, an amicitia propter se ipsam adpetenda sit. "Immo vero nihil magis probandum est.
What then? Does a base affection come together from a more honorable cause? "It is not a question now," you say, "whether friendship is to be sought for its own sake." Nay, indeed, nothing is more to be proved.
Nam si propter se ipsam expetenda est, potest ad illam accedere qui se ipso contentus est.
For if it is to be sought for its own sake, he who is content with himself can approach it.
"Quomodo ergo ad illam accedit?" Quomodo ad rem pulcherrimam, non lucro captus nec varietate fortunae perterritus.
"How then does he approach it?" As to a most beautiful thing, not captured by gain, nor terrified by the variety of fortune.
Detrahit amicitiae maiestatem suam, qui illam parat ad bonos casus. §9.13Se contentus est sapiens.
He deprives friendship of its majesty who prepares it for good fortunes. The wise man is content with himself.
Hoc, mi Lucili, plerique perperam interpretantur; sapientem undique submovent et intra cutem suam cogunt.
This, my Lucilius, most people interpret incorrectly; they remove the wise man from everywhere and force him inside his own skin.
Distinguendum autem est, quid et quatenus vox ista promittat; se contentus est sapiens ad beate vivendum, non ad vivendum.
But we must distinguish what and to what extent that phrase promises; the wise man is content with himself for living happily, not for living.
Ad hoc enim multis illi rebus opus est, ad illud tantum animo sano et erecto et despiciente fortunam. §9.14Volo tibi Chrysippi quoque distinctionem indicare.
For, for the latter he needs many things, but for the former only a healthy, upright mind that despises fortune. I wish also to show you Chrysippus' distinction.
Ait sapientem nulla re egere, et tamen multis illi rebus opus esse.
He says that the wise man lacks nothing, and yet needs many things.
"Contra stulto nulla re opus est, nulla enim re uti scit, sed omnibus eget. "Sapienti et manibus et oculis et multis ad cotidianum usum necessariis opus est, eget nulla re.
"On the contrary, the fool needs nothing, for he knows how to use nothing, but lacks everything." The wise man needs hands and eyes and many things necessary for daily use, but lacks nothing.
Egere enim necessitatis est, nihil necesse sapienti est. §9.15Ergo quamvis se ipso contentus sit, amicis illi opus est.
For to lack belongs to necessity, and nothing is necessary to the wise man. Therefore, although he is content with himself, he needs friends.
Hos cupit habere quam plurimos, non ut beate vivat; vivet enim etiam sine amicis beate.
He desires to have as many of these as possible, not that he may live happily; for he will live happily even without friends.
Summum bonum extrinsecus instrumenta non quaerit.
The supreme good does not seek instruments from without.
Domi colitur, ex se totum est.
It is cultivated at home; it is entirely from itself.
Incipit fortunae esse subiectum, si quam partem sui foris quaerit. §9.16"Qualis tamen futura est vita sapientis, si sine amicis relinquatur in custodiam coniectus, vel in aliqua gente aliena destitutus, vel in navigatione longa retentus, aut in desertum litus eiectus?" Qualis est Iovis, cum resoluto mundo et dis in unum confusis paulisper cessante natura adquiescit sibi cogitationibus suis traditus.
It begins to be subject to fortune if it seeks any part of itself outside. "What, however, will the life of the wise man be like, if he is left without friends, thrown into prison, or abandoned in some foreign nation, or detained in a long voyage, or cast upon a deserted shore?" Such as is that of Jupiter, when the world is dissolved and the gods are merged into one, and nature rests for a while, as he reposes, given over to his own thoughts.
Tale quiddam sapiens facit; in se reconditur, secum est.
The wise man does something of this sort: he retreats into himself, he is with himself.