Brutus ou Des orateurs illustres Passage 112

hoc dicendi genus ad patrocinia mediocriter aptum videbatur, ad senatoriam vero sententiam, cuius erat ille princeps, vel maxime; significabat enim non prudentiam solum, sed quod maxime rem continebat , fidem. Habebat hoc a natura ipsa, quod a doctrina non facile posset; quamquam huius quoque ipsius rei, quem ad modum scis, praecepta sunt. Huius et orationes sunt et tres ad L. Fufidium libri scripti de vita ipsius acta sane utiles, quos nemo legit; at Cyri vitam et disciplinam legunt, praeclaram illam quidem, sed neque tam nostris rebus aptam nec tamen Scauri laudibus anteponendam.

"This manner of speaking seemed moderately suited to legal advocacy but especially well suited to delivering a senatorial opinion, in which he held the foremost place. For it conveyed not only wisdom but also what mattered most to the affair, trustworthiness. He possessed by nature what could not readily be acquired through instruction, although, as you know, even this quality has its rules. Speeches of his survive, as do three books addressed to Lucius Fufidius about the course of his own life, decidedly useful books that no one reads. Yet people read about the life and training of Cyrus, an admirable work indeed, but neither so well adapted to our affairs nor deserving to be preferred to the distinctions of Scaurus."

«Ce genre de parole paraissait moyennement adapté à la défense judiciaire, mais convenait au plus haut point à l'avis prononcé au Sénat, où Scaurus occupait le premier rang. Il manifestait non seulement de la sagesse, mais surtout ce qui constituait le fond de l'affaire: la loyauté. Il tenait de la nature elle-même ce que l'enseignement pouvait difficilement donner, bien qu'il existe aussi, comme tu le sais, des préceptes à ce sujet. Il nous reste ses discours et trois livres adressés à L. Fufidius sur sa propre vie, ouvrages assurément utiles, que personne ne lit; on lit pourtant la vie et l'éducation de Cyrus, œuvre certes admirable, mais ni aussi appropriée à nos affaires ni préférable aux mérites de Scaurus.»