Sciunt enim ad [261] eum, quem desiderant, et anxie currere, et anxie <moriendo> pervenire. Ponitur ergo primus Leo, secundus Gallus, tertius aries. Apparuit enim Christus, deinde sancti praedicatores Apostoli, et tunc demum spiritales pat<r>es, ecclesiarum praepositi, videlicet duces gregum, quia doctores sequentium <populorum>.

For they know to breathlessly run and by dying to reach Him whom they desire. Therefore the lion is put first, second the rooster, and third the ram. For Christ appeared, then the holy preaching Apostles, and then finally the spiritual fathers the leaders of the communities, that is, leaders of the crowds because they are the teachers of the peoples of the followers.

Sed haec adhuc melius affirmamus <, si eiusdem loci etiam reliqua exponendo subiciamus>. Nam quia post haec et Antichristus apparebit, hoc illic quartum subdidit dicens. Et qui stultus apparuit, postea quam elevatus est in sublime. Si enim intellexisset, ori imposuisset manum. Ipse quippe in sublime elevabitur, cum Deum sese esse mentietur<. Sed> elevatus in sublime, stultus apparebit, quia in ipsa elevatione sua per adventum veri iudicis deficiet. Quod si intellexisset, ori imposuisset manum, id est, si supplicium suum, quum superbire exorsus est, praevidisset, bene aliquando conditus in tantae iactationem superbiae non fuisset elatus. De quo nequaquam moveat, quod superius dictum est. Quartum, quod incedit feliciter. Tria quippe bene incedere dixit, et quartum feliciter. Non enim omne, quod feliciter, bene, neque in hac vita, omne, quod bene, feliciter. Nam Leo, Gallus, et aries bene incedunt, sed non hic feliciter, quia persecutionum bella patiuntur. Quartum vero feliciter, et non bene incedit, quia in fallacia sua Antichristus gradi<e>tur, sed iuxta breve tempus vitae praesentis ipsa illi fallacia prospera<bi>tur, sicut de eo sub Antiochi specie per Danielem dictum est. Robur datum est ei contra iuge sacrificium propter peccata, et prosternetur veritas in terra, et faciet, et prosperabitur. Quod Salomon ait. Incedit feliciter; hoc Daniel dicit, prosperabitur. Iuxta hoc igitur testimonium, quod per Salomonem dicitur, Gallus succinctus lumbos, apte etiam hoc loco Gallum sanctos praedicatores accipimus.

But we confirm these matters thus far more thoroughly if we add the remaining things of the same passage in exposing them. For after these things the Antichrist also will appear, and he added this fourth thing in saying. And he who appeared foolish afterward has been lifted on high. For if he had understood he would have placed his hand on his mouth. He himself will be lifted on high, when he will lie to be God he himself, and lifted on high he will appear a fool. But when lifted on high he shall appear fool because during his own lifting on high he shall crumble by the arrival of the true judge. If he had understood he would have placed his hand over his mouth, that is, if he had foreseen his torture, when he began to be proud, based on a good foundation he would not have been lifted up to the boast of such great pride. He moves from it not at all, which was said earlier. The fourth thing which proceeds happily. For he said three things go well, and a fourth happily. For not everything which goes happily goes rightly nor in this life everything going rightly goes happily. For the lion, the rooster and the ram walk well but not happily on this earth because they must suffer the fights of persecutions. But the fourth walks happily and not rightly because the Antichrist will go ahead with his trickery, but only for a short time in the present life his trickery will prosper for him, as was said of him under the appearance of Antioch IV by Daniel. Strength is given him against the perennial sacrifice because of sins, and the truth shall be flung to earth and it will be productive and will prosper. Solomon says this. He walks happily, Daniel says this, he will prosper. Therefore in consequence of this declaration, which is uttered by Solomon, The rooster whose loins are girded up, I accept also suitably in this passage that rooster means holy preachers.

Ad se ergo cuncta referens Dominus, dicit: Quis posuit in visceribus hominis sapientiam, vel quis dedit Gallo intelligentiam? Ac si diceret, In cor hominis humana sapientis supernae sapientiae gratiam quis infudit, vel ipsis sanctis praedicatoribus quis, nisi ego, intelligentiam dedit, ut sciant quando, vel quibus debeant {futurum} <venturum> mane nunciare? Idcirco enim quando, et quid {agunt} <agant>, sentiunt, quia hoc intrinsecus me revelante cognoscunt. Notandum vero est, quod sapientia divinitus inspirata in visceribus hominis ponitur, quia nimirum quantum ad electorum numerum spectat, non in solis vocibus, sed etiam in sensibus datur, et iuxta quod loquitur lingua, vivat conscientia, ut lux eius tanto clarius {respondeat} <resplendeat> in superficie, quanto verius inardescit in corde. Haec omnia D. Gregorius.

Therefore, referring all things to Himself, the Lord says: Who has placed wisdom in bowels of the man, or who has given intelligence to the rooster? As if He said: Who has poured into the heart of the man the human qualities of a wise which is the grace of divine wisdom, or who except I has given intelligence to the holy preachers themselves so that they know when or by what means they announce at morning what will happen? For therefore when and whatever they do they realize that they know it within themselves since I am who is revealing it. It must be noted that divinely inspired wisdom is placed in the bowels of the man, because in fact where the number of the elects is concerned, not in voices alone but also in senses it is put, and according to what the tongue speaks let the conscience live, so that its light may shine all the more brightly on the surface the more it burns more truly in the heart. Saint Gregory says all these things.

Magni vero laboris est hoc, quod additur: Vel quis Gallo dedit intelligentiam? Subtiliore adhuc expositione discutere. Intelligentia quippe Doctorum tanto subtilior esse debet, quanto se ad penetranda invisibilia exercet, quanto nil materiale discutit, quanto et per vocem corporis loquens, omne quod est corporis transit. Quae profecto nullatenus summis congrueret, nisi cantanti eam Gallo, id est praedicanti Doctori ipse summorum conditor ministraret. Intelligentiam quoque Gallus accepit, ut prius nocturni temporis horas discutiat, et tunc demum {voces} <vocem> excitationis emittat, quia videlicet sanctus quisque praedicator in auditoribus suis prius qualitatem vitae considerat, et tunc demum ad erudiendum congruam vocem praedicationis format. Quasi enim horas noctis discernere, est {praedicantium} <peccatorum> merita diiudicare. Quasi horas noctis discernere est {aptionum} <actionum> tenebras {acta} <apta> increpationis voce corripere. Gallo itaque intelligentia desuper tribuitur, quia doctori veritatis virtus discretionis, ut noverit quibus, quid, quando, vel quomodo inferat, divinitus ministratur.

But it is a big task to discuss by a further more fine commentary what is added: Or who gave intelligence to the rooster? For the intelligence of teachers has to be much more subtle insofar as it exercises itself upon the penetration of invisible things, insofar as it discusses nothing material, insofar as speaking with the voice of the body it transcends everything which is bodily. Which would not be corresponding at all to the perfections unless He does not give it to a crowing rooster, that is, to a preaching teacher, who is he himself creator of perfections. The rooster received also intelligence so that he might first dispel the hours of night-time and then finally send forth the cry of awakening, since just any holy preacher first considers the quality of life in his listeners and then finally in order to teach he gives birth to a suitable preaching’s voice. For to divide the hours of night is like to judge the merits of the sinners. It is almost as to divide the hours of the night to seize upon the shadows of actions by resorting to a suitable voice of reproach. Thus intelligence is attributed to the rooster from above because the virtue of discernment is divinely conferred to the teacher of the truth, so that he may know against whom, what, when, and how he should throw himself.

Non enim una eademque exhortatio cunctis convenit, quia nec cunctos par morum qualitas astringit, ut inquit Eucherius[1]. Saepe enim aliis officiunt, quae aliis prosunt. Nam et {plerunque} <plerumque> herbae, quae haec animalia reficiunt, alia occidunt, et lenis sibilus equos mitigat, catulos instigat, et medicamentum, quod hunc morbum imminuit, alteri vires addit, et panis, qui vitam fortium roborat, parvulorum necat. Pro qualitate igitur audientium formari debet sermo doctorum, ut ad sua singulis congruat, et tamen a communis aedificationis arte, nunquam recedat. Quid enim sunt intentae mentes audientium, nisi quasi quaedam in cithara tensiones stratae chordarum? Quas tangendi artifex, ut non sibimetipsis dissimilem cantum faciant, dissimiliter pulsat. Idcirco chordae consonam modulationem reddunt, quia uno quidem plectro, sed non uno impulsu feriuntur. Unde, et doctor quisque ut in una cunctos virtute charitatis aedificet, ex una doctrina <sed> non una eademque exhortatione tangere corda audientium debet. Aliter namque viri, aliter admonendae sunt faeminae, aliter iuvenes, aliter senes, aliter inopes, aliter locupletes, aliter laeti, aliter tristes, etc.

For one and the same exhortation is not suitable to all because, as Eucherius bishop of Lyon says, neither an equal quality of morals does not constrain all people. For often they hinder others what for others is good. For even quite often herbs restoring to health these animals are killing others, and a gentle whistle calms horses, sets on puppy dogs, and a medicine which checks one disease gives strength to another, and bread, which strengthens the life of strong persons, destroys that of babies. Therefore the speech of the teachers must be shaped in regard to the nature of listeners and it must be fitting to the things of each one, without however never moving away from the cleverness of the common edification. For to what are they turned the minds of listeners but as they were as stretched strings of a lyre? The artist of the touch plucks them differently in order that they may give out a melody not dissimilar to themselves. Thus the strings give out a harmonious modulation because they are struck with one plectrum indeed but not by the same impulse. Hence also any teacher in order to edify all in the same virtue of charity must touch the string of listeners with only one doctrine but not with the same identical exhortation. For males must be admonished in one way, females in another, in one way young people, in another old people, in one way poor, in another rich, in one way happy, in another sad, etc.

Habemus vero aliud, quod de Galli huius intelligentia considerare debeamus, quia profundioribus horis noctis valentiores, ac productiores {a}edere cantus solet, quum vero matutinum iam tempus appropinquat, leniores, et minutiores omnimodo voces format. In quibus Galli huius intelligentia quid nobis innuat, considerata praedicatorum discretio demonstrat. Qui cum iniquis adhuc mentibus praedicant, altis, et magnis vocibus aeterni iudicii terrores intimant, quia videlicet, quasi in [262] profundae noctis tenebris clamant.

But we have something else which we must consider in regard to the intelligence of this rooster, because he is accustomed to crow better and more effectively in the deeper hours of the night, for when morning time is approaching he utters cries anyway which are more light and feeble. What the intelligence of this rooster is meaning for us in this regard, the cleverness of discernment of preachers is pointing out, which we have considered. They who, when preaching to still iniquitous minds in a loud and strong voice, strike the terrors of eternal judgment, because they cackle, I mean, as during the darkness of the deep night.