De laude Cestrie - Lucian
Edited by Mark Faulkner
Excerpt 21
Qui Petrum nobis dedit patronum Cestrie, quem portarium ante fecerat celestis curie, ut noxia cuncta declinans donum pacis et gratie suis debeat ouiculis optinere.De Roma et Cestria: collatio. Qui sibi Romam elegit ut dictaret, Cestriam ut defenderet. 1 Ibi statuens generalem tronum, hic constituens speciale templum, inde scribens iura legum, hinc nobis subueniens a gemitu laborum.
Excerpt 21
He gave us Peter as Chester's patron, whom he earlier appointed steward of the heavenly court , so that decreasing all evils, he should obtain peace and grace for his poor sheep.Concerning Rome and Chester: a comparison. He chose Rome so that he might speak to the world, Chesterso that he might defend her. 1 There he placed a universal throne, here he established a special shrine, there writing laws, here rescuing us from the burden of labour.
Excerpt 22
Sedet igitur nobiscum Benignissumus, tanquam seruans limitem mundi ad laudem Dei, ut et Britannia benedictum in nomine Domini crederet et ne simplex Hibernia fidei sagenis relicta recideret. Sic Petro placuit aulam suam erigere in finibus occidentis, De porta Petri. ut e cancellis suis oues suas a fronte prospiceret, et a tergo germanam insulam contineret. Habet eum Italicus conclamantem, habet Anglicus quiescentem. 2 Ibi consistorium et litigium, hic confugium et latibulum. Ibi sepius fatigatus, huc se conferat feriatus. Ibi frequentia multitudinis, hic fomentum mansuetudinis. Ibi strepit populus, hic petit eum paruulus. Ibi causis notior, a curis hic liberior. 3 Ibi denique tumultus et negotia, hic tranquillitas per ocia.In Roma auctoritas, in Cestria affectus.
Excerpt 22
The most blessed Peter remains with us, protecting the edge of the world for the glory of God so that Britain can believe itself blessed by God and Ireland should not escape from the nets of the faith. It thus pleased Peter to erect his church in the western limits of the cityConcerning Peter's Gate. so that, looking forward from his precincts, he can guard his sheep and, looking backward, he can watch over Ireland. The Italian sees him making a fuss, the Englishman him resting. 2 There he is found in the law courts, here in dens of sanctuary. There he is usually harassed, here he is at leisure. There the hustle of a rabble, here the solace of calm. There a nation makes a din, here very few seek him. There he is famed for handling lawsuits, here he is carefree. 3 There indeed is the tumult of business, here tranquillity of leisure.In Rome, he has authority; in Chester, goodwill.
Excerpt 23
Huc usque de porta Petri. Hec prope portam Petri dicenda duximus, Dei nostri bonitatem humiliter deprecantes, ut ciuitas Cestria, quae tanti ducis antiquitus templum sibi struxit in terris, patrocinantis affectum experiatur in celis. 4
Excerpt 23
Thus far concerning St Peter's Gate.We have said these things concerning St Peter's Gate, humbly requesting the support of our Lord so that the city of Chester, which long ago built a temple for the great leader on earth, can anticipate his goodwill in heaven. 4
Set nunc iam nobis de Libro Regum ueniat insigne testimonium, accedat de Veteri Testimento uidua Sareptana,De uidua que pauit Heliam. que nostre assercionis propositum uideatur accingere, plena consonantia. 5 Quae uoluit colligere duo ligna, quae uoluit comedere moritura, nesciens in instanti futurum, quod fuerat posterioribus seculis proferendum, gaudia permissi cumulant inopina dolores, 6 nesciens a Deo sibi missum hospitem, qui liberalitatem remunerans, farine ydriam fecundaret ac longam lechito infunderet largitatem. Eleganter autem scriptura preueniens, hanc uiduam uocat uidelicet per prophetiam pulcre nimium et preclare cum necdum lapsu temporum et annorum uir eius inclinato capite spiritum emiserit in monte Caluarie. Ipsa tamen alto et uenerabili sacramento ante tempus passionis Christi colligere uidebatur ligna crucis ChristiMisterium crucis in uidue lignis., proiecta et proculcata a perfidis Iudeis, set per illuminationem gratie et fidem filii Dei dulcia nimis et amabilia Christianis. Comodet itaque nobis hec duo ligna, ut tradamus unum precursori Domini atque ipsius portario, alterum uero committamus Virgini et Arcangelo, quatinus a uentis quattuor pie nobis et prouide consulentes, consolationem gratie et protectionem custodie optineant sedi sue et ciuitati nostre,¶Intelligat prudens lector consequentiam. ut priores duo unum lignum erigant in porrectum et directum ad lineam ueritatis, sequentes duo alterum lignum applicent et uniant ad leticiam caritatis. Sicque fiet ut in exitu portarum et extensione platearum nostrarum, commemoretur nobis crucis uitale signum et uenerandum misteriumIn Cestria est euidens in plateis. et quod in orbe credentibus pacem et presidium, hoc in urbe manentibus, salutem infundat i et gaudium.
But now let some infallible evidence come to us from the Book of Kings in the Old Testament, let the widow of Sarephta Concerning the widow who fed Elias. support our interpretation perfectly. 5 She wanted to collect two pieces of wood, starving, she wanted to eat, not knowing at that moment what would be evident to future generations that hardships suffered bring unexpected joys, 6 not knowing God had sent to her a visitor who, rewarding her hospitality, would make fruitful her pot of meal and would pour her an endless abundance of oil. But this verse, beautifully anticipating future events, summons this widow beautifully and splendidly through prophecy to when, with the passing of days and years, her man will have bowed his head and sent forth his spirit on Mount Calvary. By a high and venerable mystery, it can be seen she was collecting the wood for Christ's cross before the time of his passion,The mystery of the cross evident in the widow's wood. the cross discarded and trampled by the wretched Jews, but now through the enlightment of grace and the faith in the son of God exceedingly delightful to Christians. And so he provides us these two pieces of wood so that we can give one to the precursor of God and to his gatekeeper and so that we can give the other to the Virgin and the Archangel, since, piously and foresightedly guarding us from the four winds, they provide for our city, their seat, the consolation of grace and the reassurance of guardianship,The wise reader understands the implication. in that the former two lay one piece of wood in the straight line of truth and the latter two lay the other piece of wood across with the joy of affection. Thus it happens that in the position of our gates and the layout of our streets is recalled to us the living symbol and venerable mystery of the cross,It is evident in the streets of Chester. and that which gives peace and protection to believers the world over, douses city dwellers with health and joy.
Apparatus Criticus
- i.
- infundat] infandat ta Back to context...
Footnotes
- 1.
- This and the next excerpt are just two samples of Lucian's long comparison of Chester and Rome. For further discussion, see Doran 2007. Back to context...
- 2.
- Lucian conflates St Peter with the churches dedicated to his honour in Rome and Chester. Back to context...
- 3.
- Lucian's remark that Chester is free from curae, 'cares', may be a pun on the Roman curia. Back to context...
- 4.
- St Peter's stood several feet above street level on the remains of the headquarters of the Roman fortress. Distinctive fabric may have remained a visible part of the church into the eleventh century; see Laughton 2008, 41. This may explain why Lucian refers to the great age of St Peter's. It also makes his comparison between Chester and Rome even more resonant. Back to context...
- 5.
- The story of the widow of Sarephta is told in 3Kings 17:9-16. Back to context...
- 6.
- Notice Lucian's use of hyperbaton: gaudia is qualified by inopina and permissi qualifies dolores. Back to context...