De laudibus sancte crucis

THE EXPLANATION.

the end of the left hand. Christ will release the debts of the world by His blood. The third verse begins from the fourth finger of the right hand, which is called the medicus ring finger, and passing beneath the right arm to the auricularis little finger, it descends on the right side all the way to the middle of the belly, and ending again from the right knee at the root of the foot, it reads: Thus placed on the Cross, loosening the bonds of the tyrant. The fourth verse begins on the outer side of the root of the right foot, ascending between the legs until it reaches the outer root of the left foot: The eternal Lord led the blessed to the stars. The fifth likewise begins from the root of the left foot on the outside, ascending to the knees, and from the middle of the belly through the side and the left arm, it reaches the ring finger: And God gave a salvation-bringing crown from the high citadel. Indeed, on the garment surrounding the thighs, these two elegiac verses are found: He who contains the stars is covered here by a small garment. And He encloses the earth everywhere in His own palm. In the hair of His head is written: This is the King of Justice. In the face, chin, nipples, and navel, this is contained: A just order for God. In the crown encircling the head: King of kings and Lord of lords. For in the Cross that is placed near His head are three letters, that is, A, M, and ω Alpha, Mu, and Omega, which signifies the beginning, the middle, and the end, and that all things are encompassed by Him.

A large rectangular grid contains a poem where the letters are arranged in rows and columns. This is a carmen figuratum, a "figured poem," where a hidden image—in this case, the crucified Christ described in the text to the left—is formed by selecting specific letters from the grid. The background letters provide a secondary text, while the letters forming the figure create the specific verses mentioned in the explanation.

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o b r i s v z v v n i r i s d e l o q v o b v q s v n e g a v p s r t q n t q
p v a t n r a q p n t i x d e v r t i d i m i s n r p d t m n d s p m v
m v r v r i s d e s o v r g o t f q t q o r q v p i a l i r s i d i v
d n p r a n i m t h e i r i n s g i d i s a m n m d o p m v s a n l v
t o n e d n r t b v s d i o v o t a b i n o v d i s l n a v l n r v
v n i v e r s i i r o t v s r s r a n i s o l e s t o s i s r l i s
o s v r d s r o d i l o l d s a s b x s l l a s s i q i n l m v n
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o s v r d b i v r s a n d i s o r a d n i c i d n i r i s i s x r i
s v o b a n i m s q s r t l s l s v r s v i s i a v n r i i d o d
s i r i n n v s i s i t o l n s v n n t n a a s d v a s n r d x l r
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s i s n r d q i b o v s b n i s d r s r s t v s x o n o d r
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p d a r d s a i s v l i a m r i v p v s d r m i m r q m x t
i q v r s i i r v i a d i n s n v v l t v s r p m s j n i r e
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s i q i v s i t o l g n l i r s i r s t r v s s i n e r d s l r
e v o d e v n l q i s s r m n v i n s l g v i s i b s i v r s
s y l v m e r m a r i o b r v i t n x i l i m v d n s n i l n s
s v r d q v r s a s m i m v a b i n s r i s v s q v r o s e s i
l h s b l d s n a r t s d m v m b i f m a s s i v v g x i i s s
i t m i n i a s v r v n i n i r l v s i s r l r s m m s r o i
o r d i s t u s d e o i n v u s d o r n i o r v s q l v n t o n i n o
v n i t r i r s i n s i s i q v a v x v t r r v r m m v s s r o
i s v v n i s r q s p r l i r v s v l v i s p r i r s e d i
i t r i s q r i s t u s m i n i s n s i m v n o s v m q q s
s e r v r s q l n i l i m n s i x i s i r s i r r r n s o m n o
p r i o r a i r i s s m r i l v m i n r i m s r m m v s s n o