Rosc. Am. 48.1Etenim quī haec vituperāre volunt Chrȳsogonum tantum posse queruntur;For those who wish to find fault with the present state of things complain that Chrysogonus has so much power; Rosc. Am. 48.1quī laudāre volunt concessum eī nōn esse commemorant.those who wish to praise it point out that this has not been granted to him. Rosc. Am. 48.1Ac iam nihil est quod quisquam aut tam stultus aut tam improbus sit quī dīcat: "Vellem quidem licēret;And now there is no reason for anyone to be so foolish or so dishonest as to say: 'I wish indeed it were allowed; Rosc. Am. 48.1hoc dīxissem."I would have said this.' Rosc. Am. 48.1Dīcās licet.You may say it. Rosc. Am. 48.1"Hoc fēcissem."'I would have done this.' Rosc. Am. 48.1Faciās licet;You may do it; Rosc. Am. 48.1nēmō prohibet.no one prevents you. Rosc. Am. 48.1"Hoc dēcrēvissem."'I would have decreed this.' Rosc. Am. 48.1Dēcerne , modo rēctē;Decree it, provided it is right; Rosc. Am. 48.1omnēs approbābunt.all will approve. Rosc. Am. 48.1"Hoc iūdicāssem."'I would have judged this.' Rosc. Am. 48.1Laudābunt omnēs, sī rēctē et ōrdine iūdicāris.All will praise you, if you judge rightly and properly.
Rosc. Am. 48.139Dum necesse erat rēsque ipsa cōgēbat, ūnus omnia poterat;While it was necessary and circumstances themselves compelled it, one man had all power; Rosc. Am. 48.139quī posteā quam magistrātūs creāvit lēgēsque cōnstituit, sua cuique prōcūrātiō auctōritāsque est restitūta.and after he had appointed magistrates and established laws, each man had his own sphere of responsibility and authority restored to him. Rosc. Am. 48.139Quam sī retinēre volunt eī quī reciperārunt in perpetuum poterunt obtinēre;If those who have recovered it wish to keep it, they will be able to hold it for ever; Rosc. Am. 48.139sīn hās caedīs et rapīnās et hōs tantōs tamque profūsōs sūmptūs aut facient aut approbābunt — nōlō in eōs gravius quicquam nē ōminis quidem causā dīcere, ūnum hoc dīcō: nostrī istī nōbilēs nisi vigilantēs et bonī et fortēs et misericordēs erunt, eīs hominibus in quibus haec erunt ōrnāmenta sua concēdant necesse est.but if they either commit or approve these murders and robberies and this vast and lavish expenditure — I do not wish to say anything harsher against them, if only for the sake of the omen; I say this one thing: unless these nobles of ours are watchful and good and brave and merciful, they must yield their distinctions to those men in whom these qualities are found.
Rosc. Am. 48.140Quāpropter dēsinant aliquandō dīcere male aliquem locūtum esse, sī quī vērē ac līberē locūtus sit, dēsinant suam causam cum Chrȳsogonō commūnicāre, dēsinant, sī ille laesus sit, dē sē aliquid dētrāctum arbitrārī, videant nē turpe miserumque sit eōs quī equestrem splendōrem patī nōn potuērunt servī nēquissimī dominātiōnem ferre posse.Therefore let them stop at last saying that someone has spoken ill if he has spoken truly and freely, let them stop making common cause with Chrysogonus, let them stop thinking that if he is injured something has been taken away from themselves, let them see to it that it is not shameful and pitiable that those who could not bear the splendour of the equestrian order can bear the domination of a most worthless slave. Rosc. Am. 48.140Quae quidem dominātiō, iūdicēs, in aliīs rēbus anteā versābātur, nunc vērō quam viam mūnītet et quod iter adfectet vidētis, ad fidem, ad iūs iūrandum, ad iūdicia vestra, ad id quod sōlum prope in cīvitāte sincērum sānctumque restat.This domination, gentlemen, used to be engaged in other matters before; but now you see what road it is building and what path it is aiming at: towards your good faith, your oath, your verdicts, towards almost the one thing that remains pure and sacred in the state.
Rosc. Am. 48.141hīc ne etiam sēsē putat aliquid posse Chrȳsogonus?Does Chrysogonus think that here too he has some power? Rosc. Am. 48.141hīcnē etiam potēns esse volt?does he want to be powerful here too? Rosc. Am. 48.141Ō rem miseram atque acerbam!O wretched and bitter state of affairs! Rosc. Am. 48.141Neque mē herculēs hoc indignē ferō, quod verear nē quid possit, vērum quod ausus est, quod spērāvit sēsē apud tālīs virōs aliquid ad perniciem posse innocentis, id ipsum queror.And, by Hercules, I am not indignant at this because I fear he has any power; but that he has dared, that he has hoped that before such men he could have some power to destroy an innocent man — that is precisely what I complain of.