212. sordidum: sc. esse, that it is base.
214. ex altera parte: Eng. would say on one side or on the one hand.
ius: here, bond; the word refers to both the responsibilities and the privileges that friendship entails.
216. obscuratum iri (217): obscurare, to hide, conceal, forget; here, the relatively rare fut. pass. inf.
219. versantur: versari, to be engaged in, take part in.
invenias:would you find; POTENTIAL SUBJUNCT.
220. haec: the considerations of wealth and power just discussed.
221. plerisque: very many, most.
Choosing friends.
Sed (saepe enim redeo ad Scipionem cuius omnis sermo erat de amicitia) querebatur quod omnibus in rebus homines diligentiores essent: capras et ovis quot quisque haberet dicere posse, amicos quot haberet non posse dicere; et in illis quidem 200 parandis adhibere curam, in amicis deligendis neglegentis esse nec habere quasi signa quaedam et notas, quibus eos qui ad amicitiam essent idonei iudicarent. Sunt igitur firmi et stabiles et constantes eligendi, cuius generis est magna penuria; et iudicare difficile est sane nisi expertum, experiendum autem est in 205 ipsa amicitia: ita praecurrit amicitia iudicium tollitque experiendi potestatem. Est igitur prudentis sustinere, ut cursum, sic impetum benevolentiae, quo utamur, quasi equis temptatis, sic amicitia, aliqua parte periclitatis moribus amicorum. Quidam saepe in parva pecunia perspiciuntur quam sint leves. Quidam 210 autem quos parva movere non potuit, cognoscuntur in magna. Sin vero erunt aliqui reperti qui pecuniam praeferre amicitiae sordidum existiment, ubi eos inveniemus qui honores, magistratus, imperia, potestates, opes amicitiae non anteponant, ut, cum ex altera parte proposita haec sint, ex altera ius amicitiae, non 215 multo illa malint? Imbecilla enim est natura ad contemnendam potentiam, quam etiam si neglecta amicitia consecuti sint, obscuratum iri arbitrantur, quia non sine magna causa sit neglecta amicitia. Itaque verae amicitiae difficillime reperiuntur in eis qui in honoribus reque publica versantur. Ubi enim istum 220 invenias qui honorem amici anteponat suo? Quid?—haec ut omittam, quam graves, quam difficiles plerisque videntur calamitatum societates, ad quas non est facile inventu qui descendant. Quamquam Ennius recte: “Amicus certus in re incerta cernitur.” Tamen haec duo levitatis et infirmitatis plerosque convincunt: 225 aut si in bonis rebus contemnunt aut in malis deserunt. Qui igitur utraque in re gravem, constantem, stabilem se in amicitia praestiterit, hunc ex maxime raro genere hominum iudicare debemus et paene divino. (62–64)
222. societates: societas, partnership, association, sharing.
ad quas: i.e., the depths of another’s misfortunes.
inventu qui: sc. eos (homines) as obj. of the supine and antecedent of the REL. CL. OF CHARACTERISTIC.
223. Ennius: see on line 63 above.
amicus…cernitur: the ALLITERATION and ASSONANCE are characteristic of Ennius’ poetry; cp. our proverb, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”
224. haec duo: these two points, i.e., the two just discussed and summarized in aut…deserunt.
levitatis:of fickleness; GEN. OF THE CHARGE with convincunt, convict.
225. bonis rebus: i.e., their own good fortune.
contemnunt: sc. amicos.
malis: their friends’ misfortune.
227. hunc: sc. esse.
230. quamquam: here, to be sure, indeed.
232. tenuis: slender, modest, simple.
victus:mode of living, food.
cultus:lifestyle, refinement.
delectat: sg. because both subjs. constitute a single idea.
235. cetera: obj. of putent.
236. nihilo: nihilum is used as a collateral form of nihil when case distinction is necessary.
ad unum:to a man.
237. serpit: serpere, to creep, permeate.
nescio quo modo: a kind of parenthetical cl. equivalent to an adv., I do not know how = somehow.
238. degendae: degere, to pass (one’s life), live.
expertem: expers, + gen., without a share in, free from, devoid of.
240. adminiculum: prop (for vines), support; with aliquod tamquam, some support, as it were.
adnititur: adniti,to struggle toward, lean on.
in amicissimo quoque:in the case of one’s dearest friend as well.
242. illa prima: i.e., to his first major points, that virtue is the source of friendship and that true friendship, therefore, can exist only among good men (above, lines 50–60).
aliquando: adv., at last.
243. conciliat: conciliare, to bring together, unite.
