Arnobius — Against the Nations 2.17
17.1. "But we are rational and by intelligence we conquer the whole kind of mute things." — I would believe that said most truly if all humans lived with reason and counsel, kept the course of duties, abstained from illicit things, did not approach base businesses, and no one by depravity of counsel and blindness of ignorance demanded things contrary and hostile to himself.
2. Yet I would like to know what this reason is through which we are better than all kinds of animals.
3. Because we have made dwellings for ourselves by which we can avoid winter colds and summer heats?
4. What then—do the other animals not have foresight of this matter? Do we not see some build for themselves dwellings of nests in most suitable seats, others cover and fortify themselves with rocks and cliffs hung above, others dig the floors of earth and prepare for themselves shelters and dens in diggable pits?
5. But if parent nature had wished to give them also serving hands, it would not be doubtful that they too would construct high peaks of walls and hammer out artful novelties. Yet in these very things which they make with beaks and claws we see many likenesses of reason and wisdom which we humans can imitate by no practice, though we have craftsman hands and artisans of every kind of perfection.
Latin
17.1. ''Sed rationales nos sumus et intellegentia vincimus genus omne mutorum''. - Crederem istud verissime dici, si cum ratione et consilio cuncti homines viverent, servarent officiorum tenorem, abstinerent ab inlicitis sese, negotia turpia non adirent, neque quisquam pravitate consilii atque ignorantiae caecitate contraria sibimet atque inimica deposceret.
2. Vellem tamen scire quaenam sit haec ratio, per quam sumus potiores animalium generibus cunctis.
3. Quia nobis domicilia fecimus, quibus possimus hiemalia frigora et aestatis flagrantias evitare?
4. Quid, animantia cetera huius rei providentiam non habent? Nonne alia cernimus opportunissimis sedibus nidulorum sibi construere mansiones, alia se saxis et rupibus tegere et communire suspensis, excavare alia telluris sola et in fossibilibus foveis tutamina sibimet et cubilia praeparare?
5. Quodsi ministras manus illis etiam donare parens natura voluisset, dubitabile non foret, quin et ipsa construerent moenium alta fastigia et artificiosas excuderent novitates. Tamen in his ipsis quae rostris atque unguibus faciunt, multa inesse conspicimus rationis et sapientiae simulacra, quae homines imitari nulla meditatione possimus, quamvis sint nobis opifices manus atque omni genere perfectionis artifices.