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diff --git a/25856.txt b/25856.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b1e48fc --- /dev/null +++ b/25856.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3339 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Form of Perfect Living and Other Prose +Treatises, by Richard Rolle of Hampole, Translated by Geraldine E. Hodgson + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Form of Perfect Living and Other Prose Treatises + + +Author: Richard Rolle of Hampole + + + +Release Date: June 20, 2008 [eBook #25856] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FORM OF PERFECT LIVING AND +OTHER PROSE TREATISES*** + + +E-text prepared by Thierry Alberto, Juliet Sutherland, and the Project +Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) + + + ++---------------------------------------------------------+ +| Transcriber's Note: | +| | +| Obvious typographical errors have been corrected in | +| this text. For a complete list, please see the end of | +| this document. | ++---------------------------------------------------------+ + + + + + +THE FORM OF PERFECT LIVING +AND +OTHER PROSE TREATISES. + +by + +RICHARD ROLLE, +OF HAMPOLE, +A.D. 1300-1349. + +Rendered into Modern English by Geraldine E. Hodgson, D.Litt., +Lecturer in Education in the University of Bristol. + + + + + + + +London: +Thomas Baker, 72, Newman Street, W. +1910. + +Printed By W. C. Hemmons, +St. Stephen Street, +Bristol. + + + + +"Love is a life, joining together the loving and the loved." + +"Truth may be without love, but it cannot help without it." + +RICHARD ROLLE + +(_The Form of Perfect Living_, ch. x.). + + + + +Preface. + + +This book is not intended for those who are acquainted with Anglo-Saxon +and Middle English; but for those who care for the thought, specially +the religious and devotional thought, of our forefathers. My one aim has +been to make a portion of that thought accurately intelligible to modern +readers, with the greatest possible saving of trouble to them. When I +could use the old word or phrase, with certainty of its being +understood, I have done so. When I could not, I have replaced it with +the best modern equivalent I could find or invent. In extenuation of the +occasional use of Rolle's expression, "by their lone," I may urge its +expressiveness, the absence of an equivalent, and the fact that it may +still be heard in remote places. Where possible, I have retained the +archaic order of the original Text. Such irregular constructions, as +_e.g._, the use of a singular pronoun in the first half of a sentence, +and of a plural in the second half, I have left unaltered; for the +meaning was perfectly clear. In short, I have endeavoured to make +Richard Rolle as he was as significant as possible to English men and +women of to-day as they are, when they are not professed students of +English language. In such an undertaking, it is obvious that I must have +presented endless vulnerable places to the learned. I can only repeat +that the book was never meant for them, but for those who will perhaps +forgive me if I describe them as specialists in religious thought +rather than in English Language. + +The rendering is made from the texts printed by Professor Horstman in +his _Library of Early English Writers: Richard Rolle of Hampole an +English Father of the Church_. + +GERALDINE E. HODGSON. + +_The University, Bristol, +S. Mary Magdalene, 1910._ + + + + +Contents. + + + PAGE. + +Preface vii. + +Introduction xi. + +The Form of Perfect Living 1 + +Our Daily Work (a Mirror of Discipline). + (_From the Arundel MS._) 83 + +On Grace. (_From the Arundel MS._) 169 + +An Epistle on Charity 185 + +Contrition 190 + +Scraps from the Arundel MS. 192 + + + + +Introduction. + + +Richard Rolle of Hampole is the earliest in time of our famous English +Mystics. Born in or about 1300, he died in 1349, seven years after +Mother Julian of Norwich was born. Walter Hilton died in 1392. + +An exhaustive account of Rolle's life is given in Vol. ii. of Professor +Horstman's Edition of his works, a book unfortunately out of print. The +main facts are recorded in a brief "Life" appended to Fr. R. Hugh +Benson's _A Book of the Love of_ JESUS. Therefore, it will suffice to +say here that Richard Rolle seems to have been born at Thornton, near +Pickering, in Yorkshire, in or about 1300; that, finding the atmosphere +of Oxford University uncongenial, he left it, and for some four years +was supported, as a hermit, by the Dalton Family. By the end of that +time, through prayer, contemplation and self-denial, he had attained the +three stages of mystical life which he describes as _calor_, _dulcor_, +_canor_; (heat, sweetness, melody.) The next period of his life was less +easy. Having left the protection of the Daltons, and being without those +means of subsistence which are within the reach of priest or monk, this +hermit depended for his daily bread on other men's kindness. Not that he +was a useless person: apart from the utility of a life of Prayer, he +could point to counsel and exhortation given; to the existence of +converts consequent upon his ministrations. To add to his difficulties, +he preached a doctrine of high pure selflessness with which, the average +man, in all times, seems to have no abundant sympathy: and to crown all +he was endowed by nature with a sensitive temper. His remarkable gifts +forced him into public notice; his cast of thought and his temperament +were not calculated to win him ease or popularity. Professor Horstman is +peculiarly severe to those among his enemies and detractors "who called +themselves followers and disciples of Christ." The insertion here of +this painful passage would introduce a jarring note; moreover, the raked +embers of past controversy seldom tend to the spiritual improvement of +the present. An interesting judgment by Professor Horstman on Rolle's +place in mysticism is too long for quotation; but the following sentence +may be taken as the pith of it:--"His position as a mystic was mainly +the result of the development of scholasticism. The exuberant luxuriant +growth of the brain in the system of Scotus called forth the reaction +of the heart, and this reaction is embodied in Richard Rolle, who as +exclusively represents the side of feeling as Scotus that of reason and +logical consequence; either lacking the corrective of the other +element." + +It is consoling to know that Rolle's last years were passed in peace, in +a cell, near a monastery of Cistercian nuns at Hampole, where the nuns +supported him, while he acted as their spiritual adviser. + +In the book mentioned above, Fr. Hugh Benson has translated some of +Richard Rolle's Poems, and certain devotional Meditations. In this +Volume, four of his Prose Treatises have been selected from the rest of +his works, in the belief that they may supplement those parts of Rolle's +writings with which, those who are interested in these phases of +thought, are already familiar. + +The first, _The Form of Perfect Living_, is a Rule of Life which he +wrote for a nun of Anderby, Margaret Kirkby, of whom Professor Horstman +writes: "She seems to have been his good angel, and perhaps helped to +smooth down his ruffled spirits. This friendship was lasting--it lasted +to their lives' ends." + +This treatise was written of course to meet the requirements of the +"religious" life. It has seemed expedient, because supplementary, then, +to put next to it his work on _Our Daily Life_, which was meant for +those who are "in the world"; and which may give pause to some who might +otherwise criticise the first hastily, perhaps condemning it as +unpractical, or even objectionable in a world where, after all, men must +eat and drink and live, and where some, therefore must provide the +necessary means. Most intensely practical is this second treatise, and +perhaps nowhere more so than when it meets the needs of those who are +inclined to split straws over the definition of the word "good." What +_is_ a good action?--such people love to inquire, and like "jesting +Pilate," sometimes do not "stay for an answer." Richard Rolle has no +manner of doubt about his reply. An action must be good in itself, +_i.e._, so he would tell us, pleasing to God in its own nature. But the +matter by no means ends there for him. This good action must be +performed,--and it is this which is, now palpably, now subtly, +hard--_entirely_ for the sake of goodness, without the slightest taint +of self-seeking, of vanity, of secret satisfaction that we are not as +other men are, not even as this Pharisee or this Publican. + +Such a motive, inspiring each person's whole work, would surely go far +to remove what is known as the Social Problem. It would make many a +house the dwelling of peace, many a business-place an abode of honour. +If we could get back to Richard Rolle's simplicity and to his unmovable +faith, then, his goal, even the acquisition of perfect love, might seem +to all of us less distressingly remote. + +The present rendering has been taken from the longer and more elaborate +of the two MSS. containing the Treatise. The shorter form of his work +_On Grace_ and _the Epistle_ have been added in the hope that they may +meet the need of all, contemplative or active as they may chance to be. + +There is, among his voluminous writings, a curious and interesting +_Revelation concerning Purgatory_, purporting to be a woman's dream +about one, Margaret, a soul in Purgatory. Amidst much natural horror, +not however exceeding that described by Dante, there are many quaint +side-lights thrown upon our forefathers' ways of thought; as _e.g._, +when Margaret's soul is weighed in one scale, against the fiend, "and a +great long worm with him," in the other; the worm of conscience, in +fact. But the work has not been included in this volume, lest it should +prove wholly unprofitable to a generation which if it be not readily +disturbed by sin, is easily and quickly shocked by crude suggestions +concerning its possible consequences and reward. They will find enough, +perhaps, in the treatise _on Daily Work_. + +If any one should think that there, and in one portion of the treatise +_on Grace_, Rolle has dwelt harshly on considerations of fear, rather +than on those of love, he must not make the mistake of concluding that +these admonitions represent the whole of Catholic teaching on the point. +Men's temperaments differ, and teachers, meeting these various tempers, +differ in their modes of helping them. Side by side with Richard Rolle +may be put the words of S. Francis Xavier, in what is perhaps the most +beautiful of Christian hymns:-- + + My GOD, I love Thee; not because + I hope for heaven thereby, + Nor yet because who love Thee not + Are lost eternally. + + . . . . . . + + Not for the hope of gaining aught, + Not seeking a reward; + But as Thyself hast loved me, + O ever-loving Lord! + +Moreover, no reader of the Epistle _on Charity_ can entertain any doubt +as to whether our English Mystic understood the mystery of limitless +love. + +It is no doubt, easy to complain, as we read certain passages, that +Richard Rolle's recommendations are neither new nor original: but if +instead of dismissing them as familiar, we tried to put them into +practice, we should perhaps have less leisure for idle criticism of +others, and ourselves be less evil and tiresome people. + +On the other hand, the accusation may be brought that he proposes an +impossibly high aim. No doubt, in such a pitch of devotion as is +suggested, _e.g._, in ch. viii. of _The Form of Perfect Living_, some +may think they find extravagance: but no doubt it was this same spirit +which inspired SS. Peter and Paul, and the other Apostles; which built +up the Early Church; which made Saints, Martyrs and Confessors; which +suggested such apparently forlorn hopes as that of S. Augustine of +Canterbury, when, to bring them the Gospel of JESUS Christ, he bearded +the rough Men of Kent, and (according to Robert of Brunne) reaped, as +his immediate reward, a string of fishtails hung on his habit, though +later, the conversion of these sturdy pagans. It was doubtless, too, the +spirit which inspired the best men and women in the English Church, +before they began to confuse the spheres of Faith and Reason, and to +disregard S. Hilary's warning about the difficulty of expressing in +human language that which is truly "incomprehensible,"--incomprehensible +in the old sense, as in the Athanasian Symbol, "Immensus Pater, immensus +Filius, immensus Spiritus sanctus"; till, indeed, men forgot, for all +practical purposes that infinity transcends the grasp of finite minds +(in fact, as well as in placidly accepted and then immediately neglected +theory); and can be apprehended only, and that imperfectly, by the best +aspirations of a heart, set of fixed purpose on that high goal. + +To the modern Englishman, immersed in business anxieties, imperial +interests and domestic cares, the invitation repeated so often by +Richard Rolle, to love GOD supremely, may seem incalculably unreal and +remote, even though he might hesitate to confess it baldly. But what if +the Englishman who so loved GOD, were also the greater Englishman? And +what answer does history return to that plain question? + +"Richard Rolle," Professor Horstman does not hesitate to write "was one +of the most remarkable men of his time, yea, of history. It is a strange +and not very creditable fact that one of the greatest of Englishmen has +hitherto been doomed to oblivion. In other cases, the human beast first +crucifies, and then glorifies or deifies the nobler minds, who swayed by +the Spirit, do not live as others live, in quest of higher ideals by +which to benefit the race; he, one of the noblest champions of humanity, +a hero, a saint, a martyr in this cause has never had his resurrection +yet--a forgotten brave. And yet, he has rendered greater service to his +country, and to the world at large, than all the great names of his +time. He rediscovered Love, the principle of Christ. He reinstalled +feeling, the spring of life which had been obliterated in the reign of +scholasticism. He re-opened the inner eye of man, teaching contemplation +in solitude, an unworldly life in abnegation, in chastity, in +charity.... He broke the hard crust that had gathered round the heart of +Christianity, by formalism and exteriority, and restored the free flow +of spiritual life." + +This passage, to those who feel that there has been no age since the +Birth of Christ when the great principles of religious life have been +wholly lost, and who remember that Richard Rolle lived in the age of +Dante, may seem overstated. But it shews sufficiently at least, and for +that reason is quoted here, what a great Englishman he was, and what a +debt his unaware countrymen owe him; a debt which they could pay in the +way most grateful to him, by listening to his words. + +It may be remarked, by the way, that Rolle is not inclined to substitute +individualism for the authority of the Church; a change which has been +brought against some mystics. There is immense emphasis laid, all +through his writings, on the importance of conduct. The penetrating +analysis, in ch. vi, of _The Form of Perfect Living_, of the possible +sins humanity can commit on its journey through the wilderness of this +world, hardly leaves a corner of the heart unlighted; lets not one +possible shift, twist or excuse of the human conscience go free. But it +all has the Church as its immediate background; the Mystical _Body_, not +the individual soul in isolation, is everywhere taken for granted. Man +lives not to himself nor dies to himself, even though he be Richard +Rolle the hermit, or Margaret Kirkby the recluse, that is the plain +teaching of these plain-speaking pages. And all through them too is a +tough common sense, and an unusually alert power of observation; and +there is perhaps an element of that business capacity, which some of the +Saints and Mystics have shewn, in his inclusion among "sins of deed" of +"beginning a thing that is above our might"; for in that there is not +only pride, but a kind of stupid incapacity surely. + +It is quite possible that Rolle's tendency to repetition may tire any +one who reads him "straight on," as the phrase is. But it is doubtful +whether that be the best means of approach. If he be read in bits, he +will prove far more effective: and his ability to hit the right nail on +the head, and to hit it wonderfully hard, may occasionally bring his +words home to our immediate circumstances with an appositeness that may +be more than a coincidence. + +In the past, the learned and ignorant alike have been guilty of the +operation which may be described as cutting man up into parts: _i.e._, +they have been inclined to treat him now as if he were all intellect, +then as if he were all feeling; while to the will a kind of intermediate +part has generally been allotted, as if it were the handmaid instead of +the master of the other two. And there is still, in some quarters, a +tendency to relegate the will and the feelings to an inferior plane, if +indeed they be allowed any place at all. In other quarters, the +onslaught is made on intellect. Men are bidden to be humble, to become +as little children; as if there were any humility in thinking +incorrectly or not at all; as if the odd, though suppressed, assumption +that children have no intellects had any ground in fact. It is surely a +true apostrophe-- + + "GOD! Thou art mind! Unto the master-mind, + Mind should be precious." + +The Angelic Doctor himself paid a tribute to the importance and special +difficulties of intellect, and also to the necessity of uniting it with +will:--"the martyrs had greater merit in faith, not receding from the +faith for persecutions; and likewise men of learning have greater merit +of faith, not[1] receding from the faith for the reasons of philosophers +or heretics alleged against it." Richard Rolle, following on the same +lines as S. Thomas Aquinas, has nothing of this spirit of division: the +whole being is what he would fain see offered to GOD, whether it be so +by Margaret Kirkby, or by those who are "in the world," for whom _Our +Daily Work_ was written. In the image of GOD was man made, and therefore +GOD suffices for all the needs of man's nature: that, at least seems to +be the underlying idea when Rolle writes:--"GOD is light and burning. +Light clarifies our reason, burning kindles our will." May we not say +here too?--"What GOD has joined together, that let not man put asunder." + +Above all things, Rolle aims at a perfect balance, culminating in a +harmony ruled by one power, and that the greatest in the world, Love. +Real love, he asks; not the degraded things to which men give that great +name, as to every passing gust of feeling, to every unworthy untamed +emotion: but the divine quality, when to the "lastingness," which he +requires, is also joined that which is the inner essence of Love, viz., +sacrifice. "Love is a life," he writes, "joining together the loving and +the loved." And then he remembers the other great gift to men, +intellectual sincerity, which has inspired all "who follow Truth along +her star-paved way"; and he gives to that its place and due: "Truth may +be without love: but it cannot help without it." Even then, the whole +tale is not complete; the way of the Saints is not "Primrosed and hung +with shade." Love, with Rolle, is no easy sentimentality: it involves +definite sacrifice in more directions than one; it demands thought, +perseverance, supernatural strength, natural strenuousness; it is not a +selfish enjoyment of a circumambient atmosphere wrapping humanity, +without responsibility or effort of its own: "Love is a _Life_." + +"Love," he writes, "is a perfection of learning; virtue of prophecy; +fruit of truth; help of sacraments; establishing of wit and knowledge; +riches of pure men: life of dying men. So, how good love is. If we +suffer to be slain; if we give all that we have (down) to a beggar's +staff: if we know as much as men may know on earth, all this is naught +but ordained sorrow and torment." Then, with that sound sense, which is +not the least element in the sum of his attractiveness, he utters a +subtle warning against that all too common sin, judging one another: "If +thou wilt ask how good is he or she, ask how much he or she loves: and +that no man can tell. For I hold it folly to judge a man's heart, that +none knows save GOD." + +After this it cannot be necessary to say that Rolle is a true mystic. +"Many," so he tells us in this same chapter x., "Many speak and do good, +and love not GOD." But that will not suffice his exacting demands. A man +is not "good" until his interior disposition be all filled and taken up +with pure love of GOD. And as he analyses the Christian Character, there +is a pleasant blunt directness about this holy man:--"he that says he +loves GOD and will not do what is in him to shew love, tell him that he +lies." + +It is possible that the alarming list of sins of the heart, in chapter +vi., may give the heedless and even the heedful matter for grave +thought, as each one finds himself ejaculating with spontaneous +fear--"Who can tell how oft he offendeth? Cleanse thou me from my secret +faults." + +Surely no one need fear that the outcome of a study of Richard Rolle +will be effeminacy. Not that that indeed is the special temptation of +the English: a chill commonplace acquiescence in a convenient, if +baseless, hope that somehow "things will come all right," is far more +likely to lead them astray than any "burning yearning to GOD with a +wonderful delight and certainty." Is not George Herbert's cry apposite +still? + + "O England, full of sin, but most of sloth!" + +Nor can any one argue fairly that this absorption of the mystic is just +selfish idleness. It is, so it seems, as we read Rolle's injunctions, of +the nature of hard exacting toil. No doubt, there must be those who do +the material work of the world; who gain, among other things, those +"goods" which go to support the Mystics. But there will be no lack of +such workers, through the inroads of religion; the broad ways of daily +life are in no danger of contracting suddenly in to the path to the +strait gate. Moreover, natural life itself is a poor thing unsupported +by an unseen stream of spiritual refection. Here, as elsewhere in the +ordered economy of things, two forms of life are found to be +complementary. It is true, as Dr. Bigg once wrote:--"If Society is to be +permeated by religion, there must be reservoirs of religion like those +great storage places up among the hills which feed the pipes by which +water is carried to every home in the city. We shall need a special +class of students of GOD, men and women whose primary and absorbing +interest it is to work out the spiritual life in all its purity and +integrity."[2] It is indeed the idlest of criticism that condemns such +people as slothful or selfish. + +There is one charm in our own Mystics which we may miss in S. John of +the Cross or S. Teresa for example; viz., that with all their zeal, +there is also an amazing reality and simplicity down at the bottom of +it, which may seem to us not present in the rhapsodies of more southern +lovers; though in all probability such seeming is purely racial. +Nevertheless, we may be thankful if we find the antidote to our national +prosaic ways in the sane zeal of others of our nation. + +Lastly, as men read, they may be overcome perhaps by despair. This pure +untainted selflessness of which Richard Rolle writes almost glibly, how +can it be possible here and now? How can men and women, fixed in and +condemned to the dusty ways of common life, unable as they are to leave +the world even if they would, how can they so much as dream of such +unattainable heights? Is there no help for them in the often quoted +lines of a later English Mystic?-- + + "Who aimeth at the sky + Shoots higher much than he who means a tree." + +For plain men and women, the key to the problem may lie in the question +put by Robert Browning into the mouth of Innocent XII.:-- + + "Is this our ultimate stage, or starting place + To try man's foot, if it will creep or climb, + 'Mid obstacles in seeming, points that prove + Advantage for who vaults from low to high, + And makes the stumbling-block a stepping-stone?" + +Even though the goal be not reached, to have willed deliberately here +the first step may prove to have been not wholly unavailing. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[1] Quoted by Fr. Joseph Rickaby, S.J., in _Scholasticism_, p. 121. + +[2] _Wayside Sketches_, p. 135. + + + + +The Form of Perfect Living. + + + + +The Form of Perfect Living + +by + +Richard Rolle. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + + +In every sinful man and woman that is bound in deadly sin, are three +wretchednesses, the which bring them to the death of hell. The first is: +_Default of ghostly strength_. That they are so weak within their heart, +that they can neither stand against the temptations of the fiend, nor +can they lift their will to yearn for the love of GOD and follow +thereto. The second is: _Use of fleshly desires_:--for they have no will +nor might to stand, they fall into lusts and likings of this world; and +because they think them sweet, they dwell in them still, many till +their lives' end, and so they come to the third wretchedness. The third +is, _Exchanging a lasting good for a passing delight_: as who say they +give endless joy for a little joy of this life. If they will turn them +and rise to penance, GOD will ordain their dwelling with angels and with +holy men. But because they choose the vile sin of this world, and have +more delight in the filth of their flesh than in the fairness of heaven, +they lose both the world and heaven. For he that hath not JESUS Christ +loses all that he hath, and all that he is, and all that he might get. +For he is not worthy of life, nor to be fed with swine's-meat. All +creatures shall be stirred in His vengeance in the day of Doom. These +wretchednesses that I have told you of are not only in worldly men and +women, who use gluttony, lust, and other open sins: but they are also in +others who seem in penance and godly life. For the devil that is enemy +to all mankind, when he sees a man or a woman among a thousand, turn +wholly to GOD, and forsake all the vanities and riches that men who love +this world covet, and seek lasting joy, a thousand wiles he has in what +manner he may destroy them. And when he can not bring them into such +sins which might make all men wonder at them who knew them, he beguiles +many so privily that they cannot oftentimes feel the trap that has taken +them. + +Some he takes with _error_ that he puts them in. Some with _singular +wit_, when he makes them suppose that the thing that they say or do is +best; and therefore they will have no counsel of another who is better +and abler than they; and this is a foul stinking pride; for such man +would set his wit before all other. Some, the devil deceives through +_Vain-glory_, that is idle joy; when any have pride and delight in +themselves, of the penance that they suffer, of good deeds that they +do, of any virtue that they have; are glad when men praise them, sorry +when men blame them, have envy of them who are spoken better of than +they. They consider themselves so glorious, and so far surpassing the +life that other men lead, that they think that none should reprehend +them in anything that they do or say; and despise sinful men, and others +who will not do as they bid them. How mayst thou find a sinfuller wretch +than such a one? And so much the worse is he because he knows not that +he is evil, and is considered and honoured of men as wise and holy. Some +are deceived by _over-great lust and liking in meat and drink_, when +they pass measure and come into excess, and have delight therein; and +they know not that they sin, and therefore they amend them not, and so +they destroy virtues of soul. Some are destroyed with _over-great +abstinence_ of meat and drink and sleep. That is often temptation of +the devil, for to make them fall in the midst of their work, so that +they bring it to no ending as they should have done, had they known +reason and had discretion; and so they lose their merit for their +frowardness. This snare our enemy lays to take us with when we begin to +hate wickedness, and turn us to GOD. Then many begin a thing that they +can never more bring to an end: then they suppose that they can do +whatsoever their heart is set on. But oftentimes they fall or ever they +come midway; and that thing which they supposed was for them is +hindering to them. For we have a long way to heaven, and as many good +deeds as we do, as many prayers as we make, and as many good thoughts as +we think in truth and hope and charity, so many paces go we heavenwards. +Then, if we make us so weak and so feeble that we can neither work nor +pray as we should do, nor think, are we not greatly to blame that fail +when we had most need to be stalwart? And well I wot that it is not +GOD'S will that we so do. For the prophet says: "Lord, I shall keep my +strength to Thee," so that he might sustain GOD'S service till his +death-day, and not in a little and a short time waste it, and then lie +wailing and groaning by the wall. And it is much more peril than men +suppose. For S. Jerome says that he makes an offering of robbery who +outrageously torments his body by over-little meat or sleep. And S. +Bernard says: "Fasting and waking hinder not spiritual goods, but help, +if they be done with _discretion_; without that, they are vices." +Wherefore, it is not good to torture ourselves so much, and afterwards +to have displeasure at our deed. There have been many, and are who +suppose it is naught all that they do unless they be in so great +abstinence and fasting that all men speak of them who know them. But +oftentimes it befalls that the more outward joy or wondering they have +(on account) of the praising of men, the less joy they have within of +the love of GOD. By my judgment, they should please JESUS Christ much +more if they accepted for His sake--in thanking and praising Him, to +sustain their body in His service and to withhold themselves from great +speech of men--whatsoever GOD sent them in time and place, and gave +themselves since entirely to the love and the praising of that Lord +JESUS Christ: Who will stalwartly be loved, and lastingly be served, so +that their holiness were more seen in GOD'S eye than in man's. For all +the better thou art, and the less speech thou hast of men, the more is +thy joy before GOD. Ah! how great it is to be worthy of love, and to be +not loved. And what wretchedness it is, to have the name and the habit +of holiness, and be not so; but to cover pride, ire or envy under the +clothes of Christ's childhood. A foul thing it is to have liking and +delight in the words of men who can no more deem what we are in our soul +than they wot what we think. For ofttimes they say that he or she is in +the higher degree that is in the lower; and whom they say is in the +lower, is in the higher. Therefore I hold it to be but madness to be +gladder or sorrier whether they say good or ill. If we be trying to hide +us from speech and praise of this world, GOD will shew to us His praise, +and our joy. For that is His joy when we are strength-full to stand +against the privy and open temptation of the devil, and to seek nothing +but the honour and praise of Him, and that we might entirely praise Him. +And that ought to be our desire, our prayer and our intent, night and +day, that the fire of His love kindle our hearts, and the sweetness of +His grace be our comfort and our solace in weal and woe. Thou hast now +heard a part how the fiend deceives, with his subtle craft, unknowing +men and women. And if thou wilt do by good counsel and follow holy +teaching, as I hope that thou wilt, thou shall destroy his traps, and +burn in love's fire all the bands that he would bind thee with; and all +his malice shall turn thee to joy, and him to more sorrow. GOD suffers +him to tempt good men for their profit, that they may be the higher +crowned, when they, through His help, have overcome so cruel an enemy, +that oftentimes, both in body and soul, confounds many men. + +In three manners, the devil has power to be in a man. In one manner, +hurting the good they have by _nature_, as in dumb men, and in others, +staining their thoughts. In another manner, snatching away the good +that they have of _grace_: and so he is in sinful men whom he has +deceived through delight of the world and of their flesh, and leads them +with him to hell. In the third manner, he torments a man's body, as we +read that he has done (to) Job. But wit thee well, if he beguile thee +not within, thou needst not dread what he may do to thee without, for he +may do no more than GOD gives him leave to do. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + + +Because thou hast forsaken the solace and the joy of this world, and +taken thee to solitary life, for GOD'S sake to suffer tribulation and +anguish here, and afterwards to come to that bliss which never more +ceases, I trow truly that the comfort of JESUS Christ, and the sweetness +of His love, with the fire of the Holy Ghost, that purges all sin, shall +be in thee, and with thee, leading thee and teaching thee how thou shalt +think, how thou shalt pray, what thou shalt work, so that in a few years +thou shalt have more delight to be by thy lone, and to speak to thy Love +and thy Spouse JESUS Christ, Who is high in heaven, than if thou wert +lady here of a thousand worlds. Men suppose that we are in torture and +in penance great; but we have more joy and more very delight in a day +than they have in the world all their life. They see our body: but they +see not our heart where our solace is. If they saw that, many of them +would forsake all that they have, for to follow us. Therefore, be +comforted and stalwart, and dread no annoy or anguish: but fasten all +thine intent in JESUS, that thy life be good and convenient; and look +that there be nothing in thee that should be displeasing to Him that +thou dost not soon amend it. The state which thou art in, which is +solitude, is most able of all other to revelation of the Holy Ghost. For +when S. John was in the Isle of Patmos, then GOD shewed him His secrets. +The goodness of GOD it is that He comforts them wonderfully that have no +comfort of the world, if they give their heart entirely to Him, and +covet not nor seek but Him: then He gives Himself to them in sweetness +and delight, in burning of love, and in joy and melody and dwells aye +with them, in their soul, so that the comfort of Him departs never from +them. And if they any time begin to err, through ignorance or frailty; +soon He shews them the right way; and all that they have need of, He +teaches them. No man to such revelation and grace on the first day may +come; but through long travel and carefulness to love JESUS Christ, as +thou shall here-afterward. Nevertheless, then he suffers them to be +tempted in sore manners, both waking and sleeping. For aye the more +temptations and the grievouser they stand against and overcome, the more +they shall joy in His love when they are passed. Waking, they are +sometimes tempted with foul thoughts, vile lusts, wicked delights, with +pride, ire, envy, despair, presumption and other many. But their remedy +shall be: Prayer: Weeping: Fasting: Waking. These things, if they be +done with discretion, they put away sin and filth from the soul, and +make it clean to receive the love of JESUS Christ, Who may not be loved, +but in cleanness. Also, sometimes the fiend tempts men and women, who +are solitary, by their love in a quaint manner and a subtle: he +transfigures himself in the likeness of an angel of light, and appears +to them, and says he is one of GOD'S angels come to comfort them, and so +he deceives fools. But they that are wise and will not quickly trust to +all spirits, but ask counsel of knowing men, he can not beguile them. +Also, I find written of a recluse, that was a good woman, to whom the +ill-angel oft-times appeared in the form of a good angel, and said that +he was come to bring her to heaven. Wherefore, she was right glad and +joyful. But nevertheless, she told it to her Shrift-father, and he, as a +wise man and wary, gave her this counsel. When he comes, he said, bid +him that he shew thee our Lady, S. Mary. When he has done so, say _Ave +Maria_. She did so. The fiend said: "Thou hast no need to see her; my +presence suffices to thee." And she said by all means she would see her. +He saw that it behoved him either to do her will, or she would despise +him: so quickly, he brought forth the fairest woman that might be as to +her sight, and shewed to her. And she set her on her knees and said, +_Ave Maria_. And so quickly all vanished away, and for shame never after +came he to her. This I say not, because I hope he shall have leave to +tempt thee in this manner, but because I will that thou beware, if any +such temptation befall thee sleeping or waking, that thou trust not over +quickly till thou knowest the truth. More privily he transfigures +himself into an angel of light--that commonly all men are tempted +with--when he hides ill under the likeness of good. And that is in two +manners. One is, when he eggs us on to over-great ease and rest of body, +and softness to our flesh, for need to sustain our nature. For such +thoughts he puts in us: that unless we eat well, and drink well, and +sleep well, and lie soft and sit warm, we can not serve GOD, nor last in +the labour that we have begun. But he thinks to bring us to over-great +pleasure. Another is, when under the likeness of ghostly good, he +entices us to sharp and over-great penance, for to destroy ourselves; +and says thus: "Thou wot'st well that he who suffers most penance for +GOD'S love, he shall have most meed. Therefore eat little, and feeble +meat; and drink less, the thinnest drink is good enough to thee. Reck +not of sleep: wear the hair-shirt and the habergeon. All thing that is +affliction for thy flesh, do it; so that there may be none that can +pass thee in penance. He that speaks thee thus, is about to slay thee +with over-great abstinence; as he that said the other to slay thee with +over-little. Therefore, if we will be rightly disposed, it behoves us to +set ourselves in a good mean, and that we may destroy our vices and hold +our flesh under, and nevertheless that it should be stalwart in the +service of JESUS Christ. Also, our enemy will not suffer us to be in +rest when we sleep, but then he is about to beguile us in many manners. +Sometimes, with ugly images, for to make us afraid and to make us +hateful of our state: sometimes with fair images, fair sights and that +seem comfortable; for to make us glad in vain, and make us think we are +better than we are. Sometimes, tells us we are holy and good, for to +bring us into pride; [sometimes says we are wicked and sinful for to +make us fall into despair.] But He Who is Ordainer of all things, +suffers not that our sleep be without reward to us, if we dress our life +to His Will. And wit thou well, thou sinnest not sleeping, if waking +thou beest evermore without excess of meat and drink, and without +ill-thoughts. But many a one the devil has deceived, through dreams, +when he has made them set their heart on them. For he has shewn them +some truth, but afterwards beguiled them with one that was false. +Therefore says the wise man that many cares follow dreams; and they fell +that hoped in them. Wherefore that thou beest not beguiled with them, I +will that thou wit that _there are six manners of dreams_. Two are, that +no man, holy or other, may escape: they are, if their stomach be +over-empty or over-full; then many vanities, in sore manners, befall +them sleeping. The third is of illusions of our enemy. The fourth is, of +thought before and of illusions following. And the fifth through the +revelation of the Holy Ghost, that is done in many a manner. The sixth +is, of thoughts before that are due to Christ or Holy Church, revelation +coming after. In thus many manners, the image of dreams touches men when +they sleep. But so much the less shall we give faith to any dream, +because we can not wit which is truth, which is false; which is of our +enemy, which is of the Holy Ghost. For where many dreams are, there are +many vanities. And many they may make to err, for they set up unwise +men, and so deceive them. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + + +I know that thy life is given to the service of GOD. Then is it shame to +thee, unless thou beest as good, or better, within thy soul, as thou art +seeming in the sight of men. Turn therefore thy thoughts perfectly to +GOD, as it seems that thou hast done thy body. For I will not that thou +shouldest ween that all are holy that have the habit of holiness, and +are not occupied with the world. Nor that all are ill who discourse of +earthly business. But they only are holy, what state or degree they be +in, the which despise all earthly things, that is to say, love it not; +and burn in the love of JESUS Christ; and all their desires are set to +the joy of heaven, and hate all sin, and cease not from good works, and +feel a sweetness in their heart of the love without end: and +nevertheless, they think themselves vilest of all, and hold themselves +wretchedest, least and lowest. This is holy men's life; follow it and be +holy. And if thou wilt be in the Apostles' reward, think not what thou +forsookest, but what thou despisest. For they who follow JESUS Christ in +willing poverty, and in meekness, and in charity, and in patience, +forsake as much as they can covet who follow Him not. And consider with +how great and how good will thou presentest thy vows before Him: for on +that He has set His eyes, and if thou with great desire offerest thy +prayers, with great fervour desirest to see Him, and seekest no earthly +comfort, but the savour of Heaven, and in contemplation thereof hast thy +delight. Wonderfully JESUS works in His lovers, those whom he reaves +from the pleasure of flesh and blood through tender love. He makes them +to will no earthly thing, and makes them rise to the solace of Him, and +to forget vanities and fleshly loves of the world, and to dread no +sorrow that may fall: to diminish over-great bodily ease: to suffer for +His love, seems to them joy; and to be solitary they have great comfort: +so that they be not hindered of that devotion. Now mayst thou see that +many are worse than they seem, and many are better than they seem, and +namely among those that have the habit of holiness. Therefore force +thyself, in all that thou mayest, that thou mayest be no worse than thou +seemest. And if thou wilt do as I teach thee in this short form of +living, I hope, through the grace of GOD, that if men hold thee to be +good, thou shalt be well better. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + +At the beginning then, bow thee entirely to thy Lord JESUS Christ. That +turning to JESUS is naught else but turning from all the covetousness +and the liking and the occupations and business of worldly things and of +fleshly lust and of vain love: so that thy thought, that was ever +downward, burrowing in the earth, whilst thou wert in the world, now +should be aye upward like fire; seeking the highest place in heaven, +right to thy Spouse, where He sits in His bliss. To Him thou art turned, +when His grace illumines thine heart; and forsakes all vices, and +conforms it to virtues and good manners, and to all manner of compliance +and debonairness. And that thou mayst last and grow in the goodness +that thou hast begun without slowness, and sorriness, and irking of thy +life; four things shalt thou have in thy thought, till thou beest in +perfect love. For when thou art come thereto, thy joy and desire will +aye be burning in Christ. One is: _the measure of thy life here, that it +is so short that scarcely is it anything_. For we live but in a +point--that is the least thing that may be. And soothly, our life is +less than a point, if we liken it to the life that lasts aye. Another +is: _uncertainty of our ending_. For we wot never when we shall die, nor +where we shall die, nor how we shall die, nor whither we shall go when +we are dead; and that GOD wills that this be uncertain to us, for He +wills that we be aye ready to die. The third is: _that we shall answer +before the righteous Judge_, for all the time that we have been here, +how we have lived, what our occupation has been and why, and what good +we might have done when we have been idle. Therefore said the prophet: +"He has called thee times again," that is every day He has lent us here +for to spend in good use, and in penance, and in GOD'S service. If we +waste it in earthly love and in vanities, full grievously must we be +condemned and punished; for that is one of the greatest sorrows that may +be: unless we try manfully in the love of GOD, and do good to all that +we may, while our short time lasts. And every time that we think not on +God we may count it as the thing that we have lost. The fourth is: _that +we think how great the joy is that they have who last in GOD'S love to +their ending_. For they shall be brethren and fellows with angels and +holy men, loving and thanking, praising and seeing the King of Joy in +the beauty and in the shining of His majesty. The which sight shall be +reward and food, and all delights that any creature may think, and more +than any can tell, to all His lovers, without end. It is much easier to +come to that bliss than to describe it. _Also think what pain and what +sorrow and tormenting they shall have_ who love not GOD above all things +that one sees in this world, but defile their body in the pleasures and +lusts of this life, in pride and greed and other sins; they shall burn +in the fire of hell with the devil whom they served, as long as GOD is +in heaven with His servants, that is evermore. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + + +I will that thou beest aye climbing to JESUS-ward, and increasing thy +love and thy service to Him; not as fools do; they begin in the highest +degree and come down to the lowest. I say not that if thou hast begun +unreasonable abstinence that thou hold it; but for many who were burning +at the beginning and able to (capable of) the love of JESUS Christ, +through over-great penance they have hindered themselves, and made +themselves so feeble that they cannot love GOD as they should. In the +which love that thou mayest wax aye more and more is my coveting and my +admonition. I consider thee never of the less merit if thou beest not +in so great abstinence; but if thou set all thy thought how thou mayest +love thy Spouse JESUS Christ more than thou hast done, then dare I say +that thy reward is waxing not waning. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + + +Wherefore, that thou may'st be rightly disposed both for thy soul and +thy body, thou shalt understand four things. The first thing is: _what +thing defiles a man_. The second thing: _what makes him clean_. The +third: _what holds him in cleanness_. The fourth: _what thing draws him +for to ordain his will entirely at GOD'S will_. For the first, wit thou +that we sin in three things that make us foul: that is with _heart_ and +_mouth_ and _deed_. The sins of the heart are these: Ill-thought: ill +delight: assent to sin: desire of ill; wicked will: ill suspicion: +undevotion: if thou lettest thine heart any time be idle, without +occupation of the love, of the praising of GOD: ill dread: ill love: +error: fleshly affection to thy friends or to other that thou lovest: +joy in any man's ill-faring, whether they be enemy or none: contempt of +poor or sinful men: to honour rich men for their riches: unsuitable joy +in any world's vanity: sorrow of the world: impatience: perplexity, that +is doubt what to do and what not, for every man ought to be secure +(about) what he shall do and what he shall leave: obstinacy in ill: +annoyance (at having) to do good: sorrow that he did no more ill, or +that he did not have that pleasure or that will of his flesh which he +might have done: unstableness of thought: pain at penance: hypocrisy: +love to please men: dread to displease them: shame of good deed: joy of +ill deed: singular wit: desire for honour or dignity, or to be holden +better than another, or richer, or fairer, or more to be dreaded: vain +glory of any good of nature, of happening, or of grace: shame of poor +friends: pride of rich or of gentle kin, for all we alike are free +before GOD'S face, unless our deeds make any better or worse than +another, in spite of good counsel and of good teaching. _The sins of the +mouth_ are these: to swear oftentimes: forswearing: slander of Christ or +of any of His Saints; to name His name without reverence; gainsaying and +strife against truthfulness; murmuring against GOD for any anguish or +trouble or tribulation that may befall on earth: to say GOD'S Service +undevoutly and without reverence: backbiting; flattering: lying: +abusing: cursing: defaming: quarrelling: threatening: sowing of discord: +treason: false-witness: ill counsel: scorn: unbuxomness in speech: to +turn good deeds to ill: to make them be holden ill who do them: (we +ought to wrap up our neighbours' deeds in the best not the worst); +exciting any man to ire: reprehending in another what one does one's +self: vain speech: much speech: foul speech: to speak idle words: or to +speak words not needful: praising: polishing of words: defending sin: +shouting with laughter: making grimaces at any man: to sing secular +songs and to love them: to praise ill-deeds: to sing more for the glory +of men than of GOD. _The sins of deed are these_: gluttony: lechery: +drunkenness: simony: witch-craft: breaking of the holy-days: sacrilege: +to receive GOD'S Body in deadly sin: breaking of vows: apostacy: +dissipation in GOD'S service: to set example of ill deeds: to hurt any +man in his body, or in his goods, or in his fame: theft: rapine: usury: +deceit: selling of righteousness: to hearken ill: to give to harlots: to +withhold necessaries from the body, or to give it to excess: to begin a +thing that is above our might: custom to sin: falling often into sin: +feigning of more good than we have: for to seem holier, more learned +and wiser than we are: to hold office that we do not suffice to: or to +hold one that cannot be held without sin: to lead dances: to bring up +new fashions: to be rebellious against one's Sovereign: to insult those +who are less: to sin in sight, in hearing, in smelling, in touching, in +handling, in swallowing: in means: in signs: in beggings: writings. To +receive the circumstances, that is to say time, place, manner, number, +person, dwelling, knowledge, age, that makes thee sin more or less. To +desire a sin or to be tempted: to constrain one to sin. Other many sins +there are _of omission_, that is, of leaving good undone: when men leave +the good they should do. Not thinking about GOD, nor dreading, nor +praising Him, nor thanking Him for His gifts: to do not all that one +does for love of GOD: to sorrow not for one's sins as one should do: not +to dispose one's self to receive grace. And if one have taken grace, +not to use it as one ought; not to keep it: to turn not to the +inspiration of GOD: to conform not one's will to GOD'S will: to give not +attention to one's prayers, but mutter on and never reck save that they +be said; to do negligently what one was bound by vow to do, or by +command, or else enjoined in penance: to draw out at length what should +be done soon: having no joy at one's neighbour's profit as at one's own; +not sorrowing at his ill-faring: standing not against temptations: +forgiving not those who have done one harm: keeping not faith with one's +neighbour as one would that he did to one's self: and yielding not a +good deed for another if one can. Amending not those sins before one's +eyes: not appeasing strifes: not teaching them that are unlearned: not +comforting them that are in sorrow, or in sickness, or in poverty, or +in penance, or in prison. These sins, and many others make men foul. +_The things that cleanse us of that filth_, are three, against these +three manners of sins. The first is: _sorrow of heart_ against the sin +of thought: and that it behoves (thee to) be so perfect that thou beest +in full will never to sin more. And that thou mayest have sorrow for all +thy sins. And that all joy and solace, except of GOD and in GOD, be put +out of thine heart. The second is: _shrift of mouth_; against the sin of +mouth. And that shall be _hasty_, without delaying. _Naked_, without +excusing. Whole, without parting. Also (not) for to tell one sin to one +priest and another to another. Say all that thou wottest to one, or else +thy shrift is not worth. The Third is, _Satisfaction_; that has three +parts, Fasting, Prayer, and Alms-Deed. Not only to give poor men meat +and drink: but to forgive them that do thee wrong and pray for them: +and inform them who are at the point to perish what they shall do. For +the third thing, thou shalt wit that cleanness behoves to be kept in +heart, in mouth and in work. _Cleanness of heart_, three things keep: +one is, watchful thought and stable about GOD. Another is, care to keep +thy five wits, so that all the wicked stirrings of them be closed out of +the flesh. The third, honest and profitable occupation. Also, _cleanness +of mouth_, three things keep: one is that thou should'st bethink thee +before thou speakest. Another is that thou beest not of great but of +little speech; and specially ever till thine heart be established in the +love of JESUS Christ: so that men think thou ever lookest on Him, +whether thou speakest or not. But such a grace may'st thou not have on +the first day: but with long travel and great care to love Him from +habit, so that the eye of thine heart be aye upward, shalt thou come +thereto. The third, that thou for nothing, not even for meekness, shalt +lie to any man. For every lie is sin and ill: and not GOD'S will. Thou +needest not tell all the truth always, unless thou willest. But hate all +lies. If thou sayest a thing of thyself that seems to thy praise, but +thou sayst it to the praise of GOD and help of another, thou dost not +unwisely for thou speakest truth. But if thou will have aught private, +tell it to none but such a one that thou beest secure that it should not +be shewed (disclosed) but only to the praise of GOD, of whom is all +goodness, and who makes some better than others, and gives them special +grace, not only for themselves, but also for them that will do well +after their example. _Cleanness of work_, three things keep. One is: _a +careful thought of death_: for the wise man says; "Bethink thee of thy +last ending, and thou shalt not sin." The second: _flee from ill +fellowship_, that gives more example to love the world than GOD, earth +than heaven, filth of body than cleanness of soul. The third is: +_temperance and discretion in meat and drink_: that it be neither to +excess, nor beneath suitable sustenance for thy body. For both come to +one end: excess and over-great fasting: for neither is GOD'S will--and +that many will not suppose, for anything one may say. If you take +sustenance of such good as GOD sends for the time and the day, whatever +it be, I take out no manner of meat that Christian men use; with measure +and discretion, thou dost well; for so did Christ and His Apostles. If +you leave many meats that men have, not despising the meat that GOD has +made for man's help, but because thou thinkest thou hast no need +thereof, thou dost well: if thou seest that thou art stalwart to serve +GOD, and that it breaks not thy stomach. For if thou hast broken it with +over-great abstinence, appetite for meat is reft from thee: and often +shalt thou be in tremblings, as if thou wert ready to give up the ghost. +And wit thou well, thou didst sin that deed. And thou may'st not wit +soon whether thine abstinence be against thee, or with thee. For the +time thou art going, I counsel thee that thou should'st eat better and +more, as it comes, that thou beest not beguiled. And afterward, when +thou hast proved many things, and overcome many temptations, and knowest +better thyself and GOD than thou didst, then if thou seest that it be to +be done, thou mayst take to greater abstinence. And meanwhile thou mayst +do privy penance which all men need not know. Righteousness is not all +in fasting or in eating. But thou art righteous, if contempt and praise, +poverty and riches, hunger and need or delights and dainties be all +alike to thee. If thou takest these with love of GOD, I hold thee +blessed and high before JESUS. Men who come to thee, they love thee +because they see thy great abstinence, and because they see thee +enclosed: but I may not love thee so lightly for anything I see thee do +without, but if thy will be conformed entirely to GOD'S will. And set +not by their praise and blame, and never give thou heed if they speak +less good of thee than they did; but that thou shouldest be more burning +in GOD'S love than thou wert. For one thing I warn thee: I hope that GOD +has no perfect servant in earth without enemies of some men--For only +wretchedness has no enemy. _For to draw us that we conform our will to +GOD'S will_: are three things. One is, example of holy men and women, +who were intent, night and day, to serve GOD, and dread Him and love +Him. If we follow them on earth, we must be with them in heaven. Another +is the goodness of our Lord, which despises none, but gladly receives +all that come to His mercy: and He is homelier to them than brother or +sister, or any friend that they most love, or most trust in. The third +is the wonderful joy of the kingdom of heaven, which is more than tongue +may tell, or heart may think, or eye may see, or ear may hear. It is so +great that, as in hell nothing might live for great pain but that the +might of GOD suffers them not to die; so the joy in the sight of JESUS +in His GOD-head is so great that they must die of joy, if it were not +for His goodness, who wills that His lovers should be living aye in +bliss: also His righteousness wills that all who loved Him not, be aye +living in fire, which is horrible to any man that thinks: look then what +it is to feel. But they who will not think of it and dread it now, they +shall suffer it evermore. Now hast thou heard how thou mayst dispose thy +life, and rule it to GOD'S will. But I wot well that thou desirest to +hear some special point of the love of JESUS Christ, and of +contemplative life, which thou hast taken to thee in all men's sight. +(According) As I have grace and knowledge, I will teach thee. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + + +Amore langueo. These two words are written in the Book of Love, that is +called the Song of Love, or the Song of Songs. For he that loves +greatly, lists often to sing of his love, for joy that he or she has +when they think on that they love, specially if their love be true and +loving. And this is the English of these two words: "I languish for +love." Separate men on earth have separate gifts and graces of GOD, but +the special gift of those who lead the solitary life, is for to love +JESUS Christ. Thou sayest to me, 'All men love Him who keep His +commandments.' That is Truth. But all men who keep His bidding keep not +also His Counsel. And all that do His Counsel are not all fulfilled by +the sweetness of His love, nor feel the fire of burning love of heart. +Therefore, the diversity of love makes the diversity of holiness and of +need. In heaven, the angels who are most burning in love, are nearest to +GOD. Also, men and women that have most of GOD'S love, whether they do +penance or none; they shall be in the highest degree in heaven: they who +love Him less, in the lower order. If thou lovest Him much, great joy +and sweetness and burning thou feelest in His love, that is thy comfort +and strength night and day. If thy love be not burning in Him: little is +thy delight. For Him may no man feel in joy and sweetness, unless they +be clean and filled with His love; and thereto shalt thou come with +great travail in prayer and thanking, having such meditations as are all +on the love and the praising of GOD. And when thou art at thy meal, ever +love GOD in thy thought, at each moment, and say thus in thine heart: +_Loved be Thou, King: and thanked be Thou, King, and blessed be Thou, +King, JESU all my joying, of all Thy good gifts: Who for me spilt Thy +blood, and died on the rood. Do Thou give me grace to sing the song of +Thy praise._ And think it not only whiles thou eatest, but both before +and after, and ever when thou prayest or speakest. Or if thou hast other +thoughts, that thou hast more sweetness in and devotion than in those +that I teach thee, thou may'st think them. For I hope that GOD will put +such thoughts in thine heart, as He is pleased with, and as thou art +ordained for. When thou prayest, look not how much thou sayest, but how +well: that the love of thine heart be aye upward, and thy thought on +what thou sayst as much as thou canst. If thou beest in prayers and +meditations all the day, I wot well that thou must wax greatly in the +love of JESUS Christ, and feel much of delight, and within short time. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + + +Three degrees of love I shall tell thee, for I would that thou mightest +win to the highest. The first degree is called _Insuperable_. The second +_Inseparable_. The third is, _Singular_. Thy love is Insuperable, when +nothing that is contrary to GOD'S love overcomes it: but it is stalwart +against all temptations; and stable, whether thou beest in ease or in +anguish, or in health or in sickness: so that men think that thou +wouldest not, even to have all the world without end, make GOD angry at +any time: and thou wert liefer, if so it should be, to suffer all the +pain and woe that might come to any creature, before thou wouldst do the +thing that should displease Him. In this manner shall thy love be +Insuperable that nothing can bring it down, but it may aye spring on +high. Blessed is he or she who is in this degree: but yet are they +blesseder who might hold to this degree and turn to the other, that is +to _Inseparable_. _Inseparable_ is thy love, when all thine heart, and +thy thought, and thy might is so wholly, so entirely and so perfectly +fastened, set and established in JESUS Christ, that thy thought comes +never from Him, never departs from Him, sleeping excepted: and as soon +as thou awakest, thine heart is on Him, saying _Ave Maria_, or _Gloria +Tibi, Domine_, or _Pater Noster_, or _Miserere mei, DEUS_, if thou hast +been tempted in thy sleep; or thinking on His love and His praise as +thou didst waking. When thou canst at no time forget Him, waking or +sleeping, whatso thou dost or sayst, then is thy love _Inseparable_. +Full great grace have they that be in this degree of love. And methinks +that thou, who hast nothing else to do but for to love GOD, mayst come +thereunto if any may get it. + +The third degree is highest and most wondrous to win. That is called +_Singular_, for it has no peer. _Singular_ love is when all comfort and +solace is closed out of thine heart, but of JESUS Christ alone. Other +joy it delights not in. For the sweetness of Him in this degree is so +comforting, and lasting in His love, so burning and gladdening, that he +or she who is in this degree can as well feel the fire of love burning +in their soul, as thou canst feel thy finger burn if thou puttest it in +the fire. But that fire, if it be hot, is so delectable and so +wonderful, that I cannot tell it. Then, thy soul is loving JESUS, +thinking of JESUS, desiring JESUS; in covetousness of Him breathing; to +Him singing: of Him burning; in Him resting. Then the song of praise and +of love has come. Then, thy thought turns into song and into melody. +Then it behoves thee to sing the psalms which before thou said'st. Then +must thou be long over a few psalms. Then, thou wilt think death sweeter +than honey, for then thou art full of sighs to see Him whom thou lovest. +[Then mayst thou boldly say "I languish for love."] Then mayst thou say +"I sleep, and my heart wakes." + +In the first degree, men may say "I languish for love," or "I long in +love." And in the second degree also: for languishing is when men fail +for sickness, and they who are in these two degrees fail from all the +covetousness of this world, and from lust and liking of sinful life, and +set their will and their heart to the love of GOD--therefore they may +say "I languish for love," and much more that are in the second degree +than in the first. But the soul that is in the third degree is all +burning fire, and like the nightingale that loves song and melody, and +fails for great love: so that the soul is only comforted in praising and +loving GOD; and till Death come, is singing ghostly to JESUS, and in +JESUS, and JESUS; not crying bodily with the mouth--of that manner of +singing I speak not, for both good and evil have that song. And this +manner of song have none unless they be in this third degree of love: to +the which degree it is impossible to come, but in a great multitude of +love. Therefore, if thou wilt wot what kind of joy that song has, I tell +thee, that no man wots, save he or she who feels it, who has it, and who +loves GOD singing therewith. One thing tell I thee, it is of heaven, and +GOD gives it to whom He will, but not without great grace coming before. +Who has it, he thinks all the song and all the minstrelsy of earth +naught but sorrow and woe (compared) thereto. In sovereign rest shall +they be who get it. Wanderers and brawlers, and keepers of comers and +goers early and late night and day, or any who are seized with any sin +witfully and willingly, or who have delight in any earthly thing, they +are also farther therefrom than heaven is from earth. In the first +degree, are many: in the second degree are full few; but in the third +degree are scarcely any: for aye the greater is the perfection the fewer +followers it has. In the first degree, men are likened to the stars, in +the second to the moon, in the third to the sun. Therefore says S. Paul: +"Others of the sun, others of the moon, others of the stars," so it is +of the lovers of GOD. In this third degree, if thou mayst win thereto, +thou shalt know of more joy than I have told thee yet. And among other +affections and songs, thou mayst, in thy longing, sing this in thine +heart to thy Lord JESUS, when thou dost covet His coming and thy going: +"_When wilt Thou come to comfort me: and bring me out of care, and give +me Thee, Whom I may see, having evermore? My heart when shall it burst? +for love then languished I no more. For love my thought has fast, and I +am fain to fare away. I stand still mourning for the loveliest of lore; +...[3] is love-longing; it draws me to my day; The brand of sweet +burning for it holds me aye: From place and from playing: till I may get +sight of my sweet One, Who never wends away. In wealth be our waking, +without hurt or night. My love is everlasting, and longs unto that +sight._" + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + + +If thou wilt be well with GOD, and have grace to rule thy life, and come +to the joy of love: this name JESUS, fasten it so fast in thy heart that +it come never out of thy thought. And when thou speakest to Him, and +through custom sayst, JESUS, it shall be in thine ear, joy; in thy +mouth, honey; and in thine heart, melody: for men shall think joy to +hear that name be named, sweetness to speak it, mirth and song to think +it. If thou thinkest (on) JESUS continually, and holdest it firmly, it +purges thy sin, and kindles thine heart; it clarifies thy soul, it +removes anger and does away slowness. It wounds in love and fulfils +charity. It chases the devil, and puts out dread. It opens heaven, and +makes a contemplative man. Have JESUS in mind, for that puts all vices +and phantoms out from the lover. And often hail Mary, both day and +night. Much love and joy shalt thou feel, if thou wilt do after this +teaching. Thou need'st not covet greatly many books: hold love in thine +heart and work, and thou hast all that we can say or write: for fulness +of the law is charity: on that hangs everything. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + + +But now, thou mayst ask me and say, "Thou speakest so much of love; tell +me--_What is love, and where is love. And how I shall love GOD verily. +And how that I may know that I love Him. And in what state I may most +love Him._" These are hard questions to teach, to a feeble man and +fleshly as I am. But nevertheless therefore, I shall not delay that I +shall not shew my wit, and as I think it may be. For I hope in the help +of JESUS, who is the well of love and peace and sweetness. Thy first +asking is: _What is love?_ And I answer: Love is a burning yearning +after GOD, with a wonderful delight and certainty. GOD is light and +burning. Light clarifies our reason; burning kindles our will, that we +desire naught but Him. Love is a life, joining together the loving and +the loved. For meekness makes us sweet to GOD. Purity joins us to GOD. +Love makes us one with GOD. Love is the beauty of all virtues. Love is +the thing through which GOD loves us, and we Him, and each one of us +loves others. Love is the desire of the heart, aye thinking on that it +loves; and when it has that it loves, then it joys and nothing can make +it sorry. (Love is yearning between two, with lastingness of thoughts.) +Love is a stirring of the soul for to love GOD for Himself, and all +other things for GOD; the which love, when it is ordained in GOD, it +does away all inordinate love in anything that is not good. But all +deadly sin is inordinate love for a thing that is naught: then love puts +out all deadly sin. Love is a virtue which is the rightest affection of +man's soul. Truth may be without love: but it cannot help without it. +Love is a perfection of learning, virtue of prophecy, fruit of truth, +help of sacraments, establishing of wit and knowledge; riches of pure +men; life of dying men. So, how good love is. If we suffer to be slain; +if we give all that we have, (down) to a beggar's staff; if we know as +much as men may know on earth, all this is naught but ordained sorrow +and torment. If thou wilt ask how good is he or she, ask how much he or +she loves; and that no man can tell. For I hold it folly to judge a +man's heart; that none knows save GOD. Love is a righteous turning from +all earthly things, and is joined to GOD, without departing, and kindled +with the fire of the Holy Ghost: far from defiling, far from corruption, +bound to no vice of this life. High above all fleshly lusts, aye ready +and greedy for the contemplation of GOD. In all things not overcome. +The sum of all good affections. Health of good manners; goal of the +commandments of GOD; death of sins; life of virtues. Virtue whilst +fighting lasts, crown of over-comers. Mirth[4] to holy thoughts. Without +that, no man may please GOD; with that, no man sins. For if we love GOD +in all our heart, there is nothing in us through which we serve sin. +Very love cleanses the soul, and delivers it from the pain of hell, and +from the foul service of sin, and from the ugly fellowship of the +devils; and (out) of the fiend's son, makes GOD'S son, and partner of +the heritage of heaven. We shall force ourselves to clothe us in love, +as iron or coal does in the fire, as the air does in the sun, as the +wool does in the dye. The coal so clothes itself in fire that it is +fire. The air so clothes itself in the sun that it is light. And the +wool so substantially takes the dye that it is like it. In this manner +shall a true lover of JESUS Christ do: his heart shall so burn in love, +that it shall be turned into the fire of love, and be as it were all +fire; and he shall so shine in virtues that no part of him shall be +murky in vices. + +The second asking is: _Where is love?_ And the answer: love is in thine +heart, and in the will of man; not in his hand, nor in his mouth: that +is to say, not in his work, but in his soul, "For many speak good and do +good, and love not GOD: as hypocrites, who suffer great penance, and +seem holy in man's sight. But because they seek praise and honour of +men, and favour, they have lost their meed: and in the sight of GOD, +they are devil's sons, and ravishing wolves. But if a man give +alms-deed, and take him to poverty and do penance, it is a sign that he +loves GOD: but therefore loves he Him not, save when he forsakes the +world only for GOD'S love, and sets all his thought on GOD, and loves +all men as himself: and all the good deeds that he may do, he does them +with intent to please JESUS Christ, and to come to the rest of heaven. +Then he loves GOD: and that love is in his soul, and so his deeds shew +without. If thou speakest good and doest good, men suppose that thou +lovest good: therefore look well that thy thought be in God, or else +thou deceivest thyself, and deceivest men. Nothing that I do without +(outside) proves that I love GOD. + +For a wicked man might do as much penance in body, as much waking and +fasting as I do. How may I then ween that I love, or hold myself better, +on account of that which any man may do? Certainly, my heart, whether it +loves my GOD or not, wots no one but GOD, for nought that they may see +me do. Wherefore, love is in will verily, not in work, but in a sign of +love. For he that says he loves GOD, and will not do what is in him to +shew love, tell him that he lies. Love will not be idle, it is working +some good evermore. If it cease working, wit thou that it cools and goes +away. + +The third asking is: _How shall I verily love GOD_? I answer; Very love +is to love Him with all thy might, stalwartly: in all thine heart, +wisely: in all thy soul, devoutly and sweetly. Stalwartly can no man +love Him save he be stalwart. He is stalwart, who is meek; for all +ghostly strength comes of meekness;--on whom rests the Holy Ghost? in a +meek soul. Meekness governs us and keeps us in all our temptations, so +that they overcome us not. But the devil deceives many that are meek, +through tribulations, and reproofs, and back-bitings*. But if thou beest +wroth for any anguish of this world, or for any word that men say of +thee, or for aught that men say to thee, thou art not meek, nor mayst +thou love GOD stalwartly. For love is stalwart as death, which slays +every living thing on earth, and hard as hell that spares not them that +are dead. And he who loves GOD perfectly grieves Him not, whatever shame +or anguish he may suffer; but he has delight and covets that he might be +worthy for to suffer torment and pain for Christ's love: and he has joy +that men reprove him and speak ill of him. Like a dead man, what so men +do or say, he answers not. Right-so, whoso loves GOD perfectly, they are +not stirred for any word that man may say. For he or she cannot love, +that cannot suffer pain or anger for their friend's love. For whoso +loves, they have no pain. Proud men or women love not stalwartly, for +they are so weak, and they fall at every stirring of the wind that is +temptation. They seek a higher place than Christ; for they will have +their will done, whether it be with right or with wrong: and Christ +wills that nothing but well be done, and without harm to other men. But +who is verily meek, they will not have their will in this world, but +that they may have it in the other fully. In nothing may men sooner +overcome the devil than in Meekness, which he much hates. For he may +wake, and fast and suffer pain more than any other creature may: but +meekness and love may he not have. Also, it behoves thee to love GOD +wisely, and that thou canst not do save thou beest wise. Thou art wise, +when thou art poor without desire of this world, and despisest thyself +for love of Christ: and expendest all thy wit and all thy might in His +service. For some who seem wise are most fools, for all their wisdom +they spill in covetousness and care about the world. If thou sawest a +man have precious stones wherewith he might buy a kingdom, if he gave +them for an apple, as a child will do, rightly mightest thou say that he +was not wise but a great fool. Just so, if we will, we have precious +stones: Poverty and penance and ghostly travail, with the which we may +buy the kingdom of heaven. For, if thou lovest poverty and despisest +riches and delights of this world, and holdest thyself vile and poor, +and thinkest thou hast naught of thyself save sin: for this poverty, +thou shalt have riches without end. And if thou hast _sorrow for thy +sins_, and because thou art so long in exile out of thy country, and +forsakest the solace of this life: thou shalt have for this sorrow the +joy of heaven. And if thou beest _in travail_, and punishest thy body +reasonably and wisely, by wakings, fastings, and in prayers and +meditations, and sufferest heat and cold, hunger and thirst, privation +and anguish for the love of JESUS Christ; for this travail thou shalt +come to rest that lasts aye, and sit on a settle of joy with angels. But +some there are who love not wisely, like children who love an apple, +more than a castle. So do many; they give the joy of heaven for a little +delight of their flesh, that is not worth a plum. Now canst thou see, +that whoso will love wisely, it behoves him to love lasting things, +lastingly; and passing things, passingly; so that his heart be settled +and fastened on nothing but GOD. And if thou wilt love JESUS verily, +thou shalt not only love Him stalwartly and wisely, but also _devoutly +and sweetly_. Sweet love is when thy body is chaste and thy thought +clean. Devout love is; when thou offerest thy prayers and thy thoughts +to GOD with ghostly joy, and burning heart in the heat of the Holy +Ghost; so that men think that thy soul is as it were drunken for +delight and solace of the sweetness of JESUS; and thy heart conceivest +so much of GOD'S help that men think thou mayst never be departed from +Him: and then thou comest into such rest and peace in soul, and quiet, +without thoughts of vanity, (or) of vices, as if thou wert in silence +and sleep, and set in Noe's ship, so that nothing may hinder thee from +devotion and sweet love. For thou hast gotten His love: all thy life, +until death come, in joy and comfort: and thou art verily Christ's +lover: and he rests in peace whose place is made in peace. + +The fourth asking was: _how thou mightest know that thou wast in love +and charity_. I answer: that no man wots on earth that they are in +charity; save it be through any privilege or special grace that GOD has +given to any man or woman: that all others may not take example by. Holy +men and women trow that they have truth and hope and charity: and in +that do as well as they may, and hope certainly that they shall be safe; +they wot it not so quickly; for if they wish, their merit were the less. +And Solomon says it is so with righteous men and wise men, and that +their works are in GOD'S hand. And nevertheless, a man wots not whether +he be worthy hatred or love; but all is reserved uncertain for another +world. Nevertheless, if any had grace that he might win to the third +degree of love, which is called _Singular_, he should know that he was +in love. But in such manner were the knowing, that he might never bear +himself the higher, nor be in less care to love GOD; but so much the +more that he is secure of love, will he be busy to love Him and dread +Him, Who has made him so, and done that goodness to Him; and he that is +so high, he will not hold himself worthier than the sinfullest man that +goes on earth. Also seven experiments are there, that a man be in +charity. The first is; when all covetousness of earthly things is +quenched in him. For whereso covetousness is, is no love of Christ. +Then, if he have no covetousness, sign is that he has love. The second +is, burning yearning for heaven. For when men have felt aught of that +savour, the more they love, the more they covet: and he that has not +felt, he desires not. Therefore, when anyone is given so much, till he +love thereof (so) that he can find no joy in his life: token has he that +he is in charity. The third is; if his tongue be changed, that was wont +to speak of earth; now speaks of GOD, and of the life that lasts aye. +The fourth is: exercise of ghostly profit. As if any man or woman give +themselves entirely to GOD'S services, and meddle with no earthly +business. The fifth is: when the thing that is hard of itself seems +light for to do; the which love makes. For as Austin says: "Love it is +which brings the far thing near-to-hand, and the impossible to the +openly possible." The sixth is: hardness of thought to suffer all +anguish and hurt that comes--without this, all the other suffices not. +For whatso befalls him shall not make a righteous man sorry. For he who +is righteous, hates naught but sin; he loves naught but GOD, before GOD: +he dreads naught but to anger GOD. The seventh is: delectability in +soul, when he is in tribulation, and makes praise to GOD in the anger +that he suffers. And this shews well that he loves GOD, when no sorrow +can bring him down. For many love GOD while they are at ease; and in +adversity they grumble, and fall into so great sorriness, that scarcely +may any man comfort them: and so slander they GOD, striving and fighting +against His judgments. And that is caitiff praise that any wealth of the +world makes: but that praise is of great price that no violence of +sorrow can do away. + +The fifth asking was: _In what state men may most love GOD?_ I answer, +in such state as it be that men are in most rest of body and soul, and +least occupied with any needs or business of this world. For the thought +of the love of JESUS Christ, and of the joy that lasts aye, seeks +outward rest, so that it be not hindered by comers and goers, and +occupation of worldly things; and it seeks within great silence from the +annoyances of desires, and of vanities, and of earthly thoughts. And +especially, all who love contemplative life they seek rest in body and +soul. For a great Doctor says: "They are GOD'S throne who dwell still in +one place, and are not running about, but in sweetness of Christ's love +are fixed." And I have loved for to sit: for no penance, nor fantasy, +nor that I wished men to talk of me, nor for no such thing: but only +because I knew that I loved GOD more, and longer lasted within the +comfort of love: than going, or standing, or kneeling. For sitting am I +in most rest, and my heart most upward. But therefore, peradventure, it +is not best that another should sit, as I did and will do to my death, +save he were disposed in his soul, as I was. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + + +Seven gifts of the Holy Ghost are in men and women who are ordained to +the joy of heaven and lead their life in this world righteously. These +they are: _Wisdom: Understanding: Counsel: Strength: Knowledge: Pity_ +and the _Fear of GOD_. Begin we at _Counsel_, for thereof is most need +at the beginning of our works, which we dislike not afterwards. With +these seven gifts, the Holy Ghost touches separate men separately. +_Counsel_ is doing away with the world's riches, delights, and all +things with which men may be ensnared in thought or deed: and therewith +(i.e. _Counsel_) be drawn inwardly to contemplation of GOD. +_Understanding_ is, to know what is for to do, and what to leave +(undone): and that which shall be given, to give it to them that have +need, not to others that have no need. _Wisdom_ is forgetting of earthly +things, and thinking of heaven, with discretion in all men's deeds. In +this gift, shines contemplation, that is, as S. Austen says "A ghostly +death of fleshly affection through the joy of a raised thought." +_Strength_ is; enduring to fulfil good purpose, that it be not left, +neither for weal nor for woe. _Pity is_: that a man be mild: and gainsay +no holy Writ when it smites his sins, whether he understand it or not; +but with all his might that he purge the vileness of sin, in himself and +in others. _Knowledge_ is that (which) makes a man in good hope, not +making him quake for his righteousness, but sorrowing for his sin; and +that a man gather earthly good only to the honour of GOD, and to other +men's advantage more than to his own. The _Fear of God_ is: that we +turn not again to our sin for any egging on: and then is fear perfect in +us and holy, when we dread to anger GOD in the least sin that we can +know, and flee it as poison. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + + +Two lives there are that Christian men live. One is called Active life, +for it is more in bodily work. Another, contemplative life, for it is in +more ghostly sweetness. Active life is greatly outward, and in more +travail and in more peril, because of the temptations that are in the +world. Contemplative life is largely inward, therefore it is more +enduring and more certain, restfuller, more delectable, lovelier and +more rewarding. For, it has joy in GOD'S love, and savour in the life +that lasts aye, in this present time, if it be rightly led. And that +feeling of joy in the love of JESUS passes all other merits in earth. +For it is so hard to come to, because of the frailty of our flesh, and +the many temptations that we are beset with, which hinder us night and +day: all other things that come are light in regard thereof; for that +may no man deserve, but only it is given of GOD'S goodness to them who +verily give themselves to contemplation and to quiet for Christ's love. +To men and women who betake themselves to _active life_, two things +befall. One: to appoint their household in fear and in the love of GOD, +and to find them in necessaries, and themselves keep GOD'S commandments +entirely. Doing to their neighbours as they will that they do to them. +Another is that they do, so far as they can, the seven works of mercy. +The which are: to feed the hungry: to give the thirsty a drink; to +clothe the naked: to harbour them that have no housing: to visit the +sick, to comfort them that are in prison; to bury dead men. + +All that can and who have property, they may not be quit with one or two +of these; but it behoves them to do them all, if they will on Dooms-Day +have the benison that JESUS shall give to all who do them. Or else they +may dread the malison that all men have who will not do them, when they +had goods to do them with. + +_Contemplative life_ has two parts: a lower and a higher. The lower part +is meditation of holy writing, that is GOD'S word, and in other good +thoughts and sweet that men have of the grace of GOD, about the love of +JESUS Christ, and also in praising GOD in psalms and hymns and in +prayers. The higher part of contemplation is beholding and yearning +after the things of heaven, and joy in the Holy Ghost: that men have +oft, although it be so that they be not praying with the mouth, but only +thinking of GOD, and of the beauty of angels, and of holy souls. Then +may I say that contemplation is a wonderful joy of GOD'S love; the which +joy is praising GOD, that cannot be told; and that wonderful praising is +in the soul: and for abundance of joy and sweetness, it ascends into +the mouth; so that the heart and the tongue agree in one, and body and +soul joy, living in GOD. A man or woman that is appointed to +contemplative life, first GOD inspires them to forsake this world, and +all the vanity and covetousness and vile lust thereof. Afterwards He +leads them by their lone and speaks to their heart, and as the prophet +says "He gives them to suck of the sweetness of the beginning of love": +and then He sets them in the will to give themselves wholly to prayers +and meditations and tears. Afterwards, when they have suffered many +temptations, and when the foul annoyances of thoughts that are idle, and +of vanities which will encumber those who cannot destroy them, are +passing away, He makes them gather up their heart to them and fasten it +only in Him, and opens to the eye of their souls the gates of heaven: +and then the fire of love verily lies in their heart, and burns therein, +and makes it clean from all earthly filth, and afterwards they are +contemplative men, and ravished in love. For contemplation is a sight; +and they see into Heaven with their ghostly eye. But thou shalt wit that +no man has perfect sight of heaven, whilst they are living bodily here. +But as soon as they die, they are brought before GOD, and see Him face +to face, and eye to eye, and dwell with Him without end. For Him they +sought, and Him they coveted, and Him they loved, with all their might. + +Lo, Margaret, I have told thee shortly the Form of Living, and how thou +mayst come to perfection, and to love Him whom thou hast taken thee to. +If it do thee good and profit to thee, thank GOD, and pray for me. The +grace of JESUS Christ be with thee, and keep thee. Amen. + +Here endeth "The Form of Perfect Living." + + +FOOTNOTES: + +[3] The text is imperfect here. + +[4] Two MSS. substitute "arms" for "mirth." + + + + +Our Daily Work. + +(A Mirror of Discipline.) + + + + +Our Daily Work. + +(A Mirror of Discipline.) + + +Three things are needful to every man; to increase his reward, through +GOD'S grace helping, Who shall lead him. The first; that man be in +honest work, without losing of his time. The second; that he do his work +with a freedom of spirit, in place and in time, as work falls to each. +The third; that his outward bearing, wheresoever he come, be so honest +and fair, that praise is (given) to GOD, a stirring up of good to all +who see him, as the Apostle bids: _Omnia in vobis honesti et secundum +ordinem fiant_, that is "That ye do: be it done honestly and in order." + + + + +FIRST PART OF THE BOOK. + + +At the first: man shall look that he lose not his short time, nor spend +it wrongly, nor in idleness let it pass away. GOD has lent man his time, +to serve GOD in, and to gather grace with good works, to buy heaven +with. Not only this short time flies from us, but also the time of our +life, as the wise man says: "Our life-time passes away." And S. Gregory +says:--"Our life is like a man in a ship; sit he, stand he, sleep he, +wake he, ever he gets thitherward where the ship is driving with the +force of the weather. So we, in this short time, whatsoever we do, we +drive ever to our end." And our enemy, Death, follows us ever at our +back, with a sharp spear to stick us through, therefore says Seneca, +"life flies, death follows." And S. Augustine says "Life is nothing else +but a swift running to death." Therefore, there is naught to tell by, +how long man lives: save how well. Yet this short life is uncertain: +wherefore says Job:--"I know not how long I may endure, and whether +after a short space my Maker may take me away." And S. Gregory says: "I +wot not the time I shall dwell, nor when I shall be taken hence and led +to doom." And S. Jerome says:--"Nothing so much beguiles man, as that he +knows not the time of his life, that to him is uncertain." And yet hopes +he for long life for himself, as if he might, at his will, drive Death +back. Thus was the rich man deceived of whom speaks the Gospel of S. +Luke xvi. Therefore saith the psalm: "if riches increase, set not your +heart upon them." For riches fail and last not with man, but glide away +like a phantom. But when men have got goods together, with right, or +with wrong and poor men's curses, then suddenly, they go from their +goods, or else their goods from them. And Holy Writ says "The world +passeth away and the lust thereof." A man that is fallen in the water, +and through the force of the water is borne forth and torn from the +ground; if he may get anything that has good fastening like a root or a +stake, he may hinder the water from carrying him away; but by anything +that fleets as he does himself, he cannot fasten himself: and soothly, +willy nilly, in this life, as if in water, we are ever passing with the +goods of this world; and there is naught in this world to fasten by, so +that we shall not pass: for the Wise Man saith, "We shall all die, and +like water slip away into the Earth." And therefore Job speaks, as if he +said "Riches and friends had I many, but they all could not hinder me +from going forth and not coming again." And by what path, man shall go, +the prophet shews: "All flesh is grass, and all the glory of it as the +flower of the field." Man's flesh is as hay, and all his joy and +splendour as the flower of the meadow. Hay is first green grass, and +soon after brings forth flowers: and a while after, the flowers dry and +fall; after it is mown down with the scythe, and dried and taken to a +house to be beasts' food. Thus it befalls man: in his childhood he +springs and grows as the grass does; after, he comes to manhood and +flowers in fairness and strength and wit and having of goods; +afterwards: he draws to age, and then his flowers fall, that are his +virtue, fairness, strength, wit and other power; afterwards, he is +stricken down with the scythe of Death, afterwards taken to a house to +beasts' food, that is, dug into the earth to feed worms. Therefore says +the holy man; "when a man dies, he shall dwell with serpents and +beasts." A dead man is so disgusting to the world, that one cannot let +him be in his house three days together; but bears him forth, that he +harm none with the odour. Therefore, it is now time to work; for in the +time to come there is no time to work, but to receive rewards for deeds +done erewhile. And this the angel affirms with oath and says, "For the +angel has sworn that there will be no further time." Do we then as the +Apostle says: "While we have time, let us work good to all." And as the +Apostle counsels us, he did himself: for from the first hour of the day +until the fifth, he worked with his hands to win his food: and from the +fifth to the tenth, he preached to the people: from the tenth to even he +served the poor and pilgrims with such goods as he had; by night he was +praying, and thus spent he his time. + +In three ways, man loses his time: in idleness; or in works that no good +comes of; or in good works, but not ordained as they should be. Against +idleness, Solomon says--"Idleness teaches much evil"; and Holy Writ says +"Whoso followeth idleness, is most foolish." A great fool he is who +forbears not from the thing that harms him. More fool he is, because he +wins himself no reward: most fool he is, because he wins himself pain. +Therefore GOD blames the idle: and says "Why standest thou all the day +idle?" Idleness wastes the goods that are prudently gotten, and entices +the fiend to the house: for as by good works the fiend is hindered from +entering man's heart, so idleness draws him thereto. And Seneca says: +"he lives not to himself who lives for his stomach and the ease of his +flesh whenever he can." For Job says "Man is born to labour." To work +was man bound after he had sinned, through GOD'S bidding, Who said to +him: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread, till thou +returnest unto the ground from whence thou wast taken; because from the +ground thou art, and into the ground thou shalt go." Thou shalt work +stalwartly and not faintly, for He bids thee work, "with sweat of thy +face, even till thou returnest to the earth"; that is, all thy life time +that thou losest no time in idleness. Idleness smites a man as if he +were in a paralysis, and makes his limbs dry that he cannot work. +Therefore says the Psalmist: "They have hands and handle not; feet have +they but they walk not; mouths have they but they speak not; eyes have +they and see not; ears have they and hear not"; for their limbs are so +bound in sin, that to all good things, they are as dead; and to evil, +they are easy. Idleness is nurse to all vices, and makes a man reckless +about not doing what he is bound to do. And when the fiend finds a man +idle, he puts in his heart foul thoughts of fleshly filth, and other +follies that may bring him to sin; afterwards, he eggs him on to do them +indeed, and thus he does against the Apostle's bidding: "Will not to +give place to the devil." The idle man makes himself unworthy to dwell +in any place but hell. In heaven he cannot dwell; for heaven is full +reward to those who here spend their time in works that they hope are +pleasing to Christ. In purgatory the idle may not dwell; for there only +the good are purged in that cleansing fire, till they be as clean of sin +as when they were christened: therefore saith the Psalm-wright:--_In +labore hominum non sunt et cum hominibus non flagellabuntur_: that is +thus for to say; "The idle work not with men; therefore in purgatory +they shall not be pained with those men who are on the way to +heaven."[5] + +Great shame it is to be idle in this time of grace, in the which we are +hired to work; and if we work as we ought, great reward awaits us. GOD +gives us an example of work, by Himself, as the Apostle says: "He +emptied Himself, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made +in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled +Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross: +wherefore GOD hath also highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which +is above every name, that at the name of JESUS, every knee should bow, +of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; +and that every tongue should confess that JESUS Christ is Lord, to the +glory of GOD the Father." + +Over-proud then, and over-delicate is the servant, who rests in battle, +and sees His Lord assailed and evil-wounded by His enemies. Also, we +ought to work in this time of grace; for we are GOD'S bought thralls, +with the price of His dear-worthy Blood, to work in His vine-yard: and +yet He doth promise us reward, if we do with good-will that which, as a +debt, we ought to do. To His private friends, before the time of grace, +GOD promised only earthly goods, if they did well; to us the bliss of +Heaven, if we do well. It was long after, before they might come +thereto; for they went to hell and abode there, some a thousand years, +some two, some three, before they came to heaven. But now may men in a +little time win heaven, as, if any die soon after he is christened, or +if he have done full penance for his misdeeds; or be martyred for GOD'S +love. The time of supper that the gospel of S. Luke speaks of, to the +which GOD bade His servants call all that were bidden, is the time of +grace; which is now, in the which all is ready; so that there is naught +else to do but wash and go to meat, that is cleanse them of all their +sins that they have done since they were born. What losing of time it is +to travail about things that no profit comes of. Man ought to travail +only to the worship of GOD, and his soul-health. Thou shalt not deem the +man has lived long though he go with a staff stooping, and be +grey-haired; but deem him so old as he has lived well. Therefore +answered Barlaham to Josaphath, his disciple, when he asked him how old +he was: "I am," quoth he, "of 45 years." "Master," quoth Josaphath, +"methinks thou art of 60 years and more." Then said Barlaham, "Since I +was born has been 60 years; but those years that I spent in idleness and +sin before I took me to this life, I hold as years of death. But all +those I call years of life that I have served JESUS Christ my Lord in, +through His dear-worthy grace." Whoso would bethink himself what time +steals from him in long eating and drinking, in excess and useless +works, idle speech, and idle and foul thoughts, useless jests and other +vanities that men delight them in, he may soothly understand that though +he be old in years, that he has lived little time in the manner that he +ought to have lived; for he lived not to his profit, nor won him reward, +but peradventure pain for losing time. + +It were a wonderful thing if the man who gives himself to business of +the world more than he need, had no hindrance in prayer, in rest of +heart, in soothfastness of words, in perfection of good works, in love +to GOD and all Christian men. Therefore, holy men, before now, who knew +their hindrances, they fled the world with all its vanities, as if it +had been accursed; for it seemed to them that they could not live a +righteous life therein; and therefore went they into the wilderness, +where they trowed to serve GOD in peace. Therefore says Seneca, "I have +become more avaricious, and more cruel, and more inhuman because I was +among men." + +Three manners of occupations there are: as, various and much brawling; +raking about; and much caring about earthly things. Against much +brawling, Solomon says "The beginning of strife is as when one letteth +out water." "Let the water out," that is, "let the tongue fleet out in +quarrelling." But to the knowledge of GOD or of himself may no one come, +who lets his heart fleet out with much useless speech: for he makes a +way in himself for the fiend. Therefore Solomon likens such to a city +without a wall: "He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a +city that is broken down and without walls." And because so much +hindrance of good is in much speech, the philosopher binds his disciples +with silence (during) their first five years. Also, Abbot Agathon bore a +stone in his mouth for three years to teach him to hold still. Against +those who are ever raking about to feed their wits with vanities and +lusts is the teaching of the angel, who taught holy Abbot Arsenius and +said:--"Arsenius, flee the world and its yearnings: keep thee in rest, +bridle thy tongue," that it fleet not out in quarrelling nor idle +speech. Where these three are is a way to GOD, and withdrawing from +evil. It tells of an Abbot who (for) fully 20 years sat in his school, +and never lifted up his head to see the school-roof. Against those who +care over-much about worldly goods, Solomon says this:--"Vain is their +hope, and their labour without fruit, because they can carry away +nothing of all their labour." This is seen every day, by the dead, who, +be they never so rich bear with them but a winding cloth. + +The third manner of men are they that have a liking to do good, but +because they do it not in the manner they should do it in, they lose +their reward; for when good intent fails in any deed, the reward that +should fall to the good work fails. And that may be in four ways; first, +for the wickedness of the working; as the offering of Cain, that though +he offered to GOD of the fruit that was new, GOD would not look thereon: +but to the offering of Abel his brother, GOD looked. Therefore says S. +Gregory: "By the heart's will of him that offers is the gift received of +GOD or rejected: and GOD was not pleased with Abel for the offering, but +pleased with the offering for Abel, who in all his works was true and +good; but to Cain and to his offering GOD would not look, for he who +made the offering displeased GOD greatly." And why our offering, or what +we do that is in its nature good, displeases GOD, the prophet +says:--"When ye make many prayers, I will not hear: because your hands +are full of blood." The second that reaves away a man's reward for his +good deed, is vanity, which stirs man to do the good because he would be +praised. For vain-glory makes evil of good: as if alms-deed that is good +in nature be done for praising, it wins only sin. The third that +snatches a reward from a good deed is boasting by him that does the good +deed, as the Pharisee did, of whom GOD said to the folk that stood +before Him, "Soothly, this man has lost his reward for all his good +deed." Needful it is therefore that a man do what good he can, and do +not pride himself thereof in thought or in word; for he has not the +doing of a good deed of himself, nor of his own desiring. The fourth +that snatches from a man his reward for a good deed (is) when he does it +with the intent to be holden better than others, or to lessen the good +deed of others, or to outdo it if he can. Of such, S. Gregory tells a +tale in his dialogues: That once on a time the holy Bishop Fortunatus, +chased the fiend out of a man in one evening; and the fiend, when he was +chased out, put on the likeness of a pilgrim, and went through the city +where the Bishop lived, weeping and yelling like a poor wretch, who was +anxious for lodging that night, and thus he said; "Lo, what your Bishop, +whom ye consider so good, has done to me: he came to the house where I +had taken my lodging, and put me out by force: and now like a poor +wretch, of lodging am I desirous; over all, I seek lodging, and none +will have ruth on me." A man of that city who heard him, took him into +his house, and set him by the fire and eased him, as he wished. When +the man had inquired of him of far-off things, as men do to pilgrims, +the fiend leaped at the child in the cradle, and wrung its neck in two, +and cast it into the fire, and vanished away. Of this S. Gregory speaks +and says, "Many deeds seem good, and are not good, because they are not +done with a good will. And this man harboured the pilgrim for no pity of +him, but because he spake evil of the Bishop, and in order that he" (the +man) "should be held better and of more pity than the Bishop." Yet a +good deed is lost, if a man covet by it to have of man, riches, or +position, or honours or any worldly good. Yet through sin defiling, the +good deed is lost; and here-unto accords Holy Writ that says, "who +sinneth in one thing, loses many good things," which is, "he that in a +deadly thing sins, he loses many goods," save he amend him with shrift, +and do penance therefor. + + + + +SECOND PART OF THE BOOK. + + +The second part of this book teaches man to do his good work with +freedom of spirit, in place and in time, as falls to each work: not +compelled thereto, nor to do it with anger, nor with a dead heart. For +Holy Writ says: "GOD loves a cheerful giver," or GOD loves him who gives +Him aught with a glad heart: and certainly the works that turn out to +the praise of God, and the health of man's soul, like prayers and holy +thoughts, and a clear mind about GOD, and GOD'S deeds; these and others +like them will allow of little rest, if they be well (done). Prayer is a +sacrifice that greatly pleases GOD, if it be made in the manner it ought +to be: therefore GOD asks it of us as a debt, when He says this:--"GOD +created the peoples for His praise and His glory"; and "the Sacrifice of +praise shall honour Me." And the Apostle, "we ought always to pray and +not to faint." Therefore, it behoves man ever to pray and never to fail. +He is ever praying, who is doing good. And certainly men of religion are +bound to worship GOD with prayer, and men of Holy Church; for they live +by alms and tenths: for all the world labours to bring them what they +need close at hand, so that they may serve GOD in rest, and with their +holy prayers make reconciliation between GOD and man. And also maidens +and widows who have taken the oath of chastity, all these, more than +others, are bound to pray. He that will please GOD with prayer will +offer it to GOD with a free will and loving heart, and will prepare +himself before, as Solomon counsels: "Before prayer, prepare thy soul, +and be not as one that tempteth GOD." He tempts GOD who yearns not to +win that for which he prays: or despairs to speed well therein; and who +makes sin and evil life: such a man thinks not he loves. Of such S. +Gregory speaks:--"What wonder if tardily our prayers are heard by the +Lord, when we tardily or not at all hear the Lord when He commands?" And +Isidore:--"He cannot have assured confidence in his prayers who even +thus far in the commands of GOD is slothful, and whom the remembrance of +sinful doing delights." Whoever will speed of his prayer, let him do +what good he can; flee sin, call his heart from the world, and keep it +at home as the Gospel teaches; "When thou prayest, enter into thy +closet, and shut thy door, and pray to thy Father." "Enter," he says, +"thy bed," that is, "call thine heart home," and "then fasten thy door"; +i.e., "hold thy wits in thee, that none go out." For it is but folly to +pray to GOD to come to us, poor needy wretches, to give us alms of His +dear-worthy grace, and not abide His coming, but turn our back on Him. +S. Isidore says that the soul must be cleansed from the stain of sin, +and the heart be withdrawn from the provocations of the world, in order +that prayer may rise without hindrance to GOD. For far is that man from +GOD, pray he never so much, whose prayers are mixed with worldly +thoughts: therefore says the Psalm "Be still, and see that I am GOD." +This ought to stir us up to pray with great dread and consideration for +we speak with Almighty-GOD, when we are naught but unworthy wretches. +For so did Abraham, GOD'S private friend, who said:--"I speak to my Lord +which am but dust and ashes." And Isidore says:--"we ought to pray with +sighings and tears, and remembrance of our grimly sins, and of the many +pains and bitter we shall endure for them, unless we amend us, and He +have pity on us." Also, he who prays shall hope to speed well in that +for which he prays; for Christ Himself said, "All things are possible to +the believing": therefore we shall pray to GOD as to our Father in that +for which we pray, if we love Him as our Father, and be His children. +For He says to all His.... He says[6] "Whatsoever ye shall ask the +Father in My Name, He shall give it to you." There are six things to +know in prayer: first, how a man shall prepare himself before. The +second, to whom he shall pray: the third, for whom he shall pray: the +fourth, what he shall ask in prayer: the fifth, what hinders prayer: the +sixth, what might and virtue prayer is of. The first is written already, +and begins at, "Before prayer, prepare thy soul," and lasts as far as +here. The second, to whom shalt thou pray? Soothly, before all others, +to GOD Almighty, as the prophet bids, "Be subject to GOD and pray to +Him." And in the Gospel, GOD says, "Thou shalt adore the Lord thy GOD." +Saints we honour and pray to, not as givers of goodness, but as GOD'S +friends to help us to win from Him that we pray after. Therefore, let us +believe in GOD with all our heart, and certain hope, and perfect +charity: our Lord GOD is to be loved. The third, for whom shall men +pray? A great clerk says, "Every Christian man is a living member of +Holy Church, therefore is he bound to pray for all, but specially for +men of Holy Church, as the Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, all who have cure +of men's souls: also for our foes and our friends; and all who are in +deadly sin, that they, through grace, may rise: for all who are in +Purgatory, whom GOD'S mercy awaits; and after, all who have occupations, +both quick and dead. And S. Gregory says that he who prays for all, the +sooner shall be heard and sped of his prayer: and S. Ambrose; "If thou +prayest for all, all will pray for thee." And S. Jerome; "Necessity +binds a man to pray for himself, but charity of brotherhood stirs him to +pray for all: and charity, more than necessity, stirs GOD to hear." The +fourth, what shall men ask in prayer? Certainly, grace in this life, and +endless joy in the other; for so GOD teaches us and says: "Seek first +the kingdom of GOD and His justice, and all these things shall be added +unto you." GOD is debtor to those who are righteous, to find them what +they need of earthly goods: for righteousness makes men GOD'S children, +and a father by his nature is bound to find for his children. Earthly +goods are not to be asked in prayer, for they have done harm to many, +therefore Solomon says "How long, ye fools, will ye desire those things +which are hurtful to you?" Therefore, every man should ask of GOD with +fear, that he ask and pray his Lord that if He see that his prayer be +necessary and reasonable, that He will fulfil it: and if it be not +necessary and reasonable, that He will withdraw it; for what may help +and what may harm, the Leech knows better than the sick man. But one of +these two shall we trust to have through prayer; either, that we pray +for, or that which is better for us. The fifth, what hinders our prayer +from being heard by God? Six things: the first is the sin of him who +prays; as GOD says through the prophet, "when ye make many prayers, I +will not hear; because your hands are full of blood." And David: "If I +have looked upon iniquity with my heart, the Lord will not hear." And +the prophet; "Our sins have hid His face from us." And the Gospel: +"Because we know GOD does not hear Sinners." The second is the +unworthiness of that for which men pray, and that GOD, through the +prophet, forbids them to pray for: "Pray not for this people, neither +lift up (praise) nor prayer for them; for I will not hear." It tells in +the life of the holy Fathers that one who was bound in sin came to the +holy Abbot, S. Anthony, and said, "holy Father, have mercy on me and +pray for me:" to whom the holy Abbot said; "I will have no mercy on +thee, unless thou helpest thyself and leavest thy sin." The third is +foul and idle thoughts, that hinder us from thinking on our prayers. Of +such false prayers, God says through His prophet: "This people honour ME +with their lips, but their heart is far from ME." It is great wickedness +of us unworthy wretches that when we speak with prayer to Almighty GOD, +we also unwittingly hearken not to what we say. Soothly, great +displeasure we do to GOD when we pray Him to hear our prayer, and we +will not hear it ourselves: but it is worse to waste our time in foul +and idle thoughts. Abraham, when he made a sacrifice to GOD, fowls of +the air lighted thereon, and would have defiled it; and he cleared those +birds away, so that none durst come nigh it, till all the time were +passed, and the sacrifice made. Let us do so with these flying thoughts, +which defile the sacrifice of our prayer. This sacrifice is agreeable to +GOD, when it comes from a clean and loving heart. GOD bids: "send prayer +to ME, and I shall send grace to thee; and whatso thou dost for ME, I +forget it not." The fourth, that hinders our prayer from being heard, is +hardness of heart; and that is in two manners; first hardness of heart +against the poor; and thereof the prophet says "who shuts his ear to the +cry of the poor, he may call and I will not hear him." The other is the +hardness of those who will not forgive to those who have misdone them: +to such, Solomon says:--"Forgive thy neighbour who has injured thee +while he prays to thee, and thy sins shall be forgiven." And the Gospel +says: "As thou standest praying, forgive if thou hast aught against any, +and your Father which is in heaven will forgive your sins." The fifth, +that hinders our prayer from being heard, is little yearning after the +things that men pray for: and S. Augustine says: "GOD stores this up for +thee, that with thy whole heart it may be desired; "for He will not to +give to Thee hastily, that so thou mayst learn great things greatly to +desire." And S. Gregory says: "if with our mouth we pray after the bliss +of heaven, and do not yearn for it in our heart, we are crying still." +The sixth, that hinders our prayer; is foul and idle speech, that we +fill our lips with; for if thou givest a great lord drink in a slutty +cup, were the drink never so good, he would feel disgust therewith, and +bid throw it away, were his thirst never so sore: so GOD does with a +prayer that comes from a foul mouth; He esteems it not, but turns +therefrom. Therefore says S. Gregory: "The more our lips are defiled +with foolish talking, so much the less are they heard by GOD in prayer." +The sixth, what might and virtue prayer is of. Men who were before this +age, who kept themselves in soothfastness, and spoke nothing idle, won +from GOD what they prayed for: and that was shewn to a holy hermit +Florentius, who dwelt in a wilderness unknown of men. So much vermin was +there about this hermitage, that none durst come thither by a long way. +A deacon was in that land, who heard of this hermit, and he came at the +last to the place where this hermit was dwelling; but he saw so much +vermin about that he durst not come near: but cried out for help in +fear. The holy man came out to know who it was that cried; and he saw a +man standing there, and inquired what he would have. And the deacon +said; "holy Father, I have sought thee from far, and now I have found +thee, I should have joy enough if I might come to thee, but I cannot for +these venomous beasts that are here so many." When the holy man heard +this, he fell down on his knees, and prayed GOD that He would destroy +those worms: and all soon a grisly storm arose with a thunder, and slew +all the worms. Then said the hermit to our Lord; "Lord, these beasts lie +here so thickly, that I cannot come to him nor he to me, save we be +poisoned by them. Lo, Lord, they lie here dead, but who shall lift them +away?" At his word, many birds came, and carried them all clean away. +Hereof speaks S. Gregory:--"Because GOD'S servants withdraw themselves +from the world and its works, uselessly they cannot speak: so they bind +them to silence that they dare say no word save it be teaching others or +praising GOD: and therefore, when they ask GOD aught, He grants it at +once." But we, woful wretches, who deal with the world, that chatter all +the day like magpies; now lie, now twist, now speak evil, now quarrel, +now backbite, now swear great oaths, these defile our prayer and hinder +it, that it is not heard; for our mouth is as far from praying GOD, as +it is near the world with idle speech. Prayer is so mightful if it have +its right, that it masters the fiend, and hinders him from doing his +will. For so it did the fiend whom Julian the Emperor commanded to go to +the other side of the world to bring him tidings how it was there. When +he had flown ten days' journey thitherward, he came over the place that +Publius the hermit dwelled in, who was praying at that time. And his +prayer overtook the fiend, and held him there fast fully ten days--for +all that time, the hermit was in prayer: and when he ceased, the fiend +turned back, for he could no further go, since prayer hindered him. + +When thou hast gathered home thine heart and its wits, and hast +destroyed the things that might hinder thee from praying, and won to +that devotion which GOD sends to thee through His dear-worthy grace, +quickly rise from thy bed at the bell-ringing: and if no bell be there, +let the cock be thy bell: if there be neither cock nor bell, let GOD'S +love wake thee, for that most pleases GOD. And zeal, rooted in love, +wakens before both cock and bell, and has washed her face with sweet +love-tears; and her soul within has joy in GOD with devotion, and +liking, and bidding Him good-morning, and with other heavenly gladness +which GOD sends to His lovers. Blessed are they above others whom GOD +wakens, for they have many joys while others sleep, for they find that +gladness before them, rise they never so soon; for GOD Himself thus +says: "he that early wakens to ME, he shall find ME to speak with him, +and shall rejoice himself in ME, and have ME at his will." Be then a +waker, and rise quickly, and thank heartily thy Lord GOD, for the rest +thou hast had, and for the care of angels. Since a knight has great +liking to be called to come and speak with the king, when he knows it is +for his great profit: with greater reason, ought GOD'S knight, that is +every Christian man, to be ready at the calling of his Lord, Who calls +him for his great profit, and for nothing else. Soberly, rise thou with +a good cheer, and think that thou hearest GOD call thee with these +words: "Arise My love, My fair one, and come and shew Me thy face: I +yearn that the voice of thy prayer may ring in Mine ears." Think in thy +rising, how that night many men perished in life, and some in soul, and +some in body and soul: some burned, some drowned, some suddenly dead +without repentance or shrift, and their souls drawn by fiends to hell; +some fallen into deadly sin, as lust, gluttony, theft, envy, +manslaughter, and other several sins. And from all these perils, thy +good GOD hath delivered thee, of His goodness not of thy desert. What +hast thou done to GOD that He should care for thee so, and suffer so +many others to be lost? and peradventure thou hast done worse than they +have done. If thou lookest well at what GOD has done for thee though +thou hast not served Him, thou mayst find that GOD is as busy to do thee +profit as if He had naught else to do, and as if He had forgotten this +whole world, and thought only on thee. When thou hast this thought, +lift up thine heart to GOD and say:--"I thank Thee, dear-worthy Lord, +with all my heart, Who hast thus cared this night for me, a so unworthy +wretch, and hast suffered me that with life and health I thus abide this +day. I thank Thee, Lord, for this great good, and many others that Thou +hast done to me, a so unkind and unworthy wretch, more than all others: +that Thou shewest me such kindness against my evil deeds." And put +thyself and all thy friends in GOD'S hands, and say thus: "Into Thy +dear-worthy hands, my Lord, I yield my soul and body, and all my +friends, kindred and stranger: and all who have done me good bodily or +ghostly, and all who have received Christianity: that Thou, for the love +of Thy Mother, that dear-worthy Maiden, and the beseeching of Thy Saints +defend us this day or this night from all perils of body and soul, and +from all deadly sins, from temptation of the devil, and sudden death, +and from the pains of hell, and make us dread them. Do Thou hallow our +hearts with grace of Thy Holy Ghost, and make us, whatsoever we do here, +do Thy will, that we never separate from Thee, dear Lord. Amen." When +thou hast done, go to the Church or Oratory: and if thou canst win to +none, make thy chamber thy Church. In the church is most devotion to +pray, for then is GOD on the altar to hear those that to Him pray, and +grant them what they ask or what is better: and in presence of Saints, +and in worship of churches that are hallowed, protection of angels who +are there to serve their Lord and thee--for their office is to receive +thy prayer, and bear it to GOD, and bring thee grace from Him, as S. +Bernard says: "Rise then quickly, at GOD'S call, and put all heaviness +from thee, and answer thy Lord with the words which Samuel said to GOD +Who called him in the night: 'Speak Lord, for Thy servant heareth.'" + +For eight things we ought to wake and ever be doing good: this short +life: the strait way we have to go: our good deeds that are so few: our +sins that are so many: death that we are sure of and wot not when: the +strait and so hard doom of Doom's-day, for every idle thought shall be +shewed there, then shall every foul word and sinful work be greatly +pressed, for GOD says "For every careless word," etc.: and S. Anselm, +"what wilt thou do in that day when all the time expended is required of +thee; how it has been laid out by thee, even to the minutest thought." +The seventh thing is the strong pain of hell: the eighth, is the joy of +heaven. After thine uprising, pray for the souls that are in pain of +Purgatory, and think that thou hearest them cry on thee the words of +Job: "Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, my friends, for the hand of +GOD is laid upon me," and help them with _De Profundis_, and _Absolve_. +After, greet our Lady, with _Salve Regina_, on thy knees. Go then to the +Church, and bid thy vain thoughts and business of the world keep outside +thereof: and at thine incoming, say to thy soul, "Enter thou into the +joy of thy Lord, and thou shalt hear His Voice, and behold His temple." +Holy Church is the entrance and gate of Heaven. After, fall down before +the Cross, and honour Him because He was slain on the Cross, and say "We +adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee, because by Thy holy Cross Thou +didst redeem the world." And then before thou uprisest, have in thy mind +how hotly His love burned, That died for thee on the Cross. After, begin +thy matins, but first cross thy lips and say "O Lord, open my lips": +i.e., "Lord, open my lips that all night have been shut from praising +Thee, and I cannot open them, except Thou help me." And then say, DEUS +_in adjutorium_, with these words, pour out thine heart before GOD and +say; "Lord, as my Doom's-Man, before Thee I stand: do Thou avenge me of +my foes, which hinder me from serving Thee, and they assail me keenly so +that I be soon overcome unless Thou dost help me." And at _Gloria +Patri_, bow down and say with thine heart, "Lord, of Thy blessing, I +beseech Thee." Turn thee to the angels who stand about to thy comfort +and help, and as thy wardens to keep thee from thy foes, and thus say to +them _Venite exultemus, Domino_. Afterwards, cast thine eye on somewhat, +and keep it there while thou makest thy prayers, for this helps much to +the stabling of thine heart; and paint there, thy Lord, as He was on the +cross; think on His feet and hands that were nailed to the tree; and on +the wide wound in His side, through the which way is made to thee, to +win His heart; thank thy Lord thereof, and love Him therefor: for these, +they who thither may win, find treasure of love. Think thou seest His +wounds streaming of blood, and falling down on the earth; and fall thou +down and lick up that blood sweetly, with tears kissing the earth, with +remembrance for that rich treasure, which for thy sins was shed, and say +thus with thine heart:--"Why lieth this blood here as if lost, and I +perish for thirst? Why drink I not of this rich payment that my Lord +gives me to drink and cool my tongue, and hear what GOD says to me: _He +who is thirsty, let him come and drink. Thou shalt taste and see how +pleasant the Lord is; how sweet, how mild, how merciful._ With such +meditations, angels come to thy soul, and GOD is there, and says to His +lover:--"What wouldest thou that I should do for thee?" and thou dost +answer; "Lord it is enough for me, a sinful wretch and outcast of Thy +people, to praise Thee and love Thee, if I could, for so I well ought." +If thou canst win to such thinkings in thy prayers, thou shalt have such +joys that it shall be a pain to thee to think of aught else. S. Bernard, +for the liking that he had for such stirrings desired that matins-time +might last till Dooms-day. Think, when thou standest or kneelest in +prayer, that thou seest JESUS Christ come with angels and holy Saints on +each side, and angels carrying before Him basketsfull of help which is +left from the feasts of Saints who dwell with GOD in heaven: that GOD +bade them gather up to help the poor with, that naught might be lost. +This help is meat to us poor wretches, who would perish in default of +it, unless GOD had pity on us. Think thou hearest GOD cry: "Whoso has +need of meat, put forth thine hand, and have." And bow thou with thine +head to GOD, and lament thy poverty to Him and say "There is no bread in +mine house"; and also say, "Lord, so long meatless have I been, that I +die of hunger save Thou takest pity on me; and naught can hold my life +in me, save meat that Thou givest." Stir thyself up with such +recollections, and by others that may kindle thy devotion and raise it +to Him, even until thou thinkest thou hearest Him say to thee, "Open thy +mouth wide, and I will fill it." And then, through GOD'S grace, shalt +thou feel something of that heavenly food that feeds all Hallows, that +thou mayest with liking sing the Maiden's Song, that is GOD'S Mother's, +_Magnificat anima mea dominum et exultavit spiritus meus in DEO salutari +meo_. When GOD, through His grace, sends thee such likings, turn thou +kindly to the angels who stand before thee, and to them say: "I pray you +as my keepers whom GOD has sent to me, that ye thank your good Lord for +me." And turn thou then to the altar, where GOD truly is, and say, +"Truly, O GOD, great is Thy mercy towards me," that is, "Soothly Lord, +great is Thy mercy that Thou shewest to me." With such love-stirrings, +GOD comes to His lovers: and waits not till the prayer be made, but +presses in to the midst, and softens the languishing soul, with a +bedewing of heavenly sweetness: and tears and sighings are messengers of +GOD'S coming. Blessed are they who thus mourn and languish to GOD, for +they shall never separate from GOD, but have Him ever at their will. + +_How GOD comes to His lovers; and how sometimes He departs from them._ +GOD, when He comes to His lovers gives them to taste how sweet He is; +and before they can fully feel, He goes from them, and, as an Eagle, +spreads His wings, and rises above them, as if He said: "Some part +mayst thou feel how sweet I am: but if ye will feel this sweetness to +the full, fly up after Me, and lift your hearts up to Me, where I am +sitting on My Father's right hand, and there ye shall be fulfilled in +joy of Me." GOD comes to His lovers to comfort them; he departs from +them so that they should humble themselves, and that they should not +over-much pride themselves for the joy that they have of His coming: for +if thy spouse were aye with thee, thou wouldest esteem thyself over well +and despise others: and if He were aye with thee thou wouldest impute it +to nature and not to Grace. Therefore, through His grace, He comes when +He will, and to whom He will, and departs when He will: so that His long +dwelling makes one not more unworthy; but that after His departing, He +be more yearned for and sought with zealous love and sighings and tears. +But beware thou, GOD'S lover, though thy Spouse withdraw Himself from +thee for a while, He sees all thy deeds, and thou canst hide nothing +from Him: and if He wit thou lovest any but Him, unless it be for love +of Him, or if thou makest any love-semblance to other than Him, so soon +He departs from thee. Jealous is thy Spouse, delicate, noble and rich; +seven times brighter than the sun; in fairness and might all others He +surpasses, and what so He wills is done in heaven and earth and hell. If +He sees any stain of filth in one who should be His dear, He turns from +him soon, for uncleanness can He see none. Therefore, be thou chaste, +shame-full, and mild of heart, and with love-longing yearn for Him above +all things. And when GOD withdraws this heavenly likeness and sweetness +from thee, as sometimes need be in this deadly life, give not thyself to +fleshly lusts and likings of the world; but to prayer and meditation, +reading of Holy Writ, or honest work. And ever mourn thou after thy +love, as a young child who misses his Mother. For he that, after such +knowing of GOD and tasting of His sweetness, turns him back and gives +him to sin, he has no defence for his sin against GOD. An unhappy chance +it is and full of care to love the fellowship of GOD and of His angels +and Saints and to serve the fiend and follow his counsel with lusts and +likings and works of sin: that heart which was hallowed through the Holy +Ghost to be GOD'S temple, that was raised here above his nature to have +heavenly likings and joy with GOD, all soon makes itself loathly and +foul with foul thoughts: those ears that heard the words that it is +allowable to speak to none, open themselves to hear back-bitings and +lyings and other idle speech; those eyes that just now were baptized +with tears, open themselves to see vanities: that tongue that just now +spake to GOD in prayer, all soon with that dirty tongue, forswears, +backbites, and speaks foul words. Pray we to GOD that of His goodness He +keep us from these vices. Of GOD'S coming men may know by this that S. +Bernard says: "When thou art stirred of man in outer or inner spirit to +care for righteousness and stand up for it, to be meek and patient, to +love thy brothers in GOD, to be buxom to thy superiors, to love chastity +and cleanness in body and soul, token is it that Almighty GOD comes to +visit thy soul." If thou takest godly chastening from thy friend for thy +sin, or words that stir thee to virtues and good ways, this makes way +for and token of GOD'S coming. Then if thou puttest from thee slowness +and heaviness, and with a love-yearning likest such words; then +dear-worthy GOD thy Lord hastes Him to thee, for the desire that GOD has +to thee; kindles thy desires to have likings for such words, and makes +thee bitterly repent thy sin and amend thy life. For, at His incoming, +He wakens the soul, stirs it and softens it, and washes its wounds with +wine, and softens them with oil; that is, stirs it to repent bitterly +what it has misdone, and softens it with hope of mercy and forgiveness +of sins. He rives sin up by the roots, as a gardener does evil weeds, +and grafts good trees, and sows good seed, where the weeds grew. So does +GOD, who is called a gardener while He is in man's soul: He rives up +sins by the roots, and grafts in that soul virtues and good ways: what +was dry He bedews it with grace: what was black and mirk, He makes it +white: what was bound, He looses: what was cold, He makes warm with +love. By these stirrings, mayst thou know thy Lord is come; by stirring +of thy heart, destroying of vices, withdrawing from lusts, amending of +life, repenting misdeeds, beginning of a new man in GOD, every day more +and more. And by this mayst thou wit, when He goes from thee; the +gladness wanes, slow thou waxest dry and heavy, as a stone; love cools +in thee like a pot that had been welded, and the fire was withdrawn +therefrom. But then needs the soul to mourn sorely until He come again. +If foul thoughts egg thee on to leave the Lord thy GOD, say this "Whose +is this image and superscription?" if he says "Caesar's," that is the +prince of this world, that is the fiend of hell, say to him, "Go again +thou foul fiend with thy false money: bear it again with thee to hell; +for my gates are shut, and my Lord dwells herein, therefore have I no +time to deal with thee." Think on that holy greeting that Gabriel made +to that maiden, Mary in Nazareth, how joyful she was in body and soul in +that time; through that quieting, with her assent, she was fulfilled of +grace, so that she won might and power, in heaven, and earth, and hell; +and on her hangs all the world's health and restoring of those that +fell. Think on the birth of her Child, how she bare Him without sorrow +and grief that all other women have naturally in time of birth; and she +clean maiden after. Think when He was born, they laid Him in a crib +before an ox and an ass, other cradle had He none. There was none to +serve Him with the light of torches as men do before great lords: +therefore there came a fire from heaven that lighted the house He was +in, and Bethlehem; and angels came from heaven to sing the child asleep +with a merry voice. Think how Three Kings came from far lands through +knowing of a star, and offered Him gold, incense and myrrh: think how +sweetly the child smiled on them, and with His lovely eyes sweetly +looked on them. Think how poorly His Mother was clad when the Kings +kneeled before her: for on her she had but a white smock as the clerks +say, more to cover herself with than for shewing of pride. Think how His +Mother came with Him to the Temple to make her offering of cleansing, +and bowed to fulfil the Law as if they were sinful. Think how the old +priest Symeon took the Child in his arms, and blessed GOD: for there, +through the stirring of the Holy Ghost, he saw the Saviour of all this +world between His hands, and prayed that he might pass out of this +world, "for mine eyes have seen Him Who saves the folk." Think of that +sorrow His Mother had when she missed Him and sought Him three days, and +then found Him among the Masters, hearing and inquiring of points of the +Law. Think how He came to be christened of S. John: how the Holy Ghost +lighted then on Him in the likeness of a Dove, the Father there with +voice recorded that He was His Son. Think how He hallowed wedlock in +the house of the Ruler of the Feast, and there, to show that He was +Almighty GOD changed water into wine. In the wilderness, how he fasted +40 days without meat; how He overcame the fiend that tempted Him with +three: with gluttony, and covetousness, and vain-glory, and of the +wonder men had of His preaching, for all the words He spake to them were +full of grace. How He healed the sick, raised the dead, gave sight to +the blind, speech to the dumb, health to the leper, with touching of His +hands: and many other sicknesses that were in their nature incurable, He +healed through the might of His words, for He could do more than Nature. +How He was weary of much going; rested Him at the well; and then He bade +give Him water to drink for He thirsted sore. Then, open thine heart +with sore sighings, and think on the passion and pains that JESUS +Christ suffered, as they are written before on the xviii leaf.[7] + +He may ask grace of GOD, and certainly trust to speed, who here stirs +himself up with good works, and with devotion and likings: flavours them +so that they may be savoury to his dear Lord. Works of penance, as +fasting, waking, hard fighting, forbearing of fleshly lusts, prayers, +alms-deed, and other things that we do with devotion and likings in GOD, +it behoves that so they be done with a glad heart, and with a freedom of +spirit. Devotion is a worthy affection that GOD sends to the heart to +gladden it with: but unworthy is he to have this gift, that will make no +dwelling-place in his heart for it. We seek with our belief what is +above us, but it savours us not, for we are so full of earth that we +have lost our taste. Why do so many men feel the stirrings that the +fiend forges, and suffer his enemy so often to overthrow him? I see +nothing that does this, save lack of grace. Among all other (things) I +trow we grieve GOD most, because we will not labour to win this grace of +GOD: and GOD promises His grace to all that will to receive, if that +their vessel be clean and empty to receive it in. But S. Bernard says: +"The heart that is loaded with covetousness of the world, it can have +neither devotion nor liking in GOD; for soothfastness and vanity, a +lasting and a failing thing, a ghostly thing and a bodily cannot be +brought together at any time." So worthy a thing is the comfort of GOD +that it will not rest in a breast where other comfort is. So delicious +is the liking in Him, that with no other liking can it accord. Whoso +yearns after other comfort to glad himself with, witnesses against +himself that he withstands GOD'S grace: unless it be honest comfort +betimes that he may thereby glad his nature with, and better serve GOD. +After thou hast spent thy time in prayers, and holy thoughts and good +works, in GOD'S holy dread, prepare thyself for food to strengthen thy +nature which would else fail. And to this intent shall every Christian +man clothe and feed his body; that it may the better serve his Lord, in +whatsoever he does. In the morning, thou shalt go to thy meat, with +soberness and measure; care for thy self in thy meat-time; and after +meat, make thou praising to thy Lord that He has fed thee, and also +before meat, and for all the good deeds that He has done to thee. First, +or ever thou goest to meat, thou shalt mourn as holy Job did, who thus +says, "Before I eat I sigh," because my nature is made weak and feeble +for Adam's sin; and every day needs bodily meat to uphold the nature +that else would fail in a little time. And, as it tells in the life of +the holy Fathers; Isidore that holy man, when he ate, he wept sore and +said, "I am ashamed of myself for I live by beastly meat as other beasts +do that have no reason by nature; and I, GOD'S reasonable creature, made +like to Himself, that should have dwelt in Paradise, and there have been +fed with heavenly food." When thou findest delight or savour in meat and +drink, think on the heavenly Saints whom all likings pass by, and we be +never satisfied till we feel thereof. Men of religion hear lessons of +holy men's lives at their meat, so that as the body is fed with bodily +food, so the soul be fed with holy words. Man's body is as a burning +furnace, and specially in the young; and delicious and hot meats and +drinks make that fire to burn hotter: therefore says S. John:--"Plenty +in time of youth is double fire." Therefore all that kindles sin in the +flesh is to be fled from. The wise man says, "If thou wilt abate the +flame, abate the brands." And S. John; "Flesh-meat and wine are kindling +of fleshly stirrings." And S. Austin; "the flesh is as a wild colt, +which is to be tamed with bridle and hunger." And Solomon; "Rod and +burden fall to the ass," that betokens our flesh. Wisely should a man +consider the meat that comes before him, and take of them in such +measure that they grieve him not, but that through them, he may serve +GOD better. Therefore S. John bids:--"Ever when thou eatest, ever hunger +thou, that after meat thou mayst read and pray and serve GOD better." + +Holy men who have been before us enjoyed strong sharp meat, more to +abate hunger than for pleasure. Some lived by grass, some by roots, some +by spices and herbs and fruit that the earth bore; and in whatso they +ate they destroyed all taste that might stir them to pleasure. Also, S. +Germanus mixed ashes with his bread, that he should feel no pleasure in +his meat-time. Other sauce than hunger, they took none. S. Gregory says: +"bread made of bran and water, with cold or other simple pottage is good +food to the well-taught stomach, with sauce of GOD'S love if he have it +therewith: without this sauce, no sustenance has savour that man +enjoys." Some eat no meat before the night; some only every other day; +some fast three days together. Machari fasted all the Lenten-tide, save +Sundays, and ate naught but raw leaves. Some take no heed when they eat, +nor what they eat, flesh or fish: all tasted alike to them, so that +afterwards, they wist not what they ate. Some, when they were set down +to meat, and meat was brought before them, they forgot to eat, for so +they spent the day and the night in holy speech, that they thought of +naught else, till the undern-tide[8] of the second day, so that the +brethren came to them and asked why they could not eat: and then, for +the first time, thought they of meat, and they ate then as they thought +good, in GOD'S holy fear. When thou art set to thy meat, make before +thee a cross on the board with five crumbs to stir thee up to think on +Him who died for thee on the Cross; and think, here lies His head that +was crowned with thorns, there His hands, there His feet that were +nailed full fast; there was His sweet side that was opened with the +spear, from which came both blood and water to heal my dirty wounds. +When thou hast so done if thou canst, take part of thy bread and of thy +fish, and lay it by itself, and say thus quietly in thine heart, "Lord, +what wilt Thou give me for this pittance I make to Thee? how many +tears, how many love-yearnings and longings after Thee? how many +comforts of the Holy Ghost, how many stirrings to good things, how many +lookings towards me with Thy lovely eyes? Lord, wilt Thou for this meat +that the poor hungry man shall have for Thy sake, give me the love of +Thee?" When thou hast eaten what thou thinkest good, thank thy Lord that +He hath fed thee. After meat, be thou worthy, and keep thee from much +speech and idle games, and hold thy wits inward in fear of GOD. Seemly +it is to man, and pleasing to GOD, that his bearing be more honourable +and temperate after meat than before: that no taking of excess be seen +in him, that the flesh may serve the soul better in reading, praying and +other ghostly works, that may help to good things. Then Even-song say, +with the devotion that GOD sends thee, in Church or Oratory, or +wheresoever thou mayst say it best, away from the noise and throng of +the world. After, if thou needest, go sup: and short be thy supper time: +so in measure take thou meat and drink that it be no burden nor +grievance to thy nature, nor hindrance to serve thy Lord; or in time of +rest reave from thee thy sleep; or the fiend defile thee with foul +temptations in thy sleep, as he often does him who goes to bed with a +full stomach. Every man eat, as S. John says, "according as he is strong +or old, or according as his body is greater or less, or whole or sick; +take what is needful for sustenance of nature, and not as pleasure +asks." After supper, go to the Church or other place, where thou mayst +be most at rest, and say thy Compline, for in this time as S. Ambrose +saith, "birds in their language praise their Lord, and thank Him after +their kind, for the goods He has sent them." Call thou then on thy GOD +and say _Converte nos DEUS salutaris noster_, as if he said, "Lord, I +have been this day hindered by the world, that has greatly hindered me +from serving Thee; through temptation of the fiend and of my flesh oft +this day have I done amiss; therefore, my Lord, turn me now from the +world, and from all that may hinder me from praising Thee with a pure +heart and with all my wits, so that they be intent on Thee to work Thy +will," And then, say forth thy Compline, and after, other prayers with +the devotion that GOD sends thee. And after, before thou goest to bed, +hold a chapter with thine heart, and ask it in what things it is better +than it was. Hast thou shriven thee of that sin that thou didst then and +there? of the words that thou spakest there? of that evil will that was +in thee then? of that wrong that thou didst and saidst there to him? of +that handling? of that blame? of that foul thought? of that thing left +undone that thou should'st have done? art thou willing to leave off +such vices? What temptations withstood'st thou this day? in what art +thou meeker than thou wast? in what more chaste, more sober, more +patient, more temperate, more loving thy GOD in thy brother, or more +liking in GOD hast thou than thou hadst? Hast left that sin that thou, +through habit, fallest into so oft? and other many vices that thou hast +done and pleased the fiend with: and grieved thy good GOD, and hast +barred thyself against the grace that should help thee. And then, with a +repenting of those sins that bite thy conscience, knock on thy breast +and say a _Pater noster_ with _Ave Maria_, on thy knees, and soon in the +morning shrive thee of those sins. And if thou doest thus, I hope the +fiend shall be afeared to tempt thee, for thou art under GOD'S ward, +whilst thou bearest thee thus. After this reckoning, where-through thy +soul is raised to a blessed hope to the Father of mercy, and thy flesh +waxes heavy, go to thy rest: for if thou hinderest thy flesh of its +necessity, and work it beyond its might, faintly will it help thee, or +hinder thee withal. And or ever thou goest to rest commit thyself and +thy friends into GOD'S hands, who for us was nailed to the tree, and +beseech Him, for His mercy, that He guard thee from all perils of body +and soul, and arm thee with the token of the cross; for where the fiend +sees this mark soon he flies. Of this mark, it is written in the life of +S. Edmund: that as he went one time alone, a child appeared to him who +was wonderfully fair, and said, "Hail, my friend, whom I love in GOD." +S. Edmund was surprised at this greeting, and the child said to him, +"knowest thou me not?" And S. Edmund said to the child, "How should I +know thee? I never saw thee before." And the child said to him, "When +thou didst learn in school, I sat ever by thy side; and ever since I +have been with thee, wheresoever thou hast dwelt; for so my Lord has +fastened me to thee, that I might never part from thee, such is my +Lord's will. But behold on my forehead, and read what thou seest there." +He looked as he told him, and with heavenly letters, these four words, +he saw there written, _JESUS Nazarenus Rex iudeorum_. Then said the +child, "This is my Lord's name, thou seest thus written. This name I +will that thou have in mind, and print it in thy soul, and cross thy +front with this name; before thou goest to sleep; and from harassings of +the fiend, it shall protect thee that night, and from sudden death, and +all who thus by night cross themselves therewith." And when he had +spoken these words, he vanished away. Carry some holy thoughts to bed +with thee, and say thy prayers, till sleep fall on thee. To have soft +sleep and sweet, a sovereign help is measure and soberness in meat and +drink: with recollection of GOD'S law and Holy Writ; as GOD says through +the prophet, "Keep My law and My counsel, and if thou sleepest thou +shalt not be afraid; if thou dost rest thy sleep shall be sweet." And +ever, as thou wakenest, lift thine heart to GOD, with some holy thought, +and rise and pray to thy Lord that He grant release from pains to the +dead, and grace to the living, and life without end. If temptation of +lust stir thee in bed, think that thy good Lord hung on the Rood for +thee; think on His five wounds that streamed down of blood: think that +His bed was the hard knotty tree, and instead of a pillow He had a crown +of thorns. And say then, with sore sighing, till thy desire cool, "My +dear-worthy Lord hanged on the Rood for me; and I lie in this soft bed, +and welter me in sin, like a foul swine that loves but filth." Rise +then quickly, and hold thee with prayers, love-sighings and tears. Of +three points beware. The first, that the devotions thou hast through +grace stirring, be not known of others: hide them, so far as thou mayest +with will and deed for fear of vain glory. The second, that thou +thinkest not it is in thy power to have such devotions and stirrings +when thou wilt: but only through GOD'S grace when He will send them. The +third, that thou thinkest not over-well of thyself for such stirrings; +nor thinkest thou art therefore dear to GOD; nor deem another more +unworthy who does not as thou dost; but when thou hast done all well, +think soothly by thyself, and grant it in words; "It is nothing worth I +do, Lord: for I am but a useless thrall." If thou wilt lose no reward, +deem none other, but hold thyself most unworthy; for if thou fastest or +prayest more than another, perchance another surpasses thee in +meekness, and patience and loving. Therefore think of what thou lackest, +and not only of what thou hast. Nevertheless, GOD wills that thou +should'st think on those graces and goods He has done for thee, to stir +thee up to know thyself indebted to Him for them, and serve Him and love +Him the more; or if thou beest in grief to glad thee with. Sometimes, it +falls out that in GOD'S doom, one is better whom men deem evil than some +that men deem good. Many are worthy without and unclean within. Some +worldly and dissolute, and GOD'S private friends within. And some, in +man's sight bear themselves like angels; and in GOD'S sight, they stink +as sinful wretches. And some seem sinful to men's doom, and are full +dear to GOD Almighty, for their inward bearing is heavenly in GOD'S +bright sight. Therefore, judge we none other save ourselves. And pray we +for ourselves and all others to JESUS Christ, Mary's Son, Who for us +was nailed on the Rood, that whoso is bound in deadly sin, He loose +them; and they who are in good life, that He grant them end therein. + +Two messengers are come to thee to bring thee tidings. The one is called +Fear, who comes from hell to warn thee of thy danger: the other is +called Hope that comes from Heaven to tell thee of bliss thou shalt have +if thou doest well. Fear says he saw so many betortured in hell, that if +all the wits of men were in one, he could not tell them: of gluttons, +unchaste, robbers, thieves, rich men with their servants who harmed the +poor: judges who would not give judgment except for reward: treasurers +who by subtilty maintained injustice: deemsters who condemned loyal men +and delivered stark thieves; workmen who worked dishonestly and took +full hire; tillers of the soil who tilled badly; prelates, with the +care of men's souls, who neither punished nor taught them; of all sorts +of men who have wrongly wrought; then I saw that every one bought it +bitterly. For there I saw want of all good, and plenty of pain and +sorrow; as hot fire burning ever, brimstone stinking: grisly devils like +dragons gaping ever; hunger and thirst for ever lasting, adders and +toads gnawing on the sinful. Such sorrow and yelling and gnashing of +teeth, I heard there, that nearly, for fear, I lost my wits. Such +mirkness there was, that I could grip it; and so bitter was the smoke +that it made the woe-ful wretches shed glowing tears; and bitterly I +heard them ban the day when they were born. Now, they long to die, and +cannot. Death, which, sometime they hated, were liefer to them now than +all the good of this world. And therefore I warn thee that thou amend +thee of thy sins with shrift and penance, and have a steadfast will to +leave them for ever: a seat I saw made for thee in hell of burning fire, +where devils should pain thee ever unendingly. + +That other messenger, who is called Hope says he is come from Heaven to +tell thee of that untellable great joy that rules GOD'S friends; "to +tell thereof as it is may no earthly man speak though his tongue were of +steel. For there is a gracious fellowship of all GOD'S friends, orders +of angels, and of holy saints, and Almighty GOD above, Who gladdens them +all. Of all goodness, I saw plenty; beauty and riches that last for +ever; honour and power that never shall fail; wisdom and love and +everlasting joy. Then I heard melody and song of bright angels. So +worthy is that joy and so great withal, that whoso might taste of it a +blessed drop, he should be so ravished in liking of GOD, and such +yearning he should have to win thither, that all joys of the world were +pain to him. With so great a love he should be overtaken in yearning to +win to that bliss, that by a hundred times it should more stir him to +love virtue and flee sin than any fear he might have of the pain of +hell. And I tell thee for sooth, if thou wilt leave sin, and do GOD'S +bidding, and love Him as thou oughtest, a rich and a fair seat GOD has +made for thee wherein thou shalt dwell with Him unendingly. + + + + +THIRD PART OF THE BOOK. + + +The third and the last part of this book teaches a man to bear himself, +wheresoever he comes, and whatsoever he does: that it be to the praise +of GOD, and an example of good to all who see him: for thus the Apostle +counsels: "Let everything be done honestly and in order"; that is "all +that ye do, look ye do it honestly and orderly." Then at the first, let +every lover of GOD see that ye yearn not to mingle with the world, that +hinders and deceives all who deal with it, and hinders them from the +many good deeds they might do. And the man who will nowhere rest but aye +rake about; their eyes see many things, that the eye sends to the heart, +and such come not out easily when they are once imprinted. S. Bernard +complains of the harms that he felt in the world whilst he was therein, +and says "the world surrounded me and weighed me down": that is "The +world has besieged me on every side; and through the gates of my five +wits it shot at me and wounded me full sore; and through the wounds, +death presses in, to slay my sorry soul. Mine eyes look, and my thought +changes and kindles me in sin. Mine ears hear and my heart bows me +thereto. I smell with my nose, and it pleases my thoughts. With my mouth +I speak, and in my speech I please or beguile others: and with a little +over-soft feeling, lust kindles in my flesh; and the fiend, my foe, whom +I cannot see, stands ever against me with his bow bent." Therefore, if +necessity make man to go into this world, where are so many stirrings to +sin, with great fear shall he go, as into a battle to fight his foes. It +needs he be well armed against the arrows of his foe, that severely +shoots at him; and the more may he dread him because he cannot see him: +with foot-traps and snares is the way set full. Therefore, let him who +shall go forth, arm him with GOD'S holy fear. GOD warned His disciples +to be wary in the world when He said thus: "Soothly the world shall +withstand you with temptations." Therefore, if thou must go out, for +thine own profit or that of others, colour not thy going with any false +hue, to feign for thyself an occasion to dally with the world, for +pleasure or command, or to be known with praise before others.... + +And therefore they make a show with words and feign as they can, to be +holden holy of all who see them, that give themselves to dalliance with +the world, more than needs, as to buying, selling or quarrelling about +earthly things. And all their outward bearing so accords with the world +that David says: "They have mixed themselves with the peoples; they +partake of their works": that is, they mingle them with the folk of the +world, who have no knowledge of GOD, and such works as they see them do, +such works they do. Therefore, when thou needest to go forth, cross +thyself with the holy name of JESUS, Mary's Son, who died on the Rood +for thee, for then thou art more secure, whithersoever thou goest, as S. +Austin said to his brother, when they went forth. And S. John says: +"Whitherso thou goest, and whatsoever thou doest, thy forehead and thy +breast mark thou with the cross; for there is no other mark the fiend so +greatly dreads." See that thine outer-clothing be not over-loathsome, +nor over-curious, in shape nor in hue. Keep thy limbs to their business, +to which they were made, and do not cast thine eyes about like a child; +flourish not thine hands, and leap not with thy feet. When the heart of +man is out of ward, the limbs sometimes fail in their office. And, as +thou orderest thine outward bearing when thou goest forth, also look +thou that thou beest devout within, and specially in praying to and +praising the Lord. If in going out, thou canst not rest in saying thy +prayers, go the softlier. Many things hinder thee in toiling to pray; +weariness of limbs; men thou meetest who speak to thee; then thy five +wits fleet out of ward, and then the devotion of him who prays, cools. +When walking thou hast said thy prayers that thou art bound to say, lift +up thy heart to GOD, and pray to Him in thy thoughts in a blessed +recollection: think on the good things GOD has done for thee, and shall +do if thou truly servest Him: think on His biddings and do them indeed +according to thy might, for so GOD bids thee when He thus says:--"The +words which I command thee shall be in thine heart, and thou shalt +relate them to thy sons: and thou shall meditate on them, sitting in +thine house, and walking on thy journey, sleeping and arising." Or in +working, tell fair tales to thy fellows, or something from Holy Writ +that may soften your way, or glad you in GOD. And sometimes say the +Seven Psalms for the quick and the dead, that GOD give grace to the +quick and rest to the dead. When thou comest to the town to ease thy +body, seek where thou mayst most worthily dwell for thy condition and in +most peace: and where thou mayst most profit to thyself and others. Let +flesh-lust and vanity entice thee to no place: but inquire where any is +who most loves GOD, and thither draw thou. Seek not where thou mayst be +fed best, for there peradventure are many stirrings to sin. Harbour thee +with no woman unless thou knowest good of them for a long time. When +thou art come to the house thou shalt rest in, hold thy wits inward in +GOD'S holy fear; so that thine outer bearing be so ruled with grace that +thou mayst stir to good all whom thou seest, and through GOD'S grace +destroy mirkness of sin, and so fulfil GOD'S teaching, who says thus, +"So let your light shine before men, that they seeing your good works +may glorify your Father Who is in heaven." And S. Gregory says: "Neither +is it greatly praiseworthy to be good with the good, but to be good with +the evil; for even as it is of more heinous guilt not to be good among +the good, so is it of unwearied honour to have stood for the good among +the evil." + +Keep well thine eyes when thou art come to harbour, from all things that +may kindle sin and make thine eyes forward, as Job did, who said "I make +a covenant with mine eyes lest I should think upon a maid." After sight, +comes thought, and thereafter deed, and therefore said the prophet +Jeremiah, "Mine eye hath laid waste my soul." When so holy a prophet +lamented him of his eyesight, sorely may another complain who oft sins +therewith. Augustine: "Shameless eye is the messenger of shameless +heart." Gregory: "It is not lawful to look after that which it is not +lawful to desire." David: "Turn away mine eyes that they may not see +vanity." Look also that thou hearest nothing that may stir thee to sin, +as unclean words, backbiting, false judgments, great oaths, controversy, +striving and other such vices. Also at thy meat, bear thyself orderly, +and hold thee in measure, and seek after no dainties, but be pleased +with common meats. Consider in speaking, to whom, what, when, how, of +whom, and where: and have thyself so orderly that thou beest not like +other worldly men, but fulfil the Apostle's words; "Be not conformed to +this world, because your conversation is in heaven." + +Though our body be in this world as a clot of earth, it is needful that +our spirit which was bought with the dear-worthy blood of GOD Almighty +be with mind and will in heaven, not soil itself here with sin, as swine +do in a ditch. And whatsoever thou doest, and wheresoever thou comest, +do as the Apostle teaches: "Shew thyself to all men as an example of +good works," for through a good example GOD is worshipped and praised, +men are helped and taught and strengthened in their belief. Bear thee so +that men who dwell with you may say of you as was said of the Apostles +Paul and Barnabas, "The gods are made like men, and have come down to +us." _DEO gracias._ + +FOOTNOTES: + +[5] Rolle's free rendering of the Latin is added here from the _Thornton +MS._ It does not occur in the Arundel MS. + +[6] The MS. is defective. + +[7] On the 18th leaf of the MS. containing _Our Daily Work_ begins +Richard Rolle's _Meditations on the Passion_. A rendering of this is +given in Fr. R. H. Benson's _A Book of the Love of JESUS_. + +[8] A meat-time between sunrise and noon, or between noon and sunset. + + + + +On Grace. + + + + +On Grace. + + +Three degrees of grace there are. The first GOD gives to all creatures, +to uphold them with; and this is called GOD'S help freely given to all +creatures; and without this gift of grace, creatures cannot do, nor last +in their kind; for as water is made hot through fire and becomes cold +again if the fire be withdrawn, so, as S. Austin says, "All creatures +that are made of naught, so are they worth naught in a little time, +unless GOD upholds them with His grace." Therefore says the Apostle +"Through the grace of GOD, I am what I am." As if he said, "That I live, +that I feel, that I speak or hear or see, and all that I am: all this I +have only through GOD'S grace." The second degree of grace is more +special: that GOD gives freely to every man who is a good and reasonable +creature: and this grace stands ever at the gates of our hearts, and +knocks on our free-will, and bids it let it in. This, GOD says that He +does: "Behold, I stand at the door knocking," that is, "I stand at the +door of thine heart and knock; let Me in." And this grace is given +freely to man before he deserves it. Then let every man make himself +worthy and ready to receive His gift of the Holy Ghost, Who ever stirs +man's free-will to good, and calls it from evil. Two things are needful +to the health of man's soul. The first is this grace that I speak of: +the second, is man's free-will according thereto. And without these two, +no man can do thoroughly what he ought, that should help him to health +of his soul; for neither free-will, without this grace stirring, nor +this grace without free-will assenting, can do aught that pleases GOD. +Therefore, says S. Austin, "He Who made thee without thee, will not +justify thee without thee"; that is, "He Who made thee without thee, +will not make thee righteous, save thou helpest thereunto." And though +the free-will of man cannot make the grace of GOD in man, nevertheless, +let man do what is in him, and prepare himself, that he may be ready and +able to receive the grace, when it comes. If thou wert in a mirk house +one day, and doors and windows shut: if thou wouldest not let the sun +come in, who was to blame if the house were mirk. Also blame none save +thyself, if thy grace be less. For S. Anselm says, "Man lacks not this +grace, for GOD gives it to him; but he has it not, because he does not +make himself ready to receive this grace as he should." GOD is not +stingy of His grace, for He has enough thereof; for though He deal it +out never so far, and to so many, He never has the less; for He only +wants clean vessels, to put His grace in. Therefore says S. Austin; "GOD +by vast freedom and abundance fills all creatures according to their +capacity": that is, "GOD through His great freedom of His great grace +fulfils all creatures according as they are able to receive His grace." +If man opened his heart to this grace when GOD sends it to him, he would +shew it in works; for the Apostle, when he had won it, said, "His grace +in me was not in vain," that is "the grace that GOD has given me, is not +useless in me"; for he enjoyed it ever in work. We unite with GOD in His +grace, as merchants do together: for GOD sets His grace against our +work; but for His grace and His death, He wills (to have) naught but our +praising and thanking, and He wills that man should have all the profit +that may arise thereof. But they try to reave from GOD, His part, who +would be praised of men for good deeds. Against them, GOD says, "I will +not give My glory to another"; that is, "Praising and worship that +belong to Me, I will give to no other." Thou shalt understand, that +free-will of man is to turn freely to good or ill. Three states there +are of man; before sin, after man's sin, and after man is confirmed, +that is, after man is departed out of this deadly life, and come to that +joy that shall never end. In the first place, before man sinned, was +man's will so free, that he could sin or not sin: in his free-will it +was, to do good or ill. In the last state, that is confirmed, shall man +sin no more. In the second state, in which he may sin, and may not but +sin, man's will is free to ill, till it be strengthened with grace: and +when grace leads the will, then it is free to work the good. Before man +sinned, no hindering had he from doing good, nor no need to do ill: but +now has sin joined with our flesh, and bred what S. Paul calls the "law +of the flesh," so that it is master of the flesh, and withstands GOD'S +law in all that it can. This hinders our will from assenting to good; +and stirs it to ill so that it may not work good, unless grace helps and +accustoms him away from sin. Every man before he sins, has a free will +to do good or ill, but when he is bound to the fiend, through works of +sin, he may through no power of himself come out of his bonds: and then +he fares like a ship that in a tempest has lost all that could help it, +and is cast from wave to wave whither the tempest drives it. Right so, a +man who lacks GOD'S grace, because he be fallen into deadly sin, he does +not what he would, but aye wavers from hand to hand, at the fiend's +will, and unless GOD give him grace to rise out of his sin, he shall be +in sin to his life's end, and after, be lost body and soul, and damned +to endless pain. If the folk or the common people choose them a king, +and he be confirmed in his kingdom, he be never so ill to them, they can +do naught to him, unless it be through some other, who has more power +than he: and so, it behoves them suffer, do he them never so much ill. +Right so, man before he sins, has a free will to choose whether he will +be under GOD or the fiend; and when, with his will, he chooses to serve +the fiend, he cannot after, when he would, come out of his bonds. And +therefore, worldly men who are bound in sin say to them who counsel them +to amend their lives, "fain would we rise, but we cannot." No, they +cannot through might of themselves, but through GOD'S grace helping them +they can. The third grace is most special; for it is given only to those +who receive the second grace; and with their free-will fulfil it in +deed, and can say as S. Paul said, "The grace of GOD was not in vain in +me." And S. Austin says; "GOD, working with us, fulfils that which He, +through grace stirring, began in us." For neither without His helping +can we do good to ourselves, nor please Him: as GOD says Himself +"without Me, thou canst no nothing." GOD'S grace stirring, goes before +good will, and stirs it to do the good and leave the ill. + +Grace, when it comes first to visit man's soul, wakens him as out of a +slumbering and inquires of him with those sharp words: "Where art thou? +Whence comest thou? Whither shalt thou?" First he says, "Where art +thou?" as if he said, "Bethink thee, unhappy wretch, how foul thou art +cast down, and what peril thou art in. For, for thy sin thou art fallen +into the enemy's hands, who above all things dost covet to work thy woe; +and naught may deliver thee out of the foe's hands, but Almighty GOD, +thy good Lord, Whom thou hast forsaken." After he says: "Whence comest +thou?" as if he said, "thou wretch, behold how thou hast wasted thy life +in sin; thou comest from the fiend's tavern--Where are all the goods +that GOD has given thee to help thee with, and to worship Him? Sorrily +hast thou lost them. Thy Lord made thee rich, and thou art become a poor +wretch." After, he inquires, "Whither wendest thou?" "Woeful wretch thou +wendest to the woeful doom, that GOD dooms men to; for as thou hast +served so shalt thou be judged. So awful shalt thou see GOD there, that +thou shalt for fear be out of thy wits; and to the mountains and hills +thou shalt cry with a grisly noise, and pray them to fall on thee and +hide thee, that thou see Him not. Woeful wretch, thou wendest to hell, +if thou dost forth as thou hast begun, where thou shalt find fire so hot +and so raging, that all the water in the sea, though it ran through it, +should not slake a spark thereof. And because thou stinkest here to GOD, +for thy foul sin, there thou shalt feel everlasting stink: and because +thou lovedst mirkness here, for aye to be in sin, there shalt thou feel +such thick mirkness that thou canst grip it; and because here thou didst +rest thyself in sin against GOD'S will, there shalt thou shed more tears +than there are motes in a sunbeam. Thou shalt suffer pain ever after +pain, ever to renew thy woe." + +When GOD'S grace has stirred man and wakened him with these three, and +has made him to know the peril he is in, then he conceives a terror of +GOD'S awful doom: and therethrough, he begins to repent whatever he did +ill, and covets to amend himself through GOD'S grace, that stirs him to +flee ill and give himself to good: and then comes grace following, to +help the goodwill of man to fulfil it in deed. For though man have a +good will to do the good, through grace before stirring the good will, +yet can he not do indeed without GOD'S grace following and helping: and +this the Apostle affirms of himself when he says; "But not I, but the +grace of GOD in me"; that is, "the good which I do is naught, but GOD'S +grace does it with me"; as if he had said, "I can do no good, unless +GOD'S grace help me." GOD'S will is also a handmaiden to grace, to work +all her will. GOD'S grace, wherever it be, will not be useless, but ever +working and growing more and more, to increase thy reward. Therefore do +we as the Apostle counsels us, "We exhort you, brethren, that ye receive +not the grace of GOD in vain"; that is, "I pray you and bid you, my +brothers in GOD, that ye receive not GOD'S grace in vain." He receives +GOD'S grace in vain, that enjoys it not in good, when GOD sends it to +him; and therefore perhaps, he shall never after win thereto. Isidore +tells of a little fly that is called _Saura_, and this fly betokens +grace stirring beforehand. This kind of fly is said to be the enemy of +all venomous worms, so that when he sees any worm (going) toward man to +sting him when he sleeps in the wilderness; he flies before to the man, +and lights upon his face, and bites him a little; and therethrough he +wakes before the beast comes to sting him. By this _Saura_ is understood +grace that GOD sends to man against the temptations of the fiend, who +often stings venomously: it cries unto thee, as the Apostle says; +"Awake, thou that sleepest, and rise from the dead, and Christ shall +give thee light." But the unthankful act against this grace, and ruin +it: as Virgil did with this little fly that saved him from death. He lay +asleep, and an adder came toward him: but this fly Saura flew before, +and lighted on his forehead, and pricked him a little, and therewith he +wakened; also the adder came; but this Virgil, in his waking, felt his +forehead smart, and smote himself on the face; and so he slew the fly, +and so repaid him for his service, who saved his life. Therefore do thou +not ruin GOD'S grace when it comes to thee, to warn thee of harm and +stir thee to good. Glad ought man to be of GOD'S grace, when GOD sends +it to him, and to take care full warily of so rich a gift: for grace is +earnest-money of that lasting joy which is to come, as the Apostle says: +"the grace of GOD is eternal life"; that is, "GOD'S grace is like a help +and way to everlasting life." Therefore, He sets grace before us as the +way that leads to everlasting joy: and also a pledge, if we keep it +well, to make in us certainty of endless joy; as the Apostle says, "Who +gave us His Spirit as a pledge in our bodies," that is "GOD has given us +the Holy Ghost as pledge of endless joy." Hold we then this heavenly +pledge; and enjoy we it well in work; for it is well for us in this +life, if GOD'S grace lead us; and when grace leaves us, we fail of that +welfare. Therefore, through help of grace let us destroy in ourselves +everything that is against grace, be it less or more, that our reason +says is against GOD'S will, that is, all that is sin, or may stir to +sin: and let us have repentance in our heart, shrift in mouth, and +withstanding, with will never to turn again. + + + + +An Epistle on Charity. + + + + +On Charity. + + _By what tokens thou shalt know if thou lovest thine enemy: + and what example thou shalt take from Christ to love him_. + + +And if thou beest not stirred against the person by anger or fell +outward cheer, and have no privy hate in thine heart for to despise him, +or judge him, or for to set him at naught: and the more shame and +villany he does to thee in word or in deed, the more pity and compassion +thou hast of him as thou wouldest have of a man who was out of his mind, +and thou thinkest thou canst not find in thine heart to hate him, for +love is so good in itself, but prayest for him, and helpest him, and +desirest his amending, not only with thy mouth as hypocrites do, but +with thy affection of love in thine heart, then hast thou perfect +charity to thy fellow-Christian. This charity had S. Stephen, perfectly, +when he prayed for them who stoned him to death. This charity, Christ +counselled to all who would be His perfect followers, when He said thus: +"Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, pray for those who +persecute and calumniate you." And therefore, if thou wilt follow +Christ, be like Him in power. Learn to love thine enemies, and sinful +men, for all those are thy fellow-Christians. Look and bethink thee how +Christ loved Judas, who was both His bodily enemy and a sinful caitiff: +how goodly Christ was to him; how benign; how courteous; how humble to +him whom He knew to be damnable; and nevertheless, He chose him for His +Apostle, and sent him to preach with the other Apostles; He gave him +power to work miracles: He shewed to him the same good cheer in word and +deed; also with His precious Body; and preached to him as He did to the +other Apostles: He condemned him not openly, nor abused, nor despised +him, nor ever spake evil of him: and yet even though He had done all +that, He would but have said the truth! And above all, when Judas took +Him, He kissed him and called him His friend. All this charity, Christ +shewed to Judas whom He knew to be damnable. In no manner of feigning or +flattering, but in soothfastness of good love and clean charity. For +though it were truth that Judas was unworthy to have any gift of GOD, or +any sign of love, because of his wickedness; nevertheless, it was worthy +and reasonable that our Lord should appear as He is. + +He is love and goodness, and therefore it belongs to Him to shew love +and goodness to all His creatures, as He did to Judas. Follow after, +somewhat if thou canst; for though thou beest shut in a house with thy +body, nevertheless in thine heart, where the place of love is, thou +shalt be able to have part of such a love to thy fellow Christians as I +speak of. Whoso deems himself to be a perfect follower of JESUS Christ's +teaching and living, as some men deem that they be, inasmuch as one +teaches and preaches, and is poor in worldly goods as Christ was, and +cannot follow Christ in His love and charity, to love his +fellow-Christians, every man, good and ill, friends and foes, without +feigning, flattering, despising in heart, angriness and melancholious +reproving, soothly, he beguiles himself: the dearer he deems himself to +be, the further he is. For Christ said to those who would be His +followers, thus: "This is My commandment, that ye love mutually as I +have loved you." + +"This is My bidding, that ye love together as I love you, for if ye love +as I loved, then are ye My disciples." He that is meek soothfastly, or +would be meek, can love his fellow-Christians: and none save he. + + + + +Contrition. + + +Richard Hermit rehearses a ... tale of perfect contrition that the same +clerk Cesarius tells. He tells that a scholar at Paris had done full +many sins of which he was ashamed to shrive him. At the last, great +sorrow of heart overcame his shame, and when he was ready to shrive him +to the Prior of the Abbey of S. Victor, so great contrition was in his +heart, sighing in his breast, sobbing in his throat that he could not +bring one word forth. Then the Prior said to him, "Go and write thy +sins." He did so and came again to the Prior, and gave him what he had +written, for still he could not shrive himself with his mouth. The Prior +saw the sins were so great, that with the scholar's leave, he shewed +them to the Abbot to have his counsel. The Abbot took the writing +wherein they were written, and looked thereon. He found nothing written, +and said to the Prior, "What can here be read where naught is written?" +Then saw the Prior and wondered greatly, and said "Wit ye that his sins +were here written, and I read them: but now I see that GOD has seen his +contrition and has forgiven him all his sins." This the Abbot and the +Prior told the scholar, and he, with great Joy, thanked GOD. + + + + +Scraps from the Arundel MS. + + + Sinful man look up and see, how + ruefully I hung on rood; + And of my penance have pity with sorrowful + heart and dreary mood: + All this, man, I suffered for thee: My flesh + was riven, all spilt My blood; + Lift up thine heart, call thou on Me, forsake + thy sin: have mercy, GOD. + + * * * * * + + Think oft with sore heart of thy foul sins, + Think oft of hell-woe, of heaven-kingdom's + wins;[9] + Think of thine own death, of GOD'S death + on rood, + The grim doom of Doom's-day have thou oft + in mood: + Think how false is this world, and what its + reward, + Think what, for His good death, thou owest + thy Lord. + +RICHARD ROLLE. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[9] Wins = joys. + + +--------------------------------------------------------------+ + | Transcriber's Notes: | + | | + | Page 16: The speech that starts on this page with | + | "Thou wot'st...." has no closing quotes (_sic_) | + | Page 59: The speech that starts on this page with "For | + | not many...." has no closing quotes (_sic_) | + | Page 115: Closing quotes following "idle speech" removed. | + | Page 124: The speech that starts on this page with "Why | + | lieth this blood...." has no closing quotes (_sic_) | + | Page 141: Closing quote added after "... serve GOD | + | better." | + | Page 155: The speech that starts on this page with "to tell | + | thereof...." has no closing quotes (_sic_) | + | Page 177: Single closing quote following "wretch" amended | + | to double quotes | + | | + | Unless noted above, punctuation has been retained as it is | + | in the original book. 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