56 GIORDANO BRUNO PART 



many Philosophers as Emperors and Princes ; nor to so 

 many has it been granted to see Minerva robed and 

 armed, as to see Venus and Juno even in naked 

 simplicity. To see her is to become blind, to be wise 

 through her is to be foolish. They say Tiresias saw 

 Minerva naked, and was struck blind ; who that had 

 looked upon her, would not despise the sight of other 

 things ? * man shall not see me and live.' . . . Wisdom, 

 Sophia, Minerva, beautiful as the moon, great as the sun, 

 terrible as the marshalled ranks of armies ; like the 

 moon in her fair gracefulness, like the sun in her lofty 

 majesty, like armies in her invincible courage. . . . The 

 first-born before all creatures, sprung from the head of 

 Jove for she is a breath from the virtue of God, an 

 emanation of omnipotent brightness, sincere and pure, 

 clear and inviolate, honourable, powerful, and kind 

 beyond words, well pleasing to God, incomparable : 

 pure, because nothing of defilement can touch her ; clear, 

 because she is the brightness of eternal light ; inviolate, 

 because she is the spotless mirror of the majesty of 

 God ; honourable, because the image of goodness itself ; 

 powerful, because being one she can do all things, being 

 permanent in herself, she renews all things ; kind, 

 because she visits the nations that are sacred to her and 

 makes men friends of God, and prophets ; pleasing to 

 God, because God loves only him that dwells with 

 wisdom ; incomparable, for she is more beautiful than the 

 sun and brighter than the light of all the stars. Her have 

 I loved and sought from my youth, and desired for my 

 spouse, and have become a lover of her form and I 

 prayed that she might be sent to abide with me, and work 

 with me, that I might know what I lacked, and what 

 was acceptable to God : for she knew and understood, 

 and would guide me soberly in my work and would 



