CES. Let us see what is here represented by those two radiating arrows
upon a target around which is written: Vicit instans.
MAR. The continual struggle in the soul of the enthusiast, the which, in
consequence of the long familiarity which it had with matter was hard
and incapable of being penetrated by the rays of the splendour of the
Divine intelligence and the species of the Divine goodness; during which
time, he says that the heart was enamelled with diamond, that is, the
affection was hard and not capable of being heated and penetrated, and
it rejected the blows of love which assailed it on innumerable sides.
That is, it did not feel itself wounded by those wounds of eternal life
of which the Psalmist speaks when he says: Vulnerasti cor meum, o
dilecta, vulnerasti cor meum. The which wounds are not from iron or
other material through the vigour and strength of nerves, but are darts
of Diana, or of Phoebus, that is, either from the goddess of the
deserts--of contemplation of truth, that is, from Diana, who is the
order of the second intelligences, which transfer the splendour received
from the first and communicate it to the others, who are deprived of a
more open vision; or else from the principal god Apollo, who with his
own, and not a borrowed splendour, sends his darts, that is, his rays,
so many and from such innumerable points, which are all the species of
things, which are indications of Divine goodness, intelligence, beauty,
and wisdom, according to the various degrees, from the simple
comprehension, to the becoming heroic enthusiasts; because the
adamantine subject does not reflect from its surface the impression of
the light, but, destroyed and overcome by the heat and light, it becomes
in substance luminous--all light--so that it is penetrated within the
affection and conception. This is not immediately, at the beginning of
generation, when the soul comes forth fresh from the intoxication of
Lethe, and drenched with the waves of forgetfulness and confusion, so
that the spirit comes into captivity to the body, and is put into the
condition of growth; but little by little, it goes on digesting, so as
to become fitted for the action of the sensitive faculty, until,
through the rational and discursive faculty, it comes to a purer
intellectual one, so that it can present itself to the mind, without
feeling itself befogged by the exhalations of that humour, which,
through the exercise of contemplation, has been saved from putrefaction
in the stomach and is duly digested. In this state, the present
enthusiast shows himself to have remained thirty years, during which
time he had not reached that purity of conception which would make him a
suitable habitation for the wandering species, which offering themselves
to all, equally, knock, ever at the door of the intelligence. At last,
Love, who in various ways and at different times had assaulted him as it
were in vain--as the light and heat of the sun are said to be useless to
those who are in the opaque depths and bowels of the earth--having
located itself in those sacred lights, that is having shown forth the
Divine Beauty through two intelligible species the which bound his
intellect through the reasoning of Truth and warmed his affections
through the reasoning of Goodness; while the material and sensitive
desires became superseded, which aforetime used, as it were, to triumph,
remaining intact, notwithstanding the excellence of the soul. Because
those lights which made present the illuminating, acting intellect and
sun of intelligence found easy ingress through his eyes; that of Truth
(the intellect of Truth?) through the door of the intellectual faculty;
that of Goodness (intellect of Goodness?) through the door of the
appetitive faculty, to the heart, that is, the substance of the general
affection. This was that double ray, which came as from the hand of an
irate warrior, who showed himself, now, as ready and as bold, as
aforetime he had appeared weak and negligent.[I]
Then, when he first felt warmed and illuminated in his conception, was
that victorious point and moment of which it is said: Vicit instans.
[I] He takes it by assault, without offering battle: the heart is
unable to resist him.--("Spiritual Torrents.")
Thus you can understand the sense of the following figure, legend and
sonnet, which says:--
49.
I fought with all my strength, 'gainst Love Divine
When he assailed with blows from every side
This cold, enamelled, adamantine heart,
Whence my desires defeated his intent.
At last, one day, 'twas as the heavens had willed.
Encamped I found him in those holy lights
Which, through mine own alone, of all the rest
An easy entrance to my heart could find.
'Twas then upon me fell that double bolt,
Flung as from hand of irate warrior
Who had for thirty years besieged in vain.
He marked that place and strongly there he held,
Planted the trophy there, and evermore
He holds my fleet wings in restrainment.
Meanwhile since then with more solemnity of preparation
The anger and the ire of my sweet enemy
Cease not to wound my heart.
Rare moment was that; the end of the beginning and perfection of
victory; rare were those two species which amongst all others found easy
entrance, seeing that they contain in themselves the efficacy and the
virtue of all the others; for what higher and more excellent form can
present itself than that of the beauty, goodness and truth, which are
the source of every other truth, beauty, and goodness? "He marked that
place"--that is, took possession of the affections, noted them, and
impressed upon them his own character; "and strongly there he held;" he
confirmed and established them and sanctified them so that he can never
again lose them; for it is not possible that one should turn to love any
other thing when once he has conceived in his mind the Divine Beauty,
and it is as impossible that he can do other than love it, as it is
impossible that his desires should fall otherwise than towards good, or
species of good. Therefore his inclination is in the highest degree
towards the primal good. So again, the wings, which used to be so fleet
to go downwards with the weight of matter, are kept in restrainment, and
the sweet augers which are the efficacious assaults of the gracious
enemy, who has been for so long time kept back, and excluded, a stranger
and a pilgrim, never cease to wound, soliciting the affections and
awakening thought. But now, the sole and entire possessor and disposer
of the soul, for she neither wills nor wishes to will other, nor is she
pleased, nor will she that any other please her, whence he often says:--
Dolci ire, guerra dolce, dolci dardi,
Dolci mie piaghe, miei dolci dolori!