Page:The Classical Heritage of the Middle Ages.djvu/296

 278 THE CLASSICAL HERITAGE [chap. snakes seem reminiscent of the Erynyes; but his character is his own — devilish: — Liventes oculos suffundit felle perusto Invidia impatiens justorum gaudiaferre. Satan surrounds the soul with his evil ministers, to wit, sins, which beset it as the seven tribes of Canaan- ites beset the children of Israel : — Serit ille medullitus omnes NequitiaSy spargitque suos per membra ministros, Namque illic numerosa cohors sub principe tali Militate horrendisque animas circumsidet armiSf Ira^ superstition moeror, discordia, luxus, Sanguinis atra sitis, vini sitis, et sitis auri^ Livor, adulterium^ dolus, obtrectatio, furtum. Informes horrent fades habituque minacesA Here is the idea which the poet works out allegori- cally in his famous PsychomacJiia. That was a didactic allegory. The preface of iambic trimeters tells of Abraham with his three hundred and eighteen fol- lowers conquering the heathen kings; which means, allegorically interpreted, Faith^ aided by Christ con- quering the representative sins of paganism. In the main poem, written in hexameters, the Christ- given virtues of the soul fight against the vices which threaten from out the soul itself and its proneness to temptation. The conflict is set forth allegorically as a succession of combats between champions. First, Fides conquers Idolatria; then Pudicitia conquers Libido and Patientia conquers Ira. Then Mens Humi- lis, together with Spes, and aided by Justitia, Hones- 1 Apotheosis, 11. 392-399.