Popular treatises on science written during the Middle Ages, in Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman, and English / Edited from the original manuscripts by Thomas Wright.

  • Thomas Wright
Date:
1841
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Popular treatises on science written during the Middle Ages, in Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman, and English / Edited from the original manuscripts by Thomas Wright. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    110/164 (page 90)
    Ceste entenciun par le formi avum: Oez le altre nature, sulunc Saint Escripture ; Le gernet qiPil ad en dous parz la tendrat, Issi le fait cointement, qiPen iver faim la prent. [£]' Hie formica dividit grana, et allegorice dicitur. T os tu, hom de De, £eo est auctorite, Tant semence est escrit, si cum Ysidres dit, En dous la deis departir pur en yver guarir; Ceo est espiritalement, q estoriablement, QiPel jur del jugement venges seurement. Ke par yver entent le jur del jugement; E pur 5eo Saint Pol dit par veir en sun escrit, “ Leis est espirital, e nent corporal; La lettre occit e dit, e li espirit vit.” Ceo est dit pur essample, que en aiez remembrance. Judeus li traiture tant entent de Scripture, Nent en allegorie, ne seet que signefie. De formica quod intelligit adoratu quod signat granum frumenti. jX/TAIS os tu hum de De, entent auctorite, q oies escripture, e la terce nature Del furmi, qiPil entent par sun odurement Quel grain est de furment e que d’orge en semen t; Quant grain cPorge ad truved, q il ad oduret. Lores se baise atant le furment vait querant; Quant Pesspie ad truvet, sus est senes munted, Prent del grain la flurete, e met la en sa fosette; Melz aime la florete qiPil ne fait la paillete. Hie formica fingitur, et quomodo ascendit super spicam, et quomodo dividi [£] paleam frumenti, quod intelligitur allegorice, et quomodo a pulvere frumenti separat. Spirit of God.—We have this meaning by the ant;—hear the other nature, ac¬ cording to Holy Scripture;—the grain which it has it separates in two parts,— thus it does cunningly, that in winter it may take of it for support. Hear thou, man of God, this is authority,—as much seed as is written, as Isi¬ dore saith,—thou shouldest part it in twro for support in winter,—that is, spi¬ ritually, and historically,—that thou come safely at the Day of Judgment;—and therefore St. Paul says for truth in his writing,—“ the law is spiritual, and not corporeal;—the letter kills,” as he says, “ and the spirit lives.”—This is said for example, that you may have remembrance of it.—The traitrous Jew understands so much of Scripture,—not in allegory ; he knows not wrhat it signifies. But, hear, thou man of God, understand authority,—and hear Scripture, and the third nature—of the ant, that it understands by its smell—which is grain of wheat, and similarly, which is of barley;—when it has found a grain of barley, and has smelt it,—then it stoops and goes to seek the wheat;—when it has found an ear, it mounts wisely upon it,—takes the flour of the grain, and puts it in its hole;—it collects rather the flower than the straw.