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Speculatio Amoris [74]
Speculatio Amoris.
XXXII.
Alu. Paz
HIc extollit Deus animam supra omnem dis-
cursum, & ratiocinationem velut in quan-
dam speculam & ibi faculam splendidissimam
accendit sapientie, & perfectiones suas, aut
mysteria humanitatis Christi, aut sæculi aut bono-
rum eius vilitatem, aut aliquam scripturarum ve-
ritatem, aut quædam ad maiorem mentis purita-
tem pertinentia, inspicienda proponit. statuit Do-
minus speculam, quia animam ad superiora ele-
uat. & statuit anima ipsa sibi speculam, quia au-
xilio Domini eleuata, intelligentiam ad cœlestia
subleuat, intellectus luce illa quasi vno intuitu
& in ictu oculi, Deum (vt aiunt) sibi astantem &
animæ præsentem videt, eo modo, qui explicari
non potest, & ac si in tabella pulchram imaginem
depictam videret, sic simpliciter eius perfectiones
intelligit, videt Deum esse incomprehensibilem
naturam in suo esse: simplicissimam puritatem in
suâ sanctitate: inscrutabilem profunditatem in
suâ sapientiâ: inaccessibilem, altitudinem in sua
excellentia; ineffabilem latitudinem in sua chari-
tate: infinitam longitudinem in sua æternitate.
esse clarissimam caliginem, plenissimam solitudi-
nem, abundantissimam simplicitatem, creatura-
rum requiem, & commune gaudium sui ipsius &
omnium Angelorum atque Sanctorum.Alu. paz.
de grad. cont.
HIc extollit Deus animam supra omnem dis-
cursum, & ratiocinationem velut in quan-
dam speculam & ibi faculam splendidissimam
accendit sapientie, & perfectiones suas, aut
mysteria humanitatis Christi, aut sæculi aut bono-
rum eius vilitatem, aut aliquam scripturarum ve-
ritatem, aut quædam ad maiorem mentis purita-
tem pertinentia, inspicienda proponit. statuit Do-
minus speculam, quia animam ad superiora ele-
uat. & statuit anima ipsa sibi speculam, quia au-
xilio Domini eleuata, intelligentiam ad cœlestia
subleuat, intellectus luce illa quasi vno intuitu
& in ictu oculi, Deum (vt aiunt) sibi astantem &
animæ præsentem videt, eo modo, qui explicari
non potest, & ac si in tabella pulchram imaginem
depictam videret, sic simpliciter eius perfectiones
intelligit, videt Deum esse incomprehensibilem
naturam in suo esse: simplicissimam puritatem in
suâ sanctitate: inscrutabilem profunditatem in
suâ sapientiâ: inaccessibilem, altitudinem in sua
excellentia; ineffabilem latitudinem in sua chari-
tate: infinitam longitudinem in sua æternitate.
esse clarissimam caliginem, plenissimam solitudi-
nem, abundantissimam simplicitatem, creatura-
rum requiem, & commune gaudium sui ipsius &
omnium Angelorum atque Sanctorum.Alu. paz.
de grad. cont.
Speculation de l'Amour.
XXXII.
Quand tu vois ce miroir, qui dans sa belle glace,
De deux amants vnis represente la face,
Ne crois pas que ce soit leur plus grande vnion:
Car celle de l'amour, par sa metamorphose,
De leurs esprits diuers, fait vne mesme chose,
Qui est le point de dernier de sa perfection.
XXXII.
Quand tu vois ce miroir, qui dans sa belle glace,
De deux amants vnis represente la face,
Ne crois pas que ce soit leur plus grande vnion:
Car celle de l'amour, par sa metamorphose,
De leurs esprits diuers, fait vne mesme chose,
Qui est le point de dernier de sa perfection.
Translations
|
Love's panorama. |
|
Here God carries the soul above all discourse, and reasoning to, as it were, a vantage point2 and there kindles a most splendid torch3 of wisdom and sets before for inspection His own perfections, or the mysteries of Christ, or the vileness of the world and
its goods, or some truth of Scripture, or certain matters leading to a greater purity of mind. God instituted the vantage
point, because it elevates the soul to what is more exalted. Also soul itself instituted a vantage point for itself, because
elevated with God's help it lifts intelligence towards heavenly matters; intellect by that light sees as it were in one single
intuition and in a glance God standing (as they say) by its side and present to the soul; in that inexplicable way, and as
if it sees a beautiful image pictured in a painting, so it understands His perfections in an absolute sense, it sees that
God is the very nature of incomprehensibility in His own essence, most absolute purity in His holiness, inscrutable profundity
in His wisdom, inaccessible depth in His excellence, unspeakable broadness in His love, infinite length in His eternity, in
essence the clearest darkness, the fullest solitude, the most abundant simplicity, rest for all beings created, the shared
enjoyment of Himself and all angels and saints. |
|
Behold, you are beautiful my dearest, Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved.4 |
Literature
Sources and parallels
-
Possibly based on, not mirrored, motto slightly different, in: Speculum amoris. [30] (in: anonymous, Amoris divini et humani antipathia (1628))
[Compare
![[compare]](/static/images/compare2.gif "Compare")
]
-
Parallel for the pictura (exact copy), the same Latin bible quote and the French epigram in:Altyt naar 't Schoonste [12] (in: Jan van Hoogstraten, Zegepraal der goddelyke liefde (1709))
[Compare]
References, across this site, to this page:
- Speculum amoris. [30] (in: anonymous, Amoris divini et humani antipathia (1628))
- Altyt naar 't Schoonste [12] (in: Jan van Hoogstraten, Zegepraal der goddelyke liefde (1709))
Iconclass
Sacred love and the soul are pointing at their image in a mirror- God's perfections
[11A23]
- cherubs, i.e. children's heads with wings
[11G1911]
- radiance emanating from persons or things
[22C31]
- mirror
[31A511]
- reflection (in a mirror)
[31A51111]
- adult woman
[31D15]
- the soul during lifetime
[31G1]
- ornament ~ festoon, garland
[48A9875]
- base (~ column, pillar)
[48C1613]
- Perfection, Completeness; 'Perfettione', 'Operatione perfetta' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept)
[51A7(+4)]
- Beauty; 'Bellezza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept)
[51D4(+4)]
- Completion (+ emblematical representation of concept)
[54D3(+4)]
- (personifications and symbolic representations of) Love; 'Amore (secondo Seneca)' (Ripa) (+ clothed)
[56F2(+123)]
- (personifications and symbolic representations of) Love; 'Amore (secondo Seneca)' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of
concept)
[56F2(+4)]
- proverbs, sayings, etc. (with TEXT)
[86(SPECULATIO AMORIS)]
Comments
commentaryNotes
Cant. 1:14-15.
'vantage point': this ultimately derives from Plato's 'peropê', 'vantage point', 'lookout post' in Politicus 272E, where the
'helmsman of the universe' leaves the tiller and retreats to his 'peropê' (translated as 'conning tower' by Skemp). Later
it became the exalted position from where to contemplate, e.g., the Platonic Ideas, or God, in short all of transcendental
reality. This stance was often referred to in Neoplatonic philosophy with 'peropê'. It was imported from there into Christian
theological writings, especially of the speculative and mystical type.
'facula', 'torch': 'facula' is no longer felt as a diminutive (it is the Vulgate translation of Greek 'lampas' in Apocal.
8:10).
Song of Salomon 1:14-15. The adressee of the first line is female, of the second male. The obvious difference in the Latin
is lost in translation.