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chord, the whole becomes dissonant and incommensurate.[1] As, therefore, in the visible descents of the Gods, a manifest injury is sustained by those who leave some one of the more excellent genera unhonoured,[2] thus also
- ↑ It is beautifully observed by Simplicius on Epictetus, "that as if you take away letters from a sentence, or change them, the form of the sentence no longer remains, thus also in divine works or words, if any thing is deficient, or is changed, or is confused, divine illumination does not take place, but the indolence of him who does this dissolves the power of what is effected." Ωσπερ γαρ εαν στοιχεια του λογου αφελῃς, ἢ υπαλλαξῃς, ουκ επιγινεται το του λογου ειδος, ουτω και των θειων εργων ἢ λογων ει ελλειπει τι, ἢ υπηλλακται, ἢ συγκεχυται, ουκ επιγινεται η του θειου ελλαμψις, αλλα και εξυδαροι την των γινομενων η του ποιουντος ραθυμια.
- ↑ Conformably to this, Servius, in his Annotations on the words Diique, deæque omnes— in the sixth book of the Æneid observes, "more pontificum, per quos ritu veteri in omnibus sacris post speciales Deos, quos ad ipsum sacrum, quod fiebat necesse erat invocari, generaliter omnia numina invocabantur." i. e. "This is spoken after the manner of the pontiffs, by whom, according to ancient rites, in all sacrifices, after the appropriate Gods whom it was necessary to invoke to the sacrifice, all the divinities were invoked in general." And in his Annotations on the seventh of the Æneid he informs us, "that king Œneus offered a sacrifice of first fruits to all the divinities but Diana, who being enraged sent a boar [as a punishment for the neglect]." With respect to this anger, however, of
