De laude Cestrie - Lucian
Edited by Mark Faulkner
Excerpt 10
Idem tunc Deus agnoscebatur, 1 cuius et nunc potencia, sapiencia, bonitas non mutatur. 2 Qui tunc pauit Ierosolimam, ipse nostram nunc pascit et Cestriam, non per industriam Salomonis, set per indulgentiam Saluatoris;Quia idem Deus. non propter miserie nostre merita, set propter misericordie sue munera; non per sedulitatem duodecim prefectorum, set per sanctitatem uenerabilium patronorum, quorum precipue Petrus, qui preminet in coro apostolorum, tanquam creditis a Christo ouibus, salutis pastum et uere benignitatis impendit obsequuium. Qui gregi rationabili fidelissimus pastor est, pro quo et in crucem actus est. 3 Et posuit apud nos memoriam suam in centro urbis,Probet oculis suis habitator. ut quasi dulcius atque diligentius nobis prospiceret ex medulla cordis 4 maternus et compassibilis spiritus eius, suauis affectus illius. Et si dissimulamus attendere, ipse non desinit pectus impendere. Caritatis existens totus, tutos ciues seruat ab hostibus. 5 Qui feliciter debriatus ex fonte Dei ueritati dicebat tu scis quia amo te (Jn 21:17) et ueritatem amoris impendens Patri Deo populum satagit custodire.
Excerpt 10
The very same God was responsible then, 1 whose power, wisdom and goodness are unchanged even now. 2 He who fed Jerusalem then, even now feeds our Chester, not through the diligence of Solomon, but through the indulgence of the Saviour;Because it is the same God. not as the due reward of our wretchedness, but as a result of his generous mercy; not through the strenuous efforts of twelve prefects, but through the piety of venerable patrons, chiefly Peter, who excels in the company of the apostles, who, trusted by Christ with his sheep, provides healthy pasture and attentive care. He is the most faithful shepherd of the human flock, for whom he even died on the cross. 3 And he placed his shrine in the centre of our city, The inhabitant can see it with his eyes. so that his compassionate, maternal soul and his affectionate disposition, the quintessence of his heart, 4 might protect us more sweetly and caringly. And if we disdain to pay attention, he does not cease to open his heart. Being wholly affectionate, he serves to keep the citizens safe from enemies. 5 Happily intoxicated from the fountain of the true God, he continually says: thou knowest that I love thee (Jn 21:17) and, proferring the truth of love, he busies himself guarding the people for God the Father.
Set ne ultra differam et totam inferam tertia consonancia nominis Cestrie et ipsa ex trina constat euidentia Tercia interpretacio Cestrie. quia indeficiens Patris bonitas ex tribus locis, tanquam excurrentibus famulis, nobis prouidet alimenta, scilicet ex insula Hibernorum, ex uicinia Britonum, ex prouincia Anglorum. Hibernus, Britto, et Anglus. Intelligat Cestria Dei donum et non refundat ingratitudinis acetum, set referat suauiter ac suppliciter munera graciarum, apertissime intuens qualiter eam Hibernus adorat cum piscibus et portu maris, Britannus apportat carnes et copiam pecoris, Anglus effundit sacculos segetis. Comedat igitur cum leticia suum panem, intime laudans Lucis Auctorem, non auertens animum quod ita sit, set pie aduertens quam paterne Superna Sapientia dispensauit. Hec ego (pro certo noueris) non paruipendo, set Deum benedixerim, qui sic nobis prouidit in orbis extremo. Et quia res clamat, lector assentiat; non confundat naturam, contempnens patriam suam.Naturale feras et aues sua diligere lustra et latibula. Immo, si casus abreptum uel uis necessitatis euexerit, forte trans Indiam, tenetur ubique locorum, ex uoto beniuolentie, natale solum extollere, diligere, comendare. Quod si permouet artior ac minor amenitas et aptitudo, non ideo ducatur contemptui neque odio quia facile continget ut superueniens alienigena quispiam uersipellis et callidus, temporis lapsu conuena factus et habitator inscriptus, stulti ciuis uituperium augeat, et ipse subridens cum non habeat talem, non inde recedat. Et quantum arbitror, plures sunt populi sub axe poli, quibus ignota est Cestria, quibus panis, carnis et piscis longe impar est copia, et tamen pro tempore secuntur in armis castrorum ordines, et soluere satagunt festos dies. Libet igitur inferre conclusionem, quoniam sicut dixit Daniel, Daniel. dissoluens sompnia regis: uerum est sompnium et uera interpretacio eius (Dan 2:45); sic et nos dicimus, uerum est uocabulum Cestrie et uera planatio 6 eius. De nomine diximus, de situ et habitudine annectamus.
But lest I stray even further and obscure everything, here is the third threefold meaning of the name Cestria : The third interpretation of Cestria . the unfailing goodness of our Father provides us with supplies from servants in three places, from Ireland, from the Welsh Marches and from the shires of England. The Irish, the Welsh and the English. Chester should appreciate God's generosity and respond not with acid ingraditude, but sweetly and humbly with gracious obedience, wholly understanding how Ireland honours her with fish and port dues, Wales brings meat enough and England delivers sacks of grain. Chester should eat her bread joyfully, cordially praising the Author of Light, not turning away from a spirit so generous, but piously acknowledging what the Heavenly Wisdom paternally dispensed. I, as you surely know, do not weigh this lightly, but bless God, who provides for us at the extremity of the world. And because this matter is so clear, the reader should do likewise, not confound nature by scorning his native city.Even beasts and birds love their dens and nests. Indeed if a sudden unfortunate necessity carried a man away, perhaps to somewhere beyond India, he would be obliged everywhere to sing the praises of his homeland. For even if the city were less amenable he should not scorn or hate it because it might easily come to pass that a sly and cunning foreigner, a refugee, becomes an naturalised inhabitant and provides a reproach for the ignorant citizen, smiling that he does not have such a homeland and declining to return home. I expect there are many people beneath the arc of heaven who have not heard of Chester and who do not have nearly such an abundance of bread, meat and fish, and seek to defend a series of camps by force, and struggle to celebrate festivals. We may therefore conclude, - just as Daniel said, Daniel. interpreting the king's dream: the dream is true and its interpretation is true (Dan 2:45) so we may say the name of Chester is true and its explanation 6 is true. We have spoken concerning Chester's name, we shall now add something concerning its location and customs.
Primo uiuendum quod Cestria est, que edificatur ut ciuitas, cuius positio inuitat aspectum.De situ Cestrie. Quae in occiduis Britannie posita, legionibus ex longinquo uenientibus receptoria quondam ad repausandum fuit, et Romani seruans limitem imperii, claues, ut ita dixerim, Hibernorum custodire suffecit. Nam contra aquilonare cornu Hibernie opposita, non tam crebro quam continue ob causas meantium et comoda mercium diuersarum uelis aptatis, uiam aperit cursibus nauium atque nautarum. Dumque orientem uersus protendit intuitum, non solum Romanam ante se cathedram et imperium, uerum et orbem prospicit uniuersum,Speculum sibi est Cestria. ut tanquam spectaculum proposita sint obtutibus oculorum, forcia facta patrum, serries longissima rerum (Virgil, Aeneid i. 641), et quicquid in orbe quibusque personis, locis, temporibus bene gestum est cognoscatur, quod male actum est caueatur.
Chester is primarily a place to live which was built as a city and its position invites consideration.Concerning the site of Chester. Placed in western Britain it was once a resting place for legions coming from afar and, protecting the limit of the Roman Empire, sufficed to guard, one might say, the routes to the Irish. For, set opposite the north coast of Ireland, she opens a lane to visiting ships and sailors and is served by boats for the continual convenience of travellers and merchants. Meanwhile to the east, she enjoys a view not only of the papal seat and Christendom but also sees the whole globe, Chester is a mirror for herself. so that they offer a spectacle to attentive eyes: the brave deeds of our fathers, a long series of things (Virgil, Aeneid i. 641), so that whatever particular people have done well in particular places at particular times becomes better known and whatever was done badly is avoided.
Que, a uentis quattuor, portas quattuor habens: a oriente prospectat Indiam; ab occidentem Hiberniam;A quattuor lateribus, quattuor climata impariter distantia. ab aquilone maiorem Normanniam 7 ; a meridie eam quam diuina seueritas, ob ciuiles et naturales discordias, Britannis reliquit angularem angustiam. Qui olim discidiis et odiis amaris Britanniam in Angliam mutauerunt, Omne regnum in se diuisum, desolabitur (Matt 12:25). et quibus adhuc moribus fulgeant, qui uicinantur eis, cum lacrimis legunt.
Chester has four gates corresponding to the four winds: from the East it looks towards India; from the West towards Ireland;There are four climes, some near, some far, on the four sides. from the North to greater Normandy 7 ; from the South to the narrow corner which God's severity left the Welsh to punish their innate rebelliousness. The English once subsumed Wales into England causing bitter discord and hatred Every kingdom divided in itself will be foresaken (Matt 12:25). which still afflict the surrounded people, when they tearfully read about these events.
Footnotes
- 1.
- Lucian has just described the provisions Solomon made for his kingdom, narrated in 3Kings 4:22-30 Back to context...
- 2.
- We might amend to mutantur. Back to context...
- 3.
- Peter's martyrdom may have occured in A. D. 64 and is described in the Apocryphal Acts of St Peter. Back to context...
- 4.
- Chester's place at the centre of Peter's concerns (medulla cordis) mimics the place of his church in the centre of the city (in centro urbis). Back to context...
- 5.
- Note the paronomasia between totus, 'whole' and tutos, 'safe'. Back to context...
- 6.
- DML only cites Lucian for Planatio in the sense 'explanation, exegesis'. Back to context...
- 7.
- i. e. Norway, the legendary homeland of the Normans, as an interlinear gloss, Norweiam, makes clear. Back to context...