Note 118 — Concerning that which is Eternal, for the Purpose of demonstrating the Eternity of the World.

The proposition ends here in the Greek, though very erroneously; and its conclusion forms the beginning of the next proposition. It is strange that Portus would not have detected, this egregious mistake, which the alteration of a single letter, would have enabled him to rectify. Thus if after αλλὰ μεν’ ἀεὶ ὐπόκειται γινόμενον. ἄπειρον ἄρα ἔχει την’ του yίνεσθαι δυναμιν, which is the conclusion of the proposition; παν’ τὸ ὅντως ὅν, &c. is retained, instead of ἐαν τὸ ὄντως ὄν, and is made the beginning of the next proposition, the whole will be correct and plain. Such mistakes, are dreadful instances of the danger attending the understanding from the study of words alone.