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"To have great excellencies and great faults, 'magnae; virtutes nee minora vitia, is the poesy," says our author, "of the best natures." This poesy may be properly applied to the style of Browne; it is vigorous, but rugged; it is learned, but pedantick; it is deep, but obscure; it strikes, but does not please; it commands, but does not allure; his tropes are harsh, and his combinations uncouth.
The national vanity of La Bletterie is sorely wounded by this remark of T. See his note in loco, also Murphy's. Toga. Cf. note on togatos, 9. Ut concupiscerent. Ut==so that, denoting a consequence. The verb here denotes a continued or habitual state of mind. Hence the imp. subj. Cf. note, 18: crediderit. Discessum, sc. a patrum moribus ad vitia varia. Dr.
Roby, 1068. A. 195, d; G. 202, Rem. 5; H. 445, 4. Cf. Fin. 2, 70 Epicurus, hoc enim vestrum lumen est, 'Epicurus, for he is your shining light'. VITIA: 'defects'. DILIGENTIA: scarcely corresponds to our 'diligence'; it rather implies minute, patient attention; 'painstaking'. TANTUM: restrictive, = 'only so much'; so in 69, and often.
Every student knows the sentence in which he describes the gradual decay of all that was good in the Roman character: "donec ad haec tempora, quibus nec vitia nostra nec remedia pati possumus, perventum est"; but it is not every student who can recognise in it a real sigh of despair, an unmistakable token of the sadness of the age.
Upon any other boy such disrespect should be visited severely; but from thee, Jacob, I must add in the words of Caesar, `Et tu Brute, I expected, I had a right to expect, otherwise. In se animi ingrati crimen vitia omnia condit. Thou understandest me, Jacob guilty or not guilty?" "Not guilty, sir," replied I, firmly. "He pleadeth net guilty, Mr Knapps; proceed, then, to prove thy charge."
FABULAM AETATIS: cf. 5, 70, 85. The comparison of life to a play, and mankind to the players, is common in all literature; e.g. Gay's epitaph, 'Life's a jest, etc.. CORRUISSE: i.e. through fatigue; cf. defetigationem in 85. AT: see n. on 21. MORUM: cf. 7 in moribus est culpa, non in aetate. EA VITIA: i.e. ea alia vitia. HABENT etc.: cf. Thucyd. 3, 44 εχοντες τι συγγνωμης.
The conception of Satire by the ancients is illustrated by a passage in Diomedes: "Satira dicitur carmen apud Romanos nunc quidem maledicum et ad carpenda hominum vitia archaeae comoediae charactere compositum, quale scripserunt Lucilius et Horatius et Persius; at olim carmen quod ex variis poematibus constabat satira cocabatur, quale scripserunt Pacuvius et Ennius."
The faults of Monomaque were those of his age, non vitia hominis, sed vitia soeculi; but his virtues were truly Christian, and it can hardly be doubted that, as his earthly crown dropped from his brow, he received a brighter crown in heaven.
The exaggeration of the sentiment is more marked than in any of his other writings; thus the fine outburst, Nemo illic vitia ridet, nec corrumpere et corrumpi seculum vocatur, concludes a passage in which he gravely suggests that the invention of writing is fatal to moral innocence; and though he is candid enough to note the qualities of laziness and drunkenness which the Germans shared with other half-barbarous races, he glosses over the other quality common to savages, want of feeling, with the sounding and grandiose commonplace, expressed in a phrase of characteristic force and brevity, feminis lugere honestum est, viris meminisse.
Sic Hercle, inquit, dum virtus hominibus per consilium naturae gignitur, vitia ibidem per affinitatem contrariam nata sunt." I do not think that a pagan could have said anything more reasonable, considering his ignorance of the first man's fall, the knowledge of which has only reached us through revelation, and which indeed is the true cause of our miseries.
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