188. hoc: obj. of videre and in appos. with the inf. phrases following, you may observe this, that….
189. commodis…moribus: PRED. ABL. OF DESCRIPTION, of agreeable character.
190. amicitias: subj. of sperni.
indulgeri: impers. pass. of an intransitive vb. + dat., it is indulged in = they indulge in, enjoy.
191. cum plurimum…possint (192): when they are the most able = when they have the greatest influence.
facultatibus: facultas,opportunity, means.
193. famulos: famulus, household slave.
vestem: vestis,clothing.
egregiam:extraordinary, splendid.
vasa pretiosa: we would say “fine china.”
amicos: sc. sed.
194. ut ita dicam: so to speak, used to qualify a somewhat extreme metaphor.
supellectilem: supellex,furniture, equipment.
The blessings of friendship cannot be bought.
170 Quis est—pro deorum fidem atque hominum!—qui velit, ut neque diligat quemquam nec ipse ab ullo diligatur, circumfluere omnibus copiis atque in omnium rerum abundantia vivere? Haec enim est tyrannorum vita, nimirum in qua nulla fides, nulla caritas, nulla stabilis benevolentiae potest esse fiducia; omnia 175 semper suspecta atque sollicita, nullus locus amicitiae. Quis enim aut eum diligat quem metuat, aut eum a quo se metui putet? Coluntur tamen simulatione dumtaxat ad tempus. Quod si forte, ut fit plerumque, ceciderint, tum intellegitur quam fuerint inopes amicorum. Quod Tarquinium dixisse ferunt exsulantem: 180 tum se intellexisse quos fidos amicos habuisset, quos infidos, cum iam neutris gratiam referre posset. Quamquam miror illa superbia et importunitate si quemquam amicum habere potuit. Atque ut huius, quem dixi, mores veros amicos parare non potuerunt, sic multorum opes praepotentium excludunt amicitias 185 fideles. Non enim solum ipsa fortuna caeca est, sed eos etiam plerumque effecit caecos quos complexa est. Itaque efferuntur fere fastidio et contumacia, nec quidquam insipiente fortunato intolerabilius fieri potest. Atque hoc quidem videre licet—eos qui antea commodis fuerunt moribus, imperio, potestate, 190 prosperis rebus immutari, sperni ab eis veteres amicitias, indulgeri novis. Quid autem stultius quam, cum plurimum copiis, facultatibus, opibus possint, cetera parare quae parantur—pecunia, equos, famulos, vestem egregiam, vasa pretiosa—amicos non parare, optimam et pulcherrimam vitae, ut ita dicam, 195 supellectilem? (52–55)
197. querebatur: sc. Scipio as subj.
omnibus in rebus: sc. aliis; i.e., besides friendship.
198. capras…esse (200): each of these two pairs of cls. is marked by parallelism, ASYNDETON, AND CHIASMUS (dicere posse…non posse dicere and adhibere curam…neglegentis esse); the devices are common in Cicero, who frequently uses CHIASMUS, as here, to underscore a contrast.
capras: capra,she-goat.
ovis: ovis,sheep.
199. posse: sc. eos (homines) here, and with the several infs. following, as subj. of the IND. STATE. depending on the speech implied in querebatur.
200. deligendis: deligere, to choose, select.
neglegentis: acc., PRED. ADJ.
201. notas: nota, mark.
202. sunt…eligendi (203): sc. homines (amici).
203. penuria: scarcity, lack.
iudicare…est (204): sc. aliquem as subj. of the inf.
204. expertum: agrees with the subj. of iudicare; with nisi, unless having tested (a person) = unless he has tested (a person).
205. ita…potestatem (206): i.e., in order to know the true worth of a friend, one must first make him a friend, so one cannot exercise perfect judgment in this matter without first taking a chance.
206. prudentis: PRED. GEN. OF POSSESSION, it is the part of a prudent man.
sustinere: here, to check, hold back.
ut cursum:as (he would) a race; as clarified by equis temptatis in the next line, the simile compares the rush to form a friendship with a chariotrace (a very popular form of entertainment among the Romans).
207. quo: = ut, introducing a PURPOSE CL.
208. aliqua parte: in some degree, to some extent.
periclitatis: periclitari,to test; sometimes the perf. partic. of a deponent vb. has a pass. meaning, as here in this ABL. ABS.
209. in parva pecunia: i.e., in some transaction involving a small sum of money.
leves: here, unreliable.
210. parva…magna: sc. pecunia.
211. sin: conj., but if.
