Folio 60v - the peacock, continued.
because judgement governs confession. For when a sinner judges himself in confession, then it is as if King Jehosaphat ruled in Judah. But Ophir is taken to mean 'grassland'. We call ground which has not been cultivated 'grassland'. It is deep in grass, producing a sense of pleasure. The effete sit on the grass, and the indolent lie on it. They sit endlessly, they lie wantonly. This stretch of grass is the world, barren and infertile.
Jehosaphat's fleet, therefore, seeks to go to Ophir for gold, as we might seek purity of mind, waiting for the destruction of the world. But while they were at Asion Gaber, Jehosaphat's fleet is said to have been wrecked. Gaber, as Jerome says, means 'young' or 'strong'. It is not surprising, therefore, if the rashness of youth wrecks the fleet of confession.
Since we have said a great deal by way of introduction, it remains for us Next to discuss the peacock, the subject we intended to deal with.
The peacock, as Isidore says, gets its name from the sound of its cry. For when it starts, unexpectedly, to give its cry, it produces sudden fear in its hearers. The peacock is called pavo, therefore, from pavor, fear, since its cry produces fear in those who hear it.
When the peacock lives it Tharsis, it signifies the effete. But when it is brought by the fleet to Jerusalem, it represents learned teachers.
The peacock has hard flesh, resistant to decay, which can only with difficulty be cooked over a fire by a cook, or can scarcely be digested in the stomach, because of the heat of its liver.
Such are the minds of teachers; they neither burn with the flame of desire, nor are they set alight by the heat of lust.
The peacock has a fearful voice, an unaffected walk, a serpent's head and a sapphire breast. It also has on its wings feathers tinged with red. In addition, it has a long tail, covered with what I might call 'eyes'.
The peacock has a fearful voice, as does a preacher when he threatens sinners with the unquenchable fire of Gehenna. It walks in an unaffected way, in the sense that the preacher does not overstep the bounds of humility in his behaviour. It has a serpent's head, as the preacher's mind is held in check by wise circumspection. But the sapphire colour of its breast
- Commentary
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Commentary
Text
The peacock has a serpent's head, a sapphire breast, wing feathers tinged in red and 'eyes' on its tail.
- Transcription and Translation
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Transcription
quia iudicium confessionis [PL, confessioni] dominatur. Cum enim peccator in confes\ sione seipsum iudicat, tunc rex Josaphat in Judea regnat. Ophir\ vero herbosum interpretatur. Herbosa terra dicitur que aliquo non\ elaboratur. Que vestitur abundantia graminis, ut moveat affec\ tum delectationis. In hoc herboso voluptuosi sedent, desidiosi\ iacent. Sedent assiduitate, iacent dissolutione. Hoc herbosum\ est hic mundus sterilis et infecundus. In Ophir igitur classis Josa\ phat ire propter aurum nititur, ut dum mundi casus attenditur\ mentis puritas adquiratur. Set cum agitur in Asion Gaber clas\ sis Josaphat fracta fuisse perhibetur. Gaber sicut Jeronimo dicitur\ iuvenis sive fortis interpretatur. Non igitur mirum si classem confes\ sionis frangat impetus iuventutis. Quoniam de premissis plura dixi\ mus, restat ut de pavone de quo agere intendimus, aliquid\ postea dicamus. Pavo sicut Ysidorus dicit, a sono vocis\ nomen accepit. Cum enim ex improviso clamare ceperit, pavo\ rem subitum audientibus incutit. Pavo igitur a pavore dicitur, cum per\ vocem eius pavor audientibus inferatur. Pavo dum in Tharsis\ habitat, delicatos designat. Cum vero per classem in Jerusalem delatus\ fuerit, doctorum predicantium figuram gerit. Duras habet carnes\ et putredini resistentes, que vix a coco coquantur foco, vel a ca\ lore epatis coqui possint in stomacho. Tales sunt doctorum\ mentes quos nec flamma cupiditatis exurit, nec calor libidi\ nis accendit. Habet pavo vocem terribilem, incessum simplicem,\ caput serpentinum, pectus saphirinum. Habet etiam in alis\ plumas aliquantulum rufas. Habet etiam caudam longam, et ut\ ita dicam quasi oculis plenam. Habet pavo vocem terribilem quando\ predicator minatur peccatoribus iNextinguibilem Gehenne ignem. Sim\ pliciter incedit quociens in operibus suis humilitatem non excedit.\ Habet caput serpentis dum captum [PL, caput] mentis tenetur sub custodia cal\ lide circumspectionis. Color vero sapharinus in pectore, celeste\Translation
because judgement governs confession. For when a sinner judges himself in confession, then it is as if King Jehosaphat ruled in Judah. But Ophir is taken to mean 'grassland'. We call ground which has not been cultivated 'grassland'. It is deep in grass, producing a sense of pleasure. The effete sit on the grass, and the indolent lie on it. They sit endlessly, they lie wantonly. This stretch of grass is the world, barren and infertile. Jehosaphat's fleet, therefore, seeks to go to Ophir for gold, as we might seek purity of mind, waiting for the destruction of the world. But while they were at Asion Gaber, Jehosaphat's fleet is said to have been wrecked. Gaber, as Jerome says, means 'young' or 'strong'. It is not surprising, therefore, if the rashness of youth wrecks the fleet of confession. Since we have said a great deal by way of introduction, it remains for us Next to discuss the peacock, the subject we intended to deal with. The peacock, as Isidore says, gets its name from the sound of its cry. For when it starts, unexpectedly, to give its cry, it produces sudden fear in its hearers. The peacock is called pavo, therefore, from pavor, fear, since its cry produces fear in those who hear it. When the peacock lives it Tharsis, it signifies the effete. But when it is brought by the fleet to Jerusalem, it represents learned teachers. The peacock has hard flesh, resistant to decay, which can only with difficulty be cooked over a fire by a cook, or can scarcely be digested in the stomach, because of the heat of its liver. Such are the minds of teachers; they neither burn with the flame of desire, nor are they set alight by the heat of lust. The peacock has a fearful voice, an unaffected walk, a serpent's head and a sapphire breast. It also has on its wings feathers tinged with red. In addition, it has a long tail, covered with what I might call 'eyes'. The peacock has a fearful voice, as does a preacher when he threatens sinners with the unquenchable fire of Gehenna. It walks in an unaffected way, in the sense that the preacher does not overstep the bounds of humility in his behaviour. It has a serpent's head, as the preacher's mind is held in check by wise circumspection. But the sapphire colour of its breast
