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uttering sounds sweeter than any lyre and cithara; and especially, when there is someone who knows how to strike these strings. And how do they sound? he says. Heaven moves no mouth, nor tongue, nor palate, nor teeth, nor lips; how then does the voice proceed? how does the day speak? For these are not vocal organs, but the course of the sun and moon, day and night, the passage of time. Therefore, lest any of the duller sort, hearing these things, be disturbed and troubled, hear how the Prophet champions what was said. For having said that "The heavens declare the glory of God," and that "Day to day utters speech, and night to night proclaims knowledge," he did not stop there, but added: "There are no speeches, nor words, whose voices are not heard."

What he says is something like this: not only do day and night and heaven have a voice, but also such a voice that is more distinct, and clearer, and more powerful than a human's. How and in what way? Listen to the saying itself. "There are no speeches, nor words, whose voices are not heard." What then is this? An encomium of the voice, a praise of its sound. For my voice is known to one who speaks my language, but not to one who speaks a different tongue. For example, when I am speaking in the Greek language, if someone knows the language, he will hear me; but the Scythian, and the Thracian, and the Moor, and the Indian will not; for the difference of language does not permit my speech to be intelligible to him.

2. Again, when the Scythian and the Thracian are speaking I will not be able

to hear, nor another of another's language; but in the case of heaven, and night, and day this is not so, but their voice is such that it is heard by every tongue, every speech, every nation, and is clear and distinct. For this reason, having said that "The heavens declare the glory of God," and, "Day to day utters speech," he added: "There are no speeches, nor words, whose voices are not heard." What he says is something like this: day, and night, and heaven, and all created things have such a speech and such a voice, that their voice is heard by all speeches, that is, by all tongues, by all nations. For there is no speech, he says, that is, there is no nation, there is no language, where the voice of heaven is not heard; but the Scythian, and the Thracian, and the Moor, and the Indian, and the Sauromatian, and every speech, and every tongue, and every nation will be able to heed this voice. How and in what way? Hear this now, that you may learn how heaven speaks while silent.

For when you see its beauty, its size, its position, its duration, its brightness, and gathering all these things within yourself, you glorify the Creator, you praise the Maker, heaven has sent forth a voice, sending up glory to God through your tongue. And this is what is said, that "The heavens declare the glory of God." How and in what way? By sending the beholder, through the beauty of its own splendor, to wonder at the Creator. For when, seeing such a work, you say, "Glory to you, O God, what a great body you have wrought, and have set in the midst;" the heavens have offered up this glory, using your tongue, and sending forth wonder through your sight. Thus, while silent, they offer up glory to God, and all hear this voice. For since it is not possible to learn these things by hearing, but by sight and contemplation, and sight is one for all, even if the tongue is different, both Barbarian, and Scythians, and Thracians, and Moors, and Indians hear this voice, that is, seeing the wonder, being struck by the beauty, the splendor, the size, all other things concerning heaven, those who are right-minded offer up glory to the Creator. The same can also be said concerning the day and the night. Just as this one by its beauty, its position, by its

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φθόγγους λύρας ἁπάσης καὶ κιθάρας ἡδίω φθεγγομένους· καὶ μάλιστα, ὅταν ᾖ τις ὁ τὰς νευρὰς ταύτας ἀνακρού σασθαι ἐπιστάμενος. Καὶ πῶς ἠχοῦσι; φησί. Στόμα οὐρανὸς οὐ κινεῖ, οὔτε γλῶτταν, οὐδὲ ὑπερῴαν, οὐδὲ ὀδόντας, οὐδὲ χείλη· πῶς οὖν ἡ φωνὴ πρόεισι; πῶς δὲ ἡ ἡμέρα φθέγγεται; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ταῦτα ὄργανα φω νητικά ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ δρόμος ἐστὶν ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης, ἡμέρα καὶ νὺξ, καιροῦ πάροδος. Ἵν' οὖν μή τις τῶν παχυτέρων ταῦτα ἀκούων θορυβῆται καὶ ταράττηται, ἄκουσον πῶς ὁ Προφήτης ἐπαγωνίζεται τῷ εἰρημένῳ. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, ὅτι Οἱ οὐρανοὶ διηγοῦνται δόξαν Θεοῦ, καὶ ὅτι Ἡμέρα τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐρεύγεται ῥῆμα, καὶ νὺξ νυκτὶ ἀναγγέλλει γνῶσιν, οὐκ ἔστη μέχρι τούτου, ἀλλ' ἐπήγαγεν· Οὐκ εἰσὶ λαλιαὶ, οὐδὲ λόγοι, ὧν οὐχὶ ἀκούονται αἱ φωναὶ αὐτῶν.

Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦ τόν ἐστι· οὐ μόνον φωνὴν ἔχουσιν ἡμέρα καὶ νὺξ, καὶ οὐρανὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοιαύτην φωνὴν, ἣ τῆς ἀνθρωπί νης ἐστὶν εὐσημοτέρα, καὶ σαφεστέρα, καὶ εὐτονω τέρα. Πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ; Ἄκουσον τῆς ῥήσεως αὐτῆς. Οὐκ εἰσὶ λαλιαὶ, οὐδὲ λόγοι, ὧν οὐχὶ ἀκού ονται αἱ φωναὶ αὐτῶν. Τί ποτ' οὖν τοῦτό ἐστιν; Ἐγκώμιον τῆς φωνῆς, ἔπαινος τῆς ἠχῆς. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἐμὴ φωνὴ τῷ ἐμῷ ὁμοφώνῳ γνώριμος, ἑτερογλώσσῳ δὲ οὐκέτι. Οἷόν τι λέγω, Ἑλλάδι διαλεγομένῳ μοι γλώττῃ, ἂν τοίνυν τὴν φωνὴν εἰδῇ τις, ἐκεῖνος ἀκούσεταί μου· ὁ δὲ Σκύθης, καὶ ὁ Θρᾷξ, καὶ ὁ Μαῦ ρος, καὶ ὁ Ἰνδὸς οὐκέτι· ἡ γὰρ διαφορὰ τῆς γλώττης οὐκ ἀφίησιν εὔσημον αὐτῷ γενέσθαι τὴν ἐμὴν διά λεξιν.

βʹ. Πάλιν ἐγὼ τοῦ Σκύθου καὶ τοῦ Θρᾳκὸς διαλεγο μένου οὐ δυνήσομαι

ἀκούειν, οὐδὲ ἕτερος τῆς ἑτέρου γλώττης· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ νυκτὸς, καὶ τῆς ἡμέρας οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ τοιαύτη αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ φωνὴ, ὡς πάσῃ γλώττῃ, πάσῃ λαλιᾷ, παντὶ ἔθνει ἀκούεσθαι, καὶ εὔδηλον εἶναι καὶ σαφῆ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εἰ πὼν, ὅτι Οἱ οὐρανοὶ διηγοῦνται δόξαν Θεοῦ, καὶ, Ἡμέρα τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐρεύγεται ῥῆμα, ἐπήγαγεν· Οὐκ εἰσὶ λαλιαὶ, οὐδὲ λόγοι, ὧν οὐχὶ ἀκούονται αἱ φωναὶ αὐτῶν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· τοιαύτην ἔχουσι λαλιὰν, καὶ τοιαύτην ἔχουσι φωνὴν ἡ ἡμέρα, καὶ ἡ νὺξ, καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς, καὶ τὰ κτίσματα ἅπαντα, ὡς πά σαις ταῖς λαλιαῖς, τουτέστι, πάσαις ταῖς γλώτταις, πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἀκούεσθαι αὐτῶν τὴν φωνήν. Οὐ γάρ ἐστι λαλιὰ, φησὶ, τουτέστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν ἔθνος, οὐκ ἔστι φωνὴ, ἔνθα μὴ ἀκούεται ἡ φωνὴ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Σκύθης, καὶ ὁ Θρᾷξ, καὶ ὁ Μαῦρος, καὶ ὁ Ἰνδὸς, καὶ ὁ Σαυρομάτης, καὶ πᾶσα λαλιὰ, καὶ πᾶσα γλῶττα, καὶ πᾶν ἔθνος δυνήσεται ταύτης ὑπακούειν τῆς φωνῆς. Πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ; Τοῦτο λοιπὸν ἄκουε, ἵνα μάθῃς πῶς σιγῶν ὁ οὐρανὸς φθέγγεται.

Ὅταν γὰρ ἴδῃς αὐτοῦ τὸ κάλλος, τὸ μέγεθος, τὴν θέσιν, τὸ διαρκὲς, τὴν φαιδρότητα, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα συναγαγὼν παρὰ σαυτῷ, δοξάσῃς τὸν ∆ημιουργὸν, εὐφημήσῃς τὸν ποιήσαντα, ὁ οὐρανὸς φωνὴν ἀφῆκε, διὰ τῆς γλώττης ἀναπέμψας τῷ Θεῷ δόξαν. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ εἰρημένον, ὅτι Οἱ οὐρανοὶ διηγοῦνται δόξαν Θεοῦ. Πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ; Τὸν θεατὴν τῷ κάλλει τῆς οἰκείας φαιδρότητος εἰς θαῦμα παραπέμ ποντες τοῦ ∆ημιουργοῦ. Ὅταν γὰρ ἰδὼν τὸ τοιοῦτον ἔργον, εἴπῃς, ∆όξα σοι, ὁ Θεὸς, ἡλίκον σῶμα εἰργάσω, καὶ ἐν τῷ μέσῳ τέθεικας· οἱ οὐρανοῖ τὴν δόξαν ταύτην ἀνήνεγκαν, τῇ σῇ γλώττῃ χρησάμενοι, καὶ διὰ τῆς ὄψεως τὸ θαῦμα παραπέμποντες. Οὕτω σι γῶντες ἀναφέρουσι δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ταύτης τῆς φωνῆς πάντες ἀκούουσιν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀκοῇ ταῦτα μαθεῖν, ἀλλ' ὄψει καὶ θεωρίᾳ, ὄψις δὲ πᾶσι μία, εἰ καὶ ἡ γλῶττα διάφορος, καὶ Βάρβαρος, καὶ Σκύθαι, καὶ Θρᾷκες, καὶ Μαῦροι, καὶ Ἰνδοὶ ταύτης ἀκούουσι τῆς φωνῆς, τουτέστι, τὸ θαῦμα βλέποντες, τὸ κάλλος ἐκπληττόμενοι, τὴν φαιδρότητα, τὸ μέγε θος, τὰ ἄλλα ἅπαντα τὰ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν, δόξαν ἀνα φέρουσι τῷ ∆ημιουργῷ οἱ καλῶς φρονοῦντες. Τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ περὶ τῆς ἡμέρας καὶ τῆς νυκτὸς ἔστιν εἰ πεῖν. Ὥσπερ οὗτος τῷ κάλλει, τῇ θέσει, τῷ