Bibliotheca Polyglotta

ῃ The Prince wonders why he cannot go out of the palace, and one of his teachers then says that it is because the King does not want him to hear about Christian teachings

CAP. V.---

15.

Ὁ δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως υἱός, περὶ οὗ ὁ λόγος ἀπ' ἀρχῆς εἰπεῖν ὥρμηται, ἐν τῷ κατασκευασθέντι αὐτῷ παλατίῳ ἀπρόϊτος ὤν, τῆς ἐφήβου ἥψατο ἡλικίας, πᾶσαν τὴν Αἰθιόπων καὶ Περσῶν μετελθὼν παιδείαν, οὐκ ἔλαττον τὴν ψυχὴν ἢ τὸ σῶμα εὐφυὴς ὢν καὶ ὡραῖος, νουνεχής τε καὶ (50,1) φρόνιμος καὶ πᾶσι διαλάμπων ἀγαθοῖς πλεονεκτήμασι, ζητήματά τε φυσικὰ πρὸς τοὺς διδάσκοντας αὐτὸν προβαλλόμενος, ὡς κἀκείνους θαυμάζειν ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ παιδὸς ἀγχινοίᾳ καὶ συνέσει, ἐκπλήττεσθαι δὲ καὶ τὸν βασιλέα τό τε χαριέστατον τοῦ προσώπου καὶ τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς κατάστημα. ἐντολάς τε ἐδίδου τοῖς συνοῦσιν αὐτῷ, μηδὲν τὸ παράπαν τῶν τοῦ βίου ἀνιαρῶν αὐτῷ γνώριμον θεῖναι, μηδ' ὅτι ὅλως θάνατος τὰ παρόντα τερπνὰ διαδέχεται. κεναῖς δὲ ἐπηρείδετο ἐλπίσι, καί, τοῦτο δὴ τὸ τοῦ λόγου, εἰς οὐρανὸν τοξεύειν ἐπιχειρῶν. πῶς γὰρ ἂν καὶ διέλαθεν ἀνθρωπίνῃ φύσει ὁ θάνατος; οὐ μέντοι οὐδὲ τῷ παιδὶ διέλαθε. πάσῃ γὰρ συνέσει κατάκομον ἔχων ἐκεῖνος τὸν λογισμόν, ἐσκόπει καθ' ἑαυτὸν τίνι λόγῳ αὐτόν τε ἀπρόϊτον εἶναι ὁ πατὴρ κατεδίκασε καὶ παντὶ τῷ βουλομένῳ τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν οὐ συγχωρεῖ εἴσοδον. ἔγνω γὰρ καθ' ἑαυτὸν μὴ ἄνευ τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς προσταγῆς τοῦτο εἶναι. ὅμως ᾐδεῖτο ἐρωτῆσαι αὐτόν· τοῦτο μὲν ἀπίθανον εἶναι λέγων, μὴ τὰ συμφέροντα αὐτῷ τὸν πατέρα διανοεῖσθαι, τοῦτο δὲ σκοπῶν, ὡς, εἰ κατὰ γνώμην τοῦ πατρός ἐστι τὸ πρᾶγμα, κἂν ἐρωτήσῃ, οὐκ ἂν αὐτῷ τὰ τῆς ἀληθείας γνωριεῖ. ὅθεν παρ' ἄλλων, καὶ μὴ παρὰ τοῦ πατρός, ταῦτα μαθεῖν διέγνω. ἕνα δὲ τῶν παιδαγωγῶν προσφιλέστατον καὶ οἰκειότατον τῶν λοιπῶν κεκτημένος, ἐπὶ πλεῖον οἰκειωσάμενος καὶ δωρεαῖς φιλοτίμοις δεξιωσάμενος, ἐπυνθάνετο παρ' αὐτοῦ τί ἂν βούλοιτο τῷ βασιλεῖ ἡ ἐν τῷ περιτειχίσματι ἐκείνῳ τούτου κάθειρξις, καὶ ὡς Εἰ τοῦτο, φησί, σαφῶς διδάξεις με, πρόκριτος πάντων ἔσῃ μοι, καὶ διαθήκην φιλίας διηνεκοῦς (52,1) διαθήσομαί σοι.

At regis filius, de quo initio nobis oratio instituta est, in palatio quod ipsi exstructum fuerat ita manens, ut a nemine adiri posset, juvenilem aetatem tandem attigit (cum interea omnem tam Aethiopum quam Persarum doctrinam percepisset) prudens et cordatus, atque omnibus virtutum dotibus illustris. Quin naturales etiam quaestiones praeceptoribus suis proponebat; adeo ut ipsi quoque adolescentis ingenium animique acumen admirarentur, rexque etiam (457a,1) ipse ex vultus ipsius venustate, animique habitu, in stuporem traheretur. Mandabat autem his qui cum eo versabantur ut darent operam ne quid prorsus eorum quae in hac vita molesta sunt intelligeret, nec omnino quod mors praesentes voluptates exciperet. Caeterum inani spe nitebatur, atque (ut proverbio dicitur) in coelum sagittas mittere conabatur. Quonam enim modo mors humanae naturae incognita esse posset? Itaque ne pueri quidem cognitionem effugit. Nam cum animum summa sagacitate ornatum et instructum haberet, secum ipse considerabat quidnam patrem adduxisset ut ipsi omnium aditum interdiceret, nec quemlibet ad se accedere pateretur. Per se enim intelligebat hoc citra patris imperium non fieri. Caeterum ipse interrogare verebatur, tum quod minime (457b,1) vero consentaneum esse diceret, quin pater ea quae ipsi conducerent animadverteret; tum quod illud secum reputaret, si id de patris voluntate fieret, quantumlibet ipse percontaretur, se tamen rei veritatem minime intellecturum esse. Quapropter ex aliis, ac non a patre haec scire constituit. Itaque cum unum e paedagogis reliquis chariorem ac familiariorem haberet, eumque majore adhuc benevolentia sibi devinxisset, atque amplissimis muneribus affecisset, ab eo sciscitabatur quidnam regem impulisset ut eum in hoc septo inclusum teneret. Illud etiam adjungebat: Si mihi aperte hoc exposueris, omnibus te anteponam, perpetuaeque amicitiae foedus tecum feriam.

But meanwhile, the king’s son, of whom our tale began to tell, never departing from the palace prepared for him, attained to the age of manhood. He had pursued all the learning of the Ethiopians and Persians, and was as fair and well favoured in mind as in body, intelligent and prudent, and shining in all excellencies. To his teachers he would propound such questions of natural history that even they marvelled at the boy’s quickness and understanding, while the king was astounded at the charm of his countenance and the disposition of his soul. He charged the attendants of the young prince on no account to make known unto him any of the annoys of life, least of all to tell him that death ensueth on the pleasures of this world. But vain was the hope whereon he stayed, and he was like the archer in the tale that would shoot at the sky. For how could death have remained unknown to any human creature? Nor did it to this boy; for his mind was fertile of wit, and he would reason within himself, why his father had condemned him never to go abroad, and had forbidden access to all. He knew, without hearing it, that this was his father’s express command. Nevertheless he feared to ask him; it was not to be believed that his father intended aught but his good; and again, if it were so by his father’s will, his father would not reveal the true reason, for all his asking. Wherefore he determined to learn the secret from some other source. There was one of his tutors nearer and dearer to him than the rest, whose devotion he won even further by handsome gifts. To him he put the question what his father might mean by thus enclosing him within those walls, adding, “If thou wilt plainly tell me this, of all thou shalt stand first in my favour, and I will make with thee a covenant of everlasting friendship.”

(13) En svnr konongsens. var i (14) þeirri samu holl oc herbyrgi. (15) með þeirri skipan. sem fyr (16) er sagt. at engi maðr kom (17) til hans. nema þeir er huers(18)daglega. varo i hia honom. hann (19) hafðe nomet allskyns klerkdom. (20) oc bokføðe. er maðr (21) matte nema. i þeim landum (22) er bæðe heíbir perssia lannd (23) oc ethopia. sva sem hann hafðe (24) æ iafnan veret. með (25) hinum villdaztum meistarum. (26) þvi at. konongrenn. valde honom (27) hina viliaztv meistara. er (28) i varo rikinv huarotuegia. (29) En hann synndi i þui. gafuglegt (30) kyn sitt. þui at nattura (31) hans. leddi hann skiot (32) til. allz þess nams er hann (b1) høyrði firir ser. hann gerði (2) meistarum sinum. sva klerklegar (3) spurnningar. oc þeirra (4) spurnninga veitta hann. sva (5) klerklegan andsuor. at bæðe (6) konongrenn. oc hans meistarar vndraðu (7) hans vitrleik. stnilld (8) oc hyggiu. er honom var gevin. (9) konongrenn. bauð þeim nv sem (10) fyr meir. at ekki skylldi honom (11) þat firir augu koma. at hann (12) mætte nokkors skyns. angr (13) af taka. eða honom mætte dauði (14) i hugh koma. en þat var (15) miok vndarlleg. at iamvitr (16) maðr. sem. konongrenn. hugðizt (17) skylldu. fa løynt sveininn (18) iamvitran. oc sva hygginn (19) er nesta skildi. flesta alla luti (20) af nattururinni. þar sem (21) flester aller froðer. oc sva (22) fafroðer. vitu visan sinn dauða. (23) Miok vndraðe sueinninn (24) hui er faðer hans villdi alldrigi (25) lata hann vt koma. (26) ser til skemtanar. sem (27) aðra vnga menn. eða hui (28) er hann lovaðe sua fam mannum. (29) inn at ganga til hans (30) vissi hann þo giorlla at til (31) þessa gengo. einir huerir lutir (2va1) þeir sem honom varo vkunng(2)nigir. grunar hann at æ (3) myndi þo. af goðo vera (4) en eigi trøystizt hann þo (5) at spyria faður sinn þessa (6) mals. þvi at hann grunaðe (7) at þeir lutir være þar nokkorer. (8) er honom bære eigi at (9) spyria. en þo at hann spyrði (10) þa þottezt hann vita. at faðer (11) hans myndi. eigi honom satt (12) segia. oc ætlaðe hann þui. helldr (13) aðra menn. at spyria. (14) þessarra luta. zardan het (15) einn sa. af allum hans giæzlo monnum. (16) er hann ælskaðe (17) mest. oc honom truði bazst (18) Oc einnhuernn dag spurði hann (19) zardan. hui er faðer hans (20) myndi. hann sua inni byrgia (21) het honom þui. ef hann være honom (22) sannsagull i þesso male. at hann (23) skylldi iafnan af honom þess sømelega (24) niota.

Men Kongens Sön var i det samme Slot og Bolig med den för omtalte Anordning, at intet Menneske kom til ham uden de, der daglig vare hos ham. Han havde lært alle Slags Videnskaber og boglige Lærdomme, som man kunde lære i hine Lande (der kaldes Persien og Æthiopien), saasom han altid havde omgaaets med de fortrinligste Lærere; thi Kongen valgte ham de ypperste Lærere, som fandtes i begge Riger. Men han viste deri sin gjæve Herkomst, at hans Anlæg hurtigt lode ham fatte alt det, som han hörte for sig. Han gjorde sine Lærere saa videnskabelige Spörgsmaal, og til deres Spörgsmaal gav han saa videnskabelige Svar, at baade Kongen og hans Lærere undrede sig over det Vid, den Veltalenhed og Tænksomhed, som var ham given. Kongen böd dem nu som för, at intet Saadant skulde komme ham for Öie, hvoraf han kunde faa noget Slags Bedrövelse eller komme til at tænke paa Döden. Men det var meget underligt, at en saa klog Mand som Kongen tænkte at skulle faa skjult deslige Ting for en saa fornuftig og tænksom Dreng, som paa Grund af sin medfödte Fornuft skjönnede næsten alle Ting, især da saa godt som Alle, saavel kundskabsrige som vankundige, vide at de sikkert skulle dö. Drengen undrede sig meget, hvorfor hans Fader aldrig vilde lade ham komme ud at more sig som andre unge Mennesker, og hvorfor han tillod saa faa Mennesker at gaa ind til ham. Han indsaa dog tydeligt, at dette havde sin Grund i en eller anden Ting, som var ham ubekjendt. Han formodede, at det dog altid maatte være i en god Hensigt; men han vovede dog ikke at spörge sin Fader om denne Sag; thi han formodede, at der vare nogle saadanne Omstændigheder forbundne dermed, som det ikke passede sig for ham at spörge om; og om han end spurgte, saa tyldes han at vide, at hans Fader ikke vilde sige ham Sandheden. Og han besluttede derfor heller at spörge andre Mænd om disse Ting. Zardan hed den af alle hans Lærere, hvem han elskede mest og troede bedst, og en Dag spurgte han Zardan, hvorfor vel hans Fader saaledes spærrede ham inde, og han lovede ham, at dersom han var sanddru mod ham i denne Sag, skulde han attid nyde godt af ham derfor efter Fortjeneste.

ὁ δὲ παιδαγωγός, ἐχέφρων καὶ αὐτὸς ὑπάρχων, καὶ εἰδὼς τὴν τοῦ παιδὸς συνετὴν καὶ τελείαν φρόνησιν, καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἂν αὐτῷ γένοιτο κινδύνου πρόξενος, πάντα αὐτῷ κατὰ μέρος διηγήσατο, τὸν κατὰ τῶν Χριστιανῶν τεθέντα παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως διωγμὸν καὶ ἐξαιρέτως κατὰ τῶν ἀσκητῶν, ὅπως τε ἀπηλάθησαν καὶ ἐξεβλήθησαν τῆς περιχώρου ἐκείνης, οἷά τε γεννηθέντος (10) αὐτοῦ οἱ ἀστρολόγοι προηγόρευσαν.

Paedagogus autem, ut qui etiam ipse prudens et cordatus esset, puerique sagacitatem ac numeris omnibus absolutam (457c,1) prudentiam exploratam haberet, neque sibi ab eo periculum ullum conflatum iri existimaret, omnia ei sigillatim exposuit, nempe et persecutionem adversus Christianos, ac potissimum adversus eos qui se pietati colendae totos devovissent promulgatam, et quemadmodum ab omnibus finitimis locis expulsi et ejecti fuissent, atque item ea quae ipso in lucem edito astrologi praedixissent.

The tutor, himself a prudent man, knowing how bright and mature was the boy’s wit and that he would not betray him, to his peril, discovered to him the whole matter the persecution of the Christians and especially of the anchorets decreed by the king, and how they were driven forth and banished from the country round about; also the prophecies of the astrologers at his birth.

En giæzlo maðr hans (25) svaraðe honom. sem skynsamr (26) maðr ottaðezt. ef hann lygi. (27) at honom. at hann myndi eitthuer (28) sinni hefna honom. oc sagðe honom hitt (29) sannazta til. at faðer hans hataðe (30) cristna menn. oc allra hellzt (31) munkka oc reinliviss menn (32) oc vtlægðe þa or ollu sini riki. (b1) hann gerði honom oc kunnigt. hvat er (2) stiornnvgans meistarann hafðe spat (3) vm hann sialuan. þa er hann var fødr

Men hans Opdrager svarede ham som en klog Mand; han frygtede, at dersom han löi for (22,1) ham, skulde Kongesönnen en Gang hevne sig paa ham, og sagde ham Sandheden derom, nemlig at hans Fader hadede de Christne og allermest Munke og Klostermænd, og gjorde dem fredlöse i hele sit Rige. Han meddelte ham ogsaa, hvad Stjernetyderen havde spaaet om ham selv, da han blev födt.

 Ἵν' οὖν, φησί, μή, ἀκούσας τῆς ἐκείνων διδαχῆς, ταύτην προκρίνῃς τῆς ἡμετέρας θρησκείας, μὴ προσομιλεῖν σοι πολλούς, ἀλλ' εὐαριθμήτους, ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπετηδεύσατο, ἐντολὰς ἡμῖν δοὺς μηδέν σοι τῶν τοῦ βίου ἀνιαρῶν γνωρίσαι.

Ne igitur, inquit, audita eorum doctrina, eam religioni nostrae praeferas, idcirco a rege data opera est, ne multi tecum consuetudinem haberent, sed pauci omnino. Ac nobis etiam atque etiam mandavit, ut studeremus ne quid hujusce vitae molestiarum per nos intelligeres.

“’Twas in order,” said he, “that thou mightest never hear of their teaching, and choose it before our religion, that the king hath thus devised that none but a small company should dwell with thee, and hath commanded us to acquaint thee with none of the woes of life.”

(4) Oc firir þvi at. konongrenn rædðezt. ef þv (5) verðr var cristinna manna truar. at (6) þv vilir hana ælska en varre trv (7) brott kasta. firir þvi vill hann fa hava (8) aðra i hia þer. nema oss eina (9) er hann þykkyzt ser aðr. trulega (10) røynzt hava. bauð oss fastlega. at (11) ver skylldum. enga luti þa birtta. (12) firir þer. er hiartta þitt. eða hugr (13) mætte ryggiazt af

“Og fordi Kongen er bange for, at du, om du faar Kundskab om de Christnes Tro, vil elske den og forkaste vor Tro, derfor vil han kun have faa Andre hos dig uden os alene, hvis Troskab han tykkes forud at have prövet. Han gav os den bestemte Befaling, at vi ikke skulde aabenbare dig nogen saadan Ting, hvorved dit Hjerte eller Sind kunde bedröves”.

Ταῦτα ὡς ἤκουσεν ὁ νεανίας οὐδὲν ἕτερον προσέθετο λαλῆσαι· ἥψατο δὲ τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ λόγος σωτήριος, καὶ ἡ τοῦ Παρακλήτου χάρις τοὺς νοητοὺς αὐτοῦ ὀφθαλμοὺς διανοίγειν ἐπεχείρησε, πρὸς τὸν ἀψευδῆ χειραγωγοῦσα Θεόν, ὡς προϊὼν ὁ λόγος δηλώσειε.

Haec ut adolescens audivit, nullum alterum verbum adjunxit. Caeterum salutaris sermo ipsius pectus tetigit, (457d,1) ac Paracliti gratia spirituales ipsius oculos aperire aggressa est, eum ad verum Deum, tanquam porrecta manu ducens, quemadmodum orationis progressu demonstrabimus.

When the young prince heard this he said never a word more, but the word of salvation took hold of his heart, and the grace of the Comforter began to open wide the eyes of his understanding, leading him by the hand to the true God, as our tale in its course shall tell.

Sem kongs (14) sunr høyði þetta. þa þagnaðe hann (15) þegar. En þessor røða varð honom (16) miok hugstøð. oc af birttingum (17) heilags andda stnerezt hugr hans (18) oc hiartta. til sannz guðs eptir (19) þui. sem siðar meir. ma høyra (20) i sagunni.

Da Kongesönnen hörte dette, blev han strax taus. Men denne Tale indprægede sig dybt i hans Sind, og ved den hellige Aands Aabenbarelser vendte hans Sind og Hjerte sig til den sande Gud, saaledes som man senere kan höre i Fortællingen.

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