7-6-10
Hinc autem accepto aditu ipse mecum talia ruminando. ne quis eorundem delirorum, qui talem quaestum sequerentur,
An opening being thus made in my darkness, I began to consider other implications involved here.
ne quis eorundem delirorum, qui talem quaestum sequerentur,
Suppose that one of the fools—who followed such an occupation
quos iam iamque invadere atque inrisis refellere cupiebam, mihi ita resisteret, quasi aut Firminus mihi aut illi pater falsa narraverit,
and whom I longed to assail, and to reduce to confusion—should urge against me that Firminus had given me false information, or that his father had informed him falsely.
intendi considerationem in eos qui gemini nascuntur, quorum plerique ita post invicem funduntur ex utero, ut parvum ipsum temporis intervallum, quantamlibet vim in rerum natura habere contendant,
I then turned my thoughts to those that are born twins, who generally come out of the womb so near the one to the other that the short interval between them—whatever importance they may ascribe to it in the nature of things—
colligi tamen humana observatione non possit literisque signari omnino non valeat, quas mathematicus inspecturus est, ut vera pronuntiet.
cannot be noted by human observation or expressed in those tables which the astrologer uses to examine when he undertakes to pronounce the truth.
et non erunt vera, quia easdem litteras inspiciens eadem debuit dicere de Esau et Iacob; sed non eadem utrique acciderunt.
falsa ergo diceret aut, si vera diceret, non eadem diceret; at eadem inspiceret. non ergo arte, sed sorte vera diceret.
He must therefore speak falsely. If he is to speak truly, then he must read contrary predictions into the same horoscopes. But this would mean that it was not by art, but by chance, that he would speak truly.
tu enim, domine, iustissime moderator universitatis, consulentibus consultisque nescientibus occulto instinctu agis ut, dum quisque consulit, hoc audiat, quod eum oportet audire occultis meritis animarum ex abysso iusti iudicii tui.
For thou, O Lord, most righteous ruler of the universe, dost work by a secret impulse—whether those who inquire or those inquired of know it or not—so that the inquirer may hear what, according to the secret merit of his soul, he ought to hear from the deeps of thy righteous judgment.
cui non dicat homo: quid est hoc? ut quid hoc? non dicat, non dicat; homo est enim.
Therefore let no man say to thee, “What is this?” or, “Why is that?” Let him not speak thus, for he is only a man.