Seven Books of Arguments Against the Pagans, Vol. II

Cf. Bünemann on Lactantius, loc. cit., and Burmann on Phaedrus, Book V, 1, vs. 3, page 238. Thus Quintilian, Declamations IV, 13: "you believe these things were arranged pointlessly and by chance." [O.]

carnifices unci the executioner's hooks] Others read: carnificis unci. But Arnobius uses carnifex as an adjective above, Book I, last chapter: "What lust is so murderous?" and thus the best writers. Horace, Odes I, 15: "adulterous hair." Tibullus I, 11, 46: "plowing oxen." Silius XIII, 375: "warrior sword." See Oudendorp on Apuleius, Metamorphoses, Book II, p. 110. One must understand the unci, or rather those cloven and iron claws, with which, when heated white-hot in fire, the ancients tortured and tore apart the accused placed upon the rack. Prudentius, On the Crowns (Hymn on Saint Vincent the Martyr), vs. 173 and following:

"He speaks these things, and with screeching
hooks he is torn again."

See Maternus, On Roman Antiquities, and Jo. Durantus Caselius, Varia, Book I, Chapter 15, in Gruter's Lampas Critica, Vol. III, Part II, p. 211, who writes much on the torture of the ancient Romans. [O.]

veluti quadam dulcedine atque omnium virtutum amore etc. as if with a certain sweetness and love of all virtues etc.] Gelenius reads thus: "as if drunk with a certain sweetness and nectar, let them despise all things etc." Since these last words are found neither in the manuscript code nor in the first Roman edition, Canterus thinks he added them on his own. And a triple repetition of atque and would be entirely unpleasant. [O.]

cognitas rationes known reasons] The same as he had said above, argumenta credendi arguments of faith. Fulvius prefers incognitas unknown. [O.]

credulitatis assensum assent of credulity] Credulitas here, and below in Chapter XII, is taken in a positive sense for "faith," as it is often used among these writers. [O.]

Chapter VI. — Quid ergo? vos soli sapientiae conditi atque intelligentiae vi mera, nescio quid aliud videtis et profundum? What then? Are you alone founded in wisdom and by the mere force of intelligence, do you see something else and profound?] I approve of Stewechius's conjecture: "What? Then are you founded in wisdom... do you see something higher and deeper?" See the commentators on Festus, s.v. altum et profundum high and deep. For conditi founded, I read with Oudendorp on Apuleius, Book I, page 8, conditae, that is, hidden, namely by letters. For it can scarcely be said in Latin vino conditus founded/preserved in wine for a drunkard. For mera mere, Meursius in the Appendix prefers: in ea re in that matter. [O.]

unde acuminis et vivacitatis tantum whence so much of sharpness and liveliness] Vivacitas here is "the vigor and speed of wit," our Witz. [O.]

aut incomptus, cum fuerit, scire or unadorned, when it may have been, to know] I would prefer to read: aut inconditus cum fuerit or uncomposed when it may have been. For incondita uncomposed things are properly opposed to numerosis rhythmic things. Cicero, Book III, De Oratore: "And it is said that Isocrates was the first to institute that the uncomposed habit of speaking of the ancients, for the sake of delight and the ears, should be bound by numbers."