On Duties Passage 4

Nihil agere autem cum animus non posset, in his studiis ab initio versatus aetatis existimavi honestissime molestias posse deponi, si me ad philosophiam rettulissem. Cui cum multum adulescens discendi causa temporis tribuissem, posteaquam honoribus inservire coepi meque totum rei publicae tradidi, tantum erat philosophiae loci, quantum superfuerat amicorum et rei publicae temporibus; id autem omne consumebatur in legendo, scribendi otium non erat.

Since my mind could not remain inactive, and since I had been occupied with these studies from the beginning of my life, I thought I could most honorably lay aside my troubles by returning to philosophy. I had devoted much time to learning it as a young man. Later, when I began to pursue public office and surrendered myself wholly to the state, only as much room remained for philosophy as was left over from the time claimed by friends and public affairs. All of that was spent in reading; there was no leisure for writing.

Comme mon esprit ne pouvait demeurer inactif et que je m’étais livré à ces études dès le commencement de ma vie, je pensai que la manière la plus honorable de déposer mes peines était de revenir à la philosophie. Je lui avais consacré beaucoup de temps dans ma jeunesse afin d’apprendre. Plus tard, lorsque je commençai à poursuivre les honneurs et me donnai tout entier à la république, la philosophie ne reçut que les moments laissés libres par mes amis et les affaires publiques. Tout ce temps se dépensait à lire; je n’avais aucun loisir pour écrire.