Transcription
Simie vocantur latino sermone, eo quod multam eis\ similitudo rationis
humane sentitur. Hi elementorum\ sagaces nova luna exultant, media
et cava tristantur.\ Nature symie talis est, ut cum peperit geminos
catulos, unum\ diligat, et alterum contempnat. Quod si aliquando
evenerit\ ut insequatur a venatoribus, ante se amplectitur quem
diligit\ et alterum collo portat quem odit. Sed dum lassa fuerit
bipes\ eunto proicit voluens quem diligit et portat nolens quem
odit.\ Symia caudam non habet. Cuius figuram diabolus habet, qui
capud\ habet, caudam vero non habet. Et licet symia tota turpis
sit, pos\teriora tamen eius satis turpia et horribilia sunt. Diabolus
in\imicum [A: initium] habuit cum esset in celis angelus. Sed ypochrita
et do\losus fuit intrinsecus, et perdidit caudam, quia totus in
fine\ peribit, sicut ait apostolus: Quem dominus Iesus interficiet
spiritu oris sui.\ Symia grecum nomen est, id est, pressis naribus.
Unde et symia\ dicimus, quod suppressis naribus sint, et facie feda,
rugis tur\piter follicantibus, licet et capellarium [A: capellarum]
sit pressum habere\ nasum. Circopetici caudas habent. Hec sola discretio
est in\ter prius dictas. Cenophali et ipsi sunt e numero symiarum.\
In Ethiope partibus frequentissimi. Violenti ad saltum\ |
|
Translation
[Of apes] Apes are called simie in Latin because the similarity
between their mentality and that of humans is felt to be great.
Apes are keenly aware of the elements; they rejoice when the moon
is new and are sad when it wanes. A characteristic of the ape is
that when a mother bears twins, she loves one and despises the other.
If it ever happens that she is pursued by hunters, she carries the
one she loves before her in her arms and the one she detests on
her shoulders. But when she is tired of going upright, she deliberately
drops the one she loves and reluctantly carries the one she hates.
The ape does not have a tail. The Devil has the form of an ape,
with a head but no tail. Although every part of the ape is foul,
its rear parts are disgusting and horrid enough. The Devil began
as an angel in heaven. But inside he was a hypocrite and a deceiver,
and he lost his tail, because he will perish totally at the end,
just as the apostle says: 'The Lord shall consume him with the spirit
of his mouth.' (2 Thessalonians, 2:8) The name symia is Greek,
meaning, 'flattened nostrils'. Hence we call the ape symia because
they have compressed nostrils and a hideous face, its creases foully
expanding and contracting like a bellows; although she-goats also
have a flattened nose. The apes called circopetici have tails.
This alone distinguishes them from the apes mentioned earlier. Cenophali
are numbered among the apes. They occur in great numbers in parts
of Ethiopia. They leap wildly and |
