Honorius of Autun, (Honorius Augustodunensis 1080-1154): Speculum Ecclesiae: The Typology of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Raby pp. 369-375: part I

These notes are primarily in reference to Adam of St. Victor’s sequences.

(1) The Paradisus Malorum and Fons Hortorum.

Cant. iv. 13 ' Emissiones tuae paradisus malorum punicorum cum

pomorum fructibus.'

Cant. iv. 15 ' Fons hortorum, puteus aquarum viventium.'

Honorius: col. 902, 'She is truly the orchard of pomegranate, the fountain of gardens, because in her arose the tree of life, and from her flowed forth the fount of wisdom (i.e. Christ).'

So a poet celebrates her,

paradisus voluptatis

est Maria, praestans gratis

signum immortalitatis

ad fontem iocunditatis.

paradisum hunc quaeramus,

cibum vitae glutiamus,

aquas dulces hauriamus,

ut feliciter vivamus.

Adam likewise invokes the Virgin as the ‘caelestis paradisus’ , and the' fons hortorum "

fons hortorum

internorum,

riga mentes

arescentes

unda tui rivuli:

fons redundans

sis inundans;

cordis prava

quaeque lava;

fons sublimis,

munde nimis,

ab immundo

munda mundo

cor immundi populi." 

(2) The Burning Bush (Rubus).

Exod. iii. 2 'Apparuitque ei Dominus in flamma ignis de medio rubi ; et videbat quod rubus arderet, et non combureretur.'

Honorius:  col. 904, Moses beheld the bush burning with fire, yet not not consumed by the flame. In this bush the Lord appeared, when he delivered his people from the Egyptian bondage. This prefigured the blessed Virgin, whom the fire of the Holy Ghost illuminated with offspring, yet defiled not with the flame of concupiscence. Out of her the Lord appearing visibly visited the world, and freed the people of the faithful from bondage to the devil.'

The thought of Honorius is exactly expressed in these lines of a Victorine sequence:

rubus quondam exardebat

et tunc ardor non urebat

nee virori nocuit :

sic ardore spiritali

nec attactu coniugali

virgo deum genuit.'

(3) Aaron's Rod.

Num. xvii. 8 "Sequenti die regressus invenit germinasse virgam Aaron in domo Levi: et turgentibus gemmis eruperant flores.'

Honorius: col. 904, 'Aaron also at the command of the Lord placed a dry rod in the tabernacle, which flowering on the morrow put forth nuts .... The dry rod which put forth the nut is the

Virgin Mary who bore the Lord Christ.'

'What', says Bernard, 'is the rod of Aaron which flowered without being watered, but Mary who conceived, although she knew not a man? '

            

             virga Aaron fructifera

Mariae typum gesserat,

quae nobis fructum attulit,

famem qui nostrum depulit.

            [Anal. Hymn. v, p. 48]