SR
Chapter 33LiVM.2.33

XL. A7itiquus serpe7is omnes ad se trahere vult.

XL. A7itiquus serpe7is omnes ad se trahere vult.

But you see a certain image. For the Devil, that ancient serpent, lies in the darkness of his wickedness, tempting the desire of his own lust against heaven. It stirs up when it persuades a person to descend from heavenly desires to earthly ones. His eyes burn like fire, for the intent of the Devil sends forth flames of hatred and deception. And whose tongue is extended from his mouth, because lies proceed fiercely from his wickedness. And whose tail is cut off, because it cannot bring its work to completion according to its own will. For he would want to draw everyone into the pit of destruction if divine majesty did not prevent him. However, his body is of a black color, because it persuades men to forget God entirely, so that pale and poisonous lines descend from his head downwards in length, since the paths of Satan, softening the pallor of death and shaking off the poisonous agitation of humanity through gluttony, began in him in perdition; thus they also prolong into the perversion of that same perdition in him, reaching the worst end, because the beginning of the Devil is evil, and his end is evil as well.

Read the original Latin

Sed quod quamdam imaginem vide. s, ut serpentem, in praefatis tenebris supinam jacentem, hoc est quod Diabolus, ille antiquus Serpens, in tenebrositate nequitiae suae, appetitum cupiditatis suae contra coele. stia movet, cum hominem a supernis desideriis ad terrena descendere persuadet.

Gujus oculi ut ignis ardent, quoniam intentio Diaboli in igne odii flammas deceptionis emittit.

Et cujus lingua ex ore ipsius extensa est, quia mendacium a mordacitate ejus ferociter procedit.

Ac cujus cauda in fme abcissa est, quoniam opus suum secundum voluntatem suam ad finem perducere non potest.

Nam ipse in lacum perditionis omnes adtrahere vellet, si eum divina majestas non praeveniret.

Corpus autem ipsius nigri coloris est, quia toto annisu oblivionem Dei hominibus suadet, ita quod etiam lineae pallidae et venenosi coloris a capite ejus deorsum in longitudine descendunt, quoniam viae Sathanae, pallorem mortis lenentes, et venenosam commotionem humanitatis per ingluviem excutientes, ut in ipso in perditione inceperunt, sic etiam in perversitatem ejusdem perditionis in ipso prolongatae, ad pessimum fmem perveniunt, quia ut initium Diaboli malum est, ifa et fmis ejus est.

Liber Vitae Meritorum (Book of the Rewards of Life) companion

Examination is a habit, not an event

The free Chosen Portion app pairs daily readings from Hildegard with a fixed prayer rhythm

Hildegard's rhythm of naming a vice and answering it with virtue continues as short daily examen-style devotionals in the Chosen Portion app

  • A weekly examen you can complete in 15 minutes using Hildegard's 35 pairs
  • Daily readings from the full Book of the Rewards of Life, free in the app
  • All six parts, translated into modern English, at no cost
Chosen Portion — Daily Prayer (free iOS app)