The judge calls for careful weighing, not applause
Marcus, the narrator and judge, responds after Caecilius has finished his opening speech against Christianity.
So Caecilius smiled, for the flow of his speech had eased the swelling of his indignation, and said: "Does Octavius dare to answer this? He is a man of Plautus's family, and as he is the foremost of the Christians, so he is the last of the philosophers."
"Stop applauding him," I said. "You have no right to exult over the elegance of his speech before both sides have pleaded fully to the end, especially since your debate strives not for praise but for truth. And although your speech has delighted me greatly with its subtle variety, I am moved more deeply, not about the present case, but about the whole method of arguing, because the condition of even clear truth is often changed by the strength of the speakers and the power of their eloquence.
This happens, as everyone knows, through the indulgence of listeners, who are drawn away from the matters at hand by the allurement of words and assent to everything said without discrimination, not separating falsehoods from what is right, unaware that truth exists even in the incredible and falsehood in the plausible. So the more often they believe assertions, the more often they are refuted by those with greater skill. Thus, constantly deceived by their own rashness, they transfer the blame for their judgment to a complaint about uncertainty, so that, condemning everything, they prefer to suspend all matters rather than judge about deceptive things.
Therefore we must take care that we do not repeatedly suffer from hatred of all speech, so that many of the simpler sort are carried away into cursing and hating people. For the incautiously credulous are deceived by those whom they thought good; soon, by a similar error, they suspect everyone and fear as wicked even those whom they could have perceived as the best.
So let us be careful, since every matter is argued on both sides and on one side the truth is often obscure, while on the other there is remarkable subtlety, which sometimes imitates the credibility of confessed proof through richness of speaking. Let us weigh each point carefully, as much as we can, so that we may indeed praise clever arguments, but choose, approve, and take up those things which are right."
Latin
Sic Caecilius et renidens (nam indignationis eius tumorem effusae orationis impetus relaxauerat): Ecquid ad haec, ait, audet Octauius, homo Plautinae prosapiae, ut Christianorum praecipuus, ita postremus philosophorum?
Parce, inquam, in eum plaudere: neque enim prius exultare te dignum est concinnitate sermonis, quam utrimque plenius fuerit peroratum, maxime cum non laudi, set ueritati disceptatio uestra nitatur.
etquamquam magnum in modum me subtili uarietate tua delectarit oratio, tamen altius moueor, non de praesenti actione, sed de toto genere disputandi, quod plerumque pro disserentium uiribus et eloquentiae potestate etiam perspicuae ueritatis condicio mutetur.
id accidere pernotum est auditorum facilitate, qui dum uerborum lenocinio a rerum intentionibus auocantur, sine dilectu adsentiuntur dictis omnibus nec a rectis falsa secernunt, nescientes inesse et in incredibili uerum et in uerisimili mendacium.
itaque quo saepius adseuerationibus credunt, eo frequentius a peritioribus arguuntur: sic adsidue temeritate decepti culpam iudicii sui transferunt ad incerti querellam, ut damnatis omnibus malint uniuersa suspendere quam de fallacibus iudicare.
igitur nobis prouidendum est, ne odio identidem sermonum omnium laboremus ita, ut in execrationem et odium hominum plerique simpliciores efferantur. nam incaute creduli circumueniuntur ab iis quos bonos putauerunt: mox errore consimili iam suspectis omnibus ut improbos metuunt etiam quos optimos sentire potuerunt.
nos proinde solliciti, quod utrimque omni in negotio disseratur et ex altera parte plerumque obscura sit ueritas, ex altero latere mira subtilitas, quae nonnumquam ubertate dicendi fidem confessae probationis imitetur, diligenter quantum potest singula ponderemus, ut argutias quidem laudare, ea uero quae recta sunt, eligere, probare, suscipere possimus.