Mundo Deus, sublimatur Istis arca vectibus. Non est domus ruitura Deo junctus Homini. 59 50 volitantia. Tenent se mutuo, sibique perplexi sunt, et quasi rota in rotâ volvuntur, et pergunt quoquumque eos flatus S. Spiritûs perduxerit. Cf. Augustine, De Cons. Evang. i. 7; and Durandus, Rationale, vii. 46, who indeed suggests quite another allusion, namely to Cant. v. 11. 48. vectibus] Cf. Exod. xxv. 13-15. The vectes, of shittimwood overlaid with gold, were the staves which lifted the ark from the ground. They passed through the four golden rings at the four corners of the ark; and, though being only in fact two, had four extremities. Sometimes these, but oftener the four golden rings through which they pass, are made symbolic of the four Evangelists. Thus Hugh of St Victor: Quatuor annuli, qui arcæ inhærent, quatuor sunt Evangeliorum libri. Clichtoveus unites both Per hos autem quatuor circulos et vectes illis insertos, quibus deferebatur arca, intelliguntur Evangelistæ, quorum narratione Christus, arca mystica et spiritualis, in omnem mundi partem, quantum ad sui notitiam, est delatus. 50. quadraturâ] The allusion is to Rev. xxi. 16. The house stands firm which stands on a foursquare foundation: in this shape is the greatest strength and stability of all. See the symbolie use of the λίθος τετράγωνος in the Tabula of Cebes, c. 18. Even so the fourfold history of the Lord's life, the evayyéλiov TETPάywvov, is the strong foundation on which the faith of the Church reposes. Thus Durandus (Rational. vii. 46): Sicut enim inter cæteras formas quadratum, sic inter cæteras doctrinas Evangelium solidius et stabilius perseverat; nam illud undique stat, et ideo legitur (Apocal. c. 21) quod civitas in quadro posita est. III. Gautier, Adam de S. Victor, vol. i. p. 241. This grand poem, a noble addition to our Latin hymnal, was by him published for the first time. 1-6. I cannot but think that Dr Neale, to whom we are indebted for a translation of this hymn (Medieval Hymns, 1863, p. 125), has failed to seize the true meaning of this first stanza. He renders it thus: That substantive Word, united To the flesh, and therein plighted To a life of misery sore, By caro he understands that flesh which the Word assumed at the Incarnation, and the contrast which the poet, so understood, would find taught in the theology of St John is that between Christ's human nature and his divine. But what then is made of the verbum Verbi of the original, not to speak of other objections? I take the passage altogether differently, and find a key to its meaning at 1 John ii. 16, 17; John xii. 48; cf. 1 Pet. i. 24, 25; understanding the poet to say as follows: The theology of John teaches us that while the flesh (that is, all which is in the world and of the world), declines, wastes, and decays, the word of the Word (verbum Verbi), all which Christ utters, endures for everlasting years, shall never pass away. 12. Mentis per excessus]. Cf. Rev. i. 10, 19–48. The poet urges that the theology, properly so called, belongs to St John. The other Evangelists set forth Christ's earthly ministry of labour and toil and passion; St John rather the relation of Him, the creative Word, to the Father (John i. 3; Gen. i. 1), and his return, at the end of time, cum ultrici frameâ (ver. 48)—these last words containing an allusion to that sublimest of all visions, Rev. xix. 11-16. 36. idiota]. A reference to Acts iv. 15, where Peter and John are described as homines sine litteris et idiota (Vulg.). 37-42. A difficult stanza. Gautier, who is prodigal of unneeded help, gives not a word of assistance here. The first three lines contain no serious difficulty, or at any rate none which an accurate study of Ezekiel, chap. i. and x. will not remove. Thus we can explain lumen visuale by aid of Ezek. i. 18; x. 12 (Macarius calling the living creatures of the prophet ¿λo¤áλμ¤ (aa); the vultus anceps by Ezek. i. 6, 10; the leves alæ by i. 6, 9; and the rote stantes by i. 21. But what is exactly the force of the last three lines is harder to say. I take however Adam to mean that St John's eagle glance (lumen visuale), with all else ascribed to him here, was seen in heaven, anticipated in Ezekiel's vision, before John himself, or his Lord, the charioteer (auriga) of that wondrous chariot which John, with the other 'living creatures," upbore, took form and shape on earth. Illi scribunt Christum pati Hic sublimis tractu pennæ Pennis hujus idiotæ Et cœlestes citharœdi Se prosternunt Patris sedi 49, 50. Cf. Ezek. i. 19: Cumque ambularent animalia, ambulabant pariter et rotæ juxta ea, et cum elevarentur animalia de terrâ, elevabantur simul et rotæ (Vulg.). |