CHAP. X. CONCERNING THE EXTERIOR MEMBERS OF MAN AND THEIR USE.

those? which are more tender on either side, draw the flavor with similar? senses. And although it is not diminished by food or? by drink; yet the flavor penetrates to the sense in an ineffable manner?, the same way? that I take no odor from any substance—

how? graceful they are, can hardly be expressed. The chin descends? gently from the cheeks, and is so positioned below that? its extreme point seems to be marked by? an impressed division; the neck is rigid and rounded; the shoulders? are let down from the nape as if by soft yokes; the arms are braced? with sinews for strength; there is the vigorous power of the muscles standing out in the arms; and? the graceful bending of the elbows. What shall I say of the hands?, the ministers of reason and wisdom? The skillful artisan? fashioned them with a flat and moderately concave palm, so that whatever is to be held can fitly rest, and he assigned them to the fingers: in which it is difficult to determine whether

beauty or utility is greater. For both the perfect and full number, and the most decent order and degree, and the flexible curvature of the equal joints, and the round shape of the nails, covering and strengthening the tips of the fingers with concave shields so that the softness of the flesh would not yield in holding, provide great ornament. Truly, that is flexible in wonderful ways for use, because it arises with the hand itself separated from the others, and is joined sooner in a different direction; which, offering itself as if to meet the others, possesses the whole method of holding and doing, either alone or especially, as the ruler and moderator of all; whence it even received the name of pollex thumb, because it prevails Latin: polleat in force and power among the others. It has indeed two protruding joints, not three like the others, but one is connected to the hand by flesh for the sake of beauty. For if it had been distinct with three joints, a foul and indecorous appearance would have taken away the dignity from the hands.

NOTES OF VARIOUS AUTHORS.

They? seem to me almost to dissent, guests tasting? things greatly diverse with a varied palate.

...they? nevertheless contribute the sense of taste near the tongue and palate. Arist. in Probl. sect. ...as? Gell. lib. XIX, cap. 2. Betuleius.

...from? any substance. Thus I restored from the oldest ...mss.?, 2 Bon., Regio Put. and 3 others. Reg., 2? Colbert., Baluz. The others are hand-written and ...have? of whatsoever.

...I? take [odor] from any substance. So the mss. 2 Bon., Regio-Put. ...Reg.?, Cauc., Baluz., 5 Colb., Clarom. in editions? Graph., Thom., Is., Cellar. Which reading is not in the least corrupt; for Lactantius uses here a word? that is rare, but proper. For capio, capionis a taking/seizure is a term often used by jurists, as usus-pigeorum-capio taking of pledges, in book VII of the Theodosian Code on ...debts?, and the title on the distraint of pledges. Gellius ch.? 10, teaches that Varro used pignoris-capio seizure of a pledge just as [Lactantius uses] it here for odor. In other mss. and in edited [texts] it? does not appear, and that, as it seems, [is] poorly [intended] to shed light on ...it?. In Thys. and Gall. it is captio, corruptly.

...the chin? descends gently from the cheeks, etc. The chin ...requires? a milky skin, but fleshy; Apuleius also in his description of Bathyllus, a chin? of the face. Anacreon in the painting of his beloved, a? soft chin. Varro apud Nonium width?. Arnob. lib. III, they are called mentions. chin? protrudes more than is just. Franc. F. F.

...stiff?, That is, straight, erect: I noted to book ...Inst.?, ch. 1, Stiff and standing. Lib. II, ch. ...of? Opif., ch. 8. Bun.

...the? muscles standing out, etc. Thus I amended from the ...best? mss. 2 Bonon., Regio-Put. and ...others? Cauc., Goth., 5 Colb., Baluz., Ulir., Lips., ...Sorb.?, Brun. and the edition of Thomas. In 4 recent mss. ...and? edited [works] it is the vast strength of the stretched-out arms; ...in? Clarom, standing out. See a little ...further? (the thumb) has two protruding joints. The principal ...commendation? is sought from its arms, ...from? hair, according to that from the appendix of Virgil.

...shaggy? garden, Hercules with strong arms.

...they? also write toris muscles. Vesalius, ch. 2 of the second ...where? he treats of muscles, says that the simple torus muscle/swelling ...is? covered by books. Tori are especially in that part of the arm? which begins from the shoulders and ends? at the elbow. It remains, therefore, contrary to the Grammarians, ...that? it is the upper part of the arm. It is to be observed ...even? from the places cited above, and

tori muscles and lacerti upper arms are rarely mentioned by authors unless strength is being signified: just as also by the word for arm in the Bible, by which name ὁ βραχίων the arm is translated in the Septuagint. Betuleius.

What shall I say of the hands, etc. Aristaenetus, book 1, epistle XVI: I saw the ends of the hands and feet, the bright signs of beauty. Here they are praised by Lactantius, as they are also by Sidonius: Apuleius makes the hands of Bathyllus tender and also somewhat long; His hands are tender, he says. Ovid also, Amor. lib. I, Eleg. IV, does not seem to disapprove of soft hands. Furthermore, opposed to soft and tender hands are,

Hands worn and hard
from Tuscan fleece.
(From Juv. Sat. v.)

Is joined sooner. That is, it is dilated. I corrected this from the best mss. 1 Bon., Regio-Put., 1 other Reg. by a second hand, 3 Colb. Clarom., Marm. and Baluz. by the first hand. This is, the thumb indeed has its beginning from the hand, but it is joined sooner, or faster than the other fingers, in a different direction. Recent mss. 3 Reg., Em., Cant., Brun. and all edited [texts] have maturius finditur is split sooner; 2 Reg., 1 Colb., Baluz., manus finditur the hand is split; 1 Colb. and 1 Bonon. recent and 4 common recent [texts] manus funditur the hand is poured forth.

Which offering itself as if to meet, etc. Theodoretus in his sermon περὶ τῆς προνοίας on providence 4, described the most skillful structure of the hands, and their manifold use, in Greek no less elegantly than Lactantius in Latin.

Among the others. Heuman believes Lactantius wrote praeter ceteros beyond the others, that is, more than the others; as in lib. I Institut., ch. 6: Erythraea, which is held to be more celebrated among others and more noble. Bun.

Not three like the others. From mss. 1 Bonon. ancient, Regio Put., 5 other Reg., another Reg. by a second hand, Goth., Tax., Lips., 6 Colbert., Clarom. and editions Rom. 1470, Betul., Tornes., Soubron., Cellar., Walh., I have thus restored it. In 1 Bon. recent, 1 Reg. by a first hand, Brun. and 11 it is trinos threefold.—Ternos three. I keep ternos. It seems our author observed Pliny, lib. II, ch. 43, sect. 99: The fingers of a man have three joints, the thumb two, and it is bent against the others facing them, but by itself it is stretched in an oblique direction. Bun.

But one is connected to the hand by flesh for the sake of beauty. Thus it is written in a continuous flow and without any abbreviation of words in two most ancient codices Cauc. and Reg. Put., except that the latter has manus of the hand. In 18 manuscripts, it is joined to the hand by flesh; and Hecquet, a physician of Paris, thinks it should be read thus, prompted by the situation and position of the part. Gaudefri-