The partridge: crafty, unclean, not the Savior
We have come upon the much-discussed question, to see what the partridge is, concerning which Scripture now says: 'A partridge called; it gathered what it did not bear, making its wealth not with judgment. In the middle of its days they will abandon it, and at its end it will be a fool.' (Jeremiah 17:11)
From the account of the natures of animals we must take up what has been recorded about the partridge, so that knowing the things about the animal we may know whether the partridge now spoken of must be ranked upon a better or upon a worse. It is said to be a most ill-natured animal, and deceitful, and thoroughly crafty, wanting to deceive those who hunt it, and often rolling about the feet of the hunter so as to distract him—as if the animal were near—so that he may not come upon the nest. And whenever it judges that it has distracted the hunter and the nestlings have fled, then it too flies away. And the animal is utterly unclean, so that the males fight one another over mating and male mounts male.
If then this animal is ill-natured and unclean and thoroughly crafty and deceitful, it is clear that to rank it upon a better and to say it can be referred to the Savior appears impious. Therefore we must see, if we wish to interpret it of the opposing one, whether the whole interpretation follows for us.
Greek
Ἐπὶ τὸ διαβόητον ζήτημα ἐληλύθαμεν ἰδεῖν τίς ἐστιν ὁ πέρδιξ, περὶ οὗ νῦν φησιν ἡ γραφή· «ἐφώνησε πέρδιξ, συνήγαγεν ἃ οὐκ ἔτεκε, ποιῶν τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτοῦ οὐ μετὰ κρίσεως. ἐν ἡμίσει ἡμερῶν αὐτοῦ ἐγκαταλείψουσιν αὐτόν, καὶ ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων αὐτοῦ ἔσται ἄφρων.
ἐκ τοῦ περὶ φύσεως ζώων δεῖ ἀναλαβεῖν τίνα ἱστόρηται περὶ τοῦ πέρδικος, ἵνα εἰδότες τὰ περὶ τὸ ζῶον εἰδῶμεν πότερον ἐπὶ κρείττονος τάξαι δεῖνῦν λεγόμενον τὸν πέρδικα ἢ ἐπὶ χείρονος. λέγεται δὴ ζῶον εἶναι κακοηθέστατον καὶ δόλιον καὶ πανοῦργον, καὶ ἀπατᾶν βουλόμενον τοὺς θηρεύοντας καὶ πολλάκις κυλιόμενον περὶ τοὺς πόδας τοῦ θηρεύοντος, ἵνα αὐτὸν περιστάσῃ ὡς ἐγγὺς ὂν τὸ ζῶον πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἥκειν ἐπὶ τὴν καλιάν. καὶ ἡνίκα ἐὰν στοχάσηται περιεσπακέναι τὸν θηρευ- τὴν καὶ τὰ νεοσσία πεφευγέναι, τότε καὶ αὐτὸς ἀφίπταται.
ἔστι δὲ τὸ ζῶον πάνυ ἀκάθαρτον ὥστε τοὺς ἄρρενας μονομαχεῖν πρὸς ἀλλήλους περὶ τῆς μίξεως καὶ ἄρρενα ἄρρενα ἐπιβαίνειν. εἰ οὖν καὶ κακόηθες εἰ καὶ ἀκάθαρτον, εἰ καὶ πανοῦργον, εἰ καὶ ἀπατηλὸν τοῦτο τὸ ζῶόν ἐστι, δῆλον ὅτι τάξαι ἐπὶ κρείττονος αὐτὸ καὶ εἰπεῖν ἐπὶ τὸν σωτῆρα δύνασθαι ἀναφέρεσθαι ἀσεβὲς εἶναι φαίνεται. δεῖ οὖν ἰδεῖν, ἂν θέλωμεν αὐτὸ ἑρμηνεῦσαι ἐπὶ τὸν ἀντικείμενον, εἰ ἀκολουθεῖ ἡμῖν ὅλη ἡ ἑρμηνεία.