While with insatiable wonder and curiosity Psyche is examining and admiring her husband’s weapons, she draws one of the arrows out of the quiver, and touches the point with the tip of her thumb to try its sharpness; but happening to press too hard, for her hand still trembled, she punctured the skin, so that some tiny drops of rosy blood oozed forth.  And thus did Psyche, without knowing it, fall in love with Love.  Then, burning more and more with desire for Cupid, gazing passionately on his face, and fondly kissing him again and again, her only fear was lest he should wake too soon.

But while she hung over him, bewildered with delight so overpowering, the lamp, whether from treachery or baneful envy, or because it longed to touch, and to kiss as it were, so beautiful an object, spirted a drop of scalding oil from the summit of its flame upon the right shoulder of the god....  The god, thus scorched, sprang from the bed, and seeing the disgraceful tokens of forfeited fidelity, started to fly away, without a word, from the eyes and arms of his most unhappy wife.  But Psyche, the instant he arose, seized hold of his right leg with both hands, and hung on to him, a wretched appendage to his flight through the regions of the air, till at last her strength failed her, and she fell to the earth.

Translation of Bohn Library, revised.

THOMAS AQUINAS

(1226-1274)

BY EDWIN A. PACE

Thomas Aquinas, philosopher and theologian, was born in 1226, at or near Aquino, in Southern Italy.  He received his early training from the Benedictines of Monte Cassino.  Tradition says he was a taciturn and seemingly dull boy, derisively nicknamed by his fellows “the dumb ox,” but admired by his teachers.  He subsequently entered the University of Naples.  While studying there he joined the Dominican Order, and was sent later on to Cologne, where he became a pupil of Albertus Magnus.  In 1251 he went to Paris, took his degrees in theology, and began his career as a teacher in the University.  His academic work there was continued, with slight interruptions, till 1261.  The eleven years which followed were spent partly in Rome, where Thomas enjoyed the esteem of Urban IV. and Clement IV., and partly in the cities of Northern Italy, which he visited in the interest of his Order.  During this period he produced the greatest of his works, and won such repute as a theologian that the leading universities made every effort to secure him as a teacher.  He was appointed to a professorship at Naples, where he remained from 1272 until the early part of 1274.  Summoned by Gregory X. to take part in the Council of Lyons, he set out on his journey northward, but was compelled by illness to stop at Fossa Nuova.  Here he died March 7th, 1274.  He was canonized in 1323, and was proclaimed a doctor of the Church by Pius V. in 1567.