Amic. 9.1Quod sī tanta vīs probitātis est, ut eam vel in eīs, quōs numquam vīdimus, et, quod maius est, in hoste etiam dīligāmus, quid mīrum est, sī animī hominum moveantur, cum eōrum, quibuscum ūsū coniūnctī esse possunt, virtūtem et bonitātem perspicere videantur?But if the power of uprightness is so great that we love it in those we have never seen, and, what is more, even in an enemy, what wonder is it if men's hearts are moved when they seem to see clearly the virtue and goodness of those with whom they can be joined by intimacy? Amic. 9.1Quamquam cōnfirmātur amor et beneficiō acceptō et studiō perspectō et cōnsuētūdine adiūnctā, quibus rēbus ad illum prīmum mōtum animī et amōris adhibitīs admīrābilis quaedam exārdēscit benevolentiae magnitūdō.And yet love is strengthened by a kindness received, by devotion observed and by familiarity added, and when these are joined to that first impulse of the heart and of love, a wonderful greatness of goodwill blazes up. Amic. 9.1Quam sī quī putant ab imbēcillitāte proficīscī, ut sit per quem adsequātur quod quisque dēsīderet, humilem sānē relinquunt et minimē generōsum, ut ita dīcam, ortum amīcitiae, quam ex inopiā atque indigentiā nātam volunt.If any think that this springs from weakness, so that there may be someone through whom each may obtain what he wants, they leave friendship a lowly and, so to speak, most ignoble origin, wanting it to be born of poverty and need.
Amic. 9.1Quod sī ita esset, ut quisque minimum esse in sē arbitrārētur, ita ad amīcitiam esset aptissimus;If that were so, then the less each man thought there was in himself, the better suited he would be to friendship; Amic. 9.1quod longē secus est.which is far from the case. Amic. 9.30Ut enim quisque sibi plūrimum cōnfīdit et ut quisque maximē virtūte et sapientiā sīc mūnītus est, ut nūllō egeat suaque omnia in sē ipsō posita iūdicet, ita in amīcitiīs expetendīs colendīsque maximē excellit.For the more each man trusts in himself, and the more he is so fortified by virtue and wisdom that he needs no one and judges all that is his to rest within himself, the more he excels in seeking out and cultivating friendships. Amic. 9.30Quid enim?What then? Amic. 9.30Āfricānus indigēns meī?Did Africanus need me? Amic. 9.30Minimē herculē!Not at all, by Hercules! Amic. 9.30Ac nē ego quidem illīus, sed ego admīrātiōne quādam virtūtis eius, ille vicissim opīniōne fortasse nōn nūllā quam dē meīs mōribus habēbat, mē dīlēxit;Nor indeed did I need him; but I loved him from a kind of admiration of his virtue, and he in turn loved me, perhaps from some good opinion he had of my character; Amic. 9.30auxit benevolentiam cōnsuētūdō.familiarity increased our goodwill.
Amic. 9.30Sed quamquam ūtilitātēs multae et magnae cōnsecūtae sunt, nōn sunt tamen ab eārum spē causae dīligendī profectae.But although many great advantages followed, yet the causes of our affection did not spring from the hope of them. Amic. 9.31Ut enim beneficī līberālēsque sumus, nōn ut exigāmus grātiam—neque enim beneficium faenerāmur, sed nātūrā prōpēnsī ad līberālitātem sumus—sīc amīcitiam nōn spē mercēdis adductī, sed quod omnis eius frūctus in ipsō amōre īnest, expetendam putāmus.For just as we are kind and generous not in order to demand gratitude (for we do not lend out kindness at interest, but are by nature inclined to generosity), so we think friendship worth seeking not because we are led by hope of reward, but because all its profit lies in the love itself. Amic. 9.32Ab hīs, quī pecudum rītū ad voluptātem omnia referunt, longē dissentiunt;From those who, like cattle, refer everything to pleasure, the holders of this view differ widely; Amic. 9.32nec mīrum;and no wonder; Amic. 9.32nihil enim altum, nihil magnificum ac dīvīnum suspicere possunt, quī suās omnīs cōgitātiōnēs abiēcērunt in rem tam humilem tamque contemptam.for they can look up to nothing lofty, nothing magnificent and divine, who have cast down all their thoughts to a thing so lowly and so contemptible.
Amic. 9.32Quam ob rem hōs quidem ab hōc sermōne removeāmus, ipsī autem intellegāmus nātūrā gignī sēnsum dīligendī et benevolentiae cāritātem factā significātiōne probitātis, quam quī appetīvērunt, applicant sēsē et propius admovent, ut et ūsū eius, quem dīligere coepērunt, fruantur et mōribus, sintque parēs in amōre et aequālēs prōpēnsiōrēsque ad bene merendum quam ad reposcendum, atque haec inter eōs sit honesta certātiō.Therefore let us remove these men from this conversation, and let us ourselves understand that the feeling of love and the affection of goodwill arise from nature, once a sign of uprightness has been given; and those who have sought this draw close and move nearer, so that they may enjoy both the company and the character of the one they have begun to love, and be equal and alike in love and more inclined to do a service than to demand one in return, and so that there may be this honourable rivalry between them. Amic. 9.32Sīc et ūtilitātēs ex amīcitiā maximae capientur, et erit eius ortus ā nātūrā quam ab imbēcillitāte gravior et vērior.In this way the greatest advantages will be gained from friendship, and its origin from nature rather than from weakness will be more dignified and more true.
Amic. 9.32Nam sī ūtilitās conglūtināret amīcitiās, eadem commūtāta dissolveret;For if advantage cemented friendships, a change in it would dissolve them; Amic. 9.32sed quia nātūra mūtārī nōn potest, idcircō vērae amīcitiae sempiternae sunt.but because nature cannot be changed, therefore true friendships are everlasting. Amic. 9.32Ortum quidem amīcitiae vidētis, nisi quid ad haec forte vultis.You see the origin of friendship, then, unless perhaps you wish to say something in reply to this. Amic. 9.32FANNIUS.FANNIUS. Amic. 9.32Tū vērō perge, Laelī!Do go on, Laelius! Amic. 9.32Prō hōc enim, quī minor est nātū, meō iūre respondeō.For I answer for him here, who is younger, by my own right. Amic. 9.33SCAEVOLA.SCAEVOLA. Amic. 9.33Rēctē tū quidem: quam ob rem audiāmus.You are quite right: so let us listen.