Sidenote: Jer. xvii. 11.
Sidenote: 1 Kings iv. 33.
1. _THE partridge hath cried, she hath gathered what she hath not
hatched[167]._ From the conclusion of my last letter I may borrow the
opening of the ensuing. The question has been much mooted: with a view
therefore of solving it, let us consider what natural history tells us
of the nature of this bird. For it is the part of no little sagacity to
consider even this, for Solomon knew the nature _of beasts and of fowl,
and of creeping things and of fishes_!
2. Now this bird is said to be full of craft, fraud, and guile, skilled
in the ways of deceiving the fowler, and experienced in the arts of
turning him aside from her young ones; omitting no artful stratagem
which may draw off the pursuer from her nest and lurking place. And
we know that on observing his approach, she beguiles him until she has
given her offspring the signal and opportunity for flight. As soon as
she perceives they have escaped, she also withdraws herself, leaving
her enemy deluded by her treacherous wiles.
3. It is said also to be a bird which copulates indiscriminately,
and that the male bird rushes eagerly on the female, and burns with
unrestrained desires. Wherefore it has been thought suitable to compare
this impure malicious and deceitful creature with the adversary and
circumventor of the human race, with him who is the arch-deceiver and
author of impurity.
Sidenote: Gen. iii. 4, 5.
Sidenote: Exod. v. 2.
Sidenote: Num. xvi. 2.
Sidenote: Exod. xxxii. 1.
Sidenote: S. Matt. xxvii. 23–25.
Sidenote: 1 Sam. viii. 5.
4. _The partridge then cried_, he that is, who derives his name from
destroying[168]: even Satan, which in Latin means the adversary[169].
He cried first in Eve, he cried in Cain, he cried in ♦Pharaoh, in
Dathan, Abiram, ♦Korah. He cried in the Jews, when they demanded gods
to be made for them, while the law was being given to Moses. He cried
again, when they said of the Saviour, _Let Him be crucified, let Him
be crucified_, and, _His blood be on us and on our children_. He cried,
when they required that a king should be given them, that they might
revolt from the Lord God their King. He cried in every one who was vain
and faithless.
Sidenote: Gen. i. 27.
Sidenote: Jer. xvii. 11.
Sidenote: Isa. lxiii. 1.
5. And by these cries he gathered to himself a people whom he had
not created; for God made man after His own likeness and image, and
the Devil drew man to himself by the allurements of his voice: He
gathered to himself the nations of the Gentiles, _getting riches not
by right_[170]. Wherefore it is a common saying concerning the rich
and covetous man, that he is a partridge gathering riches not by right.
But my Jesus, as a good Judge, does all things with righteousness[171],
for He came saying, as it is written, _I speak righteousness and
judgement[172] of salvation_.
Sidenote: Gen. iv. 10.
Sidenote: Exod. xiv. 15.
Sidenote: Josh. i. 1.
Sidenote: Ps. cxix. 146.
Sidenote: Isa. xl. 6.
Sidenote: Prov. ix. 5.
Sidenote: Hab. ii. 11.
Sidenote: S. Matt. xxvii. 46.
Sidenote: S. Luke xxiii. 43.
Sidenote: Jer. xvii. 11.
6. By that grace then He despoiled that partridge the Devil, took
from him the ill-gotten riches, even the multitude that followed Him,
recalled from error the souls of the Gentiles, and the minds of the
nations that wandered from the way. And since He knew that they were
beguiled by the voice of the Devil, and in order that He might Himself
loose the bonds and chains of ancient error, He cried first in Abel,
the voice of whose blood cried out. He cried in Moses, to whom He said,
_Wherefore criest thou unto Me?_ He cried in Joshua, He cried in David,
who says, _Unto Thee do I call, help me_. He cried too in all the
Prophets. Wherefore He says also to Isaiah, _Cry_, and Isaiah answers,
_What shall I cry?_ He cried in Solomon, calling to all with a very
loud voice in the power ♦of Wisdom, _Come eat of my bread, and drink
of the wine which I have mingled_. He cried also in His Body, as the
_Beam out of the timber_. He cried that He might deceive and circumvent
the lurking Enemy, saying, _My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me_.
He cried that He might spoil him of his prey, replying to the thief,
_Verily I say unto thee, this day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise_.
Wherefore when Jesus cried, straightway that partridge was left by
those whom he had gathered _in the midst of his days_.
7. Wherefore some have thought that this also agrees with the nature of
the partridge, forasmuch as it steals the eggs of others, and hatches
them with its own body, seeking by this treachery to gain for itself
the offspring of others. But when she whose eggs have been stolen,
or nest invaded, or her young have been tempted by a fraudulent
resemblance, and deceived by the appearance of beauty, when she, I say,
perceives this, she ‘picks out the crow’s eyes[173]’ as the saying is,
and, being inferior in strength, puts on and arms herself with cunning.
And when all the labour she has bestowed on their nurture has exhausted
her store of food, and her young ones have begun to grow up, she utters
her cries, and calls to her offspring with the trumpet (as it were)
of affection. And they, roused by this natural sound, recognise their
mother, and desert their pretended parent. And thus, seeking to gather
what he has not hatched, he loses those whom he thought to bring up.
Sidenote: Rom. vi. 8.
8. Not without need therefore was it that Jesus also cried; it was in
order that the whole universe which had been deceived by the voice, the
allurements, the art, the specious beauty of the partridge, and enticed
by his treacherous wiles, and had wandered from the true Author of
their being, might be recalled by the voice of her true Parent, might
abandon this deceiver, and desert him _in the midst of his days_, that
is, before the end of this world. From him the Lord Jesus has rescued
us, and called us to eternal life. Wherefore now, _being dead to the
world we live to God_.
Sidenote: 1 Cor. i. 27.
Sidenote: Ib. iii. 18.
9. When then this partridge shall have been completely forsaken by his
false children, then that foolish one whom God has chosen and who has
confounded the wise man, will be saved. Wherefore _if any man seemeth
to be wise in this world let him become a fool, that he may be wise_.
Farewell my son, and love me, as indeed you do, for I love you.