One of the things we are going to talk about in class is the structure of Passus XI. At the end of Passus X, the Dreamer argues that he doesn't have to worry about knowing anything--in fact, he should avoid knowing anything, because knowledge can get people in trouble; he cites the cases of Aristotle and (less conventionally) of Solomon, who were extremely smart and wise but who are at least apparently in hell.

Right after this challenge from the Dreamer, Scripture "scorns" him by telling him that "Many men know many things but they do not know themselves," and eventually she will begin to preach on the theme of the Wedding Banquet, which ends "Many are called, but few are chosen." The feast, which is the central image of the parable, becomes the central image for the rest of Dowel. There are allusions to eating and drinking throughout Scripture's sermon and a "real" feast occurs in the second dream of Dowel in Passus XIII.

Almost as soon as Scripture begins her sermon, the Dreamer (who is already asleep) falls asleep in his sleep and has two dreams-within-a-dream. The first inner dream features the Dreamer in the Land of Longing tempted by Concupiscentia-Carnis, Covetousness of Eyes, and Pride of Perfect Living. (These three "sources of sin" from John's Epistle were regularly correlated to the excuses given by the guests who were originally invited to the Wedding Banquet but refused to come.) This first inner dream ends with the announcement of the theme of Scripture's sermon, Multi were bidden to a marriage . . ." at line 112. Scripture's sermon which goes on with the Dreamer asleep and dreaming the "inner dreams" which, like Dante's dream of the eagle in Purgatorio while Lucia is carrying him up to the gate of Purgatory, are imaginative "translations" of the substance of Scripture's sermon into experiential (i.e., prudential rather than rational, discursive) terms that he can better understand at the present stage of his spiritual development. The sermon continues for awhile and includes the appearance of Trajan (who is an "exemplum" in her lesson); the sermon concludes after a diatribe against "lewd priests" at line 319.

Please note the number of food images and allusions to eating and drinking in Scripture's sermon, which reinforce the parable of the feast. Do you remember what occurs at the end of the parable, before the "Many are called, but few are chosen" statement?

When Scripture towards the end of her sermon says "It is better to examine our sins than the natures of things," it is probably meant as a signal that the Dreamer is in the second inner dream which deals with the Inner Dreamer's encounter with Reason. In this inner dream the Inner Dreamer more or less "re-commits" Adam and Eve's sin--not by eating an apple, but by exhibiting behavior that falls into the three "sources of sin" in the first inner dream and the excuses that are delivered by the guests who refuse to come to the Wedding Feast in the sermon--he notes how animals and human beings have different attitudes toward reproduction (covetousness of flesh), he "marvels" excessively (covetousness of eyes) at the intricacies of Nature, and he rebukes Reason for not doing his job of making human beings better (pride of perfect living). After this blaming of Reason, the Inner Dreamer awakes back to the level of the original dream (Will is still asleep) and is further chastised by the character who will instruct him in Passus XII, Imaginative. Imaginative (or Imagination) is closely linked with the virtue of Prudence. It is through our imagination that we use the information stored in our memories in order to forecast (or foresee) the consequences of our choices and actions in the present. It is Imaginative who provides the "translations" of the meaning of Scripture's sermon for the Dreamer to experience in a more concrete and "lived" way within the inner dreams.