Chapter XXI
RICHARD OF ST. VICTOR
since it is simple in itself and lacks individual essence in the parts; how in its whole body, in a kind of world of its own, as it were, it is certainly completely everywhere, just as God is found completely everywhere in all creatures of His; how in that world of its own it moves and disposes all things by the will alone just as in this world
God, who created everything by the command of the will, rules all things by the same command of the will alone. In this manifestation and in others you will discover other things worthy of much consideration, which you cannot see without wonder and cannot wonder at without delight.
Yet, what wonder is this if we discover many marvelous and awesome things in the rational spirit since it is the especial creature of God and has been made according to His image and similitude? For although God is marvelous in His works and very great and laudable in all His mighty deeds, nevertheless, I beg you, where will the more extraordinary marvels of His powers appear other than in His image, in His similitude? Without doubt the activity of the omnipotent Artisan, which appears marvelous everywhere, stands out singularly in such a work.
Chapter XXI Concerning the consideration of those things pertaining to the second stage
In the second stage of this contemplation those things are considered which are for knowing or can be devoted to the pursuit of truth, and whatsoever things come together and lead to an increase of knowledge. Surely in this consideration we rightly marvel with worthy awe and wonder at the fluency of thinking, the agility of imagination, the sharpness of natural ability, the examination of discretion, the capacity of memory, the liveliness of understanding and any other things whatever concerning this. For who is capable of thinking worthily; who is capable of estimating the value sufficiently; who is not terrified in the wonder of his consideration if he pays careful attention to that fluency of human thinking which is so manifold; the speed of it that is so restless and indefatigable, that runs through so many, such varied and such an infinite number of things; that keeps quiet for neither an hour nor a moment of time;
THE MYSTICAL ARK
that passes through so great an expanse of space or so great a duration of time in so much haste? Furthermore we ought to pay attention to how easy a passage, how agile a running through, Hes open everywhere from highest to lowest, from lowest to highest; from oldest to newest, from newest to oldest. But concerning the agility of the imagination and the skill of that faculty, what are we going to say or what are we able to say worthily about that which portrays with such great speed the image of all those things which the soul supplies? Whatever the soul takes in from outside by means of hearing, whatever it conceives from within from thinking alone, the imagination forms the whole by means of a representation, without delay and laying aside all difficulty, and it represents the forms of any things whatsoever with marvelous haste. What is it, I ask, to execute pictures of so many things and of so much in a moment, in a blink of the eye, and again to remove the same things with the same ease, or to change in many ways in one and then another manner? When it wishes, does the soul not create daily by means of the imagination a new heaven and a new earth and in that world of phantasms as it were every hour another kind of creator causes and forms according to his will creatures of that sort as large as you like? Nevertheless, if we pay attention to the sharpness of natural ability, we more quickly discover what we ought to marvel at in that. See how many— no, almost how infinite— are the things that are accessible to human natural ability that cannot be reached at any time by bodily sense.
See how that sharpness of human natural ability is accustomed to investigate deep things, to penetrate whatever things are innermost, hidden within, perplexing, obscure and placed in darkness— and to unfold, disentangle, make clear and bring them out into the light. With subtlety, so to speak, it daily approaches, bursts into and passes through the innermost bosom of hidden nature and the secret recesses of its liveliness, making haste and always striving with eagerness to penetrate into farther places and to mount up to higher things. Pay attention to how many disciplines of knowledge it discovers, how many arts it hammers out. Then you will begin to be struck with amazement and to faint from excessive wonder. So if you pay attention to the capacity of memory and its breadth, undoubtedly you will discover what you ought to marvel at worthily. How great, I ask, is that inner