Chapter XII
RICHARD OF ST. VICTOR
light irradiates the human heart, it raises human understanding above itself—nay above every human mode. And there, by an infusion of divine light and a rebound of wonder, the ray of understanding springs back from the lowest region to the highest, to which no sharp-sightedness of innate character, no activity of an art nor any human reasoning is capable of ascending. And the more deeply the brightness of divine brilliance penetrates the human mind shaken by the greatness of its state of awe and raised up by ecstasy, the higher it springs back to the very heights of divine secrets. However it ought to be completely evident that the more fully and perfectly the soul is able to compose itself in inward peace and tranquillity, the more firmly and tenaciously it will adhere to this raising up to the supreme light by means of contemplation.
Without doubt the purer it is in integrity, and the wider it is in charity, then the more keen-sighted and capable it will be found for contemplation of supermundane and supercelestial things.
Chapter XII That in the second mode of ecstasy^ sometimes a divine showing meets with our meditation Surely it ought to be noted that that brightness of divine showing sometimes meets with a preceding meditation while sometimes it precedes that human meditation. At one time it aids one who is seeking; at another time it incites one who is sluggish or wakes up one who is sleeping. Hence it is that the Queen of the South pressed King Solomon with questions, and by putting riddles to him she learned from him all those things which she put to him (3
Kings 10:1-3; RSV, 1 Kings 10:1-3). Hence it is that when Peter was in chains an angel roused him from the sleep of his sluggishness by visiting him with light (Acts 12:6-7).
For what is said by Scripture concerning the Queen of the South who came to hear
Solomon's wisdom except that Solomon answered for her all the questions that she put to him? Who is this Queen of the South, both inhabitant and lady of that warm region, who is kindled with longing to see Solomon? Who, I say, is this queen, except any holy
THE MYSTICAL ARK
soul who forcefully controls the senses and appetites of the flesh and the thoughts and affections of the mind; who burns with love for the supreme King and true Solomon; and who is afire with longing to see Him? Such a queen presses the King of highest wisdom by putting riddles and frequent questions to Him, when any devoted soul, confident of divine assistance, vigorously pursues with zeal the investigation of truth. She hears what she seeks, when the soul comes to know by a divine showing—often in the midst of the sighing of prayers— those things of which it is incapable by its own activity. Let us now see what the divine word proposes concerning this same queen, when by adding something it says: "However, when the Queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the house which he had built, the foods of his table, the dwelling places of his servants, the order of his ministers and also their clothing, and the holocausts which he offered in the house of the Lord, she had no more Spirit" (3 Kings 10:4-5).
It says, "When the Queen of Sheba saw." Behold she is now described as "seeing," who was first represented as "putting questions and asking." See what she saw; understand what she understood.
It says "When the Queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, ..." Behold how many things, behold what kind of things, are given for the devoted and zealous soul to know from divine showing. Consider what great things; pay attention to what marvelous things she shall come to know divinely by seeing. After seeing for a long time and marveling greatly, at long last on account of greatness of wonder she comes to the failure* of her spirit. Behold in what order she proceeds and to what conclusion she finally comes.
First she asks and hears; next she sees and understands; finally she is struck dumb with astonishment and faints. She asks questions in order that she may learn; she contemplates in order that she may marvel; she is astonished in order that she may silence the mind and experience ecstasy of mind. The first is by meditation; the second, by contemplation; the third, by ecstasy. Behold, by what stages of advancement the soul is raised up.
Certainly by meditation it is raised to contemplation; by contemplation, to wonder; by wonder, to alienation of mind.
I think you already know by means of a clear example that a man *The word deficio appears in this chapter in various forms. The translation is varied in context but generally is given as "faints," "failure," or "falls away."
RICHARD OF ST. VICTOR
comes to ecstasy of mind by greatness of wonder. For what else was it for that one not to have spirit except to experience ecstasy of mind? From what cause did this happen to her except from great wonder? In what way, I ask, was that queen without spirit, unless her spirit had been alienated from her? But at this point one recalls what another person said of himself:
"I, John, was in the spirit"
(Rev.
1:10). Behold, John bears witness that he himself was in the spirit; behold the Queen of the South is declared not to have spirit.
What does this mean? Was the former in the spirit? Was the latter without spirit? Who is capable of understanding these things?
If John was in the spirit, who can explain to me whether he was there according to the flesh or according to the spirit? But how could he be in the spirit according to the flesh, since the body is totally unable to exist except in a corporeal place? Therefore, if it is believed that he was there according to the spirit, who can explain how spirit is said to be in the spirit? What are we to say concerning the queen of the South? Did the body remain with the multitude when she began not to have spirit? Who could say this? Who except a mindless person would dare to construe it in this way? Therefore the body of the queen was not without spirit for this time since without spirit she would be completely unable to live. What now?
Was spirit without spirit? Therefore, let whoever is able, in whatever way he is able, explain in what manner spirit is in spirit, and spirit is without spirit. If one is properly believed concerning John, the other is thought concerning the queen. Now perhaps this is what it means for spirit to be in spirit: to collect itself totally within itself, and to ignore completely for a while those things which concern the flesh and even those things which take place in the flesh. And possibly this is what it means for spirit to be without spirit: to pour itself completely outside of itself and above itself and to ignore completely for a while those things which are under it or in it and to go completely into that secret place of Divinity. Is it not rightly asserted that spirit is in the spirit when it forgets all exterior things, in like way is ignorant of all the things that are done corporeally in the body, and attends by memory or intellect to only those things which are acting in the spirit or about the spirit? Why, is not the spirit rightly said not to have itself when it begins to fall away from itself, and to pass over from itself to exist in a kind of