Chapter XVII
THE MYSTICAL ARK
those is incomparably richer than the simiHtude. Certainly the surpassing greatness of future fullness is limitless in comparison with these. For this reason, the highest parts of the ark scarcely touch the crown and are joined to the lower parts of it, because the highest things of the ark are the lowest things of the crown, and they speak only in part by so many signs of their similitudes.
Chapter XVII That in this speculation we make use of the leading hand of corporeal similitudes Between the second kind of contemplation and this third kind of which we are now speaking, the difference seems to be this: that the former of which we spoke above is engaged in imagination and is governed according to reason; however the latter is in reason, but follows imagination. In this speculation he turns to invisible things by means of everything that the soul investigates in many ways, and he presses forward to grasp them. And so, for that reason this speculation is in reason, because it pursues the investigation of those things only which bodily sense is wholly unable to grasp. But since the investigation of this speculation cannot be led to the knowledge of invisible things without the assistance of corporeal similitudes, reason seems to be following the leading hand of imagination in this part and is shown clearly to hold on to it, the leader of the journey as it were, in the course of its search. For while imagination presents forms of visible things to reason and instructs itself from the similitude of the same things for the investigation of invisible things, in a certain manner it brings reason to that place to which it did not know how to go by means of itself. For reason would never rise up to the contemplation of invisible things unless the imagination, by means of representing the forms of visible things, were to show from what it should draw a similitude to those things and form the mode of its investigation. For this reason our inner person calls the outer person his leader when he says: "Truly, you are a person of one mind, my leader and my friend" (Ps. 54:14).
For it is certain that the soul is not able to come to an exterior idea
RICHARD OF ST. VICTOR
except by means of bodily sense. Thus the inner person rightly calls the outer person his leader, without whose service—or better without whose teaching—he does not attain to knowledge of visible things.
But he does not attain to knowledge of invisible things either since he is not able to rise up to knowing them without an idea of visible things. Thus, as often as he is urged to grasp by means of bodily sense the experience of knowing things, so often, to be sure, does our inner person seem to follow his leader. Without doubt, the sense of the flesh precedes the sense of the heart in knowing things, because, unless the soul first were to grasp sensible things by means of bodily sense, it would completely fail to discover what it should at the least be able to think concerning them.
But perhaps it is not marvelous if the sense of the body leads the sense of the heart to that place where it is able to go itself. But it is truly marvelous how the sense of the body leads that of the heart to that place where the former is not able to rise by itself. Certainly, bodily sense does not grasp incorporeal things; nevertheless reason does not rise to the latter without the guiding hand of the former just as reason already has taught. Certainly, even if man had not sinned at all, the exterior sense would aid the interior in the knowledge of things; for who does not know that Adam received his Eve for assistance? Truly, it is one thing to have a partner on his way; it is another thing to seek a leader on his journey. But because Eve once drew her husband after her against the counsel and command of God, and he inclined to consent to her counsel, Adam, having been weakened by punishment for his lying, already had necessarily to follow her and up to this present day he is in need of her daily teaching. Nevertheless, now concerning the guidance of her assistance, he not only is not confused, but he also glories, with her office mediating, when he is led by the stony path of corporeal similitudes to contemplation of invisible things: "You are a person of one mind, my leader and my friend" (Ps.
54:14). However, I think it is evident and does not require lengthy exposition, how his leader may be of one mind or, better, a friend to the inner person.
Think now, how the motion of the body actually reaches to the motion of the heart, and you will discover very quickly how it may be of one mind with him. The foot or hand is moved immediately, as the soul wills. At its command, the eye is moved about. Accord-
THE MYSTICAL ARK
ing to its decision the tongue is moved and the lips or any other members whatsoever of the body are moved. What,
I ask, are more dissimilar in the nature of things than spirit and body? Yet where, I beg you, do we find so much unanimity of such perfect concord, so that almost— nay, completely at the same time— to will to become is also to become and to will to move is also to move. There is only one member of the body, in that part in which the sexual desire rules, that does not comply with the command of the inner person.
Truly, since the inner person would be able, from divine assistance, to stop this contradiction of his by means of moderate bodily affliction, he already dares to call the outer person "of one mind" and to name him a man of his peace in succession. He says, "A man of my peace" (Ps. 40:10). Behold, how he is "of one mind." But how is he "a friend"? Certainly it is sufficiently evident that whatever happens in any part of the body, wherever it is injured, wherever it is favored with any delight whatsoever, this comes immediately to the notice of the soul, with the result that since it is completely unable to remain hidden, every pain or delight affects bodily sense; and just as the inclination of the heart goes out immediately, without any opposition, by means of the motion of the body, so every sense of the body enters without delay into the soul. And as in all its action the motion of the body complies with the decision of the heart, so every corporeal feeling enters into the soul without being resisted. Such a sudden speed of sympathy or thanksgiving demonstrates how no harm or delight of the body can truly be hidden from the soul. As it is possible at one and the same time to will to move and to move, so it is possible at one and the same moment for the body to feel and for the heart to feel with it; to be delighted without, to give thanks within. Choose what you shall marvel at more greatly: either such quick obedience of the body to the soul or such intimate knowledge of the soul for the body. Marvelous obedience, when the motion of the body almost anticipates every longing of the soul. Marvelous intimacy of knowledge, when whatever the body feels, the soul almost feels beforehand. And the inner person of ours certainly has knowledge concerning this servant of his household. He has, I say, that at which he may marvel; not however, that of which he may boast. There is no greater glory than for the soul to have known those things which are accustomed to de-
RICHARD OF ST. VICTOR
light or to injure his body. But without doubt it will be a great thing when the inner person has begun to know, through many instances of experience, in what way he ought to comply with the desire of the flesh in necessary things and to oppose it in unnecessary things, lest, if he should assist less, he might stir up an enemy for himself and nurture rebellious ones. On the other hand, if he attacks too much, he may kill a citizen and overwhelm a helper. Surely the soul scarcely attains to such a kind of perfection of knowledge by means of many arguments or after many experiences. But once it does acquire this, without doubt it advances not a little bit on account of it. Without this, Adam would never have been able to make good use of her assistance. By means of this our outer person is gradually taught to despise the delights of Egypt and finally to forget them; and no less is he accustomed to take delight in spiritual nourishments. This will seem a marvelous thing—perhaps unbelievable to some. But if it is not believable from me, then let it be believed by means of one who has experienced it. Let us hear that one whom this experience has taught, and let us give attention to what he says:
"A man of my peace, in whom I hope, who ate my bread"
(Ps.
40:10). And again in this place: "Who together with me took sweet foods; we walked in the house of God in harmony"
(Ps.
54:15).
Scripture shows what that bread is which our inner person lays before the outer person and with what food he refreshes him, when it says: "My tears have been my bread day and night, while it is said to me daily: where is your God?" (Ps. 41:4). And elsewhere it says again concerning such bread: "Rise up, after you sit, you who eat the bread of grief (Ps.
126:2). And so at one time the inner person alone eats such bread, while at another time, with scarcely any great struggle, he compels his household to eat with him. The spirit alone eats its bread, when the soul grieves for its sins, yet it is not able to force out tears for any reason. Both eat the bread of grief and choose one food as if of one mind, when the inner person groans deeply and the outer person sheds tears abundantly on account of his groaning.
First a person is pricked with compunction on account of fear, while afterward he is pricked with compunction on account of love. The compunction of fear causes bitterness; the compunction of love causes sweetness.
Therefore, whoever is pricked until now by fear only is certainly fed with foods that are
THE MYSTICAL ARK
spiritual but not yet sweet at all. Whoever already sheds tears because of longing for eternal joys refreshes himself with foods that are both spiritual and sweet. Thus, when that inner person begins to refresh his household with such foods, he is truly able to sing about it: "Who together with me took sweet foods." Thus the more both persons advance toward purity with such zealous effort, the more rapidly they run. Truly, that an attack of malignant spirits should throw the peace of their flesh and spirit into confusion after the perfection of such concord appears clearly to one who understands rightly about that which is added on to the Scripture passage. For what does it mean that the inner person who has been created according to God laments concerning a person of his peace and a person of one mind, and then hurls the javelin of a curse not into that person but into others—what does it mean except that by means of a rebuke he rages in those whose rage has lost the quiet of his peace? He says: "You truly are a person of one mind, my leader and my friend, who together with me took sweet foods; we walked in the house of God in harmony"
(Ps.
54:14-15). And he adds immediately, "Let death come upon them" (Ps. 54:16).
It does not say "upon you," but "upon them." Thus, he avenges himself concerning those by whose deceit he lost the partner of his peace. For often malignant spirits, envying the peace of the spirit, disturb the peace of the spirit when they weary the flesh with unexpected and violent temptation, and they make an enemy for the spirit from one of one mind, a seducer from a leader, and they make a stranger from a friend and an enemy from the household. Now, behold, when we wish to examine one place in Scripture more fully, we are compelled to survey adjacent passages. For when the order of reason demands, that we say something concerning the guidance of the outer person, the obscurity of the adjacent words constrains us to extend our exposition a little further.
Chapter XVIII That this kind of contemplation is in reason according to imagination Let us now return to that from which we have been digressing, namely how, by the imagination of visible things, we are assisted to