Moral Letters to Lucilius Section 10

Alium vidimus adversus amicos benignum, adversus inimicos temperatum, et publica et privata sancte ac religiose administrantem, non deesse ei in iis quae toleranda erant, patientiam, in iis quae agenda, prudentiam, vidimus, ubi tribuendum esset, plena manu dantem, ubi laborandum, pertinacem et obnixum et lassitudinem corporis animo sublevantem. Praeterea idem erat semper et in omni actu par sibi, iam non consilio bonus, sed more eo perductus, ut non tantum recte facere posset, sed nisi recte facere non posset. Intelleximus in illo perfectam esse virtutem.

On en vit un autre bon avec ses amis, modéré envers ses ennemis, administrant avec des mains pures et religieuses les affaires de l’État et des citoyens ; également doué de la patience qui tolère, et de la prudence qui n’agit qu’à propos ; donnant à pleines mains quand la libéralité est de saison ; quand le travail commande, s’y dévouant avec persévérance, et subvenant par l’activité de l’âme à l’épuisement des organes ; outre cela, toujours et en tout le même : vertueux non plus par système, mais par habitude, et arrivé au point, non pas seulement de pouvoir bien faire, mais de ne pouvoir faire autrement que bien.

Again, we have marked another man who is kind to his friends and restrained towards his enemies, who carries on his political and his personal business with scrupulous devotion, not lacking in longsuffering where there is anything that must be endured, and not lacking in prudence when action is to be taken. We have marked him giving with lavish hand when it was his duty to make a payment, and, when he had to toil, striving resolutely and lightening his bodily weariness by his resolution. Besides, he has always been the same, consistent in all his actions, not only sound in his judgment but trained by habit to such an extent that he not only can act rightly, but cannot help acting rightly. We have formed the conception that in such a man perfect virtue exists.