Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature by C. S. Lewis

Author:C. S. Lewis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2013-09-26T16:00:00+00:00

Mitto genus, clarosque patres: hominum, inclite Theseu,

Sanguis erant, homines.

(XII, 555–6)

And still more, in the darker traits of Statius’s anthropology, he would have found perhaps the only ancient authority he knew which seemed to endorse the doctrine of the Fall. For Statius the human race are so evil that it would be better if Earth had never been re-peopled after the deluge—Quam bene post Pyrrham tellus pontusque vacabant.20 In Hades the accursed souls far outnumber the pii.21 The very bent or nature of man is inexhaustibly evil—nec exsaturabile Diris ingenium mortale.22 We are as miserable as we are wicked, for care follows sin;23 and as silly as we are miserable—if you told us there were two suns in the sky we should not only believe you but believe we had seen them ourselves.24 One notable instance of our continual folly and sin is the art of divination. On this Statius and Dante are fully agreed:

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