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Day Two - Day Night

Where is finally entering the maze, you have strange visions
and, as happens in the labyrinth, you lose





Reassemble the scriptorium, this time scale for the East, rising to the plan prohibited the light up front us. I thought the words of Alinardo on the maze and I was expecting terrible things.
I was surprised, as in the place where we should not enter, be in a room with seven sides, not very large, no windows, in which reigned, as indeed all over the floor, a strong smell of stale or mold. Nothing terrifying.
The room, I said, had seven walls, but only four of them were opened, between two columns embedded in the wall, a passage, a passage wide enough surmounted by a round arch. Along the walls closed it took enormous closets, loads of books arranged on a regular basis. The closet door a scroll numbered and so their every single shelf: clearly the same numbers we saw in the catalog. In the middle of the room a table, which is also filled with books. All volumes on a fairly light veil of powder, a sign that the books were cleaned frequently. And even on the ground there was sort of filth. Above the arch of a door, a large scroll, painted on the wall that bore the words: Apocalypsis Iesu Christi. It did not seem faded, even if the characters were old. There circumspect later in other rooms, These scrolls were actually carved in stone, and quite deeply, and then the cavities were filled with the color, how do you use to paint the churches.
We passed through one of the gates. We found ourselves in another room, where he opened a window, instead of wearing glasses alabaster slabs, with two solid walls and a gate of the same type as the one from which we had just passed, which gave up another room , which also had two full walls, with a window and another door that opened before us. In the two rooms two scrolls similar in form to the first we saw, but with other words. The cartouche of the first said Thronos viginti Super quatuor, and that of the second: Nomen illi mors. For the rest, even though the two rooms were smaller than that from which we had entered the library (in fact this was heptagonal and two rectangular), the decor was the same cabinets with books and a central table.
access the third room. It was empty of books and no scroll. Under the window a stone altar. There were three doors, one from which we had entered the other room that overlooked the heptagonal already visited, a third placing in us a new room, not unlike the others, except for a scroll saying Obscuratus est sol et aer . From here we went to a new room, whose scroll said Grando et Facta est ignis, had no other ports, or, come to that room could not be taken and it was necessary back.
"right," William said. "Five vaguely trapezoidal or rectangular rooms, each with a window, running around a heptagonal room without windows that go up the ladder. I think elementary school. We are in the east tower, each tower from the outside has five windows and five sides. The bill returns. The empty room is the one that faces east, in the same direction of the church choir, the light of the rising sun illuminates the altar, which I think is just and merciful. The only smart idea seems to me that the slabs of alabaster. By day a nice filtered light at night does not reveal even the moonbeams. It's not a big maze. Now let's see where they lead the other heptagonal two doors in the room. I believe that guide us easily. "
My teacher was wrong and the builders of the library were more skilled than we thought. I do not know to explain what happened, but as we left the keep, the order of the rooms became more confused. Some had two, three doors. All had a window, even those that we take from a room with window and thinking about going to the building's interior. Each had the same type of cabinets and tables, volumes, stacked neatly they all looked the same and certainly not helped us to recognize the site with a glance. We tried to orient ourselves with the scrolls. Once we had crossed a room where it was written In diebus illis and after a few laps it seemed to be back there. But we remembered that the door in front of the window led into a room where it was written Primogenitus mortuorum, but now we find another saying again Apocalypsis Iesu Christi, and was not the heptagonal room where we started. This fact convinced us that the scrolls are sometimes repeated the same in different rooms. We found two rooms with Apocalypsis one after another, and then a star with Cecidit de coelo magna.
where they came from the sentences of the scrolls was clear they were verses from the Apocalypse of John, but it was not clear either why they were painted on the walls, nor by what logic they were prepared. To increase our confusion, we note that some scrolls, not many were red instead of black.
At one point we were starting in the heptagonal room (that was recognizable because it opened the mouth of the scale), and we continued to move toward our right trying to go straight from room to room. We passed through three rooms and then we found ourselves faced with a closed wall. The only passage led into a new room that was just another door, which walked out of the four other rooms and found ourselves once again facing a wall. We returned to the previous room that had two exits, take the one not yet tried, we went to a new room, and we found ourselves in the heptagonal room of departure.
"What was the last room from which we came back," asked William.
I made an effort of memory: "Equus albus."
"Well, ritroviamola." It was easy. From there, if you do not want to retrace their steps, there was nothing to pass to the room called Gratia vobis et pax, and from there to the right there seemed to find a new path that takes us back. In fact, are still in diebus illis and Primogenitus mortuorum (it was the same room just before?), But finally came to a room that seemed to us that you have not visited: Tertia pars terrae ignited east. But by then we knew where we were more than the east tower.
stretch the light forward He pushed me into the next room. A giant menacing proportions, body undulating and floating like a ghost, came to meet me.
"A devil!" I screamed and nearly dropped the lamp, as I turned abruptly and took refuge in the arms of William. They took my hands and moving away from the lumen came forward with a decision that seemed to me sublime. Also saw something, because suddenly withdrew. Then he leaned forward again and held up the lamp. He laughed.
"Really ingenious. A mirror! "
" A mirror? "
" Yes, my brave warrior. Have you launched a lot of courage on a real enemy, just now in the scriptorium, and now you get scared in front of your image. A mirror, which refers you your magnified image and distorted. "
She took my hand and led me in front of the wall facing the entrance to the room. In a corrugated sheet of glass, now that the light illuminating the closer, I saw our two images, grotesquely misshapen, they changed in shape and height depending on how rough it or we leave.
"You have to read some treatise on optics," William said amused, "as some have read the founders of the library. The best are those of the Arabs. Alhazen wrote a treatise in which aspectibus with precise geometrical demonstrations, spoke of the strength of the mirrors. Some of them, depending on how it is modulated their surface, can magnify things more sensitive (and what else are my glasses?), Others make the images appear upside down, or oblique, or show two objects instead of one, and four instead of two. Still others, like this one, make a giant or a dwarf a dwarf of a giant. "
" Lord Jesus, "I said. "So these are the visions that some say they have had in the library?"
"Maybe. Really clever idea. "He read the scroll on the wall above the mirror: Super Thronos viginti quatuor. "We have already found, but it was a room without a mirror. And that, inter alia, has no windows, yet is heptagonal. Where are we? "He looked around and walked over to a closet," Adso, without those blessed with oculi legendum I can not understand what is written on these books. Read me some titles. "
I took a book at random:" Master is not written "
" What? I see that it is written, what you read? "
" I do not read. Are not letters of the alphabet and is not greek, I admit. They look like worms, snakes, flies ... snots "
" Ah, it's Arabic. There are others like this? "
" Yes, some. But here's one in Latin, God willing. Al .. At Kuwarizmi, Tabulae. "
" The astronomical tables Al Kuwarizmi, translated by Adelard of Bath! Opera rare! Go on. "
'Isa ibn Ali, De oculis, Alkindi, De radiis stellatis ..."
"Look now on the table."
I opened a large volume that lay on the table, a De bestiis. I happened on a page where he had been a finely illuminated beautiful unicorn.
"Bella bill," said William, who could see good pictures. "And that?"
I read: "Liber de monstrorum diversis generibus. This, too, with beautiful pictures, but I seem much older. "
William bowed his face on the text:" Miniato by Irish monks, at least five centuries ago. The book of the unicorn is much more recent, I think that the way the French. "Once again I admired the teaching of my teacher. We entered the next room and along the following four rooms, all with windows, and all full volumes in unknown languages, plus a few texts of occult sciences, and came to a wall that forced us to go back because the last five rooms each penetrated in the other without allowing other outputs.
"the inclination of the walls, we should be in the pentagon of another tower," William said, "but there is no central heptagonal room, maybe we're wrong."
"But the windows?" I said. "How can there be so many windows? Can not give all the rooms on the outside. "
" Forget the central well, many of those we have seen are octagon windows overlooking the well. If it was day, the difference in light would tell us what are the external windows and internal such as, and perhaps we even reveal the location of the room to the sun. But the evening does not feel any difference. Let's go back. "
returned to the room mirror and lean towards the third door from which there seemed to be not yet past. We saw before us a flight of three or four rooms, and to the last glimpse of a glimmer.
"Somebody!" I cried in a choked voice.
"If there is, you have already noticed our light, "William said, however, cover the flame with his hand. Risto for a minute or two. The light continued to fluctuate slightly, but that did not stronger or weaker.
"Maybe it's just a lamp," William said, "those items to convince the monks that the library is inhabited by the souls of the departed. But you should know. You are here covering the light, I go forward with caution. "
still a shame for the poor figure made out of the mirror, I wanted to redeem myself in the eyes of William:" No, I am going, "I said," you stay here. Proceed cautiously, are smaller and lighter. Just make myself realize that there is no risk I'll call you. "
And I did. I proceeded to walk three-room hugging the walls, light as a cat (or fall as a novice in the kitchen to steal the cheese in the pantry, a firm in which he excelled at Melk). I arrived at the threshold of the room from which came the light, very weak, creeping along the wall behind the column that served as the right jamb and peeked into the room. There was none. A kind of lamp was placed on the table, turned, and fumigation stunted. It was not a lamp such as ours, it seemed rather a censer discovered, not flaming, but a small smoldering ashes burning something. I plucked up my courage and went inside. Censer on the table next to a book lying open colored lively. I appressai and saw on page four strips of different colors, yellow, cinnabar, turquoise and burnt sienna. We field a beast, horrible to behold, a great dragon with ten heads the corner behind it drew the stars of heaven, and did fall upon the earth. And suddenly I saw that the dragon is multiplied, and the scales of her skin became like a forest of glittering slivers that were detached from the sheet and came to rotarmi around the head. I arrovesciai back and saw the ceiling of the room and leaned down over me, then I heard a hissing sound like a thousand snakes, but not scary, almost seductive, and there appeared a woman bathed in light that came his breath on my face face. The walked away with outstretched hands and it seemed that my hands touched the books in front of the cabinet, or that they magnify dramatically. I was not more aware of where I was, and where was the land and where the sky. Berengar I saw in the middle of the room staring at me with a hateful smile, dripping with lust. I covered my face with my hands and my hands seemed to me the legs of a toad, palmate and slimy. I cried, I think, felt a sour taste in my mouth, then sank into an infinite darkness, which seemed to be increasingly opened up under me and I heard no more.
I woke up after a period of centuries that I deemed it, I heard shots resounded in my head. I was lying on the ground and William was giving me slapping her cheeks. I was no longer in that room and my eyes saw a scroll that said Requiescant to laboribus suis.
"Come on, Adso," William whispered to me. "It's nothing ..."
"Things ..." I said, still raving. "Over there, the beast ..."
"No beast. I've found who raves at the foot of a table with a nice apocalypse Mozarabic, open the page of the mulier amicta sun facing the dragon. But I realized that you had breathed in the smell of something bad and I immediately took him away. Me too hurt his head. "
" But what I saw? "
" You have not seen anything. And 'that there were burning of substances able to give visions, I recognized the smell is a thing of the Arabs, perhaps the same as the Old Man of the Mountain gave to aspire to her killers before pushing them to their businesses. And so we have explained the mystery of vision. Someone put magic herbs during the night to convince visitors that the library is inappropriate protected by diabolical presences. How did you feel, then? "
confusion, as I remember, I told him of my vision, and William laughed:" For half were about what you had seen in the book and the other half let them talk to your desires and your fears . This is the operation that activate these herbs. Tomorrow we must talk with Severino, I think I know more than they would have us believe. Are grasses, herbs alone, without those preparations necromantic that we spoke the glazier. Herbs, mirrors ... This place of forbidden knowledge is defended by many wise and variety. The science used to conceal rather than illuminate. I do not like. A perverse mind presides over the holy defense of the library. But it was a heavy night, must go for now. You are upset and you need water and fresh air. Useless to try to open these windows, perhaps too high and closed for decades. How have you been thinking that Adelmo is thrown from here? "Exit
William said. As if it were easy. We knew that the library was accessible from a single tower, the eastern one. But where we were that time? We had completely lost their bearings. The mistake we made, with the fear of not ever get out of that place, I always shaky and seized with vomiting, William quite concerned for me, and annoyed by the paucity of his knowledge, he gave us, which gave him an idea for the next day. We should return to the library, if ever we would go out it out with a brand of burnt wood, or other substance capable of leaving marks on the walls.
"To find the way out of a maze," he recited in fact William, "there is but half. At each new node, that is never visited before, the path of arrival will be marked with three signs. If, because of previous signs on some of the paths of the node, you will see that this node has already been visited, there will be a single sign on route of arrival. If all the gates have already been marked then need to redo the road, coming back. But if one or two access points to the node are still no signs, if they choose any one, two, marked with signs. Set out along a path that leads one sign, there apporremo other two, so now you take that gate three. All parts of the maze should have been covered if, arriving at a node, you do not ever take the path with three signs, unless no other access points is now of no signs. "
" How do you know? Are you an expert on labyrinths? "
"No, I play from an ancient text I once read."
"And according to this rule comes out?"
"Almost never, to my knowledge. But we will try the same. And then in the next few days I will have the lenses and I have time to dwell more on books. It may be that where the location of the scrolls confuses us, the book gives us a rule. "
" You get the lenses? How will you back? "
" I said that I will have the lenses. I'll make the others. I believe that the glazier do not wait more than an occasion for such a new experience. If you have the right tools for grinding up the pieces. As for the pieces in the shop has many. "While
wandered the streets looking for, suddenly, in the center of a room, I was stroking the face by an invisible hand, while a groan that was not human and it was not animal, and echoed in that compartment and in the next, as if spectrum wandered from room to room. I should be prepared for surprises in the library, but once again I terrorizzai and I jumped back. Even William must have had an experience similar to mine, because he was touching her cheek, lifting up the light and looked around
He raised his hand, then looked at the flame that now seemed more lively, then moistened a finger and kept straight ahead.
"It 's clear," he said, and showed me two points on two opposite walls at eye level. Opened there two narrow slits, bringing the hand to which you could feel the cold air coming from outside. Then approaching the ear could hear a rustle, as if the wind pulled out now.
"The library was to have an even ventilation system," William said, "otherwise the atmosphere would be stifling, especially in the summer. Moreover, these slots also provide the right amount of moisture, so the parchments will not dry out. But the wisdom of the founders did not stop here. Placing second slits certain angles, you are guaranteed that on nights when the wind gusts that penetrate these meatus cross each other with blows, ingorghino and by the escape of the room, producing the sounds we heard. These, together with mirrors and herbs, increase the fear that we enter the unwary, like us, without knowing the place well. And we have thought for a moment that we breathe on the face of the ghosts. There have realized only now because only now the wind has risen. And this mystery is solved. But for all that we do not know how to get out! "So saying
roamed empty, now lost, failing to read the scrolls, which seemed all the same. Stumbled upon a new heptagonal room, we went to the nearby rooms, we find no exit. Retracing our steps, we walked for almost an hour, giving I know where we were. At one point William decided that we were defeated, do was go to sleep in some room and hope that the day after Malachi there was. While we complained to the miserable end of our great undertaking, we found unexpectedly the room from which the scale. Fervently thanked the heavens and come down with great joy.
Once in the kitchen, threw it toward the fireplace, we entered the corridor of the ossuary and swear that the deadly grin bare heads of those I thought the smile of a loved one. Return to the church and walked out of the north door, then sitting down happily on slabs of stone tombs. The beautiful air of the night seemed a divine balm. The stars shone around us, and visions the library seemed to me very far.
"How beautiful the world is and how ugly labyrinths," I said relieved.
"How beautiful the world would be if there was a rule to run in mazes," said my teacher.
"What time is it?" I asked.
"I lost track of time. But it will be good to find that sound in our cells before morning. "
skirted the left side of the church, past the portal (I turned away so as not to see the elders of the Apocalypse, super quatuor Thronos viginti!) And crossed the cloister to the hotel for pilgrims.
the door of the building was the abbot, who looked at us with severity. "It 'all night long you try," said William. "There I found in my cell, I have not found in the church ..."
"We followed a trail ..." William said vaguely, with visible embarrassment. The abbot looked at him long and then said, his voice slow and severe, "I tried immediately after Compline. Berengar was not in choir. "
" How about never! "Said William hilarious air. In fact, it was now clear who had nested in the scriptorium.
"It was not in choir Compline," repeated the abbot, "and has not returned to his cell. Is about to ring in the morning, and we will check now if reappears. Otherwise I fear some new calamity. " A morning
Berengar was not there.

Where To Get A Dancer Licensed Indetroit

- Compline


Where you enter the building, he discovers a mysterious visitor,
is a secret message with necromantic signs, and
disappears, just found a book that
then be sought for many other chapters, or Last vicissitudes and the theft of valuable lenses
William





The dinner was gloomy and silent. It had been just over twelve hours since he had discovered the body of Venancio. Everyone looked sideways at his empty seat at the table. And when the hour of Compline, the procession that went to choir seemed a funeral procession. Participation in the office being in aisle and keeping an eye on the third chapel. The light was low, and when we saw Malachi emerge from the darkness to reach his stall, we could not figure out exactly where to come out. At any rate it did in the shadows, hiding in the aisle, because no one could see that we stayed there in office ended. I was in my scapular that I had removed the light in the kitchen during dinner. This would then switched to the great bronze tripod that remained alive throughout the night. I had a new wick, and a lot of oil. We would have light for a long time.
I was too excited by what we are going to do to pay attention to the ritual, which ended almost without my noticing. The monks lowered the caps on the face and went out slowly lined up to go to their cells. The church was deserted, lit by the glow of the tripod.
"Ah," William said. "At work."
We approached the third chapel. The base of the altar was really like a charnel house, a series of skulls from the empty eye sockets deep and scary to cover, resting as they appeared in the admirable relief on a pile of bones. William repeated in a low voice the words he had heard from Alinardo (fourth skull on the right, push the eyes). And he put the fingers in the eye of that fleshless face, and immediately we heard a hoarse squeak. The altar is moved by turning on a pin hidden, leaving a glimpse of a dark opening. Light illuminating it with my uplifted we saw the wet steps. Decide to go after discussing if we had to close the passage behind us. Better not, "said William, did not know if we could then reopen it. And as for the risk of detection, if someone came at that hour to operate the same mechanism, it was because he knew how to enter and would not have been arrested by a closed passage.
went down and more than a dozen steps and entered a corridor on either side of which opened the horizontal niches, as later I happened to see many in the catacombs. But it was the first time I got into a charnel house, and I was very scared. The bones of the monks had been collected there over the centuries, dug from the earth, and piled niches without groped to reconstruct the shape of their bodies. However, some niches had only bones minute, others only skulls, almost willing the pyramid, so as not to fall over each other, and it was truly frightening spectacle, especially with the play of light and shadow that the light created on our way. In a niche I saw only hands, many hands, now irrevocably intertwined with each other in a tangle of dead fingers. I let out a scream, in that place of the dead, trying for a moment the impression that there was something alive, a squeak, and a fast-moving shadows.
"Rats," William assured me.
"What are rats here?"
"Past, like us, because the ossuary leads to the building, and then to the kitchen. And the good books of the library. And now you understand why Malachi's face is so austere. His office requires him to come through here twice a day, night and morning. He 'does not have to laugh. "
" But because the gospel never says that Christ laughed? "I asked for no good reason. "It 's really like Jorge says?"
"You have to wonder if Christ has legions rice. The thing does not interest me much. I do not think I ever laughed because, knowing as it must be the son of God, knew what we would do us Christians. But here we are. "
In fact, thanks God, the hall was over, began a new series of steps, paths which we did not have to push a wooden door reinforced with iron hard, and we found ourselves behind the fireplace in the kitchen, right under the spiral staircase which mounted to the scriptorium . As we climbed we thought he heard a noise upstairs. Risto
silent for a moment, then said: "It 's impossible. No one came before us ... "
" Assuming that this was the only way of access to the building. In past centuries this was a fortress, and have more access to what secrets do not know. We climb slowly. But we have little choice. If you turn off the light we do not know where we go, if we keep on the alert to who is in above. The only hope is that, if anyone, has more afraid of us. "
arrived in the scriptorium, emerging from the south tower. The table Venanzio was just the opposite. Moving does not illuminate the wall a few yards at a time, because the room was too broad. Hoping no one was in court and saw the light shine through the windows. The table seems fine, but now William bent to examine the papers on the shelf below, and had an exclamation of disappointment.
"Missing?" I asked.
"Today I saw two books here, and one was in greek. And the latter is missing. Someone has taken away, and in a hurry, because a parchment fell to the ground here. "
" But the table was looked ... "
" Sure. Maybe someone got their hands just a little while ago. Maybe it's still here. "He turned toward the shadows and her voice rang out between the columns:" Are you here looks after you! "It seemed a good idea, as William had already said, it is always better than those who have scary more afraid of us.
William put down his paper he found at the foot of the table and walked over his face. He asked me to give him light. Appressai the light and saw a blank page for the first half, and covered with tiny characters in the second of which barely knew the source.
"E 'greek?" I asked.
"Yes, but I do not understand." He drew from his doublet lenses and put them firmly in the saddle to your nose, then his face went even further.
"E 'greek, written very small, yet inordinately. Even with the slow read with difficulty, should be more light. Come closer ... "She took
sheet by the front of the face, and I stupidly instead of passing it behind his back holding the lamp high over his head, I sat in front of him. He asked me to move to the side, and in doing so touched with the flame on the back of the paper. William I drove with a push, telling me if I wanted to burn the manuscript, then had a cry. I saw clearly that the top the page had appeared some vague signs of a brownish-yellow color. William was forced to give the light and moved him behind the sheet, keeping the flame close enough to the surface of the parchment, so that heat or lapped. Slowly, as if an invisible hand were drawing "Mane, Tekel, Fares," I saw white drawing on the verso of the sheet, one by one, As William moved the lamp, and as the smoke that arose from the height of the flame blackened the obverse of the traits that do not resemble those of any alphabet, except that of the necromancers.
"Great!" William said. "More and more interesting!" He looked around: "But you better not explain this finding with the treachery of our mystery guest, if it is still here ... "She took off her glasses and placed them on the table, then carefully roll up the parchment and hid it in his habit. Still stunned by the sequence of events nothing short of miraculous, I was asking for further explanation, when a sudden noise and we looked away dry. It came from the eastern foot of the stairs leading to the library.
"Our man is there, take it!" William cried and threw us in that direction, he's more quick, more slowly because I was carrying the lamp. I heard a crash of the person who stumbles and falls, I ran, I found William at the foot of the stairs watching a heavy volume covered by the reinforced of metal studs. At the same moment we heard another noise from the direction from which we came. "Fool that I am!" Cried William, "soon, Venancio's table!"
I knew someone who was in the shadows behind us had thrown the book to lure us away.
Once again William was faster than me and reached the table. I follow a shadow glimpsed between the columns fleeing, putting the scale of the west tower.
Taken from warrior zeal, put out the light in the hands of William and threw myself blindly to the ladder from which the fugitive had gone down. At that moment I felt like a soldier of Christ fighting with all the legions of hell, and I burned with the desire to get their hands the stranger to hand it to my teacher. Ruzzolai almost tripping down the spiral staircase in the hem of my dress (that was the only time in my life, I swear, that I regretted having entered a monastic order) but at that moment and was thinking of a flash , I consoled myself with the idea that my opponent had to suffer the same embarrassment. Plus, if you had stolen the book, must have your hands full. Almost ran into the kitchen behind the oven bread, and the light that illuminated the night sky dimly the vast hall, I saw the shadow chasing, which slipped the door of the refectory pulling behind him. I ran with that, labored a few seconds to open it, I came in, I looked around and saw no one. The door was still bolted to the outside. I turned around. Shadow and silence. I saw a glow coming from the kitchen and I addossai a wall. On the threshold of transition between the two environments appeared a figure illuminated by a light. I cried. It was William.
"There's nobody? So provides. He is not out of a door. Has not pushed the passage of the ossuary? "
" No, it's out of here, but I do not know where! "
" I told you, there are other steps, and it is useless to look for them. Maybe our man is emerging somewhere far away. And with him my lenses. "
" Your lenses? "
" Just so. Our friend could not escape the package, but with great presence of mind, going grabbed my glasses off the table. "
" Why? "
" Why not is a fool. I have heard of these notes, he realized they were important, he thought that without the lens will not be able to decipher them and know for sure that I trust to show them to anyone. In fact, now is not as if I had them. "
" But how did he know of your lenses? "
" Come on, apart from the fact that we discussed yesterday with the master glass-maker, this morning in the scriptorium were got on me to rummage through Venanzio cards. So there are many people who could know what those objects were precious. And in fact I might even read a manuscript normal, but not this, "and was unrolling the mysterious parchment again," where the party in greek is too small, too uncertain and the top ... "
He showed me that the mysterious signs had appeared as if by magic to the heat of the flame, "Venancio wanted to conceal an important secret and inks used one of those who write without a trace and reappear in the heat. Or he used the lemon juice. But since I do not know what substance he used and the signs could riscomparire, quickly, that you have good eyes, ricopiali just as faithfully as you can, and maybe a little bigger. "And so I did not know what copiassi. It was a series of four or five lines, indeed, witchcraft, and now only carry the very first signs, to give the reader an idea of \u200b\u200bthe riddle we had before our eyes. When I had copied

William looked at her, unfortunately without lenses, taking my tablet a good distance from the nose. "It 's certainly a secret alphabet that need to be deciphered," he said. "The signs are marked wrong, and maybe you've copied them worse, but it is certainly a zodiacal alphabet. See? In the first line we have ... "yet the paper away from him, narrowed his eyes, with an effort of concentration," Sagittarius, Sun, Mercury, Scorpio ... "
"And what do they mean?"
"If he were a naive Venanzio would use the most common astrological alphabet: A equals the Sun, Jupiter equal to B ... The first line would read then ... try to transcribe: RAIQASVL ... "He paused. "No, it does not mean anything, and Venancio was not naive. Has reformulated the alphabet according to another key. I'll have to discover it. "
" It 's possible? "Asked admiringly.
"Yes, if you know a little about the wisdom of the Arabs. Best of cryptography are handled by knowledgeable infidels, and in Oxford I could do with someone to read. Bacon was right in saying that the conquest of knowledge through the knowledge of languages. Abu Bakr Ahmad ben Ali an-well Washiyya Nabati centuries ago wrote a book devoted to the frantic desire to learn the mysteries of ancient writings and has set many rules for composing and decipher mysterious alphabets, good for practice of magic, but also for the correspondence between the armies, or between a king and his ambassadors. I have seen other books that list a number of Arab rather ingenious artifice. You can for example replace a letter with another, you can type a word backwards, you can put the letters in reverse order, but takes a yes and no, and then begins again, as in this case you can replace the letters with signs Zodiac, but giving the hidden letters to their numeric value and then, according to a another alphabet, convert the numbers into other letters ... "
" And which of these systems will be used Venanzio? "
" We should try them all, and more. But the first rule in deciphering a message is to guess what it means. "
" But then there is no need to decipher it! "I laughed.
"Not in this sense. You can, however, make hypotheses about what might be the first words of the message, and then see if the rule infers that if true for the rest of the script. For example, here Venanzio has certainly noted the key to enter the finis Africae. If I try to think that the message of this talk, here are lit suddenly from a rhythm ... Try to watch the first three words, do not consider the letters, only considers the number of signs ... lllll lllllll llllllll ... Now try to divide into syllables at least two signs each, and reads aloud: ta-ta-ta, ta-ta, ta-ta-ta ... Do not think of anything? "
" I do not. "
" And I do. Secretum finis Africae ... But if that was the last word should have the first and the sixth letter of the same, and so in fact, that's twice the symbol of the Earth. And the first letter of the first word, the S should be equal to the last second: here and in fact repeated the sign of Virgo. Perhaps it is the good way. But this may only a series of coincidences. We need to find a matching rule ... "
" Finding where? "
" In the head. Invent it. And then see if that is true. But in a test period, the game may take away a whole day. No more so - remember this - there is no secret writing that can not be deciphered with a little 'patience. But now could be late and want to visit the library. Especially since without lenses I will never read the second part of the message, and you can not help me because these signs in your eyes ... "
" graecum est, non legitur, "I completed humiliated.
"Exactly, you see that Bacon was right. Study! But do not lose heart. We place the parchment, and your notes, and we go to the library. Why is this night even ten legions of hell could not hold back. ".
I crossed. "But who could have been here before them? Benno? "
" Benno burned by the desire to know what was among the papers of Venancio, but did not seem in the spirit of playing pitches as malicious. In the end we had proposed an alliance, and then I seemed to not have the courage to enter at night in the building. "
" Then Berengar? Malachi O?
"Berengar I seem to have the courage to do things like that. After all, it shares responsibility for the library, is gnawed by remorse of having betrayed a secret, he claimed that he had stolen Venanzio that book and may have wished to return to the place from which it comes. He failed to rise, the volume is now hiding somewhere, and we catch him, if God helps us, when they attempt to replace it. "
" But it could also be Malachi, moved by the same intentions. "
" I would say no. Malachi had all the time who wanted to poke in the table Venanzio when left alone to close the building. I knew very well and I had no way to avoid it. Now we know that he did not. And if you think well, we have no reason to suspect that he knew that Malachi Venanzio had entered the library by subtracting something. Berengar knows this and although you and I and we know it. Following the confession of Adelmo might know Jorge, but he was not the man who fell with such fervor by the spiral staircase ... "
" Then either Berengar or Benno ... "
" Why not Pacific Tivoli or another of the monks we saw here today? O Nicholas the glazier, who knows of my glasses? Or the bizarre character of the Savior, they told us that the rolling of the night to who knows what matters? We must be careful not to narrow down the suspects because of the revelations Although there are oriented in one direction. Although perhaps he wanted to confuse us. "
" But there seemed sincere. "
" Sure. But remember that the first duty of a good interrogator is to first suspect to those who you seem sincere. "
" the inquisitor bad job, "I said.
"That's why I left. And as you can see I have to take it back. But Alas, the library. "

Doctor Inspection Penis

Day Two - After vespers

Where, despite the chapter is short, the old man Alinardo
says very interesting things about the labyrinth and how to enter






I woke up that sounded almost time the evening meal. I felt numb from sleep, because daytime sleep is as the sin of the flesh as if they have had more if they would like, but you feel unhappy, satisfied and unsatisfied at the same time. William was not in his cell, apparently had risen much earlier. I found him, after a brief wander, coming out of the building. He told me that was the scriptorium, leafing through the catalog and looking at the work of the monks in an attempt to approach the table to resume Venanzio inspection. But for one reason or another, each seemed determined not to let him browse through the papers. Previously, he had approached Malachi, to show him some fine miniatures. Then Benno had kept him busy with excuses of no value. Still later, when he bent down to pick up his inspection, Berengar had started to walk around offering his cooperation.
Malachi Finally, seeing that my master seemed serious about caring about what Venanzio, had made it clear that perhaps, before rummaging through the papers of the dead, it was better to get the permission of the abbot, that he, Although the librarian if they had abstained, out of respect and discipline, and that in any case no one had approached the table, as William had asked, and no one would come up to the abbot had not intervened. William had pointed out that the abbot had given license to investigate throughout the Abbey, not without malice Malachi had asked whether the abbot had also given him license to move freely to the scriptorium, or, God forbid, the library . William had realized that there was no need to engage in a showdown with Malachi, even if all those movements and those fears around card Venanzio had naturally strengthened the desire to become acquainted. But such was his determination to return there at night, still did not know how, he had decided not to create accidents. Harbored thoughts of revenge, however, evident that, had they not been inspired as they were the thirst for truth, would have seemed very stubborn and reprehensible.
Before entering the refectory, still did a little walk in the cloister, to dispel the fumes of sleep in the cold evening air. We wandered some more monks in meditation. In the garden overlooking the we saw the old cloister Alinardo Grottaferrata, now that idiot in the body, he spent most of his day among the trees, when he was praying in his church. He seemed not to feel cold, and sat along the outside of the porch.
William gave him some words of greeting and the old man seemed pleased that someone entertain him.
"clear day," William said.
"By the grace of God," the old man.
"Serena in the sky, but dark in the ground. He knew Venanzio? "
" Venanzio who? "Said the old man. Then a light went on in his eyes. "Ah, the dead boy. The beast is haunting the Abbey ... "
"What beast?"
"The great beast rising from the sea ... Seven heads and ten horns and upon his horns ten crowns, and three heads names of blasphemy. The beast that looks like a leopard, feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion ... I have seen. "
" Where have you seen? In the library? "
" Library? Why? For years I have not been in the scriptorium and I have never seen the library. Nobody goes to the library. I knew who went up to the library ... "
" Who, Malachi, Berengar? "
" Oh no ... "the old man laughed with his clucking voice. "Before. The librarian who came before Malachi, many years ago ... "
"Who was that?"
"I do not remember, died when Malachi was still young. And what was the first teacher of young Malachi and was assistant librarian when I was young ... But the library I do not ever put my foot. Labyrinth ... "
" The library is a labyrinth? "
" Hunch typical laberinthus denotat mundum ille, "the old man recited absorbed. "Intranti largus, sed nimis redeunti Artus. The library is a great labyrinth, sign of the labyrinth of the world. Enter and you do not know if you exit. You must not violate the Pillars of Hercules ... "
" So you do not know how to enter the library when the doors are closed the building? "
"Oh yes," laughed the old man, "many people know this. Steps for the ossuary. You can go to the ossuary, but do not want to go to the ossuary. The dead monks keep watch. "
" Are those the monks who watch over the dead, not those who are around at night with a lamp for the library? "
" With a light? "The old man seemed surprised. "I've never heard this story. The monks are dead ossuary, the bones fall gradually from the graveyard and gather there to guard the pass. You never saw the altar of the chapel which bears ossuary? "
" It 's the third left after the crossing, is not it? "
" The third? Maybe. And 'that the altar stone carved with a thousand skeletons. The fourth skull on the right, push in the eye ... And you ossuary. But there you go, I've never gone. The abbot does not want. "
" And the beast, where have you seen the beast? "
" The Beast? Ah, the Antichrist ... He is coming, the millennium has passed, wait for it ... "
" But the millennium has expired for three hundred years, and then there was ... "
" The Antichrist is not after the thousand years have expired. Upon expiry of the thousand years begins the reign of the righteous, then the Antichrist is to confuse the right and then will be the final battle ... "
" But the righteous will reign for a thousand years, "said William. "Or have reigned since the death of Christ until the end of the first millennium, and therefore it is then that the Antichrist was to come or have not yet ruled, and the Antichrist is far away."
"The millennium is fulfilled by Christ's death but by the donation of Constantine. Now I am the thousand years ... "
" So ends the reign of the righteous? "
" I do not know, do not know anymore ... I'm tired. The calculation is difficult. Beatus did, ask Jorge, he is young, remembers ... But the time is ripe. Did you not hear the seven trumpets? "
" For the seven trumpets? "
" Have not you heard how he died the other guy, the miniaturist? The first angel sounded the trumpet and there came hail and fire mixed with blood. And the second angel sounded the trumpet, second and third parts of the sea became blood ... He is not dead in the sea of \u200b\u200bblood the second boy? Watch out for the third trumpet! He will die a third of the living creatures in the sea. God punishes us. The world all around the abbey is plagued by heresy, they told me that it is the throne of Rome a Pope perverse use of the hosts for practices of necromancy, moray eels and feed her ... And we have someone broke the interdict, broke the seals of the labyrinth ... "
" Who told you? "
" I heard all the whispers that sin entered the abbey. You chickpeas? "
The question directed at me, surprised me. "No, I do not have peas," I said confused.
"Next time bring me some chickpeas. I keep them in your mouth, see my poor toothless mouth, as long as you do not soak all. Stimulate saliva, aqua fons vitae. Tomorrow will bring me some chickpeas? "
" Tomorrow I will bring the chickpeas, "I said. But he had dozed off. We left him to go to the refectory.
"What do you think of what she said?" I asked my teacher.
"He enjoys the divine madness of centenarians. Difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood in his words. But I think we said anything on the way into the building. I saw the chapel where Malachi came out last night. There really is a stone altar, and are carved on the base of the skull, will try tonight. "

Best Shampoo For Frizzy Hair

Day Two - Ninth

Where the abbot proudly displays the riches of his abbey
and fearful of the heretics, and eventually he had doubts Adso
hurt to go for the world





We found the abbot in the church, before the high altar. He was following the work of some novices who had taken some penetralia a number of sacred vessels, chalices, patens, monstrance, a crucifix and I had not seen during the morning function. I could not repress an exclamation of wonder at the dazzling beauty of those holy furnishings. It was high noon and the light came gushing through the windows of the choir, and even more from those of the face, forming white waterfalls, streams of divine substance as mystics, were going to cross at various points of the church, filling the same altar.
vases, glasses, everything reveals its precious material: yellow gold from the immaculate whiteness of ivory and the transparency of glass, I saw shine gems of every color and size, and I recognized the hyacinth, topaz, ruby, sapphire, emerald, beryl, onyx, anthrax and agate and jasper. And at the same time I realized how much of the morning, who was kidnapped earlier in prayer, and then shocked by terror, I had not noticed: altar frontal and the other three panels that made him the crown, were entirely of gold, and eventually the whole golden altar appeared anywhere you look.
The abbot smiled at my amazement, "These riches you see," he said to me and to my teacher, "and still others will see, are the legacy of centuries of piety and devotion, and witness the power and sanctity of this abbey. Princes and potentates of the earth, archbishops and bishops who have sacrificed on this altar and the objects they used the rings of their investiture, the gold and the stones were a sign of their greatness, and took them here for the greater glory of the recovered Lord of this and his place. Despite the abbey today has been marred by a another sad event, we can not forget the face of our fragility and the power of the force. They approach the holiday of Christmas, and we are beginning to clean the sacred vessels, so that the Saviour's birth is also celebrated with all the pomp and grandeur it deserves and wants. All will appear in its full splendor ... "William added, looking fixedly, and I realized later why he insisted so proudly to justify his actions," because we think it is useful and convenient not to hide, but rather proclaim the divine gifts. "
"Sure," William said politely, "if the sublimity your opinion that the Lord should be so glorified, your abbey has achieved the greatest excellence in the contribution of praise. "
" And so it should be, "said the abbot. "If pitchers and vials of gold and gold small mortars was customary to serve the will of God or the prophets in order to collect the blood of goats or calves or heifer in the temple of Solomon, the more vessels of gold and stones valuable, and anything that has more value from created things, should be used with full devotion and reverence continues to receive the blood of Christ! If a second creation our substance came to be the same as cherubim and seraphim, would still be unworthy of the service it could provide to a victim so ineffable ... "
" So be it, "I said.
"Many objected that inspired a holy mind, pure heart, full of faith intent should suffice for this sacred function. We are the first to state explicitly and strongly that this is the essential thing, but we believe that we should pay tribute through the outward ornaments of sacred furnishings, it is most fitting and appropriate that we serve our Savior in all things, fully, that he has not refused to provide for us in all things fully and without exception. "
" This has always been the opinion of the great your order, "allowed William," and I remember beautiful things written on the ornaments of the churches from the great and venerable abbot Sugero. "
" So it is, "the abbot said. "You see this crucifix. It is not yet complete ... "She took him in hand with infinite love and considered it his face lit up with happiness. "There are still some gems here, or I found the right size. At one time, Andrea turned to the holy cross of Golgotha \u200b\u200bsaying it adorns the limbs of Christ as pearls. It should be adorned with pearls this humble image of that great miracle. Although I have seen fit to make setting, and at this point, over the head of the Saviour, the most beautiful diamond I have ever seen. "stroked with pious hands, with his long white fingers, the most precious parts of the sacred wood, ivory or the sacred, because of this wonderful material were made into the arms of the cross.
"When, as I enjoy all the beauty of this house of God and the magic of multi-colored stones pulled me to outpatient care, and a worthy meditation has induced me to reflect, transferring that which is material to that which is intangible , on the diversity of sacred virtue, then I seem to see me, so to speak, in a strange region of the universe that is no longer completely closed in the mud of the earth nor entirely free in the purity the sky. It seems to me that, by the grace of God, I can be transported from this world less than higher because anagogical ... "
spoke, and he turned his face to the aisle. A flood of light that penetrated from the top was for a special benevolence of the star during the day, illuminating his face, and hands that had opened in the form of a cross, as he was kidnapped by his fervor. "Every creature," he said, "whether visible or invisible, is a light, being brought by the father of lights. The ivory, the burden, but also the stone that surrounds us is a light, because I feel that is good and beautiful, which exist according to its own rules of proportion, which differ by gender and species from other genera and species, which are defined by their numbers, which are not less in their order, who seek their place in accordance with their specific gravity. And the more these things are revealed to me the more I look at the matter that is inherently valuable, and the better you light the creative power of God, as if I have to go back to the sublimity of the cause, inaccessible in its fullness, the sublimity of 'effect, how much better I do not speak of divine causality an admirable effect which the gold or diamond, if it can already speak and Finance The dung insect! And then, when I perceive these things than these stones, the soul cries of joy moved, and not for love or vanity of earthly riches, but for pure love of the uncaused first cause. "
" Really this is the sweetest of all theologies, "William said with perfect humility, and I thought he used that insidious figure of thought which the rhetoricians call it irony, which you should always use the pronunciatio preceding it, which constitutes the signal and the justification, which William never did. Why the abbot, more prone to the use of figures of speech, William took the letter and added, still in the grip of his mystical rapture: "And 'the most immediate ways that put us in contact with the Almighty, material theophany. "
William coughed politely, "Uh ... oh ... "he said. So he did when he wanted to introduce another topic. He was able to do so with good grace because it was his custom - and I think it's typical of men of his country - to begin every speech with long moans started, as if to start the exposure of a completed thought cost him a great effort of the mind. While I was now convinced, as many groans he prefers to his claims, the more he was sure of the goodness of the proposition it expresses.
"Eh ... oh ... "So said William. "Should we talk about the meeting and the debate on poverty ..."
"Poverty ..." said the abbot still absorbed, as if to struggle to be descended from that beautiful region of the universe in which he had kidnapped her buds. 'It is true, the meeting ... "And they began to discuss
thick of things, some of which I already knew and some I could understand by listening to their conversation. It was, as I have said from the beginning of my faithful chronicle of two lawsuit that pitted the first emperor to the pope, the pope and the other to the Franciscans in Perugia chapter, albeit with many years late, had taken up the thesis of the spiritual poverty of Christ, and that entanglement was formed by combining the Franciscans empire, tangle that - triangle of oppositions and alliances - Had now been transformed into a square for the surgery, still obscure to me, the abbots of the order of St. Benedict. I did not catch
never clear why the Benedictine abbots gave protection and shelter to the Spiritual Franciscans, even before their own order or share it somehow opinions. Because if the Spirituals preached the renunciation of all worldly goods, the abbots of my order, I had had that very day the bright confirmation followed a path not less virtuous but quite the opposite. But I think the abbots felt that excessive power of the pope meant excessive power of the bishops and cities, while the order I had retained its own power forever in battle with the secular clergy and the city merchants, acting as a direct mediator between heaven and earth, and counselor of kings.
I had heard so many times to repeat the phrase that God's people was divided into a shepherd (ie clerics), dogs (or warriors), and sheep, the people. But I learned later that this sentence can be retold in different ways. The Benedictines had not often spoken of three orders, but of two great divisions, which covered the administration of earthly things and the other concerning the administration of heavenly things. As for earthly things worth the division between clergy, lay lords and people, but on this tripartite division was dominated by the presence of the Ordo monachorum, direct link among the people of God and heaven, and the monks had nothing to do with those shepherds who were the secular priests and bishops, ignorant and corrupt, prone now to the interests of the city, where the sheep were not now so good and faithful peasants, but the merchants and craftsmen. Benedictine order not sorry that the Government was simply entrusted to the secular clergy, provided that the final rule to establish this relationship to the monks competed in direct contact with the source of all earthly power, the empire, as they were with the source of all power in heaven. That's why, I believe, many Benedictine abbots, to restore dignity to the empire against the government of the city (bishops and merchants united) also agreed to protect the Spiritual Franciscans, which did not share the ideas, but the presence of which was convenient for them, as it offered good syllogisms empire against the excessive power of the pope.
These were the reasons, I arguii, so now Abo was willing to collaborate with William, sent by the emperor, to mediate between the Franciscan order and the papacy. In fact, despite the violence of the dispute that was so periclitare the unity of the church, Michael of Cesena repeatedly called to Avignon by Pope John, it was finally willing to accept the invitation because they did not want his order would put you in shock final meeting with the pontiff. As general of the Franciscans wanted at a time and to succeed in their positions and obtain the consent of the Pope, because he sensed that without the consent of the pope could not stay long at the head of the order.
But many have pointed out that the pope would have expected France to hold out a trap, and charged with heresy trial. It is advisable for the first leg of Michael Avignon was preceded by some negotiations. Marsilio had a better idea: send Michael with a imperial envoy who presented to the pope's point of view of the supporters of the emperor. Not so much to convince the old Cahors but to strengthen the position of Michael, as part of an imperial legation, he could fall so easily prey to papal revenge.
This idea had several drawbacks, however, and it was not feasible at once. From there came the idea of \u200b\u200ba preliminary meeting between members of the imperial legation and some envoys of the pope, to prove their positions and draw up agreements for a meeting in which the security of Italian visitors would be guaranteed. To organize this first meeting was in fact responsible for William of Baskerville. Which would then represent the views of the imperial theologians to Avignon, where he felt that the trip could be made without danger. Not an easy undertaking because it was assumed that the pope, who wanted only to be able to reduce by Michele easier to obedience, would educated in Italy sent a mission to derail, to the extent possible, the imperial envoys travel to his court. William had moved up to then with great skill. After extensive consultation with various Benedictine abbots (here because of the many stops on our trip) where we had chosen the abbey because it was known that the abbot was devoted to the empire and yet, to his great diplomatic skill, not invisible the papal court. Neutral territory, therefore, the abbey, where the two groups could meet.
But the resistance of the pope were not over. He knew that once on the ground of the abbey, his delegation would be subject to the jurisdiction of the Abbot: and since it also would be part of the secular clergy members, did not accept this clause, claiming fears of an Imperial trap. He then placed the condition that the safety of his envoys had been entrusted to a company of archers of the king of France under the orders of someone he trusted. I had vaguely heard of this William talking to an ambassador of the pope to Bobbio: it had been to define the formula by which to designate the duties of this company, or what was meant by safeguarding the papal legates. He had finally accepted a formula proposed by Avignon and that had seemed reasonable: the armed men who commanded them and would have jurisdiction "over all those who in some so they tried to attempt on the life of the members of the papal legation and influence their behavior and the proceedings with violent acts. " So the deal seemed inspired by formal concerns as well. Now, after the recent events at the abbey, the abbot was restless and expressed his doubts to William. When the delegation arrived at the abbey while he was still unknown to the author of two murders (the day after the concerns of the Abbot should have increased because the crimes were three) would have to admit that circulated within the walls someone capable of influencing violent acts with the proceedings and the conduct of papal legates. A
anything was worth trying to conceal the crimes were committed, because if something else had yet been made, the papal legates had thought of a conspiracy against them. And then there were only two solutions. O William discovered the murderess before arrival of the delegation (and here the abbot looked at him intently as a tacit rebuke was not yet arrived at the head of business) or needed to be fairly representative of the pope warned of what was happening and ask the his work because the abbey was placed under close surveillance during the course of work. Which the abbot was sorry, because it meant giving up part of its sovereignty and put his own monks under the control of the French. But you could not risk it. William and the abbot were both upset by the turn things were taking, but they had few alternatives. It is therefore ripromisero to take a final decision within the next day. In the meantime could do was rely on God's mercy and wisdom of William.
"I will do everything possible, your sublime," William said. "But then I do not see how it can really affect the match. The papal representative will understand that there is no difference between the work of a madman, or a bloody, or maybe just a lost soul, and the serious problems that men will be honest to argue. "
" Believe, "asked Abbot, looking fixedly at William. "Do not forget that Avignon know to meet with children, and then with people dangerously close to the friars and other even more senseless of the Fraticelli, a dangerous heretics who have committed crimes, "and here the abbot lowered his voice," against which facts, however horrible, that happened here as a pale mist in the sun. "
" This is not the same thing, "said William sharply. "You can not put the same way as the minority of the chapter of Perugia and some band of heretics who have misunderstood the message of the gospel transforming the fight against the wealth in a series of private vendettas or bloody madness ..."
"I'm not gone many years since, not many miles from here, one of these bands, as you call them, has set fire to the lands of the bishop of Vercelli and Novara in the mountains, "the abbot said curtly.
"Discuss among Dolcino and the apostles ..."
"The Pseudo Apostles," corrected the abbot. And once again I heard mention among Dolcino and the Pseudo Apostles, and once more circumspect tone, and almost a tinge of terror.
"The Pseudo Apostles," William admitted willingly. "But they had nothing to do with minorities ..."
"Of which professed the same reverence for Joachim of Calabria," urged the abbot, "and you can Ubertino ask your brother. "
" I note in your sublimity that is now your brother, "William said with a smile and a kind of bow, as if to congratulate the abbot for the purchase that his order had accepting that a man of such reputation.
"I know, I know," smiled the abbot. "And you know how much brotherly care with our order has accepted the spiritual when they incurred the wrath of the Pope. I speak not only of Ubertino but also of many other more humble brethren, of whom little is known, and perhaps they should know more. Why is it that we accogliessimo deserters who have come forward clothing habit children, and later I learned that the various events of their lives had brought them, for once, very close to Dolcinians ... "
" Again? "William asked.
"Even here. I am revealing something that actually know very little, and in any case not enough to make accusations. But since you are investigating the life of this abbey is also good that you know these things. I will tell you that suspicion, mind you, I suspect based on things I heard or guessed, that there was a very dark moment in the life of our cellarer, who just arrived here years ago following the exodus of minorities ".
" The cellarer? Remigio Varagine a Dolcinian? It seems to me to be milder and in any case less concerned about poverty lady I've ever seen ... "William said.
"In fact I can not say anything about him, and I make use of his good services, so the whole community should be grateful. But I say this, to let you know how easy it is to find connections between a friar and a monk. "
" Once again, your magnitude is unjust, if I may say so, "William interjected. "We were talking about Dolcinians, not of the Fraticelli. Much can be said of them, without even knowing who they talk, because there are many kinds, but they are not the bloodthirsty. You can blame them than to put into practice without too sense the spiritual things that they preached and far more motivated by true love of God, and in this I agree that there are very thin boundaries between one another ... "
" But the friars are heretics! "interrupted sharply the 'Abate. "Do not be limited to support the poverty of Christ and the apostles, that doctrine, even though I would not share, may be asserted against all'albagìa Avignon. The friars draw from this doctrine as a practical syllogism, infer a right to riot, pillage, to the perversion of morals. "
" But what friars? "
" Everybody, in general. Did you know that you are guilty of unspeakable crimes, which do not recognize the marriage, they deny hell, committing sodomy, which embrace the Bogomil heresy Ordo Ordo Drygonthie Bulgaria and ... "
" Please, "William said," Do not confuse different things! You talk as if Fraticelli, Patarines, Waldensians, Cathars, and between Bulgaria and the Bogomil heretics Dragovitsa were all the same! "
" I am, "the abbot said curtly," I am because they are heretics and are because they jeopardize the very order of the civilized world, the order of the empire seem to me that you wish. Hundred years ago the followers of Arnold of Brescia burned the houses of the nobles and the cardinals, and these were the fruits of Patarines Lombard heresy. I know the terrible stories about these heretics, and I read in Caesarius of Eisterbach. In Verona, the canon of Saint Gideon, Everardo, once remarked that the one who sheltered him every night she left the house with his wife and daughter. I do not know who asked the three to find out where they went and did that. Come and see, he was told and he followed them in an underground house, very large, where there were gathered people of both sexes. A heretic, while everyone was silently, gave a speech full of profanity, with the intention of corrupting their lives and their customs. Then, off the candle, each threw himself on his neighbor, without difference between the legitimate wife and unmarried, between a widow and a virgin, between masters and servants, nor (what was worse, the Lord forgive me when I say such horrible things) between the daughter and sister. Everardo, seeing everything as a young man who was light and luxurious, posing as a disciple, and came not know if the daughter of his host, or another girl, and after it was extinguished the candle, sinned with her. He unfortunately this for over a year, and finally the teacher said that the young man attended their meetings and did so that he would soon be able to instruct beginners. At that point, Everardo including the abyss in which he had fallen and was able to escape their seduction by saying that he had frequented the house not because he was attracted by heresy but because he was attracted to girls. Those cast him out. But this, you see, is the law and the lives of the heretics, Patarines, Cathars, Joachimists, spiritual, of every kind. Nor is there any wonder I do not believe in the resurrection of the flesh and hell as a punishment of the wicked, and they believe they can do anything with impunity. In fact, they are said catharoi namely pure. "
" Abo, "William said," you live isolated in this beautiful and holy abbey, away from the wickedness of the world. Life in the city is much more complex than you think and there are shades, you know, even in error or for worse. Lot was much less a sinner of his countrymen who fondly also unclean thoughts on angels sent by God, and the betrayal of Peter was nothing compared to the betrayal of Judas, in fact one was forgiven and the other not. You can not consider Patarines Cathars and the same thing. The Patarines are a movement of moral reform to the internal laws of Holy Mother Church. They always wanted to improve the lifestyle of the clergy. "
" Arguing that you should not take the sacraments from priests impure ... "
" is wrong, but it was their only error of doctrine. Do not you ever proposed to alter the law of God .. "
" Patarine But the preaching of Arnold of Brescia in Rome more than two hundred years ago, drove the crowd of rustics to burn the houses of nobles and cardinals. "
" Arnaldo tried to drag in his reform movement the magistrates of the city. Those not followed him, and found consensus among the multitudes of the poor and the dispossessed. Was not responsible for the energy and anger with which they answered his calls for a city less corrupt. "
" The city is always corrupt. "
" The city is the place where he now lives the people of God, which you , of which we are the shepherds. It 's the place of the scandal in which the bishop preaches virtue to rich people poor and hungry. The riots of Patarines arise from this situation. They are sad, they are incomprehensible. The Cathars are something else. E 'heresy East outside of the doctrine of the church. I do not know if I really commit or have committed crimes that are attributed to them. I know who refuse marriage, they deny hell. I wonder if many of the acts who have not committed are not assigned to them only by virtue of ideas (some nefarious) that have claimed. "
" And you tell me that the Cathars were not mixed with Patarines, and that they are not but two of the faces, many of the same demonic manifestation? "
" I say that many of these heresies, regardless of the doctrines that support, they find success with simple, because they suggest the possibility of a different life. I say that very often not simple know much about doctrine. I say it often happened that they have confused the multitudes of simple Cathar preaching with that of Patarines, and this in general with that of the spiritual. The life of the simple, Abo, is not illuminated by the wisdom and sense of distinction that makes us watchful wise. Ed is obsessed with disease, poverty, ignorance without stuttering. Often, many of them to join a heretical group is only one way as another of the cry of despair. You can burn the house of a cardinal is because they want to improve the lives of the clergy, because it is believed that hell, he preaches, does not exist. This is done because there is always hell ground, as he lives flock of which we are pastors. But you know very well that, as they do not distinguish between church and followers of the Bulgarian priest Liprando, often the imperial authorities and their supporters do not distinguished between spiritual and heretics. Not infrequently groups Ghibellines, to beat their opponent, supported the people of Cathar tendencies. In my opinion they did wrong. But what I now know is that the same groups, often, to get rid of these troubled and dangerous opponents too "simple", attributed to both the heresies of the others, and pushed all the stake. I've seen, I swear, Abo, I saw with my own eyes, men of virtuous life, to be honest followers of poverty and chastity, but enemies of the bishops, the bishops urged in the hands of the secular arm, it was the service of empire or free cities, accusing them of sexual promiscuity, sodomy, nefarious practices - of which perhaps others, but they were not guilty. The simple are cannon fodder to be used when they serve to undermine the power trough, and when no longer needed to be sacrificed. "
" So, "the abbot said with obvious malice," between Dolcino and his mad, and Gherardo Segarelli those vile and evil assassins were Cathars Fraticelli or virtuous, or sodomites Bogomils Patarines reformers? I want to say then, William, you know that all of the heretics, so they seem one of them, where is the truth? "
" From Nowhere, at times, "William said sadly.
"See that ye know not distinguish between one heretic and more? I have at least one rule. I know that heretics are those who threaten the order which is based on the people of God, and defend the empire because I guarantee that order. I fight because the Pope is delivering the spiritual power to the bishops of the city, which is allied with the merchants and guilds, and will not maintain order. We have maintained for centuries. And as for the heretics I have also a rule, and is summarized in the answer he gave Arnold Amalric, abbot of Citeaux, who asked him what do the citizens of Beziers, a city suspected of heresy: kill all, God will recognize his own. "
William lowered his eyes and remained silent. Then he said: "The city of Béziers was taken and not watch or to our dignity nor sex nor age, and almost twenty thousand men died by the sword. Without it the massacre, the city was looted and burned. "
" Even a holy war is a war. "
" Even a holy war is a war. That is perhaps there should be no holy wars. But what I say, I'm here to support the rights of Louis, who also is focusing on Italy. I find myself caught in a game of strange alliances. Strange alliance of the spiritual with the empire, the empire strange Marsilio, which calls for the sovereignty of the people. And that strange between us, so different in purpose and tradition. But we have two tasks in common. The success of the meeting, and the discovery of a murderess. Let us proceed in peace. "
Abbot opened his arms. "Give me the kiss of peace, Brother William. With a man of your knowledge we will discuss at length on subtle questions of theology and morals. But we must not yield to the taste of the dispute as do the masters of Paris. It 's true, we have an important task that awaits us, and we must make common cause. But I have talked about these things because I believe that there is a relationship, you see, a possible relationship, or that others can put a relationship between the crimes that took place here and the arguments of your brothers. This is why I have warned you, so we avoid any suspicion or insinuation by Avignon. "
" I should not assume that your sublimity I also suggested a track for my survey? That the cause of recent events there could be some obscure history dating back to the past of some heretical Monaco? "
The abbot was silent for some moments, looking at William trasparisse without any expression from her face. Then he said: "In this sad story the inquisitor is you. It is your task to be suspicious and even risk an unjust suspicion. I am here only the common father. And I add, if I knew that the past of one of my monks lends itself to suspicions true, I would have already proceeded to eradicate the weed. What I know, you know. I do not know what it is right that comes to light thanks to your wisdom. But in any case please inform me first and always. "He waved and left the church.

"The story becomes more complicated, dear Adso," William said, frowning. "We are running behind a manuscript, we will focus on some of monks diatribes too curious and too lustful monks each other, and that is looming ever more insistently another track, all different. The cellarer, so ... And with cellarer came here this strange animal Salvatore ... But now we go to rest, because we planned to stay awake during the night. "
" But then again designed to penetrate to the library tonight? Do not give this first track? "
" Not at all. And who said that they are two different tracks? And finally, this story of cellarer may just be a suspicion of the Abbot. "
He moved to the hotel for pilgrims. Reached the threshold he stopped and spoke as if the conversation continues as before.
"Ultimately, the abbot asked me to investigate the death of Adelmo when he thought something happened to one of its troubled young monks. But now the death of Venancio raises other suspects, perhaps the abbot has sensed that the key to the mystery lies in the library, and that does not want me to investigate. And so I offer the track cellarer to divert my attention from the building ... "
" But why should not want that ... "
" Do not ask too many questions. The abbot told me from the outset that the library can not be touched. Will have their reasons. It could be that he is involved in some incident that he did not think he could report the death of Adelmo, and now realizes that the scandal widens and may also involve him. It does not want to find out the truth, or at least does not want to find out that I ... "
" But then we live in a place abandoned by God, "I said, disheartened.
"Have you found those in which God would feel at ease?" William asked me, looking from the top of his stature.
Then he sent me to rest. I went to bed while I concluded that my father would not have to send me to the world that was more complicated than I thought. I was learning too much.
"Save me ab leonis hours," I begged to sleep.

How To Upholster Boat

Day - Sixth Day

Where Benno is a strange tale from which we learn things
unedifying life of the abbey





Benno What we said was quite confused. It really seemed that he had drawn us there just to get away from the scriptorium, but it also seemed that, unable to devise a credible pretext, he said there also fragments of a larger truth that he knew.
He told us that the morning had been reticent, but now, after mature reflection, he believed that William needed to know the whole truth. During the famous conversation on rice, Berengar had mentioned the "finis Africae. What was it? The library was full of secrets, and especially books that had never been given to read to the monks. Benno was struck by the words of William rational examination of the propositions. He believed that a scholar Monaco had a right to know everything that housed the library, spoke words of fire against the council of Soissons, which had condemned Abelard, and as he spoke, we realized that this monaco still young, who delighted in rhetoric, was shaken by tremors of independence and struggled to accept the constraints that the rules of the abbey posed to the curiosity of his intellect. I've always learned to be wary of such curiosity, but I know that my teacher did not mind this attitude, and I realized that sympathized with Benno and believe. In short, Benno told us that he did not know what secrets Adelmo and Berengar Venanzio had spoken, but he would not be sorry that this sad story on addivenisse a bit 'light on how the library was administered, and that despair that my master, though he had unraveled the skein of an investigation, drew elements to stimulate the abbot to ease the intellectual discipline that weighed on the monks - who had come from so far away, as he added, just to feed their minds with wonders hidden in the large bowels of the library. Benno
I believe that the investigation was sincere in expecting what he said. But probably wished at the same time as William had planned, reserve the right to rummage in the table Venanzio first, as it was devoured by curiosity, and to keep us away was willing to give us in exchange for more information. And here's what they were.
Berengar was consumed, by now many of the monks knew, from an insane Adelmo passion, the same passion whose nefarious divine wrath struck at Sodom and Gomorrah. So Benno expressed, perhaps in deference to my age. But who has spent his adolescence in a monastery he knows that, even if it is kept chaste, these passions have clearly heard, and sometimes had to guard against the wiles of those who were enslaved. Monacelli had already received as I was not myself, to Melk, a senior Monaco, scrolls with verses that usually a lay person dedicated to a woman? The monastic vows keep us from that sink of vice, which is the body of the female, but often lead us close to other errors. Finally, I can hide my own old age is still shaken by the demon Meridian when I happen to linger my eye, in chorus, beardless face of a novice, pure and fresh as a child?
I say this not to question the choice I made to dedicate myself to the monastic life, but to justify the failure of many to whom this holy burden is heavy. Perhaps to justify the horrible crime of Berengar. But apparently, the second though, that this monaco cultivate his vice even more despicable, and that is using the weapons of blackmail to get what other virtue and decorum should not recommend them to donate. So long
quipped about the monks launched a tender gaze that Berengar Adelmo, which apparently was of great beauty. While Adelmo, totally in love with his work, from which only seemed to derive pleasure, just took care of the passion of Berengar. But maybe, who knows, he was unaware that his mind, deep down, inclined him to the same ignominy. The fact is that Benno said he caught a dialogue between Adelmo and Berengar in which Berengar, referring to a secret that Adelmo was asking him to reveal them, the market brought the foul that even the most innocent reader may imagine. It seems that Benno heard from the lips of Adelmo words of consent, said almost with relief. As if dared Benno, Adelmo at the bottom of another wish, and it was enough to find a reason other than the carnal desire to agree. Sign, he argued though, that the secret of Berengar had to relate to the arcana of wisdom, so that Adelmo could entertain the illusion of bending to a sin of the flesh to satisfy a desire of the intellect. And, he added, but with a smile, how many times he was not troubled by desires to please the intellect so violent that he agreed to indulge his carnal desires, even against his own carnal desire.
"There are times," asked William, "where you would do even reprehensible things to have in my hands a book you are looking for for years?"
"The wise and virtuous Sylvester II, centuries ago, gave the gift of a ball armillary invaluable to a manuscript, I think, of Statius or Lucan, "said William. He added, cautiously: "But it was an armillary sphere, not of virtue."
Benno admitted that his enthusiasm had carried him over, and resumed his story. Adelmo died the night before, he had followed the two, driven by curiosity. It had seen them, after Compline, start with the dormitory. He had waited a long time taking the half-open door of his cell, not far from them, and saw clearly Adelmo slip, when silence had fallen on the sleep of the monks, cell of Berengar. He still had watched, unable to sleep, until she heard the door that opened Berengar and Adelmo who fled almost ran with his friend who was trying to restrain him. Adelmo and Berengar had followed him down the basement. Benno had followed them cautiously and at the mouth of the corridor under Berengar had seen, almost trembling, crushed in a corner staring at the door of the cell Jorge. Benno had sensed that Adelmo had thrown himself at the foot of the old brother to confess his sin. And Berengar was trembling, knowing that her secret was revealed, albeit under the seal of the sacrament. Then
Adelmo came out, pale face, had removed himself from Berengar trying to talk to him, and rushed out of the dorm, going around the apse of the church and entering the choir from the north door (which stays open at night) . Probably wanted to pray. Berengar had followed him, but without going to church and was walking in the tombs of the cemetery, wringing her hands.
Benno did not know what to do when he realized that a fourth person was moving around. It too had followed the two and some had not sighted the presence of Benno, which was held upright against the trunk of an oak tree planted on the edge of the cemetery. Venanzio was. At the sight of Berengar had crouched among the graves and Venanzio was also entered in the choir. At this point, Benno, fear of being discovered, he returned to the dormitory. The next morning Adelmo's corpse was found at the foot of the escarpment. And more, though, did not know.
it approaches the time for dinner now. Benno left us and my teacher did not ask more. We stayed for a little behind the bathing, then walked for a few minutes in the garden, meditating on those special revelations.
"Frangula," William said suddenly, bending down to observe a plant, that on that day of winter dall'arbusto recognized. "Good infusion of the bark for hemorrhoids. And that's Arctium lappa, a good poultice of fresh roots heals eczema of the skin. "
" You are better than Severino, "I said," but now let me hear what you think of what we have heard! "
" Dear Adso, you should learn to think with your head. Although there has probably told the truth. The His story coincides with that, however, so mixed with hallucinations, Berengar, early this morning. Try to rebuild. Berengar and Adelmo together make a very bad thing, we had already guessed. And Berengar must have revealed to Adelmo that secret remains a secret, alas. Adelmo, after committing his crime against chastity and the rules of nature, thinks only confide in someone who can fulfill it, and runs from Jorge. Which was very austere character, we had the evidence, and some axle Adelmo with distressing reprimands. Maybe it does not give him absolution, perhaps requiring an impossible penance, I do not know, nor ever will tell Jorge. The fact is that Adelmo runs to church to prostrate before the altar, but does not allay his guilt. At this point, is approached by Venancio. We do not know what they say. Adelmo Perhaps the secret confided to Venanzio had a gift (or payment) from Berengar, and now he does not care any more, dappoiché he now has a much more terrible secret and burning. What happens to Venanzio? Perhaps, taken from the same burning curiosity that moved today also our Benno, satisfied with what he has learned to leave Adelmo to his remorse. Adelmo you see abandoned plans to kill himself, desperate out there in the cemetery and meet Berengar. He tells awful words, the responsibility of the accused, calls him his master of turpitude. I believe that the story of Berengar stripped of any hallucination, were correct. Adelmo's repeating the same words of despair that must have heard from Jorge. And here goes Berengar upset the one hand, and Adelmo goes to kill the other. Then comes the rest, we were almost witnesses. All believe that Adelmo was killed, Venanzio draws the impression that the secret of the library is even more important than believed, and continue the search on their own. Until someone stops him before or after he has discovered what he wanted. "
" Who killed him? Berengar? "
" Could be. O Malachi, who must guard the building. Or another. Berengar is suspected because it is frightened, and knew that his secret had been Venancio. Malachi is suspected: guardian of the integrity of the library, she discovers that someone has violated, and kills. Jorge knows everything about everyone, possesses the secret of Adelmo, who does not want to find out what I may have found Venanzio ... Many facts would recommend to suspect. But tell me how a blind man can kill another in full force, and as an old man, though strong, was able to transport the corpse in the jar. But then, why not be the same murderess Benno? Lied to us could be moved by unspeakable purposes. And why limit yourself to the suspects who participated in the conversation on rice? Maybe the crime was other motives that have nothing to do with the library. In any case, need two things: to know as you enter the library at night, and have a light. For the light you think. Turn into the kitchen at lunchtime, just got one ... "
" A theft? "
" A loan, to the greater glory of the Lord. "
" If so, count on me. "
" Bravo. How to enter the building, we saw where it appeared last night Malachi. Today I will make a visit to the church and the chapel in particular. In an hour we will go to the canteen. After we have a meeting with the abbot. There will be admitted, because I asked to have a secretary to take note of what we say. "

How To Word Congratulations On An Pregnancy

-

Where there is a fight between common people, from Aymaro
Alexandria Adso makes some allusions and meditate on the holiness and
on the dung of the devil. Then William and Adso
back in the scriptorium, William sees something interesting,
a third conversation on the lawfulness of rice, but in the final
can not see where he would like.





Before we went up to the scriptorium to refreshments in the kitchen, because we had not yet taken anything since we had risen. I rinfrancai now taking a bowl of hot milk. The large fire was burning south already as a forge, while it was cooking in the oven Bread of the day. Two herdsmen were depositing the remains of a newly killed sheep. I saw the cooks from the Savior, who smiled at me with her light well. And I saw that he took from a table a surplus of chicken from the night before and went secretly to the herdsmen, who were hiding in their leather jackets satisfied grin. But the head cook noticed and rebuked the Savior: "Cellario, cellarer," he said, "you have to administer estates of the abbey, not dispel them,"
"Filii Dei, is," said Salvatore, "Jesus said facite facite for him what one of these pueri "
" Fraticelli of my pants, fart of a child! "shouted then the cook. "You are no longer among the beggars of your brothers! To give the children of God will take care of the abbot's mercy! "
Salvatore darkened his face and turned adiratissimo:" I'm not a friar minors! I am a Benedictine monaco Sancti! Merdre A Toy, Bogomil of shit! "
" Bogomila t'inculi the whore that night, with your rod heretical, pig! "Cried the cook.
Savior did come out quickly and the herdsmen passing by looked at us with concern: "Brother," he said to William, "you defend your order that is not mine, tell him I do not Filios Francisci ereticos them!" Then I whispered in ear, "Ille menteur, boo," and spat on the ground.
The cook was in a bad way to push him out and shut the door behind him. "Brother," he said to William with respect, "not speak ill of your order and you are holy men. I was talking to that false false Benedictine minority and that is neither fish nor fowl. "
" I know where it comes from, "said William conciliatory. "But now it's monaco like you owe him respect and brotherly love."
"But he puts his nose where it does not have to put it because it is protected from cellarer, and he believes the cellarer. Use of the abbey as it was his thing, day and night! "
" Why at night, "asked William. The cook made a gesture as if to say he did not want to talk about things that are not virtuous. William did not ask more and finished drinking his milk.
My curiosity was more and more exciting. The meeting with Ubertino, the grumbling about the past of Salvatore and cellarer, the more frequent allusions to the heretical Fraticelli and children that I heard do in those days, the master of reticence in talking about between Dolcino ... A series of images in my mind began to recompose. For example, while we make our trip we had met at least twice a procession of flagellates. Once the local people looked at them as saints, again began to murmur that they were heretics. Yet it was always the same people. They went two for two in procession through the streets of the city, covered only the pudenda, having overcome all sense of shame. Each was holding a scourge of leather and struck on his back, blood, shedding copious tears as if they saw with their eyes the passion of the Savior, pleading with a plaintive chant the Lord's mercy and help from the Mother of God, not only during the day but at night, with lighted candles, in the rigor of winter, a large crowd went around to churches, prostrated himself humbly before the altar, preceded by priests with candles and flags, and not only men and women the people, but also noble matrons, and merchants ... So we witnessed great acts of penance, those who gave back the stolen goods were stolen, others confessed their crimes ...
But William had looked at them coldly and told me that this was not true repentance. He spoke rather as already earlier that morning: the period of the great penitential cleansing was over, and those were the ways in which the preachers themselves organized the devotion of the crowds, because they do not fall another penalty desire for penance - that - he was a heretic, and was scared at all. But I could not tell the difference, if indeed there was none. It seemed to me that the difference was not by gestures or the other, but from the view with which the church judged the one and the other gesture.
I remembered the discussion with Ubertino. William had indeed been insinuating, had tried to tell him there was little difference between his mystic faith (and Orthodox) and distorted the faith of the heretics. Ubertino it was adontato as well who saw the difference. The impression that I had drawn was that he was different because he was the one who could see the difference. William had escaped the duties of the Inquisition because he did not see her anymore. For this he could not talk about that mysterious between Dolcino. But then, of course (I thought) William has lost the support of the Lord, that not only teaches us to see the difference, but as it invests its elected in this capacity discretion. Ubertino and Clare of Montefalco (who was surrounded by sinners) had been saints just because they knew discriminate. This and nothing else is holiness.
But William did not know why discriminate? Yet it was a man so acute, and as regards the facts of nature could detect the slightest inequality and minimum kinship between things ...
I was immersed in these thoughts, and William finished drinking his milk, when we heard healthy. Aymaro was from Alexandria, we had already met in the scriptorium, and that I had hit the facial expression, inspired by a perpetual grin, as if he could never comprehend the fatuity of all human beings, and yet attributed great importance to this cosmic tragedy. "Then, Brother William, you're already accustomed to this den of lunatics?"
"I think a place of men and admirable holiness doctrine," William said cautiously.
"I was. When did the abbots abbots and librarians librarians. Now you have seen up there, "and alluded to the floor," that German half-dead eyes of the blind is devoutly to hear the ravings of the English blind eyes in death, it seems that it should reach the Antichrist every morning , scratch the scrolls, but very few of them fit new books ... We are here and there in the city is acting ... A time of our abbeys ruled the world. Today, you see, we use the emperor to send his friends here to meet his enemies (I know something of your mission, the monks speak, talk, have nothing to do), but if you want to control things in this country is in cities. We are collecting grain and raise poultry, and there exchange arms with bolts of silk linen, and pieces of linen with sacks of spices, and all together with good money. We guard our treasure, but there are accumulated treasures. And books. And more of our finest. "
" In the world of course many new things happen. But why do you think that guilt is Abbot? "
" because she gave the library in foreign hands and leads the abbey as a citadel erected in defense of the library. A Benedictine abbey in this plague Italian should be a place where the Italians decide to Italian affairs. What do the Italians, who now have even more of a pope? Trade and manufacture, and are the richest of the French king. So, we do so we, if we make good books fabbrichiamone for universities, and concern ourselves with what is happening down in the valley, do not tell the emperor, with all due respect to your mission, Brother William, but what they do the Bologna or Florence. We check here the passage of pilgrims and merchants, ranging from Italy to Provence and back again. Open the library to the texts in the vernacular, will rise up here and even those who do not write in Latin. But we are controlled by a group of foreigners who continue to lead the library as if it was still Abbot of Cluny Odillone good ... "
" But the abbot is Italian, "William said.
"The abbot here counts for nothing," said Aymaro always grinning. "In place of the head a cabinet in the library. E 'moth-eaten. To spite the pope leaves the abbey to be invaded ... Fraticelli I say those heretics, brother, the deserters of your order holy ... and to gratify the emperor calls here all the monks from monasteries in the north, as if we did not have good copyists, and men who know greek and Arabic, and there were in Florence or Pisa sons of merchants, rich and generous, which would take pleasure in the order if the order offered the possibility of increasing the power and prestige of father. But here, the indulgence to the things of the century is recognized only when it comes to allowing the Germans to ... oh good Lord electrocuted my language I'm gonna say inconvenient things! "
" In the abbey inconvenient things happen? "said William absently, pouring a little milk.
"The Monaco is a man," ruled the Aymara. Then he added: "But there are fewer men than elsewhere. And what I said, it is clear that I did not say. "
" Interesting, "William said. "And these are your opinions or many who think like you?"
"Many, many. Of many who now grieve for the misfortunes of poor Adelmo, but if someone else had fallen into the precipice, running to the library more than it should, would not be unhappy. "
" What do you mean? "
" I talked too . Here we talk too much, there will already be noticed. The silence will not respects no one, first. On the other respects it too. Here, instead of talking or silence you should act. In the golden days of our order, if an abbot did not have a temper by Abbe, a nice cup of poisoned wine, and there open the succession. I have said these things, of course, Brother William, not to murmur against the abbot or other brothers. God forbid, fortunately I do not have the nasty habit of murmuring. But I would not want the abbot had asked you to investigate me or someone else as Tivoli Pacific or Peter from St. Albans. Us with stories of the library is not involved. But we would get in a little more. And then uncovered this nest of snakes, you who have burned many heretics. "
" I have never burned anyone, "Wilhelm said dryly.
"I said so to say," admitted Aymaro with a big smile. "Good hunting, Brother William, but be careful at night. "
" Why do not the daytime? "
" Because the day care here is the body with good herbs, and at night the mind is sick with weeds. Do not believe that Adelmo was precipitated into the abyss from the hands of someone or that someone had put their hands in the blood Venancio. Here someone does not want the monks to decide for themselves where to go, what to do and what to read. And we use the forces of hell, or necromancers friends of hell, to disrupt the minds of curious ... "
" Talk of the herbalist father? "
" by Severino Sant'Emmerano is a good person. Of course, he German, German Malachi ... " And after once again demonstrated its unwillingness to gossip, Aymaro went to work.

"What did he want to tell us?" I asked.
"Everything and nothing. An abbey is a place where the monks are fighting with each other to make sure the government of the community. Even at Melk, but maybe as a novice you will not have got to realize it. But in your country win the government of an abbey win means a place where you deal directly with the Emperor. In this country, the situation is different, the emperor is far away, even when it comes down to Rome. There is a court, not even the pope now. There are cities, you'll notice it. "
" Of course, and I was impressed. The city in Italy is a different thing that I come from ... It is not just a place to live: a place to decide, I'm always in the square, the city magistrates that are more than the emperor or the pope. I am ... how many kingdoms ... "
" And the kings are the merchants. And their weapon is money. Money has a function, in Italy, other than in your country or mine. Money circulates everywhere, but most of his life is still dominated and controlled by the exchange of goods, chickens or sheaves of grain, or a sickle, or a wagon, and the money used to buy those goods. You may have noticed that in the Italian city, however, the goods are used to obtain money. And the priests, and bishops, and even the religious orders, have to deal with money. E 'for this, of course, that the rebellion in power manifests itself as a call to poverty, and rebelled against those who are excluded from the relationship with money, and every reference to poverty creates so much tension and so many debates, and the whole city, by the bishop to judge, feels like an enemy who preaches poverty too. The inquisitors feel the smell of the devil where someone has reacted to the smell of the dung of the devil. And even then you will understand what you're thinking Aymaro. A Benedictine abbey, the golden times of the order, was the place from which the shepherds look after the flock of the faithful. Aymaro wants a return to tradition. Only the life of the flock is changed, and the abbey can return to tradition (in his glory, his power in the past) only if it accepts the new costume of the flock, becoming different. And since today is dominated by the flock here not with guns or with the splendor of the rites, but with control of the money, Aymaro want the whole works of the abbey, and the same library, to become factory, and factory of money. "
"And what has this to do with the crimes, or with the crime?"
"I do not know yet. But now I want to go. Come. "

The monks were already at work. In the scriptorium was quiet but it was not the silence that follows the industrious peace of heart. Berengar, who had preceded us a little, greeted us with embarrassment. The other monks raised their head from their work. They knew we were there to find out something about Venanzio, and the same direction of their gaze fixed our attention on an empty seat, under a window that opened in the central octagon.
Although the day was very cold temperatures in the scriptorium was quite mild. Not by chance had been placed over the kitchen from which came enough heat, because the chimneys of the two ovens below walked into the pillars that supported the two spiral staircases placed in the west and south towers. As for the north tower, on the other side of the hall, did not scale, but a large fire that burned spreading a happy warmth. In addition, the floor was covered with straw, which made our steps in silence. In short, the angle was less heated than the east tower and in fact I noticed that since remained vacancies than the number of monks at work, tended to avoid all the tables placed in that direction. When I later realized that the spiral staircase of the east tower was the only leading, well below the dining hall, also in the top of the library, I wondered if he had not set a calculation wise heating of the room, so that the monks were turned away from browsing on that side and it was easier to control access to the librarian at the library. But maybe I exaggerated in my suspicions, becoming poor monkey of my teacher, because I immediately thought that this calculation did not give much fruit in summer - unless (I said) and summer that it was not just the sunny side, and then once again the most avoided. The table of the poor
Venanzio gave his back to the fireplace, and it was probably one of the most coveted. I then spent a small part of my life in a scriptorium, but I spent a lot of it and I know how much suffering as a result of costs to the scribe, and the student rubricator to spend long hours at their seats in winter, with the fingers shrank on the stylus (when even with a normal temperature, after six hours of writing, it takes a terrible cramp in the fingers of Monaco and my thumb hurts like it was crushed). And this explains why often find phrases in the margins of manuscripts left by the scribe as a testimony of suffering (and impatience), like "Thank God it gets dark early," or "Oh, I had a glass of wine," or even " Today it is cold, the light is soft, this fleece is a hairy man, something is wrong. " As an ancient proverb says, three fingers hold the pen, but the whole body works. And pain.
But I told the table of Venancio. Smaller than others, as well as those places around the octagonal courtyard, intended for scholars, while larger ones were under the windows of the outer walls, designed to illuminators and copyists. Moreover Venanzio also worked with a desk, probably because he consulted manuscripts on loan to the abbey, of which he made a copy. Under the table was placed a low shelf, where they had piled sheets bound, and they were all in Latin, I deduced that it was his more recent translations. They were written in haste, did not constitute the pages of the book and then had to be assigned to a scribe and an illuminator. For this they were hardly legible. Between the sheets, a few books in greek. Another book was opened on greek law, the work on which Venanzio was recently made his job as a translator. I then did not know the greek, but my teacher said it was a Luciano and that it depicted a man transformed into an ass. Then I remembered a similar tale of Apuleius, which for novices was usually severely discouraged.
"Venanzio Why did this translation?" William asked to Berengar we stood.
"It 's been asked by the lord of Milan to the abbey and the abbey he will find a right of first refusal on the production of wine that some estates are in the east," Berengar jerked his hand away. But he immediately added: "It's not that the abbey lends itself to mercenary work for the laity. But the developer has worked to ensure that this precious manuscript greek there was lent by the Doge of Venice, who was the emperor of Byzantium, Venancio and when he had finished his work we would have made two copies, one for the client and one for our library. "
" That can not collect even disdain pagan fables, "William said.
"The library is a testimony of truth and error, '" said a voice behind us. It was Jorge. Once again I was surprised (but still very amazed I should have the following days) to the unexpected way in which the old man appeared suddenly, as if we did not see him and he saw us. I wondered what on earth did even a blind man in the scriptorium, but I realized later that Jorge was omnipresent in all the places of the abbey. It was often in the scriptorium, sitting on a stool at the fire, and seemed to follow everything happening in the room. Once I heard him from his seat to ask aloud: "Who salt?" And addressed to Malachi, the footsteps muffled by the straw, was walking to the library. The monks all had in high esteem and often turned to him read passages difficult to understand, consult to a drain or seeks guidance on how to represent an animal or a saint. And he looked into the void with his dull eyes, as established in the pages he had vivid memories and replied that the false prophets are dressed as bishops and frogs come from their mouth, or what were the stones that were to adorn the walls of the heavenly Jerusalem, or that the van Arimaspians represented in the maps at the land of Prester John - not to exceed in recommending them attractive in their monstrosity, which was enough to be represented in the way of the emblem, recognizable but not carnal, repellents or until rice.
Once I heard him advise a scholiast on how to interpret the texts of Tycho recapitulatio just the mind of St. Augustine, see to it that it avoids the Donatist heresy. Another time I heard him giving advice on how to commenting, to distinguish the heretics from schismatics. Or, a scholar puzzled to say which book should look in the library catalog, and about how he would have found reference sheet, assuring him that the librarian would certainly delivered, because it was inspired by God Finally, another time I heard him say that this book was not sought because there was, indeed, in the catalog, but had been ruined by mice fifty years earlier, and to crumble under the fingers of those who touch him now. He was short, the very memory of the library and the soul of the scriptorium. Sometimes warned the monks that he heard talk among themselves: "Hurry to leave testimony of truth, that the time is near!" And alluded to the coming of the Antichrist.
"The library is a testimony of truth and error," said Jorge then.
"Of course, Apuleius and Lucian were guilty of many errors," William said. "But this tale has its own fictions under the guise of a good moral, because it teaches what we pay for their mistakes and I also believe that the history of man transformed into a donkey alludes to the metamorphosis of the soul falls into sin. "
" Maybe, "said Jorge.
"But now I understand why Venanzio during that conversation that I said yesterday was so interested in the problems of the play, because even the tales of this type can be likened to the comedies of the ancients. Both tell of men who do not really existed, but as the tragedies, says Isidore, are fictions, "Fando fabulae poetae to nominaverunt quia non sunt res factae loquendo sed off fictae »..."
At first I did not understand why William was forwarded to the scholarly discussion and it is with a man who seemed not to like similar arguments, but the response of Jorge told me what my teacher was thin .
"That day there was no question of comedies, but only the legality of laughter," Jorge said, frowning. And I remember very well that when Venanzio had mentioned in that discussion, the day before, Jorge had claimed not to remember.
"Ah," William said casually, "I thought you had talked about the lies of the poets and witty riddles ..."
"There was talk of laughter," Jorge said sharply. "The plays were written by pagans to move spectators to laughter, and evil doing. Our Lord Jesus never told stories or comedies, but only clear allegorical parables that teach us how to earn heaven, so be it. "
" I wonder, "William said," because you are so contrary to think that Jesus never laughed . I believe that laughter is good medicine, like baths, to treat mood and other disorders of the body, especially melancholia. "
" The bathrooms are good, "Jorge said," and the same Aquinas advises them to remove the sadness, that passion can be bad when you do not talk to bad that can be removed by the audacity. Bathrooms return the balance of the humors. Rice shakes the body, deformed facial features, makes man similar to the monkey. "
" Monkeys do not laugh, laughter is proper to man, is a sign of his rationality, "William said.
"It 's also a sign of human rationality word and the word can not blaspheme God all that is proper to man is necessarily good. Rice is a sign of stupidity. He who laughs does not believe in what you ride, but even hate him. And then laugh at the evil is not to be ready to fight and the good laugh is to ignore the power that the good is diffusive di sé. Per questo la Regola dice: «decimus humilitatis gradus est si non sit facilis ac promptus in risu, quia scriptum est: stultus in risu exaltat vocem suam.»”
“Quintiliano,” interruppe il mio maestro, “dice che il riso è da reprimere nel panegirico, per dignità, ma è da incoraggiare in molti altri casi. Tacito loda l'ironia di Calpurnio Pisone, Plinio il giovane scrisse: «aliquando praeterea rideo, jocor, ludo, homo sum.»”
“Erano pagani,” replicò Jorge. “La Regola dice: «scurrilitates vero vel verba otiosa et risum moventia aeterna clausura in omnibus locis damnamus, et ad talia eloquia discipulum aperire os non permittitur.»”
"But when the gospel of Christ had already triumphed on the earth, Synesius of Cyrene says that the deity has been able to harmoniously combine comic and tragic, and Elio Rangel said the Emperor Hadrian, a man of high morals and mind naturaliter Christian, who knew mixed moments of gaiety with moments of gravity. And finally Ausonio recommended dose of moderation serious and playful. "
" But Paulinus of Nola and Clement of Alexandria warned us against such folly, and Sulpicius Severus says that St. Martin was never seen by anyone or a prey to 'in the grip of hilarity or anger. "
" But remember the saint some answers spiritualiter salsa, "said William.
"They were ready and wise, not ridiculous. St. Ephraim wrote an exhortation against the laughter of the monks, and the De habitus et monachorum Conversation is recommended to avoid obscenities and lepidezze as if they were the poison of asps "
" But Ildeberto said Joca admittendo tibi sunt quaedam serious post, sed dignis et ipsa tamen et modis gerenda. And John of Salisbury has authorized a modest hilarity. Finally, Ecclesiastes, which you have quoted the passage referred to by your Rule, which says that laughter is really the fool, Rice admits at least a quiet, peaceful soul. "
" The mood is serene only when he contemplates the truth and he enjoys the good done, and truth and goodness does not laugh. That is why Christ did not laugh. Rice is fomes doubt. "
" But sometimes it is right to doubt. "
" I see no reason. When should I turn to an authority is questioned, the words of a father or a doctor, and stop every reason to doubt. You seem imbued with questionable doctrines, such as those of logic in Paris. But St. Bernard knew well take action against the castrated Abelard wanted to submit all issues being considered cold and lifeless for a reason not illuminated by the writing, stating his case and is not the case. Certainly one who accepts these ideas can also appreciate the dangerous game dell'insipiente laughing at what you need to know only the one truth that has already been said once and for all. So laughing at the foolishness implicitly says' non est Deus. "
" Venerable Jorge, you seem to be unfair when treated castrated Abelard, because you know they ran into this sad condition of the wickedness of others ... "
" For his sins . For the arrogance of his confidence in human reason. Thus the faith of the simple was mocked, the mysteries of God were gutted (or attempted, those fools who tried), questions concerning matters were dealt with recklessly high, they mocked their fathers because they felt that these issues were rather which soothed loose. "
" I do not agree, venerable Jorge. God wants us to exercise our right about a lot of dark things on which Scripture has left us free to decide. And when someone offers you to believe a proposition you must first consider whether it is acceptable, because our reason was created by God, and what pleases our reason can not appeal to divine reason, however, on which we know only what that, by analogy, and often in denial, I infer from the proceedings of our reason. And then you see that sometimes, to undermine the false authority of an absurd proposition which is repugnant to reason, even laughter can be a right tool. Often the Rice also serves to confuse the evil and to shine their folly. It is said of St. Mauro that the pagans put him in boiling water and he complained that the bath was too cold, the governor charged foolishly put his hand to control the water, and burned. Good work from that holy martyr who ridiculed the enemies of the faith. "
Jorge grinned:" Even in the episodes that tell the preachers there are many tales. A saint immersed in boiling water and suffer for Christ holds his cries, he does not play shots from children to the Gentiles! "
" See? "William said," you think this story is repugnant to reason and accused of being ridiculous! Albeit tacitly and checking your lips, you're laughing at something and you want that I do not take it seriously. Laugh of the rice, but laugh. "
Jorge made a gesture of annoyance:" Playing on the rice I drag in vain talk. But you know that Christ did not laugh. "
" I'm not sure. When he invites the Pharisees to cast the first stone when he asks who the effigy on the coin to pay tribute, when he plays with words and says, "Tu es Petrus," I think he would say witty things, to confound the sinners to support the heart of his. He speaks with wit, even when Caiaphas says, "Thou hast said." And when Jerome says Jeremiah, where God says to Jerusalem, "against the femoral nudavi faciem tuam, "says:" sive nudabo et et relevabo femoral your back. "Even then God is expressed by quirks to confuse those who want to punish. And you know very well that when the most heated battle between the Cluniac and Cistercian first accused the second, to make them ridiculous, not to wear trousers. It tells of the donkey in Speculum Stultorum Brunello who wonders what would happen if the night wind raised the blanket and saw the Monaco is the pudenda ... "The monks around
Jorge laughed and raged:" I was dragging these brothers in a feast of fools. I know it's use among the Franciscans win the hearts of people with nonsense like this, but I will tell you that these ludi that says a verse that I heard from one of your preachers tum Podex carmen extulit horridulum. "
The reprimand was a bit 'too much, William had been naughty, but now Jorge accused him of issuing from the mouth farts. I wondered if this meant a tough response was not to call by the senior Monaco, to emerge from the scriptorium. But I saw William, shortly before fighting it, be meek.
"I beg your pardon, venerable Jorge," he said. "My mouth has betrayed my thoughts, I did not mean disrespect. Maybe what you say is right, and I was wrong. "
Jorge, before this act of exquisite humility, he let out a grunt that could express both satisfaction they lose, and could not help but go back to his place, while the monks, who during the discussion were gradually closed, retracted their work tables. William knelt again in front of the table and began to rummage through Venanzio cards. With his humble response William had gained a few seconds of quiet. And what I saw in those few seconds his research inspired the night to come.
But it was really a matter of seconds. Benno came up just pretending to have forgotten his pen on the table when he turned aside to hear the conversation with Jorge, and whispered to William, who was under pressure to talk to him, giving behind the conference bathing. She told him to leave first, that he would join him soon.
William hesitated a moment, then called Malachi, who from his library table at the catalog, it had followed all that had happened and asked him, by virtue of the mandate given by the Abbot (and trod hard on this privilege) to put someone to watch over the table Venanzio, because it considered useful to its investigation that no one approached throughout the day, until he could not have come back. She said it aloud, because in that sense not only Malachi undertook to monitor the monks but the monks themselves to monitor Malachi. The librarian could not but agree with me and William went off. As we crossed
the garden and brought us at the bathing, which were behind the construction of the hospital, William said:
"It seems that many regret that I put my hands on something that is above or below the table Venanzio."
" And what is it? "
" I have the impression that not even those who know mind. "
" So Benno has nothing to say and we're just drawing away from the scriptorium? "
" This we'll know right away, "said William. In fact, shortly after Benno joined us.