1For I noticed, gentlemen, that my friend Lucius Herennius was listened to by you very attentively. 1And in this, although for the most part you were held by his talent and by a certain style of speaking, yet I sometimes feared that his speech, subtly contrived for accusation, might gradually and gently find its way into your minds. 1For he said much about luxury, much about lust, much about the vices of youth, much about morals; and though in the rest of his life he is mild and usually moves most agreeably in that pleasant refinement in which almost everyone now delights, in this case he was a very stern sort of uncle, censor and schoolmaster; 1he scolded Marcus Caelius as no parent ever scolded anyone; 1he discoursed at length on incontinence and intemperance.
1What would you have, gentlemen? 1I forgave you for listening attentively, because I myself shuddered at that so stern, so harsh a kind of speech. 26And the first part was the one which moved me less: that Caelius had been intimate with my friend Bestia, had dined at his house, had often visited his home, had supported his candidacy for the praetorship. 26These things, which are plainly false, do not move me; 26for he said that men dined together who either are absent or are obliged to say the same thing. 26Nor indeed does it disturb me that he said Caelius was his fellow member among the Luperci. 26A wild sort of brotherhood, and plainly pastoral and rustic, is that of the true-born Luperci, whose woodland band was founded before civilisation and laws, since the brethren not only bring charges against one another but even mention their brotherhood when accusing, as if they were afraid that someone might happen not to know it!
27But I pass over these things; 27I reply to those which moved me more. 27The rebuke of his pleasures was long, but also rather gentle, and had more of argument than of harshness, which is why it was heard all the more attentively. 27For when Publius Clodius, my friend, tossed himself about most violently and vehemently and did everything in a blaze, with the grimmest words and at the top of his voice, though I approved his eloquence, still I was not afraid; 27for I had seen him litigate in vain in several cases. 27To you, however, Balbus, I reply first by asking leave, if it is permitted, if it is right for me to defend a man who has refused no dinner party, who has been in pleasure gardens, who has worn perfumes, who has seen Baiae.