Quies Amoris.

XXXVI.

Gerson. Ps. 94. Augustin.
INdex magneticus nunquam consistit nisi sep-
tentrionem versus sese mouerit, ac in sidus il-
lud polare aciem fixerit. nusquam animo huma-
no quies nisi in Deo. quemadmodum enim quæ-
libet res dum perfectionem adipiscitur illique
coniungitur, in quiete est; sic spiritus noster, dum
vnitur & coniūgitur summo perfectibili, vt quie-
tetur, necessè est. hæc est illa terra promissa que o-
re domini vocatur requies, ad quā anima perfecta
suspirat. eam cupiebat Augustinus quando sic cla-
mabat ad dominum: quiescat in te Deus meus
cor meum: cor meum enim est Mare magnum
tumens fluctibus. tu qui imperasti ventis & mari,
& facta est tranquilitas magna, veni & ingredere
super fluctus cordis mei, vt tranquilla & serena
fiant omnia mea, quatenus te vnicū bonum meum
amplectar sine tumultuantium cogitationum cæ-
câcaligine, confugiat, domine, mens mea, sub vm-
brâalarum tuarum, ab æstibus cogitationum hu-
ius sæculi, vbi in tui refrigerij temperamento ab-
sconsa, lætabunda cantet & dicat: in pace in id
ipsum dormiam & requiescam. dormiat igitur
obsecro memoria mea ab omnibus malis. vt te
perfectè frui merear.

[158a] ↓

In Domino quies.

La Calamite de l'amant,
N'at que le coeur pour elemant.

159 ↓

Quietude de l'Amour.
XXXVI.
Si l'aiguille au quadrant, d'vn mouement extreme,
Vat recherchant l'aimant, qu' vniquement elle ayme,
Sans reposer que lors qu' elle at trouuéle nort.
Comment deuroit le cœur d'vn ame bien aymante
Chercher l'amour de Dieu qui seul larend contante,
Lors qu' elle at en son sein, trouuél'aimant plus fort.

Si en los braços del amor
Rendida el alma se acuesta
Que dulce tendra la fiesta?

De siele is slecht/ den mensch is sot/
Als sijnen gheest rust buyten Godt.

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158

[158a]

159

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Translations

Repose of love.

The magnetic needle comes to a standstill only when it has moved itself towards the North, and has fixed its gaze on¹ that notable star of the Pole. There is no rest for the human heart but in God. For just as anything whatever, when it searches to acquire perfection and establishes a bond therewith, is in rest, so of necessity our spirit finds rest while it unites itself with and attaches itself to the highest perfection that can be attained.² This is that promised land called "rest" by the Lord,³ for which the perfected soul yearns. It is out of desire for this that Augustine calls out to the Lord: let my heart come to rest in You, my God. For my heart is a great sea, swollen with waves. You who holds rule over the winds and the sea (and a great tranquility results), come and stride over the waves⁴ of my heart, so that all of me may become tranquil and serene, let my heart, in so far as I embrace You as my good without the blind darkness of unruly thoughts, my mind find refuge, Lord, under the shadow of Your wings, from the hot turmoil of the thoughts of this world, so that there, hidden in the temperance of your coolness, it may joyfully sing and say: in peace with this very thing may I sleep and find rest. Let, I beseech You, my memory sleep, protected from all evil, so that I deserve to enjoy You in perfection.

In the Lord there is rest.

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Literature

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Sources and parallels

Parallel for the pictura (exact copy), the Latin motto and the French epigram in:De veyligste Rust [27] (in: Jan van Hoogstraten, Zegepraal der goddelyke liefde (1709)) [Compare]
Parallel for the same Latin motto ('In Domino quies') and the message of the subscriptio; the pictura shows a weathercock as direction indicator (in stead of a compass): Dominae, quo me vocat, aura. [29] (in: Jacob Cats, Sinne- en minnebeelden (1627)) [Compare]

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References, across this site, to this page:

Dominae, quo me vocat, aura. [29] (in: Jacob Cats, Sinne- en minnebeelden (1627))
De veyligste Rust [27] (in: Jan van Hoogstraten, Zegepraal der goddelyke liefde (1709))

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Iconclass

The soul rests in Jesus's lap; a star shines in heaven

Christ as youth [11D26]
Christ and the Soul [11D51]
radiance emanating from persons or things [22C31]
light shining out of the heavens [22C32]
stars [24D]
north (one of the four main directions) [25A141]
compass [25C21]
clouds [26A]
sitting on the ground [31A2351]
imposition of hands (+ protecting) [31A2542(+9161)]
index finger forwards, pointing, indicating [31A25552]
leaning sideways - AA - female human figure [31AA2323]
adolescent, young woman, maiden [31D13]
the soul during lifetime [31G1]
Direction, Orientation (+ emblematical representation of concept) [51L3(+4)]
Rest; 'Quiete' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54A46(+4)]
proverbs, sayings, etc. (with TEXT) [86(DE VEYLIGSTE RUST)]

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Comments

commentary

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Notes

¹

"fixed its gaze on": 'acies' is also used in Latin poetry for 'eye'. The pun is untranslatable: the phrase also means "has driven its point (or sharpness) into".

²

'summo perfectibili': in Scholastic philosophy a distinction is made between 'perfectum' and 'perfectibile'. To understand the latter notion here it is enough to take it as a kind of shorthand for 'perfection in so far as this is attainable'.

³

'[vocatur] requies', 'rest', cf. Ps. 95 (94), 10-11. KJV: "Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest."

⁴

'ingredere super fluctus', 'stride over the waves': cf. Jesus' walking on the waters of the Lake of Galilee/the Sea of Tiberias (Joh. 6:1).

Quies Amoris [78]

Facsimile Images

Translations

Literature

Sources and parallels

References, across this site, to this page:

Iconclass

Comments

Notes