5. Now, if this be not the
case, all hope of help is taken away, and it will be doubtful whether
you are heard
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by the gods or
not, if ever you perform the sacred rites with due ceremonies.
For, to make it clear,
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let us suppose that there is a temple
of some deity in the Canary Islands,
another
of the same
deity
in remotest Thyle, also among the Seres, among the tawny
Garamantes, and any others
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who are debarred from knowing each
other by seas, mountains, forests, and the four quarters of the
world. If they all at one time beg of the deity with sacrifices
what their wants compel each one to think about,
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what hope, pray, will there be to all of
obtaining the benefit, if the god does not hear the cry sent up to him
everywhere, and
if
there shall be any distance to which the
words of the suppliant for help cannot penetrate? For either he
will be nowhere present, if he may at times not be anywhere,
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or he will be
at one place only, since he cannot give his attention generally, and
without making any distinction. And thus it is brought about,
that either the god helps none at all, if being busy with something he
has been unable to hasten to give ear to their cries, or one only goes
away with his prayers heard,
while
the rest have effected
nothing.
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So
the margin of Ursinus, Elm., LB., and Orelli, with Meursius, reading
audiamini
for the
ms.
audiamur
—“we are heard,” which does not
harmonize with the next clause.
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Lit., “for the purpose of coming to know the thing.”
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Lit., “if there are any others.”
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So the
ms.
, reading
c-ogitare
, corrected
r-
—“to beg,”
in the margin of Ursinus and Elm. For the preceding words the
ms.
reads,
poscantque de
numine
. The edd. omit
que
as above, except Oehler, who
reads
quæ
—“what hope will there be, what, pray,
to all,” etc.
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So the
ms.
, reading
si uspiam
poterit aliquando non esse
, which may be understood in two senses,
either not limited by space, or not in space, i.e., not existing; but
the reading and meaning must be regarded as alike doubtful.