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.
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