Bavarian B, clm 14482c

Today, Ovid’s famous work is one of the touchstones of ancient literature, but we have only a handful of scraps and quota� ons to show how the earliest medieval readers received and discussed the poems—un� l the Munich Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 4610. This commentary, which dates from around the year 1100 is the fi rst systema� c study of the Metamorphoses, founding a tradi� on of scholarly study that extends to the present day.

Quidam philosophi fuerunt, qui mundum de nihilo deum fecisse crediderunt. Quidam  everyone was judged to be transformed on account of their bad habits into the thing to which he was similar with regard to habits. Materia (subject matter) is named just as mater rei ('the mother of a thing'), which could be understood in two ways, as in the building blocks of a house; [or as] in invisible things, as genus and species in Porphyry.
His intention is to delight and to benefit manners by instructing, since almost all those who treat things in this way seem to pertain to ethics, or his intention is to dissuade from earthly things towards eternal glory, which Hercules and others like him obtained; namely [he dissuades us] from these things that are temporal, useless and uncertain, since he reveals the permutation of these things, which existed from the very beginning until his own time.
For his intention is to affect the soul in respect to the subject matter, *or a speach that greatly exites the soul towards the reading of books, as in Lucan, to rebuke and dissuade from civil war*. 50 The utility is such that, although the stories have been touched upon in other works, he reveals and describes the less known [but] delightful stories by retelling them; these are perhaps unknown [now] even though they were quite known in his time.
The utility is that from this matter each one pursues the reward upon which he is intent.
There were some philosophers who thought that God made the world from nothing. Others said that God made the world from two things that had always existed, atoms and emptiness. Other philosophers, such as Ovid and others like him, said that three things had always existed, namely God, the four elements mingled in the same way, and the shape of all things existing in the mind of God, that is ideas, differentias; the rationality, warmness and coldness, through which God was going to decide things to be. These kinds of philosophers, who say that god made the world from atoms and emptiness and from chaos and ideas, they say that God is an artificer not a creator. But others say that God made the world from nothing. They understand him as a creator. But all these philosophers say that there are three persons, the Father, the Son and the third, the Holy Spirit, *but they believe that [the Holy Spirit] is less than the Father and the Son, and in this they err*. 51 50 This part of the sentence seems corrupted or obscure. The phrase uel oratio must be seen as a continuation of intentio est that offers an alternative intention, or it could possibly be an error for ut in Oratio (as in Horace), which would work as a parallel to the ut in Lucano phrase below, but this would require several emendations. The infinitives at the end are also somewhat strangely appended. They could be thought to be governed by intentio est. This paragraph is also found, with only small differences, in Salzburg AV4. 51 A part of this sentence is corrupted, iii:um may be a copy error for noim (found in most of the other manuscripts). Furthermore, a second sanctum spiritum is probably missing in the part of the sentence governed by crediderunt. I have supplied it in the translation.
Materia alia falsa, alia uera. Ovid's intention, and that of all those who write stories, such as Terence, is mainly to delight and by delighting to correct man's habits. He tends towards ethics, since almost all authors tend towards ethics.
The utility of Ovid for us is that since the stories that were introduced in other books were unknown, until Ovid made them clear, he also benefits us by showing us his beautiful composition.
Another intention of Ovid's is to treat the transformation of things. The subject matter is that which he treats. The final cause is to urge us towards virtue and to restrain us from sin. For, *when he pays attention to the thing, the transformation of things* 52 , he describes them so as to show that some things transform to the better because of good transformations; others transform to worse because of bad transformations. Some subject matter is false, some true. True subject matter can be historical, as that of Lucan, Salust and other, who write about history. Other can be moral, as that of Horace, Juvenal and others, who truthfully rebuke man's bad habits. Subject matter can be false, even if it did not happen, but nevertheless could have happened, such as the subject matter of Terence, Plautus, Naevius and many others. Other subject matter that never happened and never could happen by its very nature, as is that of Ovid himself, who talks about the transmutation of things into an opposite nature, which is his subject matter.
Ovid's intention is to advise against damaging emotions, so that we will not incur the wrath of the gods through them, so that we are transformed from our own state to one opposite. *In fact he brings us such an utility, because, although he fell from the greatest happiness to the greatest sorrows, from peace and leisure to exile and labour, he chose the transformation of things as his subject matter, that is to say showing that there is nothing extraordinary, but Verbi gratia ut si aliquando superbum mansuetum nobis reddere uolumus, talia et tam humilia scribamus, que iram eius sint frangentia, non ad manus prouocantia. Sic de ceteris.
Proponens: FERT, id est cupit, ANIMVS meus de re formata mutata IN only changed to that point that we should take a subject matter that agrees with our condition.* 53 For example, if we at any time want to make an arrogant person gentle towards us, then we can write such things and so humble things that will break his anger and not provoke him to violence. The same with the rest.
He wrote this on the island of Pontus, since he was in exile, banished by Augustus. At the end of his work he praises him hoping by this to regain his grace. A transformation is a change of a former state and he shows that in reality bodies and shapes are diverse, such as ranging from man to tree. Not, however, in such a way that what was a body becomes a non-body. A body (corpus) is called thus because when corrupted (corruptum) it perishes. For it is dissolvable and changeable so that at some time it is to be dissolved. OH GODS, BY YOUR UNDERTAKINGS, is the invocation, BEFORE THE SEA, that is that which is invoked. *To propose and to invoke explain what has happened*. 54 That which Plato calls hyle, the poets call CHAOS; CRUDE [that is] unformed; CONFUSED that is the unseparated and disordered SEEDS OF THINGS. Things, since they were the seeds of future things. TITAN, [named] from his father Titan; since he did not agree with his brothers, he was received among the gods. COLD THINGS FOUGHT WITH WARM THINGS. He says this since fire is dry, light and mobile. Air is moist, light and mobile. Water moist, heavy and mobile.
AMPHITRITES. Amphi, a Greek word, is 'round' in Latin. Trites as in terens (grinding) or Triton, the sea god.
GOD WITH A HARMONIOUS PEACE, that is *by a good grinding* 55 two foundations with totally opposing qualities, namely fire and earth, are brought together. Fire is warm, keen and mobile. Earth is cold, dull, immobile and corporeal. These two are thus opposed, namely while they cannot stick together by themselves, he placed something as a medium, namely water, which has two affinities with earth and a third 53 This passage is severerly corrupted. Salzburg AV4 and clm 14482b have a slightly better text, but the best reading is found in the accessus to the Metamorphoses manuscripts Haun. 2008, which has the best version of the end of this passage: 'showing that he has changed so mucht that we also should take a subject matter that agrees with our condition.' The translation above is not verbatim. 54 This phrase could be understod as 'to propose and to invoke explains what has happened/the events', but the text may be corrupted. 55 This may be an error for meliori natura (by a better nature), wich would then refer to Met. 1,21, but meliori tritura (a good/better grinding) is also a possible reading in this context. igne. Aqua namque frigida, mobilis, corpulenta. Cum per hoc medium non possit fieri firma concordia terra propter pondus, posuit aliud medium, scilicet aerem unam proprietatem cum terra habentem et 120 duas cum igne. Aer enim calidus, mobilis, corpulens. Et notandum est, quod sicut ignis habet se ad aerem, et ita aer ad aquam, et sicut aer ad aquam, ita aqua ad terram et eodem modo ascendendo, item sicut se ignis habet ad aquam et aer habet se ad terram eodem modo ascendendo. with fire. For water is cold, mobile and corporeal. When there still could not be a firm concord with earth through this one medium beacuse of the weight, he placed another medium, namely air, which has one quality in common with earth and two with fire. For air is warm, mobile and corporeal. And note that as fire relates to air, so air relates to water and just as air to water, so water to earth and in the same way when moving upwards, again just as fire relates to water and air relates to earth in the same way when moving upwards.
And he does this as the perfect and primary example of two cubic numbers, namely 2x2x2 and 3x3x3. These two above-mentioned numbers that have a length, width and depth are called cubic, although they are utterly different. For one consisted of pairs, namely 2x2x2, the other from parts in parts, namely 3x3x3. It (the number) could not firmly be bound lest by two inserted middle terms, that is 2x2x3 and 3x3x2. 2x3 has two affinities with 2x2x2, but a third with 3x3x3. 3x3x2 has two affinities with 3x3 and one with 2x2x2. With these middle terms inserted they are bound through them so that one relates to another and so with certain numbers there is a sesquialterate proportion (1,5, 2:3). For ses in Greek, means 'the whole' in Latin. That is called sesquialter (1,5), which contains a whole number and its half in itself, namely 6. Whence just as 3x3x3, that is 27, contains 3x3x2, 18, and its half, namely 9. In the same way 3x3x2 contains in itself 2x2x3, that is 12, and its half, namely 6. Again 2x2x3 contains in itself 2x2x2, that is 8 and its half, that is 4 and conversely. And it should be noted that just as 27 relates to 12, so 18 relates to 8. For 27 contains 12x2 in itself and its quarter, namely 3. In the same way 18 contains 8x2 in itself and its quarter, that is 2 and conversely.
And this is what Ovid means HE BINDS WITH A CONCORDANT PEACE and Boethius: You bind the elements in numbers. [BODIES]. In the beginning of his work Ovid places some verses that according to Tully are called a prologue. In these he shows the subject matter and he makes the readers and listeners benevolent and docile. Usually other poets also do this in their prologues.

THE SOUL URGES [ME TO SPEAK OF SHAPES TRANSFORMED] INTO NEW
Materiam ostendit cum dicit FERT ANIMVS meus, id est impatienter et 1:1 grauiter laborat ad hoc, ut ostendat res formatas. Que res mutantur, uel ui nature, ut humanum corpus in uermem uel quando terra motione caloris et humoris in uermem mutantur. Vel animi motione, quando 155 aliquem ita stultum uidemus, quod asinum uocamus, uel ita crudelem, quod leonem esse dicimus. Vel in malorum statu artium, in quo patet omnia mutabilia esse, quare in terrenis non est confidendus. In hac materia beniuolos reddit auditores, quia congruam eis materiam proponit in util<itat>em. 160 Sunt quidam, qui hic faciunt casuum mutationem dicentes corpora m<utata> in uarias formas, ideo quia dicunt corpus non mutari, nisi formas tantum. He shows the subject matter when he says my SOUL URGES ME, that is it works impatiently and heavily to this end so that he will show the things shaped. These things are transformed either by the force of nature, as when a human body [is transformed] into a worm, or when * the earth by the motion of warmth and moisture is transformed into a worm.* 56 Or by the movement of the soul, when we find someone so stupid that we call him an ass, or so cruel that we say he is a lion. *Or in a state of the wicked arts* 57 , in which it is clear that all things are changeable, wherefore one should not trust earthly things. In this subject matter he makes the listeners benevolent, since he proposes a subject matter that is suitable for them with regard to its utility.
There are those who here change the cases 58 saying that bodies are transformed into various shapes, since they say that a body does not transform, lest in shape only. Against these we say that bodies and shapes transform equally.
GODS ON MY UNDERTAKINGS. When he has showed the subject matter he makes an invocation, in which he makes us attentive and benevolent, not because it is a light thing that he is going to say, but grave and much to be heeded, when this happens that he calls the gods to his help saying: O GODS, FAVOUR. This ('O gods, favour') is said in similarity to singers, who while they similarly breathe, that is sing, the sound of their voice is increased. And so he says FAVOUR, that is help me who write this work that has been begun, I say, *so that you help*. 59 And you can, FOR YOU TRANSFORMED ALSO THESE. For when he first has shown the subject matter and made the invocation *he then uses both with help naming the subject matter* 60 so that you will favour and by favouring YOU BRING this SONG already begun FROM THE ORIGIN, that is from the creation of all things. In this 56 Here the text has been corrected with the help of clm 14809. The reading in 14482c ira more gives no sensible reading. 57 This phrase seems odd. Freiburg 381 has the simpler uel ui malarum arcium (or by the force of the wicked arts). 58 I have interpreted this phrase as refering to grammatical cases. 59 It is unclear exactly what this phrase is supposed to mean. No other alternative readings exist in the other manuscripts. 60 This phrase is obscure. It could also be understood as 'he then uses both when he names the subject matter with help/support' (the support perhaps being the invocation). dicuntur ab aliqua origine, que modo fiat, sed a prima, que mundi fuit constitucione. CARMEN dicit PERPETVVM, id est continuatim ductum per mutationem, que facta est usque AD MEA TEMPORA, ut per illam 1:4 homines a transitoriis, ne in eis confidant, terreantur.
'Deos' plurales ponit quantum ad uulgi opinionem. Ipse enim sciebat 180 unum deum esse, qui diuersos species diuersis rebus presidentes omnia operari non dubitabit. Sed, quia ipse est poeta, nec ex toto ueritatem dicere debet expresse, sed querentibus uerbis eam satis intelligibilem exprimit nobis. way, they are not said to be from an origin that happened recently, but from the first, which happened with the constitution of the world. He says PERPETUAL SONG, that is led continuously through a transformation made all the way TO MY TIME, so that through this people would be deterred from earthly things, so as not to trust them.
He puts 'gods' in the plural with respect to common opinion. For he himself knew that there is one god, who will not hesitate to cause different shapes to preside over everything through different things. But since he is a poet he does not have to tell the whole truth explicitly, but with inquiring words he expresses it plainly enough for us.
After he has made the listeners attentive enough through the subject matter and the invocation he arrives at his main matter, saying: BEFORE things were so divided that they could be designated with these words, [before] the earth and HEAVEN covering EVERYTHING, THERE WAS ONE FACE, that is the substance of creation with a single face, that is of thought, that is in which there is no difference in this entire space, whatever it is called. *And 'face' is well said* 61 , if any such thing exists, then one could call it a mingling.
Its face, I say, A HEAP. There was a heap and a heavy one at that, since it did not exist in anything, that is through no other separation, except an INERT WEIGHT. The inert weight, however, was the seed, that is the beginning, of things to come, but it was not well formed. For the elements themselves were the SEEDS OF THINGS JOINED, but NOT WELL, that is not beautifully formed, they were PRESSED TOGETHER, that is they were collected into the same place and could not be separated.
For there was no true light then and, since it was dark, nothing could be discerned, and he says this: AS YET NO TITAN OFFERED [LIGHT], that is an illumination.
*He should describe merely 'this mingling', but since he cannot express such a great quality, he turns to these negations, as by negating this to that he is partly describing the chaos that existed there. For there was this mingling and he says this: then there was no separation, as is evident in these [lines]. For IN THAT WHICH, that is there where this existed that recently is named THE EARTH, THERE in the same place was also AIR. And THUS, since everything was so confused, the earth was not habitable, so that nobody could stand upon it nor swim in the water. 63 For ITS SHAPE did not then REMAIN IN ANY of them. This [shape] which recently had been given to it by god. Although he separately marks this element, which is named earth, by this name earth, he does not do this in order for the other elements not to be mixed together in this element, *but because an evil force was thought by the common people to reside in this element named earth. Therefore it is designated by itself by this name in saying it this way.* 64 STOOD AGAINST. These were not in the shape in which they are now, 1:18 but they were mingled. Therefore one stood against, that is hindered, the other, since nobody could swim in the water because of the earth and nobody could stand on the earth because of the water mixed in, since there was a mingling.
GOD THIS [STRIFE]. These things did indeed stand against, but God 1:21 DIVIDED, that is separated, those things that were bound together and he made a joined nature of these elements that existed after the division. I say a NATURE made BETTER, that is more efficacious, for the procreation of things after those that were previously mingled had been divided. AFTER he divided THEM and after he turned 65 them thus, that is 1:24 extracted them from the crowd. And this in such a way that it was illuminated, since from it HE BOUND them in A CONCORDANT PEACE, as it is said, so that from THE BLIND HEAP he firmly placed them in their PLACES since they come together in procreation, although they are DISJOINED among themselves. For EARTH DREW to itself, that is it retained whatever was heavy in the others and so it was pressed further down. Thus, I said, God gave to each its quality, since HE REDUCED IN PARTS, that is in diversity, so that there were parts, that is also diversity. And if there is no diversity there are no parts. 63 The first part of this explanation contains several errors, which can be detected with the help of the other mss, but this passage is still to be considered unstable and unclear. 64 This passage is possibly corrupted. The text in Freiburg 381 reads: because a greater force belonged to this element, which is named earth and which ruled there, therefore it is designated by itslef/on its own by this name and so with the others (Sed quia maior uis illi elemento est quod dicitur tellus et regnat ibi ideo designatur per se hoc nomine ita de ceteris).
IMMINET. Hanc proprietatem dedit deus telluri, istam autem aeri. Nam He calls still waters STAGNA (standing water) from stare (to stand). 1:38 LACUS (lake) is deep waters. He sends FLUMINA (rivers), that is flowing waters, as they run towards DECLIVITIES in the earth and THEY RECEIVE it in more spacious waters, which are MORE FREE, since they remove the name from others and do not lose their own, through these the rivers fall INTO THE SEA. Mare (sea) is a general collection of water. It is unproperly called mare wether it is salt or sweet. But properly mare is named from the fact that some of its water is amare (bitter). AND AS TWO. He made this and also another thing on land, since he 1:45 made some parts habitable, some inhabitable. For just as there are two cold zones in heaven from the northern part, which is called the RIGHT POINT with respect to the orbit of the sun, there are similarly two zones from the south point. THE FIFTH is hot. SO, that is IN THE SAME way, God DIVIDED the earth, which is enclosed in the middle. For they are imprinted on the earth, THEY ARE PRESSED ON THE EARTH. However, *he does not say that* it is the same on earth as in heaven, since this one comes from heaven, but God made it thus both in heaven and on earth. 66 IT HANGS OVER. God gave this quality to earth, that to air. For HE 1:52 COMMANDED CLOUDS AND THUNDER, that is the collisions of air itself, and also winds, to stand THERE. And this so that each wind had its own place. He gave them this right, *so that air also will be driven all the way to the middle space of the orb and then it cannot further be contained*. 67 Zephyros is opposed, since the western air drives away western air and so with the others. Thus the air, all of which earth would bring all the way to the west, would sink down from this part, since earth dragged all air to itself, that is it retained whatever was quicquid ponderosi erat in aliis et ita pressa est inferius. Nam HIS PERMISIT HABENDVM AERA, sed NON PASSIM. BARELY NOW. And justly he did not allow them to have air everywhere, 1:58 since then nothing would stand in their way, which is evident here. For he did not allow this to happen, since the *differences who are brothers* 68 , since they come from disturbed air or are created from the same air. *And in fact* 69 , I say that each and everyone ruled his own part, for it is a kingdom.
NABATHUS or Nabath was the son of Ismael, son of Abraham, who 1:61 ruled in the east. The region is named Nabaioth after him. SEPTEMQUE TRIONES. Tmesis, so that the utterance is cut in the middle. 1:64 WHICH THE SEED of IAPETUS. The pagans claim that Prometheus first 1:82 created figures of men out of clay and that from him the art of creating figures and statues was perfected. Whence also the poets invent figuratively that men was first created by him because of the effigies. Iapetus had two sons, Prometheus and Epimetheus. Prometheus made man. Having done this it is said that he ascended to the heavens and with the help of Minerva he held a torch against the disk of the sun and stole fire from the gods, which he offered to the use of men. Wherefore the indignant gods sent poverty and famine to earth. But later he was tied to a rock on mount Caucasus, so that an eagle would eat his heart, and this was done by Mercury. This is nothing other than that a boy was a very discerning man and residing on the Assyrian mount Caucasus he investigated astrology with the greatest skill and was the first to divulge this to the Assyrians. For this mountain is very high and at its top he could distinguish the stars well. And since he started great things he suffered a great punishment there, since he did this through prudence, he was tied to a rock by the god of learning, Mercury. He who stole fire is said to have discovered the method from lightning. As long as these men used this art, it went well for them, but more often it went badly. Whence it was said that a pestilence was sent against man. Iapetus and Prometheus existed befor man according to the philosophers. (earth) is the inner depth of the earth in which the roots of the trees and herbs are contained. Terra (earth) is the surface and named from terendo (to rub). Or Tellus is the goddess.
JUPITER'S TREE. The oak is called Jupiter's tree, either because it feeds 1:106 men with its acorns, or because he gave oracle replies through it.
[RIVERS] OF NECTAR FLOWED. The drink of the gods is properly called 1:111 nectar, it is made from every sweet drink, but it can be used for any sweet drink. UNEVEN, that is concerning cold and heat, or concerning clear weather 1:117 and storminess. Or uneven, that is harmful for bodies because of preceding heat and subsequent cold. He puts it in the plural, that is SUMMERS AND AUTUMNS, since each has three months and three periods, that is new, fullgrown and mature. AFTER SATURN. They say that after a conspiracy Saturn was driven 1:113 from his kingdom by his son, Jupiter, so that Jupiter disturbed with arms the peace that was kept in Saturn's time. And therefore the golden age changed into the silver age. For it is clear that in Jupiter's time there were many wise men among the earthly persons. For this reason it is said that there was a silver age.

THE CERES [SEED] IN FURROWS. The goddess of grain is named Ceres. 1:123
Ceres as from creare (creating), whose characteristic is ceremonies, as orgies are Liber's.
INCITEMENTS TO BAD THINGS, since gold is the cause for war, WHICH 1:140 FIGHTS WITH BOTH, that is with iron because of gold. STEPMOTHERS [MIXES] WOLF'S-BANE, that is poisonous herbs born from a 1:147 stone.
AND THAT [THE UPPER AIR] BE NOT. In the city of Flegra or a mountain in 1:151 Thessaly giants are said to have fought with the gods. But Varus/Varro says that some fled with their tools to the mountains, when there was a flood. These were later challenged to war by those who came from other mountains, and easily defeated them from their superior position. Whence it happened that the gods are called 'the upper ones' and the ones on earth 'the lower ones', and since they crawled from low places to higher ones, they were said to have snakes for legs. *Quod est* 70 after Saturn had been chased away from the war, the titans, sons of Saturn's brother and Jupiter's uncle, wanted to deprive him of his paternal heritage, but Jupiter subdued them with war machines. Therefore he is said to have hurled lightning on them and thus to have kept his heritage. from movere (to move), since every element is mobile except for the earth, but thanks to the other elements the earth is named mundus. But here it is used for heaven only or for the entire world. The earth is also named mundus through antiphrasis, as it is the least clean.
[ It is a fact that Lycaon, who 1:221 used to be the ruler in Arcadia, hurt those he could and that he was a violent robber. Jupiter, king of Crete, wishing to catch him took lodging with him together with a few men in the guise of a guest. Coming in the night he wanted to strike Jupiter, who hid that he was a god, with his sword. And so when Jupiter returned to Crete he deprived the condemned man of his fortune through the council of some good men. He forced by necessity withdrew to the forests like a bandit and practised his old arts like a wolf.
WILD ERINYS RULES, that is infernal Furia/fury. Also so that no part of the good men will be corrupted by the example of the bad men. Truly thus far I have good men. For I HAVE DEMIGODS, as there are hermits and other men and women. It is necessary that I make them safe, since you assign them to me.
I say, it is thus, since all the gods trembled. And if it is not evident how the gods trembled, clearly it will be evident through this comparison: For SO, that is in the same way, THE WHOLE WORLD then TREMBLED GREATLY, that is feared, when Julius Caesar was killed, just as the gods sighed. And just as Augustus was gladdened by the fact that the world so mourned his uncle, so Jupiter [is gladdened] by this that his subjects had such a piety regarding this, when they heard about Lycaon's wickedness.
There were three sisters who were said to be the infernal furies: Megaera, Tisiphone, Alecto. ERINYS is interpreted as 'greater strife'.

1:241
It was said by THE FATES THAT A TIME WOULD COME. He wonder at WHAT happened, since what seems beautiful for a lover, 1:470 seems heavy like LEAD for one not in love. AND AS THE STIPULE (STALKS). Stipule are leaves or sheaths, which 1:492 surround and support the stalk, so that the fruits on the stalk do not bend from the weight. Stipula as in usta or ustipula, for that which was collected during the harvest is burned (urere) for the cultivation of the field. THE INVENTION OF MEDICINE is Mercury's, since he is the inventor of 1:521 instruments and medicine, *as are also these.* 76 YOU WILL STAND IN FRONT OF THE GATES, 77 since the emperors where 1:563 not crowned only in the theatre, but also at their houses and gates. Or he says GUARDIAN [IN FRONT OF] THE GATES, *since when the laurel that was in front of their gates had been removed it became stone, and therefore they feared to approach the gates.* 78 AND YOU WILL LOOK TO (tuebere), that is 'you will look to' (<tuebe>ris) the oaks, whence the lords used to be crowned, *and because the 76 This phrase is possibly corrupted. Freiburg 381 has ut sequitur ('as follows'). 77 The entire following passage seems severaly corrupted and is the most difficult passage to make sense of in book one. All mss have commented upon these lines in teh Metamorphoses, but with varying content and length. Clm 14482c has the longest and most problematic explanation. 78 clm14809: since an altar was made from the laurel in front of their gates and therefore they feared the gates of the church middle became common for the purpose of crowning, since the people will be crowned only from this* 79 . YOU WILL LOOK TO yourself and fend off THE LORDS, so that they do not take it. This one (the oak), I say, that was made 'the middle one', that is cheap, because of you and justly since you will always be green. †Nam ut inde et cetera † 80 *It was the custom of the ancients to plant an oak in front of the gates of the nobles, from which crowns for the victorious could quickly be acquired, but the lords [were crowned] with laurel. A laurel, namely the one they planted for themselves. But he means 'in front' (ante) as in 'outside' (exterius). The 'middle one' (que media), namely inbetween the laurel and the gates. Or 'the middle' (mediam) supply 'of the crown', since after a year both nobles and commoners were crowned with the oak, but later only the nobles with the laurel and the commoners with the oak. Whence also some read 'the middle', that is 'plebeian', supply 'recently made by you'. And therefore he says 'you will look to', that is 'you will defend', since some nobles were crowned before with laurel. 'Look to', take heed of the same thing, where also THE MOST FAITHFUL GUARDIAN [WILL STAND] AT THE VENERABLE PORTALS [AND LOOK TO THE OAK] of the nobles* 81 .
The laurel was not, however, planted there, so that they would have crowns from it, but since it was of such a great dignity that nobody dared to do any violece towards the house in front of which he had planted it. He uses AT THE PORTALS for the entire house.

THE INTERIOR OF THE GREAT [RIVER].
Amnis is a river encircled by a 1:574 grove and its foliage and is named from this delightfulness (amenitate).
NOT KNOWING WHETHER TO CONGRATULATE, that is whether they 1:577 should be gratulated regarding the honour of their daughter transformed into such a beautiful tree, or CONSOLED for having lost her. Congratulated, that is whether to greet or console them regarding the sorrow for their daughter.
JUPITER [HAD SEEN] HER RETURNING FROM THE STREAM. Flumen (stream) 1:588 is a perpetual press of water, it is named from constantly flowing (fluere). But properly this water is named flumen rather than fluuius, that is water comes before its course. 82 There are two kinds of streams. 79 There seems to be interjected phrases and some alternative or erronous words in this passage compared to clm 14809: And look to, whence the lords used to be crowned. The middle, that is common, since from this even the commoners were crowned. Or look to, that is you will defend agains the lords, so that that they do not take it. This, I say, thus made the middle, that is cheap on account of you, because you will always be green. nam ut et cetera 80 This phrase makes no sense, the final et cetera implies that it is either a quotation or a repetition of a familiar pattern, but if that is the case it is unknown to what it refers. 81 This passage is severly problematic and the translation is only an approximation of what it might mean. I suspect several errors (e.g. two superfluous id est) and incorporated interlinear glossing (e.g. una in laurus una and que in que media). 82 This section is corrupted and heavily emendated in the edition.

EXPLICIT LIBER I INCIPIT SECUNDUS
flying she fell down into the sea and was made into an island, which is called Ortygia. Allegorically. 84 For ortyx in Greek is quail in Latin.
NOW THE WOOL-WEARING GODDESS. According to the story: after she 1:747 came to Egypt, she abandoned her humanity and was purified in the Nile and then she became Isis. THE LINEN-WEARING GODDESS, since she covered her husband Osiris with linen, when she found him torn to pieces and scattered by his brother.
HERE ENDS BOOK I AND BOOK 2 BEGINS 84 i.e. the association between the place Ortygia and the Greek word ortyx means that this story should be interpreted allegorically. However, the names (orcigia and corix for ortygia and ortyx) have are so distorted in the manuscripts that this association is difficult to spot.