Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1961, Side 107

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pallarnir merkia, yfirfarit ok me5 meiri dyr5 til eilifs fagnahar
komit en mannlict e51i megi skilia. Ok var jaessi hennar musteris-
fer8 forynia J>eirar dyrSar, er eptir ferr of hennar rå5.
A brief survey of the elements in the Old Korse text will perhaps
not be out of place here to facilitate an identification of a possible
source.
Chapter 4 is preceded by the words !0n the gradual songs of
praise’ and contains a number of good actions and thoughts cor-
responding to the fifteen steps of the Temple and the fifteen Gradual
Psalms.
The correspondances are:
lst step: Forsaking of the World—Ad Dominum (Psalm 119)
2nd step: Divine protection—Levavi oculos (120)
3rd step: Heavenly joy—Laetatus sum (121)
4th step: Divine confidence—Ad te levavi (122)
5th step: Gratitude—Nisi quia Dominus (123)
6th step: Moderation in the pursuit of good things—Qui eonfi-
dunt (124)
7th step: Consolation-—In convertendo (125)
8th step: Joy at the rebuilding of Jerusalem—Nisi Dominus
aedificaveret (126)
9th step: Fear of God—Beati omnes (127)
lOth step: Patience—Saepe expugnaverunt (128)
llth step: Meekness—De profundis (129)
12th step: Humility—Domine non est (130)
13th step: Memory of the rebuilding of the Temple—Memento
Domine (131)
14th step: Unanimity—Ecce quam bonum (132)
15th step: Abiding charity—Ecce nunc benedicite (133)
Chapter 5 is called ‘On the Psalms of the Covenants’. Here we
find events from the Old Testament illustrating the fifteen steps
and their corresponding qualities. The exposition ends with a fine
piece of numerical subtlety: that charity (the 15th step), the
greatest of the theological virtues, includes all other virtues of the
Decalogue and the gospels thus representing the number 15
(10+4+1). Charity is also said to be derived from the 7 gifts of