Folio 38v - the raven, continued. De gallo; Of the cock
In this respect, it is well said: 'When his young ones cry unto God ...' (Job, 38:41). For they know that they can do nothing through their own virtue alone, and however much they hunger with pious voices for the riches of their souls, they hunger with pious voices, they long for these things to be brought about by him, however, who brings about all things inwardly. For they understand with true faith that 'neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth but God that giveth it increase' (1 Corinthians, 3:7-8).
It is said: 'They wander for lack of meat' (Job, 38:41). 'Wandering' here signifies nothing else but the vows of preachers moved by passion. While they travel about to receive their young into the bosom of the Church, inflamed with great ardour, they apply their yearning zeal to gather in now some, now others. In fact, the very heat of their intention is itself a kind of wandering. It also represents the way in which they travel to a variety of places where life is different, when they hurry here and there, eager of mind, to help souls in innumerable ways in different places.
This statement in Job can be explained in another way: that the raven signifies certain prelates, or dignitaries of the Church, black from the soot of their sins. They not only get food for themselves but also get it dressed, with the result that they live more luxuriously than others.
The raven's young, in this interpretation, represent the prelates' disciples. 'The young', it is said, 'cry unto God'. The disciples, however, grumble that their masters eat too well. They leave the cloister and wander off in search of an abundance of food.
There are other, bigger ravens; these are the prelates eminent in power and rank who, gathering their congregation in Church, urge it in their sermons to fast, while they themselves eat flesh on fast-days, thus scandalising and offending ordinary people. This puts doubts in the people's mind and they wonder if the prelates who advocated fasting really believe that it is worthwhile.
This is enough about the raven for the moment, until someone else says something more significant about it.
Of the cock
The cock, gallus, gets its name from the act of castration. For alone among other birds its testicles are removed, and the ancients called castrated men galli. As from the lion
- Commentary
-
Commentary
Text
The raven feeding its young. The Cock.
Comment
three text corrections in margin. Initial type 2.
Folio Attributes
- Transcription and Translation
-
Transcription
toris sui. Unde bene dicitur: Quando pulli eius ad deum clamant.\ Nichil enim sua virtute posse se sciunt, et quamvis anima[rum]\ lucra piis vocibus esuriant, ab illo tamen qui cuncta intrinsecus\ operatur hec fieri exoptant. Vera enim fide comprehendunt, quia [PL, quod] nec \ qui plantat est aliquid neque qui rigat, sed qui incrementum dat [PL, deus].\ Quod vero dictum est: vagantes eo quod non habeant cibos. In\ hac vagatione nil aliud quam estuantium predicatorum vota\ signantur. Qui dum in ecclesie sinum recipere pullos ambiunt,\ magno ardore succensi, nunc ad hos nunc ad illos colligen\dos desiderium mittunt. Quasi quedam quippe vagatio est\ ipsa cogitationis estuatio. Et velud ad loca varia mutatis\ moribus transeunt, dum pro adiuvandis animabus in modos in\numeros in partes diversas esuriente mente discurrunt.\ Potest hec auctoritas aliter exponi, ut per corvum intelligantur\ quidam ecclesiarum prelati, peccatorum fuligine nigri. Qui non\ tantum escam suam sibi parant sed etiam preparant, ut pre ceteris delica\cius vivant. Quorum pulli, sunt eorum discipuli. Qui ad deum\ clamant, et tamen murmurant quod eorum magistri in cibum\ delicatiora sumant. Vagantes a claustris exeunt, et sic ha\bundantiam victualium sibi querunt. Sunt et alii maiores cor\vi, potestate maiores dignitate sublimes qui quandoque populos\ in ecclesiis congregant, ieiunia predicant, ipsi tamen in diebus ieiuni\orum carnes edunt et sic simplices scandalizant et offen\dunt. Inde populi vagantes mente dubitant, verum prelati\ qui ieiunia docent ea populis prodesse credant. Et hoc ad presens\ de corvo dixisse sufficiat, donec aliquis de eo pociora dicat.\ De gallo\ Gallus a castratione vocatus.\ Inter ceteras enim aves huic soli testiculi adimuntur,\ veteres enim abscisos gallos vocabant. Sicut autem a leone\Translation
In this respect, it is well said: 'When his young ones cry unto God ...' (Job, 38:41). For they know that they can do nothing through their own virtue alone, and however much they hunger with pious voices for the riches of their souls, they hunger with pious voices, they long for these things to be brought about by him, however, who brings about all things inwardly. For they understand with true faith that 'neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth but God that giveth it increase' (1 Corinthians, 3:7-8). It is said: 'They wander for lack of meat' (Job, 38:41). 'Wandering' here signifies nothing else but the vows of preachers moved by passion. While they travel about to receive their young into the bosom of the Church, inflamed with great ardour, they apply their yearning zeal to gather in now some, now others. In fact, the very heat of their intention is itself a kind of wandering. It also represents the way in which they travel to a variety of places where life is different, when they hurry here and there, eager of mind, to help souls in innumerable ways in different places. This statement in Job can be explained in another way: that the raven signifies certain prelates, or dignitaries of the Church, black from the soot of their sins. They not only get food for themselves but also get it dressed, with the result that they live more luxuriously than others. The raven's young, in this interpretation, represent the prelates' disciples. 'The young', it is said, 'cry unto God'. The disciples, however, grumble that their masters eat too well. They leave the cloister and wander off in search of an abundance of food. There are other, bigger ravens; these are the prelates eminent in power and rank who, gathering their congregation in Church, urge it in their sermons to fast, while they themselves eat flesh on fast-days, thus scandalising and offending ordinary people. This puts doubts in the people's mind and they wonder if the prelates who advocated fasting really believe that it is worthwhile. This is enough about the raven for the moment, until someone else says something more significant about it. Of the cock The cock, gallus, gets its name from the act of castration. For alone among other birds its testicles are removed, and the ancients called castrated men galli. As from the lion
