Cicero-On Friendship 《论友谊》.docVIP

On Friendship, by Marcus Tullius CiceroTr. E. S. Shuckburgh; M. Tulli Ciceronis: Laelius De Amicitia (This version of the “De Amicitia” is a conflation of two texts: M. Tulli Ciceronis: Laelius De Amicitia, ed. Clifton Price, 1902; and M. Tulli Ciceronis: Scripta Quae Manserunt Omnia, Part 4, Vol. 3, ed. C.F.W. Mueller, 1890.) [1.]. THE augur Quintus Mucius Scaevola used to recount a number of stories about his father-in-law Galus Laelius, accurately remembered and charmingly told; and whenever he talked about him always gave him the title of “the wise” without any hesitation. I had been introduced by my father to Scaevola as soon as I had assumed the robe of adulthood (toga virilis), and I took advantage of the introduction never to quit the venerable man’s side as long as I was able to stay and he was spared to us. The consequence was that I committed to memory many disquisitions of his, as well as many short pointed apophthegms, and, in short, took as much advantage of his wisdom as I could. When he died, I attached myself to Scaevola the Pontifex, whom I may venture to call quite the most distinguished of our countrymen for ability and uprightness. But of this latter I shall take other occasions to speak. To return to Scaevola the augur. 1. Q. Mucius augur multa narrare de C. Laelio socero suo memoriter et iucunde solebat nec dubitare illum in omni sermone appellare sapientem; ego autem a patre ita eram deductus ad Scaevolam sumpta virili toga, ut, quoad possem et liceret, a senis latere numquam discederem; itaque multa ab eo prudenter disputata, multa etiam breviter et commode dicta memoriae mandabam fierique studebam eius prudentia doctior. Quo mortuo me ad pontificem Scaevolam contuli, quem unum nostrae civitatis et ingenio et iustitia praestantissimum audeo dicere. Sed de hoc alias; nunc redeo ad augurem. [2.] AMONG many other occasions I particularly remember one. He was sitting on a semicircular garden-bench, as was his custom, when I and a very few