Most of you are probably not familiar with Abraham a Sancta Clara. He was an Augustinian monk in the late 17th century, a very popular preacher who became "court preacher" at the imperial court in Vienna. While holding this position, he lived through the terrible plague of 1679.
Afterwards, he wrote a book about the plague, "Merk's Wien!", which translates to something like, "Pay Attention, Vienna!" I thought this seemed like the kind of thing to read these days, so right after the college canceled classes and sent us all home for the rest of the semester, I ordered an old used copy from Germany.
It never arrived, and it never arrived, and I grew ever more despondent, until finally on Thursday I e-mailed the seller to inquire about it. Not ten minutes later, the day's mail came... and there it was.
I've started reading it, though I'm not very far yet. Its consistent theme is memento mori: remember that you must die. The style is noteworthy, a combination of fire-and-brimstone preacher and rhyming carnival huckster. "After spring follows summer, after Friday follows Saturday, after three follows four; as sure as the blossom gives way to the fruit and Carnival to fasting, so sure it is, that after life follows death." Good stuff, if you need a reminder, though often hard to capture in English. "Life is constant only in its inconstancy; and as a leaf on a tree, a bit of down floating on the sea, a shadow on the wall, a house on sand about to fall, as these all can pride themselves on but little constancy, even less can claim the life of man."
Looking forward to finishing it off. And here is Father Abraham for you:
Comments
Post a Comment