36. tunc taedians iussit omnes ad sedes suas redire ---- amen. Taedians, literally, 'being sick of the affair.' This is clearly no longer in the epistolary but narrative style. It evidently means to say that Constantine was now weary of the whole thing, and sent all those who had assisted at the Council back to their homes. Duchesne argues (op. cit. p. 10) that this 'débris de phrase' proves clearly that there was, besides the documents in the dossier, a running commentary, which held them together ('un récit qui les reliat'). He says that no doubt there was originally to be found in this place a statement (after the letter had been finished) as to the protests raised by the Donatists against the decision of the Council, of the Emperor's useless efforts for peace, and that he then grew tired of it all. If so, the last line of this document alone remains to tell the tale.
37. in caeli specula residens. This is Ziwsa's emendation. The MS. has secula. Du Pin suggests per saecula.
38. mera ( = unmingled, pure). Du Pin suggests vera.
39. manifesta luce claret.
40. comperi (i.e. by your letter to me from Arles).
41. meum iudicium postulant, qui ipse iudicium Christi expecto. Famous words. Cf. Optatus i, 23.
42. dico enim, ut se veritas habet, sacerdotum iudicium ita debet haberi, ac si Dominus residens iudicet.
43. i.e. the Bishops.
44. nisi quod Christi magisterio stint edocti.
45. perquirunt saecularia, relinquentes caelestia.
46. Cf. Optatus i, 25.
47. detractores legis.
48. The pagans appealed from the lower courts to the higher, the Donatists from the higher to the lower, from the ecclesiastical to the civil, from the judgement of Heaven (of Bishops) to that of earth (the Emperor's).
49. viam (cf. Acts ix, 2).
50. ibi sibi mortem peius pervideant. For mortem we must read morte.
51. Duchesne writes ( op. cit. p. 24): 'Triberos, et non Triberis, comme dans les éditions.'
52. Legis eius, i.e. Donatism, as contrasted with Lex Catholica.
53. angarialem his cum annonaria conpetentia . . . dedimus.
54. Sollertiam tuam.
55. eum Menalium. Probably the Menalius mentioned by Optatus (i, 13) as having been present at the Council of Cirta.
56. The MS. has praesentia mea susceptam fugam subtrahere. This seems impossible to translate, even though, with Ziwsa, we read praesentiae meae. If, with Du Pin, we read suscepta fuga se subtrahere, the sense becomes clear.
57. eosdem omittas.
58. dissimulandum super ipsos cognoscas.
59. quae et qualis.
60. inlecebris. The editors read in latebris.