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← Speculum caritatis (The Mirror of Charity)/Book 1 · Speculum caritatis — Liber I
Chapter 26SpCar.1.26

Quod nec in corporis voluptate, nec mundi potentia requies inveniatur.

The Beastliness of Carnal Pleasure

Bernard introduces the shameful topic of carnal pleasure, arguing that it reduces rational human beings to the level of beasts, producing only disgust, restlessness, and self-betrayal.

We are compelled, as it were, to insert a certain blemish into this body — to speak, that is, of carnal pleasure; a topic that ought indeed to remain unspoken, except that we see many people stripped, as it were, of their humanity and clothed in such a beastly likeness that they judge the whole fruit of their lives to be placed in the pleasure of the belly and of those things that lie beneath the belly. So let no one suppose that the rest of his soul is to be found in these things — though a few words must be said on the subject. For what could be more perverse than to place the good of a rational mind in the greed of the belly, and to subordinate what is the highest excellence in a human being to the most worthless part of one's own flesh — especially when a person sees that in these matters he cannot differ at all from the most stupid of beasts? And so hunger produces torment, and fullness produces disgust. For even if one satisfies pleasure, one necessarily exceeds the bounds of need; and if one has gone beyond the limit of nature, it is impossible to avoid bodily pain. Moreover, to delight in the filth of lusts and to wallow in one's own mire of shame like the most unclean of beasts — nothing is more shameful, nothing more vile, nothing more deserving of blushing, nothing so worthy of confusion; and yet, nothing is more restless, nothing so devoid of all peace and tranquility. For what can be said of its foulness, when this most shameful plague both contaminates the flesh and enervates the mind, and buries and overthrows together whatever is honorable in the soul, whatever is decent, whatever is, in a word, manly? And indeed, while most vices commonly cloak themselves with certain coverings of virtue, and thus not only do not blush before human eyes but even swell with pride, this vice alone displays such horror on its very face that at the very hour when it seizes and lays claim to the flesh, it vehemently shuns the eyes.

Shame, Paganism, and Prophetic Condemnation

From the Genesis shame of nakedness to pagan theater and prophetic imagery, Bernard shows that lust is universally recognized as foul, and that divine punishment consists in being handed over to one's own desires.

Indeed, even the very members that the all-wise Creator joined to the human body with dignity have been heaped with so much shame on account of their indecency that anyone who chose to look at them rather than cover them reverently is struck with the Father's eternal curse; whereas those whose nakedness bears the mark of modesty are blessed with the grace of perpetual favor.✦ And it is no wonder — now that the cross of Jesus, that conqueror of softness, triumphs and shines everywhere — that the filth of this passion has been exposed and laid bare, since among that devil-worshiping rabble, in which the cunning schemes of demons caused the outrages of false gods to be treated as sacred rites, those very obscenities were danced out in the theaters as if in their honor; and yet not even under the filthiest Jove did anyone indecent ever shake off the mark of shame. For even among the very worshipers of adulterous gods, adultery was punished and chastity was greatly praised. What then should be done by those who worship the Son of the Virgin, the author of virginity? We must be on guard, surely, that it happen to no one what the prophet says about certain people: 'The beasts have rotted in their own dung' (Joel 1).✦ In these words the prophet has fittingly expressed the limit and measure of this most vile passion: the person whom the whirlpool of lust has swallowed, he declares to be corrupted by the filth of his own flesh, as if by the voiding of his own dung — so that you would judge him not merely to have been extinguished or swallowed up, but to be rotting and stinking like a buried corpse of the foulest kind, with foul discharge flowing from its itching. It follows, then, that the mind in which this wicked spirit has taken hold must be driven by secret impulses, and — assailed by the burning goads of lust — is propelled, drunk and wandering, toward every kind of outrage, with all restraint of decency thrown off; and once the fire of the passion first conceived is quenched, it is nonetheless kindled again in another flame, burning even more fiercely. It is utterly absurd, then, to seek the repose of a rational mind in pleasure of this kind — especially since we never read that divine justice inflicts a greater punishment in this present life than when a person is handed over to be stained by his own desires, as Scripture says: 'My people did not hear my voice, and Israel did not listen to me; so I let them go according to the desires of their heart' (Psalm 80:12–13).

Apostolic Witness and a Lover's Modesty

Bernard cites Romans 1:24 on God handing sinners over to impurity, then pauses out of reverence for his reader's modesty, before turning to Solomon's testimony about worldly pleasures.

80) And the Apostle speaks even more clearly about those who exchanged the glory of God for idols: "Because of this," he says, "God gave them over to the desires of their hearts, to impurity, so that they dishonor their own bodies among themselves."✦ 1) Not that God compelled them to these disgraces as if he were the instigator of evil; but because, abandoned by him with the greatest justice, they were unable to avoid these crimes. I pass over in silence many things that are suggested to my mind against this most foul plague — fearing indeed your most modest eyes, my most beloved and most longed-for one, to whom I have destined this little work. For I seem, as it were, to discern your face, modest before these things that are written, suffused with the mark of honorable restraint, and commanding me to silence with the most gentle glance of your eyes. For I know that most pure breast, suffused with such sweetness of love, and filled with the sweet flowers of modesty, breathes such a heavenly and divine fragrance that even to hear of this filth is burdensome. Accordingly, passing on to other matters — concerning the pleasure of the ears, the eyes, and the other senses, concerning dominion and power — let that king, richest, most powerful, most delicate, but wisest of all, namely Solomon, be consulted; indeed, let wisdom itself be heard most attentively in him.

Solomon's Inventory of Worldly Delights

Adopting Solomon's voice, Bernard catalogues every pleasure of the senses — houses, vineyards, wealth, music, and unhindered desire — to ask what could be sweeter or more pleasant.

First, then, putting on the person of someone speaking—whether about himself or about another—I said in my heart: I will go and lose myself in pleasures, and enjoy good things. ii). And below: I built houses; I planted vineyards; I made gardens and orchards, and sowed them with trees of every kind. Adding many things of this sort, he also said: I acquired male and female slaves, and a very large household. I heaped up silver and gold for myself, the wealth of kings and provinces. And when he had added the pleasure of the ears: I made myself male and female singers; a little later he added: Whatever my eyes desired, I did not deny them; nor did I restrain my heart from enjoying every pleasure and delighting itself in the things I had prepared. What, I ask, could be more delightful? What sweeter?

Vanity, Servitude, and the Absence of Sabbath Rest

Solomon's verdict — all is vanity and affliction of spirit — is joined with Christ's word that the sinner is a slave, leading Bernard to ask where true freedom and Sabbath rest can possibly be found, since even the righteous sin.

What could be more pleasant than this life? But listen—nothing is more vain. And when I had turned, he says, to all my works and my labors, in which I had sweated in vain, I saw in all things vanity and affliction of spirit; and nothing remains under the sun.✦ And so he had set forth this general statement beforehand, saying: I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and affliction of spirit (ibid.).✦ . Let us add also that saying of our Savior: Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin (John✦ 8). Let these three, then, be joined together: vanity, servitude, and affliction of spirit. So where is rest, where is the Sabbath — especially since the law says, 'You shall do no work on it'? (Levit. 23.) Surely everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.✦ So where is sure freedom from this servile work? Where is one kept safe from the contagion of this slavery? Where does true and perfect Sabbath-keeping take place?12 In the end, there is no righteous person on earth who does not sin (Eccles. 7). Moreover, 'In iniquities I was conceived, and in sins my mother conceived me,' says holy David (Psal.✦

The Psalm of Conception in Sin

The chapter closes with David's confession from Psalm 51: 'In iniquities I was conceived, and in sins my mother conceived me.'

1).

Read the original Latin

Compellimur quasi naevum quemdam huic corpori inserere, de carnali scilicet voluptate sermonem; de qua tacendum quidem foret, nisi plerosque quasi exutos homine, belluina quadam similitudine adeo cerneremus indutos, ut in ventris, eorumque quae sub ventre sunt voluptate, omnem vitae suae fructum aestiment collocandum. Ne quis ergo existimet in his mentis suae requiem esse quaerendam, paucis hinc dicendum. Quid enim perversius, quam rationalis mentis bonum in ventris ingluvie collocare, ac id quod praecellit in homine, vilissimae cuidam carnis suae portioni substernere, maxime cum se in his a stolidissimis belluis nihil videat posse differre? Denique et fames cruciatum, et satietas fastidium parit. Nam etsi voluptati satisfaciat, necessitatis metas excedat necesse est; si autem naturae modum excesserit, dolorem corporis vitare impossibile est. Porro libidinum sordibus oblectari, ac instar immundissimae suis in coeno turpitudinis volutari, sicut nihil turpius, nihil foedius, nihil magis erubescendum, nihil tam confusione dignum; ita profecto nihil magis inquietum, nihil ita omni quiete ac tranquillitate vacuum. Nam de ejus foeditate quid dicendum, cum haec foedissima lues et carnem contaminet, et mentem effeminet; ac quidquid in animo honestum, quidquid decorum, quidquid denique virile est obruat pariter et evertat? Et quidem cum cetera vitia plerumque se quibusdam virtutum tegumentis obpallient, ac perinde non modo ad humanos non erubescant, imo et intumescant aspectus: haec sola in prima fronte tantam sui praefert horrorem, ut ea maxime hora, qua etiam carnem perstringit ac sibi vindicat, oculos vehementer refugiat.

Nempe et ipsis membris humano corpori a sapientissimo Creatore honeste insertis, ob sui obscenitatem tantum turpitudinis ingessit, ut is qui ea maluit cernere quam reverenter tegere, aeterna patris maledictione mulctetur: quibus autem horum nuditas verecundiae notam incussit, benedictionis perpetuae gratia munerentur. Nec mirandum, jam triumphante ac ubique coruscante illa mollitiei debellatrice cruce Jesu, hujus passionis colluviem proditam ac nudatam, cum in illa daemonicola plebe, in qua callidissima daemonum factione falsorum deorum flagitia pro sacris colebantur, pro eorum quasi reverentia in theatris saltaretur, nec saltem sub spurcissimo Jove spurcus quisquam notam aliquando confusionis exuerit. Nam et ab ipsis adulterorum deorum cultoribus et adulterium puniebatur, et castitas plurimum laudabatur. Quid ergo his agendum qui Virginis filium virginitatis colunt auctorem? Cavendum profecto ne cuiquam id eveniat, quod de quibusdam ait propheta: Computruerunt jumenta in stercore suo (Joel 1). Quibus verbis proprie satis finem modumque hujus spurcissimae passionis expressit: eum quem luxuriae Charybdis absorbuit, carnis suae colluvione quasi proprii stercoris egestione asserens esse corruptum, ut eum non modo exstinctum aestimes, vel absorptum; sed instar sepulti cadaveris immundissimi pruritus sanie profluente putrescentem sentias et fetentem. Necesse est ergo mentem, cui nequam hic spiritus insederit, quibusdam furtis agitari, et ignitis luxuriae stimulis impetitam, ad quaeque flagitia ebriam et vagabundam, soluto freno totius honestatis, impelli, restinctoque semel conceptae passionis incendio, in aliud nihilominus aestu vehementiore succendi. Perabsurdum est ergo in hujusmodi voluptate rationalis mentis requiem aucupari; praesertim cum a divina justitia nunquam majorem poenam in praesenti vita legamus irrogari, quam cum propriis desideriis quilibet traditur maculandus, dicente Scriptura: Et non audivit populus meus vocem meam; et Israel non intendit mihi: et dimisi eos secundum desideria cordis eorum (Psal.

lxxx). Et Apostolus manifestius de his, qui commutaverunt gloriam Dei in idola: Propter quod, inquit, tradidit illos Deus in desideria cordis eorum in immunditiam, ut contumeliis afficiant corpora sua in semetipsis (Rom. 1). Non quod eos Deus quasi malorum incentor ad haec probra compulerit; sed quod ab eo justissime derelicti haec facinora vitare nequiverint. Supprimo multa silentio, quae mihi contra hanc immundissimam luem animo suggeruntur, verens nimirum pudicissimos oculos tuos, mi amantissime ac desideratissime, cui praesens opusculum destinavi. Videor enim mihi quasi cernere pudoratam faciem tuam, ad haec quae scripta sunt, honestae verecundiae nota perfundi, ac suavissimo oculorum nutu mihi silentium imperare. Novi enim illud castissimum pectus tanta charitatis suavitate perfusum, ac suave olentis pudicitiae refertum floribus tam coelestem ac divinum spirare odorem, ut hujus colluvionis fetorem saltem audire onerosum sit. Proinde ad alia transeuntes, de aurium, oculorumve ac caeterorum sensuum voluptate, de dominatu ac potentia, ille rex ditissimus, potentissimus, delicatissimus, sed sapientissimus, Salomon videlicet consulatur; imo in ipso ipsa sapientia intentissime audiatur.

Primo igitur ex sua, sive aliorum persona pronuntians: Dixi, inquit, in corde meo: Vadam et affluam deliciis, et fruar bonis (Eccle. ii). Et infra: Aedificavi domos; plantavi vineas; feci hortos et pomaria: et consevi cuncti generis arboribus. Multaque hujusmodi addens, adjecit: Possedi servos et ancillas, et familiam multam nimis. Coacervavi mihi argentum et aurum; substantias regum et provinciarum. Et cum de voluptate aurium addidisset: Feci mihi cantores et cantatrices; post pauca subjunxit: Quidquid desideraverunt oculi mei, non negavi eis; nec prohibui cor meum, quin omni voluptate frueretur; et oblectaret se in his quae paraveram. Quid, rogo, delicatius? Quid suavius?

Quid secundum hanc vitam jucundius? Sed audi, quia nihil vanius. Cumque convertissem me, inquit, ad cuncta opera mea et labores meos, in quibus frustra sudaveram, vidi in omnibus vanitatem et afflictionem spiritus; et nihil permanere sub sole. Ideoque generalem sententiam praemiserat, dicens: Vidi cuncta quae fiunt sub sole: et ecce omnia vanitas et afflictio spiritus (ibid.) . Addamus et illam Salvatoris nostri sententiam: Omnis qui facit peccatum, servus est peccati (Joan. viii). Conjungantur ergo haec tria, Vanitas, servitus, et afflictio spiritus.

Ubi igitur requies, ubi Sabbatum; maximeque cum lex dicat: Nullum opus servile facietis in eo? (Levit. xxiii.) Certe omnis qui facit peccatum, servus est peccati. Ubi ergo ab hoc servili opere certa vacatio; ubi cavetur hujus servitutis contagio, ubi fit vera et perfecta sabbatizatio? Denique non est justus super terram, qui non peccet (Eccle. vii). Porro in iniquitatibus conceptus sum, et in peccatis concepit me mater mea, ait sanctus David (Psal.

1).

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Gen.3.7-Gen.3.21 — Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Gen.3.8 — And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Gen.3.9 — And the LORD God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?" Gen.3.10 — He said, "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself." Gen.3.11 — And he said, "Who told you that you are naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" Gen.3.12 — The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me — she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate." Gen.3.13 — Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." Gen.3.14 — And the LORD God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above every animal of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. Gen.3.15 — I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. Gen.3.16 — To the woman he said, "I will greatly multiply your pain and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children, and your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." Gen.3.17 — And to Adam he said, "Because you listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat from it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Gen.3.18 — And thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the plants of the field. Gen.3.19 — By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground, for from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Gen.3.20 — And the man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. Gen.3.21 — And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and for his wife, and clothed them.
  2. ↩Joel.1.17 — The seed-grain has rotted beneath their clods of earth; the storehouses stand desolate, the granaries are broken down, for the grain has withered.
  3. ↩Rom.1.24 — Therefore God gave them over, in the lusts of their hearts, to impurity, so that their bodies were dishonored among themselves.
  4. ↩Eccl.2.11 — Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had labored to accomplish, and behold, all was hebel—a chasing after wind—and there was no profit under the sun.
  5. ↩Eccl.1.14 — I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
  6. ↩John.8.34 — Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.'
  7. ↩John.8.34 — Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.'
  8. ↩Ps.51.5 — For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩vacatio here carries both the sense of 'freedom/rest' and 'exemption from labor'; rendered as 'freedom' to capture both the cessation of servile work and the positive spiritual rest intended.
  2. 2 ↩sabbatizatio is a rare/medieval formation; rendered as 'Sabbath-keeping' to preserve the theological resonance of true spiritual rest.

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