Mur. 21.1Et quoniam ostendī, iūdicēs, parem dignitātem ad cōnsulātūs petītiōnem, disparem fortūnam prōvinciālium negōtiōrum in Mūrēnā atque in Sulpiciō fuisse, dīcam iam apertius in quō meus necessārius fuerit īnferior, Servius, et ea dīcam vōbīs audientibus āmissō iam tempore quae ipsī sōlī rē integrā saepe dīxī.And since I have shown, judges, that Murena and Sulpicius had equal standing for a candidacy for the consulship but unequal fortune in their provincial business, I shall now say more openly in what respect my friend Servius was inferior, and I shall say in your hearing, now that the time is lost, what I often said to him alone when the matter was still open. Mur. 21.1Petere cōnsulātum nescīre tē, Servī, persaepe tibi dīxī;That you did not know how to stand for the consulship, Servius, I very often told you; Mur. 21.1et in eīs rēbus ipsīs quās tē magnō et fortī animō et agere et dīcere vidēbam tibi solitus sum dīcere magis tē fortem accūsātōrem mihi vidērī quam sapientem candidātum.and in the very things which I saw you doing and saying with a great and brave spirit, I used to tell you that you seemed to me more a brave prosecutor than a wise candidate.
Mur. 21.1Prīmum accūsandī terrōrēs et minae quibus tū cōtīdiē ūtī solēbās sunt fortis virī, sed et populī opīniōnem ā spē adipīscendī āvertunt et amīcōrum studia dēbilitant.First, the terrors and threats of prosecution which you used to employ every day are the mark of a brave man, but they both turn the people's opinion away from the hope of your success and weaken the zeal of your friends. Mur. 21.1Nesciō quō pactō semper hoc fit — neque in ūnō aut alterō animadversum est sed iam in plūribus — simul atque candidātus accūsātiōnem meditārī vīsus est, ut honōrem dēspērāsse videātur.Somehow this always happens — and it has been noticed not in one or two cases but now in several — as soon as a candidate has been seen to be contemplating a prosecution, he seems to have given up hope of the office. Mur. 21.44Quid ergō?What then? Mur. 21.44acceptam iniūriam persequī nōn placet?do I disapprove of pursuing a wrong one has suffered? Mur. 21.44Immō vehementer placet;On the contrary, I strongly approve; Mur. 21.44sed aliud tempus est petendī, aliud persequendī.but there is one time for standing for office and another for prosecuting.
Mur. 21.44Petītōrem ego, praesertim cōnsulātūs, magnā spē, magnō animō, magnīs cōpiīs et in forum et in campum dēdūcī volō.I want a candidate, especially for the consulship, to be escorted into the forum and the Campus with great hope, great spirit and great numbers. Mur. 21.44Nōn placet mihi inquīsītiō candidātī, praenūntia repulsae, nōn testium potius quam suffrāgātōrum comparātiō, nōn minae magis quam blanditiae, nōn dēnūntiātiō potius quam persalūtātiō, praesertim cum iam hōc novō mōre omnēs ferē domōs omnium concursent et ex voltū candidātōrum coniectūram faciant quantum quisque animī et facultātis habēre videātur.I do not like a candidate's gathering of evidence, the forerunner of defeat; nor the collecting of witnesses rather than supporters, nor threats rather than flattery, nor serving of summonses rather than the round of greetings, especially since, by this new custom, almost everyone now runs round to the houses of all the candidates and guesses from their faces how much spirit and how many resources each seems to have. Mur. 21.45"Vidēsne tū illum trīstem, dēmissum?'Do you see him, gloomy and downcast? Mur. 21.45iacet, diffīdit, abiēcit hastās."he is beaten, he has lost heart, he has thrown down his spears.' Mur. 21.45Serpit hic rūmor.This rumour creeps about.
Mur. 21.45"Scīs tū illum accūsātiōnem cōgitāre, inquīrere in competītōrēs, testīs quaerere?'Do you know that he is planning a prosecution, investigating his rivals, looking for witnesses? Mur. 21.45Alium fac iam, quoniam sibi hic ipse dēspērat."Back someone else now, since he himself has given up hope.' Mur. 21.45Eius modī rūmōribus candidātōrum amīcī intimī dēbilitantur, studia dēpōnunt;By rumours of this kind the closest friends of candidates are weakened and lay aside their zeal; Mur. 21.45aut certam rem abiciunt aut suam operam et grātiam iūdiciō et accūsātiōnī reservant.either they give the matter up as a foregone conclusion or they reserve their effort and influence for the trial and the prosecution.