Brutus, or On Eminent Orators Passage 249

Caesar autem parum; illum enim saepe audivi, hic, cum ego iudicare iam aliquid possem, afuit. Quid igitur de illo iudicas, inquam, quem saepe audivisti? Quid censes, inquit, nisi id, quod habiturus es similem tui? Ne ego, inquam, si ita est, velim tibi eum placere quam maxime. Atqui et ita est, inquit, et vehementer placet; nec vero sine causa. Nam et didicit et omissis ceteris studiis unum id egit seseque cotidianis commentationibus acerrime exercuit.

“but Caesar too little. For I have often heard the former, whereas the latter was away when I had become capable of forming some judgment.” “What, then,” I asked, “is your judgment of the man whom you have often heard?” “What do you suppose,” he said, “except that it is the judgment you would expect from one who resembles you?” “Then, if that is so,” I replied, “I should wish him to please you as much as possible.” “And so he does,” he said, “and he pleases me greatly, with good reason. For he has studied, and, setting aside all other pursuits, has devoted himself to this alone and trained himself most vigorously through daily exercises.”

« mais César fort peu. J’ai souvent entendu le premier ; le second était absent lorsque j’étais déjà capable de quelque jugement. » « Que penses-tu donc, repris-je, de celui que tu as souvent entendu ? » « Que veux-tu que j’en pense, dit-il, sinon ce que pensera celui qui doit te ressembler ? » « Ma foi, répondis-je, s’il en est ainsi, je souhaite qu’il te plaise autant que possible. » « Or il en est ainsi, dit-il, et il me plaît vivement, non sans raison. Il s’est instruit et, délaissant toutes les autres études, il ne s’est consacré qu’à celle-là, s’exerçant avec la plus grande ardeur par des travaux quotidiens. »