Betty, I took note of your tagline, and found the quote to be inviting enough, that I would wish to read more from this person, tho I know nothing about him...could you please tell me who this person is, and from which work this quote comes?...I would like to read more....
andysandmikesmom, I'm so glad you asked. I confess I had to truncate the quote to fit the available space. The full passage reads:
Beautiful are the things we see;These are the words of the brilliant Danish polymath Niels Steensen (1638-1686, a/k/a Steno [most probably of Lutheran confession]), who made "fundamental discoveries in anatomy, such as 'Steno's duct,' the excretory duct of the salivary glands, and in minerology ('Steno's law'). He was one of the founders of geology. Steno devoted the last twenty years of his life to serving the Catholic Church, first as a priest, then as bishop, leading all the while a severely ascetic life. He is the only prominent scientist I [Abraham Paix] know of who has been beatified (in October 1988) [by the Roman Catholic Church].
More beautiful those we understand;
Much the most beautiful those we do not comprehend.
I loved the insight, and hated to truncate it. It reminds me of something that Saint Anselm of Canterbury said: "O Lord, you are not only that than which a greater cannot be conceived, but you are also greater than what can be conceived." Still Anselm followed the light, the flame of spirit and truth. And so found grace and beauty and justice in this world -- and presumably in the next. As I imagine Steensen did also....
I cherish both Anselm and Steensen in my soul....
But to answer your question, I strongly doubt there is much published by Steensen outside the Danish language these days. More's the pity....
Thank you so very much for writing, andysandmikesmom!