81:1
I bid. — Ac familia multa nimis. 42. Multa familia est multitudo cogitationum cohi- benda. — Multam nimis familiam possidemus, cum cogitationes innumeras sub mentis dominatione re- stringimus; ne ipsa sui multitudine animum superent, ne perverso ordine discretionis nostrae principatum calcent. Et bene cogitationum turba multae familia appellatione signatur. Nara seimus quod absente do- mina, ancillarum linguae perstrepunt, silentium de- serunt, deputati operis officia negligunt, totumque sibimet ordinem vivendi confundunt. At si repente domina veniat, mox perstrepentes linguae reticent, officia uniuscujusque operis repetunt; sicque ad opus proprium,, ac si non recesserint, revertuntur.
同上。——「並有極多的僕婢。」四十二。極多的僕婢，是當受約束的眾多思念。——當我們把無數的思念約束在心的管轄之下時，我們就擁有極多的僕婢；免得它們因其眾多勝過靈魂，免得它們以顛倒的次序踐踏我們判別力的主權。而思念的群眾以「極多僕婢」的稱呼作標明，正為適切。因為我們知道，當女主人不在時，婢女們的舌頭喧鬧，她們離棄靜默，忽略所派工作的職責，並為自己攪亂了生活的全部秩序。但女主人若忽然來到，喧鬧的舌頭立刻靜默，她們各自重拾工作的職責；於是她們回到本分，彷彿未曾離開一般。
The same. — 'And a very great household.' 42. A great household is a multitude of thoughts to be held in check. — We possess a very great household, when we restrain innumerable thoughts under the dominion of the mind; lest by their very multitude they overcome the soul, lest by a perverse order they trample down the sovereignty of our discretion. And well is the crowd of thoughts signified by the appellation of a great household. For we know that, when the mistress is absent, the tongues of the handmaids clamour, they forsake silence, they neglect the duties of the work assigned them, and they confound for themselves the whole order of living. But if the mistress suddenly comes, at once the clamouring tongues are silent, they resume the duties of each one's work; and so they return to their proper task as if they had not departed.
81:2
Si igitur a domo mentis ad monumentum ratio dis- cedat, quasi absente domina, cogitationum se clamor, velut garrula ancillarum turba multiplicat. Ut autem ratio ad mentem redierit, mox se confusio tumul- tuosa compescit; et quasi ancillae se ad injunctum opus tacite reprimunt, dum cogitationes protinus causis se propriis ad utilitatem subdunt. Possidemus ergo multam familiam, cum recto jure innumeris co- gitationibus rationis discretione dominamur. Quod nimirum cum solerter agimus, jungi per eamdem discretionem angelis conamur. Unde et recte sub- jungitur:
因此，若理智從心靈之家離去，走向墳墓，那麼，彷彿女主人不在時，思念的喧囂便在我們裡面倍增，如同一群喋喋不休的婢女。然而理智一旦回到心靈，那紛亂的騷動立時被制止；婢女便靜靜地回到所指派的工作，思念也隨即為著我們的益處，順服於其本有的緣由之下。所以，當我們憑著分辨的正當律法，以理智統管無數的思念時，我們便擁有一大群家眷。當我們巧妙地行此事時，便藉著同一分辨力，努力與眾天使聯合。故此經文恰當地接著說：
If, therefore, reason departs from the house of the mind to the tomb, then, as though the mistress were absent, the clamor of thoughts multiplies within us like a chattering crowd of maidservants. But as soon as reason returns to the mind, the tumultuous confusion is at once restrained; and, as maidservants silently return to their appointed task, the thoughts submit themselves forthwith to their proper causes for our benefit. We possess, therefore, a great household when by the rightful law of discernment we rule over countless thoughts by our reason. And when we do this skillfully, we strive to be joined, through that same discernment, to the angels. Whence it is rightly added: