Section 27

commōtum: "agitated," "worked-up."

quōdammodo: "in a certain way," "a kind of."

extrā nātūram hominis vidēbātur: "he seemed above human nature."

numquam in illius ōre nisi Christus: "never (was anything) on his lips except Christ."

[2]

prō eōrum . . . peccātīs: "for the sins of those."

remōtum et quiētum: substantival, "a secluded and quiet man," i.e., Martin.

[3]

quī in illō ōderant, quod: "who hated in him that which."

ingemēscendum: "lamentable."

nōn aliī . . . nōn aliī . . . quam: "none other than," (repeated for emphasis).

ferē: "for the most part," "mostly."

licet paucī admodum: "though quite few."

ferēbantur: "were said (to be)."

[4]

nōsmet ipsōs plērīque circumlātrent: "although quite a few are barking all around at me myself," a reference to Sulpicius' critics, who claimed that he exaggerated Martin's abilities.

circumlātrent: subj. > circumlatro (1), in concessive clause (AG 527).

sufficiet ut: "it will be sufficient that."

ex hīs: "of these men," i.e., from among the critics.

dictum: "that it has been said." Indirect statement after fatēbitur; supply esse.

[5]

nōn refugimus . . . ut: "I do not mind that."

nōs quoque: "me too," another polite 1st person plural, referring to Sulpicius himself.

[6]

opusculum istud: "the present work." Opusculum is diminutive of opus, used here for modesty. iste = meus is late Latin. See Lönnergen, De Syntaxi Sulpicii Severi, p. 10.[4]

dē cēterō: "for the rest, otherwise."

[7]

ego mihi cōnscius sum mē: "I am conscious in myself that I," introducing indirect statement.

nōn quīcumque lēgerit, sed quīcumque crēdiderit: "not he who has read, but he who has believed." This is the subject of habēbit above. lēgerit and crēdiderit are subjunctive in a relative clause of characteristic. "Believed" is the emphatic final word in the work.