1840.] 



Life and Writings of Father Beschi. 



299 



All that I have stated will be verified, if you look at the true religion 

 which was inculcated by the one only gracious God, who said, as precious 

 light to expel the darkness of the mind, thus j 



[Amos 5, 21.] I hate, I despise your feast-days, and I will not smell 

 in your solemn assemblies. Though he offer me burnt offerings and 

 your meat offerings, I will not accept them : neither will I. regard the 

 peace offerings of your fat beasts. 



[Samuel i, 15 — 22.] And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great de- 

 light in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the 

 Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than 

 the fat of rams. 



[" Matt. eh. V. 2.3—24.] Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the 

 " altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against 

 " thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy wayj first be 

 ** reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." 



Explanation of the ivord ^(^(Sdih, introduced in the foregoing 

 couplet or text. 



All besides is evanescent sound" — The term in the original, tran- 

 •^lated by the two concluding words, is which signifies lite- 



rally « ^wc? ^wr6i*/ew^ noise; the line is thus translated and explained 

 by the Latin commentator. " Castera omnia conditionem habent sire- 

 pitus. Sensus est earn esse veram virtutem, quse in animu culpam non 

 admittit, nam animum culpa foedatum habentis, verba, et habitus, etac- 

 tiones ipsse quse virtutem spirent, habent conditionem strepitus; tum, 

 quia ad id ordinari solent, ut a caeteris videantur et audiantur ; tarn, quia 

 eo tantum tempore quo videntur et audiuntur, ut virtuosa laudantur, sed 

 statim, uti strepitus, evanescunt, quia non valent alicui beatitatem 

 afferre." I have followed this interpretation as it agrees with that of 



