Virtues Speculum Virginum W72 26r

Early 13th century manuscript from the Cistercian abbey of Himmerode, Germany.

Tree of the cardinal virtues each with their sub-virtues; the corresponding tree of vices is on the preceding page, File:Vices Speculum Virginum W72 25v.jpg.

The seven cardinal virtues are caritas "love", fides "faith", spes "hope", temperantia "temperance", fortitudo "fortitude", iusticia "justice" and prudentia "prudence", with humilitas "humility" at the root of all. At the top of the tree is novus adam (Christ), contrasted with vetus adam in the tree of vices; the inscriptions fructus spiritus : iherusalem : dextera : [fructus] iste ascendit contrasts with the corresponding fructus carnis : babilonia : sinistra : fructus iste descendit in the tree of vices. Instead of the dragons, the tree of virtues has two angles flanking it, glossed with angeli pacis. At the bottom is the gloss hac itaque arboris ut fructuum dissimilitudine considera differentia.

literature: Pablo Garcia Acosta, Mirouer, diss. Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, 2009, p. 183; A. Watson, "The Speculum Virginum with Special Reference to the Tree of Jesse", Speculum 3.4, October 1928, 445-469.

• caritas: concordia, liberalitas, compassio, pietas, gratia, pax, indulgentia, misericordia, benignitas, mansuetudo
• fides: munificia, religio, castitas, obedientia, continentia, reverentia, affectus
• spes: confessio, longanimitas, patientia, comtemplatio, conpunctio, modestia, gaudium
• temperantia: moralitas, taciturnitas, discretio, jeunium, contemptus seli, carnis afflictus, sobrietas
• fortitudo: requies, constantia, stabilitas, tolerantia, confidentia, perseverantia, magnificentia
• iusticia: lex, equitas, veritas, correctio, iuris iuvandi observantia, severitas, indictum
• prudentia: consilium, amor domini, intelligencia, providentia, memoria, tractabilitas, sagacitas