Chapter II
THE MYSTICAL ARK
who knows how to purify his heart of every phantasy, as much as the dignity of the work demands or the authority of the instructor urges? Who is that one who knows how to enlarge such a work according to the manner defined by divine example and to restrict it to the established measurement? Who is that one who knows how to turn his heart only toward the view of supermundane manifestations while leaving behind in the lowest place thoughts of lowest things and also knows how to spread out on every side the rays of his understanding as much as the greatness of this speculation demands? Who,
I say, is that one who discovers such an abundance of gold in his possession; who flourishes with such a lively understanding that he has sufficiently and at hand both material and method whereby he can extend his propitiatory to such a length and expand it to such a width that he can cover the whole ark; who reaches out to such an extent to the concord of celestial souls and the harmony of spiritual joys that he both presses down all earthly glory and all human prudence by means of despising and meanwhile conceals them from himself by means of forgetfulness? The best cleanser of gold is the skilled maker of the propitiatory who knows how to cling to celestial things with so much intention, seeking to taste only those things which are above so that he may not be mindful by longing nor turn by thought to any things of the lowest kinds. Clear reason does not permit it to be hidden, from one who views more carefully and understands more rightly, how much this kind of contemplation goes beyond the aforementioned three by the marvelous excellence of its worth.
Chapter II How this kind of contemplation differs from the first and second, and how much it stands out Do you wish to know how much the difference is between the first contemplation and this fourth one of which we speak? Discuss, if you are able, how much gold and wood differ from each other.
For the first work is made out of wood; the fourth, out of gold. And the first species of consideration is represented by the first work;
RICHARD OF ST. VICTOR
the second, by the second work. By how much do we think that spirit and body differ from each other?
If body and body differ from each other by so much, how much greater will be the difference between body and spirit? Compare, if you will, the sun with a rock, and you can easily observe what the difference is between highest and lowest bodies. Yet the difference between a body and any spirit whatever is believed to be much greater than the difference between any bodies whatever, however dissimilar.
I think that there will also be a difference of knowledges according to the difference of essences. The instrument of each of the speculations can at least instruct you how great the difference is between these things that we bring together in turns. The first contemplation is supported by imagination; the fourth one, by reason. But how great do we think the difference is between imagination and reason, except that it is as great as that between lady and handmaid, between fame and disgrace, erudition and foolishness?
You have seen how much this kind of contemplation rises above the first; pay attention now to how much it differs from the second. Compare in turn the representation of both. Think what difference there is between the gilding of the ark and the gold of the propitiatory, namely between the second work and the fourth. Pay attention to the location and place of both. The former adheres to wood while the latter is placed over wood. The former rises up from below; the latter surely lies at the summit; yet both works are made out of gold. For in both of these speculations the rational principle of existing things is sought. But in the former the rational principle of visible things; in the latter, the dignity of invisible essences we either investigate thoroughly if hidden or marvel at if manifest. Therefore we ornament certain woods with the gleam of gold when we discuss the cause, mode and disposition of things according to the direction of reason. But that artful work of our propitiatory is rightly put over all woods, since when treading underfoot everywhere the incursion of phantasies of corporeal bodies, the soul is raised to high places by the force of this sublime investigation and is suspended in wonder at them. Certainly, there the gilding of our ark rises up little by little from below, and while it gradually advances toward the higher part, at some time it lays hold of the highest point of our ark. So no wonder that the soul