De laude Cestrie - Lucian
Edited by Mark Faulkner
Excerpt 12
Perpende o dilecta ciuitas fauorem Patris Aeterni, Scriptor ad ciues. non reicias alloquutiones alumpni tui, quia emulor te emulatione fideli. Hortamenta modica noli reputare uentos, quia ueementer diligo ciues meos! Intuere quales pro timore nocturno uigiles tibi Cristus apposuit, qui cardinalem custodiam 1 deputauit! Quorum unus ad omnem occursum hostilis argutie plene sufficeret, set (ut decus esset) dignitas eluceret. Non propter infirmitatem ancessit numerus, set ut ineffabiliter bonus innotescat Deus, qui sue omnipotencie et bonitatis participes, nostros esse uoluit seruatores.
Excerpt 12
O beloved city, weigh carefully the kindness of your eternal father, The writer addresses the citizens. and do not scorn the advice of your foster-son, because I loyally aspire to imitate you. Do not think my small exhortations to be mere flatulence, because I passionately love my citizens! Understand what it means that Christ, who assigned us one principal guardian, 1 appointed watchmen against your nightly fears! One of them would suffice against any attack by a cunning enemy, but, as is fitting, her excellence shines out. The tally is not increased because she is weak, but so that God might be known as indescribably good, because he wanted those who share his power and goodness to be our guardians.
Excerpt 13
Potentes quippe nimis in aula Regis predare sufficiunt ad auxilium carceris 2 . Qui feliciter cum Deo regnant in monte 3 , facile reprimunt uires inimicas in ualle. 4 Facile cedunt socii eius, qui non est, sanctis Dei qui potens, sapiens, bonus est. In Iob: habitent in tabernaculo eius socii eius qui non est. Aspergatur in tabernaculo eius sulphur (Job 18:15). Ideo non est quia Deo esse desinit, quia periit, scilicet ueritati et caritati. Milia milium 5 ministrant ei, qui nobis prouidet dulcedine ineffabili. Participes nempe maiestatis eterne cum deputantur ad custodiam terrenorum, facilitate mirabili premunt et pellunt quicquid predestinatis ad uitam occurrit aduersum.
Excerpt 13
Those powerful in heaven are wholly able to help the imprisoned. 2 . Those who happily rule with God on the mountain, 3 readily restrain hostile men in the valley. 4 The allies of Satan easily fall to the saints of God, who is powerful, wise and good.From Job: let the companions of him that is not, dwell in his tabernacle, let brimstone be sprinkled in his tent (Job 18:15). He is not because he ceased to be with God, because his truth and charity died. Thousands of thousands 5 attend to him, who makes provision for us with indescribable grace. When those who share his eternal majesty are assigned to guard terrestrial beings, they easily overwhelm and banish whoever resists those predestined to life.
Excerpt 14
Et quociens a perigrinantibus 6 auxilium fideliter inuocatur, alacriter exhibetur, benigne datur, ut Deus glorificetur. Hoc attendat ciuis meus, hoc confitendo refundat prouincialis carissimus Deum in sua bonitate collaudans et testimonium scripture confitentis usurpans:In libro Sapientie. tu autem dominator uirtutis cum tranquillitate iudicas et cum magna reuerentia disponis nos (Wisd 12:18) . Pro reuerentia magna racionis et amoris assurgat intelligentia, ut se saltim aliquantulum dignetur excutere sepe in nobis uel mortua uel languens considerationis industria. Refundatur uberior actio graciarum, recalescat ardentior deuocio ciuium, ut digne perpendat pectus paternum suauis et simplex caritas filiorum. Ante Dei uultum gloriantur in celestibus qui nos tuendos susceperunt in puluereis sedibus.
Excerpt 14
And as soon as pilgrims 6 faithfully seek help, it is quickly forthcoming and so God should be glorified. Let my fellow citizen heed this and acknowledge God's goodness, seizing upon the testimony of scripture:From the Book of Wisdom. but thou being master of power, judgest with tranquility, and with great favour disposest of us (Wisd 12:18) . Let our understanding surge in great deference to hisreason and love, so that we may examine it somewhat, even if our aptitude for purposeful contemplation is often dead or listless. Let this act of thanks be richly repaid, and the devotion of the citizens grow more fervent, so that our simple filial love might appreciate God's paternal affection. Those who keep us safe in our dusty settlements rejoice in heaven before God's face.
Excerpt 15
Ecce enim ciuitatem nostram, ut predictum est, sanctis seruatoribus uelut quadruplici sorte commissam,Incipit de quattuor portis Cestrie nostre: seriatim de Iohanne, Petro, Virgine, et Angelo. ab oriente suscepit clementia Domini Precursoris; ab occidente celestis potencia Ianitoris; ad aquilonem uigil Virginis pulcritudo; ad meridiem mira Angeli claritudo. Plures preterea sunt qui nos ambiunt et adiuuant ad salutem, set honore et reuerentia omnium, quibus unum caput Cristus est, ob quadrati misterium, quattuor ad cardinalem ponere placuit firmitatem. Pulcre igitur ab orientalis introitu platee, paululum separatus in latus austri qui olim fugit in terris tumultum populi, uere uacans et uidens quam suauis est Dominus, diligenter attendit ortum sideris matutini, quod de uirginali talamo procedens, spiritu et sanguine nobis oriri complacuit, precursor eiusdem sideris, Iohannis Baptista preciosus propheticis, meritis et predulcibus, uenerabilis nimium et preclarus. Ipse consonanter et congrue custodiam credentium tenet ab oriente,Quodammodo ita est. qui nasciturum De filium preueniens paruo tempore, factam eius natiutatem mirabiliter meruit indicare, indice promens agnum Dei, qui per innocentiam singularem tulit peccatum mundi, ut haberemus ortum gratie per remissionem peccatorum; qui per reatus parentum feceramus nobis occidua passionum. Qui fecunditate munerum Dei plenus, mundane fecis oneribus plaudere potuit expeditus. Altus et electus preco Summi Principis et nobis apte positus in foribus orientis ut fores carceris aperiret et ad fidem filii Dei uniuersitatis humani generis aspiraret.
Excerpt 15
Our city, as we said, is protected by four holy guardians: from the east by the merciful precursor of the Lord; from the west by the powerful doorkeeper of heaven; from the north by the watchful beauty of the Virgin; from the south by the marvellous renown of the Angel. Concerning the four gates of our Chester: respectively, concerning John, Peter, the Virgin and the Angel. There are also many others who surround us and keep us healthy but, with the deference of all who follow Christ, it pleased him to install four principal guardians in a mystical square. Therefore John the Baptist, prophetic and virtuous, venerable and illustrious, who once fled the tumult of society and went into the wilderness, who watched the rise of the morning star, seeing how charming the Lord was, appearing from the virgin womb, who pleased to pray for us with his spirit and his blood, is beautifully located on the south side of the head of the street heading east. He most fittingly has custody of believers in the east of the city, he who preceeded the son of God a short while before his birth, who was honoured to foretell his marvellous birth, judiciously identifyingthe lamb of God, who took away the sin of the world through his unique innocence, so that we might rise into grace after remission of our sins, who, through the sin of our parents, end our lives in death. It is thus. He, filled with the fruitful gifts of God, may dispel all worldly sin. The high-born and chosen herald of the Highest Prince is aptly placed at the eastern gate so that he might open the gates of the prison, and inspire universal humanity to faith in the son of God.
Footnotes
- 1.
- i. e. St Werburgh. Back to context...
- 2.
- Lucian uses carcer, 'prison' as a metonym for post-lapsarian life on earth. It is not clear whether praedare should be taken in the usual sense of 'despoil', or in the rarer sense of 'provide beforehand'. Back to context...
- 3.
- Lucian uses monte, 'mountain', as a metonym for heaven. Back to context...
- 4.
- Lucian uses ualle, 'valley', as a metonym for the earth. Back to context...
- 5.
- See Apoc 5:11. Back to context...
- 6.
- Christian writers frequently described life as a pilgrimage to the true home, heaven. Back to context...