[3664] i.e., from one horse to another--desultores.
[3665] Rationibus et constitutionibus.
[3666] Lit., "it should be believed."
[3667] Lit., "unless there were joined."
[3668] So the ms., reading contentio, which Orelli would understand as meaning "contents," which may be correct. LB. reads conditio--"condition," ineptly; and Ursinus in the margin, completio--"the filling up."
39. But perhaps, some one will urge, the Ruler of the world sent hither souls sprung from Himself for this purpose--a very rash thing for a man to say [3669] --that they which had been divine [3670] with Him, not coming into contact with the body and earthly limits, [3671] should be buried in the germs of men, spring from the womb, burst into and keep up the silliest wailings, draw the breasts in sucking, besmear and bedaub themselves with their own filth, then be hushed by the swaying [3672] of the frightened nurse and by the sound of rattles. [3673] Did He send souls hither for this reason, that they which had been but now sincere and of blameless virtue should learn as [3674] men to feign, to dissemble, to lie, to cheat, [3675] to deceive, to entrap with a flatterer's abjectness; to conceal one thing in the heart, [3676] express another in the countenance; to ensnare, to beguile [3677] the ignorant with crafty devices, to seek out poisons by means of numberless arts suggested by bad feelings, and to be fashioned [3678] with deceitful changeableness to suit circumstances? Was it for this He sent souls, that, living till then in calm and undisturbed tranquillity, they might find in [3679] their bodies causes by which to become fierce and savage, cherish hatred and enmity, make war upon each other, subdue and overthrow states; load themselves with, and give themselves up to the yoke of slavery; and finally, be put the one in the other's power, having changed the condition [3680] in which they were born? Was it for this He sent souls, that, being made unmindful of the truth, and forgetful of what God was, they should make supplication to images which cannot move; address as superhuman deities pieces of wood, brass, and stones; ask aid of them [3681] with the blood of slain animals; make no mention of Himself: nay more, that some of them should doubt their own existence, or deny altogether that anything exists? Was it for this He sent souls, that they which in their own abodes had been of one mind, equals in intellect and knowledge, after that they put on mortal forms, should be divided by differences of opinion; should have different views as to what is just, useful, and right; should contend about the objects of desire and aversion; should define the highest good and greatest evil differently; that, in seeking to know the truth of things, they should be hindered by their obscurity; and, as if bereft of eyesight, should see nothing clearly, [3682] and, wandering from the truth, [3683] should be led through uncertain bypaths of fancy?
[3669] So the later edd., from the margin of Ursinus, reading quod temeritatis est maximæ for the ms. quem--"whom it shows the greatest rashness to speak of."
[3670] Lit., "goddesses."
[3671] So Gelenius (acc. to Orelli), reading as in the margin of Ursinus, terrenæ circumscriptionis, for the unintelligible reading of the ms., temerariæ, retained in both Roman edd., Canterus, and (acc. to Oehler) Gelenius. LB. reads metariæ--"a limiting by boundaries."
[3672] Lit., "motions."
[3673] Cf. Lucr., v. 229 sq. The same idea comes up again in iv. 21.
[3674] Lit., "in."
[3675] According to Hildebrand, the ms. reads dissimular-ent circumscribere, so that, by merely dropping nt, he reads, "to dissemble and cheat;" but according to Crusius, iri is found in the ms. between these two words, so that by prefixing m Sabæus in the first ed. read m-ent-iri as above, followed by all other edd.
[3676] Lit., "to roll...in the mind."
[3677] Rigaltius and Hildebrand regard decipere as a gloss.
[3678] So the ms., reading formari, followed by Hildebrand and Oehler; but all the other edd. give the active form, -are.
[3679] Lit., "from."
[3680] The condition, i.e., of freedom.
[3681] LB., seemingly received by Orelli, though not inserted into his text, reads poscerent eos for the ms. -entur, which Hildebrand modifies -ent ea as above.
[3682] Lit., "certain."
[3683] Lit., "by error."
40. Was it for this He sent souls hither, that while the other creatures are fed by what springs up spontaneously, and is produced without being sown, and do not seek for themselves the protection or covering of houses or garments, they should be under the sad necessity [3684] of building houses for themselves at very great expense and with never-ending toils, preparing coverings for their limbs, making different kinds of furniture for the wants [3685] of daily life, borrowing help for [3686] their weakness from the dumb creatures; using violence to the earth that it might not give forth its own herbs, but might send up the fruits required; and when they had put forth all their strength [3687] in subduing the earth, should be compelled to lose the hope with which they had laboured [3688] through blight, hail, drought; and at last forced by [3689] hunger to throw themselves on human bodies; and when set free, to be parted from their human forms by a wasting sickness? Was it for this that they which, while they abode with Him, had never had any longing for property, should have become exceedingly covetous, and with insatiable craving be inflamed to an eager desire of possessing; that they should dig up lofty mountains, and turn the unknown bowels of the earth into materials, and to purposes of a different kind; should force their way to remote nations at the risk of life, and, in exchanging goods always catch at a high price for what they sell, and a low one [3690] for what they buy, take interest at greedy and excessive rates, and add to the number of their sleepless nights spent in reckoning up thousands [3691] wrung from the life-blood of wretched men; should be ever extending the limits of their possessions, and, though they were to make whole provinces one estate, should weary the forum with suits for one tree, for one furrow; should hate rancorously their friends and brethren?
[3684] Lit., "the sad necessity should be laid upon them, that," etc.
[3685] Lit., "for the want of daily things," diurnorun egestati, for which Stewechius would read diurna egestate--"from daily necessity."
[3686] Lit., "of."
[3687] Lit., "poured forth all their blood."
[3688] Lit., "of their labour."
[3689] Lit., "at last by force of."
[3690] So the ms. and edd., reading vilitatem, for which Meursius proposed very needlessly utilitatem--"and at an advantage."
[3691] So, adhering very closely to the ms., which gives e-t sanguine supputandis augere-t insomnia milibus, the t of e-t being omitted and n inserted by all. The first five edd. read, -tandi se angerent insania: millibus--"harass themselves with the madness of reckoning; by miles should extend," etc.,--the only change in Heraldus and Orelli being a return to insomnia--"harass with sleeplessness," etc.
41. Was it for this He sent souls, that they which shortly before had been gentle and ignorant of what it is to be moved by fierce passions, should build for themselves markets and amphitheatres, places of blood and open wickedness, in the one of which they should see men devoured and torn in pieces by wild beasts, and themselves slay others for no demerit but to please and gratify the spectators, [3692] and should spend those very days on which such wicked deeds were done in general enjoyment, and keep holiday with festive gaiety; while in the other, again, they should tear asunder the flesh of wretched animals, some snatch one part, others another, as dogs and vultures do, should grind them with their teeth, and give to their utterly insatiable [3693] maw, and that, surrounded by [3694] faces so fierce and savage, those should bewail their lot whom the straits of poverty withheld from such repasts; [3695] that their life should be [3696] happy and prosperous while such barbarous doings defiled their mouths and face? Was it for this He sent souls, that, forgetting their importance and dignity as divine, they should acquire gems, precious stones, pearls, at the expense of their purity; should entwine their necks with these, pierce the tips of their ears, bind [3697] their foreheads with fillets, seek for cosmetics [3698] to deck their bodies, [3699] darken their eyes with henna; nor, though in the forms of men, blush to curl their hair with crisping-pins, to make the skin of the body smooth, to walk with bare knees, and with every other kind of wantonness, both to lay aside the strength of their manhood, and to grow in effeminacy to a woman's habits and luxury?
[3692] So restored by Cujacius, followed by LB. and Orelli, reading in grat-i-am (ms. wants i) voluptatemque, while the first five edd. merely drop -que--"to the grateful pleasure," etc.
[3693] Lit., "most cruel."
[3694] Lit., "among," in oris, the ms. reading, and that of the first four edd., for which the others have received from the margin of Ursinus moribus--"(indulging) in so fierce and savage customs."
[3695] Lit., "tables."
[3696] Lit., "they should live."
[3697] Lit., "lessen."
[3698] In the ms. this clause follows the words "loss of their purity," where it is very much in the way. Orelli has followed Heraldus in disposing of it as above, while LB. inserts it after "tips of their ears." The rest adhere to the arrangement of the ms., Ursinus suggesting instead of his--"with these," catenis--"with chains;" Heraldus, linis--"with strings (of pearls);" Stewechius, tæniis--"with fillets."
[3699] So LB. and Orelli reading, con-fic-iendis corporibus for the ms. con-sp-iendis, for which the others read -spic-, "to win attention." A conjecture by Oudendorp, brought forward by Orelli, is worthy of notice--con-spu-endis, "to cover," i.e., so as to hide defects.
42. Was it for this He sent souls, that some should infest the highways and roads, [3700] others ensnare the unwary, forge [3701] false wills, prepare poisoned draughts; that they should break open houses by night, tamper with slaves, steal and drive away, not act uprightly, and betray their trust perfidiously; that they should strike out delicate dainties for the palate; that in cooking fowls they should know how to catch the fat as it drips; that they should make cracknels and sausages, [3702] force-meats, tit-bits, Lucanian sausages, with these [3703] a sow's udder and iced [3704] puddings? Was it for this He sent souls, that beings [3705] of a sacred and august race should here practise singing and piping; that they should swell out their cheeks in blowing the flute; that they should take the lead in singing impure songs, and raising the loud din of the castanets, [3706] by which another crowd of souls should be led in their wantonness to abandon themselves to clumsy motions, to dance and sing, form rings of dancers, and finally, raising their haunches and hips, float along with a tremulous motion of the loins?
Was it for this He sent souls, that in men they should become impure, in women harlots, players on the triangle [3707] and psaltery; that they should prostitute their bodies for hire, should abandon themselves to the lust of all, [3708] ready in the brothels, to be met with in the stews, [3709] ready to submit to anything, prepared to do violence to their mouth even? [3710]
[3700] Lit., "passages of ways."
[3701] Lit., "substitute."
[3702] So the later edd., reading botulos; the ms. and early edd. give boletos--"mushrooms."
[3703] For his, Heinsius proposes hiris--"with the intestines."
[3704] Lit., "in a frozen condition." As to the meaning of this there is difference of opinion: some supposing that it means, as above, preserved by means of ice, or at least frozen; while others interpret figuratively, "as hard as ice." [Our Scottish translators have used their local word, "iced haggises:" I have put puddings instead, which gives us, at least, an idea of something edible. To an American, what is iced conveys the idea of a drink. The budinarius, heretofore noted, probably made these iced saucisses.]
[3705] Lit., "things"--res.
[3706] Scabilla were a kind of rattles or castanets moved by the feet.
[3707] Sambuca, not corresponding to the modern triangle, but a stringed instrument of that shape. Its notes were shrill and disagreeable, and those who played on it of indifferent character.
[3708] So the ms. and first four edd., reading virilitatem sui populo publicarent. Meursius emended utilitatem--"made common the use," etc.; and Orelli, from the margin of Ursinus, vilitatem--"their vileness."
[3709] The ms. reads in fornicibus obvi-t-ae, which, dropping t, is the reading translated, and was received by Elmenhorst, LB., and Hildebrand, from the margin of Ursinus. The other edd. insert nc before t--"bound."
[3710] The translation does not attempt to bring out the force of the words ad oris stuprum paratæ, which are read by Orelli after Ursinus and Gelenius. The text is so corrupt, and the subject so obscene, that a bare reference to the practice may be sufficient.
43. What say you, O offspring and descendants of the Supreme Deity? Did these souls, then, wise, and sprung from the first causes, become acquainted with such forms of baseness, crime, and bad feeling? and were they ordered to dwell here, [3711] and be clothed with the garment of the human body, in order that they might engage in, might practise these evil deeds, and that very frequently? And is there a man with any sense of reason who thinks that the world was established because of them, and not rather that it was set up as a seat and home, in which every kind of wickedness should be committed daily, all evil deeds be done, plots, impostures, frauds, covetousness, robberies, violence, impiety, all that is presumptuous, indecent, base, disgraceful, [3712] and all the other evil deeds which men devise over all the earth with guilty purpose, and contrive for each other's ruin?