Prosa 5

section 2

fortuna populari: i.e., what the populus judges to be fortuna (but cf. the discussion of fortuna in Book 2).
perpendo: "weigh carefully, judge."
malit: < malo, malle.

section 3

testatius: comparative < testatus (< testor), "manifest, public."
contingentes: "subject."

section 4

uersa uice: "with the order reversed, vice versa"; ablative absolute.
quaeque: = quae + -que.
ratio: here, "explanation."

section 5

Nunc: Nunc . . . exaggerat: B.'s belief in God as rector exacerbates his outrage at the unfair distribution of fortune's gifts.
exaggerat: Nunc . . . exaggerat: B.'s belief in God as rector exacerbates his outrage at the unfair distribution of fortune's gifts.

section 6

Qui: i.e., deus.
causa: i.e., the cause of this apparently unequal distribution.

section 7

ordinis: with ratione.
ne dubites: negative command.