FALSO queritur de natura sua genus humanum, quod, imbecilla atque aevi brevis, forte3 potius, quam virtute, regatur. Nam contra, reputando, neque majus aliud, neque praestabilius, invenias; magisque naturae industriam hominum, quam vim aut tempus, deesse. Sed dux atque imperator vitae mortalium animus est: qui, ubi ad gloriam virtutis via grassatur, abunde pollens potensque et clarus est, neque fortunae eget; quippe probitatem, industriam, alias artis bonas, neque dare neque eripere potest. Sin, captus' pravis cupidinibus, ad inertiam et voluptatis corporis pessum datus est, perniciosa lubidine paullisper usus, ubi per secordiam vires, tempus, ingenium defluxêre, naturae infirmitas accusatur: suam quisque culpam auctores ad negotia transferunt. Quod si hominibus bonarum rerum tanta cura esset, quanto studio aliena ac nihil profutura, multumque etiam periculosa, petunt; neque regerentur1o magis, quam regerent casus, et eo magnitudinis procederent, ubi11 pro mortalibus gloria aeterni fierent.

1 The war with Jugurtha, king of Numidia, began B. c. 111, and after being protracted for a series of years by the venality of the leading men at Rome, was successfully terminated by Marius and Sulla, B. C. 106. 2 Falso, without reason.- -3 Forte &c., it is more under the influence of chance than reason.- - Vim &c., ability or time.-5 Grassatur, aspires. Abunde &c., sufficiently powerful, efficient and noble.Captus &c., enslaved by depraved desires, it has been plunged into sloth and sensual pleasures, having for a while indulged this vicious propensity. 8 Auctores, the authors of their own misery. Quod si &c., but if men had as great a concern for honourable objects as (is) the zeal with which. 10 Neque regerentur &c., they would neither be controlled by &c., they would be less the slaves than the masters of fortune.- 11 Eo magnitudinis, ubi, to such a pitch of greatness, that.

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II. NAM, uti genus hominum compositum ex anima et corpore, ita res cunctae, studiaque omnia nostra, corporis alia, alia animi naturam sequuntur.' Igitur praeclara facies, magnae divitiae, ad hoc vis corporis, alia hujuscemodi omnia, brevi dilabuntur: at ingenii3 egregia facinora, sicuti anima, immortalia sunt. Postremo corporis et fortunae bonorum, ut initium, finis est: omnia orta occidunt, et aucta senescunt: animus incorruptus, aeternus, rector humani generis, agit atque habet cuncta, neque ipse habetur. Quo magis pravitas eorum admiranda est, qui, dediti corporis gaudiis, per luxum atque ignaviam aetatem agunt; ceterum ingenium, quo neque melius, neque amplius, aliud in natura mortalium est, incultu atque secordia torpescere sinunt; cum praesertim tam multae variaeque sint artes animi, quibus ́summa claritudo paratur.

III. VERUM ex his' magistratus et imperia, postremo omnis cura rerum publicarum, minume mihi hac tempestate cupiunda videntur : quoniam neque virtuti honos datur; neque illi, quibus per fraudem jus fuit, tuti aut eo magis honesti sunt. Nam vi quidem regere patriam, aut parentes, quamquam et possis, et delicta corrigas, tamen importunum 10 est; cum praesertim omnes11 rerum mutationes caedem, fugam, aliaque hostilia, portendant; frustra autem niti, neque aliud fatigando,12 nisi odium, quaerere, extremae13 dementiae est ; nisi forte quem inhonesta et perniciosa lubido tenet, potentiae paucorum decus atque libertatem suam gratificari.1⁄4

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Sequuntur, partake of.-2 Praeclara facies, exquisite beauty, 3 Ingenii &c., the noble productions of the mind like the soul itself.Occidunt, senescunt, must set, must fade or pass away. Agit &c., directs and overrules all things, nor is itself under the power of any. • Amplius, more capable of improvement. Ex his &c., of these employments, civil and military offices. Quibus &c., who have risen to power by unjust means. Parentes, subjects (participle of parco, obey).10 Importunum, a dangerous pre-eminence. Omnes &e., all innovations in government.12 Fatigando, by drudging.13 Extremae &c., is the height of madness.14 Gratificari, to sacrifice (for gratificandi after lubido).

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IV. CETERUM ex aliis negotiis, quae ingenio exercentur, in primis magno usui est memoria rerum gestarum : cujus de virtute1 quia multi dixêre, praetereundum2 puto; simul, ne, per insolentiam,3 quis existumet, memet, studium laudando, extollere. Atque ego credo fore qui, quia decrevi procul a republica aetatem agere, tanto tamque utili labori meo nomen inertiae imponant: certe, quibus maxuma industria videtur salutare plebem, et conviviis gratiam quaerere. Qui si reputaverint, et quibus ego temporibus magistratus adeptus sum, et quales viri idem adsequi nequiverint, et postea quae genera hominum in senatum pervenerint; profecto existumabunt, me magis merito, quam ignavia, judicium animis mutavisse, majusque commodum ex otio meo, quam ex aliorum negotiis, reipublicae venturum. Nam saepe audivi, Q. Maxumum, P. Scipionem, praeterea civitatis nostrae praeclaros viros solitos ita dicere, cum majorum imagines intuerentur, vehementissume sibi animum ad virtutem accendi. Scilicet non ceram' illam, neque figuram, tantam vim in sese habere; scd memoria rerum gestarum eam flammam egregiis viris in pectore crescere, neque prius sedari, quam virtus eorum famam atque gloriam adaequaverit. At, contra, quis est11 omnium his moribus, quin divitiis et sumptibus, non probitate neque industria, cum majoribus suis contendat? etiam homines novi, qui antea per virtutem soliti erant nobilitatem antevenire, furtim12 et per latrocinia potius [quam bonis artibus] ad imperia et honores

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1 De virtute, concerning the utility.- -2 Praetereundum, that I may forbear to enlarge. Per insolentiam, through vanity. Certe, quibus &c., at least those will do so who think that an active life consists in caressing the common people and gaining their favour by feasting Quales &c., what competitors failed in obtaining the office I held. (He enjoyed the quæstorship and subsequently the prætorship.) Quae genera &c., what descriptions of men were admitted. Merito, on good grounds. Judicium animi, my determination. Ex negotiis, from the bustling activity.- 10 Non ceram &c., not that that waxen bust possessed so great influence in itself.-11 Quis est &c., who is there living in the present degenerate state of morals who does not contend with his equals in &c., rather than with his ancestors in &c.12 Furtim &c., by clandestine practices and knavery.

nituntur: proinde quasi praetura et consulatus, atque alia omnia hujuscemodi, per se ipsa clara magnifica sint, ac non perinde1 habeantur, ut eorum, qui sustinent, virtus est. Verum ego liberius altiusque processi,2 dum me civitatis morum piget taedetque :3 nunc ad inceptum redeo.

V. BELLUM Scripturus sum, quod populus Romanus cum Jugurtha, rege Numidarum, gessit: primum, quia magnum1 et atrox, variaque victoria, fuit: dein, quia tum primum superbiae nobilitatis obviam itum est ;5 quae contentio divina et humana cuncta permiscuit, eoque vecordiae processit, uti studiis civilibus bellum atque vastitas Italiae finem faceret. Sed, priusquam hujuscemodi rei initium expedio, pauca supra repetam ; quo ad cognoscendum omnia illustria magis, magisque in aperto, sint. Bello Punico secundo, quo dux Carthaginiensium Hannibal, post magnitudinem nominis Romani, Italiae opes maxume adtriverat,10 Masinissa, rex Numidarum, in amicitia receptus a P. Scipione, cui postea Africano cognomen ex virtute fuit, multa et praeclara rei militaris facinora fecerat; ob quae, victis Carthaginiensibus, et capto Syphace, cujus in" Africa magnum atque late imperium valuit, populus Romanus, quascumque urbis et agros manu ceperat, regi dono dedit. Igitur amicitia Masinissae bona atque honesta nobis permansit: imperii1 vitaeque ejus finis idem fuit.

1 Ac non perinde &c., and do not depend for their estimation on the virtue of those who hold them. Processi, I have launched out.3 Dum me piget taedetque, through grief and indignation at. Magnum &c., eventful, sanguinary, and attended with various success. Obviam itum est, a check was given. Studiis civilibus, to these civil animosities. Quo ad &c., in order that all things may be more obvious and clear to the understanding of my reader.- 8 Bello &c., the first Punic war began B. C. 264, ended 241. The second began B. C. 218, ended 201, The third began B. c. 149, ended with the destruction of Carthage, B. c. 146. Post &c., since the Roman empire attained its greatness.10 Maxume adtriverat, had more than any reduced or humbled. 11 Cujus in &c., who had a powerful and extensive dominion in Africa. (Masinissa reigned over the Massyli or Eastern Numidia, and his rival Syphax over the Massæsyli or Western Numidia.)-12 Imperii, of his empire (in its enlarged state, for the grant did not descend to his son).

Dein Micipsa, filius, regnum solus obtinuit, Mastanabale et Gulussa, fratribus, morbo absumtis. Is Adherbalem et Hiempsalem ex sese genuit: Jugurthamque, Mastanabalis, fratris, filium, quem Masinissa, quod ortus ex concubina erat, privatum reliquerat, eodem cultu,' quo liberos suos, domi habuit.

VI. QUI, ubi primum adolevit, pollens2 viribus, decora facie, sed multo maxume ingenio validus, non se luxu neque inertiae corrumpendum3 dedit: sed, uti mos gentis illius est, equitare, jaculari, cursu cum aequalibus certare: et, cum omnis gloria anteiret, omnibus tamen carus esse: ad hoc pleraque tempora in venando agere, leonem atque alias feras primus, aut in primis, ferire: plurimum facere, minumum ipse de se loqui. Quibus rebus Micipsa tametsi initio laetus fuerat, existumans virtutem Jugurthae regno suo gloriae fore; tamen, postquam hominem adolescentem, exacta sua aetate, parvis liberis, magis magisque crescere intellegit, vehementer negotio permotus, multa cum animo suo volvebat. Terrebat natura mortalium, avida imperii, et praeceps ad explendam animi cupidinem; praeterea opportunitas suaeque et liberorum aetatis, quae etiam mediocris viros spe praedae transvorsos agit: ad hoc studia Numidarum, in Jugurtham accensa ; ex quibus, si talem virum interfecisset, ne qua seditio, aut bellum oriretur, anxius erat.

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VII. His difficultatibus circumventus, ubi videt, neque per vim, neque insidiis, opprimi posse hominem

Eodem cultu &c., he kept at home and educated in the same way as his own children.2 Pollens &c., being eminent for strength and ele gance of person.- 3 Luxu (the old dative for luxui) corrumpendum, to be debauched by luxury. Primus, aut &c., he was the first, or among the first, to wound. 15 Quibus rebus, by these symptoms of genius.

Exacta &c., while he himself was declining in years and his children young. Negotio &c., alarmed at the prospect he pondered deeply.—-~Praeceps ad &c., eager to gratify its anibitious desires. Medioeris, unambitious.10 Studia Numidarum accensa, the affections of the Nu midians fixed.