43. non illius corporalis montis.
44. Psalm cxlvii, 1, 2.
45. per singulas provincias totius orbis valles singulas intellegimus montis. Casaubon suggests that St. Optatus wrote this by a slip of the pen instead of per singulas valles montis intellegimus singulas provincias totius orbis. As an alternative he conjectures that we should read praeterea for per. But surely St. Optatus may have thought it more elegant to write it as the MSS. give it. 'By the provinces we understand the valleys.'
46. in qua sola deiecti sunt muri et, ut fierent muri, aqua sanctae piscinae transversa est. Ziwsa brackets ut fierent muri, which is omitted by RBGv, evidently regarding it as incomprehensible. But it represents 'ut faceretis alteram munitionem' in Optatus' version of Is. xxii, 20. RBv have aqua sancta et piscina for aqua sanctae piscinae. The reference is still to the rebaptism by Donatists. They who were already Christians were, by an impious novelty, rebaptised, that they might become Christians. (Cf. v, 3: 'Qui rebaptizatur, iam Christianus fuerat; quomodo dici potest iterum Christianus?')
47. ' In una valle, hoc est sola Africa, in qua sola, cum sufficerent templa Dei, quae fuerant, alia facere voluerunt principes vestri, in qua sola deiecti sunt muri, et, ut fierent muri, aqua sanctae piscinae trans-
versa est, et novitas contra antiquitatem a vobis instituta est, et aqua humana contra divinam ordinata est' (cf. v, 3 etc.). By aqua humana is meant water used by rebaptisers. By aqua divina is meant the water used in Baptism, which, in accordance with Catholic doctrine, is one, and once for all. This is a sort of summing up in which St. Optatus endeavours, with considerable ingenuity, to show once more that Is. xxii, 1-11 has reference to the Donatists. We shall perhaps see this more clearly if we place his words in juxtaposition with his Latin version of Isaiah, which he knew to be familiar to his readers.
St. Optatus. Isaias.
Cum sufficerent templa Dei, alia facere voluerunt = ' Ascendistis in templa supervacanea.'
Principes vestri = 'Omnes principes tui.'
In qua sola deiecti sunt muri = 'Deiicistis muros Hierusalem.'
Ut fierent muri = 'Ut faceretis alteram munitionem . . . inter duas munitiones.'
Aqua sanctae piscinae transversa est = 'Convertistis aquam antiquae piscinae.'
Novitas contra antiquitatem = 'Ad piscinam antiquam adtendere noluistis.'
Aqua humana contra divinam = 'Nec ad Eum . . . qui creavit illam.'
48. hoc totum interrogat.
49. Is. xxii, 1.
50. errore sunt . . . errantes in montibus.
51. graviter adligati.
52. St. Jerome (in loco) writes that Elam ---- ascensus eorum. He adds that Elamites = contemptores.
53. Casaubon conjectures that Optatus by a mistake of memory thought that Elamite was found for Sulamite in Cant. vii, i: 'Quid videbis in Sulamite nisi choros castrorum?'
54. chori castrorum seems to refer to the military bands----the singers of the camp.
55. penetralia vestra deferentur ad publicum. Cf. Is. xxii, 8, Vulgate: 'Et revelabitur operimentum ludae.' LXX 'Et revelabunt portas Iudae, et aspicient die illo in domos electas civitatis.'
56. et secreta domus Israhel nudabuntur. Cf. Vulgate: 'Et scissuras civitatis David videbitis.' LXX: 'Et revelabunt abscondita domorum arcis David.'
57. quoniam . 'Because.' This is emphatic. This was the cause of whatever violence may have been done by the troops of Macarius.
58. Is. xxii, 11 sq: 'You refused to pay heed to the old pool'----that is to say, you would not count the first Baptism as valid, and you despised 'Him, who created it in the beginning.'