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common, both in the underlying Greek text and in language; and many of the differences are fully compatible with the supposition that the African was the parent of the European text, having undergone revision when it travelled northwards, and been in some measure adapted to the needs of a more highly cultivated population. On the other hand, other differences, not so easily accounted for by this process, afford some justification for the alternative view that Italy had an indigenous version of her own, not less original than the African. The distinctively African renderings which occur not unfrequently in some of the best European documents may be explained in conformity with either view; as survivors from an earlier state, or as aliens introduced by mixture. Recent investigations have failed to solve this difficult problem, and it must be left for further examination: fortunately the value of the two early forms of the Latin text is not appreciably affected by the uncertainty. The name 'Old Latin', in its narrower and truer sense, may properly be retained for both, where there is no need of distinguishing them, and for the European text, where the African is not extant or never existed; the special designations 'African Latin' and 'European Latin' being employed where they bear a divided testimony.

110. After the middle of the fourth century we meet with Latin texts which must be referred to a third type. They are evidently due to various revisions of the European text, made partly to bring it into accord with such Greek MSS as chanced to be available, partly to give the Latinity a smoother and more customary aspect. In itself the process was analogous to that by which the European text must have been formed, on the supposition that it was of African parentage: but, as we shall see presently, the fundamental text now underwent more serious changes, owing to the character of the Greek MSS chiefly employed. The fact that the Latin text found in many of Augustine's writings is of this type has long been used with good reason to shew what he meant by the Itala which he names in a single laudatory notice (De doct. Chr. ii 15). Without doubt this name was intended to distinguish the version or text which he had in view from the 'African' version or text with which he was likewise familiar ('codices Afros' Retr. i 21 3). The only open question is whether he had definitely before his mind a special text due to a recent North Italian re-