Mur. 3.1Nam quod lēgem dē ambitū tulī, certē ita tulī ut eam quam mihimet ipsī iam prīdem tulerim dē cīvium perīculīs dēfendendīs nōn abrogārem.For as to my having carried a law on bribery, I certainly carried it in such a way as not to repeal the law which I long ago laid down for myself, about defending citizens in danger. Mur. 3.1Etenim sī largītiōnem factam esse cōnfitērer idque rēctē factum esse dēfenderem, facerem improbē, etiam sī alius lēgem tulisset;Indeed, if I admitted that bribery had taken place and maintained that it had been rightly done, I should be acting dishonestly, even if another man had carried the law; Mur. 3.1cum vērō nihil commissum contrā lēgem esse dēfendam, quid est quod meam dēfēnsiōnem lātiō lēgis impediat?but since I maintain that nothing was done against the law, what is there in my having carried the law to hinder my defence? Mur. 3.6Negat esse eiusdem sevēritātis Catilīnam exitium reī pūblicae intrā moenia mōlientem verbīs et paene imperiō ex urbe expulisse et nunc prō Mūrēnā dīcere.He says it is not consistent with the same strictness to have driven Catiline out of the city by words and almost by command when he was plotting the destruction of the state within its walls, and now to speak for Murena.
Mur. 3.6Ego autem hās partīs lēnitātis et misericordiae quās mē nātūra ipsa docuit semper ēgī libenter, illam vērō gravitātis sevēritātisque persōnam nōn appetīvī, sed ab rē pūblicā mihi impositam sustinuī, sīcut huius imperī dignitās in summō perīculō cīvium postulābat.But I have always gladly played the part of gentleness and mercy which nature herself taught me, while that role of gravity and severity I did not seek, but bore it when it was laid on me by the state, as the dignity of this office demanded when the citizens were in the greatest danger. Mur. 3.6Quod sī tum, cum rēs pūblica vim et sevēritātem dēsīderābat, vīcī nātūram et tam vehemēns fuī quam cōgēbar, nōn quam volēbam, nunc cum omnēs mē causae ad misericordiam atque ad hūmānitātem vocent, quantō tandem studiō dēbeō nātūrae meae cōnsuētūdinīque servīre?But if then, when the state required force and severity, I overcame my nature and was as stern as I was compelled to be, not as I wished, now, when every cause calls me to mercy and to humanity, with how much zeal, pray, ought I to serve my nature and my habit? Mur. 3.6Ac dē officiō dēfēnsiōnis meae ac dē ratiōne accūsātiōnis tuae fortasse etiam aliā in parte ōrātiōnis dīcendum nōbīs erit.And about the duty of my defence and the method of your accusation I shall perhaps have to speak in another part of my speech as well.
Mur. 3.7Sed mē, iūdicēs, nōn minus hominis sapientissimī atque ōrnātissimī, Ser. Sulpicī, conquestiō quam Catōnis accūsātiō commovēbat quī gravissimē et acerbissimē sē ferre dīxit mē familiāritātis necessitūdinisque oblītum causam Mūrēnae contrā sē dēfendere.But, judges, I was no less moved by the complaint of a most wise and accomplished man, Servius Sulpicius, than by Cato's accusation; he said that he took it most seriously and bitterly that I had forgotten our friendship and close ties and was defending Murena's case against him. Mur. 3.7Huic ego, iūdicēs, satis facere cupiō vōsque adhibēre arbitrōs.Him, judges, I wish to satisfy, and to call you in as arbiters. Mur. 3.7Nam cum grave est vērē accūsārī in amīcitiā, tum, etiam sī falsō accūsēris, nōn est neglegendum.For not only is it a serious thing to be truly accused in a friendship, but also, even if you are falsely accused, it is not to be neglected. Mur. 3.7Ego, Ser. Sulpicī, mē in petītiōne tuā tibi omnia studia atque officia prō nostrā necessitūdine et dēbuisse cōnfiteor et praestitisse arbitror.I admit, Servius Sulpicius, that in your candidature I owed you, by our close ties, every zeal and service, and I believe I rendered them.
Mur. 3.7Nihil tibi cōnsulātum petentī ā mē dēfuit quod esset aut ab amīcō aut ā grātiōsō aut ā cōnsule postulandum.When you were seeking the consulship, nothing was lacking from me that could be asked either of a friend or of a man of influence or of a consul. Mur. 3.7Abiit illud tempus;That time has passed; Mur. 3.7mūtāta ratiō est.the situation has changed. Mur. 3.7Sīc exīstimō, sīc mihi persuādeō, mē tibi contrā honōrem Mūrēnae quantum tū ā mē postulāre ausus sīs, tantum dēbuisse, contrā salūtem nihil dēbēre.This is my view, this is my conviction, that against Murena's office I owed you as much as you dared to ask of me, but against his safety I owe you nothing. Mur. 3.8Neque enim, sī tibi tum cum peterēs cōnsulātum studuī, nunc cum Mūrēnam ipsum petās, adiūtor eōdem pactō esse dēbeō.For if I supported you then, when you were seeking the consulship, I am not bound to be your helper in the same way now, when you are attacking Murena himself. Mur. 3.8Atque hoc nōn modo nōn laudārī sed nē concēdī quidem potest ut amīcīs nostrīs accūsantibus nōn etiam aliēnissimōs dēfendāmus.And this cannot be praised, nor even allowed: that when our friends are accusers we should not defend even complete strangers.