Folio 98r - smaragdus, continued. Quintus Sardonix; The fifth, sardonyx. Sextus Sardius; The sixth, sard
it is more angelic than human; moreover, it is pleasing to angels and God and man and carries within itself the image of Christ because it follows the lamb wherever it goes; and for this reason this stone is called the fourth, because virginity is recommended in the four Gospels.
Verse
The smaragdus surpasses every green thing in its greenness.
The fifth, sardonyx
The fifth foundation, sardonyx, gets its name from the association of two names, as Isidorus says; for it has the white of onyx and the red of sard; and it is three-coloured, as the Glossator says, black at the bottom, white in the middle and red at the top; and when used for sealing, it does not pull any of the wax away.
From this, it signifies the suffering of the saints. At the bottom, that is in the world, they are considered worthless and despised; in this context, Job, 12: 'The just upright man is laughed to scorn ... a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease' (12:4). In the middle, that is the righteous man in his heart or conscience, they are white, as a result of their innocence. At the top they are red, by reason of the zeal of their martyrdom for Christ.
The stone does not pull any of the wax away, because the righteous man forgives his persecutors fully, from the heart, retaining no bitterness, according to Ecclesiasticus, 28: 'Forgive thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done unto thee, so shall thy sins also be forgiven when thou prayest (28:2).
This virtue is said to be the fifth because it diminishes infirmity of the body, because it is ruled by the five senses.
Verse
Two names, sard and onyx, make the sardonix. This single stone has taken from the two stones three colours. Alone of precious stones, it cannot pull away wax.
The sixth, sard
The sixth foundation, sard is so called because it was first found in Sardis; it is of the colour of blood only. For this reason it signifies the perfect constancy of the martyrs, who poured forth their blood for Christ.
- Commentary
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Commentary
Text
Sardonix.
Comment
Initials type 4.
Folio Attributes
- Transcription and Translation
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Transcription
angelicum quam humanum, graciosa autem est an\gi[e]lis et deo et hominibus et in se portat ymaginem\ Christi quia sequitur agnum quocumque ierit, et unde hic\ lapis quartus dicitur, quia virginitas in quatuor evangeliis\ commendatur. \ Versus \ Omne virens superat forma viridan\te smaragdus. \ Quintus Sardonix \ Quintum sardonix ex duorum nominum societa\te vocatus, ut dicit Ysodorus, habet enim cando\rem ut onix et ruborem ut sardius et est tricolor ut dicit\ Glossator niger in imo, candidus in medio, rubeus in sum\mo, et insignando nichil cere avellit, unde signat sanctorum\ pacientiam per quam in imo, id est in mundo sunt viles et despera\ti, unde Job, [x]ii, deridetur iusti simplicitas, lampas contemp\ ta apud cogitaciones divitum, sed in medio, id est iustus in corde sive in consciencia sunt candidi, per innocenciam\ superius rubei, per ardorem martyrii propter Christum, et hec nichil\ de cera avellit quia suis persecutoribus plene et ex corde re\mittit, nullum rancorem retinentes, iuxta [...] Ecclesiastici xxviii:\ Relinque proximo tuo nocenti te tunc deprecanti tibi peccata\ solventur, quia [quod] virtus quinta dicitur quia in infirmitate cor\poris descendit quod quinque sensibus regitur. \ Versus \ Sardonicem faciunt duo nomina sardus et onix. Tres capit ex bi\ nis unus lapis iste colores.Hic solus lapidum ceram\ convellere nescit. \ Sextus Sardius \ Sextum sardius, sic dicit, quia a primo a Sardis\ est repertus sanguinei coloris tantum. Unde signat per\fectam constanciam martyrum qui pro Christo sanguinemTranslation
it is more angelic than human; moreover, it is pleasing to angels and God and man and carries within itself the image of Christ because it follows the lamb wherever it goes; and for this reason this stone is called the fourth, because virginity is recommended in the four Gospels. Verse The smaragdus surpasses every green thing in its greenness. The fifth, sardonyx The fifth foundation, sardonyx, gets its name from the association of two names, as Isidorus says; for it has the white of onyx and the red of sard; and it is three-coloured, as the Glossator says, black at the bottom, white in the middle and red at the top; and when used for sealing, it does not pull any of the wax away. From this, it signifies the suffering of the saints. At the bottom, that is in the world, they are considered worthless and despised; in this context, Job, 12: 'The just upright man is laughed to scorn ... a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease' (12:4). In the middle, that is the righteous man in his heart or conscience, they are white, as a result of their innocence. At the top they are red, by reason of the zeal of their martyrdom for Christ. The stone does not pull any of the wax away, because the righteous man forgives his persecutors fully, from the heart, retaining no bitterness, according to Ecclesiasticus, 28: 'Forgive thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done unto thee, so shall thy sins also be forgiven when thou prayest (28:2). This virtue is said to be the fifth because it diminishes infirmity of the body, because it is ruled by the five senses. Verse Two names, sard and onyx, make the sardonix. This single stone has taken from the two stones three colours. Alone of precious stones, it cannot pull away wax. The sixth, sard The sixth foundation, sard is so called because it was first found in Sardis; it is of the colour of blood only. For this reason it signifies the perfect constancy of the martyrs, who poured forth their blood for Christ.
