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PHALERAE POETAE AND THE
PROPHET’S NEW WORDS IN THE
ANTICL AUDI ANUS OF
ALAN OF LILLE
L.E. Marshall
A u t o r i s m e n d i c o s t i l u m f a l e r a s q u e poete,
N e m e a segnicie Clio
[dejecta] s e n e s c a t ,
N e i a c e a t c a l a m u s s c a b r a r u b i g i n e torpens.
Scribendi nouitate uetus iuuenescere carta
Gaud e t ,
Ridet,
et a n t i q u e s c u p i e n s e x i r e l a t e b r a s
et i n t e n u i l a s c i u i t h a r u n d i n e m usa.
F o n t e tuo sic, Pheb e ,
t u u m p e r f u n d e p o e tam,
V t c o m p l u t a tuo m e n s a r i d a flum i n e ,
Done t ,
germen
et in f r u c t u s c o n c l u d a t g e r m i n i s u s u m . ^
Th e o p e n i n g of A l a n of L i l l e ' s e p i c Antielaud.ia.nus, t e r m e d Prologue
i n B o s s u a t ' s e d i t i o n , a n d u s u a l l y r e f e r r e d to as the " v e r s e p r o l o g u e " to
d i s t i n g u i s h it f r o m A l a n ' s p r o s e p r e f a c e ,
tion.
is m o r e c o r r e c t l y a n i n v o c a ­
C u r i o u s l y e n o ugh, E.R. C u r t i u s m i s s e d this i n i t i a l a p p e a l to
A p o l l o a n d f l a t l y d e c l a r e d t h a t " A l a n s Antiolaudianus h a t a m A m f a n g k e i n e
i n v o e a t i o l i m i t i n g h i s d i s c u s s i o n o f A l a n ' s m u s e to the s u m m o n i n g o f a
2
d i v i n e r p o w e r in B o o k V.
B u t the Antiolaudianus p o s s e s s e s two i n v o c a ­
tions —
o n e to e a r t h l y A p o l l o , w h o s e a i d is s u f f i c i e n t f o r the f irst
h a l f o f the epic, a n d o n e to the H e a v e n l y M u s e , G o d the C r e a t o r , w h o s e
i n s p i r a t i o n a l e f f i c a c y is r e q u i r e d f o r t h e r e s t o f t h e p o e m as it p u r s u e s
"Things u n a t t e m p t e d yet in prose or rhyme."
L e s s s t r u c k w i t h the s e l f -
e x a l t i n g s o l e m n i t y o f a M i l t o n , a n d y e t e q u a l l y s t i r r e d b y the n e w n e s s
a n d p r o m i s e of h i s task, A l a n i n the t w e l f t h c e n t u r y s o u g h t to s u r p a s s
ancient poets without abandoning their giant's vantage-point:
pagan
A p o l l o c o u l d c a r r y h i m to the v e r y b o u r n e o f H e a v e n w h e r e n e w i m a g e s
appeared and a n e w language was spoken.
dianus —
T h e n a r r a t i v e o f t h e Antialau-
Prudencia's rational and sapiential ascent from Nature's do­
m a i n to a n e c s t a t i c e x p e r i e n c e of " c e l e s t i a l t h e o p h a n y " —
also traces
the p o e t ' s j o u r n e y f r o m the s t y l e o f the a n c i e n t s to that o f the m o d e r n s ,
f r o m o l d f i g u r e s o f s p e e c h to n e w tropes.
e a r l i e r work,
T h e Anticlaudianus, l i k e A l a n ' s
t h e De planctu Naturae, w h i c h h a s b e e n t e r m e d "a h a n d b o o k
for the aspiring poet,"
3
is a p r o s p e c t u s of p o e t i c theory, i n c o r p o r a t i n g
m u c h contemporary thought about the nature of poetry, and at once p r eserv­
i n g the l e g a c y o f r e v e r e d auatores a n d d i s p e n s i n g it to the g r e a t e r i n ­
c r e a s e o f C h r i s t i a n art.
W i t h p e r f e c t deco r u m , A l a n m i g h t i n v o k e A p o l l o
for a c e r t a i n task a n d revoke his influence at the proper moment.
Un­
l i k e m a n y C h r i s t i a n w r i t e r s b e f o r e him, A l a n d i d n o t d i s p a r a g e A p o l l o ' s
s p r i n g for the s a k e o f J o r d a n ' s w a t e r s or u t t e r l y r e j e c t p a g a n f i c t i o n s
for s a c r e d history:
4
b o t h A p o l l o ' s l y r e a n d the p r o p h e t ' s u t t e r a n c e ,
b o t h d e c o r a t i v e f i c t i o n a n d n u m i n o u s fact, a r e j o i n e d t o g e t h e r i n the
Anticlaudianus i n a n e l e g a n t p o e t i c s t r u c t u r e t h a t r e c o g n i z e s t h e i r s y m ­
pathetic b u t diverse spheres and their discontinuous though hierarchically
linked f o r m s .
T h e two i n v o c a t i o n s m a r k the o l d s e e d - p l o t a n d the n e w c r o p
o f t w e l f t h - c e n t u r y poetics.
A l t h o u g h the Anticlaudianus w a s to b e c o m e a w i d e l y r e a d text, d i l i ­
gently commented upon and especially cherished by thirteenth-century w r i ­
ters o n p o e t i c a n d r h e t o r i c a l art, t h e p o e m i n i t i a l l y s e e m s to h a v e m e t
w i t h a d verse comment.
A l a n a l l u d e s to this h o s t i l e c r i t i c i s m at the e n d of
the p o e m and in his prose prologue.
Apparently,
the Anticlaudianus w a s
v i e w e d i n s o m e q u a r t e r s as a w o r k i n w h i c h A l a n w a s a t t e m p t i n g to r i v a l
the a n c i e n t s
( " a n t i q u o s . . . e q u a r e p o e t a s , " IX. 412, p. 197) b y d i s p l a y ­
ing the m o d e m s ' insolent preference for n a tive genius over venerable
p o e t i c t r a d i t i o n (Prologus, pp. 5 5 - 56).
A l a n ' s r e p l y to s u c h c r i t i c i s m
b o t h r e f u t e s a n d a c k n o w l e d g e s the c h a r g e o f o v e r w e e n i n g m o d e r n i t y :
he
h a s n o t t r i e d to o u t d o the a n c i e n t s , b u t r a t h e r h e h a s f o l l o w e d a d m i r i n g ­
ly in their footsteps
(IX. 413- 1 4 , p. 197); h e is a d w a r f p e r c h e d on a
giant's shoulders;
the s p r i n g o f t h e a n c i e n t s f e e d s the g r e a t e r t o r r e n t
o f m o d e m p o e try.
W i t h fierce h u m i l i t y A l a n denies stature and grandeur
to h i s p o e m —
a m e r e t w i g o r reed, n o t a t o w e r i n g tree a p t to a t t r a c t
t h e f u l l l i g h t n i n g f o r c e o f c r i t i c a l i r e a n d envy.
He submits his work
to the s y m p a t h e t i c r e a d e r f o r c o r r e c t i o n , p l e a d i n g the u n a v o i d a b i l i t y of
e r r o r i n t h e p r o d u c t of a h u m a n a r t i s t ' s c l o u d e d i n t e l l i g e n c e .
Y e t at
the s a m e t i m e A l a n d e s i r e s t h a t t h e r e a d e r p u t a s i d e the t e m p t a t i o n to
f i n d f a u l t w i t h the p o e m a n d that h e b e d r a w n to it b y a d e l i g h t i n novi-
tas.
T h o u g h the p o e t c h a r a c t e r i z e s the Anticlaudianus as lowl y ,
flawed,
a n d l a c k i n g i n p u r p l e d e l o q u e n c e o r s t a r r y sententiae, h e n e v e r t h e l e s s
w a n t s its n o v e l t y to b e a p p r e c i a t e d (Prologue, pp. 55-5 6 ) .
ity, h e implies,
Its m o d e r n ­
lies n o t i n its d i s r e g a r d of the a n c i e n t s b u t i n the
c o m p l e x i t y of its c o n c e p t i o n .
Accordingly,
humility
in his p r o logue A l a n moves f r o m expressions of extreme
(which a r e a t the s a m e t i m e s c a t h i n g a t t a c k s o n the u n d u e e x ­
c i t e m e n t o f crit i c s )
to s t a t e m e n t s w h i c h l e a v e n o d o u b t t h a t h e is p r o u d
of h i s a c c o m p l i s h m e n t , a n d t h a t p e r c e i v e d l a p s e s i n his w o r k a r i s e f r o m
d e f i c i e n c i e s in the reader.
Trivium,
T h o s e w h o a r e j u s t b e g i n n i n g the s t u d y o f the
t h o s e w h o a r e t a k i n g up t h e Q u a d r i v i u m , a n d t h o s e a b o u t to c o m ­
m e n c e t h e o l o g i c a l s t u d i e s s h o u l d n o t p r e s u m e to c r i t i c i z e t h e Anticlaud­
ianus, b e c a u s e it w i l l p l e a s e p u e r i l e t a s t e w i t h the s w e e t n e s s o f its
l i t e r a l sense, i n s p i r e t h e m o r e a d v a n c e d w i t h its m o r a l i n s t r u c t i o n ,
and
s h a r p e n t h e f u l l y d e v e l o p e d i n t e l l e c t w i t h t h e s u b t l e t y of its a l l e g o r y .
A l a n f o r b i d s the u n w o r t h y ( t h o s e w h o c a n f o l l o w o n l y s e n s e - i m a g e s a n d w h o
h a v e n o a p p e t i t e for t r u t h b o m
of r e a s o n ) to r e a d h i s book; h e w i l l n o t
t h r o w p e a r l s b e f o r e s w i n e o r r e v e a l s e c r e t s to defi l e r s .
Further chal­
l e n g i n g the reader, A l a n c l a i m s that h i s w o r k n o t o n l y o p e r a t e s o n t h r e e
l e v e l s b u t a l s o c o n t a i n s the p r i n c i p l e s o f t h e s e v e n L i b e r a l A r t s a n d
goes b e y o n d t h e m to a " t h e o p h a n i e c e l e s t i s e m b l e m a , " t h a t is, to a n " e m ­
b l e m " o r s h i n i n g i m a g e of D i v i n e m a n i f e s t a t i o n . “
* F o r this r e a s o n , o n l y
t h o s e w h o d a r e e l e v a t e t h e i r p o w e r s of u n d e r s t a n d i n g to t h e p e r c e p t i o n
o f s u p e r c e l e s t i a l f orms a r e q u a l i f i e d to t a k e o n the d i f f i c u l t i e s o f the
p oem;
those content w it h sense-bound imagery or speculative fictions
m u s t n o t i m p o s e t h e i r i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s o n a w o r k t h e y are n o t e q u i p p e d to
comprehend
(Prologue , p. 56).
A l a n ' s i d e a l reader, then,
is o n e
s y m p a t h e t i c a l l y a t t r a c t e d to a n e w k i n d o f p o e m w h i c h is at o n c e p o l y semous,
e r u d i t e , a n d v i s i o n a r y , a n d o n e w h i c h d e m a n d s the s t r e n u o u s a s ­
c e n t f r o m s e n s u a l i t y to t h e a p o t h e o s i s o f h u m a n reason.
therefore, like the a uthor himself,
T h e r e a d e r m u st,
identify w i t h the poem's questing
h e r o i n e Prudencia, w h o s e journey, c o mmissioned by N ature a n d the Virtues,
u p b o r n e b y t h e c h a r i o t o f the L i b e r a l A r t s a n d d i r e c t e d b y Reas o n ,
even­
t u a l l y t a k e s h e r to a w o r l d w h e r e N a t u r e ' s l a w s a n d a l l t h e e l o q u e n t w i s ­
d o m o f the a n c ients are confounded.
A l a n , as h e says, l o v i n g l y f o l l o w s
the f o o t s t e p s o f t h e a n c i e n t s , y e t g o e s w i t h P r u d e n c i a b e y o n d them.
T h e p r o s e p r o l o g u e , w i t h its p r o m i s e o f a n " e m b l e m " o f c e l e s t i a l
t h e o p h a n y a n d its r e q u i r e m e n t t h a t r e a d e r s o f t h e p o e m d a r e to l i f t up
("audent attollere")
f o rms,
t h e i r m i n d s to a c o n t e m p l a t i o n o f s u p e r c e l e s t i a l
i n d i c a t e s t h a t A l a n is o f f e r i n g a c h a l l e n g e n o t j u s t to s e n s e -
b e c l o u d e d c r i t i c s b u t s p e c i f i c a l l y to a t h e o r y o f p o e t i c n a r r a t i v e e n u n ­
I n h i s c o m m e n t a r y o n t h e Som-
ciated b y Macro b i u s in the fifth century.
nium Scipionis, t h e s i x t h b o o k o f C i c e r o ' s De Republica, M a c r o b i u s h a d
j u s t i f i e d the p h i l o s o p h i c a l u s e o f narratio fabulosa, o r m yth, as a m e a n s
o f c o n c e a l i n g t h e t r u t h s o f N a t u r e f r o m the v u l g a r .
J u s t as N a t u r e h i d
h e r m y s t e r i e s "by enveloping herself in varie g a t e d garments," w r o t e M a c ­
r o b i u s , s o " s h e h a s a l s o d e s i r e d to h a v e h e r s e c r e t s h a n d l e d b y m o r e p r u ­
dent individuals through fabulous narratives."
Though Macrobius rejected
f a b l e s t h a t s p u n i m m o d e s t f i c t i o n s r o u n d the gods, h e s a n c t i o n e d narratio
fabulosa w h e n i t d r a p e d " h o l y t r u t h s ” w i t h d e c o r o u s v e i l s o f alle g o r y .
B u t w h i l e h e a l l o w e d t h a t p h i l o s o p h y h a d n e e d of m y t h , h e d e n i e d t h a t
f a b u l o u s n a r r a t i v e c o u l d e x t e n d its l e g i t i m a c y b e y o n d N a t u r e ,
o f the W o r l d Soul.
W he n discourse dared ascend
to the S u p r e m e G o d a n d M ind,
the r e a l m
("se a u d e t a t t o l l e r e " )
t h e p h i l o s o p h e r m u s t s h u n t h e u s e o f myth,
c o n t e n t i n g h i m s e l f w i t h similitudines a n d exerrrpla i n o r d e r to c o n v e y s o m e
i n t u i t i o n o f t h e Good.
B u t t h e r e c a n b e n o p o e t i c simulacrum o f God, w h o
is too f a r b e y o n d e a r t h l y e x i s t e n c e to b e f i g u r e d in s p e c u l a t i v e f i c t i o n s
c o n c o c t e d of i m a g e s d r a w n f r o m this w o r l d . ®
A l a n ' s Antialaudianus is,
h o w e v e r , a p o e t i c n a r r a t i v e w h i c h b u r s t s the b a r r i e r s e r e c t e d b y this
N e o p l a t o n i s t 's t h e o r y o f p h i l o s o p h i c a l fable:
A l a n ironically echoes Macrobius' phrase,
in the prose prologue
" a u d e t a t t o l l e r e , " to i n v i t e
t h e r e a d e r to a s c e n d w i t h P r u d e n c i a to a n " e m b l e m " o f D i v i n e m a n i f e s t a t i o n ,
s o m e t h i n g n o f a b u l o u s n a r r a t i v e o u g h t to atte m p t .
B u t a C h r i s t i a n poet,
a n d m o r e p r e c i s e l y a C h r i s t i a n p o e t r e s p e c t f u l of M a c r o b i a n t e a c h i n g
a n d i m b u e d w i t h C h a r t r i a n thought, m i g h t a c k n o w l e d g e t h e n e c e s s i t y of
Macrobius'
r e s t r i c t i o n s o n narratio fabulosa, a n d y e t s e e h o w t h e y c o u l d
b e a m e n d e d to a l l o w f o r f i g u r a t i v e l a n g u a g e i n a c c e s s i b l e to the a n c i e n t s .
In A l a n ' s e a r l i e r De planatu Naturae, w h i c h a d h e r e s s t r i c t l y to the
r u l e s l a i d d o w n f o r narratio fabulosa, N a t u r a r e m i n d s the d r e a m e r of
Macrobius'
that s h e —
t e a c h i n g t h a t the l a n g u a g e o f n a t u r a l p h i l o s o p h y is m y t h a n d
A l a n ' s e m b o d i m e n t of a s p l e n d i d l y c o s t u m e d N a t u r e ,
e n t to the o r n a m e n t e d d i s c o u r s e o f p h i l o s o p h e r - p o e t —
equival­
cannot appropriate
a s u b j e c t w h i c h s h e d o e s n o t c o m p r e h e n d a n d f o r w h i c h s h e l a c k s speech.
I n the c o u r s e of a p a r a b l e l i k e n i n g G o d to the r u l e r o f a c i t y w h e r e i n
"God com m ands by the m a s t e r y of authority,
the m i n i s t r y o f acti o n ,
she i n t e r j e c t s :
the a n g e l a d m i n i s t e r s w i t h
t h e m a n o b e y s w i t h the m y s t e r y o f r e g e n e r a t i o n , "
" b u t the s e q u e n c e of o u r t h o u g h t h a s a l r e a d y s t r a y e d
too far, b o l d l y e l e v a t i n g the d i s c u s s i o n [lit. " q u a e
. . . tractatum
a u d e a t a t t o l l e r e " ] to t h e i n e f f a b l e m y s t e r y o f D i v i n i t y ,
a n d i n the e f ­
fort to u n d e r s t a n d this o u r m e n t a l c a p a c i t i e s g r o w f a i n t . N a t u r a ' s
e c h o i n g of t h e k e y p h r a s e f r o m M a c r o b i u s ,
"audet attollere," indicates
e x a c t l y t h e l i m i t a t i o n s of h e r k i n d of d i s c o u r s e ,
t i o n o f t r u t h s p e r t a i n i n g to the Soul.
the f a b u l o u s p r e s e n t a ­
W h i l e she m a y i n s t r u c t t h e d r e a m ­
er a b o u t t h e m y s t e r i e s o f h e r realm, p r e e m i n e n t l y t h o s e o f l a w f u l p r o c r e a ­
tion, s h e d a r e n o t e l e v a t e h e r s p e e c h to t r e a t o f m y s t e r y b e y o n d h e r k e n
—
t h e r e g e n e r a t i o n of m a n t h r o u g h Christ.
A l a n ’s q u o t i n g o f M a c r o b i u s
b o t h i n the De planatu a n d in the p r o l o g u e to the Antialaudianus s h o w s
that h e a c c e p t e d Macrobius'
theory that myth was a legitimate v e h i c l e
g
B u t it a l s o s h o w s that h e
for w h a t A l a n w o u l d c a l l n a t u r a l p h i l o s o p h y .
c o u l d p l a c e this t h e o r y w i t h i n a l a r g e r f r a m e w o r k w h i c h p r o v i d e d i m a g e s
a n d a l a n g u a g e f o r t r u t h s b e y o n d t h o s e o f the S o u l a n d c o n s e q u e n t l y b e ­
y o n d the k i n d of p o e t i c a r t i f i c e r e q u i r e d to c o n c e a l i n f e r i o r r e a l i t i e s .
In the De planatu, A l a n f a i t h f u l l y s e r v e s the d e m a n d s o f n a t u r a l p h i l o s o ­
p h y a n d its p o e t i c M u s e —
"Musa rogat
. . . Natura precatur"
(W 429; M
431) —
to c o n v e y t h e t r u t h s of N a t u r e i n the f a b u l o u s g u i s e of a d r e a m -
v i s ion;
i n the Antialaudianus, h o w e v e r , h e s e e k s to e r e c t o n t h e i n f r a ­
s t r u c t u r e of m y t h a h i g h e r v i s i o n o w i n g its f i g u r e s to i n s p i r a t i o n m o r e
divine.
v ice;
I n the e a r l i e r p o e m , N a t u r e c a n o n l y c o n d e m n , n o t a m end, h u m a n
i n t h e Antialaudianus N a t u r a s e e k s G o d ' s h e l p i n c r e a t i n g t h e s o u l
of a n e w m a n who s u c c e s s f u l l y combats vice and inaugurates a g o l d e n age
9
o f l o v e a n d peac e .
I n m o v i n g f r o m the l i m i t a t i o n s o f n a t u r a l p h i l o s o ­
p h y i n t h e De planotu to t h e e f f i c a c y of t h e o l o g y i n the Antialaudianus
A l a n r i s e s f r o m d r e a m - v i s i o n to p r o p h e c y , a n d i n the l a t e r p o e m e n a c t s
t h e s e a s c e n t s w i t h i n t h e n a r r a t i v e itself.
A t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e Antialaudianus, A l a n b e g s f o r the t r a d i ­
tional instruments of a writer embarking upon a major work —
of an a u t h o r and the ornaments of a poet.
the s t y l e
H e w i s h e s to s e r v e h i s n e g ­
l e c t e d M u s e , Clio, a n d i n v o k e s P h o e b a n i n s p i r a t i o n .
Y e t i n B o o k V, w h e n
P r u d e n c i a e n c o u n t e r s the poli regina, T h e o l o g y , at the f a b u l o u s s t e l l a r
m a r g i n , a n d w h e n R e a s o n n o l o n g e r c a n g u i d e P r u d e n c i a in the c h a r i o t of
the A r t s d r a w n b y the Sens e s , A l a n h a l t s h i s n a r r a t i v e in o r d e r to i n ­
v o k e G o d ' s h e l p to s p e a k o f w h a t P r u d e n c i a w i l l n e x t conf r o n t .
N ow he
w i l l a b a n d o n l e s s e r t h i n g s , p u t t i n g a s i d e A p o l l o ' s l y r e so t h a t h e m a y
a s s u m e the " n e w w o r d s " o f the prop h e t .
the H e a v e n l y M use;
o f H e a ven.
E a r t h l y A p o l l o w i l l g i v e w a y to
terrestrial language w i l l be replaced b y the language
N o l o n g e r the " a u t h o r " o f the poem, A l a n w i l l b e the p e n i t ­
s elf, a l o w l y i n s t r u m e n t o f t h e O n e G o d w h o s e i l l u m i n a t i n g p o w e r h e n o w
requires
(V. 2 6 5 - 3 0 5 , pp. 1 3 1 - 3 2 ) .
T h e s e c o n d i n v o c a t i o n is o b v i o u s l y
at o n e w i t h the c r u c i a l t u r n i n g - p o i n t in the n a r r a t i v e —
real i t i e s b e y o n d Nature, t h e Senses,
the Arts, a n d R e a s o n —
t h e a s c e n t to
a n d it h e l p s
to c l a r i f y in r e t r o s p e c t w h a t A l a n w a s a t t e m p t i n g i n the f i r s t h a l f o f
the poem,
for w h i c h the initial invocation also provides sure indications.
W h e n A l a n a t f i r s t a s k s for t h e s t y l e of a n a u t h o r a n d the o r n a ­
m e n t s o f a poet ( " a u t o r i s
. . . s t i l u m f a l e r a s q u e poet e " ) h e s i g n i f i e s
h i s d e s i r e to w r i t e i n the m a n n e r r e c o m m e n d e d b y M a c r o b i u s a n d e x e m p l i ­
f i e d b y s u c h a u t h o r s a s C i c e r o a n d M a r t i a n u s C a p e l l a a n d b y h i m s e l f in
the De planotu Naturae.
S u c h is the m e a n i n g t h a t h i s s o m e t i m e stud e n t ,
R a d u l p h u s de L o n g o C a mpo, w o u l d a t t a c h to t h e s e p h r a s e s , a l t h o u g h in a
m o r e g e n e r a l i z e d fashion.
I n h i s c o m m e n t a r y o n the Antielaudianus, R a ­
d u l p h u s g l o s s e s auetoris in this way:
Auctoris ab authentim.
Licet enim quilibet tractatores
dicantur auctores quidam tamen specialiter dicuntur auctores
qui augent scilicet rem s e c undum poesim.
Q u i d a m ab "authen-
t i m " i d e s t ab a u c t o r i t a t e , q u i s c i l i c e t sub e x t e r i o r i v e r b o r u m s u p e r f i c i e a l i q u i d o c c u l t a n t et c l a u d u n t m y s t i c u m et
s p i r i t u a l i s i n t e l l i g e n t i a e et d e t a l i b u s h i c l o q u i t u r . ^
For Radulphus,
poetically;
the " a u t h o r " is a n " a u t h o r i t y " w h o " a u g m e n t s " h i s s u b j e c t
t h a t is, h e c o n c e a l s b e n e a t h a n d e n c l o s e s w i t h i n the e x t e r ­
nal surface of language
(the p o e t i c " a u g m e n t a t i o n " )
a n d of s p i r i t u a l s i g n i f i c a n c e .
something "authentic"
S u c h a n a u t h o r is thus a k i n to M a c r o b i u s '
p h i l o s o p h e r w h o c l o a k s " h o l y t r u t h s " in f i c t i o n a n d s i m i l a r to t h e k i n d
of p o e t N a t u r a s p e a k s o f in the De planotu, o n e w h o w r a p s t h e dulciorem
nueleum veritatis i n a l i t e r a l aortex r e s o u n d i n g w i t h the f a l s e n o t e s of
the p o e t i c l y r e
(W 465; M 4 5 1 ) .
If the a u t h o r is a l s o a p o et, h e w i l l
p a y p a r t i c u l a r a t t e n t i o n to the k i n d o f l a n g u a g e e n c l o s i n g h i d d e n truth.
T h a t is why,
c o m m e n t s R a d u l p h u s , A l a n a d d s faleras poete.
Faleras m a y
b e g l o s s e d as " m o d u m s c r i b e n d i i n t e g u m e n t a l e m , " " t h e i n t e g u m e n t a l m o d e
of w r i t i n g ; " for, " j u s t as phalerae v e i l a n d o r n a m e n t a h o r s e ,
so the
i n t e g u m e n t a l m o d e o f s p e e c h v e i l s s o m e t h i n g h i d d e n , e n c l o s e s it w i t h i n ,
a n d o r n a m e n t s the w o r d s without."'*·'*'
The u s e o f t h e a d j e c t i v a l f o r m o f integumentum, a t e c h n i c a l t e r m
e m p l o y e d b y W i l l i a m o f Conc h e s , b y A b e l a r d , b y a n i m p o r t a n t c o n t e m p o r a r y
c o m m e n t a t o r o n t h e Aeneid a n d t h e De nuptiis Philologiae et Meraurii,
a n d indeed by Alan himself,
is o f g r e a t i n t e r e s t , b e c a u s e h e r e the w o r d
c l e a r l y d e s c r i b e s the c h o s e n m o d e o f a m o d e r n p oet, w h e r e a s it is u s u ­
a l l y i n v o k e d to e x p l a i n the l i t e r a r y m e t h o d of a u t h o r s s u c h as Plato,
V i r g i l , C i c e r o , O vid, M a r t i a n u s C a p e l l a , o r B o e t h i u s .
12
In twelfth-
and thirteenth-century commentaries o n literary and philos o p h i c a l works,
integumentum d e s i g n a t e s f i g u r a t i v e w r i t i n g i n w h i c h a v e i l o f f i c t i o n
c o n c e a l s truth, n o r m a l l y o f a p h y s i c a l o r m o r a l n a t u r e .
r e f e r to p h i l o s o p h i c a l m y t h
The term may
(Timaeus, Consolatio Philosophiae) , p a g a n
p o e m s r e g a r d e d as r e p o s i t o r i e s o f h i d d e n k n o w l e d g e
(Aeneid, Metamorpho­
ses, De nuptiis Philologiae et Meraurii) , o r c l a s s i c a l m y t h s g e n e r a l l y
a n d the s t o r y o f O r p h e u s p r e e m i n e n t l y .
The a u t h o r of c o m m e n t a r i e s o n
the f i r s t s i x b o o k s of the Aeneid a n d o n the De nuptiis Philologiae et
Meraurii, w h o h a d b e e n c o n v e n i e n t l y , b u t p e r h a p s e r r o n e o u s l y , n a m e d as
B e rnard Silvester,
13
narratio fabulosa:
v i r t u a l l y i d e n t i f i e d integumentum w i t h M a c r o b i u s '
integumentum is " a k i n d of p i c t u r e s q u e w r i t i n g w h i c h
e n v e l o p s i t s m e a n i n g w i t h a f a b u l o u s n a r r a t i v e , a n d f o r this r e a s o n it
14
is a l s o c a l l e d involuarum
I n h i s c o m m e n t a r y o n the De nuptvzs, the
s a m e w r i t e r f u r t h e r r e f i n e s the c o n c e p t o f integumentum b y s u b d i v i d i n g
f i g u r a t i v e w r i t i n g , inOoluorum, i n t o t w o species, integumentum a n d alle-
goria.
Integumentum is a l i t e r a r y w o r k c o n c e a l i n g its t r u e m e a n i n g u n ­
d e r a narratio fabulosa, a s in th e s t o r y o f O r pheus:
allegoria, e x e m ­
p l i f i e d i n the s t o r y o f J a c o b ' s s t r u g g l e w i t h the A ngel, e n v e l o p s tr u t h
w i t h an historical narrative.
T h o u g h " b o t h h i s t o r y a n d fa b l e c o n t a i n a
h i d d e n m y s t e r y , " allegovia is s u i t a b l e for H o l y S c r i p t u r e , w h i l e integu­
mentum b e l o n g s to p h i l o s o p h y . "
tion,
I m m e d i a t e l y a f t e r d r a w i n g this d i s t i n c ­
the c o m m e n t a t o r c i t e s M a c r o b i u s to r e m i n d one that
a p h i l o s o p h i c a l t r e a t i s e d o e s n o t a l l o w involuerum i n e v e r y
circumstance.
F o r h e says t h a t w h e n the s t y l e
d a r e s to e l e v a t e i t s e l f
[of a n au t h o r ]
[se audet attollere ] to the S u p r e m e
God, it is w r o n g to u s e fi c t i o n , e v e n of the a c c e p t a b l e kind.
T h e c o m m e n t a t o r m o m e n t a r i l y seems to h a v e f o r g o t t e n that, a c c o r d i n g to
h i s o w n d e f i n i t i o n s , o n l y a n integumentum u s e s fabulosa, so t h a t he
might m o r e consistently have w r itten that a philosophical treatise does
n o t a l l o w integumentum e v e r y w h e r e .
I n an y case, h e go e s o n to d i s c u s s
w h a t V i r g i l a n d P l a t o h a v e l e g i t i m a t e l y w r a p p e d in integumenta ; t h e s e
are the subjects —
the a i r —
th e S o u l a n d th e p o w e r s that d w e l l in the e t h e r a n d
d e s i g n a t e d b y M a c r o b i u s as s u i t e d to f a b u l o u s t r e a t m e n t . ^
I t is c l e a r t h a t t h e c o m m e n t a t o r r e s p e c t s M a c r o b i u s ’ l i m i t a t i o n s
o n the u s e o f narratio fabulosa, b u t h e d o e s so w i t h o u t m e n t i o n i n g M a c ­
robius'
r e a s o n f o r f o r b i d d i n g f i c t i o n a l n a r r a t i v e s a b o u t God.
i n g to M a c r o b i u s ,
Accord­
t h e r e c o u l d b e n o simulacra of G o d a n d Nous b e c a u s e
t h e s e h y p o s t a s e s w e r e so f a r b e y o n d n a t u r e t h a t it w o u l d b e i m p r o p e r to
r e p r e s e n t them by me a n s of images deri v e d from corporeal existence.
Christian, however,
vine:
The
c o u l d h a r d l y s h a r e th i s f a s t i d i o u s n e s s a b o u t the D i ­
t h e I n c a r n a t i o n p r o v i d e d a t r u e i m a g e of God, a n d i n S c r i p t u r e
this i m a g e is b o t h t r u t h f u l l y f i g u r e d a n d m a d e m a n i f e s t in h i s t o r i c a l
n a r r a t i v e .^
Accordingly,
t h e t w e l f t h - c e n t u r y a d a p t e r of M a c r o b i u s
m u s t d i s t i n g u i s h t h e k i n d o f f i g u r a t i v e n a r r a t i v e , allegoria, w h i c h
c l o t h e s t h e h i g h e s t m y s t e r y i n the involuorwv o f h i s t o r y ,
fr o m the kind
w h i c h o r n a m e n t s the s e c r e t s o f N a t u r e w i t h p r o t e c t i v e fiction.
v i d i n g this f o o t n o t e to M a c r o b i u s ,
In pr o ­
the a u t h o r o f t h e De nuptiis c o m m e n ­
tary thus r e t a i n s the i d e a t h a t m y t h is a p p r o p r i a t e to n a t u r a l p h i l o s o ­
p h y w h i l e a c k n o w l e d g i n g a n o t h e r f i g u r a t i v e m o d e a b l e to a s c e n d to the
r e p r e s e n t a t i o n of the D i v i n e .
T h e k i n d o f m y s t e r y , n a t u r a l o r d ivine,
d e t e r m i n e s w h a t s o r t of involucrum, i n t e g u m e n t a l o r a l l e g o r i c a l , w i l l
e n v e l o p it.
A l t h o u g h the De nuptiis c o m m e n t a t o r ' s c l a s s i f i c a t i o n s o f figura
h a v e l a t e l y b e e n d i s m i s s e d as i d i o s y n c r a t i c ,
uninfluential, or simplis­
t i c , ^ J e a n P é p i n h a s s e e n in t h e m e s s e n t i a l l y the s a m e c a t e g o r i e s as
D a n t e ' s " a l l e g o r y of the p o e t s " a n d " a l l e g o r y o f the t h e o l o g i a n s ; " in
D a n t e ' s t e r m i n o l o g y , h o w e v e r , " a l l e g o r y " h a s l o s t its s p e c i f i c d é n o t a 18
tion.
O n e m a y a l s o d o u b t that the c o m m e n t a t o r ' s terms a n d t h e i r a p p l i ­
c a t i o n w e r e w i t h o u t i n f l u e n c e if o n e c o n s i d e r s t h e i r s u r v i v a l i n J o h n
of G a r l a n d ' s Poetria Parisiana, w r i t t e n c. 1 2 2 0 - 1 2 3 5 .
In that work,
John advises that a wri t e r m a y clarify a n obsc u r e n arrative by us i n g
c e r t a i n types o f f i g u r a t i v e w r i t i n g , integumentum a n d allegoria.
Inte­
gumentum, he e x p lains, is " u e r i t a s in s p e c i e f a b u l e p a l l i a t a ; " allegoria
is " u e r i t a s i n u e r b i s h i s t o r i é p a l l i a t a , " f o r w h i c h h e p r o v i d e s t h e e x 19
a m p l e o f a sa i n t ' s a p o t h e o s i s .
T h e d i s t i n c t i o n s of the De nuptiis
c o m m e n t a t o r m u s t h a v e b e e n k n o w n a n d t a u g h t in t h e s c h o o l s o f P a r i s , a n d
ta ught, m o r e o v e r , as tools f o r the w o u l d - b e w r i t e r w i s h i n g to a c h i e v e a
v i v i d s tyle, n o t as i n s t r u m e n t s f o r u n c o v e r i n g t h e arcana of t h e a n c i e n t s
or of Scripture.
Radulphus, Alan's student and loving interpreter, was
f a m i l i a r as w e l l w i t h at l e a s t a pa r t o f the De nuptiis c o m m e n t a r y , b o r ­
r o w i n g f r o m it, o r f r o m s o m e c o m m o n o r d e r i v a t i v e
s o urce, the c l a s s i f i ­
c a t i o n s o f S c i e n t i a f o u n d in the f i f t h f o l i o o f the C a m b r i d g e m a n u s c r i p t .
O n e m i g h t s p e c u l a t e t h a t R a d u l p h u s ' m a s t e r , A l a n the " t i n y C a p e l l a , "
21
w a s n o t u n a w a r e o f the De nuptiis c o m m e n t a r y , a n d that h e m a y h a v e s e e n
i n i t s d i s t i n c t i o n b e t w e e n integumentum a n d allegoria a m e a n s o f a d a p t ­
i n g M a c r o b i a n t e a c h i n g to l i t e r a r y f o r m s m o r e c o n g r u e n t w i t h m o d e r n
poetic aspirations.
I n g l o s s i n g A l a n ' s faleras poete a s t h e i n t e g u m e n t a l m o d e u s e d b y
p o e t s , R a d u l p h u s e m p h a s i z e s the h i g h s e r i o u s n e s s o f t h i s k i n d of o r n a ­
mented discourse.
T h e " p h a l e r i c " m o d e , b y w h i c h the p o e t c r e a t e s a
s c i n t i l l a t i n g c a p a r i s o n f o r h i d d e n truth, is s i m i l a r to w h a t G e o f f r e y
of V i n s a u f calls the "Tullian" style in h i s discussion of four styles
used by m o d e m writers:
the Isidorian.
the G r e g o r i a n ,
the T u l l i a n , t h e H i l a r i a n , a n d
C h a r a c t e r i z e d b y sentenaie grauitas a n d verborum ftori-
da e x o m a e i o , the T u l l i a n s t y l e w a s u s e d b y o l d e r w r i t e r s i n b o t h p r o s e
a nd verse;
a n d i n m o d e r n w r i t e r s G e o f f r e y f inds t h a t t h e m i x t u r e of
T u l l i a n b r i l l i a n c e o f m e t a p h o r (colores transumpaionis ) w i t h the c o l o u r s
(colores verborum ) a n d c a d e n c e s o f t h e G r e g o r i a n s t y l e is e s p e c i a l l y
22
pleasing.
As a n e x a m p l e o f s u c h a b l e n d of r h e t o r i c a l a n d m e t r i c a l
s t y l e s , G e o f f r e y c i t e s t h e De planatu Naturae o f A l a n o f Lill e , a w o r k
w r i t t e n i n prosimetrum, a n d o n e i n w h i c h A l a n " u s e d to the f u l l e s t e x t e n t
the m e t a p h o r i c a l mode,
i n w h i c h a l l the t r a p p i n g s o f e l o q u e n c e a r e in
glittering abundance."
G e o f f r e y g o e s o n to s a y that, s i n c e then, no
o t h e r b o o k o f t h e m o d e m s h a s b e e n f o u n d to e q u a l t h e Architrenius (by
J o h n o f H a u v i l l e ) , b e c a u s e o f t h e g r e a t d i s t i n c t i o n i t d i s p l a y s i n its
use of meta ph o ri c al expression.
m etrical work,
A l t h o u g h t h e Architrenius is a w h o l l y
G e o f f r e y c l a s s e s i t w i t h it s i l l u s t r i o u s p r e d e c e s s o r s ,
A l a n ' s De planctu a n d B e r n a r d S i l v e s t e r ' s Cosmographia, b o t h o f w h i c h
u s e d the m i x e d p r o s e - v e r s e form, satura, o f the De nuptiis Philologiae
et Mercurii o f M a r t i a n u s Cape l l a ; i n fact, G e o f f r e y f i n d s the Arahitren­
ius s u p e r i o r to the Cosmographia, w h o s e m e t r e s p r o c l a i m e d the a u t h o r a
n i g h t i n g a l e b u t w h o s e prose b e s poke the parrot.
T u l l i a n s t y l e is n o t l i m i t e d to p r o s e w r i t i n g .
23
B u t f o r G e o f f r e y the
It is a b o v e a l l t y p i f i e d
by the rich use of m e t a p h o r in works w h i c h h a v e a serious purpose.
In h i s g r o u p i n g o f the l e a d i n g t w e l f t h - c e n t u r y e x p o n e n t s of the
T u l l i a n s t y l e , G e o f f r e y w o u l d s e e m to r e c o g n i z e m o r e t h a n t h e i r c o m m o n
eloquence.
A l l t h r e e a u t h o r s d e v o t e d o r n a m e n t to t h e s e r v i c e o f w h a t
M a c r o b i u s h a d c a l l e d narratio fabulosa o r to w h a t c o n t e m p o r a r y w r i t e r s
t e r m e d integwnentum.
Macrobius'
c o m m e n t a r y o n the Sormiim Saipionis
h a d t a u g h t w h a t sentenaie grauitas l a y c o n c e a l e d b e n e a t h the e n t i r e l y
l e g i t i m a t e verborum florida exomaeio,
a n d M a r t i a n u s C a p e l l a ' s De nuptiis
p r o v i d e d a n a d m i r a b l e e x a m p l e of the e x t e n t to w h i c h i n s t r u c t i o n in the
Arts could b e embellished w i t h narrative fancy and precious locutions.
F o r Alan, as f o r G e o f f r e y ,
" s t e l l a r " style:
C i c e r o ' s w r i t i n g t y p i f i e d t h e g l o r i e s o f the
C i c e r o c o u l d r e d e e m the p o v e r t y o f a w o r d b y the
s p l e n d o u r o f h i s s t y l e a n d w i e l d l i g h t n i n g - b o l t s of o r n a m e n t ; h e m a d e
s p e e c h s h i n e w i t h t h e s t a r s o f rhet o r i c ; h i s l a n g u a g e w a s l i k e t h e p e a ­
c o c k ' s s p r e a d tail, g l o w i n g w i t h a s t r a l b e a u t y . ^
Alan's association
o f C i c e r o w i t h s t e l l a r o r n a m e n t is due, I think, p r i m a r i l y to the s t y ­
l i s t i c g r a n d e u r o f the Sormium Scipionis; that work, d r e n c h e d i n s t a r ­
light,
is a p r i m e e x a m p l e o f l i t e r a r y o r n a m e n t d e d i c a t e d to c o s m i c e x ­
ploration,
t h e k i n d o f w r i t i n g C h a u c e r ' s e a g l e i n The House of Fame
w o u l d l a t e r c h a r a c t e r i z e as " h a r d , " w i t h r e s p e c t b o t h to " l a n g a g e " a n d
" m a t e r e , " a n d as r e p l e t e w i t h s u b t l e t y o f s p e ech, p h i l o s o p h i c a l terms,
25
f i g u r e s o f p o e t r y , a n d c o l o u r s of r h e t o r i c .
A s m a s t e r o f the " p h a l e r i c " style, C i c e r o w a s a l s o a n a d e p t of narratio fabulosa.
twelfth century,
I n the
to a d o p t the T u l l i a n s t y l e w a s to a s s u m e n o t o n l y s t y ­
l i s t i c r e f u l g e n c y b u t a l s o f a b u l o u s subt l e t y .
A l a n ' s u s e o f t h e w o r d phalerae e l s e w h e r e in h i s w r i t i n g s j u s t i f i e s
Radulphus'
g l o s s o n it as " t h e i n t e g u m e n t a l m o d e o f s p e e c h . "
I n the
De planotu, N a t u r a p r e f a c e s h e r p o e t i c m y t h a b o u t V e n u s a n d A n t i g a m u s /
26
Antigenius
w i t h a d e s c r i p t i o n of t h e s t y l e s h e w i l l u s e to t r e a t the
distasteful subject of aberrant sexuality:
M a k i n g m y b e g i n n i n g in a m o r e e l e v a t e d a n d m o r e d i s t i n g u i s h e d
style,
a n d d e s i r i n g to w e a v e t o g e t h e r the t h r e a d s o f m y n a r r a ­
tive, I do n o t w i s h as b e f o r e to m a k e m y s u b j e c t c l e a r in
pl ain, s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d l a n g u a g e , n o r to r e v e a l u n h o l y t h i n g s
i n n e w l y - c o i n e d c o m m o n speech, b u t r a t h e r to g i l d s h a m e f u l
things w i t h the g olden ornaments
[phaleris] o f c h a s t e d i s ­
course, a n d to c l o t h e t h e m w i t h the v a r i o u s c o l o u r s of e l e 27
g a n t dict i o n .
S h e c h o o s e s t h e g r a n d s t y l e o v e r t h e m i d d l e a n d l o w s t y l e s , t h a t is, i n
o r d e r to a v o i d the b r u t a l i t y that m o r e d i r e c t o r v u l g a r s p e e c h w o u l d
b o r r o w f r o m the p r a c t i c e s s h e desc r i b e s .
A n d b e c a u s e N a t u r a e m p l o y s the
o r n a m e n t s o f the g r a n d s t y l e in the r e l a t i n g o f a n i n s t r u c t i v e f a b l e
about Venus'
c l u d e that,
illicit u nion w i t h Antigamus / Antigenius, one m a y con­
f o r A lan,
t h e phalevae verbovum b e l o n g i n g to this s t y l e a r e
associated in his m i n d w i t h poetic fable having a serious philosophical
purpose —
i n th is case,
to e x p l a i n h o w n a t u r a l s e x u a l f e e l i n g h a s b e ­
come culpably dissociated from lawful procreation.
A l t h o u g h N a t u r a is
c a r e f u l to c h e c k h e r u s e o f f i g u r a t i v e l a n g u a g e w h e n it t h r e a t e n s to
encroach upon mystery beyond her comprehension, she habitually uses a
h i g h l y c o l o u r e d , m e t a p h o r i c a l , " p h a l e r i c " s t y l e to t r e a t h e r p r o p e r s u b ­
ject matter, w h e t h e r she creates a p l atonesque m y t h about Venus,
delivers
a c l e v e r theatralis ovatio a b o u t C u p i d (W 475; M 4 56), o r i n a n e l a b o r ­
a t e s t r e t c h o f d o u b l e e n t e n d r e r e fers to s e x u a l a c t i v i t y i n t e r m s of
s o u n d o r c o r r u p t f o r m s b e l o n g i n g to the T r i v i a l A r t s
459).
(W 4 7 5 - 4 7 9 ; M 4 5 7 -
A l w a y s s t r i v i n g f o r a n e l e v a t e d y e t c h a s t e m a n n e r (W 471; M 455),
e v e n i n h e r s h o w i e r t o u r d e force, N a t u r a is
a b r i l l i a n t p r a c t i t i o n e r of
the T u l l i a n s t y l e , e n c o u r a g i n g the d r e a m e r to a s k t h a t s h e m a i n t a i n h e r
a u r e a t e flow:
she m u s t discuss h u m a n vices, he urges, using a style
" s p e c i o s s i m a r u m s p e c i e r u m i n t e r s t i c i i s d i s c o l o r i b u s , " t h a t is, w i t h i n ­
t e r s p e r s e d a n d v a r i e g a t e d c o l o u r s of the m o s t s p l e n d i d o r n a m e n t s (W 484;
M 461).
These splendid ornaments —
species —
a r e also, p e r h a p s ,
e x t e r n a l i m a g e s c o n c e a l i n g the i n n e r t r u t h o f N a t u r a ' s d i s c o u r s e .
false
Obey­
i n g the d r e a m e r ' s r e q u e s t f o r a c o l o u r f u l style, s h e a l s o s a t i s f i e s
his taste for fictions w h e n she personifies vices a n d names,
B a c c h i l a t r i a as o n e o f t h e " d a u g h t e r s " o f I d o l a t r y :
vocabulo"
(W 485; M 462).
Nature's speech —
f o r exam p l e ,
"ut f i c t i t i o l o q u a r
g r and, s t e l l a r ,
fabulous —
p e r f e c t l y i l l u s t r a t e s t h e i n t e g u m e n t a l m o d e o f poets.
If N a t u r a ' s d i s c o u r s e is s e l f - c o n s c i o u s l y " p h a l e r i c , " s h e o w e s h e r
c h o s e n m o d e to Satu r a ,
the artful Muse of Martianus Capella.
In Book
III o f the De nuptiis Philologiae et Mevcurii, " D e a r t e g r a m m a t i c a , "
t h e p o e t e x p r e s s e s m i s g i v i n g s a b o u t t h e phalevae S a t u r a is l a v i s h i n g o n
his l i t t l e b ook, b u t s h e a s s u r e s h i m t h a t s u c h o r n a m e n t a t i o n is i n order.
It is b e t t e r to c l o t h e t h e n a k e d n e s s o f t h e Arts, and, s i n c e o n e g i v e s
t h e m v o i c e s , w h y n o t go a l l the w a y a n d m a k e f i c t i t i o u s f i g u r e s f o r t h e m
as w e l l ?
C o n q u e r e d b y h i s p l a y f u l Muse, M a r t i a n u s c o n s e n t s to j o i n h e r
28
g ame.
B y phalevae, M a r t i a n u s m e ans, t h e r e f o r e , n o t o n l y the h i g h l y
coloured language deemed appropriate b y his M u s e but also the dress of
f i c t i o n s h e d e v i s e s for h i s t reatise.
C o m m e n t i n g o n phalerae i n this
p a s s a g e , R e m i g i u s c o r r e c t l y takes t h e w o r d to m e a n " o m a m e n t a f a b u l o s a , "
t h o u g h h e a d d s t h a t it is a l s o u s e d for " t h e s u p e r f l u o u s o r n a m e n t a t i o n
29
M a r t i a n u s ' s p e c i a l u s e o f the w o r d phalerae m a k e s it
of l a n g u a g e . "
the e q u i v a l e n t o f the t w e l f t h - c e n t u r y modus integumentalis, as R a d u l p hus r e c o g n i z e d i n h i s g l o s s o n A l a n ' s faleras poete.
T h o u g h i n h i s two m a j o r l i t e r a r y w o r k s A l a n r e q u e s t s a n d e x p l o i t s
the i n t e g u m e n t a l m o d e ,
the " p h a l e r i c " s t y l e o f M a r t i a n u s C a p e l l a ,
in
h i s p a s t o r a l w r i t i n g s h e c o n s i s t e n t l y a d v i s e s c l e r i c s to e s c h e w d i f f i ­
c u l t a n d e m b e l l i s h e d l a n g u a g e , w h i c h h e f i n d s u n s u i t e d to C h r i s t i a n d i s ­
course.
of s p e e c h
" P r e a c h i n g , " h e c o u n s e l s , " m u s t n o t g l i t t e r w i t h the o r n a m e n t s
[phaleris verborum ] , w i t h the p u r p l e v e s t m e n t s o f r h e t o r i c a l
c o l o u r s , n o r s h o u l d it b e p i t c h e d too l o w i n w o r d s c o n v e y i n g t h e b a r e
30
it s h o u l d 'hew to t h e g o l d e n m e a n ' . "
Natura, or natural
minimum;
p h i l o s o p h y , m a y a s s u m e the a r t f u l s u b l i m i t i e s o f the g r a n d s t yle, b u t
i n p r e a c h i n g the m i d d l e s t y l e is r e q u i r e d .
Similarly,
a t the c o n c l u s ­
i o n o f the Liber poenitentialis, A l a n j u s t i f i e s h i s u s e o f the p l a i n o r
m i d d l e s t y l e in t h a t w o r k b y a s s e r t i n g that h e d i d n o t w a n t to r i s k the
k i n d o f f a l s e h o o d t h a t a m o r e " s t e l l a r " s t y l e m i g h t favo u r :
"Malui enim
v e r b o r u m utens planitie, veritatis assequi limitem, q u a m c o l o r u m stellas
31
assequendo, incurrere falsitatis errorem."
I n o n e of h i s o w n sermons,
"De P a s c h a , a d m a g i s t r o s c l e r i c o r u m , " h e d e c l a r e s that lectio theologioa,
w h i c h h e associates w i t h the "substantial b r e a d of allegory," does not
d e s i r e " t h e f l o w e r s o f r h e t o r i c , n o r the o r n a m e n t s o f s p e e c h , b u t h u m b l e
32
s a y i n g s " ("nec d i c t i o n u m phal e r a s , s e d h u m i l e s s e n t e n t i a s " ) .
W h e n A l a n d i s c r e d i t s phalerae verborum i n this way, h e r e c a l l s St.
Ambrose, not Macrobius.
W r i t i n g of the l o w l y s h e p h e r d s '
the a n g e l i c c h o i r ( " T r a n s e a m u s u s q u e a d B e t h l e e m ,
r e s p o n s e to
et v i d eamus hoc Ver-
b u m q u o d f a c t u m est, s i c u t D o m i n u s o s t e n d i t n o b i s " ) A m b r o s e h a d c o m m e n t ­
ed:
" G o d d i d n o t t u r n to c o l l e g e s f i l l e d w i t h t r o o p s o f l e a r n e d men,
b u t to s i m p l e o r d i n a r y p e o p l e w h o d i d n o t k n o w h o w to o r n a m e n t [phaler33
are] a n d c o l o u r w h a t t h e y h a d h e a r d . "
E l s e w h e r e , St. A m b r o s e h a d c o m ­
p a r e d J o b ' s m o d e o f k n o w l e d g e w i t h that o f P l a t o a n d C i c e r o :
Job at­
t a i n e d i n s i g h t " n e c e l o q u e n t i a e p h a l e r a n d a e gratia, s e d v e r i t a t i s
probandae."
T h e e l o q u e n c e o f w i s e p a g a n s m a y i n d e e d s c r e e n truth, as
t w e l f t h - c e n t u r y p r o p o n e n t s o f t h e c o n c e p t of integumentvm w e r e e a g e r to
d e m o n s t r a t e , b u t t h e r e is n o d o u b t t h a t A m b r o s e a n d A l a n v i e w e d phalerae
verborum a s t h e d e v i c e of t h o s e w h o c o u l d n o t s p e a k o p e n l y o f t r u t h r e ­
v e a l e d in the f u l l n e s s o f time, h u m b l y to the h u m b l e s t o f w i t n e s s e s .
Such "phaleric" writers are like Natura, unable despite their eloquence
to s p e a k of a m y s t e r y t h e y c a n n o t grasp.
T h e i d e a that phalerae verborum a r e the d e v i c e s o f g e n t i l e w r i t e r s
w h o c a n n o t p r o n o u n c e " v i d e a m u s h o c V e r b u m q u o d f a c t u m e s t " is a l s o r e ­
f l e c t e d i n t h e l a n g u a g e o f a C i s t e r c i a n abbo t , A l a n ' s c o n t e m p o r a r y , w h o
i n t h i s w a y b e g a n a l e t t e r to a s c h o l a r u n s u r e o f a r e l i g i o u s v o c a t i o n :
W r i t i n g to m y b e l o v e d ,
I h a v e n o t t a k e n p a i n s to w o r k u p f r o t h y
t u r n s o f p h r a s e o r to p o l i s h o r n a t e l y w o r d e d [phalerati ser­
monise s e n t e n c e s .
Indeed, h a v i n g g i v e n m y s e l f o v e r to the
s e r v i c e o f God, I c a n n o t w r i t e to y o u g r a n d i l o q u e n t l y .
With
s o m e o n e s t e e p e d i n the w r i t i n g s o f a p a gan, I s h o u l d n o t t a k e
up t h e m y s t e r i e s o f d i v i n e law, b u t r a t h e r g i v e h i m a f o r e ­
t a s t e o f p l a i n a n d s i m p l e truths, s a y i n g w i t h the apos t l e :
"I h a v e f e d y o u w i t h m i l k , a n d n o t w i t h m e a t "
(I Cor. 3:2).
35
A l t h o u g h it c o u l d b e a r g u e d that A l a n ' s s t e r n v i e w o f phalerae verborum
is a m a r k of C i s t e r c i a n i n f l u e n c e , a n d t h a t he, in e f f ect, c o n d e m n s h i s
o w n l i t e r a r y w o r k s b y t a k i n g s u c h a s t r i c t a p p r o a c h to T u l l i a n e l o q u e n c e ,
" o n e m i g h t b e t t e r a r g u e , " w i t h J.M. T r o u t ,
on e f o r t h e poet,
" t h a t A l a n h a s two styles:
36
t h e o t h e r for the p r e a c h e r . "
I n t h e Regulae Theo-
logiaaes A l a n w r i t e s t h a t a C a t h o l i c t h e o l o g i a n s h o u l d a v o i d verborum
involuara in o r d e r to b e c l e a r l y u n d e r s t o o d ;
37
l i k e W i l l i a m o f St.
T h i e r r y , w h o h a d c r i t i c i z e d A b e l a r d f o r u s i n g the t e r m involucrum b e 38
c a u s e o f its s u p p o s e d a s s o c i a t i o n s w i t h E r i u g e n i a n " h e r e s y , "
Alan
s e e m s t o h a v e r e g a r d e d involusra w i t h a j a u n d i c e d eye, a t l e a s t i f s u c h
involuara w o u n d t h e i r w a y i n t o C h r i s t i a n d i s c o u r s e .
w i t h h i s c o n v i c t i o n that, s i n c e t h e a d v e n t o f Chri s t ,
This is in a c c o r d
the g o s p e l c o u l d
b e p r e a c h e d o p e n l y , n o l o n g e r l a t e n t i n the s h a d o w y f i g u r e s o f t h e O l d
39
Testament.
B u t if t h e p r e a c h e r s h o u l d s t e e r c l e a r o f involucra a n d phalerae
verborwn, t h e poet, who, li k e Na t u r a , m u s t k e e p to h i s p r o p e r s p h e r e i n
t he u s e o f f i g u r a t i v e l a n g u a g e , m a y l e g i t i m a t e l y i n d u l g e in s t e l l a r
subtleties.
ancients,
I n d o i n g so, h e f o l l o w s l o v i n g l y i n t h e f o o t s t e p s of the
f r e e l y c h o o s i n g a s t y l e o l d e r w r i t e r s w e r e b o u n d to use.
i n t e g u m e n t a l m o d e w a s fit, a f t e r all,
The
f o r the e m b e l l i s h m e n t of h u m a n
k n o w l e d g e , n o t o f r e v e a l e d truth, a n d so l o n g as the p o e t d i d n o t da r e
to c l o t h e C h r i s t i a n d o c t r i n e i n f a b u l o u s o r n a m e n t s , h e m i g h t i n v e s t
n a t u r a l p h i l o s o p h y w i t h a l l th e s p l e n d i d f a s h i o n s o f a n t i q u i t y .
N a t u r a i n the Oe planctu d e f i n e s the l i m i t e d s c o p e a n d s e r i o u s
n a t u r e o f the i n t e g u m e n t a l m o d e .
We have n ot e d that she dare not speak
o f m a n ' s r e d e m p t i o n , a n d t h a t s h e do e s n o t p e r m i t h e r f i g u r a t i v e d i s ­
c o u r s e to s t r a y far b e y o n d h e r o w n co n c e r n s .
S h e is c a r e f u l , m o r e o v e r ,
to d i s t i n g u i s h h e r f o r m of n a r r a t i v e f r o m l e s s c r e d i t a b l e kinds.
In­
dignant that the dreamer indiscriminately accepts "the shadowy figments
o f p o e t s to w h i c h the a c t i v i t y of p o e t i c a r t h a s g i v e n i m a g i n a t i v e
40
shape,"
she condemns those poets wh o either shamelessly expose naked
falsehoods or cloak falsehoods w i th verisimilitude.
Like Macrobius,
she c o n t r a s t s the " c h i l d i s h c r a d l e s o f p o e t r y " w i t h t h e m o r e r a t i o n a l
discourse of philosophy, a n d declares that fables attributing perverse
s e x u a l b e h a v i o u r to the g o d s m u s t n o t b e c o u n t e n a n c e d .
her o w n myth about peccant Venus —
but Venus,
g o ddes s, h e r numen l o n g e x t i n g u i s h e d . )
(This d e s p i t e
of c ourse, is a f a b u l o u s
Going beyond Macrobius,
that w h e n p o e t s s p e a k of m a n y gods, t h e y lie.
sh e s a y s
But Nat u r a does admit
that a l y i n g p o e t i c cortex m a y c o n c e a l a s w e e t k e r n e l o f truth, a n d that
p o e t s m a y j o i n t o g e t h e r " h i s t o r i c a l " e v e n t s w i t h f a b u l o u s " j e s t s " in a n
elegant structure, which combination may produce a more elegant, expres41
sive narrative.
Natura herself, however, constructs a purely mythic
n a r r a t i v e i n h e r s t o r y a b o u t V e n u s , b u t o n e w h i c h is " a d o r n e d w i t h the
riches of thought"
(W 471; M 454).
To h e r c h a g r i n ,
the d r e a m e r d i s r u p t s
h e r w e i g h t y e l o q u e n c e to i n q u i r e a b o u t C upid, a s u b j e c t p o e t s h a v e o b ­
liquely treated "sub integumentali involucro"
(W 4 70-71; M 454).
In
s c o r n f u l d e f e r e n c e to h i s b o y i s h m e n t a l i t y , N a t u r a o b l i g e s w i t h a " t h e a t r a l i s o r a t i o " o n the to p i c of Lo v e ,
in a style "paululum maturior"
then resumes her mythic narrative
(W 475; M 456).
Thus N a t u r a ' s art, w h i l e
it c a n n o t a v o i d f l a s h y t u r n s o f p h r a s e a n d f a b u l o u s o r n a m e n t , h a s a
s e r i o u s p h i l o s o p h i c a l p u r p o s e a n d u s e s phalerae n o t to d e c e i v e b u t to
m a i n t a i n a k i n d of sumptuous verbal chastity.
N e v e r t h e l e s s , A l a n ' s v i e w o f the b o u n d a n d f i c t i v e n a t u r e o f the
i n t e g u m e n t a l m o de, w h i c h c a n b e i n f e r r e d f r o m N a t u r a ' s speech, c r e a t e s
a n e g a t i v e f o r c e i n the De planotu w h e r e b y N a t u r a a n d h e r alter ego,
Genius, a r e subtly undermined.
If N a t u r a c a n n o t s p e a k of c e r t a i n t h i n g s
a n d m u s t d e f e r to T h e o l o g y (W 455; M 445), G e n i u s c a n n o t p r o d u c e i m a g e s
free f r o m the i n tervention of Falsehood.
A l t h o u g h h e is a s s i s t e d b y
i n s c r u t a b l e Trut h , h e is d o g g e d as w e l l b y F a l s e h o o d , w h o s u c c e e d s in
m a r r i n g w h a t e v e r T r u t h h a s h e l p e d to s h a p e (W 519; M 480).
Fraus was
. . 42
o n e o f t h e c o m p a n i o n s o f t h e e l o q u e n t M e r c u r y i n the De nupt%zs,
and
s h e r e t u r n s to h a u n t t h e n a t u r a l ingenium of the p o e t , i.e. Geni u s , d e ­
I n t h e Anticlaudianus, F r a u s r e s u r ­
p i c t i n g t h e t r u t h s o f p h i l o s o p h y . 43
f a c e s a s a v i c i o u s t h r e a t to the n e w man; h e r w e a p o n is h e r tongue,
thick wit h "dulcibus . . . verbis" and "phaleris dictorum"
p. 1 95).
( I X . 334-35,
T h e " p h a l e r i c " style, d e s p i t e the c h a s t e a n d n o b l e u s e to
w h i c h it c a n b e put, w a s n e v e r i n A l a n ' s e y e s a v e h i c l e f o r h i g h e r truth,
but a v i v i d a n d literally sophisticated means of conveying what was ac­
c e s s i b l e to h u m a n reas o n .
Natura's poetic explanation and denunciation
o f h u m a n v ice, H y m e n ' s e l o q u e n t e m b a s s y to G e n i u s
ti s e l e c u t i o n i s a s t r a l u c e s c u n t "
("penes q u e m s t e l l a n -
[W 510- 5 1 1 ; M 476]), a n d Geni u s ' c o n ­
c l u d i n g " e x c o m m u n i c a t i o n " o f the v i c i o u s , a l l e x p r e s s N a t u r a ' s p o w e r
a n d a t the s a m e time c o n f i r m h e r w e a k n e s s :
of her authority
she cannot exceed the limit
(W 510; M 476), w h i c h is to c h i d e a n d c o n d e m n t h o s e w h o
h a v e a b a n d o n e d reason.
T h e De planotu r i n g s w i t h the m e l a n c h o l y b e a u t y of
a s t y l e r e c o g n i z i n g its i n a b i l i t y to v o i c e the c e r t a i n k n o w l e d g e t h a t m a n
is n o t o n l y b o r n t h r o u g h N a t u r e to d i e b u t a l s o r e b o r n t h r o u g h C h r i s t to
l i v e fore v e r .
J u s t a s N a t u r a i n the Oe planotu a s s u m e s the i n t e g u m e n t a l m o d e of
spee c h , p r o p e r to n a t u r a l p h i l o s o p h y ,
robi u s '
image of a symbolically dressed Nature, h iding her principles from
the vulgar.
A l a n d e s c r i b e s N a t u r a l i t e r a l l y per integumentum,
w i t h Macrobius'
in a c c o r d
t e a c h i n g that the p h i l o s o p h e r s h o u l d i m i t a t e N a t u r e ' s o w n
decorative and protective vesture.
veiled
so she r e p r e s e n t s in h e r p e r s o n M a c ­
N a t u r e h e r s e l f e x p l a i n s t h a t she has
(palliare ) h e r c o u n t e n a n c e " p l e r i s . . . f i g u r i s " to p r e v e n t too
e a s y a n a c c e s s to h e r m y s t e r i e s
(W 454-55; M 445).
T h e s e figurae, g i v ­
i n g h e r s p e e c h the f a b u l o u s o r n a m e n t s of the " p h a l e r i c " style, a l s o a p ­
p e a r in h e r c l o t h i n g as i m a g e s w h i c h A l a n v a r i o u s l y te r m s lies,
p h a n t a s m s , m a g i c a l il l u s i o n s ,
theatrical representations.
fables,
On her diadem
the " e f f i g i a t a . . . e f f i g i e s " of a l i o n (the c o n s t e l l a t i o n Leo) blazes,
"ut f a c e t a p i c t u r a e l o q u e b a n t u r m e n d a c i a "
(W 433; M 433).
O t h e r stars
a r e d e p i c t e d by m e a n s o f " c u r i a l i s s c r i p t u r a e p h a n t a s i a " (W 434; M 433)
and "sculpturae tropica figura"
(W 435; M 434).
T h o u g h the b i r d s on he r
r o b e of state s e e m to be t h e r e l i t e r a l l y (ad litteram) , t h e y e x i s t o n l y
allegorise (W 439; M 436).
Her pallium,
"artificio subtili lasciviens,"
d i s p l a y s a " f a b u l a . . . p i c t u r a e " of w a t e r - d w e l l i n g c r e a t u r e s , w h o a r e
s a i d to be " e l e g a n t e r . . . f i g u r a t a e " b y m e a n s of a " p i c turae . . . tropo"
(W 43 9 - 4 4 1 ; M 436-37).
T e r r e s t r i a l an i m a l s ,
h e r tunica, i n " q u a e d a m p i c t u r a e i n c a n t a t i o "
i n c l u d i n g man, a p p e a r o n
(W 441; M 4 3 7 ) , a n d in an
" h i s t r i o n a l i s f o r m a e r e p r e s e n t a t i o " (W 443; M 438).
W h e r e t h e insomnia
of a p i c t u r e r e p r e s e n t m a n on he r tunic, N a t u r a ' s s e l f - s t y l e d integumen-
tum is s y m b o l i c a l l y t o r n b y t h o s e n o t r e s p e c t f u l of h e r " p u d o r i s o r n a m e n t a "
(W 467; M 452).
On h e r s h o e s t h e flowers,
t h e m s e l v e s c a l l e d N a t u r a ' s pa l ­
lia a n d sidera, b l o s s o m t h e r e " a r t e s o p h i s t i c a " (W 444; M 439).
Thus Na ­
ture b e a r s t h e r i c h e m b r o i d e r y of the T u l l i a n s t y l e a n d t h e f i c t i o n a l
i m a g e r y of t h e i n t e g u m e n t a l mode.
H y m e n a n d the V i r t u e s ,
too, w e a r g a r m e n t s v i v i d l y b u t f a b u l o u s l y p i c ­
t u r i n g their v a r i o u s po w e r s .
I n th e c h a n g i n g m a t e r i a l s of H y m e n ' s r o b e
" p i c t u r a r u m f a b u l a e n u p t i a l e s s o m n i a b a n t e v e n t u s " (W 503; M 472), m a k i n g
it a n e n v e l o p i n g s p o u s a l dream.
E v e n the p u r e w h i t e g o w n o f C h a s t i t y is
c o l o u r e d w i t h i m a g e s d e p i c t i n g the s t o r i e s of H i p p o l y t u s , D a p h n e , L u c r e t i a ,
a n d Pe n e l o p e ,
a l l t r a c e d "sub c o m m e n t o p i c t u r a e "
(W 505; M 473).
Temper­
a n c e is c l o t h e d in g a r m e n t s b e a r i n g a n i n s t r u c t i v e piatura, s p e l l e d o u t w i t h
litterae (W 506; M 474); a n d L a r g i t a s b o a s t s o n h e r d r e s s a n " i m a g i n a r i a
p i c t u r a e p r o b a b i l i t a s , " s e c u r i n g its e f f e c t s by m a g i c a l i l l u s i o n —
istice picturationis suae praestigio"
(W 508; M 474).
"soph-
Though Humility's
b e a u t y is n a t u r a l , n o t a r t i f i c i a l , a n d t h o u g h h e r g a r m e n t s r e t a i n t h e i r o w n
co lour, o n e m a y f i n d h e r n a t u r e r e p r e s e n t e d in her d r e s s " f a b u l o s i s p i c t u r ­
ae c o m m e n t i s "
ga r m e n t s ,
479).
(W 509; M 475).
Genius, N a t u r e ' s o t h e r self, w e a r s c i n e m a t i c
flickering wi t h changing colours and momentary images
O n l y T r u t h is set a p a r t a s o n e w h o s e c l o t h e s ,
(W 517, M
indistinguishable from
h e r body, a r e u n f a m i l i a r and i m a g e l e s s (W 518-19; M 480).
By pres e n t i n g all
t h e c h a r a c t e r s in t h e De planotu, s a v e Truth, as b e i n g s e n f o l d e d b y
b r i g h t images, A l a n e m b o d i e s , or r a t h e r c l o t h e s , M a c r o b i u s '
i n p o e t i c form,
teachings
g i v i n g N a t u r e ' s s e c r e t s the c o l o u r f u l h a b i l i m e n t s of
fabulous artifice.
I n d eed,
the p i c t u r e s q u e a t t i r e of t h e i n d i v i d u a l
p e r s o n i f i c a t i o n s r e f l e c t s the n a t u r e a n d t e c h n i q u e of t h e p o e t i c n a r r a ­
the De planotu i t s e l f is a d r e a m - v i s i o n , a
tive in w h i c h they appear:
f a b u l o u s n a r r a t i v e , c l o t h i n g N a t u r e ' s l o r e in a d a z z l i n g l y f i g u r a t i v e ,
f i c t i o n a l s t y l e so that a n " i m a g i n a r i a p i c t u r à e p r o b a b i l i t a s " m a y b e
g iven of her workings.
W r a p p e d i n f a b u l o u s p i c t u r e s , u t t e r i n g p o e t i c fables, N a t u r a is
also an artist,
inscribing a succession of fading and n e w l y v i v i d images
on e a r t h e n tablets
(W 444- 4 5 ; M 439).
N ature's mortal artistry,
l i v e a n d pass away.
The garments of Genius reflect
depicting images of things that for a m o ment
Genius,
too, is p o r t r a y e d a s an a r t i s t , e t c h i n g
fluid images u p o n a hide, his right h a n d creating such admirable figures
as H e l e n (a t y p e o f f e m i n i n e b e a u t y i n v i t i n g n a t u r a l h e t e r o s e x u a l p a s s i o n ) ,
Tumus,
Hercules,
C a p a n e u s , U l y s s e s , Cato, P l ato,
Cicero, a n d A r i s t o t l e .
T h e l e f t h a n d o f G e n i u s d r a w s the s m u d g e d a n d h a l f - r e a l i z e d p o r t r a i t s of
Thersites, Paris,
Sinon, a n d o f two l i t e r a r y duds, E n n i u s a n d P a c u v i u s
(W 5 1 7 - 1 8 ; M 4 7 9 - 8 0 ) .
Not only are the productions of N a t u r a and Genius
d o o m e d to m u t a b i l i t y , d i s f i g u r e m e n t , a n d death,
t h e y a r e a l s o l i a b l e to
b e d o w n r i g h t f a i l u r e s , u g l y a n d v i c i o u s shapes.
To t h e s e f laws i n N a ­
t u r e ' s a r t A l a n r e v e r t s i n B o o k I o f the Antialaudianus , w h e r e h e r m i s ­
t a k e s a s w e l l as h e r a c h i e v e m e n t s a r e r e p r e s e n t e d in the m u r a l s o f h e r
h ome.
H e r e p r a ising N a t ure's artwork w i t h a mixture of irony a n d genu­
ine admiration, A l a n exclaims that such "new" a n d "miraculous" pictorial
s k i l l c a n m a k e w h a t is n o n - e x i s t e n t o r f a l s e t a k e o n the a p p e a r a n c e o f
truth; a n d b e c a u s e the " p i c t u r i n g " a r t is c r e a t i v e , n o t a r g u m e n t a t i v e ,
it t r i u m p h s o v e r t h e s o p h i s m s o f l o g i c e v e n t h o u g h b o t h a r t a n d l o g i c
d e a l i n d e c e p t i o n (I. 1 2 2 - 3 0 , pp. 6 0 - 61).
I n the m u r a l a p p e a r A r i s t o t l e
a n d P l a t o , a n d h e r e t h e i n s p i r e d a u t h o r of the Timaeus is p r e f e r r e d to
his logic-chopping disciple.
if i n a dream,
T h o u g h P l a t o sompniat, t h a t is, s h o w s as
the m y s t e r i e s o f h e a v e n a n d earth, h i s c o s m i c visi o n ,
b o u n d u p as it is i n fict i o n , is m o r e c o m p e l l i n g than the d e m o n s t r a t i o n s
o f l o g i c (I. 1 3 1 - 1 3 4 , p. 61).
power of poetic imagination.
I n t h i s w a y A l a n p a y s due h o m a g e to the
O t h e r i d e a l p o r t r a i t s m a y b e s e e n o n the m u r a l s ,
o f the p o e t s , h e r o e s ,
forming a pantheon
a n d w i s e m e n o f a n t i q u i t y , of a l l w h o h a v e r e p r e ­
s e n t e d t h e n o b i l i t y of h u m a n a c h i e v e m e n t u n d e r the o l d d i s p e n s a t i o n .
Seneca, w h o " f o r g e s c h a r a c t e r b y r e a s o n , " is there; P t o l e m y r i d e s in the
c h a r i o t o f Reason; C i c e r o s p l e n d i d l y a d o r n s speech; a n d " V i r g i l ' s M u s e
g i l d s m a n y a l i e a n d w e a v e s f r o m f a l s e h o o d a c l o a k in the i m a g e of t r u t h "
(I. 1 3 5 -43, p. 61).
W i t h the s a p i e n t a n d e l o q u e n t a n c i e n t s a r e f o u n d
f i c t i o n a l illustres
—
—
H e r c u l e s , U l y s s e s , Titus, T u r n u s , a n d H i p p o l y t u s
a n d t o g e t h e r t h e y c o m p r i s e the " m e t a p h o r s a n d d r e a m s of t r u t h "
p o s e t s o m p n i a u e r i , " I. 152, p. 61).
("tro-
E v e n b e f o r e one sees the more
recent m i s takes of N a t u r e —
t h e tyr a n n i c a l , the v i c i o u s , a n d t h o s e w h o
44
sing antiquity vulgarly and tediously
— one senses that even Natura's
s u c c e s s e s a r e to b e p e r c e i v e d as limited:
myth,
to t h e i n s u f f i c i e n c i e s of logic,
( w hose c h a r i o t c o u l d t a k e S e n eca,
edge of heaven),
l i m i t e d to t h e d r e a m - w o r l d o f
to the b o u n d s of h u m a n r e a s o n
as it w i l l l e a d P r u d e n c i a , o n l y to the
to t h e m e r e l y r h e t o r i c a l e n r i c h m e n t of l a n g u a g e , a n d to
t h e g o l d e n lies o f p o e t r y .
S u c h " m e t a p h o r s a n d d r e a m s of t r u t h , " N a t u r e ' s
e m b l e m s of h u m a n a c h i e v e m e n t i n p h i l o s o p h y , logic, r h e t o r i c , a n d poet r y ,
w i l l b e s h o w n to b e c o m p l e t e l y e v a n e s c e n t w h e n P r u d e n c i a e n c o u n t e r s the
m a r v e l s of H e a ven.
P h e n o m e n a t h e r e c a n n o t b e a c c o u n t e d for b y n a t u r a l
s c i e n c e ; a ll is b e y o n d t h e j u r i s d i c t i o n of N a t u r e ;
m e r e sapientia c r u m b l e s ; T u l l i u s is s p e e c h l e s s ;
Aristotle and Ptolemy languish
the V i r g i n M ary, N a t u r e ,
of a u t h o r i t y
logic,
r e a s o n is p o w e r l e s s ;
V i r g i l ' s M u s e is dumb;
(V. 367-72, p. 1 3 4 ) .
Similarly, b efore
rhet o r i c , a n d r e a s o n a r e w o r d l e s s , b e r e f t
(V. 4 7 8 -79, p. 137).
"In hac Verbi copula / Stupet omnis
r é g u l a " w r o t e A l a n in h i s f a m o u s " R i t h m u s d e I n c a r n a t i o n e D o m i n i " :
the r u l e s of the Arts, r a t i o n a l , n a t u r a l , h u m a n ,
g r a m m a r of D i v i n i t y o r c o m p r e h e n d its tropes.
c a n n o t c o n s t r u e the
Depressed by her failures
an d k n o w i n g the l i m i t a t i o n s o f h e r p a s t s u c c e s s e s , N a t u r a m u s t s e e k G o d ' s
h e l p to c r e a t e a n e w a n d b e t t e r man.
I n the s a m e w a y the p oet, c o n s c i o u s
of the q u a l i f i e d a c h i e v e m e n t s o f the a n c i e n t s a n d d i s d a i n f u l o f s o m e c o n ­
t e m p o r a r y u s e s of a n t i q u e themes, d e s i r e s to c r e a t e a n e w a n d b e t t e r p o e m
a c k n o w l e d g i n g , a n d u p h e l d by, t h e d i v i n e r a r t i s t r y of God.
A t the b e g i n n i n g o f the Antialaudianus, A l a n e m p h a s i z e s the novitas
of h i s e n t e r p r i s e .
I n h i s d e s i r e to p r e v e n t t h e a g i n g o f h i s d i s p i r i t e d
Mu s e , h e m a y h a v e I n m i n d th e l a p s e o f t i m e s i n c e th e w r i t i n g o f the
46
De planatu Naturae, c o m p o s e d s o m e t e n to t w e n t y y e a r s e a r l i e r .
Per­
h a p s h e is i n d i c a t i n g as w e l l th a t h e h a s t h o u g h t o f w r i t i n g the Anti-
alaudianus f o r s o m e time, w i t h o u t , h o w e v e r , e x e c u t i n g h i s d e s i g n u n t i l
now.
T h e " v e t u s . . . c a r t a , " the o l d p a r c h m e n t , o r th e p o e m i tself,
r e g a i n s i t s y o u t h i n t h e " n e w n e s s " o f w r i t i n g ; t h e carta r e j o i c e s i n
i t s e m e r g e n c e f r o m " a n t i q u a s . . . l a t e b r a s , " w h e r e p r e s u m a b l y it h a s
l a i n c o i l e d w i t h o u t a v o i c e ( " P r o l o g u s , " 11. 4-6, p. 57).
Though Alan
h e r e s p e a k s f i g u r a t i v e l y o f the r e n e w a l of h i s p o e t i c e n e r g i e s , t h e r e
is the a d d e d s u g g e s t i o n th a t h e is a l l u d i n g to the b i r t h o f a n e w p o e m
o u t o f o l d forms,
th e antiquae latebrae w h e r e t r u t h w a s w r a p p e d p e r f o r c e
in c o n c e a l i n g integumenta.
perhaps,
T h e n e w n e s s o f t h e Anticlaudianus w i l l a rise,
o u t of th e c a s t - o f f s k i n s o f o l d p o e m s l i k e the D e planatu
a n d its a n t i q u e m o d e l s .
Radulphus'
nature of Alan's originality.
b e c a u s e it s s u b j e c t - m a t t e r ,
Vice,
g l o s s o n vetus carta e x p l a i n s the
A l t h o u g h t h e carta, o r poem,
is " o l d "
the f o u r a r t i f i c e r s N a t u r e , God, Fo r t u n e ,
a n d t h e i r w o r k s , h a s e x i s t e d s i n c e t h e ti m e o f the Fall, k n o w l e d g e
o f this a n c i e n t materia h a s b e e n w a n t i n g .
"The world," however,
"moved
f o r w a r d i n t o th e l i g h t o f r e v e l a t i o n , " a n d A l a n is n o w a b l e to d e a l w i t h
47
materia h i t h e r t o u n t r e a t e d .
F o r th i s r e ason, A l a n ' s poem, a d v a n c i n g
l i k e th e w o r l d " i n t o t h e l i g h t o f r e v e l a t i o n , " is s a i d to r e j o i c e "in
the n e w n e s s of w r i t i n g . " ^ 8
T h e poem, t h e r e f o r e , e m b o d i e s s o m e k i n d of c o g n i t i v e a d v a n c e ;
it
m a n i f e s t s k n o w l e d g e i n a c c e s s i b l e in a n t i q u i t y , a n d w i t h n e w w o r d s is
a b l e to e x p r e s s s u c h k n o w l e d g e .
n e c e s s i t y to mo v e ,
It mo v e s , or at l e a s t p r o c l a i m s the
f r o m t h e i n t e g u m e n t a l m o d e s u i t e d to N a t u r e ' s r e a l m
to a k i n d o f s y m b o l i c d i s c o u r s e c a p a b l e o f r e f l e c t i n g c e l e s t i a l t h e o p h any.
T h e s e c o n d i n v o c a t i o n r e v e a l s this d e s i r e fo r " n e w w o r d s , " a n d
t h o u g h the f a b l e o f P r u d e n c i a ' s q u e s t f o r the so u l of the n e w m a n is
k e p t up a f t e r the i n v o c a t i o n o f the H e a v e n l y Muse, h e r e x p e r i e n c e s i n ­
v o l v e c o n f r o n t a t i o n s w i t h i m a g e s that c o u l d b e s a i d to s i g n i f y the " n e w
w o r d s , " a n d t h e n e w figurae, w h i c h the p o e t b e c o m e p r o p h e t n o w r e q u i r e s .
Faith, w h o r e v i v e s P r u d e n c i a f r o m h e r e c s t a t i c c o l l a p s e b e f o r e the V i r ­
g i n a n d w h o g i v e s P r u d e n c i a t h e m i r r o r i n w h i c h the u n b e a r a b l e s p l e n d o u r
o f G o d ' s k i n g d o m is a d a p t e d to h e r s i g h t , i s
clearly of a different
4
o r d e r f r o m N a t u r a a n d is d r e s s e d a c c o r d i n g l y .
H e r g a r m e n t is e m b r o i d e r ­
ed w i t h "scrip t u r e . . . honestas," the truthfulness of w r i t t e n words,
o r Scripture, and no "wantonness"
(VI.
64-65, p. 143).
( lasoivia ) is e v i d e n t i n h e r d r e s s
T h e p o e t i c M use, w h i c h d i s p o r t s i t s e l f i n the
" s l e n d e r r e e d " o f the p o e t w h o b e g i n s the Antiolaudianus
("Prologus,"
1.6, p. 57), p l a y s n o p a r t in e m b e l l i s h i n g the c l o t h i n g o f F a i t h :
Pru­
d e n c i a 's m e e t i n g w i t h T h e o l o g y h a s m a r k e d t h e p o i n t u p to w h i c h " i n fragili lusit mea pagina versu"
(V. 226, p. 131).
Though Natura's mural
had playfully displayed deceptively "real" images
(I. 1 2 4 - 2 5 , p. 60),
though the Arts p e r s o n i f i e d h a d w o r n garments w h e r e the "ridens lascivia"
of pictures "ludit"
(III. 412, p. 101), a n d t h o u g h the p o e t ' s M u s e h a d
n a m e d the s t a r s " u e r i sub y m a g i n e l u d e n s " a t the f u r t h e s t r e a c h e s o f the
u n i v e r s e g a i n e d b y R e a s o n (V. 28, p. 123), F a i t h is n o t o u t f i t t e d b y a
p o e t ' s h i s t r i o n i c lies.
O n t h e c o n t r a r y , s h e w e a r s t h e t h e o p h a n i e s of
sacred history:
[Her] s p l e n d i d d r e s s i n d i c a t e s the a u t h o r i t y o f M i n d ,
M i n d i t s e l f is m a d e v i s i b l e i n h e r c l o t h i n g .
for
The garments
y i e l d a p i c t u r e s e t out e n t i r e l y in a l l u s i v e f i g u r e s , a n d
w h i c h i n f o r m is d r a w n to r e p r e s e n t a b ook.
Here the living
p i c t u r e g i v e s n e w l i f e to the t e a c h e r s o f old,
through whom
o u r faith, s p r e a d t h r o u g h o u t t h e w o r l d , s h o n e c l e a r a n d b r i g h t ,
r a d i a t i n g g l o r y w i t h its t i t l e s o f h o n o u r .
H e r e is d e p i c t e d A b r a h a m i n a s c e n e w h e r e N a t u r e m u s t y i e l d to F a i t h as
t h e v e r y " f a t h e r o f o u r f a i t h " p r e p a r e s to s a c r i f i c e h i s o w n son.
" u n n a t u r a l " e v e n t p r e f i g u r e s , o f cour s e ,
tery N a t u r e c annot comprehend.
te s t i m o n y , a n d m a r t y r d o m ,
The
the sacrifice of Christ, a m y s ­
By example, miracle, argument, joyous
SS Peter, P aul, L a w r e n c e , a n d V i n c e n t , s t r e n g ­
t h e n f a i t h a n d c o n t i n u e the l i f e o f the Church.
Here are no artful
fables, lies, o r p h a n t a s m s , o r i m a g e s o f t h o s e l i m i t e d to n a t u r a l p h i l o ­
sophy; h e r e a r e S c r i p t u r a l figurae, n u m i n o u s h i s t o r i c a l e v e n t s , a n d
i m a g e s o f t h o s e w h o s e l i v e s t e s t i f y to D i v i n e m a n i f e s t a t i o n .
t h e g o w n o f F a i t h is a n dllegovLa, n o t a n 'Integumentum .
land's phrase,
Clearly
In John of Gar­
F a i t h is " u e r i t a s i n u e r b i s h y s t o r i e p a l l i a t a . "
F a i t h is f i r s t d e s c r i b e d , m o r e o v e r , as a n t e r i o r to Reason:
F o r R e a s o n d o e s n o t c o m e b e f o r e Faith; rather, F a i t h a n t i c i ­
p a t e s h e r a n d R e a s o n a t l e n g t h o b e y s the i n s t r u c t i o n o f F a i t h
a n d f o l l o w s h e r as s h e t e a c h e s t h e a r t i c l e s o f faith.
Reason
e n g r a f t s t h e s e d i v i n e s y m b o l s of flesh, w r i t i n g o n the m i n d
52
w h a t s h e d e p i c t s w i t h the pen.
The startling phrase,
" t h e s e d i v i n e s y m b o l s o f f l e s h , " a l l u d e s to the
I n c a r n a t i o n , w h i c h A l a n h a s j u s t e v o k e d i n h i s h y m n to the V i r g i n at
t h e e n d o f B o o k V:
i n M a r y ' s w o m b the S o n of G o d " p u t o n t h e g a r m e n t
53
o f s a l v a t i o n a n d c l o t h e d h i m s e l f i n o u r f l e sh."
T h i s is the t e a c h i n g
R e a s o n m u s t a c c e p t f r o m Fait h , a n d t h e norm a l ,
A l a n c a l l s this thesis —
rational state of m a n —
undergoes an apotheosis, an ecstasy, w h e r e b y
54
S u c h is P r u d e n -
m a n is e n a b l e d to c o n t e m p l a t e the t h i n g s o f h e a ven.
cia's experience.
B u t if the l i g h t o f h u m a n r e a s o n goes o u t b e f o r e the
m y s t e r y o f the I n c a r n a t i o n ,
F a i t h is s u m m o n e d to p r o v i d e a m i r r o r for
the D i v i n e a n d to p r e s e n t h i s t o r i c a l i m a g e s of D i v i n e t h e o p h a n i e s , b y
w h i c h m e a n s h u m a n v i s i o n is r a i s e d b e y o n d N a t u r e a n d f a b u l o u s device.
Theology,
too, w e a r s a g o w n c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y the honestas o f its
f o r m (V. 113, p. 126).
L i k e F a i t h ' s robe,
it p r o c l a i m s N a t u r e ' s i n a b i l ­
i t y to c o m p r e h e n d the w o r k i n g s o f God; and, as if r e f u t i n g M a c r o b i u s ,
the p i c t u r e on T h e o l o g y ’
s d r e s s r e v e a l s the s e c r e t s o f G o d a n d the d i ­
v i n e M i n d , g i v i n g d e f i n i t e s h a p e to w h a t is i n e f f a b l e , b o u n d l e s s , a n d
invisible
(V. 114- 1 8 , p. 26).
T h e c l a r i t y of T h e o l o g y ' s p i c t u r e s h o w s
" h o w the i n f e r i o r l a n g u a g e of N a t u r e is u t t e r l y a t a l o s s w h e n it t ries
to e x p r e s s t h i n g s d i v ine:
it l o s e s t h e p o w e r o f s p e e c h a n d l o n g s to
r e v e r t to its o l d m e a n i n g ;
s o u n d s g r o w dumb, s c a r c e l y a b l e to s t a m m e r ,
and disputes about the meaning of words are laid a s i d e . F a i t h ' s
S c r i p t u r a l p i c t u r e s h o w s h o w N a t u r e is c o n f o u n d e d b y A b r a h a m ' s h i s t o r i c
a c t o f faith; T h e o l o g y ' s m o d e o f e x p r e s s i o n e x p o s e s t h e a p h a s i a o f N a ­
ture f a c e d w i t h the s e c r e t s o f God.
w i t h t h e allegoriae o f F a ith,
A l t h o u g h T h e o l o g y is n o t c l o t h e d
s h e e x h i b i t s , as it w e r e , a l a n g u a g e a b l e
to v o i c e the i n e f f a b l e a n d h e n c e s u p e r i o r to the l a n g u a g e o f n a t u r a l
philosophy.
Theology,
l i k e F a ith,
is a m e d i u m f o r d i v i n e m a n i f e s t a t i o n .
The s p e c i a l n a t u r e o f this m e d i u m m a y b e e l u c i d a t e d b y c o n s i d e r ­
ing A l a n ' s p r o p o s a l in the p r e f a c e to the Theologieae regulae that, j u s t
as e a c h o f t h e A r t s h a s its p r o p e r s e t o f rules,
propositions, so has Theology.
t h eories, m a x i m s , a n d
T h e s e h e terms paradoxae ( b e c a u s e of
T h e o l o g y ' s " i m m u t a b l e n e c e s s i t y " a n d " g l o r i o u s s u b t l e t y " ) ; aenigmata
( b e c a u s e o f its o b s c u r i t y ) ; embtemata ( b e c a u s e o f " t h e i n n e r r a d i a n c e
of i t s m e a n i n g " ) ; enthymemata ( b e c a u s e t h e s e s i g n i f y t h i n g s h i d d e n w i t h ­
i n the m i n d ) ; a n d hebdomades o r " p r e r o g a t i v e s "
of T h e o l o g y ) .
( b e c a u s e o f the a u t h o r i t y
I n t h e Antiolaudianus, w h e r e A l a n w i s h e s to p r e s e n t a n
emblema o f c e l e s t i a l t h e o p h a n y as w e l l a s the p r i n c i p l e s of t h e s e v e n A r ts,
the a p p e a r a n c e o f T h e o l o g y a t t h e o u t e r l i m i t o f the Arts'
m a r k s the a d v e n t o f a h i g h e r s y s t e m o f k n o w l e d g e .
achievement
J u s t as the c o s t u m e s
o f the A r t s p i c t u r e t h e i r r e g u l a r i z e d lore, so the g a r m e n t of T h e o l o g y
f o r m u l a t e s h e r s p e c i a l k n o w l e d g e in a d e s i g n w h i c h is i n d e e d p a r a d o x i c a l ,
enigmatic,
r a d i a n t l y e m b l e m a t i c , n o t w h o l l y c o n f o r m a b l e to s t r i c t logic,
and authoritative.
W h i l e in a certain sense Alan's theological p r o p o s i ­
t ions i m i t a t e a n d e x t e n d the r a t i o n a l p r o c e d u r e s o f t h e A r t s
(Minerva
as w e l l as G o d h a s a h a n d i n s t i t c h i n g T h e o l o g y ' s piotura [V. 112- 1 3 ,
p. 126]), t h e y a l s o s i g n i f y the i r r e g u l a r , a r b i t r a r y , a n d m y s t e r i o u s
n a t u r e of T h e o l o g y , w h i c h w o r k s to t h e c o n f u s i o n o f a l l h u m a n s y s t e m s
of knowledge.
T h e s e t h e o l o g i c a l p r o p o s i t i o n s are, f u r t h e r m o r e ,
fit to
b e s t u d i e d o n l y b y the f e w "who, l e d o n b y the p u r e r m i n d , a s c e n d to
the i n e f f a b l e , a n d w h o w i t h a n e y e m a d e m o r e p u r e g a z e u p o n t h e s e c r e t s
of p h i l o s o p h y .
I n c o n f r o n t i n g T h e o l o g i a , w h o is c l o t h e d in t h e s e p r o p o s i t i o n s ,
P r u d e n c i a r e l i n q u i s h e s the r a t i o n a l s t a t e o f thesis w h i c h p r o d u c e s n a t ­
ural philosophy "quae circa terrena versatur."
Her voyage from earth
t h r o u g h the p l a n e t a r y s p h e r e s to the r e g i o n of t h e f i x e d s t a r s w a s a
p h i l o s o p h i c a l e x p e d i t i o n i n P t o l e m y ' s c h a r i o t o f Reas o n .
B u t n o w she
a c h i e v e s the l e v e l o f intellectus, o u t of w h i c h is b o r n " h y p o t h e t i c a l "
o r " s u b c e l e s t i a l " theo l o g y ,
tur."
"qua circa spirituales creaturas attendi-
S u b c e l e s t i a l t h e o l o g y is " h y p o t h e t i c a l " b e c a u s e i t d e a l s w i t h
beings under divine authority.
T h u s T h e o l o g y s h o w s P r u d e n c i a t h e a n g els,
v i r g i n s , m a r t y r s , a n d d o c t o r s as w e l l a s p h e n o m e n a u n a c c o u n t e d f o r b y
n a t u r a l p h i l o s o p h y , a n d l e a d s h e r f i n a l l y b e f o r e the V i r g i n M a r y .
At
this p o i n t P r u d e n c i a ' s e c s t a s y m a r k s a n e w l e v e l o f a w a r e n e s s ,
called
intelligentia, f r o m w h i c h i s s u e s " s u p e r c e l e s t i a l " o r " a p o t h e t i c " t h e o l o g y
w h e r e b y m a n is e n a b l e d to g a z e u p o n t h e T r i n i t y a n d h i m s e l f to b e c o m e
58
"deified."
L e d b y F a i t h to the i n n e r p r e c i n c t s of G o d ' s k i n g d o m , P r u d e n c i a e v e n t u a l l y s e e s G o d a n d r e c e i v e s f r o m h i m the a n o i n t e d s o u l o f
t h e n e w , g o d l i k e man.
Prudencia's ascent,
then, is f r o m n a t u r a l p h i l o ­
s o p h y t h r o u g h s u b c e l e s t i a l t h e o l o g y to s u p e r c e l e s t i a l theo l o g y :
from
the f a b u l o u s " m e t a p h o r s a n d d r e a m s o f t r u t h " t h r o u g h the t r u t h f u l p r o ­
p o s i t i o n s o f T h e o l o g y to t r u t h i n c a r n a t e in h i s t o r i c a l figurae, i n the
symbola o f the S a c r a m e n t s and Creed, a n d in the s y m b o l i c gift o f the
d i v i n e s oul.
B e c a u s e , as T h e o l o g y ' s g o w n r e v e a l s , G o d " c o n c e i v e s e v e r y 59
t h i n g . . . b y m e a n s o f a t r ope a n d b y the e x p r e s s i o n o f a f i g u r e , "
P r u d e n c i a d i s c o v e r s the l a n g u a g e o f D i v i n e m a n i f e s t a t i o n ,
the W o r d m a d e
flesh, i n the e m b l e m s o f T h e o l o g y a n d i n the h i s t o r i c a n d d o g m a t i c s y m ­
b o l s o f Faith.
It is n o w o n d e r that the p o e t d e s i r e s the " n e w w o r d s of
the p r o p h e t " i n o r d e r to w i t n e s s this t r a n s f o r m a t i o n o f lang u a g e .
C r o w n e d w i t h a d i a d e m of t w e l v e j e w e l s a n d w e a r i n g g a r m e n t s s h i n ­
i n g w i t h l u n a r s i l v e r a n d s o l a r gold, t h e puella poli, T h e o l o g y b e a r s a
r e s e m b l a n c e to t h e mulier in the Apocalypse o f St. J o h n 13:1, t r a d i t i o n ­
a l l y u n d e r s t o o d as the V i r g i n M a r y o r m o r e p r o p e r l y a s t h e Church.
Alan intends such an association,
If
t h e n T h e o l o g y is t r u l y a n a u t h o r i t a ­
t i v e a n d a p o c a l y p t i c f i g u r e d e m a n d i n g the p r o p h e t i c t o n g u e .
Her gold
a n d s i l v e r g a r m e n t s m a y a l s o s i g n i f y the u n i o n o f d i v i n e a n d h u m a n
natures in Christ.^
B e c a u s e G o d r e v e a l s h i m s e l f i n t h e g a r m e n t of o u r
humanity, Theology's dress can give a definite picture of Divinity.
The
apotheosis, the e c s t a s y , o f P r u d e n c i a is p o s s i b l e , to u s e A l a n ' s t e r m i n o ­
l o g y , b e c a u s e o f t h e hypothesis o f God, w h o h u m b l e d h i m s e l f b y d e s c e n d ­
i n g to the s t a t e o f h u m a n thesis a n d e v e n to the hypothesis of o u r m i s ­
e r y i n h i s g u i l t l e s s s u f f e r i n g o n the C r o s s . ^
To e n c o u n t e r T h e o l o g y
o n e a s c e n d s to e m b l e m s o f the I n c a r n a t e God, d i v i n e t r o p e s a n d figures,
62
a n d t h u s to l a n g u a g e a n d i m ages i n c a r n a t i n g the i n e f f a b l e .
D e s p i t e A l a n ' s p r e f e r e n c e f o r the l a n g u a g e o f t h e o l o g y , h e d i d n o t
s c o r n the d iscipline o r the speech of n a tural philosophy.
Prudencia
m a y t r a n s c e n d N a t u r e ' s domain, but, s y m b o l i c a l l y e q u i p p e d w i t h c o m p l e t e
k n o w l e d g e o f t h e A r t s a n d w i t h t h e a p p r o v a l a n d a s s i s t a n c e o f R e a s o n , she
attains the suburbs of Heaven.
A t the b e g i n n i n g o f t h e Antialaudianus,
th e r e f o r e , A l a n s o l i c i t o u s l y a c k n o w l e d g e s h i s M use,
Clio, w h o m R a d u l -
phus n a m e s " d o c t r i n a " or, m o r e p r e c i s e l y , " d o c t r i n a m q u a e r e n s " a n d w h o m
63
o t h e r g l o s s a t o r s u n d e r s t a n d as " s a p i e n t i a " o r " m e d i t a c i o r e r u m . "
She
is, then, a p o e t i c f i g u r e f o r h u m a n k n o w l e d g e d e r i v e d f r o m a m e d i t a t i o n
64
u p o n t h i n g s o f t h i s w o r l d , j u s t as A p o l l o is a m e d i a t o r f o r naturalia.
T h e i n v o c a t i o n o f A p o l l o , a n d thus the c h o i c e to p r e s e n t n a t u r a l p h i l o s o ­
phy in the p oetic i n t egumental mode,
is to d e a l w i t h G o d the M a k e r :
is a n e c e s s a r y f i r s t s t e p if A l a n
i n i t i a l l y the a u t h o r m u s t t r e a t of
Na t u r e as artificer "for through the things that w e r e c r e a t e d visible,
invisible things are understood, and through knowledge of creatures a s ­
c e n t is m a d e to k n o w l e d g e of the C r e a t o r . N a t u r e
is, a f t e r all, the
v i c a r o f God, s u p e m a l l y d e l e g a t e d as " c o i n e r " o f i m a g e s
{De planotu,
W 469; M 453), a n d it is t h r o u g h a n u n d e r s t a n d i n g of h e r p r i n c i p l e s that
o n e b e g i n s to g l i m p s e the h i g h e r a r t i s t r y o f God.
The author,
then,
m u s t h e a r k e n f i r s t to A p o l l o , a s s i m i l a t i n g the p o e t i c p h i l o s o p h y o f the
a n c i e n t s b e f o r e d a r i n g to s u m m o n m o r e O l y m p i a n a s s i s t a n c e .
In respect­
ing t h e s t y l e a n d c o n t e n t o f a n c i e n t p h i l o s o p h y , he is a l s o p a y i n g t r i ­
b u t e to t h e d i v i n e o r d e r i n g o f the n a t u r a l w o r l d a n d o f t h e h u m a n i n ­
telligence w h ic h mirrors,
perceives,
a n d e x p r e s s e s s u c h o r der.
Certain­
ly, a p o e t w o u l d b e o v e r b o l d if h e w e r e to j e t t i s o n the c o n s i d e r a b l e
a c h i e v e m e n t s o f t h e a n c i e n t s a n d t r u s t to u n t u t o r e d ingenium i n the
n a r r a t i o n of a n e p i c j o u r n e y c o m m e n c i n g i n the u n d e r w o r l d of t e r r e s t r i a l
crea t i o n .
T h e p o e t ' s s a p i e n t i a l j o u r n e y t h r o u g h this u n d e r w o r l d a n d t h e n c e to
h e a v e n l y m y s t e r i e s m i r r o r s P r u d e n c i a ' s quest.
a l s o c a l l e d P h r o n e s i s a n d S o p hia,
The figure of Prudencia,
is w e l l s u i t e d to t h e s p a n n i n g o f
h u m a n A r t s a n d to the q u a n t u m l e a p f r o m k n o w l e d g e d i r e c t e d b y r e a s o n to
i n s i g h t s r e v e a l e d b y t h e o l o g y , b e c a u s e s h e e m b o d i e s a c t i v i t y o f the i n ­
t e l l e c t , ^ s i g n i f i e d i n the p o e m b y h e r v a r i a b l e stat u r e .
N o w she
s t r i k e s h e a v e n w i t h h e r h e a d , a n d n o w s h e r e t u r n s to e a r t h a n d to the
limitations of human restraints
(I. 298-3 0 2 , p. 6 6 ).
Although her am­
b i g u o u s s t a t u r e m a k e s h e r a k i n to B o e t h i u s ' P h i l o s o p h i a , P r u d e n c i a d i f ­
f e r s f r o m P h i l o s o p h i a i n t h a t s h e is a n e n e r g e t i c c a r d i n a l v i r t u e r a t h e r
t h a n a s y n t h e t i c f i g u r e r e p r e s e n t i n g the f u r t h e s t r e a c h o f h u m a n w i s d o m ;*"7
sh e is c a p a b l e of o p e r a t i n g w i t h i n the s p h e r e of N a t u r e b u t is a l s o
a b l e to b e i n f u s e d w i t h gr a c e .
T h e V i r t u e s , A l a n b e l i e v e d w i t h Cicero,
c a m e u n d e r the j u r i s d i c t i o n of N a t u r e , b u t h e a r g u e d f u r t h e r t h a t t h e s e
s a m e n a t u r a l p o w e r s c o u l d b e i n f o r m e d b y oaritas so that, c h a n g e d i n
68
m o d e b u t n o t i n e s s e n c e , naturalia b e c o m e gratuita.
Prudencia's abil­
it y to m a k e t h e j o u r n e y f r o m the r e a l m o f n a t u r e to the s p h e r e o f g r a c e
is r a p t u r o u s l y c o m m e n d e d b y N a t u r a in the D e planatu'.
t h e r e sh e u s e s
pvudentia a s a s y n o n y m for sapientia a n d p r a i s e s it as th e p o w e r w h i c h
c a n d e i f y man.
It is t h e luaifer singulavis o f h u m a n ni g h t ,
tio speaialis of h u m a n m i s e r y (W 490; M 465).
t h e vedemp-
I n the Antialaudianus,
P r u d e n c i a is c o n t r a s t e d w i t h h e r s i s t e r R eason:
w h i l e P r u d e n c i a is d e ­
p i c t e d as a y o u n g w o m a n , p h y s i c a l l y b e a u t i f u l and, l i k e N a t u r a i n the
De planatu, p r o m i s i n g h i d d e n d e l i g h t s
(I. 2 96-97, p. 65; W 432, M 433),
R e a s o n is a m a t r o n who, d e s p i t e h e r i n t e l l e c t u a l a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s ,
n o t s e e m to p o s s e s s the s a m e e n e r g y a n d s w e e t n e s s as P r u d e n c i a ,
des­
c r i b e d as h o l d i n g o u t h e r a r m s as if to e m b r a c e w h o m e v e r s h e m e e t s
29 2 - 9 3 , p. 65).
mission,
does
(I.
In praising the fitness of Prud e n c i a for the proposed
Reason emphasizes her sister's unflagging courage and intelli­
gence; s h e h a s t h e c o r r e c t s p i r i t f o r the e n d e a v o u r as w e l l as t h e r e ­
quisite natural philosophy
(II. 9 5 - 1 4 7 , pp.
75-77).
Prudencia,
then,
is t h a t m o t i o n o f t h e i n t e l l e c t t h a t n o t o n l y e n c o m p a s s e s naturalia b u t
a l s o i m p e l s h u m a n i t y t o w a r d s d i v i nity.
Prudencia's dress
(I. 3 0 3 -315, p. 6 6 ) is e m b l e m a t i c of h e r ties
w i t h N a t u r e a n d P h i l o s o p h y a n d o f h e r m o t i o n t o w a r d s the di v i n e .
It is
w o v e n o f f i n e t h r e a d , l i k e P h i l o s o p h y ' s gown, a n d l i k e N a t u r a ' s it d i s ­
p l a y s a piotura of the species o f t h i n g s in a d r e a m l i k e p a n o r a m a .
The
naturalia h e r e d e p i c t e d a r e l i k e t h e i m a g e s N a t u r a e n g r a v e s o n e a r t h e n
t a b l e t s a n d l i k e t h e i m a g e s o n Ge n i u s '
m o n y to n a t u r a l m u t a b i l i t y .
robe:
th e y l i v e a n d d i e i n t e s t i ­
L i k e the d r e s s e s o f B o e t h i u s ' P h i l o s o p h y
an d Alan's Natura, Prudencia's garment is torn in some places, but t o m
w i t h a difference.
I n the Oe oonsolatione a n d in th e D e planatu,
the
te a r s r e p r e s e n t , r e s p e c t i v e l y , w a r r i n g p h i l o s o p h i c a l s e c t s a n d h e r e s i e s
a n d t h e u n n a t u r a l b e h a v i o u r o f ma n , b u t h e r e P r u d e n c i a is s a i d to u n ­
c l a s p t h e g o w n i n o r d e r to te a r it h e r s e l f :
S h e u n f a s t e n s t h e robe i n p i e c e s , a b o u t to r i p it a p a r t in
various places;
t h e g a r m e n t a p p e a r s to d e p l o r e a n d b e w a i l
69
t h e r e p r o a c h e s i n f l i c t e d o n it.
If N a t u r a ' s f a b u l o u s l y v i v i d d ress m a y b e u n d e r s t o o d as a p h i l o s o p h i c a l
integumentum, t h e n P r u d e n c l a ' s robe, b r i g h t w i t h d r e a m - i m a g e s o f m u t a b l e
life,
is a l s o s u c h a n i n t e g u m e n t , b u t o n e w h i c h she is a b o u t to rend.
T h e poet,
too, w i l l r e j e c t the d r e a m - i m a g e r y o f A p o l l o n i a n i n s p i r a t i o n
for d i v i n e tropes; h i s w o r k weav e s ,
t h e n seve r s , the f i n e c l o a k o f p o e t i c
p h i l o s o p h y to p r e s e n t the f i n e r d r e s s o f t h e o l o g y a n d faith.
If A l a n i n t h e De planotu Naturae a n d t h e Anticlaudianus d e m o n ­
s t r a t e s t h e u s e s a n d l i m i t a t i o n s of n a t u r a l p h i l o s o p h y a n d o f the i n t e g u m e n t a l m o d e u s e d b y p o e t s p r o t e c t i v e l y to e m b e l l i s h t h e s e c r e t s of
Nature,
d o e s h e a l s o d e m o n s t r a t e , i n the Anticlaudianus, w h a t k i n d of
symbolic writing might best present supra-natural mystery?
Certainly
i n h i s d e s c r i p t i o n s o f t h e c l o t h i n g of T h e o l o g y a n d F a i t h h e i n d i c a t e s
that s u c h e s s e n c e s a r e to be e n v e l o p e d w i t h t r u t h f u l , n o t fabu l o u s ,
" p i c t u r e s , " w h e t h e r t h e y b e the p r o p o s i t i o n s o f t h e o l o g i c a l s c i e n c e a n ­
a l o g o u s to b u t t r a n s c e n d i n g t hose o f t h e A r t s , o r S c r i p t u r a l , h i s t o r i c a l
figurae r e v e a l i n g a p o w e r b e y o n d f o r m u l a t i o n b y e a r t h l y d i s c i p l i n e s .
B u t if A l a n i n this w a y s h o w s h o w the C h r i s t i a n p o e t m i g h t s t o p l y i n g
with the ancients —
decorous and instructive though the lies m a y b e —
a n d a s s u m e a m o d e o f s y m b o l i s m e q u a l to t h e t a s k of r e f l e c t i n g c e l e s t i a l
t h e o p h a n y , h e h i m s e l f d o e s n o t e s s e n t i a l l y a l t e r the f i c t i t i o u s n a t u r e
of h i s n a r r a t i v e a f t e r a n n o u n c i n g that h e w i l l p u t a s i d e A p o l l o ' s l y r e
a n d s p e a k the n e w w o r d s o f the prophet.
E v e n i n h i s r e f e r e n c e s to G o d
a n d H e a v e n at this p o i n t h e e m p l o y s " i n t e g u m e n t a l " e p i t h e t s :
ly M u s e is " M u s a I o u i , " H e a v e n is O l y m p u s
of P r u d e n c i a ' s q u e s t c o n t i n u e s :
the H e a v e n ­
(V. 2 7 1 -72, p. 131).
The fable
h e r e n c o u n t e r s w i t h t h e V i r g i n , God,
a n d N o y s a r e n o n e the l e s s e m b e d d e d i n a f i c t i o n a l m a t r i x ;
the d e s c r i p ­
t i o n of F o r t u n a ’s d w e l l i n g is w h o l l y f a b u l o u s i n m ode;
a n d the e n s u i n g
psychomachia is e q u a l l y e n c l o s e d b y p o e t i c i n v e n t i o n .
I f o n e w e r e to
c l a i m t h a t integumentum b e c o m e s allegoria a f t e r A l a n r e l i n q u i s h e s A p o l l o ' s
lyre,
t h e n h o w w o u l d o n e a c c o u n t for t h e p a t e n t l y u n h i s t o r i c a l cortex of
the n a r r a t i v e ?
F a i t h m a y b e d r e s s e d per allegoriam, b u t A l a n ' s n a r r a t i v e
c o n t i n u e s to l o o k v e r y m u c h l i k e a n i n t e g u m e n t .
T h e Antiolaudianus m a y b e s a i d to p r e s e n t a t h e o r y o f m o d e s , b u t
i n p r a c t i c e it does n o t w h o l l y r e a l i z e t h a t theory.
The transformation
o f " t h e a l l e g o r y of t h e p o e t s " in t o " t h e a l l e g o r y of the t h e o l o g i a n s "
is n o t s a t i s f a c t o r i l y a c h i e v e d u n t i l P r u d e n c i a b e c o m e s Da n t e , R e a s o n
Virgil,
Theology Beatrice,
i n a p o e m w h o s e m o v e m e n t is m o d e l l e d to s o m e
e x t e n t o n th a t of the Antialaudianus b u t w h o s e m o d e is r a d i c a l l y a l t e r e d .
T h o u g h A l a n , a c u t e l y c o n s c i o u s o f the m o d e r n i t y o f h i s w o r k , i n t e n d e d to
r a i s e p h i l o s o p h i c a l v e r s e to a p i t c h n o t d a r e d b y the a n c i e n t s , o r i n ­
deed b y Boethius,
it r e m a i n e d f o r D a n t e to g r a s p f u l l y the i m p l i c a t i o n s
o f t h e t h e o r e t i c a l e x t e n s i o n of M a c r o b i u s '
t e a ching:
the a u t h o r o f a
sacred epic m us t use historical allegories analogous t o ^ and continu72
ous w i t h
t h o s e o f S c r i p t u r e , the a l l e g o r y of the t h e o l o g i a n s a n d n o t
73
o f t h e p oets,
if h e is to f i n d p r o p e r f i g u r e s fo r t h e u n i m a g i n a b l e .
B u t t h e Divine Comedy, if it is n o t q u i t e a fiction, h a s b e e n c a l l e d a
74
f i c t i o n p u r p o r t i n g no t to b e one:
it is a s u p r e m e l y p o e t i c f o r m of
allegoria b l e n d i n g m y t h a n d h i s t o r y i n s u c h a w a y t h a t the b a s i c a l l y
f i c t i t i o u s m o d e o f t h e p o e m c a n b e s e e n i n a n e w light.
If f i c t i o n
i m i t a t e s " t h e a l l e g o r y o f the t h e o l o g i a n s , " t h e n it is n o l o n g e r the
lying en velope for truth but an imaginatively particular and existential
r e v e l a t i o n o f truth, a n d i n s e p a r a b l e f r o m the t r u t h it r e veals.
Dante
is b o l d e n o u g h to i n v o k e A p o l l o to h e l p h i m d e s c r i b e P a r a d i s e , s i g n i f y ­
i n g b y this me a n s , p e r h a p s ,
in Heaven.
notes,
that the p o e t ' s l y r e n e e d n o t b e d i s c a r d e d
It c a n b e t u n e d to a h i g h e r p i t c h a n d r e s o n a t e w i t h n o f a l s e
i f the p o e t ' s f i c t i o n i m a g i n a t i v e l y s u b s u m e s the n u m i n o u s p a t t e r n s
o f C h r i s t i a n typology.
D e s p i t e h i s c o n s c i o u s n e s s o f th e h i s t o r i c a l figurae o f Faith, A l a n
o f L i l l e w a s u n a b l e to d e v e l o p the i m p l i c a t i o n s o f these figurae f o r the
C h r i s t i a n poet.
E x c e p t f o r th e d e s c r i p t i o n of F a i t h ' s g a r m e n t s in the
Antialaudianus, h i s w r i t i n g s do n o t s t r e s s the i n t i m a c y o f historia w i t h
allegoria; i n fact, A l a n c h a r a c t e r i s t i c a l l y t reats the l i t e r a l a n d h i s ­
t o r i c a l s e n s e o f S c r i p t u r e as t h e l e a s t i m p o r t a n t , l e a s t p r o d u c t i v e , l e a s t
p a l a t a b l e , a n d l e a s t " a d v a n c e d " l e v e l o f me a n i n g .
myrrh,
g i v i n g the s o u l n o d e l e c t a t i o n ; ^
sustinence.^
Historia is b i t t e r
it is t h i n whey, o f f e r i n g l i t t l e
H e a s s o c i a t e s historia w i t h ratio, tropologia w i t h
intelleotus, a n d anagoge w i t h intelligentia, w h i c h a l o n e c o n t e m p l a t e s
A l t h o u g h P r u d e n c i a in th e Antialaudianus e x p e r i e n c e s
th i n g s d i v i n e . ^
e c s t a s y b e f o r e the virgin, a n e c s t a s y w h i c h m a r k s a p a s s a g e f r o m ratio
to intelleotus at the v e r y least, m o r e p r o b a b l y a p a s s a g e f r o m intelleo­
tus to intelligentia, a n d a l t h o u g h P r u d e n c i a is r e v i v e d b y F a i t h w e a r ­
in g the d r e s s of s a c r e d h i s t o r y , A l a n e l s e w h e r e s u g g e s t s that historia
ha s n o p o w e r to lift the s o u l b e y o n d t r a n s i t o r y things.
I m p a t i e n t to
d i s c o v e r the sensus mystiaus, h e h a s l i t t l e r e v e r e n c e f o r historia; h e
a t t a c k s the J e w s p r e c i s e l y b e c a u s e o f t h e i r a t t a c h m e n t to the l e t t e r of
the O l d T e s t a m e n t .
F r e q u e n t l y h e r e m i n d s u s o f h o w the l e t t e r k i l l s
78
a n d h o w the s p i r i t g i v e s life.
C u r i o u s l y , th e po e t w h o r e j e c t s A p o l ­
lo ' s m u s i c f o r the n e w w o r d s of the p r o p h e t s h o w s l i t t l e of the p r o p h e t ' s
gr a s p o f the s i g n i f i c a n c e of h i s t o r y ; Da n t e ,
aid in Paradise,
still calling upon Apollo's
f i r m l y a l l i e s r e v e l a t i o n w i t h time, p l a c e , event.
Th e Antialaudianus w a s s u r e l y me a n t , h o w e v e r ,
to d e m o n s t r a t e h o w
the " m e t a p h o r s a n d d r e a m s of t r u t h " d e v i s e d b y the a n c i e n t s a n d e x h i b i t e d
i n h i s o w n De planatu Naturae, m i g h t b e t r a n s c e n d e d b y a new, o v e r t k i n d
o f t h e o l o g i c a l epic.
ing, as w e l l ,
In the Antialaudianus A l a n m a y h a v e b e e n a t t e m p t ­
to u s e a st y l e le s s g r a n d , l e s s " p h a l e r i c " t h a n t h a t o f
the De planatu:
his prologue mod e s t l y disclaims stylistic and senten­
tious r e f u l g e n c y .
W h e n in B o o k V h e d e c l a r e s th a t h e s h a l l n o l o n g e r
be the a u t h o r b u t t h e p e n o f h i s song, h e c h a r a c t e r i z e s h i s p r o p o s e d
n e w p l a i n n e s s o f s t y l e u s i n g i m a g e s i d e n t i c a l to t h o s e h e a p p l i e d to the
s t y l e o f h i s Liber poenitentialis.
calamus noua m e l l a propinans,
27 6 - 7 7 , p. 131).
H e w i l l b e the " S p i n a r o s a m g e s t a n s ,
/ . . . l u c t e u m uas, n e c t a r e m a n a n s "
(V.
I n the Liber poenitentialis h e j u s t i f i e s h i s u n a d o r n e d
s t y l e b y cl a i m i n g :
N o n d e d i g n e t u r r o s a m in s p i n e t o q u a e r e r e , n e c p u d e a t i n v a s e
luteo mel l it u m p oculum invenire.
. . 79
meo mel m v e n i r i .
S o l e t . . . in f r a g i l i c a l a -
But d e s p i t e the i d e n t i t y o f p u r p o s e r e v e a l e d i n these i mages, the s t y l e
80
of the two w o r k s is m a n i f e s t l y d i f f e r e n t .
C.S. L e w i s ' c o n t e m p t
for
the " m o n o t o n o u s r h e t o r i c " o f th e Antialaudianus, u n f a i r t h o u g h that
c o n t e m p t m i g h t be, n e v e r t h e l e s s w a s n o t p r o m p t e d b y the u n i v e r s a l d o c ­
t o r ' s p l a i n , p e l l u c i d style.
His n e a r "rankling personal hatred" of
A l a n w a s p r o v o k e d b y t h o s e v e r y phalerae verborum w h i c h A lan, a t o t h e r
t i m e s s o u n d i n g r a t h e r l i k e C.S. L e w i s , a l s o felt C h r i s t i a n s c o u l d do
without.
I t c o u l d b e a r g u e d t h a t Alan, as p oet, w a s c a u g h t u p i n a m o d e of
w r i t i n g w h i c h he, a s t h e o l o g i a n , k n e w c o u l d n o t p r o p e r l y c o n v e y C h r i s ­
tian doctrine.
B u t as t h e o l o g i a n h e k n e w a l s o that m e n c a n n o t s e e G o d
a s the a n g e l s do:
w e see God n o t "reciprocally" but by means of an
" y m a g i n a r i a v i s i o , " b y w h i c h o n e t h i n g is c o m p r e h e n d e d i n a n o t h e r , as
t h e b e a u t y o f A t a l a n t a is p e r c e i v e d i n that o f h e r d a u g h t e r P a r t e n o p e .
81
I n t h e f a b u l o u s De planatu Naturae, w h i c h A l a n s p e c i f i c a l l y c a l l s an
imaginaria visio (W 522; M 482), w e m a y b e e x p e c t e d to p e r c e i v e the
p o w e r o f G o d i n h i s v i c a r N a t u r e ; b u t s u c h d i v i n e m a n i f e s t a t i o n is
s t r i c t l y l i m i t e d to w h a t n a t u r a l p h i l o s o p h y m i g h t e n c o m p a s s .
I n the
e q u a l l y f a b u l o u s b u t l o f t i e r Antialaudianus w e a r e g i v e n a n imaginaria
visio o f c e l e s t i a l t h e o p h a n y , j u s t as P r u d e n c i a is g i v e n a m i r r o r b y
F a i t h to r e f l e c t t h e o t h e r w i s e i n s u p p o r t a b l e b r i g h t n e s s o f Divi n i t y .
A l t h o u g h s h e e n t e r s a n g e l i c realms, P r u d e n c i a l a c k s r e c i p r o c a l vision.
W i t h the m i r r o r , h o w e v e r ,
s h e m a y m e e t G o d a l m o s t f a c e to face:
this
imaginccria visio t a k e s o n e f u r t h e r t h a n the d r e a m l i k e a p p a r i t i o n s o f the
De planatu.
B u t a l t h o u g h the Antialaudianus s u g g e s t s t r u e r media f o r
f i g u r i n g t h e o p h a n y , b o t h it a n d the De planatu m a y b e t e r m e d f a b u l o u s
imaginariae visiones.
W h i l e Alan, t h e e l o q u e n t p o e t of the I n c a r n a t i o n ,
k n e w h o w the C h r i s t i a n a u t h o r m i g h t f i n d i m a g e s f o r d i v i n e m a n i f e s t a t i o n ,
h e c o u l d not,
i n the end, g i v e t h e m s a t i s f a c t o r y i n c a r n a t i o n .
n e e d to b e g i n w i t h B e a t r i c e .
University of Guelph
He would
NOTES
^ A l a i n d e L i l l e , Anticlaudianus, ed. R. B o s s u a t , T e x t e s P h i l o s o ­
p h i q u e s d u M o y e n Age, 1 (Paris 1955), " P r o l o g u e , " 11. 1-9, p. 57 [ r e a d ­
i n g dejecta, 1.2, w i t h M i g n e , PL 2 1 0 . 4 8 7 ] .
A l l r e f e r e n c e s to t h e Anti­
claudianus a r e to B o s s u a t ’s e d i t i o n ; b ook, line, a n d p a g e n u m b e r s w i l l
b e p l a c e d i n p a r e n t h e s e s a f t e r q u o t a t i o n s f r o m o r r e f e r e n c e s to the
E n g l i s h t r a n s l a t i o n s o f p a s s a g e s f r o m the Anticlaudianus a r e m y
poem.
own.
2
" M i t t e l a l t e r - S t u d i e n X V I I I , " Zeitsohrift fur Romanische Philolo­
gie 63 (1943) 260.
A l a n ' s i n v o c a t i o n o f G o d is i n B o o k V, 11. 2 7 8 - 3 0 5 ,
pp. 131-32.
3
J a n e C h a n c e N i t z s c h e , The Genius Figure in Antiquity and the
Middle Ages (New Y o r k a n d L o n d o n 1975) 114.
4
E.R. C u r t i u s h a s c o l l e c t e d e x a m p l e s of the topos " K o n t r a s t i e r u n g
d e r h e i d n i s c h e n u n d d e r c h r i s t l i c h e n D i c h t u n g " in " D i e M u s e n i n M i t t e l a l t e r , " Zeitsohrift fur Romanische Philologie 59 (1939) 1 2 9 - 8 8 a n d i n
"M i t t e lalter-Studien XVIII," 258-67.
These studies form the b asis for
h i s c h a p t e r o n " T h e M u s e s " i n European Literature and the Latin Middle
Ages, tr. W i l l a r d R. T r a s k (New Y o r k 1953) 228-46.
R a d u l p h u s de L o n g o C a m p o n o t e s that emblema p r o p e r l y s i g n i f i e s
frustrum auri, l i t e r a l l y "a l i t t l e p i e c e o f g o l d , " a n d t h a t emblema is
t h e r e f o r e the aurea régula o f t h e o l o g y , b e c a u s e o f its d i g n i t y
(Radul­
p h u s de L o n g o Campo, In Anticlaudianum Alani cormentum, ed. J a n S u l o w s k i ,
Z r o d i a do D z i e j o w N a u k i i T e c k n i k i , X I I I
G d a n s k 1972] 22, 11. 2 3 - 26).
[Wroclaw, W a r s a w , C r a c o w , a n d
A m o n g s t the s p e c i a l r u l e s o f t h e o l o g y ,
A l a n of L i l l e i n c l u d e s emblemata, so c a l l e d " p r o p t e r i n t e r n u m i n t e l l i g e n tiae splendorem . . . ,
622).
quia puriore mentis comprehenduntur"
(PL 210.
A l a n ' s u s e o f t h e w o r d emblema s u g g e s t s n o t so m u c h its o r i g i n a l
m e a n i n g " i n l a i d w o r k " o r " r a i s e d o r n a m e n t , " as it does the l a t e r m e a n ­
i n g " s y m b o l i c i m a g e , " b e c a u s e the e m b l e m c o n t a i n s a n inner s i g n i f i c a n c e
p e r c e i v e d b y k e e n n e s s o f insight.
Ambrosii Theodosii Macrobii Commentarii in Sormium Scipionis,
ed. J a c o b W i l l i s
( L e i p z i g 1970), 1 . 2 . 7 - 2 1 , pp. 5-8; M a c r o b i u s , Commen­
tary on the Dream o f Saipio, tr. W i l l i a m H a r r i s Stahl, R e c o r d s of
Civilization,
S o u r c e s a n d Studies, X L V I I I
(New Y o r k a n d L o n d o n 1952)
84-7.
^ " A l a n i L i b e r d e P l a n c t u N a t u r a e , " ed. T h o m a s W r i g h t ,
in The Anglo-
Latin Satirical Poets and Epigrammatists of the Twelfth Century, II
(L o n d o n 1872; rpt. W i e s b a d e n 1964) 453; P L 210.444:
ratioc i n a t i o n i s series evagatur,
arcanum tractatum audeat
[audet:
[quae:
"Jam nimis nostrae
Migne] ad ineffa b i l e m deitatis
M i g n e ] a t t o l l e r e , ad c u j u s rei in-
t el l igentiam nostrae mentis languescunt suspiria."
All future refer­
e n c e s to t h e De planctu Naturae w i l l be to W r i g h t ' s e d i t i o n ; p a g e n u m ­
b e r s w i l l b e e n c l o s e d i n p a r e n t h e s e s a n d i n s e r t e d a f t e r p a s s a g e s cited.
T h e c o l u m n n u m b e r s f r o m Vol.
be s u p p l i e d .
210 of M i g n e ' s Patrologia latina w i l l a l s o
T r a n s l a t i o n s of p a s s a g e s f r o m the De planctu are m y own.
g
M .-T. d ' A l v e r n y p o i n t s o u t that A l a n a p p e a r s to h a v e b e e n o n e of
the f i r s t to u s e the t e r m " n a t u r a l p h i l o s o p h y " to d e s i g n a t e k n o w l e d g e
a c c e s s i b l e to h u m a n r e a s o n (Alain de Lille:
Textes inédits, avec une
introduction sur sa vie et ses oeuvres, ed. M a r i e - T h é r è s e d ' A l v e r n y ,
E t u d e s d e p h i l o s o p h i e m é d i é v a l e , L U [Paris 1965] 35).
9
A l t h o u g h s o m e m e d i e v a l c o m m e n t a r i e s o n a n d a d a p t a t i o n s of the
Anticlaudianus i d e n t i f y t h e novus homo w i t h C h r i s t , r e c e n t s t u d e n t s of
t h e p o e m a r e i n c l i n e d to v i e w h i m e i t h e r as a t i m e l e s s i d e a l m i r r o r i n g
C h r i s t b u t u n r e a l i z a b l e i n this life (R.H. Green,
Anticlaudianus:
" A l a n of L i l l e ' s
A s c e n s u s M e n t i s in D e u m , " Annuale Medievale 8 [1957]
10-11) o r a s the e q u a l l y ideal, but l e s s C h r i s t - l i k e
( b e c a u s e too c o u r t l y
a n d a r i s t o c r a t i c ) , m o d e l of a t w e l f t h - c e n t u r y honnête homme
(J. H u i z i n g a ,
liber die Verknüpfung des Poetischen mit dem Theologischen bei Alanus de
Insulis, M e d e d e e l i n g e n d e r K o n i n k l i j k e A k a d e m i e v a n W e t e n s c h a p p e n , A f d e e l i n g L e t t e r k u n d e D e e l 74, S erie B, No.
R a y n a u d de L a ge, Alain de Lille:
Montréal,
6 [ A m s t e r d a m 1932] 69-70; G u y
Poète du XIIe siècle, U n i v e r s i t é de
Public a t i o n s de l'institut d'Etudes Médiévales,
12 [ M o n t r é a l
1951] 99; M a r c - R e n ë Jung, Etudes sur le poème allégorique en France au
moyen âge, Romanica Helvetica 92 [Bern 1 971] 77-80).
I g i v e at l e n g t h in " T h e I d e n t i t y of the 'New Man'
For reasons w h i c h
in the Anticlaudianus
of A l a n o f L i l l e , " Viator 1 0 (1979), I w o u l d argue, h o w e v e r ,
that the
divinus homo is n e i t h e r C h r i s t n o r a n i d e a l f i g u r e m o r e o r less r e f l e c t ­
ing Him; h e a p p e a r s to be,
rather, the d i v i n e l y c o n s e c r a t e d P h i l i p II
A u g u s t u s of F r a n c e ,
e n v i s i o n e d in the p o e m as a Carolus redivivus h e r a l d ­
i n g the m i l l e n n i u m .
A l a n ' s a t t e m p t i n g of the p r o p h e t i c m o d e f r o m B o o k
V onwards,
then,
is b o u n d u p w i t h the s u b j e c t of h i s ep i c —
of a n e w m a n t h r o u g h w h o m Go d m a n i f e s t s h i m s e l f in hi s t o r y .
i n g of the poem,
the c r e a t i o n
In m y r e a d ­
the n e w m a n is n o t e n t i r e l y a b s t r a c t , n o r is the c o m i n g
ag e of g o l d out of time.
^
In Antialaudianum Alani commentum, p. 67, 11. 7-11.
^
Ibid. p. 67, 11. 12-15:
ornant,
" sicut e n i m p h a l e r a e v ê l a n t e q u u m et
sic i n t e g u m e n t a l i s m o d u s l o q u e n d i a l i q u i d m i s t i c u m v e l a t et
c l a u d i t i n t e r i u s et o r n a t v e r b a e x t e r i u s . "
Another glossator,
appar­
e n t l y i n d e p e n d e n t o f R a d u l p h u s , a l s o u n d e r s t o o d phaleras a s t h e " m o d u m
l o q u e n d i i n t e g u m e n t a l e m q u e m h a b e n t p o e t e , " d i s t i n g u i s h i n g the p o e t ' s
s p e c i a l m o d e f r o m that of a u t h o r s in g e n e r a l
24567
[13th c e n t u r y ] ,
12
fol.
( B r i t i s h M u s e u m , Add. MS.
2r).
Integumentum a n d its s o m e t i m e s y n o n y m involuarum h a v e b e e n the
su b j e c t of m a n y r e c e n t studies:
M. - T . d ' A l v e r n y ,
"Le cosmos symbolique
d u X I l m e s i è c l e , " AHDLMA 2 0 (1954) 31-81; M.-D. C h e n u ,
"Involuarum:
M y t h e s e l o n l e s t h é o l o g i e n s m é d i é v a u x " AHDLMA 22 (1956)
Je a u n e a u ,
75-79;
Le
Edouard
" L ' U s a g e de la n o t i o n à'integumentum à t r a v e r s l e s g l o s e s de
G u i l l a u m e de C o n c h e s , " AHDLMA 24 (1958) 3 5 - 1 0 0 (rpt. in "Lectio Philo-
sophorum" :
Recherches sur l ’
Ecole de Chartres [ A m s t e r d a m 197 3] 1 2 7 - 9 2 ) ;
Hennig Brinkmann,
" V e r h u l l u n g ( ' i n t e g u m e n t u m ' ) als l i t e r a r i s c h e D a r s t e l -
l u n g s f o r m i m M i t t e l a l t e r ," in Der Begriff der Repraesentatio im Mittel-
alter:
Stellvertretung, Symbol, Zeichen, Bild, ed. A l b e r t Z i m m e r m a n n
(B erlin a n d N e w Y o r k 1971) 314-39; B r i a n Stock, Myth and Science in the
Twelfth Century:
A Study of Bernard Silvester ( P r i n c e t o n 1972) 49-55;
P e t e r D ronke, Fabula:
Explorations into the Uses o f Myth in Medieval
Platonism, M i t t e l l a t e i n i s c h e S t u d i e n u n d T exte, I X ( L e i d e n 1974) 13-67.
13
See Stock, pp. 36-37, n. 42; The Commentary on the First Six
Books o f the Aeneid of Virgil Commonly Attributed to B e m a r d u s Silvestris, ed. J u l i a n W a r d J o n e s a n d E l i z a b e t h F r a n c e s J o n e s (Lincoln, Neb.
a n d L o n d o n 1977)
^
ix-xi.
The Commentary on the First Six Books o f the Aeneid . . . , p.
3, 11. 14-15:
" I n t e g u m e n t u m est g e n u s d e m o s t r a t i o n i s
narratione veri t a t i s involvens intellectum,
[sic] sub f a b u l o s a
unde eti am dicitur involucrum."
T h e J o n e s ' e d i t i o n o f the C o m m e n t a r y is b a s e d o n t h r e e m a n u s c r i p t s of
t h e work,
r a t h e r t h a n o n the s i n g l e o n e u s e d b y W i l h e l m R i e d e l in h i s
e d i t i o n , Commentum B e m a r d i Silvestris super sex libros Eneidos Virgilii
(Griefswald 1 9 2 4 ) .
^
MS. C a m b r i d g e , U n i v e r s i t y L i b r a r y , Mm. I. 18, fol. 1 rb.
This
p a s s a g e is e d i t e d b y Stock, p. 38, w i t h m i n o r c h a n g e s f r o m the t r a n s ­
cription by Edouard Jeauneau,
" N o t e sur 1 'Ecole d e C h a r t r e s , " Studi
medievali, 3r d series, 5 (1964) 856-57.
Th e L a t i n of t h e p a r t s I h a v e
t r a n s l a t e d i s : " N a m et i b i h i s t o r i a et hic f a b u l a m i s t e r i u m h a b e n t o c c u l tum . . . .
A l l e g o r i a q u i d a m d i u i n e pa g i n e ,
phice competit.
N o n t a m e n u bique,
admittit ph i l o s o p h i c u s .
integumentum uero philoso-
teste Macrobio,
inuolucrum tractatus
C u m e n i m a d summum, inquit, d e u m s t i l u s se
a u d e t a t t o l l e r e , n e f a s est f a b ulosa, u e l li c i t a , a d m i t t e r e . "
16
W i l l i a m of C o n c h e s c o m m e n t e d o n M a c r o b i u s ' s t a t e m e n t " i d e o et
n u l l u m ei
[i.e., o f the Good, Τάγαθόν ] s i m u l a c r u m "
ionis, ed. cit. 1 . 2.16, p. 7, 11. 9-10):
incarnationem"
(In Sorrmium Scip-
"id est, n u l l a m i m a g i n e m a n t e
( " S e l e c t i o n s f r o m W i l l i a m of C o n c h e s ' s c o m m e n t a r y on
M a c r o b i u s , " in D r o n k e , Fabula, p. 74).
^
I n Fabula, pp. 119-20, P e t e r D r o n k e c l a i m s that "the t e r m s in
which Bernard
[i.e., the Oe nuptiis c o m m e n t a t o r ] f o r m u l a t e s h i s s u b d i v ­
i s i o n a n d d i s t i n c t i o n a r e u n u s u a l , a n d h i s u s a g e d o e s n o t a p p e a r to ha v e
gained w i d e r a c c eptance."
in the Twelfth Century:
Winthrop Wetherbee,
in Platonism and Poetry
The Literary Influence o f the School of Chartres
( P r i n c e t o n 1972) 113, c h a r a c t e r i z e s " B e r n a r d ' s " d e f i n i t i o n of the r e l a ­
t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n integumentum a n d allegoria a s " s o m e w h a t s i m p l i s t i c a l l y
l u c i d , " an d d e n i e s th a t " B e r n a r d " i m p l i e s a n y l i m i t a t i o n in the s c o p e of
integumentum.
18
19
Dante et la tradition de l ’
allégorie ( M o n t r é a l 1970) 6 6 .
The Parisiana Poetria of John of Garland, ed. a n d tr. T r a u g o t t
L a w l e r , Y a l e S t u d i e s in En g l i s h ,
1 8 2 (New H a v e n 1974) 104.
T h e date,
s o urces, a n d t r a d i t i o n of the Parisiana Poetria are d i s c u s s e d o n pp.
x x i i - xs/i.
20
In Anticlaudianum Alani commentum, pp. 39-40, 44.
The clas s i­
f i c a t i o n s o f S c i e n t i a i n the De nuptiis c o m m e n t a r y (fol. 5 r a - 5 v a ) a r e
p r i n t e d a s A p p e n d i x C i n J o n e s a n d Jones,
eds., The Commentary on the
First Six Books o f the Aeneid, pp. 131- 1 3 3 ; t h e t r a n s c r i p t i o n , howe v e r ,
is u n r e l i a b l e .
T h e v a r i o u s p a r t s of S c i e n t i a a r e a l s o l i s t e d in the
Aeneid c o m m e n t a r y (ibid. p. 32, 11. 13-1 9 ) , b u t R a d u l p h u s u s e s the
f u l l e r e x p o s i t i o n g i v e n in the De nuptiis c o m m e n t a r y .
of Poesis c o m b i n e s t h o s e f r o m the two c o m m e n t a r i e s :
His defini t i o n
" P o e s i s i g i t u r est
s c i e n t i a c l a u d e n s in m e t r o v e l p r o s a o r a t i o n e m g r a v e m et illustrent" (p.
44, 1. 5); cf. Aeneid c o m m e n t a r y ,
" P o e s i s v e r o est p o e t a r u m s c i e n t i a
h a b e n s d u a s p a r t e s , m e t r i c u m p o e m a et p r o s a i c u m "
18-1 9 ) a n d t h e De nuptiis com m e n t a r y :
(ed. cit. p. 32, 11.
" P o e s i s v e r o est s c i e n t i a c l a u d e n s
i n m e t r o o r a t i o n e m g r a v e m et i l l u s t r e m "
(ibid. p. 132).
W h i l e the
De nuptiis c o m m e n t a t o r l i s t s sapientia, etoquentia, poesis, a n d meahania
as p a r t s of S c i e n t i a , R a d u l p h u s r e p l a c e s sapientia c o n s i s t e n t l y w i t h
philosophia·.
e.g.,
" P h i l o s o p h i a s i q u i d e m r e m o v e t i g n o r a n t i a m et i n f o r ­
mât contrarium scilicet agnitionem"
(p. 39, 11. 21-2 3 ) ; cf. De nuptiis
c o m m e n t a r y (fol. 5ra) " S a p i e n t i a e n i m f u g a t i g n o r a n t i a m ,
formans agni­
t i o n e m " [J o n e s a n d J o n e s i n c o r r e c t l y h a v e " f o r m a s a g n i t i o n e m " ] .
21
T h e De planatu Naturae w a s the w o r k of " A l a n i m i n i m i C a p e l l a e "
a c c o r d i n g to s o m e m a n u s c r i p t s , and t h u s t h e d i m i n u t i v e a u t h o r ' s d e b t to
Martianus was slyly recognized;
see M . -T. d ' A l v e r n y , Textes inédits,
p. 33.
22
T h i s d i s c u s s i o n of t h e four s t y l e s i s t o b e f o u n d in t h e l o n g e r
v e r s i o n of the Doaumentum de modo et arte dictandi et versificandi; the
r e l e v a n t p a s s a g e f r o m B o d l e i a n L i b r a r y MS. L a u d M isc.
Lawl e r ,
707 i s p r i n t e d b y
ed., The P a r i s i a n a P o e t r i a of John o f Garland, pp.
328-29.
John
of G a r l a n d says t h a t the T u l l i a n s t y l e is u s e d b y vates " w h e n t h e y w r i t e
in prose, a n d b y m a s t e r s in a c a d e m i c c o m p o s i t i o n s "
(ibid. pp.
107-07);
but G eoffrey, w h i l e n o t i n g that the T u l l i a n s t y l e is n o t c o n c e r n e d w i t h
metre,
l o c a t e s its c h a r a c t e r i s t i c g r a v i t y a n d c o l o u r i n v e r s e a s w e l l
a s prose.
23
Ibid. p. 329:
"et h o c m o d o s c r i b e n d i m a x i m e v s u s est A l a n u s De
P l a n c t u Natu r e ; m a x i m e e n i m ibi t r o p i c i s l o c u c i o n i b u s v s u s est,
b u s t o c i u s e l o q u e n c i e f l o r i d i o r est o r n a t u s .
in q u i -
I n d e est q u o d l i b r o A r c h i -
trenii propter tropicarum locucionum c e l e b r e m p r e c e l l e n c i a m n u l l u s liber
m o d e r n o r u m s i m i l i s i n u e n i t u r , q u a m u i s B e r n a r d u s S i l v e s t e r in p r o s a i c o
dicatur psitacus,
in m e t r i c o p h i l o m e n a . "
Antiolaudianus, I. 140- 4 1 , p. 61; De planatu, pr. VI, W 489- 9 0 ,
^
M 464; De planatu, pr. IX, W 517, M 479.
^
"The H o u s e o f F a m e , " II. 853- 6 3 ,
i n The Works of Geoffrey Chau­
cer, ed. F.N. R o b i n s o n , 2nd ed. ( C a m bridge, Mass. 1957) 290.
26
The name varies in different manuscripts;
a n d passim.
27
W 467-68; M 452:
see W r i g h t , p. 4 8 0
"Ab a l t i o r i e n i m s u m e n s i n i t i u m e x c e l l e n t i o r -
i q u e stylo, m e a e v o l e n s s e r i e m n a r r a t i o n i s c o n t e x e r e , n o l o u t p r i u s
plana verborum planitie explanare proposita, vel profanis v e r bo r um novitatibus profanare profana, verum pudenda aureis pudicorum verborum phal e r i s inau r a r e , v a r i i s q u e v e n u s t o r u m d i c t o r u m c o l o r i b u s i n v e s t i r e . "
28
Martianus Capella [De nuptiis Philologiae et Merourii], ed.
A d o l f u s D i c k ( L e i p z i g 1925; rpt. w i t h a d d e n d a b y J e a n Préa u x , S t u t t g a r t
1969)
III, 221-22, pp. 80-82.
29
.
.
.
Remigii Autissiodorensis Commentum in Martianum Capellam L z b n
III-IX, ed. C o r a E. L u t z ( L e i d e n 1965) 1, 11. 2-5:
o r n a m e n t a fabu l o s a .
Cui parat?
sunt o r n a m e n t a e q u o r u m ,
P A R V O L I B E L L 0 meo.
Grece ephipia.
" P H A L E R A S id e s t
Phalerae proprie
Ponuntur abusive pro superfluo
ornatu verborum.”
in
" S u m m a de a r t e p r a e d i c a t o r i a , " cap. I, in PL 210. 1 1 2 C :
".
. .
praedicatio enim non debet splendere phaleris verborum purpuramentis
c o l o r u m , nec n i m i s e x s a n g u i b u s v e r b i s d e b e t e s s e dejecta,
sed Medium
tenuere beati . "
31
A l a i n d e L i lle, Liber poenitentialis, ed. J e a n L o u g è r e , Analec­
ta Mediaevalia Namurcensia 1 8 ( L o u v a i n a n d L i l l e 1965) II, 192.
32
P L 210.209.
I n h i s " S u m m a d e a r t e p r a e d i c a t o r i a , " cap. X X V I
(PL 2 1 0 . 1 6 3 D ) , A l a n p r o p o s e s :
dans loquacitas:
"Melior est vera simplicitas, q u a m abun-
m e lior est sacta rusticitas, quam peccatrix eloquen-
O n the s i g n i f i c a n c e o f simplicitas w i t h r e g a r d to m o n a s t i c i n ­
tia."
t e l l e c t u a l stud i e s ,
see J e a n L e c l e r c q ,
" S a n c t a S i m p l i c i t a s , " Collec­
tanea Ordinis Cisterciensium R e f o r m a t o m m 22 (1960) 138-48.
33
" E x p o s i t i o E v a n g e l i i s e c u n d u m L u c a m , " II, 53, in P L 15.1 6 5 3 :
"Non gymnasia choris r e f erta sapientum,
sed p l e b e m D o m i n u s s i m p l i c e m
r e q u i s i v i t , q u a e p h a l e r a r e audi t a , et f u c a r e n e s c i r e t . "
34
"De o f f i c i i s m i n i s t r o r u m , " I, 12, 44, in PL 16.40.
35
P e m b r o k e C o l l e g e , C a m b r i d g e , MS. 154, fol. 169v:
"Scribens
d i l e c t o meo, n e e s p u m e u m v e r b o r u m a m b i t u m n e c p h a l e r a t i s e r m o n i s s e n t e n t i a s e l i m a r e c u r aui.
Diuino namque mancip a t u s obsequio, pomposa
tibi s c r i b e r e u e r b a n e c potui, n e c d e b u i g e n t i l i s s c r i p t u r i s i m b u t o
d i u i n e l e g i s a r c h a n a m o l ire,
a p o s t o l o d i c ens:
sed p l a n a q u o q u e u e l l e u i a p r e l i b a r e c u m
'lac p o t u m d e d i n o n escam'
ful to L. B r a c e l a n d ,
(I Cor. 3 : 2 ) . "
I am grate­
S.J., for d r a w i n g this l e t t e r to m y a t t e n t i o n a n d
for p r o v i d i n g the t r a n s c r i p t i o n , w h i c h is m o r e a c c u r a t e t h a n that f o u n d
in C.H.
Talbot,
"A L e t t e r of Roger, A b b o t o f B y l a n d , " Analeota Saori
Ordinis Cisterciensis 7 (1951) 224.
36
J o h n M. Trout,
"The M o n a s t i c V o c a t i o n o f A l a n of L i l l e , " Analeo­
ta Cisterciana 30 (1974) 50.
^
38
" R e g u l a e A l a n i de S a c r a T h e o l o g i a " XXXIV,
in P L 2 1 0 . 6 3 7 C - D .
„ I n Disputatio oatholicorum patrum adversus dogmata Petri Abae-
lardi, c i t e d in M .-D. Chenu, Nature, Man and Society in the Twelfth
Century:
Essays on New Theological Perspectives in the Latin Vest,
s e l e c t e d , ed. a n d tr. b y J e r o m e T a y l o r a n d L e s t e r K. L i t t l e (1957;
C h i c a g o 1968)
322.
B u t as M.-T. d ' A l v e r n y h a s p o i n t e d out,
the w o r d
involuorum is n o t f o u n d in a n y of the k n o w n w o r k s of J o h n S c o t u s ("Le
c o s m o s s y m b o l i q u e d u X I I e s i è c l e , " p. 35).
39
" C o n t r a h a e r e t i c o s , " III (Contra J u d a e o s ) , ii,
" L i b e r in d i s t i n c t i o n i b u s d i c t i o n u m , "
in P L 2 1 0 . 4 0 2 C ;
[ a r gentu m], P L 210. 7 1 0 A .
The Old
T e s t a m e n t is for A l a n the w a x c o n t a i n i n g the h o n e y of the N e w T e s t a m e n t
(PL 2 1 0 . 8 5 4 B ) ,
the h u s k of the n u c l e a r N e w T e s t a m e n t
(970C), a n d the
g o s p e l ' s umbra (985D) a n d i t s velamentum ( 9 9 3 B ) .
40
W 465; M 451:
" . . . umbratilibus p o e t a r u m figmentis, quae
a r t i s p o e t i c a e d i p i n x i t i n d u s t r i a . . ."
41
W 465-66; M 451:
"Poetae aliquando historiales eventus joculationibus fabulosis,
q u a s i q u a d a m e l e g a n t i str u c t u r a ,
c o n f o e d e r a n t , ut
ex d i v e r s o r u m c o m p e t e n t ! j u n c t u r e i p s i u s n a r r a t i o n i s e l e g a n t i o r p i c t u r a
resultet."
^
43
De nuptiis I, 51-52; Dick, p. 28, 1. 17.
T a k i n g G e n i u s as the A r t i s t w h o f o l l o w s N a t u r e , as " b o t h the
a r c h e t y p a l o r i d e a l p o e t - p h i l o s o p h e r - o r a t o r a n d the a g e n t of a r t a n d
i n s p i r a t i o n (i.e., m o d e r n " g e n i u s " ) ; " see N i t z s c h e , p. 112.
I. 1 6 5 - 8 6 , pp. 61-62:
Nero, Mi d a s , A j a x , P a r i s , a n d D a v u s h a v e
b e e n i d e n t i f i e d r e s p e c t i v e l y a s H e n r y II o f E n g l a n d a n d h i s fo u r sons
He n r y ,
Richard,
Geoffrey, and John
d ' A l a i n d e Li l l e :
(C.M. H u t c h i n g s ,
"L'Anticlaudianus
E t u d e d e c h r o n o l o g i e , " Roman-La 5 0 [1924] 10-12).
" M e u i u s " r e f e r s to W a l t e r of C h â t i l l o n , a u t h o r o f the Alexandreis, a n d
" E n n i u s " to J o s e p h o f E xeter, a u t h o r of De bello trojano.
^
Ed. M.-T. d ' A l v e r n y , i n " A l a i n d e L i l l e e t la Theologia," L'Homme
devant Dieu:
Mélanges offerts au Père Henri de Lubao (Paris 1964) II,
1 2 6-28.
^
in Alain de Lille:
G. R a y n a u d d e Lage,
Poète du XII^ sièale,
p. 42, p r o p o s e s t h a t the De planotu w a s w r i t t e n b e t w e e n 1 1 6 0 a n d 1170;
M.-T. d ' A l v e r n y (Textes inédits , p. 34) c o n c u r s .
1184
T h e a c t u a l d a t e of
T h e Antiolaudianus is d a t e d b e t w e e n 1 1 8 1 an d
c o m p o s i t i o n is u n k n o w n .
(see H u t c h i n g s , p. 13).
47
In Antiolaudianum Alani oommentum, p. 67, 11. 33-36; "Vetus . . .
i n c o g n i t i o n i s r a t i o n e et r a t i o n e a n t i q u i t a t i s , q u i a a p r i n c i p i o m u n d i
fuit h a e c m a t e r i a s c i l l i c e t q u a t t u o r a r t i f i c e s et e o r u m o p e r a s t a t i m
s c i l i c e t p o s t l a p s u m Adae.
in l u c e m m a n i f e s t a t i o n i s .
The four arti f i c e r s —
(p. 19, 11.
Ratione incognitionis quia mundus prodierat
Hucusque enim nullus tractavlt hanc m a te r ia m ."
God, Na t u r e , F o r t u n e , a n d V i c e —
a r e t h e materia
7-8) of the poem, a s t h e aooessus o f t e n f o u n d w i t h the Anti­
olaudianus e l a b o r a t e s ( " S u m m a r i u m " in B o s s u a t , pp. 1 9 9 -201).
48
tionis,
Ibid. p. 6 8 , 11. 1-2:
"Gaudet . . . i u v e n e s c e r e r a t i o n e c o g n i -
q u i a s c i l i c e t p r o d i i t in l u c e m m a n i f e s t a t i o n i s ,
Ideo s u b i u n g i t
novitate scribendi."
49
T h e i d e a t h a t the p o e t m u s t y i e l d to the p r o p h e t is fo u n d in a
p o e m b y J o h n S c o t u s , w h o w r i t e s that " m o y s a r u m [i.e., m u s a r u m ] c a n t u s "
a r e r e p l a c e d f o r t h e C h r i s t i a n b y the " d i c t a p r o p h e t a r u m " (" I o h a n n i s
S c o t t i C a r m i n a , ” III. i. 13-15,
in Poetae Latini Aevi Carolini, III, ed.
L u d o v i c u s Tr a u b e , M o m m e n t a Germaniae Historioa [ B e r l i n 1896]
527) .
T h e a n g e l i c m i n d , c l e a n s e d of i n t e r v e n i n g images, e x p e r i e n c e s
t h e o p h a n y or " d i v i n e m a n i f e s t a t i o n " s i m p l y a n d " r e c i p r o c a l l y ; " b u t h u m a n ­
i t y r e q u i r e s a medium, a speoulum, in o r d e r to g l i m p s e the i n v i s i b l e (P.
Glorieux,
éd.,
[1954] 28 2 - 8 3 ) .
"La S o m m e ' Q u o n i a m H o m i n e s '
d ' A l a i n d e L i l l e , " AHDLMA 20
VI.
31-37, p. 142:
i p s a u i d e t u r in illo.
"cultusque fatetur / Arbitrium mentis, mens
/ P i c t u r e c e d i t u e s t i s q u e to t a f i g u r i s / S c r i b i -
tur e t f o r m a p r e t e n d i t s c r i p ta l i b elli.
pictura magistros,
/ Hic renouât ueteres uiuens
/ P e r q u o s n o s t r a f i d e s totuzn d i f f u s a p e r o r b e m /
C l a r u i t et l a u d u m t i t u l i s p r e c l a r a r e f u l s i t . "
52
VI. 24-28, p. 141:
" I p s a m n a m q u e Fidexn R a c i o n o n pr e u e n i t ,
immo / I p s o F i d e s h a n c a n t i c i p a t F i d e i q u e d o c e n t i / O b s e q u i t u r t a n d e m
R acio,
s e q u i t u r q u e d o c e n t e m / A r t i c u l o s Fidei, d i u i n a q u e
simbola car-
n i s / I n s e r i t hec, s c r i b e n s a n i m o q u o t a r u n d i n e p i n g i t . "
Alan defines
the a r t i c l e s o f f a i t h a s symbola in " E x p o s i t i o P r o s a e de a n g e l i s , "
Textes inédits, p. 201; in hi s Oistinction.es (PL 2 1 0 . 964), A l a n te r m s
b o t h the s a c r a m e n t s an d the a r t i c l e s of f a i t h symbola.
53
V. 4 8 5-86, pp. 137-38:
" . . . n o s t r e q u e s a l u t i s / I n d u i t ip s e
togam, n o s t r o u e s t i b u s a m i c t u . "
54
Theologicae Regulae, XCIX, P L 210 . 6 7 3 - 7 4 .
V. 1 1 9-23, pp. 126-27:
cit,
" Q u o m o d o N a t u r e s u b i e c t u s se r m o s t u p e s -
/ D u m t e m p t a t d i u i n a loqui, u i r e s q u e l o q u e n d i / P e r d i t et ad u e t e r -
e m c u p i t i l l e r e c u r r e r e sensum,
ualentes,
/ M u t e s c u n t q u e soni, u i x b a r b u t i r e
/ D e q u e suo s e n s u d e p o n u n t u e r b a q u e r e l a m . "
56 P L 2 1 0 . 6 2 1 - 2 2 .
^
Ibid.
622:
" . . .
q u i d u c t u p u r i o r i s m e n t i s ad i n [ e ] f f a b i l i a
c o n s c e n d u n t , et p u r i o r i o c u l o p h i l o s o p h i a e s e c r e t a p e r s p i c i u n t ."
58
T h e v a r i o u s l e v e l s of c o n s c i o u s n e s s , thesis, intellectus, intel-
Hgentia, a n d w h a t i s s u e s f r o m them, naturalis philosophia, subcelestis
theologia, supercelestis theologia, ar e set f o r t h in A l a n ' s Summa " Q u o ­
n i a m h o m i n e s , " I, p. 121, an d a r e s u m m a r i z e d b y R a d u l p h u s , In Antialau-
dianwn Alani commentum, p. 42.
R a d u l p h u s d o e s not, h o w e v e r , r e l a t e t h e m
d i r e c t l y to t h e n a r r a t i v e of t h e Antialaudianus.
59
V. 12 4 - 2 7 , p. 127:
" C u n c t a . . . m e d i a n t e tropo, d i c t a n t e f i g ­
ura / Concipit."
Distinctiones ['aurum'], P L 2 1 0 .715B.
L i s t i n g the v a r i o u s s i g ­
n i f i c a t i o n s of g o l d in t h e o l o g i c a l d i s c o u r s e , A l a n i n c l u d e s " D e u s , "
( q u o t i n g E z e c h i e l 1:4, "Et in m e d i o i g n i s q u a s i e l e c t r i " ) :
"Ibi elec-
t r u m d i c i t u r C h r i s t u s , quia, s i c u t in e l e c t r o a u r u m u n i t u r a r g e n t o ,
sic
in C h r i s t o e s t d i v i n a n a t u r a h u m a n a e un i t a , et p e r a u r u m d i v i n i t a s , p e r
a r g e n t u m i n t e l l i g a t u r h u m a n i t a s ."
^ Theologiaae Regulae, XCIX, P L 210.673-74.
62
Cf. " Q u o n l a m h o m i n e s , " I, p. 119.
r
ο
In Anticlaudianum Alani ootmentum, p. 24, 11. 28-30; " s a p i e n t i a , "
B.M. MS. C o t t o n V e s p a s i a n A. 10, fol. 2r; " m e d i t a c i o r e r u m , " B.M. MS
R o y a l 15 B XX, fol. 4r.
64
" I n v o c a t e r g o P h o e b u m id e s t n a t u r a l e m s c i e n t i a m optat,
m e d iante tractare p o ssit de naturalibus":
qua
In Antialaudianum Alani com-
mentum, p. 6 8 , 1 1 . 1 0 - 1 2 .
^
Ibid.
II. 14-16:
" q u i a p e r e a q u a e f a c t a sunt v i s i b i l i a c o m p r e -
h e n d u n t u r i n v i s i b i l i a et p e r c o g n i t i o n e m c r e a t u r a r u m a s c e n d i t u r a d c o g nitionem Creatoris."
66
O n the n a t u r e of prudentia,
see A l a n ' s "De V i r t u t i b u s et de
v i t i i s e t d e d o n i s S p i r i t u s S a n c t i , " cap. I, art.
2, ed. O d o n L o t t i n ,
Psychologie et morale aux XIIe et XIIIe siècles, P r o b l è m e s d ' h i s t o i r e
l i t t é r a i r e d e 1 1 6 0 à 1300, V I ( G e m b l o u x 1960) 5 1 -52.
^
C o n c e r n i n g P h i l o s o p h i a as the p i n n a c l e o f h u m a n r e a s o n r a t h e r
than a divine Intelligence,
see P i e r r e C o u r c e l l e , La Consolation de
Philosophie dans la tradition littéraire.
Antécédents et postêicitê de
Boèce ( P a r i s 1967) 21-22.
(L Q
"De V i r t u t i b u s , " cap. I, art. 1, pp. 47, 51 a n d art.
59
I. 313- 1 5 , p. 6 6 :
3, p. 59.
"in p artes u estem diffibulat istam / In uar-
i i s s c i s s u r a locis, l u g e r e u i d e t u r / V e s t i s et i l l a t a s i b i m e t c o n u i c i a
flere. "
^
W h i l e n o t i n g that the "the p r o p r i e t y of a m e d i a t i n g f i c t i o n b e ­
c o m e s m o r e a n d m o r e q u e s t i o n a b l e " o n c e A l a n a s s u m e s the p r o p h e t ' s v o ice,
R.H. G r e e n c o n t r a s t s A l a n ' s a l l e g o r i c a l m o d e w i t h t h a t of t y p o l o g y a n d
f a b l e i n o r d e r to e l u c i d a t e its u n i q u e a b i l i t y to c o n v e y "the m i n d ' s
a w a r e n e s s o f its o w n c o g n i t i v e p r o c e s s e s " ("Alan o f L i l l e ' s Anticlau­
dianus: A s c e n s u s M e n t i s in D e u m , " pp. 6 , 9).
Alan's p o e m becomes,
then,
l i k e F a i t h ' s m i r r o r a n d T h e o l o g y ' s gown, a m e d i a t i n g speculum for c e l e s ­
t i a l t h e o p h a n y , w h e r e b y k n o w l e d g e o f t h e d i v i n e is g i v e n to m a n "per
i m a g i n a b i l i a et c a d u c a "
( " Q u o n i a m h o m i n e s , " II, p. 283). N e v e r t h e l e s s ,
A l a n d o e s m a k e v e r y c l e a r d i s t i n c t i o n s b e t w e e n t h e t ypes of l a n g u a g e
a p p r o p r i a t e to the r e a l m s o f N a t u r e a n d of Grace, a n d o n e is led to
e x p e c t s o m e a l t e r a t i o n i n t h e s y m b o l i c m o d e o n c e h e a v e n is b r o a c h e d .
T h e r e are, a s H.R. J a u s s h a s p o i n t e d out,
isolated instances where
t y p o l o g i c a l a l l e g o r y is m i x e d i n w i t h a b s t r a c t a l l e g o r y ,
e.g., t h e
gift of P u d o r m a k e s the n e w m a n a s e c o n d E l i a s a n d a n o t h e r J o s e p h (VII,
116, p. 160); b u t t h e s e do l i t t l e to s u p p o r t the idea t h a t A l a n h e r e
w a s a t t e m p t i n g to l i n k a l l e g o r y w i t h h i s t o r y ("La T r a n s f o r m a t i o n d e la
f o r m e a l l é g o r i q u e e n t r e 1 1 8 0 et 1240:
D ' A l a i n de L i l l e à G u i l l a u m e de
Lorris," in L ’
Humanisme médiéval dans les littératures romanes du XIIe
au XIVe siècle [Paris 1964] 116).
Still, o n e is left t r y i n g to a c c o u n t
for A l a n ' s c h a l l e n g e to M a c r o b i u s , h i s a s s u m p t i o n of the p r o p h e t i c voic e ,
h i s u n m i s t a k a b l e p o r t r a y a l of t h e allegoriae o f Faith.
7·*· C h a r l e s S. S i n g l e t o n , Dante Studies I, Commedia: Elements of
Structure ( C a m b r i d g e , M a s s . 1957) 61.
72
A.C. C h a r i t y , Events and Their Afterlife :
The Dialectics o f
Christian Typology in the Bible and Dante ( C a m b r i d g e 1966) 257.
73
A l t h o u g h R.H.
Green,
in " D a n t e ' s
' A l l e g o r y of Poet s '
and M e d i e ­
v a l T h e o r y o f P o e t i c F i c t i o n , " CL 9 (1957) 118-28, c h a r a c t e r i z e s the
Cormedia as p o e t i c r a t h e r t h a n t h e o l o g i c a l a l l e g o r y (contra C.S. S i n g l e ­
ton, " D a n t e ' s A l l e g o r y , " Speculum 25 [1950]
78-83),
it is c l e a r t h a t the
Cormedia, t h o u g h " f i c t i v e , " is w r i t t e n in a d i f f e r e n t m o d e f r o m t h a t of
the i n t e g u m e n t a l Convivio. S i n g l e t o n ' s r e s p o n s e to Green,
d u c i b l e D o v e , " CL 9 (1957) 129- 3 5 ,
in " T h e I r r e ­
reiterates his "firm persua s i o n
[the
p h r a s e a p p e a r s to b e b o r r o w e d f r o m W i l l i a m B l a k e ] that t h e k i n d of a l l e ­
g o r y w h i c h D a n t e g i v e s us in the Comedy h a s its r o o t a n d l i f e - s p r i n g in
the m y s t e r y of the I n c a r n a t i o n , b y w h i c h I m e a n that s u c h a l l e g o r y is
n o t e v e n t h i n k a b l e w i t h o u t the c o n c e p t i o n of the L o g o s m a d e f l e s h and
d w e l l i n g a m o n g us, a n d t h e m y s t e r y of two n a t u r e s j o i n e d " (p. 134).
74
S i n g l e t o n , Dante Studies I, p. 62.
" S e r m o in d i e E p i p h a n i a e , " Textes inédits, p. 243.
"Liber senten t i a r u m et d i c t o r u m m e m o r a b i l i u m , " PL 210.240B.
77 " S e r m o i n d i e E p i p h a n i a e , "
78
E.g.,
Textes inédits, p. 243.
"De P a s c h a , ad m a g i s t r o s c l e r i c o r u m , " P L 210. 2 0 7 A .
d i s d a i n f o r historia is n o t e d b y C h r i s t e l M e i e r ,
Alan's
"Zum P r o b l em der alle-
g o r i s c h e n I n t e r p r e t a t i o n M i t t e l a l t e r l i c h e r D i c h t u n g , " Beitrage zur Ges chichte der deutschen Sprache und Literatur,
99 (1977)
266-68
(a r e v i e w
a r t i c l e c o n c e r n i n g i t self, i n part, w i t h th e r e c e n t w o r k b y P. O c h s e n bein, Studien zum " A n t i c l a u d i a n u s " des Alanus ab Insulis [ F r a n k f u r t and
B e r n 19 7 5 ] ) .
T h i s e x c e l l e n t s t u d y of the Interpretationsdilemma p o s e d
b y the Anticlaudianus c a m e to m y a t t e n t i o n t o o l a t e to m a k e f u l l u s e of
it here.
M y t r e a t m e n t i n t h i s p a p e r a n d e l s e w h e r e o f A l a n ' s u s e of t h e
i n t e g u m e n t a l m o d e p r o p o s e s a t le a s t a p a r t i a l a n s w e r to t h e q u e s t i o n s
r a i s e d b y M e i e r c o n c e r n i n g th e l i t e r a r y f o r m of th e Antiolaudianus (pp.
2 6 8 - 6 9 ) ; and, l i k e Me i e r ,
I w o u l d s t r e s s th e i m p o r t a n c e of the i n f l u ­
ence of the p h i l osophical allegorlsts
Boethius)
79
(Calcidius, M a c r o b i u s , S e r vius,
i n d e t e r m i n i n g the l i t e r a r y t h e o r y b e h i n d it.
Liber poenitentialis, p. 191.
t o r i a , " cap. I, PL. 21 0 . 1 1 4 A .
80
The Allegory of Love:
Cf. a l s o " S u m m a d e a r t e p r a e d i c a -
A Study o f Medieval Tradition (1936; rpt.
L o n d o n 1 9 6 7 ) 99-100.
81
" E x p o s i t i o P r o s a e d e a n g e l i s , " Textes inédits, p. 204; cf. R a d u l phus, In Antiolaudianum Alani oommentum, p. 24, 11. 20-23.