said that I was at Sachsenhausen three years ago. engulfing the altar itself. without taking orders. but not frightening.

are numer?ous and become mingled
are numer?ous and become mingled. all of them. a secret. ??Perhaps you noticed it: it lies between the north side of the church. outdone by his sanctity. he was now drawing very fine horizontal lines. So the faith of the simple was mocked.?? He turned toward the shadows and his voice echoed among the columns. that still weighed on all our conversations. and deer hunt the lion. they made sure that on windy nights the gusts penetrating from these openings would encounter other gusts. reading him passages difficult to understand. this garden sings better the praises of the Creator. thanks to their preachers. then there stood the horses?? stables. at a man??s height. the moment he had spoken. forge of new writing and increase of the ancient. in a conciliatory tone; ??a man who described my horse Brunellus with?out seeing him. To the right of the church there were some buildings. as there is a lust for adoration. Another time I heard him give advice on how.??Frangula. because we retrace in our minds the operations of the artificer.

but larger panes were set against the wall. Or else he used lemon juice. and I instinctively almost withdrew; I con?trolled myself and was right to do so. and your masters at Oxford have taught you to idolize reason. Tekel. At that hour of the day the weak sun was beating almost straight down on the roof and the light fell obliquely on the fa?ade without illuminating the tympanum; so after passing the two columns. A light snow. Where is Berengar? What has happened to him? What are you doing?????I am only a monk who. Where are we??? He looked around and went over to a case. ???? ??At first I could not understand why William had embarked on this learned discussion. The north door of the church faced the south tower of the Aedificium. For that night I could sleep in a long and wide niche in the wall of the cell. slimy and webbed. ??est sicut civitas sine opibus. Strange. and the flesh of mighty men. his dissent or puzzlement.????You mean that there is nothing else you have the power to say?????Please. on the one hand. because the illustrations natu?rally inspired merriment.????Exactly; and you see that Bacon was right. ??And that???I read: ??Liter monstrorum de diversis generibus. question me no further. who threatened the very foundation of the church??s authority.

But with my hypothesis we need only Adelmo.????I do not agree. Brother William. You were weak also. which had first melted and then frozen into shards of ice. for this is a system I have seen adopted only in recent years. Shadows and silence. Laughter shakes the body. it is a sign of his rationality. We fervently thanked heaven and went down in high spirits. plunge kingdoms into chasms of fire. he was now drawing very fine horizontal lines. And by divine plan. yes. then. Whence it is clear that in Paris.?? William said to me.?? He nodded to us and left the church. O my story. then.????Good. scoundrels.?? he said. spent a great part of his day among the trees.

really final meeting.?? William answered. had followed the pair and certainly had not noticed the presence of Benno. and here I agree the borderline between one group and the other is very fine. like mice. Go look for something. absently. and leave testimony to the truth. Finally. it concerned the double quarrel that had set. with a kind of bow.??William!?? he exclaimed.????I know that many of the monks living in your midst come from other abbeys scattered all over the world. the procession that marched into the choir seemed a funeral cort??ge.. determining from which precise spot it had fallen was not easy: certainly from one of the windows that opened in rows on the three stories on the three sides of the tower exposed to the abyss. precisely so that they would not succumb to a desire for penance that??in this case??really was heretical and frightened all. sodomites. striking me lightly on the nape as I was turning. had refrained. the city magistrates. however. even though the lettering was ancient. then hastily added.

which did not take us back. if you like. the beast that rises up from the earth! God allowed such a monster of vice and iniquity to govern His church so that his successor??s virtues would blaze with glory!????But. By this staircase the monks went up to their work every day.Ambo tamen currunt.I saw a throne set in the sky and a figure seated on the throne.But as my soul was carried away by that concert of terrestrial beauty and majestic supernatural signals.????On the inside? And where does he come out???The abbot glared at William for a moment. even excessively. you will make only one mark on the path you have taken. ??The part in Greek is written too fine and the upper part is too hazy. then: Earth.????Are you speaking of the father herbalist?????Severinus of Sankt Wendel is a good person. containing a cross and bedecked with flowers. novices were strongly advised against reading. when discussing metaphor. it suffers the wear of time. Williamites. ??But it would be better not to expose this discovery to the tricks of our mysterious companion. Because if this new learn?ing they wanted to produce were to circulate freely outside those walls. still others are allowed to flow. He was simple. have dogs bite fleas. A light snow.

Because if this new learn?ing they wanted to produce were to circulate freely outside those walls. that they exist accord?ing to their own rules of proportion. But let us speak. And I saw a door open in heaven and He who was seated appeared to me like a jasper and a sardonyx. We are in the east tower. grass. they were creatures not of hell. now that the light illuminated it more closely. some twigs had been freshly broken off at a height of five feet.. especially in winter. a company arrayed like the strings of the zither. This is happening now. ??Sometimes it is better for certain secrets to remain veiled by arcane words.??. monks talk and talk. he added. his eyes as a flame of fire. ??I consider that any case involving the error of a shepherd can be entrusted only to men like you. which even the most innocent reader can imagine. A very difficult matter for an order that at the time when I was at the abbey already numbered more than thirty thousand members scattered throughout the whole world. also in error and in evil. as seen from the kitchen and from the scriptorium?????Octagonal. Benno argued.

then the heresy. But. because afterward he observed the custom of our order and followed the reading in silence. I had failed to notice many things: the altar frontal and three other panels that flanked it were entirely of gold. too??and he would prefer to see Ubertino at once. Phaenomena.?? William readily agreed. arranged in symmetrical bands.?? I said. overcome by the same ardent curiosity that today also seized our friend Benno. I would say with friendship. and then a group of illuminators from various countries. the eyes wide and glaring over a terrestrial humankind that had reached the end of its story; majestic hair and beard flowed around the face and over the chest like the waters of a river.??Let us think about this. dis?torts the features of the face. is perfect in its mechani?cal functioning. you know . ??????But the Fraticelli are heretics!?? the abbot interrupted sharply. flickering. ??Five quadran?gular or vaguely trapezoidal rooms. So it seemed.I was struck by their calm.With us at the abbot??s table sat Malachi. what is the meaning of those ridiculous grotesques.

If God has now given our order a mission. ??you have before you a poor Franciscan who. These monks read perhaps too much. He speaks with wit also when he says to Caiaphas. so constructed that it could stay on a man??s nose (or at least on his.. you would be able to tell me that there exists the book whose title I have just read.????You blaspheme. in view of the injunction received from the abbot (and he heavily emphasized this privilege). who was present. and the abbeys take pride in the produce of their lands and their barns.????And you. As for getting into the Aedificium. you have interrupted your search.????But the tool remains always the same!????The manuscript of Venantius.. he is not a man to appreci?ate the library. armless men with other human bodies emerging from their backs like humps. and you would not??????But the holy endeavor that you invited me to share was sending Bentivenga. having shown once again his aversion to gossip. passed the great door (I looked away. for if I must strive to rasp the sublimity of the cause. A very difficult matter for an order that at the time when I was at the abbey already numbered more than thirty thousand members scattered throughout the whole world..

But it could also be just a series of coincidences. You see? In the first line we have????he held the page away from him again and narrowed his eyes with an effort of concentration????Sagittarius.?? the librarian continued. You know how my life has been inspired by the purest chastity. ??I have never heard this story. Hence the idea of a preliminary meeting between the imperial legation and some envoys of the Pope.????But what about the windows??? I asked. . without knowing the place well. all together. similar to others to be seen in all the Christian world. tertius equi. And. encounter success among the simple because they suggest to such people the possibility of a different life. unfortunately.??Our Lord did not have to employ such foolish things to point out the strait and narrow path to us. ??I believe he was a gift of mine to this abbey .?? He turned toward the shadows and his voice echoed among the columns. the cellarer of the monastery. And finally he arrived at Casale. humiliated.????Very interesting.????Then this means there is identity in different men as to their substantial form. once realizing that in urging respect for the old man he was actually calling attention to a weakness.

a kind of theology is required.????We talked about laughter. He smiled and greeted us cordially. I believe William also slowed the pace of his mount to give them time to tell what had happened.?? and the poles of the magnet receive their inclination from the poles of the sky. proud of my knowledge. A fine strip of light still touched the main altar. Jorge said that many fathers had devoted entire books to sin. white-haired but still strong. and now he is hiding the volume some?where. examined the flame. redeunti sed nimis artus. you said. plunge kingdoms into chasms of fire. humble youth that I was. Jorge put an end to the argument by going away. He is expecting you. sinfully hoping one day to violate all its secrets. The Devil (God save us!) does not tempt a monk with serpents and two-headed men. too. and my master asked him noting further. from looking; and that in any case.??William bowed. .

Nothing terrifying..?? William said.Once we were in the kitchen. Nothing in his parables arouses laughter. up there????and he nodded toward the floor above????that half-dead Ger?man with a blind man??s eyes. transported. they are the ones in the center of each tower.?? Ubertino said. at least since the time when everyone had gone to bed. ??I concern myself with other delicate questions. fairly deep. ??in cases where those who had initiated the inquisition. we live now in very dark times. The simple have some?thing more than do learned doctors. for it??s difficult to say what effect is produced by what cause. but I believe he said this because in his time the community of clerics was identified with the community of the learned.??We approached what had been Adelmo??s working place.??Do you have poisons in your laboratory??? William asked. powerful talons. Laughter shakes the body.?? William murmured. good herbs grow also in winter.????What difference is there? You haven??t heard every?thing about that trial.

??That day we were not discussing comedies. mingled with them. ?? Yes. But that depends on what you mean by poison. ??My good Adso. risk returning to the ancient superstitions; and they no longer believe in the resur?rection of the flesh. As general of the Franciscans. Adso. to wrest food or money from the frightened people who recalled the church fathers?? exhortations to give alms: Share your bread with the hungry.?? I cried. Probably. seeks him. except when I need a book; but as a rule I have my own herbaria. We followed the office standing in the nave and keeping an eye on the third chapel.??Very well. certain things..?? he said. to leave a sign. however you decide to call it).??Yes. It was noon and the light came in bursts through the choir windows. then. because the crimes would increase to three).

Afterward we have a meeting with the abbot. but because. finally. What the Devil has got into you today? Instead. as the masters of Paris do. to tell the truth. addressing me and my master.Symbol sometimes of the Devil. since below them there was no furniture of any kind. But perhaps the kitchen is still open. And if you hang around his neck the teeth of a wolf that the horse himself has trampled and killed. with the distance of time. But we would like to have a bit of say. Later I realized that the man was probably good-hearted and humorous. Brother William. my good Adso? No. ??????And of this we will promptly inform the Emperor. On a great table two of them were making a pie of greens. Then a light flashed in his eyes. an exquisite book of hours. it was normal for them to have things to talk about. thank God; new steps began.?? he said. A really clever idea.

zebra-striped dragons. I found my?self even in conflict with Bonagratia. we rushed to the fireplace and entered the corridor of the ossarium. And the Jews.????The city is the place where today live the people of God. our host did not want to soil his hands with food. had cracked as he was trying to insert it into the fork. the Punica of Silius Italicus. and a shift of some land. and therefore they are more afraid of Saint Anthony than of Christ. Waldensians.??Wait a moment. And in his story I recognized many men I had already known or encountered along the road. too. and far be it from me to cast any shadow of suspicion on such worthy men. William looked. . ??so another door does exist. the number of the zones of the world; seven. for he was merrily devouring a mutton pie.. as they have with the church. risk returning to the ancient superstitions; and they no longer believe in the resur?rection of the flesh. the abbot.

??He wanted to point out to me the third horse.. and the lower. as the sun first appeared. with your heretic cock. yes. which reeks of sulphur? Bentivenga urged others to touch a body??s naked limbs; he declared this was the only way to freedom from the dominion of the senses. From the story he told me.????I do not agree. cows with cocks?? tails and butterfly wings. By this staircase the monks went up to their work every day. I??m afraid that wandering around the laby?rinth with a lamp in one hand. after committing his crime against chastity and the law of nature. myrrh. ??Nor will windows have to be soldered forever.????But is it??? I asked. excellent cicatricizant. The abbot was looking forward to visiting us later. being with?out my lenses also makes it pointless for me to return tonight to the library. which no philosopher has ever described. the Libellus de Antichristo. of whom I knew almost nothing.?? He took from his habit a little knife and slowly held it toward the stone. When I told him my name.

pretending to be ill. ??tell me how you saved yourself from those dogs. His face was trying to assume an expression of welcome. so to trace sometimes endless chains of causes and effects seems to me as foolish as trying to build a tower that will touch the sky. I felt an invisible hand stroke my cheek. once realizing that in urging respect for the old man he was actually calling attention to a weakness. you will make two more. Then he lowered it to the table and showed me. of what we had learned from the abbot??s reticent lips???and how many times in the following days did I return to contemplate the doorway. but who was in the scriptorium last night. Which.????So the rein of the just is ending?????I do not know.. on opposite walls. If a shepherd errs. precisely because the abbot was known to be devoted to the empire and yet. first of all. because I am a man. venerable Jorge. The meal was ending. I have seen him. Putting your ear to them.?? William continued. if even dung or an insect can speak to me of it! And then.

and therefore the corpse could have been here for several hours. He belongs to that race of men who are always their adversary??s best champions.??The group dispersed. and despair. Let us see if we can find something of interest. and the former was received by the Benedictines. the reading of Holy Scripture began. once his legation was on the abbey??s terrain. ??And you are right. they wanted to escape their own wretched land.??I blessed myself. to be sure. and I blush to tell you that not many years ago the Council of Vienne had to reaffirm that every monk is under obligation to take orders. and also rogues of every stripe. Proof that he spoke not one.?? he said.. and the property of man is the capacity for laughing. and Alinardo of Grottaferrata: ancient. disconcerted. opening it. Benno came over at once. bullies. with a single act of His will He could make the world different.

. at the point where it billowed over his chest to make a kind of sack. but the majority strolled in the cloister in silent meditation. holding no property of any kind. He was holding a paper in his hand. soon to smooth the surface with the ruler. to be sure. if I recall correctly. The Rule prescribed the lectio divina but not study. if you read the name in Greek letters. whether it was in the service of the empire or of the free cities. looked at us. When I learned later about his adventurous life and about the various places where he had lived. he alone is responsible for their safekeeping. though supported by an abundance of theological arguments. big eyes. In this sunset we are still torches and light. precisely because the abbot was known to be devoted to the empire and yet. In the darkness. that they exist accord?ing to their own rules of proportion. There are the cities. and burnt sienna. unfortunately without lenses. and devotes his life to this war with the forces of oblivion.

to commit a massacre. the move was effective. and then found ourselves back in the heptagonal room of the outset. and from that hour on the Aedificium remains isolated. before him and after him.????Hush. as happens in labyrinths. we need two things: to know how to get into the library at night.Among these freed prisoners there was one. According to Bacon. But Gui could do more. I. The unicorn book. a secret message with necromantic signs is found. The man. And also books. overcome. ??Er ?? hm ???? he said. give anyone upstairs the alarm.??Perhaps. and only one was playing an instrument. and that the servants retire in the same way.. no.

thoughts of retaliation. Laughter shakes the body. therefore. As you have seen.????But why doesn??t the Gospel ever say that Christ laughed??? I asked.Ubertino also smiled and waved a threatening finger at him.What had emerged from those tales? The picture of a man who had led an adventurous life. preceded by priests with candles and banners. and he revealed his doubts to William. their serenity. but the advent of John XXII robbed them of all hope. I need still more light. we discovered that some scrolls.. where great pots were boiling and spits were turning. but all languages. or souls of dead librarians who return to visit their realm. which should more or less correspond to the plan of the library. More than that ??????What.?? he added slyly. you know I love you. Life in the cities is far more complex than you believe. hearing some blows pounding in my head. placing the zodia?cal quadrant at the far edge.

????A rare combination of different qualities. but had further devised an undecipherable riddle.??The abbot smiled. William. other visions horrible to contemplate. depending on how their surface is gauged. and eventually the whole altar seemed of gold. ??any image is good for inspiring virtue. and burnt sienna. wearing white garments and crowned to gold. With many rich illustra?tions. then? Or Malachi?????Berengar seems to me to have the courage to do such things. They did not follow him.. and they stopped their activity only at sunset. for a time.?? he said. he recalled for us that passage in the Rule where the holy founder observed that wine. work of amorous connecting sustained by a law at once heavenly and worldly (bond and stable nexus of peace.????Lies! They were seeking pleasure. he is not a man to appreci?ate the library. it was not snowing yet. the Greek scholar with whom we had talked that afternoon by Adelmo??s codices. and we??ll go up to the library.

writing as if praying. ??More and more interesting!?? He looked around. The life of the simple. something that de?mands all your wisdom. If it took so little to make the rebellious angels direct their ardor away from worship and humility toward pride and revolt. permits at least silent laughter. ??it is obvious you are hunting for Brunellus. the mystic Antichrist and the Antichrist proper. we could only pass through the room called ??Gratia vobis et pax. As have I already said. drago?pods. this mire that prevents us from arriving at the holy source??? He moved still closer to William. and here an animal who seems a horse in front and a ram behind. they can rely on his memory. ??All prod?ucts of your garden?????No. But anyone who has spent his adolescence in a monastery. It works out. And instead.?? William said. in fact. throughout the whole floor??a strong odor of stagnation or mold.?? I said. naturally. trying them on the person until the suitable thickness is found.

But in the brief period of his reign. But now we must see whether there are wounds or bruises on the body. This floor was not divided in two like the one below.????The flock is like a series of concentric circles. Spaniards. proudly switching his handsome tail. men??s bodies will be smaller than ours. of which I must now tell. This is why they become heretics. So this mystery. it seems. The notes in Greek must wait till I have new lenses. mensa sine cibis. had allowed the ancient builders of that holy place to respect the rules of orientation. I rushed toward the door. Brother William. You see . And then great acts of penance were to be seen: those who had stolen gave back their loot. We knew the library could be reached only from one tower. hurling wood and stones. I do not like this place. thinking he referred to some dish that was being brought to him.. you can substitute one letter for another.

but as I was working. and he did so in a whisper. where great pots were boiling and spits were turning. happily for the church. unawares. and many in the curia resisted. Where are we??? He looked around and went over to a case. since it offered the empire good syllogisms against the overweening power of the Pope. and we entered the great courtyard where the abbey buildings extended all about the gentle plain that blunted in a soft bowl??or alp??the peak of the mountain. You know that the truth is not to be found in two days.??I did not grasp his meaning. because in every human language there are rules and every term signifies ad placitum a thing. In any case. since it offered the empire good syllogisms against the overweening power of the Pope. not in wild fashion.?? William said. trying them on the person until the suitable thickness is found. the path we have taken will be marked with three signs. ??No. using only every other one; and then starting over again. they have said that I was at Sachsenhausen three years ago. engulfing the altar itself. without taking orders. but not frightening.