Of 'Med.' I know nothing beyond the fact that it was used by Davies for the Tusculans, De Legibus and De Divinatione as well as for the Natura Deorum, and that in the preface to the De Legibus he describes it as a мs of about 300 years old. As regards the value of these мss, Madvig in his Preface to the De Finibus makes a broad distinction between Cod. El. 1 and Cod. El. 2, considering the latter to belong either to the better or to the mixed class of мss, while he has no hesitation in classing the former with the inferior MSS. He finds fault with Davies for so frequently confounding the two. In the 1st book of the N.D. I notice three generally accepted readings, which rest either wholly or chiefly on the authority of Cod. El., inscientiam § 1, vim § 39, esse § 86; and two in the 2nd Bk. resting on Cod. Reg., nuptam dicunt § 66, hic quaerat quispiam § 133. It is evident from these facts that it would be of great service to Ciceronian criticism, if the мss could be recovered and carefully collated. EXPLANATION OF SYMBOLS'. A. Codex Leidensis (Vossianus) no. 84, written in the xith century (C in Moser's ed.)2. B. Codex Leidensis (Vossianus) no. 86, written in the x1th century (B in Moser) 3. C. Codex Leidensis (Heinsianus) no. 118, written in the XIIth century (A in Moser, H in Baiter)*. E. Codex Erlangensis no. 38, written in the xvth century (N of Moser). P. Codex Palatinus no. 1519, a defective but very ancient мs, containing §§ 1 27-75, 11 16-68, 111-156, 162-168, 111 6–95. V. Codex Vindobonensis no. 189, written in the xth century. Defective, wants the whole of Bk 1, and Bk i §§ 1—16, and 86-925. U. Codex Uffenbachianus, formerly in the possession of Creuzer, now the property of Samuel Allen, Esq., written in the xvth century, collated by Mr J. S. Reid and myself (G in Moser). T. Another xvth century codex belonging to Mr Allen; small 4to. parchment; injured by late corrections, which often make it impossible to decipher the original reading; collated by myself. The account of the first six Mss is taken from the 2nd ed. of Orelli as revised by Baiter 1861. 2 Müller says of this N. Jahrb. x 144 'A is an arbitrary text, inferior to both B and V. The writer omits what he could not make sense of.' 3B is taken directly from the archetype of the existing мss, according to Halm, but the writer mistakes the abbreviations &c.' Müller 1.c. From the description in Orelli it would seem as if $$ 64-91 of Bk I were wanting, but B is often cited in the critical notes on these §§, and it is evident from Bake's ed. of the De Legibus p. 105, that these pages are simply misplaced in the Codex. 4 C is carelessly written, but without deliberate alteration of the older мs'. Müller 7. c. V is the nearest approach to the archetype. Its marginal readings of the first hand are corrections from the archetype'. Müller I. c. Oxf. e. o. u. y. Four Oxford codices, e in the Bodleian bears date 1459, o at Merton stated in Coxe's Catalogue of мss to belong to the 12th century, u at Lincoln (Linc. of Davies) assigned to the 15th century, at Balliol also of the 15th century. These are collated in the Oxford edition of 1783. G. Codex Glogavensis, used by Heindorf, 'contains certissimas emendationes,' Baiter pref. to De Finibus. El. Readings from two ancient codices transcribed on the margin of Bp. Moore's copy of the edition by Rob. Stephanus 1539, collated by Davies under the name Codd. Elienses. Davies rarely distinguishes between the two codices. Reg. Codex Regius belonging to the Royal Library of St James', used by Davies, now lost. Mars. Ed. Petri Marsi, Venice 1508. The letters BHIKLMNOC in thick type denote the мss (all but C contained in the British Museum), and RVV, the editions collated by Mr Swainson. See his description of these prefixed to the collations given at the end of this volume. B and K are the most important of these мss. Sometimes readings will be found in my critical notes, which are not given in Mr Swainson's collation. These have been added by myself from personal examination of the MSS. X. denotes the consensus of Orelli's Mss. Mus. denotes the consensus of the Museum мss, so far as the contrary is not stated. [] The present editor, thinking it more satisfactory that the evidence for each reading should be given in a positive form, has made use of square brackets to signify that the мss denoted by the inclosed letters are presumed, ex silentio on the part of previous editors, to show a given reading. + denotes that the same reading occurs in other мss besides those cited. Or. The revised Orelli, 1861. edd. denotes the consensus of the four editions. It is always stated when the reading in one of these differs from that of the text. Ed. denotes that the present editor is responsible for a reading. M. TULLII CICERONIS DE NATURA DEORUM. LIBER PRIMUS. I. CUM multae res in philosophia nequaquam satis adhuc 1 explicatae sint, tum perdifficilis, Brute, quod tu minime ignoras, et perobscura quaestio est de natura deorum, quae et ad agnitionem animi pulcherrima est et ad moderandam religionem 5 necessaria. De qua tam variae sunt doctissimorum hominum tamque discrepantes sententiae, ut magno argumento esse debeat causam [id est, principium philosophiae] esse inscientiam, prudenterque Academicos a rebus incertis assensionem cohibuisse. Quid est enim temeritate turpius, aut quid tam teme10 rarium tamque indignum sapientis gravitate atque constantia quam aut falsum sentire aut, quod non satis explorate perceptum sit et cognitum, sine ulla dubitatione defendere? Velut in hac 2 2 sint X, sunt Asc. K. 3 agnitionem [ACE] Mus. cognitionem BO. 5 qua tam XBKL, qua quod tam several of Moser and HMNCR, qua quidem tam G Heind., qua cum tam Ba. sunt Asc. [B2CE]KVO1U+, sint AB1BCHMO2 Ba. 6 ut Asc. B'UILO (erased by corrector), om. AB1CEBK + Ba. id magno Or. Ba. after Ernesti. esse debeat-sententias (§ 2) om. AC1BKMR. debeat BC2E and мss generally, debeant L Sch., debent M (of Moser) Ba. 7 causam id est principium Asc. C2 (recenti manu margini adscriptum) El. UTHILNV, causa principium B1E, causa et principium B20, causam Or., principium Ba, causam et principium Sch. Mu., causam esse inscientiam Wytt. Heind. Creuz. id est -inscientiam om. C. esse inscientiam El., esse scientiam мss generally, esse sententiam HN. 9 turpius Asc. Palat. 3 Herv. El. Oxf.¥C2, fortius мss generally, foedius Manutius, Klotz. M. C. 1 2 DE NATURA DEORUM. quaestione plerique, quod maxime veri simile est, et quo omnes duce natura trahimur, deos esse dixerunt, dubitare se Protagoras, nullos esse omnino Diagoras Melius et Theodorus Cyrenaicus putaverunt. Qui vero deos esse dixerunt, tanta sunt in varietate et dissensione, ut eorum molestum sit dinumerare senten- 5 tias. Nam et de figuris deorum et de locis atque sedibus et actione vitae multa dicuntur, deque his summa philosophorum dissensione certatur; quod vero maxime rem causamque continet, utrum nihil agant, nihil moliantur, omni curatione et administratione rerum vacent, an contra ab iis et a principio 10 omnia facta et constituta sint et ad infinitum tempus regantur atque moveantur, in primis magna dissensio est, eaque nisi dijudicatur, in summo errore necesse est homines atque in maxi3 marum rerum ignoratione versari. II. Sunt enim philosophi et fuerunt qui omnino nullam habere censerent rerum humana- 15 rum procurationem deos. Quorum si vera sententia est, quae potest esse pietas, quae sanctitas, quae religio? Haec enim omnia pure atque caste tribuenda deorum numini ita sunt, si animadvertuntur ab iis et si est aliquid a dis immortalibus hominum generi tributum. Sin autem di neque possunt nos 20 juvare nec volunt nec omnino curant nec quid agamus animadvertunt nec est quod ab iis ad hominum vitam permanare possit, quid est quod ullos dis immortalibus cultus, honores, preces adhibeamus? In specie autem fictae simulationis, sicut reliquae virtutes, item pietas inesse non potest, cum qua simul 25 sanctitatem et religionem tolli necesse est, quibus sublatis per4 turbatio vitae sequitur et magna confusio; atque haud scio an pietate adversus deos sublata fides etiam et societas generis humani et una excellentissima virtus, justitia, tollatur. Sunt autem alii philosophi, et ii quidem magni atque nobiles, qui 30 deorum mente atque ratione omnem mundum administrari et Bake. 2 trahimur Cobet Va. Lect. p. 460 (tra- lost after natura cf. Off. 1 18 trahimur et ducimur), vehimur Asc. U. Mus. Klotz, venimus BECO Or. Ba. Mu. Sch., veniimus C2. 3 Cyrenaicus Mss, Cyrenaeus G. Ba. 4 [putaverunt] Ba. after 5 dinumerare B2C2EC, annumerare Asc. UHIN,innumerare B1, enumerare 7 his Asc. CUB, is (superscr. h) A, iis BN + Or. Ba. Sch. 9 continet мss generally, cont. est Asc.U+, cf. the next note. 12 in primis C Oxf. Manutius, in primisque CEU Mus, in primis quae AB. dijudicatur AB1 CE+, dijudicetur B2UH, cf. Madv. Fin. 11 86. 19 iis edd., his мss generally. O Klotz. |