Chapter 8 third chapter

Sixth Prayer Adso admires the chapel doors, Willian meets again with Ubertino of Casal The chapels were not so stately as the churches I later saw in Strasbourg, Chartres, Bamberg, and Paris.In fact, it was no different from the chapels I have seen elsewhere in Italy. It had no lofty aspirations, was firmly built on the ground, and often occupied a large area but was rather low.But the ground floor of this chapel is surrounded by a circle of battlements, like a fortress, and a second floor is added on top of this level, which is not like a normal church tower, with a roof covered with turpentine, and the building itself is still open. A few simple windows.It is a solid abbey chapel, like those built by our ancestors in Provence and Languedoc, very different from the bold and fine-grained style of modern times; Little steeple of heaven.

There is a straight and undecorated column on both sides of the entrance. At first glance, it seems that there is a big arch in the middle, but there are two oblique spaces starting from the column, forming a compound arch. Leads into a bottomless pit until the door.There are arch bases on both sides, and a beam column with carved patterns in the center, which divides the door into two, and is guarded by two oak doors inlaid with metal.At that hour the sun was almost straight on the roof, and the light fell slantingly on the surface, but was shadowed between arch and lintel; Two rows of smaller columns are arranged regularly, giving people the illusion of walking into a forest.Once our eyes had adjusted to the gloom, the beauty of the stone carvings caught our eyes and left me speechless and my imagination soaring that I still find it indescribable.

I saw a throne in the sky, and a man was sitting on the throne.The man's face was serious and calm, and his big bright eyes gazed at the worldly human beings who had reached their end; the noble hair and beard surrounded that face, flowing like a river to his chest, and divided into two parts symmetrically.The crown on his head was set with bright jewels, and the purple robe on his body was trimmed with gold and silver thread and lace, and was gathered above the knees.The left hand on the knee holds a book, and the right hand is raised upwards, like a blessing or a warning—I can't tell the difference.A halo inlaid with crosses and ornamented with floral ornaments illuminated his face with soft radiance, and a rainbow of shimmering emeralds circled the throne.Before the throne, at the man's feet, was a mass of shining crystal, and beside and above the throne, I saw four hideous statues - I was awed to look at them, but they were incomparable to the man on the throne Docile and dear, singing the psalm of praise without ceasing.

Perhaps it can't be said that they were all "scary" looking, because to my left (that is, to the right of the throne), the man with a book looks handsome and kind.But on the other side there was a terrible eagle, covered with thick fur like iron armor, with a book between each of its sharp claws, their bodies turned away from the throne, but their heads turned towards the incumbent, as if in the throne room. Under a strong impulse, the shoulders and neck were twisted suddenly, the muscles of the flanks were tense, the limbs were like dying animals, the mouth was wide open, the snake-like tail was curled up and twisted continuously, and finally, there was a flame above like tongue.Both demons have wings and halos around their heads; despite their hideous appearance, they are not creatures of hell, but from heaven.What made them terrible was that they roared loudly in praise of God who judged the living and the dead.

Around the throne, next to the four statues and at the feet of the incumbent, looking through the transparent crystal sea, the triangular gable structure seems to fill the space in front of you, with seven plus seven at the bottom, then three plus three, and then It is two plus two, arranged on both sides of the big throne, a total of twenty-four small thrones, on which sit twenty-four old people wearing white robes and golden crowns.Some held lutes in their hands, one held a bottle of perfume, and only one was playing the instrument, while the others were intoxicated, facing the incumbent, and singing carols.Their limbs are also twisted like those creatures, so that everyone can see the incumbent, but not in a wild posture, but in an intoxicated dance-David must have danced before the ark. Such a dance—so no matter where their pupils fall, against the laws governing the state of the body, they still emit the same light.Oh, how harmonious is such wildness and impulsiveness!Their posture is so unnatural, yet so graceful, with the mysterious language of the body, the burden of the flesh is released, the known things are injected with new entities, it seems that a gust of wind blows to this holy group, bringing them the breath of life , a frenzy of joy, turns the beautiful carol from sound into image.

The Holy Spirit inhabited every part of their bodies, their faces glowed with revelation, their eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, their cheeks flushed with love, their pupils radiated joy. One was amazed by sudden joy, another was dancing with excitement, some were deformed by joy, and some were rejuvenated in joy.They all chanted, robed, limbs taut and twisted, singing a new hymn, a smile on parted lips.At the feet of these old men, and above them and the throne, arranged symmetrically; for the skill of the painter made them opposite each other, and proportioned, so that they seemed harmonious in their variety, and unique in their unity, There is a sweet tone in the wonderful harmony, and there is a miracle of harmony in the difference between each other.They are like a group of zither strings. Through the deep inner strength, they reach a consensus. The music is composed of a single tone, seeking change in the same, and seeking the same in the change. Movements (Bondage and Tranquility, Love, Virtue, Government, Power, Order, Origin, Life, Light, Glory, Species, and Bonding of Forms).In those proportioned forms shone countless glorious qualities--where all flowers and green leaves, vines and bushes entangled with each other, all the flowers and plants of gardens on earth and in heaven, violets, thyme, herb, lily, water Wax, narcissus, taro, mallow, myrrh and impatiens compete for beauty. ※Bandhammer School & E-Book of Fine School※

But just as my soul, immersed in the harmony of earthly beauty and supernatural majesty, was about to burst into hymns of joy, my eyes turned from the roses blooming at the old man's feet to the figure on the central pillar of the chapel.It was three pairs of fierce lions arranged crosswise, shaped like a bow. Each lion stood on its hind feet on the ground, and its front feet rested on the back of its companion. Its mane was tangled and its mouth was wide open. It seemed to be roaring loudly, bound by a circle of tendrils. on the columns. I can't figure out the story these images are trying to express.On either side of the column were two figures, as high as the column, and two other figures exactly like them stood on the arches, opposite them, forming the jambs of the two oaken doors.From the tools they carried, I recognized Peter and Paul, Jeremiah and Isaiah; they held up their slender, dark hands, twisting themselves as if they were dancing, their fingers spread like wings, The wind-blown hair and beard are like wings, and the folds of the robe wave with the dancing legs, opposite to the lion, but as excited as the lion.Fascinated, I looked away from the dancing limbs and muscles, and saw in the deep archway beside the door, between the smaller columns, the ornamental obliques were exquisitely carved, and each column was also painted. Different grasses, with branches extending to the round roof of the compound archway.Other images are rather horrific and are only depicted because they have metaphorical or allegorical force, or convey a moral lesson.I saw a sensual woman, completely naked, whose flesh was gnawed by ugly toads, and whose blood was sucked by serpents; beside her was a satyr, half-human, half-animal, with a big belly and hard, lion-like feet. hair, roaring and cursing at the throat.I saw a miser, dead stiff on his bed, the victim of a horde of demons, a demon in the form of a baby splintered from the soul of a dead man (ah, no more immortality); I saw a proud man , with a devil lying on his shoulders, stabbing his eyes, and two gluttons tearing at each other in hand-to-hand combat.There are other creatures, sheep's head and lion's skin, leopard's jaw, and prisoners imprisoned in the flame forest. I can almost feel their gradually scorching breath.Around them, above and below their heads, more bodies and faces mingled with them: a man and a woman clutching each other's hair, two poisonous snakes biting the eyeball of one of them, a Grinning man slits the throat of a hydra with a hooked hand.And all the animals of the Satanic bestiary, assembled in an Inquisition, facing the throne, including demigods, bisexuals, six-fingered monsters, banshees, horse-headed mermaids, gorgons, ponytails Ugly women, succulents, minotaurs, lynxes, leopards, fire-breathing monsters with the head of a lion and the body of a sheep, kobolds, crocodiles, long-haired boa constrictors, horned vipers, turtles, snakes, and monsters with teeth on their backs. Two-headed monster, earth otter, monkey, crow, mad dog with jagged horns, frog, half-lion, vulture, weasel, dragon, hoopoe, owl, scorpion, two-headed snake, green scorpion , dragonfish, octopus, moray eel and hawksbill turtle.This Hades group gathers as if in abandoned wastelands and dark forests, in the phantom of the Incumbent, facing Him who will at last separate the living from the dead.I was stunned by what I saw, and did not know whether I was in a friendly place, or in a deep valley of the Last Judgment.I was so terrified that I could hardly hold back my tears, I seemed to hear the voice, (maybe I really heard it?) and saw the sights.When I was only a young novice, reading the sacred texts for the first time, and during my nights of meditation in the monastery of Melek, and in my deranged state of weakness and sickness, I heard a voice as loud as a trumpet saying : "Write in a book what you see now." (which is what I'm doing too).

I saw seven golden candlesticks, and in the midst of these stood the Son of God, with a golden girdle around his breast, and his hair was as white as the purest wool, his eyes were flaming, and his feet were like the finest bronze as if forged in a furnace.His voice was like the sound of running water. He held seven stars in his right hand and a sharp double-edged sword in his mouth.I saw a door of heaven opened, and he who sat on a throne, which seemed to me like a jasper or agate, was surrounded by a rainbow, and the throne itself gave forth lightning and thunder.Holding a sickle in his hand, the incumbent shouted: "Wave the sickle and reap, because the time of harvest has come; because the harvest of the earth is ripe."

He sits on a cloud and swings his scythe at the earth; the earth reaps. Only then did I realize that the vision was speaking of what had happened in the monastery, of what we had learned from the abbot's discreet mouth—and how many times I went back to the chapel in the next few days brooding over the doorway, convinced that I was experiencing the events it narrated, knowing that we had come all the way to this monastery to witness a celestial massacre. I seemed to be wetted by the cold winter rain and shivered involuntarily.I heard another sound again, but this time it came from behind me, and it was a different sound because it came from the ground and not from my vision.In fact, the sound shattered the phantom, as William (whom I was again aware of) was also lost in meditation.Upon hearing this voice, both of us turned our heads in unison.

The man standing behind us was obviously a monk, and though his garb was shabby and filthy, making him look like a tramp, his face was not much different from the demon I had just seen on the capital.I am not like many of my brother monks, who have never been troubled by demons in my life; but if one day he should appear before me, although he took human form, the gods still prevent him from completely hiding his nature, I believe he will The transformed appearance must be like the monk who is talking to us at this moment.His lack of hair was not shaved for stealth penance, but the result of some kind of sticky eczema in the past; The brows were intertwined (his were thick and shaggy); the eyes were wide open, with small pupils that moved, and I couldn't tell whether his gaze was innocent or malevolent: maybe both, alternating.The nose was not really a nose, it was just a bone between the eyes, just when it rose from the face, it immediately sank down again, turning into two black holes, with black hair protruding from the wide nostrils.The mouth below the nose was connected by a scar. It was big and ugly, slightly tilted to the right. There was no depression in the middle of the upper lip, and the lower lip was thick and protruding. The irregular black teeth were as sharp as dog teeth.

The man smiled (or so I thought), and raised a finger, as if admonishing, and said, "Penetangit! Watch out for dragons from the future to bite your soul! Death is unknown! Pray St. Peter Come and free us from all our sins! Haha, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ! Death is waiting for me, trying to grab my heels at any time. But Salvatore is not stupid! Come and pray. Nothing else is worth the trouble .Amen. Right?" As the story progressed, I had to recount what the man said.I will confess that it was a difficult job, because I still can't figure out which language he speaks.It was not the Latin in which old-fashioned monks pronounced their opinions, nor the vernacular, nor the vulgarity I had heard.But the manner in which he spoke gave me an idea, so I am now recording the first time I heard him speak (as far as I can remember).Later I learned about his life of exploration and the fact that he lived in many places without settling down in one, and I realized that Salvatore spoke in a mixture of languages ​​rather than a specific language .Or I say, he invented for himself a language out of all the languages ​​he had spoken—the language spoken by man is the language of Adam, the same from the origin of the world to the Tower of Babel; A tower as high as the sky, God punished them for their arrogance, made everyone speak a different language, did not understand each other, so that the tower could not be completed-I think his words are probably one of them, not only difficult to express , which is even more confusing.Speaking of it, Salvatore’s words are really not a language, because no matter what language it is, there are rules to follow: when people say “dog”, they call it “dog”” Call it "cat" later? Or these words that people don't agree on meaning. However, no matter how I listen to it, I just don't understand what Salvatore is saying, and neither do others. All I know is He used all kinds of languages, but none of them was correct. I also noticed later that he may use Latin and then Provence when referring to a thing. And he really lacks the genius of discovery. They are ready-made sentences that say what he has heard some time before, according to the situation and what he has to say. For example, when he wants to talk about food, he will only use what he has eaten with him before. The words spoken by a person who wants something, and the sentences he uses to express his joy are the cheers of someone who experienced the same joy as him one day. Speaking of it, his words are the same as his face, made of Part by part of someone else's face, or like the reliquaries I've seen (if I may compare demonic things with sacred things), constructed from the fragments of many relics. When I first saw The moment I saw him, because of his face and the way he spoke, I felt that Salvatore was not far from the half-human, half-beast monster I saw just now on the column. Later I realized that he might be plain Kind, and humorous. Then...but let's go in order. As soon as he finished speaking, my master asked him questions with great curiosity. "Why do you say penitangit?" he asked. Salvatore bowed and replied: "Jesus risked his life, people should repent and atone. Right?" William gave him a stern look. "Are you from a monastery in Menorette?" "I don't understand." ※Ballet Hammer School & E-Book of Fine School※ "I asked you if you were a monk of the Franciscan order; I asked you if you knew the so-called false apostles..." Salvatore's ugly, sunburned face turned gray.He bowed deeply, muttered a few words, blessed himself reverently, and slipped away, looking back now and then at us. I asked William, "What did you ask him just now?" He pondered for a while: "That's not important, I'll tell you later. Let's go in now. I'm going to find Ubertino." At that time, the sixth o'clock prayer had just ended, and the faint sunlight had already slanted westward, shining into the interior of the chapel through several narrow windows.A ray of light diffused across the front of the altar, making the altar glow golden, but the sides of the main hall were darker. Near the left of the altar, there is a thinner column on which is placed a statue of the Virgin Mary, carved in a modern style.There was an erratic smile on the Virgin Mary's face, her belly bulged slightly, she was wearing a beautiful veil, and she held the Holy Child in her arms.Beneath the statue of the Virgin, a man in a monk's robe kneels and prays. Let's go up.The man looked up when he heard our footsteps. He was old, bald, with a clean face, big pale blue eyes, thin and red lips, white skin, and thin cheeks, like a mummy soaked in milk. His hands were also very white, with slender fingertips.He was like a young girl who died young.First he gave us a bewildered look, as if we had disturbed his meditation; then his face lit up with joy. "William!" he cried, "my dearest brother!" He stood up with difficulty, went to my mentor, embraced him, and kissed him. "William!" he cried again, his eyes wet with tears, "Long time no see! But I still recognize you! After so long, many changes, and many trials that God has given us!" He sobbed excitedly. William hugged him back, obviously deeply moved.Standing before us is Ubertino of Casal. Before I came to Italy, I had heard many legends about him, and when I was in the palace and often got together with the monks of St. Franciscan Church, I heard more about him.I was told by someone that the greatest poet of our time, who died only a few years ago, Dante Airegigli of Florence, wrote a poem (which I couldn't read as it was in vulgar Tuscan) understand), several stanzas are adapted from verses written by Ubertino.This celebrity's strengths don't stop there.In order to give readers a better idea of ​​the significance of this meeting, I must try to recount the events of those years; that was known to me during the short time I was in central Italy, and the events of William and the various monasteries along the way. Overheard from many long conversations. I have tried to state these things as far as I know them, though I dare not say that my explanations will be very good.Melek's mentors used to tell me that it was very difficult for a northerner to have a clear idea of ​​the religious and political changes in Italy. On the Italian peninsula, where the power and wealth of the clergy were greater than in any other country, and for more than two hundred years the secular people had been kept poorer, they rose up against the corrupt monks, and even Refuse to accept sacramental rites.They organized independent groups and were hated by feudal landowners, empires, and urban municipalities. Finally, St. Francis appeared, spreading the idea of ​​peace and happiness, without violating the order of the church; through his efforts, the church adopted the older and stricter canon, and eliminated the separatist factors hidden in it.There followed a mild and holy period, but as the Franciscan order grew and attracted the best minds, it became too powerful and meddled too much in worldly affairs.Many Franciscan monks want to restore the purity of the early days of the order. This is a very difficult task, because at the time I was in the monastery, the Franciscan order had more than 30,000 members all over the world. But because of this, many Franciscans have violated the rules established by the order, which they say is now as corrupt as the ecclesiastical institutions it was first created to reform; St. Francis was like this before he died, his words and his goals were betrayed.At that time many people rediscovered a work of the early twelfth century, written by a Cistercian monk named Joachim, who was born with the power of prophecy.In fact, he foresaw the coming of a new age in which the Christian spirit, long collapsed by the wrong actions of the apostles, would once again be revived.He also said something about the future, making it certain that he was speaking of the Franciscan Order.So many Franciscan friars rejoiced that in the middle of the twelfth century the teachings of Abbot Joachim were condemned by scholars at the theological faculty of the University of Paris.Apparently, they did this because the Franciscan Order (and the Order of St. Dominican) had become too powerful, and the knowledge of the monks could not be taken lightly; They want the order to be wiped out in the name of heresies.It was the Church's good fortune that this plot was not carried out.Then Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure came out, and those certainly weren't heresies.For this reason, too, a confusion of concepts arose in Paris, or someone deliberately confused them for his own purposes.Such is the evil which paganism wrought upon Christians, which confused ideas and induced every man to become selfish.What I saw in the monastery at that time (I will tell you all) made me think that the Inquisitors often created heresies.Not only did they imagine heresies where they did not exist, but they violently suppressed their corruption; and because of their intensity, many people resented them and joined them instead.This is indeed a circle conceived by the devil.God bless us. ※Bandhammer School & E-Book of Fine School※ But I'm going to say Joachim's heresy (if that counts heresy).In Tuscany a Franciscan friar, Gerald of Borgo San Donino, repeated Joachim's prophecies, making people wonder about Menoret (that is, St. will) leave a deep impression.So one of them rose up to support the old canon against the order reorganized by Bonaventi, who had become abbot. In the last thirty years of the twelfth century, the Council of Lyons rescued the Franciscans from the enemies who wanted to abolish it, allowing it to possess the necessary properties.But certain monks on the borders of England and Scotland rebelled because they believed the spirit of the canon had been forever betrayed; and the Franciscan order must have nothing, neither individual monk nor monastery or order.The traitors were sentenced to life imprisonment.I don't think what they're preaching is ungodly, but it's often hard to judge impartially when ownership of worldly things is in doubt.It is said that many years later the new Superior, Raymond Godfredi, found the prisoners in Ancona and set them free, saying: "Such a crime shames each of us and the Order as a whole." This shows that the so-called heresy is not true, and there are still many moral people in the church. Among the released prisoners was a man named Anglois Clarenus who later met Pierre Aurier, a monk from Provence, and heard him tell the prophecies of Joachim .Later he met Ubertino of Casal, and in this way religious action was born.One of the holiest hermits of that age ascended the papal throne, Peter of Mouron, who became Christian V; and the bishops embraced him with confidence. "A saint will appear," so they say, "who will follow the teachings of Christ, and he will live the life of an angel; tremble, you corrupt monks." Perhaps Christian lived too much of an angelic life, or the high priesthood around him was too corrupt, or he could not bear the pressure of the endless conflict between the emperor and the other kings of Europe; He gave up his throne and went back to living the life of a hermit.But in the short time he has been in power for less than a year, the bishops' hopes have been fulfilled.They went to Christian and together they founded a famous order.On the other hand, while the Pope was tasked with acting as an arbiter among the most powerful cardinals in Rome, several Popes - such as one named Colonna and one named Orsini - secretly supported the new Poor Action , for a powerful person who lives in wealth and luxury, this is really a very strange choice.I've always wondered whether they were just using the bishop for their own political ends, or whether they felt they had to support the bishop's tendencies in order to approve of their secular life.From my little knowledge of Italian things, there may be a combination of both.But to set an example, Bishop Orsini appointed Ubertino vicar of the chapel.Orsini, already a most respected cardinal, risked being accused of heresy. While in Avignon, he personally protected Ubertino. So, on the one hand, Angrus and Ubertino preached according to the teachings, and on the other hand, the simple masses accepted their missions and spread them all over the country.These monks, who advocated a life of poverty, considered dangerous by many, invaded Italy.At this time, it was not easy to distinguish a bishop who was in touch with the church authorities from a monk who lived outside the convent and worked hard without owning any property. The general public now calls these simple-living monks "Fradislis", which is no different from "France Bagde" who inherited Pierre Aurier's teachings. When Christian V abdicated, he was succeeded by Boniface VIII, who had no connivance with bishops and Phradis; Cautela, a stern denunciation of the wandering dervish of the Franciscan order, and of the bishop who had left the life of the order and retired as a hermit. After Boniface VIII's death, the bishops asked his successors to promise to leave the order to its own accord; among these successors was Clement V.I believed they would have succeeded, but the presence of John XXII dashed their hopes. When he was elected pope in 1316, he wrote to the king of Sicily, asking him to expel all the monks who had taken refuge in Sicily; then John arrested Angrus Clarenus and the bishop of Provence . Things didn't go very well, and many people in the Holy See rebelled. Later, Ubertino and Angrus managed to obtain permission to secede from the order, the former joined the order of St. Benedict, the latter was accepted by the Christian order.But John showed no mercy to those who continued to live in freedom. He handed them over to the Inquisition for punishment, and many were accused of heresy and burned alive. He understood, however, that in order to eradicate the Phradisoli weeds that threatened the foundations of ecclesiastical authorities, it was necessary to denounce the basic concepts of their faith.They declared that Christ and the Apostles had no property, either individually or jointly; the Pope denounced this as heresy.This is an astonishing move, since the pope has no apparent reason to accuse the idea of ​​Christ's poverty as evil; it was confirmed only a year ago by the Franciscan branch in Perugia, The Pope condemned this belief, and inevitably condemned other ideas as well.As I said, the Order was a great countercurrent in his confrontation with the Emperor, and that was the truth.So after his censure many Friars Fradiselli, who knew nothing of the Empire or of Perugia, were burned to death. All these thoughts race through my mind as I look at the legendary Ubertino.My mentor introduced me, and the old man stretched out a warm hand to stroke my cheek.At the touch of that hand I suddenly understood many things about this saint; some of which I had heard, and some of which I had read in his writings.I understood the mysterious fire that had burned in him from his youth, when, while a student in Paris, he abandoned theological thinking and imagined himself a penitent prostitute; Associating with Guerra, I learned the richness of mystical life and the worship of the cross; I also understood why his abbot would one day be alarmed by his zeal to preach and send him to hide in Ravenna. I looked at that face, its features were sweet, like the Madonna with whom he had exchanged profound spiritual thoughts.I think that at the Congress of Vienna in 1311, when the pope decreed that the president of the Franciscan Church who opposed the bishop was removed from office, and ordered the bishop to live a peaceful life in the church, his expression must have been much stricter than now.This harsh compromise was not accepted by the fighter against the canon, and he fought for an independent order based on the strictest principles.He fought valiantly, but later lost the battle, because in those years John XXII had championed a reform movement against the disciples of Pierre Aurier (of whom Ubertino was also a member), Condemn the monks of Narbon and Bezieres.But Ubertino did not hesitate to fight the Pope for his old friend. Overwhelmed by his dignity, John does not reproach him (though he again condemns many others).In fact, he also offered Ubertino a way to save himself, first admonishing him and then ordering him into the Order of Cluniac.Ubertino, disarmed and extremely weak, must have also had considerable means to win protectors and allies in the Holy See. Although he later agreed to enter the Gembrahe Abbey in Flanders, I believe he Having never been there at all, remained at Avignon to defend the claims of the Franciscans under the banner of Bishop Orsini. It was only a short time ago (the rumors I have heard are vague) that his star in the Curia died, and he was obliged to leave Avignon.The pope then pursued this strong and unyielding man for heresy.He was then said to have disappeared without a trace.That afternoon, from the conversation between William and the abbot, I learned that he was hiding in this monastery.Now I see him with my own eyes. "William," he said, "they're trying to kill me, you know. I've got to get away in the dark." "Who wants to kill you? John?" "No. John has never liked me, but he has always respected me. After all, ten years ago he offered me a way out of a trial; he ordered me to join the order of St. Their enemies had nothing to say. They gossip constantly, mocking the fact that a poor fighter should enter a rich convent under the patronage of the Bishop of Orsini... William, you know I despise the things of this world! But only in this way can I stay in Avignon and support my brother. The Pope dare not make an enemy of Orsini, he will never touch me. Three years ago he appointed me as his envoy to Allah King Gong." "Then who wants you dead?" "Every one of them. The Holy See. Twice they have tried to assassinate me, they have tried to silence me. You know what happened five years ago. Baghd of Narbun was also condemned two years ago , Berengar Talloni, though one of the Inquisitors, appealed to the Pope. It was a hard time. John had twice issued an imperial bull against the bishop, and even Michael of Cesena had given up--yes Now, when will he arrive?" "It will be here in two days." ※Bandhammer School & E-Book of Jing School※ "Michael... I haven't seen him for a long time. Now he has finally figured out what we want, and the Perugian monks have proved us right. But in 1318, he told the Pope Submit and hand over to John the five archdiocese bishops who refused to obey. William... oh, that was horrible!" He covered his face with his hands. "But what happened after Talloni's petition?" William asked. “约翰只有重开争论，你明白吧？他必须这么做，因为在教廷里也有感到疑惑的人，即使是教廷中的圣方济格修士——形式主义者，伪善者，准备为牧师的俸禄出卖自己，但他却心存怀疑。就在那时约翰要求我起草有关贫穷的请愿书。那是一份好著述，威廉，愿上帝原谅我的自傲……” “我拜读过了。迈克尔拿给我看的。” “即使是我们自己的人，也有人犹豫不定，阿奎泰因的大教区主教，圣维塔尔的枢机主教，卡法的主教……” “他是个白痴。”威廉说。 “愿他安息。两年前他已蒙主召唤了。” “上帝并不那么悲悯。那是由君士坦丁堡传来的错误消息。他仍然健在，我听说他将成为公使团中的一员。天主保佑我们！” 乌伯蒂诺说：“但是他赞成佩鲁贾僧会呀！” “不错。他正是那种口蜜腹剑的人。” “说真的，”乌伯蒂诺说，“他从未真正宣扬过教义。结果是前功尽弃，但至少这个观念并未被宣告为异端，这是很重要的。所以，其他人一直没有原谅我，他们想尽各种办法伤害我。他们说三年前路易宣布约翰是个异教徒时，我在萨克森豪森。然而他们明明晓得那年七月我是在阿维尼翁，和奥西尼在一起……他们发现皇帝的那几部分宣告和我的信念不谋而合。简直太疯狂了。” “并不太疯狂吧。”威廉说，“那些概念是我灌输给他的，而我是由你的阿维尼翁宣言书及奥里埃的著作中归纳出来的。” “你？”乌伯蒂诺惊喜参半地叫道，“那么你同意我的见解了！” 威廉似乎有点困窘，回避地说：“目前，对皇帝而言那是正确的主张。” 乌伯蒂诺怀疑地望着他：“啊，但是你并不真的相信它们，是不是？” “告诉我，”威廉顾左右而言他，“告诉我你是怎么躲开那些狗的。” “的确是狗没错。威廉。我甚至和博格纳拉蒂亚起了冲突，你知道吗？” “可是博格纳拉蒂亚是站在我们这边的呀！” “现在是了，在我终于和他长谈过之后，他总算被说服了，反对敕令，教皇因此将他监禁一年。” “我听说现在他和我在教廷的一个朋友，奥卡姆的威利走得很近。” “我对他不甚了解。我不喜欢他。他是个没有热情的人，一切诉诸理性，只有头，没有心。” “但是他的头很美呢。” “也许，但那会使他下地狱的。” “那么我会在那下面和他再会，我们可以再争论逻辑。” “别胡说，威廉。”乌伯蒂诺露出友爱的笑容，“你比那些哲学家好多了。只要你想……” "what?" “上一次我们在翁布里亚见面时——记得吧？——我的病刚刚痊愈，多亏了那个神奇的女人……蒙特法尔科的克拉尔……”他喃喃低语着，脸庞闪耀着光彩，“克拉尔——女人的天性是乖僻的，但经过神圣的提升，却变得崇高，是优雅最高贵的表现形式。你知道那最纯正的贞洁怎样启示了我的生命，威廉——”他激动地握住威廉的手臂，“你知道我，强烈的——是的，就是这几个字——强烈的渴求忏悔，所以以折磨自己的肉体苦修，使我自己完全沐浴在耶稣基督的爱中……然而，我这一生却有三个女人是我的天国使者。福利尼奥的安琪拉、西塔卡提洛的玛格丽特(我写到三分之一的地方，她为我揭示了本书的结尾)，最后是蒙特法尔科的克拉尔。那是上帝的报酬，是的，所以我该调查她的奇迹，在圣母教堂迁移之前，对众人宣告她的圣迹。当时你就在那里，威廉，你大可帮助我完成这项神圣的使命，而你却没有——” 威廉低声说道：“但是你邀我参与的神圣使命，是将本蒂文加、贾科莫和吉奥凡努丘送上火刑场啊。” “他们的堕落糟蹋了她的名誉，而你是裁判官啊！” “所以那时我才要求解除职务。我不喜欢那件事。我也不喜欢——坦白地告诉你吧——你诱使本蒂文加招出他错误行为的方法；你假装要加入他的教派，假如那算得上是教派——让他说出他的秘密，再使他被捕。” “但那是控诉基督敌人的方式呀！他们是异教，他们是伪使者，他们散发出多尔西诺兄弟的恶臭！” “他们是克拉尔的朋友。” “不是的，威廉，你绝不可在克拉尔的名誉上蒙上一丝阴影。” “可是他们和她有所关联呀。” “他们是圣方济格修士，自称是主教，事实上不过是教团的僧侣！但你晓得在审判中，本蒂文加说他自己是个使者，他和吉奥凡努丘又诱惑修女，告诉她们地狱并不存在，主教的欲望可以被满足，却不会冒犯上帝。说在一个男人和修女睡过觉后，基督的身体便可被领受，(天主啊，原谅我！)说上帝喜欢抹大拉的玛丽亚更甚于圣女亚格尼斯，又说凡人所说的魔鬼也就是上帝，因为魔鬼是事体，而上帝是事体的定义！但是克拉尔在听说了这些言论后，却看见了幻象；上帝亲口告诉她说他们是邪恶的信徒！” 威廉说：“他们是麦诺瑞特，心里燃烧着克拉尔一样的幻影，恍惚的幻影和罪恶的狂乱之间，通常并没有很大的差距。” 乌伯蒂诺绞扭着双手，眼底再度漾上了泪光：“不要这么说，威廉。你怎么能把以芳香燃烧内脏的神圣之爱，和发出恶臭的感官失调混为一谈呢？本蒂文加怂恿他人碰触赤裸的肢体；他声称只有这样才能解脱感官的支配，'他们裸体并卧，男人和女人……'” “但是他们并不交合。” “谎言！他们是要找乐子，而他们找到了。他们感觉到肉欲的刺激，为了使它满足，便说男人和女人躺在一起，触摸并亲吻对方的每一部位，赤裸的肚子和赤裸的肚子相结合并不是什么罪恶？” 我要承认乌伯蒂诺对这个罪行的责难方式，实在不能使我激发道德的想法。我的导师一定感觉到我的激动了，便打断了这个圣人的话。 “你的精神是热烈的，乌伯蒂诺，不管是对上帝的爱或是对邪恶的憎恨。我的意思是，天使的热情和撒旦的热情之间差异极少，因为它们都是由极端兴奋的意志所产生的。” “哦，是有差异的，而且我知道！”乌伯蒂诺激切地说，“你是说在好的向往和坏的欲望之间只有一小步，因为那一直是由意志所导引。这话并不假。但这其中的差别就在于对象，而对象却是显而易见的。上帝在这一边，魔鬼却在另一边。” “我恐怕已不知如何区别了，乌伯蒂诺。你的福利尼奥的安琪拉不是说过，有一天她精神恍惚，发现她自己竟然在基督的圣墓里了吗？她不是说当她看见他合眼躺在那里时，她便先亲吻他的胸，然后亲吻他的嘴，而那两片唇有种说不出的甜美。她停顿了一会儿后，就用她的脸颊贴向基督的脸颊，基督便伸手抚摸她的脸，将她压向他，于是——就如她所说的——她感受到一种崇高的幸福？……” “这和感官的冲动有什么关系呢？”乌伯蒂诺说，“那是个奥秘的经验，而且那是天主的身体。” “也许我已习惯于牛津的思想了。”威廉说，“在那里，他们认为即使再奥秘的经验都只不过是另一种……” “全看怎么想了。”乌伯蒂诺笑笑。 ※Bandhammer School & E-Book of Fine School※ “以及怎么看。上帝是可以感知的，一如光亮；在太阳的光线中，镜中的影像，万物的颜色，在湿叶子上日光的反射里——这种爱和圣方济格在赞颂上帝创造的万物、花、草、水和空气时的爱岂不相近？我不相信这种爱会产生任何诱惑。反之，我对那种把和上帝肉体接触的震颤形之于言词的爱感到怀疑……” “你太冒渎了，威廉！那是不一样的。在心灵爱上帝的心醉神迷和蒙特法尔科伪使者卑下、堕落的心醉神迷之间，隔着无底的深渊……” “他们并不是伪使者，他们是自由圣灵的兄弟；你自己也这么说的。” “那又有什么不同呢？你并不知道有关那次审判的一切。我自己绝不敢记下某些告白，只怕会将魔鬼的阴影投注在克拉尔在那个地方所创造出来的圣洁气氛中。但我获悉了某些事，某些事，威廉！他们晚上会聚在一个地窖里，弄来一个新生男婴，将他抛来抛去，直到他死掉……在他生前最后抓住他，眼看着他死掉的人，就成了教派的领袖……那孩子的尸体会被撕成碎片，裹上面粉，制成冒渎的圣饼！” “乌伯蒂诺，”威廉坚定地说，“几世纪前，亚美尼亚的主教就说波利西和波哥密尔兹教派会做这些事了。” “那又有什么相干呢？魔鬼是固执的，他的陷阱和诱惑都遵循着一个模式，他隔了千年之后也会再重复他的仪式，他总是一样的，所以人们才认得出他！我向你发誓：他们在复活节的夜晚点上蜡烛，把少女们带到地窖里，然后他们把蜡烛吹熄，扑到少女们的身上，尽管这些女孩和他们有血缘关系……假如这样的结合产下了一个婴孩，那地狱的仪式便又开始，所有的人围在一小壶酒四周，他们称那壶酒为'小桶”他们会喝得醉醺醺的，把那婴孩切成碎片，把他的血倒进酒杯里；他们把还没死掉的孩子抛到火中，再将婴儿的灰烬和他的血混在一起，喝进肚子里！ " “但是三百年前迈克尔·薛勒在谈论魔鬼的书里就已写出这一切了！是谁把这些事告诉你的？” “他们。本蒂文加和其他人，在受不了苦刑的情况下招供的。” “只有一样东西比欢乐更能唤起兽性，那就是痛苦。人受到苦刑的折磨时，就好比置身于药草造成的幻象领域中。你所听说过、阅读过的一切，都会涌上你的心头，仿佛你被推向地狱，而非天堂。一个人被拷问之时，不仅会说出裁判官所要你说的话，还会说出他想象可以取悦裁判官的话，因为在他们两人之间建立了一项契约了(这真的是恶魔的契约)……我知道这些事，乌伯蒂诺，我也曾和那群人一样，相信炽烫的铁可以使人说出实话。让我告诉你吧，事实却是来自另一种火焰。本蒂文加受苦刑之时所说的可能是最荒谬的谎言，因为说话的人已不再是他自己，而是他的欲望，是他灵魂的恶魔。” “欲望？” “是的，人们有渴求崇拜的欲望，也有渴求痛苦的欲望，甚至还有渴求屈辱的欲望。假如不费什么力气就可以使反叛的天使，把他们的热情由崇拜和谦逊转向骄傲和暴动，我们对一个人还能有什么期盼呢？现在你知道了，当我裁判之时，我所想到的就是这些。所以我才放弃那项职务。我缺乏调查坏人弱点的勇气，因为我发现那些弱点和圣徒的弱点并无不同。” 乌伯蒂诺似乎听不懂威廉的最后一段话。由他一脸友爱的怜悯，我想他大概把威廉看成失当情感的受害者了。但是他原谅我的导师，因为他深爱威廉。乌伯蒂诺打断了威廉的话，以苦涩的声音说：“没有关系。假如那就是你的感觉，你放弃裁判官的职务是对的。我们必须抗拒诱惑。不过，我缺少你的支持，有了你的支持，我们可以走出那个弯路的。结果，你也知道发生了什么事，我自己被控姑息养奸，被怀疑是个异教徒。就对抗邪恶而言，你也一样软弱。邪恶，威廉！这个责难难道永不会停止，这个阴影，这团阻止我们到达圣源的泥沼？”他更靠向威廉，好像怕被别人在无意中听到他的话，“这里，即使是在奉献为祈祷之用的墙垣之内，也一样免不了，你知道吧？” “我知道。院长跟我说过了；事实上，他还请求我帮他查明。” “那么观测、调查吧，以山猫的利眼由两个方向去看：欲望和骄傲……” “欲望？” “是的，欲望。那个死去的年轻人有女性的特质，所以也像魔鬼一般。他那双眼睛，就像一个和梦魔打交道的少女的眼睛。但我也说了'骄傲”智力的骄傲，在这所为'骄傲'两个字，为智慧的幻象而奉献的修道院里。 " “假如你知道什么线索，帮助我吧。” “我一无所知，我什么都不知道。但是心灵感觉得到某些事情。让你的心说话，询问每一张脸，不要听信舌头……但是罢了，我们为什么一定要谈这些可悲的事，使我们这位年轻朋友感到惊颤呢？”他用那双淡蓝色的眼眸望着我，用修长白誓的手指抚摸我的脸颊。我几乎本能地退缩，我克制住自己，而且这样做才是对的，因为我会冒犯他，他的动机是纯正的。 “说说你自己给我听吧。”他又转向威廉，说道，“这些年来你做了些什么事呢？已经——” “十八年了。我回国去了，在牛津复学，研读大自然。” “大自然是好的，因为她是上帝的女儿。”乌伯蒂诺说。 “上帝必然是好的，因为它产生了大自然。”威廉面带笑容说，“我读书，认识了几个非常聪明的朋友。然后我逐渐熟识马亚留斯(译注：意大利学者，1290-1343)，对他关于帝国、人民，及地球王国的新法律等观念感到着迷，所以我又加入了我们那群兄弟，成为皇帝的顾问。但是你知道这些事，我在信上都说过了。在博比奥，他们告诉我你在这里时，我高兴极了。我们原以为你失踪了。但现在有你和我们在一起，过两天等迈克尔也到了，你可就帮得上大忙了。和贝伦加·塔洛尼的这场冲突可不轻松，我相信我们会有些乐趣。” 乌伯蒂诺望着他，脸上浮现一个试探性的微笑：“我真不知道你们英国人什么时候说话才是正经的。这么严重的一个问题，哪里会有什么乐趣。这关乎着修会的存亡，你的修会；在我心里也是我的。但是我要央求迈克尔不要到阿维尼翁去。约翰要他，找他，邀请他，未免太迫切了。不要信任那个法国佬。哦，主啊，你的教会落到怎样的一双手中啊！”他转头望向祭坛，“她变成了妓女，因为奢华而变得软弱，沉溺在欲望中犹如发情的蛇！由伯利恒愈疮木造的马厩变成了金子和宝石，由全然的纯洁变成了狂饮乱舞！看，看这里：你已经看过门口了！所有的影像都没有遗漏，假基督的时代终于来临了，我很害怕，威廉！”——他环顾四周，瞪大眼睛望着黑暗的本堂，仿佛基督之敌随时都会出现，我甚至觉得真会见到他——“他的代理人已经在这里了，就如基督派遣使徒一般，被派遣到世间！他们践踏上帝的城市，透过欺骗、伪善和暴力诱惑世人。到那时上帝才不得不派出它的仆人，伊利贾和埃诺克，他让他们生存在人间天堂，好让他们有一天推翻基督之敌，他们会如预言一般，穿着粗麻布的衣服而来，他们会以言行宣扬忏悔……” “他们已经来了，乌伯蒂诺。”威廉说着，指指他的圣方济格修士服。 “但他们还未得胜；这是愤怒的假基督下令杀害埃诺克和伊利贾的时刻，然后将他们尸体暴露示众，使得众人不敢效法他们。正如他们想要杀死我一样……” 那一刻，我恐惧地想着，乌伯蒂诺一定是在一种神圣的狂热中，他所说的话也使我害怕。现在，事隔多年，我已知道后来发生的事——简而言之，两年后他在日耳曼的一个城市被神秘地杀害，凶手却一直没有被发现——我觉得更惧怕，因为那一晚乌伯蒂诺所说的显然是预言。 “约钦姆院长所说的实情，你知道。我们已到了人类历史的第六个时代，有两个反基督者会出现，神秘的基督之敌和假基督。就是现在了，第六个时代，在圣方济格出现，在他自己的肉体上接受耶稣基督的五处伤口。博尼费斯就是那个神秘的基督之敌，克里斯蒂安的让位是无效的。博尼费斯就是由海中升起的那头野兽，它的七个头代表七项死罪，十个角就是十诫的罪行，在他四周的红衣主教就是蝗虫，也就是恶魔阿坡里昂之身！但只要你用希腊字母念出那名字，就知道那只野兽叫'班尼狄特'！”他凝视我，看我是不是听懂了，然后举起一只手指，向我警告，“班尼狄特六世就是假基督，由土中现出的野兽！上帝允许这样一个不法恶魔统治它的教会，这样一来继任者的美德才更显得非凡荣耀！” “可是，神父，”我鼓起了勇气，茫然地回答道，“他的继任者是约翰啊！” 乌伯蒂诺伸出一只手按着前额，似乎想要驱散一个困扰的噩梦。他困难地呼吸，他累了：“是的，这样的推算是错了，我们仍在等待天堂的教皇……但是目前圣方济格和圣多明俄却已出现了。”他抬眼望天，像是祈祷般地说了一大段话(但我确信他是在背诵他著作中的一页)，然后又说，“……是的，这些就是允诺：天堂的教皇一定会来临的。” “姑且相信吧，乌伯蒂诺。”威廉说，“此刻，我到这里来是要阻止皇帝被废。多尔西诺兄弟也宣扬过你的天堂教皇……” “再也别说那毒蛇的名字了！”乌伯蒂诺喊着，我第一次看见他的哀伤转为忿怒，“他弄污了约钦姆的话，将那些话说成死亡和脏污！假如基督之敌有使者的话，那就是他了！可是你，威廉，你这么说是因为你并不真的相信基督之敌的降临，你在牛津的导师只教你迷信理论，使你心灵的预言能力枯竭！” “你错了，乌伯蒂诺。”威廉严肃地回答，“你知道在我的导师之中，我最敬重的是罗杰·培根……” “胡说些什么飞行机器的人。”乌伯蒂诺尖刻地低声喃喃地说了一句。 “他清楚而且沉着地提到了基督之敌，也明白世界的腐化和学术衰微的重大关系。不过，他说准备对抗他的来临只有一个途径：研读自然的秘密，利用知识改良人类。我们可以借着研究药草的治病效力，石头的本质，甚至计划那些使你发笑的飞行机器，准备和基督之敌战斗。” “你那位培根先生所说的基督之敌，不过是助长知识骄傲的借口。” “一个神圣的借口。” ※棒槌学堂&精校E书※ “任何借口都不可能是神圣的。威廉，你知道我爱你，你知道我很信任你。抑制你的知识，学着为主的伤口哭泣，把你的书本抛开吧。” “我只潜心研究你的书就是了。”威廉不觉微笑。 乌伯蒂诺也笑了，威胁地对他挥动一根手指：“愚蠢的英国人，不要过分嘲笑你的伙伴。对于你不能爱的那些人，你就该惧怕。在这所修道院里，你千万要警觉些。我不喜欢这个地方。” “事实上，我想要对这地方熟悉些呢。”威廉说着，准备离开，“走吧，阿德索。” 乌伯蒂诺摇着头说：“我告诉你说这里不好，你却回答说你想更熟悉它。啊！” “对了，”走了好几步后，威廉又说，“那个长得像动物，说着巴别塔语的僧侣是谁呢？” “萨尔瓦托吗？”乌伯蒂诺已经又一次跪下，听了威廉的话便回过头来，“我相信他是我送给这所修道院的礼物，还有地窖。我脱下圣方济格修士的僧服时，曾回到卡萨尔的老修道院去过，我发现那里的僧侣们都遭到了麻烦，因为教区控告他们是我这个教派的主教……他们就是这么说的。我为了顾全他们费了不少力气，为他们争取到学习我的事例的许可。去年我到达这里时，发现其中两个修士也躲到了这里，萨尔瓦托和雷米吉奥。萨尔瓦托……他长得的确其貌不扬，可是他亲切体贴。” 威廉犹豫了一会儿：“我听他说到裴尼坦吉特。” 乌伯蒂诺没有说话，挥了挥手，似乎想赶走恼人的思绪：“不，我不相信。你知道这些凡人修道士都是怎么样的人，乡下人，也许听了某个流浪传道士的话，却不知道他们在说些什么。对于萨尔瓦托，我还有别的非难：他是个贪婪而且贪欲的畜生。但他没有什么违反教义的大缺点，这所修道院的弊病并不在他。去找那些知道太多的人追查，不要找一无所知的人。别将怀疑的城堡建筑在片言只字上。” “我绝不会这么做的。”威廉回答，“我放弃当裁判官，正是为了避免如此。但我也喜欢聆听别人的话语，然后再仔细思索。” “你想得太多了。孩子，”他转头对我说，“不要从你的导师那里学到太多坏榜样。到了生命的尽头我才意识到，惟一必须思索的事是死亡。现在让我祷告吧。”