Brutus ou Des orateurs illustres Passage 126

vtinam non tam fratri pietatem quam patriae praestare voluisset! Quam ille facile tali ingenio, diutius si vixisset, vel paternam esset vel avitam gloriam consecutus! Eloquentia quidem nescio an habuisset parem neminem. Grandis est verbis, sapiens sententiis, genere toto gravis. Manus extrema non accessit operibus eius; praeclare incohata multa, perfecta non plane. Legendus, inquam, est hic orator, Brute, si quisquam alius, iuventuti; non enim solum acuere sed etiam alere ingenium potest.

"Would that he had chosen to show loyalty not so much to his brother as to his country! With such talent, how readily, had he lived longer, he would have attained either his father's or his grandfather's glory! In eloquence, indeed, I wonder whether he would have had any equal. His language is elevated, his thoughts wise, his entire style weighty. The finishing hand was never applied to his works. Much was splendidly begun but not fully completed. This orator, Brutus, must be read by the young if any should be, for he can not only sharpen but also nourish talent."

«Plût aux dieux qu'il eût voulu montrer moins de piété envers son frère qu'envers sa patrie! Avec un tel talent, s'il avait vécu plus longtemps, comme il aurait aisément rejoint la gloire de son père ou de son aïeul! En éloquence, je ne sais s'il aurait eu un égal. Ses mots sont grands, ses pensées sages, tout son genre grave. La dernière main n'a pas touché ses œuvres: beaucoup sont admirablement commencées, mais aucune n'est tout à fait achevée. Cet orateur, Brutus, doit être lu par la jeunesse plus que tout autre; car il peut non seulement aiguiser l'intelligence, mais aussi la nourrir.»