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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 Cell of Self-Knowledge + Seven Early English Mystical Treaties + +Author: Various + +Translator: Edmund G. Gardner + +Posting Date: August 8, 2009 [EBook #4544] +Release Date: October, 2003 +First Posted: February 6, 2002 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CELL OF SELF-KNOWLEDGE *** + + + + +Produced by Charles Aldarondo, with thanks to the CCEL +(www.ccel.org) collection. HTML version by Al Haines. + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<BR><BR> + +<H1 ALIGN="center"> +The Cell of Self-Knowledge: +</H1> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +Seven Early English Mystical Treatises +</H2> + +<BR><BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +Printed by Henry Pepwell +</H3> + +<BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +MDXXI +</H3> + +<BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +Edited with an introduction and notes by +<BR> +Edmund G. Gardner M.A. +</H3> + +<H4 ALIGN="center"> +1910 +</H4> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<P> +The Frontispiece is taken from B.M. MS. Faustina, B. VI. +</P> + +<P> +"Stiamo nella cella del cognoscimento di noi; cognoscendo, noi per +noi non essere, e la bonta di Dio in noi; ricognoscendo l'essere, e +ogni grazia che e posta sopra l'essere, da lui."—St. Catherine of +Siena. +</P> + +<P> +"Tergat ergo speculum suum, mundet spiritum suum, quisquis sitit +videre Deum suum. Exterso autem speculo et diu diligenter inspecto, +incipit ei quaedam divini luminis claritas interlucere, et immensus +quidam insolitae visionis radius oculis ejus apparere. Hoc lumen +oculos ejus irradiaverat, qui dicebat: Signatum est super nos lumen +vultus tui, Domine; dedisti laetitiam in corde meo. Ex hujus igitur +luminis visione quam admiratur in se, mirum in modum accenditur +animus, et animatur ad videndum lumen, quod est supra se."—Richard +of St. Victor. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +CONTENTS +</H2> + +<H3> +I. <A HREF="#benjamin">A very Devout Treatise, named Benjamin,</A> of the Mights and Virtues +of Man's Soul, and of the Way to True Contemplation, compiled by a +Noble and Famous Doctor, a man of great holiness and devotion, named +Richard of Saint Victor +</H3> + +<BR> + +<H3> +<A HREF="#prologue">The Prologue</A> +</H3> + +<H4> +Cap. I. <A HREF="#chap01">How the Virtue of Dread riseth in the Affection</A> +</H4> + +<H4> +Cap. II. <A HREF="#chap02">How Sorrow riseth in the Affection</A> +</H4> + +<H4> +Cap. III. <A HREF="#chap03">How Hope riseth in the Affection</A> +</H4> + +<H4> +Cap. IV. <A HREF="#chap04">How Love riseth in the Affection</A> +</H4> + +<H4> +Cap. V. <A HREF="#chap05">How the Double Sight of Pain and Joy riseth in the Imagination</A> +</H4> + +<H4> +Cap. VI. <A HREF="#chap06">How the Virtues of Abstinence and Patience rise in the Sensuality</A> +</H4> + +<H4> +Cap. VII. <A HREF="#chap07">How Joy of Inward Sweetness riseth in the Affection</A> +</H4> + +<H4> +Cap. VIII. <A HREF="#chap08">How Perfect Hatred of Sin riseth in the Affection</A> +</H4> + +<H4> +Cap. IX. <A HREF="#chap09">How Ordained Shame riseth and groweth in the Affection</A> +</H4> + +<H4> +Cap. X. <A HREF="#chap10">How Discretion and Contemplation rise in the Reason</A> +</H4> + +<BR> + +<H3> +II. <A HREF="#doctrines">Divers Doctrines Devout and Fruitful</A>, taken out of the Life of +that Glorious Virgin and Spouse of Our Lord, Saint Katherin of +Seenes +</H3> + +<H3> +III. <A HREF="#contemplation">A Short Treatise of Contemplation</A> taught by Our Lord Jesu +Christ, or taken out of the Book of Margery Kempe, Ancress of Lynn +</H3> + +<H3> +IV. <A HREF="#hylton">A Devout Treatise compiled by Master Walter Hylton</A> of the Song +of Angels +</H3> + +<H3> +V. <A HREF="#prayer">A Devout Treatise called the Epistle of Prayer</A> +</H3> + +<H3> +VI. <A HREF="#discretion">A very necessary Epistle of Discretion</A> in Stirrings of the Soul +</H3> + +<H3> +VII. <A HREF="#spirits">A Devout Treatise of Discerning of Spirits</A>, very necessary for +Ghostly Livers +</H3> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +INTRODUCTION +</H3> + +<P> +FROM the end of the thirteenth to the beginning of the fifteenth +century may be called the golden age of mystical literature in the +vernacular. In Germany, we find Mechthild of Magdeburg (d. 1277), +Meister Eckhart (d. 1327), Johannes Tauler (d. 1361), and Heinrich +Suso (d. 1365); in Flanders, Jan Ruysbroek (d. 1381); in Italy, +Dante Alighieri himself (d. 1321), Jacopone da Todi (d. 1306), St. +Catherine of Siena (d. 1380), and many lesser writers who strove, in +prose or in poetry, to express the hidden things of the spirit, the +secret intercourse of the human soul with the Divine, no longer in +the official Latin of the Church, but in the language of their own +people, "a man's own vernacular," which "is nearest to him, inasmuch +as it is most closely united to him."[1] In England, the great names +of Richard Rolle, the Hermit of Hampole (d. 1349), of Walter Hilton +(d. 1396), and of Mother Juliana of Norwich, whose Revelation of +Divine Love professedly date from 1373, speak for themselves. +</P> + +<P> +The seven tracts or treatises before us were published in 1521 in a +little quarto volume: "Imprynted at London in Poules chyrchyarde at +the sygne of the Trynyte, by Henry Pepwell. In the yere of our lorde +God, M.CCCCC.XXI., the xvi. daye of Nouembre." They may, somewhat +loosely speaking, be regarded as belonging to the fourteenth +century, though the first and longest of them professes to be but a +translation of the work of the great Augustinian mystic of an +earlier age. +</P> + +<P> +St. Bernard, Richard of St. Victor, and St. Bonaventura—all three +very familiar figures to students of Dante's Paradiso—are the chief +influences in the story of English mysticism. And, through the +writings of his latter-day followers, Richard Rolle, Walter Hilton, +and the anonymous author of the Divine Cloud of Unknowing, Richard +of St. Victor is, perhaps, the most important of the three. +</P> + +<P> +Himself either a Scot or an Irishman by birth, Richard entered the +famous abbey of St. Victor, a house of Augustinian canons near +Paris, some time before 1140, where he became the chief pupil of the +great mystical doctor and theologian whom the later Middle Ages +regarded as a second Augustine, Hugh of St. Victor. After Hugh's +death (1141), Richard succeeded to his influence as a teacher, and +completed his work in creating the mystical theology of the Church. +His masterpiece, De Gratia Contemplationis, known also as Benjamin +Major, in five books, is a work of marvellous spiritual insight, +unction, and eloquence, upon which Dante afterwards based the whole +mystical psychology of the Paradiso.2 In it Richard shows how the +soul passes upward through the six steps of contemplation—in +imagination, in reason, in understanding—gradually discarding all +sensible objects of thought; until, in the sixth stage, it +contemplates what is above reason, and seems to be beside reason, or +even contrary to reason. He teaches that there are three qualities +of contemplation, according to its intensity: mentis dilatatio, an +enlargement of the soul's vision without exceeding the bounds of +human activity; mentis sublevatio, elevation of mind, in which the +intellect, divinely illumined, transcends the measure of humanity, +and beholds the things above itself, but does not entirely lose +self-consciousness; and mentis alienatio, or ecstasy, in which all +memory of the present leaves the mind, and it passes into a state of +divine transfiguration, in which the soul gazes upon truth without +any veils of creatures, not in a mirror darkly, but in its pure +simplicity. This master of the spiritual life died in 1173. Amongst +the glowing souls of the great doctors and theologians in the fourth +heaven, St. Thomas Aquinas bids Dante mark the ardent spirit of +"Richard who in contemplation was more than man."[3] +</P> + +<P> +Benjamin, for Richard, is the type of contemplation, in accordance +with the Vulgate version of Psalm lxvii.: Ibi Benjamin +adolescentulus in mentis excessu: "There is Benjamin, a youth, in +ecstasy of mind"—where the English Bible reads: "Little Benjamin +their ruler."[4] At the birth of Benjamin, his mother Rachel dies: +"For, when the mind of man is rapt above itself, it surpasseth all +the limits of human reasoning. Elevated above itself and rapt in +ecstasy, it beholdeth things in the divine light at which all human +reason succumbs. What, then, is the death of Rachel, save the +failing of reason?"[5] +</P> + +<P> +The treatise here printed under the title Benjamin is based upon a +smaller work of Richard's, a kind of introduction to the Benjamin +Major, entitled: Benjamin Minor; or: De Praeparatione animi ad +Contemplationem. It is a paraphrase of certain portions of this +work, with a few additions, and large omissions. Among the portions +omitted are the two passages that, almost alone among Richard's +writings, are known to the general reader—or, at least, to people +who do not claim to be specialists in mediaeval theology. In the +one, he speaks of knowledge of self as the Holy Hill, the Mountain +of the Lord:— +</P> + +<P> +"If the mind would fain ascend to the height of science, let its +first and principal study be to know itself. Full knowledge of the +rational spirit is a great and high mountain. This mountain +transcends all the peaks of all mundane sciences, and looks down +upon all the philosophy and all the science of the world from on +high. Could Aristotle, could Plato, could the great band of +philosophers ever attain to it?"[6] +</P> + +<P> +In the other, still adhering to his image of the mountain of +self-knowledge, he makes his famous appeal to the Bible, as the +supreme test of truth, the only sure guard that the mystic has +against being deluded in his lofty speculations:— +</P> + +<P> +"Even if you think that you have been taken up into that high +mountain apart, even if you think that you see Christ transfigured, +do not be too ready to believe anything you see in Him or hear from +Him, unless Moses and Elias run to meet Him. I hold all truth in +suspicion which the authority of the Scriptures does not confirm, +nor do I receive Christ in His clarification unless Moses and Elias +are talking with Him."[7] +</P> + +<P> +On the other hand, the beautiful passage with which the version +closes, so typical of the burning love of Christ, shown in devotion +to the name of Jesus, which glows through all the writings of the +school of the Hermit of Hampole, is an addition of the translator:— +</P> + +<P> +"And therefore, what so thou be that covetest to come to +contemplation of God, that is to say, to bring forth such a child +that men clepen in the story Benjamin (that is to say, sight of +God), then shalt thou use thee in this manner. Thou shalt call +together thy thoughts and thy desires, and make thee of them a +church, and learn thee therein for to love only this good word Jesu, +so that all thy desires and all thy thoughts are only set for to +love Jesu, and that unceasingly as it may be here; so that thou +fulfil that is said in the psalm: 'Lord, I shall bless Thee in +churches'; that is, in thoughts and desires of the love of Jesu. And +then, in this church of thoughts and desires, and in this onehead of +studies and of wills, look that all thy thoughts, and all thy +desires, and all thy studies, and all thy wills be only set in the +love and the praising of this Lord Jesu, without forgetting, as far +forth as thou mayst by grace, and as thy frailty will suffer; +evermore meeking thee to prayer and to counsel, patiently abiding +the will of our Lord, unto the time that thy mind be ravished above +itself, to be fed with the fair food of angels in the beholding of +God and ghostly things; so that it be fulfilled in thee that is +written in the psalm: Ibi Benjamin adolescentulus in mentis excessu; +that is: 'There is Benjamin, the young child, in ravishing of +mind."'[8] +</P> + +<P> +The text printed by Pepwell differs slightly from that of the +manuscripts, of which a large number have been preserved. Among +others, it is found in the Arundel MS. 286, and the Harleian MSS. +674, 1022, and 2373. It has been published from the Harl. MS. 1022 +by Professor C. Horstman, who observes that "it is very old, and +certainly prior to Walter Hilton."[9] It is evidently by one of the +followers of Richard Rolle, dating from about the middle of the +fourteenth century. External and internal evidence seems to point to +its being the work of the anonymous author of the Divine Cloud of +Unknowing. +</P> + +<P> +This is not the place to tell again the wonderful story of St. +Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), one of the noblest and most truly +heroic women that the world has ever seen. Her life and manifold +activities only touched England indirectly. The famous English +captain of mercenaries, Sir John Hawkwood, was among the men of the +world who, at least for a while, were won to nobler ideals by her +letters and exhortations. Two of her principal disciples, Giovanni +Tantucci and William Flete, both Augustinian hermits, were graduates +of Cambridge; the latter, an Englishman by birth, was appointed by +her on her deathbed to preside over the continuance of her work in +her native city, and a vision of his, concerning the legitimacy of +the claims of Urban the Sixth to the papal throne, was brought +forward as one of the arguments that induced England, on the +outbreak of the Great Schism in the Church (1378), to adhere to the +Roman obedience for which Catherine was battling to the death. A +letter which she herself addressed on the same subject to King +Richard the Second has not been preserved. +</P> + +<P> +About 1493, Wynkyn de Worde printed The Lyf of saint Katherin of +Senis the blessid virgin, edited by Caxton; which is a free +translation, by an anonymous Dominican, with many omissions and the +addition of certain reflections, of the Legenda, the great Latin +biography of St. Catherine by her third confessor, Friar Raymond of +Capua, the famous master-general and reformer of the order of St. +Dominic (d. 1399). He followed this up, in 1519, by an English +rendering by Brother Dane James of the Saint's mystical treatise the +Dialogo: "Here begynneth the Orcharde of Syon; in the whiche is +conteyned the reuelacyons of seynt Katheryne of Sene, with ghostly +fruytes and precyous plantes for the helthe of mannes soule."[10] +This was not translated from St. Catherine's own vernacular, but +from Friar Raymond's Latin version of the latter, first printed at +Brescia in 1496. From the first of these two works, the Lyf, are +selected the passages—the Divers Doctrines devout and +fruitful—which Pepwell here presents to us; but it seems probable +that he was not borrowing directly from Caxton, as an almost +verbally identical selection, with an identical title, is found in +the British Museum, MS. Reg. 17 D.V., where it follows the Divine +Cloud of Unknowing. +</P> + +<P> +Margery Kempe is a much more mysterious personage. She has come down +to us only in a tiny quarto of eight pages printed by Wynkyn de +Worde:— +</P> + +<P> +"Here begynneth a shorte treatyse of contemplacyon taught by our +lorde Jhesu cryste, or taken out of the boke of Margerie kempe of +Lynn." +</P> + +<P> +And at the end:— +</P> + +<P> +"Here endeth a shorte treatyse called Margerie kempe de Lynn. +Enprynted in Fletestrete by Wynkyn de worde." +</P> + +<P> +The only known copy is preserved in the University of Cambridge. It +is undated, but appears to have been printed in 1501.[11] With a few +insignificant variations, it is the same as was printed twenty years +later by Pepwell, who merely inserts a few words like "Our Lord +Jesus said unto her," or "she said," and adds that she was a devout +ancress. Tanner, not very accurately, writes: "This book contains +various discourses of Christ (as it is pretended) to certain holy +women; and, written in the style of modern Quietists and Quakers, +speaks of the inner love of God, of perfection, et cetera."[12] No +manuscript of the work is known to exist, and absolutely no traces +can be discovered of the "Book of Margery Kempe," out of which it is +implied by the Printer that these beautiful thoughts and sayings are +taken. +</P> + +<P> +There is nothing in the treatise itself to enable us to fix its +date. It is, perhaps, possible that the writer or recipient of these +revelations is the "Margeria filia Johannis Kempe," who, between +1284 and 1298, gave up to the prior and convent of Christ Church, +Canterbury, all her rights in a piece of land with buildings and +appurtenances, "which falls to me after the decease of my brother +John, and lies in the parish of Blessed Mary of Northgate outside +the walls of the city of Canterbury."[13] The revelations show that +she was (or had been) a woman of some wealth and social position, +who had abandoned the world to become an ancress, following the life +prescribed in that gem of early English devotional literature, the +Ancren Riwle.14 It is clearly only a fragment of her complete book +(whatever that may have been); but it is enough to show that she was +a worthy precursor of that other great woman mystic of East Anglia: +Juliana of Norwich. For Margery, as for Juliana, Love is the +interpretation of revelation, and the key to the universal +mystery:[15]— +</P> + +<P> +"Daughter, thou mayst no better please God, than to think +continually in His love." +</P> + +<P> +"If thou wear the habergeon or the hair, fasting bread and water, +and if thou saidest every day a thousand Pater Nosters, thou shalt +not please Me so well as thou dost when thou art in silence, and +suffrest Me to speak in thy soul." +</P> + +<P> +"Daughter, if thou knew how sweet thy love is to Me, thou wouldest +never do other thing but love Me with all thine heart." +</P> + +<P> +"In nothing that thou dost or sayest, daughter, thou mayst no better +please God than believe that He loveth thee. For, if it were +possible that I might weep with thee, I would weep with thee for the +compassion that I have of thee." +</P> + +<P> +And, from the midst of her celestial contemplations, rises up the +simple, poignant cry of human suffering: "Lord, for Thy great pain +have mercy on my little pain." +</P> + +<P> +We are on surer ground with the treatise that follows, the Song of +Angels.[16] Walter Hilton—who died on March 24, 1396—holds a +position in the religious life and spiritual literature of England +in the latter part of the fourteenth century somewhat similar to +that occupied by Richard Rolle in its earlier years. Like the Hermit +of Hampole, he was the founder of a school, and the works of his +followers cannot always be distinguished with certainty from his +own. Like his great master in the mystical way, Richard of St. +Victor, Hilton was an Augustinian, the head of a house of canons at +Thurgarton, near Newark. His great work, the Scala Perfectionis, or +Ladder of Perfection, "which expoundeth many notable doctrines in +Contemplation," was first printed by Wynkyn de Worde in 1494, and is +still widely used for devotional reading. A shorter treatise, the +Epistle to a Devout Man in Temporal Estate, first printed by Pynson +in 1506, gives practical guidance to a religious layman of wealth +and social position, for the fulfilling of the duties of his state +without hindrance to his making profit in the spiritual life. These, +with the Song of Angels, are the only printed works that can be +assigned to him with certainty, though many others, undoubtedly from +his pen, are to be found in manuscripts, and a complete and critical +edition of Walter Hilton seems still in the far future.[17] The Song +of Angels has been twice printed since the edition of Pepwell.[18] +In profoundly mystical language, tinged with the philosophy of that +mysterious Neo-Platonist whom we call the pseudo-Dionysius, it tells +of the wonderful "onehead," the union of the soul with God in +perfect charity:— +</P> + +<P> +"This onehead is verily made when the mights of the soul are +reformed by grace to the dignity and the state of the first +condition; that is, when the mind is firmly established, without +changing and wandering, in God and ghostly things, and when the +reason is cleared from all worldly and fleshly beholdings, and from +all bodily imaginations, figures, and fantasies of creatures, and is +illumined by grace to behold God and ghostly things, and when the +will and the affection is purified and cleansed from all fleshly, +kindly, and worldly love, and is inflamed with burning love of the +Holy Ghost." +</P> + +<P> +But to this blessed condition none may attain perfectly here on +earth. The writer goes on to speak of the mystical consolations and +visitations granted to the loving soul in this life, distinguishing +the feelings and sensations that are mere delusions, from those that +truly proceed from the fire of love in the affection and the light +of knowing in the reason, and are a very anticipation of that +ineffable "onehead" in heaven. +</P> + +<P> +The three remaining treatises—the Epistle of Prayer, the Epistle of +Discretion in Stirrings of the Soul, and the Treatise of Discerning +of Spirits[19]—are associated in the manuscripts with four other +works: the Divine Cloud of Unknowing, the Epistle of Privy Counsel, +a paraphrase of the Mystical Theology of Dionysius entitled Dionise +Hid Divinity, and the similar translation or paraphrase of the +Benjamin Minor of Richard of St. Victor already considered.[20] +These seven treatises are all apparently by the same hand. The +Divine Cloud of Unknowing has been credited to Walter Hilton, as +likewise to William Exmew, or to Maurice Chauncy, Carthusians of the +sixteenth century, whereas the manuscripts are at least a hundred +years earlier than their time; but it seems safer to attribute the +whole series to an unknown writer of the second part of the +fourteenth century, who "marks a middle point between Rolle and +Hilton."[21] The spiritual beauty of the three here reprinted—and, +more particularly, of the Epistle of Prayer, with its glowing +exposition of the doctrine of Pure Love—speaks for itself. They +show us mysticism brought down, if I may say so, from the clouds for +the practical guidance of the beginner along this difficult way. +And, in the Epistle of Discretion, we find even a rare touch of +humour; where the counsellor "conceives suspiciously" of his +correspondent's spiritual stirrings, lest "they should be conceived +on the ape's manner." Like St. Catherine of Siena, though in a less +degree, he has the gift of vision and the faculty of intuition +combined with a homely common sense, and can illustrate his "simple +meaning" with a smile. +</P> + +<P> +I have borrowed a phrase from St. Catherine, "The Cell of +Self-Knowledge," la cella del cognoscimento di noi, as the title of +this little volume. Knowledge of self and purity of heart, the +mystics teach, are the indispensable conditions for the highest +mystical elevation. Knowledge of self, for Richard of St. Victor, is +the high mountain apart upon which Christ is transfigured; for +Catherine of Siena, it is the stable in which the pilgrim through +time to eternity must be born again. "Wouldest thou behold Christ +transfigured?" asks Richard; "ascend this mountain; learn to know +thyself."[22] "Thou dost see," writes Catherine, speaking in the +person of the eternal Father, "this sweet and loving Word born in a +stable, while Mary was journeying; to show to you, who are +travellers, that you must ever be born again in the stable of +knowledge of yourselves, where you will find Him born by grace +within your souls."[23] The soul is a mirror that reflects the +invisible things of God, and it is by purity of heart alone that +this mirror is made clear. "Therefore," writes Richard of St. +Victor, "let whoso thirsts to see his God, wipe his mirror, purify +his spirit. After he hath thus cleared his mirror and long +diligently gazed into it, a certain clarity of divine light begins +to shine through upon him, and a certain immense ray of unwonted +vision to appear before his eyes. This light irradiated the eyes of +him who said: Lord, lift Thou up the light of Thy countenance upon +us; Thou hast put gladness in my heart. From the vision of this +light which it sees with wonder in itself, the mind is wondrously +inflamed and inspired to behold the light which is above +itself."[24] +</P> + +<P> +Pepwell's volume has been made the basis of the present edition of +these seven treatises; but, in each case, the text has been +completely revised. The text of the Benjamin, the Epistle of Prayer, +the Epistle of Discretion, and the Treatise of Discerning of +Spirits, has been collated with that given by the Harleian MSS. 674 +and 2373; and, in most cases, the readings of the manuscripts have +been adopted in preference to those of the printed version. The +Katherin has been collated with Caxton's Lyf; the Margery Kempe with +Wynkyn de Worde's precious little volume in the University Library +of Cambridge; and the Song of Angels with the text published by +Professor Horstman from the Camb. MS Dd. v. 55. As the object of +this book is not to offer a Middle English text to students, but a +small contribution to mystical literature, the orthography has been +completely modernised, while I have attempted to retain enough of +the original language to preserve the flavour of mediaeval devotion. +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +EDMUND G. GARDNER. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="benjamin"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +I. +</H3> + +<P CLASS="intro"> +HERE FOLLOWETH A VERY DEVOUT TREATISE, NAMED BENJAMIN, OF THE MIGHTS +AND VIRTUES OF MAN'S SOUL, AND OF THE WAY TO TRUE CONTEMPLATION, +COMPILED BY A NOBLE AND FAMOUS DOCTOR, A MAN OF GREAT HOLINESS AND +DEVOTION, NAMED RICHARD OF SAINT VICTOR +</P> + +<H4> +A TREATISE NAMED BENJAMIN +</H4> + +<A NAME="prologue"></A> +<H4> +THE PROLOGUE +</H4> + +<P> +A GREAT clerk that men call [25] Richard of Saint Victor, in a book +that he maketh of the study of wisdom, witnesseth and saith that two +mights are in a man's soul, given of the Father of Heaven of whom +all good cometh. The one is reason, the other is affection; through +reason we know, and through affection we feel or love. +</P> + +<P> +Of reason springeth right counsel and ghostly wits; and of affection +springeth holy desires and ordained[26] feelings. And right as +Rachel and Leah were both wives unto Jacob, right so man's soul +through light of knowing in the reason, and sweetness of love in the +affection, is spoused unto God. By Jacob is understanden God, by +Rachel is understanden reason, by Leah is understanden affection. +Each of these wives, Rachel and Leah, took to them a maiden; Rachel +took Bilhah, and Leah took Zilpah. Bilhah was a great jangler, and +Zilpah was ever drunken and thirsty. By Bilhah is understanden +imagination, the which is servant unto reason, as Bilhah was to +Rachel; by Zilpah is understanden sensuality, the which is servant +unto affection, as Zilpah was to Leah. And so much are these maidens +needful to their ladies, that without them all this world might +serve them of nought. For why, without imagination reason may not +know, and without sensuality affection may not feel. And yet +imagination cryeth so inconveniently[27] in the ears of our heart +that, for ought that reason her lady may do, yet she may not still +her. And therefore it is that oft times when we should pray, so many +divers fantasies of idle and evil thoughts cry in our hearts, that +on no wise we may by our own mights drive them away. And thus it is +well proved that Bilhah is a foul jangler. And also the sensuality +is evermore so thirsty, that all that affection her lady may +feel,[28] may not yet slake her thirst. The drink that she desireth +is the lust of fleshly, kindly, and worldly delights,[29] of the +which the more that she drinketh the more she thirsteth; for why, +for to fill the appetite of the sensuality, all this world may not +suffice; and therefore it is that oft times when we pray or think on +God and ghostly things, we would fain feel sweetness of love in our +affection,[30] and yet we may not, for are we so busy to feed the +concupiscence of our sensuality; for evermore it is greedily asking, +and we have a fleshly compassion thereof. And thus it is well proved +that Zilpah is evermore drunken and thirsty. And right as Leah +conceived of Jacob and brought forth seven children, and Rachel +conceived of Jacob and brought forth two children, and Bilhah +conceived of Jacob and brought forth two children, and Zilpah +conceived of Jacob and brought forth two children; right so the +affection conceiveth through the grace of God, and bringeth forth +seven virtues; and also the sensuality conceiveth through the grace +of God, and bringeth forth two virtues; and also the reason +conceiveth through the grace of God, and bringeth forth two virtues; +and also the imagination conceiveth through the grace of God, and +bringeth forth two virtues, or two beholdings. And the names of +their children and of their virtues shall be known by this figure +that followeth: +</P> + +<P> +Husband: Jacob temporally, God spiritually. Wives to Jacob: Leah, +that is to say, Affection; Rachel, that is to say, Reason. Maid to +Leah is Zilpah, that is to understand, Sensuality; and Bilhah maiden +to Rachel, that is to understand, Imagination. +</P> + +<P> +The sons of Jacob and Leah are these seven that followeth: Reuben +signifieth dread of pain; Simeon, sorrow of sins; Levi, hope of +forgiveness; Judah, love of righteousness; Issachar, joy in inward +sweetness; Zebulun, hatred of sin; Dinah, ordained shame. +</P> + +<P> +The sons of Jacob and Zilpah, servant of Leah, are these: Gad, +abstinence; Asher, patience. +</P> + +<P> +The sons of Jacob and of Rachel are these: Joseph, discretion; +Benjamin, contemplation. +</P> + +<P> +The sons of Jacob and Bilhah, servant to Rachel, are these: Dan, +sight of pain to come; and Naphtali, sight of joy to come. +</P> + +<P> +In this figure it is shewed apertly of Jacob and of his wives, and +their maidens, and all their children. Here it is to shew on what +manner they were gotten, and in what order:— +</P> + +<P> +First, it is to say of the children of Leah; for why, it is read +that she first conceived. The children of Leah are nought else to +understand but ordained affections or feelings in a man's soul; for +why, if they were unordained, then were they not the sons of Jacob. +Also the seven children of Leah are seven virtues, for virtue is +nought else but an ordained and a measured feeling in a man's soul. +For then is man's feeling in soul ordained when it is of that thing +that it should be; then it is measured when it is so much as it +should be. These feelings in a man's soul may be now ordained and +measured, and now unordained and unmeasured; but when they are +ordained and measured, then are they accounted among the sons of +Jacob.[31] +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap01"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CAPITULUM I +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW THE VIRTUE OF DREAD RISETH IN THE AFFECTION +</H3> + +<P> +THE first child that Leah conceived of Jacob was Reuben, that is, +dread; and therefore it is written in the psalm: "The beginning of +wisdom is the dread of our Lord God."[32] This is the first felt +virtue in a man's affection, without the which none other may be +had. And, therefore, whoso desireth to have such a son, him behoveth +busily and oft also behold the evil that he hath done. And he shall, +on the one party, think on the greatness of his trespass, and, on +another party, the power of the Doomsman.[33] Of such a +consideration springeth dread, that is to say Reuben, that through +right is cleped "the son of sight."[34] For utterly is he blind that +seeth not the pains that are to come, and dreadeth not to sin. And +well is Reuben cleped the son of sight; for when he was born, his +mother cried and said: "God hath seen my meekness."[35] And man's +soul, in such a consideration of his old sins and of the power of +the Doomsman, beginneth then truly to see God by feeling of dread, +and also to be seen of God by rewarding of pity. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap02"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CAPITULUM II +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW SORROW RISETH IN THE AFFECTION +</H3> + +<P> +WHILE Reuben waxeth, Simeon is born; for after dread it needeth +greatly that sorrow come soon. For ever the more that a man dreadeth +the pain that he hath deserved, the bitterlier he sorroweth the sins +that he hath done. Leah in the birth of Simeon cried and said: "Our +Lord hath heard me be had in despite."[36] And therefore is Simeon +cleped "hearing";[37] for when a man bitterly sorroweth and +despiseth his old sins, then beginneth he to be heard of God, and +also for to hear the blessed sentence of God's own mouth: "Blessed +be they that sorrow, for they shall be comforted."[38] For in what +hour the sinner sorroweth and turneth from his sin, he shall be +safe.[39] Thus witnesseth holy Scripture. And also by Reuben he is +meeked,[40] and by Simeon he is contrite and hath compunction of +tears; but, as witnesseth David in the psalm: "Heart contrite and +meeked God shall not despise";[41] and without doubt such sorrow +bringeth in true comfort of heart. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap03"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CAPITULUM III +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW HOPE RISETH IN THE AFFECTION +</H3> + +<P> +BUT, I pray thee, what comfort may be to them that truly dread and +bitterly sorrow for their old sins, ought but a true hope of +forgiveness? the which is the third son of Jacob, that is Levi, the +which is cleped in the story "a doing to."[42] For when the other +two children, dread and sorrow, are given of God to a man's soul, +without doubt he this third, that is hope, shall not be delayed, but +he shall be lone to;[43] as the story witnesseth of Levi, that, when +his two brethren, Reuben and Simeon, were given to their mother +Leah, he, this Levi, was done to. Take heed of this word, that he +was "done to" and not given. And therefore it is said that a man +shall not presume of hope of forgiveness before the time that his +heart be peeked in dread and contrite in sorrow; without these two, +hope is presumption, and where these two are, hope is done to; and +thus after sorrow cometh soon comfort, as David telleth in the psalm +that "after the muchness of my sorrow in my heart," he saith to our +Lord, "Thy comforts have gladded my soul."[44] And therefore it is +that the Holy Ghost is called Paracletus, that is, comforter, for +oft times he vouchethsafe to comfort a sorrowful soul. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap04"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CAPITULUM IV +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW LOVE RISETH IN THE AFFECTION +</H3> + +<P> +FROM now forth beginneth a manner of homeliness for to grow between +God and a man's soul; and also on a manner a kindling of love, in so +much that oft times he feeleth him not only be visited of God and +comforted in His coming, but oft times also he feeleth him filled +with an unspeakable joy. This homeliness and this kindling of love +first felt Leah, when, after that Levi was born, she cried with a +great voice and said: "Now shall my husband be coupled to me."[45] +The true spouse of our soul is God, and then are we truly coupled +unto Him, when we draw near Him by hope and soothfast love. And +right as after hope cometh love, so after Levi was Judah born, the +fourth son of Leah. Leah in his birth cried and said: "Now shall I +shrive to our Lord."[46] And therefore in the story is Judah cleped +"Shrift."[47] Also man's soul in this degree of love offereth it +clearly to God, and saith thus: "Now shall I shrive to our Lord." +For before this feeling of love in a man's soul, all that he doth is +done more for dread than for love; but in this state a man's soul +feeleth God so sweet, so merciful, so good, so courteous, so true, +and so kind, so faithful, so lovely and so homely, that he leaveth +nothing in him—might, wit, conning,[48] or will—that he offereth +not it clearly, freely, and homely unto Him. This shrift is not only +of sin, but of the goodness of God. Great token of love it is when a +man telleth to God that He is good. Of this shrift speaketh David +full oft times in the psalter, when he saith: "Make it known to God, +for He is good."[49] +</P> + +<P> +Lo, now have we said of four sons of Leah. And after this she left +bearing of children till another time; and so man's soul weeneth +that it sufficeth to it when it feeleth that it loveth the true +goods.[50] And so it is enough to salvation, but not to perfection. +For it falleth to a perfect soul both to be inflamed with the fire +of love in the affection, and also to be illumined with the light of +knowing in the reason. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap05"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CAPITULUM V +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW THE DOUBLE SIGHT OF PAIN AND JOY RISETH IN THE IMAGINATION +</H3> + +<P> +THEN when Judah waxeth, that is to say, when love and desire of +unseen true goods is rising and waxing in a man's affection; then +coveteth Rachel for to bear some children; that is to say, then +coveteth reason to know these things that affection feeleth; for as +it falleth to the affection for to love, so it falleth to the reason +for to know. Of affection springeth ordained and measured feelings; +and of reason springeth right knowings[51] and clear understandings. +And ever the more that Judah waxeth, that is to say love, so much +the more desireth Rachel bearing of children, that is to say, reason +studieth after knowing. But who is he that woteth not how hard it +is, and nearhand impossible to a fleshly soul the which is yet rude +in ghostly studies, for to rise in knowing of unseeable[52] things, +and for to set the eye of contemplation in ghostly things? For why, +a soul that is yet rude and fleshly, knoweth nought but bodily +things, and nothing cometh yet to the mind but only seeable[53] +things. And, nevertheless, yet it looketh inward as it may; and that +that it may not see yet clearly by ghostly knowing, it thinketh by +imagination. +</P> + +<P> +And this is the cause why Rachel had first children of her maiden +than of herself. And so it is that, though all a man's soul may not +yet get the light of ghostly knowing in the reason, yet it thinketh +it sweet to hold the mind on God and ghostly things in the +imagination. As by Rachel we understand reason, so by her maiden +Bilhah we understand imagination. And, therefore, reason sheweth +that it is more profitable for to think on ghostly things, in what +manner so it be; yea, if it be in kindling of our desire with some +fair imagination; than it is for to think on vanities and deceivable +things of this world. And, therefore, of Bilhah were born these two: +Dan and Naphtali. Dan is to say sight of pains to come; and +Naphtali, sight of joys to come. These two children are full needful +and full speedful unto a working soul; the one for to put down evil +suggestions of sins; and the other for to raise up our wills in +working of good and in kindling of our desires. For as it falleth to +Dan to put down evil suggestions of sin by sight of pains to come, +so it falleth to the other brother Naphtali to raise up our wills in +working of good, and in kindling of holy desires by sight of joys to +come. And therefore holy men, when they are stirred to any unlawful +thing, by inrising of any foul thought, as oft they set before their +mind the pains that are to come; and so they slaken their temptation +in the beginning, ere it rise to any foul delight in their soul. And +as oft as their devotion and their liking in God and ghostly things +cease and wax cold (as oft times it befalleth in this life, for +corruption of the flesh and many other skills),[54] so oft they set +before their mind the joy that is to come. And so they kindle their +will with holy desires, and destroy their temptation in the +beginning, ere it come to any weariness or heaviness of sloth. And +for that[55] with Dan we damn unlawful thoughts, therefore he is +well cleped in the story "Doom."[56] And also his father Jacob said +of him thus: "Dan shall deem his folk."[57] And also it is said in +the story that, when Bilhah brought forth Dan, Rachel said thus: +"Our Lord hath deemed me";[58] that is to say: "Our Lord hath evened +me unto my sister Leah." And thus saith reason, when the imagination +hath gotten the sight of pains to come, that our Lord hath evened +her with her sister affection; and she saith thus, for she hath the +sight of pains to come in her imagination, of the which she had +dread and sorrow in her feeling. And then after came Naphtali, that +is to say, the sight of joys to come. And in his birth spake Rachel +and said: "I am made like to my sister Leah";[59] and therefore is +Naphtali cleped in the story "Likeness."[60] And thus saith reason +that she is made like to her sister affection. For there as she had +gotten hope and love of joy to come in her feeling, she hath now +gotten sight of joy to come in her imagination. Jacob said of +Naphtali that he was "a hart sent out, giving speeches of +fairhead."[61] So it is that, when we imagine of the joys of heaven, +we say that it is fair in heaven. For[62] wonderfully kindleth +Naphtali our souls with holy desires, as oft as we imagine of the +worthiness and the fairhead of the joys of heaven. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap06"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CAPITULUM VI +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW THE VIRTUES OF ABSTINENCE AND PATIENCE RISE IN THE SENSUALITY +</H3> + +<P> +WHEN Leah saw that Rachel her sister made great joy of these two +bastards born of Bilhah her maiden, she called forth her maiden +Zilpah, to put to her husband Jacob; that she might make joy with +her sister, having other two bastards gotten of her maiden Zilpah. +And thus it is seemly in man's soul for to be, that from the time +that reason hath refrained the great jangling of imagination, and +hath put her to be underlout[63] to God, and maketh her to bear some +fruit in helping of her knowing, that right so the affection refrain +the lust and the thirst of the sensuality, and make her to be +underlout to God, and so to bear some fruit in helping of her +feeling. But what fruit may she bear, ought but that she learn to +live temperately in easy things, and patiently in uneasy things? +These are they, the children of Zilpah, Gad and Asher: Gad is +abstinence, and Asher is patience. Gad is the sooner born child, and +Asher the latter; for first it needeth that we be attempered in +ourself with discreet abstinence, and after that we bear outward +disease[64] in strength of patience. These are the children that +Zilpah brought forth in sorrow; for in abstinence and patience the +sensuality is punished in the flesh; but that that is sorrow to the +sensuality turneth to much comfort and bliss to the affection. And +therefore it is that, when Gad was born, Leah cried and said: +"Happily"[65]; and therefore Gad is cleped in the story "Happiness," +or "Seeliness."[66] And so it is well said that abstinence in the +sensuality is happiness[67] in the affection. For why, ever the less +that the sensuality is delighted in her lust, the more sweetness +feeleth the affection in her love. Also after when Asher was born, +Leah said: "This shall be for my bliss";[68] and therefore was Asher +called in the story "Blessed."[69] And so it is well said that +patience in the sensuality is bliss in the affection. For why, ever +the more disease that the sensuality suffereth, the more blessed is +the soul in the affection. And thus by abstinence and patience we +shall not only understand a temperance in meat and drink, and +suffering of outward tribulation, but also [in] all manner of +fleshly, kindly,[70] and worldly delights, and all manner of +disease, bodily and ghostly, within or without, reasonable or +unreasonable, that by any of our five wits torment or delight the +sensuality. On this wise beareth the sensuality fruit in help of +affection, her lady. Much peace and rest is in that soul that +neither is drunken in the lust of the sensuality, nor grutcheth[71] +in the pain thereof. The first of these is gotten by Gad and the +latter by Asher. Here it is to wete that first was Rachel's maiden +put to the husband or the maiden of Leah; and this is the skill why. +For truly, but if the jangling of the imagination, that is to say, +the in-running of vain thoughts, be first refrained, without doubt +the lust of the sensuality may not be attempered. And therefore who +so will abstain him from fleshly and worldly lusts, him behoveth +first seldom or never think any vain thoughts.[72] And also never in +this life may a man perfectly despise the ease of the flesh, and not +dread the disease, but if he have before busily beholden the meeds +and the torments that are to come. But here it is to wete how that, +with these four sons of these two maidens, the city of our +conscience is kept wonderfully from all temptations. For all +temptation either it riseth within by thought, or else without by +some of our five wits. But within shall Dan deem and damn evil +thoughts by sight of pain; and without shall Gad put against[73] +false delights by use of abstinence. Dan waketh[74] within, and Gad +without; and also their other two brethren helpen them full much: +Naphtali maketh peace within with Dan, and Asher biddeth Gad have no +dread of his enemies. Dan feareth the heart with ugsomeness of hell, +and Naphtali cherisheth it with behighting[75] of heavenly bliss. +Also Asher helpeth his brother without, so that, through them both, +the wall of the city is not broken. Gad holdeth out ease, and Asher +pursueth disease. Asher soon deceiveth his enemy, when he bringeth +to mind the patience of his father[76] and the behighting of +Naphtali, and thus oft times ever the more enemies he hath, the more +matter he hath of overcoming. And therefore it is that, when he hath +overcome his enemies (that is to say, the adversities of this +world), soon he turneth him to his brother Gad to help to destroy +his enemies. And without fail, from that he be come, soon they turn +the back, and flee. The enemies of Gad are fleshly delights; but +truly, from the time that a man have patience in the pain of his +abstinence, false delights find no woning stead[77] in him. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap07"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CAPITULUM VII +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW JOY OF INWARD SWEETNESS RISETH IN THE AFFECTION +</H3> + +<P> +THUS when the enemy fleeth and the city is peased,[78] then +beginneth a man to prove what the high peace of God is that passeth +man's wit. And therefore it is that Leah left bearing of children +unto this time that Gad and Asher were born of Zilpah, her maiden. +For truly, but if it be so that a man have refrained the lust and +the pain of his five wits in his sensuality by abstinence and +patience, he shall never feel inward sweetness and true joy in God +and ghostly things in the affection. This is that Issachar, the +fifth son of Leah, the which in the story is cleped "Meed."[79] [And +well is this joy of inward sweetness cleped "meed"];[80] for this +joy is the taste of heavenly bliss, the which is the endless meed of +a devout soul, beginning here. Leah, in the birth of this child, +said: "God hath given me meed, for that I have given my maiden to my +husband in bearing of children."[81] And so it is good that we make +our sensuality bear fruit in abstaining it from all manner of +fleshly, kindly, and worldly delight, and in fruitful suffering of +all fleshly and worldly disease; therefore our Lord of His great +mercy giveth us joy unspeakable and inward sweetness in our +affection, in earnest[82] of the sovereign joy and meed of the +kingdom of heaven. Jacob said of Issachar that he was "a strong ass +dwelling between the terms."[83] And so it is that a man in this +state, and that feeleth the earnest of everlasting joy in his +affection, is as "an ass, strong and dwelling between the terms"; +because that, be he never so filled in soul of ghostly gladness and +joy in God, yet, for corruption of the flesh in this deadly life, +him behoveth bear the charge of the deadly body, as hunger, thirst, +and cold, sleep, and many other diseases; for the which he is +likened to an ass as in body; but as in soul he is strong for to +destroy all the passions and the lusts of the flesh by patience and +abstinence in the sensuality, and by abundance of ghostly joy and +sweetness in the affection. And also a soul in this state is +dwelling between the terms of deadly life and undeadly life. He that +dwelleth between the terms hath nearhand forsaken deadliness, but +not fully, and hath nearhand gotten undeadliness, but not fully; for +whiles that him needeth the goods of this world, as meat and drink +and clothing, as it falleth to each man that liveth, yet his one +foot is in this deadly life; and for great abundance of ghostly joy +and sweetness that he feeleth in God, not seldom but oft, he hath +his other foot in the undeadly life. Thus I trow that saint Paul +felt, when he said this word of great desire: "Who shall deliver me +from this deadly body?"[84] And when he said thus: "I covet to be +loosed and to be with Christ."[85] And thus doth the soul that +feeleth Issachar in his affection, that is to say, the joy of inward +sweetness, the which is understanden by Issachar. It enforceth it to +forsake this wretched life, but it may not; it coveteth to enter the +blessed life, but it may not; it doth that it may, and yet it +dwelleth between the terms. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap08"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CAPITULUM VIII +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW PERFECT HATRED OF SIN RISETH IN THE AFFECTION +</H3> + +<P> +AND therefore it is that after Issachar Zebulun is born, that is to +say, hatred of sin. And here it is to wete why that hatred of sin is +never perfectly felt in a man's affection, ere the time that ghostly +joy of inward sweetness be felt in the affection, and this is the +skill: for ere this time was never the true cause of hatred felt in +the affection. For the feeling of ghostly joy teacheth a man what +sin harmeth the soul. And all after that the harm in the soul is +felt much or little, thereafter is the hatred measured, more or +less, unto the harming. But when a soul, by the grace of God and +long travail, is come to feeling of ghostly joy in God, then it +feeleth that sin hath been the cause of the delaying thereof. And +also when he feeleth that he may not alway last in the feeling of +that ghostly joy, for the corruption of the flesh, of the which +corruption sin is the cause; then he riseth with a strong feeling of +hatred against all sin and all kind of sin. This feeling taught +David us to have, where he saith in the psalm: "Be ye wroth and will +ye not sin";[86] that is thus to mean: Be ye wroth with the sin, but +not with the kind.[87] For kind stirreth to the deed, but not to +sin. And here it is to wete that this wrath and this hatred is not +contrary to charity, but charity teacheth how it shall be had both +in a man's self and in his even Christian;[88] for a man should +[not] hate sin [so that he destroy his kind, but so that he destroy +the sin and the appetite of sin] in his kind. And, as against our +even Christian, we ought to hate sin in him, and to love him; and of +this hatred speaketh David in the psalm, where he saith thus: "With +perfect hatred I hated them."[89] And in another psalm he saith that +"he had in hatred all wicked ways."[90] Thus it is well proved that, +ere Zebulun was born, Judah and Issachar were both born. For but if +a man have had charity and ghostly joy in his feeling first, he may +in no wise feel this perfect hatred of sin in his affection. For +Judah, that is to say, charity, teacheth us how we shall hate sin in +ourself and in our brethren; and Issachar, that is to say, ghostly +feeling of joy in God, teacheth us why we shall hate sin in ourself +and in our brethren. Judah biddeth us hate sin and love the kind; +and Issachar biddeth us destroy the sin and save the kind; and thus +it falleth for to be that the kind may be made strong in God and in +ghostly things by perfect hatred and destroying of sin. And +therefore is Zebulun cleped in the story "a dwelling stead of +strength."[91] And Leah said in his birth: "My husband shall now +dwell with me";[92] and so it is that God, that is the true husband +of our soul, is dwelling in that soul, strengthening it in the +affection with ghostly joy and sweetness in His love, that +travaileth busily to destroy sin in himself and in others by perfect +hatred of the sin and all the kind of sin. And thus it is said how +Zebulun is born. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap09"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CAPITULUM IX +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW ORDAINED SHAME RISETH AND GROWETH IN THE AFFECTION +</H3> + +<P> +BUT though all that a soul through grace feel in it perfect hatred +of sin, whether it may yet live without sin? Nay, sikerly;[93] and +therefore let no man presume of himself, when the Apostle saith +thus: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourself, and +soothfastness is not in us."[94] And also saint Austin saith that he +dare well say that there is no man living without sin.[95] And I +pray thee, who is he that sinneth not in ignorance? Yea, and oft +times it falleth that God suffereth those men to fall full +grievously by the which He hath ordained other men's errors to be +righted, that they may learn by their own falling how merciful they +shall be in amending of others. And for that oft times men fall +grievously in those same sins that they most hate, therefore, after +hatred of sin, springeth ordained shame in a man's soul; and so it +is that after Zebulun was Dinah born. As by Zebulun hatred of sin, +so by Dinah is understanden ordained shame of sin. But wete thou +well: he that felt never Zebulun, felt never yet Dinah. Evil men +have a manner of shame, but it is not this ordained shame. For why, +if they had perfect shame of sin, they should not so customably do +it with will and advisement;[96] but they shame more with a foul +cloth on their body, than with a foul thought in their soul. But +what so thou be that weenest that thou hast gotten Dinah, think +whether thee would shame as much if a foul thought were in thine +heart, as thee would if thou were made to stand naked before the +king and all his royalme; and sikerly else wete it thou right well +that thou hast not yet gotten ordained shame in thy feeling, if so +be that thou have less shame with thy foul heart than with thy foul +body, and if thou think more shame with thy foul body in the sight +of men than with thy foul heart in the sight of the King of heaven +and of all His angels and holy saints in heaven. +</P> + +<P> +Lo, it is now said of the seven children of Leah, by the which are +understanden seven manner of affections in a man's soul, the which +may be now ordained and now unordained, now measured and now +unmeasured; but when they are ordained and measured, then are they +virtues; and when they are unordained and unmeasured, then are they +vices. Thus behoveth a man have children[97] that they be not only +ordained, but also measured. Then are they ordained when they are of +that thing that they should be, and then are they unordained when +they are of that thing that they should not be; and then are they +measured when they are as much as they should be, and then are they +unmeasured when they are more than they should be. For why, overmuch +dread bringeth in despair, and overmuch sorrow casteth a man in to +bitterness and heaviness of kind,[98] for the which he is unable to +receive ghostly comfort. And overmuch hope is presumption, and +outrageous love is but flattering and faging,[99] and outrageous +gladness is dissolution and wantonness, and untempered hatred of sin +is woodness.[100] And on this manner, they are unordained and +unmeasured, and thus are they turned in to vices, and then lose they +the name of virtues, and may not be accounted amongst the sons of +Jacob, that is to say, God: for by Jacob is understanden God, as it +is shewed in the figure before. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap10"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CAPITULUM X +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +HOW DISCRETION AND CONTEMPLATION RISE IN THE REASON +</H3> + +<P> +Thus it seemeth that the virtue of discretion needeth to be had, +with the which all others may be governed; for without it all +virtues are turned in to vices. This is Joseph, that is the late +born child, but yet his father loveth him more than them all. For +why, without discretion may neither goodness be gotten nor kept, and +therefore no wonder though that virtue be singularly loved, without +which no virtue may be had nor governed. But what wonder though this +virtue be late gotten, when we may not win to the perfection of +discretion without much custom and many travails of these other +affections coming before? For first behoveth us to be used in each +virtue by itself, and get the proof of them all serely,[101] ere we +may have full knowing of them all, or else can deem sufficiently of +them all. And when we use us busily in these feelings and beholdings +before said, oft times we fall and oft times we rise. Then, by our +oft falling, may we learn how much wariness us behoveth have in the +getting and keeping of these virtues. And thus sometime, by long +use, a soul is led into full discretion, and then it may joy in the +birth of Joseph. And before this virtue be conceived in a man's +soul, all that these other virtues do, it is without discretion. And +therefore, in as much as a man presumeth and enforceth him in any of +these feelings beforesaid, over his might and out of measure, in so +much the fouler he falleth and faileth of his purpose. And therefore +it is that, after them all and last, is Dinah born; for often, after +a foul fall and a failing, cometh soon shame. And thus after many +failings and failings, and shames following, a man learneth by the +proof that there is nothing better than to be ruled after counsel, +the which is the readiest getting of discretion. For why, he that +doth all things with counsel, he shall never forthink[102] it; for +better is a sly man than a strong man; yea, and better is list than +lither strength,[103] and a sly man speaketh of victories. And here +is the open skill why that neither Leah nor Zilpah nor Bilhah might +bear such a child, but only Rachel; for, as it is said before, that +of reason springeth right counsel, the which is very discretion, +understanden by Joseph, the first son of Rachel; and then at the +first bring we forth Joseph in our reason when all that we are +stirred to do, we do it with counsel. This Joseph shall not only +know what sins we are most stirred unto, but also he shall know the +weakness of our kind, and after that either asketh, so shall he do +remedy, and seek counsel at wiser than he, and do after them, or +else he is not Joseph, Jacob's son born of Rachel. And also by this +foresaid[104] Joseph a man is not only learned to eschew the deceits +of his enemies, but also oft a man is led by him to the perfect +knowing of himself; and all after that a man knoweth himself, +thereafter he profiteth in the knowing of God, of whom he is the +image and the likeness. And therefore it is that after Joseph is +Benjamin born. For as by Joseph discretion, so by Benjamin we +understand contemplation. And both are they born of one mother, and +gotten of one father. For through the grace of God lightening our +reason, come we to the perfect knowing of ourself and of God, that +is to say, after that it may be in this life. But long after Joseph +is Benjamin born. For why, truly but if it so be that we use us +busily and long in ghostly travails, with the which we are learned +to know ourself, we may not be raised in to the knowing and +contemplation of God. He doth for nought that lifteth up his eye to +the sight of God, that is not yet able to see himself. For first I +would that a man learned him to know the unseeable[105] things of +his own spirit, ere he presume to know the unseeable things of the +spirit of God; and he that knoweth not yet himself and weeneth that +he hath gotten somedeal knowing of the unseeable things of God, I +doubt it not but that he is deceived; and therefore I rede that a +man seek first busily for to know himself, the which is made to the +image and the likeness of God as in soul. And wete thou well that he +that desireth for to see God, him behoveth to cleanse his soul, the +which is as a mirror in the which all things are clearly seen, when +it is clean; and when the mirror is foul, then mayst thou see +nothing clearly therein; and right so it is of thy soul, when it is +foul, neither thou knowest thyself nor God. As when the candle +brenneth, thou mayst then see the self candle[106] by the light +thereof, and other things also; right so, when thy soul brenneth in +the love of God, that is, when thou feelest continually thine heart +desire after the love of God, then, by the light of His grace that +He sendeth in thy reason, thou mayst see both thine own unworthiness +and His great goodness. And therefore cleanse thy mirror and proffer +thy candle to the fire; and then, when thy mirror is cleansed and +thy candle brenning, and it so be that thou wittily behold thereto, +then beginneth there a manner of clarity of the light of God for to +shine in thy soul, and a manner of sunbeam that is ghostly to appear +before thy ghostly sight, through the which the eye of thy soul is +opened to behold God and godly things, heaven and heavenly things, +and all manner of ghostly things. But this sight is but by times, +when God will vouchsafe for to give it to a working[107] soul, the +whiles it is in the battle of this deadly life; but after this life +it shall be everlasting. This light shone in the soul of David, when +he said thus in the psalm: "Lord, the light of Thy face is marked +upon us; Thou hast given gladness within mine heart."[108] The light +of God's face is the shining of His grace, that reformeth in us His +image that hath been disfigured with the darkness of sin; and +therefore a soul that brenneth in desire of His sight,[109] if it +hope for to have that that it desireth, wete it well it hath +conceived Benjamin. And, therefore, what is more healfull[110] than +the sweetness of this sight, or what softer thing may be felt? +Sikerly, none; and that woteth Rachel full well. For why, reason +saith that, in comparison of this sweetness, all other sweetness is +sorrow, and bitter as gall before honey. Nevertheless, yet may a man +never come to such a grace by his own slight.[111] For why, it is +the gift of God without desert of man. But without doubt, though it +be not the desert of man, yet no man may take such grace without +great study and brenning desires coming before; and that woteth +Rachel full well, and therefore she multiplieth her study, and +whetteth her desires, seeking desire upon desire;[112] so that at +the last, in great abundance of brenning desires and sorrow of the +delaying of her desire, Benjamin is born, and his mother Rachel +dieth;[113] for why, in what time that a soul is ravished above +itself by abundance of desires and a great multitude of love, so +that it is inflamed with the light of the Godhead, sikerly then +dieth all man's reason. +</P> + +<P> +And therefore, what so thou be that covetest to come to +contemplation of God, that is to say, to bring forth such a child +that men clepen in the story Benjamin (that is to say, sight of +God), then shalt thou use thee in this manner. Thou shalt call +together thy thoughts and thy desires, and make thee of them a +church, and learn thee therein for to love only this good word Jesu, +so that all thy desires and all thy thoughts are only set for to +love Jesu, and that unceasingly as it may be here; so that thou +fulfill that is said in the psalm: "Lord, I shall bless Thee in +churches";[114] that is, in thoughts and desires of the love of +Jesu. And then, in this church of thoughts and desires, and in this +onehead of studies and of wills, look that all thy thoughts, and all +thy desires, and all thy studies, and all thy wills be only set in +the love and the praising of this Lord Jesu, without forgetting, as +far forth as thou mayst by grace, and as thy frailty will suffer; +evermore meeking thee to prayer and to counsel, patiently abiding +the will of our Lord, unto the time that thy mind be ravished above +itself, to be fed with the fair food of angels in the beholding of +God and ghostly things:[115] so that it be fulfilled in thee that is +written in the psalm: Ibi Benjamin adolesentulus in mentis +excessu;[116] that is: "There is Benjamin, the young child, in +ravishing of mind." The grace of Jesu keep thee evermore.[117] Amen +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +DEO GRATIAS +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="doctrines"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +II. +</H3> + +<P CLASS="intro"> +HERE FOLLOWETH DIVERS DOCTRINES DEVOUT AND FRUITFUL, TAKEN OUT OF +THE LIFE OF THAT GLORIOUS VIRGIN AND SPOUSE OF OUR LORD, SAINT +KATHERIN OF SEENES. AND FIRST THOSE WHICH OUR LORD TAUGHT AND SHEWED +TO HERSELF, AND SITH THOSE WHICH SHE TAUGHT AND SHEWED UNTO OTHERS +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +THE first doctrine of our Lord is this: +</P> + +<P> +"Knowest thou not, daughter, who thou art and who I am? If thou know +well these two words, thou art and shalt be blessed. Thou art she +that art nought; and I am He that am ought.[118] If thou have the +very knowledge of these two things in thy soul, thy ghostly enemy +shall never deceive thee, but thou shalt eschew graciously all his +malice;[119] and thou shalt never consent to any thing that is +against My commandments and precepts, but all grace, all truth, and +all charity thou shalt win without any hardness." +</P> + +<P> +The second doctrine of our Lord is this: +</P> + +<P> +"Think on Me, and I shall think on thee." +</P> + +<P> +In declaring of which doctrine she was wont to say that: +</P> + +<P> +"A soul which is verily united to God perceiveth not, seeth not, nor +loveth not herself, nor none other soul, nor hath no mind of no +creature but only on God." +</P> + +<P> +And these words she expoundeth more expressly, and saith thus: +</P> + +<P> +"Such a soul seeth herself, that she is very nought of herself, and +knoweth perfectly that all the goodness, with all the mights of the +soul, is her Maker's. She forsaketh utterly herself and all +creatures, and hideth herself fully in her Maker, our Lord Jesu; in +so much that she sendeth fully and principally all her ghostly and +bodily workings in to Him; in whom she perceiveth that she may find +all goodness, and all perfection of blessedness. And, therefore, she +shall have no will to go out from such inward knowledge of Him for +nothing.[120] And of this unity of love, that is increased every day +in such a soul, she is transformed in a manner in to our Lord, that +she may neither think, nor understand, nor love, nor have no mind +but God, or else in God. For she may not see herself, nor none other +creature, but only in God; nor she may not love herself, nor none +other, but only in God; nor she may have no mind of herself nor of +none other, but only in God, nor she may have no mind but only of +her Maker. And therefore," she said, "we shall have none other +business but only to think how we may please Him, unto whom we have +committed all our governance both in body and soul." +</P> + +<P> +The third doctrine of our Lord is this; in obtaining of virtue and +ghostly strength: +</P> + +<P> +"Daughter, if thou wilt get unto thee virtue and also ghostly +strength,[121] thou must follow Me. Albeit that I might by My godly +virtue have overcome all the power of the fiends by many manner ways +of overcoming, yet, for to give you ensample by My manhood, I would +not overcome him but only by taking of death upon the Cross, that ye +might be taught thereby, if ye will overcome your ghostly enemies, +for to take the Cross as I did; the which Cross shall be to you a +great refreshing in all your temptations, if ye have mind of the +pains that I suffered thereon.[122] And certainly the pains of the +Cross may well be called refreshing of temptations, for the more +pain ye suffer for My love, the more like ye be to Me. And if ye be +so like to Me in passion, needs ye must be like to Me in joy.[123] +Therefore for My love, daughter, suffer patiently bitter things, and +not sweet things; and doubt in no wise, for thou shalt be strong +enough for to suffer all things patiently." +</P> + +<P> +The first doctrine of this glorious virgin is this: +</P> + +<P> +"A soul which is verily mete[124] to God, as much as it hath of the +love of God, so much it hath of the hate of her own sensuality. For +of the love of God naturally cometh hate of sin, the which is done +against God. The soul, therefore, considering that the root and +beginning of sin reigneth in the sensuality, and there principally +is rooted, she is moved and stirred highly and holily with all her +mights against her own sensuality; not utterly to destroy the root, +for that may not be, as long as the soul dwelleth in the body living +in this life, but ever there shall be left a root, namely of small +venial sins. And because she may not utterly destroy the root of sin +thus in her sensuality, she conceiveth a great displeasaunce against +her sensuality, of the which displeasaunce springeth an holy hate +and a despising of the sensuality, by the which the soul is ever +well kept from her ghostly enemies. There is nothing that keepeth +the soul so strong and so sure as doth such an holy hate. And that +felt well the Apostle, when he said: Cum infirmor, tonc fortior sum +et potens;[125] that is: When I am sick and feeble in my sensuality +by hate of sin, then am I stronger and mightier in my soul. Lo, of +such hate cometh virtue, of such feebleness cometh strength, and of +such displeasaunce cometh pleasaunce. This holy hate maketh a man +meek, and to feel meek things of himself. It maketh him patient in +adversity, temperate in prosperity, and setteth him in all honesty +of virtue, and maketh him to be loved both of God and man. And where +this holy hate is not, there is inordinate love, which is the +stinking canal of all sin, and root[126] of all evil concupiscence. +Do therefore," she saith, "your business to put away such inordinate +love of your own self, out of your hearts, and plant therein holy +hate of sin. For certain that is the right way to perfection, and +amendment of all sin." +</P> + +<P> +Here is a common answer which she used to say to the fiends: +</P> + +<P> +"I trust in my Lord Jesu Christ, and not in myself." +</P> + +<P> +Here is a rule how we shall behave us in time of temptation: +</P> + +<P> +"When temptation," she saith, "ariseth in us, we should never +dispute nor make questions; for that is," she saith, "that the fiend +most seeketh of us for to fall in questions with him. He trusteth so +highly in the great subtlety of his malice, that he should overcome +us with his sophistical reasons. Therefore a soul should never make +questions, nor answer to the questions of the fiend, but rather turn +her to devout prayer, and commend her to our Lord that she consent +not to his subtle demands; for by virtue of devout prayer, and +steadfast faith, we may overcome all the subtle temptations of the +fiend." +</P> + +<P> +Here is a good conceit of this holy maid to eschew the temptations +of the fiend: +</P> + +<P> +"It happeneth," she said, "that otherwhile[127] the devout fervour +of a soul loving our Lord Jesu, either by some certain sin, or else +by some new subtle temptations of the fiend, waxeth dull and slow, +and otherwhile it is brought to very coldness;[128] in so much that +some unwitty folks, considering that they be destitute from the +ghostly comfort the which they were wont to have, leave[129] +therefore the ghostly exercise that they were wont to use of prayer, +of meditations, of reading, of holy communications, and of penance +doing; whereby they be made more ready to be overcome of the fiend. +For he desireth nothing else of Christ's knights, but that they +should put away their armour by the which they were wont to overcome +their enemies. A wise knight of our Lord Jesu should not do so. But +thus, the more he feeleth[130] himself dull and slow, or cold in +devotion, the rather he should continue in his ghostly exercise, and +not for to make them less, but rather increase them." +</P> + +<P> +Here is another doctrine of this holy maid, the which she used to +say to herself in edifying of others: +</P> + +<P> +"Thou vile and wretched creature, art thou worthy any manner of +comfort in this life? Why hast thou not mind of thy sins? What +supposest thou of thyself, wretched sinner? Is it not enough to +thee, trowest thou not, that thou art escaped by the mercy of our +Lord from everlasting damnation? Therefore thou shouldest be well +apaid,[131] wretch, though thou suffer all the pains and darkness of +thy soul all the days of thy life. Why art thou, then, heavy and +sorrowful to suffer such pains, sith by God's grace thou shalt +escape endless pains with Christ Jesu without any doubt, and be +comforted endlessly, if thou bear these pains patiently. Whether +hast thou chosen to serve our Lord only for the comfort that thou +mayst have of Him in this life? Nay, but for the comfort that thou +shalt have of Him in the bliss of heaven. Therefore arise up now, +and cease never of thy ghostly exercise that thou hast used, but +rather increase to them more." +</P> + +<P> +Here is an answer by the which she had a final victory of the fiend, +after long threats of intolerable pains: +</P> + +<P> +"I have chosen pain for my refreshing, and therefore it is not hard +to me to suffer them, but rather delectable for the love of my +Saviour, as long as it pleaseth His Majesty that I shall suffer +them." +</P> + +<P> +Here is a doctrine of the said virgin, how we should use the grace +of our Lord: +</P> + +<P> +"Who so could use the grace of our Lord, he should ever have the +victory of all things that falleth to him. For as often," she said, +"as any new thing falleth to a man, be it of prosperity or +adversity, he should think in himself thus: Of this will I win +somewhat. For he that can do so, shall soon be rich in virtue." +</P> + +<P> +Here followeth notable doctrines of this holy maid, taken of her +sermon which she made to her disciples before her passing, and the +first was this: +</P> + +<P> +"What so ever he be that cometh to the service of God, if he will +have God truly, it is needful to him that he make his heart naked +from all sensible love, not only of certain persons but of every +creature what that ever he be, and then he should stretch up his +soul to our Lord and our Maker, simply, with all the desire of his +heart. For an heart may not wholly be given to God, but if it be +free from all other love, open and simple without doubleness." And +so she affirmed of herself, that it was her principal labour and +business from her young age unto that time, ever for to come to that +perfection. Also she said that she knew well that to such a state of +perfection, in the which all the heart is given to God, a soul may +not come perfectly without meditation of devout prayer, and that the +prayer be grounded in meekness, and that it come not forth and +proceed by any trust of any manner of virtue of him that prayeth, +but alway he should know himself to be right nought. For she said +that that was ever her business, to give herself to the exercise of +prayer, so for to win the continual habit of prayer; for she did see +well that by prayer all virtues are increased, and made mighty and +strong; and, without prayer, they wax feeble and defail.[132] +Wherefore she induced her disciples that they should busy them to +prayer perseverauntly; and therefore she told them of two manner of +prayers:[133] Vocal and Mental. Vocal prayers, she said, should be +kept certain hours in the night and in the day ordained by holy +Church; but mental prayer should ever be had, in act or in habit of +the soul. Also she said that, by the light of quick faith, she saw +clearly and conceived in her soul that what that ever befell to her, +or to any others, all cometh from God, not for hate but for great +love that He hath to His creatures; and by[134] this quick faith she +conceived in herself a love and a readiness to obey as well to the +precepts of her sovereigns,[135] as to the commandments of God, ever +thinking that their precepts should come from God, either for need +of herself, or else for increase of virtue in her soul. Also she +said, for to get and purchase purity of soul, it were right +necessary that a man kept himself from all manner of judgments of +his [neighbour, and from all idle speaking of his][136] neighbour's +deeds; for in every creature we should behold only the will of God. +And therefore she said that in no wise men should deem[137] +creatures; that is, neither despise them by their doom[138] nor +condemn them, all be it that they see them do open sin before them; +but rather they should have compassion on them and pray for them, +and despise them not, nor condemn them. Also she said that she had +great hope and trust in God's providence; for, she said, she knew +well[139] by experience that the Divine providence was and is a +passing great thing, for it wanteth never to them that hopeth in it. +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +DEO GRATIS +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="contemplation"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +III. +</H3> + +<P CLASS="intro"> +HERE BEGINNETH A SHORT TREATISE OF CONTEMPLATION TAUGHT BY OUR LORD +JESU CHRIST, OR TAKEN OUT OF THE BOOK OF MARGERY KEMPE, ANCRESS OF +LYNN +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +SHE desired many times that her head might be smitten off with an +axe upon a block for the love of our Lord Jesu. Then said our Lord +Jesu in her mind: "I thank thee, daughter, that thou wouldest die +for My love; for as often as thou thinkest so, thou shalt have the +same meed in heaven, as if thou suffredest the same death, and yet +there shall no man slay thee. +</P> + +<P> +"I assure thee in thy mind, if it were possible for Me to suffer +pain again, as I have done before, Me were lever to suffer as much +pain as ever I did for thy soul alone, rather than thou shouldest +depart from Me everlastingly. +</P> + +<P> +"Daughter, thou mayst no better please God, than to think +continually in His love." +</P> + +<P> +Then she asked our Lord Jesu Christ, how she should best love Him. +And our Lord said: "Have mind of thy wickedness, and think on My +goodness. +</P> + +<P> +"Daughter, if thou wear the habergeon or the hair,[140] fasting +bread and water, and if thou saidest every day a thousand Pater +Nosters, thou shalt[141] not please Me so well as thou dost when +thou art in silence, and suffrest Me to speak in thy soul. +</P> + +<P> +"Daughter, for to bid many beads, it is good to them that can not +better do, and yet it is not perfect.[142] But it is a good way +toward perfection. For I tell thee, daughter, they that be great +fasters, and great doers of penance, they would that it should be +holden the best life.[143] And they that give them unto many +devotions, they would have that the best life. And those that give +much almesse, they would that it were holden the best life. And I +have often told thee, daughter, that thinking, weeping, and high +contemplation is the best life in earth, and thou shalt have more +merit in heaven for one year thinking in thy mind than for an +hundred year of praying with thy mouth; and yet thou wilt not +believe Me, for thou wilt bid many beads.[144] +</P> + +<P> +"Daughter, if thou knew how sweet thy love is to Me, thou wouldest +never do other thing but love Me with all thine heart. +</P> + +<P> +"Daughter, if thou wilt be high with Me in heaven, keep Me alway in +thy mind as much as thou mayst, and forget not Me at thy meat; but +think alway that I sit in thine heart and know every thought that is +therein, both good and bad. +</P> + +<P> +"Daughter, I have suffered many pains for thy love; therefore thou +hast great cause to love Me right well, for I have bought thy love +full dear." +</P> + +<P> +"Dear Lord," she said, "I pray Thee, let me never have other joy in +earth, but mourning and weeping for Thy love; for me thinketh, Lord, +though I were in hell, if I might weep there and mourn for Thy love +as I do here, hell should not noye[145] me, but it should be a +manner of heaven. For Thy love putteth away all manner of dread of +our ghostly enemy; for I had lever be there, as long as Thou +wouldest, and please Thee, than to be in this world and displease +Thee; therefore, good Lord, as Thou wilt, so may[146] it be." +</P> + +<P> +She had great wonder that our Lord would become man, and suffer so +grievous pains, for her that was so unkind a creature to Him. And +then, with great weeping, she asked our Lord Jesu how she might best +please Him; and He answered to her soul, saying: "Daughter, have +mind of thy wickedness, and think on My goodness." Then she prayed +many times and often these words: "Lord, for Thy great goodness, +have mercy on my great wickedness, as certainly as I was never so +wicked as Thou art good, nor never may be though I would; for Thou +art so good, that Thou mayst no better be; and, therefore, it is +great wonder that ever any man should be departed from Thee without +end." +</P> + +<P> +When she saw the Crucifix, or if she saw a man had a wound, or a +beast, or if a man beat a child before her, or smote a horse or +another beast with a whip, if she might see it or hear it, she +thought she saw our Lord beaten or wounded, like as she saw in the +man or in the beast. +</P> + +<P> +The more she increased in love and in devotion, the more she +increased in sorrow and contrition, in lowliness[147] and meekness, +and in holy dread of our Lord Jesu, and in knowledge of her own +frailty. So that if she saw any creature be punished or sharply +chastised, she would think that she had been more worthy to be +chastised than that creature was, for her unkindness against God. +Then would she weep for her own sin, and for compassion of that +creature. +</P> + +<P> +Our Lord said to her: "In nothing that thou dost or sayest, +daughter, thou mayst no better please God than believe that He +loveth thee. For, if it were possible that I might weep with thee, I +would weep with thee for the compassion that I have of thee." +</P> + +<P> +Our merciful Lord Jesu Christ drew this creature unto His love, and +to the mind of His passion, that she might not endure to behold a +leper, or another sick man, specially if he had any wounds appearing +on him. So she wept as if she had seen our Lord Jesu with His wounds +bleeding; and so she did, in the sight of the soul; for, through the +beholding of the sick man, her mind was all ravished in to our Lord +Jesu, that she had great mourning and sorrowing that she might not +kiss the leper when she met them in the way, for the love of our +Lord: which was all contrary to her disposition in the years of her +youth and prosperity, for then she abhorred them most. +</P> + +<P> +Our Lord said: "Daughter, thou hast desired in thy mind to have many +priests in the town of Lynn, that might sing and read night and day +for to serve Me, worship Me, and praise Me, and thank Me for the +goodness that I have done to thee in earth; and therefore, daughter, +I promise thee that thou shalt have meed and reward in heaven for +the good wills and good desires, as if thou haddest done them in +deed. +</P> + +<P> +"Daughter, thou shalt have as great meed and as great reward with Me +in heaven, for thy good service and thy good deeds that thou hast +done in thy mind, as if thou haddest done the same with thy bodily +wits withoutforth.[148] +</P> + +<P> +"And, daughter, I thank thee for the charity that thou hast to all +lecherous men and women; for thou prayest for them and weepest for +them many a tear, desiring that I should deliver them out of sin, +and be as gracious to them as I was to Mary Magdalene, that they +might have as much grace to love Me as Mary Magdalene had; and with +this condition thou wouldest that everich[149] of them should have +twenty pounds a year to love and praise Me; and, daughter, this +great charity which thou hast to them in thy prayer pleaseth Me +right well. And, daughter, also I thank thee for the charity which +thou hast in thy prayer, when thou prayest for all Jews and +Saracens, and all heathen people that they should come to Christian +faith, that My name might be magnified in them. Furthermore, +daughter, I thank thee for the general charity that thou hast to all +people that be now in this world, and to all those that are to come +unto the world's end; that thou wouldest be hacked as small as flesh +to the pot for their love, so that I would by thy death save them +all from damnation, if it pleased Me. And, therefore, daughter, for +all these good wills and desires, thou shalt have full meed and +reward in heaven, believe it right well and doubt never a deal." +</P> + +<P> +She said: "Good Lord, I would be laid naked upon an hurdle for Thy +love, all men to wonder on me and to cast filth and dirt on me, and +be drawen from town to town every day my life time, if Thou were +pleased thereby, and no man's soul hindered. Thy will be fulfilled +and not mine." +</P> + +<P> +"Daughter," He said, "as oftentimes as thou sayest or thinkest: +Worshipped be all the holy places in Jerusalem, where Christ +suffered bitter pain and passion in: thou shalt have the same pardon +as if thou were there with thy bodily presence, both to thyself and +to all those that thou wilt give to.[150] +</P> + +<P> +"The same pardon that was granted thee aforetime, it was confirmed +on Saint Nicholas day, that is to say, playne[151] remission; and it +is not only granted to thee, but also to all those that believe, and +to all those that shall believe unto the world's end, that God +loveth thee, and shall thank God for thee. If they will forsake +their sin, and be in full will no more to turn again thereto, but be +sorry and heavy for that they have done, and will do due penance +therefore, they shall have the same pardon that is granted to +thyself; and that is all the pardon that is in Jerusalem,[152] as +was granted thee when thou were at Rafnys."[153] +</P> + +<P> +That day that she suffered no tribulation for our Lord's sake, she +was not merry nor glad, as that day when she suffered tribulation. +</P> + +<P> +Our Lord Jesus said unto her: "Patience is more worth than miracles +doing. Daughter, it is more pleasure to Me that thou suffer +despites, scorns, shames, reproofs, wrongs, and diseases, than if +thine head were stricken off three times a day every day in seven +year." +</P> + +<P> +"Lord," she said, "for Thy great pain have mercy on my little pain." +</P> + +<P> +When she was in great trouble, our Lord said: "Daughter, I must +needs comfort thee, for now thou hast the right way to heaven. By +this way came I and all My disciples; for now thou shalt know the +better what sorrow and shame I suffered for thy love, and thou shalt +have the more compassion when thou thinkest on My passion." +</P> + +<P> +"O my dear worthy Lord," said she, "these graces Thou shouldest shew +to religious men and to priests." +</P> + +<P> +Our Lord said to her again: "Nay, nay, daughter, for that I love +best that they love not, and that is shames, reproofs, scorns, and +despites of the people; and therefore they shall not have this +grace; for, daughter, he that dreadeth the shames of this world may +not perfectly love God." +</P> + +<P> +Here endeth a short treatise of a devout ancress called Margery +Kempe of Lynn +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="hylton"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +IV. +</H3> + +<P CLASS="intro"> +HERE FOLLOWETH A DEVOUT TREATISE COMPILED BY MASTER WALTER HYLTON OF +THE SONG OF ANGELS +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +DEAR brother in Christ, I have understanding by thine own speech, +and also by telling of another man, that thou yearnest and desirest +greatly for to have more knowledge and understanding than thou hast +of angel's song and heavenly sound; what it is, and on what wise it +is perceived and felt in a man's soul, and how a man may be siker +that it is true and not feigned; and how it is made by the presence +of the good angel, and not by the inputting of the evil angel. These +things thou wouldest wete of me; but, soothly, I cannot tell thee +for a surety the soothfastness of this matter; nevertheless +somewhat, as me thinketh, I shall shew thee in a short word. +</P> + +<P> +Wete thou well that the end and the sovereignty of perfection +standeth in very onehead[154] of God and of a man's soul by perfect +charity. This onehead, then, is verily made when the mights of the +soul are reformed by grace to the dignity and the state of the first +condition; that is, when the mind is stabled sadly,[155] without +changing and vagation,[156] in God and ghostly things, and when the +reason is cleared from all worldly and fleshly beholdings, and from +all bodily imaginations, figures, and fantasies of creatures, and is +illumined by grace to behold God and ghostly things, and when the +will and the affection is purified and cleansed from all fleshly, +kindly, and worldly love, and is inflamed with brenning love of the +Holy Ghost. This wonderful onehead may not be fulfilled[157] +perfectly, continually, and wholly in this life, for the corruption +of the flesh, but only in the bliss of heaven. Nevertheless, the +nearer that a soul in this present life may come to this onehead, +the more perfect it is. For the more that it is reformed by grace to +the image and the likeness of its Creator here on this wise; the +more joy and bliss shall it have in heaven. Our Lord God is an +endless being without changing, almighty without failing, sovereign +wisdom, light, soothness without error or darkness; sovereign +goodness, love, peace, and sweetness. Then the more that a soul is +united, fastened, conformed, and joined to our Lord, the more stable +and mighty it is, the more wise and clear, good and peaceable, +loving and more virtuous it is, and so it is more perfect. For a +soul that hath by the grace of Jesu, and long travail of bodily and +ghostly exercise, overcome and destroyed concupiscences, and +passions, and unskilful stirrings[158] within itself, and without in +the sensuality, and is clothed all in virtues, as in meekness and +mildness, in patience and softness, in ghostly strength and +righteousness, in continence, in wisdom, in truth, hope and charity; +then it is made perfect, as it may be in this life. Much comfort it +receiveth of our Lord, not only inwardly in its own privy +substance,[159] by virtue of the onehead to our Lord that lieth in +knowing and loving of God, in light and ghostly brenning of Him, in +transforming of the soul in to the Godhead; but also many other +comforts, savours, sweetnesses, and wonderful feelings on sere[160] +or sundry manners, after that our Lord vouchethsafe to visit His +creatures here in earth, and after that the soul profiteth and +waxeth in charity. Some soul, by virtue of charity that God giveth +it, is so cleansed, that all creatures, and all that he heareth, or +seeth, or feeleth by any of his wits, turneth him to comfort and +gladness; and the sensuality receiveth new savour and sweetness in +all creatures.[161] And right as beforetime the likings in the +sensuality were fleshly, vain, and vicious, for the pain of the +original sin; right so now they are made ghostly and clean, without +bitterness and biting of conscience. And this is the goodness of our +Lord, that sith the soul is punished in the sensuality, and the +flesh is partner of the pain, that afterward the soul be comforted +in the sensuality, and the flesh be fellow of joy and comfort with +the soul, not fleshly, but ghostly, as he was fellow in tribulation +and pain. This is the freedom and the lordship, the dignity, and the +worship that a man[162] hath over all creatures, the which dignity +he may so recover by grace here, that every creature savour to him +as it is. And that is, when by grace he seeth, he heareth, he +feeleth only God in all creatures. On this manner of wise a soul is +made ghostly in the sensuality by abundance of charity, that is, in +the substance of the soul. Also, our Lord comforteth a soul by +angel's song. What that song is, it may not be described by no +bodily likeness, for it is ghostly, and above all manner of +imagination and reason. It may be felt and perceived in a soul, but +it may not be shewed. Nevertheless, I shall speak thereof to thee as +me thinketh. When a soul is purified by the love of God, illumined +by wisdom, stabled by the might of God, then is the eye of the soul +opened to behold ghostly things, as virtues and angels and holy +souls, and heavenly things.[163] Then is the soul able because of +cleanness to feel the touching, the speaking of good angels. This +touching and speaking, it is ghostly and not bodily.[164] For when +the soul is lifted and ravished out of the sensuality, and out of +mind of any earthly things, then in great fervour of love and light +(if our Lord vouchsafe) the soul may hear and feel heavenly sound, +made by the presence of angels in loving of God. Not that this song +of angels is the sovereign joy of the soul; but for the difference +that is between a man's soul in flesh and an angel, because of +uncleanness, a soul may not hear it, but by ravishing in love, and +needeth for to be purified well clean, and fulfilled of much +charity, or[165] it were able for to hear heavenly sound. For the +sovereign and the essential joy is in the love of God by Himself and +for Himself, and the secondary is in communing and beholding of +angels and ghostly creatures. For right as a soul, in understanding +of ghostly things, is often times touched and moved through bodily +imagination by working of angels; as Ezekiel the prophet did see in +bodily imagination the soothfastness of God's privities;[166] right +so, in the love of God, a soul by the presence of angels is ravished +out of mind of all earthly and fleshly things in to an heavenly joy, +to hear angel's song and heavenly sound, after that the charity is +more or less.[167] Now, then, me thinketh that there may no soul +feel verily angel's song nor heavenly sound, but he be in perfect +charity; though all that are in perfect charity have not felt it, +but only that soul that is so purified in the fire of love that all +earthly savour is brent out of it, and all mean letting[168] between +the soul and the cleanness of angels is broken and put away from it. +Then soothly may he sing a new song, and soothly he may hear a +blessed heavenly sound, and angel's song without deceit or feigning. +Our Lord woteth there that soul is that, for abundance of brenning +love, is worthy to hear angel's song. Who so then will hear angel's +song, and not be deceived by feigning of himself, nor by +imagination, nor by the illusion of the enemy, him behoveth for to +have perfect charity; and that is when all vain love and dread, vain +joy and sorrow, is cast out of the heart, so that it love nothing +but God, nor dread nothing but God, nor joyeth, nor sorroweth +nothing but in God, or for God. Who so might by the grace of God go +this way, he should not err. Nevertheless, some men are deceived by +their own imagination, or by the illusion of the enemy in this +manner.[169] Some man, when he hath long travailed bodily and +ghostily in destroying of sins and getting of virtues, and +peradventure hath gotten by grace a somedeal[170] rest, and a +clarity in conscience, anon he leaveth prayers, readings of holy +scriptures, and meditations of the passion of Christ, and the mind +of his wretchedness; and, or[171] he be called of God, he gathereth +his own visits by violence to seek and to behold heavenly things, or +his eye be made ghostly by grace, and overtravaileth by imaginations +his wits, and by indiscreet travailing turneth the brains in his +head, and forbreaketh[172] the mights and the wits of the soul and +of the body. And then, for feebleness of the brain, him thinketh +that he heareth wonderful sounds and songs; and that is nothing else +but a fantasy, caused of troubling of the brain; as a man that is in +a frenzy him thinketh that he heareth and seeth that none other man +doth; and all is but vanity and fantasies of the head, or else it is +by working of the wicked enemy that feigneth such sounds in his +hearing. +</P> + +<P> +For if a man have any presumption in his fantasies and in his +workings, and thereby falleth in to indiscreet imagination, as it +were in a frenzy, and is not ordered nor ruled of grace, nor +comforted by ghostly strength, the devil entereth in, and by his +false illuminations, and by his false sounds, and by his false +sweetnesses, he deceiveth a man's soul. +</P> + +<P> +And of this false ground springeth errors, and heresies, false +prophecies, presumptions, and false reasonings, blasphemings, and +slanderings, and many other mischiefs. And, therefore, if thou see +any man ghostly occupied fall in any of these sins and these +deceits, or in frenzies, wete thou well that he never heard nor felt +angel's song nor heavenly sound. For, soothly, he that heareth +verily angel's song, he is made so wise that he shall never err by +fantasy, nor by indiscretion, nor by no slight[173] of working of +the devil. +</P> + +<P> +Also, some men feel in their hearts as it were a ghostly sound, and +sweet songs in divers manners; and this is commonly good, and +sometime it may turn to deceit. This sound is felt on this wise. +Some man setteth the thought of his heart only in the name of Jesu, +and steadfastly holdeth it thereto, and in short time him thinketh +that that name turneth him to great comfort and sweetness, and him +thinketh that the name soundeth in his heart delectably, as it were +a song; and the virtue of this liking is so mighty, that it draweth +in all the wits of the soul thereto. Who so may feel this sound and +this sweetness verily in his heart, wete thou well that it is of +God,[174] and, as long as he is meek, he shall not be deceived. But +this is not angel's song; but it is a song of the soul by virtue of +the name and by touching of the good angel.[175] For when a soul +offereth him to Jesu truly and meekly, putting all his trust and his +desire in Him, and busily keepeth Him in his mind, our Lord Jesu, +when He will, pureth[176] the affection of the soul, and filleth it, +and feedeth it with sweetness of Himself, and maketh His name in the +feeling of the soul[177] as honey, and as song, and as any thing +that is delectable; so that it liketh the soul evermore for to cry +Jesu, Jesu. And not only he hath comfort in this, but also in psalms +and hymns, and anthems of holy Church, that the heart singeth them +sweetly, devoutly, and freely, without any travail of the soul, or +bitterness in the same time,[178] and notes that holy Church useth. +This is good, and of the gift of God, for the substance of this +feeling lies in the love of Jesu, which is fed and lightened[179] by +such manner of songs. Nevertheless, in this manner of feeling, a +soul may be deceived by vain glory; not in that time that the +affection singeth to Jesu, and loveth Jesu in sweetness of Him, but +afterward, when it ceaseth and the heart keeleth[180] of the love of +Jesu, then entereth in vain glory. Also some man is deceived on this +wise: he heareth well say that it is good to have Jesu in his mind, +or any other good word of God; then he straineth his heart mightily +to that name, and by a custom he hath it nearhand alway in his mind; +and, nevertheless, he feeleth not thereby in his affection +sweetness, nor light of knowing in his reason, but only a naked mind +of God,[181] or of Jesu, or of Mary, or of any other good word. Here +may be deceit, not for it is evil for to have Jesu in mind on this +wish but if he this feeling and this mind, that is only his own +working by custom, hold it a special visitation of our Lord,[182] +and think it more than it is. For wete thou well that a naked mind +or a naked imagination of Jesu, or of any ghostly thing, without +sweetness of love in the affection, or without light of knowing in +reason, it is but a blindness, and a way to deceit, if a man hold it +in his own sight more than it is. Therefore I hold it siker[183] +that he be meek in his own feeling, and hold this mind in regard +nought, till he may, by custom and using of this mind, feel the fire +of love in his affection, and the light of knowing in his reason. +Lo, I have told thee in this matter a little, as me thinketh; not +affirming that this sufficeth, nor that this is the soothfastness in +this matter. But if thou think it otherwise, or else any other man +savour by grace the contrary hereto, I leave this saying, and give +stead to him; it sufficeth to me for to live in truth[184] +principally, and not in feeling. +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +EXPLICIT +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="prayer"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +V. +</H3> + +<P CLASS="intro"> +HERE AFTER FOLLOWETH A DEVOUT TREATISE CALLED THE EPISTLE OF PRAYER +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +GHOSTLY friend in God, as touching thine asking of me, how thou +shalt rule thine heart in the time of thy prayer, I answer unto thee +thus feebly as I can. And I say that me thinketh that it should be +full speedful unto thee at the first beginning of thy prayer, what +prayer so ever it be, long or short, for to make it full known unto +thine heart, without any feigning, that thou shalt die at the end of +thy prayer.[185] And wete thou well that this is no feigned thought +that I tell thee, and see why; for truly there is no man living in +this life that dare take upon him to say the contrary: that is to +say, that thou shalt live longer than thy prayer is in doing. And, +therefore, thou mayst think it safely, and I counsel thee to do it. +For, if thou do it, thou shalt see that, what for the general sight +that thou hast of thy wretchedness, and this special sight of the +shortness of time of amendment, it shall bring in to thine heart a +very working of dread. +</P> + +<P> +And this working shalt thou feel[186] verily folden in thine heart, +but if it so be (the which God forbid) that thou flatter and +fage[187] thy false fleshly blind heart with leasings[188] and +feigned behightings, that thou shalt longer live.[189] For though it +may be sooth in thee in deed that thou shalt live longer, yet it is +ever in thee a false leasing for to think it before, and for to +behight[190] it to thine heart. For why, the soothfastness of this +thing is only in God, and in thee is but a blind abiding of His +will, without certainty of one moment, the which is as little or +less than a twinkling of an eye. And, therefore, if thou wilt pray +wisely as the prophet biddeth when he saith in the psalm: Psallite +sapienter;191 look that thou get thee in the beginning this very +working of dread. For, as the same prophet saith in another psalm: +Initium sapientiae timor Domini;192 that is: "The beginning of +wisdom is the dread of our Lord God." But for that there is no full +sikerness standing[193] upon dread only, for fear of sinking in to +over much heaviness, therefore shalt thou knit to thy first thought +this other thought that followeth. Thou shalt think steadfastly that +if thou may, through the grace of God, distinctly pronounce the +words of that prayer, and win to the end thereof, or if thou die +before thou come to the end, so that thou do that in thee is, that +then it shall be accepted of thee unto God, as a full aseeth[194] of +all thy recklessness from the beginning of thy life unto that +moment. I mean thus: standing that thou hast before time, after thy +conning and thy conscience, lawfully amended thee after the common +ordinance of holy Church in confession; this short prayer, so little +as it is, shall be accepted of thee unto God for thy full salvation, +if thou then didst die, and to the great increase of thy perfection, +if thou didst live longer. This is the goodness of God, the which, +as the prophet saith, forsaketh none that truly trusteth in Him with +will of amendment;[195] and sith that all amendment standeth in +two—that is, in leaving of evil and doing of good—means to get +these two are none readier than the ghostly working of these two +thoughts touched before. For what reaveth from a soul[196] more +readily the affection of sinning, than doth a true working of dread +of death? And what moveth a soul[197] more fervently to working of +good, than doth a certain hope in the mercy and the goodness of God, +the which is brought in by this second thought? For why, the ghostly +feeling of this second thought, when it is thus truly joined to the +first, shall be to thee a sure staff of hope to hold thee by in all +thy good doings. And by this staff thou mayst sikerly climb in to +the high mount of perfection, that is to say, to the perfect love of +God; though all this beginning be imperfect, as thou shalt hear +after. For, what for the general sight that thou hast of the mercy +and of the goodness of God, and this special experience that thou +feelest of His mercy and His goodness in this acceptation of this +little short service for so long recklessness, as it were in a full +aseeth of so much recklessness (as it is said before), it may not be +but that thou shalt feel a great stirring of love unto Him that is +so good and so merciful unto thee—as the steps of thy staff, hope, +plainly sheweth unto thee in the time of thy prayer, if thou do it +duly as I have told thee before.[198] The ghostly experience of the +proof of this working standeth all in a reverent affection that a +man hath to God in the time of his prayer, caused of this dread in +the ground of this work, and of this stirring of love, the which is +brought in by the ghostly steps of this staff hope, touched before. +For why, reverence is nought else but dread and love medled together +with a staff of certain hope, +</P> + +<P> +Me thinketh that the proof of this working is devotion; for devotion +is nought else, as saint Thomas the doctor saith, but a readiness of +man's will to do those things that longeth to the service of +God.[199] Each man prove in himself, for he that doth God's service +in this manner, he feeleth how ready that his will is thereto. Me +thinketh that saint Bernard accordeth to this working, where he +saith that all things should be done swiftly and gladly. And see +why: swiftly for dread, and gladly for hope, and lovely trust in His +mercy. [And what more? Sikerly, I had lever have his meed that +lasteth in such doing, though all he never did bodily penance in +this life, but only that that is enjoined to him of holy Church, +than of all the penance-doers that have been in this life from the +beginning of the world unto this day without this manner of doing. I +say not that the naked thinking of these two thoughts is so meedful; +but that reverent affection, to the which bringing in these two +thoughts are sovereign means on man's party, that is it that is so +meedful as I say.[200]] And this is only it by itself, without any +other manner of doing (as is fasting, waking, sharp wearing, and all +these other), the which only by itself pleaseth almighty God, and +deserveth to have meed of Him. And it were impossible any soul to +have meed of God without this, and all after the quantity of this +shall stand the quantity of meed; for whoso hath much of this, much +meed shall he have, and whoso hath less of this, less meed shall he +have. And all these other things, as is fasting, waking, sharp +wearing, and all these other, they are needful[201] in as much as +they are helply to get this, so that without this they are nought. +And this without them is sometime sufficient at the full by itself, +and it is often times full worthily had and come to of full many +without any of the others. All this I say for that I would by this +knowing that thou charged and commended each thing after that it is: +the more, "the more," and the less, "the less"; for oft times +unknowing is cause of much error. And oft times unknowing maketh men +to charge more and commend more bodily exercise (as is fasting, +waking, sharp wearing, and all these others) than they do ghostly +exercise in virtues or in this reverent affection touched before. +And, therefore, in more declaration of the meed and the worthiness +of this reverent affection, I shall say a little more than I yet +have said, so that, by such declaring, thou mayst be better learned +in this working than thou yet art. +</P> + +<P> +All this manner of working beforesaid of this reverent affection, +when it is brought in by these two thoughts of dread and of hope +coming before, may well be likened to a tree that were full of +fruit; of the which tree, dread is that party that is within in the +earth, that is, the root. And hope is that party that is above the +earth, that is, the body[202] with the boughs. In that that hope is +certain and stable, it is the body; in that it stirreth men to works +of love, it is the boughs; but this reverent affection is evermore +the fruit, and then, evermore as long as the fruit is fastened to +the tree,[203] it hath in party a green smell of the tree; but when +it hath been a certain time departed from the tree and is full ripe, +then it hath lost all the taste of the tree, and is king's meat +[that was before but knave's meat].[204] In this time it is that +this reverent affection is so meedful as I said. And, therefore, +shape thee for to depart this fruit from the tree, and for to offer +it up by itself to the high King of heaven; and then shalt thou be +cleped God's own child, loving Him with a chaste love for Himself, +and not for His goods.[205] I mean thus: though all that the +innumerable good deeds, the which almighty God of His gracious +goodness hath shewed to each soul in this life, be sufficient causes +at the full and more, to each soul to love Him for, with all his +mind, with all his wit, and with all his will; yet if it might be, +that may no wise be, that a soul were as mighty, as worthy, and as +witty as all the saints and angels that are in heaven gathered in +one, and had never taken this worthiness of God,[206] or to whom +that God had never shewed kindness in this life; yet this soul, +seeing the loveliness of God in Himself, and the abundance thereof, +should be ravished over his might for to love God, till the heart +brast; so lovely and so liking, so good and so glorious He is in +Himself. +</P> + +<P> +O how wonderful a thing and how high a thing is the love of God for +to speak of, of the which no man may speak perfectly to the +understanding of the least party thereof, but by impossible +ensamples, and passing the understanding of man! And thus it is that +I mean when I say loving Him with a chaste love for Himself, and not +for His goods;[207] not as if I said (though all I well said) much +for His goods, but without comparison more for Himself. For, if I +shall more highly speak in declaring of my meaning of the perfection +and of the meed of this reverent affection, I say that a soul +touched in affection by the sensible presence of Gods as He is in +Himself, and in a perfect soul illumined in the reason, by the clear +beam of everlasting light, the which is God, for to see and for to +feel the loveliness[208] of God in Himself, hath for that time and +for that moment lost all the mind of any good deed or of any +kindness that ever God did to him in this life—so that cause for to +love God for feeleth he or seeth he none in that time, other than is +God Himself. So that though all it may be said in speaking of the +common perfection, that the great goodness and the great kindness +that God hath shewed to us in this life are high and worthy causes +for to love God for; yet having beholding to the point and the prick +of perfection (to the which I purpose to draw thee in my meaning, +and in the manner of this writing), a perfect lover of God, for +dread of letting[209] of his perfection, seeketh now, that is to +say, in the point of perfection, none other cause for to love God +for, but God Himself; so that by this meaning I say, that chaste +love is to love God for Himself and not for His goods. And +therefore, following the rule of mine ensample, shape thee to depart +the fruit from the tree, and for to offer it up by itself unto the +King of heaven, that thy love be chaste; for evermore as long as +thou offrest Him this fruit green and hanging on the tree, thou +mayst well be likened to a woman that is not chaste, for she loveth +a man more for his goods than for himself. And see why that I liken +thee thus; for it seemeth that dread of thy death and shortness of +time, with hope of forgiveness of all thy recklessness, maketh thee +to be in God's service so reverent as thou art. And if it so be, +soothly then hath thy fruit a green smell of the tree; and though +all it pleaseth God in party, nevertheless, yet it pleaseth Him not +perfectly, and that is for thy love is not yet chaste. +</P> + +<P> +Chaste love is that when thou askest of God neither releasing of +pain, nor increasing of meed, nor yet sweetness in His love in this +life; but if it be any certain time that thou covetest sweetness as +for a refreshing of thy ghostly mights, that they fail not in the +way; but thou askest of God nought but Himself, and neither thou +reckest nor lookest after whether thou shalt be in pain or in bliss, +so that thou have Him that thou lovest—this is chaste love, this is +perfect love.[210] And therefore shape thee for to depart the fruit +from the tree; that is to say, this reverent affection from the +thoughts of dread and of hope coming before; so that thou mayst +offer it ripe and chaste unto God by itself, not caused of any thing +beneath Him, or medled with Him[211] (yea, though all it be the +chief),[212] but only of Him, by Himself; and then it is so meedful +as I say that it is. For it is plainly known without any doubt unto +all those that are expert in the science of divinity and of God's +love, that as often as a man's affection is stirred unto God without +mean (that is, without messenger of any thought in special causing +that stirring), as oft it deserveth everlasting life. And for that +that a soul that is thus disposed (that is to say, that offreth the +fruit ripe, and departed from the tree) may innumerable times in one +hour be raised in to God suddenly without mean, therefore more than +I can say it deserveth, through the grace of God, the which is the +chief worker, to be raised in to joy. And therefore shape thee for +to offer the fruit ripe and departed from the tree. Nevertheless, +the fruit upon the tree, continually offered as man's frailty will +suffer, deserveth salvation; but the fruit ripe and departed from +the tree, suddenly offered unto God without mean, that is +perfection. And here mayst thou see that the tree is good, though +all that I bid thee depart the fruit therefrom, for more perfection; +and therefore I set it in thy garden; for I would that thou should +gather the fruit thereof, and keep it to thy Lord. And for that that +I would that thou knew what manner of working it is that knitteth +man's soul to God, and that maketh it one with Him in love and +accordance of will,[213] after the word of saint Paul saying thus: +Qui adhaeret Duo unus spiritus est cum illo;214 that is to say: "Who +so draweth near to God," as it is by such a reverent affection +touched before, "he is one spirit with God." That is, though all +that God and he be two and sere[215] in kind, nevertheless yet in +grace they are so knit together that they are but one in +spirit;[216] and all this is for onehead of love and accordance of +will; and in this onehead is the marriage made between God and the +soul, the which shall never be broken, though all that the heat and +the fervour of this work cease for a time, but by a deadly sin. +</P> + +<P> +In the ghostly feeling of this onehead may a loving soul both say +and sing (if it list) this holy word that is written in the book of +songs in the Bible: Dilectus meus mihi et ego illi;217 that is: "My +loved unto me and I unto Him"; understanden that God shall be +knitted with the ghostly glue of grace on His party, and the lovely +consent in gladness of spirit on thy party. +</P> + +<P> +And therefore climb up by this tree, as I said in the beginning; and +when thou comest to the fruit (that is, to the reverent affection, +the which ever will be in thee if thou think heartily the other two +thoughts before, and fage[218] not thyself with no lie, as I said), +then shalt thou take good keep[219] of that working that is made in +thy soul that time, and shape thee, in as much as thou mayst through +grace, for to meek thee under the height of thy God, so that thou +mayst use thee in that working other times by itself, without any +climbing thereto by any thought. And, sikerly, this is it the which +is so meedful as I said, and ever the longer that it is kept from +the tree (that is to say, from any thought), and ever the ofter that +it is done suddenly, lustily, and likingly, without mean, the +sweeter it smelleth, and the better it pleaseth the high King of +heaven. And ever when thou feelest sweetness and comfort in thy +doing, then He breaketh this fruit and giveth thee part of thine own +present. And that that thou feelest is so hard, and so straitly +stressing thine heart without comfort in the first beginning, that +bemeaneth[220] that the greenness of the fruit hanging on the tree, +or else newly pulled, setteth thy teeth on edge. Nevertheless yet it +is speedful to thee. For it is no reason that thou eat the sweet +kernel, but if thou crack first the hard shell and bite of the +bitter bark. +</P> + +<P> +Nevertheless, if it so be that thy teeth be weak (that is to say, +thy ghostly mights), then it is my counsel that thou seek slights, +for better is list than lither strength.[221] +</P> + +<P> +Another skill there is why that I set this tree in thy garden, for +to climb up thereby. For though all it be so that God may do what He +will, yet, to mine understanding, it is impossible any man to attain +to the perfection of this working without these two means, or else +other two that are according to them coming before. And yet is the +perfection of this work sudden, without any mean. And, therefore, I +rede[222] thee that these be thine, not thine in propriety, for that +is nought but sin,[223] but thine given graciously of God, and sent +by me as a messenger though I be unworthy; for wete thou right well +that every thought that stirreth thee to the good,[224] whether it +come from within by thine angel messenger, or from without by any +man messenger, it is but an instrument of grace given, sent and +chosen of God Himself for to work within in thy soul. And this is +the skill why that I counsel thee to take these two thoughts before +all others. For as man is a mingled thing of two substances, a +bodily and a ghostly, so it needeth for to have two sere[225] means +to come by to perfection;[226] sith it so is that both these +substances shall be oned in undeadliness at the uprising in the last +day; so that either substance be raised to perfection in this life, +by a mean accordant thereto. And that is dread to bodily substance, +and hope to the ghostly. And thus it is full seemly and according to +be, as me thinketh; for as there is nothing that so soon will ravish +the body from all affection of earthly things, as will a sensible +dread of the death; so there is nothing that so soon nor so +fervently will raise the affection of a sinner's soul, unto the love +of God, as will a certain hope of forgiveness of all his +recklessness. And therefore have I ordained thy climbing by these +two thoughts; but if it so be that thy good angel teach thee within +thy ghostly conceit, or any other man, any other two that are more +according to thy disposition than thee thinketh these two be, thou +mayst take them, and leave these safely without any blame. +Nevertheless to my conceit (till I wete more) me thinketh that these +should be full helply unto thee, and not much unaccording to thy +disposition, after that I feel in thee. And therefore, if thou think +that they do thee good, then thank God heartily, and for God's love +pray for me. Do then so, for I am a wretch, and thou wotest not how +it standeth with me. +</P> + +<P> +No more at this time, but God's blessing have thou and mine. +</P> + +<P> +Read often, and forget it not; set thee sharply to the proof; and +flee all letting and occasion of letting, in the name of our Lord +Jesu Christ. AMEN. +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +FINIS +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="discretion"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +VI. +</H3> + +<P CLASS="intro"> +HERE FOLLOWETH ALSO A VERY NECESSARY EPISTLE OF DISCRETION IN +STIRRINGS OF THE SOUL +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +GHOSTLY friend in God, that same grace and joy that I will to +myself, will I to thee at God's will. Thou askest me counsel of +silence and of speaking, of common dieting and of singular fasting, +of dwelling in company and only woning[227] by thyself. And thou +sayest thou art in great were[228] what thou shalt do; for, as thou +sayest, on the one party thou art greatly tarried with speaking, +with common eating, as other folk do, and with common woning in +company. And, on the other party, thou dreadest to be straitly +still,[229] singular in fasting, and only in woning, for deeming of +more holiness in thee than thou hast,[230] and for many other +perils; for oft times now these days they are deemed for most holy, +and fall in to many perils, that most are in silence, in singular +fasting, and in only woning. And sooth it is that they are most +holy, if grace only be the cause of that silence, of that singular +fasting, and of that only woning, the kind[231] but suffering and +only consenting; and if it be otherwise, then that is but peril on +all sides, for it is full perilous to strain the kind to any such +work of devotion, as is silence or speaking, common dieting or +singular fasting, woning in company or in onliness.[232] I mean, +passing the course and the common custom of kind and degree, but if +it be led thereto by grace; and, namely, to such works the which in +themself are indifferent, that is to say, now good, and now evil, +now with thee, now against thee, now helping, and now letting. For +it might befall that, if thou followed thy singular stirring, +straitly straining thee to silence, to singular fasting, or to only +woning, that thou shouldest oft times be still when time were to +speak, oft times fast when time were to eat, oft times be only when +time were to be in company. Or if thou give thee to speaking always +when thee list, to common eating, or to companious woning,[233] then +peradventure thou shouldest sometime speak when time[234] were to be +still, sometime eat when time were to fast, sometime be in company +when time were to be only; and thus mightest thou lightly fall in to +error, in great confusion, not only of thine own soul but also of +others. And, therefore, in eschewing of such errors, thou askest of +me (as I have perceived by thy letters) two things: the first is my +conceit of thee, and thy stirring; and the other is my counsel in +this case, and in all such others when they come. +</P> + +<P> +As to the first, I answer and I say that I dread full much in this +matter and such others to put forth my rude conceit, such as it is, +for two skills.[235] And one is this: I dare not lean to my conceit, +affirming it for fast and true. The other is thine inward +disposition, and thine ableness that thou hast unto all these things +that thou speakest of in thy letter, which be not yet so fully known +unto me, as it were speedful that they were, if I should give full +counsel in this case. For it is said of the Apostle: Nemo novit quae +sunt hominis, nisi spiritus hominis qui in ipso est; "No man knoweth +which are the privy dispositions of man, but the spirit of the same +man, the which is in himself";[236] and, peradventure, thou knowest +not yet thine own inward disposition thyself, so fully as thou shalt +do hereafter, when God will let thee feel it by the proof, among +many failings and risings. For I knew never yet no sinner that might +come to the perfect knowing of himself and of his inward +disposition, but if he were learned of it before in the school of +God, by experience of many temptations, and by many failings and +risings; for right as among the waves and the floods and the storms +of the sea, on the one party, and the peaceable wind and the calms +and the soft weathers of the air on the other party, the sely[237] +ship at the last attains to the land and the haven; right so, among +the diversity of temptations and tribulations that falleth to a soul +in this ebbing and flowing life (the which are ensampled by the +storms and the floods of the sea) on the one party, and among the +grace and the goodness of the Holy Ghost, the manyfold visitation, +sweetness and comfort of spirit (the which are ensampled by the +peaceable wind and the soft weathers of the air) on the other party, +the sely soul, at the likeness of a ship, attaineth at the last to +the land of stableness, and to the haven of health; the which is the +clear and the soothfast knowing of himself, and of all his inward +dispositions, through the which knowing he sitteth quietly in +himself, as a king crowned in his royalme, mightily, wisely, and +goodly governing himself and all his thoughts and stirrings, both in +body and in soul. Of such a man it is that the wise man saith thus: +Beatus vir qui suffert tentationem, quoniam cum probatus fuerit, +accipiet coronam vitae, quam repromisit Deus diligentibus se: "He is +a blissful man that sufferingly beareth temptation; for, from he +have been proved, he shall take the crown of life, the which God +hath hight to all those that love Him."[238] The crown of life may +be said on two manners. One for ghostly wisdom, for full discretion, +and for perfection of virtue: these three knitted together may be +cleped[239] a crown of life, the which by grace may be come to here +in this life. On another manner the crown of life may be said, that +it is the endless joy that each true soul shall have, after this +life, in the bliss of heaven, and, sikerly, neither of these two +crowns may a man take, but if he before have been well proved in +suffering of noye[240] and of temptation, as this text saith: +Quoniam cum probatus fuerit, accipiet coronam vitae; that is: "From +that he have been proved, then shall he take the crown of +life";[241] as who saith (according to mine understanding touched +before): But if a sinner have been proved before in divers +temptations, now rising, now falling, falling by frailty, rising by +grace, he shall never else take of God in this life ghostly wisdom +in clear knowing of himself and of his inward dispositions, nor full +discretion in counselling and teaching of others, nor yet the third, +the which is the perfection of virtue in loving of his God and of +his brethren. All these three—wisdom, discretion, and perfection of +virtue-are but one, and they may be cleped the crown of life. +</P> + +<P> +In a crown are three things: gold is the first; precious stones are +the second; and the turrets of the flower-de-luce, raised up above +the head, those are the third. By gold, wisdom; by the precious +stones, discretion; and by the turrets of the flower-de-luce I +understand the perfection of virtue. Gold environeth the head, and +by wisdom we govern our ghostly work on every side; precious stones +giveth light in beholding of men, and by discretion we teach and +counsel our brethren; the turrets of the flower-de-luce giveth two +side branches spreading one to the right side and another to the +left, and one even up above the head, and by perfection of virtues +(the which is charity) we give two side branches of love, the which +are spreading, one to the right side to our friends, and one to the +left side to our enemies, and one even up unto God, above man's +understanding, the which is the head of the soul. This is the crown +of life the which by grace may be gotten here in this life; and, +therefore, bear thee low in thy battle, and suffer meekly thy +temptations till thou have been proved. For then shalt thou take +either the one crown, or the other, or both, this here, and the +other there; for who so hath this here, he may be full siker of the +other there; and full many there are that are full graciously proved +here, and yet come never to this that may be had here in this life. +The which (if they meekly continue and patiently abide the will of +our Lord) shall full worthily and abundantly receive the other +there, in the high bliss of heaven. Thee thinketh this crown fair +that may be had here; yea, bear thee as meekly as thou mayst by +grace, for in comparison of the other there, it is but as one noble +to a world full of gold. All this I say to give thee comfort and +evidence of strength in thy ghostly battle, the which thou hast +taken on hand in the trust of our Lord, and all this I say to let +thee see how far thou art yet from the true knowing of thine inward +disposition, and thereafter to give thee warning, not over soon to +give stead[242] nor to follow the singular stirrings of thy young +heart, for dread of deceit. +</P> + +<P> +All this I say for to show unto thee my conceit that I have of thee +and of thy stirrings, as thou hast asked of me; for I conceive of +thee that thou art full able and full greatly disposed to such +sudden stirrings of singular doings,[243] and full fast to cleave +unto them when they be received; and that is full perilous. I say +not that this ableness and this greedy disposition in thee, or in +any other that is disposed as thou art, though all it be perilous, +that it is therefore evil in itself; nay, so say I not, God forbid +that thou take it so; but I say that it is full good in itself, and +a full great ableness to full great perfection, yea, and to the +greatest perfection that may be in this life; I mean, if that a soul +that is so disposed will busily, night and day, meek it[244] to God +and to good counsel, and strongly rise and martyr itself, with +casting down of the own wit and the own will in all such sudden and +singular stirrings, and say sharply that it will not follow such +stirrings, seem they never so liking,[245] so high nor so holy, but +if it have thereto the witness[246] and the consents of some ghostly +teachers—I mean such as have been of long time expert in singular +living. Such a soul, for ghostly continuance thus in this meekness, +may deserve, through grace and the experience of this ghostly battle +thus with itself, for to take the crown of life touched before. And +as great an ableness to good as is this manner of disposition in a +soul that is thus meeked as I say, as perilous it is in another +soul, such one that will suddenly, without advisement of counsel, +follow the stirrings of the greedy heart, by the own wit and the own +will; and therefore, for God's love, beware with this ableness and +with this manner of disposition (that I speak of), if it be in thee +as I say. And meek thee continually to prayer and to counsel. Break +down thine own wit and thy will in all such sudden and singular +stirrings, and follow them not over lightly, till thou wete whence +they come, and whether they be according for thee or not. +</P> + +<P> +And as touching these stirrings of the which thou askest my conceit +and my counsel, I say to thee that I conceive of them suspiciously, +that is, that[247] they should be conceived on the ape's manner. Men +say commonly that the ape doth as he seeth others do; forgive me if +I err in my suspicion, I pray thee. Nevertheless, the love that I +have to thy soul stirreth me by evidence that I have of a ghostly +brother of thine and of mine, touched with those same stirrings of +full great[248] silence, of full singular fasting, and of full only +woning, on ape's manner, as he granted unto me after long communing +with me, and when he had proved himself and his stirrings. For, as +he said, he had seen a man in your country, the which man, as it is +well known, is evermore in great silence, in singular fasting, and +in only dwelling; and certes, as I suppose fully, they are full true +stirrings those that that man hath, caused all only of grace, that +he feeleth by experience within, and not of any sight or heard say +that he hath of any other man's silence without-the which cause if +it were, it should be cleped apely, as I say in my simple meaning. +And therefore beware, and prove well thy stirrings, and whence they +come; for how so thou art stirred, whether from within by grace, or +from without on ape's manner, God wote, and I not. Nevertheless this +may I say thee in eschewing of perils like unto this: look that thou +be no ape, that is to say, look that thy stirrings to silence or to +speaking, to fasting or to eating, to onliness or to company, +whether they be come from within of abundance of love and of +devotion in the spirit and not from without by the windows of thy +bodily wits, as thine ears, and thine eyes. For, as Jeremiah saith +plainly, by such windows cometh in death: Mors intrat per +fenestras.249 And this sufficeth, as little as it is, for answer to +the first, where thou askest of me, what is my conceit of thee, and +of these stirrings that thou speakest of to me in thy letter. +</P> + +<P> +And touching the second thing, where thou askest of me my counsel in +this case, and in such other when they fall, I beseech almighty Jesu +(as He is cleped the angel of great counsel) that He of His mercy be +thy counsellor and thy comforter in all thy noye and thy nede, and +order me with His wisdom to fulfil in party by my teaching, so +simple as it is, the trust of thine heart, the which thou hast unto +me before many others—a simple lewd[250] wretch as I am, unworthy +to teach thee or any other, for littleness of grace and for lacking +of conning. Nevertheless, though I be lewd, yet shall I somewhat +say, answering to thy desire at my simple conning, with a trust in +God that His grace shall be learner and leader when conning of kind +and of clergy defaileth.[251] Thou wotest right well thyself that +silence in itself nor speaking, also singular fasting nor common +dieting, onliness nor company, all these nor yet any of them be not +the true end of our desire; but to some men (and not to all) they +are means helping to the end, if they be done lawfully and with +discretion, and else are they more letting than furthering. And +therefore plainly[252] to speak, nor plainly to be still, plainly to +eat, nor plainly to fast, plainly to be in company, or plainly to be +only, think I not to counsel thee at this time; for why, perfection +standeth not in them. But this counsel may I give thee generally, to +hold thee by in these stirrings, and in all other like unto these; +evermore where thou findest two contraries, as are these—silence +and speaking, fasting and eating, onliness and company, common +clothing of Christian religion and singular habits of divers and +devised brotherhoods, with all such other what so they be, the which +in themself are but works of kind[253] and of men. For thou hast it +by kind and by statute of thine outer man now for to speak and now +for to be still, now for to eat and now for to fast, now for to be +in company and now to be only, now to be common in clothing and now +to be in singular habit, ever when thee list, and when thou +seest[254] that any of them should be speedful and helply to thee in +nourishing of the heavenly grace working within in thy soul; but if +it be so (which God forbid), that thou or any other be so lewd and +so blinded in the sorrowful temptations of the midday devil, that ye +bind you by any crooked avow to any such singularities, as it were +under colour of holiness feigned under such an holy thraldom,[255] +in full and final destroying of the freedom of Christ, the which is +the ghostly habit of the sovereign holiness that may be in this +life, or in the other, by the witness of saint Paul saying thus: Ubi +spiritus Domini, ibi libertas: "There where the spirit of God is, +there is freedom."[256] And thereto when thou seest that all such +works in their use may be both good and evil; I pray thee leave them +both, for that is the most ease for thee for to do, if thou wilt be +meek, and leave the curious beholding and seeking in thy wits to +look whether is better. But do thou thus: set the one on the one +hand, and the other on the other, and choose thee a thing the which +is hid between them; the which thing, when it is had, giveth thee +leave in freedom of spirit to begin and to cease in holding any of +the others at thine own full list, without any blame. +</P> + +<P> +But now thou askest me, what is that thing. I shall tell thee what I +mean that it is: It is God; for whom thou shouldest be still, if +thou shouldest be still; and for whom thou shouldest speak if thou +shouldest speak; and for whom thou shouldest fast, if thou shouldest +fast; and for whom thou shouldest eat, if thou shouldest eat; and +for whom thou shouldest be only, if thou shouldest be only; and for +whom thou shouldest be in company, if thou shouldest be in company. +And so forth of all the remenant, what so they be. For silence is +not God, nor speaking is not God; fasting is not God, nor eating is +not God; onliness is not God, nor company is not God; nor yet any of +all the other such two contraries. He is hid between them, and may +not be found by any work of thy soul, but all only by love of thine +heart. He may not be known by reason, He may not be gotten by +thought, nor concluded by understanding; but He may be loved and +chosen with the true lovely will of thine heart.[257] Choose thee +Him, and thou art silently speaking, and speakingly silent, +fastingly eating, and eatingly fasting, and so forth of all the +remenant. Such a lovely choosing of God, thus wisely lesinge[258] +and seeking Him out with the true will of a clean heart, between all +such two leaving them both, when they come and proffer them to be +the point and the prick of our ghostly beholding, is the worthiest +tracing and seeking of God that may be gotten or learned in this +life. I mean for a soul that will be contemplative; yea, though all +that a soul that thus seeketh see nothing that may be conceived with +the ghostly eye of reason; for if God be thy love and thy meaning, +the choice and the point of thine heart, it sufficeth to thee in +this life (though all thou see never more of Him with the eyes of +thy reason all thy life time). Such a blind shot with the sharp dart +of longing love may never fail of the prick, the which is God, as +Himself saith in the book of love, where He speaketh to a +languishing soul and a loving, saying thus: Vulnerasti cor meum, +soror mea, amica mea, et sponsa mea, vulnerasti cor meum, in uno +oculorum tuorum: "Thou hast wounded mine heart, my sister, my leman, +and my spouse, thou hast wounded mine heart in one of thine +eyes."[259] Eyes of the soul they are two: Reason and Love. By +reason we may trace how mighty, how wise, and how good He is in His +creatures, but not in Himself; but ever when reason defaileth, then +list, love, live and learn, to play,[260] for by love we may feel +Him, find Him, and hit Him, even in Himself. It is a wonderful eye, +this love, for of a loving soul it is only said of our Lord: "Thou +hast wounded mine heart in one of thine eyes"; that is to say, in +love that is blind to many things, and seeth but that one thing that +it seeketh, and therefore it findeth and feeleth, hitteth and +woundeth the point and the prick that it shooteth at, well sooner +than it should if the sight were sundry in beholding of many things, +as it is when the reason ransacketh and seeketh among all such +sere[261] things as are these: silence and speaking, singular +fasting and common eating, onliness or company, and all such other; +to look whether is better. +</P> + +<P> +Let be this manner of doing, I pray thee, and let as thou wist not +that there were any such means (I mean ordained for to get God by); +for truly no more there is, if thou wilt be very contemplative and +soon sped of thy purpose. And, therefore, I pray thee and other like +unto thee, with the Apostle saying thus: Videte vocationem vestram, +et in ea vocatione qua vocati estis state:262 "See your calling, +and, in that calling that ye be called, stand stiffly and abide in +the name of Jesu." Thy calling is to be very contemplative, +ensampled by Mary Magdalene. Do then as Mary did, set the point of +thine heart upon one thing: Porro unum est necessarium: "For one +thing is necessary,"[263] the which is God. Him wouldest thou have, +Him seekest thou, Him list thee to love, Him list thee to feel,[264] +Him list thee hold thee by, and neither by silence nor by speaking, +by singular fasting nor by common eating, by onliness nor by +companious woning, by hard wearing nor by easy; for sometime silence +is good, but that same time speaking were better; and againward +sometime speaking is good, but that same time silence were better; +and so forth of all the remenant, as is fasting, eating, onliness, +and company; for sometime the one is good, but the other is better, +but neither of them is at any time the best. And, therefore, let be +good all that is good, and better all that is better,[265] for both +they will defail and have an end; and choose thee the best with +Mary, thy mirror, that never will defail: Maria (inquit optimam) +optimam partem elegit, quae non auferetur ab ea.266 The best is +almighty Jesu, and He said that Mary, in ensample of all +contemplatives, had chosen the best, the which should never be taken +from her; and therefore, I pray thee, with Mary leave the good and +the better, and choose thee the best. +</P> + +<P> +Let them be, all such things as are these: silence and speaking, +fasting and eating, onliness and company, and all such other, and +take no keep to them; thou wotest not what they mean, and, I pray +thee, covet not to wit; and if thou shall at any time think or speak +of them, think then and say that they are so high and so worthy +things of perfection, for to conne[267] speak, or for to conne be +still, for to conne fast, and for to conne eat, for to conne be +only, and to conne be in company, that it were but a folly and a +foul presumption to such a frail wretch as thou art, for to meddle +thee of so great perfection. For why, for to speak, and for to be +still, for to eat, and for to fast, for to be only, and for to be in +company, ever when we will, may we have by kind; but for to conne do +all these, we may not but by grace. And, without doubt, such grace +is never gotten by any mean of such strait silence, of such singular +fasting, or of such only dwelling that thou speakest of, the which +is caused from without by occasion of hearing and of seeing of any +other man's such singular doings. But if ever this grace shall be +gotten, it behoveth to be learned of God from within, unto whom thou +hast listily leaned many a day before with all the love of thine +heart, utterly voiding from thy ghostly beholding[268] all manner of +sight of any thing beneath Him; though all that some of those things +that I bid thee thus void, should seem in the sight of some men a +full worthy mean to get God by. Yea, say what men say will, but do +thou as I say thee, and let the proof witness. For to him that will +be soon sped of his purpose ghostly, it sufficeth to him for a mean, +and him needeth no more, but the actual mind of good God only, with +a reverent stirring of lasting love; so that mean unto God gettest +thou none but God. If thou keep whole thy stirring of love that thou +mayst feel by grace in thine heart, and scatter not thy ghostly +beholding therefrom then that same that thou feelest shall well +conne[269] tell thee when thou shalt speak and when thou shalt be +still, and it shall govern thee discreetly in all thy living without +any error, and teach thee mistily[270] how thou shalt begin and +cease in all such doing of kind with a great and sovereign +discretion. For if thou mayst by grace keep it in custom and in +continual working, then, if it be needful or speedful to thee for to +speak, for to commonly eat, or for to bide in company, or for to do +any such other thing that longeth to the common true custom of +Christian men, and of kind, it shall first stir thee full softly to +speak or to do that other common thing of kind, what so it be. And +then, if thou do it not, it shall strike as sore as a prick on thine +heart and pain thee full sore, and let thee have no peace[271] but +if thou do it. And, on the same manner, if thou be in speaking, or +in any such other work that is common to the course of kind, if it +be needful and speedful to thee to be still, and for to set thee to +the contrary, as is onliness to company, fasting to eating, and all +such other the which are works of singular holiness, it will stir +thee to them; so that thus, by experience of such a blind stirring +of love unto God, a contemplative soul cometh sooner to that grace +of discretion for to conne speak, and for to conne be still, for to +conne eat, and for to conne fast, for to conne be in company, and +for to conne be only,[272] and all such other, than by any such +singularities as thou speakest of, taken by the stirrings of man's +own wit and his will within in himself, or yet by the ensample of +any other man's doing without, what so it be. For why, such strained +doings under the stirrings of kind, without touching[273] of grace, +is a passing pain without any profit; but if it be to them that are +religious, or that have them by enjoining of penance, where profit +riseth only because of obedience, and not by any such straitness of +doing without; the which is painful to all that it proveth. But +lovely and listily to will to love[274] God is great and passing +ease, true ghostly peace, and earnest of the endless rest. And, +therefore, speak when thee list, and leave when thee list, eat when +thee list, and fast when thee list, be in company when thee list, +and be by thyself when thee list, so that[275] God and grace be thy +leader. Let fast who fast will, and be only who will, and let hold +silence who so will, but hold thee by God that doth beguile no man; +for silence and speaking, onliness and company, fasting and eating, +all may beguile thee. And if thou hear of any man that speaketh, or +of any that is still, of any that eateth or of any that fasteth, or +of any that is in company or else by himself, think thou, and say, +if thee list, that they conne do as they should do, but if the +contrary shew in apert.[276] But look that thou do not as they do (I +mean for that they do so) on ape's manner; for neither thou canst, +nor peradventure thou art not disposed as they are. And, therefore, +leave to work after other men's dispositions and work after thine +own, if thou mayst know what it is. And unto the time that thou +mayst know what it is, work after those men's counsel that know +their own disposition, but not after their disposition;[277] for +such men should give counsel in such cases, and else none. And this +sufficeth for an answer to all thy letter, as me thinketh; the grace +of God be ever more with thee, in the name of Jesu. AMEN. +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +FINIT EPISTOLA +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="spirits"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +VII. +</H3> + +<P CLASS="intro"> +HERE FOLLOWETH A DEVOUT TREATISE OF DISCERNING OF SPIRITS, VERY +NECESSARY FOR GHOSTLY LIVERS +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +FOR because that there be divers kinds of spirits, therefore it is +needful to us discreet knowing of them; sith it so is that we be +taught of the apostle saint John not to believe to all spirits.[278] +For it might seem to some that are but little in conning, and namely +of ghostly things, that each thought that soundeth in man's heart +should be the speech of none other spirit but only of man's own +spirit. And that it is not so, both belief and witness of holy +scripture proveth apertly; for "I shall hear," saith the prophet +David, "not what I speak myself, but what my Lord God speaketh in +me";[279] and another prophet saith, that an angel spake in +him.[280] And also we be taught in the psalm that the wicked spirits +sendeth evil thoughts in to men; and over this, that there is a +spirit of the flesh not good, the apostle Paul sheweth apertly, +where he saith, that some men are full blown or inflate with the +spirit of their flesh.[281] And also that there is the spirit of the +world, he declareth plainly, where he maketh joy in God, not only +for himself, but also for his disciples, that they had not taken +that spirit of the world, but that that is sent of God, the which is +the Holy Ghost.[282] And these two spirits of the flesh and also of +the world are, as it were, servants or sergeants of that cursed +spirit, the foul fiend of hell; so that the spirit of wickedness is +lord of the spirit of the flesh, and also of the spirit of the +world. And which of these three spirits that speaketh to our spirit, +we should not believe them. For why, they speak never but that anon, +by their speaking, they lead to the loss both of body and of soul. +And which spirit it is that speaketh to our spirit, the speech of +that same spirit that speaketh shall fully declare; for ever more +the spirit of the flesh speaketh soft things and easy to the body; +the spirit of the world vain things and covetise[283] of worship; +and the spirit of malice of the fiend speaketh fell things and +bitter. +</P> + +<P> +Wherefore, as oft times as any thought smiteth on our hearts of +meat, of drink, and of sleep, of soft clothing, of lechery, and of +all other such things the which longeth to the business of the +flesh, and maketh our heart for to brenne[284] as it were in a +longing desire after all such things; be we full siker that it is +the spirit of the flesh that speaketh it. And therefore put we him +away, in as much as we goodly may by grace, for he is our adversary. +As oft times as any thought smiteth on our hearts of vain joy of +this world, kindling in us a desire to be holden fair, and to be +favoured, to be holden of great kin and of great conning, to be +holden wise and worthy, or else to have great degree and high office +in this life—such thoughts and all other the which would make a man +to seem high and worshipful, not only in the sight of others, but +also in the sight of himself—no doubt but it is the spirit of the +world that speaketh all these, a far more perilous enemy than is the +spirit of the flesh, and with much more business he should be put +off. And oft times it befalleth that these two servants and +sergeants of the foul fiend, the spirit and prince of wrath[285] and +of wickedness, are either by grace and by ghostly slight of a soul +stiffly put down and trodden down under foot; or else, by +quaintise[286] of their malicious master, the foul fiend of hell, +they are quaintly withdrawn, for he thinketh himself for to rise +with great malice and wrath, as a lion running felly to assail the +sickness of our sely souls; and this befalleth as oft as the thought +of our heart stirreth us, not to the lust of our flesh, nor yet to +the vain joy of this world, but it stirreth us to murmuring, to +grutching,[287] to grievance, and to bitterness of soul, to pain and +to impatience, to wrath, to melancholy, and to evil will, to hate, +to envy, and to all such sorrows. It maketh us to bear us heavily, +if ought be done or said unto us, not so lovely, nor so wisely[288] +as we would it were; it raiseth in us all evil suspicion, if ought +be shewed in sign, in countenance, in word, or in work, that might +by any manner be turned to malice or to heaviness of heart; it +maketh us as fast[289] to take it to us. +</P> + +<P> +To these thoughts, and to all such that would put us out of peace +and restfulness of heart, we should none otherwise againstand,[290] +but as we would the self fiend of hell, and as much we should flee +therefrom as from the loss of our soul. No doubt but both the other +two thoughts, of the spirit of the flesh and also of the spirit of +the world, work and travail in all that they can to the loss of our +soul, but most perilously the spirit of malice; for why, he is by +himself, but they not without him. For if a man's soul be never so +clean of fleshly lust, and of vain joy of this world, and if it be +defouled with this spirit of malice, of wrath, and of wickedness, +not againstanding all the other cleanness before, yet it is losable. +And if a soul be never so much defouled with the lust of the flesh, +and vain joy of the world, and it may by grace keep it in peace and +in restfulness of heart unto the even Christian,[291] though all it +be full hard for to do (lasting the custom of the other two),[292] +yet it is less losable, not againstanding all the other filth of the +flesh and of the world touched before. And, therefore, though all +that our lusty[293] thoughts of our flesh be evil, for they reave +from the soul the life of devotion, and though all that the vain joy +of the world be worse, for it reaveth us from the true joy that we +should have in contemplation of heavenly things, ministered and +taught to us by the angels of heaven. For who so lustily desireth to +be worshipped, favoured, and served of men here in earth, they +deserve to forego the worship, the favour, and service of angel in +ghostly contemplation of heaven and of heavenly things, all their +lifetime; the which contemplation is better and more worthy in +itself than is the lust and the liking of devotion. And for this +bitterness I clepe the spirit of malice, of wrath, and of wickedness +the worst spirit of them all; and why? Certes, for it reaveth us the +best thing of all, and that is charity, the which is God. For who so +lacketh peace and restfulness of heart, him lacketh the lively +presence of the lovely sight of the high peace of heaven, good +gracious God His own dear self. This witnesseth David in the psalm, +where he saith, that the place of God is made in peace, and His +dwelling place in Sion.[294] Sion is as much to say as the sight of +peace; the sight of the soul is the thought of that same soul; and, +certes, in that soul that most is occupied in thoughts of peace hath +God made His dwelling place.[295] And thus saith Himself by the +prophet, when he saith: "Upon whom shall my spirit rest, but upon +the meek and the restful."[296] And, therefore, who so will have God +continually dwelling in him, and live in love and in sight of the +high peace of the Godhead, the which is the highest and the best +party of contemplation that may be had in this life, be he busy +night and day to put down, when they come, the spirit of the flesh +and the spirit of the world, but most busily the spirit of malice, +of wrath, and of wickedness, for he is the foulest and the worst +filth[297] of all. And it is full needful and speedful to know his +quaintise, and not for to unknow his doleful deceits. For sometime +he will, that wicked cursed wight, change his likeness in to an +angel of light, that he may under colour of virtue do more +dere;[298] but yet then, if we look more redely,[299] it is but seed +of bitterness and of discord that that he sheweth, seem it never so +holy nor never so fair at the first shewing. Full many he stirreth +unto singular holiness passing the common statute and custom of +their degree, as is fasting, sharp wearing, and many other devout +observances and outward doings, in open reproving of other men's +defaults, the which they have not of office for to do. All such and +many other he stirreth them for to do, and all under colour of +devotion and of charity; not for he is delighted in any deed of +devotion and of charity, but for he loveth dissension and slander, +the which is evermore caused by such unseemly singularities; for +where so ever that any one or two are in any devout congregation, +the which any one or two useth any such outward singularities, then +in the sight of fools all the remenant are slandered by them; but, +in the sight of the wise man, they slander themselves. But for +because that fools are more than wise men, therefore for favour of +fools such singular doers ween that they be wise, when (if it were +wisely determined) they and all their fautors[300] should be seen +apert fools, and darts shot of the devil, to slay true simple souls +under colour of holiness and charity. And thus many deceits can the +fiend bring in on this manner. +</P> + +<P> +Who so will not consent, but meeketh him truly to prayer and to +counsel, shall graciously be delivered of all these deceits.[301] +But it is sorrow for to say, and more for to feel, that +sometime[302] our own spirit is so overcome peradventure with each +of these three spirits, of the flesh, of the world, and of the +fiend, and so brought into danger, bounden in bondage, in thraldom +and in service of them all, that sorrow it is to wit. In great +confusion and loss of itself, it doth now the office of each one of +them itself in itself. And this befalleth when, after long use, and +customable consenting unto them when they come, at the last it is +made so fleshly, so worldly, and so malicious, so wicked, and so +froward, that now plainly of itself, without suggestion of any other +spirit, it gendereth and bringeth forth in itself, not only lusty +thoughts of the flesh, and vain thoughts of the world, but that +worst of all these, as are bitter thoughts and wicked, in backbiting +and deeming, and evil suspicion of others. And when it is thus with +our spirit, then, I trow, it may not lightly be known when it is our +own spirit that speaketh, or when it heareth any of the other three +spirits speaking in it as it is touched before. But what maketh it +matter[303] who speaketh, when it is all one and the same thing that +is spoken? What helpeth to know the person of him that speaketh, +when it is siker and certain that all is evil and perilous that is +spoken? If it be thine enemy, consent not to him, but meek thee to +prayer and to counsel, and so mayst thou mightily withstand thine +enemy. If it be thine own spirit, reprove him bitterly, and +sighingly sorrow that ever thou fell in[304] so great wretchedness, +bondage, and thraldom of the devil. Shrive thee of thy customed +consents, and of thine old sins, and so mayst thou come (by grace) +to recover thy freedom again; and by the gracious freedom mayst thou +soon come to, wisely for to know, and soothfastly for to feel by the +proof, when it is thine own spirit that speaketh these evils, or it +be these other evil spirits that speaketh them in thee. And so may +this knowing be a sovereign mean and help of againstanding, for +often times unknowing is cause of much error, and, againward, +knowing is cause of much truth; and to this manner of knowing mayst +thou win thus as I say to thee. +</P> + +<P> +If thou be in doubt or in were[305] of these evil thoughts when they +come, whether that they be the speech of thine own spirit, or of any +of the others of thine enemies; look then busily by the witness of +thy counsel and thy conscience, if thou have been shriven and +lawfully amended after the doom[306] of thy confessor, of all the +consents that ever thou consented to that kind of sin, that thy +thought is aware of. And if thou have not been shriven shrive thee +then, as truly as thou mayst, by grace and by counsel; and then wete +thou right well that all the thoughts that come to thee after thy +shrift, stirring thee oft times to the same sins, they are the words +of other spirits than thine own (I mean some of the three touched +before). And thou for none such thoughts, be they never so thick, so +foul, nor so many (I mean for their first coming in), but if it be +for recklessness of againstanding,[307] art no blame worthy. And not +only releasing of purgatory that thou hast deserved for the same +sins done before, what so they be, thou mayst deserve, if thou +stiffly againstand them, but also much grace in this life, and much +meed in the bliss of heaven. But all those evil thoughts coming in +to thee, stirring thee to any sin, after that thou hast consented to +that same sin, and before that thou hast sorrow for that consent, +and art in will to be shriven thereof, it is no peril to thee to +take them to thyself,[308] and for to shrive thee of them, as of +thoughts of thine own spirit; but for to take to thyself all other +thoughts, the which thou hast by very proof, as it is shewed before, +by the speeches of other spirits than of thyself, therein lieth +great peril, for so mightest thou lightly misrule thy conscience, +charging a thing for sin the which is none; and this were great +error, and a mean to the greatest peril. For if it were so that each +evil thought and stirring to sin were the work and the speech of +none other spirit, but only of man's own spirit; then it would +follow by that that a man's own spirit were a very fiend, the which +is apertly false and a damnable woodness;[309] for though all it be +so that a soul may, by frailty and custom of sinning, fall in to so +much wretchedness, that it taketh on itself by bondage of sin the +office of the devil, stirring itself to sin ever more and more, +without any suggestion of any other spirit (as it is said before), +yet it is not therefore a devil in kind, but it is a devil in +office, and may be cleped devilish, for it is in the doing like to +the devil, [that is to say, a stirrer of itself unto sin, the which +is the office of the devil].[310] Nevertheless yet, for all this +thraldom to sin and devilishness in office, it may by grace of +contrition, of shrift, and of amending, recover the freedom again, +and be made saveable—yea, and a full special God's saint in this +life, that before was full damnable and full cursed in the +living.[311] And, therefore, as great a peril as it is a soul that +is fallen in sin, not for to charge his conscience therewith, nor +for to amend him thereof, as great a peril it is, and, if it may be +said, a greater, a man for to charge his conscience with each +thought and stirring of sin that will come in him; for, by such nice +charging of conscience, might he lightly run in to error of +conscience, and so be led in to despair all his life time. And the +cause of all this is lacking of knowing of discretion of spirits, +the which knowing may be gotten by very experience; who so redely +will look soon after that a soul have been truly cleansed by +confession as it is said before. For fast after confession a soul +is, as it were, a clean paper leaf, for ableness that it hath to +receive what that men will write thereupon. Both they do press[312] +for to write on the soul, when it is clean in itself made by +confession: God and His angel on the one party, and the fiend and +his angel on the other party; but it is in the free choice of the +soul to receive which that it will. The receipt of the soul is the +consent of the same soul. A new thought and a stirring to any sin, +the which thou hast forsaken before in thy shrift, what is it else +but the speech of one of the three spirits the which are thine +enemies (touched before), proffering to write on thy soul the same +sin again? The speech of thyself, is it not; for why, there is no +such thing written in thy soul, for all it is wasted away before in +thy shrift, and thy soul left naked and bare; nothing left +thereupon, but a frail and a free consent, more inclining to the +evil, for custom therein, than it is to the good, but more able to +the good than to the evil, for cleanness of the soul and virtue of +the sacrament of shrift; but, of itself, it hath nought then, where +through it may think or stir itself to good or to evil; and, +therefore, it followeth that what thought that cometh then in it, +whether that it be good or evil, it is not of itself, but the +consent to the good or to the evil, whether that it be, that is ever +more the work of the same soul. +</P> + +<P> +And all after the worthiness and the wretchedness of this consent, +thereafter it deserveth pain or bliss. If this consent be to evil, +then as fast it hath, by cumbrance of sin, the office of that same +spirit that first made him suggestion of that same sin; and if it be +to the good, then as fast it hath, by grace, the office of that same +spirit that first made him stirring[313] to that same good. For as +oft as any healful thought cometh in our mind, as of chastity, of +soberness, of despising of the world, of wilful poverty, of +patience, of meekness, and of charity, without doubt it is the +spirit of God that speaketh, either by Himself or else by some of +His angels—that is to say, either His angels of this life, the +which are true teachers, or else His angels of His bliss, the which +are true stirrers and inspirers of good. And as it is said of the +other three evil spirits, that a soul, for long use and customable +consenting unto them, may be made so fleshly, so worldly, and so +malicious, that it taketh upon it the office of them all; right so +it is againward[314] that a soul, for long use and custom in +goodness, may be made so ghostly by cleanness of living and devotion +of spirit against the spirit of the flesh, and so heavenly against +the spirit of the world, and so godly by peace and by charity, and +by restfulness of heart, against the spirit of malice, of wrath, and +of wickedness, that it hath them now of office all such good +thoughts to think when him list, without forgetting, in as great +perfection as the frailty of this life will suffer. And thus it may +be seen how that each thought that smiteth on our hearts, whether +that it be good or evil, it is not evermore the speech of our own +spirit, but the consent to the thought, what so ever it be, that is +ever of our own spirit. Jesu grant us His grace, to consent to the +good and againstand the evil. Amen. +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +FINIS. DEO GRATIAS +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="index"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +INDEX OF NAMES & SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES +</H3> + +<BR> + +<P> +Ancren Riwle, The, xx, 28 n +</P> + +<P> +Aquinas, St. Thomas, xiii, 81, 84 n, 86 n +</P> + +<P> +Asher, symbolism of, 6, 16-19 +</P> + +<P> +Augustine, St., xii, 25 +</P> + +<P> +Benjamin, symbolism of, xvi, xvii, 6, 29-33 +</P> + +<P> +Bernard, St., xii, 81 +</P> + +<P> +Bilhah, symbolism of, 4-6, 13-16 +</P> + +<P> +Bonaventura, St., xii +</P> + +<P> +Catherine of Siena, St., xi, xvii-xix, xxv-xxvii, 35-47, 52 n, 107 n +</P> + +<P> +Caxton, xviii, xix +</P> + +<P> +Chaucer, 17 n, 52 n, 56 n, 95 n, 120 n +</P> + +<P> +Chauncy, Maurice, xxiv +</P> + +<P> +Dan, symbolism of, 6, 13, 14, 18 +</P> + +<P> +Dante, xi, xii, xiii, xiv, 38 n, 88 n, 91 n +</P> + +<P> +Dinah, symbolism of, 6, 25 +</P> + +<P> +Dionysius, xxiii, xxiv +</P> + +<P> +Divine Cloud of Unknowing, The, Author of, xii, xvii, xxiv, xxv, +xxvii, 3, 32, 33, 77-132 +</P> + +<P> +Eckhart, Meister, xi +</P> + +<P> +Exmew, William, xxiv +</P> + +<P> +Flete, William, xvii, xviii, 52 n +</P> + +<P> +Gad, symbolism of, 6, 16-19 +</P> + +<P> +Genesis, 8-11, 14-17, 20, 24, 32 +</P> + +<P> +Hawkwood, John, xvii +</P> + +<P> +Hilton (Hylton), Walter, xi, xii, xxii-xxv, 61-73, 104 n, 124 n +</P> + +<P> +Hugel, F. von, 84 n, 86 n +</P> + +<P> +Hugh of St. Victor, xii +</P> + +<P> +Imitatione Christi, De, xxiii n, 65 n +</P> + +<P> +Isaiah, 124 +</P> + +<P> +Issachar, symbolism of, 6, 20-24 +</P> + +<P> +Jacob, symbolism of, 3-7, 10, 27, 29 +</P> + +<P> +Jacopone da Todi, xi +</P> + +<P> +James, Dane, xviii +</P> + +<P> +James, Epistle of, 98, 99 +</P> + +<P> +Jeremiah, 103, 104 +</P> + +<P> +John, St., Epistles of, 25, 119 +</P> + +<P> +Joseph, symbolism of, 6, 27-30 +</P> + +<P> +Judah, symbolism of, 6, 10-12 +</P> + +<P> +Juliana of Norwich, xi, xxi, 65 n, 123 n +</P> + +<P> +Kempe, Margery, xix-xxi, 49-59 +</P> + +<P> +Langland, Piers the Plowman, 79 n, 89 n +</P> + +<P> +Layamons Brut, 28 n +</P> + +<P> +Leah, symbolism of, 3-11, 14, 15-20, 24, 26, 29 +</P> + +<P> +Levi, symbolism of, 6, 9, 10 +</P> + +<P> +Luke, St., 110 +</P> + +<P> +Margery, see Kempe +</P> + +<P> +Matthew, St., 8 +</P> + +<P> +Mechthild of Magdeburg, xi +</P> + +<P> +Naphtali, symbolism of, 6, 13-15, 18, 19 +</P> + +<P> +Paul, St., Epistles, 21, 40, 41, 88, 97, 106, 109, 119, 120 +</P> + +<P> +Pepwell, xiv, xix +</P> + +<P> +Proverbs, 28 n +</P> + +<P> +Psalms, The, xiv, xvi, xxvi, 9, 10, 11, 23, 31, 33, 78, 79, 119, 124 +</P> + +<P> +Pynson, xxii +</P> + +<P> +Rachel, symbolism of, 3-6, 12-15, 18, 27, 32 +</P> + +<P> +Raymund of Capua, xviii, xix +</P> + +<P> +Reuben, symbolism of, 6, 7-9 +</P> + +<P> +Richard of St. Victor, xii-xv, xxii, xxv, xxvi, 3, 4 n, 19 n +</P> + +<P> +Richard Rolle of Hampole, xi, xii, xvi, xvii, xxiii n, xxv, 71 n +</P> + +<P> +Robert of Brunne, Chronicle of, 124 n +</P> + +<P> +Ruysbroeck, Jan, xi +</P> + +<P> +Shelley, xv n +</P> + +<P> +Simeon, symbolism of, 6, 8, 9 +</P> + +<P> +Song of Solomon, 88, 108 +</P> + +<P> +Suso, Heinrich, xi +</P> + +<P> +Tantucci, Giovanni, xvii +</P> + +<P> +Tyrrell, George, xxi n +</P> + +<P> +Wyclif, 16 n, 79 n, 112 n +</P> + +<P> +Wynkyn de Worde, xviii, xix, xx, xxi, xxvii +</P> + +<P> +Zebulun, symbolism of, 6, 22-25 +</P> + +<P> +Zechariah, 119 +</P> + +<P> +Zilpah, symbolism of, 4-6, 15-17, 20 +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="footnotes"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +Footnotes: +</H3> + +<BR> + +<P> +[1] Dante, convivio, i. 12. +</P> + +<P> +[2] Cf. the Letter to Can Grande (Epist. x. 28), where Dante, like +St. Thomas Aquinas before him, refers to the Benjamin Major as +"Richardus de Sancto Victore in libro De Contemplatione." +</P> + +<P> +[3]Par. x. 131, 132. +</P> + +<P> +[4] Ps. lxviii. 27. +</P> + +<P> +[5] Benjamin Minor, cap. 73. +</P> + +<P> +[6] Benjamin Minor, cap. 75. Cf. Shelley, The Triumph of Life: "Their +lore taught them not this: to know themselves." This passage of +Richard is curiously misquoted and its meaning perverted in Haureau, +Histoire de la Philosophie Scolastique, i. pp. 513, 514, in the +Dictionary of National Biography, vol. xvi., and elsewhere. +</P> + +<P> +[7] Benjamin Minor, cap. 81. +</P> + +<P> +[8] Cf. below, pp. 32, 33. +</P> + +<P> +[9] Richard Rolle of Hampole and his Followers, edited by C. +Horstman, vol. i. pp. 162-172. +</P> + +<P> +[10] Sene, Senis, or Seenes, "Siena," from the Latin Senae +(Catharina de Senis). +</P> + +<P> +[11] Cf. E. Gordon Duff, Hand-Lists of English Printers, 1501-1556, +i. p. 24. +</P> + +<P> +[12] Bibliotheca Britannico-Hibernica p. 452. +</P> + +<P> +[13] Quietaclacmium Margerie filie Johannis Kempe de domibus in +parochia de Northgate. Brit. Mus., Add MS. 25,109. +</P> + +<P> +[14] She was, however, apparently less strictly enclosed than was +usual for an ancress. +</P> + +<P> +[15] Cf. G. Tyrrell, Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love shewed to +Mother Juliana of Norwich, Preface, p. v. +</P> + +<P> +[16] In the British Museum copy of Pepwell's volume, ff. 1-2 of the +Epistle of Prayer and f. 1 of the Song of Angels are transposed. +</P> + +<P> +[17] Cf. C. T. Martin, in Dictionary of National Biography, vol. ix. +For Hilton's alleged authorship of the De Imitatione Christi, see J. +E. G. de Montmorency, Thomas a Kempis, his Age and Book, pp. +141-169. +</P> + +<P> +[18] Edited by G. G. Perry, under the title The Anehede of Godd with +mannis saule, as the work of Richard Rolle, in English Prose +Treatises of Richard Rolle de Hampole (Early English Text Society, +1866), pp. 14-19; and, in two texts, by C. Horstman, op. cit., vol. +i. pp. 175-182. +</P> + +<P> +[19] In the MSS. this is called: A pystyll of discrecion in knowenge +of spirites; or: A tretis of discrescyon of spirites. +</P> + +<P> +[20] All in Harl. MS. 674, and other MSS. The Divine Cloud of +Unknowing, and portions of the Epistle, Book, or Treatise, of Privy +Counsel have been printed, in a very unsatisfactory manner, in The +Divine Cloud with notes and a Preface by Father Augustine Baker, +O.S.B. Edited by Henry Collins. London, 1871. +</P> + +<P> +[21] D. M. M'Intyre, The Cloud of Unknowing, in the Expositor, +series vii. vol. 4 (1907). Dr. Rufus M. Jones, Studies in Mystical +Religion, p. 336, regards these treatises as the work of "a school +of mystics gathered about the writer of the Hid Divinity." Neither +of these authors includes the translation of the Benjamin Minor, +which, however, appears to me undoubtedly from the same hand as that +of the Divine Cloud. +</P> + +<P> +[22] Benjamin Minor, cap. 78. +</P> + +<P> +[23] Dialogo cap. 151. +</P> + +<P> +[24] Benjamin Minor, cap. 72. +</P> + +<P> +[25] The MSS. have: "men clepen." +</P> + +<P> +[26] So the MSS., which agrees with the Latin, ordinati affectus +(Benjamin Minor, cap. 3); Pepwell has "ardent feelings." +</P> + +<P> +[27] So Pepwell, which accords with the Latin: cum tante +importunitate. The MSS. read: "unconningly," i.e. ignorantly. +</P> + +<P> +[28] So Harl. MS. 674 and Pepwell; Harl. MS. 1022, ed. Horstman, +reads: "forthe," i.e. offer. The Latin is: "Et Zelphae quidem sitim +dominae suae copia tanta omnino extinguere non potest" (Benjamin +Minor, cap. 6). +</P> + +<P> +[29] The Latin has simply: "vinum quod Zelpha sitit, gaudium est +voluptatis" (ibid.). +</P> + +<P> +[30] Harl. MS. 1022, ed. Horstman, reads: "in our soul." +</P> + +<P> +[31] Pepwell gives the modern equivalent, "ordinate" and +"inordinate," for "ordained" and "unordained," throughout. +</P> + +<P> +[32] Ps. cxi. 10 (Vulgate cx.). +</P> + +<P> +[33] Pepwell adds: "and high Judge." +</P> + +<P> +[34] Filius visionis. +</P> + +<P> +[35] Gen. xxix. 32 (Vidit Dominus humilitatem meam, Vulgate). +</P> + +<P> +[36] Gen. xxix. 33. +</P> + +<P> +[37] Exauditio. +</P> + +<P> +[38] Matt. v. 4. +</P> + +<P> +[39] Ezek. xxxiii. 14. +</P> + +<P> +[40] Made humble. +</P> + +<P> +[41] Ps. li. 17 (Vulgate l.). +</P> + +<P> +[42] Additus, vel Additio. +</P> + +<P> +[43] Added. Cf. Gen. xxix. 34. +</P> + +<P> +[44] Ps. xciv. 19 (Vulgate xciii.). +</P> + +<P> +[45] Gen. xxix. 34. +</P> + +<P> +[46] Gen. xxix. 35 (Vulgate): Modo confitebor Domino. +</P> + +<P> +[47] Confitens. +</P> + +<P> +[48] Learning. +</P> + +<P> +[49] Ps. cvi. 1, cvii. 1 (cv., cvi., Vulgate). +</P> + +<P> +[50] Pepwell reads: "the true goodness of God." +</P> + +<P> +[51] Pepwell reads: "conning." +</P> + +<P> +[52] Latin Invisibilium: Pepwell has "unseasable." +</P> + +<P> +[53] Pepwell has "feble." +</P> + +<P> +[54] Reasons. +</P> + +<P> +[55] Because. +</P> + +<P> +[56] Judicium (Pepwell adds: "or judgment"). +</P> + +<P> +[57] Gen. xlix. 16: "Dan shall judge his people." +</P> + +<P> +[58] Gen. xxx. 6. +</P> + +<P> +[59] Gen. xxx. 8: "Comparavit me Deus cum sorore mea, et invalui" +(Vulgate). +</P> + +<P> +[60] In the Latin, "Comparalio vel conversio." +</P> + +<P> +[61] Gen. xlix. 21: "Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly +words" (Nephthali cervus emissus at dams eloquia pulchritudinis, +Vulgate). +</P> + +<P> +[62] Harl. MS. 1022, ed. Horstman, reads: "full." +</P> + +<P> +[63] Underloute, participle of Underluten (O.E. Underlutan), "to +stoop beneath," or "submit to." Cf. Wycliffe's Bible, Gen. xxxvii. +8: "Whether thow shalt be oure kyng, oither we shal be undirloute to +thi bidding?" +</P> + +<P> +[64] Discomfort. +</P> + +<P> +[65] Dixit: Feliciter. Gen. xxx. 11 (Vulgate). +</P> + +<P> +[66] Felicitas. Harl. MS. 674 adds: "whether thou wilt." +</P> + +<P> +[67] The MSS. have: "selyness." +</P> + +<P> +[68] Gen. xxx. 13 (Vulgate): Hoc pro beatitudine mea. +</P> + +<P> +[69] Beatus. +</P> + +<P> +[70] Natural. +</P> + +<P> +[71] Murmurs, complains. Cf. Chaucer, The Persones Tale, ed. Skeat +SS 30: "After bakbyting cometh grucching or murmuracion; and somtyme +it springeth of impacience agayns God, and somtyme agayns man. +Agayns God it is, whan a man gruccheth agayn the peynes of helle, or +agayns poverte, or los of catel or agayn reyn or tempest; or elles +gruccheth that shrewes han prosperitee, or elles for that goode men +han adversitee." +</P> + +<P> +[72] Pepwell adds: at the least willingly. +</P> + +<P> +[73] Pepwell reads: "put down." +</P> + +<P> +[74] Watches. +</P> + +<P> +[75] Promises. Latin: fovet promissis. +</P> + +<P> +[76] A curious mistranslation: "Sed Aser hosti suo facile illudit +dum partem quam tuetur, alta patientiae rupe munitam conspicit" +(Benjamin Minor, cap. 33). +</P> + +<P> +[77] Dwelling-place. +</P> + +<P> +[78] Pacified. Harl. MS. 1022, ed. Horstman, reads: "the cite of +conscience is made pesebule." +</P> + +<P> +[79] Merces. +</P> + +<P> +[80] So Harl. MS. 674; omitted in Harl, MS. 1022 and by Pepwell. +</P> + +<P> +[81] Gen. xxx. 18. +</P> + +<P> +[82] The MSS. read: "erles." +</P> + +<P> +[83] Gen. xlix, 14: "Issachar asinus fortis accubans interterminos" +(Vulgate). +</P> + +<P> +[84] Rom. vii. 24. +</P> + +<P> +[85] Phil. i. 23. +</P> + +<P> +[86] Ps iv. 5. Harl. MS. 674 has: "Wraththes and willeth not synne, +or thus: Beeth wrothe and synnith not." +</P> + +<P> +[87] Human nature in our fellow-man. +</P> + +<P> +[88] Fellow-Christian. The words in square brackets are omitted in +Harl. MS. 674. +</P> + +<P> +[89] Ps. cxxxix. (Vulgate cxxxviii. ) 21. +</P> + +<P> +[90] Ps. cxix. (Vulgate cxviii.) 104. +</P> + +<P> +[91] Habitaculum fortitudinis. +</P> + +<P> +[92] Gen. xxx. 20. +</P> + +<P> +[93] Assuredly. Pepwell sometimes modernises this word, but not +invariably. +</P> + +<P> +[94] 1 John i. 8. +</P> + +<P> +[95] Cf. St. Augustine's various writings against the Pelagians, +e.g. Epist. clvii. (Opera, ed. Migne, tom. ii. coll. 374 et seq.), +Ad Hilarium. +</P> + +<P> +[96] Deliberate intention. +</P> + +<P> +[97] Warnes in the MSS. +</P> + +<P> +[98] Disposition. +</P> + +<P> +[99] Coaxing, beguiling. Harl. MS. 674 reads: "glosing." +</P> + +<P> +[100] Madness. +</P> + +<P> +[101] In particular. Pepwell has: "surely." +</P> + +<P> +[102] Regret. +</P> + +<P> +[103] Better is art than evil strength. A proverbial expression. Cf. +Layamons Brut, 17210 (ed Madden, ii. p. 297); Ancren Riwle (ed. +Morton), p. 268 (where it is rendered: "Skilful prudence is better +than rude force"). Cf. Prov. xxi. 22. +</P> + +<P> +[104] The MSS. have: "ilke." +</P> + +<P> +[105] Invisibilia. +</P> + +<P> +[106] So Pepwell and Harl. MS. 674. Harl. MS. 1022, ed. Horstman, +reads: "see thiself and the candell." +</P> + +<P> +[107] Pepwell reads: "waking." +</P> + +<P> +[108] Ps. iv. 6-7. +</P> + +<P> +[109] Harl. MS. 674 reads: "light." +</P> + +<P> +[110] Salutary. +</P> + +<P> +[111] Skill. +</P> + +<P> +[112] So Pepwell. Harl. MS. 674 reads: "each desire on desire." +Harl. MS. 1022, ed. Horstman, has: "hekand desire unto desire." +</P> + +<P> +[113] Gen. xxxv. 18. +</P> + +<P> +[114] Ps. xxvi. (Vulgate xxv.) 12. +</P> + +<P> +[115] So Harl. MSS. 1022 and 2373; Pepwell and harl. MS. 674 read: +"godly." +</P> + +<P> +[116] Ps. lxviii. 27 (Vulgate lxvii. 28). +</P> + +<P> +[117] So Harl. MS. 2373; omitted in Harl. MS. 674. Pepwell has +instead: "To the which us bring our blessed Benjamin, Christ Jesu, +Amen." Harl. MS. 1022 ends: "Jesus Jesu, Mercy, Jesu, grant Mercy, +Jesu." The whole of this concluding paragraph, which is an addition +of the translator, differs considerably in Pepwell. +</P> + +<P> +[118]So Pepwell and MS. Reg. 17 D.V.; Caxton has: "Thou art she that +art not, and I am he that am"; which is nearer to the Latin. +</P> + +<P> +[119]Caxton reads: "I escape gracyously all his snares." +</P> + +<P> +[120]Cf. Dante, Par. xxxiii. 100-105:— +</P> + +<P> + "A quella luce cotal si diventa,<BR> + Che volgersi da lei per altro aspetto,<BR> + E impossibil che mai si consenta;<BR> + Pero che il ben, ch'e del volere obbietto,<BR> + Tutto s'accoglie in lei, e fuor di quella<BR> + E difettivo cio che li e perfetto."<BR> +</P> + +<P> +"Such at that light does one become, that it were impossible ever +to consent to turn from it for sight of ought else, For the good, +that is the object of the will, is wholly gathered therein, and +outside it that is defective which there is perfect." +</P> + +<P> +[121]So Pepwell: Caxton has: "yf thou wilt gete the vertu of +ghostely strength." +</P> + +<P> +[122]Pepwell and the MS. add: "and temptations" (Caxton: "of +temptacyons"); which is clearly out of place. Cf. Legenda, SS 104 +(Acta Sanctorum, Aprilis, tom. iii.). +</P> + +<P> +[123]2 Cor. i. 7. +</P> + +<P> +[124]Mated. Caxton has: "vertuously y-mette." Cf. Legenda, SS 101: +"Talis anima sic Deo conjuncta." +</P> + +<P> +[125]2 Cor. xii. 10. +</P> + +<P> +[126] "And the cause and the rote" (Caxton). +</P> + +<P> +[127]Sometimes. +</P> + +<P> +[128]Caxton has: "It happed she sayde that other whyle deuoute +feruour of a sowle leuyng oure lorde Jhesu other by somme certeyne +synne, or ellys by newe sotyll temptacyons of the fende wexyth dull +and slowe, and other whyle it is y-brought to veray coldenesse." +Pepwell and the MS. are entirely corrupt: "It happeneth (she sayth) +that otherwhyle a synner whiche is leuynge our Lord Jhesu by some +certeyn synne, or ellys by some certeyn temptacyons of the fende," +&c. The original of the passage runs thus: "Frequenter enim (ut +inquiebat) contingit animae Deum amanti quod fervor mentalis, vel ex +divina providentia, vel ex aliquali culpa, vel ex haustis +adinventionibus inimici, tepescit, et quandoque quasi ad +frigiditatem usque deducitur" (Legenda SS 107). +</P> + +<P> +[129]So Caxton; Pepwell has: "leaving." +</P> + +<P> +[130]Caxton has: "seeth"; the Latin text: quantumcumque videat seu +sentiat. +</P> + +<P> +[131]Requited. +</P> + +<P> +[132]So the MS.; Pepwell reads: "were feble and fayle"; and Caxton: +"wexed feble and defayled." +</P> + +<P> +[133]Caxton reads: "prayng" (praying). +</P> + +<P> +[134]So Caxton: Pepwell and MS. have: "in." +</P> + +<P> +[135]Latin, Praelatorum suorum (i.e. of her ecclesiastical +superiors), Legenda, SS 361. +</P> + +<P> +[136]Omitted in Pepwell and in MS. +</P> + +<P> +[137]Judge. Cf. above, p. 14. +</P> + +<P> +[138]Judgment. +</P> + +<P> +[139] "Also she sayd that she hadde alwaye grete hope and truste in +Goddes prouydence, and to this same truste she endured her dysciples +seyng unto theym that she founde and knewe" (Caxton). +</P> + +<P> +[140]The habergeon or the hair-shirt, the former term being applied +to an instrument of penance as well as to a piece of armour. Cf. +Chaucer, The Persones Tale (ed. Skeat, SS 97): "Thanne shaltow +understonde, that bodily peyne stant in disciplyne or techinge, by +word or by wrytinge, or in ensample. Also in weringe of heyres or of +stamin, or of haubergeons on hir naked flesh, for Cristes sake, and +swiche manere penances. But war thee wel that swiche manere penances +on thy flesh ne make nat thyn herte bitter or angry or anoyed of +thy-self; for bettre is to caste awey thyn heyre, than for to caste +away the sikernesse of Jesu Crist. And therfore seith seint Paul: +'Clothe yow, as they that been chosen of God, in herte of +misericorde, debonairetee, suffraunce, and swich manere of +clothinge'; of whiche Jesu Crist is more apayed than of heyres, or +haubergeons, or hauberkes." +</P> + +<P> +[141]Wynkyn de Worde has: "sholde." +</P> + +<P> +[142]Wynkyn de Worde has: "profyte." +</P> + +<P> +[143]Cf. St. Catherine of Siena, Letter to William Flete (ed. Gigli, +124): "There are some who give themselves perfectly to chastising +their body, doing very great and bitter penance, in order that the +sensuality may not rebel against the reason. They have set all their +desire more in mortifying the body than in slaying their own will. +These are fed at the table of penance, and are good and perfect, but +unless they have great humility, and compel themselves to consider +the will of God and not that of men, they oft times mar their +perfection by making themselves judges of those who are not going by +the same way that they are going." +</P> + +<P> +[144]Perhaps, simply, "say many prayers"—without any special +reference to the rosary. +</P> + +<P> +[145]Annoy. +</P> + +<P> +[146]Wynkyn de Worde has: "mote." +</P> + +<P> +[147]Wynkyn de Worde has: "lownesse." +</P> + +<P> +[148]With-out-forth=outwardly. Cf. Chaucer, The Persones Tale, (ed. +Skeat, SS 10): "And with-inne the hertes of folk shal be the bytinge +conscience, and with-oute-forth shal be the world al brenninge." +</P> + +<P> +[149]Everyche=each one. +</P> + +<P> +[150]According to the legend, certain "indulgences," to be gained by +all who visited the Holy Places at Jerusalem, were first granted by +Pope St. Sylvester at the petition of Constantine and St. Helena. +There seems no evidence as to the real date at which these special +indulgences were instituted. Cf. Amort, De origine, progressu, +valore, ac frauctu Indulgentiarum, Augsburg, 1735, pars i. pp. 217 +et seq. +</P> + +<P> +[151]Plenary. +</P> + +<P> +[152]All the indulgences attached to the Holy Places. +</P> + +<P> +[153]Probably Racheness in the parish of South Acre, where "there +was a leper hospital, with church or chapel dedicated to St. +Bartholomew, of early foundation" (Victoria History of the County of +Norfolk, ii. p. 450). +</P> + +<P> +[154]In true union. +</P> + +<P> +[155]Established firmly. +</P> + +<P> +[156]Wandering. +</P> + +<P> +[157]So Horstman. Pepwell reads: "With this wonderful onehede ne may +none be fuifilled." +</P> + +<P> +[158]Unreasonable impulses. +</P> + +<P> +[159]Secret nature. Cf. Mother Juliana, Revelations of Divine Love, +xiv. cap. 46: "And our kindly substance is now blessedfully in God." +</P> + +<P> +[160]Divers. +</P> + +<P> +[161]Cf. De Imitatione Christi, ii. 4: "If thine heart were right, +then every creature would be a mirror of life, and a book of holy +doctrine. There is no creature so small and vile, as not to +represent the goodness of God." +</P> + +<P> +[162]Horstman reads: "a mans saule." +</P> + +<P> +[163]So Horstman: Pepwell reads: "as virtues in angels and in holy +souls and in heavenly things." +</P> + +<P> +[164]Pepwell omits the "not." +</P> + +<P> +[165]Before. +</P> + +<P> +[166]The truth of God's hidden mysteries. +</P> + +<P> +[167]According to the measure of its love. +</P> + +<P> +[168]All intervening hindrance. +</P> + +<P> +[169]Horstman reads: "matter." +</P> + +<P> +[170]A little. +</P> + +<P> +[171]Before. +</P> + +<P> +[172]Overtaxes. +</P> + +<P> +[173]Craft. +</P> + +<P> +[174]Horstman reads: "wete he wele." +</P> + +<P> +[175]This passage is defective in Pepwell. +</P> + +<P> +[176]MS. Dd. v. 55, ed. Horstman, has: "purges." +</P> + +<P> +[177]Pepwell has: "in feeling of the sound." +</P> + +<P> +[178]MS. Dd. v. 55, ed. Horstman, reads: "toune" (i.e. tone). +</P> + +<P> +[179]Illumined. +</P> + +<P> +[180]Cools down grows cold. Also construed with "from." Cf. Richard +Rolle Psalter (ed. H. R. Bramley, p. 156): "He gars sa many kele fra +godis luf." +</P> + +<P> +[181]A mere abstract thought of God. +</P> + +<P> +[182]Construe: "But if he hold this feeling and this mind (that is +only his own working by custom) to be a special visitation." +</P> + +<P> +[183]Surer, safer. +</P> + +<P> +[184]Pepwell adds "and in faith." +</P> + +<P> +[185]The MSS. add: "And bot if thou spede thee the rather or thou +come to the ende of thy prayer." +</P> + +<P> +[186]Pepwell reads: "find." +</P> + +<P> +[187]Coax, beguile. +</P> + +<P> +[188]Falsehoods. +</P> + +<P> +[189]The MSS. read: "behetynges of lenger leuyng." +</P> + +<P> +[190]Promise. +</P> + +<P> +191Ps. xlvi. 8 (Vulgate), xlvii. 7 (A.V.): "Sing ye praises with +understanding." +</P> + +<P> +192Ps. cxi. 10 (cx. 10 Vulgate). +</P> + +<P> +[193]So Pepwell; Harl. MS. 674 reads: "Bot forthi that there is no +sekir stonding." +</P> + +<P> +[194]Pepwell adds in explanation: "or amends"; i.e. satisfaction. +Cf. Langland, Piers the Plowman, B. xvii. 237: "And if it suffice +noughte for assetz"; and Wyclif, Pistil on Cristemasse Day (Select +English Works, ed. T. Arnold, ii. p. 237): "And thus, sith aseeth +muste be maad for Adams synne." +</P> + +<P> +[195]Ps. xxxiv. 22 (Vulgate xxxiii. 23). +</P> + +<P> +[196]The MSS. read: "fro a lyf." +</P> + +<P> +[197]The MSS. read: "a lyf." +</P> + +<P> +[198]So Harl. MS. 674. Pepwell reads: "Also the steps of thy staff +Hope plainly will shew unto thee if thou do it duly, as I have told +thee before, or not." +</P> + +<P> +[199]Summa Theologica, II.-ii. Q. 82, A. I: "Devotio nihil aliud +esse videtur, quam voluntas quaedam prompte tradendi se ad ea, quae +pertinent ad Dei famulatum." +</P> + +<P> +[200]The whole passage included in square brackets is omitted in +Pepwell, but is identical in the two MSS. +</P> + +<P> +[201]So Harl. MS. 2373; Harl. MS. 674 reads: "medeful." +</P> + +<P> +[202]The trunk. +</P> + +<P> +[203]Pepwell inserts: "it is but churl's meat, for." +</P> + +<P> +[204]Not in Pepwell. +</P> + +<P> +[205]Pepwell reads: "and for nothing else." +</P> + +<P> +[206]Had never received it from Him. +</P> + +<P> +[207]Pure Love, or Charity, which "attains to God Himself, that it +may abide in Him, not that any advantage may accrue to us from Him" +(St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, II.-ii. Q. 23, A. 6). For the +whole doctrine of "Pure Love or Disinterested Religion," cf. F. von +Hugel, The Mystical Element of Religion, ii. pp. 152-181. +</P> + +<P> +[208]So both MSS.; Pepwell reads: "blessedness." +</P> + +<P> +[209]Hindering or marring. +</P> + +<P> +[210]Cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, II.-ii. Q. 27, A. 3; +and F. von Hugel, op. cit., ii. p. 167. +</P> + +<P> +[211]In the Divine Essence. +</P> + +<P> +[212]So Harl. MS. 674, I take "it" as the beatitude of man which is +God Himself. +</P> + +<P> +[213]Cf. Dante, Par. xxxiii, 143-145:— +</P> + +<P> +"Ma gia volgeva il mio disiro e il velle, +Si come rota ch' egualmente e mossa, +L'Amor che move il sole e l'altre stelle." +</P> + +<P> +"But already my desire and will, even as a wheel that is equally +moved, were being turned by the Love that moves the sun and the +other stars." +</P> + +<P> +[214]1 Cor. vi. 17. +</P> + +<P> +[215]Pepwell adds: "or sundry." +</P> + +<P> +[216]So Pepwell and Harl. MS. 2373; Harl. MS, 674 reads: "they ben +one spirit." +</P> + +<P> +[217]Cant. ii. 16. +</P> + +<P> +[218]Harl. MS. 674 reads: "glose." Pepwell adds: "or flatter." +</P> + +<P> +[219]Heed. +</P> + +<P> +[220]Pepwell adds: "or betokeneth." Cf. Langland, Piers the Plowman, +A. i. 1: "What this mountein bemeneth." +</P> + +<P> +[221]Cf. above, p. 28 note. +</P> + +<P> +[222]Pepwell adds: "or counsel." +</P> + +<P> +[223]Of thyself thou hast nought but sin. +</P> + +<P> +[224]So the MSS.: Pepwell has: "to God." +</P> + +<P> +[225]Pepwell changes to "divers." +</P> + +<P> +[226]Cf. Dante, De Monarchia, iii. 16: "Man alone of beings holds a +mid-place between corruptible and incorruptible; wherefore he is +rightly likened by the philosophers to the horizon which is between +two hemispheres. For man, if considered after either essential part, +to wit soul and body is corruptible if considered only after the +one, to wit the body, but if after the other, to wit the soul, he is +incorruptible. . . . If man then, is a kind of mean between +corruptible and incorruptible things, since every mean savours of +the nature of the extremes, it is necessary that man should savour +of either nature. And since every nature is ordained to a certain +end, it follows that there must be a twofold end of man, so that +like as he alone amongst all beings partakes of corruptibility and +incorruptibilty, so he alone amongst all beings should be ordained +for two final goals of which the one should be his goal as a +corruptible being, and the other as an incorruptible" (P. H. +Wicksteed's translation). +</P> + +<P> +[227]Pepwell modernises this throughout to "dwelling alone." +</P> + +<P> +[228]Pepwell substitutes "doubt." Cf. Chaucer, Legend of Good Women, +2686: "Thryes doun she fil in swiche a were." +</P> + +<P> +[229]Pepwell adds: "in keeping of silence." +</P> + +<P> +[230]Harl. MS. 674 reads: "more holiness than thou art worthy." +</P> + +<P> +[231]Nature. +</P> + +<P> +[232]Solitude. +</P> + +<P> +[233]Pepwell has: "company." +</P> + +<P> +[234]Pepwell reads: "better." +</P> + +<P> +[235]Causes. +</P> + +<P> +[236]1 Cor. ii. 11. +</P> + +<P> +[237]Simple. +</P> + +<P> +[238]Jas. i. 12. +</P> + +<P> +[239]The MSS. usually read "cleped" for "called." +</P> + +<P> +[240]Pepwell modernizes to "trouble." +</P> + +<P> +[241]Jas. i. 12. +</P> + +<P> +[242]To give place to. +</P> + +<P> +[243]Such impulses to exceptional practices. +</P> + +<P> +[244]Humble itself. +</P> + +<P> +[245]Pleasant. +</P> + +<P> +[246]Pepwell reads: "wits." +</P> + +<P> +[247]Lest. +</P> + +<P> +[248]Pepwell reads: "strait." +</P> + +<P> +[249]Jer. ix. 21: "Quia ascendit mors per fenestras nostras" +(Vulgate). Pepwell reads: "as saint Jerome saith"! Cf. Walter +Hilton, The Ladder of Perfection, I. pt. iii. cap 9: "Lift up thy +lanthorn, and thou shalt see in this image five windows, by which +sin cometh into thy soul, as the Prophet saith: Death cometh in by +our windows. These are the five senses by which thy soul goeth out +of herself, and fetcheth her delight and seeketh her feeding in +earthly things, contrary to the nobility of her own nature. As by +the eye to see curious and fair things and so of the other senses. +By the unskilful using of these senses willingly to vanities, thy +soul is much letted from the sweetness of the spiritual senses +within; and therefore it behoveth thee to stop these windows, and +shut them, but only when need requireth to open them" (ed. +Dalgairns, p. 115). +</P> + +<P> +[250]Ignorant. +</P> + +<P> +[251]Where natural and acquired knowledge alike fall shorts. +</P> + +<P> +[252]Fully. +</P> + +<P> +[253]Nature. +</P> + +<P> +[254]Pepwell has: "when thou dost feel." +</P> + +<P> +[255]Pepwell inserts: "I mean except the solemn vows of holy +religion." +</P> + +<P> +[256]2 Cor. iii. 17. +</P> + +<P> +[257]Cf. St. Catherine of Siena, Letter 308 (ed. Gigli): "Love +harmonises the three powers of our soul, and binds them together. +The will moves the understanding to see, when it wishes to love; +when the understanding perceives that the will would fain love, if +it is a rational will, it places before it as object the ineffable +love of the eternal Father, who has given us the Word, His own son, +and the obedience and humility of the son, who endured torments, +inuries, mockeries, and insults with meekness and with such great +love. And thus the will, with ineffable love, follows what the eye +of the understanding has beheld; and with its strong hand, it stores +up in the memory the treasure that it draws from this love." +</P> + +<P> +[258]Losing. +</P> + +<P> +[259]Cant. iv. 9. +</P> + +<P> +[260]To exercise love. +</P> + +<P> +[261]Divers. +</P> + +<P> +[262]1 Cor. i. 26, vii. 20; Eph. iv. 1. +</P> + +<P> +[263]Luke x. 42. +</P> + +<P> +[264]Pepwell inserts "Him list thee to see, and." +</P> + +<P> +[265]Pepwell reads: "Let be good and all that is good, and better +with all that is better." +</P> + +<P> +[266]Luke x. 42. +</P> + +<P> +[267]To know how to speak, etc. +</P> + +<P> +[268]Banishing from thy soul's vision. +</P> + +<P> +[269]Be able to. +</P> + +<P> +[270]Pepwell reads: "privily." Cf. Wyclif (Select English Works, ed. +cit., i. p. 149): "And after seith Crist to his apostles, that thes +thingis he seide bifore to hem in proverbis and mystily." +</P> + +<P> +[271]Pepwell reads: "rest." +</P> + +<P> +[272]Pepwell modernises "conne" to "learn to" throughout this +passage. +</P> + +<P> +[273]Harl. MS. 674 reads: "stirring"; the other MS, as Pepwell. +</P> + +<P> +[274]Harl. MS. 674 reads: "have." +</P> + +<P> +[275]Pepwell reads: "else." +</P> + +<P> +[276]Manifestly, i.e. unless they clearly show that they do not know +how to act as they should. Pepwell has: "in a part." +</P> + +<P> +[277]i.e. take their advice, but do not simply imitate them. I +follow the MSS. in preference to Pepwell, who reads: "Work after no +men's counsel, but sith that know well their own disposition; for +such men should," etc. +</P> + +<P> +[278]1 John iv. 1-6. +</P> + +<P> +[279]Ps. lxxxv. 8 (Vulgate lxxxiv. 9). +</P> + +<P> +[280]Zech. i. 9-19. +</P> + +<P> +[281]Col. ii. 18. +</P> + +<P> +[282]1 Thess. i. 2-9. +</P> + +<P> +[283]Pepwell adds: "or ambition." Cf. Chaucer, The Persones Tale, +ed. Skeat, SS 18: "and coveitise of hynesse by pryde of herte." +</P> + +<P> +[284]Burns. +</P> + +<P> +[285]So Harl. MS. 674; Pepwell has: "war." +</P> + +<P> +[286]Crafty device. +</P> + +<P> +[287]Cf. above, p. 17 note. +</P> + +<P> +[288]Pepwell has: "gladly." +</P> + +<P> +[289]Pepwell reads "ever ready." +</P> + +<P> +[290]Withstand, resist. +</P> + +<P> +[291]Cf. Mother Juliana, Revelations of Divine Love, i. cap. 9: "In +general I am, I hope, in onehead of charity with all my even +Christian, for in this onehead standeth the life of all mankind that +shall be saved." +</P> + +<P> +[292]If it is still guilty of the other two. +</P> + +<P> +[293]Pepwell adds: "and voluptuous." +</P> + +<P> +[294]Ps. cxxxii. (Vulgate cxxxi. ) 13. +</P> + +<P> +[295]Cf. Walter Hilton, The Ladder of Perfection, II. pt. ii. cap. +3: "Jerusalem is, as much as to say, a sight of peace, and +betokeneth contemplation in perfect love of God; for contemplation +is nothing else but a sight of God, which is very peace." +</P> + +<P> +[296]Probably Isa. lvii. 15. +</P> + +<P> +[297]Pepwell reads: "most folly." +</P> + +<P> +[298]Pepwell adds: "or harm." Cf. The Chronicle of Robert of Brunne, +8905-6: "Now may ye lyghtly bere the stones to schip wythouten +dere." +</P> + +<P> +[299]Advisedly. +</P> + +<P> +[300]Partisans, abettors. +</P> + +<P> +[301]The MSS. read: "doles." +</P> + +<P> +[302]Pepwell reads: "But it is more sorrow to feel of our own +spirit's deceits. For sometime our own spirit." +</P> + +<P> +[303]The MSS. read: "Bot what thar reche"; what need to care. +</P> + +<P> +[304]Pepwell reads: "didst feel in there." +</P> + +<P> +[305]Cf. above, p. 95, note. +</P> + +<P> +[306]Pepwell adds: "and judgment." +</P> + +<P> +[307]Unless because of carelessness in resisting them when they +first come. +</P> + +<P> +[308]To regard thyself as responsible. +</P> + +<P> +[309]Madness. +</P> + +<P> +[310]Not in Harl. MS. 674. +</P> + +<P> +[311]Pepwell reads: "a full damnable and a full cursed fiend in his +living." +</P> + +<P> +[312]Pepwell adds: "and desire much." +</P> + +<P> +[313]Pepwell reads: "suggestion." +</P> + +<P> +[314]On the other hand. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR><BR> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Cell of Self-Knowledge, by Various + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CELL OF SELF-KNOWLEDGE *** + +***** This file should be named 4544-h.htm or 4544-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/4/5/4/4544/ + +Produced by Charles Aldarondo, with thanks to the CCEL +(www.ccel.org) collection. 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