Cap. 2, Vers. 11-17
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/15/d/2/q/bon-eccl-c2-v11-17
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#### Secondly he reproves his curiosity for the vanity he found, which consists in mutability, and first he reproves it generally.

*And when I turned myself.* He treated above of his curiosity; here he *reproves* it for the vanity he found, which consists in mutability. And this part has two divisions: for first he reproves his curious works *generally*, secondly *specially*, there: *I passed on to the contemplation.*

(V. 11.). He found, then, vanity and affliction in the works which he had made out of curiosity, on account of his diligent consideration; for which cause he says: *And when I turned myself to all the works which my hands had wrought*, that is, when I had diligently considered them, according to that word of the Apostle to the Galatians, the sixth chapter: « But let every one prove his own work ». *And to the labours wherein I had laboured in vain*, in vain for this reason, that he had not done them for God's sake, and so had laboured to no purpose; Wisdom, the third chapter: « Their hope is vain, and their labour without fruit ». *I saw in all things vanity and affliction of spirit, and that nothing was lasting under the sun*; they were therefore *vain* and *afflictive*, because unstable. For in that they do not remain, they are *vain*; in that they are lost and do not remain, they are *afflictive*; Ecclesiasticus, the fortieth chapter: « The substance of the wicked shall be dried up like a river, and shall pass away like a great thunder in rain »; whence the first of John, the second chapter: « The world passeth away, and the concupiscence thereof »; and therefore: « Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain ».

#### Secondly he reproves his curiosity specially, and this in two ways: first, as to the study ordered to wisdom, on a fourfold ground.

*I passed on to the contemplation.* Here he shows the vanity in his works *in particular*; and it is divided: for first he shows the vanity in the works, or in the study ordered to *wisdom*; secondly, in the study ordered to *opulence*, according to the twofold works of curiosity already determined, and this there: *Again I hated all my application.*

First, then, he reproves his curiosity about the study of wisdom in this order: first he intimates the *diligence* of his consideration; secondly he hints at the *preeminence* of the wise man over the fool which he had ascertained; thirdly, at the *equality* he further found; fourthly, from this he concludes to the *vanity* and the *reproof* according to his own consideration.

(V. 12.) First, then, he hints at the *diligence* of his consideration in handling those things in which he had studied. On this account he says: *I passed on to the contemplation of wisdom*, as to the things *to be chosen*; *and of errors and folly*, as to the things *to be avoided*. *I passed on*, he says, from pleasure; whence Ecclesiasticus, the twenty-fourth chapter: « Come over to me, all ye that desire me » etc.; but although there was *diligence* in him, yet there was not *sufficiency*; whence he adds: *What is man, said I, that he can follow the King, his maker?* As if he should say: he is insufficient for considering and seeing the things which the Lord foresees. *What is man?* as if he should say: a small and insufficient thing; the Psalm: « What is man, that thou art mindful of him »? *That he can follow the King, his maker*, that is, God the creator; Isaias, the sixty-fourth chapter: « And now, O Lord, thou art our father, and we are clay; and thou art our maker, and we all are the works of thy hands ». Him no one can follow; Job, the eleventh chapter: « Peradventure thou wilt comprehend the steps of God, and wilt find out the Almighty perfectly »?

(V. 13. 14.). *And I saw that*, etc. Here the second is noted, namely the *preeminence* of wisdom over folly which he had found, since it excels it as it were out of all proportion. On which account he says: *And I saw that wisdom excelled folly*, that is, that it was nobler,

*as much as light differeth from darkness*. And this comparison is a good one, since wisdom illumines, and folly blinds or darkens. Therefore he adds: *The eyes of a wise man are in his head*, namely for directing; *the fool walketh in darkness*, as though he had no eyes in his head. Now that wisdom illumines, Wisdom, the sixth chapter: « Love the lumen of wisdom, all you that rule over peoples »; whence also Christ, the wisdom of God, calls himself light; John, the eighth chapter: « I am the light of the world ». On the contrary, folly is darkness; Isaias, the fifth chapter: « Woe to you that call good evil and evil good, that put light for darkness and darkness for light »; whence John, the first chapter: « The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it »; and therefore, since « they have not known nor understood, they walk on in darkness »; John, the third chapter: « For they loved darkness rather than the light ».

(V. 14. 15. 16.). *And I learned that one was* etc. Here the third is touched upon: the *equality* of the wise man with the fool *both in death and after death*. As to the equality *in dying* he says: *And I learned that the end of them both was one*; *one*, that is, alike, since no one escapes the sentence of death on account of his wisdom; whence the second of Kings, the fourteenth chapter: « We all die, and like waters that run down into the earth, which return not ». As the fool carries nothing away, so neither does the wise man; Job, the first chapter: « Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return ». — And on account of this equality he despised wisdom; therefore he says: *And I said in my heart: if the death of the fool and mine shall be one, what doth it avail me that I have applied myself more to the study of wisdom?* as if he should say: nothing, as to *death*; Ecclesiasticus, the fortieth chapter: « The day of ending, that is, of death, from him that sitteth » etc. — And there is an equality not only *in death*, but also *after death*; whence he adds: *And speaking with my own mind*, that is, having considered inwardly, *I perceived that this also was vanity*, namely to apply oneself to wisdom more than the fool does, since there is no more memory of him than of the fool. — Therefore he says: *For there shall be no remembrance of the wise man like unto the fool for ever*; and the reason is subjoined: *And the times to come shall cover all things together with oblivion.* Whence it was said above in the first chapter: « There is no remembrance of former things, nor indeed of those things which hereafter are to come »; Wisdom, the second chapter: « And our name shall in time be forgotten, and no man shall have any remembrance of our works »; Job, the thirteenth chapter: « And your memory shall be compared to ashes, and your necks shall be brought to clay ».

(V. 16. 17.). Here, fourthly, from the equality thus found he concludes to the *vanity* in his study and to his own *reproof*; whence he repeats the equality, saying: *The learned dieth in like manner as the unlearned, and so they are equal.* — And from this he concludes: *And therefore I was weary of my life*, as it were refusing to live for weariness, as in Job, the tenth chapter: « My soul is weary of my life »: on account of the *occasions of sins*; in Genesis, the twenty-seventh chapter, Rebecca said: « I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth ». On account of *labours*; Numbers, the twenty-first chapter: « The people began to be weary of their journey and labour, and spoke against the Lord » etc. On account of *tribulations*; the second to the Corinthians, the first chapter: « We were pressed out of measure, so that we were weary even of life ». On account of the *deferring of future glory*; Job, the tenth chapter: « My soul is weary of my life ». On account of *imminent temptation*; the Psalm: « My soul hath slumbered through heaviness, strengthen thou me » etc. On account of the *horror of imminent death*; Mark, the fourteenth chapter: « Jesus began to fear and to be heavy ». — *Seeing that all things under the sun are evil, and all vanity and affliction of spirit*; Wisdom, the ninth chapter: « For the corruptible body is a load upon the soul, and the earthly habitation presseth down the mind that museth upon many things »; and therefore the frequent meditation of the flesh is an affliction.

### Questions

I. The question is asked here first concerning this, which he says: *What is man, that he can follow God?*

**Contra:** 1. Ecclesiasticus, the twenty-third chapter: « It is a great glory to follow the Lord ».

2. Again, Job, the twenty-third chapter: « My foot hath followed his steps ».

I respond: it must be said that there is a following by *equality*; and this has been given to no creature; and because Satan willed it, therefore he fell. There is again a following by *subjection* and obedience; and this indeed a man can do, but not just anyone, but those to whom it has been given by God through grace, and whom he himself draws; and therefore no one can do it of himself without God's help.

II. The question is asked concerning this, which he says: *What doth it avail me that I have applied myself more to the study of wisdom?*

For according to this it seems that he dissuades from study, the contrary of which he often urges; and Proverbs, the twenty-seventh chapter: « Study wisdom, my son » etc.

I respond: it must be said that to apply oneself to wisdom can be done in two ways: on account of the *advantage of the present life*, or on account of the *reward of eternal glory*. On account of the *advantage of the present life* wisdom profits before death, because it directs a man in his works; but in death *nothing*, since *the learned dieth in like manner as the unlearned*, nor is life prolonged for him. If, however, it be on account of the *advantage of the eternal life*, then he does not die, but rather lives.

It is useful for the *doing of good*; Ecclesiasticus, the twenty-first chapter: *Learning is a golden ornament to the prudent* etc. — It is useful for the *turning aside of evil*; Ecclesiasticus, the third chapter: *A wise and understanding heart will abstain from sins.* — It is useful for the *increase of grace*; Proverbs, the fourth chapter: *It shall give to thy head increase of graces.* — It is useful for the *increase of glory*; Proverbs, the third chapter: *The wise shall possess glory.* — Thus, then, he dissuades, on the ground that one must not study wisdom for the sake of present advantage and curiosity, but for the sake of eternal salvation; and therefore he reproves himself, because he had laboured for the sake of curiosity and worldly vanity.

III. The question is asked concerning this, which he says: *There shall be no remembrance of the wise man like unto the fool.*

**Contra:** 1. Proverbs, the tenth chapter: *The memory of the just is with praises, and the name of the wicked shall rot.*

2. Again, Ecclesiasticus, the thirty-ninth chapter: *His memory shall not depart away, and his name shall be in request* etc.

I respond: to this some say that he speaks in the person of a carnal man, and so says what is false simply, but true according to the estimation of carnal men. — But this does not fully solve it, because he ought not to assert the position of carnal men, but rather to weaken it.

Therefore it must be said that one may speak of the memory of the *wise man* and of the *fool* either as to *God* or as to *men*. If we speak as to *God*, there is indeed memory of the *good wise man*, who applies himself to wisdom for the glory of God; but as to *men* the memory of the good as well as of the wicked passes away, for the most part, because men remember few things. — If, however, we speak of the *wicked wise man* and the vain one, there is no memory, neither as to *God* nor as to *men*, but rather his name passes away like the name of a fool; and therefore it is foolish to labour in wisdom for the sake of the renown of one's name. Now Ecclesiastes speaks of the *vain wise man*, who has his eye upon earthly things, and he speaks of *human* memory, not *divine*.

IV. Again the question is asked concerning this, which he says: *I was weary of my life, seeing that all things under the sun are evil.*

**Contra:** Genesis, the first chapter: *God saw all the things that he had made, and they were very good;* therefore they are not evil, and indeed this is heretical.

I respond: it must be said that, as the Apostle says to the Romans, the seventh chapter: *The law is holy, and the commandment holy*, yet by occasion the commandment was deadly to those who had not grace, and wrought death; just as creatures are very good to the just and to those who love God, and *work together unto good*, and are good of themselves, yet to the wicked, to sinners and to the foolish all things are turned into evils by occasion; whence Wisdom, the fourteenth chapter: *The creatures of God are made a temptation and a snare to the feet of the unwise*; and Ecclesiasticus, the thirty-ninth chapter: *All these things shall be turned into evils for the wicked and for sinners.*

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