History of Monsters 249

Similarly, those who are bloated with the "fat" of wealth fall ill through the weight of their crimes and, gripped by avarice, find it extremely difficult to recover; indeed, they struggle to conceive the offspring of a righteous intention. For the fat of riches extinguishes the warmth of charity, halts the impulse toward perfect action, and blocks the pathways of the heart’s inner feelings.

The nerves, originating in the brain, spread throughout the entire body to provide movement and sensation to every part. Allegorically, nerves represent the virtues that flow from the "brain"—that is, from Christ—and are communicated to the whole soul to stimulate the impulse for right action and a sense of compassion.

Furthermore, the nerves are softer the closer they are to the brain, and they become harder the further they extend. These nerves can represent the judges or legates sent by the "brain"—the Prince—into various regions. When they are close to the head (the Prince), they are milder, exercising kindness toward the people, for they fear that being so near, the people's complaints might easily reach the Prince’s ears. But when they are far from the head due to the distance of their station, they become harder and exercise greater cruelty. Finally, according to medical observations, if nerves are severed, they do not regenerate or mend. In this sense, nerves can represent schismatics (the word "schism" in the Church refers to a flock split into opposing factions, derived from the Greek *schizo*, "to split"), for once their bond is broken, those who were previously in agreement fall into discord and never return to the unity of faith and grace.

Bones, which support the other parts of the body, are dry, hard, strong, white, and hollow, filled with marrow, bound by nerves, and covered by flesh. Bones represent perfect men consecrated to God; like a skeletal frame, they support others who are weak in Christ’s doctrine through their exemplary teachings. These men must be "dry" through fasting, "hard" through patience, "strong" through constancy, "white" through chastity, "hollow" through poverty, filled with the marrow of piety, bound by the nerves of charity, and finally covered by flesh as they constantly contemplate human frailty.

Conversely, these dry, unfeeling bones—which, once broken, are nearly impossible to mend—can be compared to the wicked. Such people are "dry" in their stubbornness and are called "unfeeling" because they are unmoved by the promptings of mercy. They are soaked in the marrow of worldly desires, and once fractured by the force of their crimes, they are only with great difficulty reunited with God through the "glue" of penance. Bones that are hard on the outside but filled with soft marrow can also represent princes, who should maintain an exterior of hardness and severity while practicing an internal softness of kindness toward their subjects.

Finally, some bones are found to lack marrow entirely, striking against each other to produce sparks. Similarly, there are many people in this world whose "bones"—their inner character—lack the marrow of piety; consequently, they emit nothing but the fires of anger and cruelty. Ultimately, marrow is a white, fatty, and soft substance considered a remedy for many ailments. This represents divine grace: white in its innocent purity, rich in charity, supple, and soft in its piety. It aids many of the soul's afflictions, descending from the "brain" (God) through the "nerves" of the affections to lead the soul from sickness to health and from sorrow to joy. As it says in the Book of Job: *His bones are moistened with marrow.*

To conclude this section, we must say a few words about cartilage. According to Galen, it is a simple bodily tissue—the hardest of all such parts except for bone, yet softer than any bone—occupying a middle ground between bone and flesh. Because of this, it bends easily without breaking. In the soul, "cartilage" is the natural inclination toward the good, which must be positioned between hardness and softness. One should neither be totally skeptical nor blindly believe everything, for as Saint John wrote: *Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God.*

Furthermore, cartilage is a tissue lacking sensation and movement; moreover, if it is cut away, it does not grow back. The "cartilages of the Devil" are those sinners who are flexible and prone to every kind of vice, yet lack a sense of mercy or the impulse for right action. If they are severed from the Church by the sword of sin, they refuse to be rejoined to it through the "glue" of penance.

Finally, the skin is the body’s outermost part, exposed to the harshness of the air in order to protect the other internal parts. In this moral teaching, the skin represents the soul’s endurance, which is exposed to the "air"—that is, to calamities—so that the other parts, namely the inner