234 Ulysses Aldrovandi

The right foot, which is anointed in Leviticus, signifies the direction of one’s actions toward a good harvest. The foot dipped in blood, according to the sixty-seventh Psalm, designates that everyone’s flesh is to be washed in the Passion of Christ. The "scandalizing foot" in Matthew can represent those who, placing their own affections before divine love, are excluded from the heavenly kingdom; such a foot is therefore to be cut off. The "foot of pride" in the thirty-fifth Psalm can reveal those who insolently glory in the brilliance of their own fortune, from which a turning away from God usually follows. Finally, placing a foot in the waters of the Jordan in the Book of Joshua is nothing other than to diligently investigate hidden things. However, in the sacred scriptures, feet are most often held to be a symbol of voluptuous affection; for this reason, the disciples' feet are washed at the Lord's Supper, so that with every stain of the soul wiped away, they might approach the sacred office of the Eucharist in purity.

Feet are also used to represent thoughts which, like feet, support and guide the piety of our soul; it is in this sense that we read the words of the seventy-second Psalm: "But my feet were almost moved; my steps had well-nigh slipped." Elsewhere, in Psalm 121, "Our feet were standing in thy courts" signifies the stability of the mind and faith. Conversely, it is said of the wicked in the seventeenth Psalm: "The wanderers have limped from the path."

Likewise, in Psalm 113, those who "have feet and walk not" are those who, though possessing perfect knowledge, make no progress in it. Finally, through the words of Deuteronomy—"They who approach his feet shall receive of his doctrine"—the interpreters of divine wisdom are explained. Furthermore, a "weary foot" in Proverbs is compared to one who places his hope in man on the dreadful day of judgment. To conclude, when the Psalmist says, "Thou hast set men over our heads," others read "thou hast set feet." Regardless, distinguished men explain this as: "You have granted others a triumph over us," since it was the solemn custom of triumphant kings to trample the bodies of captives under their feet.

There remain the parts of the foot to be considered: namely the toe, the sole, and the heel. As Goropius notes, the toe was called *Zeen* in the original language, a word interpreted as "toward one"; thus, in mystical doctrine, it signifies that we should look toward the One from the very beginnings of our works. Similarly, the sole of the foot was called *Plant* in the original language—if Goropius’s claim is true—a word meaning "to plant" and assigned to God the Father, since the Lord said: "Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up."

The heel of the foot was called *Hiel* or *Heel* in the original language, which is interpreted as "heal" or "restore to wholeness," and it is attributed to the Son, to whom the salvation of the human race is credited. Elsewhere in the sacred pages, the heel signifies the weakness of the mind; therefore God said to the serpent in Genesis: "Man shall watch your head, and you shall watch his heel," meaning the weakness of the mind, which is easily subverted. Unless we wish to join Philo in asserting that the heel is that part of the soul which adheres to earthly nature and is highly prone to pleasures. In other contexts, the heel is used to denote the end of an action; thus the Psalmist wrote in this sense: "They will watch my heel."

Bones should not be removed from this doctrine. For "bone of the bones of Adam," as found in Genesis, signifies the Church, which is as it were the bone of Christ, since it flowed from the bone or strength of Christ. Indeed, the bones in the fiftieth Psalm can represent the people of the Church. But in the twenty-first Psalm, "all my bones are scattered" indicates the Apostles, who fled and were dispersed during the Passion of Christ; or, according to the *Interlinear Gloss*, when after the Resurrection they betook themselves to various regions of the world like sheep among wolves to disseminate the words of the Gospel. For by the "scattered bones" in Ezekiel, the faithful of Christ dispersed in various regions are understood, who will finally hasten to the Last Judgment—unless we wish to designate the Heathens, spread everywhere, who continually flock to the faith of Christ. However, the bones "scattered near Hell" in the one hundred and fortieth Psalm can signify the bodies of the Martyrs, which erupted from the earth beyond the power of nature and will erupt on the last day; just as "bones budding like grass" in Isaiah manifest the glorious bodies in the resurrection. But by the "humbled bones" mentioned by the Psalmist,