LATIN to ENGLISH for Memorial Inscription

[neilb]

Good day all, I wonder if someone could translate the following MI, I would be very grateful:

Sacr. scriniorum unus de vice-custodibus, qui cum in archivis nostris versaretur, summo rerum antiquarum studio provectus, multa docte, luculenter, accurate scripsit, sed praesertim hujusce agri annales labore exploravit historiaeque mandavit.

Many thanks in advance.
Neil

[Olivier]

As I understand it:
"One of the vice-keepers of the very holy chests, who, as he dealt with our archives, was advanced in the highest study of ancient matters, wrote many things learnedly, splendidly and carefully, but explored especially with (much) work annals of this land and (committed to a story =) wrote down a story (of it)."
-- Olivier

[neilb]

Hi Olivier,

many, many thanks for your efforts, it is very much appreciated.
That fits in very well with the life of the man.

Best wishes, Neil

[neilb]

Hi Olivier (or anyone else who could please help me),
there is one further line to the inscription:

QUO IPSE VIVENS DESIGNABAT LOCO IN PACE DEPONITUR

This follows the dates of birth and death.
All the best, and many thanks in advance.

[Olivier]

Not quite sure of the syntax but the meaning seems to be:
"and he himself designated during his life (that) he is (to be) laid in peace at that place"
-- Olivier

[neilb]

That's fantastic Olivier.
Once again, many thanks.

Best wishes, Neil

[Sisyphe]

Not quite sure of the syntax but the meaning seems to be:
"and he himself designated during his life (that) he is (to be) laid in peace at that place"
-- Olivier

It seems to be a "more ciceronian than Cicero himself" use of double relative clauses, based on the classical ellipsis "sunt artes quas qui tenent eruditi appellantur", instead of something like "sunt artes de quibus illi qui illas tenent eruditi appellantur" ("there are some sciences about which those who know these are called erudite peoples"). There are two relative clauses, the first melted on the other one, but one relative pronoun. Moreover, the "kinkiest" thing is the fact that the first relative is a "external linking relative" (fr. "relatif de liaison").

We wait for :

"Quo in loco in pace deponitur, quem ipse vivens designabat".

German and English scholars like to use the most complicated possibilities of latin syntax while writing there dedications, obituaries and other paratextual latin texts. A very common, but in fact non-classical, instance on "german-originated" latin texts is "necnon et" ("optimus professor necnon et amicus") which does not mean anything but "and" !

[Olivier]

"Quo in loco in pace deponitur, quem ipse vivens designabat"

Thanks a lot for your explanations, I had forgotten such subtleties. So the meaning would be:
"and at this place which he himself designated during his life he is laid (to rest) in peace"
-- Olivier