modern reader seem to have no figurative meaning. Thus (pp. 64, 66) the
plagues of frogs and flies which Moses brought upon Egypt typify "the
empty garrulousness of dialecticians, and their sophistical arguments ";
the gifts of the three Magi to the infant Jesus signify "the three parts
of philosophy," etc. Mediaeval literature contains a great mass of such
interpretations.

The text and the "gloss," or commentary, are here placed on opposing
pages for the sake of clearness. The text is a compilation, chiefly from
earlier compilations; Gratian did not as a rule consult the sources
themselves. His pupil, Paucapalea, made many additions to the text, one
of which appears in this selection. The gloss here translated is the
standard commentary (_glossa ordinaria_) which was used for centuries in
the regular university lectures (see p. 108). Like the text, it is a
compilation from many sources. It was first made (c. 1212) by John the
German (Joannes Teutonicus), who added his own notes--usually signed
"John"--to his selections from earlier glossators. The names or titles,
often abbreviated, of commentators whom he quotes are frequently
appended to their notes, e.g. John of Fa[ënza], Hugo [of Pisa],
C[ardinalis], Lau[rentius Hispanus]; many notes are unsigned. About
1238 the compilation of John the German was revised and enlarged by
Bartholomew of Brescia, who also added comments from other writers, e.g.
Arc [hidiaconus]. This revision forms the greater part, if not the
whole, of the gloss which appears below.

The cross-references, in the comments below, are left untranslated. They
are mainly citations of other passages in the _Decretum_ itself. Such
references as XVI. quaest III. nemo are to be read, Case XVI, question
III, in the section beginning _Nemo_; XLVIII dist. sit rector means
Distinction XLVIII, in the section beginning _Sit rector_. Several of