,,the  ,,heroic ,,enthusiasts  7,,gli   
,,eroici ,,furori7  ,an ,ethical poem   
,,by ,,giordano ,,bruno  ,,part ,,the   
,,first  ,,translated ,,by  ,l4         
,,williams  ,,with ,,an ,,introduction1 
,,compiled ,,chiefly ,,from ,,david     
,,levi',s ,,giordano ,,bruno ,o ,,la    
,,religione ,,del ,,pensiero   ,,london 
,,george ,,redway ,,york ,,street1      
,,covent ,,garden #ahhg     ,,preface4  
,when this ,translation was begun1 more 
than two years ago1 for my own pleasure1
 in leisure hours1 ,i had no knowledge  
of the difficulty ,i should find in the 
work1 nor any thought of ever having it 
printed2 but as ,gli ,eroici ,furori of 
,giordano ,bruno has never appeared in  
,english1 ,i decided to publish that    
portion of it which ,i have finished4   
,i wish to thank those friends who have 
so kindly looked over my work from time 
to time1 and given me their help in the 
choice of words and phrases4 ,i must1   
moreover1 confess that ,i am keenly     
alive to the shortcomings and defects of

 this ,translation4  ,i have used the   
word ,enthusiasts in the title1 rather  
than ,enthusiasms1 because it seemed to 
me more appropriate4  ,l4 ,w4           
,,folkstone1 ,september #ahhg4          
,,errata  ,page #c1 line #aj1 for also  
mother read also my mother4 ,page #dg1  
line #i1 for poisons read poison4       
,,introduction4   ,nola1 a city founded 
by the ,chalcidian ,greeks1 at a short  
distance from ,naples and from          
,vesuvius1 was the birth-place of       
,giordano ,bruno4 ,it is described by   
,david ,levi as a city which from       
ancient times had always been           
consecrated to science and letters4     
,from the time of the ,romans to that of
 the ,barbarians and of the ,middle     
,ages1 ,nola was conspicuous for culture
 and refinement1 and its inhabitants    
were in all times remarkable for their  
courteous manners1 for valour1 and for  
keenness of perception4 ,they were1     
moreover1 distinguished by their love   
for and study of philosophy2 so that    

this city was ever a favourite          
dwelling-place for the choice spirits of
 the ,renaissance4 ,it may also be      
asserted that ,nola was the only city of
 ,magna ,grcia which1 in spite of the   
persecutions of ,pagan emperors and     
,christian princes and clergy1 always   
preserved the philosophical traditions  
of the ,pythagoreans1 and never was the 
sacred fire on the altar of ,vesta      
suffered to become entirely extinct4    
,such was the intellectual and moral    
atmosphere in which ,bruno passed his   
childhood4 ,his paternal home was       
situated at the foot of ,mount ,cicada1 
celebrated for its fruitful soil4 ,from 
early youth his pleasure was to pass the
 night out on the mountain1 now watching
 the stars1 now contemplating the arid1 
desolate sides of ,vesuvius4 ,he tells  
how1 in recalling those days--the only  
peaceful ones of his life--he used to   
think1 as he looked up at the infinite  
expanse of heaven and the confines of   
the horizon1 with the towering volcano1 

that this must be the ultimate end of   
the earth1 and it appeared as if neither
 tree nor grass refreshed the dreary    
space which stretched out to the foot of
 the bare smoky mountain4 ,when1 grown  
older1 he came nearer to it1 and saw the
 mountain so different from what it had 
appeared1 and the intervening space     
that1 seen from afar1 had looked so bare
 and sterile1 all covered with          
fruit-trees and enriched with vineyards1
 he began to see how illusory the       
judgment of the senses may be2 and the  
first doubt was planted in his young    
soul as he perceived that1 while the    
mind may grasp ,nature in her grandeur  
and majesty1 the work of the sage must  
be to examine her in detail1 and        
penetrate to the cause of things4 ,when 
he appeared before the tribunal of the  
,holy ,office at ,venice1 being asked to
 declare who and what he was1 he said3  
,my name is ,giordano1 of the family of 
,bruno1 of the city of ,nola1 twelve    
miles from ,naples4 ,there was ,i born  

and brought up4 ,my profession has been 
and is that of letters1 and of all the  
sciences4 ,my father's name was         
,giovanni1 and my mother was ,francesca 
,savolini2 and my father was a soldier4 
,he is dead1 and also mother4 ,i am     
forty-four years old1 having been born  
in #aedh4 ,he always regarded ,nola with
 patriotic pride1 and he received his   
first instruction in his father's house 
and in the public schools4 ,of a sad    
disposition1 and gifted with a most     
lively imagination1 he was from his     
earliest years given to meditation and  
to poetry4 ,the early years of ,bruno's 
life were times of agitation and        
misfortune1 and not propitious to study4
 ,the ,neapolitan provinces were        
disturbed by constant earthquakes1 and  
devastated by pestilence and famine4    
,the ,turks fought1 and ravaged the     
country1 and made slaves of the         
inhabitants2 the neighbouring provinces 
were still more harassed by hordes of   
bandits and outlaws1 who invested       

,calabria1 led by a terrible chief      
called ,marcone4 ,the ,inquisition stood
 prepared to light its fires and        
slaughter the heretic4 ,the             
,waldensians1 who had lately been driven
 out of ,piedmont1 and had sought a     
shelter in the ,calabrian territory1    
were hunted down and given over to the  
executioner4  ,the convent was the only 
refuge from violence1 and ,bruno1 either
 from religious enthusiasm1 or in order 
to be able to devote himself to study1  
became a friar at the age of fifteen4   
,there1 in the quiet cloister of the    
convent of ,st4 ,dominic at ,naples1 his
 mind was nourished and his intellect   
developed2 the cloistral and monkish    
education failed to enslave his thought1
 and he emerged from this tutelage the  
boldest and least fettered of           
philosophers4 ,everything about this    
church and this convent1 famous as      
having been the abode of ,thomas        
,aquinas1 was calculated to fire the    
enthusiasm of ,bruno's soul2 the leisure

 and quiet1 far from inducing habits of 
indolence1 or the sterile practices of  
asceticism1 were stimulants to austere  
study1 and to the fervour of mystical   
speculations4 ,here he passed nearly    
thirteen years of early manhood1 until  
his intellect strengthened by study he  
began to long for independence of       
thought1 and becoming1 as he said       
himself1 solicitous about the food of   
the soul and the culture of the mind1 he
 found it irksome to go through         
automatically the daily vulgar routine  
of the convent2 the pure flame of an    
elevated religious feeling being kindled
 in his soul1 he tried to evade the vain
 exercises of the monks1 the puerile    
gymnastics1 and the adoration of        
so-called relics4 ,his character was    
frank and open1 and he was unable to    
hide his convictions2 he put some of his
 doubts before his companions1 and these
 hastened to refer them to the          
superiors2 and thus was material found  
to institute a cause against him4 ,it   

became known1 that he had praised the   
methods used by the ,arians or          
,unitarians in expounding their         
doctrines1 adding that they refer all   
things to the ultimate cause1 which is  
the ,father3 this1 with other heretical 
propositions1 being brought to the      
notice of the ,holy ,office1 ,bruno     
found himself in the position of being  
first observed and then threatened4 ,he 
was warned of the danger that hung over 
him by some friends1 and decided to quit
 ,naples4 ,he fled from the convent1 and
 took the road to ,rome1 and was there  
received in the monastery of the        
,minerva4 ,a few days after his arrival 
in ,rome he learned that instructions   
for his arrest had been forwarded from  
,naples2 he tarried not1 but got away   
secretly1 throwing aside the monk's     
habiliments by the way4 ,he wandered for
 some days about the ,roman ,campagna1  
his destitute condition proving a       
safeguard against the bands of brigands 
that infested those lands1 until        

arriving near ,civita ,vecchia1 he was  
taken on board a ,genoese vessel1 and   
carried to the ,ligurian port1 where he 
hoped to find a refuge from his enemies2
 but the city of ,geneva was devastated 
by pestilence and civil war1 and after a
 sojourn of a few days he pursued once  
more the road of exile4 ,seeking for a  
place wherein he might settle for a     
short time and hide from his pursuers1  
he stayed his steps at ,noli1 situated  
at a short distance from ,savona1 on the
 ,riviera3 this town1 nestled in a      
little bay surrounded by high hills     
crowned by feudal castles and towers1   
was only accessible on the shore side1  
and offered a grateful retreat to our   
philosopher4 ,at ,noli1 ,bruno obtained 
permission of the magistracy to teach   
grammar to children1 and thus secured   
the means of subsistence by the small   
remuneration he received2 but this      
modest employment did not occupy him    
sufficiently1 and he gathered round him 
a few gentlemen of the district1 to whom

 he taught the science of the ,sphere4  
,bruno also wrote a book upon the       
,sphere1 which was lost4 ,he expounded  
the system of ,copernicus1 and talked to
 his pupils with enthusiasm about the   
movement of the earth and of the        
plurality of worlds4  ,as in that same  
,liguria ,columbus first divined another
 hemisphere outside the ,pillars of     
,hercules1 so ,bruno discovered to those
 astonished minds the myriads of worlds 
which fill the immensity of space4      
,columbus was derided and banished by   
his fellow-citizens1 and the fate of our
 philosopher was similar to his4 ,in the
 humble schoolmaster who taught grammar 
to the children1 the bishop1 the clergy1
 and the nobles1 who listened eagerly to
 his lectures on the ,sphere1 began to  
suspect the heretic and the innovator4  
,after five months it behoved him to    
leave ,noli2 he took the road to        
,savona1 crossed the ,apennines1 and    
arrived at ,turin4 ,in ,turin at that   
time reigned the great ,duke ,emanuele  

,filiberto1 a man of strong             
character--one of those men who know how
 to found a dynasty and to fix the      
destiny of a people2 at that time1 when 
,central and ,southern ,italy were      
languishing under home and foreign      
tyranny1 he laid the foundations of the 
future ,italy4  ,he was warrior1 artist1
 mechanic1 and scholar4 ,intrepid on the
 field of battle1 he would retire from  
deeds of arms to the silence of his     
study1 and cause the works of ,aristotle
 to be read to him2 he spoke all the    
,european languages2 he worked at       
artillery1 at models of fortresses1 and 
at the smith's craft2 he brought        
together around him1 from all sides of  
,italy1 artisans and scientists to      
promote industry1 commerce1 and science2
 he gathered together in ,piedmont the  
most excellent compositors of ,italy1   
and sanctioned a printer's company4     
,bruno1 attracted to ,turin by the      
favour that was shown to letters and    
philosophy1 hoped to get occupation as  

press reader2 but it was precisely at   
that time that the ,duke1 instigated by 
,france1 was combating1 with every kind 
of weapon1 the ,waldensian and ,huguenot
 heresies1 and had invited the ,jesuits 
to ,turin1 offering them a substantial  
subsidy2 so that on ,bruno's arrival he 
found the place he had hoped for1 as    
teacher in the university1 occupied by  
his enemies1 and he therefore moved on  
with little delay1 and embarked for     
,venice4  ,berti1 in his ,life of       
,bruno1 remarks that when the latter    
sought refuge in ,turin1 ,torquato      
,tasso1 also driven by adverse fortune1 
arrived in the same place1 and he notes 
the affinity between them--both so      
great1 both subject to every species of 
misfortune and persecution in life1 and 
destined to immortal honours after their
 death3 the light of genius burned in   
them both1 the fire of enthusiasm flamed
 in each alike1 and on the forehead of  
each one was set the sign of sorrow and 
of pain4  ,both ,bruno and ,tasso       

entered the cloister as boys3 the one   
joined the ,dominicans1 the other the   
,jesuits2 and in the souls of both might
 be discerned the impress of the ,order 
to which they belonged4 ,both went forth
 from their native place longing to find
 a broader field of action and greater  
scope for their intellectual powers4    
,the one left ,naples carrying in his   
heart the ,pagan and ,christian         
traditions of the noble enterprises and 
the saintly heroism of ,olympus and of  
,calvary1 of ,homer and the ,fathers1 of
 ,plato and ,st4 ,ignatius2 the other   
was filled with the philosophical       
thought of the primitive ,italian and   
,pythagorean epochs1 fecundated by his  
own conceptions and by the new age2     
philosopher and apostle of an idea1     
,bruno consecrated his life to the      
development of it in his writings and to
 the propagation of his principles in   
,europe by the fire of enthusiasm4 ,the 
one surprised the world with the melody 
of his songs2 being1 as ,dante says1 the

 dolce sirena che i marinari in mezzo al
 mare smaga1 he lulled the anguish that 
lacerated ,italy1 and gilded the chains 
which bound her2 the other tried to     
shake her2 to recall her to life with   
the vigour of thought1 with the force of
 reason1 with the sacrifice of himself4 
,the songs of ,tasso were heard and sung
 from one end of ,italy to the other1   
and the poet dwelt in palaces and       
received the caress and smile of        
princes2 while ,bruno1 discoursing in   
the name of reason and of science1 was  
rejected1 persecuted1 and scourged1 and 
only after three centuries of           
ingratitude1 of calumny1 and of         
forgetfulness1 does his country show    
signs of appreciating him and of doing  
justice to his memory4 ,in ,tasso the   
poet predominates over the philosopher1 
in ,bruno the philosopher predominates  
over and eclipses the poet4 ,the first  
sacrifices thought to form2 the second  
is careful only of the idea4 ,again1    
both are full of a conception of the    

,divine1 but the ,god that the dying    
,tasso confessed is a god that is       
expected and comes not2 while the god   
that ,bruno proclaims he already finds  
within himself4 ,tasso dies in his bed  
in the cloister1 uneasy as on a bed of  
thorns2 ,bruno1 amidst the flames1      
stands out as on a pedestal1 and dies   
serene and calm4 ,we must now follow our
 fugitive to ,venice4  ,at the time     
,giordano ,bruno arrived in ,venice that
 city was the most important            
typographical centre of ,europe2 the    
commerce in books extended through the  
,levant1 ,germany1 and ,france1 and the 
philosopher hoped that here he might    
find some means of subsistence4 ,the    
plague at that time was devastating     
,venice1 and in less than one year had  
claimed forty-two thousand victims2 but 
,bruno felt no fear1 and he took a      
lodging in that part of ,venice called  
the ,frezzeria1 and was soon busy       
preparing for the press a work called   
,segni del ,tempo1 hoping that the sale 

of it would bring a little money for    
daily needs4 ,this work was lost1 as    
were all those which he published in    
,italy1 and which it was to the interest
 of ,rome to destroy4 ,disappointed at  
not finding work to do in ,venice1 he   
next went to ,padua1 which was the      
intellectual centre of ,europe1 as      
,venice was the centre of printing and  
publishing2 the most celebrated         
professors of that epoch were to be     
found in the ,university of ,padua1 but 
at the time of ,bruno's sojourn there1  
,padua1 like ,venice1 was ravaged by the
 plague2 the university was closed1 and 
the printing-house was not in operation4
 ,he remained there only a few days1    
lodging with some monks of the ,order of
 ,st4 ,dominic1 who1 he relates1        
persuaded me to wear the dress again1   
even though ,i would not profess the    
religion it implied1 because they said  
it would aid me in my wayfaring to be   
thus attired2 and so ,i got a white     
cloth robe1 and ,i put on the hood which

 ,i had preserved when ,i left ,rome4   
,thus habited he wandered for several   
months about the cities of ,venetia and 
,lombardy2 and although he contrived for
 a time to evade his persecutors1 he    
finally decided to leave ,italy1 as it  
was repugnant to his disposition to live
 in forced dissimulation1 and he felt   
that he could do no good either for     
himself or for his country1 which was   
then overrun with ,spaniards and        
scourged by petty tyrants2 and with the 
lower orders sunk in ignorance1 and the 
upper classes illiterate1 uncultivated1 
and corrupt1 the mission of ,giordano   
,bruno was impossible4 ,altiora ,peto   
was ,bruno's motto1 and to realize it he
 had gone forth with the pilgrim's staff
 in his hand1 sometimes covered with the
 cowl of the monk1 at others wearing the
 simple habit of a schoolmaster1 or1    
again1 clothed with the doublet of the  
mechanic3 he had found no               
resting-place--nowhere to lay his head1 
no one who could understand him1 but    

always many ready to denounce him4 ,he  
turned his back at last on his country1 
crossed the ,alps on foot1 and directed 
his steps towards ,switzerland4 ,he     
visited the universities in different   
towns of ,switzerland1 ,france1 and     
,germany1 and wherever he went he left  
behind him traces of his visit in some  
hurried writings4 ,the only work of the 
,nolan1 written in ,italy1 which has    
survived is ,il ,candelajo1 which was   
published in ,paris4 ,levi1 in his ,life
 of ,bruno1 passes in review his various
 works2 but it will suffice here to     
reproduce what he says of the ,eroici   
,furori1 the first part of which ,i have
 translated1 and to note his remarks    
upon the style of ,bruno1 which presents
 many difficulties to the translator on 
account of its formlessness4 ,goethe    
says of ,bruno's writings3 ,zu          
allgemeiner ,betrachtung und ,erhebung  
der ,geistes eigneten sich die          
,schriften des ,jordanus ,brunous von   
,nola2 aber freilich das gediegene ,gold

 and ,silber aus der ,masse jener zo    
ungleich begabten ,erzgnge auszuscheiden
 und unter den ,hammer zu bringen       
erfordert fast mehr als menschliche     
,krfte vermgen4  ,i believe that no     
translation of ,giordano ,bruno's works 
has ever been brought out in ,english1  
or1 at any rate1 no translation of the  
,eroici ,furori1 and therefore ,i have  
had no help from previous renderings4 ,i
 have1 for the most part1 followed the  
text as closely as possible1 especially 
in the sonnets1 which are frequently    
rendered line for line4 ,form is lacking
 in the original1 and would1 owing to   
the unusual and often fantastic clothing
 of the ideas1 be difficult to apply in 
the translation4 ,he seems to have      
written down his grand ideas hurriedly1 
and1 as ,levi says1 probably intended to
 retouch the work before printing4      
,following the order of ,levi's ,life of
 ,bruno1 we next find the fugitive at   
,geneva4 ,he was hardly thirty-one years
 old when he quitted his country and    

crossed the ,alps1 and his first        
stopping-place was ,chambery1 where he  
was received in a convent of the ,order 
of ,predicatori2 he proposed going on to
 ,lyons1 but being told by an ,italian  
priest1 whom he met there1 that he was  
not likely to find countenance or       
support1 either in the place he was in  
or in any other place1 however far he   
might travel1 he changed his course and 
made for ,geneva4  ,the name of         
,giordano ,bruno was not unknown to the 
,italian colony who had fled from papal 
persecution to this stronghold of       
religious reform4 ,he went to lodge at  
an inn1 and soon received visits from   
the ,marchese di ,vico ,napoletano1     
,pietro ,martire ,vermigli1 and other   
refugees1 who welcomed him with         
affection1 inquiring whether he intended
 to embrace the religion of ,calvin1 to 
which ,bruno replied that he did not    
intend to make profession of that       
religion1 as he did not know of what    
kind it was1 and he only desired to live

 in ,geneva in freedom4 ,he was then    
advised to doff the ,dominican habit1   
which he still wore2 this he was quite  
willing to do1 only he had no money to  
buy other clothing1 and was forced to   
have some made of the cloth of his      
monkish robes1 and his new friends      
presented him with a sword and a hat2   
they also procured some work for him in 
correcting press errors4  ,the term of  
,bruno's sojourn in ,geneva seems       
doubtful1 and the precise nature of his 
employment when there is also uncertain2
 but his independent spirit brought him 
into dispute with the rigid ,calvinists 
of that city1 who preached and exacted a
 blind faith1 absolute and compulsory4  
,bruno could not accept any of the      
existing positive religions2 he         
professed the cult of philosophy and    
science1 nor was his character of that  
mould that would have enabled him to    
hide his principles4 ,it was made known 
to him that he must either adopt        
,calvinism or leave ,geneva3 he declined

 the former1 and had no choice as to the
 latter2 poor he had entered ,geneva1   
and poor he left it1 and now turned his 
steps towards ,france4  ,he reached     
,lyons1 which was also at that time a   
city of refuge against religious        
persecutions1 and he addressed himself  
to his compatriots1 begging for work    
from the publishers1 ,aldo and ,grifi2  
but not succeeding in gaining enough to 
enable him to subsist1 after a few days 
he left1 and went on his way to         
,toulouse1 where there was a famous     
university2 and having made acquaintance
 with several men of intellect1 ,bruno  
was invited to lecture on the ,sphere1  
which he did1 with various other        
subjects1 for six months1 when the chair
 of ,philosophy becoming vacant1 he took
 the degree of ,doctor1 and competed for
 it2 and he continued for two years in  
that place1 teaching the philosophy of  
,aristotle and of others4 ,he took for  
the text of his lectures the treatise of
 ,aristotle1 ,de ,anima1 and this gave  

him the opportunity of introducing and  
discussing the deepest questions--upon  
the ,origin and ,destiny of ,humanity2  
,the ,soul1 is it ,matter or ,spirit8   
,potentiality or ,reality8 ,individual  
or ,universal8 ,mortal or ,eternal8 ,is 
,man alone gifted with ,soul1 or are all
 beings equally so8 ,bruno's system was 
in his mind complete and mature2 he     
taught that everything in ,nature has a 
soul1 one universal mind1 penetrates and
 moves all things2 the world itself is a
 sacrum animal4 ,nothing is lost1 but   
all transmutes and becomes4 ,this vast  
field afforded him scope for teaching   
his doctrines upon the world1 on the    
movement of the earth1 and on the       
universal soul4 ,the novelty and        
boldness of his opinions roused the     
animosity of the clergy against him1 and
 after living two years and six months  
at ,toulouse1 he felt it wise to retire1
 and leaving the capital of the         
,languedoc1 he set his face towards     
,paris4  ,the two books--the fruit of   

his lectures--which he published in     
,toulouse1 ,de ,anima and ,de ,clavis   
,magis1 were lost4  ,the title of       
,doctor1 or as he said himself1 ,maestro
 delle ,arti1 which ,bruno had obtained 
at ,toulouse1 gave him the faculty of   
teaching publicly in ,paris1 and he     
says3 ,i went to ,paris1 where ,i set   
myself to read a most unusual lecture1  
in order to make myself known and to    
attract attention4 ,he gave thirty      
lectures on the thirty ,divine          
attributes1 dividing and distributing   
them according to the method of ,st4    
,thomas ,aquinas3 these lectures excited
 much attention amongst the scholars of 
the ,sorbonne1 who went in crowds to    
hear him2 and he introduced1 as usual1  
his own ideas while apparently teaching 
the doctrines of ,st4 ,thomas4 ,his     
extraordinary memory and his eloquence  
caused great astonishment2 and the fame 
of ,bruno reached the ears of ,king     
,henry ,,iii41 who sent for him to the  
,court1 and being filled with admiration

 of his learning1 he offered him a      
substantial subsidy4  ,during his stay  
at ,paris1 although he was much at      
,court1 he spent many hours in his      
study1 writing the works that he        
afterwards published4  ,philosophical   
questions were discussed at the         
,sorbonne with much freedom3 ,bruno     
showed himself no partisan of either the
 ,platonic or the ,peripatetic school2  
he was not exclusive either in          
philosophy or in religion2 he did not   
favour the ,huguenot faction more than  
the ,catholic league2 and precisely by  
reason of this independent attitude1    
which kept him free of the shackles of  
the sects1 did he obtain the faculty of 
lecturing at the ,sorbonne4 ,nor can we 
ascribe this aloofness to religious     
indifference1 but to the fact that he   
sought for higher things and longed for 
nobler ones4 ,the humiliating spectacle 
which the positive religions1 both      
,catholic and ,reformed1 presented at   
that time--the hatreds1 the civil wars1 

the assassinations which they           
instigated--had disgusted men of noble  
mould1 and had turned them against these
 so-called religions2 so that in        
,naples1 in ,tuscany1 in ,venice1 in    
,switzerland1 ,france1 and ,england1    
there were to be found societies of     
philosophers1 of free-thinkers1 and     
politicians1 who repudiated every       
positive religion and professed a pure  
,theism4  ,in the ,spaccio della ,bestia
 ,trionfante he declares that he cannot 
ally himself either to the ,catholic or 
the ,lutheran ,church1 because he       
professes a more pure and complete faith
 than these--to wit1 the love of        
humanity and the love of wisdom2 and    
,mocenigo1 the disciple who ultimately  
betrayed and sold him to the ,holy      
,office1 declares in his deposition that
 ,bruno sought to make himself the      
author of a new religion under the name 
of ,philosophy4 ,he was not a man to    
conceal his ideas1 and in the fervour of
 his improvisation he no doubt revealed 

what he was2 some tumult resulted from  
this free speaking of ,bruno's1 and he  
was forced to discontinue his lectures  
at the ,sorbonne4  ,towards the end of  
the year #aehc the ,king became         
enthralled by religious enthusiasm1 and 
nothing was talked of in ,paris but the 
conversion of ,king ,henry4 ,this fact  
changed the aspect of affairs as far as 
,bruno was concerned2 he judged it      
prudent to leave ,paris1 and he         
travelled to ,england4  ,the principal  
works published by ,bruno during his    
stay in ,paris are ,il ,candelajo and   
,umbrae ,idearum4 ,the former1 says     
,levi1 is a work of criticism and of    
demolition2 in this comedy he sets in   
groups the principal types of hypocrisy1
 stupidity1 and rascality1 and          
exhibiting them in their true colours1  
he lashes them with ridicule4 ,in the   
,umbrae ,idearum he initiates the work  
of reconstruction1 giving colour to his 
thought and sketching his idea4 ,the    
philosophy of ,bruno is based upon that 

of ,pythagoras1 whose system penetrates 
the social and intellectual history of  
,italy1 both ancient and modern4 ,the   
method of ,pythagoras is not confined1  
as most philosophies are1 to pure       
metaphysical speculations1 but connects 
these with scientific observations and  
social practice4 ,bruno having          
resuscitated these doctrines1 stamps    
them with a wider scope1 giving them a  
more positive direction2 and he may with
 propriety be called the second         
,pythagoras4 ,the primal idea of        
,pythagoras1 which ,bruno worked out to 
a more distinct development is this3    
numbers are the beginning of things2 in 
other words numbers are the cause of the
 existence of material things2 they are 
not final1 but are always changing      
position and attributes2 they are       
variable and relative4 ,beyond and above
 this mutability there must be the      
,immutable1 the ,all1 the ,one4  ,the   
,infinite must be one1 as one is the    
absolute number2 in the original ,one is

 contained all the numbers2 in the ,one 
is contained all the elements of the    
,universe4  ,this abstract doctrine     
required to be elucidated and fixed4    
,from a hypothesis to concentrate and   
reduce it to a reality was the great    
work of ,bruno4  ,one is the perfect    
number2 it is the primitive monad4 ,as  
from the ,one proceeds the infinite     
series of numbers which again withdraw  
and are resolved into the ,one2 so from 
,substance1 which is one1 proceed the   
myriads of worlds2 from the worlds      
proceed myriads of living creatures2 and
 from the union of one with the diverse 
is generated the ,universe4 ,hence the  
progression from ascent to descent1 from
 spirit to that which we call matter2   
from the cause to the origin1 and the   
process of metaphysics1 which1 from the 
finite world of sense rises to the      
intelligent1 passing through the        
intermediate numbers of infinite        
substance to active being and cosmic    
reason4  ,from the absolute ,one1 the   

sun of the sensible and intellectual    
world1 millions of stars and suns are   
produced or developed4 ,each sun is the 
centre of as many worlds which are      
distributed in as many distinct series  
in an infinite number of concentric     
centres and systems4 ,each system is    
attracted1 repelled1 and moved by an    
infinite1 internal passion1 or          
attraction2 each turns round its own    
centre1 and moves in a spiral towards   
the centre of the whole1 towards which  
centre they all tend with infinite      
passional ardour4 ,for in this centre   
resides the sun of suns1 the unity of   
unities1 the temple1 the altar of the   
universe1 the sacred fire of ,vesta1 the
 vital principle of the universe4  ,that
 which occurs in the world of stars is  
reflected in the telluric world2        
everything has its centre1 towards which
 it is attracted with fervour4 ,all is  
thought1 passion1 and aspiration4  ,from
 this unity1 which governs variety1 from
 this movement of every world around its

 sun1 of every sun around its centre    
sun--the sun of suns--which informs all 
with the rays of the spirit1 with the   
light of thought--is generated that     
perfect harmony of colours1 sounds1     
forms1 which strike the sight and       
captivate and enthrall the intellect4   
,that which in the heavens is harmony   
becomes1 in the individual1 morality1   
and in companies of human beings1 law4  
,that which is light in the spheres     
becomes intelligence and science in the 
world of the spirit and in humanity4 ,we
 must study this harmony that rules the 
celestial worlds in order to deduce the 
laws which should govern civil bodies4  
,in the science of numbers dwells       
harmony1 and therefore it behoves us to 
identify ourselves with this harmony1   
because from it is derived the harmonic 
law which draws men together into       
companies4 ,through the revolution of   
the worlds through space around their   
suns1 from their order1 their constancy 
and their measure1 the mind comprehends 

the progress and conditions of men1 and 
their duties towards each other4 ,the   
,bible1 the sacred book of man1 is in   
the heavens2 there does man find written
 the word of ,god4  ,human souls are    
lights1 distinct from the universal     
soul1 which is diffused over all and    
penetrates everything4 ,a purifying     
process guides them from one existence  
to another1 from one form to another1   
from one world to another4 ,the life of 
man is more than an experience or trial2
 it is an effort1 a struggle to         
reproduce and represent upon earth some 
of that goodness1 beauty1 and truth     
which are diffused over the universe and
 constitute its harmony4  ,long1 slow1  
and full of opposition is this          
educational process of the soul4 ,as the
 terraqueous globe becomes formed1      
changed1 and perfected1 little by       
little1 through the cataclysms and      
convulsions which1 by means of fire1    
flood1 earthquake1 and irruptions1      
transform the earth1 so it is with      

humanity4 ,through struggle is man      
educated1 fortified1 and raised4  ,in   
the midst of social cataclysms and      
revolutions humanity has one guiding    
star1 a beacon which shows its light    
above the storms and tempests1 a        
mystical thread running through the     
labyrinth of history--namely1 the       
religion of philosophy and of thought4  
,the vulgar creeds would not1 and have  
not dared to reveal the ,truth in its   
purity and essence4 ,they covered it    
with veils with allegories1 with myths  
and mysteries1 which they called sacred2
 they enshrouded thought with a double  
veil1 and called it ,revelation4        
,humanity1 deceived by a seductive form1
 adored the veil1 but did not lift      
itself up to the idea behind it2 it saw 
the shadow1 not the light4  ,but we must
 return to our wandering hero4  ,bruno  
was about thirty-six years old when he  
left ,paris and went to ,england4 ,he   
was invited to visit the ,university of 
,oxford1 and opened his lectures there  

with two subjects which1 apparently     
diverse1 are in reality intimately      
connected with each other--namely1 on   
the ,quadruple ,sphere and on the       
,immortality of the ,soul4 ,speaking of 
the immortality of the soul1 he         
maintained that nothing in the universe 
is lost1 everything changes and is      
transformed2 therefore1 soul and body1  
spirit and matter1 are equally immortal4
 ,the body dissolves1 and is            
transformed2 the soul transmigrates1    
and1 drawing round itself atom to atom1 
it reconstructs for itself a new body4  
,the spirit that animates and moves all 
things is one2 everything differentiates
 according to the different forms and   
bodies in which it operates4 ,hence1 of 
animate things some are inferior by     
reason of the meanness of the organ in  
which they operate2 others are superior 
through the richness of the same4 ,thus 
we see that ,bruno anticipates the      
doctrine1 proclaimed later by ,goethe   
and by ,darwin1 of the transformation of

 species and of the organic unity of the
 animal world2 and this alternation from
 segregation to aggregation1 which we   
call death and life1 is no other than   
mutation of form4  ,after having        
criticised and scourged the religions of
 chimera1 of ignorance1 and hypocrisy1  
in ,lo ,spaccio della ,bestia           
,trionfante and in ,l',asino ,cillenico1
 the author1 in ,gli ,eroici ,furori1   
lays down the basis for the religion of 
thought and of science4 ,in place of the
 so-called ,christian perfections       
7resignation1 devotion1 and ignorance71 
,bruno would put intelligence and the   
progress of the intellect in the world  
of physics1 metaphysics1 and morals2 the
 true aim being illumination1 the true  
morality the practice of justice1 the   
true redemption the liberation of the   
soul from error1 its elevation and union
 with ,god upon the wings of thought4   
,this idea is developed in the work in  
question1 which is dedicated to ,sir    
,philip ,sidney4 ,after treating of the 

infinite universe1 and contemplating the
 innumerable worlds in other works1 he  
comes1 in ,gli ,eroici ,furori1 to the  
consideration of virtue in the          
individual1 and demonstrates the potency
 of the human faculties4 ,after the     
,cosmos1 the ,microcosm2 after the      
infinitely great1 the infinitely small4 
,the body is in the soul1 the soul is in
 the mind1 the mind is in ,god4 ,the    
life of the soul is the true life of the
 man4 ,of all his various faculties1    
that which rules all1 that which exalts 
our nature1 is ,thought4 ,by means of it
 we rise to the contemplation of the    
universe1 and becoming in our turn      
creators1 we raise the edifice of       
science2 through the intellect the      
affections become purified1 the will    
becomes strengthened4 ,true liberty is  
acquired1 and will and action becoming  
one through thought1 we become heroes4  
,this education of the soul1 or rather  
this elevation and glory of thought1    
which draws with it the will and the    

affections1 not by means of blind faith 
or supernatural grace1 not through an   
irrational and mystical impulse1 but by 
the strength of a reformed intellect and
 by a palpable and well-considered      
enthusiasm1 which science and the       
contemplation of ,nature alone can give1
 this is the keynote of the poem4 ,it is
 composed of two parts1 each of which is
 divided into five dialogues3 the first 
part1 which may be called psychological1
 shows1 by means of various figures and 
symbols drawn from ,nature1 how the     
divine light is always present to us1 is
 inherent in man2 it presents itself to 
the senses and to the comprehension3 man
 constantly rejects and ignores it2     
sometimes the soul strives to rise up to
 it1 and the poet describes the struggle
 with the opposing affections which are 
involved in this effort1 and shows how  
at last the man of intelligence         
overcomes these contending powers and   
fatal impulses which conflict within us1
 and by virtue of harmony and the fusion

 of the opposites the intellect becomes 
one with the affections1 and man        
realizes the good and rises to the      
knowledge of the true4 ,all conflicting 
desires being at last united1 they      
become fixed upon one object1 one great 
intent--the love of the ,divine1 which  
is the highest truth and the highest    
good4 ,in ,gli ,eroici ,furori we see   
,bruno as a man1 as a philosopher1 and  
as a believer3 here he reveals himself  
as the hero of thought4 ,even as ,christ
 was the hero of faith1 and sacrificed  
himself for it1 so ,bruno declares      
himself ready to sacrifice himself for  
science4 ,it is also a literary1 a      
philosophical1 and a religious work2    
form1 however1 is sacrificed to the     
idea--so absorbed is the author in the  
idea that he often ignores form         
altogether4 ,an exile wandering from    
place to place1 he wrote hurriedly and  
seldom or ever had he the opportunity of
 revising what he had written down4 ,his
 mind in the impulsiveness of its       

improvisation was like the volcano of   
his native soil1 which1 rent by         
subterranean flames1 sends forth from   
its vortices of fire1 at the same time  
smoke1 ashes1 turbid floods1 stones1 and
 lava4 ,he contemplates the soul1 and   
seeks to understand its language2 he is 
a physiologist and a naturalist1 merged 
in the mystic and the enlightened       
devotee4  ,bruno might have made a fixed
 home for himself in ,england1 as so    
many of his compatriots had done1 and   
have continued to enjoy the society of  
such men as ,sir ,philip ,sydney1 ,fulke
 ,greville1 and1 perchance1 also of     
,shakespeare himself1 who was in ,london
 about that time2 but his self-imposed  
mission allowed him no rest2 he must go 
forth1 and carry his doctrines to the   
world1 and forget the pleasures of      
friendship and the ties of comfort in   
the larger love of humanity2 his work   
was to awaken souls out of their        
lethargy1 to inspire them with the love 
of the highest good and of truth2 to    

teach that ,god is to be found in the   
study of ,nature1 that the laws of the  
visible world will explain those of the 
invisible1 the union of science and     
humanity with ,nature and with ,god4    
,bruno returned to ,paris in #aehe1     
being at that time tutor in the family  
of ,mauvissier1 who had been recalled   
from ,england by his ,sovereign4 ,during
 ,bruno's second sojourn in ,paris      
efforts were made by ,mendoza1 the      
,spanish ambassador1 and others1 to     
induce him to return to his allegiance  
to the ,church1 and to be reconciled to 
the ,pope2 but ,bruno declined these    
overtures1 and soon after left ,paris   
for ,germany1 where he arrived on foot1 
his only burden being a few books4  ,he 
visited ,marburg and ,wurtemburg1       
remaining in the latter place two years1
 earning his bread by teaching4  ,prague
 and ,frankfort were next visited2 ever 
the same courage and boldness           
characterised his teaching1 and ever the
 same scanty welcome was accorded to it1

 although in every city and university  
crowds of the intelligent listened to   
his lectures2 but the ,church never lost
 sight of ,bruno1 he was always under   
surveillance1 and few dared to show     
themselves openly his friends4 ,absorbed
 in his studies and intent upon his     
work1 writing with feverish haste1 he   
observed nothing of the invisible net   
which his enemies kept spread about him1
 and while his slanderers were busy in  
doing him injury he was occupied in     
teaching the mnemonic art1 and          
explaining his system of philosophy to  
the young ,lutherans who attended his   
lectures2 in settling the basis of a new
 and rational religion1 and in writing  
,latin verses2 using ever greater       
diligence with his work1 almost as if he
 felt that the time was drawing near in 
which he would be no longer at liberty  
to work and teach4  ,it was during the  
early part of the pontificate of        
,gregory ,,xiv4 that ,bruno received    
letters from ,mocenigo in ,venice1      

urging him to return to ,italy1 and to  
go and stay with him in ,venice1 and    
instruct him in the secrets of science4 
,bruno was beginning to tire of this    
perpetually wandering life1 and after   
several letters from ,mocenigo1 full of 
fine professions of friendship and      
protection1 ,bruno1 longing to see his  
country again1 turned his face towards  
,venice4  ,in those days men of superior
 intellect were often considered to be  
magicians or sorcerers2 ,mocenigo1 after
 enticing ,bruno to ,venice1 insisted   
upon his teaching him the secret of     
memory and other things that he knew4   
,the philosopher with untiring patience 
tried to instil into this dull head the 
principles of logic1 the elements of    
mathematics1 and the rudiments of the   
mnemonic art2 but the pupil hated study1
 and had no faculty of thought2 yet he  
insisted that ,bruno should make science
 clearly known to him6 ,but this was    
probably only to initiate a quarrel with
 ,bruno1 whom he intended afterwards to 

betray1 and deliver into the hands of   
the ,church4  ,the ,holy ,office would  
have laid hands on ,bruno immediately on
 his arrival in ,italy1 but being       
assured by ,mocenigo that he could not  
escape1 they left him a certain liberty1
 so that he might more surely compromise
 himself1 while his enemies were busy   
collecting evidence against him4 ,when  
at last his eyes became opened to what  
was going on about him1 and he could no 
longer ignore the peril of his position1
 it was too late2 ,bruno could not get  
away1 and was told by ,mocenigo that if 
he stayed not by his own will and       
pleasure1 he would be compelled to      
remain where he was4 ,bruno1 however1   
made his preparations for departure1 and
 sent his things on to ,frankfort1      
intending to leave the next day himself2
 but in the morning1 while he was still 
in bed1 ,mocenigo entered the chamber1  
pretending that he wished to speak with 
him2 then calling his servant ,bartolo  
and five or six gondoliers1 who waited  

without1 they forced ,bruno to rise1 and
 conducted him to a garret1 and locked  
him in4 ,there he passed the first day  
of that imprisonment which was to last  
for eight years4 ,the next day he went  
over the lagoon in a gondola1 in the    
company of his jailors1 who took him to 
the prison of the ,holy ,office1 and    
left him there4 ,levi devotes many pages
 to the accusations brought against     
,giordano ,bruno by the ,inquisitors1   
and the depositions and denunciations   
made against him by his enemies4 ,the   
,court was opened without delay1 and    
most of the provinces of ,italy were    
represented by their delegates in the   
early part of the trial2 ,bruno himself1
 being interrogated1 gave an account in 
detail of his life1 of his wanderings1  
of his occupations and works3 serene and
 dignified before this terrible         
tribunal1 he expounded his doctrine1 its
 principles1 and logical consequences4  
,he spoke of the universe1 of the       
infinite worlds in infinite space1 of   

the divinity in all things1 of the unity
 of all things1 the dependence and      
inter-dependence of all things1 and of  
the existence of ,god in all4 ,after    
nine months' imprisonment in ,venice1   
towards the end of ,january #aeic1      
,bruno1 in chains1 was conveyed from the
 ,bridge of ,sighs through the lagoons  
to ,ancona1 where he remained           
incarcerated until the prison of the    
,roman ,inquisition received him4 ,if we
 look upon ,gli ,eroici ,furori as a    
prophetical poem1 we see that his       
sufferings in the loneliness of his     
prison and in the torture-chamber of the
 ,inquisition passed by anticipation    
before his mind in the book written when
 he was free and a wanderer in strange  
lands4      ,by what condition1 nature1 
or fell chance1     ,in living death1   
dead life ,i live8  he writes eight     
years and more before he ever breathed  
the stifling air of a dungeon2 and      
again3      ,the soul nor yields nor    
bends to these rough blows1     ,but    

bears1 exulting1 this long martyrdom1   
,and makes a harmony of these sharp     
pangs4  ,further details of the trial of
 ,giordano ,bruno are to be found in    
,levi's book4 ,it is well known how he  
received the sentence of death passed   
upon him1 saying3 ,you1 ,o judges6 feel 
perchance more terror in pronouncing    
this judgment than ,i do in hearing it4 
,the day fixed for the burning1 which   
was to take place in the ,campo dei     
,fiori1 was the #agth ,february in the  
year #afjj4 ,rome was full of pilgrims  
from all parts1 come to celebrate the   
jubilee of ,pope ,clement ,,viii4 ,bruno
 was hardly fifty years old at this     
time2 his face was thin and pale1 with  
dark1 fiery eyes2 the forehead luminous 
with thought1 his body frail and bearing
 the signs of torture2 his hands in     
chains1 his feet bare1 he walked with   
slow steps in the early morning towards 
the funeral pile4 ,brightly shone the   
sun1 and the flames leapt upwards and   
mingled with his ardent rays2 ,bruno    

stood in the midst with his arms        
crossed1 his head raised1 his eyes open2
 when all was consumed1 a monk took a   
handful of the ashes and scattered them 
in the wind4 ,a month later1 the ,bishop
 of ,sidonia presented himself at the   
,treasury of the ,pope1 and demanded two
 scudi in payment for having degraded   
,fra ,giordano the heretic4             
,l'incendio  tal1 ch'io m'ardo e non mi 
sfaccio4      ,,eroici ,,furori4        
,,the  ,,heroic ,,enthusiasts4          
,first ,dialogue4  ,,tansillo1 ,,cicada4
   ,,tans4 ,the enthusiasms most        
suitable to be first brought forward and
 considered are those that ,i now place 
before you in the order that seems to me
 most fitting4  ,,cic4 ,begin1 then1 to 
read4  ,,tansillo4  #a4      ,ye ,muses1
 that so oft ,i have repulsed1          
,that1 now importuned1 haste to cure my 
pain1     ,and to console me in my woes 
,with verses1 rhymes1 and exaltation    
,such as to others ye did never show1   
,who yet do vaunt themselves of laurel  

and of myrtle     ,be near me now1 my   
anchor and my port1     ,lest ,i for    
sport should towards some others turn4  
,o ,mount6 ,o ,goddesses6 ,o ,fountain6 
,where and with whom ,i dwell1 converse 
and nourish me1     ,where peacefully ,i
 ponder and grow fair2     ,i rise1 ,i  
live3 heart1 spirit1 brows adorn2       
,death1 cypresses1 and hells     ,you   
change to life1 to laurels1 and eternal 
stars6  ,it is to be supposed that he   
oftimes and for divers reasons had      
repulsed the ,muses2 first1 because he  
could not be idle as a priest of the    
,muses should be1 for idleness cannot   
exist there1 where the ministers and    
servants of envy1 ignorance1 and        
malignity are to be combated4 ,moreover1
 he could not force himself to the study
 of philosophies1 which though they be  
not the most mature1 yet ought1 as      
kindred of the ,muses1 to precede them4 
,besides which1 being drawn on one side 
by the tragic ,melpomene1 with more     
matter than spirit1 and on the other    

side by the comic ,thalia1 with more    
spirit than matter1 it came to pass     
that1 oscillating between the two1 he   
remained neutral and inactive1 rather   
than operative4 ,finally1 the dictum of 
the censors1 who1 restraining him from  
that which was high and worthy1 and     
towards which he was naturally inclined1
 sought to enslave his genius1 and from 
being free in virtue they would have    
rendered him contemptible under a most  
vile and stupid hypocrisy4 ,at last1 in 
the great whirl of annoyances by which  
he was surrounded1 it happened that1 not
 having wherewith to console him1 he    
listened to those who are said to       
intoxicate him with such exaltation1    
verses1 and rhymes1 as they had never   
demonstrated to others2 because this    
work shines more by its originality than
 by its conventionality4  ,,cic4 ,say1  
what do you mean by those who vaunt     
themselves of myrtle and laurel8        
,,tans4 ,those may and do boast of the  
myrtle who sing of love3 if they bear   

themselves nobly1 they may wear a crown 
of that plant consecrated to ,venus1 of 
which they know the potency4 ,those may 
boast of the laurel who sing worthily of
 things pertaining to heroes1           
substituting heroic souls for           
speculative and moral philosophy1 and   
praising them and setting as mirrors and
 exemplars for political and civil      
actions4  ,,cic4 ,there are then many   
species of poets and crowns8  ,,tans4   
,not only as many as there are ,muses1  
but a great many more2 for although     
genius is to be met with1 yet certain   
modes and species of human ingenuity    
cannot be thus classified4  ,,cic4      
,there are certain schoolmen who barely 
allow ,homer to be a poet1 and set down 
,virgil1 ,ovid1 ,martial1 ,hesiod1      
,lucretius1 and many others as          
versifiers1 judging them by the rules of
 poetry of ,aristotle4  ,,tans4 ,know   
for certain1 my brother1 that such as   
these are beasts4 ,they do not consider 
that those rules serve principally as a 

frame for the ,homeric poetry1 and for  
other similar to it1 and they set up one
 as a great poet1 high as ,homer1 and   
disallow those of other vein1 and art1  
and enthusiasm1 who in their various    
kinds are equal1 similar1 or greater4   
,,cic4 ,so that ,homer was not a poet   
who depended upon rules1 but was the    
cause of the rules which serve for those
 who are more apt at imitation than     
invention1 and they have been used by   
him who1 being no poet1 yet knew how to 
take the rules of ,homeric poetry into  
service1 so as to become1 not a poet or 
a ,homer1 but one who apes the ,muse of 
others8  ,,tans4 ,thou dost well        
conclude that poetry is not born in     
rules1 or only slightly and accidentally
 so2 the rules are derived from the     
poetry1 and there are as many kinds and 
sorts of true rules as there are kinds  
and sorts of true poets4  ,,cic4 ,how   
then are the true poets to be known8    
,,tans4 ,by the singing of their verses2
 in that singing they give delight1 or  

they edify1 or they edify and delight   
together4  ,,cic4 ,to whom then are the 
rules of ,aristotle useful8  ,,tans4 ,to
 him who1 unlike ,homer1 ,hesiod1       
,orpheus1 and others1 could not sing    
without the rules of ,aristotle1 and    
who1 having no ,muse of his own1 would  
coquette with that of ,homer4  ,,cic4   
,then they are wrong1 those stupid      
pedants of our days1 who exclude from   
the number of poets those who do not use
 words and metaphors conformable to1 or 
whose principles are not in union with1 
those of ,homer and ,virgil2 or because 
they do not observe the custom of       
invocation1 or because they weave one   
history or tale with another1 or because
 they finish the song with an epilogue  
on what has been said and a prelude on  
what is to be said1 and many other kinds
 of criticism and censure1 from whence  
it seems they would imply that they     
themselves1 if the fancy took them1     
could be the true poets2 and yet in fact
 they are no other than worms1 that know

 not how to do anything well1 but are   
born only to gnaw and befoul the studies
 and labours of others2 and not being   
able to attain celebrity by their own   
virtue and ingenuity1 seek to put       
themselves in the front1 by hook or by  
crook1 through the defects and errors of
 others4  ,,tans4 ,now1 to return from  
this long digression1 ,i say that there 
are as many sorts of poets as there are 
human sentiments and ideas2 and to these
 it is possible to adapt garlands1 not  
only of every species of plant1 but also
 of other kinds of material4 ,so the    
crowns of poets are made not only of    
myrtle and of laurel1 but of vine leaves
 for the white-wine verses1 and of ivy  
for the bacchanals2 of olive for        
sacrifice and laws2 of poplar1 of elm1  
and of corn for agriculture2 of cypress 
for funerals1 and innumerable others for
 other occasions2 and1 if it please you1
 also of that material signified by a   
good fellow when he exclaimed3      ,o  
,friar ,leek6 ,o ,poetaster6     ,that  

in ,milan didst buckle on thy wreath    
,composed of salad1 sausage1 and the    
pepper-caster4  ,,cic4 ,now surely he of
 divers moods1 which he exhibits in     
various ways1 may cover himself with the
 branches of different plants1 and may  
hold discourse worthily with the ,muses1
 for they are his aura or comforter1 his
 anchor or support1 and his harbour1 to 
which he retires in times of labour1 of 
agitation1 and storm4 ,hence he cries3  
,o mountain of ,parnassus1 where ,i     
abide6 ,muses1 with whom ,i converse6   
,fountain of ,helicon1 where ,i am      
nourished4 ,mountain1 that affordest me 
a quiet dwelling-place6 ,muses1 that    
inspire me with profound doctrines4     
,fountain1 that cleanses me6 ,mountain1 
on whose ascent my heart uprises6       
,muses1 that in discourse revive my     
spirit4 ,well1 whose arbours cool my    
brows6 ,change my death into life1 my   
cypress to laurels1 and my hells into   
heavens3 that is1 give me immortality1  
make me poet1 render me illustrious6    

,,tans4 ,well2 because to those whom    
,heaven favours the greatest evils turn 
to greatest good1 for needs or          
necessities bring forth labours and     
studies1 and these most often bring the 
glory of immortal splendour4  ,,cic4    
,for to die in one age makes us live in 
all the rest4 ,go on4  ,,tans4 ,then    
follows3  #b4      ,in form and place   
like to ,parnassus is my heart1     ,and
 up unto this mount for safety ,i       
ascend2     ,my ,muses are my thoughts1 
and they present to me     ,at every    
hour new beauties counted out4     ,the 
frequent tears that from my eyes do     
pour1     ,these make my fount of       
,helicon4     ,by such a mount1 such    
nymphs1 such floods1     ,as ,heaven did
 please1 was ,i a poet born4     ,no    
king of any kingdom1     ,no favouring  
hand of emperor1     ,no highest priest 
nor great pastor1     ,has given to me  
such graces1 honours1 privileges1       
,as are those laurel leaves with which  
,o'ershadowed are my heart1 my thoughts1

 my tears4  ,here he declares his       
mountain to be the exalted affection of 
his heart1 his ,muses he calls the      
beauties and attributes of the object of
 his affections1 and the fountain is his
 tears4 ,in that mountain affection is  
kindled2 through those beauties         
enthusiasm is conceived1 and by those   
tears the enthusiastic affection is     
demonstrated2 and he esteems himself not
 less grandly crowned by his heart1 his 
thoughts1 and his tears than others are 
by the hand of kings1 emperors1 and     
popes4  ,,cic4 ,explain to me what he   
means by his heart being in form like   
,parnassus4  ,,tans4 ,because the human 
heart has two summits1 which terminate  
in one base or root2 and1 spiritually1  
from one affection of the heart proceed 
two opposites1 love and hate2 and the   
mountain of ,parnassus has two summits  
and one base4  ,,cic4 ,on to the next6  
#c4      ,the captain calls his warriors
 to arms1     ,and at the trumpet's     
sound they all     ,under one sign and  

standard come4     ,but yet for some in 
vain the call is heard1     ,heedless   
and unprepared1 they mind it not4       
,one foe he kills1 and the insane       
unborn1     ,he banishes from out the   
camp in scorn4     ,and thus the soul1  
when foiled her high designs1     ,would
 have all those opponents dead or gone2 
,one object only ,i regard1     ,one    
face alone my mind does fill1     ,one  
beauty keeps me fixed and still2        
,one arrow pierced my heart1 and one    
,the fire with which alone ,i burn1     
,and towards one paradise ,i turn4      
,this captain is the human will1 which  
dwells in the depths of the soul with   
the small helm of reason to govern and  
guide the interior powers against the   
wave of natural impulses4 ,he1 with the 
sound of the trumpet--that is1 by fixed 
resolve--calls all the warriors or      
invokes all the powers2 called warriors 
because they are in continual strife and
 opposition2 and their affections1 which
 are all contrary thoughts1 some towards

 one and some towards the other side    
inclining1 and he tries to bring them   
all under one flag--one settled end and 
aim4 ,some are called in vain to put in 
a ready appearance1 and are chiefly     
those which proceed from the lower      
instincts1 and which obey the reason    
either not at all1 or very little2 and  
forcing himself to prevent their actions
 and condemn those which cannot be      
prevented1 he shows himself as one who  
would kill those and banish these1 now  
by the scourge of scorn1 now by the     
sword of anger4 ,one only is the object 
of his regards1 and on this he is       
intently fixed2 one prospect delights   
and fills his imagination1 one beauty   
pleases1 and he rests in that1 because  
the operation of the intelligence is not
 a work of movement but of quiet2 from  
thence alone he derives that barb which1
 killing him1 constitutes the           
consummation of perfection4 ,he burns   
with one fire alone2 that is1 one       
affection consumes him4  ,,cic4 ,why is 

love symbolized by fire8  ,,tans4 ,for  
many reasons1 but at present let this   
one suffice thee3 that as love converts 
the thing loved into the lover1 so      
amongst the elements fire is active and 
potent to convert all the others1 simple
 and composite1 into itself4  ,,cic4 ,go
 on4  ,,tans4 ,he knows one             
paradise--that is1 one consummation1    
because paradise commonly signifies the 
end2 which is again distinguished from  
that which is absolute in truth and     
essence from that which is so in        
appearance and shadow or form4 ,of the  
first there can only be one1 as there   
can be only one ultimate and one primal 
good4 ,of the second the modes are      
infinite4  #d4      ,love1 ,fate1       
,love's object1 and cold ,jealousy1     
,delight me1 and torment1 content me1   
and afflict4     ,the insensate boy1 the
 blind and sinister1     ,the loftiest  
beauty1 and my death alone     ,show to 
me paradise1 and take away1     ,present
 me with all good1 and steal it from me1

     ,so that the heart1 the mind1 the  
spirit1 and the soul1     ,have joy1    
pain1 cold1 and weight in their control4
     ,who will deliver me from war8     
,who give to me the fruit of love in    
peace8     ,and that which vexes that   
which pleases me     7,opening the gates
 of heaven and closing them7     ,who   
will set far apart     ,to make         
acceptable my fires and tears8  ,he     
shows the reason and origin of passion2 
and whence it is conceived2 and how     
enthusiasm is born1 by ploughing the    
field of the ,muses and scattering the  
seed of his thoughts and waiting for the
 fruitful harvest1 discovering in       
himself the fervour of the affections   
instead of in the sun1 and in place of  
the rain is the moisture of his eyes4   
,he brings forward four things3 ,love1  
,fate1 the ,object1 and ,jealousy4 ,here
 love is not a low1 ignoble1 and        
unworthy motor1 but a noble lord and    
chief4 ,fate is none other than the     
pre-ordained disposition and order of   

casualties to which he is subject by his
 destiny4 ,the object is the thing loved
 and the correlative of the lover4      
,jealousy1 it is clear1 must be the     
ardour of the lover about the thing     
loved1 of which it boots not to speak to
 him who knows what love is1 and which  
it is vain to try to explain to others4 
,love delights1 because to him who loves
 it is a pleasure to love2 and he who   
really loves would not cease from       
loving4 ,this is referred to in the     
following sonnet3  #e4      ,beloved1   
sweet1 and honourable wound1     ,from  
fairest dart that love did choose1      
,lofty1 most beauteous and potential    
zeal1     ,that makes the soul in its   
own flames find weal6     ,what power or
 spell of herb or magic art     ,can    
tear thee from the centre of my heart1  
,since he1 who with an ever-growing     
zest1     ,tormenting most1 yet most    
does make me blest8     ,how can ,i of  
this weight unburdened be1     ,if pain 
the cure1 and joy the sore give me8     

,sweet is my pain3 to this world new and
 rare4     ,eyes6 ye are the bow and    
torches of my lord6     ,double the     
flames and arrows in my breast1     ,for
 languishing is sweet and burning best4 
,fate vexes and grieves by undesirable  
and unfortunate events1 or because it   
makes the subject feel unworthy of the  
object1 and out of proportion with the  
dignity of the latter1 or because a     
perfect sympathy does not exist1 or for 
other reasons and obstacles that arise4 
,the object satisfies the subject1 which
 is nourished by no other1 seeks no     
other1 is occupied by no other1 and     
banishes every other thought4 ,jealousy 
torments1 because although she is the   
daughter of ,love1 and is derived from  
him1 and is his companion who always    
goes with him1 and is a sign of the     
same1 being understood as a necessary   
consequence wherever love is found 7as  
may be observed of whole generations    
who1 from the coldness of the region and
 lateness of development1 learn little1 

love less1 and of jealousy know         
nothing71 yet1 notwithstanding its      
kinship1 association1 and signification1
 jealousy comes to trouble and poisons  
all that it finds of beautiful and of   
good in ,love4 ,therefore ,i said in    
another sonnet3  #f4      ,oh1 wicked   
child of ,envy and of ,love6     ,that  
turnest into pain thy father's joys1    
,to evil ,argus-eyed1 but blind as mole 
to good4     ,minister of torment6      
,jealousy6     ,fetid harpy6 ,tisiphone 
infernal6     ,who steals and poisons   
others' good1     ,under thy cruel      
breath does languish     ,the sweetest  
flower of all my hopes4     ,proud of   
thyself1 unlovely one1     ,bird of     
sorrow and harbinger of ill1     ,the   
heart thou visitest by thousand doors2  
,if entrance unto thee could be denied1 
,the reign of ,love would so much fairer
 be1     ,as would this world were death
 and hate away4  ,to the above is added1
 that ,jealousy not only is sometimes   
the ruin and death of the lover1 but    

often kills ,love itself1 because ,love 
comes to be so much under its influence 
that it is impelled to despise the      
object1 and in fact becomes alienated   
from it1 especially when it engenders   
disdain4  ,,cic4 ,explain now the ideas 
which follow4 ,why is ,love called the  
insensate boy8  ,,tans4 ,i will tell    
you4 ,love is called the insensate boy1 
not because he is so of himself1 but    
because he brings certain ones into     
subjection1 and dwells in such subjects1
 since the more intellectual and        
speculative one is1 the more ,love      
raises the genius and purifies the      
intellect1 rendering it alert1 studious1
 and circumspect1 promoting a condition 
of valorous animosity and an emulation  
of virtues and dignities by the desire  
to please and to make itself worthy of  
the thing loved2 others1 and they are   
the largest number1 call him mad and    
foolish1 because he drives them         
distracted1 and hurries them into       
excesses1 by which the spirit1 soul1 and

 body become sickly1 and inept to       
consider and distinguish that which is  
seemly from that which is distorted2    
thus rendering them subject to scorn1   
derision1 and reproach4  ,,cic4 ,it is  
commonly said that love makes fools of  
the old and makes the young wise4       
,,tans4 ,that drawback does not happen  
to all the aged1 nor that advantage to  
all the young2 the one is true of the   
weak1 and the other of the robust4 ,one 
thing is certain1 that he who loves     
wisely in youth will in age not go      
astray4 ,but derision is for those of   
mature age1 into whose hands ,love puts 
the alphabet4  ,,cic4 ,tell me now why  
,fate is called blind and bad4  ,,tans4 
,again1 blind and bad is not said of    
,destiny itself1 because it is of the   
same order and number and measure as the
 universe2 but as to the subjects it is 
said to be blind1 for they are blind to 
fate1 she being so uncertain4 ,so also  
is ,fate said to be evil1 because every 
living mortal who laments and complains1

 blames her4 ,as the ,apulian poet says3
      ,how is it1 or what means it1     
,mcenas1     ,that none on earth        
contented with that fate appear1        
,which ,reason or ,heaven has assigned  
to them8  ,in the same way he calls the 
object the highest beauty1 as it is that
 alone which has power of attracting him
 to itself2 and thus he holds it more   
worthy1 more noble1 and feels it        
predominant and superior as he becomes  
subject and captive to it4 ,my death    
itself1 he says of ,jealousy1 because as
 ,love has no more close companion than 
she1 so also he feels he has no greater 
enemy2 as nothing is more hurtful to    
iron than rust1 which is produced by it4
  ,,cic4 ,now1 since you have begun so1 
continue to show bit by bit that which  
remains4  ,,tans4 ,so will ,i4 ,he says 
next of ,love3 he shows me ,paradise1 in
 order to prove that ,love himself is   
not blind1 and does not himself render  
any lovers blind1 except through the    
ignoble characteristics of the subject2 

even as the birds of night become blind 
in the sunshine4 ,as for himself1 ,love 
brightens1 clears1 and opens the        
intellect1 permeating all and producing 
miraculous effects4  ,,cic4 ,much of    
this1 it seems to me1 the ,nolano       
demonstrates in another sonnet3  #g4    
,love1 through whom high truth ,i do    
discern1     ,thou openest the black    
diamond doors2     ,through the eyes    
enters my deity1 and through seeing     
,is born1 lives1 is nourished1 and has  
eternal reign2     ,shows forth what    
heaven holds1 earth and hell3     ,makes
 present true images of the absent2     
,gains strength3 and drawing with       
straight aim1     ,wounds1 lays bare and
 frets the inmost heart4     ,attend    
now1 thou base hind unto the truth1     
,bend down the ear to my unerring word2 
,open1 open1 if thou canst the eyes1    
foolish perverted one6     ,thou        
understanding little1 call'st him child1
     ,because thou swiftly changest1    
fugitive he seems1     ,thyself not     

seeing1 call'st him blind4  ,love shows 
,paradise in order that the highest     
things may be heard1 understood1 and    
accomplished2 or it makes the things    
loved1 grand--at least in appearance4   
,he says1 ,fate takes love away2        
because1 often in spite of the lover1 it
 does not concede1 and that which he    
sees and desires is distant and adverse 
to him4 ,every good he sets before me1  
he says of the object1 because that     
which is indicated by the finger of     
,love seems to him the only thing1 the  
principal1 and the whole4 ,steals it    
from me1 he says of ,jealousy1 not      
simply in order that it may not be      
present to me2 removing it from my      
eyesight1 but in order that good may not
 be good1 but an acute evil2 sweet1 not 
sweet1 but an agonized longing2 while   
the heart--that is1 the will1 has joy by
 the great force of love1 whatever may  
be the result2 the mind--that is1 the   
intellectual part1 has pain through the 
,fear of ,fate1 which fate does not     

favour the lover2 the spirit--that is1  
the natural affections1 are cold because
 they are snatched from the object which
 gives joy to the heart1 and which might
 give pleasure to the mind2 the         
soul--that is1 the suffering and        
sensitive soul1 is heavy--that is1 finds
 itself oppressed with the heavy burden 
of jealousy which torments it4 ,to this 
consideration of his state he adds a    
tearful lament1 and says3 ,who will     
deliver me from war1 and give me peace8 
or who will separate that which pains   
and injures me from that which ,i so    
love1 and which opens to me the gates of
 heaven1 so that the fervid flames in my
 heart may be acceptable1 and fortunate 
the fountains of my tears8 ,continuing  
this proposition1 he adds3  #h4      ,ah
 me6 oppress some other1 spiteful ,fate6
     ,jealousy1 get thee hence--begone6 
away6     ,these may suffice to show me 
all the grace     ,of changeful ,love1  
and of that noble face4     ,he takes my
 life1 she gives me death1     ,she     

wings1 he burns my heart1     ,he       
murders it1 and she revives the soul3   
,my succour she1 my grievous burden he6 
,but what say ,i of ,love8     ,if he   
and she one subject be1 or form1     ,if
 with one empire and one rule they stamp
     ,one sole impression in my heart of
 hearts1     ,then are they two1 yet    
one1 on which do wait     ,the mirth and
 melancholy of my state6  ,four         
beginnings and extremes of two opposites
 he would reduce to two beginnings and  
one opposite3 he says1 then1 oppress    
others--that is1 let it suffice thee1 ,o
 my ,fate6 that thou hast so much       
oppressed me2 and since thou canst not  
exist without exercise of thyself1 turn 
elsewhere thy anger4 ,get thee hence out
 of the world1 thou ,jealousy1 because  
one of those two others which remain can
 supply your functions and offices2 yet1
 ,o ,fate6 thou art none other than my  
love2 and thou1 ,jealousy1 art not      
external to the substance of the same4  
,he alone1 then1 remains to deprive me  

of life1 to burn me1 to give me death1  
and to be to me the burden of my bones2 
for he delivers me from death--wings1   
enlivens1 and sustains4 ,then two       
beginnings and one opposite he reduces  
to one beginning and one result1        
exclaiming3 ,but what do ,i say of      
,love8 ,if this presence1 this object1  
is his empire1 and appears none other   
than the empire of ,love1 the rule of   
,love and its own rule2 the impression  
of ,love which appears in the substance 
of my heart1 is then no other impression
 than its own1 and therefore after      
having said ,noble face1 replies        
,inconstant ,love4,a  ,a ,vago amore4   
,second ,dialogue4  ,,tansillo4   ,now  
begins the enthusiast to display the    
affections and uncover the wounds which 
are for a sign in his body1 and in      
substance or essence in his soul1 and he
 says thus3  #i4      ,of ,love the     
standard-bearer ,i2     ,my hopes are   
ice1 and glowing my desires4     ,at    
once ,i tremble1 sparkle1 freeze1 and   

burn2     ,am mute1 and fill the air    
with clamorous plaints4     ,water my   
eyes distil1 sparks from my heart4      
,i live1 ,i die1 make merry and lament4 
,living the waters1 the burning never   
dies1     ,for in my eyes is ,thetys1   
and ,vulcan in my heart4     ,others ,i 
love2 myself ,i hate4     ,if ,i be     
winged1 others are changed to stone2    
,they high as heaven1 if ,i be lowly    
set4     ,i cease not to pursue1 they   
ever flee away2     ,if ,i do call1 yet 
none will answer me4     ,the more ,i   
search1 the more is hid from me4  ,in   
accordance with this1 ,i will continue  
with that which just before ,i said to  
thee1 that one should not strive so hard
 to prove that which is so very         
evident--namely1 that there is nothing  
pure and unalloyed2 and some have said  
that no mixed thing is a real entity1 as
 alloyed gold is not real gold1         
manufactured wine is not real simple    
wine4 ,almost all things are made up of 
opposites1 whence it comes that the     

success of our affections1 through the  
mixture that is in things1 can afford no
 pleasure without some bitterness2 and  
more than this1 ,i will say1 that were  
it not for the bitter1 there would be no
 sweet2 seeing that it is through       
fatigue that we find pleasure in repose2
 separation is the cause of our pleasure
 in union2 and1 examining generally1 we 
shall ever find that one opposite is the
 reason that the other opposite pleases 
and is desired4  ,,cic4 ,then there is  
no delight without the contrary8        
,,tans4 ,certainly not2 as without the  
opposite there is no pain2 as is shown  
by that golden ,pythagorean poet when he
 says3      ,hinc metuunt cupiuntque1   
dolent gaudentque1 nec     ,respiciunt1 
claus tenebris1 e carcere cco4  ,this1  
then1 is what the mixture of things     
causes1 and hence it is that no one is  
pleased with his own state1 except some 
senseless blockhead1 who is so all the  
more the deeper is the degree of obscure
 folly in which he is sunk2 then he has 

little or no apprehension of pain2 he   
enjoys the actual present without       
fearing the future2 he enjoys that which
 is and that in which he finds himself1 
and has neither care nor sorrow for what
 may be2 and1 in short1 has no sense of 
that opposition which is symbolized by  
the tree of the knowledge of good and   
evil4  ,,cic4 ,from this we see that    
ignorance is the mother of sensual      
felicity and beatitude1 and this same is
 the garden of paradise of the animals2 
as is made clear in the dialogues of the
 ,kabala of the horse ,pegasus2 and as  
says the wise ,solomon1 ,whoso increases
 knowledge increases sorrow4  ,,tans4   
,hence it appears that heroic love is a 
torment1 because it does not enjoy the  
present1 as does animal love1 but is of 
the future and the absent2 and1 on the  
contrary1 it feels ambition1 emulation1 
suspicion and dread4 ,one evening1 after
 supper1 a certain neighbour of ours    
said3 ,never was ,i more jolly than ,i  
am now4 ,john ,bruno1 father of the     

,nolano1 answered him3 ,never wert thou 
more foolish than now4  ,,cic4 ,you     
would imply1 then1 that he who is sad is
 wise1 and that other who is more sad is
 wiser8  ,,tans4 ,on the contrary1 ,i   
mean that there is in these another     
species of foolishness and a worse4     
,,cic4 ,who1 then1 is wise1 if foolish  
is he who is content1 and foolish he who
 is sad8  ,,tans4 ,he who is neither    
merry nor sad4  ,,cic4 ,who8 ,he who    
sleeps8 ,he who is without feeling--who 
is dead8  ,,tans4 ,no2 but he who is    
quick1 both seeing and hearing1 and who1
 considering evil and good1 estimating  
the one and the other as variable1 and  
consistent in motion1 mutation1 and     
vicissitude1 in such wise that the end  
of one opposite is the commencement of  
another1 and the extreme of the one is  
the beginning of the other2 whose spirit
 is neither depressed nor elated1 but is
 moderate in inclinations and temperate 
in desires2 to him pleasure is not      
pleasure1 having ever present the end of

 it2 equally1 pain to him is not pain1  
because by the force of reasoning he has
 present the end of that too4 ,so the   
sage holds all mutable things as things 
that are not1 and affirms that they are 
no other than vanity and nothingness1   
because time has to eternity the        
proportion of the point to the line4    
,,cic4 ,so that we can never hold the   
proposition of being contented or       
discontented1 without holding the       
proposition of our own foolishness1     
which we thereby confess2 therefore no  
one who reasons1 and consequently no one
 who participates1 can be wise2 in      
short1 all men are fools4  ,,tans4 ,i do
 not intend to infer that2 for ,i will  
hold of highest wisdom him who could    
really say at one time the opposite of  
what he says at another--never was ,i   
less gay than now2 or1 never was ,i less
 sad than at present4  ,,cic4 ,how8 ,do 
you not make two contrary qualities     
where there are two opposite affections8
 ,why1 ,i say1 do you take as two       

virtues1 and not as one vice and one    
virtue1 the being less gay and the being
 less sad8  ,,tans4 ,because both the   
contraries in excess--that is1 in so far
 as they exceed--are vices1 because they
 pass the line2 and the same1 in so far 
as they diminish1 come to be virtues1   
because they are contained within       
limits4  ,,cic4 ,how8 ,the being less   
merry and the being less sad are not one
 virtue and one vice1 but are two       
virtues8  ,,tans4 ,on the contrary1 ,i  
say they are one and the same virtue2   
because the vice is there where the     
opposite is2 the opposite is chiefly    
there where the extreme is2 the greatest
 opposite is the nearest to the extreme2
 the least or nothing is in the middle1 
where the opposites meet1 and are one   
and identical2 as between the coldest   
and hottest and the hotter and colder1  
in the middle point is that which you   
may call hot and cold1 or neither hot   
nor cold1 without contradiction4 ,in    
that way whoso is least content and     

least joyful is in the degree of        
indifference1 and finds himself in the  
habitation of temperance1 where the     
virtue and condition of a strong soul   
exist1 which bends not to the south wind
 nor to the north4 ,this1 then1 to      
return to the point1 is how this        
enthusiastic hero1 who explains himself 
in the present part1 is different from  
the other baser ones--not as virtue from
 vice1 but as a vice which exists in a  
subject more divine or divinely1 from a 
vice which exists in a subject more     
savage or savagely2 so that the         
difference is according to the different
 subjects and modes1 and not according  
to the form of vice4  ,,cic4 ,i can very
 well conceive1 from what you have said1
 the condition of that heroic           
enthusiast1 who says1 ,my hopes are ice 
and my desires are glowing1 because he  
is not in the temperance of mediocrity1 
but1 in the excess of contradictions1   
his soul is discordant1 he shivers in   
his frozen hopes and burns in his       

glowing desires2 in his eagerness he is 
clamorous1 and he is mute from fear2 his
 heart burns in its affection for       
others1 and for compassion of himself he
 sheds tears from his eyes2 dying in the
 laughter of others1 he is alive in his 
own lamentations2 and like him who no   
longer belongs to himself1 he loves     
others and hates himself2 because       
matter1 as say the physicists1 with that
 measure with which it loves the absent 
form1 hates the present one4 ,and so in 
the octave finishes the war which the   
soul has within itself2 and when he says
 in the sistina1 but if ,i be winged1   
others change to stone and that which   
follows2 he shows his passion for the   
warfare which he wages with external    
contradictions4 ,i remember having read 
in ,jamblichus1 where he treats of the  
,egyptian mysteries1 this sentence3     
,impius animam dissidentem habet3 unde  
nec secum ipse convenire potest1 neque  
cum aliis4  ,,tans4 ,now listen to      
another sonnet1 as sequel to what has   

been said3  #aj4      ,by what          
condition1 nature1 or fell chance1      
,in living death1 dead life ,i live8    
,love has me dead1 alack6 and such a    
death1     ,that death and life together
 ,i must lose4     ,devoid of hope1 ,i  
reach the gates of hell1     ,and laden 
with desire arrive at heaven3     ,thus 
am ,i subject to eternal opposites1     
,and1 banished both from heaven and from
 hell1     ,no pause nor rest my        
torments know1     ,because between two 
running wheels ,i go1     ,of which one 
here1 the other there compels1     ,and 
like ,ixion ,i pursue and flee2     ,for
 to the double discourse do ,i fit      
,the crosswise lesson of the spur and   
bit4  ,he shows how much he suffers from
 this dislocation and distraction in    
himself2 while the affections1 leaving  
the mean and middle way of temperance1  
tend towards the one and the other      
extreme1 and so are wafted on high or   
towards the right1 and are also         
transported downwards to the left4      

,,cic4 ,how is it that1 not being really
 of one or the other extreme1 it does   
not come to be in the conditions or     
terms of virtue8  ,,tans4 ,it is then in
 a state of virtue when it keeps to the 
middle1 declining from one to the other 
opposite2 but when it leads towards the 
extremes1 inclining to one or the other 
of those1 it fails so entirely from     
being virtue1 that it is a double vice1 
which consists in this1 that the thing  
recedes from its nature1 the perfection 
of which consists in unity1 and there   
where the opposites meet1 its           
composition and virtue exist4 ,this1    
then1 is how he is dead alive1 or living
 dying2 whence he says1 ,in a living    
death a dead life ,i live4 ,he is not   
dead1 because he lives in the object2   
not alive1 because he is dead in        
himself2 deprived of death1 because he  
gives birth to thoughts2 deprived of    
life1 because he does not grow or feel  
in himself4 ,he is now most dejected    
through meditating on the high          

intelligence1 and the perceived         
feebleness of power2 and most elated by 
the aspiration of heroic longing1 which 
passes far beyond his limits1 and is    
most exalted by the intellectual        
appetite2 which has not for its fashion 
or aim to add number to number1 is most 
dejected by the violence done to him by 
the sensual opposite which drags him    
down towards hell4 ,so that1 finding    
himself thus ascending and descending1  
he feels within his soul the greatest   
dissension that is possible to be felt1 
and he remains in a state of confusion  
through this rebellion of the senses1   
which urge him thither where reason     
restrains1 and vice vers4 ,this same is 
thoroughly demonstrated in the following
 sentences1 where the ,reason1 under the
 name of ,filenio asks1 and the         
enthusiast replies under the name of    
,shepherd1 who labours in the care of   
the flocks and herds of his thoughts1   
which he nourishes in the submission to 
and service of his nymph1 which is the  

affection of that object to which he is 
captive4  #aa4  ,,filenio4 ,shepherd6   
,,shepherd4 ,what wilt thou8  ,f4 ,what 
doest thou8  ,s4 ,i suffer4  ,f4        
,wherefore8  ,s4 ,because neither life  
has me for his own1 nor death4  ,f4     
,who's to blame8  ,s4 ,love4  ,f4 ,that 
rascal8  ,s4 ,that rascal4  ,f4 ,where  
is he8  ,s4 ,he holds me tight in my    
heart's core4  ,f4 ,what does he8  ,s4  
,wounds me4  ,f4 ,who8  ,s4 ,me4  ,f4   
,thee8  ,s4 ,yes4  ,f4 ,with what8  ,s4 
,with the eyes1 the gates of heaven and 
of hell4  ,f4 ,dost hope8  ,s4 ,i hope4 
,f4 ,for pity8  ,s4 ,for pity4  ,f4     
,from whom8  ,s4 ,from him who racks me 
night and day4  ,f4 ,has he any8  ,s4 ,i
 know not4  ,f4 ,thou art a fool4  ,s4  
,how if such folly be pleasing to my    
soul8  ,f4 ,does he promise8  ,s4 ,no4  
,f4 ,does he deny8  ,s4 ,not at all4    
,f4 ,is he silent8  ,s4 ,yes1 for so    
much purity 7onest7 robs me of my       
boldness4  ,f4 ,thou ravest4  ,s4 ,how  
so8  ,f4 ,in vain efforts4  ,s4 ,his    

scorn more than my torments do ,i fear4 
,here he says that he craves for love1  
and he complains of it1 yet not because 
he loves--seeing that to no true lover  
can love be displeasing2 but because he 
loves unhappily1 whilst those beams     
which are the rays of those lights1 and 
which themselves1 according as they are 
perverse and antagonistic1 or really    
kind and gracious1 become the gates     
which lead towards heaven or towards    
hell4 ,in this way he is kept in hope of
 future and uncertain mercy1 but        
actually in a state of present and      
certain torment1 and although he sees   
his folly quite clearly1 nevertheless he
 does not care to correct himself in it1
 or even to feel displeased with it1 but
 rather does he feel satisfied with it1 
as he shows when he says3      ,never   
let me of ,love complain1     ,for ,love
 alone can ease my pain4  ,here is shown
 another species of enthusiasm born from
 the light of reason1 which excites fear
 and suppresses the aforesaid reason in 

order not to commit any action which    
might vex or irritate the thing loved4  
,he says1 then1 that hope rests in the  
future1 without anything being promised 
or denied2 therefore1 he is silent and  
asks nothing1 for fear of offending     
purity 7l'onestade74 ,he does not       
venture to explain himself and make a   
proposition1 lest he be rejected with   
repugnance or accepted with reserve2 for
 he thinks the evil that there might be 
in the one would be over-balanced by the
 good in the other4 ,he shows himself1  
then1 ready to suffer for ever his own  
torment1 rather than to open the door to
 an opportunity through which the thing 
loved might be perturbed and saddened4  
,,cic4 ,herein he proves that his love  
is truly heroic2 because he proposes to 
himself as the chief aim1 not corporeal 
beauty1 but rather the grace of the     
spirit1 and the inclination of the      
affections in which1 rather than in the 
beauty of the body1 that love that has  
in it the divine1 is eternal4  ,,tans4  

,thou knowest that1 as the ,platonic    
ideas are divided into three species1 of
 which one tends to the contemplative or
 speculative life1 one to active        
morality1 and the third to the idle and 
voluptuous1 so are there three species  
of love1 of which one raises itself from
 the contemplation of bodily form to the
 consideration of the spiritual and     
divine2 the other only continues in the 
delight of seeing and conversing2 the   
third from seeing proceeds to           
precipitate into the concupiscence of   
touch4 ,of these three modes others are 
composed1 according as the first may be 
coupled with the second or the third1 or
 as all the three modes may combine     
together1 of which one and all may be   
divided into others1 according to the   
affections of the enthusiast1 as these  
tend more towards the spiritual object1 
or more towards the corporeal1 or       
equally towards the one and the other4  
,hence it comes1 that of those who find 
themselves in this warfare1 and are     

entangled in the meshes of love1 some   
aim at enjoying1 and they are incited to
 pluck the apple from the tree of       
corporeal beauty1 without which         
acquisition1 or at least the hope of it1
 they hold vain and worthy only of      
derision every amorous care2 and in     
such-wise run all those who are of a    
barbarous nature1 who neither do nor can
 seek to exalt themselves by loving     
worthy things1 and aspiring to          
illustrious things1 and higher still to 
things divine1 by suitable studies and  
exercises1 to which nothing can more    
richly and easily supply the wings than 
heroic love2 others put before          
themselves the fruit of delight1 which  
they take in the aspect of the beauty   
and grace of the spirit1 which glitters 
and shines in the beauty of the body1   
and certain of these1 although they love
 the body and greatly desire to be      
united to it1 bewailing its absence and 
being afflicted by separation1 at the   
same time fear1 lest presuming in this  

they may be deprived of that affability1
 conversation1 friendship1 and sympathy 
which are most precious to them2 because
 to attempt this there cannot be more   
guarantee of success than there is risk 
of forfeiting that favour1 which appears
 before the eyes of thought as a thing  
so glorious and worthy4  ,,cic4 ,it is a
 worthy thing1 oh ,tansillo6 for its    
many virtues and perfections1 and it    
behoves human genius to seek1 accept1   
nourish1 and preserve a love like that2 
but one should take great care not to   
bow down or become enslaved to an object
 unworthy and base1 lest we become      
sharers of the baseness and unworthiness
 of the same3 appositely the ,ferrarese 
poet says      ,who sets his foot upon  
the amorous snare1     ,lest he besmear 
his wings1 let him beware4  ,,tans4 ,to 
say the truth1 that object1 which beyond
 the beauty of the body has no other    
splendour1 is not worthy of being loved 
otherwise than to make the race2 and it 
seems to me the work of a pig or a horse

 to torment one's self about it1 and as 
to myself1 never was ,i more fascinated 
by such things than ,i am now fascinated
 by some statue or picture to which ,i  
am indifferent4 ,it would then be a     
great dishonour to a generous soul1 if1 
of a foul1 vile1 loose1 and ignoble     
nature1 although hid under an excellent 
symbol1 it should be said3 ,i fear his  
scorn more than my torment4     ,third  
,dialogue4  ,,tansillo4   ,there are    
several varieties of enthusiasts1 which 
may all be reduced to two kinds4 ,while 
some only display blindness1 stupidity1 
and irrational impetuosity1 which tend  
towards savage madness1 others by divine
 abstraction become in reality superior 
to ordinary men4 ,and these again are of
 two kinds1 for some having become the  
habitation of gods or divine spirits1   
speak and perform wonderful things1     
without themselves understanding the    
reason4 ,many such have been uncultured 
and ignorant persons1 into whom1 being  
void of spirit and sense of their own1  

as into an empty chamber1 the divine    
spirit and sense intrude1 as it would   
have less power to show itself in those 
who are full of their own reason and    
sense4 ,this divine spirit often desires
 that the world should know for certain1
 that those do not speak from their own 
knowledge and experience1 but speak and 
act through some superior intelligence2 
for such1 the mass of men vouchsafe more
 admiration and faith1 while others1    
being skilful in contemplation and      
possessing innately a clear intellectual
 spirit1 have an internal stimulus and  
natural fervour1 excited by the love of 
the divine1 of justice1 of truth1 of    
glory1 and by the fire of desire and the
 breath of intention1 sharpen their     
senses1 and in the sulphur of the       
cogitative faculty1 these kindle the    
rational light1 with which they see more
 than ordinarily2 and they come in the  
end to speak and act1 not as vessels and
 instruments1 but as chief artificers   
and experts4  ,,cic4 ,of these two which

 dost thou esteem higher8  ,,tans4 ,the 
first have more dignity1 power1 and     
efficacy within themselves1 because they
 have the divinity2 the second are      
themselves worthy1 potential1 and       
efficacious1 and are divine4 ,the first 
are worthy1 as is the ass which carries 
the sacraments2 the second are as a     
sacred thing4 ,in the first is          
contemplated and seen in effect the     
divinity1 and that is beheld1 adored1   
and obeyed2 in the second is            
contemplated and seen the excellency of 
humanity itself4 ,but now to the        
question4 ,these enthusiasms of which we
 speak1 and which we see exemplified in 
these sentences1 are not oblivion1 but a
 memory2 they are not neglect of one's  
self1 but love and desire of the        
beautiful and good1 by means of which we
 are able to make ourselves perfect1 by 
transforming and assimilating ourselves 
to it4 ,it is not a precipitation1 under
 the laws of a tyrannous fate1 into the 
noose of animal affections1 but a       

rational impetus1 which follows the     
intellectual apprehension of the        
beautiful and the good1 which knows whom
 it wishes to obey and to please1 so    
that1 by its nobility and light1 it     
kindles and invests itself with         
qualities and conditions through which  
it appears illustrious and worthy4 ,he  
7the enthusiast7 becomes a god by       
intellectual contact with the divine    
object1 and he has no thought for other 
than divine things1 and shows himself   
insensible and impassive towards those  
things which are commonly felt1 and     
about which others are mostly tormented2
 he fears nothing1 and for love of the  
divine he despises other pleasures and  
gives no thought to this life4 ,it is   
not a fury of black bile which sends him
 drifting outside of judgment1 reason1  
and acts of prudence1 and tossed by the 
discordant tempest1 like those who1     
having violated certain laws of the     
divine ,adrastia1 are condemned to be   
scourged by the ,furies1 in order that  

they may be excited by a dissonance as  
corporeal through seditions1            
destructions1 and plagues1 as it is     
spiritual1 through the forfeiture of    
harmony between the perceptive and      
enjoying powers2 but it is aglow kindled
 by the intellectual sun in the soul1   
and a divine impetus which lends it     
wings1 with which1 drawing nearer and   
nearer to the intellectual sun1 and     
ridding itself of the rust of human     
cares1 it becomes a gold tried and pure1
 has the perception of divine and       
internal harmony1 and its thoughts and  
acts accord with the symmetry of the    
law1 innate in all things4 ,not1 as     
drunk from the cups of ,circe1 does he  
go dashing and stumbling1 now in this   
and then in that ditch1 now against this
 or that rock1 or like a shifting       
,proteus1 changing now to this1 now to  
the other aspect1 never finding place1  
fashion1 or ground to stay and settle   
in2 but1 without spoiling the harmony1  
conquers and overcomes the horrid       

monsters1 and however much he may       
swerve1 he easily returns to himself,b  
by means of those inward instincts that1
 like the nine ,muses1 dance and sing   
round the splendours of the universal   
,apollo1 and under tangible images and  
material things1 he comes to comprehend 
divine laws and counsels4 ,it is true   
that sometimes1 having love for his     
trusty escort1 who is double1 and       
because sometimes through occasional    
impediments he finds himself defrauded  
of his strength1 then1 as one insane and
 furious1 he squanders away the love of 
that which he cannot comprehend2 whence1
 confused by the obscurity of the       
divinity1 he sometimes abandons the     
work1 and then again returns1 to force  
himself with his will thither1 where he 
cannot arrive with the intellect4 ,it is
 true also that he commonly wanders1 and
 transports himself1 now into one1 now  
into another form of the double ,eros2  
therefore1 the principal lesson that    
,love gives to him is1 that he          

contemplate the divine beauty in shadow1
 when he cannot do so in the mirror1    
and1 like the suitors of ,penelope1 he  
entertain himself with the maids when he
 is not permitted to converse with the  
mistress4 ,now1 in conclusion1 you can  
comprehend1 from what has been said1    
what is this enthusiast whose picture is
 put forth1 when it is said3  #ab4      
,if towards the shining light the       
butterfly1     ,winging his way knows   
not the burning flame1     ,and if the  
thirsty stag1 unmindful of the dart1    
,runs fainting to the brook1     ,or    
unicorn1 unto the chaste breast running1
     ,ignores the snare that is for him 
prepared1     ,i1 in the light1 the     
fount1 the bosom of my love     ,behold 
the flames1 the arrows1 and the chains4 
,if it be sweet in plaintiveness to     
droop1     ,why does that lofty         
splendour dazzle me8     ,wherefore the 
sacred arrow sweetly wound8     ,why in 
this knot is my desire involved8        
,and why to me eternal irksomeness      

,flames to my heart1 darts to my breast 
and snares unto my soul8  ,b ,facilmente
 ritorna al sesso4  ,here he shows his  
love not to be like that of the         
butterfly1 of the stag1 and of the      
unicorn1 who would flee away if they had
 knowledge of the fire1 of the arrow1   
and of the snares1 and who have no other
 sense than that of pleasure2 but he is 
moved by a most sensible and only too   
evident passion1 which forces him to    
love that fire more than any coolness2  
more that wound than any wholeness2 more
 those fetters than any liberty4 ,for   
this evil is not absolutely evil1 but1  
through comparison with good 7according 
to opinion71 it is deceptive1 like the  
sauce that old ,saturn gets when he     
devours his own sons2 for this evil     
absolutely in the eye of the ,eternal1  
is comprehended either for good1 or for 
guide which conduces to it1 since this  
fire is the ardent desire of divine     
things1 this arrow is the impression of 
the ray of the beauty of supernal light1

 these snares are the species of truth  
which unite our mind to the primal      
verity1 and the species of good which   
unite and join to the primal and highest
 good4 ,to that meaning ,i approached   
when ,i said3  #ac4      ,with such a   
fire and such a noble noose1     ,beauty
 enkindles me1 and pureness binds1      
,so that in flames and servitude ,i take
 delight1     ,liberty takes flight and 
dreads the ice4     ,such is the heat1  
that though ,i burn yet am ,i not       
destroyed1     ,the tie is such1 the    
world with me gives praise4     ,fear   
cannot freeze1 nor pain unshackle me2   
,for soothing is the ardour1 sweet the  
smart4     ,so high the light that burns
 me ,i discern1     ,and of so rich a   
thread the noose contrived     ,that1   
thought being born1 the longing dies4   
,and since1 within my heart shines such 
pure flames1     ,and so supreme a tie  
compels my will1     ,let my shade      
serve1 and let my ashes burn4  ,all the 
loves1 if they be heroic and not purely 

animal1 or what is called natural1 and  
slaves to generation1 as instruments of 
nature in a certain way1 have for object
 the divinity1 tend towards divine      
beauty1 which first is communicated to  
souls and shines in them1 and from them1
 or rather through them1 it is          
communicated to bodies2 whence it is    
that well-ordered affection loves the   
body or corporeal beauty1 insomuch as it
 is an indication of beauty of spirit4  
,thus that which causes the attraction  
of love to the body is a certain        
spirituality which we see in it1 and    
which is called beauty1 and which does  
not consist in major or minor           
dimensions1 nor in determined colours or
 forms1 but in harmony and consonance of
 members and colours4 ,this shows an    
affinity between the spirit and the most
 acute and penetrative senses2 whence it
 follows that such become more easily   
and intensely enamoured1 and also more  
easily and intensely disgusted1 which   
might be through a change of the        

deformed spirit1 which in some gesture  
and expressed intention reveals itself  
in such wise that this deformity extends
 from the soul to the body1 and makes it
 appear no longer beautiful as before4  
,the beauty1 then1 of the body has power
 to kindle1 but not to bind1 and the    
lover1 unless aided by the graces of the
 spirit1 such as purity1 gratitude1     
courtesy1 circumspection1 is unable to  
escape4 ,therefore1 said ,i1 beautiful  
is that fire which burns me1 and noble  
that tie which binds4  ,,cic4 ,i do not 
believe it is always like that1         
,tansillo2 because1 sometimes1          
notwithstanding that we discover the    
spirit to be vicious1 we remain heated  
and entangled2 so that1 although reason 
perceives the evil and unworthiness of  
such a love1 it yet has not power to    
alienate the disordered appetite4 ,in   
this disposition1 ,i believe1 was the   
,nolano when he said3  #ad4      ,woe's 
me6 my fury forces me     ,to union with
 the bad within1     ,and makes it seem 

a love supreme and good4     ,wearied1  
my soul cares nought     ,that ,i       
opposing counsels entertain1     ,and   
with the savage tyrant     ,nourished   
with want1     ,and made to put myself  
in exile1     ,more than with liberty   
contented am4     ,i spread my sails to 
the wind1     ,to draw me forth from    
this detested bliss1     ,and to reclaim
 me from the cloying hurt4  ,,tans4     
,this occurs when spirits are vicious   
and tinged as with the same hue2 since1 
through conformity1 love is excited1    
enkindled1 and confirmed4 ,thus the     
vicious easily concur in acts of the    
same vice2 and ,i will not refrain from 
repeating that which ,i know by         
experience1 for although ,i may have    
discovered in a soul vices very much    
abominated by me--as1 for instance1     
filthy avarice1 base greediness for     
money1 ingratitude for favours and      
courtesies received1 or a love of quite 
vile persons1 of which this last most   
displeases1 because it takes away the   

hope from the lover1 that by becoming or
 making himself more worthy he may      
become more acceptable--in spite of all 
this1 it is true that ,i did burn for   
corporeal beauty4 ,but how8 ,i loved    
against my will2 for1 were it not so1 ,i
 should have been more saddened than    
cheered by troubles and misfortunes4    
,,cic4 ,it is a very proper and nice    
distinction that is made between loving 
and liking4  ,,tans4 ,truly2 because we 
like many--that is1 we desire that they 
be wise and just2 but we love them not  
because they are unjust and ignorant2   
many we love because they are beautiful1
 but we do not like them1 because they  
do not deserve it2 and amongst other    
things of which the lover deems the     
loved one undeserving1 the first is1    
being loved2 and yet1 although he cannot
 abstain from loving1 nevertheless he   
regrets it1 and shows his regret like   
him who said1 ,woe is me6 who am        
compelled by passion to coalesce with   
evil4 ,in the opposite mood was he1     

either through some corporeal object in 
similitude or through a divine subject  
in reality1 when he said3  #ae4         
,although to many pains thou dost       
subject me1     ,yet do ,i thank thee1  
love1 and owe thee much1     ,that thou 
my breast dost cleave with noble wound1 
,and then dost take my heart and master 
it4     ,thus true it is1 that ,i1 on   
earth1 adore     ,a living object1 image
 most beautiful of ,god4     ,let him   
who will think that my fate is bad      
,that kills in hope and quickens in     
desire4     ,my pasture is the high     
emprise1     ,and though the end desired
 be not attained1     ,and though my    
soul in many thoughts is spent1         
,enough that she enkindle noble fire1   
,enough that she has lifted me on high1 
,and from the ignoble crowd has severed 
me4  ,here his love is entirely heroic  
and divine1 and as such1 ,i wish it to  
be understood2 although he says that    
through it he is subject to many pangs1 
every lover who is separated from the   

thing loved 7to which being joined by   
affection he would also wish to be      
actually71 being in anguish and pain1 he
 torments himself1 not forsooth because 
he loves1 since he feels his love is    
engaged most worthily and most nobly1   
but because he feels deprived of that   
fruition which he would obtain if he    
arrived at that end to which he tends4  
,he suffers1 not from the desire which  
animates him1 but from the difficulty in
 the cultivation of it which so tortures
 him4 ,others esteem him unhappy through
 this appearance of an evil destiny1 as 
being condemned to these pangs1 for he  
will never cease from acknowledging the 
obligation he is under to love1 nor     
cease from rendering thanks to him      
because he has presented before the eyes
 of his mind such an intelligible       
conception through which1 in this       
earthly life1 shut in this prison of the
 flesh1 wrapped in these nerves and     
supported by these bones1 it is         
permitted to him to contemplate the     

divinity in a more suitable manner than 
if other conceptions and similitudes    
than these had offered themselves4      
,,cic4 ,the divine and living object1   
then1 of which he speaks1 is the highest
 intelligible conception that he has    
been able to form to himself of the     
divinity1 and is not some corporeal     
beauty which might overshadow his       
thought and appear superficially to the 
senses4  ,,tans4 ,even so2 because no   
tangible thing nor conception of such   
can raise itself to so much dignity4    
,,cic4 ,why1 then1 does he mention that 
conception as the object1 if1 as appears
 to me1 the true object is the divinity 
itself8  ,,tans4 ,the divinity is the   
final object1 the ultimate and most     
perfect1 but not in this state1 where we
 cannot see ,god except as in a shadow  
or a mirror1 and therefore ,he cannot be
 the object except in some similitude1  
but not in such as may be extracted or  
acquired from corporeal beauty and      
excellence1 by virtue of the senses1 but

 such as may be formed in the mind1 by  
virtue of the intellect4 ,in which      
state1 finding himself1 he comes to lose
 the love and affection for every other 
thing senseful as well as intellectual1 
because this1 conjoined to that light1  
itself also becomes light1 and in       
consequence becomes a god3 because it   
contracts the divinity into itself1 it  
being in ,god through the intention with
 which it penetrates into the divinity  
so far as it can1 and ,god being in it1 
so that after penetrating1 it comes to  
conceive1 and so far as it can1 receive 
and comprehend the divinity in its      
conception4 ,now in such conceptions and
 similitudes the human intellect of this
 lower world nourishes itself1 till such
 time as it will be lawful to behold    
with purer eye the beauty of the        
divinity4 ,as happens to him1 who1      
absorbed in the contemplation of some   
elaborate architectural work1 goes on   
examining one thing after another in it1
 enchanted and feeding in a wonder of   

delight2 but if it should happen that he
 sees the lord of all those pictures1   
who is of a beauty incomparably greater1
 leaving all care and thought of them1  
he is turned intently to the examination
 of him4 ,here1 then1 is the difference 
between that state where we see divine  
beauty in intelligible conceptions apart
 from the effects1 labours1 works1      
shadows1 and similitudes of it1 and that
 other state in which it is lawful to   
behold it in real presence4 ,he says3   
,my pasture is the high emprise1 because
 as the ,pythagoreans remark1 ,the soul 
moves and turns round ,god1 as the body 
round the soul4  ,,cic4 ,then the body  
is not the habitation of the soul8      
,,tans4 ,no2 because the soul is not in 
the body locally1 but as intrinsic form 
and extrinsic framer1 as that which     
forms the limbs indicates the internal  
and external composition4 ,the body1    
then1 is in the soul1 the soul in the   
mind1 the mind either is ,god or is in  
,god1 as ,plotinus said4 ,as in its     

essence it is in ,god who is its life1  
similarly through the intellectual      
operation1 and the will consequent upon 
such operation1 it agrees with its      
bright and beatific object4 ,fitly1     
therefore1 this rapture of heroic       
enthusiasm feeds on such high emprise4  
,for the object is infinite1 and in     
action most simple1 and our intellectual
 power cannot apprehend the infinite    
except in speech or in a certain manner 
of speech1 so to say in a certain       
potential or relative inference1 as one 
who proposes to himself the infinity1 so
 that he may constitute for himself a   
finality where no finality is4  ,,cic4  
,fitly so1 because the ultimate ought   
not to have an end seeing that it is    
ultimate4 ,for it is infinite in        
intention1 in perfection1 in essence1   
and in any other manner whatsoever of   
being final4  ,,tans4 ,thou sayest      
truly4 ,now in this life1 that food is  
such that excites more than it can      
appease1 as that divine poet shows when 

he says3 ,my soul is wearied1 longing   
for the living ,god1 and in another     
place2 ,attenuati sunt oculi mei        
suspicientes in excelsa4 ,therefore he  
says1 ,and though the end desired be not
 attained1 ,and that my soul in many    
thoughts is spent1 ,enough that she     
enkindle noble fire3 meaning to say that
 the soul comforts itself1 and receives 
all the glory which it is able in that  
state to receive1 and that it is a      
participator in that ultimate enthusiasm
 of man1 in so far as he is a man in    
this present condition1 as we see him4  
,,cic4 ,it appears to me that the       
,peripatetics1 as explained by          
,averroes1 mean this1 when they say that
 the highest felicity of man consists in
 perfection through the speculative     
sciences4  ,,tans4 ,it is true1 and they
 say well2 because we1 in this state1   
cannot desire nor obtain greater        
perfection than that in which we are1   
when our intellect1 by means of some    
noble and intelligible conception1      

unites itself either to the substance of
 things hoped for1 as those say1 or to  
the divine mind1 as it is the fashion to
 say of the ,platonists4 ,for the       
present1 ,i will leave reasoning about  
the soul1 or man in another state or    
mode of being than he can find himself  
or believe himself to be in4  ,,cic4    
,but what perfection or satisfaction can
 man find in that knowledge which is not
 perfect8  ,,tans4 ,it will never be    
perfect1 so far as understanding the    
highest object is concerned2 but in so  
far as our intellect can understand it4 
,let it suffice that in this and other  
states there be present to him the      
divine beauty so far as the horizon of  
his vision extends4  ,,cic4 ,but all men
 cannot arrive at that1 which one or two
 may reach4  ,,tans4 ,let it suffice    
that all run well1 and that each does   
his utmost1 for the heroic nature is    
content and shows its dignity rather in 
falling1 or in failing worthily in the  
high undertaking1 in which it shows the 

dignity of its spirit1 than in          
succeeding to perfection in lower and   
less noble things4  ,,cic4 ,truly a     
dignified and heroic death is better    
than a mean1 low triumph4  ,,tans4 ,on  
that theme ,i made this sonnet3  #af4   
,since ,i have spread my wings to my    
desire1     ,the more ,i feel the air   
beneath my feet1     ,so much the more  
towards the wind ,i bend     ,my        
swiftest pinions1     ,and spurn the    
world and up towards heaven ,i go4      
,not the sad fate of ,daedalus's son    
,does warn me to turn downwards1        
,but ever higher will ,i rise4     ,well
 do ,i see1 ,i shall fall dead to earth2
     ,but what life is there can compare
 with this my death8     ,out on the air
 my heart's voice do ,i hear3           
,whither dost thou carry me1 thou       
fearless one8     ,turn back4 ,such     
over-boldness rarely grief escapes4     
,fear not the utmost ruin then1 ,i said1
     ,cleave confident the clouds and   
die content1     ,that heaven has       

destined thee to such illustrious death4
  ,,cic4 ,i understand when you say3    
,enough that thou hast lifted me on     
high2 but not3 ,and from the ignoble    
crowd hast severed me2 unless it means  
his having come out from the ,platonic  
groove on account of the stupid and low 
condition of the crowd2 for those that  
find profit in this contemplation cannot
 be numerous4  ,,tans4 ,thou            
understandest well2 but thou mayst also 
understand1 by the ignoble crowd1 the   
body1 and sensual cognition1 from which 
he must arise and free himself who would
 unite with a nature of a contrary kind4
  ,,cic4 ,the ,platonists say there are 
two kinds of knots which link the soul  
to the body4 ,one is a certain vivifying
 action which from the soul descends    
into the body1 like a ray2 the other is 
a certain vital quality1 which is       
produced from that action in the body4  
,now this active and most noble number1 
which is the soul1 in what way do you   
understand that it may be severed from  

the ignoble number1 which is the body8  
,,tans4 ,certainly it was not understood
 according to any of these modes1 but   
according to that mode whereby those    
powers which are not comprehended and   
imprisoned in the womb of matter1       
sometimes as if inebriated and          
stupefied1 find that they also are      
occupied in the formation of matter and 
in the vivification of the body2 then1  
as if awakened and brought to           
themselves1 recognizing its principle   
and genius1 they turn towards superior  
things and force themselves on the      
intelligible world as to their native   
abode1 and from thence1 through their   
conversion to inferior things1 they are 
thrust into the fate and conditions of  
generation4 ,these two impulses are     
symbolized in the two kinds of          
metamorphosis expressed in the          
following3  #ag4      ,that god who     
shakes the sounding thunder1            
,asteria as a furtive eagle saw2        
,mnemosyne as shepherd2 ,danae gold2    

,alcmene as a fish2 ,antiope a goat2    
,cadmus and his sister a white bull2    
,leda as swan1 and ,dolida as dragon2   
,and through the lofty object ,i become1
     ,from subject viler still1 a god4  
,a horse was ,saturn2     ,and in a calf
 and dolphin ,neptune dwelt2     ,ibis  
and shepherd ,mercury became2           
,bacchus a grape2 ,apollo was a crow2   
,and ,i by help of love1     ,from an   
inferior thing1 do change me to a god4  
,in ,nature is one revolution and one   
circle1 by means of which1 for the      
perfection and help of others1 superior 
things lower themselves to things       
inferior1 and1 by their own excellence  
and felicity1 inferior things raise     
themselves to superior ones4 ,therefore 
the ,pythagoreans and ,platonists say it
 is given to the soul that at certain   
times1 not only by spontaneous will1    
which turns it towards the comprehension
 of ,nature1 but also by the necessity  
of an internal law1 written and         
registered by the destined decree1 they 

seek their own justly determined fate2  
and they also say that souls1 not so    
much by determination of their own will 
as through a certain order1 by which    
they become inclined towards matter1    
decline as rebels from divinity2        
wherefore1 not by free intention1 but by
 a certain occult consequence1 they     
fall4 ,and this is the inclination that 
they have to generation1 as towards a   
minor good4 ,minor1 ,i say1 in so far as
 it appertains to that particular       
nature2 not in so far as it appertains  
to the universal nature1 where nothing  
happens without the highest aim1 and    
which disposes of all things according  
to justice4 ,in which generation finding
 themselves once more through the       
changes which permutably succeed1 they  
return again to the superior forms4     
,,cic4 ,so that they mean1 that souls   
are impelled by the necessity of fate1  
and have no proper counsel which guides 
them at all4  ,,tans4 ,necessity1 fate1 
nature1 counsel1 will1 those things1    

justly and rightfully ordained1 all     
agree in one4 ,besides which1 as        
,plotinus relates1 some believe that    
certain souls can escape from their own 
evil1 if knowing the danger1 they seek  
refuge in the mind before the corporeal 
habit is confirmed2 because the mind    
raises to things sublime1 as the        
imagination lowers to inferior things4  
,the mind always understands one1 as the
 imagination is one in movement and in  
diversity2 the mind always understands  
one1 as the imagination is always       
inventing for itself various images4 ,in
 the midst is the rational faculty1     
which is a mixture of all1 like that in 
which the one agrees with the many1     
sameness with variety1 movement with    
fixedness1 the inferior with the        
superior4 ,now these transmutations and 
conversions are symbolized in the wheel 
of metamorphosis1 where man sits on the 
upper part1 a beast lies at the bottom1 
a half-man1 half-beast descends from the
 left1 and a half-beast1 half-man       

ascends from the right4 ,this           
transmutation is shown where ,jove1     
according to the diversity of the       
affections and the behaviour of those   
towards inferior things1 invests himself
 with divers figures1 entering into the 
form of beasts2 and so also the other   
gods transmigrate into base and alien   
forms4 ,and1 on the contrary1 through   
the knowledge of their own nobility1    
they re-take their own divine form2 as  
the passionate hero1 raising himself    
through conceived kinds of divine beauty
 and goodness1 with the wings of the    
intellect and rational will1 rises to   
the divinity1 leaving the form of the   
lower subject4 ,and therefore he said1  
,i become from subject viler still1 a   
god4 ,from an inferior thing do change  
me to a god4     ,fourth ,dialogue4     
,,tansillo4   ,thus is described the    
discourse of heroic love1 in all which  
tends to its own object1 which is the   
highest good2 and heroic intellect1     
which devotes itself to the study of its

 own object1 which is the primal verity1
 or absolute truth4 ,now the first      
discourse holds the sum of this and the 
intention1 the order of which is        
described in five others following3     
#ah4      ,to the woods1 the mastiffs   
and the greyhounds young ,acton leads1  
,when destiny directs him into the      
doubtful and neglected way1     ,upon   
the track of savage beasts in forests   
wild4     ,and here1 between the waters1
 he sees a bust and face more beautiful 
than e'er was seen     ,by mortal or    
divine1 of scarlet1 alabaster1 and fine 
gold2     ,he sees1 and the great hunter
 straight becomes that which he hunts4  
,the stag1 that towards still thicker   
shades now goes with lighter            
steps1     ,his own great dogs swiftly  
devour4     ,so ,i extend my thoughts to
 higher prey1 and these     ,now turning
 on me give me death with cruel savage  
bite4  ,acton signifies the intellect1  
intent on the pursuit of divine wisdom  
and the comprehension of divine beauty4 

,he lets loose the mastiffs and the     
greyhounds1 of whom the latter are more 
swift and the former more strong1       
because the operation of the intellect  
precedes that of the will2 but this is  
more vigorous and effectual than that2  
seeing that1 to the human intellect1    
divine goodness and beauty are more     
loveable than comprehensible1 and love  
it is that moves and urges the          
intellect1 and precedes it as a lantern4
 ,the woods1 uncultivated and solitary  
places1 visited and penetrated by few1  
and where there are few traces of men4  
,the youth of little skill and practice1
 as of one of short life and of wavering
 enthusiasm4 ,in the doubtful road of   
uncertain and distorted reason--a       
disposition assigned to the character of
 ,pythagoras--where you see the most    
thorny1 uncultivated1 and deserted to be
 the right and difficult path1 where he 
lets loose the greyhounds and the       
mastiffs upon the track of savage       
beasts1 that is1 the intelligible kinds 

of ideal conceptions1 which are occult1 
followed by few1 visited but rarely1 and
 which do not disclose themselves to all
 those who seek them4 ,here1 amongst the
 waters1--that is1 in the mirror of     
similitude1 in those works where shines 
the brightness of divine goodness and   
splendour1 which works are symbolized by
 the waters superior and inferior1 which
 are above and below the firmament1 he  
sees the most beautiful bust and        
face--that is1 external power and       
operation1 which it is possible to see1 
by the habit and act of contemplation   
and the application of mortal or divine 
mind1 of man or any god4  ,,cic4 ,i do  
not believe that he makes a comparison1 
nor puts as the same kind the divine and
 the human mode of comprehending1 which 
are very diverse1 but as to the subject 
they are the same4  ,,tans4 ,so it is4  
,he says of red and alabaster and gold1 
because that which in bodily beauty is  
red1 white1 and fair1 in divinity       
signifies the scarlet of divine vigorous

 power1 the gold of divine wisdom1 the  
alabaster of divine beauty1 through the 
contemplation of which the              
,pythagoreans1 ,chaldeans1 ,platonists1 
and others1 strive in the best way that 
they can to elevate themselves4 ,the    
great hunter saw1 he understood as much 
as was possible1 and became the hunted4 
,he went out for prey1 and this hunter  
became himself the prey1 by the         
operation of the intellect converting   
the things learned into itself4  ,,cic4 
,i understand4 ,he forms intelligible   
conceptions in his own way and          
proportions them to his capacity1 so    
that they are received according to the 
manner of the recipient4  ,,tans4 ,and  
does he hunt through the operation of   
the will1 by the act of which he        
converts himself into the object8       
,,cic4 ,as ,i understand3 because love  
transforms and converts into the thing  
loved4  ,,tans4 ,well dost thou know    
that the intellect learns things        
intelligibly--i4e41 in its own way1 and 

the will pursues things naturally1 that 
is1 according to the reason that is in  
themselves4 ,so ,acton with those       
thoughts--those dogs--which hunted      
outside themselves for goodness1 wisdom1
 and beauty1 thus came into the presence
 of the same1 and ravished out of       
himself by so much splendour1 he became 
the prey1 saw himself converted into    
that for which he was seeking1 and      
perceived1 that of his dogs or thoughts1
 he himself came to be the longed-for   
prey2 for having absorbed the divinity  
into himself it was not necessary to    
search outside himself for it4  ,,cic4  
,for this reason it is said the kingdom 
of ,heaven is in us2 divinity dwells    
within through the reformed intellect   
and will4  ,,tans4 ,it is so4 ,see then1
 ,acton hunted by his own dogs--pursued 
by his own thoughts--runs and directs   
these novel paces1 invigorated so as to 
proceed divinely and more easily1 that  
is1 with greater facility and with      
refreshed vigour towards the denser     

places1 to the deserts and the region of
 things incomprehensible4 ,from being   
such as he first was1 a common ordinary 
man1 he becomes rare and heroic1 his    
habits and ideas are strange1 and he    
leads an unusual life4 ,here his great  
dogs give him death1 and thus ends his  
life according to the mad1 sensual1     
blind1 and fantastic world1 and he      
begins to live intellectually2 he lives 
the life of the gods1 fed on ambrosia   
and drunk with nectar4  ,next we see    
under the form of another similitude the
 manner in which he arms himself to     
obtain the object4 ,he says3  #ai4      
,my solitary bird6 away unto that region
     ,which overshadows and which       
occupies my thought1     ,go swiftly1   
and there nestle2 there every     ,need 
of thine be strengthened1     ,there all
 thy industry and art be spent6         
,there be thou born again1 and there on 
high1     ,gather and train up thy      
wandering fledglings     ,since adverse 
fate has drawn away the bars     ,with  

which she ever sought to block thy way4 
,go6 ,i desire for thee a nobler        
dwelling-place1     ,and thou shalt have
 for guide a god1     ,who is called    
blind by him who nothing sees4     ,go6 
and ever be by thee revered1     ,each  
deity of that wide sphere1     ,and come
 not back to me till thou art mine4     
,the progress symbolized above by the   
hunter who excites his dogs1 is here    
illustrated by a winged heart1 which is 
sent out of the cage1 in which it lived 
idle and quiet1 to make its nest on high
 and bring up its fledglings1 its       
thoughts1 the time being come in which  
those impediments are removed1 which    
were caused1 externally1 in a thousand  
different ways1 and internally by       
natural feebleness4 ,he dismisses his   
heart then to make more magnificent     
surroundings1 urging him to the highest 
propositions and intentions1 now that   
those powers of the soul are more fully 
fledged1 which ,plato signifies by the  
two wings1 and he commits him to the    

guidance of that god1 who1 by the       
unseeing crowd1 is considered insane and
 blind1 that is ,love1 who1 by the mercy
 and favour of heaven1 has power to     
transform him into that nature towards  
which he aspires1 or into that state    
from which1 a pilgrim1 he is banished4  
,whence he says1 ,come not back to me   
till thou art mine1 and not unworthily  
may ,i say with that other--      ,thou 
has left me1 oh1 my heart1     ,and     
thou1 light of my eyes1 art no more with
 me4  ,here he describes the death of   
the soul1 which by the ,kabbalists is   
called the death by kisses1 symbolized  
in the ,song of ,solomon1 where the     
friend says3      ,let him kiss me with 
the kisses of his mouth1     ,for1 when 
he wounds me1     ,i suffer with a cruel
 love4  ,by others it is called sleep2  
the ,psalmist says3      ,it shall be1  
that ,i give sleep unto mine eyes1      
,and mine eyelids shall slumber1        
,and ,i shall have in him peaceful      
repose4  ,the soul then is said to be   

faint1 because it is dead in itself1 and
 alive in the object3  #bj4      ,give  
heed1 enthusiasts1 unto the heart6      
,for mine condemns me to a life apart1  
,bound by unmerciful and cruel ties1    
,he dwells with joy1 there where he     
faints and dies4     ,at every hour ,i  
call him back by thoughts3     ,a rebel 
he1 like gerfalcon insane1     ,he feels
 no more the hand that did restrain1    
,and is gone forth not to return again4 
,thou beauteous beast that dost in      
punishment     ,knit up the soul1 spirit
 and heart content'st     ,with pricks1 
with lightnings1 and with chains6       
,from looks1 from accents1 and from     
usages1     ,which faint and burn and   
keep thee bound1     ,where shall he    
that heals1 that cools1 and loosens thee
 be found8  ,here the soul1 sorrowful1  
not from real discontent1 but on account
 of pains which she suffers1 directs the
 discourse to those who are affected by 
passions similar to her own3 as if she  
had not of her own free will and of her 

own desire dismissed her heart1 which   
goes running whither it cannot arrive1  
stretches out to that which it cannot   
reach1 and tries to enfold that which it
 cannot comprehend1 and with this1      
because he vainly separates from her1   
ever more and more goes on aspiring     
towards the infinite4  ,,cic4 ,whence   
comes it1 oh ,tansillo1 that the soul in
 such progression delights in its own   
torments8 ,whence comes that spur which 
urges it ever beyond that which it      
possesses8  ,,tans4 ,from this1 which ,i
 will tell thee now4 ,the intellect     
being developed to the comprehension of 
a certain definite and specific form1   
and the will to a love commensurate with
 such comprehension2 the intellect does 
not stop there1 but by its own light it 
is prompted to think of this3 that it   
contains within itself the germ of      
everything intelligible and desirable1  
until it comes to comprehend with the   
intellect the depth of the fountain of  
ideas1 the ocean of every truth and     

goodness4 ,so that it happens1 that     
whatever conception is presented to the 
mind1 and becomes understood by it1 from
 that which is so presented and         
comprehended it judges1 that above it1  
is other greater and greater1 and finds 
itself ever in a certain way discoursing
 and moving with it4 ,because it sees   
that all which it possesses is only a   
limited thing1 and therefore cannot be  
sufficient of itself1 nor good of       
itself1 nor beautiful of itself2 because
 it is not the universal nor the        
absolute entity2 but contracted into    
being this nature1 this species1 this   
form1 represented to the intellect and  
present to the soul4 ,then from the     
beautiful that is understood1 and       
consequently limited1 and therefore     
beautiful through participation1 it     
progresses towards that which is really 
beautiful1 which has no margin1 nor any 
boundaries4  ,,cic4 ,this progression   
appears to me useless4  ,,tans4 ,not so4
 ,for it is not natural nor suitable    

that the infinite be restricted1 nor    
give itself definitely1 for it would not
 then be infinite4 ,to be infinite1 it  
must be infinitely pursued with that    
form of pursuit which is not incited    
physically1 but metaphysically1 and is  
not from imperfect to perfect1 but goes 
circulating through the grades of       
perfection to arrive at that infinite   
centre which is not form1 and is not    
formed4  ,,cic4 ,i should like to know  
how1 by circumambulating1 one is to     
arrive at the centre8  ,,tans4 ,i cannot
 know that4  ,,cic4 ,why do you say it8 
,,tans4 ,i can say it1 and leave it to  
you to consider4  ,,cic4 ,if you do not 
mean that he who pursues the infinite is
 like him who talks about the           
circumference when he is seeking for the
 centre1 ,i do not know what you mean4  
,,tans4 ,quite the contrary4  ,,cic4    
,now if you will not explain yourself1  
,i cannot understand you2 but tell me1  
prythee1 what he means by saying the    
heart is bound by cruel1 spiteful bonds4

  ,,tans4 ,he speaks in similitude or   
metaphor2 as you would say1 cruel was   
one who did not allow a full enjoyment1 
and who lives more in the desire than in
 possession1 and who1 partially         
possessing1 is not content1 but desires1
 faints1 and dies4  ,,cic4 ,what are    
those thoughts that call him back from  
the noble enterprise8  ,,tans4 ,the     
sensual and natural affections1 which   
regard the government of the body4      
,,cic4 ,what have they to do with it1   
that in no way can either help or favour
 it8  ,,tans4 ,they have not to do with 
it1 but with the soul1 which1 being so  
absorbed in one work or study1 becomes  
remiss and careless in others4  ,,cic4  
,why does he call him insane8  ,,tans4  
,because he surpasses in knowledge4     
,,cic4 ,it is usual to call insane those
 who know nothing4  ,,tans4 ,on the     
contrary4 ,those are called insane who  
know not in the ordinary way1 or who    
rise above the ordinary from having more
 intellect4  ,,cic4 ,i perceive that    

thou sayest truly4 ,now tell me what are
 the pricks1 the lightnings1 and the    
chains8  ,,tans4 ,pricks are those      
experiences that stimulate and awaken   
the affection1 to make it on the alert2 
lightnings are the rays of the present  
beauty1 which enlighten those who watch 
and wait for them2 chains are those     
effects and circumstances which keep    
fixed the eyes of attention and unite   
together the object and the powers4     
,,cic4 ,what are the looks1 the accents1
 and the customs8  ,,tans4 ,looks are   
the means by which the object is made   
present to us2 accents are the means    
through which we are inspired and       
informed2 customs are the circumstances 
which are most pleasant and agreeable to
 us4 ,so that the heart that gently     
suffers1 patiently burns and constantly 
perseveres in the work1 fears that its  
hurt will heal1 its fire be             
extinguished1 and its bands be loosened4
  ,,cic4 ,now relate that which follows4
  ,,tans43  #ba4      ,lofty1 profound1 

and stirring thoughts of mine1     ,ye  
long to sever the maternal ties     ,of 
the afflicted soul1 and like to proud   
,and able bowmen1 draw at the mark1     
,which is the germ of all your high     
conceits4     ,in those steep paths     
where cruel beasts may be1     ,let not 
heaven leave ye6     ,remember to       
return1 and summon back     ,the heart  
that tarries with the wild wood nymph2  
,arm ye with love1     ,warm with the   
flame of domesticity1     ,and with     
strong repression guard thy sight1      
,that strangers keep thee not           
companioned with my heart2     ,at least
 bring news of that1     ,which unto him
 is such delight and joy4  ,here he     
describes the natural solicitude of the 
attentive soul on the subject1 of its   
inclination towards generation1 which it
 has contracted with matter4 ,she       
dispatches the armed thoughts1 which1   
solicited and urged by disagreement with
 the inferior nature1 are sent to recall
 the heart4 ,the soul instructs them how

 they should conduct themselves1 so     
that1 being allured and attracted by the
 object1 they do not become induced to  
remain1 they also1 captive and          
companions of the heart4 ,she says1     
then1 they are to arm themselves with   
love1 with that love that is fired by   
the domestic flame2 that is1 the friend 
of generation1 to whom they are bound1  
and in whose jurisdiction1 ministry1 and
 warfare they find themselves4 ,anon she
 orders them to repress their eyesight  
and to close their eyes1 so that they   
may not behold other beauty or goodness 
than that which is present1 friend and  
mother2 and concludes at last with this1
 that if no other reason will cause them
 to return1 they should at least do so1 
to give account of the discourse and of 
the state of the heart4  ,,cic4 ,before 
you proceed further1 ,i would understand
 from you what is that which the soul   
means when she tells the thoughts to    
repress the sight vigorously4  ,,tans4  
,i will tell thee4 ,all love proceeds   

from seeing3 intelligent love1 from     
seeing intelligently2 sensuous love1    
from seeing sensuously4 ,now this seeing
 has two meanings3 either it means the  
visual power1 that is the sight1 which  
is the intellect1 or truly the sense2 or
 it means the act of that power1 that   
is1 that application which the eye or   
the intellect makes to the material or  
intellectual object4 ,when the thoughts 
are counselled to repress the sight1 it 
is not the first1 but the second1 mode  
that is meant1 because that is the      
father of the subsequent affection of   
the sensuous or intellectual desire4    
,,cic4 ,this is what ,i wished to hear  
from you4 ,now1 if the act of the visual
 power is the cause of the evil or good 
which proceed from seeing1 whence comes 
it that in things divine we have more   
love than knowledge8  ,,tans4 ,we desire
 to see1 because in some way we perceive
 the value of seeing4 ,we are aware     
that1 through the act of seeing1        
beautiful things offer themselves to us2

 and therefore we desire beautiful      
things4  ,,cic4 ,we desire the beautiful
 and the good2 but seeing is not        
beautiful nor good2 rather is it the    
touchstone or light by which we see1 not
 only the beautiful and good1 but also  
the evil and bad4 ,therefore it seems to
 me that seeing may be equally beautiful
 or good1 as the thing seen may be white
 or black4 ,if1 then1 the sight1 which  
is an act1 is not beautiful nor good1   
how can it fall into desire8  ,,tans4   
,if not for itself1 yet certainly for   
some other reason1 it is desired1 seeing
 that there can be no apprehension of   
that other without it4  ,,cic4 ,what    
wilt thou say1 if that other is not     
within the knowledge of the senses nor  
of the intellect8 ,how1 ,i say1 can that
 be desired which is not seen1 if there 
is no knowledge whatever of it--if      
towards it neither the intellect nor the
 sense has exercised any act whatever2  
but1 on the contrary1 it is even dubious
 whether it be intellectual or sensuous1

 whether a thing corporeal or           
incorporeal1 whether it be one or two or
 more1 or of one fashion or of another8 
,,tans4 ,i answer1 that in the sense and
 the intellect there is one desire and  
one impulse to the sensuous in general2 
because the intellect will hear the     
whole truth1 so that it may learn all   
that is beautiful or good intelligently2
 the power of the senses will inform    
itself of all that is sensuous1 so that 
it may know all that is good and        
beautiful in the world of the senses4   
,hence it follows that not less do we   
desire to see things unknown and unseen 
than those known and seen4 ,and from    
this it does not follow that the desire 
does not proceed from cognition1 and    
that we desire something that is not    
known2 but ,i say that it is certain and
 sure that we do not desire unknown     
things4 ,because1 if they be occult as  
to particulars1 they are not occult as  
to generals2 as in the entire visual    
power is found the whole of the visible 

appositely1 and in the intellect all the
 intelligible4 ,therefore1 as the       
inclination to the act lies in its      
appropriateness1 the result is that both
 these powers incline towards the       
universal action1 as to a thing         
naturally comprehended as good4 ,the    
soul1 then1 did not speak to the deaf or
 the blind when she counselled her      
thoughts to repress the sight1 which1   
although it may not be the immediate    
cause of the will1 is yet the primal and
 principal cause4  ,,cic4 ,what do you  
mean by this last saying8  ,,tans4 ,i   
mean that it is not the figure or the   
conception1 sensibly or intelligently   
represented1 which of itself moves us2  
because while one stands beholding the  
figure manifested to the eyes1 he does  
not yet arrive at loving2 but from that 
instant that the soul conceives within  
itself that figure1 not visible1 but    
thinkable2 no longer dividual1 but      
individual2 no longer classed among     
things in general1 but among things good

 and beautiful2 then immediately love is
 born4 ,now this is the seeing1 from    
which the soul desires to divert the    
eyes of her thoughts4 ,here the sight   
usually moves the affection to a greater
 love than the love of that which is    
seen2 for1 as ,i have just said1 it     
always considers1 through the universal 
knowledge that it holds of the beautiful
 and the good1 that1 besides the degrees
 of known conceptions of goodness and   
beauty1 there are others and yet others 
ad infinitum4  ,,cic4 ,how is it that   
after we become informed of that        
conception of the beautiful which is    
begotten in the soul1 we yet desire to  
satisfy the exterior vision8  ,,tans4   
,from this1 that the soul would ever    
love that which it loves1 and ever see  
that which it sees4 ,therefore she wills
 that1 the conception which has been    
produced in her through seeing1 should  
not become weakened1 enervated and lost2
 but would ever see more and more1 and  
that which becomes obscure in the       

interior affection1 should be frequently
 brightened by the exterior aspect1     
which as it is the principle of being1  
must also be the principle of           
conservation4 ,this results             
proportionately in the act of           
understanding and of considering1 for as
 the sight has reference to visible     
things1 so has the intellect to         
intelligible things4 ,i believe now that
 you understand to what end and in what 
manner the soul tends1 when she says    
repress the sight4  ,,cic4 ,i understand
 very well4 ,now continue to unfold what
 happens to these thoughts4  ,,tans4    
,now follows the disagreement between   
the mother and the aforesaid children1  
who having1 contrary to her orders1     
opened their eyes1 and1 having fixed    
them on the splendour of the object1    
they remained in company with the heart4
  #bb4      ,cruel sons are ye to me1 me
 whom ye left     ,still farther to     
exasperate my pain2     ,and ever       
without cease ye weary me1     ,taking  

away from me my every hope6     ,why    
should the sense remain8 oh1 grasping   
heavens6     ,wherefore these broken    
ruined powers1 if not     ,to make me   
subject and exemplar     ,of such heavy 
martyrdom1 such lengthened pain8        
,leave1 dear sons1 my winged fire       
enchained1     ,and let me1 some of you 
once more behold1     ,come back to me  
from those retaining claws6     ,oh1    
weariness6 not one returns     ,to bring
 a late refreshment to my pains4        
,behold me1 miserable one1 deprived of  
heart1 abandoned of thoughts1 left by   
hope1 ,i1 who had fixed my all in them4 
,nothing is left to me but the sense of 
my poverty1 my unhappiness and misery2  
why does not this too leave me8 ,why    
does not death succour me1 now that ,i  
am deprived of life8 ,to what use do ,i 
possess these natural powers if ,i be   
deprived of the use of them8 ,how can ,i
 alone nourish myself with intelligible 
conceptions as with intellectual bread1 
if the substance of this bread be       

composed of this contingency4 ,how can  
,i linger in the intimacy of these      
friendly and dear members which ,i have 
woven round me1 adjusting them with the 
symmetry of the elementary conditions1  
if my thoughts and all my affections    
abandon me1 intent upon the care of the 
bread that is immaterial and divine8    
,up1 up2 oh my flying thoughts2 up1 oh  
my rebel heart2 let live the sense of   
things that are felt1 and the           
understanding of things intelligible1   
come to the succour of the body with    
matter and corporeal subject1 and let   
the understanding delight in its own    
objects1 to the end that this           
composition of the body may be realized1
 that this machine dissolve not1 in     
which1 by means of the spirit1 the soul 
is united to the body4 ,why1 unhappy as 
,i am 7more through domestic            
circumstances than through external     
violence71 am ,i doomed to see this     
horrible divorce between my parts and   
members8 ,why does the intellect trouble

 itself to give laws to the sense and   
yet deprive it of its food8 and this1 on
 the other hand1 resists2 desiring to   
live according to its own decrees1 and  
not according to the decree of others2  
for these and not those are able to     
maintain and bless it1 therefore it     
ought to attend to its own comfort and  
life1 and not to that of others4 ,there 
is no harmony and concord where there is
 only one1 where one individual absorbs 
the whole being1 but where there is     
order and analogy in things diverse2    
where each thing serves its own nature4 
,therefore let the sense feed according 
to the law of things that can be felt1  
the flesh be obedient to the law of the 
spirit1 the reason to its own law4 ,let 
them not be confounded nor mixed4       
,enough that one neither mar nor        
prejudice the law of the other1 since it
 is not just that the sense outrage the 
law of reason4 ,and verily it is a      
shameful thing that one should tyrannize
 over the other1 particularly where the 

intellect is a pilgrim and strange1 and 
the sense is more domesticated and at   
home4 ,i am forced by you1 my thoughts1 
to remain at home in charge of the      
house1 while others may wander wherever 
they will4 ,this is a law of ,nature1   
and therefore a law of the author and   
originator of ,nature4 ,sin on then1 now
 that all of you1 seduced by the charm  
of the intellect1 leave the other part  
of me to the peril of death4 ,how have  
you gotten this melancholy and perverse 
humour1 which breaks the certain and    
natural laws of the true life1 and which
 is in your own hands1 for one1         
uncertain1 and which has no existence   
except in shadow1 beyond the limits of  
fantastic thought8 ,seems it to you a   
natural thing that they should live     
divinely and not as animals and humanly1
 they being not gods1 but men and       
animals8 ,it is a law of fate and       
,nature that everything should adapt    
itself to the condition of its own      
being1 wherefore then1 while you follow 

after the niggard nectar of the gods1 do
 you lose that which is present and is  
your own1 and trouble yourself about the
 vain hopes of others8 ,ought not       
,nature to refuse to give you the other 
good1 if that which she at present      
offers to you1 you stupidly despise8    
,heaven the second gift denies1     ,to 
him who does the first despise4  ,with  
these and similar reasons the soul1     
taking part with the weakest1 seeks to  
recall the thoughts to the care of the  
body4 ,and these1 although late1 come   
and show themselves1 but not in that    
form in which they departed1 but only to
 declare their rebellion1 and force her 
to follow4 ,and the sorrowing one thus  
laments3  #bc4      ,ah1 dogs of ,acton1
 ah1 proud ingrates6     ,whom to the   
abode of my divinity ,i sent2           
,without hope do ye return to me2       
,and1 coming to the mother's side1 ye   
bring     ,back unto me a too unhappy   
boon2     ,ye mangle me1 and will that  
,i live not4     ,leave me1 life1 that  

,i may mount up to my sun1     ,a double
 streamlet1 mad1 without my fount6      
,when shall this ponderous mass of me   
dissolve8     ,when shall it be1 that1  
taking myself hence1     ,and swiftly   
rising to the heights above1            
,together with my heart ,i may abide1   
,and with my thoughts ,i may be deified8
  ,the ,platonists say that the soul1 as
 to its superior part1 always consists  
in the intellect1 in which it has more  
of understanding than of soul1 seeing   
that it is called soul only in so far as
 it vivifies the body and sustains it4  
,so here1 the same essence which        
nourishes and maintains the thoughts on 
high1 together with the exalted heart1  
is induced by the inferior part to      
afflict itself1 and recall them as      
rebels4  ,,cic4 ,so that they are not   
two contrary existences1 but one1       
subject to two contradictory terms8     
,,tans4 ,so it is1 precisely4 ,as the   
ray of the sun which touches the earth1 
and is joined to obscure and to inferior

 things1 which it brightens1 vivifies1  
and kindles1 and is then joined to the  
element of fire--that is1 to the star1  
whence it proceeds1 and has its         
beginning1 and is diffused1 and in which
 it has its own and original            
subsistence--so the soul1 which is in   
the horizon of ,nature1 is corporeal and
 incorporeal1 and contains that with    
which it rises to superior things and   
declines to things inferior4 ,and this1 
you may perceive1 does not happen by    
reason and order of local motion1 but   
solely through the impulse of one and of
 another power or faculty4 ,as when the 
sense rises to the imagination1 the     
imagination to the reason1 the reason to
 the intellect1 the intellect to the    
mind1 then the whole soul is converted  
into ,god1 and inhabits the intelligible
 world2 whence1 on the other hand1 she  
descends in an inverse manner to the    
world of feeling1 through the intellect1
 reason1 imagination1 sense1 vegetation4
  ,,cic4 ,it is true that ,i have heard 

that the soul1 in order to put itself in
 the ultimate degree of divine things1  
descends into the mortal body1 and from 
this goes up again to the divine        
degrees1 which are three degrees of     
intelligence4 ,for there are others in  
which the intellectual surpasses the    
animal1 which are said to be the        
celestial intelligences2 and others in  
which the animal surpasses the          
intellectual1 which are the human       
intelligences2 others there are1 of     
which those things are equal1 as those  
of demons or heroes4  ,,tans4 ,the mind 
then cannot desire except that which is 
near1 close1 known1 and familiar4 ,the  
pig cannot desire to be a man1 nor wish 
for those things that are suitable to   
the human appetite4 ,he likes better to 
turn about in mud than in a bed of      
linen1 he would prefer a sow to the most
 beautiful of women1 because the        
affection follows the reason of the     
species4 ,and amongst men the same thing
 is seen1 according as some resemble one

 species of brute beast and some        
another3 these having something of the  
quadruped1 and those of birds1 and1 may 
be1 some affinity1 which ,i will not    
explain1 but through which those have   
been known who are affected by certain  
sorts of beasts4 ,now1 it is lawful for 
the mind which finds itself oppressed by
 the material conjunction of the soul1  
to raise itself to the contemplation of 
another state1 to which the soul may    
arrive1 comparing the two1 and so       
through the future despise the present4 
,if a beast had a sense of the          
difference which exists between his own 
condition and that of man1 and the      
meanness of his own state with the      
nobility of the human state1 which he   
would deem it not impossible to be able 
to reach1 he would love death1 which    
would open to him that road1 more than  
that life which keeps him in the present
 state of being4 ,when the soul         
complains1 saying1 ,ah6 dogs of ,acton6 
she is represented as a thing which     

appears only in the inferior powers1 and
 against which the mind rebels for      
having taken away the heart with it2    
that is to say1 the entire affections1  
with all the army of the thoughts4 ,so  
that1 having a knowledge of the present 
state1 and being ignorant of every      
other1 and not believing that others    
exist about which she can have any      
knowledge1 she complains of her         
thoughts1 which1 tardily turning towards
 her1 come rather to draw her up than to
 make themselves accepted by her4 ,and  
through the distraction which she       
endures on account of the ordinary love 
of the material and of things           
intelligible1 she feels herself         
lacerated and mangled1 so that at last  
she is forced to yield to the more      
vigorous impulse4 ,and if1 by virtue of 
contemplation1 she rises or is caught up
 above the horizon of the natural       
affections1 whence with purer eye she   
learns the difference between the one   
life and the other1 then1 vanquished by 

the lofty thoughts1 and1 as if dead to  
the body1 she aspires to that which is  
elevated1 and1 although alive in the    
body1 she vegetates there as if dead1   
being present as an animating principle 
and absent in operative activity2 not   
because she does not act while the body 
is alive1 but that the actions of this  
mass are intermittent1 weak1 and1 as it 
were1 purposeless4  ,,cic4 ,thus a      
certain theologian1 who was said to be  
transported to the third heaven and     
enchanted with the view of it1 said that
 what he desired was the dissolution of 
his body4  ,,tans4 ,so2 first           
complaining of the heart and quarrelling
 with the thoughts1 she now desires to  
rise on high with them1 and exhibits her
 regret for the connection and          
familiarity contracted with corporeal   
matter1 and says3 ,leave me life        
7corporeal71 and do not impede my       
progress upwards to my native home1 to  
my sun4 ,leave me now1 for no longer do 
my eyes weep tears2 neither because ,i  

cannot succour them 7the thoughts71 nor 
because ,i cannot remain divided from my
 happiness4 ,leave me1 for it is not fit
 nor possible that these two streams    
should run without their source1 that   
is1 without the heart4 ,i will not1 ,i  
say1 make two rivers of tears here      
below1 while my heart1 which is the     
source of such rivers1 is flown away on 
high with its nymphs1 which are my      
thoughts4 ,thus1 little by little1 from 
dislike and regret1 she proceeds to the 
hatred of inferior things1 which she    
partly shows1 saying1 ,when shall this  
ponderous mass of me dissolve8 and that 
which follows4  ,,cic4 ,this ,i         
understand right well1 and also that    
which you would infer about the         
principal intention2 that is to say1    
that these are the degrees of the loves1
 of the affections1 and of the          
enthusiasms1 according to the degrees of
 greater and lesser light1 of cognition1
 and of intelligence4  ,,tans4 ,thou    
understandest rightly4 ,from this thou  

oughtest to learn that doctrine taken   
from the ,pythagoreans and ,platonists1 
which is1 that the soul makes the two   
progressions of ascent and descent1 by  
the care that it has of itself and of   
matter2 being moved by its own proper   
love of good1 and being urged by the    
providence of fate4  ,,cic4 ,but1       
prythee1 tell me briefly what you mean  
about the soul of the world1 if she can 
neither ascend nor descend8  ,,tans4 ,if
 you ask of the world1 according to the 
common signification--that is1 in so far
 as it signifies what is called the     
universe--,i say that1 being infinite1  
it has no dimension or measure1 is      
immobile1 inanimate1 and without form1  
notwithstanding it is the place of      
infinite moving worlds and is infinite  
space1 in which are so many large       
animals that are called stars4 ,if you  
ask according to the signification held 
by the true philosophers--that is1 in so
 far as it signifies every globe1 every 
star1 such as this earth1 the body of   

the sun1 moon1 and others--,i say that  
such soul does not ascend nor descend1  
but turns in a circle4 ,thus1 being     
compounded of superior and inferior     
powers1 with the superior it turns round
 the divinity1 and with the inferior1   
towards the mass of the worlds1 which is
 by it vivified and maintained between  
the tropics of generation and the       
corruption of living things in those    
worlds1 serving its own life eternally2 
because the act of the divine           
providence1 always preserves it with    
divine heat and light1 with the same    
order and measure1 in the ordinary and  
self-same being4  ,,cic4 ,i have now    
heard enough upon this subject4  ,,tans4
 ,it happens then that individual souls 
come to be influenced differently as to 
their habits and inclinations1 according
 to the diverse degrees of ascension and
 descension1 and come to display various
 kinds and orders of enthusiasms1 of    
loves1 and of senses1 not only in the   
scale of ,nature according to the orders

 of diverse lives which the soul takes  
up in different bodies1 as is expressly 
declared by the ,pythagoreans1          
,saduchimi and others1 and by           
implication1 ,plato1 and those who dive 
more profoundly into it1 but still more 
in the scale of human affections1 which 
has as many degrees as the scale of     
,nature2 for man1 in all his powers1    
displays every species of being4  ,,cic4
 ,therefore from the affections one may 
know souls1 whether they are going up or
 down1 or whether they are from above or
 from below1 whether they are going on  
towards becoming beasts or towards      
divine beings1 according to the specific
 being as the ,pythagoreans understood  
it2 or according to the similitude of   
the affections only1 as is commonly     
believed1 the human soul not being able1
 7so long as it is truly human7 to      
become soul of a brute1 as ,plotinus and
 other ,platonists well said1 on account
 of the quality of its beginning4       
,,tans4 ,now to come to the proposition3

 ,from animal enthusiasm1 this soul1 as 
described1 is promoted to heroic        
enthusiasm1 saying1 ,when shall it be   
that ,i rise up to the height of the    
object1 there to dwell in company with  
my heart and with my fledglings,c and   
his8 ,this same proposition he continues
 when he says3  #bd4      ,destiny1     
when1 shall ,i that mountain mount1     
,which1 blissful to the high gates      
bringing1 bring1     ,where those rare  
beauties ,i shall counting1 count1      
,when he my pain with comfort           
comforting1     ,who my disjointed      
members joined1     ,and leaves my dying
 powers not dead8     ,my spirit's rival
 more than rivalled is     ,if1 far from
 sin1 it unassailed may sail1     ,if   
thither tending1 it may waiting1 wait1  
,and up with that high object rising1   
rise1     ,and if my good alone1 alone  
,i take1     ,for which ,i sure remove  
of each defect effect1     ,and so at   
last may come to enjoy with joy1     ,as
 he who all foretells can tell4  ,c     

,pulcini4  ,o ,destiny6 ,o ,fate6 ,o    
divine immutable ,providence6 when shall
 it be that ,i shall climb that         
mount--that is1 that ,i may arrive at   
such altitude of mind1 as transporting  
me shall bring me into those outer and  
inner courts where ,i may behold and    
count those rare beauties8 ,when shall  
it be1 that he will effectually comfort 
my pain1 loosening me from the tightened
 bonds of those cares in which ,i find  
myself1 he1 who formed and united my    
members1 which before were disunited and
 disjoined3 that is ,love2 he who has   
joined together these corporeal parts1  
which were as far divided as one        
opposite is divided from another2 so    
that these intellectual powers which1   
through his action he has extinguished1 
should not be left quite dead1 but be   
again re-animated and made to aspire on 
high8 ,when1 ,i say1 will he fully      
comfort me1 and give my powers free and 
speedy flight1 by which means my        
substance may go and nestle there1      

where1 by my efforts1 ,i may make amends
 and correct my defects1 and where 7if  
,i arrive7 my spirit will be made       
effectual or prevail over my rival1     
because there1 no excess will oppose1 no
 opposition overcome1 no error assail8  
,oh6 if by force he may arrive there1 at
 that height which he is waiting to     
reach1 he will remain on high1 at the   
elevation of his object1 and he will    
take that good that cannot be           
comprehended by any other than one1 that
 is1 by himself1 seeing that every other
 has it in the measure of his own       
capacity1 and this one alone has it in  
all its fulness4 ,then will happiness   
come to me in that manner which he says1
 who all foretells2 that is1 at that    
elevation in which the saying all and   
the doing all is the same thing2 in that
 manner that he says and does who all   
foretells1 that is1 who is sufficient   
for all things and primary1 and whose   
word and pre-ordaining is the true doing
 and beginning4 ,this is how1 in the    

scale of things superior and inferior1  
the affection of ,love proceeds1 as the 
intellect or sentiment proceeds from    
these intelligible or knowable objects1 
to those1 or from those to these4       
,,cic4 ,thus the greater number of sages
 believe that ,nature delights in this  
changeful circulation which is seen in  
the whirling of her wheel4     ,fifth   
,dialogue4   ,i4  ,,cic4 ,now show me   
how ,i may be able for myself to        
consider the conditions of these        
enthusiasts1 through that which appears 
in the order of the warfare here        
described4  ,,tans4 ,behold how they    
carry the ensign of their affections or 
fortunes4 ,let us leave the             
consideration of their names and habits2
 enough that we stand upon the meaning  
of the undertaking and the              
intelligibility of the writing1 alike   
that which is put for the form of the   
body of the figure1 as well as that     
which is mostly put as an elucidation of
 the undertaking4  ,,cic4 ,thus will we 

do4 ,here then is the first1 who carries
 a shield divided into four colours1 and
 in the crest is depicted a flame under 
the head of bronze1 from the holes in   
which1 issue in great force a smoky     
wind1 and about it is written3 ,at regna
 senserunt tria4  ,,tans4 ,for the      
explanation of this ,i would say3 that  
the fire there is that which heats the  
globe1 inside of it is the water1 and it
 happens that this humid element1 being 
rarefied and attenuated by virtue of the
 heat1 and thus resolved into vapour1 it
 requires much greater space to contain 
it1 therefore if it does not find easy  
exit1 it goes on with extreme force1    
noise1 and destruction to break the     
vessel2 but if it finds space and easy  
exit1 so that it can evaporate1 it goes 
out with less violence1 little by       
little1 and1 according as the water is  
resolved into vapour1 it is dissipated  
in puffs into the air4 ,here is         
signified the heart of the enthusiast   
where1 by a cleverly planned allurement 

being caught by the amorous flame1 it   
happens that some of the vital substance
 sparkles with fire1 while some in the  
form of tearful cries rends the bosom1  
and some other by the expulsion of gusty
 sighs agitates the air4 ,therefore he  
says3 ,at regna senserunt tria4 ,now    
this at supposes a difference1 or       
diversity1 or opposite2 as one might    
almost say there exists something which 
might have the same sense1 but has it   
not1 which is very well explained in the
 following rhymes3  #be4      ,from     
these twin lights of me--a little       
earth--     ,my wonted tears stream     
freely to the sea4     ,the greedy air  
receives from out my breast     ,no     
niggard part of all that breast         
contains2     ,and from my heart the    
lightnings are unlocked     ,that rise  
to heaven1 and yet diminish not4        
,thus pay ,i to the air1 the sea1 the   
fire1     ,the tribute of my sighs1 my  
tears1 my zeal4     ,the sea1 the air1  
the fire1 accept a part of me1     ,but 

my divinity no favour shows4     ,unkind
 she turns away4 ,near her     ,my tears
 find no response2     ,my voice she    
will not hear1     ,nor pitifully will  
she turn to note my zeal4  ,here the    
subject matter signified by earth is the
 substance of the enthusiast1 which is  
poured from the twin lights--that is1   
from the eyes--in copious tears that    
flow to the sea2 he sends forth from his
 breast into the wide air sighs in a    
great multitude1 and the lightnings from
 his heart1 not like a little spark or a
 weak flame1 which1 cooling itself in   
the air1 smokes1 and transmigrates into 
other beings2 but1 potent and           
vigorous--rather acquiring from others  
than losing of its own--it joins its    
congenial sphere4  ,,cic4 ,i understand 
it all4 ,to the next4   ,,ii4  ,,tans4  
,close by is portrayed one who has on   
his shield a crest1 also divided into   
four colours4 ,there is a sun whose rays
 extend to the back of the earth1 and   
there is a legend which says3 ,idem     

semper ubique totum4  ,,cic4 ,i perceive
 that the interpretation of it will be  
difficult4  ,,tans4 ,the more excellent 
the meaning the less obvious is it1 and 
you will see that it is unequalled1     
unique1 and not strained4 ,you are to   
consider that the sun1 although with    
regard to the various regions of the    
earth he is for each one different as to
 time1 place1 and degree1 yet in respect
 of the whole globe as such1 he always  
and in every place accomplishes         
everything1 for in whatever part of the 
ecliptic he is to be found1 he makes    
winter1 summer1 autumn1 and spring1 and 
makes the whole globe of the earth to   
receive within itself the aforesaid four
 seasons2 for never is it hot at one    
side unless it is cold on the other2    
when it is to us very hot in the tropic 
of ,cancer it is very cold in the tropic
 of ,capricorn2 so that for the same    
reason it is winter in that part when it
 is summer in this1 and to those who are
 in the middle1 it is temperate         

according to the aspect1 vernal or      
autumnal4 ,so the earth always feels the
 rains1 the winds1 the heat1 the cold2  
nor would it be damp here if it were not
 dry in another part1 and the sun would 
not warm it on this side if it had not  
already left off warming it on the      
other4  ,,cic4 ,even before you have    
finished1 ,i understand what you would  
say4 ,you mean that as the sun gives all
 the impressions to the earth1 and this 
receives them whole and entire1 so the  
,object of the enthusiast1 with its     
active splendour1 makes him the passive 
subject of tears1 which are the waters1 
of ardours1 which are the fires1 and of 
sighs1 which are certain vapours1 which 
partake of both1 which leave the fire1  
and go to the waters1 or leave the      
waters and go to the fire4  ,,tans4     
,this is well explained below4  #bf4    
,when as the sun towards ,capricorn     
declines1     ,then do the rains enrich 
the streams1     ,as towards the line he
 goes1 or thence returns1     ,more felt

 is each olian messenger1     ,warming  
the more with every lengthening day     
,what time towards burning ,cancer he   
remounts4     ,and equal to this heat1  
this cold1 this zeal     ,are these my  
tears1 my sighs1 the ardour that ,i     
feel4     ,my constant sighs1 my never  
waning flames     ,are only equal to my 
tears4     ,my floods and flames howe'er
 intense they be1     ,are never more so
 than my sighs2     ,i burn with fervid 
heat1     ,and1 firmly fixed1 ,i ever   
sigh and weep4  ,,cic4 ,this does not so
 much declare the meaning of the coat of
 arms1 as the preceding discourse did1  
but it rather supplements or accompanies
 that discourse4  ,,tans4 ,say1 rather1 
that the figure is latent in the first  
part1 and the legend is well explained  
in the second2 as both the one and the  
other are very properly signified in the
 type of the sun and of the earth4      
,,cic4 ,pass on to the third4   ,,iii4  
,,tans4 ,the third bears on his shield a
 naked child1 stretched upon the green  

turf1 who rests his head upon his arm1  
with his eyes turned towards the sky to 
certain edifices1 towers1 gardens1 and  
orchards1 which are above the clouds1   
and there is a castle of which the      
material is fire1 and in the middle is  
the sign inscribed3 ,mutuo fulcimur4    
,,cic4 ,what does that mean8  ,,tans4   
,it means that enthusiast1 signified by 
the naked child as simple1 pure1 and    
exposed to all the accidents of ,nature 
and of fortune1 who at the same time by 
the force of thought1 constructs castles
 in the air1 and amongst other things a 
tower1 of which the architect is ,love1 
the material is the amorous fire1 and   
the builder is himself1 who says3 ,mutuo
 fulcimur--that is1 ,i build and uphold 
you there with my thought1 and you      
uphold me here with hope2 you would not 
be in existence were it not for the     
imagination and the thought with which  
,i form and uphold you1 and ,i should   
not be alive were it not for the        
refreshment and comfort that ,i receive 

through your means4  ,,cic4 ,it is true 
that there is no fancy so vain and so   
chimerical that may not be a more real  
and true medicine for an enthusiastic   
heart than any herb1 mineral1 oil1 or   
other sort of thing that ,nature        
produces4  ,,tans4 ,magicians can do    
more by means of faith than physicians  
by the truth2 and in the worst diseases 
the patients benefit more by believing  
this or that which the former say1 than 
in understanding that which the latter  
do4 ,now let the rhymes be read4  #bg4  
,above the clouds in that high place1   
,when oft with dreaming ,i am fired1    
,for comfort and refreshment of my soul 
,an airy castle from my fires ,i build1 
,and if my adverse fate incline awhile1 
,and without scorn or ire will          
understand     ,this lofty grace for    
which ,i die1     ,oh happy then my     
pains1 happy my death4     ,the ardour  
of those flames she does not feel1      
,nor is she hindered by those snares    
,with which1 oh boy6 thou'rt wont to    

enslave     ,and lead into captivity    
both men and gods2     ,by pity's hand  
alone1 oh ,love1     ,by showing all my 
woe1 thou shalt prevail4  ,,cic4 ,he    
shows that which feeds his fancy and    
bathes his spirit2 yet1 inasmuch as he  
is without courage to explain himself   
and make known his sufferings1 although 
he is so deeply subjected to that       
anguish1 if it should happen that his   
hard1 uncompromising fate should bend a 
little 7as1 in the end1 fate must soothe
 him1 by showing itself without scorn or
 anger for the high object71 he would   
consider no happiness so great1 no life 
so blessed1 as in such a case would be  
his happiness in his woes1 and his      
blessedness in his death4  ,,tans4 ,and 
with this he comes to declare to ,love  
that the means by which he will gain    
access to that breast1 is not in the    
ordinary way by the arms with which he  
usually captivates men and gods1 but    
only by causing the fiery heart and his 
troubled spirit1 to be laid bare1 to    

obtain sight of which it is necessary   
that compassion open the way1 and       
introduce him to that secret chamber4   
,,iv4  ,,cic4 ,what is the meaning of   
that butterfly which flutters round the 
flame1 and almost burns itself8 and what
 means that legend1 ,hostis non hostis8 
,,tans4 ,the meaning of the butterfly is
 not difficult1 which1 seduced by the   
fascinations of splendour1 goes         
innocently and amicably to meet its     
death in the devouring flames4 ,thus1   
hostis stands written for the effect of 
the fire2 non hostis for the inclination
 of the fly4 ,hostis1 the fly passively2
 non hostis1 actively4 ,hostis1 the     
flame1 through its ardour2 non hostis1  
through its splendour4  ,,cic4 ,now what
 is that which is written on the tablet8
  ,,tans43  #bh4      ,be it far from me
 to make complaint of love1     ,love1  
without whom ,i will not happy be1      
,and though through him these weary     
toils ,i bear4     ,yet what is given my
 will shall not reject4     ,be clear   

the sky or dark1 burning or cold1       
,to that one phoenix e'er the same ,i'll
 be1     ,no fate nor destiny can e'er  
untie     ,that knot which death unable 
is to loose2     ,to heart1 to spirit1  
and to soul1     ,no pleasure is1 no    
liberty1 no life1     ,no smile1 no     
rapture1 no delight1     ,so sweet1 so  
grateful1 so divine1     ,as these hard 
bonds1 this death of mine1     ,to which
 by fate1 by will1 by nature ,i incline4
  ,here1 in the figure1 he shows the    
resemblance between the enthusiast and  
the butterfly attracted towards the     
light2 in the sonnet1 however1 he       
demonstrates rather difference and      
dissimilarity2 as it is commonly        
believed1 that if the butterfly foresaw 
its destruction1 it would fly from the  
light more eagerly than it now pursues  
it1 and would consider it an evil to    
lose its life through being absorbed    
into that hostile fire4 ,but to him 7the
 enthusiast7 it is no less pleasing to  
perish in the flames of amorous ardour  

than to be drawn to the contemplation of
 the beauty of that rare splendour1     
under which1 by natural inclination1 by 
voluntary election1 and by disposition  
of fate1 he labours1 serves1 and dies   
more gaily1 more resolutely1 and more   
courageously than under whatsoever other
 pleasure which may offer itself to the 
heart1 liberty which may be conceded to 
the spirit1 and life which may be       
discovered in the soul4  ,,cic4 ,tell me
 why he says1 ever the same ,i'll be8   
,,tans4 ,because it seems suitable to   
bring forward a reason for his          
constancy1 seeing that the sage does not
 change with the moon1 although the fool
 does so4 ,thus he is unique1 as the    
phoenix is unique4   ,v4  ,,cic4 ,but   
what signifies that branch of palm1     
around which is the legend1 ,csar adest8
  ,,tans4 ,without further talk1 all may
 be understood by that which is written 
on the tablet3  #bi4      ,unconquered  
victor of ,pharsalia1     ,though all   
thy warriors be well-nigh spent1     ,at

 sight of thee they rise once more2     
,their strength returns1 they conquer   
their proud foes2     ,so does my       
love--that equals love of heaven--      
,become a living presence through my    
thoughts2     ,thoughts that my haughty 
soul had killed with scorn1     ,love   
brings again stronger than love himself2
     ,thy presence is enough1 oh memory6
     ,these to reanimate in all their   
strength1     ,and with imperious       
sov'reignty they rule     ,and govern   
each opposing force4     ,may ,i be     
happy in this governance     ,and with  
these bonds1 and may that light ne'er   
cease4  ,there are times when the       
inferior powers of the soul--like a     
vigorous and hostile army1 which finds  
itself in its own country practised1    
expert1 and ready--revolt against the   
foreign adversary1 who comes down from  
the height of the intelligence to curb  
the people of the valley and of the     
boggy plains1 where1 through the baneful
 presence of the enemies and of such    

obstacles as deep ditches1 advancing    
they lose themselves1 and would be      
entirely lost1 if there were not a      
certain conversion towards the splendour
 of intellectual things through the act 
of contemplation1 by means of which they
 are converted from inferior degrees to 
superior ones4  ,,cic4 ,what degrees are
 these8  ,,tans4 ,the degrees of        
contemplation are like the degrees of   
light1 which exist not at all in the    
darkness1 slightly in shade1 more in    
colours1 according to their orders1 from
 one opposite which is black to the     
other which is white2 but more fully do 
they exist in the splendour diffused    
over pure transparent bodies1 as in a   
looking-glass and in the moon1 and still
 more brightly in the rays diffused by  
the sun1 but principally and most       
brilliantly in the sun itself4 ,now the 
perceptive and the affectional powers   
are ordered in this way2 the next       
following always has affinity for the   
next preceding1 and by means of         

conversion to that which elevates it1 it
 becomes fortified against the inferior1
 which lowers it2 as the reason1 through
 its conversion to the intellect1 is not
 seduced or vanquished by knowledge or  
comprehension or by passionate          
affection1 but rather1 according to the 
law of the intellect1 it is brought to  
govern and correct the same4 ,it comes  
to this1 therefore1 that when the       
rational appetite strives against       
sensual concupiscence1 if1 by the act of
 conversion1 the intellectual light is  
presented to the eyes1 it causes the    
above appetite to take up again the lost
 virtue1 and giving fresh strength to   
the nerves1 it alarms and puts to rout  
the enemy4  ,,cic4 ,in what manner do   
you mean that such a conversion takes   
place8  ,,tans4 ,with three             
preparatives1 which are noted by the    
contemplative ,plotinus in the book of  
,intellectual ,beauty2 and1 of these1   
the first is by proposing to conform    
himself to a divine pattern1 diverting  

the sight from things which stand       
between him and his own perfection1 and 
which are common to those things which  
are equal and inferior4 ,the second is  
by applying himself1 with full intention
 and attention1 to superior things4 ,the
 third is by bringing into captivity to 
,god the whole will and affection3 for  
from this it comes to pass that1 without
 doubt1 the divinity will influence him2
 who is everywhere present1 and ready to
 come to the aid of whosoever turns to  
,him through the act of the             
intelligence1 and who unreservedly      
presents himself with the affection of  
the will4  ,,cic4 ,it is not then       
corporeal beauty which can allure such  
an one8  ,,tans4 ,no1 certes2 because in
 that there is no true nor constant     
beauty1 and for this reason it cannot   
evoke true nor constant love4 ,that     
beauty1 which is seen in bodies is      
accidental and transitory1 and is like  
those which are absorbed1 changed1 and  
spoiled by the changing of the subject1 

which very often1 from being beautiful1 
becomes ugly1 without any change taking 
place in the soul4 ,the reason then     
comprehends the truest beauty1 through  
conversion1 to that which makes the     
beauty of the body1 and forms it in     
loveliness--it is the soul which has    
thus built and designed it4 ,now does   
the intellect rise still higher1 and    
learns that the soul is incomparably    
more beautiful than any beauty that may 
be in bodies2 but yet it cannot persuade
 itself that it is beautiful of itself  
and primarily1 for if it be so1 what is 
the cause of that difference which      
exists in the quality of souls1 by which
 some are wise1 amiable1 and beautiful1 
others stupid1 odious1 and ugly4 ,we    
must then raise ourselves to that       
superior intellect which is beautiful in
 itself and good in itself4 ,this is    
that sole supreme captain who alone1    
placed before the eyes of the militant  
thoughts1 enlivens1 encourages1         
strengthens them1 and renders them      

victorious above the scorn of every     
other beauty and the repudiation of     
every other good whatsoever4 ,this is   
the presence which causes every         
difficulty to be overcome and all       
opposition to be subdued4  ,,cic4 ,i    
understand it all2 but what is the      
meaning of1 ,may ,i be happy in this    
governance and with these bonds1 and may
 that light not cease8  ,,tans4 ,he     
means1 and he proves1 that every sort of
 love1 the greater its dominion and the 
surer its hold1 the more tight are the  
bonds1 and the more firm the yoke1 and  
the more ardent the flames that are     
felt1 as compared with the ordinary     
princes and tyrants1 who adopt a greater
 rigour wherever they see they have less
 hold4  ,,cic4 ,go on4   ,,vi4  ,,tans4 
,here we see described the idea of a    
flying phoenix1 towards which is turned 
a boy who is burning in the midst of    
flames2 and there is the legend1 ,fata  
obstant4 ,but in order better to        
understand it1 let us read the tablet3  

#cj4      ,sole bird of the sun1 thou   
wandering phoenix6     ,that measurest  
thy days as does the world     ,with    
lofty summits of ,arabia ,felix4        
,thou art the same thou wast1 but ,i    
what ,i was not3     ,i through the fire
 of love1 unhappy die2     ,but thee the
 sun with his warm rays revives2        
,thou burn'st in one1 and ,i1 in every  
place2     ,eros my fire1 while thine   
,apollo gives4     ,predestined is the  
term of thy long life2     ,short span  
is mine1     ,and menaced by a thousand 
ills4     ,nor do ,i know how ,i have   
lived1 nor how shall live1     ,me does 
blind fate conduct2     ,but thou wilt  
come again1 again behold thy light4     
,from the meaning of these lines1 you   
will see that in the figure is drawn the
 comparison between the fate of the     
phoenix and that of the enthusiast2 and 
the legend1 ,fata obstant1 does not     
signify that the fates are adverse      
either to the boy1 or to the phoenix1 or
 to both2 but that the fatal decrees for

 each are not the same1 but are diverse 
and opposite4 ,the phoenix is that which
 it was1 because the same matter1 by    
means of the fire1 renews itself1 and   
becomes again the body of the phoenix1  
and the same spirit and soul come to    
inhabit it4 ,the enthusiast is that     
which he was not1 because the subject1  
which is a man1 was first of some other 
species1 according to innumerable       
differentiations4 ,so that what the     
phoenix was1 is known1 and what it will 
be1 is known2 but this subject cannot   
return1 except through many and         
uncertain means1 to invest the same or a
 similar natural form4 ,then the        
phoenix1 through the sun's presence1    
changes death into life1 and that other1
 by the presence of love1 transmutes    
life into death4 ,the one kindles his   
fire on the aromatic altar1 the other   
finds it ever present with him and      
carries it wherever he goes4 ,the one   
again1 has certain conditions of a long 
life2 but the other1 through the        

infinite differences of time and        
innumerable circumstances1 has the      
mutable conditions of a short life4 ,the
 one kindles with certainty1 the other  
with doubt as to whether he will see the
 sun again4  ,,cic4 ,what do you think  
that this means8  ,,tans4 ,it means the 
difference that exists between the lower
 intellect called the intellect of      
power1 either possible or passive1 which
 is uncertain1 multifarious1 and        
multiform1 and the higher intellect1    
which1 perhaps1 is like that which is   
said by the ,peripatetics to be the     
lowest of the intelligences1 and which  
exerts an immediate influence over all  
the individuals of the human species1   
and is called the active and acting     
intellect4 ,this special human          
intelligence which influences all       
individuals is like the moon1 which     
partakes of no other species but that   
one alone which always renews itself by 
the transmutation caused in it by the   
sun1 which is the primal and universal  

intelligence2 but the human intellect1  
both individual and collective1 turns as
 do the eyes towards innumerable and    
most diverse objects2 whence1 according 
to the infinite degrees which exist1 it 
takes on all the natural forms4 ,hence  
it is that this particular intellect may
 be as enthusiastic1 vague1 and         
uncertain1 as that universal one is     
quiet1 fixed1 and certain1 whether as   
regards the desire or the comprehension4
 ,now therefore1 as you may very well   
perceive for yourself1 it means that the
 nature of the comprehension of sense   
and its varied appetite1 is vague1      
inconstant1 and uncertain1 and the      
conception and definite appetite of the 
intelligence is firm and stable4 ,this  
is the difference between sensual love1 
which has no stability nor discretion as
 to its object1 and intellectual love1  
which aims only at one1 sure and fixed1 
towards which it turns1 through which it
 is illuminated in its conception1 by   
which1 being kindled in its affections1 

it becomes inflamed and brightened1 and 
is maintained in unity and identity of  
condition4   ,,vii4  ,,cic4 ,but what is
 the meaning of that figure of the sun1 
with a circle inside and another        
outside1 with the legend ,circuit4      
,,tans4 ,the meaning of this ,i am      
certain ,i should never have understood 
if ,i had not heard it from the designer
 of it himself4 ,now you must know that 
,circuit has reference to the movement  
the sun makes round the circle which is 
drawn inside and outside1 in order to   
signify that the movement both makes and
 is made2 and hence1 as a consequence1  
the sun is to be found in every part of 
those circles2 so that1 if he moves and 
is moved1 and is over the whole         
circumference of the circle equally1    
then you find in him both movement and  
rest4  ,,cic4 ,this ,i understood in the
 dialogues on the infinite universe and 
the innumerable worlds1 where it is     
declared that the divine wisdom is      
extremely mobile1 as ,solomon said1 and 

also that the same is most stable1 as   
all those declare who know4 ,now go on  
and make me understand the proposition4 
,,tans4 ,it means that ,dhis sun is not 
like this one1 which is commonly        
believed to go round the earth with the 
daily movement in twenty-four hours1 and
 with the planetary movement in twelve  
months1 and by which he causes the four 
seasons of the year to be felt1         
according as he is found to be in the   
four cardinal points of the zodiac2 but 
he is such an one1 that1 being the      
ethereal eternity itself1 and           
consequently an entire and complete     
totality1 he contains the winter1 the   
spring1 the summer1 the autumn1 together
 with the day and the night1 for he is  
all and for all1 in all points and      
places4  ,d ,il suo sole4  ,,cic4 ,now  
apply that which you have said to the   
figure4  ,,tans4 ,it being impossible   
here to design the entire sun in every  
point of the circle1 two circles are    
delineated2 one which contains the sun  

to signify that the movement is made    
through him1 the other which is         
contained by the sun to show that he is 
moved by it4  ,,cic4 ,but this          
explanation is not very clear and       
appropriate4  ,,tans4 ,suffice it that  
it is the clearest and most appropriate 
that he was able to make4 ,if you can   
make a better one1 you shall have       
permission to remove this one and put it
 in its place1 for this has only been   
put in1 so that the soul should not be  
without a body4  ,,cic4 ,what do you say
 about that ,circuit8  ,,tans4 ,that    
legend contains all the meaning of the  
thing in so far as it can be explained1 
for it means that he turns and is       
turned1 that is to say movement present 
and accomplished4  ,,cic4 ,excellent6   
,and therefore those circles which so   
ill explain the circumstance of movement
 and rest1 we can say are placed there  
to signify the circulation only4 ,thus  
am ,i satisfied with the subject and    
with the form of the heroic device4 ,now

 read the lines4  ,,tans43  #ca4        
,mild are thy rays1 oh1 ,sol6 from      
,taurus sent1     ,and from the ,lion   
thy beams mature and burn1     ,and when
 thy light from pungent ,scorpion darts 
,transcendent is the ardour of thy      
flames4     ,from fierce ,deucalion all 
is struck with cold1     ,stiffened the 
lakes and locked the running streams4   
,with spring1 with summer1 autumn1 and  
with winter1     ,i warm1 ,i kindle1    
burn and blaze for ever4     ,so ardent 
my desire1     ,the object so supreme   
for which ,i burn2     ,glowing and     
unencumbered ,i behold1     ,and make my
 lightnings flash unto the stars4       
,no moment can ,i count in all the year 
,to change the,e inexorable cross ,i    
bear4  ,here observe that the four      
seasons of the year are signified1 not  
by four movable signs1 which are ,aries1
 ,cancer1 ,libra1 and ,capricorn1 but by
 the four which are called              
fixed--namely1 ,taurus1 ,leo1 ,scorpio1 
and ,aquarius1 to signify the condition1

 fervour1 and perfection of those       
seasons4 ,note further1 that in virtue  
of those apostrophes1 which are in the  
eighth line1 you can read3 ,i warm1     
kindle1 burn1 blaze2 or1 be thou warmed1
 kindled1 burning1 blazing2 or1 let him 
warm1 kindle1 burn1 blaze4  ,e ,sordi   
affanni4  ,you have farther to consider 
that these are not four synonyms1 but   
four different terms1 which signify so  
many degrees of the effects of the fire1
 which first warms1 secondly kindles1   
thirdly burns1 and fourthly blazes or   
inflames that which it has warmed1      
kindled1 and burnt4 ,and thus are       
denoted in the enthusiast1 desire1      
attention1 study1 affection1 in which he
 never for a moment feels any change4   
,,cic4 ,why does he put them under the  
title of a cross8  ,,tans4 ,because the 
object1 which is the divine light1 is1  
in this life1 more felt as a painful    
longing than in quiet fruition1 because 
our mind is towards that1 as the eyes of
 night birds to the sun4  ,,cic4        

,proceed2 for from what you have said ,i
 understand all4   ,,viii4  ,,tans4 ,on 
the next crest there is painted a full  
moon and the legend3 ,talis mihi semper 
ut astro1 which means that to the       
star--that is1 to the sun--she is ever  
such as she here shows herself1 full and
 clear in the entire circumference of   
the circle1 which1 in order that you may
 better understand1 ,i will let you hear
 that which is written on the tablet4   
#cb4      ,oh1 changeful moon1          
inconstant moon6     ,with horns now    
full1 now void1 thou wanderest4         
,mounting1 thy sphere now white now dark
 appears4     ,the mountains and the    
valleys of the north thou brightenest1  
,and turning by thy dust-encumbered     
steps1     ,thou lightest in the south  
the ,lybian heights4     ,my moon for my
 continual pain4     ,is constant ever1 
ever full4     ,so is my star1          
,which ever from me takes and nothing   
gives1     ,for ever burns and ever     
shines1     ,cruel always yet always    

beautiful4     ,this noble light of mine
     ,torments me still and still       
delights me4  ,it seems to me1 that it  
means that his particular intelligence  
is to the universal intelligence ever   
the same--that is to say1 the one is    
ever illuminated by the other1 over the 
whole hemisphere2 notwithstanding that  
to the inferior powers1 and according to
 the influence of his actions1 it       
appears now dark1 and now more and less 
clear4 ,or perhaps it means that his    
speculative intellect1 which is ever    
invariable in its action1 is always     
turned and affected towards the human   
intelligence signified by the moon4     
,because1 as this is said to be the     
lowest of all the stars1 and is nearest 
to us1 so the illuminating intelligence 
of all of us in this state is the last  
in order of the other intelligences1 as 
,averroes and the more subtle           
,peripatetics say4 ,that intelligence1  
in so far as it is not in any act1 goes 
down before1 or sets to the potential   

intellect1 or as if so to say1 it       
emerged from the bottom of the occult   
hemisphere1 and showed itself now void1 
now full1 according as it gives more or 
less light of intelligence4 ,now its    
sphere is dark1 now light1 because      
sometimes it shows itself as a shadow1 a
 semblance1 and a vestige1 and sometimes
 more and more openly3 now it declines  
towards the south1 now it mounts towards
 the north--that is1 now it removes     
farther and farther away1 and now it    
approaches nearer and nearer4 ,but the  
intellect1 active with its continual    
grief--seeing that it is not through its
 human condition and nature that it     
finds itself so wretched1 so opposed1   
courted1 solicited1 distracted1 and1 as 
it were1 torn by the inferior           
powers--sees its object stable1 fixed   
and constant1 and ever full1 and in the 
same splendour of beauty4 ,thus it ever 
takes away1 in so far as it does not    
concede1 and ever gives1 in so far as it
 concedes4 ,it ever burns in the        

affection in so far as it shines in     
thoughts1 and is always cruel in        
withdrawing itself through that which   
withdraws itself2 as it is always       
beautiful in communication with1 that to
 which it presents itself4 ,always does 
it torment when it is divided from him  
by difference of locality1 as always it 
delights him being joined to it by      
affection4  ,,cic4 ,now apply your      
intelligence to the legend4  ,,tans4 ,he
 says then1 talis mihi semper2 that is1 
because of the continual application of 
my intellect1 my memory1 and my will1   
because ,i will remember1 understand and
 desire no other2 she is ever the same  
to me1 and in so far as ,i can          
understand her1 she is entirely present1
 and is not separated from me by any    
distraction of my thoughts1 nor does she
 become darkened to me through any want 
of attention1 for there is no thought   
that can divert me from that light nor  
any necessity of nature which forces me 
to a less constant attention2 talis mihi

 semper on her side1 because she is     
invariable in substance1 in virtue1 in  
beauty1 and in effect1 towards those    
things that are constant and invariable 
towards her4 ,she says further1 ut      
astro1 because in respect of the sun1   
the illuminator of her1 she is ever     
equally luminous1 seeing that she is    
ever turned equally towards him1 and he 
at the same time diffuses his rays      
equally4 ,as1 physically1 this moon that
 we see with the eyes1 although towards 
the earth she appears now dark1 now     
shining1 now more1 now less illuminated 
and illuminating1 yet is she ever       
equally irradiated by the sun1 because  
she always reflects his rays over at    
least the whole of her hemisphere4 ,so  
also is the hemisphere of this earth    
ever equally irradiated1 although from  
the watery surfaces she from time to    
time sends her splendours unequally to  
the moon1--which like innumerable other 
stars we consider as another earth--in  
the same manner1 she also sends hers to 

the earth1 on account of the periodical 
changes which both experience in finding
 themselves now the one1 now the other1 
nearer to the sun4  ,,cic4 ,how can this
 intelligence be signified by the moon  
which lights up the hemisphere8  ,,tans4
 ,all the intelligences are signified by
 the moon1 in so far as they are sharers
 in act and in power1 in so far as they 
have the light materially and by        
participation1 receiving it from        
another2 ,i say that1 as not being      
lights of themselves1 nor by their own  
nature1 but by reflection from the sun1 
which is the first intelligence1 which  
is pure and absolute light1 as it is    
also pure and absolute action4  ,,cic4  
,all those things1 then1 that are       
dependent1 and are not the first act and
 cause1 are they composed of light and  
shade1 of matter and form1 of power and 
action8  ,,tans4 ,it is so4 ,furthermore
 this soul of ours1 in all its          
substance1 is signified by the moon     
which shines through the hemisphere of  

the superior powers1 by which it is     
turned towards the light of the         
intelligible world1 and is dark through 
the inferior powers1 by which it is     
occupied with material things4   ,,ix4  
,,cic4 ,it seems to me that what has    
just been said has some connection and  
analogy with the impression that ,i see 
on the next shield1 where stands a      
gnarled and rugged oak1 against which   
the wind is raging1 and it is           
circumscribed by the legend1 ut robori  
robur1 and here is the tablet1 which    
says3  #cc4      ,old oak1 that         
spread'st thy branches to the air1      
,and firmly in the earth dost fix thy   
roots2     ,no shifting of the land1 no 
mighty elements1     ,which ,heaven from
 the stormy north unlocks2     ,nor     
whatso'er the gruesome winter sends1    
,can tear thee from the spot where thou 
art chained4     ,thou art the veritable
 portrait of my faith1     ,which1      
fixed1 remains 'gainst every casual     
chance4     ,ever the self-same ground  

dost thou     ,grasp1 cultivate and     
comprehend2 and stretch     ,thy        
grateful roots unto the generous breast4
     ,upon one only object ,i     ,have 
fixed my spirit1 sense1 and intellect4  
,,tans4 ,the legend is clear1 by which  
the enthusiast boasts of having the     
strength and vigour of the oak1 and as  
before said of being ever the same in   
respect to the one only phoenix1 and in 
the next preceding one1 conforming      
himself to that moon which ever shines  
so brightly and is so beautiful1 and    
also in that he does not resemble this  
antichthon between our earth and the sun
 in so far as it changes to our eyes1   
but in that it ever receives within     
itself an equal amount of the solar     
splendour1 and through this remains     
constant and firm against the rough     
winds and tempests of winter1 through   
the stability that he has in his star1  
in which he is planted by affection and 
intention1 as the roots of the oak twist
 and weave themselves into the veins of 

the earth4  ,,cic4 ,i hold it better    
worth living in quiet and without       
vexation than to be forced to endure so 
much4  ,,tans4 ,that is a maxim of the  
,epicureans which1 being well           
understood1 would not be considered so  
unworthy as the ignorant hold it to be1 
seeing that it does not detract from    
what ,i have called virtue1 nor does it 
impair the perfection of firmness1 but  
it rather adds to that perfection as it 
is understood by the vulgar1 for        
,epicurus does not hold that1 a true and
 complete strength and firmness which   
feels and bears inconveniences1 but that
 which bears them and feels them not4   
,he does not consider him perfect in    
divine heroic love1 who feels the spur1 
the check1 or remorse or trouble about  
other love2 but him who has no feeling  
of other affections2 so that being fixed
 in one pleasure1 there is no           
displeasure that has any power to jostle
 him or dislodge him from his place4    
,and this it is to touch the highest    

blessedness of this state1 to have      
rapture and no sense of pain4  ,,cic4   
,the ignorant do not believe in this    
meaning of ,epicurus4  ,,tans4 ,because 
they neither read his own books1 nor    
those that report his maxims without    
invidiousness1 but there are those who  
read the course of his life and the     
conditions of his death1 where with     
these words he dictated the beginning of
 his testament3 ,being in the last1 and 
at the same time1 the happiest day of   
our life1 we have ordained this with a  
healthy1 tranquil mind at rest2 for     
whatever acute sorrow may torment us    
from one side1 that torment is entirely 
annulled by the pleasure of our own     
inventions and the consideration of our 
end4 ,and it is manifest that he no     
longer felt more pleasure than sorrow in
 eating1 drinking1 repose1 and in       
generating1 but in not feeling hunger1  
nor thirst1 nor fatigue1 nor sensuality4
 ,from this may be understood what is   
according to us the perfection of       

firmness2 not in this1 that the tree    
neither bends nor breaks1 nor is rent1  
but in that it does not so much as stir1
 and its prototype keeps spirit1 sense1 
and intellect1 fixed there1 where the   
shock of the tempest is not felt4       
,,cic4 ,do you then think it is a thing 
to be desired1 to bear shocks in order  
to prove that you are strong8  ,,tans4  
,you say to bear2 and this is a part of 
firmness1 but it is not the whole of    
that virtue1 which consists in bearing  
strongly1 as ,i say1 or in not feeling1 
as ,epicurus said4 ,now this loss of    
feeling is caused by being entirely     
absorbed in the cultivation of virtue1  
or of real good and felicity1 in such   
wise that ,regulus did not feel the     
chest1 ,lucretia the dagger1 ,socrates  
the poison1 ,anaxagoras the mortar1     
,scvola the fire1 ,cocles the abyss1 and
 other worthies felt not those things   
which would torment and fill with terror
 the vulgar crowd4  ,,cic4 ,now pass on4
   ,x4  ,,tans4 ,look at this other who 

bears the device of an anvil and a      
hammer1 round which is the legend ab    
,aetna6 ,but here ,vulcan is introduced3
  #cd4      ,not now to my ,sicilian    
mount ,i turn1     ,where thou dost     
forge the thunderbolts of ,jove1        
,here1 rugged ,vulcan will ,i stay2     
,here1 where a prouder giant moves1     
,who burns and rages against ,heaven in 
vain1     ,soliciting new cares and     
divers trials4     ,here is a better    
smith and ,mongibello,f     ,a better   
anvil1 better forge and hammer2     ,for
 here behold a bosom full of sighs1     
,which blows the furnace and the fire   
revives4     ,the soul nor yields nor   
bends to these rough blows1     ,but    
bears exulting this long martyrdom1     
,and makes a harmony from these sharp   
pangs4  ,f ,mount ,etna4  ,here are     
shown the pains and troubles which beset
 love1 principally love of a low kind1  
which is no other than the forge of     
,vulcan1 that smith who makes the bolts 
of ,jove which torment offending souls4 

,for ill-ordered love has in itself the 
beginning of its own pain1 seeing that  
there is a ,god near us1 in us1 and with
 us4 ,there is in us a certain sacred   
mind and intelligence1 which supplies an
 affection of its own1 which has its own
 avenger1 which1 through remorse for    
certain shortcomings1 flagellates the   
transgressing spirit as with a hammer4  
,it notes our actions and our           
affections1 and as it is treated by us1 
so are we treated by it4 ,in every lover
 ,i say there is this smith ,vulcan1 and
 as there is no man that has not a god  
within him1 so there is no lover that   
has not a god within him1 and no lover  
within whom this god is not4 ,most      
certainly there is a god in every man1  
but what god it is in each one is not so
 easy to know4 ,and even though we      
should examine and distinguish1 yet do  
,i believe that none other than ,love   
could declare it1 he being the one who  
pulls the oars1 and fills the sails1 and
 modifies this compound1 so that it     

comes to be well or ill affected4 ,i say
 well or ill affected as to that which  
it puts in execution through the moral  
actions and through contemplation2 for  
the rest1 all lovers are apt to         
experience some difficulties1 things    
being as they are1 so entangled2 there  
being no good whatever1 either of       
conception or of the affections1 which  
is not joined to or stands in opposition
 to evil1 as there is no truth which is 
not joined or opposed to what is false1 
so there is no love without fear1       
ardour1 jealousy1 rancour1 and other    
passions1 which proceed from their      
opposites1 and which disturb us1 as the 
other opposite causes satisfaction4     
,thus the soul striving to recover its  
natural beauty seeks to purify itself1  
to heal itself1 and to reform itself1   
and to this end it uses fire1 because1  
being like gold1 mixed with earth and   
crude1 with a certain rigour it tries to
 liberate itself from defilement1 and   
this result is obtained when the        

intellect1 the real smith of ,jove1 puts
 itself to the work and causes an active
 exercise of the intellectual powers4   
,,cic4 ,it seems to me that this is     
referred to in the ,banquet of ,plato1  
where it says that ,love has inherited  
from his mother1 ,poverty1 that         
dried-up1 thin1 pale1 bare-footed1 and  
submissive condition without a home1    
without anything1 and through these is  
signified the torture of the soul that  
is torn with contrary affections4       
,,tans4 ,so it is2 because the spirit1  
full of this enthusiasm1 becomes        
absorbed in profound thoughts1 stricken 
with urgent cares1 kindled with fervent 
desires1 excited by frequent crises3    
whence the soul1 finding itself in      
suspense1 becomes less diligent and     
active in the government of the body    
through the acts of the vegetative      
power2 thus the body becomes lean1      
ill-nourished1 attenuated1 poor in      
blood1 and rich in melancholy humours1  
and these1 if they do not administer to 

the disciplined soul1 or to a clear and 
lucid spirit1 may lead to insanity1     
folly1 and brutal fury1 or at least to a
 certain disregard of self1 and a       
contempt of its own being1 which is     
symbolized by ,plato in the bare feet4  
,love becomes subjected and flies       
suddenly down to earth when it is       
attached to low things1 but flies high  
when it is fixed upon more worthy       
enterprises4 ,in conclusion1 whatever   
love it may be1 it is ever afflicted and
 tormented in such a way that it cannot 
fail to supply material for the forge of
 ,vulcan2 because the soul1 being a     
divine thing1 and by nature1 not a      
servant but the mistress of corporeal   
matter1 she becomes troubled in that she
 voluntarily serves the body wherein she
 finds nothing to satisfy her1 and      
albeit1 fixed in the thing loved1 yet   
now and then she becomes agitated1 and  
fluctuates amidst the waves of hope1    
fear1 doubt1 ardour1 conscience1        
remorse1 determination1 repentance1 and 

other scourges1 which are the bellows1  
the coals1 the forge1 the hammer1 the   
pincers1 and other instruments which are
 found in the workshop of the sordid    
grimy consort of ,venus4  ,,cic4 ,enough
 has been said upon this subject4 ,let  
us see what follows4   ,,xi4  ,,tans4   
,here is a golden apple1 rich with      
various kinds of precious enamel1 and   
there is a legend about it which says1  
,pulchriori detur4  ,,cic4 ,the allusion
 to the fact of the three goddesses who 
submitted themselves to the judgment of 
,paris is very common4 ,but read the    
lines which more specifically disclose  
the meaning of the present enthusiast4  
,,tans43  #ce4      ,venus1 the goddess 
of the third heaven     7,mother of the 
archer blind1 who conquers all71        
,she whose father is the head of ,zeus1 
,and ,juno1 most majestic wife of ,jove1
     ,these call the ,trojan shepherd to
 be judge1     ,and to the fairest give 
the ruddy sphere4     ,compared with    
,venus1 ,pallas1 and the ,queen of      

,heaven1     ,my perfect goddess bears  
away the palm4     ,the ,cyprian queen  
may boast her royal limbs1     ,minerva 
charm with her transcendent wit1        
,and ,juno with a majesty supreme2      
,but she who holds my heart all these   
excels     ,in wisdom1 majesty1 and     
loveliness4  ,here he makes a comparison
 between his object 7or ideal7 which    
comprises all circumstances1 all        
conditions1 and all kinds of beauty1 in 
one subject1 and others which exhibit   
each only one1 and that through various 
hypotheses1 as with corporeal beauty1   
all the conditions of which ,apelles    
could not find in one1 but in many      
virgins4 ,now here1 where there are     
three kinds of the beautiful1 although  
it seems that all of these exist in each
 of the three goddesses--,venus not     
being found wanting in wisdom and       
majesty1 ,juno not lacking loveliness   
and wisdom1 and ,pallas being full of   
majesty and beauty1 in each case it is a
 fact that one quality exceeds the      

others1 so that it comes to be held as  
distinctive of the one1 and the other as
 incidental to all1 seeing that of those
 three gifts1 one predominates in each  
and proclaims her sovereign over the    
others4 ,and the cause of this          
difference lies in the fact of          
possessing these qualities1 not         
primarily and in their essence1 but by  
participation and derivation2 as in all 
things which are dependent1 their       
perfection depends upon the degrees of  
major and minor and more and less4 ,but 
in the simplicity of the divine essence1
 all exists in totality1 and not        
according to any measure1 and therefore 
wisdom is not greater than beauty and   
majesty1 and goodness is not greater    
than strength3 not only are till the    
attributes equal1 they are one and the  
same thing4 ,as in the sphere all the   
dimensions are not only equal1 the      
length being equal to the depth and     
breadth1 but are also identical1 seeing 
that what in a sphere is called deep1   

may also be called long and wide4       
,likewise is it1 as to height in divine 
wisdom1 which is the same as the depth  
of power and the breadth of goodness4   
,all these perfections are equal1       
because they are infinite4 ,of          
necessity1 one is according to the sum  
of the other1 seeing that where things  
are finite it may result in this1 that  
it is more wise than beautiful or good1 
more good and beautiful than wise1 more 
wise and good than powerful1 and more   
powerful than good or wise4 ,but where  
there is infinite wisdom there cannot be
 other than infinite power1 otherwise   
there would be no infinite knowledge4   
,where there is infinite goodness there 
must be infinite wisdom1 otherwise there
 would be no infinite goodness4 ,where  
there is infinite power there must be   
infinite goodness and wisdom1 because   
there is the being able to know and the 
knowing to be able4 ,now1 observe how   
the object of this enthusiast1 who is1  
as it were1 inebriated with the drink of

 the gods1 is incomparably higher than  
others which are different4 ,i mean to  
say that the divine essence comprehends 
in the very highest degree perfection of
 all kinds1 so that according to the    
degree in which this particular form may
 have participated1 he can understand   
all1 do all1 and be such an attached    
friend to one that he may come to feel  
contempt and indifference towards every 
other beauty4 ,therefore to her should  
be consecrated the spherical apple as to
 her who seems to be all in all2 not to 
,venus1 who is beautiful but is         
surpassed in wisdom by ,minerva1 and by 
,juno in majesty2 not to ,pallas than   
whom ,venus is more beautiful1 and the  
other more magnificent2 not to ,juno1   
who is not the goddess of intelligence  
or of love4  ,,cic4 ,truly1 as are the  
degrees of ,nature and of the essences1 
so in proportion are the degrees of the 
intelligible orders and the glories of  
the amorous affections and enthusiasms4 
,,xii4  ,,cic4 ,the following bears a   

head with four faces1 which blow towards
 the four corners of the heavens1 and   
are four winds in one subject2 above    
these stand two stars1 and in the centre
 the legend ,novae ortae aeoliae4 ,i    
would like to know what that signifies4 
,,tans4 ,i think that the meaning of    
this device is consequent upon that     
which precedes it1 for1 as there the    
object is declared to be infinite       
beauty1 so here is proposed what may be 
called a similar aspiration1 study1     
affection1 and desire4 ,i believe that  
these winds are set to signify sighs2   
but this we shall see when we come to   
read the lines3  #cf4      ,sons of the 
,titan ,astrus and ,aurora1     ,who    
trouble heaven1 earth1 and the wide sea1
     ,leave now this stormy war of      
elements1     ,and fight anon with the  
high gods4     ,no more in my olian     
caves ye dwell1     ,no more does my    
restraining power compel2     ,but      
caught are ye and closed within that    
breast1     ,with moans and sobs and    

bitter sighs opprest4     ,turbulent    
brothers of the stars1     ,companions  
of the tempests of the seas1     ,those 
lights are all that may avail     ,peace
 to restore2 murderous yet innocent2    
,which1 open or concealed1     ,will    
bless with calm1 or curse with pride4   
,evidently1 here1 olus is introduced as 
speaking to the winds1 which he declares
 are no longer tempered by him in the   
olian caverns1 but by two stars in the  
breast of this enthusiast4 ,here1 the   
two stars do not mean the two eyes which
 are in the forehead1 but the two       
appreciable kinds of divine beauty and  
goodness1 of that infinite splendour1   
which so influences intellectual and    
rational desire1 that it brings him to a
 condition of infinite aspiration1      
according to the way and the degree with
 which he comes to comprehend that      
glorious light4 ,for love1 while it is  
finite1 contented1 and fixed in a       
certain measure1 is not in the form of  
the species of divine beauty1 but as it 

goes on with ever higher aspirations1 it
 may be said to verge towards the       
infinite4  ,,cic44 ,how is breathing    
made to mean aspiring8 ,what relation   
has desire with the winds8  ,,tans4     
,whosoever in this present condition    
aspires1 also sighs1 and the same       
breathes2 and therefore the vehemence of
 the aspiration is noted by the         
hieroglyph of strong breathing4  ,,cic4 
,but there is a difference between      
sighing and breathing4  ,,tans4         
,therefore it is not put as if one stood
 for the other1 or as being identical1  
but as being similar4  ,,cic4 ,go on    
then with our proposition4  ,,tans4 ,the
 infinite aspiration then1 indicated by 
the sighs and symbolized by the winds1  
is not under the dominion of olus in the
 olic caverns1 but of the aforementioned
 two lights1 which are not only         
blameless1 but benevolent in killing the
 enthusiast1 inasmuch as they cause him 
to die to every other thing1 except the 
absorbing affection2 at the same time1  

they1 being closed and concealed1 render
 him unquiet1 and being open1 they will 
tranquillize him1 because at this time1 
when the eyes of the human mind in this 
body are covered with a nebulous veil1  
the soul1 through such studies1 becomes 
troubled and harassed1 and he being thus
 torn and goaded1 will attain only that 
amount of quiet as will satisfy the     
condition of his nature4  ,,cic44 ,how  
can our finite intellect follow after   
the infinite ideal8  ,,tans4 ,through   
the infinite potency it possesses4      
,,cic4 ,this would be useless1 if ever  
it came into effect4  ,,tans4 ,it would 
be useless1 if it had to do with a      
finite action1 where infinite potency   
would be wanting1 but not with the      
infinite action where infinite potency  
is positive perfection4  ,,cic4 ,if the 
human intellect is finite in nature and 
in act1 how can it have an infinite     
potency8  ,,tans4 ,because it is        
eternal1 and in this ever has delight1  
so that it enjoys happiness without end 

or measure2 and because1 as it is finite
 in itself1 so it may be infinite in the
 object4  ,,cic4 ,what difference is    
there between the infinity of the object
 and the infinity of the potentiality8  
,,tans4 ,this is finitely infinite1 and 
that infinitely infinite4 ,but to return
 to ourselves4 ,the legend there says3  
,nov ,lipar oli1 because it seems as if 
we are to believe that all the winds    
which are in the abysmal caverns of olus
 were converted into sighs1 if we       
include those which proceed from the    
affection1 which aspires continually to 
the highest good and to the infinite    
beauty4   ,,xiii4  ,,cic4 ,here we see  
the signification of that burning light 
around which is written3 ,ad vitam1 non 
ad horam4  ,,tans4 ,persistence in such 
a love and ardent desire of true        
goodness1 by which in this temporal     
state the enthusiast is consumed4 ,this1
 ,i think1 is shown in the following    
tablet3  #cg4,transcribers ,note3       
,original source said #cd      ,g,what  

time the day removes the orient vault1  
,the rustic peasant leaves his humble   
home1     ,and when the sun with fiercer
 tangent strikes1     ,fatigued and     
parched1 he sits him in the shade2      
,then plods again with hard1 laborious  
toil1     ,until black night the        
hemisphere enshrouds4     ,and then he  
rests4 ,but ,i must ever chafe     ,at  
morning1 noon-day1 evening1 and at      
night4     ,these fiery rays     ,which 
stream from those two arches of my sun1 
,ne'er fade from the horizon of my soul4
     ,so wills my fate2     ,but blazing
 every hour     ,from their meridian    
they burn the afflicted heart4  ,g      
,quando il sen d'oriente il giorno      
sgombra4  ,,cic4 ,this tablet expresses 
with greater truth than perspicacity the
 sense of the figure4  ,,tans44 ,it is  
not necessary for me to make any effort 
to point out to you the appropriateness1
 as it only requires a little attentive 
consideration4 ,the rays of the sun are 
the ways in which the divine beauty and 

goodness manifest themselves to us2 and 
they are fiery because they cannot be   
comprehended by the intellect without at
 the same time kindling the affections4 
,the two arches of the sun are the two  
kinds of revelation1 that scholastic    
theologians call early and late1 whence 
our illuminating intelligence1 as an    
airy medium1 deduces that species1      
either in virtue1 which it contemplates 
in itself1 or in efficacy1 which it     
beholds in its effects4 ,the horizon of 
the soul1 in this place1 is that part of
 the superior potentialities where the  
vigorous impulse of the affection comes 
to aid the lively comprehension of the  
intellect1 being signified by the heart1
 which1 burning at all hours1 torments  
itself2 because all those fruits of love
 that we can gather in this state are   
not so sweet that they have not united  
with them a certain affliction1 which   
proceeds from the fear of imperfect     
fruition3 as especially occurs in the   
fruits of natural affection1 the        

condition of which ,i cannot do better  
than explain in the words of the        
,epicurean poet3      ,ex hominis vera  
facie1 pulchroque colore     ,nil datur 
in corpus prter simulacra fruendum      
,tenuia1 qu vento spes captat spe       
misella4     ,ut bibere in somnis       
sitiens cum qurit1 et humor     ,non    
datur1 ardorem in membris qui stinguere 
possit1     ,sed laticum simulacra      
petit1 frustraque laborat1     ,in      
medioque sitit torrenti flumine potans3 
,sic in amore ,venus simulacris ludit   
amantis1     ,nec satiare queunt        
spectando corpora coram1     ,nec       
manibus quicquam teneris abradere       
membris     ,possunt1 errantes incerti  
corpore toto4     ,denique cum membris  
conlatis flore fruuntur     tatis1 dum  
jam prsagit gaudia corpus1     ,atque in
 eo est ,venus1 ut muliebria conserat   
arva1     ,adfigunt avide corpus1       
iunguntque salivas     ,oris1 et        
inspirant pressantes dentibus ora1      
,necquiquam1 quoniam nihil inde abradere

 possunt1     ,nec penetrare1 et abire  
in corpus corpore toto4  ,in the same   
way1 he judges as to the kind of taste  
that we can have of divine things1      
which1 while we force ourselves to      
penetrate1 and unite with them1 we find 
that we have more pain in the desire    
than pleasure in the realization4 ,and  
this may have been the reason why that  
wise ,hebrew said that he who increases 
knowledge increases pain2 because from1 
the greater comprehension grows the     
greater desire4 ,and this is followed by
 greater vexation and grief for the     
deprivation of the thing desired4 ,so   
the ,epicurean1 who led a most tranquil 
life1 said opportunely3      ,sed       
fugitare decet simulacra1 et pabula     
amoris     ,abstergere sibi1 atque alio 
convertere mentem1     ,nec servare sibi
 curam certumque dolorem3     ,ulcus    
enim virescit1 et inveterascit alendo1  
,inque dies gliscit furor1 atque rumna  
gravescit4     ,nec ,veneris fructu     
caret is1 qui vitat amorem1     ,sed    

potius1 qu sunt1 sine poena1 commoda    
sumit4  ,,cic4 ,what is meant by the    
meridian of the heart8  ,,tans4 ,that   
part or region of the will which is     
highest and most exalted1 and where it  
becomes most strongly1 clearly1 and     
effectually kindled4 ,he means that such
 affection is not as in its beginning1  
where it stirs1 nor as at the end1 where
 it reposes1 but as in the middle1 where
 it becomes fervid4   ,,xiv4  ,,cic4    
,but what means that glowing arrow1     
which has flames in place of a hard     
point1 around which is encircled a noose
 with the legend3 ,amor instat ut       
instans8 ,say1 what does it mean8       
,,tans4 ,it seems to me to mean that    
love never leaves him1 and at the same  
time eternally afflicts him4  ,,cic4 ,i 
see the noose1 the arrow1 and the fire4 
,i understand that which is written3    
,amor instat2 but that which follows ,i 
cannot understand--that is1 that love as
 an instant1 or persisting1 persists2   
which has the same poverty of idea as if

 one said3 ,this undertaking he has     
feigned as a feint2 he bears it as he   
bears it1 understands it as he          
understands it1 values it as he values  
it1 and esteems it as he who esteems it4
  ,,tans4 ,it is easy for him to decide 
and condemn who does not even consider4 
,that instans is not an adjective from  
the verb instare1 but it is a noun      
substantive used for the instant of     
time4  ,,cic4 ,now1 what is the meaning 
of the phrase love endures as an        
instant8  ,,tans44 ,what does ,aristotle
 mean in his book on ,time1 when he says
 that eternity is an instant1 and that  
all time is no more than an instant8    
,,cic4 ,how can this be1 seeing that    
there is no time so short that it cannot
 be divided into seconds8 ,perhaps he   
would say that in one instant there is  
the ,flood1 the ,trojan war1 and we who 
exist now2 ,i should like to know how   
this instant is divided into so many    
centuries and years1 and whether1 by the
 same rule1 we might not say that the   

line is a point8  ,,tans4 ,if time be   
one1 but in different temporal subjects1
 so the instant is one in different and 
all parts of time4 ,as ,i am the same ,i
 was1 am1 and shall be2 so ,i myself am 
always the same in the house1 in the    
temple1 in the field1 and wheresoever ,i
 am4  ,,cic4 ,why do you wish to make   
out that the instant is the whole of    
time8  ,,tans4 ,because if it were not  
an instant1 it would not be time2       
therefore time in essence and substance 
is no other than an instant1 and let    
this suffice1 if you understand it1     
because ,i do not intend to perorate    
upon the entire physics2 so that you    
must understand that he means to say    
that the whole of love is no less       
present than the whole of time2 because 
this instans does not mean a moment of  
time4  ,,cic4 ,this meaning must be     
specified in some way1 if we do not wish
 to see the motto invalidated by        
equivocation1 by which we are free to   
suppose that he meant to say that his   

love was but for an instant--that is1   
for an atom of time1 and of nothing     
more1 or that he means that it is as you
 interpret it1 everlasting4  ,,tans4    
,surely1 if these two contrary meanings 
were implied1 the legend would be       
nonsense4 ,but it is not so1 if you     
consider well1 for it cannot be that in 
one instant1 which is an atom or point1 
love persists or endures2 therefore one 
must of necessity understand the instant
 in another signification4 ,and for the 
sake of getting out of the mesh1 read   
the stanza3  #ch4      ,one time        
scatters and one gathers2     ,one      
builds1 one breaks2 one weeps1 one      
laughs2     ,one time to sadness1 one to
 gaiety inclines2     ,one labours and  
one rests2 one stands1 one sits2        
,one proffers and one takes away2       
,one stays and one removes2 one         
animates1 one kills4     ,in all the    
years1 the months1 the days1 the hours1 
,love waits on me1 strikes1 binds1 and  
burns4     ,to me continual dissolution1

     ,continual weeping holds me and    
destroys4     ,all times to me are full 
of woe2     ,all things time takes from 
me1     ,and gives me naught1 not even  
death4  ,,cic4 ,i understand the meaning
 quite perfectly1 and confess that all  
things agree very well4 ,it is time to  
proceed to the next4  ,,xv4  ,,tans4    
,here behold a serpent languishing in   
the snow1 where a labourer has thrown   
it1 and a naked child burning in the    
midst of the fire1 with certain other   
details and circumstances1 with the     
legend which says3 ,idem1 itidem non    
idem4 ,this seems more like an enigma   
than anything else1 and ,i do not feel  
sure that ,i can explain it at all2 yet 
,i do believe that it means that the    
same fate vexes1 and the same torments  
both the one and the other--that is1    
immeasurably1 without mercy and unto    
death1 by means of various instruments  
or contrary principles1 showing itself  
the same whether cold or hot4 ,but this1
 it seems to me1 requires longer and    

special consideration4  ,,cic4 ,some    
other time4 ,read the lines3  #ci4      
,limp snake1 that writhest in the snow1 
,twisting and turning here and there    
,to find some ease from the tormenting  
cold1     ,if the congealing ice could  
know thy pain1     ,or had the sense to 
feel thy smart1     ,and thou couldst   
find a voice for thy complaint1     ,i  
do believe thy argument would make it   
pitiful4     ,i with eternal fire am    
scourged1 am burnt1 and bitten1     ,and
 in the iciness of my divinity find no  
deliverance1     ,no pity does she feel1
 nor can she know1 alas6     ,the       
rigorous ardour of my flames4  #dj4     
,serpent1 thou fain wouldst flee1 but   
canst not2     ,try for thy             
hiding-place1 it is no more2     ,recall
 thy strength1 'tis spent2     ,wait for
 the sun1 behind thick fog he hides2    
,cry mercy of the hind1 he fears thy    
tooth4     ,fortune invoke1 she hears   
thee not1 the jade6     ,nor flight1 nor
 place1 nor star1 nor man1 nor fate     

,can bring to thee deliverance from     
death4     ,thou dost become congealed4 
,melting am ,i4     ,i like thy rigours1
 thee my ardour pleases2     ,help have 
,i none for thee1 and thou hast none for
 me4     ,clear is our evil fate--all   
hope resign4  ,,cic4 ,let us go1 and by 
the way we will seek to untie this      
knot--if possible4  ,,tans4 ,so be it4  
,,printed ,,by ,,ballantyne1 ,,hanson   
,,and ,,co4 ,,london ,,and ,,edinburgh  
,,the ,,apology ,,of ,,the ,,nolan      
,,to ,,the ,,most ,,virtuous ,,and      
,,lovely ,,ladies4      ,o lovely1      
graceful nymphs of ,england6     ,not in
 repugnance nor in scorn     ,our spirit
 holds you1     ,nor would our pen abase
 you     ,more than it must--to call you
 feminine6     ,exemption ,i am sure you
 would not claim1     ,being subject to 
the common influence2     ,shining on   
earth as do the stars in heaven4        
,your sov'reign beauty1 ladies1 our     
austerity     ,cannot depreciate1 nor   
would do so1     ,for we have not in    

view a superhuman kind1     ,such       
poison1,h therefore1 far from you be    
set1     ,for here we see the one1 the  
great ,diana1     ,who is to you as sun 
amongst the stars4     ,wit1 words1     
learning and art1     ,and whatsoe'er is
 mine of scribbling faculty1     ,i     
humbly place before you4  ,h ,arsenico4