DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.59633#0094
64
s/S/sV6>.
e/es in corruptible bodies, altbougb onl/ breams or fugitive sbabows os
true beauty, is tbese beauties seem to us so lovel/, us sre<4uentl/ to binble
in us un incandescent lire, anb give us sucb pleasure, tbat we estesrn no
selicit/ to be compared witb tbat wbicb we seel, at merely a glance from
tbe cbarming e/es os a lab/, ob! witb wbat overpowering abmiration
rnust tboss souls be lilleb wbo obtain a glimpse os bivine beauty ! Wbat
a gentle burns, wbat sweet arbour rnust be tbeirs, wbo reacb tbe source
os tins supreme anb true beauty, tbe principle os all otbsr beauty, wbicb
never increases, never biminisbes, remaining always beautiful anb alwa/s
tbe same in itsels in its simplicity, resembling itsels alone anb partici-
pating in no otber, but wboll/ beautiful, witb a beauty wbicb mabss ever/-
tbing beautiful, because tbsir beauty merely proceebs from it alone.
" It is beauty, inseparable from sovereign goobness, wbicb, witb ligbt,
attracts all tbings to itself, anb not onl/ gives intelligence to intellectual
beings,—sense anb a besire os life to sensible beings,—but also commu-
nicates a sort os image os itself to plants anb stones, in movement anb
tbe natural instinct os tbeir properties.
" Ibis love tben is incomparably nobler anb bappier tban an;/ otber,
inasmucb as tbe cause wbicb animates it is mors excellent anb more
certain, ^.nb /et as material lire relines golb, tbus boss tbis sacreb sire
bestro/ anb consume in tbe soul all tbat is mortal, anb relresbes anb
beautilles still more tbe celestial part wbicb before was mortibeb anb
almost burieb in tbe senses.
"Ibis is tbe p/re, on wbicb tbs poets sa/ tbat Hercules burneb
bimsels on tbe summit os Mount Lblta, in orber b/ tbis self-immolation
to become aster bis beatb bivine anb immortal.
" It is tbe burning busb os Moses! tbe spirit wbicb bescenbs in tbe
tongue os lire! bllpab's cbariot os lire, wbicb beigbtens tbs ^'o/ in tbe
souls os tbose wbo are wortb/ to bsbolb it, wben quitting tbis terrestrial
valle/, it tabes its lligbt bacb to beaven !
" I-et us, tben, turn all our tbougbts, anb all tbe besires os our souls,
towards tbat bol/ ligbt wbicb sbows us tbe wa/ to beaven; anb, lading
asibs tbe affections, witb wbicb we are weigbed down in bsscenbing, let
us ascenb tbs labber, tbe lowest step os wbicb is attacbeb to sensual
beauty, let us ascenb towards tbe celestial abobss wbere true beaut/ is
to be sound concealed witb tbe beep secrets os 6ob, tbat profane e/es
ma/ not bsbolb. Ibsre sball we llnb tbe bapp/ enb os our besires, tbe
true rest, tbs certain remeb/ for our miseries, tbe wbolesome cure for our
s/S/sV6>.
e/es in corruptible bodies, altbougb onl/ breams or fugitive sbabows os
true beauty, is tbese beauties seem to us so lovel/, us sre<4uentl/ to binble
in us un incandescent lire, anb give us sucb pleasure, tbat we estesrn no
selicit/ to be compared witb tbat wbicb we seel, at merely a glance from
tbe cbarming e/es os a lab/, ob! witb wbat overpowering abmiration
rnust tboss souls be lilleb wbo obtain a glimpse os bivine beauty ! Wbat
a gentle burns, wbat sweet arbour rnust be tbeirs, wbo reacb tbe source
os tins supreme anb true beauty, tbe principle os all otbsr beauty, wbicb
never increases, never biminisbes, remaining always beautiful anb alwa/s
tbe same in itsels in its simplicity, resembling itsels alone anb partici-
pating in no otber, but wboll/ beautiful, witb a beauty wbicb mabss ever/-
tbing beautiful, because tbsir beauty merely proceebs from it alone.
" It is beauty, inseparable from sovereign goobness, wbicb, witb ligbt,
attracts all tbings to itself, anb not onl/ gives intelligence to intellectual
beings,—sense anb a besire os life to sensible beings,—but also commu-
nicates a sort os image os itself to plants anb stones, in movement anb
tbe natural instinct os tbeir properties.
" Ibis love tben is incomparably nobler anb bappier tban an;/ otber,
inasmucb as tbe cause wbicb animates it is mors excellent anb more
certain, ^.nb /et as material lire relines golb, tbus boss tbis sacreb sire
bestro/ anb consume in tbe soul all tbat is mortal, anb relresbes anb
beautilles still more tbe celestial part wbicb before was mortibeb anb
almost burieb in tbe senses.
"Ibis is tbe p/re, on wbicb tbs poets sa/ tbat Hercules burneb
bimsels on tbe summit os Mount Lblta, in orber b/ tbis self-immolation
to become aster bis beatb bivine anb immortal.
" It is tbe burning busb os Moses! tbe spirit wbicb bescenbs in tbe
tongue os lire! bllpab's cbariot os lire, wbicb beigbtens tbs ^'o/ in tbe
souls os tbose wbo are wortb/ to bsbolb it, wben quitting tbis terrestrial
valle/, it tabes its lligbt bacb to beaven !
" I-et us, tben, turn all our tbougbts, anb all tbe besires os our souls,
towards tbat bol/ ligbt wbicb sbows us tbe wa/ to beaven; anb, lading
asibs tbe affections, witb wbicb we are weigbed down in bsscenbing, let
us ascenb tbs labber, tbe lowest step os wbicb is attacbeb to sensual
beauty, let us ascenb towards tbe celestial abobss wbere true beaut/ is
to be sound concealed witb tbe beep secrets os 6ob, tbat profane e/es
ma/ not bsbolb. Ibsre sball we llnb tbe bapp/ enb os our besires, tbe
true rest, tbs certain remeb/ for our miseries, tbe wbolesome cure for our