Migne Reading Room
PL 2 · cols. 1171–1174
Appendix I: Carmina Tertulliano adscripta, De ligno vitae
Editors' preface
DE LIGNO VITAE.
ON THE TREE OF LIFE.
Est locus ex omni medius, quem cernimus, orbe, / Golgotha Judaei patrio cognomine dicunt: / Hic ego de sterili succisum robore lignum / Plantatum, memini fructus genuisse salubres. / Non tamen hos illis, qui se posuere, colonis / Praebuit: externi fructus habuere beatos. / Arboris haec species uno de stipite surgit, / Et mox in geminos extendit brachia ramos: / Sicut plena graves antennae carbasa tendunt, / Vel cum disjunctis juga stant ad aratra juvencis, / Quem tulit hoc primo maturo semine lapsum / Concepit tellus: mox hinc (mirabile dictu) / Tertia lux iterum, terris superisque tremendum / Extulerat ramum, vitali fruge beatum / Sed bis vicenis firmatus et ille diebus / Crevit in immensum, coelumque cacumine summo / Contigit, et tandem sanctum caput abdidit alto. / ⟨C⟩um tamen ingenti bissenos pondere ramos / Edidit, et totum spargens porrexit in orbem: / Gentibus ut cunctis victum vitamque perennem / Praeberent, mortemque mori qui posse docerent. / Expletis etiam mox quinquaginta diebus,
There is a place in the middle of the whole world which we behold; the Jews call it Golgotha by their ancestral name. Here, I remember, a tree cut from a barren trunk, once planted, bore wholesome fruits. Yet it did not give them to those husbandmen who had settled there: strangers had its blessed fruits. This is the form of the tree: it rises from one stem, and soon stretches out its arms into twin branches, as heavy yards stretch the full sails, or as the yokes stand at the ploughs when the bullocks have been unharnessed. What it bore, fallen first as ripe seed, the earth conceived; soon from here (wonderful to tell) the third day had again raised up a branch, fearful to the earth and to those above, blessed with life-giving fruit. But that too, strengthened over twice twenty days, grew to immensity, and touched heaven with its topmost peak, and at length hid its holy head on high. When, however, it had put forth twelve branches of great weight, and, spreading them, stretched them out into the whole world, that they might offer to all nations food and everlasting life, and teach that death can die, then, when fifty days had soon been completed,
Editors' notes and page, col. 1171
Footnotes
<!-- Editor's notes in small type at the head of the page close the notes to the preceding poem, above the rule and the title DE LIGNO VITAE. The crop shows only their last lines: the left column's opening lines and the right column's opening lines (the run-over of "usur-") are cut off above the image. Gaps marked [...]. -->
(continued) · notes to the preceding poem, col 1171 (head of note cut off above the crop)
[...] Sic Sedulius de eodem : . . . . . ceto sorbente voratus / In pelago non sensit aquas. Sed tamen illud, tinctus retinui quia scio familiare esse Tertulliano uti eo verbo, et tinctionem usur- [...] Nam liber undis intra mare exter maris.
[...] So Sedulius on the same: ". . . . . swallowed by the sea-beast, / In the deep he felt not the waters." Yet I have kept that word tinctus ("dipped") because I know it is Tertullian's habit to use that verb, and to use[?] "dipping" [...] "For free of the waves, within the sea, outside the sea."
(printed under page 590)
(28) · note to the preceding poem, col 1172
(printed under page 590) (28) Vel va. Robertus legit vel vatis. Quid si potius : vel vivus?
(28) Vel va: Robertus reads vel vatis ("or of the prophet"). What if rather: vel vivus ("or alive")?
(unnumbered closing remark) · col 1172 Haec quidem quae ad emendationem corruptissimi exemplaris proferre potui.
These, then, are what I have been able to offer towards the emendation of a most corrupt copy.
Variae lectiones. (printed under page 590)
Page
- running head: 1171 AD GENUINA TERTULLIAN[I …] (only the left half of the running head is in the image)
- marginal letters: A ‹Unam animam propter› (previous unit); B ‹pare p…› (Commentarius, previous unit); C ‹Est locus ex omni medius›; D ‹Sed bis vicenis firmatus›
- old-edition numerals: (none) in this column; 1113 and 1114 stand in col 1172
- other: set only from "Est locus ex omni" (verse above the band, with its Commentarius (24)-(28), belongs to the previous unit). The title band is printed across the page: DE LIGNO VITÆ. (left half in the column image, right half "…GNO VITÆ." in the page-foot image p590_footR; Q1 2026-10-19 set it whole). No author line or LIBER line is printed with it. Verse lines joined on one line with " / "; no indented (paragraph) line seen below the band ("Sed bis vicenis" sits barely indented, taken as not a paragraph start: UNSURE). "⟨C⟩um": initial letter blotted on the page, Cum read from sense (Dum possible). "Contigit": initial blotted but legible. Variae lectiones at the foot: 68 Frontes Oberth. (call in col 1172's text; set in n1172). coelumque printed with œ.
Vertice de summo divini nectaris haustum / Detulit in ramos, coelestis spiritus aurae: / Dulci rore graves manabant undique frondes.
From the topmost summit the breath of the heavenly breeze brought a draught of divine nectar down into the branches: the leaves, heavy with sweet dew, were dripping on every side.
Ecce sub ingenti ramorum tegminis umbra / Fons erat: hic, nullo casu turbante, serenus, / Perspicuis illimis aquis, et gramina circum / Fundebant laetos vario de flore colores. / Hunc circum innumerae gentes populique coibant.
Behold, beneath the shade of the vast covering of branches there was a spring: here, with no mishap disturbing it, it was clear, free of mud, with transparent waters, and the grasses round about poured forth glad colours from varied flower. Around this innumerable nations and peoples gathered.
Quam varii generis, sexus, aetatis, honoris, / Innuptae, nuptaeque simul, viduaeque, nurusque, / Infantes, puerique, viri, juvenesque, senesque! / Hic ubi multigenis flexos incumbere pomis / Cernebant ramos, avidisque adtingere dextris / Gaudebant, madidos coelesti nectare fructus: / Nec prius hoc poterant cupidis decerpere palmis, / Quam lutulenta viae vestigia foeda prioris / Detererent, corpusque pio de fonte lavarent. / Ergo diu circum spatiantes gramine molli, / Suscipiunt alta pendentes arbore fructus. / Tum si quis ex illis delapsa putamina ramis, / Et dulces, multo rorantes nectare, frondes / Vescuntur, veros exoptant sumere fructus.
Of how varied a kind, sex, age and rank they were: unmarried women and married women together, and widows and young wives, infants and boys, men, youths and old men! Here, when they saw the branches bent down to lean with fruits of many kinds, they rejoiced to touch with eager right hands the fruits moist with heavenly nectar: nor could they pluck this with desirous palms before they had wiped away the muddy, foul traces of the former road and washed the body in the holy spring. So, walking long around on the soft grass, they take up the fruits hanging from the high tree. Then if any of them feed on the husks fallen from the branches and the sweet leaves dripping with much nectar, they long to take the true fruits.
Editors' notes and page, col. 1172
Footnotes
(68) ‹anchor: manabant undique frondes› · call in col 1172
68 Frontes Oberth. -
68 "Frontes" ("brows") Oberthür.
(printed under page 590)
Page
- running head: NA TERTULLIANI OPERA 1172 (left part of running head cut off at image edge)
- marginal letters: A Candida caeruleo florent (previous unit); B pare pro baptismi aquis (editors' commentary, previous unit, not set); C Vertice de summo; D Nec prius hoc
- old-edition numerals: 1113 after Jonas; 1114 after exter (both above the band, previous unit)
- other: the column's text above the title band (Candida caeruleo … sed coeli gloria factus.) closes the preceding poem and belongs to the previous unit; per the unit boundary, col 1172 keeps only its text below the band (Q1 2026-10-19 removed the above-band verses from this part).
Ergo ubi coelestem ceperunt ora saporem, / Permutant animos, et mentes perdere avaras / Incipiunt, dulcique hominem cognoscere sensu, / Insolitum multis stomachum movisse saporem / Vidimus, et fellis commotum melle venenum / Rejecisse bonos turbata mente sapores: / Aut avide sumptum non dilexisse, diuque / Et male potatum tandem evomuisse saporem. / Saepe quidem multi, renovatis mentibus, aegros / Restituere animos: et quae se posse negabant, / Pertulerant, fructumque sui cepere laboris. / Multi etiam sanctos ausi contingere fontes, / Discussere iterum subito, retroque relapsi, / Sordibus et coeno misti volvuntur eodem. / Multi vero bono portantes pectore, totis / Accipiunt animis, penitusque in viscera condunt. / Ergo qui sacros possunt accedere fontes, / Septima lux illos optatas sistit ad undas, / Tingit et in liquidis jejunos fontibus artus. / Sic demum illuviem mentis, vitaeque prioris / Deponunt labem; purasque a morte reducunt / Illustres animas, coelique ad limen ituras. / Hinc iter ad ramos, et dulcia poma salutis: / Inde iter ad coelum per ramos arboris altae. / Hoc lignum vitae est cunctis credentibus. Amen.
So when their mouths have taken in the heavenly savour, they change their minds and begin to lose their avaricious thoughts, and to know the Man with a sweet sense. We have seen that in many the unaccustomed savour has stirred the stomach, and that the poison of gall, roused by the honey, has rejected the good savours with troubled mind; or that some have not loved what they eagerly took, and long and badly drunk, have at last vomited the savour up. Often indeed many, with minds renewed, have restored their sick souls, and what they said they could not bear they had borne, and have reaped the fruit of their labour. Many too, having dared to touch the holy fonts, have suddenly shaken them off again and, falling back, are rolled, mingled, in the same filth and mire. But many, bearing it in a good heart, receive it with their whole souls and store it deep within their inmost parts. Therefore those who are able to approach the sacred fonts, the seventh day sets at the longed-for waters, and dips their fasting limbs in the flowing springs. So at last they lay aside the filth of the mind and the stain of the former life, and bring back from death souls pure and shining, that are to go to the threshold of heaven. From here the way leads to the branches and the sweet fruits of salvation; from there the way leads to heaven through the branches of the lofty tree. This is the tree of life to all who believe. Amen.
Editors' notes and page, col. 1173
Footnotes
(69) ‹anchor: optatas sistit ad undas› · call in col 1174 (above the band; set under col 1173's rail)
69 Optata Oberth.
69 "Optata" ("longed-for") Oberthür.
(printed under page 591) <!-- The Variae lectiones of this page stand directly under the poem, above the title band APPENDIX SECUNDA, not at the page foot; the page foot carries Suaresius's preface "Candido Lectori" (with the old-edition page numbers 1115/1116 in bold) and the opening of the fragment "De exsecrandis gentium diis", all next unit. Q1 2026-10-19 added note 69, previously missed. -->
Page
- running head: 1173 APPENDIX II. — DE GE (cut off at image edge)
- marginal letters: A Ergo ubi coelestem ceperunt (and, in col 1174, Sordibus et coeno misti); B Candide Lector. Patet mihi (editors' prose, next unit, not set); C ego cum semel iterumque (editors' prose, next unit, not set); D (none)
- old-edition numerals: 1115 before Candide (at the head of Suaresius's address, next unit, not set)
- other: in reading order the poem's last twelve lines, printed in col 1174 above the band (Sordibus et coeno … credentibus. Amen.), stand under this rail (Q1 2026-10-19 set them; they had been omitted). Below the band the column continues with the next unit (Candido Lectori; Tantum caecitatis); not set here. Q2 2026-10-19: "ceperunt" as printed (plain e, not œ; cf. "cepere" in the same column); verse lines now joined with " / " and the space before colon and semicolon closed up, as in cols 1171–1172; the twelve col-1174 lines checked against c1174_1. Q3 2026-10-19: note 69's English no longer calls "Optata" neuter plural (it may as well agree with "Septima lux").
Editors' notes and page, col. 1174
Page
- running head: …X II. — DE GENTIUM DIIS. 1174 (left part of the running head outside the image)
- marginal letters: A ‹Sordibus et coeno misti›; B ‹1116 Apologetico, diversum penitus› (next unit); C ‹Herculem ad Ecclesiae suae› (next unit); D (not in image)
- old-edition numerals: 1116 before ‹Apologetico› (next unit's text)
- other: rail-only part (--end-in). The poem's last twelve lines (Sordibus et coeno … Hoc lignum vitae est cunctis credentibus. Amen.) stand above the band and, in reading order, belong under col 1173's rail (set there fresh); they carry Variae lectiones call 69 after "optatas". The unit ends there. Below the band: APPENDIX SECUNDA, the editors' letter CANDIDO LECTORI … SUARESIUS AVENIONENSIS SALUTEM (editors' prose), and the title of the fragment De exsecrandis gentium diis with its text: all next unit.