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Flis, and Distributed Proofreaders

SAINT AUGUSTIN

BY

LOUIS BERTRAND

TRANSLATED BY VINCENT O'SULLIVAN

TRANSLATOR'S NOTE

The quotations from Saint Augustin's Confessions are taken from CanonBigg's scholarly version, which seems to me the best in English. But thereare places where M. Bertrand's reading of the original text differs fromDr. Bigg's, and in such cases I have felt myself obliged to follow theauthor of this book. These differences never seriously affect the meaningof a passage; sometimes it is a mere matter of choice, as with the wordcollactaneum (i, 7) which Dr. Bigg translates "twin," and M. Bertrand,like Pusey, frère de lait, or "foster-brother." As a rule, Dr. Biggchooses the quietest terms, and M. Bertrand the most forcible. Thosecurious in such matters may like to see an instance.

The original text runs:—

Avulsa a latere meo tanquam impedimento conjugii, cum quâ cubare solitus eram, cor ubi adhaerebat, concisum et vulneratum mihi erat, et trahebat sanguinem.

(Confessiones, vi, 15.)

M. Bertrand translates:—

Quand on arracha de mes flancs, sous prétexte qu'elle empêchait mon mariage, celle avec qui j'avais coutume de dormir, depuis si longtemps, là où mon coeur était attaché au sien, il se déchira, et je traînais mon sang avec ma blessure.

Canon Bigg's version is:—

My mistress was torn from my side as an obstacle to my marriage, and my heart, which clung to her, was torn and wounded till it bled.

In this place, it will be observed that Dr. Bigg does not emphasize theword ubi which, as the reader will find on turning to page 185 of thisvolume, M. Bertrand thinks so significant.

The remaining English versions of the writings of Saint Augustin and of theother Latin authors quoted are my own, except the passages from The Cityof God, including the verse translation of Persius, which are taken,with some necessary alterations, from the Seventeenth century translationascribed to John Healey.

V. O'S.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

PROLOGUE

THE FIRST PART

DAYS OF CHILDHOOD

I. AN AFRICAN FREE-TOWN SUBJECT TO ROME

II. THE FAMILY OF A SAINT

III. THE COMFORT OF THE MILK

IV. THE FIRST GAMES

V. THE SCHOOLBOY OF MADAURA

VI. THE HOLIDAYS AT THAGASTE

THE SECOND PART

THE ENCHANTMENT OF CARTHAGE

I. CARTHAGO VENERIS

II. THE AFRICAN ROME

III. THE CARTHAGE STUDENT

IV. THE SWEETNESS OF TEARS

V. THE SILENCE OF GOD

THE THIRD PART

THE RETURN

I. THE CITY OF GOLD

II. THE FINAL DISILLUSION

...