Quantum nostra respublica attrimentum accepit morte clarissimi marciani, spectabiles et egregii viri, Vosque cives patriae amantissimi partim lacrimis partim tacito vestro omnium merore facile intelligo. Amisimus equidem virum quo neque sapientor neque melior aut nostra aut patrum memoria in nostra civitate adhuc fuit. Amisimus patrem patriae urbis patronum civicum protectorem. Amisimus virum omnium bonarum artium atque honestissimarum disciplinarum eruditissimum. Amisimus denique virunt in quo summa in omnes humanitas singularis iusticia precipua animi fortitudo, admirabilis constantia, summum concilium ac divina quaedam in maximis rebus providendis sapientia erat. Quis igitur nostrum patres optimi satis digni talem virum lugere poterit? Quis mortem eius lamentari? Quis publicum merorem satis consolari queat? Quem nobis virum huic comparandum continget in nostra civitate reperire? Quando sperare nobis huic similem aut posteris nostris licebit? O civitatem nostram morte tanti viri merito lugubrem atque desolatam. O populum Terdonensem optimo parente orbatum! O nostram rempublicam maximo ornamento spoliatam! Dies me, patres gravissimi, deficeret si nostre civitatis in commoda oratione mea prosequi vellem. Sed quia humani casus non lacrimis aut secreto dolore sed virtute ac moderacione animi lenantur non tam nostra a nobis iactura lugenda est quam communis omnium mortalium naturae condicio consideranda. Quamquam enim talis in omni genere omnium virtutum atque doctrinarum fuerit ut nemo nostrum sit qui non immortalem si fieri posset eum fuisse optare tamen cum sapientis officium existat nec etiam si possit non repugnare vos omnes oratos volo ut mortem eius fortiter equanimiterque praeferatis ne amasse nos solos magis quam illum ipsum quem lugemus videamur.

I understand how great a blow our country has received from the death of our most celebrated Marziano. Notable and famous men, and you most loving citizens of our fatherland, I readily understand this, of all things, partly from your tears and partly from your silent grief. Indeed we are sending away a man than whom thre has thus far in our State been neither wiser, nor better, neither in our memory nor that of our forebears. We are sending away the father of city and the protector of our civic patrons. We are sending away a man most erudite in all the good arts and the most upstanding disciplines. Finally we are sending away one in whom thrived the greatest humanity, in whom there was unique outstanding fairness, courage of spirit, admirable constancy, the highest counsel and a certain divine wisdom in forseeing great things. Who therefore of us, greatest fathers, might be capable of being judged worthy to mourn such a man? Who to lament his death? Who might be able to do enough to console the public grief? Who will be fated to find a man to compare to him in our State? When will we or our descendants be allowed to hope for his like? Oh State of ours, deservedly made mournful and desolate by the death of so great a man! Oh people of Tortona, orphaned of such a parent! Oh our country, despoiled of its greatest ornament! Gravest fathers, the light of day would leave me should I wish to continue in my speech on the disaster of our State. But because man's losses are not soothed by tears or secret grief, but by courage and moderation of spirit, our fate is not so much to be mourned by us than the shared condition of the nature of all men is to be contemplated. For although he was such a man in all manner of all virtues and doctrines that there would be no man among us who would not wish him made immortal, if it could be done, however, a wise man's duty exists. If you can avoid rebelling, I want all you whom I address to bear his death with a balanced mind lest we seem to have loved only ourselves more than him whom we mourn.