The Contest of Wisdom with Folly

...are things hidden and things manifest: for Wisdom, the artisan of all things, taught me, etc. By these words it is clearly enough declared that Solomon himself, with Wisdom alone as his guide, possessed perfect knowledge in universal and truly formal music In this context, "formal" refers to the "Form" or the underlying spiritual blueprint of the universe, rather than just the technical rules of sound.; without whose assistance, it is impossible to reach such great cognition in matters so occult. But that spirit is not accustomed to descend except into a clean heart, immune from contention; for we read that Wisdom will not enter into a malevolent soul. Wisdom 1:4 Hence, because he held contention and brawling in the greatest hatred above all vices, Solomon prays—as he seems to assert in many places of his doctrine. Proverbs 20:3 Indeed, in one of these he says: It is an honor for a man to cease from strife. Proverbs 17:14 In another: He who begins a contention is like one who lets out water; Proverbs 17:19 and elsewhere: He who loves brawling loves transgression; Proverbs 25:8 and elsewhere: Do not go out hastily to strive.

But someone perhaps will ask the reason why I now prepare myself to hasten into the field or public arena of contention, when I find the Wise Man himself averse to this business? To him I respond: this is granted by the Wise Man himself in such a case, since he elsewhere falls upon this sentiment: Do not strive with any man without cause, unless he has done you harm, etc. Proverbs 3:30 Therefore, I would never have wished to be engaged in a subject of this kind, had not the reason of defending my good name and reputation (thanks be to God), which has been immaculate until this day, provoked me to it, willing or unwilling. Proverbs 22:10 By casting out the scorner, (says the Wise Man) contention shall cease; when the brawling ceases, the ignominy shall also cease. It shall be my task, therefore, to erase the marks of the calumniator—falsely impressed upon the minds of men—with the edge of truth; to cast out the figment of the scorner like a malignant demon with arguments of piety. Thus, at last, when the envy of that cynical Momus Momus was the Greek god of mockery and unwarranted criticism. is detected, his deceptive skin pulled away, and the naked truth revealed and opened to the world, the ignominy—falsely imposed upon me by that Monk Referring to Marin Mersenne, a French Minim friar and philosopher. without my deserving it—may be banished from human imagination into exile beyond the Hyperborean mountains In Greek mythology, the far north; used here to mean "the ends of the earth.". In this way, once the discord of the instruments is utterly defeated, symphonic concord may freely exercise its power and virtue in the world.

From these things, therefore, it is clearly enough declared that the sacred and simple laws of worldly harmony cannot descend into a breast contaminated by strife and envy, seeing as it is destitute of Wisdom. What, therefore, is to be expected or drawn from an empty breast regarding true and formal music, any more than good wine from an empty cask? Or why should we seek Wisdom (which is the true foundation of sincere harmony) among the ignorant and those blind to the "bark" The outer shell or literal meaning., when her splendid tabernacle is to be found only in the "kernel" or center of the thing? For this reason, she is sought by many but found by few, because nearly all things are full of fools—that is, the greater part of men hunt and venerate the wisdom of this world with such devotion (which, by the testimony of the Apostle in one place is foolish, and in another is foolishness before God). as in Wisdom 7 Thus they neglect and ignore that true Wisdom, which is the virtue and splendor of the Omnipotent, that mystical wisdom (I say) of the prophets and Apostles, and they pursue its seekers with derision, reproach, and contempt.

Of this sort of "flour" A metaphor meaning "cut from this cloth" or "of this character." seems to be the man Friar Marin Mersenne, an eminent adversary not only to me, but to truth itself. By deforming his own harmony of the world with the stains of antipathy and discord, he has (so to speak) so choked and obscured his crops and good grain with cockle and tares Weeds mentioned in biblical parables. that he can bring nothing of utility either to himself or indeed to the world. For what benefit of harmony, I ask, is to be expected from him who does not cease to pursue his brothers with hatred and malice? He considers not at all that the unique foundation or cornerstone of the harmony of both worlds—namely, Our Lord Jesus Christ—has, by the blood of his cross, reconciled both the things in heaven and the things on earth. Colossians 1 But truly, Marin Mersenne (whatever he seems to preach about the world's harmony) is not yet reconciled; he proceeds to accuse not a few of his brothers of atheism, blasphemy, heresy, magic, ignorance, and folly. He condemns them with rash judgment and desires to chastise them with injurious words and insults, which are least fitting or decent for such a man. Yet, nevertheless, he does not even think of the beam fixed in his own eye. As for what pertains to me, for a cause of no moment he has cast a suspicion of atheism upon me; in one place he says I am defiled by cacomagia original: "cacomagia"; evil or black magic.; in another he feigns that I am a patron of the same; elsewhere he calls me a heretic and sometimes a heretic-mage; and occasionally he speaks of Robert's folly and

insanity Catchword for the next page: "infaniam".