[9] Sānctus Brendānus, cum haec vīdisset, dīxit: “Nōlīte facere: stultum est enim quod agitis, quandō Deus nōn vult nōbīs ostendere portum intrandī, et vultis rapīnam facere. [10] Dominus Iēsus Chrīstus post trēs diēs ostendet servīs suīs portum et locum manendī, ut reficiantur corpora vexātōrum.”
[11] Cum autem circuīrent per trēs diēs illam īnsulam, tertiā diē, circā hōram nōnam, invēnērunt portum ubi erat aditus ūnīus nāvis. [12] Et statim surrēxit sānctus Brendānus et benedīxit introitum. Erat namque petra incīsa ex utrāque parte, mīrae altitūdinis, sīcut mūrus.
notes
Brendan tells them not to drink, since they have not yet landed. He promises that they will find a harbor in three days, and they do.
[9] Nōlīte facere: it is not clear why Brendan forbids his monks to help themselves to food and water. One suggestion is that he is like Moses, who promised the king of Edom that the Israelites would leave his land untouched (Numbers 20.17–19).
[10] corpora vexātōrum: the bodies of potential plunderers, including Brendan’s followers.
[11] tertia diē ... ūnīus nāvis: the discovery of this harbor after three days is probably to be understood as miraculous, especially since it is wide enough only for a single boat, like the one from which they set out (see on 4.2).
ūnīus nāvis: "for one ship," a sort of genitive of specification (AG 349.d)
[12] petra: "cliff"
ex utrāque parte: "on each side" of the entrance to the harbor. The idiom is common in Caesar.
vocabulary
| faciō facere fēcī factus | to do, make; to act, conduct oneself [OLD 28] 9 |
| stultus –a –um | foolish, stupid |
| portus portūs m. | harbor |
| rapīna –ae f. | robbery, plundering, pillage |
| faciō facere fēcī factus | to do, make; to act, conduct oneself [OLD 28] |
| Iēsūs –ū m. | Jesus (Christ) 10 |
| Christus –ī m. | Christ |
| portus portūs m. | harbor |
| reficiō reficere refēcī refectus | to restore, revive (transitive) (ML) to take food, eat (intransitive) |
| vexātor –ōris m. | plunderer |
| circumeo (circueō) –īre –iī (–īvī) circuitus | to go around 11 |
| per | through; by means of [OLD 14] |
| novem; nōnus –a –um | 9; 9th |
| portus portūs m. | harbor |
| aditus aditūs m. | an approach; entryway |
| benedīcō –dīcere –dīxī –dictum | to bless 12 |
| introitus –ūs m. | entrance |
| namque | for in fact |
| petra –ae f. | a rock, crag |
| incīdō –ere –cīdī –cīsus | to cut into; cut upon; cut |
| mīrus –a –um | marvelous, wonderful |
| altitūdō altitudinis f. | height |
