ADKIN, N., 'Oras: loqueris ad sponsum; Legis: ille tibi loquitur' (Jerome, "Epist." 22,25,1) , Vigiliae Christianae, 46 (1992) p.141

150 NEIL ADKIN

Canticles by Athanasius (Lefort, op. cit. [no 30] 69, ll. 25-34). Lines 25-31 of this passage, which were quoted above (p. 144), continue as follows: "De ce genre sont les discours qu'il adresse, dans le Cantique des Cantiques, aux ames adherentes it lui; de sorte que vous, qui avez vu ... " (11. 32-34); the text breaks off before a specific verse is mentioned. Duval, art. cit. (n. 19; 1974) 65 and n. 271, suggests that Jerome was unfamiliar with this work of Athanasius when he produced his Libel/us. In a forthcoming article entitled "Athanasius' Letter to virgins and Jerome's Libel/us de virginitate servanda (epist. 22)" the present writer has attempted to show that Jerome did indeed know and use Athanasius' Letter when writing his own Libel/us. A single instance may be cited. What Athanasius says a mere dozen lines before the passage under discussion ("le fruit de ce qui a rendu cent, de ce qui a rendu soixante et de ce qui a rendu trente provient de la meme semence"; 11. 10-12) is the source of Jerome's statement at 15,2: centesimus et sex-agesimus fructus de uno sunt semine castitatis. It would accordingly appear that the con-nection Jerome makes between Canticles and the aphorism concerning divine interlocu-tion is indeed due to Athanasius. On the other hand Jerome's specific formulation of the conceit shows that here he has followed Cyprian instead of Athanasius, who had substituted "thoughts" for Cyprian's more vivid "reading" and had expressed himself with habitual lack of incisiveness. Jerome naturally prefers the more concise and arresting formulation: it has been observed above how he improves even Cyprian's phrasing. Such multiple use of sources is of course entirely in Jerome's manner. Finally it may be noted that, whereas Athanasius introduces his reference to Canticles with an explicit identifica-tion of the work, Jerome achieves a far more powerful effect by moving straight from his clever aphorism into direct citation of scripture.

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