Folio 31v - the hawk, continued.
acquires new ones, as anyone entering the cloister is deprived of his former vices and adorned with the virtues of a new man.
The hawk is not released from the mew until its old feathers have been cast off and the new ones are firmly in place. But when it is strong enough to fly and is released outside, it comes to settle on the hand. Likewise, if a convert leaves the cloister, he must settle on a virtuous way of life, and when he is flown from that perch he should soar with all his will to heavenly things, the object of his desires.
Why the hawk is carried on the left hand
The hawk is customarily carried on the left hand, so that when it has been let off the leash to catch something, it should fly back onto the right. 'His left hand', it is written, 'is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me' (Song of Solomon, 2:6).
The left hand represents temporal possessions; the right, eternal life. Those who manage temporal possessions sit on the left. Those who desire eternal life with all their heart fly on the right. It is there that the hawk will catch the dove - that is, anyone who has changed for the better will receive the grace of the Holy Spirit.
The end of the account of the dove and the hawk. The beginning of the account of the turtle dove and the sparrow.
After the mournful note of the dove and the plaintive call of the hawk, lest I linger too long, I shall write more speedily of the lament of the turtle-dove and the cry of the sparrow - and not only write of them, but also portray them. My purpose is to show how the turtle-dove cherishes the solitude of the wilderness, and the sparrow cries ceaselessly, alone on the roof; so that, following the example of the turtle dove, you may cleave to the purity that comes of chastity, and following that of the sparrow, you may take pleasure in acting shrewdly and prudently; living chastely and going your way with caution.
Of the turtle dove
The turtle dove, so called from the sound it makes, turtur, is a shy bird, and stays all the time on mountain summits and in deserted, lonely places. It shuns the houses and society of men and keeps to the woods.