I don’t know any Latin, except what I accidentally picked up studying science, but the AI gave this a slightly twist when I asked for an explanation:
Here’s what this Latin word-game labyrinth attributed to St. Bernard actually is, how it was used, and what it means — based on historical references found in respected sources:
⸻
1) What the Latin board says
The title and subtitle on the board are:
LABYRINTHUS A DIVO BERNARDO
COMPOSITUS QUO BENE VIVIT HOMO
This translates roughly as:
“A labyrinth composed by the divine (or divine-like) Bernard
by which a man lives well.” 
The grid consists of Latin words/short phrases arranged so the viewer can trace maxims (rules for living well) by reading the words in a particular linear order.
⸻
2) How the verbal labyrinth works
According to descriptions in Mazes and Labyrinths (early 20th-century English source), this isn’t a maze shape but a set of word rows that form complete sentences when read in sequence. 
You start with “Noli” (at bottom left) and move through the columns above to form sentences.
For example:
1) Noli dicere omnia quae scis quia qui dicit omnia quae scit saepe audit quod non vult.
→ Translation:
“Do not say everything you know, because he who says everything he knows often hears what he does not want.” 
That is an ethical instruction: be cautious in speech and discretion.
The same pattern with other rows yields four additional maxims.
⸻
3) Common English renderings of all five sentences
The source doesn’t reproduce full English for all lines, but one classic complete set reading down each row is reported as:
1. “Do not say everything you know, for one who says everything he knows often hears what he does not want to.” 
2. “Do what you can; he who does it has power; he who fails is not believed.” (From facere, potes, facit, potest, incurrit, non credit.) 
• Meaning: Act within your ability; success builds trust.
3. “Believe what you hear; credit what is heard; he who does not, is not.” (From credere, audis, credit, audit, credit, non est.) 
• Meaning: Credibility and belief are foundational to being.
4. “Give what you have; he who gives has; wretched is he who does not have.” (From dare, habes, dat, habet, miserere, non habet.) 
5. “Judge what you see; he who judges sees; he who despises ought not.” (From judicare, vides, judicat, videt, contemnit, non debet.) 
• Meaning: Just judgment comes from seeing clearly and forbids contempt.
Note: These are reconstructed based on typical readings of each grid and the order specified by the source — exact historic wording varies slightly in different printings. 
⸻
4) What authorities say about it
• Historic puzzle context: The board appears in 19th-century descriptions of games and puzzles. One observer saw it at a Latin convent and called it a “verbal labyrinth” — essentially a language puzzle that yields moral sentences when traced correctly. 
• Not a theological treatise: Modern scholars of St Bernard do not treat this as part of his authentic writings. It appears in popular/folk contexts, not in his collected sermons or official medieval manuscripts. 
• Attribution quality: The historical source is descriptive, not academic, and the attribution to St Bernard seems traditional or legendary rather than documented in his corpus. 
Happy New Year, Avery! Just wanted to drop by to say thank you for your work :) I recently listened to your old episodes about Ivy and it has become an eye opening experience for me. I am a Southeast Asian immigrant in Europe and Ivy is the gateway for me to learn some of European sensibilities.
I was happily surprised to learn that Ivy can be inclusive, too and isn't just for WASPs. This is what I wear more often these days because I like the timelessness aspect of it. I learned a lot from that series in particular and your work helped ease my adapting process in here, thank you so much!
You are a JOY. Thanks for your style and demeanor.
I very much appreciated your words and thoughts this day- intelligent and thought provoking. I live in NC these past few years
and love the state motto: “Esse Quam Videri” which means “To be rather than to seem”
Love your work!
I don’t know any Latin, except what I accidentally picked up studying science, but the AI gave this a slightly twist when I asked for an explanation:
Here’s what this Latin word-game labyrinth attributed to St. Bernard actually is, how it was used, and what it means — based on historical references found in respected sources:
⸻
1) What the Latin board says
The title and subtitle on the board are:
LABYRINTHUS A DIVO BERNARDO
COMPOSITUS QUO BENE VIVIT HOMO
This translates roughly as:
“A labyrinth composed by the divine (or divine-like) Bernard
by which a man lives well.” 
The grid consists of Latin words/short phrases arranged so the viewer can trace maxims (rules for living well) by reading the words in a particular linear order.
⸻
2) How the verbal labyrinth works
According to descriptions in Mazes and Labyrinths (early 20th-century English source), this isn’t a maze shape but a set of word rows that form complete sentences when read in sequence. 
You start with “Noli” (at bottom left) and move through the columns above to form sentences.
For example:
1) Noli dicere omnia quae scis quia qui dicit omnia quae scit saepe audit quod non vult.
→ Translation:
“Do not say everything you know, because he who says everything he knows often hears what he does not want.” 
That is an ethical instruction: be cautious in speech and discretion.
The same pattern with other rows yields four additional maxims.
⸻
3) Common English renderings of all five sentences
The source doesn’t reproduce full English for all lines, but one classic complete set reading down each row is reported as:
1. “Do not say everything you know, for one who says everything he knows often hears what he does not want to.” 
2. “Do what you can; he who does it has power; he who fails is not believed.” (From facere, potes, facit, potest, incurrit, non credit.) 
• Meaning: Act within your ability; success builds trust.
3. “Believe what you hear; credit what is heard; he who does not, is not.” (From credere, audis, credit, audit, credit, non est.) 
• Meaning: Credibility and belief are foundational to being.
4. “Give what you have; he who gives has; wretched is he who does not have.” (From dare, habes, dat, habet, miserere, non habet.) 
• Meaning: Generosity enriches; lack causes misery.
5. “Judge what you see; he who judges sees; he who despises ought not.” (From judicare, vides, judicat, videt, contemnit, non debet.) 
• Meaning: Just judgment comes from seeing clearly and forbids contempt.
Note: These are reconstructed based on typical readings of each grid and the order specified by the source — exact historic wording varies slightly in different printings. 
⸻
4) What authorities say about it
• Historic puzzle context: The board appears in 19th-century descriptions of games and puzzles. One observer saw it at a Latin convent and called it a “verbal labyrinth” — essentially a language puzzle that yields moral sentences when traced correctly. 
• Not a theological treatise: Modern scholars of St Bernard do not treat this as part of his authentic writings. It appears in popular/folk contexts, not in his collected sermons or official medieval manuscripts. 
• Attribution quality: The historical source is descriptive, not academic, and the attribution to St Bernard seems traditional or legendary rather than documented in his corpus. 
⸻
Thanks for adding this. I took two years of Latin in high school and obviously didn’t remember it. It was decades ago.
Happy New Year, Avery! Just wanted to drop by to say thank you for your work :) I recently listened to your old episodes about Ivy and it has become an eye opening experience for me. I am a Southeast Asian immigrant in Europe and Ivy is the gateway for me to learn some of European sensibilities.
I was happily surprised to learn that Ivy can be inclusive, too and isn't just for WASPs. This is what I wear more often these days because I like the timelessness aspect of it. I learned a lot from that series in particular and your work helped ease my adapting process in here, thank you so much!