Illustration 6. Oxford, Corpus Christi College, Ms. 255A, folio 8r

Joachim's psaltery links the nine orders of angels on the left (discussed in Illustration 5) with various virtues on the right linked together in pairs by the ten strings of the instrument. [Activate the KEY tab at the left border of the image to reveal a key to the inscriptions.] The first, lowest, string represents the first order of heaven, the Angels (Angeli), who are paired with Fear of God (Timor Domini). The second string links the Archangels (Archangeli) with Piety (Pieta). Next, the Virtues (Virtutes) are linked to Knowledge (Scientia), the Powers (Potestates) to Fortitude (Fortitudo), the Princedoms (Pri[n]cipatus) to Understanding (Consilium), the Dominions (D[omi]natio[n]es) to Comprehension (Intellectus), Thrones (Throni) to Discernment (Sapientia), Cherubim (Cherubin) to Faith (Fides), and Seraphim (Seraphin) to Hope (Spes). The tenth string is the Human (Homo), linked to Love (Caritas). The Trinity determines the three sides of the psaltery itself, with the blunt top and left side in light green representing the Father (SCS PATER), the lower side in red, the Son (SCS FILIUS), and the blue right side belongs to the Holy Spirit (SCS SPS). Inside the rosette sound-hole of the psaltery, we find Joachim's unique name for God "IEUE," surrounded by the words: "Almighty God unified by the Holy Trinity" ("Dominus deus omnipotens Sancta Trinitas unus Deus"). Above the rosette, the text reads, the "Ten-String Psaltery" ("Psalterium Decem Chordarum") while below it, Joachim has "A holy Catholic Church ("Una s[an]c[t]a ecclesia catolica"). Joachim is said to have had this instrument revealed to him in a vision, making him akin to Hildegard; where she saw the nine concentric circles for the orders of Heaven, he saw an instrument.

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