23. But you will, perhaps,
say that the gods are not artificers, but that they preside over these
arts, and have their oversight; nay, that under their care all
things have been placed, which we manage and conduct, and that their
providence sees to the happy and fortunate issue of these. Now
this would certainly appear to be said justly, and with some
probability, if all we engage in, all we do, or all we attempt in human
affairs, sped as we wished and purposed. But since every day the
reverse is the case, and the results of actions do not correspond to
the purpose of the will, it is trifling to say that we have, set as
guardians over us, gods invented by our superstitious fancy, not
grasped with assured certainty. Portunus3985
| 3985
According to Oehler, Portunus (Portumnus or
Palæmon—“the god who protects harbours”) does
not occur in the ms., which, he says,
reads per maria præstant—“through the
seas they afford;” emended as above by Ursinus, præstat
Portunus. Oehler himself proposes
permarini—“the sea gods afford.” |
gives to the
sailor perfect safety in
traversing the
seas; but why has the raging
sea cast up so many
cruelly-shattered wrecks? Consus suggests to our minds courses
safe and serviceable; and why does an unexpected change perpetually
issue in results other than were looked for? Pales and
Inuus
3986
| 3986
Pales, i e., the feeding one; Inuus, otherwise Faunus and Pan. |
are set as
guardians over the
flocks and
herds; why do they, with hurtful
laziness,
3987
| 3987
Otherwise, “from the absence of rain.” |
not take
care to avert from the
herds in their
summer pastures, cruel,
infectious, and destructive
diseases? The
harlot Flora,
3988
| 3988
So the margin of Ursinus, reading meretrix; but in the first
four edd., LB., and Oberthür,
genetrix—“mother,” is retained from the
ms. |
venerated
in
lewd sports, sees well to it that the
fields blossom; and why are
buds and tender
plants daily nipt and
destroyed by most hurtful
frost? Juno presides over childbirth, and aids travailing
mothers; and why are a
thousand mothers every day
cut off in murderous
throes?
Fire is under Vulcan’s care, and its source is
placed under his control; and why does he, very often,
suffer temples
and parts of cities to fall into
ashes devoured by
flames? The
soothsayers receive the
knowledge of their art from the Pythian
god;
and why does he so often give and afford answers equivocal, doubtful,
steeped in
darkness and obscurity? Æsculapius presides over
the
duties and arts of medicine; and why cannot men in more kinds of
disease and sickness be restored to
health and soundness of body?
while, on the contrary, they become worse under the
hands of the
physician. Mercury is occupied with
3989
| 3989
So LB., reading cura-t, the ms.
omitting the last letter. |
combats, and presides over boxing and
wrestling matches; and why does he not make all invincible who are in
his charge? why, when
appointed to one office, does he enable some to
win the victory, while he suffers others to be ridiculed for their
disgraceful weakness?
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