Presented here are excerpts from the first book of Cassiodorus' Institutes written about 562 AD. In this book, Cassiodorus explores the idea of Christian scriptural study undertaken by heirs of a tradition of such interpretation embodied in an ideal library. Accordingly he presents an analytical bibliography of works known to him, most of them actually present in his monastery library on the southernmost coast of Italy.
These excerpts include: (1) the preface in which he outlines his vision; (2) the table of contents of the first book devoted to scripture study; (3) a representative bibliographical chapter, that dealing with the Psalter; and (4) his description of his monastery, its physical situation, and something of its spirit.
1. When I realized there was such a zealous and eager pursuit of secular learning, that the majority of mankind hope thereby to obtain worldly wisdom, I was deeply grieved that Holy Scripture lacked public teachers since secular authors certainly have a powerful and widespread tradition. Together with blessed Agapetus, Pope of Rome, I made efforts to collect money for expenses to enable Christian schools in the city of Rome to employ learned teachers from whom the faithful might gain eternal salvation for their souls and the adornment of fine, pure eloquence for their speech. They say that such a system existed for a long time at Alexandria and that the Hebrews are now using it enthusiastically in Nisibis, a city of Syria. But since I could not accomplish this task because of continual wars and raging battles in the Kingdom of Italy--for peaceful endeavors have no place in a time of unrest--I was moved by divine love to devise for you, with God's help, these introductory books to take the place of a teacher. Through them, God willing, I believe that the textual disposition of Holy Scripture and a compact sketch of secular letters may be unfolded. These works may seem unscholarly since in them you will find not fine eloquence but basic description. But they are of great use to anyone who seeks to know the source both of worldly knowledge and of the salvation of the soul. I transmit in them not my own teaching, but the words of earlier writers which we justly praise and gloriously herald to later generations. Any mention of the ancients in the midst of praising the Lord is not considered tasteless boasting. Furthermore, you indicate your satisfaction with a serious teacher if you question him often; even if you return many times to these books, you will not be checked by any severity.
2. Therefore, beloved brothers, let us ascend without hesitation to Holy Scripture through the praiseworthy commentaries of the Fathers, as if on the ladder of Jacob's vision so that, lifted by their thoughts, we may be worthy to arrive at contemplation of the Lord. For commentary on Scripture is, as it were, Jacob's ladder, by which the angels ascend and descend (Gen. 28:12); on which the Lord leans, stretching out his hand to those who are weary, and supports the tired steps of those ascending by their contemplation of Him. Therefore, we ought to keep this arrangement of the readings, that after the recruits of Christ have learned the Psalms, they may continuously practice the reading of divine authority until they understand the authority thoroughly. The books should be corrected to prevent scribal errors from being fixed in untrained minds, because what is fixed and rooted in the depths of memory is hard to remove. Happy indeed is the mind that has stored such a mysterious treasure in the depths of memory, with God's help; but much happier the mind that knows the ways of understanding from its own energetic investigation. As a result, such a mind vigorously expels human thoughts and is occupied to its salvation with divine eloquence. We recall that we have seen many men with powerful memories who, asked about obscure passages, have solved the questions put to them by examples drawn only from divine authority for a matter stated obscurely in one place is set down more clearly in another book. An example of this is the Apostle Paul who to a large extent in the letter written to the Hebrews elucidates the writings of the Old Testament by their fulfillment in the time of the New.
3. Therefore, dearest brothers, after the soldiers of Christ who have filled themselves with divine study and, grown strong by regular reading, begin to recognize selections in books cited as circumstances dictate, then they may profit from the teachings of this work. It is divided into two books, which include brief annotations on works to be read and set out in proper order for reading them; thus, the student learns where Latin commentators explain each passage. But if he finds something in these writers discussed in a cursory fashion, then those who know Greek should seek from Greek expositors those passages that reveal a path to salvation. In this way indifference and negligence may be destroyed and vital knowledge sought by eager minds in the training school of Christ.
4. They say that the Divine Scriptures of the Old and New Testament from the beginning to the end were elucidated in Greek by Clement of Alexandria surnamed "Stromateus," by Cyril, bishop of the same city, by John Chrysostom, Gregory, and Basil as well as other scholarly men whom eloquent Greece praises. But we, with the Lord's aid, rather seek Latin writers, for we are writing for Italians and so we have appropriately pointed out Roman commentators, for everyone accepts what is reported in his native language more easily. In them a matter may be treated by earlier teachers that cannot be satisfactorily handled by those of today. Therefore we will point out the most learned commentators; when you are sent to such writers you find the proper and full measure of teaching. It will also be better for you not to be guided by striking novelty but to satisfy yourself with the earlier source. Consequently I may teach at my leisure and instruct you with excusable confidence; and I think that this type of instruction is profitable even to us, teaching others in such a way that we most suitably avoid the snares of those who misrepresent us.
5. In the first book we have presented teachers of the former ages who are always available and prepared to teach you, not so much by their speech as through your eyes. Therefore, learned brothers, wisely moderate your desires, and in imitation of those who desire to gain health of the body, learn what is to be read in proper order. For those who want to be cured ask the doctors what foods they should take first, what refreshment they should take next, so that an indiscriminate appetite does not tax rather than restore the failing strength of their weakened limbs.
6. In the second book on the arts and disciplines of liberal studies some few things ought to be deleted; and yet in this material there is little harm to the person who slips, if he errs while keeping his faith firm. Whatever has been found in Divine Scripture on such matters will be better understood if one has prior acquaintance with them. It is well-known that, at the beginning of spiritual wisdom, information on these subjects was sowed, as it were, which secular teachers afterwards cleverly transferred to their own rules, as we have noted at suitable places in our Psalm Commentary.
7. Therefore, pray to God, the source of all that is useful; read constantly; go over the material diligently; for frequent and intense meditation is the mother of understanding. I have not forgotten that the eloquent Cassian in his Conversations Book 5 related that a certain old and simple man had been asked about the most obscure passages of Divine Scripture and that he, after long prayer, with the help of heavenly light understood and explained the most difficult matters to his questioners. He had suddenly gained by divine inspiration what he had not learned before from human teachers. St. Augustine tells a similar story in his Christian Learning of an illiterate foreign servant who through constant prayer suddenly read a book that was handed to him as though he had been taught by long practice in school. Concerning this matter Augustine himself spoke later as follows: although these miracles are surprising, and there is the statement that "all things are possible to those who believe" (Mark 9:22), we ought not to pray for such things often, but rather stick to the practice of ordinary teaching so that we do not rashly seek after those things which are beyond us and risk testing the precept of the Lord who says in Deuteronomy: "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test" (Deut. 6:16), and again says in the Gospel, "an evil and adulterous generation demands a sign," and so forth (Matthew 12:39). Therefore let us pray that those things which are now closed be opened to us and that we never lose our zeal for reading; even David when he was constantly occupied with the law of the Lord nevertheless cried out to the Lord saying, "give me discernment that I may learn your commands" (Psalms 118:73). Such is the sweet gift of this pursuit that the more one understands the more one seeks.
8. Although all Divine Scripture shines with heavenly brilliance and the excellence of the Holy Spirit appears clearly in it, I have dedicated my greatest efforts to the Psalter, the Prophets, and the Apostolic Letters, since they seem to me to touch on deeper profundities, and to contain, as it were, both the glorious height and depth of the whole Divine Scripture. I have read over carefully all nine sections containing the divine authority as best as an old man could. I collated against older copies as my friends read aloud to me from these. In this pursuit I grant that I have struggled, God willing, to achieve a harmonious eloquence without profaning the sacred books by taking undue liberties.
9. We believe this also ought to be noted: St. Jerome, led by
consideration for the simple brothers, said in the preface to the
Prophets that he had arranged his translation as it is now read
today by cola and commata for the sake of those who had not
learned punctuation from teachers of secular learning. Guided
by the authority of this great man, we have judged that his
procedure ought to be followed and that the other books 10. After this explanatory introduction, it is now time for
us to approach the most spiritually healthful gift of religious
doctrine, the light of devout minds, a heavenly gift, and a joy
which will remain forever--which is briefly touched on in the two
books which follow.
1. The third section containing the Psalter, which was the
first commentary we worked on, has fourth place in the
arrangement of Biblical books. Blessed Hilary, blessed
Ambrose, and blessed Jerome have treated some of the psalms,
but St. Augustine in a scholarly manner more fully treated all.
*Up to now I have collected two decades of Augustine's commentary
with the Lord's help.
2. And in my usual way, borrowing from him, so to speak,
light from light, I have written something about that book with
the Lord's bounty. Consequently, the famous line of the bard of
Mantua is truly fulfilled in my case, "and I cackle as a goose
among the melodious swans" (Virgil, Ecl. 9.36). In this work I
have not disturbed the psalm text under discussion by straying
from the subject, but in place of glosses I have stated briefly
on each passage what the nature of the text itself demands. If
anyone perchance deigns to read this work after reading other
such commentators he will understand (as the other Fathers also
unassailably claimed) that Sacred Scripture is the source of what
the teachers of secular letters afterwards transferred to their
field. I have (if I am not mistaken) shown these facts as the
passages brought them up to the best of my ability with the
Lord's aid.
3. The short book of Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, which
he sent to Marcellinus as a sweet refreshment after his illness
ought to be read. It is called The Book of Psalms. In it he
gives various kinds of advice and reveals the excellence of that
work in an edifying discussion which comfortingly mentions the
various misfortunes of mankind and their remedies. The Psalter
appears like a heavenly sphere thick with twinkling stars and, so
to speak, like a beautiful peacock which is adorned with round
eyes and a rich and lovely variety of colors. The Psalter is
indeed a paradise for souls, containing numberless fruits on
which the human soul is sweetly fed and fattened.
4. I have decided that this entire corpus of Psalms ought to
be put in three volumes of fifty Psalms each so that the triple
number of the jubilee year might signify to you the gift of
remission desired from the Holy Trinity. A single volume
containing all the psalms might prove too difficult for some
brothers. With the Lord's aid many may find a shortened form of
the book beneficial to their salvation and may receive the hope
of precious salvation when the work is divided in such a way.
Have in your library then one book of all the Psalms for
reference if perchance the text strikes you as erroneous. But
the interest of the brothers may be served by the divided
sections.
1. The location of the monastery of Vivarium encourages us to
prepare many things for pilgrims and the needy from the irrigated
gardens and the fish-filled stream of Pellena which flows nearby.
The stream is neither dangerous from big waves nor negligible
because of slight flow. Directed skillfully it flows wherever
you consider it necessary and provides enough water for your
gardens and mills. It is available when needed and when it has
satisfied your needs it recedes to a distance; when turned to a
specific purpose, its sudden appearance does not frighten nor
does it fail to appear when it is required. The sea also lies
before you for various kinds of fishing and the captured fish can
be closed up in fish ponds when you wish. For with God's aid we
have constructed pleasant pools here in which many fish meander
safely in pens. It is so like a mountain cave that the fish does
not realize that it is held captive since it has freedom both to
get is food and to hide in hollows as usual. We have also had
baths constructed to benefit the afflictions of the body. Clear
streams, known to be pleasant for drinking and washing, flow
nicely into the baths. So your monastery is sought by outsiders,
rather than that you should have any reason to long for other
places. But these things, as you well know, are the pleasures of
this present world, not the future hope of the faithful; for the
former will pass, the latter will remain without end. Although
we are settled here we should transfer our desires to those
things which will enable us to reign with Christ.
2. Read devotedly and gladly what Cassian the priest wrote
about the instruction of faithful monks. He says at the
beginning of his holy treatise that there are eight cardinal
vices to be avoided at the outset of a holy vocation. He
comprehends the dangerous movements of minds so well that he
almost makes a man see and avoid the excesses which his dark
confusion had hidden from him. Cassian has been justly
criticized by blessed Prosper on the question of free will. On
this account we are warned to read him with some care because he
has gone beyond the mark in such matters. Victor of Maktar, an
African bishop, with the Lord's aid has corrected his writings
and has added what little was missing so that he deserves credit
for these words. We believe you ought to search for his work,
among others from the region of Africa immediately. Cassian does
violently attack other sects of monks, but you, dear brothers,
with God's aid should choose that role which Cassian has praised
soundly.
3. But if, as we trust, the monastic way of life in the
monastery of Vivarium has properly trained you with the aid of
divine grace, and if your purified minds happen to desire
something higher, you have the pleasant retreat of Mount
Castellum where you can live happily like anchorites with the
Lord's aid. The place there is as secluded as a desert since it
is entirely enclosed by ancient walls. It will be proper for
those of you who have already been trained and tested to choose
this dwelling place if you have prepared the ascent in your heart
first. As a result of reading you know which of the two states
you can desire or endure. It is a great thing that one who
cannot teach others by his words may instruct them obviously by
the sanctity of his ways when he has preserved rectitude in his
way of life.
Table of Contents
IV. Psalter
XXVIIII. On the Location of the Monastery of Vivarium or
Castellum