Folio 18v Translation and Transcription

Folio 18v Translation

Also of the nature of dogs

We read that dogs have such great love for their masters, as when King Garamentes was caught by his enemies and taken into captivity, two hundred dogs went in formation through enemy lines and led him back from exile, fighting off those who resisted them. When Jason [Licio] was killed, his dog rejected food and died of starvation. The dog of King Lysimachus threw itself in the flame when its master's funeral pyre was lit and was consumed by fire along with him. When Apius and Junius Pictinius were consuls, a dog that could not be driven away from its master, who had been condemned, accompanied him to prison; when, soon afterwards, he was executed, it followed him, howling. When the people of Rome, out of pity, caused it to be fed, it carried the food to its dead master's mouth. Finally, when its master's corpse was thrown into the Tiber, the dog swam to it and tried to keep it from sinking.

When a dog picks up the track of a hare or a deer and comes to a place where the trail divides or to a junction splitting into several directions, it goes to the beginning of each path and silently reasons with itself, as if by syllogism, on the basis of its keen sense of smell. 'Either the animal went off in this direction,' it says, 'or that, or certainly it took this turning.'

Transcription

Item de natura canum.

\ Legitur in \tantum \suos diligere \dominos, ut \Garamantem \regem ab ini\micis captum \ac in custodia \mancipatum, ducenti canes \agmine facto per medias aci\es inimicorum \ab exilio redu\xerunt prelian\tes adversus \resistentes. Ja\sone licio inter\fecto canis ipsius aspernatus cibum inedia obiit. Lisimachi\ regis canis, flamme se iniecit, accenso rogo domini sui et pa\riter igni absumptus est. Apio Junio Pictinio consulibus damp\natum dominum canis cum ambigi [PL, abigi] non posset comitatus in carcerem,\mox percussum ululatu prosecutus est. Cumque ex miseratione populi Roma\ni potestas ei fieret cibi, ad os defuncti escam tulit. \Ultimo\ idem deiectum in Tyberum cadaver, adnatans sustentare conatus.

\Cani vero ubi vestigium leporis cervive reppererit, atque ad diverti\culum semite venerit, et quoddam viarum compitum, quod partes\ in plurimas scinditur, obiciens [obiens; PL, ambiens] singularum semitarum exordia\ tacitus secum ipse pertractat, velud sillogisticam vocem, saga\citatem colligendi odoris emittens. Aut in hanc partem, inquid\ deflexit aut in illam, aut certe in hunc se anfractum contulit.\

Translation

Also of the nature of dogs

We read that dogs have such great love for their masters, as when King Garamentes was caught by his enemies and taken into captivity, two hundred dogs went in formation through enemy lines and led him back from exile, fighting off those who resisted them. When Jason [Licio] was killed, his dog rejected food and died of starvation. The dog of King Lysimachus threw itself in the flame when its master's funeral pyre was lit and was consumed by fire along with him. When Apius and Junius Pictinius were consuls, a dog that could not be driven away from its master, who had been condemned, accompanied him to prison; when, soon afterwards, he was executed, it followed him, howling. When the people of Rome, out of pity, caused it to be fed, it carried the food to its dead master's mouth. Finally, when its master's corpse was thrown into the Tiber, the dog swam to it and tried to keep it from sinking.

When a dog picks up the track of a hare or a deer and comes to a place where the trail divides or to a junction splitting into several directions, it goes to the beginning of each path and silently reasons with itself, as if by syllogism, on the basis of its keen sense of smell. 'Either the animal went off in this direction,' it says, 'or that, or certainly it took this turning.'

Historic Collections - University of Aberdeen - King's College - Aberdeen - AB24 3SW
Michael Arnott m.arnott@aberdeen.ac.uk