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Collationes de decem praeceptis · Collatio V: De quarto praecepto

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COLLATIO V.

De quarto praecepto.

Summarium

Introductio; curiositas dissipat intelligentiam, 1. — Repetitio, 2. 3. — De quarto praecepto, pars I. Explicatur sensus litteralis. Primo loco recte ponitur praeceptum beneficentiae, deinde praecepta innocentiae; triplex ratio distinguitur in patre, et secundum hanc etiam triplex filiorum debitum, 4. — Explicantur generatim tria debita, 5. — De promissione huic praecepto adiuncta; triplici honori parentibus praestando respondet triplex praemium promissum, 6-9. — De obedientia in specie; obediendum in tribus, 10. — Pars II. Explicatur sensus spiritualis. Tria in patre: primo, auctoritas, ratione cuius obediendum est; honorandi sunt etiam illi qui praesunt rei publicae, rei politicae sive ecclesiasticae, rei monasticae, 11-13. — Secundo, antiquitas et debilitas, ratione cuius omnibus similiter indigentibus praestanda sunt sustentamenta, documenta, patrocinia, 14. — Tertio, amicabilitas, ratione cuius quilibet homo honorandus est bene ei volendo quoad affectum, effectum, signum, 15. — Sed in his est ordo observandus secundum rationem proximitatis, similitudinis, obligationis, 16-18. — Repetitio, 19. — Duo exempla, 20. 21.

1. Honora patrem tuum et matrem tuam, ut sis longaevus super terram, quam Dominus Deus daturus est tibi8. — Quae praecepit tibi Deus, illa cogita semper, et in plurimis operibus eius ne fueris curiosus. Verba ultima specialiter dicuntur litteratis; in quibus docet Ecclesiasticus cogitare uti-

p. 523 lia et vitare curiosa. Utilia autem dirigunt nos in viam salutis; sed curiosa distrahunt nos a via salutis et dissipant intelligentiam nostram. Magna pars intelligentiae perditur propter curiositatem; et tamen nihil in nobis est pretiosius intelligentia. Multum dolemus, cum perdimus aurum; multo plus debemus dolere, si amittamus intelligentiam; quia nihil est ita carum sicut actus intelligentiae. — Sumus dicturi de praeceptis et indigemus, quod Dominus illustret intelligentiam nostram; ideo in principio rogemus Deum etc.

2. Honora patrem tuum etc. Dicebam1 vobis, quod secundum quod anima rationalis habet ordinari ad Creatorem et ad creaturam, secundum hoc est duplex tabula, in qua lex Dei est scripta. In prima tabula continentur tria mandata ordinantia nos ad Deum, secundum tria appropriata tribus personis divinis et secundum triplicem operationem animae. In primo mandato praecipitur humilis adoratio summae maiestatis, in secundo fidelis confessio summae veritatis, in tertio sincera dilectio divinae bonitatis. Ista tria mandata sunt fundamentum omnium praeceptorum Legis. Propter hoc quilibet timoratus, verax et Deo devotus tenetur ista principaliter custodire.

3. Modo dico, quod in secunda tabula continentur septem praecepta; unum est affirmativum, et alia sex sunt negativa. Ratio distinctionis est haec: quia omnia mandata reducuntur ad duo2: hoc facias alii, quod tibi vis fieri; non facias alii quod tibi non vis fieri. Et iuxta hoc accipiuntur duo praecepta. Primum est innocentiae, secundum est beneficentiae, quae sunt duae partes iustitiae.

4. Modo dico, quod praecepta ordinantur secundum ipsorum nobilitatem; et beneficentia melior est quam innocentia: ideo mandato innocentiae praeponitur mandatum beneficentiae; et est synecdochice traditum Iudaeis sic: Honora patrem tuum et matrem tuam. — Et ponitur hic primo forma mandati, cum dicit: Honora etc. Secundo subditur promissio, ibi: Ut sis longaevus super terram. — Intellige secundum litteralem intelligentiam, quod pater nominat personam generantis, personam instruentis et personam educantis, quia pater, habens filium, ipsum generat, ipsum instruit et nutrit, et ipsius est filio legare bona sua; et secundum haec tria pater respectu filii tenet rationem originis, rationem regiminis et rationem benefactoris. Et secundum hoc debetur patri triplex honor: honor reverentiae, honor obedientiae et honor beneficentiae.

5. Primo, dico, patri, in quantum tenet rationem originis, debetur honor reverentiae; unde in Ecclesiastico3: Qui timet Deum honorabit patrem suum et matrem suam, et quasi dominis serviet eis qui se genuerunt. — Secundo ratione regiminis debetur patri honor obedientiae; unde Apostolus ad Ephesios: Filii, obedite parentibus vestris, hoc enim iustum est. Honora patrem tuum et matrem tuam; quod est mandatum primum in promissione, ut bene sit tibi, et sis longaevus super terram. — Tertio debetur patri honor beneficentiae, quia tenet rationem benefactoris; unde in Ecclesiastico4: Fili, suscipe senectam patris tui, et non contristes eum in vita illius. — Praecipitur igitur, quod triplex honor impendatur parentibus, scilicet honor reverentiae, obedientiae et beneficentiae. Et hoc est primum mandatum, quod debes custodire propter promissionem, scilicet ut bene sit tibi, et sis longaevus super terram.

6. Sed nunquid verum est semper, quod diutius vivant? Videmus enim, hoc falli quandoque: ergo Deus fallax est in promisso suo. — Dico, quod longaevitas attenditur non solum secundum longitudinem dierum currentium, sed secundum valorem. Et secundum quod est triplex honor, qui exhibetur parentibus; sic respondet huic triplici honori triplex praemium: quia honoranti patrem honore reverentiae debetur vita gloriosa sive honorifica; honoranti patrem honore obedientiae debetur vita iucunda; honoranti patrem honore beneficentiae debetur vita opulenta.

7. Primo, dico, honoranti patrem honore reverentiae conceditur vita gloriosa sive honorifica; unde in Ecclesiastico5: Gloria hominis ex honore patris sui; item ibidem: Ne glorieris in contumelia patris tui, non enim est tibi gloria eius confusio. Naturale enim est, quod filius vehementissime diligat patrem, et quod indignetur, quando aliquis iniuriatur patri.

8. Secundo, honoranti patrem honore obedientiae conceditur vita iucunda; unde in Ecclesiastico6: Qui honorat patrem suum iucundabitur in filiis et in diebus orationis suae exaudietur. Qui honorat patrem suum vita vivet longiore; et qui obedit patri suo refrigerabit matrem suam. Summa iucunditas est, quod homo non sit rebellis superiori suo; quia qui rebellis est superiori inveniet rebellem inferiorem, et contemptor superiorum potestatum contemnetur ab inferioribus; sicut Adam, quando fuit inobediens superiori suo, omnia inferiora, quae sibi fuerant subiecta, invenit sibi contraria7.

9. Tertio, honoranti patrem honore beneficentiae conceditur vita opulenta; unde in Ecclesiastico8: Honora patrem tuum et matrem tuam, et superveniet tibi benedictio, et benedictio tua in novissimo

p. 524 manebit. Benedictio ista appellatur multiplicatio bonorum. — Ecce, praeceptum et ecce promissio.

10. Obligamur ad obediendum parentibus, quamdiu utimur ipsorum bonis; et debemus eis obtemperare in exercitatione actuum virtuosorum sive salubrium, in dispensatione temporalium et in subministratione obsequiorum; quia debemus vivere secundum consilium ipsorum et expendere secundum ipsorum imperium et quando, exigunt, subministrare obsequium. Si tamen parentes aliquid velint, dicant, vel imperent, quod sit contra profectum nostrae salutis, non est ipsis in talibus pietas exhibenda. Et hoc est quod dicit Dominus in Evangelio1: Qui non odit patrem suum et matrem et uxorem et filios et fratres, adhuc autem et animam suam, non potest meus esse discipulus. Vult Dominus, quod ex affectu paterno non dimittat homo facere quod pertinet ad salutem suam. Et hoc est quod dicit Dominus: Dimitte mortuos sepelire mortuos suos; tu autem vade et annuntia regnum Dei. Et Hieronymus2 dicit: « Si pater in limine iaceat, si mater ubera, quibus te lactavit, ostendat; per calcatum perge patrem, per calcatam perge matrem et ad vexillum crucis evola. Solum enim pietatis genus est in hoc esse crudelem ». — Ecce, intellectus verborum secundum sensum litteralem; videte modo latiorem intellectum.

11. Praecipitur beneficentia ad omne genus hominum. Pater nominat personam, in qua est praecipua ratio auctoritatis, antiquitatis et amicabilitatis. In esse naturae filius non est coaequus patri. — Primo dico, in patre est auctoritas; et in isto mandato datur praeceptum, quod obediatur patri, quia habet auctoritatem. Auctoritatem autem habet omnis, qui praeest rei publicae, vel rei politicae, vel rei monasticae. — Primo dico, quod ille qui praeest rei publicae, dicitur pater ratione auctoritatis, ut princeps, baro, comes et huiusmodi, et dicitur pater tutela vel defensione; et debemus ipsum honorare tanquam patrem. Unde beatus Petrus3: Deum timete, regem honorificate.

12. Secundo dicitur pater ratione auctoritatis qui praeest rei politicae sive ecclesiasticae. Et ipsum debemus honorare, secundum quod exigit dispositio ecclesiastica, et debet ei obedire vulgus; unde Apostolus ad Hebraeos4: Obedite praepositis vestris et subiacete eis; ipsi enim pervigilant quasi rationem pro animabus vestris reddituri.

13. Tertio dicitur pater ratione auctoritatis qui praeest rei monasticae. Et ipsum debemus honorare et ei obedire, secundum quod regula et promissio facta est. Unde Hieronymus5: « Praepositum monasterii diligite ut patrem, timete ut dominum, audite ut magistrum, credite salubre quidquid vobis dixerit ». — Patet igitur, quod istis debemus obedire, secundum quod exigit auctoritas.

14. Secundo in patre intelligitur antiquitas et debilitas; senes enim debilitantur. Et qui patrem honorat ratione antiquitatis et debilitatis honorat omnem hominem, qui indiget adiutorio, vel qui caret sensu, vel fortitudine, vel qui infestatur ab alio. Et propter hoc debemus alium iuvare per documenta, vel per sustentamenta, vel per patrocinia. Et ad hoc specialiter sunt praelati: si homo caret sensu, debent ipsum iuvare per documenta; si caret fortitudine, debent ipsum iuvare per sustentamenta; si infestatur ab alio, debent ipsum iuvare per patrocinia.

15. Tertio in patre intelligitur ratio amicabilitatis; et in hoc intelligimus, quod ratione originis amabilis et amandus est omnis homo, et tenetur quilibet homo alium honorare. Unde Apostolus6: Honore invicem praevenientes; et iterum: Reddite omnibus debita, cui honorem, honorem. Nemini quidquam debeatis, nisi ut invicem diligatis. Debet enim homo alium diligere, bene volendo cuilibet quantum ad affectum, quantum ad effectum et quantum ad signum7.

16. Habet autem ista dilectio ordinem, quia debemus diligere secundum rationem proximitatis, secundum rationem similitudinis et secundum rationem obligationis. — Primo, dico, debemus diligere secundum rationem proximitatis; et secundum hoc debemus maiorem amorem domesticis quam extraneis, et amicis plus servire quam inimicis.

17. Secundo habet dilectio ista ordinem secundum rationem similitudinis, quia aliquibus debemus ratione similitudinis maiorem dilectionem quam aliis: sic ratione similitudinis in forma specifica tenemur diligere hominem; tamen secundum similitudinem ratione convenientiae in fide debemus plus diligere Christianum quam Saracenum8; item ratione professionis in collegio plus tenetur diligere religiosus fratrem ordinis sui, et unus canonicus alium canonicum.

18. Tertio debemus diligere ratione obligationis; et sic aliquibus plus tenemur quam aliis. Teneor enim diligere alium et eum honorare ratione praecepti; teneor tamen plus ratione praecepti et beneficii, si accepi beneficium; teneor maxime diligere alium et eum honorare plus ratione praecepti et ratione be-

p. 525 neficii et ratione promissi, id est illum, de quo est mihi praeceptum, et recepi beneficium, et feci promissum, talem debeo plus diligere et honorare.

19. Patet ergo, quomodo in verbis istis: Honora etc., tangitur praeceptum, et quomodo subditur promissum, ibi: Ut sis longaevus super terram. Et etiam dictum est, quomodo intelliguntur secundum intelligentiam litteralem, et quomodo secundum spiritualem. — Ut autem melius teneatis in mente, dicam vobis duo exempla: unum bonum de illo qui matrem honoravit, et aliud malum et crudele de illo qui patrem non honoravit. Dicam primo de bono.

20. Fuit quidam magister magnus et famosus Parisius et multis notus et dilectus. Hoc audiens mater sua, quae fuit paupercula, cogitavit ire ad filium suum; accepit baculum et in tunicella de burello venit Parisius et quaesivit a quibusdam dominabus de tali magistro. Dixerunt illae matronae: quid vultis ab eo? Respondit: ego sum mater sua. Tunc illae matronae duxerunt eam in domum suam et refocillaverunt eam. Postea cogitaverunt, quod ille bonus homo verecundaretur, si videret ipsam in tali statu; et induerunt ipsam bene et dederunt ei mantellum et duxerunt ipsam ad magistrum. Tunc dixit illa: ego sum mater vestra. Respondit magister: ego non credo, quia mater mea fuit paupercula et non consuevit induere nisi tunicellam de burello. Et cum magister non vellet acquiescere verbis eius, reduxerunt ipsam matronae in domum suam et reddiderunt ei tunicellam et baculum. Tunc illa accessit ad filium suum in congregatione multorum; et ille matrem suam in tali habitu recognovit, et deponens caputium suum, amplexatus est eam dicens: modo scio bene, quod estis mater mea. Hoc fuit divulgatum per villam et reputatum est ei pro magno bono. Et postea factus est episcopus Parisiensis1.

21. Aliud exemplum malum dicam de illo qui non honoravit patrem suum. Vidi illum qui novit eum, cui hoc accidit. Fuit quidam homo pauper, qui per industriam suam multa bona acquisierat, et habebat unicum filium. Hoc videntes quidam nobiles, fecerunt, quod contraxit filius cum filia cuiusdam nobilis. Et tunc illa, quae fuit iuvenis, pulcra et nobilis, coepit abominari patrem mariti sui et fecit tantum cum marito suo, quod pater in convivio expelleretur a domo; et non habebat, quid comederet nisi fabas malas. Quadam die fuit famelicus et venit ad domum filii et petiit cibum, et datae sunt ei fabae malae, et expulsus est a domo. Tunc illa dixit marito suo: modo possumus comedere in pace. Vade ad arcam et accipe caponem coctum. Et cum aperuit arcam, mutatus est capo in bufonem. Qui subito saliens ad faciem eius, ponebat duos pedes ad mentum et duos ad frontem et operuit totam faciem, et non fuit medicus, qui sciret ipsum amovere. Tandem venit quidam faber, qui cum tenellis2 suis ipsum voluit amovere. Tunc bufo respexit ipsum ita horribili vultu, quod ille cecidit in terram et amplius non audebat aliquid facere; et non fuit aliquis, qui sciret apponere consilium; sed mala morte mortuus est ille3.

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English Translation
p. 522

COLLATION V.

On the fourth precept.

Summarium

Introduction; curiosity dissipates the intelligence, 1. — Repetition, 2, 3. — On the fourth precept, part I. The literal sense is expounded. In the first place the precept of beneficence is rightly set down, then the precepts of innocence; a threefold ground is distinguished in the father, and according to this a threefold debt of sons as well, 4. — The three debts are expounded in general, 5. — On the promise joined to this precept; to the threefold honour to be rendered to parents there answers a threefold reward promised, 6-9. — On obedience in particular; obedience is owed in three things, 10. — Part II. The spiritual sense is expounded. Three things in the father: first, authority, by reason of which obedience is owed; those also are to be honoured who preside over the commonwealth, over the polity or the Church, over the monastery, 11-13. — Secondly, age and weakness, by reason of which supports, instructions and protections are to be furnished to all who are in like need, 14. — Thirdly, friendliness, by reason of which every man is to be honoured by willing him good as to affection, effect and sign, 15. — But in these an order is to be observed according to the ground of nearness, of likeness, of obligation, 16-18. — Repetition, 19. — Two examples, 20, 21.

1. Honour thy father and thy mother, that thou mayst be longlived upon the land which the Lord God will give thee8. — The things that God hath commanded thee, think on them always, and in very many of his works be not curious. The last words are said especially to the learned; in them Ecclesiasticus teaches us to think upon what is use-

p. 523 ful and to avoid what is curious. Now useful things direct us into the way of salvation; but curious things draw us away from the way of salvation and dissipate our intelligence. A great part of intelligence is lost through curiosity; and yet nothing in us is more precious than intelligence. We grieve much when we lose gold; much more ought we to grieve if we lose intelligence, because nothing is so dear as the act of intelligence. — We are about to speak of the precepts, and we stand in need that the Lord should illuminate our intelligence; therefore at the beginning let us pray to God, etc.

2. Honour thy father, etc. I was telling you1 that, according as the rational soul has to be ordered to the Creator and to the creature, according to this there is a twofold table on which the law of God is written. In the first table are contained three commandments ordering us to God, according to the three attributes appropriated to the three divine persons and according to the threefold operation of the soul. In the first commandment there is enjoined the humble adoration of the highest majesty, in the second the faithful confession of the highest truth, in the third the sincere love of the divine goodness. These three commandments are the foundation of all the precepts of the Law. For this reason every man who is God-fearing, truthful and devoted to God is bound to keep these before all else.

3. Now I say that in the second table are contained seven precepts; one is affirmative, and the other six are negative. The ground of the distinction is this: that all the commandments are reduced to two2: do to another what thou wouldst have done to thyself; do not to another what thou wouldst not have done to thyself. And according to this two precepts are taken. The first is that of innocence, the second that of beneficence, which are the two parts of justice.

4. Now I say that the precepts are ordered according to their own nobility; and beneficence is better than innocence: therefore the commandment of beneficence is set before the commandment of innocence; and it was handed down to the Jews synecdochically thus: Honour thy father and thy mother. — And here there is set down first the form of the commandment, when he says: Honour, etc. Secondly the promise is subjoined, there: That thou mayst be longlived upon the land. — Understand, according to the literal intelligence, that father names the person of the begetter, the person of the instructor and the person of the rearer, because a father, having a son, begets him, instructs and nourishes him, and it belongs to him to bequeath his goods to his son; and according to these three the father holds, in respect of the son, the ground of origin, the ground of governance and the ground of benefactor. And according to this a threefold honour is owed to a father: the honour of reverence, the honour of obedience and the honour of beneficence.

5. First, I say, to a father, inasmuch as he holds the ground of origin, the honour of reverence is owed; whence in Ecclesiasticus3: He that feareth God shall honour his father and his mother, and shall serve as masters those who begot him. — Secondly, by reason of governance the honour of obedience is owed to a father; whence the Apostle to the Ephesians: Children, obey your parents, for this is just. Honour thy father and thy mother; which is the first commandment with a promise, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayst be longlived upon the land. — Thirdly, the honour of beneficence is owed to a father, because he holds the ground of benefactor; whence in Ecclesiasticus4: Son, support the old age of thy father, and grieve him not in his life. — It is commanded, therefore, that a threefold honour be paid to parents, namely the honour of reverence, of obedience and of beneficence. And this is the first commandment which thou oughtest to keep on account of the promise, namely that it may be well with thee, and thou mayst be longlived upon the land.

6. But is it always true that they live longer? For we see that this sometimes fails: therefore God is deceptive in his promise. — I say that length of life is measured not only according to the length of the days that run, but according to their worth. And as there is a threefold honour which is shown to parents, so to this threefold honour there answers a threefold reward: for to him who honours his father with the honour of reverence a glorious or honourable life is owed; to him who honours his father with the honour of obedience a joyful life is owed; to him who honours his father with the honour of beneficence an opulent life is owed.

7. First, I say, to him who honours his father with the honour of reverence a glorious or honourable life is granted; whence in Ecclesiasticus5: The glory of a man is from the honour of his father; likewise in the same place: Glory not in the reproach of thy father, for his confusion is no glory to thee. For it is natural that a son should love his father most vehemently, and that he should be indignant when anyone does his father an injury.

8. Secondly, to him who honours his father with the honour of obedience a joyful life is granted; whence in Ecclesiasticus6: He that honoureth his father shall have joy in his children, and in the days of his prayer he shall be heard. He that honoureth his father shall live a longer life; and he that obeyeth his father shall refresh his mother. The highest joy is that a man should not be a rebel against his superior; because he who is a rebel against his superior will find a rebel beneath him, and the despiser of the higher powers will be despised by those beneath him; as Adam, when he was disobedient to his superior, found all the lower things, which had been made subject to him, set against him7.

9. Thirdly, to him who honours his father with the honour of beneficence an opulent life is granted; whence in Ecclesiasticus8: Honour thy father and thy mother, and a blessing shall come upon thee, and thy blessing shall remain

p. 524 unto the end. That blessing is called the multiplication of goods. — Behold, the precept, and behold the promise.

10. We are bound to obey our parents as long as we use their goods; and we ought to comply with them in the exercise of virtuous or wholesome acts, in the dispensing of temporal things and in the rendering of services; because we ought to live according to their counsel and to spend according to their command, and, when they require it, to render service. If, however, parents should will, say or command anything that is against the advancement of our salvation, no piety is to be shown them in such things. And this is what the Lord says in the Gospel1: He that hateth not his father and his mother and his wife and his children and his brethren, yea and his own soul also, cannot be my disciple. The Lord wills that out of paternal affection a man should not omit to do what belongs to his salvation. And this is what the Lord says: Let the dead bury their dead; but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And Jerome2 says: "If thy father lie upon the threshold, if thy mother show the breasts with which she suckled thee, trample thy father underfoot and go on, trample thy mother underfoot and go on, and fly to the standard of the cross. For the only kind of piety here is to be cruel." — Behold, the understanding of the words according to the literal sense; now see the broader understanding.

11. Beneficence is commanded towards every kind of man. Father names the person in whom is found pre-eminently the ground of authority, of age and of friendliness. In the being of nature the son is not the equal of the father. — First I say, in the father there is authority; and in this commandment the precept is given that the father be obeyed, because he has authority. Now everyone has authority who presides over the commonwealth, or over the polity, or over the monastery. — First I say that he who presides over the commonwealth is called father by reason of authority, as a prince, a baron, a count and the like, and he is called father by tutelage or defence; and we ought to honour him as a father. Whence blessed Peter3: Fear God, honour the king.

12. Secondly, he is called father by reason of authority who presides over the polity or the Church. And him we ought to honour according as the ecclesiastical order requires, and the common people ought to obey him; whence the Apostle to the Hebrews4: Obey your prelates and be subject to them; for they watch, as having to render an account for your souls.

13. Thirdly, he is called father by reason of authority who presides over the monastery. And him we ought to honour and obey according as the rule and the profession have been made. Whence Jerome5: "Love the superior of the monastery as a father, fear him as a lord, hear him as a master, believe wholesome whatever he shall say to you." — It is clear, therefore, that we ought to obey these men according as authority requires.

14. Secondly, in the father there is understood age and weakness; for old men grow weak. And he who honours his father by reason of age and weakness honours every man who is in need of help, or who lacks sense, or strength, or who is troubled by another. And for this reason we ought to help another by instructions, or by supports, or by protections. And prelates exist especially for this: if a man lacks sense, they ought to help him by instructions; if he lacks strength, they ought to help him by supports; if he is troubled by another, they ought to help him by protections.

15. Thirdly, in the father there is understood the ground of friendliness; and in this we understand that by reason of origin every man is lovable and to be loved, and every man is bound to honour another. Whence the Apostle6: With honour preventing one another; and again: Render to all their dues; to whom honour, honour. Owe no man anything, but to love one another. For a man ought to love another, willing good to everyone as to affection, as to effect and as to sign7.

16. Now this love has an order, because we ought to love according to the ground of nearness, according to the ground of likeness and according to the ground of obligation. — First, I say, we ought to love according to the ground of nearness; and according to this we owe a greater love to those of our household than to strangers, and we ought to serve friends more than enemies.

17. Secondly, this love has an order according to the ground of likeness, because to some we owe, by reason of likeness, a greater love than to others: thus by reason of likeness in specific form we are bound to love a man; yet according to likeness by reason of agreement in faith we ought to love a Christian more than a Saracen8; likewise by reason of profession in a community a religious is more bound to love a brother of his own order, and one canon another canon.

18. Thirdly, we ought to love by reason of obligation; and thus to some we are more bound than to others. For I am bound to love another and to honour him by reason of a precept; yet I am more bound by reason of a precept and of a benefit, if I have received a benefit; I am most of all bound to love another and to honour him more by reason of a precept and by reason of a bene-

p. 525 fit and by reason of a promise — that is, one concerning whom I have a precept, and I have received a benefit, and I have made a promise: such a one I ought to love and honour more.

19. It is clear, then, how in these words: Honour, etc., the precept is touched upon, and how the promise is subjoined, there: That thou mayst be longlived upon the land. And it has also been said how they are understood according to the literal intelligence, and how according to the spiritual. — But that you may better hold it in mind, I shall tell you two examples: one good, of him who honoured his mother, and another evil and cruel, of him who did not honour his father. I shall speak first of the good one.

20. There was a certain master, great and famous at Paris, known and loved by many. Hearing this, his mother, who was a poor little woman, thought to go to her son; she took a staff, and in a tunic of coarse cloth she came to Paris and asked certain ladies about that master. Those matrons said: what do you want with him? She answered: I am his mother. Then those matrons led her into their house and refreshed her. Afterwards they thought that the good man would be ashamed if he should see her in such a state; and they clothed her well and gave her a mantle and led her to the master. Then she said: I am your mother. The master answered: I do not believe it, because my mother was a poor little woman and was not accustomed to wear anything but a tunic of coarse cloth. And when the master would not acquiesce in her words, the matrons led her back to their house and gave her back her tunic and her staff. Then she went up to her son in an assembly of many; and he recognised his mother in that dress, and laying aside his hood, he embraced her, saying: now I know well that you are my mother. This was made known through the town and was reckoned to him for a great good. And afterwards he was made bishop of Paris1.

21. The other example, an evil one, I shall tell of him who did not honour his father. I saw the man who knew him to whom this happened. There was a certain poor man who by his own industry had acquired many goods, and he had an only son. Certain nobles, seeing this, brought it about that the son contracted marriage with the daughter of a certain nobleman. And then she, who was young, beautiful and noble, began to abhor her husband's father and did so much with her husband that the father was driven from the house at a banquet; and he had nothing to eat but bad beans. One day he was hungry and came to his son's house and asked for food, and bad beans were given him, and he was driven out of the house. Then she said to her husband: now we can eat in peace. Go to the chest and take the cooked capon. And when he opened the chest, the capon had been turned into a toad. It leapt suddenly at his face, set two feet on his chin and two on his forehead and covered his whole face, and there was no physician who knew how to remove it. At last there came a certain smith, who wished to remove it with his tenellae2. Then the toad looked at him with so horrible a countenance that he fell to the ground and dared do nothing more; and there was no one who knew how to offer counsel; but that man died an evil death3.

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Apparatus Criticus
  1. 8
    Exod. 20, 12: Honora... dabit tibi. — Seq. locus est Eccli. 3, 22. Cfr. III. Sent. d. 37. dub. 4.
    Exodus 20:12: Honour... will give thee. — The following passage is Ecclesiasticus 3:22. Compare III Sentences, d. 37, dubium 4.
  2. 1
    Supra collat. 2. n. 2. seqq.
    Above, collation 2, n. 2 and following.
  3. 2
    Vide supra collat. 1. n. 23.
    See above, collation 1, n. 23.
  4. 3
    Cap. 3, 8. — Seq. locus est Eph. 6, 1-3.
    Chapter 3:8. — The following passage is Ephesians 6:1-3.
  5. 4
    Cap. 3, 14.
    Chapter 3:14.
  6. 5
    Cap. 3, 13; ibid. v. 12. est seq. locus.
    Chapter 3:13; the following passage is v. 12 of the same chapter.
  7. 6
    Cap. 3, 6. et 7.
    Chapter 3:6 and 7.
  8. 7
    Cfr. Gen. 3, 10. seqq.
    Compare Genesis 3:10 and following.
  9. 8
    Cap. 3, 9. et 10: In opere et sermone et omni patientia honora patrem tuum, ut superveniat tibi benedictio ab eo, et benedictio illius in novissimo maneat.
    Chapter 3:9 and 10: In word and in deed and in all patience honour thy father, that a blessing may come upon thee from him, and that his blessing may remain unto the end.
  10. 1
    Luc. 14, 26: Si quis venit ad me et non odit etc. — Seq. locus est Luc. 9, 60: Sine, ut mortui sepeliant mortuos suos etc. Cfr. Matth. 8, 22: Dimitte mortuos sepelire mortuos suos.
    Luke 14:26: If any man come to me and hate not, etc. — The following passage is Luke 9:60: Let the dead bury their dead, etc. Compare Matthew 8:22: Let the dead bury their dead.
  11. 2
    Epist. 14. (alias 1.) n. 2: Licet, sparso crine et scissis vestibus, ubera, quibus te nutrierat, mater ostendat, licet in limine pater iaceat; per calcatum perge patrem, siccis oculis ad vexillum crucis evola. Solum pietatis genus etc.
    Epistle 14 (elsewhere 1), n. 2: "Though thy mother, with hair unbound and garments rent, should show thee the breasts with which she nourished thee, though thy father should lie upon the threshold, trample thy father underfoot and go on, and with dry eyes fly to the standard of the cross. The only kind of piety," etc.
  12. 3
    Epist. I. 2, 17.
    I Epistle 2:17.
  13. 4
    Cap. 13, 17.
    Chapter 13:17.
  14. 5
    Epist. 125. (alias 4.) n. 15: Praepositum monasterii timeas ut dominum, diligas ut parentem; credas tibi salutare quidquid ille praeceperit.
    Epistle 125 (elsewhere 4), n. 15: "Fear the superior of the monastery as a lord, love him as a parent; believe that whatever he shall command is wholesome for thee."
  15. 6
    Rom. 12, 10. Ibid. 13, 7, et 8. est seq. locus. Post debita Vulgata plura interserit.
    Romans 12:10. The following passage is 13:7 and 8 of the same. After debita the Vulgate inserts more.
  16. 7
    De hac propositione et de seqq. cfr. III. Sent. d. 29. per totam.
    On this proposition and those following compare III Sentences, d. 29, throughout.
  17. 8
    Ita B D; Vat. quam Judaeum vel gentilem, A omittit haec verba.
    So B and D; the Vatican codex than a Jew or a gentile; A omits these words.
  18. 1
    In D ad calcem notatur: Iste fuit episcopus Mauritius, qui iacet apud sanctum Lazarum (?). In margine vero adhuc distinguuntur verba rasa: Non fuit episcopus Mauritius, qui iacet apud sanctum luc... — Similia, sed respectu patris, narrantur de magistro Ioanne de Corbellis, qui tempore Innocentii III. Parisiis studuisse dicitur et postea fuit archiepiscopus Senonensis. Quod ex antiquo codice Vaticano publicavimus in Analectis Francisc. I. pag. 417. Notum est, idem attribui etiam papae Benedicto XI, saeculi XIV.
    In D there is noted at the foot: This was bishop Maurice, who lies at Saint Lazarus (?). But in the margin words that have been erased can still be made out: Not bishop Maurice, who lies at Saint Luc... — Similar things, but with respect to a father, are told of master John of Corbeil, who is said to have studied at Paris in the time of Innocent III and was afterwards archbishop of Sens. This we published from an ancient Vatican codex in the Analecta Franciscana I, p. 417. It is well known that the same is also attributed to pope Benedict XI, of the fourteenth century.
  19. 2
    Tenella idem est ac forceps; vide Ducange, Glossarium etc.
    Tenella is the same as forceps; see Ducange, Glossarium, etc.
  20. 3
    Teste Sbaralea (Supplem. Script. Ord. Min. p. 250, col. 1.), eadem narratio invenitur in Thoma Cantipratensi, II. de Apibus, c. 7. p. 4, et apud Caesarium Heisterbachensem in Dialogo miraculorum.
    On Sbaralea's testimony (Supplementum ad Scriptores Ordinis Minorum, p. 250, col. 1), the same narrative is found in Thomas of Cantimpré, De apibus II, c. 7, p. 4, and in Caesarius of Heisterbach in the Dialogus miraculorum. ---