Chapter VII.
The ark of Noah is compared to the ark of the covenant, by which it is shown that each part of the human body is composed for some use and beauty.
16. But, moreover, in Exodus the ark, which is a visible imitation of the world of intelligible purity, is also gilded both inside and outside (Exod. XXV, 11). For just as gold is made more precious by pitch, so is the ark, which is within the Holy of Holies, more excellent than this. For here he simply mentions wood; but there he includes wood that does not decay, signifying the merits of the saints. He also adds that there the supports are immovable, indicating that the station of the saints is stable and firm, since they followed the sure path of virtue, avoiding the fellowship of corruption. But this ark, as it were in the flood, was being impelled here and there with uncertain movement; because the state of sinners is unstable, and the lives of those who abound in various passions are subject to corruption by the flood of error and are carried about with inconstant wandering.
17. Nor should we overlook the fact that when God said, 'You shall make an ark three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high' (Gen. 6:15), He added, 'You shall make it with a roof finished to a cubit from the top,' so that it would have a shape suitable for the body of a man, pleasing in its attractiveness, and with a royal ornament attached to the ark, since all the senses would be transferred from the other parts of the body to the head. Above all, the eyes, like attentive and constant guards assigned by Providence, would look down from above upon the entire state of our world. And the mind itself, placed there according to the opinion of many, and especially of Solomon, who says: The eyes of the wise are in their head (Eccles. II, 14): as if it should gather to itself a council of virtues in the imperial court, with which it is crowded and fortified, and as if it should exercise the government of the whole body from some lofty place, and should give forth answers, by which we may not only look back upon ourselves, nor only see what is before our feet, but also behold with deep insight the secrets of the heavens themselves, of wisdom. There, therefore, is the highest of our salvation, there is grace. From there comes protection, and also beauty is acquired for the whole body, which first blooms in the face. It is indeed fitting for a royal court to have a more excellent brightness, in which, just as the sight is greater, so is the splendor.
For if you consider each individual thing that seems to have been composed in the human form for some use, such as the eyes for seeing, the ears for hearing, the nose for smelling, the mouth for speaking, they serve their purpose in order to provide beauty. How deformed are the faces of the blind! And why is it surprising if the face of a man without eyes is deformed, when the sky itself does not have its beauty without the sun? We lead sad days without the sun, nights without the moon are not pleasing; for they themselves are the eyes of the world. Remove the light of the stars, and there is a certain deformity of blindness in the very sky itself. The very hairs themselves form a covering over the globe of the eyes, and they seem to extend a certain sharpness, lest the pupil be injured by any dirt or dust cloud; and they themselves catch anything that might be brought in to harm the eye. If they should have a defect in their hue, how unbecoming! If the eyelid is too contracted, if the eyebrows are shaved, which shine with the appearance of precious necklaces, as if woven with gems!
19. Gold, too, has both a necessary use and a beautiful appearance: if someone cuts it, they bring deformity to the entire face. In gold, nature has worked in such a way that the curves of caves, with wonderful foresight, bring a great deal of utility so that the sound does not suddenly strike the secret of the head. Finally, we often see many people startled by a sudden clash and being terrified by the sound of someone's voice or the noise of a commotion. The very filth that is produced among them binds the hearing as if with a certain glue. At the same time, if the pulse of a sound has been more intense, it is broken and delayed, so that it soothes rather than suddenly shakes the internal [ear]. Even tiny worms, if they attempt to penetrate the ear, are held in place by a certain sticky substance of filth.
20. The nostrils of a monkey seem to be against nature: now, if they were cut, how can life continue, with the removal of the breath process; in what way is the face of a beast esteemed more, than the countenance of a man?
21. The hair of the head is clothed with a pleasing covering, like certain attendants of a royal court; lest the breeze harm the brain, or the rain strike it, or the sun scorch it. They are thus given by nature, so that, depending on their sex, they may either please by being longer or cut short; and depending on their age, mostly depending on the quality of the time and the year. In old men, gray hair is pleasing, in boys, it is remarkable: it is delightful to be shorn more closely in the summer, more indulgently in the winter: for women, the hair is an ornament, for men, it is a disgrace. Finally, the Apostle expressed this more explicitly, saying: For nature itself teaches you that indeed if a man nourishes long hair, it is a disgrace to him; but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory (1 Corinthians XI, 14,15).
22. What about the palace itself, from which courtly conversations arise, as certain indicators of our minds and messengers of our souls? What about the very order of the teeth, which not only provide strength to the whole body with their work, but also serve as modulators of its voice? If any of them fall, the voice falters.
23. We have spoken at length about the head, because it was necessary for all the senses to be located in the highest place, from which all the other parts would be divided. To the back of our head is the neck, and on the right and left are the arms, which protect the imperial citadel like faithful guards. Ultimately, those things in us that are closer to the head are stronger, and those that are closer are superior. The chest is also like a sacred shrine of wisdom, and the stomach is like a witness, as doctors say, and the conscious partner of the secrets of the head, and a sharer in compassion, to which it pours out all its own things, either beneficial or adverse. The sides, buttocks, thighs, and shins themselves indicate the width of the measure; and the strides of the feet, although they appear to be smaller, actually become wider as we walk.