SECOND

From the same third [book].

"Nor, as we note in the eggs of birds, is the body the heavens judged to be slippery due to a continuous smoothness, which the most famous authors called tender by arguments."
Ancient and some printed codices have in its place: "of the sky: which the most famous authors called tender: [they] have 'The most famous authors indeed said true,' and 'it indicates by arguments.'" I defend the more recent reading, so that the sense is: "It is proved by arguments that the sky is not—as they supposed—smooth; that is, not painted or engraved with images as are the eggs of birds; and for that reason, they called it uninjured, slippery, and tender."

Timaeus in Plato: original: "ουτος δη πας οπτωs θεουλογισμοσ λει ομ και οπαλομ, παρταχητε εκμεσου ιστομ και τελεου εκτελεωμ σωμα εποιησεμ." This entire heaven, which we call world or sky, he made a complete, whole body, equidistant from its center in every direction.
The same, many verses later: original: "τομερ γαρκαταφυσιν ευκιμητομ ο ταμ και βραχυπαθσο εμπιπτη ει سαυτο διαλιλωσι κυκλω μορια ετερα ετεροισ ταυτομ απεργαζομερα μεχρι περαμ εξαγγειλη τουτοιοηs αφτοs τηλυναμωιμ." For it is natural that it should be easily moved, and that it should be slightly affected; it revolves in a circle, bringing the same parts to others and producing the same result until the end announces its own power.

Cicero in the same book: "God," he says, "adorned the sky so that it would have nothing or little roughness; no injury." And immediately after: "He surrounded the entire figure of the world with smoothness." Martianus Felix Capella: "The virgin, having entered the lunar circle, sees a round and tender body, compacted from the smoothness of the celestial dew like a gleaming mirror." The same elsewhere: "The tenderness of subtle bodies," he says, speaking of Water, Air, Fire, and Ether, which for this reason are also called cymata waves by physicists. Furthermore, it follows that Cymata things that are smooth and spherical are tender and slippery because of the motion. Therefore, L. Apuleius, in the booklet on the daemon of Socrates, after having spoken of smoothness or levity, added "slippery." Moreover, those who called the heaven an egg seem to have received this from Democritus and Pythagoras.

From the same third [book].

"The figure of the letter elsewhere." Some [have] "the erasure": so that you may understand the galaxian Milky Way, because of what follows: "with a whiter circle upon the vertex; but a letter is also seen engraved upon it, which they call Deltoton the constellation Triangulum, shaped like the Greek letter Delta, proceeding from the northern part of the zodiac after the rising of Aries."

From the fifth chapter.

"Ignited at the top." I read "of fire" original: "ignium", not "ignited" original: "ignitum"; for that which is entirely fire cannot properly be called "ignited," and besides, that word is a bit foul to me; nor could it be honestly admitted into the store of the Roman language—not that it is a new or recently discovered word, or one recently planted in Latin ears as some have thought, since Lucretius uses it and Apuleius called the star of Mars "ignited"—but because Pliny abstains from it everywhere, using not "to be ignited" original: "igniri" but "to become fire" original: "ignescere". Ignitum

From the seventh chapter.

"It is a god to help a mortal." Some wrote "It is a grace" original: "Decus", etc. But undoubtedly it must be read "God," taken from the Greeks or the proverb saying original: "αθρωποs αθρωπου δαιμωμιομ" man is a god to man. Sophocles in Oedipus: original: "αμτραλωφε λειμ αφωμ εχητε και λυμαιτο καλλισοs πομοs." To help a man when one has the power is the most beautiful labor. Strabo, original: "euemou ei ρηται και τουτο τουσ αμουσ τοτε μαλισα μιωεισθαι τουσ θεουσ ταυ εueρ ε τωσιμ." It is said that for this reason, they most worship the gods when they confer favors. Such is that Virgilian line: "A god has made these leisures for us." And, "He will be a god to me forever," and the rest. Cicero on the nature of the gods: "I shall conclude," he says, "that beasts were consecrated by the barbarians on account of their benefit." The same [author] says that those things which were useful for the life of men were held in the number of the gods. Deus Proverbium Ap. Verg.

From the same seventh [chapter].

"Improperly clothed" original: "Praepostere indutum". I praise those who prefer "led in" original: "inductum", as it is in Augustus himself in his Epistles, according to Suetonius. Plautus in Epidicus: "as the impluvium the open central court of a Roman house had been brought in." Also "to Paul" below. "Nature cast into man." It must be written "in man." And not much later: "Of no doubtful nature." It must be read: "of no doubtful," so that it is not a case of the noun, but an adverb.

From the eighth chapter.

"The sphere itself long before the high." In the seventh book, he says: "Anaximander the Milesian [discovered] the sphere." Nothing about the change; I point out the place. Otherwise, the old reading is completely different, in this manner: "Cleostratus [placed] the signs in it, and the first [to map] Aries and Sagittarius, with Atlas himself commanding the world." But it is displeasing.

From the same eighth [chapter].

"Always rushing to the right." It must be read "in that," that is, in the world original: "in illo id est mundo". But what follows: "To be carried so." It can indeed be defended, but it will fall more conveniently if you read: "to be done so" original: "ita fieri".

From the same eighth [chapter].

"Never further than twenty-two parts from it." It could seem that it should be read "Twenty-three," from Theon the mathematician, so that it refers to what is accustomed to happen not always, but generally; for Mercury also differs from the Sun by twenty-seven and twenty-eight parts; eastern in Capricorn [it is] twenty-eight, western in Leo [it is] twenty-seven. Ptolemy is the author in the thirteenth book of the Great Composition, near the end. However, I do not think Pliny's reading should be changed in this part, as he perhaps followed the judgment of others, that is, of Sosigenes and Ctesias. The same [is true for] Martianus Capella.

From the same eighth chapter.

"Greater than others have." I read "others" original: "alios"; but as to what the greater years of the planets are, almost all who have written on the science of the stars dispute, of the kind which is the Metonic, which Meton the son of Pausanias instituted at Athens by proposing a table, for the purpose of bringing them together, as Diodorus pleases, [every] nineteen years or 223 months, as must be given in Pliny regarding eclipses. Martianus also confirms the same thing: "The Moon," he says, "cannot return to this same point, that is, positioned in the same month and at the same portion of latitude relative to the sun, unless in 232 months, that is," he says, "in 19 years." Regarding the Metonic year, Columella [also writes]. Regarding the greatest year, after Cicero, Macrobius, who also hands down that it is called the mundane [year].