Tuesday's Serial: “Lavengro” by George Borrow (in English) - VIII

 

Chapter 15

monsieur dante—condemned musket—sporting—sweet rivulet—the earl's home—the pool—the sonorous voice—what dost thou read?—the man of peace—of zohar and mishna—the money-changers

 

So I studied French and Italian under the tuition of the banished priest, to whose house I went regularly every evening to receive instruction. I made considerable progress in the acquisition of the two languages. I found the French by far the most difficult, chiefly on account of the accent, which my master himself possessed in no great purity, being a Norman by birth. The Italian was my favourite.

'Vous serez un jour un grand philologue, mon cher,' said the old man, on our arriving at the conclusion of Dante's Hell.

'I hope I shall be something better,' said I, 'before I die, or I shall have lived to little purpose.'

'That's true, my dear! philologist—one small poor dog. What would you wish to be?'

'Many things sooner than that; for example, I would rather be like him who wrote this book.'

'Quoi, Monsieur Dante? He was a vagabond, my dear, forced to fly from his country. No, my dear, if you would be like one poet, be like Monsieur Boileau; he is the poet.'

'I don't think so.'

'How, not think so? He wrote very respectable verses; lived and died much respected by everybody. T'other, one bad dog, forced to fly from his country—died with not enough to pay his undertaker.'

'Were you not forced to flee from your country?'

'That very true; but there is much difference between me and this Dante. He fled from country because he had one bad tongue which he shook at his betters. I fly because benefice gone, and head going; not on account of the badness of my tongue.'

'Well,' said I, 'you can return now; the Bourbons are restored.'

'I find myself very well here; not bad country. Il est vrai que la France sera toujours la France; but all are dead there who knew me. I find myself very well here. Preach in popish chapel, teach schismatic, that is Protestant, child tongues and literature. I find myself very well; and why? Because I know how to govern my tongue; never call people hard names. Ma foi, il y a beaucoup de différence entre moi et ce sacre de Dante.'

Under this old man, who was well versed in the southern languages, besides studying French and Italian, I acquired some knowledge of Spanish. But I did not devote my time entirely to philology; I had other pursuits. I had not forgotten the roving life I had led in former days, nor its delights; neither was I formed by Nature to be a pallid indoor student. No, no! I was fond of other and, I say it boldly, better things than study. I had an attachment to the angle, ay, and to the gun likewise. In our house was a condemned musket, bearing somewhere on its lock, in rather antique characters, 'Tower, 1746'; with this weapon I had already, in Ireland, performed some execution among the rooks and choughs, and it was now again destined to be a source of solace and amusement to me, in the winter season, especially on occasions of severe frost when birds abounded. Sallying forth with it at these times, far into the country, I seldom returned at night without a string of bullfinches, blackbirds, and linnets hanging in triumph round my neck. When I reflect on the immense quantity of powder and shot which I crammed down the muzzle of my uncouth fowling-piece, I am less surprised at the number of birds which I slaughtered than that I never blew my hands, face, and old honeycombed gun, at one and the same time, to pieces.

But the winter, alas! (I speak as a fowler) seldom lasts in England more than three or four months; so, during the rest of the year, when not occupied with my philological studies, I had to seek for other diversions. I have already given a hint that I was also addicted to the angle. Of course there is no comparison between the two pursuits, the rod and line seeming but very poor trumpery to one who has had the honour of carrying a noble firelock. There is a time, however, for all things; and we return to any favourite amusement with the greater zest, from being compelled to relinquish it for a season. So, if I shot birds in winter with my firelock, I caught fish in summer, or attempted so to do, with my angle. I was not quite so successful, it is true, with the latter as with the former; possibly because it afforded me less pleasure. It was, indeed, too much of a listless pastime to inspire me with any great interest. I not unfrequently fell into a doze, whilst sitting on the bank, and more than once let my rod drop from my hands into the water.

At some distance from the city, behind a range of hilly ground which rises towards the south-west, is a small river, the waters of which, after many meanderings, eventually enter the principal river of the district, and assist to swell the tide which it rolls down to the ocean. It is a sweet rivulet, and pleasant is it to trace its course from its spring-head, high up in the remote regions of Eastern Anglia, till it arrives in the valley behind yon rising ground; and pleasant is that valley, truly a goodly spot, but most lovely where yonder bridge crosses the little stream. Beneath its arch the waters rush garrulously into a blue pool, and are there stilled, for a time, for the pool is deep, and they appear to have sunk to sleep. Farther on, however, you hear their voice again, where they ripple gaily over yon gravelly shallow. On the left, the hill slopes gently down to the margin of the stream. On the right is a green level, a smiling meadow, grass of the richest decks the side of the slope; mighty trees also adorn it, giant elms, the nearest of which, when the sun is nigh its meridian, fling a broad shadow upon the face of the pool; through yon vista you catch a glimpse of the ancient brick of an old English hall. It has a stately look, that old building, indistinctly seen, as it is, among those umbrageous trees; you might almost suppose it an earl's home; and such it was, or rather upon its site stood an earl's home, in days of old, for there some old Kemp, some Sigurd or Thorkild, roaming in quest of a hearthstead, settled down in the grey old time, when Thor and Freya were yet gods, and Odin was a portentous name. Yon old hall is still called the Earl's Home, though the hearth of Sigurd is now no more, and the bones of the old Kemp, and of Sigrith his dame, have been mouldering for a thousand years in some neighbouring knoll; perhaps yonder, where those tall Norwegian pines shoot up so boldly into the air. It is said that the old earl's galley was once moored where is now that blue pool, for the waters of that valley were not always sweet; yon valley was once an arm of the sea, a salt lagoon, to which the war-barks of 'Sigurd, in search of a home,' found their way.

I was in the habit of spending many an hour on the banks of that rivulet, with my rod in my hand, and, when tired with angling, would stretch myself on the grass, and gaze upon the waters as they glided past, and not unfrequently, divesting myself of my dress, I would plunge into the deep pool which I have already mentioned, for I had long since learned to swim. And it came to pass that on one hot summer's day, after bathing in the pool, I passed along the meadow till I came to a shallow part, and, wading over to the opposite side, I adjusted my dress, and commenced fishing in another pool, beside which was a small clump of hazels.

And there I sat upon the bank, at the bottom of the hill which slopes down from 'the Earl's home'; my float was on the waters, and my back was towards the old hall. I drew up many fish, small and great, which I took from off the hook mechanically, and flung upon the bank, for I was almost unconscious of what I was about, for my mind was not with my fish. I was thinking of my earlier years—of the Scottish crags and the heaths of Ireland—and sometimes my mind would dwell on my studies—on the sonorous stanzas of Dante, rising and falling like the waves of the sea—or would strive to remember a couplet or two of poor Monsieur Boileau.

'Canst thou answer to thy conscience for pulling all those fish out of the water, and leaving them to gasp in the sun?' said a voice, clear and sonorous as a bell.

I started, and looked round. Close behind me stood the tall figure of a man, dressed in raiment of quaint and singular fashion, but of goodly materials. He was in the prime and vigour of manhood; his features handsome and noble, but full of calmness and benevolence; at least I thought so, though they were somewhat shaded by a hat of finest beaver, with broad drooping eaves.

'Surely that is a very cruel diversion in which thou indulgest, my young friend?' he continued.

'I am sorry for it, if it be, sir,' said I, rising; 'but I do not think it cruel to fish.'

'What are thy reasons for not thinking so?'

'Fishing is mentioned frequently in Scripture. Simon Peter was a fisherman.'

'True; and Andrew and his brother. But thou forgettest: they did not follow fishing as a diversion, as I fear thou doest.—Thou readest the Scriptures?'

'Sometimes.'

'Sometimes?—not daily?—that is to be regretted. What profession dost thou make?—I mean to what religious denomination dost thou belong, my young friend?'

'Church.'

'It is a very good profession—there is much of Scripture contained in its liturgy. Dost thou read aught besides the Scriptures?'

'Sometimes.'

'What dost thou read besides?'

'Greek, and Dante.'

'Indeed! then thou hast the advantage over myself; I can only read the former. Well, I am rejoiced to find that thou hast other pursuits beside thy fishing. Dost thou know Hebrew?'

'No?'

'Thou shouldst study it. Why dost thou not undertake the study?'

'I have no books.'

'I will lend thee books, if thou wish to undertake the study. I live yonder at the hall, as perhaps thou knowest. I have a library there, in which are many curious books, both in Greek and Hebrew, which I will show to thee, whenever thou mayest find it convenient to come and see me. Farewell! I am glad to find that thou hast pursuits more satisfactory than thy cruel fishing.'

And the man of peace departed, and left me on the bank of the stream. Whether from the effect of his words, or from want of inclination to the sport, I know not, but from that day I became less and less a practitioner of that 'cruel fishing.' I rarely flung line and angle into the water, but I not unfrequently wandered by the banks of the pleasant rivulet. It seems singular to me, on reflection, that I never availed myself of his kind invitation. I say singular, for the extraordinary, under whatever form, had long had no slight interest for me; and I had discernment enough to perceive that yon was no common man. Yet I went not near him, certainly not from bashfulness or timidity, feelings to which I had long been an entire stranger. Am I to regret this? perhaps, for I might have learned both wisdom and righteousness from those calm, quiet lips, and my after-course might have been widely different. As it was, I fell in with other guess companions, from whom I received widely different impressions than those I might have derived from him. When many years had rolled on, long after I had attained manhood, and had seen and suffered much, and when our first interview had long since been effaced from the mind of the man of peace, I visited him in his venerable hall, and partook of the hospitality of his hearth. And there I saw his gentle partner and his fair children, and on the morrow he showed me the books of which he had spoken years before by the side of the stream. In the low quiet chamber, whose one window, shaded by a gigantic elm, looks down the slope towards the pleasant stream, he took from the shelf his learned books, Zohar and Mishna, Toldoth Jesu and Abarbenel. 'I am fond of these studies,' said he, 'which, perhaps, is not to be wondered at, seeing that our people have been compared to the Jews. In one respect I confess we are similar to them; we are fond of getting money. I do not like this last author, this Abarbenel, the worse for having been a money-changer. I am a banker myself, as thou knowest.'

And would there were many like him, amidst the money-changers of princes! The hall of many an earl lacks the bounty, the palace of many a prelate the piety and learning, which adorn the quiet Quaker's home!

 

 

Chapter 16

fair of horses—looks of respect—the fast trotter—pair of eyes—strange men—jasper, your pal—force of blood—the young lady with diamonds

 

I was standing on the castle hill in the midst of a fair of horses.

I have already had occasion to mention this castle. It is the remains of what was once a Norman stronghold, and is perched upon a round mound or monticle, in the midst of the old city. Steep is this mound and scarped, evidently by the hand of man; a deep gorge over which is flung a bridge, separates it, on the south, from a broad swell of open ground called 'the hill'; of old the scene of many a tournament and feat of Norman chivalry, but now much used as a show-place for cattle, where those who buy and sell beeves and other beasts resort at stated periods.

So it came to pass that I stood upon this hill, observing a fair of horses.

The reader is already aware that I had long since conceived a passion for the equine race; a passion in which circumstances had of late not permitted me to indulge. I had no horses to ride, but I took pleasure in looking at them; and I had already attended more than one of these fairs: the present was lively enough, indeed horse fairs are seldom dull. There was shouting and whooping, neighing and braying; there was galloping and trotting; fellows with highlows and white stockings, and with many a string dangling from the knees of their tight breeches, were running desperately, holding horses by the halter, and in some cases dragging them along; there were long-tailed steeds and dock-tailed steeds of every degree and breed; there were droves of wild ponies, and long rows of sober cart horses; there were donkeys, and even mules: the last rare things to be seen in damp, misty England, for the mule pines in mud and rain, and thrives best with a hot sun above and a burning sand below. There were—oh, the gallant creatures! I hear their neigh upon the wind; there were—goodliest sight of all—certain enormous quadrupeds only seen to perfection in our native isle, led about by dapper grooms, their manes ribanded and their tails curiously clubbed and balled. Ha! ha!—how distinctly do they say, ha! ha!

An old man draws nigh, he is mounted on a lean pony, and he leads by the bridle one of these animals; nothing very remarkable about that creature, unless in being smaller than the rest and gentle, which they are not; he is not of the sightliest look; he is almost dun, and over one eye a thick film has gathered. But stay! there is something remarkable about that horse, there is something in his action in which he differs from all the rest: as he advances, the clamour is hushed! all eyes are turned upon him—what looks of interest—of respect—and, what is this? people are taking off their hats—surely not to that steed! Yes, verily! men, especially old men, are taking off their hats to that one-eyed steed, and I hear more than one deep-drawn ah!

'What horse is that?' said I to a very old fellow, the counterpart of the old man on the pony, save that the last wore a faded suit of velveteen, and this one was dressed in a white frock.

'The best in mother England,' said the very old man, taking a knobbed stick from his mouth, and looking me in the face, at first carelessly, but presently with something like interest; 'he is old like myself, but can still trot his twenty miles an hour. You won't live long, my swain; tall and overgrown ones like thee never does; yet, if you should chance to reach my years, you may boast to thy great-grand-boys thou hast seen Marshland Shales.'

Amain I did for the horse what I would neither do for earl nor baron, doffed my hat; yes! I doffed my hat to the wondrous horse, the fast trotter, the best in mother England; and I too drew a deep ah! and repeated the words of the old fellows around. 'Such a horse as this we shall never see again; a pity that he is so old.'

Now during all this time I had a kind of consciousness that I had been the object of some person's observation; that eyes were fastened upon me from somewhere in the crowd. Sometimes I thought myself watched from before, sometimes from behind; and occasionally methought that, if I just turned my head to the right or left, I should meet a peering and inquiring glance; and indeed once or twice I did turn, expecting to see somebody whom I knew, yet always without success; though it appeared to me that I was but a moment too late, and that some one had just slipped away from the direction to which I turned, like the figure in a [[wikt|magic lantern|magic lanthorn}}. Once I was quite sure that there were a pair of eyes glaring over my right shoulder; my attention, however, was so fully occupied with the objects which I have attempted to describe, that I thought very little of this coming and going, this flitting and dodging of I knew not whom or what. It was, after all, a matter of sheer indifference to me who was looking at me. I could only wish whomsoever it might be to be more profitably employed; so I continued enjoying what I saw; and now there was a change in the scene, the wondrous old horse departed with his aged guardian; other objects of interest are at hand; two or three men on horseback are hurrying through the crowd, they are widely different in their appearance from the other people of the fair; not so much in dress, for they are clad something after the fashion of rustic jockeys, but in their look—no light-brown hair have they, no ruddy cheeks, no blue quiet glances belong to them; their features are dark, their locks long, black, and shining, and their eyes are wild; they are admirable horsemen, but they do not sit the saddle in the manner of common jockeys, they seem to float or hover upon it, like gulls upon the waves; two of them are mere striplings, but the third is a very tall man with a countenance heroically beautiful, but wild, wild, wild. As they rush along, the crowd give way on all sides, and now a kind of ring or circus is formed, within which the strange men exhibit their horsemanship, rushing past each other, in and out, after the manner of a reel, the tall man occasionally balancing himself upon the saddle, and standing erect on one foot. He had just regained his seat after the latter feat, and was about to push his horse to a gallop, when a figure started forward close from beside me, and laying his hand on his neck, and pulling him gently downward, appeared to whisper something into his ear; presently the tall man raised his head, and, scanning the crowd for a moment in the direction in which I was standing, fixed his eyes full upon me, and anon the countenance of the whisperer was turned, but only in part, and the side-glance of another pair of wild eyes was directed towards my face, but the entire visage of the big black man, half stooping as he was, was turned full upon mine.

But now, with a nod to the figure who had stopped him, and with another inquiring glance at myself, the big man once more put his steed into motion, and, after riding round the ring a few more times, darted through a lane in the crowd, and followed by his two companions disappeared, whereupon the figure who had whispered to him, and had subsequently remained in the middle of the space, came towards me, and, cracking a whip which he held in his hand so loudly that the report was nearly equal to that of a pocket pistol, he cried in a strange tone:

'What! the sap-engro? Lor! the sap-engro upon the hill!'

'I remember that word,' said I, 'and I almost think I remember you. You can't be—'

'Jasper, your pal! Truth, and no lie, brother.'

'It is strange that you should have known me,' said I. 'I am certain, but for the word you used, I should never have recognised you.'

'Not so strange as you may think, brother; there is something in your face which would prevent people from forgetting you, even though they might wish it; and your face is not much altered since the time you wot of, though you are so much grown. I thought it was you, but to make sure I dodged about, inspecting you. I believe you felt me, though I never touched you; a sign, brother, that we are akin, that we are dui palor—two relations. Your blood beat when mine was near, as mine always does at the coming of a brother; and we became brothers in that lane.'

'And where are you staying?' said I; 'in this town?'

'Not in the town; the like of us don't find it exactly wholesome to stay in towns, we keep abroad. But I have little to do here—come with me, and I'll show you where we stay.'

We descended the hill in the direction of the north, and passing along the suburb reached the old Norman bridge, which we crossed; the chalk precipice, with the ruin on its top, was now before us; but turning to the left we walked swiftly along, and presently came to some rising ground, which ascending, we found ourselves upon a wild moor or heath.

'You are one of them,' said I, 'whom people call—'

'Just so,' said Jasper; 'but never mind what people call us.'

'And that tall handsome man on the hill, whom you whispered? I suppose he's one of ye. What is his name?'

'Tawno Chikno,' said Jasper, 'which means the small one; we call him such because he is the biggest man of all our nation. You say he is handsome, that is not the word, brother; he's the beauty of the world. Women run wild at the sight of Tawno. An earl's daughter, near London—a fine young lady with diamonds round her neck—fell in love with Tawno. I have seen that lass on a heath, as this may be, kneel down to Tawno, clasp his feet, begging to be his wife—or anything else—if she might go with him. But Tawno would have nothing to do with her: “I have a wife of my own,” said he, “a lawful rommany wife, whom I love better than the whole world, jealous though she sometimes be.”'

'And is she very beautiful?' said I.

'Why, you know, brother, beauty is frequently a matter of taste; however, as you ask my opinion, I should say not quite so beautiful as himself.'

We had now arrived at a small valley between two hills, or downs, the sides of which were covered with furze; in the midst of this valley were various carts and low tents forming a rude kind of encampment; several dark children were playing about, who took no manner of notice of us. As we passed one of the tents, however, a canvas screen was lifted up, and a woman supported upon a crutch hobbled out. She was about the middle age, and, besides being lame, was bitterly ugly; she was very slovenly dressed, and on her swarthy features ill nature was most visibly stamped. She did not deign me a look, but, addressing Jasper in a tongue which I did not understand, appeared to put some eager questions to him.

'He's coming,' said Jasper, and passed on. 'Poor fellow,' said he to me, 'he has scarcely been gone an hour, and she's jealous already. Well,' he continued, 'what do you think of her? you have seen her now, and can judge for yourself—that 'ere woman is Tawno Chikno's wife!'

Monday's Illustrated Word: "Bring Back My Feet" by unknown writer (in English)

 Mac L. Pakula - Mystery Tales #16 - Atlas, Oct 1953.

 

 

Sermon for Holy Saturday by St. Vincent Ferrer (translated into English)

 

“For you are dead; and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ shall appear, who is your life, then you also shall appear with him in glory.”(Col 3:3-4)

 

At Colossians 3:3 and in today’s epistle. Yesterday, the end of the sermon was the burial of the body of Christ, but about his soul where did it go, or what it did do, nothing was said. So now I wish to preach on this matter. But first we salute the Virgin Mary, etc. Already we can wish her joy and happiness, because soon the glorious resurrection of her son will happen, so we can greet her humbly and devoutly saying to her, Hail Mary. etc.

“Your life,” etc. For introducing the declaration of this word and preaching this matter it must be understood that sacred doctrine is general and certain to the Christian faith, that after the bodily death of Christ, his soul descended into hell, and it is an article of the faith saying, “died and was buried,” with respect to the body, “he descended into hell,” with respect to the soul, although he could have immediately ascended into heaven if he had wished, but he chose not to, rather he wished to be so humbled, because he wished to descend principally to comfort the holy fathers, for liberating them. Just as a king, having a battlefield victory wishes to enter the city in person, so Christ. And as long as his body was in the tomb, that long was his soul in limbo, and the next day the soul of Christ, together with the holy fathers would come out of limbo and assuming his glorious body resurrected. This is the true teaching of Christian faith, confirmed by the authority of Christ saying, ” “For as Jonas was in the whale’s belly three days and three nights: so shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights,” (Mt 12:40).   Tell briefly the story of Jonah the prophet, as is found Jonah 1 and 2. And how he was a figure of the passion of Christ. The ship in which Christ sailed is human nature. Reason, because like the way a ship is made, namely narrow in the beginning, wide in the mille etc., likewise in the time of Christ, Gal 4: “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent his Son,” (Gal 4:4). Now it is trimmed off like a stern. In the middle of the deck is placed the cross of Christ [Malus huius vanis in medio positus fuit crux Christi]. The sail is the body of Christ.

“She is like the merchant’s ship,” (Prov 31:14). This ship is battered by great waves and dangers of sinking into hell, nor was there another remedy of escaping but only that Jonah, i.e. Christ, be thrown into the sea, namely into the bitterness of suffering and death. And the whale, i.e. hell, opened its mouth and received him and held him three days and three nights, but on the next day he spit him up, and although the body of Christ and the soul on that day were divided and separated, nevertheless divinity never was separated nor divided, neither from the body nor from the soul, but all was with the body in the tomb, and all was with the soul in limbo, as St. Thomas says in the Third Part, q. 50, a. 2 & 3.

If it is asked how is this possible. I shall give you two comparisons for your eyes to strengthen your understanding. First the apple, one part white and the other part red. which if it is cut by a knife into two parts, its odor remains with both divided parts. The same with the humanity of Christ. Think that the humanity of Christ is like an apple, whose white part is the soul of Christ, purest without any defect, the red part his flesh, bloodied from the passion. Abut which Solomon, Canticle 5 in the person of the virgin Mary saying, “My beloved is white and ruddy, ,” (Song 5:10). The eternal divinity is united to the body and soul of Christ before the passion and death, like smell is joined and united to an apple. But the humanity of Christ, by the sword of death was divided and separated into two principal parts, but nevertheless, the odor, i.e. the eternal divinity always remained with both part inseparably.

A second image is more beautiful and clear, of a piece of crystal to the ray of sun which completely is filled with light and the brightness of the sun. For which reason if it is divided into two parts, the whole clarity of the sun remains with each divided part. So too with the humility of Christ, purer than crystal, illumined by the light and brightness of divinity, which broken in death, the whole divinity remains inseparably with each divided part, hidden, namely with the body in the grave, and with the soul in limbo or in hell. “His brightness shall be as the light; horns are in his hands: There is his strength hid: Death shall go before his face.,” (Hab 3:4f). In which is found three times of Christ, namely the time of his preaching, where ” His brightness shall be as the light,”. Second is the time of his bitter passion, ” horns are in his hands,” namely of the nails in his hands. And [third] the time of his death, where,” There is his strength hid,” namely his divinity, which was hidden with his body in the tomb and with his soul in limbo. Note, ” Death shall go before his face ” Before the passion of Christ death itself followed from the persecution of the Jews, not that death would have something in Christ, and Christ was followed until it caught him. But after his resurrection death went before him. So he says “Death shall go before his face,” Of this hiding Isaiah also speaks: “Verily thou art a hidden God, the God of Israel the savior.,” (Isa 45:15). Of this hiding speaks the theme, ” your life,” that is divinity is hidden with Christ.

Note for continuing of the sermon that although divinity is eternal, then it was hidden to those who were in the world, nevertheless then it was shown and manifested to those from hell, not that all from hell would see it, but all who were in hell and who knew Christ to be true God and true man. And divinity was shown to them and manifested in four ways, according that there were four places in hell

— First, the lowest place is the prison of the damned.

— Second, is the limbo of the fathers.

— Third is the limbo of those being purified,

— Fourth is the bosom of the holy fathers.

In each of these four the divinity of Christ was manifested in some way, because he descended to all, as the article of faith says, “died and was buried, and descended into hell [inferos]. Note the plural, “hells” [inferos]. But they did not see the divinity but only those who were in the bosom of the holy fathers, although he descended to all. So the Apostle, Ephesians 4: “he also descended first,” that is before he rose, “into the lower parts of the earth ,” (Eph 4:9). So it is good to know what he did there.

 

HELL - The first place, and the lowest, is the place of hell, the prison of the damned, filled with inextinguishable fire, which by divine power, tortures demons and damned souls. The soul of Christ descended to this place and there showed his divinity by rigorous reproaches, not according to its essence but according to effect, as St. Thomas says, [Summa theologica] III, q. 55, a. 2.

For two reasons the soul of Christ descended to these. First to bind Lucifer, who from the beginning of the world up to this time captured souls for one of the aforesaid four places. But yesterday, while Christ was on the cross with such a painful passion, abandoned by the apostles, disciples and friends, Lucifer, who first doubted whether he was the son of God , saying to himself, to the extent that this man is a holy prophet, nevertheless I shall lead him with me to hell, also came to Christ, and sat himself on the arms of the cross awaiting the soul of Christ. This is the image which St. Bede tells of this purpose, and it is also touched upon in the Gloss. It is said, briefly, the story of the son of Tobias going with Raphael, who wished to wash his feet in the river, and suddenly an immense fish, the biggest, lurched out to eat him. However he grabbed it by the gills and dragged it on shore etc., Tob. 6. Bede explains, that the river, quick and turbulent signified the sudden and turbulent death of Christ, because it came without due legal process. Christ wished to wash his feet, which are ourselves, we who touch the earth and are dirtied by sin. But suddenly a great fish, namely Lucifer or Satan came to devour Christ, and he seized it by the gills, etc. He was not seen by anyone ,only by Christ, who said, “O Traitor, in this evil hour you have come here.” But when the soul of Christ separated from his body, Lucifer knew that he was God, and he wished to flee, but he could not, because Christ seized him. He who wished to capture Christ, was captured by Christ, like the fish by Tobias. That the devil came to Christ, Authority: “For the prince of this world comes,” namely, Lucifer who like a tyrant was ruling the world, “and in me he has not any thing.,” (Jn 14:30). And that he was captured by Christ, Scripture: “Now is the judgment of the world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.,” (Jn 12:31). Furthermore, it was Christ himself who seized and bound him in the prison of the damned, until the time of the antichrist, then he will be let loose for a time. And so Christ showed himself to be the Lord of hell, whose brass gates and barred windows he shattered.

The second reason why the soul of Christ descended was for rigorous rebuking, After he bound Lucifer, he scolded and reproved the damned. About this Peter seems to write in his epistle saying “Christ also died once for our sins,” (1 Pet 3:18f). And it follows “In which,” at the time of death, “also coming he preached to those spirits that were in prison:,” (v. 19). St. Thomas says in III, q. 52, a.2 ad 3 that this preaching was not instructive, but rebuking [increpativa], because as John Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iii): “As He evangelized them who are upon the earth, so did He those who were in hell”; not in order to convert unbelievers unto belief, but to put them to shame for their unbelief, since preaching cannot be understood otherwise than as the open manifesting of His Godhead to the hell-dwellers and in the descent of Christ to hell. This Thomas has in the same place.

Practically what was he saying to the evil emperors, kings and lords damned from their wicked lives and tyrannical rule, like Nero who was first who wished to have dominion, and Alexander and others wicked [strubis], that is accursed. “If you had used the good things I had given to you, gifts, for your lord, now you would have been saved.” And he scolded the great philosophers, Plato, Aristotle and others about which Jerome says that they were damned, Christ says, “O Stupid ones, you were teaching and legislating and disputing about the one first principle and prime mover and first cause, in your schools, and in the temple you adored idols. You had great knowledge and bad conscience.” Also he scolded the proud, saying, “O wretched ones ,if you had been humble, now you would have had glory.” And the greedy, etc, priests, false prophets, the simoniacal. And the lustful, saying “O you who lived like pigs, see now you will not have the delights of glory,”etc. So too the gluttons, the wrathful, the envious, like Cain. So the blasphemers, saying to the condemned thief, “O wretched one, did you not today blaspheme me on the cross?” So he reproached Judas, “O traitor, behold what you have bought, for such a cheap price.” Think how many tears, cries wailings of those damned, despairing of salvation. See how Christ manifested his divinity there, rigorously confounding them.

 

LIMBO - The second place is called the place of children, as we say one place [porta, door] where all the children are who died with only original sin. Original sin is not committed by them, but received, like a painting falling into the mud, etc. Therefore that sin is not called actual, but original, because that stain is received in bodily generation. And so because it is not an actual sin, they do not have physical pain there, but they are said to have fire from the fact that they shall never see the face of God. And the wrath of God, in which they are born, is seen to be fire. According to Deuteronomy 32: “A fire is kindled in my wrath, and shall burn even to the lowest hell:,” etc. (Deut 32:22). Holy scripture says, because they do not sleep bodily, so, like those who sleep are unaware of pain, so neither do these children sense pain [poenam]. Moreover Job sais in the person of someone damned: “Why did I not die in the womb, why did I not perish when I came out of the belly? Why received upon the knees? why suckled at the breasts? For now I should have been asleep and still, and should have rest in my sleep, ” (Job 3:11-13). St. Thomas says II Sent., dist. 34, a. 1 and see there the good doctor, that when they see the glory of the blessed, that they do not grieve nor are saddened, because that it is not relevant for them, just as you are not saddened because you do not have a kingdom, which doesn’t pertain to you. But the son of a king a prince, to whom the kingdom pertains, grieves about this. Neither are you saddened when you see an eagle flying, because you do not have wings. So neither do these children grieve.

To these the soul of Christ descends for glorious consolation. Practically, imagine how as the soul of Christ appeared at the gate of limbo, those children immediately knew Christ to be the savior. Seeing his soul and adoring him, saying: “Glory be to you, Lord, who have died for mankind,” etc. To whom he said, ‘How are you?’ They replied, “Lord it is good with us. We have great natural understanding and many graces and virtues,” — although they do not have sanctifying grace, “We debate with each other and we love each other.” Christ said, “Therefore give thanks to God who freed you from the fire of hell,” — he showed them the place of the damned– “and praise the Lord, and you will rest in peace.”

 

PURGATORY - The third place is called the place of purgation. About which it must be known that some people die without original sin, therefore they do not go with those children dying without the sacrament of baptism in limbo [literally, at the border of hell, ad inferni limbum], and they are without mortal sin, so they do not go with the damned. But because they had not made appropriate penance for sins committed after they had been washed from original sin, according to the quality and quantity of sins, such people, because of the fact that they have contrition, do not go with the damned, but into another world. Divine mercy ordained a place which is called purgatory, where souls are purified, where there is fire but there are no demons there, because no one there enters unless he was in the grace of God. Tthis fire of purgatory lasts until judgment day. It burns souls by divine power, which our physical fire cannot do. If your soul would be thrown into the pit of a furnace, that fire would hot harm it. But after the day of judgment the fire of purgatory will be extinguished. You might ask what if someone who on the day of judgment has not completed his penance, was not purged, what happens to him? Response: God shall increase the intensity of his punishment, etc. Of this place holy scripture says: “For gold and silver are tried in the fire, but acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.,” (Sir 2:5).

To these Christ descends and visits with abundant liberation. The Doctors ask the question, and St. Thomas in III, q. 52, a. 8: Whether Christ liberated all the souls which were then in purgatory? To that question it must be answered with a distinction. We can speak about this matter in two ways, either with the rigor of justice, or with the sweetness of mercy. If we speak in the first way, he liberated only those who had completed their time of penitence, and this path St. Thomas follows in III Pars. If however we speak from the sweetness of mercy, we can say that he liberated all. And for this I will offer you two comparisons.

The first image is that of a newly crowned king, entering his city, who frees all the prisoners, unless they were captured for being between sides [? pro interesse partis]. Thus the king of glory, Christ, newly crowned with the crown of thorns, enters purgatory. All the souls in purgatory cried out to him, “Lord, free us.” And Christ questioned, although he already knew, how long had they been there. They replied, “Lord we have been here already for a month, for a year,” etc. Therefore, it is piously believed that Christ freed all. Authority: Isaiah reciting the word of God the father to his son, saying: “I have given you to be a covenant,” that is peace, “of the people, that you might raise up the earth, and possess the inheritances that were destroyed: That you might say to them who are bound: Come forth: and to them who are in darkness: Show yourselves,” (Isa 49:8f) There are four phrases [clausulae], of which two are about the life of Christ, the others about his death. First where, ” I have given you to be a covenant of the people, that you might raise up,” namely those who were sleeping in sins, whom Christ awakens by preaching. Second where, “and possess the inheritances that were destroyed,” namely the rational souls which are the inheritance of God, destroyed through sin. Third where, “That you mightest say to them who are bound: Come forth.” He does not speak there of those who are in the hell of the damned, because no one escapes from there, but about those in purgatory. Fourth where, “and to them who are in darkness: Shew yourselves,”

A second comparison is with a newly created Pope, who then grants great indulgences and numerous graces. How much greater Pope Jesus who is the Lord of graces and indulgences, because the Pope, his vicar, is not the lord of the church, but dispenser and manager [dispensator et procurator]. Since therefore the Pope can be so liberal, how much more so Christ, who is Lord. Authority, Isaiah 61: “The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me: he has sent me to preach to the meek, to heal the contrite of heart, and to preach a release to the captives, and deliverance to who are shut up,” (Isa 61:1). Note: the Spirit of the Lord, namely the Holy Spirit, is over me, Christ speaks insofar as he is man, because, insofar as he is God the Holy Spirit is not over him but equal, and one God. “He has sent me to preach to the meek,” namely in this world for preaching and after death he says, “and to preach a release to the captives.”   Say how before the passion of Christ, after a soul had completed its purgatory, it would go forth from there and go to the place of the holy fathers, which is called the bosom of Abraham. Authority, Lk 16: “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom.,” (Lk 16:22), because those fittingly repentant used to go there, but now they ascend to heaven and even after they leave purgatory. Say how the time assessed by God for staying in purgatory, can be reduced by suffrages of the living. So inheritors are bound to fulfill the last will and testament of the deceased, otherwise Christ says, Lk 18: “And will not God revenge his elect who cry to him day and night: ,” (Lk 18:7).

 

BOSOM OF ABRAHAM - The fourth place is called the bosom of Abraham. Here the souls of the holy fathers were staying, who had been there from the beginning of the world until the resurrection of Christ. The first of those who entered it was Abel, and when Christ arose all came out of there with Christ. None there suffered punishment, but they did not yet have glory. Into this home the soul of Christ entered. Augustine says that just as the soul of Christ entered through this home, all those holy patriarchs beheld the divinity of Christ and experienced glory and paradise. About which Christ had said to the thief, “This you shall be with me in paradise.,” (Lk 23:43). Augustine says that all the other souls of the holy fathers adored Christ, saying: “You have come, redeemer, you have come, whom we had expected every day. Now our joy is complete.” Christ greeted them saying, “Peace be to you.” Adam with all his sons and daughters humbly adored Christ, with all the patriarchs. Then Moses with the Prophets. Next Aaron with all the Priests, David with all the Kings. John the Baptist with all the Holy Innocents. Then, Eve with all the Holy Women. And Christ stayed with them until the resurrection. Authority, Mt 12: “For as Jonas was in the whale’s belly three days and three nights: so shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights,” (Mt 12:40). Also, the authority of Wisdom in the person of Christ: “I will penetrate to all the lower parts of the earth, and will behold all that sleep, and will enlighten all that hope in the Lord. ,” (Sir 24:45). Note: ” I will behold all that sleep,” that is all the dead, “and will enlighten all that hope in the Lord,” supply, with the light of divine glory.

Now there remains tomorrow the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. To which may he lead us, etc.

Good Reading: "The Farmer and the Stork" by Aesop (translated into English)

 

A Farmer placed nets on his newly-sown plowlands and caught a number of Cranes, which came to pick up his seed. With them he trapped a Stork that had fractured his leg in the net and was earnestly beseeching the Farmer to spare his life. "Pray save me, Master," he said, "and let me go free this once. My broken limb should excite your pity. Besides, I am no Crane, I am a Stork, a bird of excellent character; and see how I love and slave for my father and mother. Look too, at my feathers - they are not the least like those of a Crane." The Farmer laughed aloud and said, "It may be all as you say, I only know this: I have taken you with these robbers, the Cranes, and you must die in their company." 

 

Birds of a feather flock together.