Le Opere Italiane di Giordano Bruno

1In his head, the nine handmaidens of Pallas The Muses, serving Pallas Athena, the goddess of wisdom. have unloaded a cornucopia of vocabulary into his pia and dura mater original: "pia et dura matre"; these are the inner and outer membranes surrounding the brain, here used to mock the pedant's "stuffed" intellect.; and therefore it is | quite appropriate that they walk with such pomposity, with that heavy-stepping gait original: "incesso grauigrado"., torso upright, head steady, and eyes in an attitude of modest, 5haughty circumspection. You will see one of these types who chews doctrine, sniffs out opinions, spits maxims, pisses authorities original: "minge authoritadi"; a vulgar metaphor for the pedant's constant, effortless citation of ancient authors., belches secrets, sweats clear and lunatic inks, sows ambrosia, and a nectar of judgments enough to fill the pantry for Ganymede, and then a toast to 10shining Jove. You will see a little manikin original: "pubercola"., a synonym-monger, an epithet-user, an appositive, a suppository; a beadle of Minerva, a prefect of Pallas, a trumpet of Mercury, a patriarch of Muses, and a dolphin of the Apolline kingdom. I nearly said a "coltish" kingdom original: "Polledresco"; a pun on delfino (dolphin/dauphin) and polledro (foal/colt), suggesting the scholar is more of a young ass than a prince.. You will also see, all mixed together, the traits of rogues, the stratagems of cheats, the deeds of scoundrels. Furthermore: sweet disgusts, bitter pleasures, foolish determinations, failed 15faiths, lame hopes, and | scarce charities. Great and grave judgments regarding the deeds of others, but little feeling for one's own. Manly women, effeminate men. So many voices from the head and not from the chest. He who believes most of all is most deceived. Universal love is a matter of coins. From this proceed quartan fevers, spiritual cancers, thoughts of little weight, 20overflowing follies, scholarly stumbles, masterly blunders, and slips that would break one's neck. Besides the "will" that pushes, the "knowing" that approaches, the "doing" that bears fruit. And diligence, the mother of results. In conclusion, you will see that in everything there is nothing certain; but plenty of business, enough defects, little of beauty, and nothing of good. I think I hear the characters coming. Farewell.

Beadle.

Before I speak: I must excuse myself. I believe that if not all, at least the majority will say to me: may a canker eat your nose; where did you ever see a | comedy come out with a beadle? And I 30respond to you: may God give you a bad year; before there were comedies, where were comedies ever seen? And where were you ever seen before you existed? And does it seem to you that a subject like the one presented to you this evening should not come out and appear with some privileged particularity? An irregular baboon, a natural fool original: "natural coglone"., a moral simpleton, a 35tropological tropological A method of biblical interpretation focusing on the moral or figurative meaning. beast, an anagogical anagogical A method of interpretation seeking spiritual or mystical hidden meanings. ass like this one—I would make him worthy of a high constable, if you do not think him worthy of a beadle. Do you want me to tell you who he is? Do you want to know? Do you desire that I make you understand? This man is (I'll tell you quietly) the...

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