Section 10 | Dickinson College Commentaries

1. Iam vērō sumptō epīscopātū quālem sē quantumque praestiterit, nōn est nostrae facultātis ēvolvere. īdem enim cōnstantissimē persevērābat quī prius fuerat. 2. eadem in corde eius humilitās, eadem in vestītū eius vīlitās erat: atque ita, plēnus auctōritātis et grātiae, implēbat epīscopī dignitātem, ut nōn tamen prōpositum monachī virtūtemque dēsereret. 3. aliquamdiū ergō adhaerentī ad ecclēsiam cellulā ūsus est: dein cum inquiētūdinem sē frequentantium ferre nōn posset, duōbus ferē extrā cīvitātem mīlibus monastērium sibi statuit. 4. quī locus tam sēcrētus et remōtus erat, ut erēmi sōlitūdinem nōn dēsīderāret. ex ūnō enim latere praecīsā montis excelsī rūpe ambiēbātur, reliquam plānitiem Liger fluvius reductō paululum sinū clauserat: ūnā tantum eādemque artā admodum viā adīrī poterat. ipse ex lignīs contēxtam cellulam habēbat, 5. multīque ex frātribus in eundem modum: plērīque saxō superiectī montis cavātō receptācula sibi fēcerant. discipulī ferē octōginta erant, quī ad exemplum beātī magistrī īnstituēbantur. 6. nēmō ibi quicquam proprium habēbat, omnia in medium cōnferēbantur. nōn emere aut vendere, ut plērīsque monachīs mōris est, quicquam licēbat, ars ibi exceptīs scriptōribus nūlla habēbātur, cui tamen operī minor aetās dēputābātur: māiōrēs ōrātiōnī vacābant. 7. rārus cuiquam extra cellulam suam ēgressus, nisi cum ad locum ōrātiōnis conveniēbant. cibum ūnā omnēs post hōram iēiūniī accipiēbant. vīnum nēmō nōverat, nisi quem īnfirmitās coēgisset. 8. plērīque camēlōrum saetīs vestiēbantur: mollior ibi habitus prō crimine erat. quod eō magis sit mīrum necesse est, quod multī inter eōs nōbilēs habēbantur, quī longē aliter ēdūcātī ad hanc sē humilitātem et patientiam coēgerant: plūrēsque ex eīs posteā epīscopōs vīdimus. 9. quae enim esset cīvitās aut ecclēsia, quae nōn sibi dē Martīnī monastērio cuperet sacerdōtem?

notes

Martin as bishop maintained the same humility as before. Description of the isolated monastic community he founded at Mormoutier.

qualem se quantumque praestiterit: 'what sort of person, and how great, he showed himself to be' (indirect question after evolvere, below).

non est nostrae facultatis evolvere: 'it is not within my capability to describe' (facultatis is genitive of characteristic, AG 345).

perseverabat: 'he steadfastly continued (to be)'.

idem . . . qui: 'the same person that'.

ita . . . ut: 'in such a way that'. ita modifies the verb, implebat.

dignitatem: 'office'

frequentantium: 'of the crowds of visitors' (lit., 'of the thronging ones', > frequento [1]).

non desideraret: 'would not lack'

latere: 'side' (> latus, lateris n.).

Liger fluvius: the Loire.

reducto paululum sinu: 'with a curve having been drawn back a little', i.e. 'in a slight bend' of the river.

una tantum eademque arta admodum via: 'by only a single road, and quite a narrow one at that'.

superiecti: 'above' (> super-iacio), opp. subiectus, 'below'.

receptacula: 'shelters'(receptaculum, -i, n.).

ad exemplum: 'in accordance with the example'

ut plerisque monachis moris est: 'as is customary for very many monks'.

ars nulla habebatur: 'no craft/trade was practiced'.

minor aetas . . . maiores: 'the younger men . . . the older men'.

noverat: 'was acquainted with' (> nosco, -ere, novi, notum).

camelorum saetis vestiebantur: imported rough camel-hair garments were part of an effort to evoke and recreate the Egyptian desert roots of asceticism. See John Cassian, Institutes, Book 1 ("The Garb of Monks"). John the Baptist also wore a camel-hair coat (Matthew 3.4). [2]

pro crimine erat: 'was considered a serious offense'.

quod eo magis sit mirum necesse est, quod: 'a thing that must be all the more remarkable because'. sit is subjunctive in a subordinate clause after necesse est, which is common and classical.

longe aliter educati: 'though brought up in a far different manner' (concessive participial phrase).

quae enim esset civitas: 'for what city would there be?' Potential subjunctive.

vocabulary

facultas -ātis f.: capability, means; skill

ēvolvō -volvere -volvī -volūtum: roll out; unroll, narrate

persevērō -āre: persevere, be persistent in

prius: (adv.) before, previously

vīlitās -ātis f.: cheapness, meanness, worthlessness

adhaereō -haerēre -haesī -haesum: stick to, adhere to

inquiētūdō -inis f.: restlessness, disquietude

frequentō -āre: vist frequently; crowd, celebrate

extrā: (adv.) outside of, without, beyond

sēcrētus -a -um: lonely, solitary, secret

erēmus -i m.: wilderness, desert

sōlitūdo -inis f.: loneliness, solitude

praecīdō -cīdere -cīdī -cīsum: cut off in front

excelsus -a -um: elevated, lofty, high

rūpēs -is f.: crag, rock, cliff

ambiō -īre -iī -itum: go around, encircle

plānitiēs -ēi f.: plain

fluvius -ī m.: stream, river

paululum: (adv.) slightly

līgnum -ī n.: wood

contexō -texere -texuī -textum: join together, make, construct

superiaciō -iacere -iēcī -iectum: throw over, cast upon; overtop

cavō cavāre: hollow out, vault

receptāculum -i n.: place of refuge, shelter

discipulus -ī m.: pupil, disciple

octōgintā: eighty

quicquam: any, any one, any thing

emo emere ēmī ēmptum: buy, purchase

vēndō -dere -didī -ditum: sell, vend

dēputō -āre: esteem, consider; condemn

iēiūnium -ī n.: a fast-day, fast

infirmitās -ātis f.: weakness, feebleness

camēlus -ī m.: camel

saeta -ae f.: bristle

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