250 KANSAS UNIVERSITY QUARTERLY. 



The Trinity is like a hand (C, XX., 111-167). The Father is the 

 fist, including the Son and Spirit; the Son is the fingers, and the 

 Holy Spirit the palm. The Trinity is like a candle (C, XX., 168- 

 '228) of wax, wick, and fire. The wax and the wick twine together 

 like Father and Son, the fire proceedeth from them both, and of 

 the Three or the One comes the light that serves laborers to see by. 

 It is doubtful whether any of these illustrations are Langland's own. 

 <;od. The attributes and function of each Person of the Godhead 

 are specified in connection with the above illustrations, and elsewhere. 

 God as the moral ruler of the universe is Truth. As its creator and 

 physical ruler, He is identified with Nature, or Kynde (C, XI., 151). 

 At the close of the poem, Langland seems for a time to have sepa- 

 rated his conception of Nature from that o( God (C, XXIII., 80); 

 but even there Nature's ravages cease as soon as men amend, and 

 the agency of God is still apparent (Ibid., 109). 



God created man, endowed him with the Holy Spirit, anil adapted 

 the earth for his occupancy (B, IX., 33-47; C, II., 17 ff.). God is 

 without beginning, the founder of all things in heaven, having estab- 

 lished the ortlers of angels (C, II., 104). He is the fountain of 

 power and justice, yet commissioneil the Son and Spirit to open to men 

 the gates of mercy (C, XX., 111-134. 168-209). His throne upon 

 earth is the heart of man (C. VIIl., 254 ff.); he has closed within 

 the castle of the body the soul, which is betrothed to him (C, XI., 

 132), and has established conscience as a ruler and guardian of the 

 castle. By sin He is concealed from man, as the sun by the clouds 

 (^Ibid., 160). 



The llol.v 11''^' especial attribute and name of the Holy Spirit 



Npirit. is (irace (C, XIX., 52). The Holy Spirit is the Com- 



forter of the holy. As the palm directs the fingers, the Holy Ghost 

 was the Inspirer and Director of the Son upon earth (C, XX., 116). 



The palm is purely- the liand. suul halli power of himself 



Otherwise than tliu closed fist, or wori;manship of the fingers. 



For the palm hath power to put out the joints 



And to unfold the fist, for to him it beloujreth, 



And to receive that the fingers reach, and refuse if him liketh, 



All that the fingers and the fist feel and touch, 



Be he grieved with their gripe, the Holy Ghost lets fall. (C, XX., 140). 



When the palm is hurt the hand is useless; a simile which hints at 

 the unpardonable sin (Ibid., 161). If the palm be unhurt, one may 

 help himself, though the fingers ache. 



The Holy Ghost converts the power of God into mercy, and the 

 mercy of (^Ihrist into forgiveness where repentance is, and there only; 

 otherwise it is ineffectual, as a spark struck from flint and steel, with- 

 out matches prepared to receive it. It directs men on the road to- 



