Prosa 1

section 1

stili officio: "with the help of a pen."
astitisse: perfect infinitive (< a(d)sto): the woman was already there when B. noticed her.
uerticem: < uertex, "topmost point," thus: "head."
reuerendi: reuerendi . . . uultus: genitive of description.
uultus: reuerendi . . . uultus: genitive of description.
oculis ardentibus et: oculis ardentibus et . . . perspicacibus: ablative of description.
communem: take with hominum, "common to men."
perspicacibus: oculis ardentibus et . . . perspicacibus: ablative of description.
quamuis: "although," with subjunctive.
foret: = esset
ut: ut . . . crederetur: subjunctive of result.
crederetur: ut . . . crederetur: subjunctive of result.
statura discretionis ambiguae: "with stature of uncertain measure."

section 2

quidem: quidem . . . uero: "on the one hand . . . but on the other," a common usage in B.
uero: quidem . . . uero: "on the one hand . . . but on the other," a common usage in B.
summi uerticis cacumine: "with the very top of her head."
quae: connecting relative, i.e., relative pronoun in place of demonstrative + et: "and she."
extulisset: subjunctive of repeated action, with cum ("whenever").
intuitum: "gaze, view."

section 3

filis: ablative plural, "threads."
uti: = ut ("as").
post: adverb.
eadem prodente: ablative absolute (eadem = B.'s visitor).
fumosas imagines: The reference seems to be to the wax masks of deceased ancestors which hung in the atrium of a Roman house and gathered soot from the hearth fire between funeral processions, when they were worn by mourners in a masquerade of reincarnation.
solet: sc. obducere.

section 4

P: P . . . Q: for PRA\=CIJ (practice) and QEWRI\/A (theory). To the ancients "theory" (full contemplative understanding: what the woman now offers) both followed and surpassed "practice" (merely mechanical competence: concerns of the political domain in which B. was well-versed); thus P appears at the lower hem of the garment, Q at the neckline, with steps leading from the lower to the higher.
Graecum: modifies P (taken as neuter).
supremo: sc. margine.
uero: always used post-positively in its clause; best translated "but."
Q: P . . . Q: for PRA\=CIJ (practice) and QEWRI\/A (theory). To the ancients "theory" (full contemplative understanding: what the woman now offers) both followed and surpassed "practice" (merely mechanical competence: concerns of the political domain in which B. was well-versed); thus P appears at the lower hem of the garment, Q at the neckline, with steps leading from the lower to the higher.
elementum: here, "letter [of the alphabet]."
esset: subjunctive in relative clause of purpose.

section 5

manus: nominative plural.

section 8

scenicas: "of the stage," used pejoratively, as usual.
fouerent: fouerent . . . alerent: subjunctive in relative clause of characteristic. fouerent: "take care of."
uerum: the conjunction, "but."
alerent: fouerent . . . alerent: subjunctive in relative clause of characteristic.

section 9

infructuosis affectuum spinis: "with the sterile thorns of [that come from] the emotions."
fructibus: ablative with uberem: "rich in fruit."
assuefaciunt: "accustom" (transitive).

section 10

si quem: "if anyone"; the indefinite pronoun quis is commonly used after si, nisi, ne, or num.
uulgo: adverb.
solitum: sc. est.
uobis: i.e., Camenis.
ferendum: "to be borne, tolerated"; sc. esse mihi.
nihil: adverbial accusative, "not at all."
quippe: explanatory particle, "for, since."
eo: antecedent is quem profanum.
hunc uero: hunc uero . . . innutritum: ellipsis of main verb effectively expresses indignation.
Eleaticis atque Academicis studiis: the teachings of Parmenides of Elea (d. shortly after 450 B.C.), Plato (founder of the Academy at Athens; d. 347 B.C.) and their disciples.
innutritum: hunc uero . . . innutritum: ellipsis of main verb effectively expresses indignation.

section 11

Sirenes: in mythology, birds with the faces of beautiful girls singing sweetly to lure mariners to shore and death.
usque in exitium dulces: "pleasant to the point of destruction."
meisque: meisque . . . Musis dative of agent with curandum and sanandum.
Musis: meisque . . . Musis: dative of agent with curandum and sanandum.

section 12

His: His . . . increpitus: "rebuked by these [words]."
increpitus: His . . . increpitus: "rebuked by these [words]."
humi: locative.

section 13

acies: "gaze, sight."
caligaret: caligaret . . . possem: subjunctives in relative causal clauses (not quite parallel).
dinoscere: = dignoscere, "recognize, distinguish."
possem: caligaret . . . possem: subjunctives in relative causal clauses (not quite parallel).
esset: subjunctive in indirect question.
uisuque: uisuque . . . defixo: ablative absolute.
defixo: uisuque . . . defixo: ablative absolute.
esset actura: imperfect subjunctive + future participle represents a future in a indirect question.

section 14

conquesta: < conqueror, "bewail, lament bitterly."