ellauri055.html on line 1143: Né à Gand, Maurice Maeterlinck est l'aîné d'une famille de trois enfants, flamande, bourgeoise, catholique, conservatrice et francophone. Après des études au collège Sainte-Barbe (Sint-Barbara) de Gand, il suit des études en droit avant de pratiquer le métier d'avocat durant une courte période. Maeterlinck publie, dès 1885, des poèmes d’inspiration parnassienne dans La Jeune Belgique. Il part pour Paris où il rencontre plusieurs écrivains qui vont l'influencer, dont Stéphane Mallarmé et Villiers de l’Isle-Adam. Ce dernier lui fait découvrir les richesses de l'idéalisme allemand (Hegel, Schopenhauer). À la même époque, Maeterlinck découvre Ruysbroeck l'Admirable, un mystique flamand du XIVe siècle dont il traduit les écrits (Ornement des noces spirituelles). C'est ainsi qu'il se tourne vers les richesses intuitives du monde germanique en s'éloignant du rationalisme français. Dans cet esprit, il se consacre à Novalis et entre en contact avec le romantisme d'Iéna (Allemagne, 1787-1831, autour d'August et Friedrich Schlegel et de la revue l'Athenäum), précurseur en droite ligne du symbolisme. Les œuvres que publie Maeterlinck entre 1889 et 1896 sont imprégnées de cette influence germanique.
ellauri055.html on line 1162: Ruysbroeck l'admirable'
ellauri161.html on line 1085: Ruysbroeck (Or Rusbroek), Jean De, the most noted of mystics in the Netherlands, was born in A.D. 1293 at Ruysbroeck no less, near Brussels, and was educated in the latter city under the direction of an Augustinian prebendary who was his relative. His fondness for solitude and day dreams prevented him from making solid progress, however. His Latin was imperfect, though it is clear that he became acquainted with the earlier mystical writings. He probably did not read the writings of Neo-Platonists, but was certainly not unacquainted with those of the Areopagite.
ellauri161.html on line 1092: His (Mainion) works suggest the thought that the writings of master Eckart (died 1328), with whom Ruysbroeck was contemporary for thirty-five years, exercised influence over our author´s mind. Melkein maisteri Eckartille kävi köpelösti loppupeleissä. Ruisbroeck became vicar of the Church of St. Gudula at Brussels, where he lived in strict asceticism, enjoying the society of persons who had devoted themselves to a contemplative life, composing books and exercising benevolence. Jahas uusi päivä, uusi suopeus. He contended against the sins of the day, and labored to promote reforms. It is said that Tauler once visited him, attracted by the fame of his sanctity.
ellauri161.html on line 1100: The chief of his mystical writings are, The Ornament of Spiritual Marriage (Lat. by Gerh. Groot, Ornatus Spiritualis Desponsionis, MS. at Strasburg; by another translator, and published by Faber Stapulensis [Paris, 1512], De Ornatu Spirit. Nuptiarum, etc.; also in French, Toulouse, 1619; and in Flemish, ´J Cieraet der gheestclyeke Bruyloft, Brussels, 1624, Hengelliset häät): — Speculum AEternae Salutis: — De Calculo, an interpretation of the calculus candidus, Re 2:17: — Samuel, sive de Alta Contemplatione. The other works of Ruysbroeck contain but little more than repetitions of the thoughts expressed in those here mentioned. (Esim. 7 hengellisen rakkauden askelmasta.) He wrote in his native language, and rendered to that dialect the same service which accrued to the High German from its use by the mystics of the section where it prevailed. He is still regarded in Holland as "the best prose writer of the Netherlands in the Middle Ages." His style is characterized by great precision of statement, which becomes impaired, however, whenever his imagination soars, as it often does, to transcendental regions too sublimated for language to describe. His works were accessible until lately only in Latin editions (by Surius, Cologne, 1549, 1552, 1609 [the best], 1692, fol.), or in manuscripts scattered through different libraries in Belgium and Holland. Four of the more important works were published in their original tongue, with prefaces by Ullmann (Hanover, 1848). No complete edition has as yet been undertaken (see Moll, )e Boekerij van het S. Barbara-Klooster te Delft [Amst. 1857, 4to], p. 41).
ellauri161.html on line 1102: Ruysbroeck´s mysticism begins with God, descends to man, and returns to God again, in the aim to make man one with God. God is a simple unity, the essence above all being, the immovable, and yet the moving, cause of all existences. The Son is the wisdom, the uncreated image of the Father; the Holy Spirit the love which proceeds from both the Father and the Son, and unites them to each other. Creatures preexisted in God, in thought; and, as being in God, were God to that extent. Fallen man can only be restored through grace, which elevates him above the conditions of nature. Three stages are to be distinguished: the active, or operative; the subjective, or emotional; and the contemplative life. The first proceeds to conquer sin, and draw near to God through good works; the second consists in introspection, to which ascetic practices may be an aid, and which becomes indifferent to all that is not God. The soul is embraced and penetrated by the Spirit of God, and revels in visions and ecstasies. Higher still is the contemplative state (vita vitalis), which is an immediate knowing and possessing of God, leaving no remains of individuality in the consciousness, and concentrating every energy on the contemplation of the eternal and absolute Being. This life is still the gift of grace, and has its essence in the unifying of the soul with God, so that he alone shall work. The soul is led on from glory to glory, until it becomes conscious of its essential unity in God.
ellauri161.html on line 1104: Ruysbroeck was constantly desirous of preserving the distinction between the uncreated and created spirits. In the unifying of the soul with God he does not assert an identification of personality, but merely a cessation of the difference in thought and desire, and a giving up of the independence of the creature. His language was often so strong, however, and his thought often so sublimated, that more cautious thinkers found serious cause to charge his writings with pantheism. This was true of Gerson (Opp. vol. 1, pt. 1, p. 59 sq.).
ellauri161.html on line 1112: Few mystics have ascended to the empyrean where Ruysbroeck so constantly dwelt; and the endeavor to compress into forms of speech the visions seen in a state where all clear and real apprehension is at an end occasioned the fault of indefiniteness with which his writings must be charged. His influence over theological and philosophical thought was not so great as that exercised by Eckart and Tauler, and was chiefly limited to his immediate surroundings. The Brotherhood of the Common Life (q.v.) was founded by Gerhard Groot, one of Ruysbroeck´s pupils, and its first inception may perhaps be traced back to Ruysbroeck himself — a proof that he was not wholly indifferent to the conditions of practical life.
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