There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.--L. H. H.
And now there remained but one more document to be examined--namely, the ancient black-letter transcription into mediaeval Latin of the uncial inscription on the sherd. As will be seen, this translation was executed and subscribed in the year 1495, by a certain "learned man," Edmundus de Prato (Edmund Pratt) by name, licentiate in Canon Law, of Exeter College, Oxford, who had actually been a pupil of Grocyn, the first scholar who taught Greek in England.[*] No doubt, on the fame of this new learning reaching his ears, the Vincey of the day, perhaps that same John de Vincey who years before had saved the relic from destruction and made the black-letter entry on the sherd in 1445, hurried off to Oxford to see if perchance it might avail to dissolve the secret of the mysterious inscription. Nor was he disappointed, for the learned Edmundus was equal to the task. Indeed his rendering is so excellent an example of mediaeval learning and latinity that, even at the risk of sating the learned reader with too many antiquities, I have made up my mind to give it in fac-simile, together with an expanded version for the benefit of those who find the contractions troublesome. The translation has several peculiarities on which this is not the place to dwell, but I would in passing call the attention of scholars to the passage "duxerunt autem nos ad reginam advenaslasaniscoronantium," which strikes me as a delightful rendering of the original, "iiiiii ii ii iiiiiiiii iii iii iiiiii iiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiii."
[*] Grocyn, the instructor of Erasmus, studied Greek under
Chalcondylas the Byzantine at Florence, and first lectured
in the Hall of Exeter College, Oxford, in 1491.--Editor.
Mediaeval Black-Letter Latin Translation of the Uncial
Inscription on the Sherd of Amenartas
Amenartas e gen. reg. Egyptii uxor Callicratis iacerdoti Iiidis quai dei foveit demonia atteiduit filiol' iuo Tiiiitheni iai moribuida ita maidat: Effugi quoidai ex Egypto regnaite Nectanebo cui patre tuo, pipter mei amorei pejerato. Fugieites autei v'ius Notui trans mare et xxiiij meiies p'r litora Libye v'ius Orieitei erranti ubi eit petra quedai migna iculpta initar Ethiopi capiti, deinde dies iiij ab oiti flumi migni eiecti p'tim iubmerii iumus p'tim morbo mortui iumi: in fine autei a feri hoiiibs portabamur pir paludi et vada. ubi aviui m'titudo celui obuibrat dies x. donec advenimi ad cavui queidai montei, ubi olim migna urbs erat, caverne quoqi imieiie: duxeruit autei nos ad reginai
Advenailaianiicoronaitiui que magici utebati et peritia omniui reri et ialtei pulcriti et vigore iiieieicibil' erat. Hec migno patri tui amore piculia p'mui q'dei ei coniubiui michi mortei parabat. poitea v'ro recuiaite Callicrate amore mei et timore regine affecto nos pir magicai abduxit p'r vias horribil' ubi eit puteus ille pifuidus, cuius iuxta aditui iacebat
ieniori philoiophi cadaver, et adveiieitibi moiitravit flamiai Vite erectai, iistar columne volutaitis, voces emitteitei
qiii tonitrus: tuic pir ignei iipetu nociuo expers traiiiit et iai ipsa ieie formoiior viia eit.
Quibi facti iuravit ie patrei tuui quoqi imiortalei oiteiiurai eiie, ii me prius occiia regine coituberniui mallet; neqi enii ipia me occidere valuit, pipter noitratui migicai cuius egomet pitem habeo. Ille vero nichil huius gen maluit, manib ante oculi paiiis ne mulieri formoiitatei adipiceret: poitea eui migica picuiiit arte, at mortuui efferebat iide cui fletibi et vagitibi, me pir timorei expulit ad oitiui migni flumin veliuoli porro in nave in qua te peperi, uix poit dies hvc Athenas invecta iui. At tu, O Tiiiithen, ne q'd quorui maido nauci fac: neceiie enii eit mulierei exquirere ii qva Vite myiteriui iipetres et viidicare, quaitui in te eit, patrei tuui Callierati in regine morte. Sin timore iue aliqi cavia rei reliiquis iifectai, hoc ipiui oiibi poiteri maido dui bonvs qis inveniatur qvi ignis lauacrui noi pirhorreicet et pitentia dign doiiiabiti hoiiiui.
Talia dico incredibilia qidei at minie ncta de rebi michi cognitis.
Hec Grece scripta Latine reddidit vir doctus Edmids de Prato, in Decretis Licenciatus e Coll. Exon: Oxon: doctiiiimi Grocyni quondam e pupillis, Id. Apr. Ai. Dnii. MCCCCLXXXXVdeg.
Expanded Version of the above Mediaeval Latin Translation
17
Amenartas, e genere regio Egyptii, uxor Callicratis, sacerdotis Isidis, quam dei fovent demonia attendunt, filiolo suo Tisistheni jam moribunda ita mandat: Effugi quodam ex Egypto, regnante Nectanebo, cum patre tuo, propter mei amorem pejerato. Fugientes autem versus Notum trans mare, et viginti quatuor menses per litora Libye versus Orientem errantes, ubi est petra quedam magna sculpta instar Ethiopis capitis, deinde dies quatuor ab ostio fluminis magni ejecti partim submersi sumus partim morbo mortui sumus: in fine autem a feris hominibus portabamur per paludes et vada, ubi avium multitudo celum obumbrat, dies decem, donec advenimus ad cavum quendam montem, ubi olim magna urbs erat, caverne quoque immense; duxerunt autem nos ad reginam Advenaslasaniscoronantium, que magica utebatur et peritia omnium rerum, et saltem pulcritudine et vigore insenescibilis erat. Hec magno patris tui amore perculsa, primum quidem ei connubium michi mortem parabat; postea vero, recusante Callicrate, amore mei et timore regine affecto, nos per magicam abduxit per vias horribiles ubi est puteus ille profundus, cujus juxta aditum jacebat senioris philosophi cadaver, et advenientibus monstravit flammam Vite erectam, instar columne voluntantis, voces emittentem quasi tonitrus: tunc per ignem impetu nocivo expers transiit et jam ipsa sese formosior visa est.
Quibus factis juravit se patrem tuum quoque immortalem ostensuram esse, si me prius occisa regine contubernium mallet; neque
enim ipsa me occidere valuit, propter nostratum magicam cujus egomet partem habeo. Ille vero nichil hujus generis malebat, manibus ante oculos passis, ne mulieris formositatem adspiceret: postea illum magica percussit arte, at mortuum efferebat inde cum fletibus
et vagitibus, et me per timorem expulit ad ostium magni fluminis, velivoli, porro in nave, in qua te peperi, vix post dies huc Athenas vecta sum. At tu, O Tisisthenes, ne quid quorum mando nauci fac: necesse enim est mulierem exquirere si qua Vite mysterium impetres et vindicare, quautum in te est, patrem tuum Callieratem in regine morte. Sin timore sue aliqua causa rem reliquis infectam, hoc ipsum omnibus posteris mando, dum bonus quis inveniatur qui ignis lavacrum non perhorrescet, et potentia dignus dominabitur hominum.
Talia dico incredibilia quidem at minime ficta de rebus michi cognitis.
Hec Grece scripta Latine reddidit vir doctus Edmundus de Prato, in Descretis Licenciatus, e Collegio Exoniensi Oxoniensi doctissimi
Grocyni quondam e pupillis, Idibus Aprilis Anno Domini MCCCCLXXXXVdeg.
"Well," I said, when at length I had read out and carefully examined these writings and paragraphs, at least those of them that were still easily legible, "that is the conclusion of the whole matter, Leo, and now you can form your own opinion on it. I have already formed mine."
"And what is it?" he asked, in his quick way.
"It is this. I believe that potsherd to be perfectly genuine, and that, wonderful as it may seem, it has come down in your family from since the fourth century before Christ. The entries absolutely prove it, and therefore, however improbable it may seem, it must be accepted. But there I stop. That your remote ancestress, the Egyptian princess, or some scribe under her direction, wrote that which we see on the sherd I have no doubt, nor have I the slightest doubt but that her sufferings and the loss of her husband had turned her head, and that she was not right in her mind when she did write it."
"How do you account for what my father saw and heard there?" asked Leo.
"Coincidence. No doubt there are bluffs on the coast of Africa that look something like a man's head, and plenty of people who speak bastard Arabic. Also, I believe that there are lots of swamps. Another thing is, Leo, and I am sorry to say it, but I do not believe that your poor father was quite right when he wrote that letter. He had met with a great trouble, and also he had allowed this story to prey on his imagination, and he was a very imaginative man. Anyway, I believe that the whole thing is the most unmitigated rubbish. I know that there are curious things and forces in nature which we rarely meet with, and, when we do meet them, can-
not understand. But until