Cael. 26.1Quae quidem omnia, iūdicēs, perfacilem ratiōnem habent reprendendī.All this, judges, is very easy to refute. Cael. 26.1Cūr enim potissimum balneās pūblicās cōnstituerat?For why had she fixed on public baths, of all places? Cael. 26.1in quibus nōn inveniō quae latebra togātīs hominibus esse posset.in which I cannot find what hiding-place there could be for men wearing the toga. Cael. 26.1Nam sī essent in vestibulō balneārum, nōn latērent;For if they were in the entrance hall of the baths, they would not be hidden; Cael. 26.1sīn sē in intimum conicere vellent, nec satis commodē calceātī et vestītī id facere possent et fortasse nōn reciperentur, nisi forte mulier potēns quadrantāria illā permūtātiōne familiāris facta erat balneātōrī.but if they wanted to thrust themselves into the inner part, they could not do so conveniently enough in their shoes and clothes, and perhaps they would not be admitted, unless perhaps the powerful lady had become friendly with the bath-keeper through that quarter-penny transaction. Cael. 26.63Atque equidem vehementer exspectābam quīnam istī virī bonī testēs huius manifēstō dēprehēnsī venēnī dīcerentur;And indeed I was eagerly waiting to hear who on earth would be named as those good men, the witnesses of this poison caught red-handed; Cael. 26.63nūllī enim sunt adhūc nōminātī.for none has been named so far.
Cael. 26.63Sed nōn dubitō quīn sint pergravēs, quī prīmum sint tālis fēminae familiārēs, deinde eam prōvinciam suscēperint ut in balneās contrūderentur, quod illa nisi ā virīs honestissimīs ac plēnissimīs dignitātis, quam velit sit potēns, numquam impetrāvisset.But I do not doubt that they are very weighty men, since first they are intimates of such a woman, and secondly they undertook that assignment of being crammed into the baths, a thing which she would never have obtained, however powerful she may be, except from men of the highest respectability and the fullest dignity. Cael. 26.63Sed quid ego dē dignitāte istōrum testium loquor?But why do I speak of the dignity of these witnesses? Cael. 26.63virtūtem eōrum dīligentiamque cognōscite.learn of their courage and their diligence. Cael. 26.63"In balneīs dēlituērunt."'They hid in the baths.' Cael. 26.63Testīs ēgregiōs!Splendid witnesses! Cael. 26.63"Dein temerē prōsiluērunt."'Then they rashly leapt out.' Cael. 26.63Hominēs temperantīs!Self-controlled men! Cael. 26.63Sīc enim fingitis, cum Licinius vēnisset, pyxidem tenēret in manū, cōnārētur trādere, nōndum trādidisset, tum repente ēvolāsse istōs praeclārōs testīs sine nōmine;For this is your story: that when Licinius had come, was holding the box in his hand, was trying to hand it over, but had not yet handed it over, then suddenly these splendid nameless witnesses flew out; Cael. 26.63Licinium autem, cum iam manum ad trādendam pyxidem porrēxisset, retrāxisse atque ex illō repentīnō hominum impetū sē in fugam coniēcisse.but that Licinius, when he had already stretched out his hand to hand over the box, drew it back and, at that sudden rush of men, took to flight.
Cael. 26.63Ō magnam vim vēritātis, quae contrā hominum ingenia, calliditātem, sollertiam contrāque fictās omnium īnsidiās facile sē per sē ipsa dēfendat!O the great power of truth, which against the cleverness, cunning and ingenuity of men, and against the contrived plots of all, easily defends itself by itself!