Complete Works of Lactantius, Vol. I

CAP. V. continued

...most monstrous beast was wonderfully effected. For God, who wished to show His providence and power through the wonderful variety of many things, since He had not extended the head of that animal so far that it could touch the ground with its mouth—which would have been horrible and grim—and because He had armed the mouth itself with protruding teeth in such a way that even if it did reach [the ground], the teeth would still remove the ability to graze, He produced between them, from the top of the forehead, a soft and flexible member, with which it could grasp and hold anything, so that neither the protruding size of the teeth nor the shortness of the neck would hinder the method of obtaining sustenance.

CHAPTER VI.

On the error of Epicurus; and on limbs and their use.

I cannot be held back at this point from again refuting the foolishness of Epicurus; for all the things that Lucretius raves about are his: who, in order to show that animals were not born by some artifice of divine mind but, as is his habit, by chance, said that in the beginning of the world certain other innumerable living beings were born with wonderful appearance and size, but that they could not remain, because either the ability to take food or the method of mating and procreating had failed them. Clearly, so that he might make room for his atoms flying through the infinite and void, he wished to exclude divine providence. But when he saw in all things that breathe, a wonderful

VARIOUS NOTES.

"Immanissima" [most monstrous]. A frequent epithet for elephants: hence in chapter 8 he said: "Lucanian oxen with most monstrous bodies."
"Deus enim, qui." [For God, who]. This reading is in all manuscripts and editors, except 1 Reg. and the edition Gall. and Spark., in which is "quod" [which/that].
"Ne." [Lest]. Thus I restored from 17 manuscripts and the editions of Betul. and Cellar. In 6 manuscripts and many editions, it is "ut" [so that].
"Sed ut solet." [But as is his habit]. All books, but "ut solet"; so he is accustomed in book 1 "Institutions," chapter 12: "The Stoics as they are accustomed"; book 7, chapter 7: "As the Academics are accustomed." I placed "ut solet" in parentheses with the Paris 1513 edition. BUN.
"Ut atomis suis locum faceret." [So that he might make room for his atoms]. Commonly they add several words which are not in the manuscripts, nor in the Roman edition. And soon after, the recent [editors]: "in quibus nascendi ratio cessasset" [in which the method of being born had ceased]. But "nascendi" is not in the old books. CELL.
"Per infinitum et inane volitantibus." [Flying through the infinite and void]. These are missing from 15 manuscripts and the Roman edition. They exist, however, in the other editions and manuscripts 2 Bonon., 2 Reg., 3 Colb., Sorb., Cauc., Tax., Pen., Ultr., Baluz. — "Per infinitum et inane volitantibus." These correspond to the style of Lactantius in book 3, chapter 17: "It is not the work of providence. For there are seeds flying through the void"; "On Anger," chapter 10: "If indeed atoms fly through the void." Heumann: "Per infinitum inane" [Through the infinite void]. BUNEMAN.

"Quæ (malum!) vanitas erat." [What a vanity that was (to the devil with it)!]. Thus the manuscripts 2 Bon., 2 Reg., Cauc., Erasm., 1 Colb., Baluz. read, as well as the printed editions Crat., Betul., Antwerp 1570, Tornes., Soubron., 2 Paris., Is., Spark., Gall.; and that reading is approved by Erasmus, who says that this expression is similar to the Terentian one, "qui, malum! alii" [who, to the devil with it! others]. For "malum" here possesses the force of an interjection. The other manuscripts and editions have "quod malum vanitatis erat" [what evil of vanity that was]; incorrectly, as Erasmus rightly felt. In Lips. [manuscript], "quid malum vanitatis erat"; in 1 Colb., "quod multum vanitatis erat." Our reading is confirmed by Latin authors. Thus Q. Curtius, book 8: "What, to the devil with it! madness compelled you to test the fortune of war?"; thus Plautus, "Menechmi" 5.242: "What, to the devil with it! impudence is this?" — "Quæ, malum, vanitas erat." Thus Cicero, "Orations," 1 Philippic, chapter 6: "What, by the gods..."

reason present in providence, what a vanity it was (to the devil with it!) to say that there were monstrous animals in which the method of being born had ceased?

Since, therefore, all things that we see were born with reason—for that very thing, "to be born," cannot be effected without reason—it is manifest that nothing at all lacking in reason could have been generated. For it was provided beforehand in the fashioning of each and every thing, how much it might use the ministry of its limbs for the necessities of life, and how much, with bodies joined, the offspring, once raised, might preserve all living beings as a species. For if a skilled architect, when he decides to build some great structure, thinks first of all of what the sum of the perfect structure will be, and measures beforehand which place the light weight awaits, where the stature of the great work is to be, what the intervals of the columns, what or where the course and outlet of the falling waters, and the reservoirs—these things, I say, he provides beforehand, so that whatever is necessary for the finished work may be started along with the very foundations—why should anyone think that God, in fashioning animals, did not provide beforehand what was necessary for living before He gave life itself? Which certainly could not exist unless those things of which it consists were already effected.

Epicurus, therefore, saw the skill of divine reason in the bodies of animals: but in order to accomplish what he had imprudently assumed beforehand, he added another delirium consistent with the former. For he said that eyes were not [intended] for

C that is a voluntary slavery; book 2 "On Duties," chapter 15: "What reason, he says, to the devil with it! led you into that hope?"; add to "For Roscius the Comedian," in the end. Livy, book 5, chapter 54: "What, to the devil with it! reason is there?"; Seneca to Marcia, chapter 3: "What, to the devil with it! madness is that?" BUN.

"In quibus nascendi ratio." [In which the method of being born]. This word "nascendi" is incorrectly omitted in 20 manuscripts and many common versions, which is read in 1 Reg., 1 Bonon., Tax., 1 Colb., Baluz., and other best ones, as well as in the editions of Thomas., Is., Thys., Gall., Spark.

"Cessaret." [Had ceased]. Thus I amended from the ancient manuscript 1 Bonon., 1 Colb., Marm., Clarom. Which reading seemed to us better than in the others, "cessasset."

"Nihil omnino rationis expers, potuisse generari." [Nothing at all lacking in reason could have been generated]. That is, nothing could have been generated in which the reason and providence of the Creator did not shine forth in some way. ISEUS.

D "Ante enim." [For beforehand]. Thus I restored from the manuscripts 2 Bonon., 2 Reg., 4 Colb., and many others. In six manuscripts and as many common versions is "At enim" [But for]; in the manuscript Ultr., "Aut enim" [Or for]; in 1 Reg. and 1 Colb., "Adeo enim" [So for].

"Adjugatis corporibus." [With bodies joined]. Thus all. The word was approved by others from Pacuvius and Pliny; rarer forms from ancient glosses: "abjugassere," "abjugare," "abjugus." BUN.

"Ubi magni operis." [Where the great work]. Manuscript 1 Bonon. ancient, "oneris" [of the burden]. — "Magni operis." Bon. in the work of Isaeus "præve, magnum oneris"; thus below, "perfecto operi"; book 7, chapter 1: "Firm and suitable foundations... for supporting the work." Seneca, Epistle 55: "caves... of great work." More [examples] in Gronovius on Livy, book 21, chapter 57. BUN.

"Prius providet." [Provides beforehand]. Thus I restored from the manuscripts Bonon., 4 Reg., 5 Colb., Marm., Baluz., Brun., the Roman edition, Crat., Cellar. And this reading corresponds better with the soon-following "ante providisse" [to have provided beforehand], than 2 manuscripts and 9 editions which have "prius providet." In 10 editions is "prius providet."

"In machinandis animalibus." [In fashioning animals]. I prefixed "in" from all manuscripts and the Roman edition, Gynnic., Walch. Missing in eight common versions.

"Dixit enim." [For he said]. These are from Lucretius, book 4. Lactantius speaks of this already in book 3 of his "Divine Institutions," chapter 3.