[67] (1) Quid igitur est? Cuivīs clārē dīlūcet aliam rem invidiā nūllam esse quae hunc et Hērennium Rufīnum, impulsōrem huius, dē quō mox dīcam, cēterōsque inimīcōs meōs ad nectendās magīae calumniās prōvocārit.
(2) Quīnque igitur rēs sunt, quās mē oportet disputāre. Nam sī probē meminī, quod ad Pudentillam attinet, haec obiēcēre: (3) ūna rēs est, quod numquam eam voluisse nūbere post priōrem marītum, sed meīs carminibus coāctam dīxēre; altera rēs est dē epistulīs eius, quam cōnfessiōnem magīae putant; deinde sexāgēsimō annō aetātis ad lubīdinem nūbsisse, et quod in vīllā ac nōn in oppidō tabulae nubtiālēs sint cōnsignātae, tertiō et quārtō locō obiēcēre; (4) novissima et eadem invidiōsissima crīminātiō dē dōte fuit. Ibi omne vīrus tōtīs vīribus adnīxī effundere, ibi maximē angēbantur, atque ita dīxēre mē grandem dōtem mox in prīncipiō coniūnctiōnis nostrae mulierī amantī remōtīs arbitrīs in vīllā extorsisse.
(5) Quae omnia tam falsa, tam nihilī, tam inānia ostendam adeōque facile et sine ūllā contrōversiā refūtābō, ut medius fīdius verear, Maxime quīque in cōnsiliō estis, nē dēmissum et subōrnātum ā mē accūsātōrem putētis, ut invidiam meam repertā occāsiōne palam restinguerem. (6) Mihi crēdite, quod reābse intellegētur: oppidō quam mihi labōrandum est, nē tam frīvolam accūsātiōnem mē potius callidē excōgitāsse quam illōs stultē suscēpisse exīstimētis.
Vocabulary
quīvīs quaevīs quodvīs or (subst.) quidvīs: who or what you please
dīlūceō –lūcēre — —: to be clear, evident
Hērennius Rūfīnus –ī m.: Herennius Rufinus, allegedly son of a bankrupt father, father of (Herennia).
impulsor –ōris m.: inciter, instigator
nectō nectere nexī nexum: to weave; contrive, prepare, frame
magīa –ae f.: magic, sorcery
calumnia –ae f.: the bringing of a false accusation; false statement
prōvocō prōvocāre –āvī –ātus: to provoke
disputō disputāre disputāvī disputātus: to discuss, debate, argue
(2)
probē: correctly
Pudentilla –ae f.: Aemilia Pudentilla, married first to Sicinius Amicus and then to Apuleius; mother of Sicinius Pontianus and Sicinius Pudens.
attineō attinēre attinuī attentus: to pertain to
obiiciō obiicere obiēcī obiectus: to bring up (an accusation) against
nūbō nūbere nūpsī nūptum: to marry
(3)
marītus –ī m.: husband
cōnfessiō –ōnis f.: a confession, admission
sexāgēsimus –a –um: 60th
vīlla vīllae f.: rural estate, villa
tabula tabulae f.: plank, (game) board; painting; writing tablet
nuptiālis –e: pertaining to marriage; tabulae nuptiales = "marriage contract"
consignō –āre: put a seal on, sign
invidiōsus –a –um: envious
(4)
crīminātiō –ōnis f.: an accusation, complaint
dōs dōtis f.: dowry
vīrus –ī n.: venom, bile
adnītor –nīsus (–nīxus) sum: to strive to (+ infin.)
angō –ere –ānxī –ānctus (–ānxus): to annoy, vex
grandis grandis grande: large
coniūnctiō –ōnis f.: a union
removeō removēre removī remōtus: to remove
arbiter –trī m.: observer, witness
extorqueō extorquēre extorsī extortus: to extort
inānis inānis ināne: empty, void
(5)
contrōversia –ae f.: dispute
refūtō refūtāre refūtāvī refūtātus: to disprove
medius fidius: "by heaven" [an oath]
Māximus –ī m.: cognomen of Claudius Maximus, judge in the case
dēmittō dēmittere dēmīsī dēmissum: to send in
subōrnō –ōrnāre: to instigate, secretly incite, put (somebody) up to (something)
accūsātor –ōris m.: the accuser
occāsiō occāsiōnis f.: opportunity
palam: openly
restinguō –ere –stīnxī –stīnctus: to put out, extinguish
reāpse or reābse: in fact, actually, really
(6)
oppidō: (adv.) very much
frīvolus –a –um: having little value, worthless
accūsātiō accūsātiōnis f.: accusation
callidus –a –um: clever
excōgitō –āre –āvī –ātus: to devise
stulte: (adv.) foolishly