Prosa 1

section 1

tractanda: < tracto, "handle, treat."
expedienda: < expedio, "extricate, disentangle [from confusion]."

section 2

dudum: dudum . . . dixisti: 4P6.2-4.
quaestionem: quaestionem . . . esse: accusative/infinitive in apposition with quod: "what you said, namely that . . ."
esse: quaestionem . . . esse: accusative/infinitive in apposition with quod: "what you said, namely that . . ."
dixisti: dudum . . . dixisti: 4P6.2-4.
re: here, "in reality."

section 3

an: an . . . arbitrere: (= arbitreris) indirect question.
esse: esse . . . et quidnam esse casum: indirect statement: "[that] chance exists and what it is."
et quidnam esse casum: esse . . . et quidnam esse casum: indirect statement: "[that] chance exists and what it is."
arbitrere: an . . . arbitrere: (= arbitreris) indirect question.

section 4

patriam: accusative of place to which.

section 5

cognitu: ablative supine < cognosco.
auersa: probably adjective: "contrary, in the wrong direction," with preposition a.
ne: ne . . . possis: clause of fearing after uerendum est ("it is to be feared").
emetiendum: "traversing" (gerundive of purpose).
possis: ne . . . possis: clause of fearing after uerendum est ("it is to be feared").

section 6

loco: here, "opportunity, facility"; a dative of purpose.
fuerit: future perfect.
ea: object of agnoscere ("to understand").

section 7

omne: "every."
nihil: subject of ambigatur.
de sequentibus: "concerning the consequences [of your argument]."
ambigatur: potential subjunctive.

section 8

Morem: Morem . . . geram: < morem gero, "oblige, humor," with dative.
geram: Morem . . . geram: < morem gero, "oblige, humor," with dative.
temerario: here, "accidental."
praeter subiectae rei significationem: "without signification of [any] subject"; i.e., casus is a word referring to no reality. Praeter regularly means "without" in later Latin.
Quis: quis . . . ullus: a pleonastic (redundant) later Latin combination; modifies locus. Translate: "what place . . . ?"
cohercente: cohercente . . . deo: ablative absolute.
deo: cohercente . . . deo: ablative absolute.
ullus: quis . . . ullus: a pleonastic (redundant) later Latin combination; modifies locus. Translate: "what place . . . ?"

section 9

ueterum: e.g., Parmenides (cf. on 1P1.10).
refragatus est: < refragor, "oppose, thwart," with dative.
id: the principle nihil ex nihilo existere, taken up by hoc below.
illi: sc. ueteres.
de operante principio: "concerning the first mover," i.e., God.
materiali subiecto: "matter subject [to the first mover]."
omnium de natura rationum: "of all reasoning about nature."

section 10

possibile est: governs the accusative/infinitive, casum . . . esse.
qualem: antecedent is huius modi in the previous line.
paulo ante: 5P1.8.

section 11

iure: "by rights, justly."
lateat: "escape the notice of," here with accusative uulgus.

section 12

Aristoteles: Aristoteles . . . in Physicis: Aristotle, Physics 2.4-5; more closely parallel is Metaphysics 1025a14ff.
in Physicis: Aristoteles . . . in Physicis: Aristotle, Physics 2.4-5; more closely parallel is Metaphysics 1025a14ff.
propinqua: with genitive.

section 13

gratia: with genitive cuiuspiam rei.
aliudque: take closely with quam ("than") quod intendebatur.
obtingit: "happens, befalls."
ut si: introducing a hypothetical example.
defossi: < defodio, "dig up."

section 14

fortuito: adverb, "by chance."
operatus: sc. esse.

section 15

eo loci: "in that place"; loci is partitive genitive.

section 16

compendii: "profit."
quod: sc. compendium.
obuiis sibi: "encountering each other."
gerentis: "of the one carrying out [the deed]."

section 17

ut: introducing purpose clause after intendit.
quo: sc. loco.
hunc fodisse: accusative/infinitive with conuenit and concurrit.

section 18

in his: "in these matters."
ob aliquid: "for some purpose."

section 19

suis: "their own"; refers to cuncta.