The Anathemata
Rite and Fore-time (continued)
This man, so late in time, curiously surviving, shows courtesy to the objects when he moves among, handles or puts aside the name-bearing instruments, when he shows every day in his hand4 the salted cake given for this gens to savour all the gentes.5
David Jones notes
4 Cf. Middle-English poem: Of a rose a lovly rose ‘Every day it schewit in prystes hond’.
5 Mola salsa, the cake of spelt and salt made by the Roman Vestals and used at the purification of sacrifices; and cf. Mark IX, 49-50, which indicates same use of salt in Jewish rites.
additional notes
Mark 9:49-50: For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
gens, gentes: used as in the preaching of the gospel to the gentiles.
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