PL 6 · cols. 345–348
Analysis libri tertii Divinarum Institutionum Lactantii, Vanitas philosophiae et philosophorum
Editors' preface
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PL 6 · cols. 345–348
Editors' preface
NOTE ON FORM: these are lemma notes (no call letters); each opens with the author's words it comments on, which serve as the anchor. The image starts partway down the notes: the first line visible in each column is cut at its top edge, so the start of the first note is not in view. The Analysis text set below the rule at the foot of the page is author's text, not notes, and is not set here. (printed under page 176)
(i) ‹anchor: not in view› · col 345
[start not in view] Nil ibi per ludum simulabitur, omnia fient / Ad verum. Sic Cic., de Amicitia, c. 25, Fucata et simulata sinceris atque veris opponit.
[start not in view] "Nothing there will be feigned in play; all things will be done in earnest." So Cicero, On Friendship, ch. 25, sets the painted and the feigned against the sincere and the true.
(printed under page 176)
(ii) ‹anchor: Ac jocus est› · col 345
Ac jocus est. Id ex Terent. in Eunuch.
"And it is a jest." This is from Terence, in the Eunuch.
(printed under page 176)
(iii) ‹anchor: Mimus religionis est› · col 345
Mimus religionis est. Hanc lectionem exhibent mss. tres veterrimi Reg., Cauc., Jun., 2 Colb., Goth., Lips., Ultr., Pal., Em., Cantabr., 1 Clarom., Brun., 5 vet. typis excusi, ac 3 rec. Et apud Senecam reperitur, l. v, epist. xxvi. In 2 Reg. et 2 Colb. est munus, quod per librariorum oscitantiam contigisse quis non videat, mutatione trium elementorum, mim in mun, ex litterarum apicibus ducta similitudine. Mss. sex, edit. Rom. 1468, et 12 rec. editi legunt minus, sed sensu alieno. Caeterum mimus religionis recte dicitur gentilium religio, quia mimi instar religionem tantum imitatur, veritatem non habet. Partim ex Gallaeo.
"It is a mime of religion." This reading is given by the three very old Regius manuscripts, the Cauc., Jun., 2 Colb., Goth., Lips., Ultr., Pal., Em., Cantabr., 1 Clarom. and Brun. manuscripts, 5 old printed editions and 3 recent ones. It is also found in Seneca, book V, letter 26. In 2 Regius and 2 Colbert manuscripts it is munus, and who would not see that this came about through the copyists' yawning inattention, by a change of three letters, mim to mun, drawn from the likeness of the letters' strokes? Six manuscripts, the Rome edition of 1468 and 12 recent editions read minus, but with a meaning foreign to the place. For the rest, the religion of the Gentiles is rightly called a mime of religion, because like a mime it only imitates religion and has no truth. Partly from Gallaeus.
(printed under page 176)
(iv) ‹anchor: Hic denique coelo dignus› · col 345
Hic denique coelo dignus. Sic reposui ex mss. 7 Reg., inter quos sunt duo veterrimi, 2 Bonon., Cauc., 3 Vatic., 6 Colb., 2 Clarom., 2 Lips., 1 Sorbon., Pal., Tax., Pen., Ultr., Em., Brun., edit. Graph. Is. in alio Lips. pro denique, est utique; in pluribus Vaticanis et edit. Thys., Gall., Spark., hic Deo coeloque dignus; in scriptis 2 Reg., Jun., Cantabrig., et vet. excusis quinque, hic coelo Deoque dignus. Deoque hic inutilis videtur juxta Thomasium.
"This man, then, is worthy of heaven." So I have restored it from 7 Regius manuscripts, among which are two very old ones, 2 Bologna, Cauc., 3 Vatican, 6 Colbert, 2 Clermont, 2 Leipzig, 1 Sorbonne, Pal., Tax., Pen., Ultr., Em. and Brun. manuscripts, and the editions of Gryphius [Graph.] and Isaeus [Is.]. In another Leipzig manuscript utique stands in place of denique; several Vatican manuscripts and the editions of Thysius, Gallaeus and Sparke have "this man is worthy of God and of heaven"; the manuscripts 2 Regius, Jun. and Cantabrig. and five old printed editions have "this man is worthy of heaven and of God". Deoque seems superfluous here, according to Thomasius.
(printed under page 176)
(v) ‹anchor: Peracta› · col 345
Peracta. Hoc caput est veluti transitus ad librum tertium.
"Being finished." This chapter is a kind of passage to the third book.
(printed under page 176)
(vi) ‹anchor: Major nobis… cum philosophis… luctatio› · cols 345–346
Major nobis... cum philosophis... luctatio. Lact. iv, c. 25 : Una nobis et magna et praecipua cum carne luctatio est. Diodoro magna luctatio est. Bun.
"A greater struggle … with the philosophers … for us." Lactantius, book IV, ch. 25: "We have one great and chief struggle, with the flesh." "Diodorus has a great struggle." Bünemann.
(printed under page 176)
(vii) ‹anchor: Quasi moles› · col 346
Quasi moles. Difficultas. Virgil.: Tantae molis erat Romanam condere gentem!
"As it were a mass." That is, a difficulty. Virgil: "So great a labour it was to found the Roman race!"
(viii) ‹anchor: Quasi moles… mihi opponitur› · col 346
— Quasi moles... mihi opponitur. Observatus est ei Cicero in Verrem, l. v, orat. 10, c. 1: Quasi murus quidam boni nomen... opponitur. Bun.
"As it were a mass … is set against me." He had in view Cicero, Against Verres, book V, oration 10, ch. 1: "the name of a good man is set up like a kind of wall." Bünemann.
(printed under page 176)
(ix) ‹anchor: Ac prope consensu omnium gentium premebantur› · col 346
Ac prope consensu omnium gentium premebantur. Ita restitui ex omnibus pene mss., 8 Reg., Cauc., 5 Colb., Lipsiensibus, 2 Sorbon., Nav., Vict., Gat., Marm., Jun., Pal., Em., Cantabrig., Brun. et vetustioribus ac praestantioribus editis, 3 Rom., Florent., Ald., Paris., 1525, Crat., Graph., Cellar., et Torn. in quo deest gentium. In ms. Tornes. ac pene consensu omnium premebamur; in Regio-Put. et 1 Colb. et 1 Clarom., premebatur, mendose; in 8 impressis rec. veritas premebatur; in scriptis 1 Reg. et 1 Clarom. veritas premeretur.
"And they were being borne down by the near consent of all nations." So I have restored it from almost all the manuscripts, 8 Regius, Cauc., 5 Colbert, the Leipzig manuscripts, 2 Sorbonne, Nav., Vict., Gat., Marm., Jun., Pal., Em., Cantabrig. and Brun., and from the older and better editions, 3 Rome, Florence, Aldus, Paris 1525, Cratander, Gryphius [Graph.], Cellarius and Tornaesius, in which gentium is missing. The Tornaesius manuscript has "and we were being borne down by the near consent of all"; the Regius-Puteanus, 1 Colbert and 1 Clermont manuscript have premebatur, wrongly; 8 recent printed editions have "truth was being borne down"; the manuscripts 1 Regius and 1 Clermont have "truth would be borne down".
(printed under page 176)
(x) ‹anchor: De sententia… depelli› · col 346
De sententia... depelli. Supra dixit de luctatione; eleganter igitur de re gladiatoria hic transfert., l. iii, c. 16, de sententia pulsus est. Conf. c. 17; l. v, c. 13. Nullis terroribus de sententiae proposito posse depelli. Bun.
"To be driven from one's opinion." Above he spoke of a wrestling bout; here, then, he elegantly carries the figure over from gladiatorial combat, as in book III, ch. 16: "he was driven from his opinion." Compare ch. 17; book V, ch. 13: "that he cannot be driven by any terrors from the purpose of his opinion." Bünemann.
(printed under page 176)
(xi) ‹anchor: Deo ac veritate ducibus› · col 346
Deo ac veritate ducibus. Corrigit vulgatum illud: Duce virtute, comite Fortuna. Docet, sicut christianum decet, non propriis viribus, non Fortunae, sed Deo Opt. Max. omnium bonorum auctori, optima quaeque esse tribuenda. Betul.
"With God and truth as guides." He corrects that common saying: "With virtue as guide and Fortune as companion." He teaches, as befits a Christian, that every best thing is to be credited not to one's own strength, nor to Fortune, but to God, Best and Greatest, the author of all good things. Betuleius.
(printed under page 176)
NOTE ON FORM: these are the "Variorum notae" printed under Book III, ch. 1. They are lemma notes with no call letters; each opens with the author's words it comments on, which serve as the anchor. The end of the Analysis and the opening of Book III above the rule are author's text and are not set here. (printed under page 177)
(i) ‹anchor: Philosophorum (title)› · col 347
Philosophorum. Hanc vocem addidi ex mss. 1 Regio, Rostochiensi et Marm. necnon ex ipsomet Lactantio, lib. iii, cap. 1 et 30.
"Of the philosophers." I have added this word from the manuscripts 1 Regius, the Rostock manuscript and Marm., and also from Lactantius himself, book III, ch. 1 and 30.
(printed under page 177)
(ii) ‹anchor: Vellem mihi› · col 347
Vellem mihi. Ms. Reg. vetust. n. 373C, addit, Constantine Imperator. Plures mss. habent quoniam, pro quando. Vellem mihi, etc. id est, Nisi veritas per se ipsa valeret, vellem eloquentiam, si non eamdem, ac Marcus Tullius, saltem proximam habere, ut vires veritatis exererem.
"I could wish." The old Regius manuscript no. 373C adds "Constantine, Emperor". Several manuscripts have quoniam for quando. "I could wish," etc., that is: if truth did not prevail of itself, I would wish to have an eloquence, if not the same as Marcus Tullius had, at least the next to it, so as to put forth the strength of truth.
(printed under page 177)
(iii) ‹anchor: Philosophis› · col 348
Philosophis. De his hocce libro tertio agitur.
"The philosophers." This third book deals with them.
(printed under page 177)
(iv) ‹anchor: Quia praecipua› · col 348
Quia praecipua. Ita editi, cum omnibus mss. praeter 1 Clarom., in quo est quae; et sic legere amabat Francius.
"Because it was outstanding." So the editions read, with all the manuscripts except 1 Clermont manuscript, which has quae ("which"); and Francius liked to read it so.
(printed under page 177)
(v) ‹anchor: Veritas vi sua propria valet› · col 348 · (continues)
Veritas vi sua propria valet. Ne credas Lactantii institutum esse, ut eloquentiam, quam unam Cicero de summis virtutibus esse dicit, damnare velit, quam agnoscit donum esse Dei: sed discernit inter veram eloquentiam (quae fucos et lenocinia nescit), ac inter
"Truth prevails by its own strength." Do not think it is Lactantius's purpose to condemn eloquence, which Cicero calls one of the highest virtues, and which he acknowledges to be a gift of God: rather, he distinguishes between true eloquence (which knows nothing of paint and allurements) and (continues)
(printed under page 177)