History of Monsters. 241

mist: *The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.* Likewise, a man warmed by the power of charity, who becomes thin and dry, immediately acquires a "baldness" toward worldly things.

The forehead, as mentioned in the section on physiognomy, is that part of the head where modesty, honor, virtue, and steadfastness of mind shine forth. Moreover, it is a sturdy part, capable of enduring the harshness of the air. In the Church, the forehead is represented by the Apostles and Martyrs; enduring the cruelty of tyrants, they most fiercely defended the faith of Christ. The nose is that which distinguishes scents; delighting only in the sweet, it shrinks back from the foul. Furthermore, it breathes in and breathes out air. The nose of the soul is piety, which, delighting in divine and eternal sweetness, scorns the stench of pleasures; then, drawing in the spirit of grace, it exhales the breath of prayer.

Moreover, wise Nature adorned the head with two eyes, so that if one failed, the other might fulfill its duty. This doubling of the eyes can teach us the nature of charity, which, according to Gregory, is practiced between at least two people—when two just men believe they were born not for pleasures or banquets, but for the common good. Furthermore, eyes set deep in their sockets can see distant things best, but bulging eyes can only see what is nearby. Sunken eyes represent perfect men who, separated from voluptuous things and dwelling in the deep humility of the soul, best contemplate remote—that is, sublime—matters. But protruding eyes represent proud men who see and meditate on nothing other than the immediate glitter of their current fortune. Again, the pupil of the eye sees everything, yet it cannot look upon itself. In this, it is likened to a person who sees the faults of others better than their own, and conducts themselves more correctly in others' affairs than in their own. As Saint Bernard said on this point: "Many know many things, yet do not know themselves." What more? Nature doubled the eyelid so that the eye, protected by both, could easily ward off external injuries. In the same way, the eye of the mind must be closed with a double covering of discretion: one regarding spiritual matters and the other regarding worldly ones, lest it indiscriminately desire something harmful by looking at it.

Nature also doubled the human ears, placing the head between them so it could perceive different sounds from every side. Thus, a Judge and a Confessor should always remain in a public place, so they may easily hear complaints and crimes, according to the words of the Psalmist: *Give ear, you who judge the earth.* Unless we wish to understand Christ by the head between the ears—He who always resides among men to hear those who petition Him without being burdensome, as the Psalmist asserts: *The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers.*

The teeth adorning the human mouth are white, hard, sharp, arranged in a certain order, enclosed by lips, and necessary both for forming the voice and for nourishing the body. The teeth of Christ or the Church are the preachers of the Gospel, who draw sinners to themselves by "chewing" them; as Christ said in the Gospel of John: *I have food to eat that you do not know of.* These preachers are white with chastity, sharp with severity, hard with stability of mind, arranged in a certain order of harmony, surrounded by the lips of humility, and finally necessary for the truth of doctrine to nourish the body of the Church and to form the voice of divine praise. Otherwise, teeth are likened to those who snarl at and attack the reputation of others. If the teeth are straight and close together, they portend a long life, just as thin and curved teeth suggest a short one. Such teeth can be compared to judges or the associates of a Prince; if they are joined by good character and straight because of justice, they will undoubtedly remain in that office for a long time. But if they are sparse due to discord and curved due to injustice, they will spend only a short time in power. Next come the soft gums, in which the teeth are fixed with deep roots. These represent the gentle virtue of kindness that ought to dwell in the human mouth, in which the teeth—that is, pleasant words—are then rooted, according to the words of Ecclesiasticus: *A sweet word multiplies friends and soothes enemies.*

The tongue is said to be the instrument of taste and speech; therefore, the preacher of the Gospel, in the mystical body of the Church, represents the tongue of Christ. Indeed, like the tongue, he distinguishes the flavor of the profane from the flavor of the sacred and spiritual, and by pouring out speech, he celebrates divine praises and thanksgivings. The lips are the soft parts covering the entire row of teeth; hence, the preachers of the Gospel are said to be the lips of the Church, through whom the tongue of God the Father—namely, the divine spirit—preaches to the people