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.

quālem sē quantumque praestiterit: "what sort of person, and how great, he showed himself to be," indirect question after ēvolvere, below.

nōn est nostrae facultātis ēvolvere: "it is not within my capability to describe."

facultātis: genitive of characteristic (AG 345).

persevērābat: "he steadfastly continued (to be)."

īdem ... quī: "the same person that."

[2]

ita ... ut: "in such a way that"; ita modifies the verb, implēbat.

dignitātem: "office."

[3]

frequentantium: > frequentō [1]; "of the crowds of visitors" (lit., "of the thronging ones").

[4]

nōn dēsīderāret: "would not lack."

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

Liger fluvius: the Loire.

reductō paululum sinū: "with a curve having been drawn back a little," i.e., "in a slight bend" of the river.

ūnā tantum eādemque artā admodum viā: "by only a single road, and quite a narrow one at that."

[5]

superiectī: > superiaciō; "above" (opp. subiectus, "below").

receptācula: "shelters" (receptāculum –i, n.).

ad exemplum: in accordance with the example."

[6]

ut plērīsque monachīs mōris est: "as is customary for very many monks."

ars ... nūlla habēbātur: "no craft/trade was practiced."

minor aetās ... māiōrēs: "the younger men ... the older men."

[7]

nōverat: > nōscō –ere nōvī nōtum; "was acquainted with."

[8]

camēlōrum saetīs vestiēbantur: 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]

prō crimine erat: "was considered a serious offense."

quod eō magis sit mīrum 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.

longē aliter ēdūcātī: "though brought up in a far different manner"; concessive participial phrase.

[9]

quae enim esset cīvitās: potential subj., "for what city would there be?"

vocabulary

facultas –ātis, f.: capability, means; skill

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

persevērō –sevērāre: persevere, be persistent in

prius: (adv.) before, previously

vīlitās –ātis, f.: cheapness, meanness, worthlessness2

adhaereō –haerēre –haesī –haesum: stick to, adhere to3

inquiētūdō –inis, f.: restlessness, disquietude

frequentō –āre: vist frequently; crowd, celebrate

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

sēcrētus –a –um: lonely, solitary, secret4

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; overtop5

cavō cavāre: hollow out, vault

receptāculum –i, n.: place of refuge, shelter

discipulus –ī, m.: pupil, disciple

octōgintā: eighty

quicquam: any, any one, any thing6

emo emere ēmī ēmptum: buy, purchase

vēndō –dere –didī –ditum: sell, vend

dēputō –āre: esteem, consider; condemn

iēiūnium –ī, n.: a fast-day, fast7

infirmitās –ātis, f.: weakness, feebleness

camēlus –ī, m.: camel8

saeta –ae, f.: bristle

media

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