St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

L. VIVES.

THe (a) horsman] But eques hath beene of old time vsed for equus. Gell. Marcell. Macrob. and Seruius, all which doe prooue it out of Ennius, Annal. lib. 7. and Uirgil Aenead. 3. And it was the old custome to say, that the horse rode, when the man was on his backe, as well as the man him-selfe. Macrob. Saturnal. 6. (b) Poculum] Poculum is also the thing that is in the vessell, to bee drunke, especially in the Poets. Uirg. Georg. 1. (c) Uertue or me∣thode] Which ripening out of the seedes infused by nature, groweth vp to perfection, and then ioynes with the first positiues of nature, in the pursuite of true beatitude; thus held the Academikes, hee that will read more of it, let him looke in Aristotles Morality, and Tullyes de finib. lib. 5. Vnlesse hee will fetch it from Plato, the labour is more, but the liquor is purer.

(d) More or lesse] Bodily goods lesse then mentall, and of the first, health more then strength, quicknesse of sence more then swiftnesse of foote. (e) But euer-more] Nor is it arrogance in vertue to haue this knowledge of her-selfe, and to discerne her onely excellence surmoun∣ting all. (f) This blessed] The Stoikes placed it in a politique manner of life, but their mea∣ning Seneca explaineth (De vita beata) making two kin•…•… of common wealths, the one a large and comely publike one, conteining GOD and Man, and this is the whole world: the other, a lesser, where-vnto our 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hath bound vs, as the Athenian state or the Cartha∣ginians: Now some follow the greater common-weale, liuing wholy in contemplation, and others the lesser, attending the state and action of that, and some apply them selues to both. Besides, a wise man often-times abandoneth to gouerne, because either the state respecteth him not, or the maners thereof are vnreformable. The latter made Plato liue in priuate, the first, Zeno, Chrysippus and diuerse other. (g) Antiochus An Ascalonite: he taught Uarro, Lu∣cullus, Tully, and many other nobles of Rome, all in forme of the ancient Academy, together with some inclination to Zeno, yet calling the men of his profession rather reformed Acade∣mikes then renewed Stoikes, and therefore Brutus who was an auditor of his brother Aristius, and many other Stoikes, did greatly commend his opinion of beatitude. Indeed it was very neere Stoicisme (as wee sayd else-where) and their difference was rather verball then mate∣riall. Some few things onely were changed, which Antiochus called his reformations of the old discipline.