50. You say that there are
good men in the human race; and perhaps, if we compare them with the
very wicked, we may be led3749
| 3749
Lit., “a comparison of the worst may effect that we,”
etc. |
to believe that there are. Who
are they,
pray? Tell
us. The
philosophers, I
suppose, who
3750
| 3750
So all edd. except Hildebrand, who gives as the reading of the
ms., qui-d—“what! do
they assert.” |
assert that they
alone are most
wise, and who have been uplifted with
pride from the
meaning attached to this name,
3751
| 3751
Lit., “by the force of,” vi,—an
emendation of Heraldus for the ms.
in. |
—those, forsooth, who are striving
with their passions every day, and struggling to drive out, to expel
deeply-rooted passions from their minds by the persistent
3752
| 3752 So
most edd., reading pertinacifor the ms. -ium—“by the opposition of
persistent virtues,” which is retained in both Roman edd.,
Gelenius, Canterus, Hildebrand, and Oehler. |
opposition of
their better qualities; who, that it may be
impossible for them to be
led into
wickedness at the suggestion of some opportunity,
shun
riches and
inheritances, that they may remove
3753
| 3753 So
Stewechius and later edd., reading ut…auferant,
except Hildebrand, who gives as the ms.
reading, et…-unt—“shun…and
remove,” etc. The first four edd. read
ne…afferant—“that they may not bring upon
themselves,” etc. |
from themselves occasions of
stumbling; but in doing this, and being solicitous about it, they show
very clearly that
their souls are, through their
weakness, ready
and prone to fall into vice. In our opinion, however, that which
is good naturally, does not require to be either corrected or
reproved;
3754
| 3754
So the ms. and first four edd., Orelli
(who, however, seems to have meant to give the other reading), and
Oehler, reading corri-p-i, for which the others read
-igi—“corrected,” except Hildebrand, who
without due reason gives
-rumpi—“corrupted.” |
nay more, it
should not know what
evil is, if the
nature of each
kind would
abide in
its own
integrity, for neither can two contraries be implanted in each
other, nor can equality be contained in inequality, nor sweetness in
bitterness. He, then, who struggles to amend the inborn
depravity
of his inclinations, shows most clearly that he is imperfect,
3755
| 3755
In the ms. imperfectum is
marked as a gloss, but is retained in all edd., while
improbabilem is omitted, except in LB., when im is
omitted, and probabilem joined to the next
clause—“however he may strive to be acceptable,” in
order to provide an object for “strive;” and with a similar
purpose Orelli thrusts in contrarium, although it is quite clear
that the verb refers to the preceding clause, “struggles to
amend.” |
blameable,
although he may strive with all zeal and
stedfastness.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
