Note (18) — BOOK VII.

18. Defects in these three parts, if they be small, &c.) Linden and Almeloveen read Curta igitur in his tribus, ac si qua parte parva sunt, &c. The more ancient editions have Ac si qua parva paria sunt; neither of which seem to give the author’s meaning. I cannot help thinking the whole passage should run thus. Curta igitur in his tribus, si qua parva sunt, curari possunt: si qua majora sunt, aut non accipiunt curationem, &c. For neither paria nor parte appear to be at all proper after what was said in the conclusion of the last chapter, where he expressly confined these defects to the three parts abovementioned. I have therefore ventured to translate according to that reading; a liberty however I durst not take without advertising the reader.