Language:

De laude Cestrie - Lucian

Edited by Mark Faulkner

Excerpt 16

Tantus igitur et tam mirabilis noster Iohannes, diues in Dei lumine, et dignior omni laude, potens in aula Regis, pius et misericors ad incolas pulueris, precursor aeterni Principis, preclarus excellentibus meritis; De porta Iohannis. ipse dignatus est Cestriam in sua sorte suscipere et suauissimus gratie ac tutele sue sinibus confouere.

Excerpt 17

Ne enim ad tuicionem nostram, uelut fidens sanctitati sue, uideretur sibi solus sufficere, uel dedignans socium de consortio non curare, ad pacem pupillorum qui reuera secundum Ionam nesciunt quid sit inter dexteram et sinistram (Jon 4:11), 1 et ad maiorem diligentiam tutamenti Petrum Apostolum assumpsit portarium paradisi; ut pro suscepto ministerio coram Dei iudiciaria sede, facilius ambo simul infirmas actiones ciuium excusarent, fortius ulciones auerterent, fecundius gratiam impetrarent. Itaque probantes se ministros Christi et dispensationis misteriorum Dei, unus in specula, altus in cathedra, 2 tanquam se inuicem hortantur sociali gaudio.

Excerpt 18

Michi obtigit ad custodiam porta solis, 3 tibi credita est porta maris, quem marinis fluctibus incumbentem, maris conditor misericorditer euocauit et ministerium tuum mirabiliter permutauit, ut succederet tibi pro captura piscium conuersio populorum, 4 et deinceps foret studio et amori pro salo aquarum salus animarum.

Excerpt 19

Itaque diues in genere, 5 noli esse pauper in specie, set institutus ab eterno Domino, ut saluti tocius orbis inuigiles, bonitati tue creditam Cestriam, uelut Dei castra custodias. 6 Tuta maneat te habens uigilem contra nocentium impetum, et noctis horrorem.

Footnotes

1.
Lucian implicitly compares Chester and Nineveh, a city destroyed by God for its pride. Back to context...
2.
John the Baptist, who first acknowledged Christ, must be the 'one on the watchtower', obliging us to identify St Peter as 'the one on the bishop's throne', alluding to his status as the first pope. This is awkward since the cathedral in Chester, the seat of the bishop of Coventry, was actually dedicated to St John. Back to context...
3.
Lucian imagines a dialogue between John the Baptist and Peter. John the Baptist is speaking here. Back to context...
4.
For this commonplace, see Lk 5:10, Back to context...
5.
i. e. St Peter. Back to context...
6.
Lucian alludes to another etymology of Cestria, namely castra, 'camp'. Back to context...