Sender
Peter Damian
Receiver
Hermesinde
Translated letter:
And when they departed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and they dwelt in it. And each one said to his neighbor: Come, let us make bricks and bake them with fire. And they had bricks instead of stones and pitch instead of mortar [Gen.11:2-3]. Moreover, since Christ is truly the orient (east), as the prophet witnesses, who says Behold a man, the orient is his name [Zech.6:12], they come from the east, those who withdraw from the society of Christ by living wickedly or by destroying their neighbors. But Shinar may be interpreted as the knocking out of teeth or as their foulness. Thus they dwell in the plain of Shinar who are not stationed in the stronghold of virtues, but rather in the valley of vices, and they use their teeth as they gnaw as if biting their neighbors with slanders, and they emit a stench while they rot in the filth of dirty living. But almighty God knocks out their teeth, as he confounds both words and deeds alike of any perverse (people). Thus it also says there: Therefore its name was called Babel because there the language of the whole earth was confounded, and from there the Lord scattered them over the face of all countries [Gen.11:9].
Therefore it is rightly said that those proud men and graspers of vainglory truly say to each other: Come let us make for ourselves a city and a tower, whose top may reach to heaven, and let us make our name famous before we be scattered in all lands [Gen.11:4]; they dwelled in the plain of Shinar, because according to us, as was said, the knocking out of teeth, or their stench, pours out. Since those who are perverse, while they are haughty against the commands of divine law, while they arrogantly raise up the neck of (their) heart against God, they also sometimes culpably disparage their neighbors, and they themselves are immersed lower in the dung-pit of a repulsive life. And indeed about the knocking out of teeth David says: You have struck all those who are my enemies without cause, you have broken the teeth of sinners [Ps.3:8]. And elsewhere: God will crush their teeth in their mouth, the Lord will break in pieces the jawbones of lions [Ps.57:7]. Also concerning their stench another prophet says: The beasts have rotted in their dung [Joel 1:17]. And Isaiah: There will be, he says, stench instead of a sweet smell [Isai.3:24,
For whoever wishes to construct a building that is not in danger of easy collapse, it is necessary that he have not bricks and pitch, which may break apart unexpectedly, but rather stones and rocks, which erect walls, and mortar of limestone and gravel, which binds together those walls with an unbreakable structure of stones. Therefore because the aforesaid Babylonians had bricks instead of rocks and pitch instead of mortar, they signify building of carnal life, to be struck down as soon as possible by the force of winds or the current of rivers.
Those cities of tents that Pharaoh built from mud and straw, indeed mud that befouls, straw that is destined for flames, are named Pithom and Rameses, not without mystery. Pithom indeed is interpreted as the mouth of the abyss, or suddenly. For according to the statement of Paul, whoever now builds wood, hay, (or) stubble over the foundation that is Jesus Christ, whatever sort the work may be, fire tests it. And the higher this edifice of carnal life is raised, the lower it is suddenly overthrown, as if plunged into the gulf of the abyss. Therefore it is written: They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment they go down to hell [Job 21:13]. Therefore well said are both the “mouth of the abyss” and “unexpectedly,” because from the summit of carnal life, which it signifies, it is overthrown not sluggishly but quickly, and that which seems to be the ascent of the summit is the mouth of the abyss, as the prophet witnesses, who says: While they were lifted up you have cast them down [Ps.72:18]. But Rameses is called food or a gnawing worm. For the food of the devil is all the false ones, on which he feeds like a wolf on sheep, and he is fattened by their destruction, as if by feasts. About these David also says: They are placed in hell like sheep, and death will feed upon them [Ps.48:15].
The Lord said to Moses: Cast onto the ground the rod that you hold in your hand. He cast it down and it became a serpent. Moses immediately became very afraid and fled. And the Lord said to him: Grasp its tail: and he took it, and it became a rod again [Exod. 4:3-4]. Certainly we all know that the serpent commended death to man. Therefore death is from the serpent. But who is the rod other than Christ, about whom the prophet says, that from the root of Jesse a rod will come forth [Isai.11:1]? Thus the rod into the serpent, Christ into death. But Moses grew very afraid and fled because when the Lord was hung on the cross or dying, the whole group of apostles trembled (and) became very afraid and withdrew from the solidity of sure hope and firm faith. But since the tail is the endmost part of the body, what does it mean if not the end of the Lord’s passion? Therefore Moses grasped the tail and nothing more of the serpent appeared in the rod, because once the mystery of the Lord’s passion and the cross were completed, all faithful then returned to faith, and Christ, once he had annihilated death, restored himself through the glory of resurrection to what he had been.
Aaron, taking the censer, ran into the midst of the multitude that fire was devastating, and standing among the dead and the living he offered incense, and thus the raging destruction ceased. Truly who did Aaron signify if not our redeemer? For since he himself rejoices like a giant to run the way, after he had seized the censer of his passion he rushed among the dead and the living. And by the interposition of his cross, on which the incense of the sacred body was burned, the heavenly lamb was roasted and [he] separated the living and the dead, and the fire drove out death from them, as if a kind of wall coming between. So that a voracious flame swallows down the faithless, about whom it is written: Now fire consumes the adversaries [Hebr.10:27], and the just who live in faith escape the fire of damnation. Among the dead and the living now also those thieves, among whom the Lord was crucified, are known to have been the first of their kind, of which one was chosen, (and) the other was deservedly condemned for faithlessness. Therefore that mountain of fortitude brought among the dead and the living this incense of unique sacrifice that was offered on the altar of the cross to God the Father, when it poured out among the faithful and the faithless the fragrance of its knowledge. Therefore this is in the Canticles: Your name is as perfume poured out [Cant.1:2]. And the apostle: Now thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Jesus Christ, and always manifests the fragrance of his knowledge through us in every place, for we are the good fragrance of Christ unto God in those who are saved and in those who perish: to some indeed the odor of death unto death, to others the fragrance of life unto life [2Cor.2:14-16].
There was a certain pact that Saul would give his elder daughter Merab as wife to David. But when the time came in which she should have been given to him, she was not given to him but was united with another man. But David loved Michal, the other daughter of Saul, and joined her to himself as wife.1 Certainly Merab is interpreted as the multitude, but Michal as all the water or from all. And what is signified by Merab if not simply that crowd of faithless, which is of the multitude that is rejected. For many are called, but few chosen [Matth.20:16]. And what is figured through Michal except holy church, from which truly all the elect arise, or which consists of all the elect? Although she did not bear a son, nonetheless her sterility did not block this understanding.
Truly it is a mystery that here she was joined in union to king David, but there she remained infertile. Here she was chosen as the bride of Christ the Lord, yet there she did not deserve the gift of fertility but endured the disgrace of sterility in Israel. Truly David joined to himself this daughter of proud king Saul, while Jesus, strong of hand and deservedly desirable, took her away from menial service to a proud prince of this world, and by the bond of deepest union joined her to himself, namely that Michal, who is the holy church of the elect; the proud Saul, this is an evil spirit, since he was barely able to carry off Merab because the faithful guardian irrevocably bound her in the embraces of his love, he who calls out in the gospel: My sheep will not perish for ever, and no one will pluck them out of my hand [John 10:28].
Those who, once they have despised the building of worldly living and of concupiscence, construct the frame of a spiritual edifice, it is as if they transform bricks into stones, and not on the sand of worldly hope, but on the rock of faith which is Christ they establish halls that will never collapse. Therefore Isaiah says: The bricks have fallen down, but we will build with square stones; they have cut down the sycamores, but we will change them for cedars [Isai.9:10]. Indeed with those bricks falling, whoever builds with square stones, by the firmness of a stricter life chastises the wantonness of vices and pleasures; whoever by the law of the spirit overcomes the law of the flesh, by the virtue of the soul he alters the strength of the body. Therefore Isaiah says again: Those who trust in the Lord will alter their strength [Isai.40:31]. For while it does not say they “take up”, but will “alter,” we know clearly that it is one strength that is set aside, another that is begun anew. Hence the Psalmist
says to the elect: Act manfully and let your heart be strengthened, all you who hope in the Lord [Ps.30:25]. Hence Solomon says: Behold sixty valiant ones of the most valiant of Israel surround the bed of Solomon [Cant.3:7]. For the valiant surround the bed of Solomon, while the peace-making and holy are those who, with the indefatigable zeal of desire, guard the profound rest of our redeemer.
He has inebriated me with wormwood [Lamen.3:15]. Indeed intoxicated, he is ignorant of what he endures, as one utterly possessed or enchained in his mind. Therefore whoever is evil, while he madly desires profits of the world, who is oppressed by so many hardships, he does not perceive as bad the things that he suffers since he is led with delight toward everything by which he is fatigued as punishment.
They are laid in hell like sheep, and death will feed upon them [Ps.48:15]. Christ has sheep, which he leads toward green pleasant places in heavenly enclosures, but that roaring lion also has sheep, which he cruelly swallows down with an insatiable mouth. He is well-named death, because since he is the creator of death, he is cruelly carried off to inflict destruction on us. Therefore John: And behold a pale horse, and he that sat upon him, his name was Death [Apoc. 6:8].2 Original letter:
Cum proficiscerentur de oriente, invenerunt campum in terra Senaar et habitaverunt in eo. Dixitque alter ad proximum suum; Venite, faciamus lateres et coquamus eos igni. Habueruntque lateres pro saxis et bitumen pro cemento [Gen.11:2-3]. Porro autem cum Christus vere sit oriens, propheta testante, qui ait: Ecce vir oriens nomen eius [Zach. 6,12], de oriente veniunt, qui a Christi consortio male vivendo vel proximos lacerando recedunt. Senaar autem interpretatur excussio dentium sive foetor eorum. In campo igitur Senaar habitant qui non constituti in arce virtutum, sed potius in convalle vitiorum, et dentescunt ut proximos suos detractionibus quasi mordicus rodant, et foetores emittunt dum in coenosae conversationis squaloribus computrescunt. Sed eorum dentes Deus omnipotens excutit, dum perversorum quorumlibet et io facta simul et verba confundit. Unde et illic dicitur: Idcirco vocatum est nomen eius Babihel, quia ibi confusum est labium universae terrae, et inde dispersit eos Dominus super faciem cunctarum regionum [Gen. 11:9].
Recte ergo dicitur, quia superbi illi homines ac vanae gloriae captatores nimirum dicentes ad alterutrum: Venite, faciamus nobis civitatem et turrem, cuius culmen pertingat ad caelum, et celebremus nomen nostrum antequam dividamur in universas terras [Gen.11:4] habitaverunt in campo Senaar, quod apud nos, sicut dictum est, sonat excussio dentium vel foetor eorum. Quoniam perversi quique dum contra divinae legis mandata superbiunt, dum adversus Deum cervicem cordis arroganter attollunt, et proximis nonnunquam dampnabiliter detrahunt, et ipsi proclivius in obscenae vitae sterquilinio volutantur. Et de excussione quidem dentium per David dicitur: Tu percussisti omnes adversantes michi sine causa, dentes peccatorum contrivisti [Ps.3:8]. Et alibi: Deus conteret dentes eorum in ore ipsorum, molas leonum confringet Dominus [Ps.57:7]. De foetore quoque eorum alius propheta dicit: Computruerunt iumenta in stercore suo [Joel 1:17]. Et Ysaias: Erit, inquit, pro suavi hodore foetor [Isa.3:24].
Enimvero quisquis vult aedificium condere quod facili ruinae non sit obnoxium, necesse est eum non lateres et bitumen habere, quae repente dissiliant, sed lapides potius ac saxa, quae parietes erigant, et calcis ac sabuli cementum, quod ipsos parietes inviolata lapidum compagne constringat. Quod ergo iam dicti Babylonii lateres pro saxis et bitumen habuerant pro cemento, carnalis vitae significant aedificium, ad vim ventorum vel impetum fluminum quantotius obruendum.
Urbes illae tabernaculorum, quas Pharao luto paleaque construxit, nimirum luto quod inquinat, palea quae destinatur ad flammas, Phyton et Rameses sunt non sine mysterio nuncupatae. Phyton siquidem interpretatur os abyssi vel subito. Quisquis enim iuxta Pauli sententiam supra fundamentum quod est Christus Iesus, ligna, foenum, stipulam nunc aedificat, quale cuiusque opus sit, ignis probat. Et quo magis in altum haec carnalis vitae structura subrigitur, tanto proclivius velut in abyssi voraginem mersa, subito dissipatur. Unde scriptum est: Ducunt in bonis dies suos, et in puncto ad inferna descendunt [Job21:13]. Bene ergo dicitur et os abyssi, et subito, quia de carnalis vitae, quae per eam innuitur, culmine non segniter sed cito corruitur, et illud est os abyssi quod ascensus videbatur esse fastigii, propheta testante, qui ait: Deiecisti eos dum allevarentur [Ps.72:18]. Rameses vero pabulum dicitur vel tinea. Pabulum namque diaboli sunt omnes reprobi, quibus ille tanquam lupus ovibus vescitur, eorumque pernicie Ps. 48,15 velut epulis saginatur. De quibus et per David dicitur: Sicut oves in inferno positi sunt, et mors depascet eos [Ps.48:15].
Dixit Dominus ad Moysen: Proice virgam quam in manu gestas, in terram. Et proiecit, et factus est serpens. Expavit illico Moyses, et fugit. Et ait illi Dominus: Apprehende caudam eius: et apprehendit, factaque est iterum virga [Exod.4:3-4].Cuncti liquido novimus, quia serpens suasit homini mortem. Ergo mors a serpente. Quis autem virga nisi Christus, de quo propheta dicit, quia egredietur virga de radice Gesse[Isa.11:1} Virga itaque in serpentem, Christus in mortem. Moyses autem expavit et fugit, quia suspenso in cruce vel moriente Domino omnis ille apostolorum numerus tremefactus expavit, et a certae spei ac firmae fidei soliditate recessit. Quia vero cauda extrema pars est corporis, quid nisi finem dominicae significat passionis? Moyses igitur caudam apprehendit et nichil in virga ultra serpentis apparuit, quia completo dominicae passionis crucisque mysterio, et fidelis quisque tunc ad fidem rediit, et Christus consumpta morte idipsum in se quod fuerat per resurrectionis gloriam reparavit.
Tollens Aaron turibulum cucurrit per mediam multitudinem quam vastabat incendium, et stans inter mortuos ac viventes thimiama obtulit, sicque deseviens plaga cessavit. Quem sane Aaron nisi redemptorem nostrum signabat? Ipse namque quoniam ad currendam viam quasi gigas exultavit, arrepto passionis suae turibulo inter mortuos ac viventes occurrit. Et obiectu crucis suae, in qua thimiama sacri corporis concrematum est, et agnus ille caelestis assatus est, vivos ac mortuos separavit, ignisque perniciem ab eis, quasi quidam interveniens murus, exclusit. Ut infideles quosque, de quibus scriptum est: Nunc ignis adversarios consumit [Heb.10:27], vorax flamma deglutiat, et iusti qui fide vivunt, incendium dampnationis evadunt. Quorum mortuorum atque viventium iam et ipsi latrones noscuntur fuisse primitiae, inter quos Dominus crucifixus est, quorum alter electus, alter est merito perfidiae reprobatus. Hoc itaque thimiama sacrificii singularis, quod in ara crucis oblatum est Deo Patri, mons ille fortitudinis inter mortuos viventesque portavit, cum hodorem suae noticiae per fideles et infideles effudit. Unde est illud in Canticis: Unguentum effusum nomen tuum [Cant.1:2]. Et apostolus: Deo autem gratias qui semper triumphat nos in Christo Iesu, et hodorem noticiae suae semper manifestat per nos in omni loco, quia Christi bonus hodor sumus Deo in his qui salvi fiunt et in his qui pereunt: aliis quidem hodor mortis in mortem, aliis hodor vitae in vitam [2Cor.2:14-16].
Pactus quidem est Saul maiorem filiam suam Merob David dare uxorem. Sed cum tempus advenisset quo dari sibi debuisset, non ei data est, sed alii est coniuncta viro. Dilexit autem Michol filiam Saul alteram David, eamque sibi uxorem coniunxit. Merob quippe interpretatur de multitudine, Michol autem aqua omnis vel ex omnibus. Et quid per Merob nisi illa duntaxat infidelium turba signatur, quae est de multitudine quae repellitur? Multi enim sunt vocati, pauci vero electi [Matth.20:16]. Quid autem per Michol nisi sancta figuratur aecclesia, a qua videlicet omnes oriuntur electi, vel quae ex omnibus constat electis? Quae licet filium non genuerit, huic tamen intellegentiae eius sterilitas non obsistit.
Aliud quippe mysterium est, quia regi David est in iugalitate coniuncta, aliud quia perstitit infoecunda. Aliud quia Christi Domini est sortita coniugium, aliud quia foecunditatis non meruit donum, sed pertulit in Israel sterilitatis obprobrium. Hanc sane David superbi regis Saul sibi filiam iunxit, dum fortis manu Iesus ac merito desiderabilis eam de superbi huius mundi principis obsequio sustulit, sibique confoederationis intimae glutino counivit. Quam videlicet Michol, quae sancta electorum est aecclesia, superbus ille Saul, hoc est malignus spiritus, cum Merob auferre minime valet, quia fidelis custos inrevocabiliter eam suae dilectionis obstrinxit amplexibus, qui in evangelio clamat: Oves meae non peribunt in aeternum, et non rapiet eas quisquam de manu mea [John 10:27].
Qui contempta terrenae conversationis concupiscentiaeque structura spiritalis aedificii fabricam construunt, hii quasi lateres in lapides vertunt, et non in harena mundanae spei, sed in petra fidei quae Christus est, atria nunquam lapsura constituunt. Unde per Ysaiam dicitur: Lateres ceciderunt, sed quadris lapidibus aedificabimus; sicomoros succiderunt, sed cedros immutabimus [Isa.9:10]. Lateribus quippe cadentibus lapidibus, quadris aedificat quisquis viciorum voluptatumque lasciviam districtioris vitae rigore castigat, qui legem carnis lege spiritus superat, qui fortitudinem corporis animi virtute demutat. Unde rursus per Ysaiam dicitur: Qui confidunt in Domino mutabunt fortitudinem [Isa.40:31]. Nam dum non assumunt sed mutabunt dixit, patenter innotuit aliam esse fortitudinem quae deponitur, aliam quae noviter inchoatur. Hinc electis per psalmistam dicitur: Viriliter agite et confortetur cor vestrum, omnes qui speratis in Domino [Ps.30:25]. Hinc Salomon ait: En lectulum Salomonis sexaginta fortes ambiunt ex fortissimis Israel [Cant.3:7]. Fortes enim lectulum Salomonis ambiunt, dum intimam pacifici redemptoris nostri requiem sancti quique indefessa desiderii sedulitate custodiunt.
Inebriavit me absinthio. [Lam.3:15]. Ebrius quippe, quod tolerat, velut abrepticius pene vel mente captus ignorat. Quilibet ergo perversus, dum mundi lucra frenetice concupiscit, qui tot laboribus premitur, ea quae patitur, mala non sentit, quoniam ad cuncta delectabiliter ducitur, in quibus poenaliter fatigatur.
Sicut oves in inferno positi sunt, et mors depascet eos [Ps.48:15]. Oves habet Christus, quas ad amoena virentia caulis caelestibus introducat, oves habet et ille leo rugiens, quas insatiabili cruentus ore deglutiat. Qui bene mors dicitur, quia cum sit auctor mortis, ad inferendum nobis interitum crudeliter efferatur. Unde Iohannes: Et ecce equus pallidus, et qui sedebat super eum, nomen illi: mors [Apoc.6:8].
Historical context:
The letter appears to be the substantial part of a letter to a nun, who is not named in the extant text, but is identified as Hermesinde in the rubric accompanying the letter.
Scholarly notes:
1 In the bible it is Michal who loves David [1Reg./Sam.18:20], which Damien’s grammar does not support.
2 This translation was provided by Ashleigh Imus.
Printed source:
MGH, BDKz 4, 3.462-67, ep.136
Date:
after 1065
