A paraphrase upon Job; written in French by J.F. Senault, father of the oratory: and dedicated to the Cardinal of Richlieu.

CHAP. XXVIII

The Argument

IOb teacheth his friends that the Treasures of Nature are not so hidden, but men by their curiosity discover them, but that wisdome is so secret, that they cannot finde it without the assist∣ance of God.

WHen this discourse was ended, and Job saw that his friends did not speake, he began againe wari∣ly to entertaine them in con∣ference, and engaged himselfe to let them see by a long dedu∣ction of the wonders of Na∣ture, that all things are gover∣ued by a supreame providence and since that they have their center and their ends, man

may reasonably hope that he shall have his, and that his sinnes shall be punished, and his vertues recompenced.

That metall (saith he) which maintaines commerce a∣mongst Men, 1 and which findes remedyes for all their needs, hath secret veyns where it is hidden: and Gold the most noble of metalls, which hath no price it selfe, and yet gives it to all things, is shut up in mines where Natureworks whole ages to forme it.

Iron which they imploy to so many divers uses, 2 which serves in warre and Peace, and without which the courage of souldiers, and the industry of artizans would be unprofita∣ble, is drawne from the entrals of the earth; and brasse, which serves as a recompence to the vertue of Illustrius men, and which affords matter of which they make them statues,

is drawne from stones which melted by the heat of the fire turne into Mettal.

Though nature hath taken pleasure to hide all these Met∣talls, 3 industry provides man with certaine markes for to discover them, and infallible conjectures to know the time when they must be drawne out of their Darknesse: and though the shadow of Death forbids the entry into these caves, avarice and curiosity give him courage enough to go downe thither; and en∣rich himself with their spoyls.

There are torrents found which divide certaine people from all others, 4 and where waters are so profound and rapid, that shutting the pas∣sage from travellers, they make the Provinces inaccessible which they water, and put them in the Ranke of those things which were never seen.

There are lands seen which brought forth corne, 5 and which by their fertility con∣tributed to the Noutriture of men, which are become bar∣ren, and which burnt by the Sunne which shined upon them, and dryed with the sul∣phur which heated them, have lost their first fertility.

Tis true that this losse some∣times is advantagious to them; 6 for it oftens happens that for corne they yeeld pretious stones and their Rocks turne into Saphyrs, and their turfes into wedges of Gold.

But as on the other side, 7 they are separated from the world, and lodged under cli∣mates too hot; the Birds ne∣ver fly thither, and Vultures whose penetrating sight can observe the prey so far, could never yet discover them.

8 Those wilde Beasts whose savage humour searcheth out

the most Solitary places, could never yet finde them, and the Lionesses which run every∣where when they have lost their little ones, have never approached them.

Yet man discovers them by his Industry, 9 as by the Obsti∣nacy of his labour he pierceth Rocks, throwes down Moun∣taines, and carries away the Treasure which they hide within their entralls.

His hands animated by his Curiosity, 10 divert the Course of Rivers, breake the Rockes which serve them for bankes, and his Eyes enjoying the la∣bour of his hands, discover all that's rare and beautifull in the World.

Finally his minde which can not be overcome by dif∣ficulties, 11 and which to sur∣mount them imployes both force and skill, sees the won∣ders which the Rivers Cover

with their waters, and con∣trary to the designe of Nature reveales her secrets, and dis∣covers all that she hides.

What soever good successe he hath in these searches, 12 he is not so happy, nor so dextrous in that of Divine wisdome; for he knows not where shee dwells, and what diligence soever he use to penetrate her designs, he is obliged to con∣sesse that she surpasseth his un∣derstanding, and that he ought rather to adore then search after them.

He knowes not what she is worth, 13 and the esteem which he makes of things of the world, sufficiently testifies that he is ignorant of the price of her; he abuseth himselfe grossely when he perswades himself that he shall finde her in the Palce of them, who place all their Happinesse in Pleasures.

What diligence soever he use, 14 he shall have much adoe to hear any news of her; for the Abysses which shut up so many Treasures, confesse that they possesse her not, and the Sea which enticheth it selfe with our losses, and which makes us pay use for the Com∣modities wich it lends us, ac∣knowledgeth that she growes not with the Pearls, nor with the Corall:

Though all things obey Gold, 15 and there is nothing which one may not buy with Silver: * notwithstaning as Wisdom hath no Price, she gives and doth not sell her self, no treasure can buy her, and Experience teacheth us that the most rich are not the most wise.

Finally her merit surpasseth all that India hath of Rarity; 16 and it would injure her to compare her with those

stuffes, whose matter being so rich the tincture is more beau∣tifull: or with those precious stones whose luster is so glit∣tering, and greatnesse so mon∣strous.

That excellent Gold whose Purity the fire cannot en∣crease; 17 the Chrystall which seems to be the last attempt of Nature, and makes us finde Heaven on Earth; those great Vessells of Gold whose work∣manship is yet more precious then the matter, are not ex∣quisite enough to be given in exchange of wisdom.

Those starres with which the firmament adornes it self, 18 when night drives away the day; that Sun whose Beauty makes so mary Idolaters, and all those other lights which oblige us to preferre Heaven before Earth, cannot be com∣pared with her; but if her beauty beget a desire in us of

seaching her, her dwelling more unknowne then the Rockes, out of which they setch the Diamonds, makes us loose the hope of finding her.

This Difficulty which en∣hanceth her price is the cause that the Topazes of Ethiopis, 19 which seem to have the lustre of Gold, and the Purity of Chrystall, and those agreeable mixtures of colours, which make the Purple of Kings, are not rich enough to purchase her. 20

Yet must we learn her dwel∣ling, and permit our curiosi∣tie to search the place where she makes her residence.

I know she is hidden from the eyes of men, 21 that her Pu∣rity cannot abide their lookes, and that she hath chosen a Dwelling so elevated, that the Birds which make their nests upon the tallest Trees, and

which see the proudest Mon∣taines below them, have not yet discovered her. Those Angurs themselves who boast of knowing the most secret things by the flight and lan∣guage of Birds, are obliged to confesse that their knowledge is pure ignorance, and that to discover wisdome all their conjectures are false.

Those profound Abysses, 22 which are consecrated to Death, and those places sepa∣rated from the noyse of the World, which seeme to be de∣dicated to silence, know her by the high reputation which her merit gives her: but they are ignorant of her dwelling, and know not her face. 23

God alone who knowes her Price knowes her retreat; and it is from him onely that we may learne where shee keeps her residence, and where leaving of that vayle which

hides her from us, she disco∣vers all her beauty.

Nor is he like men who see at once but one part of the Vniverse: 24 he sees all the extre∣mities of it together, and with one looke he observes distinctly that prodigious con∣fufion of creatures which hea∣ven encompasseth within its Circle.

And his knowledge is not new: 25 for when he weighed the winds, when he limited their courses, & prescribed the seasons which they were to govern, when he measured the waters, when he reduced them into their Beds, and forbad them to powre them∣selves upon the Earth.

When he gave lawes to the raine, 26 when he marked it out Places to thicken into clouds, or designed it times to dis∣solve into water, when he formed the tempests, and made

them flash with lightning and when he traced them out the way, which they were to keepe for to fall upon the head of the Guilty:

Then he saw wisdom in his works, 27 he related her Beauties to the Angels, to beget a de∣sire of her in them, he prepa∣red the hearts of men to re∣ceive her, and sought meanes to make her visible, for to make her loved of all the world.

And to fortifie those feeble minds, 28 from whom the dif∣ficultie of finding so faire a treasure had taken away the desire of seeking it, he taught them that the fear of the Lord was true wisdome, that the highest prudence was separa∣ting from sin, and that a∣mongst men they ought to passe for the most wise who were the most innno∣cent.

Notes

• 1

  Surely there is a veine for the filver, and a place for gold where they fine it.
• 2

  Iron is ta∣ken out of the the earth, and brasse is mol∣ten out of the stone.
• 3

  He setteth an end to dark∣nesse, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darknesse and the shadow of death.
• 4

  The flood breaketh out from the inha∣bitant; even the waters for∣gotten of the foot: they are dryed up, they are gone away from men.
• 5

  As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, and under it is turned up as it were fire.
• 6

  The stones of it are the place of Sa∣phires: and it hath dust of Gold.
• 7

  There is a path which no fowle know∣eth, and which the Vultures eye hath not seen.
• 8

  The Lions whelps have not troden it, nor the fierce Lyon passed by it.
• 9

  He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.
• 10

  He cut∣teth out rivers among the rocks, and his eye seeth every precious thing.
• 11

  He bind∣eth the floods from overflow∣ing, and the thing that is hid, bringeth he forth to light.
• 12

  But where shall wisdome be sound? and where is the place of un∣derstanding?
• 13

  Man knoweth not the price there∣of; neither is it found in the land of the li∣ving.
• 14

  The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.
• 15

  It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
• 16

  It cannot be valued with the gold of O∣phir, with the precious O∣nyx, or the Saphire.
• 17

  The Gold and the Chry∣stall cannot e∣quall it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold:
• 18

  No men∣tion shall be made of Co∣rall, or of Pearles: for the Price of wisedome is above Rubies.
• 19

  The To∣paz of Ethio∣pia shall not equall it, nei∣ther shall it be valued with pure gold.
• 20

  Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of under∣standing?
• 21

  Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all li∣ving, and kept close from the fowles of the aire.
• 22

  Destructi∣on and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our eares.
• 23

  God un∣derstandeth the way there∣of, and hee knoweth the place thereof.
• 24

  For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven.
• 25

  To make the weight for the winds, and he weigheth the waters by measure.
• 26

  When he made a decree for the raine, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
• 27

  Then did he see it, and declare it, he prepared it, yea, and sear∣ched it out.
• 28

  And un∣to man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisedome, and to depart from evill is under∣standing.