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]
HOW THE VIRTUE OF DREAD RISETH IN THE AFFECTION
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.
HOW SORROW RISETH IN THE AFFECTION
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.
HOW HOPE RISETH IN THE AFFECTION
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.
HOW LOVE RISETH IN THE AFFECTION
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]
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.
HOW THE DOUBLE SIGHT OF PAIN AND JOY RISETH IN THE IMAGINATION
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.
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.
HOW THE VIRTUES OF ABSTINENCE AND PATIENCE RISE IN THE
SENSUALITY
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.
HOW JOY OF INWARD SWEETNESS RISETH IN THE AFFECTION
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.
HOW PERFECT HATRED OF SIN RISETH IN THE AFFECTION
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.
HOW ORDAINED SHAME RISETH AND GROWETH IN THE AFFECTION
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.
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.
HOW DISCRETION AND CONTEMPLATION RISE IN THE REASON
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.
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
DEO GRATIAS
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
THE first doctrine of our Lord is
this:
"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."
The second doctrine of our Lord is this:
"Think on Me, and I shall think on thee."
In declaring of which doctrine she was wont to
say that:
"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."
And these words she expoundeth more expressly,
and saith thus:
"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."
The third doctrine of our Lord is this; in
obtaining of virtue and ghostly strength:
"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."
The first doctrine of this glorious virgin is
this:
"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."
Here is a common answer which she used to say to
the fiends:
"I trust in my Lord Jesu Christ, and not in
myself."
Here is a rule how we shall behave us in time of
temptation:
"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."
Here is a good conceit of this holy maid to
eschew the temptations of the fiend:
"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."
Here is another doctrine of this holy maid, the
which she used to say to herself in edifying of others:
"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."
Here is an answer by the which she had a final
victory of the fiend, after long threats of intolerable pains:
"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."
Here is a doctrine of the said virgin, how we
should use the grace of our Lord:
"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."
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:
"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.
DEO GRATIS
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
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.
"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.
"Daughter, thou mayst no better please God, than
to think continually in His love."
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.
"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.
"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]
"Daughter, if thou knew how sweet thy love is to
Me, thou wouldest never do other thing but love Me with all thine heart.
"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.
"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."
"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."
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."
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
"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]
"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."
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."
"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]
"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]
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.
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."
"Lord," she said, "for Thy great pain have mercy
on my little pain."
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."
"O my dear worthy Lord," said she, "these graces
Thou shouldest shew to religious men and to priests."
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."
Here endeth a short treatise of a
devout ancress
called Margery Kempe of Lynn
HERE FOLLOWETH A DEVOUT TREATISE COMPILED BY MASTER WALTER HYLTON
OF THE SONG OF ANGELS
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
EXPLICIT
HERE AFTER FOLLOWETH A DEVOUT TREATISE CALLED THE EPISTLE OF
PRAYER
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.
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,
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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]
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.
No more at this time, but God's blessing have
thou and mine.
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.
FINIS
HERE FOLLOWETH ALSO A VERY NECESSARY EPISTLE OF DISCRETION IN
STIRRINGS OF THE SOUL
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
FINIT EPISTOLA
HERE FOLLOWETH A DEVOUT TREATISE OF DISCERNING OF SPIRITS, VERY
NECESSARY FOR GHOSTLY LIVERS
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
FINIS. DEO GRATIAS
Ancren Riwle, The, xx, 28 n
Aquinas, St. Thomas, xiii, 81, 84 n, 86 n
Asher, symbolism of, 6, 16-19
Augustine, St., xii, 25
Benjamin, symbolism of, xvi, xvii, 6, 29-33
Bernard, St., xii, 81
Bilhah, symbolism of, 4-6, 13-16
Bonaventura, St., xii
Catherine of Siena, St., xi, xvii-xix, xxv-xxvii, 35-47, 52 n, 107 n
Caxton, xviii, xix
Chaucer, 17 n, 52 n, 56 n, 95 n, 120 n
Chauncy, Maurice, xxiv
Dan, symbolism of, 6, 13, 14, 18
Dante, xi, xii, xiii, xiv, 38 n, 88 n, 91 n
Dinah, symbolism of, 6, 25
Dionysius, xxiii, xxiv
Divine Cloud of Unknowing, The, Author of, xii, xvii, xxiv, xxv, xxvii,
3, 32, 33, 77-132
Eckhart, Meister, xi
Exmew, William, xxiv
Flete, William, xvii, xviii, 52 n
Gad, symbolism of, 6, 16-19
Genesis, 8-11, 14-17, 20, 24, 32
Hawkwood, John, xvii
Hilton (Hylton), Walter, xi, xii, xxii-xxv, 61-73, 104 n, 124 n
Hügel, F. von, 84 n, 86 n
Hugh of St. Victor, xii
Imitatione Christi, De, xxiii n, 65 n
Isaiah, 124
Issachar, symbolism of, 6, 20-24
Jacob, symbolism of, 3-7, 10, 27, 29
Jacopone da Todi, xi
James, Dane, xviii
James, Epistle of, 98, 99
Jeremiah, 103, 104
John, St., Epistles of, 25, 119
Joseph, symbolism of, 6, 27-30
Judah, symbolism of, 6, 10-12
Juliana of Norwich, xi, xxi, 65 n, 123 n
Kempe, Margery, xix-xxi, 49-59
Langland, Piers the Plowman, 79 n, 89 n
Layamons Brut, 28 n
Leah, symbolism of, 3-11, 14, 15-20, 24, 26, 29
Levi, symbolism of, 6, 9, 10
Luke, St., 110
Margery, see Kempe
Matthew, St., 8
Mechthild of Magdeburg, xi
Naphtali, symbolism of, 6, 13-15, 18, 19
Paul, St., Epistles, 21, 40, 41, 88, 97, 106, 109, 119, 120
Pepwell, xiv, xix
Proverbs, 28 n
Psalms, The, xiv, xvi, xxvi, 9, 10, 11, 23, 31, 33, 78, 79, 119, 124
Pynson, xxii
Rachel, symbolism of, 3-6, 12-15, 18, 27, 32
Raymund of Capua, xviii, xix
Reuben, symbolism of, 6, 7-9
Richard of St. Victor, xii-xv, xxii, xxv, xxvi, 3, 4 n, 19 n
Richard Rolle of Hampole, xi, xii, xvi, xvii, xxiii n, xxv, 71 n
Robert of Brunne, Chronicle of, 124 n
Ruysbroeck, Jan, xi
Shelley, xv n
Simeon, symbolism of, 6, 8, 9
Song of Solomon, 88, 108
Suso, Heinrich, xi
Tantucci, Giovanni, xvii
Tyrrell, George, xxi n
Wyclif, 16 n, 79 n, 112 n
Wynkyn de Worde, xviii, xix, xx, xxi, xxvii
Zebulun, symbolism of, 6, 22-25
Zechariah, 119
Zilpah, symbolism of, 4-6, 15-17, 20
[1] Dante, convivio, i.
12.
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."
[3]Par. x. 131, 132.
[4] Ps. lxviii. 27.
[5] Benjamin Minor, cap. 73.
[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 Hauréau, Histoire de la Philosophie Scolastique, i.
pp. 513, 514, in the Dictionary of National Biography, vol. xvi., and
elsewhere.
[7] Benjamin Minor, cap. 81.
[8] Cf. below, pp. 32, 33.
[9] Richard Rolle of Hampole and his
Followers, edited by C. Horstman, vol. i. pp. 162-172.
[10] Sene, Senis, or
Seenes, "Siena," from the Latin Senae (Catharina de
Senis).
[11] Cf. E. Gordon Duff, Hand-Lists of
English Printers, 1501-1556, i. p. 24.
[12] Bibliotheca Britannico-Hibernica
p. 452.
[13] Quietaclacmium Margerie filie Johannis
Kempe de domibus in parochia de Northgate. Brit. Mus., Add MS. 25,109.
14 She was, however, apparently less strictly enclosed than was
usual for an ancress.
[15] Cf. G. Tyrrell, Sixteen Revelations of
Divine Love shewed to Mother Juliana of Norwich, Preface, p. v.
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.
[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 à Kempis,
his Age and Book, pp. 141-169.
[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.
[19] In the MSS. this is called: A pystyll
of discrecion in knowenge of spirites; or: A tretis of discrescyon of
spirites.
[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.
[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.
[22] Benjamin Minor, cap. 78.
[23] Dialogo cap. 151.
[24] Benjamin Minor, cap. 72.
[25] The MSS. have: "men clepen."
[26] So the MSS., which agrees with the Latin,
ordinati affectus (Benjamin Minor, cap. 3); Pepwell has "ardent
feelings."
[27] So Pepwell, which accords with the Latin:
cum tante importunitate. The MSS. read: "unconningly," i.e.
ignorantly.
[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).
[29] The Latin has simply: "vinum quod Zelpha
sitit, gaudium est voluptatis" (ibid.).
[30] Harl. MS. 1022, ed. Horstman, reads: "in
our soul."
[31] Pepwell gives the modern equivalent,
"ordinate" and "inordinate," for "ordained" and "unordained," throughout.
[32] Ps. cxi. 10 (Vulgate cx.).
[33] Pepwell adds: "and high Judge."
[34] Filius visionis.
[35] Gen. xxix. 32 (Vidit Dominus
humilitatem meam, Vulgate).
[36] Gen. xxix. 33.
[37] Exauditio.
[38] Matt. v. 4.
[39] Ezek. xxxiii. 14.
[40] Made humble.
[41] Ps. li. 17 (Vulgate l.).
[42] Additus, vel Additio.
[43] Added. Cf. Gen. xxix. 34.
[44] Ps. xciv. 19 (Vulgate xciii.).
[45] Gen. xxix. 34.
[46] Gen. xxix. 35 (Vulgate): Modo
confitebor Domino.
[47] Confitens.
[48] Learning.
[49] Ps. cvi. 1, cvii. 1 (cv., cvi.,
Vulgate).
[50] Pepwell reads: "the true goodness of
God."
[51] Pepwell reads: "conning."
[52] Latin Invisibilium: Pepwell has
"unseasable."
[53] Pepwell has "feble."
[54] Reasons.
[55] Because.
[56] Judicium (Pepwell adds: "or
judgment").
[57] Gen. xlix. 16: "Dan shall judge his
people."
[58] Gen. xxx. 6.
[59] Gen. xxx. 8: "Comparavit me Deus cum
sorore mea, et invalui" (Vulgate).
[60] In the Latin, "Comparalio vel
conversio."
[61] Gen. xlix. 21: "Naphtali is a hind let
loose: he giveth goodly words" (Nephthali cervus emissus at dams eloquia
pulchritudinis, Vulgate).
[62] Harl. MS. 1022, ed. Horstman, reads:
"full."
[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?"
[64] Discomfort.
[65] Dixit: Feliciter. Gen. xxx. 11
(Vulgate).
[66] Felicitas. Harl. MS. 674 adds:
"whether thou wilt."
[67] The MSS. have: "selyness."
[68] Gen. xxx. 13 (Vulgate): Hoc pro
beatitudine mea.
[69] Beatus.
[70] Natural.
[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.
[72] Pepwell adds: at the least willingly.
[73] Pepwell reads: "put down."
[74] Watches.
[75] Promises. Latin: fovet
promissis.
[76] A curious mistranslation: "Sed Aser hosti
suo facile illudit dum partem quam tuetur, alta patientiae rupe munitam
conspicit" (Benjamin Minor, cap. 33).
[77] Dwelling-place.
[78] Pacified. Harl. MS. 1022, ed. Horstman,
reads: "the cite of conscience is made pesebule."
[79] Merces.
[80] So Harl. MS. 674; omitted in Harl, MS.
1022 and by Pepwell.
[81] Gen. xxx. 18.
[82] The MSS. read: "erles."
[83] Gen. xlix, 14: "Issachar asinus fortis
accubans interterminos" (Vulgate).
[84] Rom. vii. 24.
[85] Phil. i. 23.
[86] Ps iv. 5. Harl. MS. 674 has:
"Wraththes and willeth not synne, or thus: Beeth wrothe and synnith
not."
[87] Human nature in our fellow-man.
[88] Fellow-Christian. The words in square
brackets are omitted in Harl. MS. 674.
[89] Ps. cxxxix. (Vulgate cxxxviii. ) 21.
[90] Ps. cxix. (Vulgate cxviii.) 104.
[91] Habitaculum fortitudinis.
[92] Gen. xxx. 20.
[93] Assuredly. Pepwell sometimes modernises
this word, but not invariably.
[94] 1 John i. 8.
[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.
[96] Deliberate intention.
[97] Warnes in the MSS.
[98] Disposition.
[99] Coaxing, beguiling. Harl. MS. 674 reads:
"glosing."
[100] Madness.
[101] In particular. Pepwell has: "surely."
[102] Regret.
[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.
[104] The MSS. have: "ilke."
[105] Invisibilia.
[106] So Pepwell and Harl. MS. 674. Harl.
MS. 1022, ed. Horstman, reads: "see thiself and the candell."
[107] Pepwell reads: "waking."
[108] Ps. iv. 6-7.
[109] Harl. MS. 674 reads: "light."
[110] Salutary.
[111] Skill.
[112] So Pepwell. Harl. MS. 674 reads: "each
desire on desire." Harl. MS. 1022, ed. Horstman, has: "hekand desire unto
desire."
[113] Gen. xxxv. 18.
[114] Ps. xxvi. (Vulgate xxv.) 12.
[115] So Harl. MSS. 1022 and 2373; Pepwell
and harl. MS. 674 read: "godly."
[116] Ps. lxviii. 27 (Vulgate lxvii. 28).
[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.
[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.
[119]Caxton reads: I escape gracyously all
his snares."
[120]Cf. Dante, Par. xxxiii.
100-105:--
" A quella luce cotal si diventa,
Che volgersi da lei per altro aspetto,
È impossibil che mai si consenta;
Però che il ben, ch'è del volere obbietto,
Tutto s'accoglie in lei, e fuor di quella
È difettivo ciò che lì è perfetto."
" 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."
[121]So Pepwell: Caxton has: "yf thou wilt
gete the vertu of ghostely strength."
[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.).
[123]2 Cor. i. 7.
[124]Mated. Caxton has: "vertuously
y-mette." Cf. Legenda, SS 101: "Talis anima sic Deo conjuncta."
[125]2 Cor. xii. 10.
[126]"And the cause and the rote"
(Caxton).
[127]Sometimes.
[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).
[129]So Caxton; Pepwell has: "leaving."
[130]Caxton has: "seeth"; the Latin text:
quantumcumque videat seu sentiat.
[131]Requited.
[132]So the MS.; Pepwell reads: "were feble
and fayle"; and Caxton: "wexed feble and defayled."
[133]Caxton reads: "prayng" (praying).
[134]So Caxton: Pepwell and MS. have:
"in."
[135]Latin, Praelatorum suorum
(i.e. of her ecclesiastical superiors), Legenda, SS 361.
[136]Omitted in Pepwell and in MS.
[137]Judge. Cf. above, p. 14.
[138]Judgment.
[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).
[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."
[141]Wynkyn de Worde has: "sholde."
[142]Wynkyn de Worde has: "profyte."
[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."
[144]Perhaps, simply, "say many
prayers"--without any special reference to the rosary.
[145]Annoy.
[146]Wynkyn de Worde has: "mote."
[147]Wynkyn de Worde has: "lownesse."
[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."
[149]Everyche=each one.
[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.
[151]Plenary.
[152]All the indulgences attached to the
Holy Places.
[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).
[154]In true union.
[155]Established firmly.
[156]Wandering.
[157]So Horstman. Pepwell reads: "With this
wonderful onehede ne may none be fuifilled."
[158]Unreasonable impulses.
[159]Secret nature. Cf. Mother Juliana,
Revelations of Divine Love, xiv. cap. 46: "And our kindly substance is
now blessedfully in God."
[160]Divers.
[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."
[162]Horstman reads: "a mans saule."
[163]So Horstman: Pepwell reads: "as virtues
in angels and in holy souls and in heavenly things."
[164]Pepwell omits the "not."
[165]Before.
[166]The truth of God's hidden mysteries.
[167]According to the measure of its love.
[168]All intervening hindrance.
[169]Horstman reads: "matter."
[170]A little.
[171]Before.
[172]Overtaxes.
[173]Craft.
[174]Horstman reads: "wete he wele."
[175]This passage is defective in Pepwell.
[176]MS. Dd. v. 55, ed. Horstman, has:
"purges."
[177]Pepwell has: "in feeling of the
sound."
[178]MS. Dd. v. 55, ed. Horstman, reads:
"toune" (i.e. tone).
[179]Illumined.
[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."
[181]A mere abstract thought of God.
[182]Construe: "But if he hold this feeling
and this mind (that is only his own working by custom) to be a special
visitation."
[183]Surer, safer.
[184]Pepwell adds "and in faith."
[185]The MSS. add: "And bot if thou spede
thee the rather or thou come to the ende of thy prayer."
[186]Pepwell reads: "find."
[187]Coax, beguile.
[188]Falsehoods.
[189]The MSS. read: "behetynges of lenger
leuyng."
[190]Promise.
191Ps. xlvi. 8 (Vulgate), xlvii. 7 (A.V.): "Sing ye praises with
understanding."
192Ps. cxi. 10 (cx. 10 Vulgate).
[193]So Pepwell; Harl. MS. 674 reads: "Bot
forthi that there is no sekir stonding."
[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."
[195]Ps. xxxiv. 22 (Vulgate xxxiii. 23).
[196]The MSS. read: "fro a lyf."
[197]The MSS. read: "a lyf."
[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."
[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."
[200]The whole passage included in square
brackets is omitted in Pepwell, but is identical in the two MSS.
[201]So Harl. MS. 2373; Harl. MS. 674 reads:
"medeful."
[202]The trunk.
[203]Pepwell inserts: "it is but churl's
meat, for."
[204]Not in Pepwell.
[205]Pepwell reads: "and for nothing
else."
[206]Had never received it from Him.
[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
Hügel, The Mystical Element of Religion, ii. pp. 152-181.
[208]So both MSS.; Pepwell reads:
"blessedness."
[209]Hindering or marring.
[210]Cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa
Theologica, II.-ii. Q. 27, A. 3; and F. von Hügel, op. cit.,
ii. p. 167.
[211]In the Divine Essence.
[212]So Harl. MS. 674, I take "it" as the
beatitude of man which is God Himself.
[213]Cf. Dante, Par. xxxiii,
143-145:--
"Ma già volgeva il mio disiro e il velle,
Sì come rota ch' egualmente è mossa,
L'Amor che move il sole e l'altre stelle."
"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."
2141 Cor. vi. 17.
[215]Pepwell adds: "or sundry."
[216]So Pepwell and Harl. MS. 2373; Harl.
MS, 674 reads: "they ben one spirit."
217Cant. ii. 16.
[218]Harl. MS. 674 reads: "glose." Pepwell
adds: "or flatter."
[219]Heed.
[220]Pepwell adds: "or betokeneth." Cf.
Langland, Piers the Plowman, A. i. 1: "What this mountein bemeneth."
[221]Cf. above, p. 28 note.
[222]Pepwell adds: "or counsel."
[223]Of thyself thou hast nought but sin.
[224]So the MSS.: Pepwell has: "to God."
[225]Pepwell changes to "divers."
[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).
[227]Pepwell modernises this throughout to
"dwelling alone."
[228]Pepwell substitutes "doubt." Cf.
Chaucer, Legend of Good Women, 2686: "Thryes doun she fil in swiche a
were."
[229]Pepwell adds: "in keeping of
silence."
[230]Harl. MS. 674 reads: "more holiness
than thou art worthy."
[231]Nature.
[232]Solitude.
[233]Pepwell has: "company."
[234]Pepwell reads: "better."
[235]Causes.
[236]1 Cor. ii. 11.
[237]Simple.
[238]Jas. i. 12.
[239]The MSS. usually read "cleped" for
"called."
[240]Pepwell modernizes to "trouble."
[241]Jas. i. 12.
[242]To give place to.
[243]Such impulses to exceptional
practices.
[244]Humble itself.
[245]Pleasant.
[246]Pepwell reads: "wits."
[247]Lest.
[248]Pepwell reads: "strait."
249Jer. 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).
[250]Ignorant.
[251]Where natural and acquired knowledge
alike fall shorts.
[252]Fully.
[253]Nature.
[254]Pepwell has: "when thou dost feel."
[255]Pepwell inserts: "I mean except the
solemn vows of holy religion."
[256]2 Cor. iii. 17.
[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."
[258]Losing.
[259]Cant. iv. 9.
[260]To exercise love.
[261]Divers.
2621 Cor. i. 26, vii. 20; Eph. iv. 1.
[263]Luke x. 42.
[264]Pepwell inserts "Him list thee to see,
and."
[265]Pepwell reads: "Let be good and all
that is good, and better with all that is better."
266Luke x. 42.
[267]To know how to speak, etc.
[268]Banishing from thy soul's vision.
[269]Be able to.
[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."
[271]Pepwell reads: "rest."
[272]Pepwell modernises "conne" to "learn
to" throughout this passage.
[273]Harl. MS. 674 reads: "stirring"; the
other MS, as Pepwell.
[274]Harl. MS. 674 reads: "have."
[275]Pepwell reads: "else."
[276]Manifestly, i.e. unless they
clearly show that they do not know how to act as they should. Pepwell has: "in
a part."
[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.
[278]1 John iv. 1-6.
[279]Ps. lxxxv. 8 (Vulgate lxxxiv. 9).
[280]Zech. i. 9-19.
[281]Col. ii. 18.
[282]1 Thess. i. 2-9.
[283]Pepwell adds: "or ambition." Cf.
Chaucer, The Persones Tale, ed. Skeat, SS 18: "and coveitise of hynesse by
pryde of herte."
[284]Burns.
[285]So Harl. MS. 674; Pepwell has: "war."
[286]Crafty device.
[287]Cf. above, p. 17 note.
[288]Pepwell has: "gladly."
[289]Pepwell reads "ever ready."
[290]Withstand, resist.
[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."
[292]If it is still guilty of the other
two.
[293]Pepwell adds: "and voluptuous."
[294]Ps. cxxxii. (Vulgate cxxxi. ) 13.
[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."
[296]Probably Isa. lvii. 15.
[297]Pepwell reads: "most folly."
[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.'
[299]Advisedly.
[300]Partisans, abettors.
[301]The MSS. read: "doles."
[302]Pepwell reads: "But it is more sorrow
to feel of our own spirit's deceits. For sometime our own spirit."
[303]The MSS. read: "Bot what thar reche";
what need to care.
[304]Pepwell reads: "didst feel in there."
[305]Cf. above, p. 95, note.
[306]Pepwell adds: "and judgment."
[307]Unless because of carelessness in
resisting them when they first come.
[308]To regard thyself as responsible.
[309]Madness.
[310]Not in Harl. MS. 674.
[311]Pepwell reads: "a full damnable and a
full cursed fiend in his living."
[312]Pepwell adds: "and desire much."
[313]Pepwell reads: "suggestion."
[314]On the other hand.
