8. And since you have been
wont to laugh at our faith, and with droll jests to pull to pieces
our readiness of belief too, say, O wits, soaked and filled with
wisdom’s pure drought, is there in life any kind of business
demanding diligence and activity, which the doers3451
| 3451
The ms. has a-t-tor-o-s,
corrected by a later writer a-c-tor-e-s, which is received in
LB. and by Meursius and Orelli. |
undertake, engage in, and essay, without
believing
that it can be done? Do you
travel about, do you
sail on the
sea without believing that you will return
home when your
business is done? Do you
break up the
earth with the plough, and
fill it with different kinds of
seeds without believing that you will
gather in the fruit with the changes of the
seasons? Do you unite
with partners in
marriage,
3452
| 3452
Lit., “unite marriage partnerships.” |
without believing that it will be pure,
and a union serviceable to the
husband? Do you
beget children
without believing that they will pass
3453
| 3453
Lit., “be safe and come.” |
safely through the
different
stages of
life to the
goal of age? Do you
commit your
sick bodies
to the
hands of
physicians, without believing that
diseases can be
relieved by their severity being lessened? Do you wage
wars with
your
enemies, without believing that you will carry off the victory by
success in battles?
3454
| 3454 Or,
“in successive battles”—præliorum
successionibus. |
Do you worship and serve the gods
without believing that they are, and that they listen graciously to
your prayers?
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