11. This is that soul whom the Law shews to thee under the figure of a beautiful woman, and Deut. xxi. 12. if thou seest her among the captives, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife, it says to thee, thou shalt bring her home to thine house, that thou mayest commit to her the whole interior of thy house, the possession of all thy secrets, that thou mayest take away her superfluities, and cut off her transgressions; and with a razor not too sharp, lest it come to evil, may cut off the slough of thy passions, and thy idle senses. Wherefore it is said, Ib. 12. she shall shaveher head, that so the Eccles. ii. 14. wise man’s eyes that are in his head may meet with no hindrance. And Deut. xxi. 13. she shall remain, it is said, in thine house a full month, bewailing the sins of her nativity, and the lies of her wicked father the devil, who would fain Jer. xvii. 12. Vulg. gather what he hath not laid, that so, cleansed by the purification of this mystic number, she may obtain the keys of marriage.
12. And it is well said, Deut. xxi. 13. After that thou shalt go in unto her, bidding thee to enter wholly into thy soul, and collect thyself within her, and so dwell in her that thou mayest be not in the flesh but in the spirit, and purpose to associate her to thyself in the commerce of life, knowing that she will communicate to thee of her goods, and that filled with her grace thou mayest say, Wisd. viii. 19. I was a witty child, and had a good spirit; and she may answer thee, Cant. iii. 4. I will take thee, and bring thee into my mother’s house, and unto the chamber of her that conceived me. A good mother of souls in that Jerusalem which is in heaven.
13. She then shall be thy wife, she shall find thee and kiss thee. Deut. xxi. 14. And it shall be, if thou hast no delight in her, because she chastiseth her body, and bringeth it into slavery, thou shalt not suffer her to be a slave, that is, to the lusts of the body, nor subject her to the flesh, but suffer her to remain free; thou shalt not alienate her, for this were to sell her, nor shalt thou despise her, but shalt allow her to serve God in the chastity of faith and sobriety of good works. Farewell: love me, for I love you.
LETTER XXXII.
A.D. 387.
S. AMBROSE in this Letter applies the words of Jeremiah about the partridge (Jer. xvii. 11.) to Satan, and from it sets forth the way in which Jesus Christ has overcome him, and rescued man from his power.
AMBROSE TO IRENÆUS, GREETING.
1. Jer. xvii. 11. THE partridge hath cried, she hath gathered what she hath not hatched[167]. From the conclusion of my last letterI may borrow the opening of the ensuing. The question has been much mooted: with a view therefore of solving it, let us consider what natural history tells us of the nature of this bird. For it is the part of no little sagacity to consider even this, for Solomon knew the nature 1 Kings iv. 33. of beasts and of fowl, and of creeping things and of fishes!
2. Now this bird is said to be full of craft, fraud, and guile, skilled in the ways of deceiving the fowler, and experienced in the arts of turning him aside from her young ones; omitting no artful stratagem which may draw off the pursuer from her nest and lurking place. And we know that on observing his approach, she beguiles him until she has given her offspring the signal and opportunity for flight. As soon as she perceives they have escaped, she also withdraws herself, leaving her enemy deluded by her treacherous wiles.
3. It is said also to be a bird which copulates indiscriminately, and that the male bird rushes eagerly on the female, and burns with unrestrained desires. Wherefore it has been thought suitable to compare this impure malicious and deceitful creature with the adversary and circumventor of the human race, with him who is the arch-deceiver and author of impurity.