Dittochaeon

On Adam and Eve Eve was a dove then, white; but afterwards turned black, seduced by the serpent's venomous and treacherous wile; and she stained innocent Adam too with sordid blots. Then the dragon, victorious, gives the naked pair their fig-leaf coverings.

On Abel and Cain By his discriminating nod God weighs the offerings of the two brothers, accepting the living gifts and refusing the earthbound. The farmer, out of envy, strikes the shepherd down: in Abel the form of the soul is figured, our flesh in the gift of Cain.

On Noah and the Flood A messenger of the now-ebbing flood, the dove brings back to the ark in her beak a sprig of green olive. For the raven, caught up in his gluttony among the foul carcasses, had lingered there; but she carries back the fresh joys of peace bestowed.

On Abraham and His Hospitality This is the Lord's lodging, where the leafy oak of Mamre sheltered the old man's farmstead roof; and within it Sarah laughed that the late joys of offspring should be granted her, and that her decrepit husband could yet be thought able.

The Tomb of Sarah Abraham bought a field in which to lay the bones of his wife, since on earth justice and faith abide as strangers and sojourners: this cave was purchased for him at the price of thousands, where rest was found for the holy ashes.

The Dream of Pharaoh Twice seven ears of corn, and as many cows, were seen by Pharaoh in his sleep, foretelling by their unequal shapes that a twofold season of plenty and of famine, two spans of seven years, was at hand; this the patriarch resolved, with Christ for interpreter.

Joseph Recognized by His Brothers Sold by the treachery of his brothers, the boy in turn secretly commands a grain-cup to be hidden in the sack of corn, and when Joseph holds them as guilty of theft, the feigned charge is brought to light: they acknowledge their brother and blush at their pardon.

The Fire in the Bush Hovering in the thornbush, God in fire with flashing face addresses the young man, then by chance a keeper of flocks. At command he takes up his staff; the staff becomes a viper. He looses the bonds from his feet; he hastens to Pharaoh's citadel.

The Journey Through the Sea Safely the just man makes his way even across the great sea: behold, for God's servants the Red Sea's waters split asunder, while those same waters drown the raging sinners. Pharaoh is overwhelmed; a free road lay open for Moses.

Moses Receives the Law The mountain's peak smokes with divine fires, on which the page of stone, written with ten commandments, is handed to Moses; he, the Law received, returns to his people, but to these the calf is their only god, and gold their god.

The Manna and the Quails The tents of the fathers gleam white with angelic bread, sure pledge of the deed: a golden urn thereafter keeps the manna preserved; for the ungrateful another cloud comes, and the quail, heaped up, satisfies those greedy for flesh.

The Bronze Serpent in the Wilderness The dry road of the desert seethed with black serpents, and now the venomous bites through their livid wounds were tearing at the people; but the prudent leader hung upon a cross a serpent burnished of bronze, to temper the poison.

The Pool of Marah in the Wilderness A hollow, harsh to the taste for the thirsting people, held its grievous waters in a standing pool of gall. Holy Moses said: 'Bring wood, and cast it into that swirling pool; the bitter shall be turned to a sweet savour.'

The Grove of Elim in the Wilderness The men came, with Moses for their leader, to where six springs, and six others besides, by chance watered with their glassy dew seventy palm-trees; this grove, which they call Elim, mystic in meaning, painted the apostolic number in its trees as well.

The Twelve Stones in the Jordan The Jordan is borne back with refluent current to its source, while it leaves dry fords for God's people to tread; twice six stones bear witness, which in the river itself the fathers set up in the figure of the disciples.

The House of Rahab the Harlot Jericho fell; only the courts of Rahab stand. The harlot, hostess of the saints (so great is the power of faith), secure in her unharmed house, sets out the conspicuous scarlet against the encircling fires, for a sign of the blood.

Samson Samson, unconquered by the strength of his hair, sets out to break the lion; he kills the beast, but from the lion's mouth honey flows; the jawbone of an ass pours forth a spring of its own accord: folly overflows with waters, virtue with sweetness.

Samson Three hundred foxes Samson catches and arms with fire, binding torches behind to their tails, and looses them upon the crops: he burns the alien's grainfields; so the cunning fox, now heresy, scatters the flames of its vices across the fields.

David David was small, the last of the brothers, and lately Jesse's care of the flock, shaping his lyre at his father's sheepfold, thence to the delights of the king; soon he joins in dreadful wars and lays Goliath low with whirring sling.

The Kingdom of David The royal insignia of wondrous David shine forth: the sceptre, the oil, the horn, the diadem, the purple, and the altar. All befit Christ — the mantle and the crown, the rod of power, the horn of the cross, the altar, the olive-oil.

The Building of the Temple Wisdom builds the temple through the service of Solomon; the queen of the south heaps up weighty gold. The time is at hand when Christ shall build a temple within the breast of man, which Greeks revere and barbarians enrich.

The Sons of the Prophets While the sons of the prophets chanced to be fetching wood on the river's bank, the axe, shaken loose, fell down. The iron sank submerged in the flood, but soon a light piece of wood, cast into the pool, made the iron recoverable.

The Hebrews Led Into Captivity The Hebrew people, taken captive for their frequent sinning, had wept their exile by the streams of dire Babylon; then, bidden to sing their native measures, they refuse, and hang their instruments on the branches of the bitter willow.

The House of King Hezekiah This good Hezekiah earned, for thrice five years, to push back his appointed day and to prolong the law of his dying; for the sun, turned back to its rising, taught it by flooding with light the steps that evening's shadow had covered.

The Angel Gabriel Is Sent to Mary As God drew near, a messenger came down from on high, Gabriel, from the Father's throne, and suddenly entered the virgin's chamber. 'The Holy Spirit,' he said, 'shall fill you, Mary; you shall bear Christ, O sacred virgin.'

The City of Bethlehem Holy Bethlehem is the head of the world, which brought forth Jesus, the world's beginning, the head of beginnings itself. The city bore Christ as man, the same Christ who was God and acted as God before the sun was made, before the morning-star was.

The Gifts of the Magi Here the Magi bring their precious gifts to the boy Christ beneath the virgin's breast — gifts of myrrh and frankincense and gold. The mother marvels at so many honours of her chaste womb, and that she has borne God as man, and the supreme King as well.

The Shepherds Warned by the Angels A force of angelic light fills the watchful eyes of the shepherds, proclaiming Christ born of a virgin. They find him covered in swaddling-cloths; a manger was the cradle for him as he lay; they exult in eager gladness and adore the godhead.

The Infants Are Slain in Bethlehem The impious enemy rages in countless slaughters of infants, Herod, while he seeks Christ among them; the cradles smoke with the milk-white blood of the little ones, and the tender breasts of mothers are wet with warm wounds.

Christ Is Baptized The Baptist, fed on locusts and the honeycombs of the woods, and clad in a garment of camel's hair, pours the river over him; he had baptized Christ too, but the Spirit, sent from the sky, bears witness to the One baptized who grants pardon for sins to the baptized.

The Pinnacle of the Temple Of the old temple's ruin one pinnacle stands surviving; for the corner built from that stone remains unto the age of ages — the stone the builders spurned; now it is the head of the temple and the joining of the new stones.

Water Into Wine A wedding-feast was being kept, with the company for witness, by chance among the Galileans; now wine was wanting for the servers; Christ bids the water-vessels be filled in haste with water; thence flows forth the draught of an aged vintage.

The Pool of Siloam A water that is medicine for diseases, which the spirit sends gushing forth at various hours by a hidden law; they call it Siloam, where the Saviour bade the blind man, his eyes smeared with spittle, wash from the spring.

The Passion of John The dancing-girl demands the deadly reward: the head of John, that she might carry it severed on a platter to the bosom of her unchaste mother; the royal harp-girl bears the gift, her hands sprinkled with righteous blood.

Christ Walks Upon the Sea The Lord goes through the midst of the sea, and treading the liquid waves with his heel, bids the disciple step down from the unsteady boat; but mortal trembling sinks his feet; yet the Lord guides his hand and steadies his footing.

The Demon Sent Into the Swine The demon had broken his iron chains in the prison of the tomb: he bursts forth and falls at the feet of Jesus. But the Lord claims the man for himself and bids the enemy madden the herds of swine and be drowned in the sea.

The Five Loaves and the Two Fishes God broke five loaves and a pair of fishes, and with these abundantly fed five thousands of men. The baskets are filled with the over-plentiful fragments of crumbs, twice six of them: so great is the bounty of the eternal table.

Lazarus Raised From the Dead The place at Bethany, witness of the famous deed, saw you, Lazarus, returned from the seat below. The tomb appears split open, its doors broken, whence the limbs of the buried, now decaying, came back to life.

The Field of Blood The field Akeldama, sold for the price of the unspeakable crime, receives the burials of the dead in its mounded ground. This is the price of Christ's blood. Far off, the wretched Judas draws tight his neck in a noose for so great a crime.

The House of Caiaphas Behold, the impious house of blaspheming Caiaphas has fallen, in which the sacred face of Christ was struck with blows; this is the end that awaits sinners, whose life, buried in ruinous tombs, shall lie without end.

The Column at Which Christ Was Scourged Bound in these halls the Lord stood, and fastened to the column gave his back, like a slave's, to the scourges. Still the venerable column stands and bears witness in the temple, and teaches us to live free from all scourgings.

The Passion of the Saviour Pierced through both his sides, Christ pours forth water and blood: the blood is victory, the water is the laver. Then two thieves are at variance, on crosses set side by side here and there: the one denies God, the other wins the crown.

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The Mount of Olives From the summit of the olive-bearing mountain Christ ascended upward, returning to the Father, marking the footprints of peace; with everlasting foliage the rich oil flows down, which proves the gift poured upon the earth from the holy chrism.

The Passion of Stephen First Stephen wins the wage of blood, beaten down by a shower of stones; yet he, all bloody, amid the rocks beseeches Christ that the stoning be not charged against his enemies — O wondrous mercy of the first crown!

The Beautiful Gate A gate of the temple remains, which they called the Beautiful, the splendid work of Solomon; but a greater work of Christ shone forth in it; for the lame man, bidden to rise at the word of Peter, marvelled to run with his loosened steps.

The Vision of Peter Peter dreams of a sheet let down from the high heaven, crowded with creatures of every kind: he refuses to eat, but the Lord bids him count all things clean. He rises and calls the unclean nations to the mysteries.

The Vessel of Election Here the once-ravening wolf is clothed in soft fleece: he who had been Saul, his sight taken away, becomes Paul. Soon he recovers his sight, becomes an apostle and a teacher of the peoples, mighty in speech, to change ravens into doves.

The Apocalypse of John Twice twelve seats of elders, with bowls and lyres and gleaming with the badges of as many crowns, praise the Lamb stained with slaughter, who alone could unroll the book and open the seven seals.