mare. Ego dabo ei talentum, primus qui in crucem Sed eâ lege, ut affigantur bis pedes, bis brachia. I. On which the Archbishop remarks, that the fame word is used, both of hands and feet; which leads us to think, that they were treated a-like; and he says, that he knows not that figere, or any of its compounds are used of tying. But the word affigere fignifies to faften in whatever manner it be effected, whether by nailing or otherwise. Thus Stephanus, "figere, affigere, h. e. applicare, et quafi ad aliquid firUnde omifsâ militiâ five gladiatoriâ, milites feu gladiatores arma figere dicebantur, quia ea in templis fufpendebant, vel templorum parietibus affigebant." And in proof that the word figere fignifies applicare et quafi ad aliquid firmare, he cites the following paffages. Plin. Epift. Idque es figeretur ad statuam loricatam Divi Julii. Lib. 86. Virg. Æn. 6. fixit leges pretio. Ubi Servius: fixit ideo, quia incifæ in æreis tabulis parietibus affigebantur. Figere arma, says Faber, eft affigere, fufpendere in foribus vel parietibus templorum. Æn. 1. 248. And that affixus fignifies to adhere closely, or to be attached to a thing, without any idea of piercing or perforation, appears from Æn. 10. 161. where Iulus is said to be affixus lateri; and from Cicero ad Quint. Fr. 3. 1. Jubes illum mihi effe affixum tanquam magiftro. Thus alfo Lipfius, "Crucium duplex genus, ventum. fimplex et compactum. Illud voco, cum in uno fimpliciore ligno fit affixio aut infixio. Quæ crux, meo judicio, prima fuit, et in aliam fpeciem a rudi hac Sed ea quoque duplex, ut tetigi, altera ad affixionem, altera ad infixionem; nam aliàs ad arborem five ftipitem alligabant figebantve hominem, ut in Cupidine Crucifixo Aufonii. Atque hæc fuit in fimplici cruce affixio. Eft et in eadem infixio, qualis cum nudum hominem erecto acutoque ftipiti infigebant." De Cruce. So that affigere denoted the fastening to the crofs, in whatever manner that fastening was made. The paffage therefore in Plautus fignifies merely, that the perfon was to be fastened to the crofs twice as firmly and closely as in common cases; which is further confirmed by our observing, that he speaks not of the hands being fastened, but the arms; which no perfon ever yet pretended to fay, were nailed; and the merriment seems to confist in this; " who," fays Tranio, "will fuffer himfelf to be whipped or fcourged instead of me? I will give a talent to the first perfon, that will let himself be crucified in my place; but on condition, that his arms and feet be doubly fastened; as foon as that is done, let him come to me, and I will pay him the money." On which Lambinus comments thus: eâ lege huic meo vicario talentum dabo, fi pedes ejus et brachia bis cruci affigantur, ne fcilicet poffit unquam promiffam mercedem a me petere." We may therefore fairly conclude, that the person thus crucified was merely bound to the cross, in the same manner as in the Cupido crucifixus of Aufonius, where the fame word affigunt is used, and where it is expressly faid, that both hands and feet were fimply tied : Hujus in excelfo fufpenfum ftipite Amorem Vincula mærentem, nullo moderamine pœnæ That the fufferer was bound to the cross, we also learn from Artemidorus Σταυρεσθαι ανδρι αγαμω γαμου προσαγορεύει, δια την δεσιν· Oneir. And Martial fhews the fame, fpeaking of Laureolus. Qualiter in Scythicâ religatus rupe Prometheus Spectac. 7. To whom Juvenal alludes in Sat. 8. 186. Laureolum velox etiam bene Lentulus egit, That they were alfo fometimes nailed, appears from Seneca, cum refigere fe crucibus conentur, in quas unufquifque veftrum clavos fuos ipfe adigit. De Vita Beata. c. 21. Lucan alfo mentions the nails; but he speaks only of nailing the hands: Ꭰ Pendentia corpora carpfit Abrafitque cruces, percuffaque viscera nimbis artus Stillantis tabi faniem, virufque coactum Suftulit. Now fince it appears, that the fufferers were both nailed and bound, and that we know that the hands were nailed, but have no reason whatever for fuppofing that the feet were fo; we may conclude, that the hands only were nailed; and that the feet were tied to it; which is the opinion of Le Clerc and Dathe; the latter of whom thus expresses himfelf, "Manus non pedes cruci affigebantur clavif que perforabantur, hi enim funibus cruci aftringebantur. 17. Shall they count.-The Arabic version, alfo the Syriac, Vulgate and lxx have the third perfon plural; the verbs in this verse and in the next are in the future tense; ftrongly expreffive of the writer's hope, that God will not permit these things to happen. 19. Wilt not be far from me.-See Jer. xx. 11. "But the Lord is with me, a mighty terrible one, therefore my perfecutors fhall ftumble, and they fhall not prevail." ד 25. Fear thee. for, which the fenfe requires. Houbigant. 26. The poor,—in the prophetical parts of the Old Testament, denote the true people of God: fee Pf. lxxii. 2, 4, 12, 13. Isaiah xi. 4. lxi. 1. They shall eat and be satisfied.—Shall enjoy all good things in abundance and peace. 27. Shall remember—this fignal interpofition of God in refcuing me from my perfecutors. Before him. So the Syr. lxx. and Houbigant. 29. Rich ones.-Those who devoting themselves to the world neglect God: they are oppofed to the poor in verfe 26. 30. My feed. So lxx. Vulg. Arab. and one MS. of Kennicott. Counted.-devoted. For ever.-17 in ætatem, that is in longam ætatem, or ab ætate in ætatem. Venema. 31. Which he has done.-As Bishop Hare observes, quia is here the fame as quam, fc. juftitiam, the righteous act of God in extricating David from the perfecution of Saul. D 2 |