A letter from Guido de Basochis ()

Translated letter:

To H[adewich], lady of Basochis, his much to be honored and loved mother, her first born G[uido], to merit through the grace of God what without it can not be obtained by merit. You ask me, most beloved parent and most devoted worshipper of the holy church, since a house constructed for praying and adoring the omnipotent creator of visible and invisible things is said to be a church [ecclesia], for what reasons it is called wife, bride/spouse, sister, mother, virgin or daughter, but never widow, by holy scripture. Since, though you might better from another, you wish to be taught more by me than by another, one must obey, since one is not permitted to resist the maternal will unless it is directly contrary. The church, indeed, which is a Greek name and means congregation (or assembly) of the faithful, is called house of God, in which the people, who are separated from the assemblies of the impious and the chains of the adversary power through the washingplace [baptism], are brought together, so that they may offer prayers, proffer praise, refer thanks to their author. It is made in the image of the human body and the similitude of the venerable cross, so that what may be understood through it is that it is the encompassing image of what is contained, that is a figure of what is suitable in it of the people freed from demonic servitude by the lord’s passion through the mystery of the cross. And since as it is inhabited corporally by them so God inhabits spiritually in them with those spirits minstering to them, and whatever is done visibly in it is fulfilled invisibly through the God inhabiting in them – for which reason that assembly of the faithful is very aptly called ecclesia (church), but this material home rather that same unanimity of the faithful why is it not designated by the foresaid names of souls about which you raised a question. Not only universally to just souls but also to whatever chosen soul can these names, with one exception that is ecclesia, be applied not unsuitably. For ecclesia is said to be a woman who was brought forth from the rib of the sleeping Adam, since she took her beginning from the blood of the redeemer and the water of purification which flowed from the side of Christ dying on the cross. She is therefore indeed another Eve who bears not shadows but light, laughter nor sorrow, rest not labor,  children of God not servants but free, not miserable but happy heirs of the heavens. The malice of the ancient serpent seduced that one, the mercy of the redeemer who married her led this one back from misery. From these things, if you direct your thoughts diligently, a quite evident solution is given to your question. For the spiritual church is understood as a woman since it is figured by holy women, also a sister of Christ since it is the daughter of God through grace whose son is Christ through nature. A bride since she bent her ear and forgetful of her people and her father’s home directed her steps to him and followed him who loved her first. The church is mother since it gives birth to children of God, a virgin because of the untainted purity of her faith, a widow, indeed, since her husband who did not sin and now rules and lives, died voluntarily for its sins. Which if you seek examples from separate chapters of holy scripture, it is agreeable to pass over the more hidden, to open the more known to your senses. Therefore, as I said before, the church is a woman brought forth from the rib of a sleeping man, that is from the side of the dying Christ. In the same way, that woman is the one who, after she suckled her son, offered him with three calves and three measures of flour, that is with the sacrifice of heart, mouth, and work the perfect people in the faith of the trinity [1Reg.1:24]. The same woman is a sinner, earlier redeemed, later sanctified, who received her son, that is her people, whole by the dictating justice of the king, whom another, that is the synagogue, sought in judgment to be divided. And to make a shift to the gospel, the church is called a woman who, when she gives birth has grief but after the birth does not remember the affliction for the joy, since at first sollicitous of her children, later she rejoices in their health when she sees them walk as children of light. Similarly [she is] that woman who hides yeast in three measures of flour while she engraved the power of supernal love on the three parts of the world’s lands [Matth.13:13]. Also the Samaritan woman who had five husbands and recognized her redeemer at the well of grace. She is also asserted to be a bride in many places of holy scripture, as where a man leaves father and mother, namely Christ [leaves] his Jewish people and the synagogue and cleaves to his wife, that is the church, and they will be two in one flesh, divine nature and ours equally. In the same way that Adam knew his wife, Christ knew his church, who first bore Cain – who is possession, whence man to be possessed by God – through whom [is figured] the Jews, and after [bore] Abel, who is mourning, through whom the Christian people. This also is said about Sara to Abraham under the figure of Christ: it is evident that that she is your wife, clearly because of the joining of two natures in one person, whom you say, through grace, is your sister. This is Rebecca who, since she comes from the twisting of crooked conversation, is brought on camels to Isaac and from him and through him, that is Christ, is brought into the tent of the mother synagogue and married, when in unity of person divine nature takes on human and is loved in as much as because of her, from the sleeping of the mother, that is the loss of the synagogue, sorrow is tempered. This is that Cetura,(1) whose interpretation is incense, who after the day of transitory prosperity was extinguished thorugh the contempt of Sara, when she was buried under the zeal of double life, contemplative and active, obtained marriage with Abraham, since she was then acceptable to Christ by the precious odor of merits. This is that beautiful Rachel who married Jacob by a twin service of seven years, that is Christ in the present, because she is designated by the seven years through which she was desired. Here Joseph took as wife the daughter of the priest Heliopolis(2), that is Christ took the church which is the city of the true sun. Moses took her as wife after the king of Egypt died, since when Christ married the church, the dominion of the adversary power was destroyed. This is the wife of the dead man whom his brother was ordered to marry to raise the seed of the dead brother from her, not for himself, since Christ made obedient unto death committed the church to the apostles, who would procreate sons not for themselves but for him since they are called Christians from Christ. This is the beautiful woman captured in war who with shaved head and nails, and having completed mourning for her parents was ordered to be taken as wife after thirty days, since Christ making war on aerial powers through the bow of the cross and the sword of passions as conqueror carried off the church from them and with her hair and nails cut off by the sharp knife of faithful doctrine and the memory of the world washed away by the grief of penance, insructed by the precepts of the decalogue and the faith of the trinity, was taken as wife. Hence it is said by the psalmist: “like the groom proceeding from the bedchamber” and by Solomon: “The heart of her husband trusts in her and her husband is noble at the gates, that is at the entry to the heavenly fatherland, when he will sit with the seniors of the world, namely the apostles and holy angels. In the gospel also this marriage was the incarnation of the deity, the bedchamber of the marriage the womb of the virginal mother of God. The church is also called the sister as Sara was a sister of Abraham from the father not from the mother, so of Christ from God the father through grace and not from the mother, that is the synagogue or by earthly generation. Again Sara and Rebecca are called sisters of their husbands and are not said to be wives since the marriage of divinity and humanity, of Christ and the church, is secret, but among foreign born, truly, the vocation/calling of the church, the distribution of gifts, the working of miracles is open through grace. The church is also that most beautiful sister of the blear-eyed Leah, Rachel, whose eyes are as blessed as they are beautiful since they deserved to see the light of evangelical clarity. This is Mary [Miriam] sister of Moses who after the crossing of the Red Sea took up the tambour and with the women coming out behind her with tambours and choruses sang for joy of the drowned Egyptians saying: “Let us sing to the Lord for he is gloriously to be honored.” By the tambour because of the extension of the hide between two pieces of wood, is [signified] the mortification of the flesh, by the chorus, the concord of charity. And by the heavenly spouse, she is called sister and spouse in the canticles, since she is invited by him to come into the garden of supernal beatitude. She is a mother, on the other hand, though that is not often found expressly stated, yet it is known mystically from the many things done. For it is signified through Rebecca in whose womb twins clashed, since bad are contained with good in the present church. Similarly through Leah and Rachel because of the fruit of active and contemplative life. Again through Zipporah, the wife of Moses, who circumcized her son with a very sharp stone [Exod.4:25]; the stone was Christ, through whom she is deprived of the desire of the old man from whom works of the flesh are engendered. She is also that mother whose only son died and was already carried outside the gate of the city when the Lord moved by mercy for her is remembered to have raised him, who namely was not only dead within by the hidden languor of sin in thinking, but was carried off by impure spirits through the gate of whatever sense with the pleasure of open consent. The church is also the daughter of Bethuel, that is of the gentile people, in order to marry whom to his son Abraham sent his boy, that is God the father sent prophetic speech and the order of preachers. She is also the daughter of Laban, who[Laban] is whitewashing, that is of the devil who transfigures himself into the angel of light, whom Jacob, that is Christ took away from the home of her father from the power of the prince of darkness. She is also the daughter of Pharaoh who coming to the washing place of regeneration found Moses wrapped in swaddling clothes, that is a figure for the understanding of the law. She is also that daughter whose beauty the heavenly king desired since following the counsel of the psalmist she forgot her people and the home of her father. She is also called a most beautiful virgin who put down the pitcher on her arm, that is secular knowledge for divine, or since she preached and did what she heard, and gave drink to the servant of Abraham, to the boys and camels, since at the desire of the doctor she satisfied the wise and foolish. Hence she is called a girl when she was asked her will about marriage by her parents and she answered that she wished to be drawn after the groom and run in the odor of his unguents. She is also designated by virgin and girl whom the highest pontiff, that is Christ, ordered to take as wife from his race but also by Abisac who is interpreted the roaring/overflowing of my father, the Sunamite virgin, which means scarlet, who heated David in his old age, cold in his constitution, but did not incite the stimulus of desire in him. For the church, coming from the superfluity of gentile rites and reddening with the blood of the gospel, strives to heat the Jewish people cold with infidelity and languishing in inveterate obstinacy not only by preaching and example but giving back good for evil permits to live quiet in the midst of her people; nor does it yet wish to be joined to the church for making the fruits of good works. The church will truly be acknowledge not undeservedly to be called widow of whatever husband is known to be redeemed by her death. Whence by Thamar, who is interpreted changing or bitterness, she is suitably figured, who changing the dress of widowhood for the disguise of a whore at the gate Enan or Enachim, which is interpreted fountain, conceived from Judah Phares and Zaram, who had the red hand by which he first extended and retracted from the maternal womb. The church indeed after the passion of Christ changing error for truth and coming to the fountain of baptism confessing herself a sinner gave birth to the Jewish people and the gentile, of whom the Jewish showed the hand which it had previously extended to the works of law, already as if reddened by the blood of the redeemer. She is designated also by the widow Zharephath [3Kgs 17.9] to whom Elijah was sent to be fed by her who not only by the name of the wood but also number figured the mystery of the cross, whose pitcher did not lack grain nor her cruse oil, that is the fruit and joy of charity, since she received the faith and love of Christ. Again the church is that widow from the wives of the prophets who called out after Elisha, namely Christ, that through him by the infusion of spiritual grace, which is through oil, he might redeem her two sons, that is her peoples, from the hands of creditors, namely of malignant spirits. Behold, most beloved parent, I have carried out your request as I could, obeyed your order, to resolve the question. I pray that you be sollicitous of the church, whose mystery you wished to know so very much as you are accustomed to honor its ministry and always pray for me in it, there especially where you have been accustomed to adore on your knees the revered image of the glorious virgin mother of God. Since you love her and whatever you know to contain her praises and pertain to her glory, I send you under the present sheet rhythmic closing verses about her individual celebrations which when they are brought forth or said fittingly in her honor she will not allow to be unremunerated who brought forth the giver of all good things. 1 Let the church celebrate the solemnities of the mother of God with solemn songs. Vows to your ears, councils praising you with devout voices worthy with worthy praise. O glorious Lady, we whose songs praise you pray you, destroy [our] crimes! 2 Your conception restored us whom the deception of the serpent overwhelmed, snatched us from the confines of death, and imposed an end to the exile that Eve merited. O glorious ... 3 It is a venerable celebration, your noble nativity for us, that fragile humanity might rise through which came humble incomprehensible sublimity. O glorious . . . 4 What the angelic voice brought you, salvation took the world up to the heavens, it brought vivifying goods with it, took away evil death-bearing [things], and conferred salvation. O glorious . . . 5 The unknown splendor of chastity in you, who has known no coitus [whom no coitus has known], that same one born of you is your begetter, only begotten of the father. O glorious . . . 6 Virginal fecundity is fitting for you, spiritual festivity of lights. The wax is parental virginity, the wick is filial humility, the fire is divinity. O glorious . . . 7 And so you are there for wretched suppliants, and you remember us so that with prayers you join us to the higher spirits by which you will enjoy your fruit, preferred before other heavenly [things]. O glorious . . .

Original letter:

H., domine de Basochis, honorande plurimum et diligende sibi genitrici sue G. primogenitus eius per gratiam Dei mereri quod sine ipsa non potest meritis obtineri. Queris a me, dilectissima parens et deuotissima sancte cultrix ecclesie, cum constructa domus ad orandum et propter adorandum omnipotentem uisibilium et inuisibilium creatorem ecclesia esse dicatur, mulier, sponsa, soror, mater, uirgo uel filia, uidua quoque non nunquam a sacra scriptura quibus rationibus appelletur. Quod quia, cum melius posses ab alio, plus a me quam ab alio uis doceri, libet obedire, quia contraire non licet materne, nisi sit recto contraria, uoluntati. Ecclesia quidem, quod est Grecum nomen et fidelium sonat congregationem, dicitur domus Dei, in qua populus, qui ab impiorum conuenticulis et uinculis aduersarie potestatis per lauachrum segregatur, congregatur, ut suo preces offerat, laudes proferat, grates referat conditori. Hec ad instar humani corporis et uenerande crucis similitudinem instauratur, ut per hec detur intelligi, quod ipsa continens sit imago contenti, id est figura conuenientis in ea populi a seruitute demonica dominica passione per crucis mysterium liberati. Et quia, sicut ab eis corporaliter habitatur, sic in eis cum ministrantibus ei spiritibus spiritaliter inhabitet Deus, et quicquid in ea uisibiliter agitur, per inhabitantem in eis Deum inuisibiliter impleatur -—- propter quod et ipsa congregatio fidelium satis aptius ecclesia nominatur, sed materialis domus hec, illa, quin potius ipsa fidelium unanimitas, predictis nominibus animarum, super quibus uoluisti questionem facere, designatur. Nec tantum uniuersaliter animabus iustis sed etiam electe cuilibet anime possunt hec eadem nomina uno tamen excepto, quod est ecclesia, non inconuenienter aptari. Ecclesia enim mulier dicitur, que de costa dormientis Ade producitur, quia de sanguine redemptionis et purificationis aqua sumpsit initium, que de Christi morientis in cruce latere manauerunt. Hec est igitur altera quidem Eua, que non tenebras sed lucem, risum non merorem, requiem non laborem, non seruos sed liberos, non miseros sed felices, Dei filios et celorum parit heredes. Illam malitia serpentis antiqui seduxit, hanc a miseria reduxit qui duxit eam in uxorem misericordia redemptoris. Ex hiis, si diligenter intendis, tue satis euidens est data solutio questioni. Spiritalis enim ecclesia mulier est intellecta quia per sanctas mulieres figurata, soror etiam Christi quia filia Dei per gratiam, cuius Christus filius per naturam. Sponsa, quia inclinauit aurem suam et oblita populi sui et domus patris sui gressus suos ad eum direxit et est eum secuta qui prior eam dilexit. Mater est ecclesia, quia parit filios Dei, uirgo propter illibatam fidei puritatem, uidua uero, quia uir suus, qui peccatum non fecit et modo regnat et uiuit, fuit eius mortuus uoluntarie pro peccatis. Quod si queris exempla de singulis ex scriptura sacra capitulis, libet occultiora preterire, notiora tuis sensibus aperire. Igitur, sicut predixi, mulier est ecclesia producta de costa uiri dormientis, id est de Christi latere morientis. Item ipsa mulier illa que, postquam filium ablactauit, obtulit eum cum tribus uitulis et tribus farine modiis, id est cum sacrificio cordis, oris et operis perfectum populum in fide trinitatis. Ipsa mulier peccatrix, antequam redempta, post sanctificata, que puerum, id est populum suum, quem in iuditio petebat altera, synagoga scilicet, diuidi, regis integrum iustitia dictante recepit. Et ut fiat transitus ad euuangelium, ecclesia dicitur mulier que, cum parit, tristiciam habet, sed post partum pre gaudio non meminit iam pressure, quia filiorum prius sollicit de salute gaudet postmodum, cum uidet eos ut lucis filios ambulare. Similiter et illa mulier que fermentum in tribus farine satis abscondit, dum tribus orbis terrarum partibus uim superne dilectionis impressit. Mulier quoque Samarithana que quinque uiros habuit et redemptorem suum ad puteum gratie recognouit. Sponsa quoque perhibetur esse multis in locis sacre scripture, sicut ibi relinquet homo patrem et matrem, Christus scilicet populum Iudaicum et synagogam, et adherebit uxori sue, id est ecclesie, et erunt duo in carne una, diuina pariter et nostra natura. Item cognouit Adam uxorem suam, Christus ecclesiam, que peperit primo Chaim — qui possessio, unde possedi hominem per Deum — per quem Iudei, post Abel, qui luctus, per quem populus Christianus. Hinc etiam de Sara dictum est Abrahe sub figura Christi: Perspicuum est, quod uxor tua sit, scilicet propter gemine coniunctionem in una persona nature, quam dicis, per gratiam scilicet, sororem tuam esse. Hec est Rebecca que, quia de praue conuersationis tortitudine uenit, adducitur in camelis ad Ysaac et ab eo et per eum, id est Christum, in tabernaculum synagoge matris inducitur et ducitur in uxorem, cum in unitate persone diuina natura suscepit humanam, et in tantum diligitur, quod propter eam de matris dormitione, synagoge scilicet perditione, tristicia temperatur. Hec est illa Cethura, cuius interpretatio thimiama, que, postquam Sare per contemptum dies transitorie prosperitatis extinguitur, cum scilicet sub duplicis uite, contemplatiue pariter et actiue, studio sepelitur, coniugum sortitur Abrahe, quia tunc Christo pretioso meritorum acceptabilis sit odore. Hec illa Rachel spetiosa que Iacob geminato septemni seruitio desponsatur, Christo scilicet in presenti, quod per septemnarium, per quem et uoluitur, designatur. Hinc Ioseph ducit uxorem filiam Heliopoleos sacerdotis, Christus scilicet ecclesiam, que est ciuitas ueri solis. Hanc postquam Moyses accepit uxorem, mortuus est rex Egypti, quia, cum Christus sibi desponsauit ecclesiam, destructus est principatus aduersarie potestatis. Hec uxor defuncti quam frater eius iubetur ducere fratrique de functo semen ex ea suscitare, non sibi, quia Christus factus obediens usque ad mortem ecclesiam commisit apostolis, qui non sibi sed ipsi procreant filios, quia Christiani dicuntur a Christo. Hec in bello capta mulier decora que rasis capillis et ungulis et impleto luctu super parentibus suis post triginta dies in uxorem iubetur accipi, quia Christus debellans aerias potestates per arcum crucis et gladium passionis uictor abstulit eis ecclesiam et capillis et ungulis eius nouacula doctrine fidelis abrasis et a mundi memoria per penitentie luctum ablutam, decalogi preceptis instructam et fide trinitatis accepit uxorem. Hinc per psalmistam dicitur: Tamquam sponsus procedens de thalamo suo, et per Salomonem: Confidit in ea cor uiri sui et nobilis in portis uir eius, id est in ingressu patrie celestis, cum sederit cum senatoribus terre, uidelicet apostolis et angelis sanctis. In euuangelio quoque hec desponsatio fuit incarnatio deitatis, thalamus desponsationis, Dei genitricis uterus uirginalis. Vocatur etiam soror ecclesia sicut Habrahe Sara soror ex patre et non ex matre, Christi scilicet ex patre Deo per gratiam et non ex matre, scilicet synagoga, uel generatione terrena. Item Sara et Rebecca sorores dicuntur uirorum et esse tacentur uxores, quia diuinitatis et humanitatis, Christi et ecclesie, coniugium est in occulto, sed apud alienigenas, ecclesie uero uocatio, donorum distributio, miraculorum operatio per gratiam est in aperto. Est etiam ecclesia soror ilia lippientis Lie, Rachel pulcherrima, cuius tam beati sunt oculi quam decori, quia lucem uidere meruerunt euuangelice claritatis. Hec est soror Maria Moysi que post transitum Maris rubri sumpsit tympanum et egressis post se mulieribus cum tympanis et choris pro leticia de submersis Egyptiis precinebat dicens: Cantemus Domino; gloriose enim honorificatus est. Per tympanum propter extensionem pellis inter duo ligna mortificatio carnis, per chorum concordia caritatis. Et a sponso celesti soror in canticis et sponsa dicitur, cum ab eodem in ortum uenire superne beatitudinis inuitatur. Mater autem, etsi dici sepe non inuenitur expresse, rebus ex multis mystice gestis innuitur tamen esse. Significatur enim per Rebecam in cuius utero gemini colliduntur, quia mali cum bonis in presenti ecclesia continentur. Per Lyam similiter et Rachelem propter actiue uite fructus et contemplatiue. Item per Sephoram, uxorem Moysi, que filium circuncidit acutissima petra; petra autem erat Christus, per quem spoliatur affectu ueteris hominis, de quo carnis opera generantur. Ipsa quoque mater est illa cuius filium unicum matri sue mortuum et extra portam ciuitatis sue iam delatum misericordia motus super eam suscitasse Dominus memoratur, eum scilicet qui non tantum occulto peccati languore, cogitando dumtaxat, intus extinctus sed aperti delectatione consensus per sensus cuiuslibet portam mortuus ab inmundis spiritibus absportatur. Est autem ecclesia filia Batuelis, id est populi gentilis, propter quam filio suo desponsandam Abraham puerum suum, Deus pater scilicet sermonem propheticum et predicatorum ordinem, misit. Est etiam filia Laban, qui dealbatio, scilicet dyaboli qui se transfigurat in lucis angelum, quam Iacob, id est Christus, abstulit de domo patris sui, de potestate principis tenebrarum. Ipsa quoque filia Pharaonis que ueniens ad lauachrum regenerationis inuolutum in fiscella Moysen, id est in figuris intelligentiam legis, inuenit. Ipsa est et illa filia cuius, quia iuxta psalmiste consilium oblita est populi sui et domus patris sui, rex celestis spetiem concupivit. Dicitur etiam uirgo pulcherrima que deposuit hydriam super ulnam, id est secularem scientiam propter diuinam, uel quia quod audiuit predicauit et fecit, et potum dedit Abrahe seruo, pueris et camelis, quia doctoris desiderio sapientibus et insipientibus satisfecit. Hinc et puella uocatur, cum a parentibus suis super desponsatione sua uoluntas eius inquiritur et ipsa se trahi post sponsum et in odore unguentorum eius se currere uelle respondit. Designatur quoque per uirginem et puellam quam de genere suo summus pontifex, id est Christus, accipere precipitur in uxorem sed et per Abisac, que interpretatur pater meus superfluus, uirginem Sunamitem, quod coccinea sonat, que Dauid etate maturum, complexione frigidum calefacit nec tamen incitat in eo stimulum uoluptatis. Veniens enim ecclesia de ritus superfluitate gentilis et euuangelii sanguine rutilans Iudaicum populum infidelitate frigidum et inueterata languentem obstinatione quasi calefacere studet non tantum predicationibus et exemplis sed quia retribuens ei bona pro malis in medio populi sui quietum uiuere sinit; nec tamen ille ad ecclesie uult coniungi fructus bonorum operum faciendos. Ecclesiam uero fatebitur non inmerito uiduam appellari quicumque uiri sui morte redemptum esse se cognouit. Vnde per Thamar, que commutans interpretatur uel amaritudo, congrue figuratur que commutans habitum uiduitatis in similitudinem meretricis ad portam Enan uel Enachim, quod interpretatur fons, concepit ex Iuda Phares et Zaram, qui manum qua coccinum habuit materno prior ex utero protulit et retraxit. Ecclesia quippe post Christi passionem errorem ueritate commutans et ueniens ad fontem baptismi confitendo se peccatricem Iudaicum populum peperit et gentilem, quorum Iudaicus manum, quam prior ad opera legis extenderat, ostenderat iam quasi rubricatam sanguine redemptoris. Designatur quoque per uiduam Sareptanam ad quam missus est Helyas, ut pasceretur ab ea, que non solo ligni nomine sed et numero crucis mysterium figurauit, cuius, ex quo fidem et dilectionem Christi suscepit, hydria farine et lechitus olei non deficit, id est fructus et hylaritas caritatis. Item ecclesia uidua est illa de uxoribus prophetarum, que clamauit post Helyseum, Christum scilicet, ut per eum spiritalis infusione gratie, que per oleum, duos filios, id est populos, redimeret de manibus creditorum, spirituum uidelicet malignorum. Ecce, prout potui, parui, dilectissima parens, tuam implere peticionem, iussionem exequi, soluere questionem. Precor, ut ecclesie, cuius tantopere uoluisti nosse misterium, sis sollicita, sicut es solita ministerium honorare et in ea per orare pro me, ibi precipue quo flexis consueuisti genibus reuerendam imaginem gloriose Dei genitricis uirginis adorare. Quam quia diligis et quicquid intelligis continere laudes ipsius et ad gloriam pertinere, sub presenti cedula mitto tibi singulas de singulis eius sollempnitatibus laudationis rith- clausulas, quas edidisse siue dixisse decenter ad eius honorem non sinet inremuneratum esse que genuit bonorum omnium largitorem. 1 Dei matris cantibus /Sollempnia /Recolat sollempnibus/ Ecclesia./Vota tuis auribus/Concilia/Te devotis vocibus/Laudantia,/ Digna dignis laudibus. 0 gloriosa Domina,/ Quorum te laudant carmina,/Precamur, dele crimina! 2 Tua nos restituit/ Conceptio,/ Quos serpentis obruit/ Deceptio,/De mortis eripuit/Confinio,/ Et finem imposuit/Exilio/ Quod Eua promeruit. 0 gloriosa ... 3 Est et uenerabilis/ Sollempnitas/ Nobis tua nobilis/ Nativitas,/ Surgeret ut fragilis/Humilitas,/ Per quam uenit humilis/ Sublimitas/ Incomprehensibilis. 0 gloriosa ... 4 Quam tibi uox attulit /Angelica,/ Mundum salus extulit/Ad celica,/ Bona secum detulit/Viuifica,/ Mala nobis abstulit/ Mortifica,/ Et salutem contulit. O gloriosa ... 5 Pudoris incognitus/ In te nitor,/ Cuius nullus coitus/Est cognitor,/Ex te nobis editus/Est conditor,/ Idem tibi genitus/Et genitor,/ Patris unigenitus. 0 gloriosa ... 6 Te decet fecunditas /Virginalis,/ Luminum festiuitas/ Spiritalis./ Cera est uirginitas/Parentalis,/ linum est humilitas/ Filialis,/ Ignis est diuinitas. 0 gloriosa ... 7 Ades ergo miseris/ Supplicibus,/ Et nostri memineris,/Vt precibus/ Nos coniungas superis/Spiritibus,/ Quo prelata ceteris/ Celestibus/ Fructu tuo frueris. 0 gloriosa ...

Historical context:

Guido writes in answer to his mother’s question about the meaning of “ecclesia” and why the church, which is said to represent various female relations to God, is never called a widow. Guido answers with a detailed catalogue of the various names and their biblical sources, including widow.

Scholarly notes:

1. Cetura is another wife of Abraham and mother by him of the north-Arabic tribes of Zamran, Jecsan, Madian, Madan, Jesboc and Sue (Gen.25:1-6).
2. In Genesis 41:50, Asenath is daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. On is the Hebrew name of the Egyptian city Heliopolis, city of the sun.

Printed source:

Liber Epistularum Guidonis de Basochis, ed. Herbert Adolfsson, Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis, Studia Latina Stockholmiensia, 18 (Stockholm: Almquist and Wiksell, 1969)., 23-28, ep.7.