The Book of Divine Consolation

Then He made answer finally and said : "If I were to do as thou askest, thou wouldst have here all that thou desirest, and wouldst no longer hunger after Me. For this reason will I not grant thy request, for I desire that in this world thou shouldst hunger and long after Me and shouldst ever be eager to find Me." THIRD VISION, WHEREIN SHE BEHELD GOD INASMUCH AS HE IS INVINCIBLE OMNIPOTENCE IN ALL THINGS, WHICH GAVE UNTO HER THE GRACE TO BE OF BENEFIT BOTH TO THE PRESENT AND TO THE FUTURE GENERA TIONS. MOREOVER, SHE BEHELD LIKEWISE THE DEEP HUMILITY OF GOD UPON a certain occasion it was told me, saying, " I who speak with thee am the divine Power, who bring unto thee divine grace. The grace is this : I desire that thou shouldst be of benefit unto all men who shall behold thee ; and not only unto these, but likewise unto all who shall think of thee and remember thee and hear thee spoken of. Nevertheless, thou wilt be of the greatest benefit unto those into whom I have most fully entered." Then, albeit the soul rejoiced greatly, it said, " I de sire not this grace, for I fear that it would be hurtful unto me and make me to be vainglorious."

But the Lord answered, " With this hast thou naught to do, for it concerneth thee not and thou hast only the care thereof. See that thou servest it well and renderest it again unto Him to whom it belongeth." Then my soul saw and understood that in this way it could be neither perturbed nor hurt. And the Lord said also unto me, " Much am I pleased by thy great fear." After this I went into the church, and there did the Lord speak most sweetly and graciously unto me, whereat all my mind did greatly rejoice and take comfort. He said, " My beloved daughter," and many other things better still, and added, " No creature can console thee, only I alone, who desire to reveal My power unto thee." And immediately the eyes of my soul were opened and I beheld the plenitude of God, whereby I did compre hend the whole world, both here and beyond the sea, and the abyss and all things else ; and therein did I behold naught save the divine power in a manner assuredly in describable, so that through excess of marvelling the soul cried with a loud voice, saying, " This whole world is full of God ! " Wherefore did I now comprehend that the world is but a small thing ; I saw, moreover, that the power of God was above all things, and that the whole world was filled with it.

Then said He unto me, " I have shown thee something of My power," the which I did so well understand that it enabled me better to understand all other things. He said also, " I have made thee to see something of My power ; behold now and see Mine humility." Then was I given so deep an insight into the humility of God to wards man and all other things that when my soul re membered His unspeakable power and comprehended His deep humility, it marvelled greatly and did esteem itself to be nothing at all, for in itself it beheld nothing save pride. Thus did I begin to think within myself and to esteem myself in every way unworthy of the Holy Communion, wherefore did I refuse to communicate. After that He had shown me this, the Lord said : " My daughter, there is no creature who can attain unto this point of beholding My power and humility (unto which thou hast attained) unless he be inspired thereto by special divine grace." When I was in the church after the elevation of the Body of Christ He said unto me : " Behold My power which is now upon the altar, and yet am I within thee ; if thou receivest Me, thou receivest Me as thou hast ever done. Communicate, therefore, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for I who am worthy do make thee worthy."

Then was I filled with unspeakable sweetness and great joy, which I do think I shall never lose all the days of my life. WHEREBY SHE DID LEARN TO JUDGE OF ALL THINGS A MAN did once ask of me that I would pray God for certain things which he was desirous of knowing. But I doubted whether I should do this, for I held it to be an act of pride and great folly to pray unto God for such things. And as I meditated upon this matter, my mind was suddenly rapt unto the first elevation, and placed at a table which had neither beginning nor end. I was not placed there to behold the table, but that which was upon it. There I beheld the ineffable fulness of God ; but I can relate nothing of it, save that I have seen the plenitude of divine wisdom, wherein is all goodness. In this plenitude I saw that it is not lawful to seek or desire to know that which the divine wisdom is going to do, for this is a forestalling and dishonouring of it. When I see persons, therefore, who seek to know such things, I am persuaded that they do err.

From the time when I beheld this vision it hath been given me to understand and judge all spiritual persons and things when I hear them spoken of. But I judge not with that judgment to make use of which is always to err ; but with another and true judgment, whereby I understand whence I have the consciousness of sin in judging. I can say nothing more concerning this vision, save that the one word " table " remained in my memory. I have said that in the first elevation I was placed at a table. But of the things which I beheld on that table, I can say nothing save what I have already said. BEING one day at prayer, I asked of God (not because I doubted or desired in this manner to know more of God), " Wherefore, oh Lord, didst Thou create man, and where fore, having created him, didst Thou permit so much suffering to be laid upon Thee as was borne by Thy Son because of our sins ? For surely Thou mightest have created us with double the amount of virtue we do possess now, and thus couldst Thou have ordained it exceeding well that we should have been grateful and pleasing unto Thee without those sufferings."

Hereupon was I given to understand that the reason wherefore God had done and permitted this was that because in this way His goodness could be more clearly made manifest unto us, and also because it was thus made more suitable unto our needs. Yet did this not suffice me for the full understanding thereof, inasmuch as I knew of a certainty that God could have acted otherwise if He had so pleased. Another time, when I was exalted in spirit, I per ceived that this quest had neither beginning nor end, so that when the soul found itself thus in darkness it in stantly desired to turn back ; but it was not able, neither was it permitted to advance. And being in this un certainty and anxiety, I was exalted yet higher still and enlightened that I might behold the ineffable power of God. Here was seen the will, justice, and goodness of God, and in these virtues I clearly beheld that which I had sought to know. Thus was my soul brought forth out of the darkness wherein it lay upon the earth ; for in this illumination it was raised up straight and I stood upon my feet, even upon the tips of my toes, in such bodily agility and renewed life as I had never hitherto experienced. Moreover there came upon me such a fulness of charity, and with so great a joy did I under stand that power, will, and justice of God, that not only was I satisfied concerning the questions I had asked, but likewise concerning all creatures, even the demons and the damned, for I felt I was called to save them one and all.

But inasmuch as this was a supernatural thing I cannot show it forth in words, albeit I perfectly understood that God could have saved us in another manner if He had de sired. Nevertheless, I could not see how His power and goodness could possibly have been better manifested or more plainly set forth than in this manner. From that time onwards I did feel myself so contented and safe that if I had known of a certainty that I was to be damned, I should on no account have bewailed myself, nor should I for this reason have striven and studied less to worship and honour God than I had done before, so clearly had I understood His justice and the righteousness of His judgments. Wherefore was my soul filled with so great a peace, quietness, and firmness that never do I remember any other so complete ; and herein have I continued. After I had seen the power of God, His will, and His justice, I was uplifted yet higher still, and then I no longer beheld the power and will of God as before. But I beheld a thing as fixed and stable as it was indescribable ; and more than this I cannot say, save what I have often said already, namely, that it was all good.

And although my soul beheld not love, yet nevertheless when it saw that indescribable thing it was itself filled with indescribable joy, and it was taken out of the state it was in before and placed in this most great and in effable state. I know not whether I was at that time in the body or outside it, but it sufnceth to say that all the other visions seemed unto me to be less great than this. In this vision was I granted the mortification of sins and assurance of virtue, whereby I now love things both good and evil, both well and evilly made, for these things do I no longer despise. I was, therefore, left in great peace and veneration by the heavenly judgments ; so that now when I cry, " By Thy judgments, or by Thy judgment deliver me, oh Lord," I say it with as much joy and trust as though I said, " By Thy Passion deliver me, oh Lord." The cause of this is, that I cannot recognise the goodness of God more clearly in a saint or a holy man, or in many, than in one condemned or a multitude of damned. Albeit this profound truth was not shown unto me save once only, it hath never left my memory, nor have I lost the joy thereof. If it were possible that all the things which appertain unto faith should fail me, there would nevertheless remain unto me the true certainty of the supreme God, of His perfect justice and His judgments.

How deep is the meaning of this saying ! But all this turneth unto the profit of the blessed, for the soul who hath attained unto a knowledge of the divine judgments and understandeth them, will through this knowledge of God derive profit from all things. GOD INASMUCH AS HE IS LOVE, WHEREBY SHE WAS METHOUGHT one time in Lent that I was exceeding parched and lacking in devotion, wherefore I prayed God that He would give me something of Himself, because all goodness was dried up within me. Then were the eyes of my soul opened and I beheld love advancing gently toward me, and I beheld the beginning but not the end. Unto me there seemed only a continuation and eternity thereof, so that I can describe neither likeness nor colour, but immediately that this love reached me, I did behold all these things more clearly with the eyes of the soul than I could do with the eyes of the body. This love came towards me after the manner of a sickle. Not that there was any actual and measurable likeness, but when first it appeared unto me it did not give itself unto me in such abundance as I expected, but part of it was withdrawn. Therefore do I say, after the manner of a sickle. Then was I filled with love and in-

estimable satiety ; but although it did well satisfy me, it did generate within me so great an hunger that all my members were loosened and my soul fainted with longing to attain unto the remainder. Then did I refuse either to see or to hearken unto any creature ; I spake not, but my soul spake within me, crying out and beseeching that love would not make it thus to faint for love's sake, because it held life to be but death. Then did I first invoke the Blessed Virgin, and after wards the holy apostles, that they would go with my soul and beseech and implore the Most High that He would no longer cause it to suffer this death, but that He would permit it to attain unto that which it desired, namely, unto the remainder of righteous love. Likewise in this faintness I did pray unto the blessed Francis and the holy Evangelists and did make earnest supplication and cry unto them, inasmuch as I was drawn nigh unto them through the love which I felt. And believing myself to be all love, I said, " Many are there who think they do dwell in love and they dwell in hatred, and many on the contrary think they dwell in hatred and they do verily dwell in love." But my soul sought to know this of a certainty, and God permitted me to feel it so clearly that I was wholly content. For I was so filled with this love that after this happened I do not believe I could ever have been without it, nor could I believe any creature who said otherwise ; even had it been an angel I would

i8o THE BLESSED ANGELA not have believed it, but would have answered, " Thou art he who is fallen from heaven." And methought that I beheld in myself two sides, as though a road had been made through me ; upon the one side I saw this love and all goodness (the which was of God and not of me), and upon the other side I saw myself all dried up, where there was nothing good. Wherefore I considered that the thing I loved proceeded not from me, albeit I was in love, but that it came from God alone, in whom all love was joined together. Then gave He unto me greater and more ardent love than before, and I desired to go unto this love. Thus were there two loves, that of which I have already spoken and which was so great that I knew not that any could be greater, until there came upon me a mortal love, and betwixt this love and that other mortal love a great heat. There is a certain middle-place of the which I can say nothing, so deep was it, so full of joy and unspeakable delight. Then do I wish to hear nothing of the Passion, neither would I that God should be named before me, because when I hear Him named it exciteth in me so much de votion that I faint and am distressed for love of Him, and all lesser things do trouble me. In comparison with this I do esteem as nothing all that is related in the Gospel of the Life of Christ, or in other places, for in God do I behold greater and yet more incomparable things.

Since He hath left me I am remained as contented as an angel ; for I love toads and serpents, and even fools and demons, and nothing that I see them do, even sins committed against others, can displease me, inasmuch as I believe that God doth justly permit it and desire that it should be done. And when I am in this state I should take no heed if dogs were to bite me, neither should I seem to suffer any pain. In this state, therefore, there can be no thought or grievous remembrance of the Passion of Christ, or any tears, albeit there was at one time added unto this love the remembrance of the inestimable worth of the precious Blood through which the world was redeemed. Where fore do I marvel how they can exist together. Never theless, there was none of the suffering of the Passion, for the Passion showeth us the way we have to go and teacheth us what we have to do. And this state is greater than that of standing ever at the foot of Christ's Cross, in continual remembrance, as did the Blessed Francis, albeit the soul frequenteth both the one and the other state.

PERSONS, BUT SHE BEHELD HIM DARKLY ; AND THIS THERE was a time when my soul was exalted to behold God with so much clearness that never before had I beheld Him so distinctly. But love did I not see here so fully ; rather did I lose that which I had before and was left without love. Afterwards I did see Him darkly, and this darkness was the greatest blessing that could be imagined, and no thought could conceive aught that would equal this. Then was there given unto the soul an assured faith, a firm and certain hope, wherein I felt so sure of God that all fear left me. For by that blessing which came with the darkness I did collect my thoughts and was made so sure of God that I can never again doubt but that I do of a certainty possess Him. Thus is my hope now made certain, for now do I see so clearly that what I see can neither be told by the mouth nor imagined in the heart. And by that blessing (most certain, and including also that darkness) have I attained unto all my hope, and inasmuch as now I see clearly, I have all that I desired to have or to know.

Here, likewise, do I see all Good ; and seeing it, the soul cannot think that it will depart from it or it from the Good, or that in future it must ever leave the Good. The soul delighteth unspeakably therein, yet it beholdeth naught which can be related by the tongue or imagined in the heart. It seeth nothing, yet seeth all things, because it beholdeth this Good darkly — and the more darkly and secretly the Good is seen, the more certain is it, and excellent above all things. Wherefore is all other good which can be seen or imagined doubtless less than this, because all the rest is darkness. And even when the soul seeth the divine power, wisdom, and will of God (which I have seen most marvellously at other times), it is all less than this most certain Good. Because this is the whole, and those other things are but part of the whole. Another difference is, that albeit those other things are unspeakable, yet they do bring great joy which is felt even in the body. But seen thus darkly, the Good bringeth no smile upon the lips, no fervour or devotion or love into the heart, for the body doth not tremble or become moved or dis tressed as it doth at other times. And the cause thereof is, that the soul seeth, and not the body, which reposeth and sleepeth, and the tongue is made dumb and cannot speak. All the many and unspeakable kindnesses which God hath shown unto me, all the sweet words and all other divine sayings and doings are so much less than this which I have seen clearly through the darkness, that I do put no hope in them. Yea, even if it were possible that all these were not true, it would in no wise lessen the hope which I have in this and all other good.

Unto this most high power of beholding God in effably through such great darkness was my spirit up lifted but three times only and no more ; and although I beheld Him countless times, and always darkly, yet never in such an high manner and through such great darkness. And when upon the one hand my body is wasted by infirmity, when the world with its thorns and bitterness chaseth me forth, and demons do likewise afflict me with much vexation, and do continually persecute me and molest me (because they have power over me and be cause God hath given me soul and body into their hands, so that I do almost seem to behold them falling bodily upon me), upon the other hand God doth draw me unto Himself with that Good which I beheld through the darkness, in which darkness I did doubtless behold the Holy Trinity. And to me it seemeth that I am fixed in the midst of It and that It draweth me unto Itself more than anything else the which I ever beheld, or any blessing I ever yet received, so there is nothing which can be compared unto It. All that I say of this seemeth unto me to be nothing, I do even feel as though I offended in speaking of it, for so greatly doth that Good exceed all my words that my speech doth appear to blaspheme against it.

When I behold and am in that Good, I remember nothing of the humanity of Christ, of God inasmuch as He was man, nor of aught else that had shape or form ; and albeit I seem to see nothing, yet do I see all things. When, however, I am separated from that aforesaid Good then is it given unto me to see Christ, who draweth me with such gentleness that sometimes He saith, " Thou art I, and I am them." I see those eyes, and that face so gracious and so pleasing, which embraceth and draweth my soul unto itself with infinite assurance. And that which proceedeth from those eyes and that face is nothing else save that Good of which I spake before and which I beheld darkly, which proceedeth and issueth forth from within. And it is that Good wherein I delight so greatly that I can in no wise speak of it. Being thus one with Christ the soul liveth. And in this God do I live more than in the darkness, and although He who dwelleth in darkness draweth me beyond all comparison more strongly, yet do I live so constantly in Christ that, inasmuch as I have been once and for all granted assurance of God, nothing can ever come be twixt me and Him.

From that time forth there hath never been day or night wherein I have not constantly rejoiced in the humanity of Christ, wherefore do I long to sing and to praise God, saying : " Thee do I praise, oh God my delight, for upon Thy Cross have I made my bed, and instead of a pillow have I found poverty, instead of repose have I found suffering and contempt, for upon this bed was He born, He lived, and laid Him down to die." These companions, poverty, suffering, and contempt, were so beloved of God the Father that He gave them unto His Son, and the Son desired ever to lie upon this bed. And on this do I always love Him and do agree with the Father. And upon this bed have I laid me down to rest, for it is my bed whereon I hope to die, by which I hope to be saved. But the joy which I have of those hands and feet cannot be described, and when I see Him I do desire never to depart from Him, but draw nearer unto Him, wherefore is my life but as death, and the more I do remember Him, the less can I speak, for then iny tongue is tied. When I leave Him the wicked ness which I find compelleth me to desire Him yet more, and because of this my desire and the weariness of waiting am I plunged into mortal pain, but in this vision is my soul uplifted and consoled by the most sweet God, to whom be honour and glory for ever and ever.

EIGHTH VISION AND CONSOLATION, WHEREIN SHE BE HELD GOD AS CLEARLY AS IS POSSIBLE IN THIS LIFE, IN THE WHICH VISION SHE ACQUIRED STRENGTH IN GOOD INTENTIONS AND IN THE PERFECT DELIGHT IN GOD BEING thus exalted in spirit during the time of Lent, therefore, I was joined with God in a manner other than was customary for me. Methought I was in the midst of the Trinity, in a manner higher and greater than was usual, for greater than usual were the blessings I re ceived, and continually were there given unto me gifts full of delight, and rejoicing most great and unspeakable. All this was so far beyond anything which had heretofore happened unto me that verily a divine change took place in my soul, which neither saint nor angel could describe or explain. This divine change, or operation, was so profound that no angel or other creature, howsoever wise, could comprehend it, wherefore do I say again that it seemeth unto me to be evil-speaking and blas phemy if I do try to tell of it. Here am I drawn forth put of all things wherein I did formerly take delight, such as the life and humanity of Christ and the consideration of those most deep com panions whom God had greatly loved from all eternity and had given unto His Son. Likewise did He draw me forth from the aforesaid delight, that is to say, the poverty, suffering, and contempt borne by His Son (wherein I was accustomed to find my repose and my bed) ; also was I withdrawn from that darkness, in the vision of which I had so greatly rejoiced. And finally I was drawn out of all former states with so much unction and in sleep, that I could in no wise comprehend it, and do only know that now I have not those things.

In these divine benefits and operations which were accomplished in my soul, God did first present Himself unto it thus ineffably in His works ; then did He manifest and reveal Himself fully unto the soul, bestowing upon it great gifts, with indescribable clearness and certainty. - There are two ways wherein God showeth Himself unto the soul. One way is when He showeth Himself in timately, and it doth then know Him to be present, as He is present in every creature and in everything that hath being ; as much in demons as in good angels, in i88 THE BLESSED ANGELA hell as in Paradise, in adultery and murder, in all good works, and in all things which exist, both beauteous and ill-favoured. When I have this unity, therefore, I do rejoice in God no less when I see a bad angel, and an evil deed than when I see a good angel or deed ; and in this manner doth He most often present Himself unto my soul. And this presentation doth bring enlightenment, with great truth and divine grace, so that when the soul beholdeth this it cannot offend in any way. Moreover, this enlightenment bringeth many divine benefits unto the soul ; for example, when it becometh aware that God is already present it doth deeply humble itself and is confused by reason of its sins. Also it receiveth much wisdom and divine consolation with great

joyGod showeth Himself in another and more special manner, very different from the foregoing, which like wise giveth joy, but different from the former joy. For here He draweth all the soul unto Himself and worketh many divine things in it, with much greater grace and an unspeakable depth of joy and enlightenment ; so that, without any other gifts, this presentation of God is the blessing possessed by saints in the life eternal. Of the gifts received by saints in the life eternal, how ever, some have more and some less. But of these it is impossible to speak, as I have already said, because my words are so feeble that they do deface and blaspheme rather than justly describe. I will only say that amongst these gifts is the enlargement of the mind, whereby it becometh more capable of understanding and knowing God ; for when He presenteth Himself unto the soul He doth reveal and make Himself manifest, and doth thus enlarge it to receive gifts and sweetness never known before and greater and deeper than hath been described. Unto the soul (now drawn forth out of all darkness) is then vouchsafed the utmost knowledge of God which I do think could be granted. And it is given with so much clearness, sweetness, and certainty, and hath such depth, that the human heart cannot attain unto it, nor can my heart ever return again to the understanding and knowledge thereof, or to the imagining of aught regarding it, saving only when the supreme God doth vouchsafe unto the soul to be exalted even unto that which the heart can no more reach. Therefore is it not possible to say anything whatsoever concerning it, or to find words wherewith to express it ; neither can the imagination or the understanding in any way reach unto it, so immeasurably doth it exceed all things.

Thus do we perceive that by nothing that we can think or say can God be exalted. The Holy Scriptures are so far above us that no man— be he the wisest in all the world and possessing all the knowledge it is possible to have in this life — can fully and perfectly know and understand them ; there is none whose intelligence would not be always overcome by them. Of these most excellent and divine workings in the soul whereby God doth manifest Himself, can man in no wise speak or even stammer. But inasmuch as my soul is ofttimes uplifted to know the divine secrets, I do understand wherefore the Holy Scriptures were written, what they do appear to affirm and deny, that which is easy and that which is difficult, and why some derive no profit from them, and why those who do not observe them are condemned and those who do observe them are saved by them. Thus have I an advantage in know ing these things, and after learning the secrets of God I can speak some few words with certainty ; yet are my words outside of those divine and ineffable workings, and in no way do they approach nigh unto them, but rather do they spoil and blaspheme, as I have always said.

Therefore do I say that if all divine consolations, all spiritual joys, all heavenly delights which ever were in this world — if all the saints who have lived from the beginning of the world until now were to expound and show forth God, if all the worldly delights, both good and evil, which ever existed were all to be converted into one good and spiritual joy which should endure until I were made perfect, I would not, even that I might ob tain all this, give or exchange even for the space of the twinkling of an eye that joy which I have in the un speakable manifestation of God. These things have I spoken that I might in some way instil into the hearts of men the conviction that this unspeakable blessing is infinitely above all those aforesaid things. And I possess it not only for the space of the opening and shutting of an eye, but ofttimes for a good while. In that way do I have it with much effect, but in another way — that is to say, with less effect — do I have it almost continually. And albeit I do feel a little of both grief and joy from without, yet within my soul there is a chamber into which there entereth no sort of grief or joy of any virtue whatsoever, nor anything that can be named or expressed. But into it there entereth that greatest Good, and in that manifestation of God (which I do blaspheme in thus naming it, seeing that I have no word wherewith to speak of it perfectly) lieth the whole truth.

In Him, therefore, do I understand and possess all truth that is in heaven and earth and hell, and in all creatures ; and so great is the truth and the certainty that were the whole world to declare the contrary I would not believe it, yea, I should mock at it. For I behold Him who is everything ; I perceive how surely in Him are all created things ; I likewise perceive how that He hath made me capable of perfectly understanding the aforesaid matters in a way better than there had been until I saw in that great darkness wherein I did so re joice. For I do behold myself thus alone with God, wholly clean, wholly pure, wholly sanctified, wholly up right, wholly assured, and wholly celestial in Him, and when I am in this state I do remember naught else. Once when I was in that state, the most high God spake thus unto me : " Daughter of divine wisdom, perfect temple of delight, joy of joys ; daughter of true peace, in thee reposeth the Holy Trinity and the whole truth, and thus thou holdest Me and I hold thee." One of the operations of the soul vouchsafed unto it by our Lord God is that with great rejoicing I do most fully understand how God entereth into the most holy Sacrament of the Altar, together with that most high and noble company. But when I remain outside of that state I do perceive myself to be full of sin, obedient unto sinfulness, unjust, unclean, wholly false and earthly. Nevertheless, I do stay quiet, having in me a divine and constant unction, above all which I have ever felt in all my days.

I came not unto that aforesaid state of mine own self, but I was led and drawn thereunto by God ; so that, albeit of mine own self I should not have known how to desire or ask for it, I am now in that state continually. Ofttimes is my soul uplifted of God without my will or consent, and when I am not hoping or thinking to re ceive aught from Him, my soul is suddenly exalted and dominated by Him. And when thus exalted I under stand the whole world and do believe myself in heaven with God instead of upon the earth. This state is far more excellent than any other I have experienced ; it is so full of satisfaction, so clear, ennobling, and enlarging that I never felt any other state approaching unto it. This manifestation of God have I experienced more than a thousand times, and each one was different from the others. Thus once at the Feast of Saint Mary at Candlemas I did have that unspeakable manifestation of God, and whiles that it was being revealed unto the soul, the soul did behold a representation of itself ; and it beheld itself more noble and high than it could possibly imagine or understand, and I could not otherwise have believed that either mine own soul or the souls of those in Paradise could be of such nobility. For my soul did then behold itself in such wise that it could not under stand itself. If, therefore, the soul which is finite and circumscribed could not comprehend its own self, how much less could it comprehend its Creator who is im mense, infinite, and boundless ?

Then did my soul present itself before God with the utmost assurance ; it had no fear whatsoever, but it went into God's presence with the greatest joy it had ever felt, with a new and most excellent pleasure, in a manner so miraculous, so new and clear that my own soul could never have understood such a thing. At this meeting of my soul with God (when I saw and under stood the aforesaid unspeakable manifestation of God), the most high God spake unto me certain words which I / - do not desire should be written down ; and when the soul returned unto itself, it found and retained within itself the consciousness that it could endure all suffering and torment for God's sake, and that by nothing whatso- i94 THE BLESSED ANGELA ever that could be done or said could it henceforth be separated from God. Then did my soul exclaim and say, " Oh, most sweet Lord, who can separate me from Thee ? " and I heard a voice make answer that nothing could separate me from Him because of His grace. All these things did I hear spoken by God in a manner more wondrous than I can describe. It was likewise told me that the aforesaid unspeakable manifestation of God is that Good enjoyed by the saints in the life eternal, and that this Good is naught else save this, but otherwise experienced and so different from the other that the lowest of the saints who hath the least in the life eternal hath yet more than can be given unto any soul before the death of the body.

This is what my soul hath understood in that marvellous manifestation of God. NINTH VISION, WHEREIN IT WAS CERTIFIED UNTO HER THAT IN HER VISIONS AND HEAVENLY CONVERSATIONS SHE HAD NOT BEEN DECEIVED UPON a certain occasion, at the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, some little while after my conversion, I did pray the Blessed Virgin that she would implore her Son to grant me grace whereby I might know that I had not been deceived in the conversations which had been held with me. Then came unto me a heavenly voice promising me that my request should be granted, and saying fur ther : " God hath shown Himself unto thee, hath spoken with thee, and hath endowed thee with understanding of Himself ; take heed, therefore, that thou neither speakest, beholdest, nor hearkenest unto anything what soever save according unto His will." I perceived that these things were said unto me with much discretion and ripe wisdom. The aforesaid conversations had left me with great joy and the hope of obtaining that for which I had asked, and the foregoing words did, moreover, tell me that God would grant the grace that everything I did should be done with His permission.

I began, therefore, to do the three things which had been told unto me. Accordingly my heart was uplifted from all things earthly and fixed on God. And nothing that I did, or ate, or spake prevented my heart from being always fixed on God ; neither could I see, or think, or feel, save according unto God's will. When I had been engaged in prayer and desired to go and eat and drink, I did humbly ask permission, and He answered, " Go and eat with the blessing of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." And thus did He give me permission, sometimes immediately and sometimes later. This lasted three days and three nights. Finally I be held God in spirit during Mass, at about the time of the elevation of the Bodv of Christ. After this vision there remained unto me an indescribable sweetness and great joy, which I do think will never fail me all the days of my life. And in this vision was I assured of all that I had asked ; there remained unto me no doubt whatsoever^ but I was fully satisfied and persuaded that I had not been deceived in the foregoing conversations.

UPON another occasion whilst I was at prayer, ex ceeding pleasant words were spoken unto me after this manner : " Oh my daughter, who art far sweeter unto Me than I am unto thee ; thou art the temple of My delight, and the heart of the Omnipotent God resteth upon thy heart." Together with these words there came upon me a feel ing of the utmost joy, such as I had never before ex perienced, inasmuch as all the members of my body felt it. And as I did prostrate myself at these words, it was further told me : " The Omnipotent God loveth thee more dearly than any other woman of this city. He rejoiceth in thee and in thy companion. Do ye both strive, therefore, that your lives be as a light unto all who desire to follow your example ; but unto those who follow you not, shall your lives be as a judgment strict and hard." My soul did here understand that this cruel judgment was pronounced against the learned rather than against the laity, because they do despise these heavenly things by reason of knowing them in the Scriptures. Yet was I told that so great was the love which Almighty God bare unto us that He was continually with us, albeit not with these feelings. And I was told that His eyes were now upon us ; whereupon methought that I beheld His divine eyes with the eyes of my mind, and I rejoiced more than I can say. Nevertheless, I do grieve because the words we are now saying are so unworthy.

Albeit I had great joy of this matter, yet did I re member my sins and I did esteem that neither now or at any time had there been in me any good which might be pleasing unto God. Wherefore began I to doubt, seeing that great things had been spoken unto me ; and I said : " If Thou who speakest unto me wert truly the Son of Almighty God, my soul would feel a joy higher and greater than this, and I should not be able to bear it, feeling that Thou wert in me, who am so unworthy." Unto this He made answer, " I desire not that thou shouldst have a greater or more perfect joy than this at the present time, but I have prepared a greater one for thee. Thou must know that the whole world is full of Me." And verily I did then perceive that every creature was full of Him. Again He spake unto me, saying, " I can do all things, I can make thee to see Me as when I talked with My disciples and yet to feel Me not." This was not said unto me in actual words, but my soul comprehended that which He said, and many things greater still, and thus it felt them to be true. Yet in order to be clear whether that which was said was verily true, my soul cried :

" Forasmuch as Thou art Almighty God and the things Thou tellest me are true, give Thou me a sign whereby I may be sure thereof, and release me from this great doubt." Then I besought Him that He would give me some tangible sign, something which I could see ; such as putting a candle into my hand, or a precious stone, or some other thing, or that He would give me any sign He pleased, promising Him that I would show it unto no person save unto whom He should desire. Then He replied : " This sign that thou seekest is one that would only give thee great joy when thou didst behold or touch it, but it would not free thee from doubt, and thou mightest be deceived by that sign. Therefore will I give thee another sign, better than the one thou seekest, and which will be for ever with thee, and in thy soul thou shalt always feel it. The sign shall be this : thou shalt be ever fervent in love, and the love and the enlightened know- ledge of God shall be ever with thee and in thee. This shall be a certain sign unto thee that I am He, because none save I can do this. And this is a sign which I will leave in thy soul, the which is better for thee than that which thou didst ask of Me.

My love do I leave in thee, so that for love of Me thou wilt endure tribulations, and if any person speak or do evil unto thee thou wilt be grateful, declaring thyself unworthy of so much mercy. Such is the love which I bare unto you all, for whose sake I patiently and humbly endured all things. Thus thou shalt know whether or not I am in thee if, when any person shall speak or do evil unto thee, thou art not only patient, but even desirous that they should hurt thee and be grateful unto them. And this is a certain sign of the grace of God. And behold, 1 do now anoint thee with an ointment wherewith a saint called Siricus and many other saints were anointed."

Then did I immediately feel that ointment, and so sweet was it that I longed for death, and that I might die with all manner of bodily torments. The torments suffered by the martyrs who had died for Christ did I esteem as naught, and I desired that for love of Him my torments should be more terrible than theirs, and that the world should cry out upon me with insults and revilings. Moreover, I rejoiced greatly in praying for those who might work me these evils, and I marvelled not at the saints who prayed for their murderers and persecutors ; for not only ought we to pray unto God for them, but we should beseech Him to grant them especial grace. Therefore was I very ready to pray for those who did me evil, to love them with a great love, and to take com passion upon them. In that anointing I did feel such sweetness both within and without that I never felt the like before, and I have no words wherewith I can show forth the least part of it. This consolation was different, and of a nature unlike the others. For in the others I had desired immediately to quit this world, but in this my desire was that my death should be grievous and prolonged, with all manner of torments, and that my members should suffer all the tortures of the world. Yet all this seemed but a small thing unto me, for my soul knew well that every torment was but a small thing in comparison with the blessings promised in the life eternal. My soul knew of a certainty that it was thus, and if all the wise men of the world had told me the contrary, I should not have believed them. And if I should swear that all who walked upon the afore said way would be saved, I should believe that I spake the truth.

This sign did God leave so firmly implanted in my soul, with so bright and clear a light, that methinketh I could endure any martyrdom. This sign, moreover, leadeth continually upon the straight way of salvation, that is to say, it leadeth unto love and the desire to suffer for love of God. Moreover, I heard the words which God spake unto me, saying, " At the end of these things shalt thou cause to be written, * Unto God be the thanks,' and whoso desireth to keep the grace which he hath shall not turn his eyes away from the Cross, whether it be joy or sorrow that I do send upon him." All these aforesaid things concerning this sign did my soul comprehend much more fully than I can explain, and with a completeness whereby I was enabled to under stand many more things than I have told here. My love and joy wras so great that I can in no wise express it, and may God not impute it unto me for a sin that I have related all this with so many faults and shortcomings. As I was once meditating upon the Passion and poverty of the incarnate Son of God, Christ appeared unto me and showed unto me His great poverty, the which He was minded to put into my heart in order that I might clearly see it and diligently reflect upon it. I likewise beheld those for whose sakes He had become poor, and for them I felt such great grief and aversion that my heart did almost fail me.

After this, He did show His Passion unto me more fully. Then I beheld Him poor of kindred and of friends, and moreover so poor of Himself that, having regard unto His humanity, He was not able to help Himself. Again after this it pleased Him to make me under stand more things concerning His Passion than I had ever hitherto heard related. Then did 1 understand how in His Passion Christ saw that the hearts of those wicked and obstinate men were all turned against Him ; He saw how all the members carefully destroyed His name, and how they used great attention and diligence to destroy it speedily ; He saw the subtlety, the cunning machina tions with which they conspired against Him, and He saw their evil designs, their slanders, rage, and fury, and the plans and preparations which they had made in order that they might most cruelly afflict Him. Of a certainty, the cruelty of the Passion was very great, inasmuch as He foresaw all the pain, the injury and shame. My soul beheld far more of the Passion than I have will to say, yea, rather will I keep silence. Therefore did my soul then cry aloud, saying :

" Holy Mary, mother of Him who is thus afflicted, give me something of this Passion of the Son of God, for thou hast seen more of it than hath any other saint. Thou hast seen Him with the eyes both of thy body and thy mind, and most intently hast thou observed Him, because thou hast loved Him more than all." And my soul cried again, saying, " Is there here any saint who can tell me aught concerning this Passion, of which I do hear nothing spoken, nor any mention made, in the manner in which my soul hath seen it ? For so great is it that I myself cannot describe it. My soul hath seen the Passion of Christ to be so great that, even if Saint Mary saw it in many respects more plainly than did any other saint, not even she — and far less any other — could de scribe it. And if there be any who can describe it, methinketh it is Thou who hast borne it." When I had thus seen the Passion of the Son of God, I fell into a much greater grief than ever before, and if my heart had failed me then it would have been no marvel, for when I do even now remember me of these things I begin to grieve, seeing that I have lost that strength of mind which did formerly keep me joyful, wherefore for a long time have I felt no joy.

ANOTHER time there were shown unto me the bitter suffering in the soul of Christ, the which was so awful that heart cannot imagine nor tongue describe it. And forasmuch as I beheld such suffering in the Virgin's Son, my soul was most grievously afflicted and my own suffering was greater than I had ever felt before. Seeing how that I could find no ease or joy in this meditation, my soul did perceive many causes and reasons for that bitter suffering. Firstly, because that soul was most holy and entirely without sin, for which reason it deserved no punishment whatsoever. Then, because He endured it for love of us, and we, ungrateful, hostile, and unworthy, did despise and mock at Him even whilst He was redeeming us through His Passion. Then, because the sin of those who crucified Him was exceeding great, and that Soul which did hate and utterly abhor all sin grieved more over this than over any other sin. There were, moreover, many persons who committed this sin, because both Jews and Gentiles who were gathered together for the Feast did conspire against Him, causing Him the utmost grief. Also because of the deep malice and wickedness of His adversaries, whose whole endeavour was to destroy Him, His memory, and His name, and also His elect disciples. He suffered likewise because He had compassion upon those disciples who fell from faith, and He endured persecution for their sakes.

He suffered likewise because He had compassion upon His most unhappy mother, and because He found Himself in great trouble without any help or consola tion. And finally, He suffered above all things because that most noble soul was dolefully assailed upon every side ; every person was unto Him a cause of grief ; His Soul felt pain and anguish from all the pain and anguish inflicted upon that most holy, virginal, and delicate Body. And all these things together were laid upon that one most holy Soul.

Many other things were clearly set forth unto me, but I neither can nor will relate them. Drawn forth out of myself, therefore, I was trans formed in the suffering of the Crucified, and the divine mercy did vouchsafe these things unto me : Firstly, that my will was so straitened that I could desire nothing save what He permitted. Secondly, that He hath placed within my soul a state which changeth but little and I possess God in such fulness that I am no longer in that state wherein I was wont to be, but I do walk in such perfect peace of heart and mind that I am con tented with all things. I WAS meditating one time upon the great sufferings borne by our Lord Jesus Christ upon the Cross, and more especially upon the nails, which I did hear were of such a sort that they had driven the flesh of the hands and feet into the wood ; and I desired to behold those little pieces of flesh which the nails had so violently driven into the wood. Then did I feel such great pain because of Christ's pain that I conld not stand upon my feet, but I bent mine head and sat me down on the ground ; and I beheld Christ, who inclined His head upon mine arms which I had stretched out upon the ground. Then He

showed unto me His throat and His arms, whereupon my grief was instantly changed into joy so great and so different from all other joys that I neither saw nor felt aught else ; for the beauty of that throat was a thing most great and ineffable. Then I understood that His beauty proceeded from His divinity. Naught else did He show me saving that most comely and gracious throat, the beauty whereof cannot be likened unto any thing or any colour in the world, save only unto the clearness of Christ's body, which I do sometimes behold when it is raised on high at the elevation. UPON the fourth day of the great week I was meditating with grief upon the death of the Son of God, striving to empty my mind of all other things in order that my soul might be the more absorbed in this Passion and Death. Being, therefore, wholly occupied with the endeavour and desire to cast out every other matter from my mind in order that I might the more speedily and completely think only upon this, I heard the divine voice saying within my soul, " My love for thee was no deceit." This word was as a shock of mortal pain unto my soul, for the eyes of my mind were instantly opened, and I saw that what He said was very true. I saw the working and

effect of that delight ; I saw all that the Son of God had done for the sake of this love, and I saw what Christ Cruci fied had borne in life and in death for the sake of this deep and unspeakable love. Wherefore did I understand that it was indeed true that His love for me had been no deceit or jest, but love most perfect and profound. Then did I perceive just the opposite in myself, that is to say, I knew that I loved Him deceitfully and not truly. For this reason did I suffer such mortal pain and intolerable grief that methought I was about to die. Then were other words spoken unto me, which did make mine anguish greater still ; and the words were these : " Again I say unto thee, My love for thee was no deceit, My service of thee was not feigned, nor was My feeling for thee one of enlargement." Then cried my soul, saying, " Oh Master, that which Thou sayest is not in Thee, is wholly in me ; for never have I loved Thee saving deceitfully. I have served Thee with lies and I have never desired to draw nigh unto Thee in very truth for fear lest I might feel those burdens which Thou didst feel and bear for my sake. Wherefore have I never served Thee sincerely and for Thine own sake, but with negligence and duplicity."

Now when I perceived how that He had loved me sincerely, how that He bore in Him all the signs of true love, and how that He had drawn nigh unto me to such a degree that He was become Man in order that He might more completely bear and feel in Himself all our sufferings, I did feel such exceeding great anguish that my ribs seemed disjointed and methought mine heart would burst asunder. Reflecting, moreover, upon these words, " My feeling for thee was not one of enlarge ment," I did hear Him say further unto me, " I know thy soul more intimately than it knoweth itself," and these words did increase mine anguish, inasmuch as the more I perceived how intimately God did know me, the more did I realise that I myself had become enlarged. After this He spake certain words unto me which did manifest and show forth His boundless love, saying : " If there were any person who desired to feel Me in his mind, I would not withdraw Myself from him ; and unto whomsoever did desire to behold Me would I willingly show Myself, and with whomsoever did desire to speak unto Me would I joyfully converse."

These words did arouse in me the desire never to feel or say or do aught which should offend God. And this is what God desireth and especially seeketh in His sons and His elect ; for He hath called and chosen them in order that they may think, see, and speak according unto His will, and that they may take heed to do nothing con trary thereunto. Thus was it set forth and told unto me : " Those who love My poverty, suffering, and contempt are My lawful sons and Mine elect, whose thoughts are fixed on My Passion and Death, for here and nowhere else is found salvation and true life for all ; wherefore are these and none others My lawful sons." UPON a certain occasion when I was in the church of the Blessed Francis, and it was nigh unto the time of the elevation of the Body of our Lord, whilst the organ was playing the angelic hymn, " Holy, holy, holy," my soul was caught up in that Light uncreate, and therein was it so rapt and absorbed in a manner wholly in describable. After this (I being still in the first rapture and attrac tion), there appeared unto me the figure of the Blessed Christ Crucified, as though He had been only just then taken down from the Cross ; His blood was as fresh and red and flowed from His wounds as easily as though it had only that instant been shed. Moreover, there appeared such a dissolution of all the members of that blessed body that the sinews and joints of the bones seemed unto me as though loosened from their due harmony— that is to say, from their proper position in the body ; and this was caused by the hard and cruel stretching and the horrible ill-treatment of those virgin limbs at the hands of wicked men upon the torturing Cross ; nevertheless, the skin was nowhere broken.

2io THE BLESSED ANGELA At this sight my bowels were so pierced with com passion that verily I seemed all transformed in the pain of the Crucified, both bodily and mentally. And with a sharper knife still was I pierced at the sight of the cruel and violent dissolution of all His limbs, where methought His sinews were loosened and undone and His bones dis placed ; and so likewise at the sight of the open wounds, for in these did I behold a great secret of the Passion and of the hardness and cruelty of the tortures He had borne. The sight of the crucified body of the good and be loved Jesus did awaken such great compassion that in all my inward parts and my bones and joints did I feel new pain, and I lamented afresh with terrible anguish. As I stood thus absorbed in suffering and as though transformed in the pains of the Crucified, I heard Him speak again concerning the devout persons and the fol lowers of His Passion, and those who had taken com passion upon Him. I heard Him give thanks unto them and say : " Blessed are all ye of my Father, who, having had compassion upon Me and passed through tribulation with Me and followed after My life, have merited to wash your robes in the most precious blood of the Lamb. Blessed are ye who suffer with Me, who am crucified and afflicted with boundless suffering in order that I may offer satisfaction for you and redeem you from immense, bitter, and endless torments, and who have

rendered yourselves worthy of it by thus bearing with Me poverty, suffering, and contempt. Blessed are ye who shall remember and be pitiful of My Passion, which is the Miracle of all ages, the salvation and life of the lost and the sole refuge of sinners — for thereby shall ye share in the kingdom, the glory and the resurrection which I have purchased by that same Passion, and ye shall verily be co-heirs with Me for ever and ever. Blessed are ye of My Father and of the Holy Spirit, yea, verily blessed, and ye shall therefore have the blessing which I shall give at the last judgment, inasmuch as ye did not repulse Me when I came unto Mine own place, as did My persecutors, but of your compassion did re ceive Me into the lodging of your hearts as a desolate pilgrim ; when I hanged naked upon the Cross, hungry, thirsty, and sick, and pierced by nails, ye did suffer with Me in My death and desired to be in all things My companions. Herein have ye verily accomplished the works of mercy, wherefore in the last dread hour ye shall hear it said, ' Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' Upon the Cross I did hunger, and at least through your compassion did ye give Me to eat," and then He added most marvellously the remainder of His saying, and I cannot possibly describe the burning love which shone upon these blessed ones from the eyes of that blessed Face of God made Man, Jesus Christ.

After this He spake again, saying, " Oh verily and in all ways blessed are ye ; for if upon the Cross I did pray unto My Father with tears and cries for those who crucified and tormented Me, excusing them and saying, ' Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,' what shall I say for you, who have had compassion upon Me and have been My faithful companions, when I shall be no longer upon the Cross, but judging the world in glory and happiness ? " Thus did I remain unspeakably consoled, and mine affection for the Passion of the Son of God was greater than I can express. And many other words spake He, more than I can know or declare, all of which did kindle my love and inflame it unto the utmost. SIXTH CONSOLATION OF THE PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ANOTHER time when I was praying and meditating with great grief and compassion in mine heart upon the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, I did bethink me over and over again of how great was the iniquity of all my sins, seeing that before God could be appeased or I could be reconciled unto Him, or obtain remission of those sins, it was needful that the Son of God should not only pray with tears and supplication, but that He should die for this upon the Cross.

I reflected, moreover, upon how complete must be the damnation, how great the infinite miseries and countless torments which awaited me for each mortal sin which I had committed, if, in order to give satisfac tion for them, it was needful that not angel or archangel, but the very God, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, should Himself suffer for me and endure the misery of death and the tortures of the Cross. I did likewise reflect upon mine ingratitude, and how that not only do I nothing in return for such a great benefit, but do even offend Him every day, re fusing to remember the benefit of His redemption or, by doing penance, to work together with Him for my salva tion. And I was amazed at these things, at the infinite goodness and mercy of God and mine own great iniquity and foolishness. And as I thought upon this, it was shown unto me how that by the Passion of Christ we are liberated from all the sins, torments, and punishments which we have deserved ; and this was shown unto me so clearly that scarce could I restrain myself from crying aloud in the presence of all people.

Thus was it told me by the Lord Jesus Christ when He appeared unto me that forasmuch as He had been hanged for us upon the Cross, no man or person whatso ever could excuse himself if he were not saved. For in order to procure salvation it is only needful to act as a sick man acteth with his physician, who, desiring to regain his health, showeth his infirmity and disposeth 2i4 THE BLESSED ANGELA himself to obey in all that the physician commandeth him. So here likewise is it needful to do naught else, nor to spend money for medicine, but only to show himself unto the Physician by the acknowledgment of his sins, to do that which the Physician ordereth arid to take heed that he oppose Him not in any way. My soul did comprehend that the medicine was Christ's blood, which He giveth freely without price, and it costeth nothing unto the sick sinner save this disposing of himself, and the Physician Christ giveth him health and healeth him of his infirmity. Then were all my sins shown unto my soul, and I per ceived that each member had its special spiritual in firmity. Wherefore, hearing what had been said, the soul did instantly endeavour to show forth all the sins which it had committed with the different members of the body and with all its own strength and powers, saying :

" Oh Lord, Master and Physician of eternal health ! Oh my God, forasmuch as by only showing forth unto Thee my infirmities and diseases Thou hast consented to heal me, and because, oh Lord, I am very sick and have no part in me that is not corrupt and defiled, I, wretched that I am, will show Thee, oh Lord, all mine infirmities and all the sins of all my members and of all the parts of my soul and body ! " Then did I begin and point them all out, saying, " Oh Lord, most merciful Physician, look upon mine head and see how ofttimes I have adorned it with the emblems of pride, how I have many times deformed it by curling and braiding my hair, and have committed numerous other sins. Look, oh Lord, upon my wretched eyes, full of uncleanness and envy ! " In like manner I strove to number and show forth all the sins of mine other members. And when He had hearkened thereunto with great patience, the Lord Jesus Christ did gladly and joyfully make answer that He had healed these things one after another — and then, taking pity upon my soul, He said :

'* Fear not, My daughter, neither do thou despair ; for even wert thou tainted with a thousand deadly diseases, wert thou dead a thousand times, yet could I give thee a medicine whereby thou mightest be healed of everything if thou wouldst only apply it unto thy heart and soul. For the infirmities of thine head which thou hast told and' shown unto Me, and for which thou art displeasing unto God and grievous unto thyself, which infirmities thou hast incurred by washing, combing, anointing, colouring, adorning, and braiding thy hair, by setting thyself up in pride and seeking vainglory, for which things thou dost deserve to be cast into the uttermost parts of hell, to be humbled in all eternity and reputed as one most vile, for these infirmities have I given satis faction and done penance. I suffered the most grievous pain inasmuch as My hair was plucked out and my head pierced by sharp thorns ; with a rod was it smitten and covered with blood, it endured all manner of mockery and scorn, and with the vilest of crowns was it crowned. " For the infirmity of thy face, which thou hast con tracted likewise by washing and anointing it, by showing it unto miserable men and seeking their favour, I have made and ordained a medicine. For these sins have I also given satisfaction, for wicked men did spit in My Face, making it all filthy and stained ; it was swollen and deformed by rude and heavy blows and a vile cloth was hung before it.

" Moreover, for thine eyes, with which thou hast looked at vain and hurtful things and hast delighted in gazing at many things which were opposed unto God, have I given satisfaction, shedding copious and bitter tears from My eyes which were veiled and filled with blood. " For the ears wherewith thou hast offended God by hearkening unto vain and hurtful things and taking de light therein, I have done great penance, hearkening unto many grievous things, such as false accusations, slanders, insults, curses, mockings, lies and blasphemies, and finally the wicked judgment spoken against Myself — but above all I did penance in hearkening unto the weeping of My most loving and lowly mother, who grieved for Me with exceeding great grief. " Because of the sins of thy mouth and throat, where with thou didst take delight in feasting and drunken ness and in the sweetness of delicate meats, My mouth hath been dry and empty, hungry and thirsty, it hath fasted and been made bitter with vinegar mingled with gall " For the sins of thy tongue, which thou hast let loose in slanders, calumnies, derisions, blasphemies, lies, perjuries, and other sins, I did shut My mouth in the presence of judges and false witnesses, no excuses issued from My mouth, and with all Mine heart did I pray unto God for those who did Me evil, and I always preached the truth.

" Because of the sins of thy power of smell, whereby thou didst delight in flowers, I did smell the abominable spittle which I endured upon My face and eyes and nostrils. " For the sins committed with thy neck, by shaking it in anger, pride, and lasciviousness, and against the Supreme God, I suffered many and divers blows upon My neck. " For the sins of thy shoulders and back, whereby thou hast offended in bearing many things which were opposed unto God, I did penance by bearing upon My shoulders the Cross whereon I was to hang. " For the sins of thy hands and arms, with which thou hast done much wickedness, in embraces, touches, and other evil deeds, My hands were driven into the wood of the Cross by large nails and torn through bearing the weight of My body in Mine agony. " For the sins of thy heart, with which thou hast sinned through anger, envy, sadness, evil love, and base covetousness, My side and heart were pierced with a sharp spear, and from the wound issued there forth a most potent 2i 8 THE BLESSED ANGELA medicine, sufficient to heal all the passions and sins of the heart — that is to say, water to cool evil desires and loves, and blood for the remission of anger, sadness, and enmity.

" For the sins of thy feet, wherewith thou hast sinned through vain running and dancing and loose walking about for thy pleasure, My feet were not only twisted and bound, but were nailed upon the wood of the Cross ; in place of shoes laced and adorned with cut leather, I had feet all bleeding and covered with the blood which flowed from My whole body. " For the sins of thy whole body, wherewith thou hast sinned by giving it up to delights, repose, and dreams, taking pleasure therein in divers ways, My body was fastened upon the Cross, terribly scourged, and stretched out thereon after the manner of a skin ; I was closely fastened upon the hard wood until I was bathed in a bloody sweat which ran down even upon the ground ; and finally I suffered here the most dreadful torments, crying aloud, sighing, weeping and lamenting until I died, slain by cruel men for the sins of thine ornaments and thy needless, vain, and curious raiment. I was hung naked upon the Cross, and vile men stripped off My tunic and My vest and cast dice for them before Mine eyes. And, naked as when I was born of the Virgin, in the cold, the wind, and the air, I was exposed and stretched out on high in the sight of all men and women, in order that I might be the more easily seen and mocked at and might suffer the greater shame.

" Because of the sin of thy wealth, wherewith thou hast done evil by acquiring, wrongfully spending, and saving it, I have been poor, possessing neither palace, nor house, nor hut, wherein I might be born or where I might dwell during My lifetime ; in death I should have had no sepulchre wherein I might rest (but should have been left a prey unto dogs and birds) if one had not been moved through compassion of My misery to receive Me into his own sepulchre. My blood and My life have I given unto perverse and sinful men ; nothing whatsoever have I kept for Myself, but in life and death have I desired to be and to remain poor for ever. " But wherefore should I say more ? Howsoever thou mayest discourse, thou canst not find any sin, any disease of the soul, for the which I have not brought the true medicine and given sufficient satisfaction for all sinners and for all the infinite torments and grievous pains which the wretched soul ought to suffer in hell. But if thou remainest not in thy neglectfulness thou needest lament no longer, if only thou dost here suffer with Me and have compassion upon Me always, and be My companion in poverty, ignominy, and contempt as long as thou livest. Mary Magdalene, who was sick, had all these things and desired to be wholly liberated from them. Wherefore was she healed of all her infirmities — and in like manner can all persons who have these things find health as she did."

The Crucified One spake further unto me and said : " When these My sons, who through sin have departed from My kingdom and made themselves sons of the devil, do return unto the Father, He hath great joy of them and showeth them His exceeding great delight in their return. So great is the Father's joy at their conversion that He bestoweth upon them supernatural grace, the which He giveth not unto virgins who through sin have not departed from Him. And this He doth because of the boundless love which He beareth them, and because of the pity which He hath of their wretchedness ; also because they do grieve for that they have offended so great a Majesty and do know themselves to be worthy of hell. " Because of these two reasons, even he who hath been the greatest sinner may find the greatest grace and mercy." After this the Lord spake unto me again and said : " Whosoever desireth to find grace must not lift his eyes from the Cross, whether I do grant and permit him to live in joy, or whether he live in sorrow." SEVENTH CONSOLATION OF THE PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

UPON another occasion, as I was gazing at the Cross with the Crucified, and was looking at the Crucified with my bodily eyes, such a fervent love was suddenly kindled in my soul that even the members of my body felt it with great joy and delight. I saw and felt that Christ em braced my soul with the arm wherewith He was crucified, wherefore I rejoiced with a joy greater than I had ever had before. From this time forth there hath remained unto me a certain joy and clear enlightenment, whereby the soul knoweth and understandeth how it is that we see our flesh made one company with God. And this true delight of the soul was more unspeakable, this joy was more constant and this enlightenment was clearer .than I had ever had before. There remained unto me, there fore, so complete an assurance and certainty of my state that I had no more doubt whatsoever but that this state is most certainly from God, and likewise that the admoni tions or words which I heard within me are also from God. And I marvelled how hitherto I could possibly have doubted this. And so entirely certain was I of this state that I could not have believed otherwise even if all the men in the world had told me the contrary.

Even now, when I am rapt in this vision and embrace, my soul is so filled with joy that I can feel no sadness whatsoever of the Passion, albeit I see that that Hand is wounded. All my joy lieth now in Christ Crucified, and sometimes it seemeth unto my soul that in the aforesaid close embrace it entereth into the side of Christ — and the joy which my soul hath of this illumination cannot be described, for it is so great that sometimes I cannot stand upon my feet, but do fall down and lose my speech. Here end the Consolations of the Passion of Christ. THE first vision was, that upon one occasion whilst Mass was being said, and as I was striving to think with devotion of the humility of God and of His supreme goodness (in that it pleased Him to come unto us in the Sacrament of the Altar), I was exalted in spirit and obtained a new and clear understanding of how God cometh in the aforesaid Sacrament. Firstly, it was told me that, by virtue of His divine power, the body of Christ could be upon every altar, a thing not to be comprehended in this present life. And although much is said in the Scriptures of that power, those who read do nevertheless understand but little of it. " But those who feel something of Me," said God, " do understand more of it ; nevertheless, neither the former nor the latter do fully understand, but the time cometh when ye shall understand."

After this I was enlightened and did comprehend in a manner clearer than had been shown me either before or afterwards, how God cometh in this Sacrament. I be held how Christ cometh together with a most beauteous company, at whose beauty I marvelled greatly. And desiring to know who they were, it was told me that they were the thrones. That company was most bright, and was an exceeding numerous multitude ; so that if I had not known that God doeth all things with measure, I should have deemed it to be without number or measure, but innumerable ; for it could not be measured either in length or breadth, but was ineffable. BEING in the church of Foligno at the Feast of the Angels in September, I desired to communicate, and I prayed unto the holy angels, especially unto Saint Michael and the seraphim, saying : " Oh ye ministering angels, who have received power and office from God that ye may administer Him unto others by showing forth His knowledge and love, I do beseech you that ye present Him unto me such as the Father of Mercies did give Him unto men, such as He desireth that I should receive and worship Him — that is to say, as one poor, suffering, despised, wounded, bleeding, crucified, and dead upon the Cross."

Then did the angels reply unto me with infinite graciousness and sweetness : " Oh thou who art pleasing unto God, behold, He hath been administered unto thee and is present with thee, and moreover, it is given unto thee to administer and present Him unto the others." And verily, I did then have Him present with me, and I did of a certainty behold Him with mine eyes in that Sacrament in the manner as I had prayed — that is to say, poor, suffering, bleeding, crucified, and dead upon the Cross. At the sight of such a grievous vision I did then feel a pain so exceeding sharp that methought mine heart would burst. On the other hand, however, I was filled with joy and gladness because of the presence of the angels, and if I had not myself beheld them, I should never have believed that angels were so pleasing, or that they could have filled the soul with so much joy. Now whilst the Mass was being said, there was a priest who was celebrating near unto the time of the Com munion. And as he was taking the Body of Christ and breaking the Host, I heard a voice weeping and saying, " Alas, many are there who break Me in pieces and who do even draw blood from My back ! " I did therefore think that the priest was not in a state meet for receiving the Body of Christ, and I prayed, saying, " Grant that he may not be such a one," and instantly it was answered me, " He shall not be thus eternally."

ANOTHER time I was in church hearing Mass, and about the time of the elevation of the Body of Christ (when the congregation kneeleth down to adore it), I was uplifted in spirit, and the Blessed Virgin appeared unto me in a vision and said : " Oh my daughter, sweet unto my Son and unto me, my Son is now come unto thee and thou hast received His blessing." Then did she make me to understand that after the consecration of the Host, her Son was upon the altar, as though she were telling me some new thing with great joy. And these words gave me such pleasure and delight that I neither think nor believe that there be any person who could possibly relate it. For the Blessed Virgin told this unto me with great humility, and with a new feeling and the utmost sweetness. Wherefore I marvelled how that I had been able to remain standing, so great was my joy. Then she spake again and said — " Forasmuch as thou hast received the blessing of my Son, it is meet that I should come unto thee and give thee mine likewise." Then did she bless me, saying, " Be thou blessed of my Son and of me, and strive thou with all diligence and earnestness to love Him to the utmost of thy power ; for thou art greatly beloved and shalt attain unto that which is infinite."

Then was my joy greater than before, and it was yet more increased at the elevation of the Body of Christ. Yet I beheld nothing in the Body of Christ as I had hitherto beheld it, but I felt Christ verily within my soul. Thus came I to know by this that there is nothing which so filleth the soul with the burning fire and delight of love as having Christ within. For this is the fire of sweetest love, and when it burneth in the soul, then know I that God is verily there likewise, because none other can produce this effect. Then do all my members feel as though they were loosened and disjointed, and when they are thus loosened they do make a noise. This do I feel chiefly during the elevation of the Body of Christ, and especially in my hands, which become disjointed and fall apart. ANOTHER time, when I came to communicate, a heavenly voice spake unto me and said — " Oh beloved, in thee is all good, and thou goest to receive all good." Whereupon I began to think, " If all good is in thee, wherefore goest thou to receive it ? " Unto this came an answer immediately, " Although all good is in thee, it will not be effaced by that which thou art now going to receive." And as I drew nigh unto the Communion, the voice spake again and said, " Now is the Son of God upon the altar, according both unto His divinity and His humanity, and with Him is a multitude of angels."

And forasmuch as I desired greatly to behold Him with the angels, God was then shown unto me. I saw Him not in any form whatsoever, but I beheld plenitude and beauty — that is to say, I beheld all goodness. And it was told unto me, " Beloved, thus shalt thou stand before Him in the life eternal," and the comfort my soul derived therefrom cannot be described. When I communicate, the Host swelleth in my mouth for a little time after I have received it, and it hath a taste neither of bread nor of meat such as we do eat, but it hath quite another taste which resembleth nothing in the world. Moreover, the Host is not hard as heretofore, and doth not go down my throat in little pieces, but it goeth down whole, and it is so sweet that I would willingly hold it in my mouth for a great while if I had not heard it said that man should swallow it instantly. Thus it goeth whole down my throat, with that taste of an unknown meat, and — saving that it is the custom — there is no need to drink anything after it in order to swallow it more easily. And as it goeth down my throat it produceth in me a great feeling of pleasure, which is apparent outwardly in the body, for it maketh me so to tremble that scarcely can I hold the cup.

Now, when I do make the sign of the Cross and place my hand upon mine head, saying, " In the name of the Father," I feel nothing new. But when I place my hand upon my heart, saying, " and of the Son," I do instantly feel such love and consolation that methinketh I have found Him there. This would I not have related or caused to be written down like the other things had I not been advised there unto. DURING a certain time of sickness I greatly desired to communicate at the Feast of the Angels, and forasmuch as there was no person to bring me the most holy Body of Christ, I began to grieve exceedingly. Then, in the midst of my grief and desire for Com munion, behold, I began to reflect upon that same Feast of the Angels, upon their praise-giving, and how they do praise the Lord continually ; and I reflected upon the office of the angels, which is to praise God, to serve Him and minister unto Him. And behold, I was then suddenly exalted, and I saw before me a great multitude of angels ; and they led me unto an altar and said unto me, " This is the altar of the blessed angels." And upon the altar did they show unto my soul Him whom the angels praise, that is to say, they showed Him who is all praise ; and they said —

" In Him who is now upon the altar is the true perfec tion and complement of the most worthy sacrifice which thou seekest. Wherefore prepare thyself worthily to receive Him, for He hath espoused thee with the ring of His love and the marriage hath already been celebrated, but now wilt thou see a new way of accomplishing the marriage." I cannot describe the great joy which I had of this, for my soul felt it all in very truth, seeing that it was more full of meaning than can be related in words. Hereby was it also signified unto me that I should presently depart out of this world, because this thing happened at the beginning of my last illness. ANOTHER time I beheld Christ in the consecrated Host as a Child. He appeared certainly to be a child of twelve years of age, very lordly, as though He held the sceptre and the dominion. He appeared to hold something in His hand as an emblem of lordship, but I know not what, and although I saw it with my bodily eyes I cannot say what it was that He held in His hand. When I beheld Him I did not kneel down like the others, so great was my delight at beholding Him, but I was much displeased and grieved because the priest replaced the Host too soon upon the altar.

Verily, His beauty and adornment cannot be described, and so great was my joy at the sight of Him that I do think it will never fade, and there was such certainty with it that I do in no way doubt of the truth thereof. And finally, my delight in that vision was so great that I asked no help of Him and spake neither good nor evil, for I was so absorbed in the delight of that beauty that I knew not what to say. ANOTHER time whilst Mass was being celebrated I was uplifted in spirit, and I did question the Lord, saying — " Behold, Lord, Thou art in this Sacrament of the Altar, but tell me where are Thy faithful ones ? " Then opened He mine understanding and made answer, " Where I am, there are My faithful ones with Me." Then I perceived that it was so, and I comprehended clearly that in every place where He was, there should I be also. But this being is not the being within God, but the being which is outside of Him. And it is He alone who is in every place and comprehendeth all things.

I have many times seen the Body of Christ in divers forms in this Blessed Sacrament. For sometimes I have seen the throat of Christ more splendid and beauteous than the sun, and by that beauty was it certified unto me that God Himself was here, seeing that it was incom parably greater than the sun both in beauty and quantity, wherefore doth it greatly grieve me that I cannot make it manifest. Sometimes I have seen two eyes of great splendour, and so large that I beheld nothing of the Host save the edge thereof. At the sight of both these things was I refreshed with so much joy that I cannot compare the one with the other, because both are so great that I do think I shall never lose them. HERE BEGIN THE VISIONS WHEREIN SHE WAS COMFORTED BY THE BLESSED VIRGIN UPON one occasion I was exalted in spirit although I was not then at prayer, but as it was after dinner I had sat me down to meditate, and therefore I was not thinking about it in any way. And suddenly my soul was uplifted to behold and contemplate the Blessed Virgin Mary in glory ; and beholding a woman placed in such nobility, glory and dignity as was she, I was filled with marvellous delight, and the sight did produce in me most immense joyfulness. The glorious Virgin was praying for the human race, and so great was her exaltedness, humanity, and virtue that she was wholly ineffable, wherefore was my joy unspeakable.

And as I gazed at these things, Jesus Christ did sud denly appear in that place, seated beside her in glorified humanity. And as I gazed at Him (albeit I knew how His flesh had been tormented, lacerated, reviled, and ignominiously crucified, and miraculously knowing all the heavy sufferings, injuries, scoffings, and vilenesses borne for our sake), I did in no wise grieve, indeed, it is im possible to describe the delight I had thereof, and my speech failed me, so that methought I was about to die. I say, moreover, that it was unto me an exceeding great grief that I did not die, so that I might speedily attain unto that unspeakable thing which I beheld. This vision endured for three days in succession, and I was not hindered from eating, albeit I ate but little. My body did lie down in constant weakness and I spake not at all. Nothing else did hinder me, but when I heard God spoken of I could not contain myself for my im mense joy. WHEN I was in the church of the Brothers Minor at Foligno upon the morning of the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, a voice spake unto me, saying, "This is the hour wherein the Virgin Mary came into the Temple with her Son." This thing did my soul hear with exceeding great love ; thereupon it was exalted and I beheld our Lady entering that place. My soul advanced to meet her with great reverence and love ; but because it feared somewhat to approach near unto her, our Lady did greatly reassure it, and holding out her Son towards me, she said, " Oh lover of my Son, take Him ! " And with these words she placed her beloved Son in mine arms. And as I gazed upon Him, His eyes appeared to be fast closed as though He were asleep, and He was wrapped in clothes, or rather swaddled.

Our Lady, who was wearied by walking, then sat her down and made such beautiful, fair, and pleasing gesture (showing how honest and gracious were her manners), that for the sweetness and delight which it had of behold ing her my soul was not only unable to look at the Lord (whom I held clasped in mine arms), but it was constrained only to contemplate our Lady herself. And as I stood thus, the Child remained all naked in mine arms ; and opening His eyes He lifted them and looked to me. And at the look of those eyes I did suddenly feel myself filled with so much love that I was altogether overwhelmed. Because from those eyes there issued forth such splendour and fire of love and joy that it is a thing indescribable. After that there appeared suddenly a great and ineffable Majesty, saying — " He who beholdeth Me not small will not behold Me great." After this He added, " I am come unto thee and have offered Myself unto thee in order that thou mayest offer thyself unto Me." Then did my soul in a manner most marvellous and indescribable offer itself unto the Lord ; finally I offered myself wholly, and likewise my children who followed after me perfectly. I offered myself in all things, keeping back nothing whatsoever either of mine own possessions or of theirs, and my soul understood that God had very willingly accepted this offering, receiving it with great readiness. Wherefore I cannot tell how great was the joy, jubilation, and delight which my soul felt when

it saw that God accepted my offering with so much joyfulness and graciousness. Yet another time did I behold the glorious Virgin Mary and she exhorted me to go unto Communion, giving me her blessing and relating unto me the sufferings of compassion which she had for her Son. Here end, the Visions of the Sacrament of the Altar. BEING exalted upon one occasion, and drawn and absorbed into the Light uncreate, I beheld that which cannot be related. And as I remained in that state, there appeared unto me the image of the blessed God made Man, Christ Crucified, as though He had been but then lifted down from the Cross, and His blood issued forth from His wounds as fresh and red as though it were at that very moment first bursting from the new-made wounds. In all His joints, moreover, there appeared such a dissolution of the sinews (caused by the cruel stretching upon the Cross) that the bones seemed all to be loosened from their proper places. At this sight my bowels were pierced with anguish and I grieved more than I had ever grieved before. And as I stood thus plunged in grief, there suddenly appeared around the Crucified a multitude of my children who were devout and given unto preaching and to following the example of poverty, contempt, and suffering of Christ Crucified. The Blessed Jesus called them unto Himself, and drawing each one unto Him, He embraced him and made him to kiss the wound in His side, and clasping him close with His own hands, He laid his head there in that place. And because of the joy born in my soul at this sight, I did forget the aforesaid sorrow.

The degree of my children, however, was different one from another, for some did He press less and some more into His side ; some did He place there often and some were wholly absorbed into His side, whence there appeared on their lips the redness of red blood, and the mouths of some were adorned with this blood and their faces all coloured with it, according unto their aforesaid degrees. And bestowing upon each one His liberal blessing, He said — " Oh ye blessed sons, discover ye the way of the Crossthat is to say, the way of My poverty, contempt and suffering. For in these times especially do fellow-workers abound, and ye have I most especially elected in order that through you and your preaching and example may be discovered and made manifest My truth which hath hitherto been trodden upon and hidden by the world." Then did my soul understand that in like manner as my children had been pressed upon His side according to their different degrees, so also unto each one were these words diversely addressed. In no wise is it possible to describe the exceeding great love which shone in that blessed Face and especially in those Eyes of God made Man, the Lord Jesus Christ, upon these children as He pressed them upon His sacred wounds, and which was moreover revealed in all the signs, words, and benedictions made and pro nounced over them.

UPON another occasion, when I was walking in a certain procession, I felt that same unfathomable attraction of the Word Uncreate in the aforesaid ineffable manner. And I beheld the blessed God, Three in One, dwelling in the minds of my sons and transforming them diversely in Himself according unto their degrees, to behold which thing was verily like unto being in Paradise ! For so tenderly and lovingly did He descend upon them that I wearied not of gazing at them, and so full and sweet, so cordially spoken was the blessing which God Uncreate poured out upon these children that it is altogether indescribable. Then called I unto my children, saying — " Oh my sons, be ye as a burnt sacrifice, wholly con sumed both in mind and body." In like manner was the supreme God made Man, Christ Crucified, shown unto me, with all His joints loosened as hath already been said, and during the whole time of the procession was He carried through the air before mine eyes without the help of any hand whatsoever. And He gathered the children unto Him and pressed them upon the wound in His side, saying unto them —

"I am He who taketh away the sins of the world. Your sins have I taken away and they shall never more be imputed unto you. For this is the fountain of the true and perfect cleansing, this is the price of the true redemp tion and this is the house of the true habitation. Where fore, oh My children, fear not to discover and to defend both by word and deed this most excellent truth of life and of My way, which is assailed by the perverse and the wicked, for I am ever with you, your Helper and Defender." Moreover, both now and also at other times was there shown unto me the cleansing of all my sons in three degrees. One was a special gift of great grace made unto some of them for the joyful perfecting of themselves in works of virtue. Another degree was the special gift of great grace and strength for the easy resisting of sin. The third and last degree was the perfection of the soul and its transformation in the Crucified. And although much beauty is bestowed upon the soul in all these changes and graces, yet is nevertheless the first degree of great, pleasing and most excellent beauty. Likewise is the last degree

greater than I can say. These children did appear unto me to be so entirely transformed in God that now I do behold. scarce aught else save Christ Crucified and not yet glorified, so wholly do my children seem to have been absorbed and transubstantiated into Him. DURING that same procession, as we were approaching unto a church of the Blessed Virgin, behold, the Queen of Mercy and Mother of all Grace herself arose, and inclining herself unto these children in a new and gracious manner, she bestowed on them blessings sweeter than all other blessings, kissing them all upon the breast, some more and some less ; and some did she embrace with her arms as she kissed them. Of so great a charity was she, that — being apparently all luminous — she did seem to absorb those children into that infinite light within her own breast. Yet it seemed unto me that I beheld no arms of flesh, but a certain miraculous light into which, as hath been said, she absorbed them with a most great and tender love. UPON that same day, amongst many other things which I saw, whilst Mass was being celebrated, there appeared unto

me the Blessed Francis, all glorious, offering me his customary salutation, the which is — " The peace of the Most High be with thee." His manner of saluting is always to speak in a voice pious, humble, gracious, and affectionate. Then did he praise greatly unto me the ardent in tentions of some of my sons and their zeal in observing the poverty of the Order. But he desired that it should increase with the work and he said — " May the eternal, perfect and abundant blessing (which I have received from God Eternal) descend upon the heads of these beloved children of mine and thine. See that thou biddest them live according unto the way of Christ, showing it forth fearlessly both in word and deed ; for I am with them and the Eternal God is their Helper." With so much affection did he then praise these chil dren for their good intentions, comforting them with the promise that they should assuredly make good pro gress and that he would help them in his own inten tion, and blessing them so lovingly that he appeared as though he would rend himself for love of them. Many other things did I behold concerning myself and my children, all of which I cannot describe. But this will I say, that I have seen and clearly comprehended that the blessed God doth most tenderly overshadow us, and likewise His sweet Mother, and they are ready to bear the burden of our penitence, asking only that

ye, oh my sons, should be shining examples of splendid gentleness in suffering, poverty, and derision. They desire, moreover, to see you dead unto this life, so that your habitation be in heaven and your body alone in this world. And as a dead man is not moved either by honour or beauty, so must ye be in all ways un changeable and outside of all worldly fear ; and ye must preach unto others rather for the mortification of your own lives than for the sake of making contentious dis course. They do likewise desire that in all your deeds your whole intention should be fixed in heaven in the blessed Christ Crucified. Thus, whether outwardly ye work or speak or eat, ye are inwardly one with Him who desireth that ye should continually bear Him about with you in every place and land, and that He should ever direct all your actions. And I pray that He who hath deigned to ask this thing of you will likewise deign to fulfil His desire in you, through the merits of His most holy Mother, the Virgin Mary. INSTRUCTION AND CONSOLATION RECEIVED FROM GOD CONCERNING HER TRIBULATIONS ONCE I besought God that He would give me something of Himself, and He made for me the sign of the Cross. Then I prayed Him that He would show me who were

His best beloved sons. Wherefore, amongst other things, was this example immediately told unto me : " Let us suppose that there was a man who had many dear friends whom he had bidden unto a feast prepared with great care and diligence. If it should happen, now, that many of those who were bidden refused to come, dost thou not think that he would grieve for those who came not, seeing that he had abundantly and with great cost prepared the feast, and that he would receive those who did come with great honour ? And is there any doubt but that, amongst those who were all joyfully received, there were not some more familiarly loved, whom he placed near unto himself at table, eating with them out of the same dish and drinking with them from the same cup ? " With great joy in my soul I then asked : " Oh Lord, when Thou biddest all, do Thou tell me more fully of the difference." And He answered : " I have bidden all unto the life eternal and preparations have been made for all, and none can excuse himself for that he hath not been asked. But of all who were bidden only few come and are given places at the table." And He gave me to under stand that He Himself was the table, and not only the table, but the food likewise.

I did also ask by what way were those come who were come, and it was immediately told me by the way of tribulation, such as the virgins, the chaste, the poor, the sick, and the patient, with many others who had suffered tribulation and were destined unto salvation. Understanding thus the reasoning and explanation, every word did greatly delight me. Yet all had He bidden and all did He equally call His children. In these words was it notified unto me that virginity, poverty, sickness, loss of children and possessions and other temporal goods, and finally that all tribulations were sent by God unto His children for their good, albeit at that time they did not know this and could not understand it. For this reason there were many greatly troubled in the beginning, but afterwards, like true sons, they endured everything with patience and thanksgiving. Such are those who most commonly attain unto eternal life, nor is there any other way. But those who are bidden unto the special table, whom God maketh to eat out of the same dish and drink out of the same cup with Himself, are those who desire and strive to know who is this good Father and Lord who hath bidden them to the feast, and who seek to please Him by the imitation of His most holy Cross and by voluntarily taking upon themselves poverty, contempt, ignominy and affliction. For unto such sons as these doth God send many tribulations, the which are sent unto them as an especial grace in order that they may eat out of one dish with Him. " For at that table," said Christ, " I was called to drink the cup of the shameful Passion, which was made sweet unto Me through your love, although it was of itself exceeding hard and bitter."

Recognising this grace and mercy, therefore, albeit they do find the tribulations bitter, these sons do nevertheless esteem them supremely sweet because of the love, grace, honour and worthiness*contained therein. Therefore are they now not afflicted by their troubles, and the greater their tribulations the more delighted are they and the closer do they feel themselves unto God. Wherefore do I say and affirm that the children of God do feel the divine sweetness mingled with persecutions, tribulations, and penances, all of which was set forth unto me in the afore said preaching. Countless times have I experienced this, and I could not reveal or declare the sweetness I felt or the tears of exceeding great joy that I shed when I was troubled or reviled by my brethren, my friends, or my kindred. During a time of great sickness, as I was lying very weak, there did again appear unto me God made Man, Jesus Christ the Consoler, and methought that He had great compassion on me and said unto me : " I am come to serve thee." The service which He rendered me was to stand before my bed, showing Himself to be so pleasing and so gracious that it is a thing wholly unspeakable. And I beheld Him more clearly with the eyes of my mind than it is possible to behold any person with the eyes of the body, and so great was my joyfulness and supreme delight that it can in no wise be expressed or declared, because it is wholly ineffable.

Again, upon a certain Holy Thursday I said unto my companion : " Let us seek Jesus Christ the Crucified, and let us go unto the hospital, for perchance we shall find Him amongst those poor, suffering and afflicted ones." So we took the cloths we wore upon our heads (not having aught else), and giving them unto the servant of the hos pital, we bade her sell them and with the money buy something for the poor of the hospital to eat. And albeit she feared to do it, telling us that we should cause ourselves to be reviled, yet because of our great impor tunity she went and sold those poor little cloths and purchased fish with the money, unto which we did add the bread which had been given unto us for the love of God for our own sustenance. After this we washed the feet of the poor women and the hands of the men, but especially those of a leper which were all putrefied and spoiled and full of corruption. Afterwards we did drink the water wherewith we had washed him, and that drink was so sweet unto us that we tasted of its sweetness all the way as we returned until we arrived at this place. And because a scale from those sores had got into my throat I endeavoured to swallow it as though I had re ceived it in communion ; and at last I did swallow it, and I found it to be so sweet that I can in no wise describe it.

This have I told, because although man is troubled in the beginning by the penances, afflictions and tribulations he has accepted of God, yet doth he at last find exceeding great consolation therein. ANOTHER time when I was stirred by spiritual tribulation it seemed unto me that for the space of a month I did feel nothing whatsoever of God ; yea, it seemed even as though He had wholly forsaken me and I was not able to confess my sins. Although upon the one hand methought this had happened unto me because of my pride, upon the other hand I perceived my sins so plainly and with such deep conviction that I doubted if ever I should be able to confess them with due contrition, or even declare them with my mouth. For this reason I could neither praise God nor pray ; but I perceived that this alone remained unto me of God, that I was not as greatly troubled as I deserved to be for having desired to depart from God through sin, yet I could not have desired to offend God for all the good and evil in the world, or consent unto wickedness. Thus was I deeply and most terribly troubled and afflicted during the whole of the aforesaid time.

Then through the mercy and pity of God there spake unto me a voice and said : " Daughter beloved of Almighty God and of all the blessed saints in Paradise, God hath placed His love in thee and beareth more love toward thee than toward any other woman in the Valley of Spoleto." Then did my soul cry aloud and answer : " How may I believe this, seeing that I am full of tribulation and do seem to be forsaken of God ? " The voice made answer : " When thou thinkest thyself to be most forsaken, then art thou most dearly be loved and nearest unto the eternal God." And again he added : " A father who hath but one dearly beloved son doth administer unto him delicate meats in moderation, and permitteth him not to drink pure wine ; but he doth mingle the wine with water and permitteth him to eat nothing hurtful, in order that his food may do him no hurt but always good. And God doth likewise, mingling temptations and grievous tribulations with His conso lations, and keeping the soul in these tribulations and temptations ; for if He did not do this, it would plunge into intemperate enjoyments as into a sea and would be drowned. Wherefore, as I have said, when the soul seemeth to be most forsaken, then is it most loved."

Then were my tribulations somewhat tempered, but not wholly taken away, for I did not yet feel disposed to confess and communicate. But in a short time they were all taken away and thus was it told me — " It pleaseth Me that thou shouldst communicate — because if thou receivest Me, thou hast already received Me, and if thou receivest Me not, thou hast received Me nevertheless. Communicate, therefore, with the bless ing of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And do it for reverence of Almighty God, of Saint Mary the Virgin, and of Saint Anthony whose Feast it is to-day ; for unto thee shall be given a new and most excellent grace which thou hast never had before." There was vouchsafed unto me accordingly the grace to confess and the desire to communicate, and I did confess immediately. Now whilst Mass was being said, I perceived myself to be so full of sins and shortcomings that I could not speak, and I thought that the Communion which I then desired would be a judgment upon me. Nevertheless there was presently granted me such an admirable disposition that I was able to place myself wholly in Christ. Then I entered into Him with a faith and security such as I had never before experienced ; I placed myself in Him and in His merits as though I were dead, with an admirable certainty that He would raise me up to life again.

Where fore I communicated in His faith, and there was granted unto me a marvellous feeling which left in me a peace whereby I was given to understand and to feel that all tribulation which had happened unto me was for my good. And this Communion which I received did bring my soul in faith unto this perception and desire — that is to say, I desired to give myself wholly unto Christ because He hath given Himself unto us. Wherefore do I take new delight in the longing for martyrdom, and I desire so much that I rejoice when grief and tribulation more than usual do fall upon me. Hence do I conclude that in the end God consoleth every troubled soul.

Thus I do remember me that, being one time afflicted and believing myself forsaken, I heard it said unto me : " Know, thou beloved, that thou art not forsaken — yea, rather is God nearer unto thee and thou unto God in tribulation than in times more prosperous." Then cried my soul — " If it be true that I am nearer unto God in tribulation, may it please Him to take away all my sin and through the merits of His Passion to give me free absolution, to give also His blessing unto me and unto my companion, and likewise unto the brother who hath written down these things." And the answer was given me, saying, " Thy sins have been taken away, and I bless you with the flesh of that Hand which was nailed upon the Cross." Then I beheld that Hand stretched out in blessing over our heads ; and I rejoiced greatly at the sight of that Hand, because verily it was a joyous thing to see it. And unto us three He gave His blessing, saying — " The blessing of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit be upon you, and may ye keep it through all eternity." More over He said unto me, " Say unto thy brother the writer that he should seek to make himself little, and forasmuch as he is greatly beloved of Almighty God, he must strive to love Him yet more."

Thus in many ways did He deign to console me, He who consoleth all who are in tribulation, unto Whom be honour and glory for ever and ever. UPON a certain time as I was praying in my closet these words were spoken unto me — " All who are instructed and enlightened of God to the end that they may under stand the way of God, and who, in spite of this light and revelation especially given them of God, do shut their ears that they may not hear and their eyes that they may not see, who refuse to understand or hearken unto that which God sayeth unto the soul, but do more readily debase themselves and follow after other doctrine than that given them of God (desiring against their conscience to keep upon the broad high way), all these I declare to have merited the curse of Almighty God." Not once only, but many times, was this judgment told unto me, and I was filled with horror when I heard it ; it seemed unto me a thing most grave, for I feared there was no deception therein — that is to say, that God did curse those to whom He had first given His light and grace. Then was an example showed me, and it was commanded me that I should cause it to be written down ; and the example was this :

" Suppose there was a father who sent his son unto the school, spending large sums upon him, clothing him honourably in fair raiment and furnishing him with books, and who, after that the son hath been instructed by an inferior master, procureth that he shall be trans ferred unto a better one and advanced higher. If this scholar, then, behaveth negligently and careth nothing for the knowledge he hath learnt, but returneth unto a vulgar state and vile occupations, and unto work of great fatigue and labour, so that nothing remaineth unto him of all that he hath learnt, the father must assuredly feel great perturbation and indignation at his son." Now such a son is he who is first instructed by preaching and the Scriptures, and afterwards especially enlightened by God, and unto whom it is given through especial light and divine inspiration to know and understand how he should follow in the way of Christ ; which learning God first caused him to be shown by others and did then Himself instruct him by His especial light and doctrine, which cannot be taught save by God alone. And this He doeth that the man may know how to direct himself and may also be as a light unto others. But if such a man declineth unto negligence, debasing himself and growing fat and despising the light which he hath and the divine doctrine and inspiration, then God will take away from him that light and that grace and will curse him instead. This was I commanded to have written down in order that I might tell it unto a brother unto whom I made confession, because it was a matter which concerned him.

In another heavenly conversation was I told that there is a certain generation which knoweth God only through the manifold goodness of the good things He hath done unto them, and that these know Him but little. And I was told that there is another generation of men who, albeit they know God through the aforesaid good things, do nevertheless know Him much better through His good ness which they experience in themselves. In yet another conversation I heard a voice crying and saying, " Oh, how great are they ! How great are they ! Not the great readers of My Scriptures, but those who do them and fulfil them ; for the whole of the divine Scriptures are fulfilled in the example of the Life of Christ Jesus." Once when I was at prayer I said unto God — " I know, teach Thou me, therefore, that which Thou wouldst have me do, and instruct me in that which pleaseth Thee, for 1 am ready to obey Thee." Now reflecting upon these words from morning even until the hour of tierce, I beheld and heard, but that which I beheld and heard am I in no wise able to declare. But it was a most unspeakable abyss, and it was shown me what it was, who dwelt therein and who dwelt not therein. And God said —

" Of a truth there is no other straight way than that which followeth My footsteps, for upon this road none are deceived." And this hath been told unto me many times in truth and great clearness. Amen. Here end the Visions and Consolations of the Blessed Angela of Foligno. THE LAST WRITING OF THE BLESSED ANGELA OF FOLIGNO THIS is the last writing and the last letter given by our Mother, the Blessed Angela of Foligno, before she fell sick unto death, and which she said was the last of her letters. She foresaw her happy passing away a long time before it happened, wherefore with great affection did she constrain her writer to write thus, saying — " Oh my God, Jesus Christ, make me worthy that I may know Thy most high mystery, which hath been wrought by Thy most ardent charity. That is to say, the most high and profound mystery of Thy most holy Incarnation, which Thou hast wrought for our sake and which hath been the beginning of our salvation, for it doeth two things unto us. Firstly, it filleth us with love ; and secondly, it maketh us to be verily certain of our salvation.

" Oh, how unspeakable is this charity ! Truly there is none greater than this, that my God, the Creator of all, should have become a creature in order that He might make me as God. Oh burning love ! Thou hast effaced Thyself and made Thyself the least of all in order that I might be great, and hast taken the form of a vile servant in order that Thou mightest confer upon me a royal and divine beauty. When Thou tookest my form, however, Thou didst not make Thyself so small that Thou didst in any way lessen aught of Thine own substance, or take away from Thy Godhead, but the depth of the humility of Thy Incarnation constraineth me to speak these difficult words. Oh Thou Incomprehensible One, who hast made Thyself comprehensible unto me, Thou God Uncreate made creature for me ! Oh Unthinkable One, made conceivable for me ! Oh Untouchable One, made so that I may touch Thee ! Oh Lord, make me worthy to behold the depth of this charity which Thou hast com municated unto us in this Thy most holy Incarnation ! Oh happy fault (which came not of thee, however, but of God's pity), unto whom it hath been permitted to show us the hidden depths of divine charity which had been concealed from us. And in very truth, a greater charity cannot be imagined.

" Oh Thou Most High, make me capable of understand ing this high and ineffable charity. Oh Lord, make us capable of understanding the mysteries which Thou hast wrought for us ! The first is the mystery of Thy most holy Incarnation. The second is the ineffable mystery of the example of Thy doctrine of penitence and affliction. The third is the bitter death borne for our sake. The fourth is the glory of Thy Resurrection. The fifth is the exaltation of Thine admirable Ascension. " The first is love unspeakable. Oh love supreme and transformed ! Oh love all too ineffable ! Blessed be Thou, oh Lord, because Thou makest me to understand that Thou wert made man. Oh how glorious is this knowledge and understanding, that I do see and know that Thou art born in me. Verily this understanding is full of all delight and sweetness. Oh Thou Admirable One, how admirable are the mysteries which Thou hast wrought for me ! " The second mystery which Thou hast wrought for us maketh us certain of the way of life. For Thou tookest our flesh upon Thee and wast born and didst live in such wise that we do possess Thy teaching and example, oh Jesus Christ, who wast born unto poverty, suffering and contempt, and therein didst live and die.

" The third is the mystery of Thy death, for thereunto wast Thou born, that by dying for us Thou mightest work our redemption. There are five things to be considered in this death of Christ. Firstly, the declaration and operation of our salvation ; secondly, our strengthening and our victory over our enemies ; thirdly, the fulness and superabundance of the divine love, as manifested by that same death ; fourthly, that He hath filled us with a most high, most loving, and profound truth, whereby we may know, see, and understand how God the Father hath shown forth, glorified and declared His Son ; and fifthly, that hereby we may know also how the Son of God did make manifest the Father, by the obedience which He did observe throughout His whole life, even unto the bitter death of the Cross, and hath given satis faction for the whole human race. Make me worthy, oh Thou God Uncreate, to know the depths of Thy love and the unfathomable extent of Thy ardent charity ; make me worthy to understand the ineffable charity which Thou didst communicate unto us when Thou didst show unto us Thy Son Jesus Christ in this flesh and when this Thy Son did make Thee manifest unto us. Oh marvellous, indescribable, and joyful love, in Thee is all savour and sweetness and all delight, the contempla tion whereof exalteth the soul above the world, making it able to stand alone in joy, peace and rest.

" The fourth mystery is in the triumphant Resurrection, in the which two things chiefly are to be considered. The first is, that His resurrection giveth us hope of our own ; and the second is, that it maketh us perfectly to know the spiritual resurrection which God worketh of His grace when He raiseth up a dead man to life again and restoreth the sick to health. Oh most high, unspeakable, unknown and ineffable mystery wherein Thou hast shown the fulfilment of our perfection, make me, oh Lord, worthy of knowing this most high mystery. " The fifth is the mystery of the Ascension. Make me, oh Lord, worthy and capable of understanding the most high mystery of Thine Ascension, whereby was fulfilled the whole of our salvation. Oh Jesus Christ, then was it that Thou didst give us possession of Him who is Thy Father and ours ! " These five mysteries are the school of true scholars, and the veritable school where we learn continual prayer. Therefore, oh Lord, make me to know and understand the supreme charity through which Thou didst create and redeem me. Oh Thou Incomprehensible One, make me able to understand Thine inestimable and ardent charity and that burning love through which Thou hast chosen the human race unto all eternity to attain unto the vision of Thyself and through which Thou, oh Most High, hast deigned to look upon us. Make us, oh Lord, to know our faults that we may escape the punishments wherewith Thou hast threatened those who are ungrateful and who know not Thee nor Thine ineffable mysteries and benefits."

Beside these things, she spake of seven spiritual gifts and benefits conferred upon us by the divine goodness, and she said — " Oh most sweet Lord, make me able to understand these seven gifts which Thou hast bestowed upon us amongst the multitude of Thine other gifts ! The first gift is the ineffable creation. The second is the admir able election whereby Thou hast deigned to exalt us unto Thy glory. The third is the inestimable gift vouchsafed us when Thou didst send Thy Son to give us life. The fourth is the most high gift of Thy goodness, whereby Thou didst deign to make me sensible and reasoning, and not brutal and unreasoning. This admirable power of reasoning which Thou hast placed in me doth work three things in me ; firstly, it maketh me to know that Thou art marvellous ; secondly, it maketh me to know my sins ; and thirdly, through Thy grace it maketh me able to resist sensuality, which doth make me inclined unto sin. Oh, Thou Incomprehensible One, there is no gift greater than this which Thou hast granted unto me ! Thou hast made me, oh Lord, in Thine own likeness ; Thou hast given me understanding and clothed me with Thy light and Thy reason.

" The fifth gift is wisdom. Oh Lord, make me to under stand Thy most ardent charity through which Thou hast granted me this gift, namely wisdom. For verily this is the gift of gifts, that is to say, being able to enjoy Thee in very truth. "The sixth is the gift of understanding. Oh Lord, make us to know this gift which Thou hast granted us, that is to say, the understanding, in order that we may understand Thee, oh my God. " The seventh gift is love. Oh Supreme Being, make me to understand this gift, for all the angels and saints do behold naught else save Thee, loving Thee and contem plating Thee. Oh, gift above all other gifts, for Thou Thyself art love ! Oh Supreme Good, Thou hast deigned to make us know that Thou art Love and makest us to love that Love, wherefore shall they who come before Thy Face be rewarded according unto their love, and there is nothing which leadeth the contemplative unto contemplation saving true love alone. Oh, Marvellous One, how marvellous are the things which Thou workest in Thy children ! Oh Supreme Good — oh Incompre hensible Goodness and Ardent Charity ! Oh, Person Divine, who hast deigned to grant us substance in the midst of Thine own Substance ! Marvellous above all other things which Thou workest in Thy children ! Oh, hidden and marvellous thing, there is no human under standing which faileth not before this substance, but through divine grace and light do we feel it. And this is the pledge of those who do verily live solitary, and all the choirs of angels are herewith occupied. And in this true occupation are engaged all true contemplatives, who shall afterwards be solitary and separated from the earth, having their conversation in heaven. Thanks be unto God for ever and ever. Amen."

Here endeth the last writing given by the Blessed Angela of Foligno unto her children. " THAT which I now speak unto you, oh my children, I speak for no other reason save for the love of God, and because I did promise unto you that I would not willingly carry away with me beneath the earth aught of what I do know which might be profitable unto you. " That which I am about to say is not of myself, but wholly of God, because it hath pleased His divine good ness to give into my care all His sons and daughters who are in this world, both here and beyond the sea. 1 have been as careful of them as I was able, and I have grieved for them and have suffered more sorrow because of them than ye would readily believe. Oh my God, now do I render them unto Thee again, and I pray Thee that of Thine ineffable charity Thou do protect them from all evil and do keep them in the way of all goodness, in the love of poverty, contempt, and suffering, and in the transformation and imitation of Thy life and perfection, which it hath pleased Thee to show forth in word and deed and actual life.

" Oh, my beloved sons, I do exhort you in this my last exhortation that ye strive to be little and truly humble and meek, not only in outward works but in the depth of your hearts, in order that ye may be true scholars and disciples of Him who said, ' Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart.' " Have no care for power, or honours, or being preferred before others, but strive ye to be of no account in order that Christ may exalt you in the perfection of merits and in His grace. Be ye so humble that ye do perpetually esteem yourselves as nothing. Cursed are those self- sufficiencies which make souls proud, such as power, honour and preferment, — fly ye from them, for in them lieth great deception and danger. And greater decep tion still is there in spiritual self-sufficiency even than in the worldly — that is to say, in knowing how to speak of God, in understanding the Scriptures, in performing great penances and keeping the heart busied over spiritual things. For the spiritually self-sufficient do often fall into error and are more difficult to correct than those who have worldly self-sufficiency. Esteem yourselves, therefore, as nothing, as nothing known or nothing un known. Of a truth, the soul can possess no better insight or knowledge than to perceive its own nothingness and to remain within its own prison.

"Strive ye, oh my sons, to possess charity, without which there is neither salvation nor merit. Behold, God saith, ' All My things are thine.' Who is there who deserveth this, that all God's things should be his ? Verily, there is naught else that deserveth this save the most ardent charity. " Oh my sons, fathers and brothers, see that ye love one another amongst yourselves and that ye have true charity and love ; for if it hath this, the soul deserveth to inherit the divine possessions. And I do exhort you that ye desire not only to have this charity amongst yourselves, but likewise unto all people. For I say unto you that of a certainty my soul hath received more profit from weeping and lamenting over the sins of my neighbour than over mine own. And the world doth scoff at that which I now say, namely that a man may weep for his neighbour's sins as for his own, or even more than for his own, for it seemeth to be contrary unto nature, but the charity which bringeth this about is not of this world. " Oh my children, strive to possess this charity and judge not any man, even though ye should behold him commit a mortal sin. I do not say that sin should not be displeasing unto you and that ye should not hold it in the greatest horror, but I do say that ye should never judge the sinners, and moreover I say that ye should never despise them, for ye know not the judgments of our Lord God ;

and many are there who do appear unto men to be condemned unto hell, but who are saved in the sight of God, and many who appear unto men to be saved are reprobate in the sight of God and condemned unto hell. I could tell you of some whom ye have despised, but of whom I have the sure hope that God will lead them back into His own Hand.

" I will make no other testament, saving that I do com mend unto you this mutual love and profound humility. And all mine heritage do I leave unto you, the which is likewise that of Christ Jesus, namely poverty, suffering, and scorn. Your life is that of Jesus Christ. Those who shall possess this heritage of the Life of Christ shall be my children, because they are the children of God ; where fore is there no doubt that they shall possess the heritage of eternal life." When she had made an end of saying these things, she placed her hand upon the head of each person, saying — " Blessed be ye, both of the Lord and of me, oh my children, ye and all the others who are not here present. And even as it hath been signified and shown forth unto me by the Lord, even so do I give this eternal blessing unto you who are present and unto those who are absent, and may that same Christ Himself give it unto you with the Hand whereby He was nailed upon the Cross. Amen." ABOUT the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ (at which time she passed away unto Christ), as she lay very sick, she said, " The Word is made Flesh," and after a long silence, as though she were returning from some other place, she said, " Oh, every creature faileth, and the whole of the angelic understanding sufficeth not to com prehend this." Then she added, " My soul is washed and cleansed in the blood of Jesus Christ, the which was as fresh and warm as though it had but this moment issued from the body of the Crucified."

After this she said : " Christ Jesus, the Son of God, hath now presented me unto the Father, and these words have been spoken unto me — " ' Oh bride and fair one, oh thou who art beloved of Me with perfect love, of a truth I would not that thou shouldst come unto Me with these exceeding great sufferings, but I would thou shouldst come with the utmost rejoicing and with joy unspeakable, even as it is seemly that the King should lead home the bride whom He hath loved so long, and clothed with the royal robe.' " And he showed me the robe, even as the bridegroom showeth it unto the bride whom he hath loved a long time. It was neither of purple nor of scarlet, nor of sendal, nor of samite, but it was a certain marvellous light which clothed the soul. And then He showed unto me the Bridegroom, the Eternal Word, so that now I do understand what thing the Word is and what it doth mean — that is to say, this Word which for my sake was made Flesh. And the Word entered into me and touched me throughout and embraced me, saying, ' Come, My love, My bride, beloved of Me with true delight — come, for all the saints do await thee with ex ceeding great joy.' And He said again unto me, ' I will not commit thee in charge unto the blessed angels or other saints that they should lead thee unto Me, but I will come personally and fetch thee and will raise thee unto Myself, for thou hast made thyself meet for Me and pleasing unto My Majesty.' "

Now when she was nigh unto the time of her passing away (being the day before it), she did often repeat, " Father, into Thy Hands I do commend my soul and my spirit." Once, after repeating these words, she said unto us who were present — " Now hath an answer unto those words been given unto me, and it is this : * It is impossible that in death thou shouldst lose that which hath been impressed upon thine heart in life.' " Then did we say unto her, " Wilt thou, then, depart and leave us ? " And she made answer — " A long time have I hidden it from you, but now will I conceal it no longer. I say unto you that I must needs depart." And upon that same day ceased all those sufferings with which for many days previously she had been grievously tormented in all her limbs, both within and without, and afflicted in many ways. And she did then lie in such repose of the body and cheerfulness of spirit that she appeared as though she already tasted somewhat of the joy which had been promised unto her. Then did we ask of her whether that aforesaid joy had yet been granted unto her, and she replied that the abovementioned joy had commenced.