Note 330 — Chapter II · MORAL INFLUENCE

Hütten writes: “What shall I say of Samson, who while all but in the arms of a woman received the inspiration of the Holy Ghost?... And of Solomon, who had 300 queens and an infinite number of concubines, till his death, and who nevertheless in the eyes of the divines passes for saved? What is the inference? I am not stronger than Solomon, nor wiser, and one must sometimes have a little joy. The doctors say ’tis necessary to cure melancholy. Well, what do you say of these grave authors? Ecclesiastes says: ‘There is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his own works.’ So I say to my love, with Solomon: ‘Thou hast wounded my heart, my sister, my spouse, thou hast wounded my heart with one of thy hairs. How fair is thy breast, my sister, my spouse! How much better is thy breast than wine!’ and so on.”