Latin Authors

"Auribus immensis quondam donatus asellus institit ut caudam posset habere parem. cauda suo capiti quia se conferre nequibat, altius ingemuit de brevitate sua, mon quia longa satis non esset ad utilitatem. ante tamen quam sic apocopata foret, consuluit medicos, quia quod natura nequibat, artis ab officio posse putabat eos.Cui Galienus ait: "satis est bipedalis asello cauda; quid ulterius poscis, inepte, tibi? sufficit ista tibi, nam quo productior esset, sordidior fieret proximiorque luto. hac nisi contentus fueris, dum forte requiris prolongare nimis, abbreviabis eam. quod natura dedit non sit tibi vile, sed illud inter divitias amplius esse puta. crede mihi, vetus est tibi cauda salubrior ista natibus innata quam foret illa nova.""

"Pauperat artificis Naturae dona venustas Tyndaridis, formae flosculus, oris honor. humanam faciem fastidit forma, decoris prodiga, siderea gratuitate nitens. nescia forma paris, odii praeconia, laudes iudicis invidiae promeruisse potest. auro respondet coma, non replicata magistro nodo, descensu liberiore iacet; dispensare iubar humeris permissa decorem explicat et melius dispatiata placet. pagina frontis habet quasi verba faventis, inescat visus, nequitiae nescia, labe carens. nigra supercilia via lactea separat, arcus dividui prohibent luxuriare pilos. stellis praeradiant oculi Venerisque ministri esse favorali simplicitate monent. candori socio rubor interfusus in ore militat, a roseo flore tributa petens. non hospes colit ora color, nec purpura vultus languescit, niveo disputat ore rubor. linea procedit naris non ausa iacere aut inconsulto luxuriare gradu. oris honor rosei suspirat ad oscula, risu succincta modico lege labella tument. pendula ne fluitent, modico succincta tumore plena Dioneo melle labella rubent. dentes contendunt ebori, serieque retenta ordinis esse pares in statione student. colla polita nivem certant superare, tumorem increpat et lateri parca mamilla sedet."

"Te de pauperibus natum suscepit alendum Christus, et immeritum sic enutriuit et auxit, Vt collata tibi miretur munera mundus. Nam puero faciles prouidit adesse magistros, Et iuuenem perduxit ad hoc ut episcopus esses. Reges, pontifices, populi te magnificabant, Seruum prudentem censentes atque fidelem Esse pii Domini. Sed pro pudor ipse nefande. Nec prudens neo fidus eras ut res manifestat. Nam contra memorare pudet quam nequiter ipsum Laeseris et sanctos eius tua praua tuentes, Quae uix ulla satis possunt tormenta piare. Prestolatur adhuc Dominus tamen ille benignus, Et te uiuere perpetitur, si forte resciscens Segnitiem zelo perimas, meritoque reatum."

"O mater virgo, fecundo germine mater, Virga fide intacta, sponsi de nomine sponsa, Sponsa, columba, domus, regina, fidelis amica, Bello carpe rosas, laeta arripe lilia pace. Flos Tibi sceptrigero venit generamine Iesse, Unicus antiquae reparator stirpis et auctor, Lilia qui verbis vitaque dicavit amoena, Morte rosas tinguens, pacemque et proelia membris Liquit in orbe suis, virtutem amplexus utramque, Praemiaque ambobus servans aeterna triumphis."

"Aut lego vel scribo, doceo scrutorve sophiam, obsecro celsithronum nocte dieque meum, vescor, poto libens, rithmizans invoco Musas, dormisco stertens oro Deum vigilans. Conscia mens scelerum deflet peccamina vitae: parcite vos misero, Christe Maria, viro."

"For honour of the Lord God and Our Lady dear And many holy men by Augia's house revered, This book with loving care, attentive to command, Was made by Reginbert the scribe; in earnest hope That long it should endure, long serve his brethren's need. He prays you all, lest vain his labour die, In Heaven's most gracious Name to offer it to none Outside our walls; save should the seeker pledge his word Our property in sound condition to return. Good friend, ponder this well: a writer's task is hard; Take, open, read, harm not; finish, refold, !"

"Quae rara sub isto Axe videre soles, aliis in partibus horum Copia tanta iacet, quantam vilissima tecum Efficiunt; rursus quaedam quae spreta videntur Forte tibi, magno mercantur ditia regna, Altera ut alterius potiatur foenore tellus, Orbis et in toto per partes una domus sit."

"Ruris enim quaecunque datur possessio, seu sit Putris harenoso qua torpet glarea tractu, Seu pingui molita graves uligine fetus, Collibus erectis alte sita, sive iacenti Planitie facilis, clivo seu vallibus horrens; Non negat ingenuos holerum progignere fructus, Si modo non tua cura gravi compressa veterno Multi plices holitoris opes contemnere stultis Ausibus assuescit, callosasque aere duro Detrectat fuscare manus et stercora plenis Vitat in arenti disponere pulvere qualis. Haec non sola mihi patefecit opinio famae Vulgaris, quaesita libris nec lectio priscis; Sed labor et studium, quibus otia longa dierum Postposui, expertum rebus docuere probatis."

"Chorus novae Ierusalem novam meli dulcedinem promat colens cum sobriis paschale festum gaudiis.Quo Christus, invictus leo, dracone surgens obruto, dum voce viva personat, a morte functos excitat."

"Hoc Matthaeus agens hominem generaliter implet; Marcus ut alta fremit uox per deserta leonis; Iura sacerdotii Lucas tenet ore iuuenci; More uolans aquilae uerbo petit astra Iohannes."

"Richard S. Lambert, trans. Hortulus, or, The Little Garden (Wembley, Middx: The Stanton Press, 1924)"

"Raef Payne, trans. Hortulus (Pittsburgh, PA: Hunt Botanical Library, 1966)"

"Vel qualis manibus quondam suspensa supinis Lucet agens circum lomenti bulla salivam, Ante recens maceretur aquis quam spuma refusis, Dum lentescit adhuc digitis luctantibus et se Alternis vicibus studioque fricantibus uno, Inter utramque manum parvo fit parvus hiatu Exitus, huc stricto lenis meat ore Noti vis, Distenditque cavum vitrea sub imagine pondus Et centrum medio confingit labile fundo, Undique conveniat camuri quo inflexio tecti."

"Haec quia non Tyrio Germania tingitur ostro, Lata nec ardenti se Gallia murice iactat, Lutea purpurei reparat crementa quotannis Ubertim floris, tantum qui protinus omnes Herbarum vicisse comas virtute et odore Dicitur, ut merito florum flos esse feratur. * * * Huic famosa suus opponunt lilia flores, Longius horum etiam spirans odor imbuit auras, Sed si quis nivei candentia germina fructus Triverit, aspersi mirabitur ilicet omnem Nectaris ille fidem celeri periisse meatu. Hoc quia virginitas fama subnixa beata Flore nitet, quam si null us labor exagitarit Sordis et inliciti non fregerit ardor amoris, Flagrat odore suo. Porro si gloria pessum Integritatis eat, foetor mutabit odorem."

"James Mitchell, trans. On the Cultivation of Gardens (San Francisco, CA: Ithuriel's Spear, 2009)"

"Non patitur cunctas angustia carminis huius Pulei virtutes celeri comprendere versu. Hoc apud Indorum tanti constare peritos Fertur, apud Gallos quanti valet Indica nigri Congeries piperis. Quis iam dubitare sinetur Hac herba plures leniri posse labores, Quam pretiis inhianter emit ditissima tantis Gens hebenoque auroque fluens et mira volenti Quaeque ferens mundo?"

"Vir in concussione gentium natus in mundo, terrarum omnium metus, qui, nescio qua sorte, terrebat cuncta formidabili de se opinione vulgata. Erat namque superbus incessu, huc atque illuc circumferens oculos, ut elati potentia ipso quoque motu corporis appareret; bellorum quidem amator, sed ipse manu temperans, consilio validissimus, supplicantium exorabilis, propitius autem in fide semel susceptis; forma brevis, lato pectore, capite grandiore, minutis oculis, rarus barba, canis aspersus, semo nasu, teter colore, origenis suae signa restituens. Qui quamvis huius esset naturae, ut semper magna confideret, addebat ei tamen confidentia gladius Martis inventus, sacer apud Scytharum reges semper habitus."

"Volentem me parvo subvectum navigio oram tranquilli litoris stringere et minutos de priscorum, ut quidam ait, stagnis pisciculos legere, in altum, frater Castali, laxari vela compellis relictoque opusculo, quod intra manus habeo, id est, de adbreviatione chronicorum, suades, ut nostris verbis duodecem Senatoris volumina de origine actusque Getarum ab olim et usque nunc per generationes regesque descendentem in uno et hoc parvo libello choartem: dura satis imperia et tamquam ab eo, qui pondus operis huius scire nollit, inposita. Nec illud aspicis, quod tenuis mihi est spiritus ad inplendam eius tam magnificam dicendi tubam: super omne autem pondus, quod nec facultas eorundem librorum nobis datur, quatenus eius sensui inserviamus, sed, ut non mentiar, ad triduanam lectionem dispensatoris eius beneficio libros ipsos antehac relegi. Quorum quamvis verba non recolo, sensus tamen et res actas credo me integre retinere. Ad quos et ex nonnullis historiis Grecis ac Latinis addedi convenientia, initium finemque et plura in medio mea dictione permiscens."

"Post victorias tantarum gentium, post orbem, si consistatis, edomitum, ineptum iudicaveram tamquam ignaros rei verbis acuere. Quaerat hoc aut novus ductor aut inexpertus exercitus. Nec mihi fas est aliquid vulgare dicere, nec vobis oportet audire. Quid autem aliud vos quam bellare consuetum? Aut quid viro forti suavius, quam vindicta manu querere? Magnum munus a natura animos ultione satiare. Adgrediamur igitur hostem alacres: audaciores sunt semper, qui inferunt bellum. Adunatas dispicite dissonas gentes: indicium pavoris est societate defendi. En ante impetum nostrum terroribus iam feruntur, excelsa quaerunt, tumulos capiunt et sera paenitudine in campos monitiones efflagitant. Nota vobis sunt quam sint levia Romanorum arma: primo etiam non dico vulnere, sed ipso pulvere gravantur, dum in ordine coeunt et acies testudineque conectunt. Vos confligite perstantibus animis, ut soletis, despicientesque eorum aciem Alanos invadite, in Vesegothas incumbite. Inde nobis cita victoria quaerere, unde se continet bellum. Abscisa autem nervis mox membra relabuntur, nec potest stare corpus, cui ossa subtraxeris. Consurgant animi, furor solitus intumescat. Nunc consilia, Hunni, nunc arma depromite: aut vulneratus quis aduersarii mortem reposcat aut inlaesus hostium clade satietur. Victuros nulla tela conveniunt, morituros et in otio fata praecipitant. Postremo cur fortuna Hunnos tot gentium victores adseret, nisi ad certaminis huius gaudia praeparasset? Quis denique Meotidarum iter maiores nostros aperuit tot saeculis clausum secretum? Quis adhuc inermibus cedere faciebat armatos? Faciem Hunnorum non poterat ferre adunata collectio. Non fallor eventu: hic campus est, quem nobis tot prospera promiserunt. Primus in hoste tela coiciam. si quis potuerit Attila pugnante otio ferre, sepultus est."

"Post quorum obitum cum Bleda germano Hunnorum successit in regno, et, ut ante expeditionis, quam parabat, par foret, augmentum virium parricidio quaerit, tendens ad discrimen omnium nece suorum. Sed librante iustitia detestabili remedio crescens deformes exitus suae crudelitatis invenit. Bleda enim fratre fraudibus interempto, qui magnae parti regnabat Hunnorum, universum sibi populum adunavit, aliarumque gentium, quas tunc in dicione tenebat, numerositate collecta, primas mundi gentes Romanos Vesegothasque subdere praeoptabat."

"Mitis depone colla, Sigamber; adora quod incendisti, incende quod adorasti."

"In ipsa item catholica ecclesia magnopere curandum est, ut id teneamus quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est."

"Ralph's important position in ecclesiastical circles, his friendship with many prominent men, such as William Longchamp and Walter of Coutances, the help he received from them, the documents he incorporates, and his own moderate temper render his work of capital importance in spite of some chronological vagueness."

"For the clergy he was a severe disciplinarian, but was himself foremost with the example of a holy life."

"Mentitur veros facies tibi picta colores, Et speculi mendax te tibi imago referit. In digito annellus mentitur aëneus aurum, Mentitur gemmam vitrea gemma probam. Quicquid contigerit re cum mendacia discat, Miremur linguam dicere falsa tuam?"

"If I have not been able to write well, I have at any rate written truthfully, using as authorities those who are best informed about the subject."

"Frustra ego te laudo, frustra me, Zoile, laedis: Nemo mihi credit, Zoile, nemo tibi."

"Linus and Cletus were Bishops of the city of Rome before Clement. How then, some men ask, can Clement in his letter to James say that Peter passed over to him his position as a church-teacher. The explanation of this point, as I understand, is as follows. Linus and Cletus were, no doubt, Bishops in the city of Rome before Clement, but this was in Peter’s life-time; that is, they took charge of the episcopal work, while he discharged the duties of the apostolate. He is known to have done the same thing at Cæsarea; for there, he had at his side Zacchæus whom he had ordained as Bishop."

"As for me, I declare in Christ’s name that I never held, nor ever will hold, any other faith but that which I have set forth above, that is, the faith which is held by the Church of Rome, by that of Alexandria, and by my own church of Aquileia; and which is also preached at Jerusalem; and if there is any one who believes otherwise, whoever he may be, let him be Anathema. But those who through mere ill will and malice engender dissensions and offenses among their brethren, and cause them to stumble, shall give account of it in the day of judgment."

"But, further, as to the resurrection of our own flesh, I believe that it will be in its integrity and perfection; it will be this very flesh in which we now live. We do not hold, as is slanderously reported by some men, that another flesh will rise instead of this; but this very flesh, without the loss of a single member, without the cutting off of any single part of the body; none whatever of all its properties will be absent except its corruptibility. It is this which is promised by the holy Apostle concerning the body: It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. This is the doctrine which has been handed down to me by those from whom I received holy baptism in the Church of Aquileia; and I think that it is the same which the Apostolic See has by long usage handed down and taught."

"It is written that when the side of Jesus was pierced "He shed thereout blood and water." This has a mystical meaning. For Himself had said, "Out of His belly shall flow rivers of living water." ... Yet it might be understood also as prefiguring the twofold grace of baptism, one that which is given by the baptism of water, the other that which is sought through martyrdom in the outpouring of blood, for both are called baptism."

"I affirm, moreover, a judgment to come, in which judgment every man is to receive the due meed of his bodily life, according to that which he has done, whether good or evil. And, if in the case of men the reward is to be according to their works, how much more will this be so in the case of the devil, who is the universal cause of sin? Of the devil himself our belief is that which is written in the Gospel, namely, that both he and all his angels, will receive as their portion the eternal fire, and with him those who do his works, that is, who become the accusers of their brethren. If then any one denies that the devil is to be subjected to the eternal fires, may he have his part with him in the eternal fire, so that he may know by experience the fact which he now denies."

"I am next informed that some stir has been made on the question of the nature of the soul… For myself, I declare in the presence of God that, after reading each of these opinions, I am up to the present moment unable to hold any of them as certain and absolute; the determination of the truth in this question I leave to God and to any to whom it shall please him to reveal it. My profession on this point is therefore, first, that these several opinions are those which I have found in books, but, secondly, that I as yet remain in ignorance on the subject, except so far as this, that the Church delivers it as an article of faith that God is the creator of souls as well as of bodies."

"When, therefore, the true Lord Jesus Christ shall come, He will sit and set up his throne of judgment. As also He says in the Gospel, He shall separate the sheep from the goats, that is, the righteous from the unrighteous; as the Apostle writes, We must all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every man may receive the awards due to the body, according as he has done, whether they be good or evil. Moreover, the judgment will be not only for deeds, but for thoughts also, as the same Apostle says, Their thoughts mutually accusing or else excusing one another, in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men."

"The Prophet Ezekiel too had predicted the miraculous manner of that birth, calling Mary figuratively the Gate of the Lord, the gate, namely, through which the Lord entered the world. For he says, The gate which looks towards the East shall be closed, and shall not be opened, and no one shall pass through it, because the Lord God of Israel shall pass through it, and it shall be closed. What could be said with such evident reference to the inviolate preservation of the Virgin’s condition? That Gate of Virginity was closed; through it the Lord God of Israel entered; through it He came forth from the Virgin’s womb into this world; and the Virgin-state being preserved inviolate, the gate of the Virgin remained closed forever."

"I entreat you therefore, holy, venerable and saintly father, not to permit a storm of ill will to be raised against me because of this, nor to sanction the employment of partisanship and of calumny— weapons which ought never to be used in the Church of God. Where can simple faith and innocence be safe if they are not protected in the Church? I am not a defender or a champion of Origen; nor am I the first who has translated his works. Others before me had done the very same thing, and I did it, the last of many, at the request of my brethren. If an order is to be given that such translations are not to be made, such an order holds good for the future, not the past; but if those are to be blamed who have made these translations before any such order was given, the blame must begin with those who took the first step."

"But before I begin to discuss the meaning of the words, I think it well to mention that in different Churches some additions are found in this article. This is not the case, however, in the Church of the city of Rome; the reason being, as I suppose, that, on the one hand, no heresy has had its origin there, and, on the other, that the ancient custom is there kept up, that those who are going to be baptized should rehearse the Creed publicly, that is, in the audience of the people; the consequence of which is that the ears of those who are already believers will not admit the addition of a single word."

"This is that holy Church which is without spot or wrinkle. For many others have gathered together Churches, as Marcion, and Valentinus, and Ebion, and Manichæus, and Arius, and all the other heretics. ... But of this Church which keeps the faith of Christ entire, hear what the Holy Spirit says in the Canticles, "My dove is one; the perfect one of her mother is one.""

"He is born by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin. Here a chaste ear and a pure mind is required. For you must understand that now a temple has been built within the secret recesses of a Virgin’s womb for Him of Whom erewhile you learned that He was born ineffably of the Father. And just as in the sanctification of the Holy Ghost no thought of imperfection is to be admitted, so in the Virgin-birth no defilement is to be imagined. For this birth was a new birth given to this world, and rightly new. For He Who is the only Son in heaven is by consequence the only Son on earth, and was uniquely born, born as no other ever was or can be."

"Our forefathers have handed down to us the tradition, that, after the Lord’s ascension, when, through the coming of the Holy Ghost, tongues of flame had settled upon each of the Apostles, that they might speak diverse languages, so that no race however foreign, no tongue however barbarous, might be inaccessible to them and beyond their reach, they were commanded by the Lord to go severally to the several nations to preach the word of God. Being on the eve therefore of departing from one another, they first mutually agreed upon a standard of their future preaching, lest haply, when separated, they might in any instance vary in the statements which they should make to those whom they should invite to believe in Christ. Being all therefore met together, and being filled with the Holy Ghost, they composed, as we have said, this brief formulary of their future preaching, each contributing his several sentence to one common summary: and they ordained that the rule thus framed should be given to those who believe."

"My faith, indeed, was sufficiently proved when the heretics persecuted me. I was at that time sojourning in the church of Alexandria, and underwent imprisonment and exile which was then the penalty of faithfulness; yet for the sake of any who may wish to put my faith to the test, or to hear and learn what it is I will declare it. I believe that the Trinity is of one nature and godhead, of one and the same power and substance; so that between the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost there is no diversity at all, except that the one is the Father, the second the Son, and the third the Holy Ghost. There is a Trinity of real and living Persons, a unity of nature and substance."

"The person who rehearses the Creed, making the sign of the cross upon his forehead, while he says the word, that each believer may know that his flesh, if he have kept it clean from sin, will be a vessel of honour, useful to the Lord, prepared for every good work; but, if defiled by sins, that it will be a vessel of wrath destined to destruction."

"For the object of that mystery of the Incarnation which we expounded just now was that the divine virtue of the Son of God, as though it were a hook concealed beneath the form and fashion of human flesh...His flesh as a bait, His divinity underneath might catch him and hold him fast with its hook, through the shedding of His immaculate blood. For He alone Who knows no stain of sin hath destroyed the sins of all, of those, at least, who have marked the door-posts of their faith with His blood. As, therefore, if a fish seizes a baited hook, it not only does not take the bait off the hook, but is drawn out of the water to be itself food for others, so He Who had the power of death seized the body of Jesus in death, not being aware of the hook of Divinity inclosed within it, but having swallowed it he was caught forthwith, and the bars of hell being burst asunder, he was drawn forth as it were from the abyss to become food for others."

"Hear, therefore, how the Apostle would teach us obedience by the Cross of Christ: Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus, Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking upon Him the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and, being found in fashion as a man, He became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. As, then, a consummate master teaches both by example and precept, so Christ taught the obedience, which good men are to render even at the cost of death, by Himself first dying in rendering it."

"Sed adhuc supersunt aliae superstitiones, quarum secreta pandenda sunt, ... ut et in istis profanis religionibus sciatis mortes esse hominum consecratas."

"Hic breve vivitur, hic breve plangitur, hic breve fletur: Non breve vivere, non breve plangere retribuetur."

"Urbs Syon aurea, patria lactea, cive decora Omne cor obruis, omnibus obstruis et cor et ora Nescio, nescio, quae jubilatio, lux tibi quali Quam sociala gaudia, gloria quam specialis."

"Gloria summa tibi, laus et benedictio, Christe, Qui praestas famulis haec bona grata tuis."

"Vox, philomela, tua curarum semina pellit, Recreat et blandis anxia corda sonis."

"Porrige dulcisonas attentis auribus escas; Nolo tacere velis, nolo tacere velis."