Generalia quaedam de signiflcationibus, tam som
The Nature of Signs and Similarity
The author establishes that signs are complex and derive their meaning from various forms of similarity between things.
of these, rather than of other figures. Therefore, you must carefully attend to the meaning of things, whether interpreting dreams or revealing riddles and figures; this meaning is as much more complex than words as the works of an artist imitating nature surpass the works of nature itself. If a word has three or four meanings, it is immediately 'polyxenous'—that is, it has many meanings. Yet every thing carries as many meanings as it has similarities to other things, provided that the greater is never a sign of the lesser. Signs, in fact, are always lesser. Hence it is that any substance signifies 'man,' as it possesses something in common with all things—which is evident both in Peter's vision of the reptiles and in many places in the Scriptures. Furthermore, the more expressive the similarity, the more related and familiar the meaning.✦ Similarity is either substantial, such as that which comes from genus or species; or accidental, such as that from quantity, quality, or various forms of accidents; or it is a matter of imitation, as when someone is conformed to another by any movement of action. In this way, a creature can indeed be similar to the Creator, even though they share nothing in substance or accident.
Discernment in Interpretation
Interpreters must exercise careful discernment, as the same sign can carry different meanings depending on the context and the person involved.
An effect conforms to its cause, and conversely, if a cause is lesser, it is said to be similar to its effect. Furthermore, the judgment for similar things is the same, as is the sign. And because signs are frequently the same, the interpreter's skill shows most clearly in whether they can carefully distinguish the diversity of things hidden under identical signs. These are general rules, but the details of individual cases are more extensive. Still, you shouldn't overlook that the power of signs is more severe or mild depending on the people involved. For instance, handling money portends death to some and a sad outcome to others. Thus, from causes that aren't apparent, the unexpected presence of Venus more frequently brings about bitter fortune. Hence that saying of Hypsipyle, mourning the dead Archemorus: 'Never without penalty did Venus appear to me, astonished, through the shadows.' For if Venus appears, incited by lingering thoughts or the stimuli of Ceres or Bacchus, it will be more correctly applied to the vanity of dreams, which the discipline of interpreters dismisses as empty, according to the wise man's saying: 'Do not pay attention to dreams, for the human mind sees in sleep the very thing it desires and hopes for while awake.'
The Paradox of Hidden Truths
Signs often function through opposites, where foul appearances may hide profound truths or spiritual allegories.
Sometimes, however, we must follow the traces of truth by way of opposites—just as when ruin threatened the great Pompey, a dream prophesied the opposite of what was seen, and fortune thrust before the eyes of the doomed leader the joy of the city, the cheers of the celebrating people, and the applause of his own theater, as if the entire empire had been successfully managed. Something that looks foul and obscene on the surface sometimes hides the substance of the most honest truth. Gaius Caesar, while still young, dreamed that he was defiling his mother's bedchamber, and, stunned by the filth of the dream, he brought the matter to the mathematicians, who replied that the entire earth was to be subjected to his rule. Thus, the hope of a high-minded man was stirred to seize the empire. Finally, looking at the appearance of the deed, who is more righteous than Uriah? Or who is more wicked or cruel than David? It was the beauty of Bathsheba that invited him to the crime of murder and adultery. All these things, however, carry the opposite meaning, since Uriah represents the devil, David represents Christ, and Bathsheba represents the Church, deformed by the stain of sin.
Divine Oracles and Human Wisdom
True visions and prophetic signs are distinguished by the soul's disposition and are confirmed by both scriptural and classical examples.
It is, however, a common and almost standard rule that interpretation should move from similar things to similar things. Yet it is certain that this division of visions—those brought on by rest—is not made through opposites. The same vision may be an oracle from one source, while also being grouped with dreams because of the figures involved, and it may sometimes happen that all their species are present; a fact that is clear to those who study the Scriptures. The vision of Africanus, the Apocalypse of the Apostle, the oracles of Daniel and Ezekiel, and the dreams of Pharaoh and Joseph all provide evidence for these points. Truth also shines more frequently upon certain people, as they have a composed soul, whereas a more frequent error involves others. When Augustus Caesar was about to fight against Antony, he was suffering from a severe illness and received a command in a dream to be present at the battle the following day to ensure victory. He obeyed, was carried into battle on a litter, and won. Socrates saw in a dream that a swan was being offered to him from the altar of Venus, which was in the Academy; it was inserting its neck into the sky, touching the stars with its beak, penetrating the region called the Aplane, transcending the sight of all, and singing with such sonority of voice and joy that it charmed the whole world. The following day, Aristides brought his young son, Plato, from the Academy to Socrates to be instructed in letters and morals. Seeing this, and with his mental faculties shaped by his physical state, he said, "This is the swan that Venus Academica has consecrated to our Apollo." While traveling to Egypt for the sake of the studies he was pursuing, Plato saw himself being captured by pirates and sold into slavery; and this is exactly what happened to him while he was on his way.
Read the original Latin
niorum, quam aliorum JlguraZium. g Est itaque tam ad interpretationem somniorum quam ad reuelationem enigmatum et figurarum sollerter attendenda rerum significatio, quae tanto multiplicior est quam uocum, quanto ab operibus naturae opera uincuntur artificis imitantis naturam. Si quis enim sermo tres aut quattuor habet significationes, statim polixenus est, id est, multarum significationum. Omnis uero res quot habet aliarum similitudines, tot gerit earumdem significationes; ita tamen ut maior numquam minoris sit signum. Signa siquidem semper minora sunt. Inde est quod hominem substantia quaeuis significat, utpote aliquid commune cum omnibus habentem, quod et in figura reptilium Petri et in pluribus locis scripturarum manifestum est, Porro quo similitudo expressior est, eo magis cognata et familiarior est significatio. Similitudo uero aut substantialis est, ut quae ex genere aut specie; aut accidentalis, ut ex quantitate aut qualitate aut uariis accidentium formis; aut imitationis est, ut cum quis alii quouis motu operis conformatur. Et hoc quidem modo potest creatori creatura esse consimilis, cum tamen nuUo substantiali uel accidentali participent.
Causae quoque suus conformatur effectus, et reciproce causa, si tamen minor est, efiectui suo dicitur esse consimilis. Ceterum similium rerum sicut idem iudicium, ita et eadem nota est, Et quia signa frequenter eadem, in eo uel maxime ars coniectoris apparet, si sub identitate signorum diuersitatem rerum cauta discretione distinguit. Haec quidem generalia sunt; quae uero sunt specialia singulorum, latius patent. Non tamen praetereundum est signorum uim pro qualitate personarum seuiorem aut mitiorem esse. Pecuniae siquidem contrectatio aliis letum, tristem aliis euentum denuntiat. Sic ex non apparentibus causis inopina Veneris praesentia amaritudinem fortunae frequentius ingerit. Vnde illud Ysiphiles Archemorum lugentis extinctum: Numquam impune per umbras attonitae michi uisa Venus. Si enim ex reliquiis cogitationum aut Cereris Bachiue stimulis incitata Venus occurrat, insomniorum uanitati rectius applicabitur, ' quae omnia coniectorum disciplina, quasi uana contempnit, iuxta illud uiri sapientis: Somnia ne cures, nam mens humana quod optat, dum uigilat, sperat, per sompnum cemit id ipsum.
Interdum tamen et per antithesim rerum sequenda sunt ueritatis uestigia, sicut cum magno Pompeio ruina immineret, a contraria uisis uaticinata quies, letitiamque urbis, populi tripudiantis praeconia, plausumque theatri sui, quasi re totius imperii bene gesta, fortuna perituri ducis oculis ingerebat. Res quoque quae turpis et obscena est in superficie, honestissimae ueritatis quandoque substantiam tegit. Gaius Cesar in minori etate in sompnis sibi uisus est matris incestare cubicala, et turpitudine soporis attonitus, cum rem ad mathematicos retulisset, uniuersam terram ditioni eius subiciendam respondenint. Sic itaque magnanimi uiri spes ad occupandum imperium erecta est. Denique ad speciem facti quis Vria iustior? quis Dauid nequior aut crudelior? quem decor Bersabee ad prob ditionem homicidium et adulterium inuitauit. Quae quidem omnia contrarium faciunt intellectum, cum Vrias diabolus, Dauid Christus, Bersabee peccatorum labe deformis ecclesia figuretur.
Frequens tamen et quasi regulare ius est, ut a similibus ad similia recurrat interpretatio. Verum hanc uisionum, quas quies inducit, diuisionem per opposita non fieri certum est; cum eadem pro parte sit uisio, aliunde oraculum, et propter rerum figuras possit somniis aggregari, et uniuersas eorum species quandoque contingat; quod et studiosis scripturarum planum est. Visio Afiricani, Apocalipsis apostoli, Danielis et Ezechielis oracula, somnia Pharaonis et loseph eorum quae dicta sunt faciunt fidem. Personis quoque quibusdam ueritas frequentius illucescit, utpote compositum habentibus animum, alias frequentior error inuoluit. Augustus Cesar cum aduersus Antonium dimicaturus esset, egritudine graui laborans in quiete mandatum accepit ut ad uictoriam consequenti die praelio interesset. Paruit itaque lectica deuectus in praelium et uicit. Socrates sibi ex ara Veneris, quae Academiae erat, uidit ofFerri cignum collum inserentem celo, rostro tangentem sydera, regionem quae Aplane dicitur penetrantem, et transcendentem aspectus omnium, et tanta uocis sonoritate et letitia canentem ut totum mulceret orbem. Sequenti die Aristides ab Academia paruulum filium Platonem Socrati obtulit litteris et moribus imbuendum.
Quo uiso, mentis uiribus ex corporis disposid tione conceptis, Hic est, inquit, cignus, quem nostro Apollini Venus Academica consecrauit. Plato litterarum, quas persequebatur, causa proficiscens in Egyptum se a piratis capi inter eundum et uenundari uidit; quod et dum iret, contigit.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Acts.10.11-Acts.10.12 — and he sees the heaven opened and something like a great sheet descending, let down by its four corners upon the earth Acts.10.12 — In it were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth and birds of the sky.
Policraticus companion
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