Brutus ou Des orateurs illustres Passage 189

cum multi essent oratores in vario genere dicendi, quis umquam ex his excellere iudicatus est vulgi iudicio qui non idem a doctis probaretur? Quando autem dubium fuisset apud patres nostros eligendi cui patroni daretur optio quin aut Antonium optaret aut Crassum? Aderant multi alii; tamen utrum de his potius dubitasset aliquis, quin alterum nemo. Quid, adulescentibus nobis cum esset Cotta et Hortensius, num quis, cui quidem eligendi potestas esset, quemquam his anteponebat?

When many orators practised differing styles, who was ever judged outstanding by popular opinion without also being approved by the learned? When among our ancestors was there any doubt, if a man was allowed his choice of advocate, that he would choose either Antonius or Crassus? Many others were available, yet someone might have hesitated over which of these two to choose, but no one over whether to choose one of them. And when we were young and Cotta and Hortensius were active, did anyone who had the power of choice place anyone before them?

Lorsque de nombreux orateurs pratiquaient des genres divers, lequel fut jamais jugé supérieur par le peuple sans être également approuvé par les savants? Quand nos pères auraient-ils hésité, si l’on donnait à quelqu’un le choix de son avocat, à choisir Antoine ou Crassus? Beaucoup d’autres étaient présents; on aurait peut-être hésité entre ces deux hommes, mais personne n’aurait hésité à choisir l’un d’eux. Et lorsque, dans notre jeunesse, vivaient Cotta et Hortensius, quelqu’un qui avait le pouvoir de choisir leur préférait-il personne?