accidentally happened upon some Greek books, and am busy day
and night secretly copying them out. I shall be asked why I am so
delighted with Cato the Censor's example that I want to turn Greek at my
age. Indeed, most excellent Father, if in my boyhood I had been of this
mind, or rather if time had not been wanting, I should be the happiest
of men. As things are, I think it better to learn, even if a little
late, than not to know things which it is of the first importance to
have at one's command. I have already tasted of Greek literature in the
past, but merely (as the saying goes) sipped at it; however, having
lately gone a little deeper into it, I perceive--as one has often read
in the best authorities--that Latin learning, rich as it is, is
defective and incomplete without Greek; for we have but a few small
streams and muddy puddles, while they have pure springs and rivers
rolling gold. I see that it is utter madness even to touch the branch of
theology which deals chiefly with the mysteries unless one is also
provided with the equipment of Greek, as the translators of the
Scriptures, owing to their conscientious scruples, render Greek forms in
such a fashion that not even the primary sense (what our theologians
call the _literal_ sense) can be understood by persons ignorant of
Greek. Who could understand the sentence in the Psalm [Ps. 50.4 (51.3)]
_Et peccatum meum contra me est semper_,[32] unless he has read the
Greek? This runs as follows: [Greek: kai he hamartia mou enopion mou
esti diapantos]. At this point some theologian will spin a long story of
how the flesh is perpetually in conflict with the spirit, having been
misled by the double meaning of the preposition, that is, _contra_, when
the word [Greek: enopion] refers not to _conflict_ but to _position_, as
if you were to say _opposite_, i.e., _in sight_: so that the Prophet's
meaning was that his fault was so hateful to him that the memory of it
never left him, but floated always before his mind as if it were
present. Further in a passage elsewhere [Ps. 91 (92. 14)], _Bene
patientes erunt ut annuncient_, everyone will be misled by the deceptive
form, unless he has learned from the Greek that, just as according to
Latin usage we say _bene facere_ of those who _do good to_ someone, so
the Greeks call [Greek: eupathountas] (_bene patientes_) those who
_suffer good to be done them_. So that the sense is, 'They will be well
treated and will be helped by my benefa