De laude Cestrie - Lucian
Edited by Mark Faulkner
Excerpt 4
Aderant et astabant ibidem duo religionis exterius ascripti titulo tonsura et tegumento (utinam interius inscripti moribus et merito), qui altius estimantes actum tuum compuncte 1 prouocabantur ad bonum, saltem ut perpenderent censura uigili, quam libere leuipenderes labia garruli. 2
Excerpt 4
Two monks were standing near us there. They were marked outwardly by their tonsure and their habit; if only they were inwardly inscribed with morals and virtue! Profoundly considering your behaviour, they were by remorse 1 called to good, or at least called to weigh with careful judgement how forthrightly you scorned the words of that chatterbox. 2
Excerpt 5
Itaque recedens a te ac retractans trinum eo die tue sinceritatis obsequium, uidelicet occursum, alloquium et affectum; etiam interpretari cepi mecum trisillabum tue ciuitatis uocabulum, Ciuitas nostra trisillaba est; igitur interpretemur. uertendo ac uersando, si forte quod pluribus tegebatur, planum fieret; et quod latet languidos lucidis, 3 hoc est literas amantibus, eluceret. Iudicii tui censuram non potero formidare, qui sensa cordis inducor ex fiducia tue fraternitatis exprimere. Si male, si minus quicquam intulerim; unus risum, alter ueniam prestare curabit. Et tamen si quid erit consonum ad euidentiam rerum, literatus testimonium dabit et habitator assensum. Qui obseruat uentum non seminat et qui considerat nubes numquam metet (Eccl 11:4). Hoc in Salomone. Acceptet quisque ut uoluerit, ego pauca hec tibi scribo. Ubi comune sufficit et solatur exemplum, quia quantumlibet fuerit uiator simplex et sanctus, uicum et mansiones hominum tam fortunatus non poterit pertransire, ut ei parcens uel deferens impudentia canum a latratu ualeat abstinere. Nec tamen in eos ipse peccat aut prouocat, set canes irrationabilis usus ad rabiem tumultus inflammat.Canes ut canes agunt. Set nos, meliora sperantes, quia modica non parent et terre contigua uenti pertranseunt, accingamur ad reliqua simplicitatis instancia.
Excerpt 5
Therefore, leaving you and reconsidering your threefold kindness that day, namely the meeting, your conversation and your goodwill; I then began to interpret for myself the trisyllabic name of your city,Our city is trisyllabic, therefore we may explain it in this manner. considering over and over whether what is hidden from many could be made clear; and what escapes the notice of the feeble might be made manifest through perspicacious 3 lovers of learning. I cannot fear your judgement, since my confidence in your brotherly love compels me to imitate your thoughts on this matter. If I have said anything more or less wrong, one will respond with derision, another indulgence. But if what I say is consonant with the evidence, the learned man will offer proof and the inhabitant will give his approval. He that observeth the wind, shall not sow: and he that considereth the clouds, shall never reap (Eccl 11:4). This from Solomon. Each man may accept as much as he wishes; I write these trifling things for you alone. An everyday example is consoling here: however hard a man tries to be a virtuous and holy pilgrim he will be fortunate if, passing though a town, shameless dogs do not bark at him. He does not wrong or provoke them, but dumb custom always excites dogs into mad uproar.Dogs act like dogs. But we, though hoping for a kinder reception, are prepared for the future with determined single-mindedness because such modest criticisms are insignificant and winds always pass on.
Excerpt 6
Ego uero de tua tuorumque bonitate presumens, 4 Scriptor ad contribules. quibus consatus et fotus in Dei misericordia, temporis tractus, hactenus duxi, cum satis gratum censeam, uel calamo uel colloquio, tanquam cum karissimis, conferre uobiscum, capitalem prouincie locum utinam possem preconio ad homines, prece ad Deum, clarissime comendare. Quae et indigenis notior et diligentibus est decora. Qui meliorem querit, compede non tardatur.
Excerpt 6
Expecting kindness from you and your people , 4 The author addresses his fellow Cestrians. by whom I was bred and fostered in the mercy of God, drawn by necessity, I decided when I felt plenty of gratitude, either in writing or orally, to discuss for you very dear ones the principal place of the province, insofar as I might shiningly commend it with praise to men and with prayer to God. Chester is better known to natives, but rewards assiduous investigation. Whoever seeks to know it better will not be shackled.
Excerpt 7
Itaque, mi domine frater, ut michi uidetur, aut propheta fuit aut prophetam consuluit, 5 Tanta est consonantia. qui cuitatem tuam primus instituit, qui situm delegit, qui nomen aptauit. Ut enim de presentibus et modernis dicam, ut anteriora non taceam, ut antiqua contingam, 6 ideo fortasse dicta Cestria quasi cis tria, eo quod in tribus uideatur esse constructa.Unde i Cestria prima interpretacio: literatus episcopus, liberalis archidiaconus, lucidus clerus. Trino ut constat modo, rebus attestantibus, hodie cernitur clara, quia literatum habet episcopum, liberalem archdiaconum, 7 lucidum clerum. Quem iccirco dicam lucidum, quia sibi inuicem et ad extraneos, bonum pariter et benignum, beniuolum atque benedictum et benedicentes 8 in Iohanne Baptista, Dominum Iesum Christum. Si autem michi obicit quis interpretatum me quidem consequenter et recte, set non stabiliter et extente,Et si mutatur, set nunc ita cernitur. propter rotam uolubilis mundi et maliciam dierum posse fieri, ut sortiatur ipsa ciuitas episcopum, non ut nunc, set illiteratum, hebetem, et bauosum; 9 archdiaconum auarum, odilibilem, et obscurum; clerum non lucidum quidem set liuore mutuo et libidinum fece, inferni clibano deputandum, queramus aliam interpretacionem ad reficiendam studiosi mentem, ut si priorem contigerit deperire, consonanter possit secunda succedere.Secunda interpretacio Cestrie.
Excerpt 7
Therefore, my lord brother, it seems to me, either he was a prophet or consulted a prophet, 5 The concord is remarkable. who first established your city, who chose the location, who gave the city its name. For, while I want to speak concerning the present, I may not keep silent about former times, and will touch on the past. 6 In this way, perhaps, Cestria might be interpreted 'threefold', with each meaning constructed in three parts.The first interpretation of Cestria : a learned bishop, a generous archdeacon, a shining clergy. This is clearly evident in Chester today in that Chester has a learned bishop, a generous archdeacon 7 and a shining clergy. I call them shining because, alternately alone and with others, they, both good and kind, blessed and blessing 8 , praise the Lord Jesus Christ in the church of John the Baptist. But if anyone challenges me saying that my interpretation, though apt and right, may not be steadfast or perpetual,Things may change, but this seems correct at the moment. on account of the twisting wheel of fortune and the evil of the times in that this city might be assigned a bishop, not as now, but unlearned, languid and dull-witted; 9 an archdeacon greedy, hateful and vague; a clergy not indeed shining but by their mutual envy and impure lust only suited to the hellish furnace, then we may seek another interpretation to refresh the mind of the student so that if this interpretation should not apply, a second interpretation might fittingly replace it.The second interpretation of Cestria .
Apparatus Criticus
- i.
- Unde] Unum ta Back to context...
Footnotes
- 1.
- Compuncte, 'remorsefully', is not listed in the DML. Back to context...
- 2.
- Lucian continues to discuss the insignificance of praise, and to reflect on his meeting with his patron. Back to context...
- 3.
- DML lucidus, 5(c) 'perspicacious', citing only Lucian. Back to context...
- 4.
- Lucian addresses his patron here; his patron's 'people' can be understood as the community of St John's and Cestrians more broadly. Back to context...
- 5.
- Lucian uses propheta, 'prophet' in the sense 'spokesman of God'. Back to context...
- 6.
- Lucian seems to be invoking (Ps 138:5), where David observes God's total knowledge of past and future. Back to context...
- 7.
- The name of the archdeacon of Chester when Lucian was writing does not seem to be identifiable. Back to context...
- 8.
- We might prefer to read benedicens here. Back to context...
- 9.
- Bauosus, 'drivelling, dull-witted', an adjective formed from baua, 'saliva' (derived from OF bave), is only attested in the DML by a quotation from Lucian. Back to context...