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Clement of Alexandria: The Instructor
William Wilson; ANF02 (1885) · Edition commentary
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Book III. — Translator and historical edition notes (part 4)
1 John ii. 2–6.
Iliad, xviii. 483–485; spoken of Vulcan making the shield of Archilles.
Phil. ii 15.
Αίῶνες, “celestial spirits and angels.”—Grabe, in a note on Bull’s Defence of the Nicene Creed. [I wish a more definite reference had been furnished by the learned translator. Even Kaye’s reference is not precise. Consulting Grabe’s annotations in vain, I was then obliged to go through the foot-notes, where, at last (vol. v. part i. p. 246.), I found in comparative obscurity Grabe’s language. It may be rendered: “These words I think should be thus construed—cujus gloria sunt sœcula—whose glory are the heavenly spirits or angels. Concerning which signification of τῶν αἰώνων, note what I have said among divers annotations on Irenæus, p. 32. ed. Benedict.”]
[Elucidation III.] The translator has done what he could to render this hymn literally. He has been obliged, however, to add somewhat to it in the way of expansion, for otherwise it would have been impossible to secure anything approaching the flow of English versification. The original is in many parts a mere string of epithets, which no ingenuity could render in rhymed verse without some additions.
Or, “ships:” νηῶν, instead of νηπίων, has been suggested as better sense and better metre.
Or, “rejoicing in eternity.”
By altering the punctuation, we can translate thus: “Guide, O holy King, Thy children safely along the footsteps of Christ.”
The word used here is ψάλωμεν, originally signifying, “Let us celebrate on a stringed instrument.” Whether it is so used here or not, may be matter of dispute.
[The holy virgin of Nazareth is the author of the first Christian hymn, The Magnificat. It is a sequel to the psalms of her father David, and interprets them. To Clement of Alexandria belongs the praise of leading the choir of uninspired Christian poets, whom he thus might seem to invoke to carry on the strain through all time.]
[The hymn suffixed to Thomson’s Seasons might seem to have been suggested by this ancient example of praise to the Maker. But, to feel this hymn, we must reflect upon its superiority, in a moral point of view, to all the Attic Muse had ever produced before.]
[The Scriptures are the rule of faith.]
[Kaye’s careful criticism of M. Barbeyrac’s captious complains against Clement, are specially instructive. p. 109.]