Folio 57v - the caladrius, continued. De coturnice ; Of the quail
because the lion is king of the beasts; the eagle, king of the birds.
Of the quail
Quails are so called from their call; the Greeks call them ortigie because they were first seen on the island of Ortigia.
Quails have fixed times of migration. For when summer gives way to winter, they cross the sea. The leader of the flock is called ortigometra, 'the quail-mother'. The hawk, seeing the quail-mother approaching land, seizes it; because of this, the quails all take care to attract a leader from another species, through whom they guard against this early danger.
Their favorite food is the seed of poisonous plants. For this reason, the ancients forbade them to be eaten; for alone among living things, the quail suffers, like man, from the falling sickness.
Quails have fixed times of migration. For when summer gives way to winter, they cross the sea. The heat of summer is the warmth of love. The cold of winter is the temptation of the lethargic mind. From love of his neighbour, therefore, the righteous man crosses the sea of this world to love of God, that he mat stay forever in a warm land, burning continually with the heat of love within, in order to avoid the cold of winter, namely, the storms and winds of unexpected temptation.
The leader of the flock is called the quail-mother. The hawk, seeing it approaching land, seizes it. The land represents earthly longings; the sea, the dangers of the world. The hawk, lying in wait, is the Devil, who tempts us by suggestion. Seeing the quail-mother approaching land, therefore, the hawk seizes it, as the Devil drags off with him those who seek earthly things.
Let the churchman, therefore, who heads his flock, take careful heed of his purpose in seeking earthly things, whether he acquires them for his own use or seeks them to meet the need of his brothers, lest the hawk, that is, the Devil, should seize him, if he has neglected the things of the spirit and has not ceased to long for the things of this earth.
Because of this, the quails all take care to attract a leader
- Commentary
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Commentary
Text
The quail, its migration.
Illustration
Portrait of the quail.
Comment
This rather characterless and legless portrait shows the correct tawny colour of the quail but is the wrong shape. The quail has a plump body and minimal tail. Rubrics return in quire 'I'. Initial type 2.
Folio Attributes
- Transcription and Translation
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Transcription
regale quia leo rex ferarum est, et aquila volatilium.\ De coturnice \ Coturnices a sono\ vocis dictas quas Greci\ ortigias vocant eo quod vise\ fuerint primum in Ortigia\ insula. Hee[c] adveniendi habent\ tempora. Nam estate depulsa\ maria transeunt ortigometra\ dicitur que gregem ducat. Hanc\ terre propinquantem, accipi\ ter videns rapit, ac propterea\ cura est universis ducem sollicitare generis externi, pro qua [PL, per quam] caveant\ prima discrimina, cibos gratissimos semina venenorum habent, quam ob\ causam veteres eas vesci interdixerunt, solum enim hoc animal\ sicut et homo caducum patitur morbum. Coturnices adveniendi\ habent tempora, nam maria transeant, estate depulsa. Calor\ estatis, est ardor caritatis. Frigus hiemis, est temptatio refri\ gerate mentis. Ab amore igitur proximi, per mare mundi huius trans\ meat iustus ad amorem dei, ut in calida regione semper maneat\ qui semper calore dilectionis in semetipso flagrat, ut vitet frigus\ hiemis, procellas videlicet et ventos improvise temptationis.\ Ortigometra dicitur que gregem ducit, eam terre propinquantem acci\ piter videns rapit. Terra, sunt terrena desideria. Maria, mundi\ pericula. Accipiter insidians, diabolus per suggestionem temptans.\ Propinquantem igitur terre, accipter videns rapit, quia eos qui terrena\ querunt diabolus secum trahit. Prelatus igitur qui gregem ante\ cedit, diligenter provideat, qua intentione terrena petat, utrum\ in suos usus ea redigat, vel ad necessitatem fratrum ea querat,\ ne accipiter, id est, diabolus eum rapiat, qui postpositis spiritalibus\ terrenis inhiare non cessat. Propterea cura est universis ducemTranslation
because the lion is king of the beasts; the eagle, king of the birds. Of the quail Quails are so called from their call; the Greeks call them ortigie because they were first seen on the island of Ortigia. Quails have fixed times of migration. For when summer gives way to winter, they cross the sea. The leader of the flock is called ortigometra, 'the quail-mother'. The hawk, seeing the quail-mother approaching land, seizes it; because of this, the quails all take care to attract a leader from another species, through whom they guard against this early danger. Their favorite food is the seed of poisonous plants. For this reason, the ancients forbade them to be eaten; for alone among living things, the quail suffers, like man, from the falling sickness. Quails have fixed times of migration. For when summer gives way to winter, they cross the sea. The heat of summer is the warmth of love. The cold of winter is the temptation of the lethargic mind. From love of his neighbour, therefore, the righteous man crosses the sea of this world to love of God, that he mat stay forever in a warm land, burning continually with the heat of love within, in order to avoid the cold of winter, namely, the storms and winds of unexpected temptation. The leader of the flock is called the quail-mother. The hawk, seeing it approaching land, seizes it. The land represents earthly longings; the sea, the dangers of the world. The hawk, lying in wait, is the Devil, who tempts us by suggestion. Seeing the quail-mother approaching land, therefore, the hawk seizes it, as the Devil drags off with him those who seek earthly things. Let the churchman, therefore, who heads his flock, take careful heed of his purpose in seeking earthly things, whether he acquires them for his own use or seeks them to meet the need of his brothers, lest the hawk, that is, the Devil, should seize him, if he has neglected the things of the spirit and has not ceased to long for the things of this earth. Because of this, the quails all take care to attract a leader
