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4. The only two pieces rightly ascribed to him, and still extant, are entitled,h A Paschal Poem, and A Paschal Work: or, A Paschal Work, in verse; and A Paschal Work, in prose. The former is sometimes divided into i four, at other times into five books. The first book exhibits the most remarkable things in the Old Testament; the three or four following, contain the history of our Lord, taken from the four gospels: and it is generally allowed that the poem has in it a good deal of elegance. The Paschal Work, in' five books, represents, in prose, the same things which had been before celebrated in metre, by the same author.

5. The two works of this ingenious presbyter bear testimony to the four evangelists, and their gospels; whose names with their symbols, he particularly mentions," at the conclusion of his first book.

6. I do not observe in him the doxology at the end of the Lord's Prayer, which we now have in St. Matthew: it is probable that it was wanting in this author's copy. He has the address, or appellation, at the beginning, and the following petitions: and he distinctly paraphraseth all in each of his works, that in metre, and that in prose; but there is no notice taken in either, of a doxology at the end.

i Ap. Bib. PP. Max. * In edit. Cellarian. Hal. Magdeb. 1704.

h Carmen Paschale: Opus Paschale. T. 6. p. 460, &c.

1 Ap. Bib. PP. ib. p. 472, &c.

Christe fave votis-

Hoc Matthæus agens hominem generaliter implet.
Marcus ut alta fremit vox per deserta leonis.

Jura sacerdotis Lucas tenet ore juvenci.

More volans aquilæ, verbo petit astra Joannes,
Quatuor hi proceres, unâ te voce canentes,
Tempora seu totidem latum sparguntur in orbem.
Sic et apostolici semper duodenus honoris
Fulget apex, numero menses imitatus et horas.
Ib. p. 462. D. D. Conf. p. 476. G.

"Vid. ib. p. 464. et p. 481, 482.

CHAP. CXXXIX.

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ANOTHER SEDULIUS.

1. I SHALL here add some extracts out of a work of another SEDULIUS; certainly different from Sedulius the poet, of the fifth century. He seems to have been a Scot, of Ireland, and to have flourished in the ninth century, about the year 818. He wrote a Commentary upon St. Paul's fourteen epistles, which is called Collectaneum ;' it being a collection out of Origen, Hilary, Jerom, Augustine, and other ancient writers. It appears, from this Commentary, that Sedulius understood Greek; and probably Hebrew, d likewise.

2. In Acts xx. 28. he read the church of the Lord,' where we have, in our copies, "the church of God." And in the same place he observes, that they who, at ver. 17th of that chapter are called "elders of the church" at Ephesus, at the 28th ver. are called "bishops :" so that elders and bishops were then all one. But afterwards, he says, for preventing contention, it was appointed, that there should be but one bishop in a church; which last observation is again mentioned' in another place, as from Jerom.

3. At Rom. i. 32. This author seems to have read:

1 Vid. Cav. H. L. T. i. in Sedulio, p. 425. Du Pin. T. 7. p. 177. Tillem. T. xii. Labbé de Scr. Ec. T. ii. p. 338. Pagi ann. 818. n. iii.

b Sedulii Scoti Hiberniensis in omnes S. Pauli epistolas Collectaneum. Ap. Bib. PP. Lugdun. T. vi. p. 494--588.

Qui Sedulius, non ille quidem Cælius Sedulius, qui seculo quinto carmina quædam et alia opuscula edidit, sed alter Sedulius Scotus Hiberniensis, qui nono seculo floruit. Hunc ipsum esse, tum nomen cognomenque suadent, tum etiam peritia Græcæ linguæ, quam in Commentariis suis in epistolas Pauli, jamdiu editis, præfert Sedulius ille Scotus. Nam frequenter ibi de lectione Græcâ, nec prorsus indocte, disserit. Unde Commentarii pro illâ ætate inter præstantiores computandi sunt. Montfauc. Palaiogr. Gr. 1. iii. c. 7. p. 236. d Vid. in Rom. cap. i. p. 494. G. et alibi.

Attendite vobis, et omni gregi, in quo vos Spiritus Sanctus posuit episcopos, pascere ecclesiam Domini, quam acquisivit per sanguinem suum.' Et hic diligentius observato, quomodo unius civitatis Ephesi presbyteros vocans, postea episcopos dixerit. Hæc propterea, ut ostenderemus, apud veteres eosdem fuisse presbyteros quos episcopos. Paulatim vero, ut dissensionum plantaria evellerentur, ad unum omnium solicitudinem esse dilatam. Id. Ep. ad Tit.. cap. i. p. 579. A.

Hac causâ prohibitum est, duos episcopos esse in unâ civitate. In 1 Cor. i. ver. 12. p. 537. E.

And not only they that do them, but they also that have pleasure in them; which Mill supposes to be the right reading but I do not perceive him to take any notice of Sedulius. This reading we saw also in Isidore of Pelusium, not long ago.

4. Rom. xii. 13. Distributing to the necessities of saints.' So this text appears in the edition of Sedulius's Commentary: but it seems to be implied, in his explanation, that he did not read necessities,' but memories,' or 'memorials: however, he mentions two interpretations, one suiting our common reading. Of this matter we spoke formerly, in the chapter of Optatus.

5. Upon Rom. xv. 24. he says, it was uncertain whether Paul ever went into Spain.

6. Upon Rom. xvi. 21. he observes: Somem said that Lucius was the evangelist, generally called Luke.

7. Upon 1 Cor. v. 9, I have written to you in an epistle; that is," says he, I write:' and meaning therefore, certainly, in this epistle. Pelagius understood this place in the same manner.

8. Upon 1 Cor. xi. 25, "Not discerning the Lord's body:" that is,P says he, not distinguishing it from common food.

9. Upon 1 Cor. vi. 2, he says, that "the first day of the week" means the Lord's day.

10. Heb. xi. 37, "They wandered about in sheepskins, and goatskins." Sedulius' must have in his copy that

8 Non solum qui faciunt, sed etiam qui consentiunt facientibus. In Rom. i. p. 498. H. See in this volume, ch. cxxix. p. 12.

1 Necessitatibus sanctorum communicantes.' Manifestum est, quia qui preces suas exaudiri vult, æmulus debet esse vitæ sanctorum: ut hoc sit memorem esse, et communicatorem, imitaret actus illorum. Aliter: Memores [an memoriis?] sanctorum communicantes:' hoc est, ministrantes eis, qui propter Christum omnia contemnentes, alienis ad tempus indigent ministeriis. * See Vol. iv. ch. cv. In Rom. xii. p. 531. F.

1 Utrum vero in Hispaniam venerit, incertum. p. 535. A.

Lucium quidam perhibent esse Lucam, qui evangelium scripsit; pro eo quod soleant nomina interdum secundum patriam declinationem, interdum etiam secundum Græcam, Romanamque proferri. Ib. p. 536. D.

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Scripsi vobis.' Pro Scribo. Vel ideo præteritum dicit, quia cum legeretur, tempus scribendi præteritum esset. p. 540. C.

• See vol. iv. ch. cxxv. p. 2.

P Non dijudicans corpus Domini.'

Id est, non discernens ipsum a cibo communi. p. 545. F.

Per unam Sabbati.' Una sabbati Dominica dies est, ut Dominicâ dies paulatim congregarentur per tempus, ne plus gravarentur. Ideo autem in Dominico hoc permissum est, quia non opus est servile, eleëmosynam congreCircumierunt in melotis.' Ut Helias, gare. p. 549. B. et Joannes, aliique multi. Est autem melota pellis caprina, ex uno latere dependens, quâ monachi utuntur Ægyptii. p. 588.

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word only, which we have rendered sheepskins;' which he also explains, and says, it signifies goatskins.'

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This passage of our author brought to my mind the observation of that excellent critic, Ludolph Kuster, in the preface to his edition of Mill's New Testament; that goatskins' is a scholion, or marginal interpretation of the other word, which has been brought into the text: and he says, that this is agreeable to Hesychius, who informs us, that the word melote' is used for the skins of goats, and any four-footed animals.

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So Kuster in whom this observation is only a conjecture, though very ingenious and probable. But here is an ancient author, who had this reading and it is found in some other authors; particularly in the Commentary upon St. Paul's epistles, ascribed by somet to Primasius, bishop of Adrumetum in Africa, about the year 550: but by others," that Commentary is ascribed to Remigius, a presbyter, in the ninth century. That every one may judge of this, I transcribe him largely below. The text of this verse, in our present editions of Primasius, is the same as in our copies of the New Testament: but his comment must induce us to think that he read but one word, the same which is rendered by us sheepskins.'

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To Primasius I add Ecumenius: for though in him also the text is given, as in our copies; yet his comment plainly shows, that he read only the first of these two words.

$ Pari ratione Hebr. xi. 37. Ev ayɛtous depμaoi proculdubio est scholion et interpretamentum ejus, quod proxime præcedit, ev μnλwraig. Vide Hesychium V. Mŋλa, qui te docebit vocabulum illud sensu quidem latiore interdum dici de quibusvis quadrupedibus, proprie autem et præcipue de ovibus et capris. Unde consequitur, μηλωτην quoque et αίγειον δερμα proprie unum idemque significare; et proinde posterius, tamquam clarius et notius, dicto loco ad Hebræos, prioris esse interpretamentum. Lud. Kuster.

Vid. Cav. H. L. T. i. p. 525. S. Basnag. Annal. 552. n. ix. x. Hod. de Bibl. Text. Orig. 1. iii. p. 2. cap. 6. p. 401.

" Vid. Cav. H. L. T. ii. p. 62, 63. I. Le Long. Bibl. Sacr. T. ii. p. 913.

Circuierunt in melotis, in pellibus caprinis, egentes.' Heliam in hoc loco debemus intelligere et alios, qui taliter egerunt. Melotam dicunt quidam genus esse vestimenti ex pellibus caprinis, ex uno latere dependens, quo genere vestimenti propter asperitatem in Egypto monachi dicuntur uti. Helias quoque legitur usus illo fuisse. Et undov Græce ovis dicitur, vel quadrupes quodlibet. Unde unλwrn pellis ovina. At vero quidam dicunt, ex pellibus taxi genus vestimenti esse compositum. Est enim animal, quod taxus vocatur, solitus in cavernis terræ habitare, cujus pellis hispida esse fertur, a quo nomine derivatur vocabulum hujus vestis, id est, a melo melota. Primas. Comm. in Hebr. ap. Bib. PP. Lugd. T. x. p. 279. E. F.

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Vid. Ecum. T. ii. p. 415. A.

οἷον ὁ Ελιας, ὁ Ελισαίος. Id. ib. p. 416. Β.

X Περιήλθον εν μηλωταις,

I shall now put below a valuable observation of Mr. Wetstein.y

I have not, at present, any other ancient writers to allege in favour of this reading; but perhaps some more may be observed hereafter.

However, we are told by Jerom, that in his time a covering made of goatskin, was called a melote:' it was worn, he says, by the monks in Egypt. John Cassian likewise, describing the garments of the Egyptian monks, mentions a goatskin; which, he says, they call melote.' How the word melote' was understood in the fourth century, may be argued also from Gregory Nyssen; who says that Elias wore goatskins.

And the Greek lexicographers assure us, that 'melote' denotes a skin made of any four-footed animal: so Hesychius, to whom Kuster refers: whom I transcribe more at large so alsod Suidas.

I might add, that 'melote' is the only word in the Greek version of the Old Testament, where the garment of Elijah and Elisha is mentioned. See 1 Kings xix. 13, 19; 2 Kings ii. 8. 13, 14.

It may be farther observed, that in all the Greek copies of this verse, and in the Latin versions, and generally in the citations of it by Greek and Latin authors, the copulative is wanting. Our English version has it thus: "They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins;" but in the Greek, and elsewhere, as just mentioned, it is, in sheepskins, in goatskins.' This affords a great deal of reason to think, that goatskins' is only a marginal interpretation, which has been brought into the text.

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If it should be said, that the present reading is the read

Ecumenius scripsit in Acta et epistolas apostolorum. Textus autem sacer ad editiones potius N. T. Erasmiani, quam ad fidem Codicum MSS. expressus est. J. J. Wetst. Prolegom. ad N. T. Tom. i. p. 78. Vid. et Tom. ii. p. 867. z Nihil habent in cellulis, præter psiathium, et caprinam pelliculam, quam melotem vocant. Hieron. Ep. 108. T. iv. P. 2. p. 810. a Ultimus est habitus eorum pellis caprina, quæ melote vel pera appellatur, et baculus. Qui tamen habitus pellis caprinæ significat, mortificatà omni petulantiâ carnalium passionum, debere eos in summâ virtutum gravitate consistere. I. Cass. de Cœnob. Instit. 1. i. c. 8. ap. B. PP. T. vii. p. 19. F. Conf. Evagr. Monach. Capita ap. Coteler. Monum. Gr. Ec. T. iii. p. 69. Med. μεν δέρμασιν αιγείοις

b

OKETALOμEVOÇ. De Virg. cap. 6. T. iii. p. 134.

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d

Μηλα κοινως μεν παντα τα τετραποδα· όθεν και πασα βύρσα, ο επί παν δερμα, μηλωτη λεγεται. Hesych. Μηλωτη ζωνη εκ δέρματος. Suid. e Circuierunt in melotis, in pellibus caprinis. Hieron. Ανδρες περιεχομενοι κατα την ερημον εν μηλωταις, εν αιγείοις δέρμασιν, ὑπερεμενοι. Socrat. H. E. l. iv. c. 24. p. 239. D.

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