ADAM OF ST. VICTOR

OF THE HOLY EVANGELISTS

Round about the throne of glory,
Where the spirits blest adore,
Shaped in forms of diverse seeming,
Stand these living creatures four.
Like an eagle is the first one,
Lion-like the next appears,
Like unto a man the third is,

Shape of ox the fourth one bears.

Of these shapes the forms betoken
Christ's Evangelists the four,
Showers of whose gracious doctrines
On the Church unceasing pour.
These are holy Mark and Matthew,
Luke, and he whom Zebedee
Sent to thee, O God, that father

Mending nets beside the sea.

Formam viri dant Matthaeo,

Quia scripsit sic de Deo,
Sicut descendit ab eo,

Quem plasmavit, homine.

Lucas bos est in figura,

Ut praemonstrat in Scriptura,
Hostiarum tangens iura
Legis sub velamine.

Marcus, leo per desertum
Clamans, rugit in apertum,
Iter fiat Deo certum,

Mundum cor a crimine.

Sed Iohannes, ala bina

Caritatis, aquilina

Forma fertur in divina

Puriori lumine.

Quatuor describunt isti
Quadriformes actus Christi,
Et figurant, ut audisti,
Quisque sua formula.
Natus homo declaratur,
Vitulus sacrificatur,
Leo mortem depraedatur,

Et ascendit aquila.

Form of man they give to Matthew,
Since his Lord he thus portrayed,
Just as from the man descended
Whom in Eden God had made.
Luke the ox is, in appearance,
Since in Holy Writ he saw
Rites of sacrificial meaning,

'Neath the veiling of the law.

Mark, the lion, through the desert
Loudly roaring, clear is seen;
Straight be made for God a highway,
Every heart from sin be clean.
But on love's strong, double pinions
John is wafted from our sight
Into realms divine, as eagles
Soar into the purer light.

Fourfold in their forms, these creatures
All the acts of Christ portray,
And, as thou hast heard, describe Him
Each in his peculiar way.

Born as Man, He is depicted,
As the Ox, we see Him slain,
As the Lion, death He spoileth,
Eagle-like, He soars again.

ALANUS INSULANUS

Alanus de Insulis, or Insulanus, is supposed to have been born in L'Isle, or Lille, in Flanders, in the year 1114. He died, says Trench, about the beginning of the next century. He was known as Doctor Universalis, from his wide learning and his great ability.

It is difficult to determine whether he is the same person who is known as the friend of Bernard, and bishop of Auxerre. He was the author of a book of parables, and of "Est many poems and hymns of great merit. His poem locus ex nostro," is exceedingly beautiful, and reminds one of Bernard of Cluny.