Arnobius

“ Do you give new dignity to the gods by new kinds of food? do you honour them with savours and juices, and because those things which nourish you are pleasing and grateful to you? do you believe that the gods also flock up to enjoy their pleasant taste, and, just as barking dogs, lay aside their fierceness for mouthfuls, and pretty often fawn upon those who hold these out? ”

“ Footnotes ↑ [The wit of Arnobius must be acknowledged in this scorching satire. Compare the divine ordinances, Exod. xxix. 13, 14.] ↑ Lit., “by slaughters of,” cædibus.↑ Lit., “under,” i.e., under the sacrifices on your altars.↑ So all edd., reading cerne-, except both Roman edd., Hild., and Oehler, who retain the ms. cerni-tis—“you see.”↑ In translating thus, it has been attempted to adhere as closely as possible to the ms. reading (according to Crusius) qua si—corrected, as above, quæ in LB. ”