VISIO SECUNDA, cap. XXVIII
The Bear's Head and the North Wind's Fury
The north wind appears as a bear's head in black fire, growling with storms and dangers like the beast itself.
On the left, however, of that aforementioned image, in the sign of black fire, there appears what is like the head of a bear; because from the northern quarter the principal wind — that is, the north wind — which is opposed to man as if emerging from black fire like a bear, more often shows itself going forth in the dangers of storms, since it comes from black fire. And so, just as a bear growls in anger, and as that animal is base by nature, so too this wind, as if by its growling, at times prepares upheavals and tumults and dangers in storms.
The Lamb and the Serpent: Two Faces of the Wind
From the bear's mouth, the wind's breath extends rightward as a lamb and leftward as a serpent, revealing its gentle and deceptive natures.
But what it gives forth as a breath from its mouth, stretching out somewhat lengthwise to the right and to the left of its mouth, ending on the right in the head of a lamb but on the left taking on the form of a serpent's head — this signifies that this wind, going forth from the aforementioned northern quarter and proceeding lengthwise from each side of itself, passes on to right in the gentleness of the lamb's nature, which is gentle and not dangerous, since in those regions the same wind shows itself at times mild. On the left, however, it imitates a serpent, which indeed glides gently at first but afterward is driven headlong, and when it thus prevails against nothing, fearing man, it begins to plead — because this wind there, too, as if deceptively, goes forth without noise at the start, but at last with danger shows itself crafty and fierce, and when people think they are already perishing, it returns again to gentleness.
The Breath Reaching Toward East and West
The lamb's breath reaches the midpoint toward the east and the serpent's breath reaches the midpoint toward the west, mapping the wind's reach across the regions.
From the mouth of this lamb's head, as another breath, it extends as far as the midpoint of the space that lies between the bear's head and the leopard's head, because in the likeness of a lamb this wind, as a companion to the principal wind that proceeds from the northern quarter, sends forth its force by blowing as far as the midpoint of the stretch that lies between the north and the east, since in those regions it shows itself mild like a lamb, although elsewhere it rages as if in anger. But from the mouth of this serpent's head, as another breath, it proceeds by extending itself as far as the midpoint of the space that lies between the bear's head and the wolf's head, because, just as a serpent's nature is, so this wind, neighboring the north wind at its side, reaches those regions where the midpoint of that length lies, which stretches between the principal north wind and the principal west wind, now exerting its force gently, now as if in treachery driving it headlong.
Equal Reach of the Companion Winds
All four breaths are of equal length, showing that the principal north wind extends with equal force to its companion winds on both sides.
But the likeness of the breath that comes from the right side of the bear's mouth as far as the lamb's head, and likewise the likeness of the same breath that comes from the left side of its mouth as far as the serpent's head; also the breath that goes from the mouth of the lamb's head as far as the demonstrated midpoint of the space that appears to lie between the bear's head and the leopard's head, and the breath that extends from the mouth of the serpent's head as far as the midpoint of the space between the bear's head and the wolf's head — these are of one and equal length, because the north wind, that is, the principal wind, extends from each side of itself to the winds that are subject to it as companions, with equal reach. These companion winds themselves, turning toward both east and west, reach the same limit of length as the principal wind, which is their source, as was said above.
Turning All Into the Wheel
The vision of the winds is to be turned, like the earlier chapters, into the wheel and toward the same image by the force of their blasts.
So let these things too, just like the earlier chapters, be shaped into a wheel and toward the same image by the force and impulse of their own blasts.
Read the original Latin
Ad sinistram vero praefatae imaginis in signo nigri ignis quasi caput ursi apparet, quod a septentrionali plaga multoties contrarium homini de nigro igne velut ursum principalem ventum, scilicet septentrionalem, in periculis tempestatum saepius prodire ostendit, quoniam ex nigro igne est. Et ideo etiam quemadmodum ursus in ira submurmurat, et ut ille in natura sua nequam existit, ita et ventus iste quasi submurmurando commotiones et strepitus ac pericula in tempestatibus aliquando parat. Sed quod velut flatum ex ore suo dat, qui etiam ad dextram et ad sinistram oris ipsius aliquantum in longum se extendens, ad dextram in caput agni desinit, ad sinistram vero formam capitis serpentis accipit, hoc designat quod ventus hic a praefata septentrionali plaga exiens, et ab utraque parte sui in longum procedens, ad dextram in lenitate naturae agni, qui lenis et non periculosus est, transit, quoniam in partibus illis ventus idem se interdum mitem ostendit. Ad sinistram autem serpentem imitatur, qui leniter quidem primum labitur, sed postmodum praecipitanter movetur, et cum sic nihil praevalet, hominem timens, supplicare incipit, quia et ventus iste illic quasi deceptuose sine strepitu in primordio progreditur, sed tandem cum periculo velut dolosum et immitem se demonstrat, et cum homines se jam perire putant, iterum in lenitatem revertitur. Ex ore autem capitis agni hujus, quemadmodum alius flatus, usque ad medietatem spatii quod inter capita ursi et leopardi exstat, se prolongat, quoniam ad similitudinem agni ventus iste principali vento, qui de plaga septentrionis procedit collateralis, usque ad medietatem extensionis quae inter septentrionem et orientem est, vires suas flando emittit, quia in partibus illis velut agnum se mitem ostendit, quamvis alibi quasi in ira grassetur. Sed ex ore capitis serpentis istius, sicut alius flatus, usque ad medietatem spatii, quod inter capita ursi et lupi est, se extendendo procedit, quoniam ut natura serpentis est, sic ventus iste, vento septentrionali in latere vicinus, ad partes illas pervenit ubi medietas longitudinis illius existit, quae inter principalem ventum septentrionis ac principalem ventum occidentis extenditur, nunc vires suas blande, nunc velut in dolo praecipitantes exercens. Sed similitudo flatus illius, qui de dextra parte oris ursi usque ad caput agni venit, similitudo quoque ejusdem flatus, qui de sinistra parte ipsius oris usque ad caput serpentis procedit; flatus etiam qui ex ore capitis agni usque ad demonstratam medietatem spatii, quod inter capita ursi et leopardi videtur exit, flatusque qui ex ore capitis serpentis usque ad medietatem spatii inter capita ursi et lupi exstantis prolongatur, unius et aequalis longitudinis sunt, quoniam septentrionalis ventus, scilicet principalis, ex utraque parte sui ad ventos qui sibi in subjectione collaterales sunt, pari extensione prolongatur. Venti quoque ipsi collaterales, et ad orientem et ad occidentem vergentes, eodem longitudinis tenore finem accipiunt, quo et principalis ventus, qui initium eorum existit, ut supra dictum est, finitur.
Quare etiam ista sicut et superiora capita in rotam et ad imaginem eamdem impetus flatuum suorum convertant.
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