Quod nec in mundiali amicitia requies sit quaerenda.
The False Peace of Worldly Love
A voice longs for the peace found in mutual human love.
"But to love," you say, "and to be loved — what could be more peaceful?"
Love Ordered to God Is Approved
The author affirms that love rooted in God and for God's sake is good.
Since indeed when it's in God and on account of God, I don't disapprove — nay rather, I very much approve.
The Torments of Carnal Friendship
Friendship according to the flesh breeds envy, suspicion, and jealousy that destroy the soul's rest.
But if you look at it according to the flesh or the world, consider how many envies, how many suspicions, how many burning torches of a jealous mind shut out the soul's rest.1
Death Breaks All Earthly Bonds
Even if no strife arises, death will sever the bond, bringing grief and punishment.
But if none of these things happen, the death that all must experience will break this unity apart — bringing grief to the one who remains, punishment to the one who departs.
Enmity Among the Closest Friends
Even the closest friendships in this life have given rise to serious enmities.
And yet even in this life, among the closest of friends, we have known serious enmities to have arisen.
A Promise to Speak of Virtuous Love
The author defers discussion of love among the virtuous to another occasion.
As for the love that exists among good people — of that, to be sure, we'll speak another time.
Read the original Latin
Sed amare, inquis, et amari, quid tranquillius. Siquidem in Deo, et propter Deum, non improbo, imo et probo plurimum. At si secundum carnem vel mundum, cerne quot invidiae, quot suspiciones, quot zelantis animi urentia flagra quietem mentis excludunt. Quod si nihil horum evenerit, mors quam experiri omnes habent, hanc dirimet unitatem; dolorem viventi, poenam importabit discedenti. Quanquam et in hac vita inter amicissimos graves inimicitias obortas novimus. Sane de ea, quae inter bonos est, dilectione, alias disseremus.
Notes
- 1 ↩flagra rendered as 'torches' to preserve the fire metaphor; could also be 'scourges' or 'flames.'
Speculum caritatis (The Mirror of Charity) companion
Reorder one love at a time, daily
Use the study map with the free Chosen Portion app's daily readings to work through Aelred at a sustainable pace.
Aelred wrote the Mirror as a rule for daily interior discipline in community, and Chosen Portion carries that discipline forward as a short ordered reading each day.
- All 3 books and 102 chapters mapped into 4 weekly themes with page-level pointers
- Aelred's choice-motion-fruit test, turned into a one-page self-examination worksheet
- 16 discussion questions ready for personal journaling or a 4-session small group