2. For we—but,
perhaps, you
would
rob and deprive us of common-sense—feel
and perceive that none of these has divine power, or possesses a form
of its own;
4083
but that,
on the contrary
, they are the excellence of manhood,
4084
the safety of
the safe, the honour of the respected, the victory of the conqueror,
the harmony of the allied, the piety of the pious, the recollection of
the observant, the good fortune, indeed, of him who lives happily and
without exciting any ill-feeling. Now it is easy to perceive
that, in speaking thus, we speak most reasonably when we
observe
4085
the contrary
qualities opposed
to them
, misfortune, discord, forgetfulness,
injustice, impiety, baseness of spirit, and unfortunate
4086
weakness of
body. For as these things happen accidentally, and
4087
depend on
human acts
and
chance moods, so their contraries, named
4088
after more
agreeable qualities, must be found in others; and from these,
originating in this wise, have arisen those invented
names.
4083
Lit., “is contained in a form of its own kind.”
4084
i.e., manliness.
4085
Lit., “which it is easy to perceive to be said by us with the
greatest truth from,” etc.,—so most edd. reading
nobis
; but the
ms.
, according to
Crusius, gives
vobis
—“you,” as in
Orelli and Oberthür.
4086
Lit., “less auspicious.”
4087
The
ms.
, first four edd., and Elmenhorst,
read,
quæ
—“which;” the rest, as
above,
que.
4088
Lit., “what is opposed to them named,”
nominatum
; a correction by Oehler for the
ms.
nominatur
—“is
named.”