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  • Of the Harmony of the Fathers of the Old and New Testaments.
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    Book III.—Of the Harmony of the Fathers of the Old and New Testaments.

    Now hath the mother, formerly surnamed

    Barren, giv’n birth:1461

    1461 Isa. liv. 1; Gal. iv. 27.

      now a new people, born

    From the free woman,1462

    1462 Gal. iv. 19–31.

    joys:  (the slave expelled,

    Deservedly, with her proud progeny;

    5  Who also leaves ungratefully behind

    The waters of the living fount,1463

    1463 The Jewish people leaving Christ, “the fountain of living waters” (Jer. ii. 13; John vii. 37–; 39), is compared to Hagar leaving the well, which was, we may well believe, close to Abraham’s tent.

    and drinks—

    Errant on heated plains—’neath glowing star:1464

    1464 Et tepidis errans ardenti sidere potat.  See Gen. xxi. 12–20.

    )

    Now can the Gentiles as their parent claim

    Abraham; who, the Lord’s voice following,

    10  Like him, have all things left,1465

    1465 See Matt. xix. 27; Mark x. 28; Luke xviii. 28.

    life’s pilgrimage

    To enter.  “Be glad, barren one;” conceive

    The promised people; “break thou out, and cry,”

    Who with no progeny wert blest; of whom

    Spake, through the seers, the Spirit of old time:

    15  She hath borne, out of many nations, one;

    With whose beginning are her pious limbs

    Ever in labour.

    Hers “just Abel1466

    1466 See Matt. xxiii. 35.

    was,

    A pastor and a cattle—master he;

    Whom violence of brother’s right hand slew

    20  Of old.  Her Enoch, signal ornament,

    Limb from her body sprung, by counsel strove

    To recall peoples gone astray from God

    And following misdeed, (while raves on earth

    The horde of robber-renegades,1467

    1467 i.e., apparently the “giants;” see Gen. vi. 4; but there is no mention of them in Enoch’s time (Migne).

    ) to flee

    25  The giants’sacrilegious cruel race;

    Faithful in all himself.  With groaning deep1468

    1468 i.e., over the general sinfulness.

    Did he please God, and by deserved toil

    Translated1469

    1469 I suggest “translatus” for “translatum” here.

    is reserved as a pledge,

    With honour high.  Perfect in praise, and found

    30  Faultless, and just—God witnessing1470

    1470 See Gen. vii. 1.

    the fact—

    In an adulterous people, Noah (he

    Who in twice fifty years1471

    1471 Loosely; 120 years is the number in Gen. vi. 3.

    the ark did weave)

    By deeds and voice the coming ruin told.

    Favour he won, snatched out of so great waves

    35  Of death, and, with his progeny, preserved.

    Then, in the generation1472

    1472 Gente.

    following,

    Is Abraham, whose sons ye do deny

    Yourselves to be; who first—race, country, sire,

    All left behind—at suasion of God’s voice

    40  Withdrew to realms extern:  such honours he

    At God’s sublime hand worthily deserved

    As to be father to believing tribes

    And peoples.  Jacob with the patriarchs

    (Himself their patriarch) through all his own

    45  Life’s space the gladdest times of Christ foresang

    By words, act, virtue, toil.

    Him follows—free

    From foul youth’s stain—Joseph, by slander feigned,

    Doomed to hard penalty and gaol:  his groans

    Glory succeeds, and the realm’s second crown, so

    50  And in dearth’s time large power of furnishing

    Bread:  so appropriate a type of Christ,

    So lightsome type of Light, is manifest

    To all whose mind hath eyes, that they may see

    In a face-mirror1473

    1473 Speculo vultus.  The two words seem to me to go together, and, unless the second be indeed redundant, to mean perhaps a small hand-mirror, which affords more facilities for minute examination of the face than a larger fixed one.

    their sure hope.

    Himself

    55  The patriarch Judah, see; the origin

    Of royal line,1474

    1474 “Sortis;” lit. “lot,” here ="the line or family chosen by lot.”  Compare the similar derivation of “clergy.”

    whence leaders rose, nor kings

    Failed ever from his seed, until the Power

    To come, by Gentiles looked for, promised long,

    Came.

    Moses, leader of the People, (he

    60  Who, spurning briefly—blooming riches, left

    The royal thresholds,) rather chose to bear

    His people’s toils, afflicted, with bowed neck,

    By no threats daunted, than to gain himself

    Enjoyments, and of many penalties

    65  Remission:  admirable for such faith

    And love, he, with God’s virtue armed, achieved

    Great exploits:  smote the nation through with plagues;

    And left their land behind, and their hard king

    Confounds, and leads the People back; trod waves;

    70  Sunk the foes down in waters; through a “tree1475

    1475 Lignum.

    Made ever-bitter waters sweet; spake much

    (Manifestly to the People) with the Christ,1476

    1476 I have ventured to substitute “Christo” for “Christi;” and thus, for

    “Cum Christi populo manifeste multa locutus,”

    read,

    “Cum Christo (populo manifeste) multa locutus.”

    The reference is to the fact, on which such special stress is laid, of the Lord’s “speaking to Moses face to face, as a man speaketh with his friend.”  See especially Num. xii. 5–8, Deut. xxxiv. 9–12, with Deut. xviii. 17–19, Acts iii. 22, 23, vii. 37.

    From whose face light and brilliance in his own

    Reflected shone; dashed on the ground the law

    75  Accepted through some few,1477

    1477 The Latin in Oehler and Migne is thus:

    “Acceptam legem per paucos fudit in orbem;”

    and the reference seems to me to be to Ex. xxxii. 15–20, though the use of “orbem” for “ground” is perhaps strange; but “humum” would have been against the metre, if that argument be of any weight in the case of a writer so prolific of false quantities.  Possibly the lines may mean that “he diffused through some few”—i.e., through the Jews, “few” as compared with the total inhabitants of the orb—“the Law which he had received;” but then the following line seems rather to favour the former view, because the tables of the Law—called briefly “the Law”—broken by Moses so soon after he had received them, were typical of the inefficacy of all Moses’ own toils, which, after all, ended in disappointment, as he was forbidden, on account of a sin committed in the very last of the forty years, to lead the people into “the land,” as he had fondly hoped to do.  Only I suspect some error in “per paucos;” unless it be lawful to supply “dies,” and take it to mean “received during but few days,” i.e., “within few days,” “only a few days before,” and “accepted” or “kept” by the People “during but a few days.”  Would it be lawful to conjecture “perpaucis” as one word, with “ante diebus” to be understood?

    —implicit type,

    And sure, of his own toils!—smote through the rock;

    And, being bidden, shed forth streams; and stretched

    His hands that, by a sign,1478

    1478 i.e., the sign of the cross.  See Tertullian, adv. Marc., l. iii. c. xviii. sub. fin.; also adv. Jud., c. x. med.

    he vanquish might

    The foe; of Christ all severally, all1479

    1479 i.e., all the acts and the experiences of Moses.

    80  Combined through Christ, do speak.  Great and approved,

    He1480

    1480 Moses.

    rests with praise and peace.

    But Joshua,

    The son of Nun, erst called Oshea—this man

    The Holy Spirit to Himself did join

    As partner in His name:1481

    1481 See Ex. xxiii. 20–23; and comp. adv. Marc., l. iii. c. xvi.

      hence did he cleave

    85  The flood; constrained the People to pass o’er;

    Freely distributed the land—the prize

    Promised the fathers!—stayed both sun and moon

    While vanquishing the foe; races extern

    And giants’ progeny outdrave; razed groves;

    90  Altars and temples levelled; and with mind

    Loyal1482

    1482 Legitima, i.e., reverent of law.

    performed all due solemnities:

    Type of Christ’s name; his virtue’s image.

    What

    Touching the People’s Judges shall I say

    Singly? whose virtues,1483

    1483 i.e., virtuous acts.

    if unitedly

    95  Recorded, fill whole volumes numerous

    With space of words.  But yet the order due

    Of filling out the body of my words,

    Demands that, out of many, I should tell

    The life of few.

    Of whom when Gideon, guide

    100  Of martial band, keen to attack the foe,

    (Not keen to gain for his own family,

    By virtue,1484

    1484 Or, “valour.”

    tutelary dignity,1485

    1485 The Latin runs thus:

    “Acer in hostem.

    Non virtute sua tutelam acquirere genti.”

    I have ventured to read “suæ,” and connect it with “genti;” and thus have obtained what seems to me a probable sense.  See Judg. viii. 22, 23.

    )

    And needing to be strengthened1486

    1486 I read “firmandus” for “firmatus.”

    in the faith

    Excited in his mind, seeks for a sign

    105  Whereby he either could not, or could, wage

    Victorious war; to wit, that with the dew

    A fleece, exposèd for the night, should be

    Moistened, and all the ground lie dry around

    (By this to show that, with the world,1487

    1487 Mundo.

    should dry1488

    1488 I have again ventured a correction, “coarescere” for “coalescere.”  It makes at least some sense out of an otherwise (to me) unintelligible passage, the “palm” being taken as the well-known symbol of bloom and triumph.  So David in Ps. xcii. 12 (xci. 13 in LXX.), “The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree.”  To “dry” here is, of course, neuter, and means to “wither.”

    110  The enemiespalm); and then again, the fleece

    Alone remaining dry, the earth by night

    Should with the self-same1489

    1489 I have changed “eadem”—which must agree with “nocte,” and hence give a false sense; for it was not, of course, on “the same night,” but on the next, that this second sign was given—into “eodem,” to agree with “liquore,” which gives a true one, as the “moisture,” of course, was the same,—dew, namely.

    moisture be bedewed:

    For by this sign he prostrated the heaps

    Of bandits; with Christ’s People ’countering them

    115  Without much soldiery, with cavalry1490

    1490 Equite.  It appears to be used loosely for “men of war” generally.

    Three hundred—the Greek letter Tau, in truth,

    That number is1491

    1491 Which is taken, from its form, as a sign of the cross; see below.

    —with torches armed, and horns

    Of blowers with the mouth:  then1492

    1492 Refers to the “when” in 99, above.

    was the fleece,

    The people of Christ’s sheep, from holy seed

    120  Born (for the earth means nations various,

    And scattered through the orb), which fleece the word

    Nourishes; night death’s image; Tau the sign

    Of the dear cross; the horn the heraldings

    Of life; the torches shining in their stand1493

    1493 Lychno.  The “faces” are probably the wicks.

    125  The glowing Spirit:  and this testing, too,

    Forsooth, an image of Christ’s virtue was:1494

    1494 “Scilicet hoc testamen erat virtutis imago.”

    To teach that death’s fierce battles should not be

    By trump angelic vanquished before

    Th’ indocile People be deservedly

    130  By their own fault left desolate behind,

    And Gentiles, flourishing in faith, received

    In praise.

    Yea, Deborah, a woman far

    Above all fame, appears; who, having braced

    Herself for warlike toil, for country’s sake,

    135  Beneath the palm-tree sang how victory

    Had crowned her People; thanks to whom it was

    That the foes, vanquisht, turned at once their backs,

    And Sisera their leader fled; whose flight

    No man, nor any band, arrested:  him,

    140  Suddenly renegade, a woman’s hand

    Jael’s1495

    1495 The text as it stands is, in Oehler:—

    …“Hic Baal Christi victoria signo

    Extemplo refugam devicit femina ligno;”

    which I would read:—

    …“Hunc Jael, Christi victoriæ signo,

    Extemplo,” etc.

    —with wooden weapon vanquished quite,

    For token of Christ’s victory.

    With firm faith

    Jephthah appears, who a deep-wounding vow

    Dared make—to promise God a grand reward

    145  Of war:  him1496

    1496 For “hic” I would incline to read “huic.”

    then, because he senselessly

    Had promised what the Lord not wills, first meets

    The pledge1497

    1497 i.e., child.

    dear to his heart; who suddenly

    Fell by a lot unhoped by any.  He,

    To keep his promise, broke the sacred laws

    150  Of parenthood:  the shade of mighty fear

    Did in his violent mind cover his vow

    Of sin:  as solace of his widowed life

    For1498

    1498 i.e., instead of.

    wickedness, renown, and, for crime, praise,

    He won.

    Nor Samson’s strength, all corporal might

    155  Passing, must we forget; the Spirit’s gift

    Was this; the power was granted to his head.1499

    1499 i.e., to his unshorn Nazarite locks.

    Alone he for his People, daggerless,

    Armless, an ass-jaw grasping, prostrated

    A thousand corpses; and no bonds could keep

    160  The hero bound:  but after his shorn pride

    Forsook him thralled, he fell, and, by his death,—

    Though vanquisht,—bought his foes back ’neath his power.

    Marvellous Samuel, who first received

    The precept to anoint kings, to give chrism

    165  And show men-Christs,1500

    1500 Viros ostendere Christos.

    so acted laudably

    In life’s space as, e’en after his repose,

    To keep prophetic rights.1501

    1501 See 1 Sam. xxviii. (in LXX. 1 Kings) 11–19.

    Psalmographist

    David, great king and prophet, with a voice

    Submiss was wont Christ’s future suffering

    170  To sing:  which prophecy spontaneously

    His thankless lawless People did perform:

    Whom1502

    1502 i.e., to whom, to David.

    God had promised that in time to come,

    Fruit of his womb,1503

    1503 “Ex utero:”  a curious expression for a man; but so it is.

    a holy progeny,

    He would on his sublime throne set:  the Lord’s

    175  Fixt faith did all that He had promised.

    Corrector of an inert People rose

    Emulous1504

    1504 i.e., emulous of David’s virtues.

    Hezekiah; who restored

    Iniquitous forgetful men the Law:1505

    1505 Comp. especially 2 Chron. xxix.; xxx.; xxxi.

    All these God’s mandates of old time he first

    180  Bade men observe, who ended war by prayers,1506

    1506 Our author is quite correct in his order.  A comparison of dates as given in the Scripture history shows us that his reforms preceded his war with Sennacherib.

    Not by steel’s point:  he, dying, had a grant

    Of years and times of life made to his tears:

    Deservedly such honour his career

    Obtained.

    With zeal immense, Josiah, prince

    185  Himself withal, in like wise acted:  none

    So much, before or after!—Idols he

    Dethroned; destroyed unhallowed temples; burned

    With fire priests on their altars; all the bones

    Of prophets false updug; the altars burned,

    190  The carcases to be consumed did serve

    For fuel!

    To the praise of signal faith,

    Noble Elijah, (memorable fact!)

    Was rapt;1507

    1507 The “tactus” of the Latin is without sense, unless indeed it refer to his being twice “touched” by an angel.  See 1 Kings (in LXX. 3 Kings) xix. 1–8.  I have therefore substituted “raptus,” there being no mention of the angel in the Latin.

    who hath not tasted yet death’s dues;

    Since to the orb he is to come again.

    195  His faith unbroken, then, chastening with stripes

    People and frenzied king, (who did desert

    The Lord’s best service), and with bitter flames

    The foes, shut up the stars; kept in the clouds

    The rain; showed all collectively that God

    200  Is; made their error patent;—for a flame,

    Coming with force from heaven at his prayers,

    Ate up the victim’s parts, dripping with flood,

    Upon the altar:1508

    1508 “Aras” should probably be “aram.”

    —often as he willed,

    So often from on high rushed fire;1509

    1509 See 2 Kings (in LXX. 4 Kings) i. 9–12.

    the stream

    205  Dividing, he made pathless passable;1510

    1510 For “transgressas et avia fecit,” I read “transgressus avia fecit,” taking “transgressus” as a subst.

    And, in a chariot raised aloft, was borne

    To paradise’s hall.

    Disciple his

    Elisha was, succeeding to his lot:1511

    1511 Sortis.

    Who begged to take to him Elijah’s lot1512

    1512 Sortem.

    210  In double measure; so, with forceful stripe,

    The People to chastise:1513

    1513 Our author has somewhat mistaken Elisha’s mission apparently; for as there is a significant difference in the meaning of their respective names, so there is in their works:  Elijah’s miracles being rather miracles of judgment, it has been remarked; Elisha’s, of mercy.

      such and so great

    A love for the Lord’s cause he breathed.  He smote

    Through Jordan; made his feet a way, and crossed

    Again; raised with a twig the axe down—sunk

    215  Beneath the stream; changed into vital meat

    The deathful food; detained a second time,

    Double in length,1514

    1514 The reference is to a famine in Elisha’s days, which—2 Kings (in LXX. 4 Kings) viii. i.—was to last seven years; whereas that for which Elijah prayed, as we learn in Jas. v. 17., lasted three and six months.  But it is not said that Elisha prayed for that famine.

    the rains; cleansed leprosies;1515

    1515 We only read of one leprosy which Elisha cleansed—Naaman’s.  He inflicted leprosy on Gehazi, which was “to cleave to him and to his seed for ever.”

    Entangled foes in darkness; and when one

    Offcast and dead, by bandits’slaughter slain

    220  His limbs, after his death, already hid

    In sepulchre, did touch, he—light recalled—

    Revived.

    Isaiah, wealthy seer, to whom

    The fount was oped,—so manifest his faith!

    Poured from his mouth God’s word forth.  Promised was

    225  The Father’s will, bounteous through Christ; through him

    It testified before the way of life,

    And was approved:1516

    1516 Prætestata viam vitæ atque probata per ipsam est.  I suspect we should read “via,” quantity being of no importance with our author, and take “prætestata” as passive:  “The way of life was testified before, and proved, through him.”

      but him, though stainless found,

    And undeserving, the mad People cut

    With wooden saw in twain, and took away

    230  With cruel death.

    The holy Jeremy

    Followed; whom the Eternal’s Virtue bade

    Be prophet to the Gentiles, and him told

    The future:  who, because he brooded o’er

    His People’s deeds illaudable, and said

    235  (Speaking with voice presaging) that, unless

    They had repented of betaking them

    To deeds iniquitous against their slaves,1517

    1517 This seems to be the meaning, and the reference will then be to Jer. xxxiv. 8–22 (in LXX. xli. 8–22); but the punctuation both in Oehler and Migne makes nonsense, and I have therefore altered it.

    They should be captived, bore hard bonds, shut up

    In squalid gaol; and, in the miry pit,

    240  Hunger exhausted his decaying limbs.

    But, after he did prove what they to hear

    Had been unwilling, and the foes did lead

    The People bound in their triumphal trains,

    Hardly at length his wrinkled right hand lost

    245  Its chains:  it is agreed that by no death

    Nor slaughter was the hero ta’en away.

    Faithful Ezekiel, to whom granted was

    Rich grace of speech, saw sinnerssecrets; wailed

    His own afflictions; prayed for pardon; saw

    250  The vengeance of the saints, which is to be

    By slaughter; and, in Spirit wrapt, the place

    Of the saints’ realm, its steps and accesses,

    And the salvation of the flesh, he saw.

    Hosea, Amos, Micah, Joel, too,

    255  With Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, come;

    Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai,

    And Zechariah who did violence

    Suffer, and Malachiangel himself!

    Are here:  these are the Lord’s seers; and their choir,

    260  As still they sing, is heard; and equally

    Their proper wreath of praise they all have earned.

    How great was Daniel!  What a man!

    What power!

    Who by their own mouth did false witnesses

    Bewray, and saved a soul on a false charge

    265  Condemned;1518

    1518 See the apocryphal “Susanna.”

    and, before that, by mouth resolved

    The king’s so secret dreams; foresaw how Christ

    Dissolves the limbs of kingdoms; was accused

    For his Lord’s was made the lions’ prey;

    And, openly preserved1519

    1519 For “servatisque palam cunctis in pace quievit,” which the edd. give, I suggest “servatusque,” etc., and take “palam” for governing “cunctis.”

    before all eyes,

    270  Rested in peace.

    His Three Companions, scarce

    With due praise to be sung, did piously

    Contemn the king’s iniquitous decree,

    Out of so great a number:  to the flames

    Their bodies given were; but they preferred,

    275  For the Great Name, to yield to penalties

    Themselves, than to an image stretch their palms

    On bended knees.  Now their o’erbrilliant faith,

    Now hope outshining all things, the wild fires

    Hath quencht, and vanquisht the iniquitous!

    280  Ezra the seer, doctor of Law, and priest

    Himself (who, after full times, back did lead

    The captive People), with the Spirit filled

    Of memory, restored by word of mouth

    All the seers’ volumes, by the fires and mould1520

    1520 Ignibus et multa consumpta volumina vatum.  Multamust, apparently, be an error for some word signifying “mould” or the like; unless, with the disregard of construction and quantity observable in this author, it be an acc. pl. to agree with volumina, so that we must take “omnia multa volumina” together, which would alter the whole construction of the context.

    285  Consumèd.

    Great above all born from seed

    Is John whose praises hardly shall we skill

    To tell:  the washer1521

    1521 Ablutor.

    of the flesh:  the Lord’s

    Open forerunner; washer,1522

    1522 Ablutor.

    too, of Christ,

    Himself first born again from Him:  the first

    290  Of the new convenant, last of the old,

    Was he; and for the True Way’s sake he died,

    The first slain victim.

    See God-Christ! behold

    Alike, His Twelve-Fold Warrior-Youth!1523

    1523 Juventus.

    in all

    One faith, one dove, one power; the flower of men;

    295  Lightening the world1524

    1524 Mundo.

    with light; comrades of Christ

    And apostolic men; who, speaking truth,

    Heard with their ears Salvation,1525

    1525 Salutem =Christum.  So Simeon, “Mine eyes have seen Thy salvation,” where the Greek word should be noted and compared with its usage in the LXX., especially in the Psalms.  See Luke ii. 30.

    with their eyes

    Saw It, and handled with their hand the late

    From death recovered body,1526

    1526 Comp. 1 John i. 1, 2.

    and partook

    300  As fellow-guests of food therewith, as they

    Themselves bear witness.

    Him did Paul as well

    (Forechosen apostle, and in due time sent),

    When rapt into the heavens,1527

    1527 See 2 Cor. xii. 1 sqq.

    behold:  and sent

    By Him, he, with his comrade Barnabas,

    305  And with the earlier associates

    Joined in one league together, everywhere

    Among the Gentiles hands the doctrine down

    That Christ is Head, whose members are the Church,

    He the salvation of the body, He

    310  The members’ life perennial;

    He, made flesh, He, ta’en away for all, Himself first rose

    Again, salvation’s only hope; and gave

    The norm to His disciples:  they at once

    All variously suffered, for His Name,

    315  Unworthy penalties.

    Such members bears

    With beauteous body the free mother, since

    She never her Lord’s precepts left behind,

    And in His home hath grown old, to her Lord

    Ever most choice, having for His Name’s sake

    320  Penalties suffered.  For since, barren once,

    Not yet secure of her futurity,

    She hath outgiven a people born of seed

    Celestial, and1528

    1528 The common reading is, “Atque suæ famulæ portavit spreta dolorem,” for which Oehler reads “portarit;” but I incline rather to suggest that “portavit” be retained, but that the “atque” be changed into “aeque,” thus:  “Aeque suæ famulæ portavit spreta dolorem;” i.e., Since, like Sarah, the once barren Christian church-mother hath had children, equally, like Sarah, hath she had to bear scorn and spleen at her handmaid’s—the Jewish church-mother’s—hands.

    been spurned, and borne the spleen1529

    1529 Dolorem.

    Of her own handmaid; now ’tis time to see

    325  This former-barren mother have a son

    The heir of her own liberty; not like

    The handmaid’s heir, yoked in estate to her,

    Although she bare him from celestial seed

    Conceived.  Far be it that ye should with words

    330  Unlawful, with rash voice, collectively

    Without distinction, give men exemplary

    (Heaven’s glowing constellations, to the mass

    Of men conjoined by seed alone or blood),

    The rugged bondman’s1530

    1530 i.e., Ishmael’s.

    name; or that one think

    335  That he may speak in servile style about

    A People who the mandates followèd

    Of the Lord’s Law.  No:  but we mean the troop

    Of sinners, empty, mindless, who have placed

    God’s promises in a mistrustful heart;

    340  Men vanquisht by the miserable sweet

    Of present life:  that troop would have been bound

    Capital slavery to undergo,

    By their own fault, if sin’s cause shall impose

    Law’s yoke upon the mass.  For to serve God,

    345  And be whole-heartedly intent thereon,

    Untainted faith, and freedom, is thereto

    Prepared spontaneous.

    The just fathers, then,

    And holy stainless prophets, many, sang

    The future advent of the Lord; and they

    350  Faithfully testify what Heaven bids

    To men profane:  with them the giants,1531

    1531 “Immanes,” if it be the true reading.

    men

    With Christ’s own glory satiated, made

    The consorts of His virtue, filling up

    The hallowed words, have stablished our faith;

    355  By facts predictions proving.

    Of these men

    Disciples who succeeded them throughout

    The orb, men wholly filled with virtue’s breath,

    And our own masters, have assigned to us

    Honours conjoined with works.

    Of whom the first

    360  Whom Peter bade to take his place and sit

    Upon this chair in mightiest Rome where he

    Himself had sat,1532

    1532 This is the way Oehler’s punctuation reads.  Migne’s reads as follows:—

    …“Of whom the first

    Whom mightiest Rome bade take his place and sit

    Upon the chair where Peter’s self had sat,” etc.

    was Linus, great, elect,

    And by the mass approved.  And after him

    Cletus himself the fold’s flock undertook;

    365  As his successor Anacletus was

    By lot located:  Clement follows him;

    Well known was he to apostolic men:1533

    1533 “Is apostolicis bene notus.”  This may mean, (a) as in our text; (b) by his apostolically-minded writings—writings like an apostle’s; or (c) by the apostolic writings, i.e., by the mention made of him, supposing him to be the same, in Phil. iv. 3.

    Next Evaristus ruled without a crime

    The law.1534

    1534 Legem.

      To Sixtus Sextus Alexander

    370  Commends the fold:  who, after he had filled

    His lustral times up, to Telesphorus

    Hands it in order:  excellent was he,

    And martyr faithful.  After him succeeds

    A comrade in the law,1535

    1535 Legis.

    and master sure:

    375  When lo! the comrade of your wickedness,

    Its author and forerunner—Cerdo hight—

    Arrived at Rome, smarting with recent wounds:

    Detected, for that he was scattering

    Voices and words of venom stealthily:

    380  For which cause, driven from the band, he bore

    This sacrilegious brood, the dragon’s breath

    Engendering it.  Blooming in piety

    United stood the Church of Rome, compact

    By Peter:  whose successor, too, himself,

    385  And now in the ninth place, Hyginus was,

    The burden undertaking of his chair.

    After him followed Pius—Hermas his

    Own brother1536

    1536 Germine frater.

    was; angelic “Pastor” he,

    Because he spake the words delivered him:1537

    1537 An allusion to the well-known Pastor or Shepherd of Hermas.

    390  And Anicetus1538

    1538 Our author makes the name Anicetus.  Rig. (as quoted by Oehler) observes that a comparison of the list of bishops of Rome here given with that given by Tertullian in de Præscr., c. xxxii., seems to show that this metrical piece cannot be his.

    the allotted post

    In pious order undertook.  ’Neath whom

    Marcion here coming, the new Pontic pest,

    (The secret daring deed in his own heart

    Not yet disclosed,) went, speaking commonly,

    395  In all directions, in his perfidy,

    With lurking art.  But after he began

    His deadly arrows to produce, cast off

    Deservedly (as author of a crime

    So savage), reprobated by the saints,

    400  He burst, a wondrous monster! on our view.

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