Rosc. Am. 38.1Vēnit in decem prīmīs lēgātus in castra Capitō.Capito came to the camp as an envoy, one of the ten leading men. Rosc. Am. 38.1Vōs tōtam vītam nātūram mōrēsque hominis ex ipsā lēgātiōne cognōscite.Learn the whole life, nature and character of the man from that embassy itself. Rosc. Am. 38.1Nisi intellēxeritis, iūdicēs, nūllum esse officium, nūllum iūs tam sānctum atque integrum quod nōn eius scelus atque perfidia violārit et imminuerit, virum optimum esse eum iūdicātōte.Unless you come to understand, gentlemen, that there is no duty, no right so sacred and inviolate that his wickedness and treachery have not violated and impaired it, judge him to be the best of men. Rosc. Am. 38.110Impedīmentō est quō minus dē hīs rēbus Sulla doceātur, cēterōrum lēgātōrum cōnsilia et voluntātem Chrȳsogonō ēnūntiat, monet ut prōvideat nē palam rēs agātur, ostendit, sī sublāta sit vēnditiō bonōrum, illum pecūniam grandem āmissūrum, sēsē capitis perīculum aditūrum;He stands in the way of Sulla's being informed about these matters, discloses to Chrysogonus the plans and wishes of the other envoys, warns him to take care that the business is not done openly, shows him that, if the sale of the property were annulled, he would lose a great sum of money, and that Capito himself would run the risk of his life; Rosc. Am. 38.110illum acuere, hōs quī simul erant missī fallere, illum identidem monēre ut cavēret, hīsce īnsidiōsē spem falsam ostendere, cum illō contrā hōs inīre cōnsilia, hōrum cōnsilia illī ēnūntiāre, cum illō partem suam dēpecīscī, hīsce aliquā frētus morā semper omnīs aditūs ad Sullam interclūdere.he spurred the one on, deceived those who had been sent with him, warned the one again and again to be on his guard, treacherously held out false hope to these, laid plans with the one against these, disclosed these men's plans to the one, bargained with the one for his own share, and, relying on some pretext for delay, kept blocking every approach to Sulla for these.
Rosc. Am. 38.110Postrēmō istō hortātōre, auctōre, intercessōre ad Sullam lēgātī nōn adiērunt;In the end, with him as their adviser, instigator and intermediary, the envoys did not go to Sulla; Rosc. Am. 38.110istīus fidē ac potius perfidiā dēceptī, id quod ex ipsīs cognōscere poteritis, sī accūsātor voluerit testimōnium eīs dēnūntiāre, prō rē certā spem falsam domum rettulērunt.deceived by his good faith, or rather his bad faith, as you will be able to learn from the men themselves, if the prosecutor is willing to summon them as witnesses, they brought home false hope instead of a certainty. Rosc. Am. 38.110In prīvātīs rēbus sī quī rem mandātam nōn modo malitiōsius gessisset suī quaestūs aut commodī causā vērum etiam neglegentius, eum maiōrēs summum admīsisse dēdecus exīstimābant.In private affairs, if anyone had managed a commission entrusted to him not only rather dishonestly, for his own profit or advantage, but even rather carelessly, our ancestors considered that he had committed the greatest disgrace. Rosc. Am. 38.111Itaque mandātī cōnstitūtum est iūdicium nōn minus turpe quam fūrtī, crēdō, proptereā quod quibus in rēbus ipsī interesse nōn possumus, in eīs operae nostrae vicāria fidēs amīcōrum suppōnitur;And so a trial for breach of commission was established that is no less disgraceful than one for theft, I suppose because, in matters where we cannot ourselves be present, the good faith of our friends is put in place as a substitute for our own efforts; Rosc. Am. 38.111quam quī laedit, oppugnat omnium commūne praesidium et, quantum in ipsō est, disturbat vītae societātem.and whoever injures it attacks the common safeguard of all and, as far as lies in him, disrupts the fellowship of life.
Rosc. Am. 38.111Nōn enim possumus omnia per nōs agere;For we cannot do everything by ourselves; Rosc. Am. 38.111alius in aliā est rē magis ūtilis.one man is more useful in one thing, another in another. Rosc. Am. 38.111Idcircō amīcitiae comparantur ut commūne commodum mūtuīs officiīs gubernētur.That is why friendships are formed, so that the common advantage may be managed by mutual services. Rosc. Am. 38.112Quid recipis mandātum, sī aut neglēctūrus aut ad tuum commodum conversūrus es?Why do you accept a commission, if you are going either to neglect it or to turn it to your own advantage? Rosc. Am. 38.112cūr mihi tē offers ac meīs commodīs officiō simulātō officis et obstās?why do you offer yourself to me and, with a pretence of service, hinder and obstruct my interests? Rosc. Am. 38.112Recēde dē mediō;Stand out of the way; Rosc. Am. 38.112per alium trānsigam.I shall get it done through someone else. Rosc. Am. 38.112Suscipis onus officī quod tē putās sustinēre posse;You take up the burden of a duty which you think you can bear; Rosc. Am. 38.112quod maximē vidētur grave eīs quī minimē ipsī levēs sunt.a burden which seems heaviest to those who are themselves least light-minded.