The Mirror of Simple Souls

AN EXHORTATION TO A SOUL TO ASCEND TO THE STAIRS OF PERFECTION, AND HOW THIS BOOK MAY BE UNDERSTOOD SOUL touched of God, dissevered () from sin, in the first estate of grace, ascend by divine grace into the seventh estate of grace, where the soul hath her fullhead of perfection by divine fruition in life of peace. And among you, actives and contemplatives, that to this life may come, hear now some crumbs* of the clean love, of the noble love, and of the high love of the free souls, and how the Holy Ghost hath his sail in his ship. “<I pray you,” saith Love for love, “ that ye hear it by study of your inward subtle understanding with great diligence; else they shall misunderstand it, all those that read it or hear it.” Now hearken by meekness among you, at the beginning of this, a little ensample of love of the world, and understand it into divine love. There was in old time a lady, the which was a king’s daughter of great worthiness and noble nature, that dwelt in a strange land. So it befell that this lady heard tell of the great courtesy and of the great largesse of King Alexander; and anon she loved him for his noble gentleness and for his high renown. But this lady was so far from this great lord, in whom she had laid her love, that she might neither have him nor see him.

Wherefore she was full oft discomforted, for no love but this sufficed unto her, and when she saw [that] this far love—to her so nigh—was so far from her, she sought to comfort herself of him by imagination of some figure, that might bear the likeness of him that she loved, for whom she felt her heart full oft wounded. And then she had painted an image, that presented. that king’s semblance as nigh as she might, whom she loved, and by the sight of this image, with other usages, she was eased: and thus she appeased herself by the presentation of [that] love, whereby she was updrawn.

“ Soothly,” saith the soul that had this book written, “this I say for me: so fare I. I hear speak of a king of great might that for courtesy and great largesse is a noble Alexander. But so far is he from me and I from him,” saith this soul, “‘ that I cannot take comfort of myself: and to call* me he gave me this book, the which presenteth some usages of the love of himself. But nevertheless I dwell not in freedom of peace, though I have his image, but I am in a strange land, far from the peace, wherein these noble lovers of this lord dwell that be all perfect and pure, and by the gifts of this lord made free, with whom they dwell.’’ Here shall I tell you how: not that we be lords, free of all, but that his love for us maketh us free.t M. Ye auditors of this book, take keep of these words that say ‘“‘ not that we be lords free of all’; for whilst we be in this world, we may not be free of all, that is to say, we may not be departed continually from all spots of sin. But when a soul is drawn into herself from all outward things, so that love worketh in the soul—by which the soul is for a time departed from all

*iNio.-clepe.”’ +t MS.“ not we lords free of all, but love of him for us.” 3 sin, and is oned to God by union—then is the soul free, for that time of union, full little time [though] it is. And when she cometh down therefrom, then is she thrall, falling or fading. ‘To this accordeth holy writ, where that it saith: Septies in die cadit justus.* But this failing of the righteous is more merit than sin, because of the good will that standeth unbroken, and is oned to God. A creature may be inhabited by grace in freedom for ever; but to stand continually in freedom, without sin, it may not, for the instability of the sensuality that is always flitting. And therefore the falling is credited} to the sensuality, and not to the holy souls that perfectly have set their will in God, by which love maketh them free for the nobility of his work; therefore it may well be said, “‘ not that we be lords free of all, but his love for us [maketh us free].” N.

So hear now a little for to show you how love may do all without any misdoing. Thus saith Love for us: that there be six beings of noble being; that creatures receive being, if they dispose them to all beings, ere they come to perfect being; as I shall tell you, t MS. “itis aretid the falling.” before this book, of the takings of love, end.* paraphrased somewhat as follows: “‘ There be six [ways of] being [among] noble [modes of] being; that creatures receive being (7.e., existence) before they come to perfect being, if they dispose themselves for all these modes of being; as I shall tell,” etc.... Takings =ideas, conceptions, ways, happenings, and so throughout.

FOR WHOM THIS BOOK HAS BEEN MADE, AND OF THE PERFECTION THAT IS NEEDFUL TO ALL THEM THAT WILL BE SAVED 5, MONG you children of Holy A Church,” saith she, “‘ for you have I made this book, that it should the more avail you [to] the life of perfection and the being of peace; to which creatures may come by virtue of perfect charity, to whom this gift is given of all the Trinity, which in this book ye hear devised, of the understanding of Love at question of Reason.” “Begin we hefe,”?, saith Love, vateuic commandments of Holy Church, by which every creature may in this book learn wisdom by the help of God, that commandeth us to love him with all our heart, with ail our soul, and with all our virtue, and ourselves as we ought and our even-Christian* as ourselves. That we love him with all our heart, is that our thoughts be alway verily in him. And with all our soul, is that, upon our life, we should not say but truth. And with all our virtue, is that we should do all our works purely for him. And ourselves as we ought, is that, in doing of this we look not to our own profit, but to the perfect will of him, God, Christ Jesu. And our even-Christian as ourselves, is that we should not think, nor say, nor do against our even-Christian, otherwise than we would they did to us. These commandments be to all needful. to salvation, of less life may none have grace.

OF THE COUNSEL OF PERFECTION AND OF THE LAUD OF CHARITY A YOUNG man [there] was on a time that said to our Lord Jesu Christ that he had kept himself from the time he was a child unto that time. And our Lord answered him and said: One thing yet faulteth thee. If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell all thou hast and give it all to poor and then sue* me and thou shalt have treasure in heaven.t ‘This is counsel of perfection of virtues, who that holdeth well this teaching, he is in very charity. Charity obeyeth to nothing that is made, but [only] to love. Charity has nothing of t Mark x 21. g her own, not so much that she will ask [for any|thing that is hers. Charity leaveth her own work and goeth to do others’. Charity asketh none allowance of creatures for [any] thing that she doth for them. Charity hath no shame, nor dread, nor dis-ease. She is so rightwise that she may not flit for nothing that [be]falleth. Charity recketh not of [any]thing that is under the sun, all the world is her relief. Charity giveth to all, all that she has of value. Herself she withholdeth not, and oft promiseth thing that she hath not, for the great largesse of herself, in hope that he, that most giveth, most with him dwelleth. Charity is so wise a merchant that she winneth over all where others lose, and escapeth from perils where others perish, unto plenteous multiplying of that that is in love. Whoso hath perfect charity he is mortified in affection of [the] life of spirit,* by works of charity.

OF THE LIFE NAUGHTED, AND OF NINE POINTS OF THE SOUL THAT LIVETH IN THAT LIFE, AND HOW SHE WILLETH NOTHING THAT COMETH BY MEAN A NOTHER life [there] is that we call peace of charity in life naughted. OTe this. saith jCOvetasewen will speak in asking a soul. “That none may her find. That saveth her by faith without work. ‘That is alone [or all one] in love. That doth naught for God. Nor she leaveth naught for God. Nor no one may teach her. Nor none may give [to] her nor take away [from her]. Nor hath she naught of will. Ah, who shall give to this soul,” saith Love, “‘ this [thing] that is lacking to her, for it was never given nor never shall be given.” This soul hath six wings as: have the seraphins, and also she willeth nothing that cometh by means.* ‘This is the proper being of seraphins; there is no mean between their love and the divine love, they have alway tidings without mean. So hath this soul that seeketh not divine science among the masters of the world, but the world and herself inwardly despiseth. Ah God, how great a difference [there is] between the gift given by the mean of the loved to the lover, in comparison with the gift given without mean, of the loved to the lover.

HOW THIS SOUL HATH SIX WINGS AS HAVE THE SERAPHIN, AND WHAT SHE DOTH WITH THEM THIS book saith sooth of the soul, that saith she has six wings. With twain she covereth the face of our Lord; that is to say, the more that this soul hath of the knowing of the divine bounty, the more she knoweth that she knoweth not the mere wittance of a mote in regard of his bounty, the which is not comprehended but of himself. And with twain she covereth his feet; that is, that the more this soul hath knowing of the suffering that Jesu Christ suffered for us, the more perfectly she knoweth that she knoweth not, with regard to that [which] he suffered for us, the which is not known but of him. And with twain she flieth, and so dwelleth in understanding and in sitting. That is, that 10 all that she coveteth and loveth and prizeth, it is of the divine bounty. ‘These be the Wings that she flieth with. And [she] so dwelleth in standing, for she is alway in sight of God; and sitting, for she dwelleth alway in the divine will of God. Whereof should this soul have dread though she be in the world ? And [though] the world, the flesh and the enemy, the fiend, and the four elements, the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth tormented her and despised her and devoured her, if it might so be, what might she lose, if God dwelled with her ? Oh, is he not Almighty? Yes, without doubt, he is all might, all wisdom, and all goodness: our Father, our brother and our true friend; he is without beginning and shall be without ending, he is without comprehending but of himself, and without end was, is, and shall be, three persons and one God only. ‘‘ Such is the Beloved of our souls,” saith this soul.

** THE soul of such love,”’ saith Love himself, “may say thus to virtues: ‘I take leave of you.’ To which virtues this soul many a day hath been servant.” “TI assent, Lady Love,” saith this soul; “so [I] was then, but now, your courtesy has delivered me in this way out of this bondage.’’* Therefore I say, ‘‘ Virtues, I take leave of you for evermore. Now shall mine heart be more free and more in peace than it hath been before. I wot} well your service is too travailous. . . . Sometime I laid mine heart in you without any dissevering; ye wot well this; I was in all thing to you obedient. Oh I was then your servant, but now I am delivered out of your thraldom. Well, I wot, I laid all mine heart in you, so long I have endured great servitude in which I have suffered many grievous torments, and many pains endured. It is marvel that I am escaped with the life, but now I trouble not,+ since it is thus, that I am departed out of your control, wherein many a night and day I have been, [so] that never was I free until now that I am departed from you; and. therefore in peace I dwell.”

M. ‘Touching these words that this soul saith: ‘‘ She taketh leave of virtues,’’ Love declareth, but yet I am stirred here to say more to the matter, as thus: First: when + Wot or wit or wist=know; wittance or witting — knowledge. + MS. ‘‘ make no fors.” I2 a soul giveth herself to perfection she laboureth busily day and night to get virtues, by counsel of reason, and striveth with vices at every thought, at every word and deed that she perceiveth cometh of them, and busily searcheth [out] vices, them to destroy. ‘Thus the virtues be mistresses, and every virtue maketh her to war with its contrary, the which be vices. Many sharp pains and bitterness of conscience feeleth this soul in this war. And these pains and passions be not only in the exercise of the spirit, by putting away vices in getting of virtues, but they be also of bodily exercise by commandments of virtues and by counsel of reason; to fast and wake, and to do penance in many sundry wises, and forsake all her own pleasures and all lusts and likings; and in the beginning of all this, it is ofttimes full sharp and full hard. But this she did all by commandments of virtues that were first ladies and mistresses of this soul. And she was subject to them all the while that she felt this pain and war within herself. But so long one may bite on the bitter bark of the nut, that at last one shall come to the sweet kernel. Bey

Right so, ghostly to understand, it fareth by those souls that be come to peace. They have so long striven with vices and wrought by virtues, that they may come to the nut kernel, that is, to the love of God, which is sweetness. And when the soul hath deeply tasted this love, so that this love of God worketh and hath his usages* in her soul, then the soul is wondrous light and gladsome, and that is no marvel, for the sweet taste of love driveth out from the soul all pains and bitterness and all doubts and dreads. Then is she mistress and lady over the virtues, for she hath them all within herself, ready at her commandment, without bitterness or painfulness of feeling to the soul. And then this soul taketh leave of virtues [in respect] of the thraldom and painful travail of them that she had before, and now she is lady and sovereign, and they be subjects. When the soul wrought by commandment of virtues, then the virtues were ladies and she subject. And now that the virtues work by commandment of this soul, they be subjects to this soul, and this soul is lady over virtues. And thus it is meant that this soul taketh leave of virtues.t WN.

t+ See note at end of text, infra, p. 299.

OF CERTAIN THINGS THAT THE SOUL RECKETH NOT OF, AND HOW SHE IS LOST IN THE RIGHT HIGH BY PLENTY OF KNOWING AND BECOME NAUGHT IN HER UNDERSTANDING, AND WHERETO SHE IS COME BY THAT ** THIS soul,” saith Love, “‘ recketh not of shame nor of worship, nor of poverty nor of riches, nor of ease nor of dis-ease, nor of love nor of hate, nor of hell nor of paradise.” ‘““O Love, for God,”’ saith Reason, “*‘ what is this to say that ye have said?” ‘“‘ What is this to say ?” saith Love. ‘‘ Wot they and none other to whom God hath given the understanding: for no Scripture teacheth it, nor may man’s wit comprehend it, nor travail of creatures nor desert may not reach it. But it is a gift given of the Right High, in whom this creature is lost by plenty of knowing, and becometh naught in her understanding.” M. Othese words seem full strange to the readers, that say the soul is lost in the Right High by plenty of knowing, and becometh naught in her understanding. And not only these words but also many more other words that be written before and after

seem fable or error, or hard to understand. But for the love of God, ye readers, judge not too soon, for I am certain that whoso readeth over this book by good avisement twice or thrice and is disposed to the same feelings, they shall understand it well enough. And though they be not disposed to those feelings, yet they shall think it is all well said. But whoso taketh the naked words of Scriptures* and leaveth the meaning, he may lightly err. WN. And this soul that is become naught, she wotteth all and she wotteth naught, and she willeth all and she willeth naught. ** Ah, what may this be, Lady Love,” saith Reason, “that this soul may thus will, as this writing saith, that before hath said that she hath no will >?” ““O Reason,” saith Love, “it is not her will, this that she willeth, but it is the will of God, all that she willeth; for this soul taketh not the lead in love, that thus should make her will by any desire, but Love leadeth in her [which] her will hath taken, and doth his will of her.” |

Now worketh love in her without her, so that no dis-ease with her may dwell.

HOW A SOUL THAT IS MORTIFIED OF ALL OUTWARD DESIRES CAN NO MORE SPEAK OF GOD; AND HOW IT IS MEANT, THAT THIS SOUL HATH TAKEN LEAVE OF VIRTUES, AND HOW SUCH SOULS BE BECOME FREE; AND WHAT THE GREATEST TORMENT IS THAT A CREATURE MAY SUFFER IN THIS LIFE “THIS soul,” saith Love, “‘can no more speak of God, for she is naughted of all outward desire and of all the affections of the spirit, so that [which] this soul doth, she doth it by usage of good custom, or by commandments of Holy Church, without any desire; for will is dead which gave her desire. *“Ah Love,” saith Reason, that understandeth eagerly and leaveth the sweetness, “what wonder is it, though this soul be deprived of the feelings of grace, of desire, of spirit, since she hath taken leave of virtues, which manners giveth to all good souls? without which virtues none may be saved, nor come to the life of perfection, and who hath them may not be deceived; and this soul hath taken leave of them; is she out of her wit that speaketh thus >”

“*Oh without fail, nay,” saith Love, “ for this soul hath better [than] all virtues, and more than any other creature. But she hath not the usages of them, for she is not with them* as she was wont. No, and God will,” saith Love, ‘‘she hath been servant long enough, now [is she] to become free from this time forward.” ** Eh, Love,” saith Reason, “‘ when was she servant 2” “When she took the lead} in love and in the obedience of thee and of other virtues,” saith Love. ‘“‘ These souls,’ saith Love, “‘that such be, have so long led in love and in obedience of virtues, that they be become freceti ** And when be these souls become free ?”’ saith Reason. ** When love dwelleth and leadeth in them, and virtues serve them without any understanding or painfulness in these souls.” x “Ts not with them” seems to mean, “‘is not absorbed in eager pursuit of them,” or concerned regarding her state in respect of virtue, as above. It is the eagerness which is blamed. The use of this phrase with her, or for her, denotes throughout a self-centred activity, and is contrasted with true selflessness by the term without her.

Tt MS. “ledid.” Throughout “leading” or ** meuing ”—7.e., moving—is used to express an impulsive self-direction of the soul even in good directions. The ideal is when ‘* Love leadeth in her,” or God is said to *‘ move”’ the soul into himself, etc. *‘ Soothly, Love,’’ saith Reason, ‘“‘ these souls that thus become free, they have many a day known what control can do. And who would ask them, ‘ What is the greatest torment that a creature may suffer ?’ they would say, “It is to take the lead in love and in obedience of virtues’; for it behoveth them give to virtues all that they ask, whatever it cost to nature; and they ask worship, honour, heart, body, life. ‘This is to say, that the soul that hath given them all this, and nothing hath left to comfort nature with (that hardly the rightful man shall be saved) would then thus become sorrowful, be in hell and tormented unto the day of judgement, so that she might be in certainty, then to be saved. This is sooth,’ saith Love, “ under such control live they, that these virtues have power over.”

‘“* But these souls that I speak of, have the virtues put at point;* for they do nothing for them, but the virtues do all that the souls will, without control or withstanding, for these souls be their mistresses.”’

HOW THESE FREE SOULS HAVE NOTHING OF WILL; AND WHAT THEIR CONTINUAL USAGE IS Wuo that asketh these free souls sure and peaceable, if they would be in purgatory ? they say “‘ Nay.” If they would [while yet] living be certified of their salvation ? they say “Nay.” If they would be in Paradise ? they say “‘ Nay.” “ Eh! what would they >” They have nothing of will to will this, and, if they did will it, they would descend from love. For he that is, hath their will, [and he] knoweth what is good for them, and that sufficeth them without knowing or being sure. ‘*‘ These souls,”’ saith love, ‘‘ live of knowing of love and of hearing.” This is [the] continual usage of these souls without departing them [therefrom]: for knowing and love and magnifying dwelleth in them. These souls, that be such, cannot find the good nor the evil, nor have knowing of themselves to make judgement whether they be converted or perverted.

HOW LOVE TAKETH ONE OF THESE SOULS FOR ALL, FOR TO SPEAK MORE READILY, AND OF CERTAIN WORKS OF VIRTUE THAT THIS SOUL HATH NO DESIRE TO; AND OF WHAT THE [MOST | PERFECT GIFT IS THAT GOD GIVETH TO CREATURES ** OF these souls,” saith Love, “we will take one for all, to speak the more readily. This soul desireth not despite nor poverty, nor tribulation nor dis-ease, nor masses nor sermons, nor fastings nor orisons, and she giveth to nature all that she asketh without grudging of conscience.” M. ‘This is to say, that this soul is oned with God, and, whiles she standeth in that union, she hath no will, nor work, nor no desire, she thinketh of nothing that is beneath that [union]. . Also, another understanding there is, and that is this. First, when creatures give themselves to perfection, they set all their desire and all their purpose* in these points aforesaid, and all their labour by fervour of love, in which they work and [take the] lead. They desire for God’s sake, despite,t poverty, tribulation, dis-ease, masses and sermons, fastings and orisons, and [they] take from nature all her asking, in refusing all thing that is lusty and pleasant to the flesh; for by this way, and by sharp contrition, souls must go, before they come to these divine usages. And when they have tasted of these sweet draughts of heavenly influences, it savoureth them so well that they attend fully thereto.

And then love, of her courtesy, worketh in these souls and maketh them cease from that first labour; [yet] not from the deed,* to leave the work undone for evermore, but from that manner of labour in doing of it, as thus. When Love worketh in the soul and holdeth in her the sparkles of his bright beams, she understandeth well by clarity of that light and by sweetness of that liquor that she hath drunk, [that] the work of love is more worth and draweth more to the union in God than doth her own work. ‘Therefore she taketh it as for the most worthy and setteth by that principally, so that all theirt attendance and all their business that was before in — their other outward works is now set to :

+ The change from the singular to the plural pronoun is in the MS.; the reference is from the one soul to that ‘‘ class of souls.” follow this. But yet also she doth the other, as by usage of good custom, as Love saith, in this book, ‘‘ that by usage of good custom this soul doth these outward works.” But she doth it without desire and without that kind of usage that shehad before, in labouring by outward impulses;* but fully she attendeth in all that she may to the usages of love, which be all divine and upward. So whatever this creature doth, it is oned to Love, [so] that it is Love that doth it. And thus she suffereth Love to work in her; therefore this, that Love saith, that these souls “desire not masses nor sermons, fastings nor orisons,”’ it should not be so taken that they should leave [them] undone. He were purblind that would take it in this wise; but all such words in this book must be taken ghostly and divinely. For these souls naughtt themselves so by very

that seem to come to her from without herself (foreign). With this is, perhaps, combined the sense that the soul labours according to the interior commands that urge her to act contrary to herself and her natural inclinations or wills—.c., foreign, non-natural wills or commands. But she attends to the practices of love, which are interior and Godward, not concerned with outward things. t+ Deny, humble, make themselves nothing, annihilate themselves, and so throughout the text. meekness, that they make themselves as no-one, for sin is no-thing, and they hold themselves but sin; therefore in their own beholding they do . . . naught, but God doth in them his works. Also these souls have no proper will* nor desire, they have wholly planted it in God, so that they may nothing wiil nor desire, but God willeth in them and maketh them to do his will. Thus they do nothing as in their own sight and judgement, but God doth all thing that good is. And she giveth to nature all her asking without grudging of conscience. Now God forbid that any be so fleshly [as] to think that this should mean, to give to nature any lust that draweth to fleshly sin, for God knoweth well that it is not so meant. For sin must be had in conscience, will a man or nil he so, in the time or after. ‘This may every creature well wit that hath any wit and discretion; for this I say of truth, that these souls that be such as this book deviseth, they be so mortified from such wretchedness and so enlumined with grace, and so arrayed with the love of God, that it quencheth all fleshly sin in them, and driveth mightily down all bodily and ghostly temptations. ‘Thus Love, that is, t+ See note at end of text, znfra, p. 300.

God the Holy Ghost, worketh graciously in these persons, in whom he holdeth his school and arrayeth them so with fair flowers of his high noblesse, that there may no spots nor blemishes* in them abide. N. She hath no caret for anything that she lacketh, except at the time when she is in want. This burden of heaviness may no one lose except he be an innocent. ** Before God !”’ saith Reason, ‘‘ what is this to say >?” ** T answered thee, here before,”’ saith Love, “and still I tell thee that all the masters of natural wit, nor all the masters of scriptures, nor all those that take the lead in love and in obedience of virtues, understand it not; thereof be right sure,’’ saith Love, “ but those only, without more, whom fine love so leadeth.”’£ “But whoso found such souls, they could tell thee the truth an they would; but I am not in pledge that men may understand it, except only those whom fine love leadeth. This gift is given,” saith Love, ‘‘ sometime in a moment of time. Whoever hath it [let him] keep it, for it is the most perfect gift

} 7.¢., she is not troubled, anxious. + MS, *‘ demeneth.” that God giveth to creatures. This is a scholar of divinity; she sitteth in the valley of meekness and in the plain of truth and in the mountain of love, there she resteth her.”

OF THE PROPER NAMES OF THIS SOUL, AND HOW THE TRUE CONTEMPLATIVE SHOULD HAVE NO DESIRE ** AH, Love,” saith Reason, ‘‘ name this soul by her right name; give the ‘ Actives’ some knowing.’? And Love nameth her by thus many names. (1) The right marvellous. (2) And the unknown. (3) The most innocent of the daughters of Jerusalem. . (4) She on whom all Holy Church is founded. (5) The [en]lightened of knowing. (6) The worshipped of love. (7) The union of hearing. (8) The naught in all things for meekness. (9) The peaceable in divine being, by divine will, by nothing willing of will. (10) The fulfilled. (11) And [she who is] called without fail by the divine goodness, of the work of the Trinity. (12) Forgettelle is her name. M. Forgettelle is her name, for it is her manner much to comprehend and soon to forget. She comprehendeth much when she beholdeth God, how worthy and glorious he is, and how powerful he is in all his works. She seeth well then, that God by his high majesty, he is in all. Furthermore, she seeth how good and merciful, benign and meek he is in all things, and in this beholding full often love cometh to her with his ravishing darts and woundeth her so sweetly that she forgetteth all that she afore saw and wist. Also, she comprehendeth much, what time she is oned to God; then in a moment of time she forgetteth herself and all other thing that was afore thought. Thus she comprehendeth much and soon forgetteth. N.

These twelve names Love giveth her. “Now soothly this is right,” saith Pure Courtesy, ‘‘ that these be her right names.” “Ah, Love,” saith Reason, ‘you have named this soul by many names, so that the Actives may have some knowing, at the least by hearing of the right noble names [by which] you have named her. Now I pray you, for the ‘ Contemplatives,’ ”’ saith Reason, “ who always desire to increase in knowledge of the divine bounty.” *“ They be ill constrained, Reason,’’* saith Love, “to that which thou sayest.” that which Reason, etc. M. As who saith, the true contemplatives should have no desire, but plant it all in divine will of God, and knit their wills wholly in him to his will, and have no proper will nor desire, but will perfectly the divine will of God. For by right, the contemplatives should pass the state of scholars, as masters of divinity be passed schools. WN,

OF THE FIRST POINT THAT IS SPOKEN OF AFORE, OF THE SOUL IN LIFE NAUGHTED; HOW NONE MAY FIND HER, AND HOW THIS IS WORTHY AND OF TRUE MEEKNESS ** Au, Lady Love,”’ saith Reason, “‘ expound now the nine points, for your courtesy, to the desirous contemplatives that be and dwell ever in desire of love, which nine points you rehearsed here afore; of her that fine love asketh, in whom love dwelleth and is set in life naughted, by which the soul is molten in pure love.” ‘**'The first point, Love,’’ saith Reason, ‘is that which you have said; that none may find her.” “It is truth,” saith Love, “ this is, that this soul knows of herself but one thing, and that is [that she is] the root of all evils and the abundance of all sins without number, without weight and without measure, and sin is naught and less than naught, and a hundred of horrible faults, under less than naught. And by this understanding is she [made] naught with regard to that which is of her [nature].* Then may not this soul here be found, for this soul is so naughted by meekness that it seemeth [to] her there is no creature that ever sinned that is so worthy to have torment and confusion without end, as she, by her true judgement, if God would take vengeance of one of a thousand of her faults. This meekness is true meekness and profit in a soul naughted, and none other but this.

OF THE SECOND POINT, THAT IS, HOW THIS SOUL SAVETH HER BY FAITH WITHOUT WORKS, AND HOW THIS IS UNDERSTOOD THE second point is that this soul saveth her by faith without works. “* Ah, Love,” saith Reason, ‘‘ what is this to say ?” ** with regard to all that is of her nature.” 29 D la is,’ saith Love, ‘‘ that such a soul naughted, hath so great inward know- y the virtue of faith, that she is thus called in her inwardness to sustain that which faith hath ministered to her of the might of the Father, of the wisdom of the Son, and of the goodness of the Holy Ghost. [So] that nothing wrought may dwell in her thought but passeth swiftly, for the other calling hath taken the house of this naughted soul. This soul can no more work. Oh soothly she hath enough of faith without work to believe that God is good, without comprehending. ‘Thus she saveth her by faith without work, for faith surmounteth all works [by the] witness of Love herself.

M. Holy Writ saith, Unde sapiens justus ex fide vivit.* “Comprehend ! | “Thisteas to say, that righteous man liveth of faith and so do these souls. But this, ‘‘ that they save themselves-by faith without works,” and “ that they can no more work,” it is not meant that they cease from all good works for evermore, and never do any work, but sit in sloth and idleness of soul and body; for those who take it so, they misunderstand it; but it is thus. God is enhabited in themtT and worketh in them, and these souls suffer him. [to] work his divine works in them. What this work is, and how it is, love showeth it in this book; and whatever the bodies of these souls do of outward* deeds, the souls that be thus high set, take not so great regard to these works that they save themselves thereby, but only trust to the goodness of God, and so they save them by faith, and believe not nor trust not in their own works, but in all, in God’s goodness.f N.

HOW THIS SOUL IS ALONE IN LOVE, AND HOW SHE DOETH NAUGHT FOR GOD, NOR SHE LEAVETH NAUGHT FOR GOD, AND HOW THESE THREE POINTS BE MEANT “THE third. point,” saith Love, “is this. ‘That she is alone in love.” This is that she hath no comfort nor affection, nor hope in [any] creature that is made, in heaven or in earth, but only in the goodness of God. ‘This soul,” saith Love, “‘ beggetht not of + In addition to M. N.’s interpretation of the passage, it may be remembered that the author probably referred to the mode of prayer of those souls, as will appear later. Cf. also Division XX, chap. ii. + Beggeth—.e., seeketh, craveth, desireth. creatures: this is the phoenix that is alone in love, so that of him she remembereth.”’ “The fourth point is this, that this soul doeth naught for God.” ** Ah, for God,” saith Reason, ‘* what is this to say >” ‘* This is,’’ saith Love, “‘ that God maketh no to-do about his work, and this soul then hath not ‘to-do’ about that [with which] God hath not ‘to-do.’ Nor of herself she recketh not, but God considereth her, and him she loveth so much that herself she cannot love.”

‘** This soul,” saith Love, ‘“‘ hath so great faith in God, that she hath no dread to be poor, for as much as her love is rich; for faith teacheth her that right so as she hopeth of God, right such shall she find him, and thus hopeth she. “The fifth point is this, that this soul she would do.” “* Ah, Love,” saith Reason, ‘‘ what is this to say ?” ‘“'This is,’’ saith Love, ‘‘ that this soul may not do [aught] but the will of God, nor may she will aught else; and for this she leaveth naught for God, for she hath not in her inward thought anything that is against God, and for this cause she leaveth naught for God.”

HOW NONE MAY TEACH THIS SOUL, NOR NONE MAY ROB HER, AND HOW THIS SIXTH POINT IS UNDERSTOOD “THE sixth point is this, that none may her teach.” *“ Now for God,” saith Reason, ‘* Lady Soul, say what this is !” “This is to say,” saith Love, ‘‘that this soul is of such great knowledge that though she had all the knowing of all the creatures that ever had been and shall be, she would think it naught, as in regard of* that which she loveth, which was never known nor never shall be known. She loveth more that which is in God, which was never given nor never shall be given, than she doth that which she hath and which she shall have. For though she had all the knowing that all the creatures have that be and shall be, “ It is naught,” saith this soul, ‘‘ as compared to that which is, which may not be said.” “* The seventh point,”’ saith Love, “ is this, that men may not rob her. Oh! what might they rob her of ? for though she were robbed of worship, honour, friends, heart, body, and life, yet would they not rob her

of anything if God with her dwell; then may no creature rob her of aught, by no strength that they have.”’ OF THE EIGHTH POINT, THAT IS, THAT NONE MAY GIVE TO HER, AND HOW THIS IS UNDERSTOOD, AND OF THE INEFFABLENESS OF GOD “THE eighth point, Reason,”’ saith Love, “‘ is that men may give her naught.”’ “ Give,” saith Love, “what might they give her? Though they gave her all that ever was given and shall be given, it would be naught compared with that which she loveth and shall love.” “But God himself, Lady Love,” saith this soul, ‘‘ loveth in me and shall love.” ‘** Save your reverence, that wot I not. We say this,” saith she, “for the auditors of this book, that God loveth better [where there is] the more of himself [in a man], than [where there is] less of himself.’’* ‘* Oh, there is no less of himself,’”’ saith this soul, “‘ there is but all, and this I may say, and soothly say.” ““T say,” saith Love, “‘ that though this

him, than the less of himself.” soul had all the knowing, the love, and the hearing, that ever was given or ever shall be given, of the divine Trinity, it should be naught in comparison with that which she loveth and shall love; nor this love may not be attained nor reached.” ** Oh, without fail no, sweet Love,” saith this soul, “‘ [even with regard to] the least point of my love, without ‘more’; for there is none other God but he that none may know, which may not beknown. Nosoothly! No, without fail, no !”’ saith she, ‘“‘ he only is my God, of whom none can say one word, nor all those of paradise one only point attain nor understand, for all the knowing that they have of him. And in this ‘more’ to all fulfilling, is enclosed,’ saith she, ‘“‘ the sovereign [im]mortality of the love of my spirit.* For that is all the glory of the love of my soul and shall be without end. And all those that never understood this point be full little to her,’’ saith this soul, “in comparison with the ‘more great’ whereof we speak not. I would speak, and I know not what to say, but nevertheless, Lady

—i.e., in God, Himself, in the heavenly will, the supreme immortality of the love of my spirit is enclosed, pledged, fulfilled. ‘That is, the soul finds her highest capacity fulfilled in the contemplation of God, who is the “ more,” etc. Love,” saith she, ‘‘ my love is of such a kind that I love better to hear gabbing* of you, than if men told me nothing of you. “Without fail I do so, for all that I say of your goodness, is but gabbing; but this gabbing is of you forgiveable. Lord, they fail to say well of you, that alway speak of you, and never say nothing of your goodness. ‘This I tell you, right of myself; I cease not to say [this] of you to that which men say to me [being] questioned and in [my] thoughts. ** Soothly, whatever men say, neither they nor I can say aught of your goodness, but the more I hear said of you, the more I am abashed. ‘Then [1.e., for] this is a great villainy that men do me, to wit, that men should tell me something of the goodness of you. Yet they be deceived that trust in it, for I am certain that men cannot speak [rightly]. And if God will, I shall no more be deceived; I will no more hear gab of your divine goodness.”’+

against spiritual extravagances. | t The soul protests against the exaggerated “spiritual talk’ of others, urging first that these speak too little of God’s goodness, and saying that this is the point she emphasizes whenever men question her, or when she thinks of God. Though, indeed, all that they or she can say is a folly which humbles her more deeply, and she perceives again that ‘‘talk about God” is nothing but waste of M. ‘This is an usage in Love’s game, by which these souls have then so clear sight in divine beholdings, that it seemeth to them that all which they or others say, it is but gabbings in respect of the high goodness and great nobleness that is in God; which may not be known except by himself for the magnitude of greatness. “Therefore they think that neither they nor others can nor may speak [thereof]; but all is gabbing, for as much as they may not reach to a point of the fullhead of soothfastness. WN, **T will no more,” saith this soul to God, “hear gab of your divine goodness, if I have life to fulfil the takings* of this book, of which Love is mistress, that biddeth me that I determine all my takings, for as oft as I ask anything for myself of Love, by that, shall I be ‘ with’ me in life of spirit in the shadow of the sun, where may not be seen the subtle imaginations of the drawings of the divine love of the divine generation.”

“Oh, what say I 2” saith this soul, “‘ all it is naught though I all had, in comparison with that I love in him, which he giveth to none but himself, which he must withhold time. She resolves to do so no more, and trust wholly to intimate converse with God. for his divine righteousness. ‘Then, say I, that this is truth, that men may give me naught, whatever thing that it may be.” ‘“* And this complaint, Reason,” saith the soul, ‘‘ that ye hear me complain, it is mine all and my best in well-understanding. Oh, what a sweet meaning [is this]; for God’s love understand it all! for Paradise is no other thing than this same, to understand.”’

OF THE NINTH POINT, THAT IS, HOW THIS SOUL HATH NO WILL, AND HOW THIS [IS] MEANT “THE ninth point,’’ saith Love, “is this, that this soul hath no will.’’* Oh, without fail, no; for all that she willeth in consenting of will, it is that which God wills that she should will. ‘“‘ And that willeth she,”’ saith Love, ‘‘ in order to fulfil God’s will, and not her own. And this may she not will [in] her [own strength], but it is the will of God that willeth in her, so that this soul hath no will but the will of God, [which] maketh her will all that she ought to will.” Hear and understand, ye auditors of this book, the true understanding of these words, + This passage reads like an M.N. gloss, tHousn it is not so marked. 38 and what that is that this book saith, in so many places: that a soul naughted hath naught of will, nor naught may have, nor naught may will. And in this the divine will perfectly is fulfilled. Nor may the soul have her full sufficiency of divine love, nor [may] divine love [have it] of the soul, until such time as the soul be in God and God in the soul, of him, by him, in this being, by divine [indwelling], and then the soul hath all her sufficiency.

** Soothly, yea,” saith the understanding of Reason, ‘‘ but it seemeth that the ninth point saith all the contrary, which saith that the soul naughted willeth naught with regard to that which she would will; nor may she have that which God wills that she will.* And that her will is naught in respect to her [own] sufficiency, which never was given her, nor never shall be given her.”’ *““From this,’ saith Reason, ‘‘ I understand that the soul willeth a will, and God willeth that she will a will, which she may not have; and by this she suffers loss, and hath not. satisfaction.’ she is indifferent concerning her own satisfaction, or that her will is made naught—~.e., she is denied her satisfaction. tT MS. ‘‘and this hase of failance and not of suffisance.” ““It seemeth, Lady Love,” saith the understanding of Reason, “ that this ninth point maketh me thus to understand the saying of this book, which saith forsooth that the free soul hath no will, nor naught may have, nor naught may will, nor the divine Trinity will not that she have; and this book saith that she hath in all things, by divine love, full sufficiency.”

““O understanding of Reason,” saith this naughted soul, “‘ how rude thou art! Thou takest the shell or the chaff, and leavest the kernel or the grain. Thine understanding is so low that thou mayest not reach so high as behoveth them that well would have the understanding of the Being that we speak of. But the understanding of divine love, that taketh the lead in a naughted soul which is made free, understandeth it without erring, for she is [of] the same [nature].”’ *“O thou understanding of Reason,”’ saith the highness of the understanding of Love, ‘““understand now the rudeness of thy misunderstanding. If this naughted lady willeth the will of God, the more that she willeth it, the more she would will it; and that may she not, on account of the littleness of [the] creature, for God withholdeth the greatness of his divine righteousness. But God willeth that she will this, and that she have such [a] will. For such [a] will is [a] divine will, and this divine will giveth Being to free creatures. For the divine will that God maketh to will in them, draweth in them beams of divine knowings and the feelings of divine love and the union of divine magnificence and laud. And then,” saith Love, to this creature, “‘ how may this soul will, when clear knowledge knoweth that there is a Being among the Beings, which is most noble of all Beings, which creatures may not have unless they have it by the ‘not-willing’?’’*

** Now,” saith Love, ‘‘ hath Reason heard the answer of his questions, save where it saith, that the free soul hath in her a lack of sufficiency. But this I say to her, whereby to will the divine will: soothly, the more that she willeth it, the less hath such [a] will of this her [own] satisfaction, and this same [will] is the only [pure] will of God and the soul’s glory.”

OF THE PERFECTION OF THEM THAT LIVE AFTER THE COUNSEL OF REASON; AND OF THE PERFECTION OF THESE SOULS THAT FINE LOVE LEADETH “AH, Love,” saith Reason, “ you have done our prayer for the actives and the con- templatives, and now I pray you to declare and expound to the common people, these double* words that be hard to understand, to their understanding; [so] that some, by adventure, may come to this Being, by which this book may show to all the very light of truth and the perfection of charity of those who preciously be called and chosen of God and sovereignly be loved of him.” ‘* Reason,” saith Love to this, “‘I will answer for the profit of those for whom thou makest to us this piteous request. Reason,”’ saith Love, ‘‘ where be these double words that thou prayest me to discuss for the auditors of this book, who live in ‘ will and in desire,’} the which book we call The Mirror of Simple Souls 2” “To this I answer, Lady Love,” saith Reason, ‘‘ for this book saith great marvels of this soul, which saith she recketh not of shame nor of worship, nor of poverty nor of riches, nor of ease nor of dis-ease, nor of love nor of hate, nor of hell nor of paradise. And also it saith, that this soul hath all, and she hath naught; she wotteth all and she wotteth naught; she willeth all and she

+ z.e., whose spiritual life is still governed by ** will and desire.” Cf. teaching of St John of the Cross. willeth naught. Nor desireth she,’ saith Reason, “‘ despite nor poverty, nor no martyrdom nor tribulations, nor sermons, nor fastings, nor orisons. And she giveth to nature all his askings without grudging of conscience. Without fail, Love,” saith Reason, ‘“‘ this may none understand by mine understanding, unless they learn it of you by your teaching; for my counsel is—as the best that I can counsel—that men [should] desire despite and poverty and all manner of tribulation, masses and sermons, fastings and orisons. And that men [should] remain in dread of all manner of loves whatever they be, on account of perils that might happen; and that men [should] desire Paradise sovereignly, and also that men should fear of going to hell, and that they refuse all manner of worships* and temporal things, and all kinds of ease, taking away from nature all that she ‘asketh, save only that without which they might not live, after the ensample of suffering that our Lord Jesu Christ suffered. ‘This is the best that I can counsel,”’ saith Reason, ‘‘ to all those that live under mine obedience. And therefore I say that none shall understand this book [according to] mine understanding, unless they understood it by the virtue of Faith, and by the strength of Love, that be

my mistresses, for I am obedient to them in all. And yet,” saith Reason, ‘‘ thus much I say, that who hath these two cords in his heart—the light of faith and the strength of love—he hath leave to do what pleaseth him, [as] witness God himself, who saith to the soul: ‘Love! love! and do what ye will.’ ” ** Reason,”’ saith Love, “‘ thou art full wise concerning things that appertain to thee. ‘Thou wouldest have answers to these words aforesaid, and thou askest what it is? It is well asked, and,” saith Love, “I will answer thee to all thy askings.”’ *‘ Reason,” saith Love, “‘I certify thee that these souls, whom Fine Love leadeth, they have as lief* shame as worship, and worship as shame; and poverty as riches and riches as poverty; and torments of God and of his creatures, as comforts of God and of his creatures; and to be hated as loved and loved as hated; and hell as paradise and paradise as hell; and little estate as great, and great estate as little. This is to say, in sooth, that they neither will nor not-will, any of these prosperities nor any of these adversities; for these souls have no will but [for the] thing that God willeth in them. And the divine will calleth not these perfect}

tT MS. “ surmounted.” creatures, with such encumbrances* as we have here devised. I have said before,”’ saith Love, “‘ that these souls have as lief [to endure] all manner of adversities of heart, for body and for soul, as prosperities, and prosperities as adversities. This is sooth,’ saith Love, ‘‘ if it come to them, since their will is not the cause: the souls know not where the end lieth, nor for what cause God will find their salvation, nor the salvation of their even-Christians, nor for what reason God will do righteousness or mercy, nor for what cause God will give to the soul the excellent gifts of the goodness of his divine nobility. And for this reason, the free soul hath no will to will nor not-to-will, but only to will the will of God, and suffer in peace his divine ordinance.” unquietness. The divine will does not call these exalted souls (not perfect yet, but having vocations to perfection) with (.e., does not call them onwards in the way of union), 7f they retain these encumbrances of desire and anxiety.

HOW THIS SOUL HATH ALL AND SHE HATH NAUGHT; SHE WOT ALL AND SHE WOT NAUGHT; AND OF THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR; AND HOW THIS SOUL WILLETH ALL AND SHE WILLETH NAUGHT, AND HOW THIS IS UNDERSTOOD “YET Love,” saith Reason, ‘‘ stand by my question, for this book saith, that this soul hath all and she hath naught.” “Tt is sooth,” saith Love, ‘‘ for this soul hath God in her by divine grace, and whoso hath God, hath all. And it saith, that she hath naught, for all that this soul hath of God in her by divine grace, it seemeth [to] her naught. Nor is it more in comparison with that which she loveth, which is in him; which he giveth to none but to himself.* And by to her nothing compared with the fulness of the transcendent life of the Trinity as it exists in itself. It is this life of God in himself which is the object of her worship and love, and her treasure being thus hid with Christ in God, even the possession of God within herself becomes a secondary “‘ love.”

It is because the soul’s very Being is thus focussed in the divine life that she can be indifferent to all lower material and spiritual “‘ desires and wills ”’; indifferent as to whether pain or pleasure, mortification or prosperity befall her. this understanding this soul hath all and she hath naught, she knoweth all and she knoweth naught. She knoweth all,” saith Love, “by virtue of faith, that God is Almighty, all wisdom and all goodness, and that God the Father hath done the work of the Incarnation and the Son also, and the Holy Ghost also. So that God the Father hath joined and oned human nature to the person of God the Son, and God the Son hath joined it to the person of himself, and God the Holy Ghost hath joined it to the person of God the Son. So that God the Father hath in him only one nature, [a] nature divine; and God the Son hath in him two natures, that same nature divine, and [a human] nature of soul and body. And _ God the Holy Ghost hath in him this same nature divine. ‘This to believe, this to say, and this to think, is true contemplation. He is one might, one wisdom, and one will: and only one God in three persons, and three persons in one God. ‘This God is over all in his divine nature, but themanhood is in heaven glorified and joined to the divine person of the Son, and [beside that] only in the holy Sacrament of the Altar. This divinity and this manhood, true Christians receive when the holy Sacrament is ministered unto them. How truly this manhood dwelleth with them, Faith teacheth it, and this clerks know.”

** And we shall tell you,” saith the Light of Faith, ‘‘ how this humanity dwelleth with them, as thus by [a] similitude: Take this sacrament and put it in a mortar with other things, and pound this sacrament so that you may not see nor feel [aught] of the person that you have put in. [| tell you forsooth,”’ saith Faith, “‘ that it zs not now, since it may not be seen nor felt.” To this you may answer, ‘‘ Where has it then gone ?” “Nay,” saith Truth, “ it was, and now it is not, understand wholly of the humanity. Then may ye ask if it went as it came. I tell you,” saith Truth, “ that the humanity of Christ Jesu neither cometh nor goeth.” ‘“And how may this be?” saith Temptation. M. It is thus that the manhood of Christ Jesu never cometh nor goeth. But by his divinity and by his divine might, and by the virtue of his holy word, the host turneth into his precious body of flesh and blood. His glorious body that is in heaven and knit to the divine person of the Son, cometh not down into the host, but the host turneth into him, as it is aforesaid. So that it is verily his own precious body, that for us suffered death: thanked. and worshipped be he ever therefor. Thus the divine might hath ordained this worthy sacrament. WN. 48

“The saints that be in heaven should see him in none other likeness than we ourselves do if they saw him in such a likeness [1.e., in the Host] as we see him; but they see by understanding of spirit. For, to see the humanity of Jesu Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar, glorified, except by the understanding, that doth not appertain to the glory of those in glory. ‘Therefore they see him not glorified, except by understanding, and we see him by virtue of faith, contradicting therein the reasoning of our wits [which tell us] that we see but bread, nor feel nor savour nor smell [aught else]. But our faith withsaith* all that and believeth verily and soothly, without any doubt, that it hath not whiteness nor taste nor smell, but [is] the precious body of our Lord Christ Jesu, very God and man. Now we see him by faith. So do not they of glory, for they that be glorified use not of faith: they see not by faith as we do. In this secret, the divine Trinity hath ordained the holy Sacrament of the Altar to nourish and to sustain holy Church,” saith the soul of Faith, illumined by the divine Trinity. *‘Such is the ordinance of the Sacrament of the Altar in [the] knowing of him [according to] my belief, through divine might.”

*“ Marvel not,” saith Courtesy, “‘ of the goodness of Love, though we, for love, tell you these things. For I tell you truly, that none may: come to [a] deep foundation, nor to high edification, unless they reach it by the discrimination of great natural intelligence, and by the gladness of the understanding of the spirit. And, moreover, a creature may not seek to know too much by asking* the divine will; for the understanding that giveth light, showeth to the soul [the] being that she loveth. And the soul that receiveth by light of understanding the nighing and the knitting,t in the accord of union in plenteous love, seeth the being where she aims at having her dwelling place; heareth gladly the light of knowing, that bringeth her tidings of love; and then she would be made the same, so that she had but one will in love, and that is the sole will of him that she loveth.”’ ** Reason,’’ saith Love, ‘‘ I answer thee, for I have said, that a soul that is made free knoweth all; and she knoweth naught. She knoweth by the virtue of faith that which she needeth to know for salvation; and she knoweth naught, for she knoweth naught of

t ‘*‘ The nighing and the knitting ’’—7.e., the being made near and the union. + Note the mixed metaphor, “‘seemngthebeing .. . hearing the light of knowing”; the identification of light with sound as the medium of the divine com- munication is suggestive, and may be paralleled from other mystics. Cf. Rolle’s Fire of Love. that which God hath in him, of him, for him, that he giveth to none but himself. Then by this understanding this soul knoweth all and she knoweth naught. She willeth and she willeth not. For this soul,”’ saith Love, *“willeth so perfectly the will of God, that she cannot will and may not will but the will of God. Insuch [a] prison love hath reclused her. And she willeth naught, for it is so little this that she willeth and that God willeth in her, in comparison with this that she would will, which she may not have, [namely] that [which] God wills her to have [ultimately].* And this [also, namely] that her will is naughted in respect to her sufficiency, which was never given nor never shall be given; that is the meaning of willing the will of God, as it is said before, then by this understanding this soul willeth all and she willeth naught.

HOW THESE SOULS SO SET THEIR THOUGHTS IN THE TRINITY AND BE SO DIVINE THAT THEY REST THEM NOT IN THINGS THAT BE PASSING OR MADE Tuts daughter of Sion desireth neither masses nor sermons, fastings nor orisons. ‘Why so 2?” saith Reason. ‘‘ Lady Love; it is the food of holy souls!’ . *“It is true for them that crave,’’* saith Love, “‘ but this soul craveth not, for she hath in her inwardness} no nature to desire anything that is outside herself. Now understand, Reason,” saith Love, “‘ why do such souls desire these things aforesaid, since it is so, that God is over all, without that, as well as with all that.+ **’This soul hath neither thought, word, nor work, except for the exercise of the divine grace of the Trinity; she is not troubled on account of sin that she ever did, nor for the suffering that Christ Jesu suffered for her, nor for sin, nor for distress§ that her evenChristian have.” || ‘Ah God,” saith Reason, ‘“‘ what is this £ z.e., God is sovereign in any case, without all the extra labours of love by which souls seek to prove their loyalty. He is served without it as well as withit.

§ MS. “ disease.”” Throughout dis-ease =distress, trouble, anxiety. || This statement of the degree of indifference to be reached by the soul is put in an extreme and provocative form to call forth a challenge. Something must be allowed throughout for the form of the jeu-parti or dialogue in which the opposite sides are stated in the most extreme terms. Here the answer of Love silences adverse criticism. to say? Love! teach me the understanding, who hast given me peace concerning my other questions !” Swdatis tise Saithul ove. .: that. this.is not with her,* nor may she have this of herself, for her thought is set in that [which is] peaceable, that is, in the Trinity. She may not thence move nor have dis-ease, as long as her beloved is at ease, though any [should] fall into sin, nor for sin that ever was done. It displeaseth her will, and so it doth God; it is his own displeasure that to this soul giveth such displeasure. In sooth,” saith Love, ‘‘ but the Trinity hath in him no disease for such displeasing, no more hath this soul that in him is set and by him led. But if this soul, that is thus high set, might help any of her even-Christians, she would help them at their need with all her might. But the thoughts of this soul be so divine, that they rest not so much in things that be passing nor made, as to conceive any dis-ease for [them] in her inwardness, since God is good beyond [all] comprehending.”

above are not always in her mind, nor does this come to her of herself.

HOW THIS SOUL GIVETH TO NATURE ALL THAT IT ASKETH WITHOUT GRUDGING OF CONSCIENCE; AND HOW THIS IS MEANT THIS soul giveth to nature all that he asketh Without grudging of conscience, for all covetousness* of nature is mortified in these creatures; and therefore the law of our Lord Jesu Christ is within such life enclosed, and the divine gifts be above this law. ‘“‘ This is sooth,” saith Love, ‘‘ that this soul sets not so much prize nor love on temporal things, that she could win [anything] in refusing nature’s askings; wherefore then should she make [it a matter of] conscience, to give nature that which is his due? But such nature is so well ordered by its conjunction in union with the divine love, to which the will of this soul is joined, that she asketh nothing that is against the ordinance of the | divine righteousness. But these creatures that be thus excellent, that men dare not speak openly in special of their ways, by the propriété—the technical term for self-love, covetous- — ness, spirit of proprietorship. Cf. here Rom. vii and viii, and seventeenth-century use of term in Fénelon.

use of which these souls have Being, unto good understanding; but mis-sayers taste not of such understanding. I have said before,’ saith Love, ‘‘ that men dare not speak openly of their usages; without fail, no! on account of the simple understanding of other creatures who might to their damage misunderstand it.”

HOW THESE SOULS HAVE NO HEAVINESS AT HEART FOR THINGS THAT THEY TAKE; AND OF THE PEACE THAT THEY HAVE IN TAKING THE NEEDFULNESS OF NATURE ** "THESE souls,”’ saith Love, ‘‘ that such be, as in this book is devised, which toucheth some thing of their usages; they have by righteousness of their being—which is the pure divine being—such condition, that if they had naught and were certain that they should live unto the day of judgement, they might not have heaviness of heart one hour, for thing that faileth them, nor spend a time to seek work for that which faulteth them, for all the gold of the world; except at a time when nature hath a need [in] which it is lacking, [that they may] give to nature that which is his. And if they have anything, these that be such, few folks wit where they be, but it behoveth that there be [men who] by the goodness of God, in whom is all bounty, [should supply something] to sustain the faith of Holy Church.* And if they wist that others had more need than they, of thing which they have, they would not deny it them, though they were certain that never should grow wheat nor corn nor other sustenance. ‘This is sooth,” saith Love, ‘of this let no one doubt, such is their nature by pure righteousness and such righteousness is divine righteousness, which to this soul giveth a portion.”

“This is right,” saith Divine Right, ‘‘ it behoveth that all righteousness in her be fulfilled. And it withdraweth if she withholdeth anything that is hers from the perfection of peace of charity in which she lieth; all this is her right food. Why should such souls have conscience to take that which they lack, and that which is theirs, when they have need? It were to such souls a default of innocence and encumbering of peace, wherein this soul resteth from all things. Who is he that hath [a] conscience anxious concerning that which they lack, nor go out of their way to supply their own needs unless it be a real necessity of Nature. Even if they have some possessions, they themselves are hidden from men. But it is necessary that some men should supply the needs of those who live by Faith in Holy Church. to take the four elements that he needeth— the light of the welkin, the heat of the fire, the moisture of the water, and of the earth that sustaineth us ? We take the service of the four elements in all the manners that nature hath need, without grudging of reason, as we do other things. These souls use of all things made, of which nature hath need, with such peace of heart as they do of the earth, that they go upon.”

HOW THESE SOULS CAN NO MORE SPEAK OF GOD AND WHAT THEIR CUSTOM IS ** THEY have a good foundation,” saith Love, ““ and high edification that resteth them of all things. Such creatures, they can no more speak of God, no more than they can say where God is. No more can they say truly what good God is. For whosoever it be that speaketh of God, when he will, and to whom he will, and where he will, he may doubt.’’* “This is sooth, without fail,’ saith this soul, “nor did he feel the true tidings of dissipation of spirituality and a reactionary mood of aridity in the emotions and doubt in the intellect ensues, divine love that maketh the soul at all times abashed without her perceiving [it];* for the very tidings, refined, purified by divine love which are without [the intervention of creatures] and given of the Maker to the creature, truly take away such usages. For this is the custom of such souls, much to comprehend and soon to forget by the subtlety of the Beloved.”

WHAT KNOWLEDGE, FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY HAVE OF THESE SOULS, AND WHO HATH THE VERY KNOWLEDGE OF THEM, AND HOW VIRTUES BE COMMANDED FOR THE SOULS, AND NOT THE SOULS FOR THE VIRTUES, AND OF MORTIFYING WILL AND DESIRE ‘“ Au, Holy Trinity,” saith Faith, Hope, and Charity, “‘ where be these perfected souls, that be such as this book deviseth ? What be they, and what do they? ‘Teach it us, for love, that all wot, and so shall we appease them that be dismayed or marvelled to hear this book, for all Holy Church would marvel,” say these three divine virtues, ‘‘ if she heard it.” to the soul in such a hidden way that she does not perceive it—but the fruit is that humility which rejects those habits of “ talking about God.” *“T leave it,’ saith Faith himself. ‘* Sooth,” saith Love, “‘ that ‘ Holy-Churchthe-little,’ that is governed by reason [would marvel], but not that ‘ Holy-Church-thegreat,’ of [ours],”’ saith divine Love, ‘‘ which is governed by us.’’* *“ Now tell me,” saith Love to the three divine virtues, ‘“‘“why ask ye of us, what these souls be and where they be, and what they do ?

** Truly,” saith Love, “ but if ye know that no one can find them whom God hath made; and where they be, ye know all three,”’ saith Love, “‘ for ye be with them in all moments of time.t (Because ye three be to us good.) And what they do, ye know also; but what they be, as for to speak of their value and of ‘their dignity that know neither ye nor they, then may Holy Church not know.” or of any divisions in Holy Church. The author refers probably to a rough classification of “‘ rationalists*? and “‘ mystics’? among the teachers and disciples within the general body of the Church— each regarding itself as an electa ecclesia. The dramatic humour of the writer must be allowed for in this and some subsequent passages. t+ Itis enough to know that God has hidden these souls—yet are others near them, for they are always “among us,’ unknown. The following phrase seems to be a parenthesis addressed by such souls to others—“‘ for these three modes of hiddenness are a benefit to us.”

““Oh, for God,” saith Reason, “‘ who knoweth then >?” ** That [knoweth] only God,” saith Love, “who hath made them and bought them; and ofttimes this may so be wrought [in them] that by his love alone they be both fulfilled and naughted and forgotten.” “Why,” saith Love, “‘marvelleth Holy Church, though the virtues serve the high heavenly souls, and why should they not ? Are not all these virtues allowed, written and commanded for the souls, and not the souls for the virtues ? so that such virtues be made to serve the souls, and these souls be made to obey God and to receive the singular gifts God giveth to no creature that in desire and in will dwelleth? Therefore whosoever would have these gifts let him flee desire and will, for otherwise they may not have them. ““And why,” saith Love, ‘‘knoweth not Holy Church* these Queens, King’s daughters, King’s sisters, King’s spouses? for it may not be that Holy Church knew them perfectly unless Holy Church were within their souls. And nothing that is wrought entereth within these souls, but only that God who hath made them; so that none knoweth such souls but God that is within these souls.”

WHAT THE PERFECT BEING IS THAT GOD GIVETH TO CREATURES ; AND HOW NONE KNOWETH THESE SOULS BUT GOD THAT IS WITHIN THEM “Au, Lady Love,” saith Reason, “ be not displeased, for yet I must have one more question. And unless ye tell it me, I shall be abashed* of this which ye say; [namely], that none knoweth these souls but only God that made them.” “ Reason,” saith Love, “what is thy question 2” ** T shall tell it you,” saith Reason. ‘“‘ This book saith thus, that none knoweth these souls but God that is within their souls. And it saith in another place before, that none can find them, nor know them but they whom Fine Love leadeth, and whoever should find such souls he could say the truth thereof. “ Then seemeth it,” saith Reason, “that they that be such, [would] know them that be such, if they were where these be >” “This is sooth,” saith Love, “for these that be such, if they were where these be, they should know their fellows by their usages, but most by the virtue of the gift that is given them, which is singular.”

MIRROR OF SIMPLE SOULS _ [Diy. 3 *‘ Singular!’ saith Reason. “Oh, without fail! Singular is it, for I have in the hearing thereof singular marvel !”’* “Reason,” saith Love, “‘ one word hath twain understandings, for though these that be such have knowledge of the usages of these souls, and that it is the most perfect being that God giveth to creatures, nevertheless know they not these souls, nor the dignity of them, for none knoweth them, but only that Lord God that made these souls.” meaning first, exceptional, unique, and then strange.

HOW IT IS MEANT THAT THIS SOUL HATH TAKEN LEAVE OF VIRTUES; AND OF A LAND OF THIS SOUL; AND OF THE DESIRE THAT THEY THAT LIVE ““IN WILL AND DESIRE”? MUST HAVE . LOVE,” saith Reason, “ yet I pray () you to have another question; for this book saith, that this soul hath taken leave of virtues for evermore, and you say that the virtues be always with such souls,* and more perfectly than with any other. These be two contrary words as meseemeth,” saith Reason; ‘‘I cannot understand them.” “I shall satisfy thee,” saith Love aie LOS is the truth, that this soul hath taken leave of virtues, as concerning the exercise thereof, tT and of all the desires that they ask; but the virtues have not taken leave of the souls, for they are always with them and perfectly obedient to them. And in this sense taketh the soul leave of them, and [yet] are they Tt Cf. note infra, p. 299. always with these souls; for I make an ensample [of it], as thus: If a man serve a master, he is with him whom he serveth, but his master is not with fim. And if it so fall that he gaineth much of his master, and learneth so well that he is more rich and more wise than the master, and is held better and more worthy than he be, then he that was master to him, seeth for certain that he that was his servant is more worth, and is more able* in all manner ways than he, and dwelleth with him for to obey to him in all.

Right thus ought ye to understand of these souls and of virtues. For at the beginning, this soul did all that it might of heart and of body, all that reason taught her which was at that time mistress. And she told her alway, that she should do all that the virtues would, without any withstanding, unto the death. So that Reason and the other virtues were ladies and mistresses over the soul. And this soul was truly obedient unto all that they would command. ‘Thus must a soul do first in her beginning, if she would live spiritual life. And now this soul hath so much won and learned of virtues, that she is above the virtues;} for such souls have in them all that the virtues can teach, and much more, without comparison. For —

+ Above =in command of. this soul hath in her the mistress of virtues, who is called divine Love; which hath led her, in them, in all, and [hath] oned her to him, so that she is not ‘ with’ herself, nor ‘with ’ virtues.” “With whom, then?’ saith Reason, which-would-by-asking-learn. ** At my will, Reason,” saith Love, ‘‘ who have turned her wholly to me.” “* And what be ye, Love?” saith Reason; “be ye not a virtue with us, except that ye are above us ?” ‘IT am God,” saith Love. ‘‘ For Love is God and God is Love; and this soul is God by condition of love; and I am God by nature divine. And this is hers by righteousness of love, so that this precious beloved of me is learned and led of me without her [working]; for she is turned to me in me. And such end,” saith Love, ‘‘ taketh nurture.* “This is the eagley that flieth high; so The Latin version has: Et talis docta, dicit dilectio, doctrina capit. t Cf. Dionysius Areopagita, Heavenly Hierarch., chap. xv, section viii (tr. Parker): ‘“‘ The representation of the eagle denotes the kingly and soaring and swift in flight, and quickness in search of the nourishment which makes strong, and wariness and agility and cleverness, and the unimpeded, straight, and unflinching gaze towards the bounteous

and brilliant splendour of the Divine rays of the sun, with the robust extension of the visual power.”’ right high and yet more high than doth any other bird, for she is feathered with fine - love, and she beholdeth above others the beauty of the sun. And the beam and the brightness of the sun and the heat thereof give her as food the gum of the high cedar. “<* And then,’ saith this soul to her caitiff wretched nature, that so many a day hath made her in servitude to dwell: ‘ Dame Nature,’ saith she, ‘I take leave of you, love is me nigh that holdeth me free of him, against all, without dread.’ ““'Then,”’ saith Love, ‘‘ she feareth* not for tribulation, nor ceasetht for consolation, nor groweth less for what is taken from her.£ She is common to all, by largesse of pure charity. And sheasketh not of none, because of the nobility and courtesy of her pure bounty [with] which God hath fulfilled her, by himself. And she is in all times demure without heaviness, and glad without dissolution, for God hath in this soul hallowed his name, and the divine Trinity hath there his house.”

““O ye little [ones], who in will and in desire dwell,” saith this soul, “take the spoils§ of your food, and desire that ye might be such, for he that desireth the least, unless + MS. ‘‘ aminuseth not for substraction.” . § MS. * prey.” he desire the most, it is not worthy that God do to him the best of his goodness, on account of the slackness of his poor courage. All those that so live, they be always enfamined or hungried.”’

OF THE TWO STAFFS THAT THIS FREE SOUL LEANETH HER UPON; AND HOW SHE IS MORE DRUNK OF THAT SHE NEVER DRANK NOR NEVER SHALL DRINK, THAN OF THAT SHE HATH DRUNK “THis free soul,” saith Love, “ leaneth in} upon two staffs,* the one on the right side, and the other on the left side. On these two staffs she is strong against her enemies, as is a castle upon a hill, or that is surrounded with water, which naught may wash away.T “The one of these two staffs that this soul resteth on to keep her from her enemies, is that she keepeth the gifts of her riches, that is, the true knowledge that she hath of the poverty of herself. This is the left staff, the which she leaneth on alway at all times; this is to her, great strength. “* And the second staff, on the right side, is t MS. ‘Sit may myn.” 67 THE MIRROR OF Piva the upraised knowledge of the Deity that this soul receiveth and keepeth firmly. Upon these two staffs she is apeased,* and taketh no count of her enemies, neither on the right side nor on the left side.

“* But she is abashed,”’ saith Love, “* by the knowledge of her poverty, which she hath of herself, that it seemeth her that it is a humiliationt before all the world, as it is to her.f And also she is drunk of the knowing of the divine bounty, by the pure grace of the Deity, of which she is always drunk, and of the beholding thereof, fulfilled with laud and hearing of divine love; not drunken of that which she hath drunk, but she is right drunk, and more drunk, of that which she never drank nor never shall drink.’’§ “Ah for God, Love,’ saith Reason, ‘‘ what is this to say, that this soul is drunk of that she never drank nor never shall drink ? + MS. ‘*‘ embaschement.”’ + Or, ‘‘thatit isto all the world a humiliation, as it is to her inmost being.” § The mystical exaltation of the soul proceeds not so much from what she has already experienced of the divine love, but from the knowledge of the infinite possibilities of the content of the divine being and his love. Here, again, the emphasis is ‘on faith rather than experience. She is inebriated by her contemplation of the divine satisfaction of the Trinity, which results from the perfect intercommunion of the Three Blessed Persons.

It seemeth to me,” saith Reason, ‘‘ as I may understand these words, that it is a greater thing to this soul to be drunken of that which her love drinketh and shall drink of the divine tun* of his own bounty, than of that which she hath not drunk and never shall drink; for she is drunken of the drink that he drinketh of the divine fausett of thesametun.” “It is right,”’ saith Love, ‘‘ that the ‘ most ’ has made her drunk;£ not indeed that she hath drunken of the ‘most,’ as it is said before; but she hath it, for as much as her love hath it; for there is between him and her no disseverance nor contrariety of nature whatsoever, through any discord of love. Love maketh in her of righteousness this union, that hath made her drink of the most of his highest drink, and [it] never shall be otherwise. It may well be that there be many fausets in a tun, but the most clear wine and the most fresh and profitable and the most delectable and the most inebriating without fail, is the wine of the sovereign fauset, of which none drinketh but the Trinity. And it is of this fauset, without which she

t+ Fauset =the tap of the cask, hence the Fountain. + A play on words, the ‘‘ most,” a word for wine, ale; also, as will occur again later, used for God— who is the more and most in relation to the lesser revelations of himself. drinketh,* that a naughted soul is drunk ! a free soul, drunk ! a forgotten soul, drunk !— but right drunk and more than drunk! of that she never drank nor never shall drink. Hear this if ye understand it. ** Now, there is in this tun of divine drink, many fausets; this knoweth the manhood that is knit to the person of God the Son, who drank of the most noble wine next the Trinity. And the Virgin Mary drank of the one after, and of the most high ‘drink is this noble Lady inebriated. After them drank the burning seraphins, with whose wings these free souls fly.” “Ah God,” saith Holy Church, “ how it behoveth her to attend and cleanly keep herself, the soul that thus high flieth !” >

OF THE FREEDOM OF THESE SOULS, AND HOW THEY DO NOTHING THAT IS AGAINST THE PEACE OF INWARDNESS *¢ SUCH souls,” saith Love, ‘‘ have the mind and the understanding and the will low, by meekness and right perceiving, of knowing by subtlety. of wit in divine [things], and drink = without which) that a naughted soulis drunk. + Cf. Dion. Areop., de hierarchitis celest. [are] right free in all places, of the love of the Deity.” | “Ah, Love !’’ saith Reason, ‘‘ when are these souls in the right freedom of pure love ?” ** When they have no desire,” saith Love, “nor no feeling, nor in any time, affection of spirit; for whosoever maketh use of such practices, they be full far from the peace of freedom, where few folk suffer them to dwell. Nor do they do nothing,” saith Love, ‘‘ that is against the peace of their inward being, and thus they are in peace, in the ordinance of Love. *““'The persons that are such, they are thus called and fulfilled, that they have within them no craving of anything. And without them they have the beams of the divine sun; they keep cleanness of heart, and none but they. ‘These souls,”’ saith Love, ‘‘ have knowing of the ‘more,’ without having knowing, so they may not crave nor have sufficiency of the least thing. Such souls be all one in all things, and equable* in all things, for they do not unfreet their being, for nothing that may them fall;+ for right

_ T @e., repent of, grieve for their state whatever it is. + These souls are all one in all things, and equable in all things, and they are not troubled about their as the sun hath of God his light and shineth upon all thing without taking any uncleanness in him, right so have these souls their being, of God, and in God, without taking any uncleanness in them for thing that they see or hear.” **Eh, Love,” saith Reason, ‘‘ do these souls feel no joy in their inwardness; nor in their outwardness ?”’ ‘““ No,” saith Love, “‘ right as thou saidest, for the nature of them is mortified, and the spirit dead; for all willis from them departed; thus live they, thus be they, in such a death according to the divine will.” ** Now, Reason,”’ saith Love, ‘‘ understand thy question. He that brenneth hath no cold, nor he that drinketh hath no thirst, and this soul,”? saith Love, “‘is so burnt in the furnace of fire of love, that she is become fire; so that she feeleth no fire, for she herself is fire, by the virtue of love that hath brought her into himself, by fine love. ‘This fire brenneth of him in him, in all places and in all moments of time, without taking any substance from Will, but of himself. For he who feeleth [any thing] of God, through any substance that he seeth or heareth outside

condition whatever may befall them, ‘‘ forthynken not ”’=repent of, are displeased at; Bod. has “ unfreeth not.” himself, or by effort that he maketh of himself, that,* is not all fire, but there is substance [mixed] with this fire. For the labour of man and the desire to have some substance outside himself, to increase his love, that is but some shadowing or glimmering of knowing of the bounty of God.t They that burn with this fire aforesaid, without seeking substance to have or to will, see so clearly in all things, that they appraise the things according as they ought to be appreciated; for such a soul hath no substance in her that might blemish her clear sight, since she is made one [and] naughted by virtue of very meekness; and she is open to all largesse of perfect charity, and she is all one in God, by the divine action of pure fine love. reading about God or from seeing good things connected with the service of God. + This fire of love so often described by mystical writers is carefully distinguished here from all psycho-physical phenomena. The author points out that the natural human desire for devotion and increase of love, for some outward assurance of God’s love and demonstration of our human love, leads to natural efforts which may procure some such phenomena, experienced as fire. But these “‘ substantial ”’ experiences are unsubstantial compared with the purely spiritual “‘ fire,”’ that seeks no outward phenomena, but issues in a spiritual and clear knowledge and valuation of things as they are. This is achieved only when the soul is purified from sin and open to all in true charity.

“ This soul loveth no more anything in God, nor never shall love, how good soever it be, but only for God and because God wills it. Thus she loveth God in all things and all things for God, so that for this love is this soul alone, or all-one in the pure love of the love of God. Such a soul is so clear in knowing, that she seeth herself not in God, nor God in herself.”

HOW THAT CONSOLATIONS THAT COMFORT THE SOULS BY FEELING OF SWEETNESS, IT PROFITETH NOT A SOUL, BUT MEDITATION OF PURE LOVE; AND HOW THAT HATH ONLY ONE MEANING, AND WHAT THAT MEANING IS ** Now understand the remnant, Lords hearing, Lords loving! by a meditation of [the] love [that is] without [the] hearing [that cometh from] creatures, by such meditation that souls receive in love without desiring any of his gifts, which men call consolations that comfort souls, by feeling of sweetness in prayer. ‘These teach not the soul, nor any other usages, but pure love; for he who would have the comforts of God by feelings of consolation, he breaketh the price of fine love. ‘** MEDITATION OF PURE LOVE” hath but only one purpose, and that is this, that she loveth alway truly, without willing any guerdon. And this may not the soul do unless she be outside herself;* for true love ought not to desire any consolations that come of excess [of desire]., No truly! Meditation of pure love knoweth well moreover that she ought not to occupy herself so, but to follow his work:§ that is, to will perfectly the will of God. And she must let God work and be disposed|| to his will, for they that have a will that God should do their will, willing to feel his comforts, they trust not perfectly in his sole bounty, but in the gifts of his riches that he hath to gives

““ Without fail,’ saith this soul, “‘ he that loveth well, he thinketh not either of taking nor of asking, but of giving, without anything withholding, that he may love truly. For in him who that hath two purposes at one time, the one lessens§ for the other. ‘There- in herself. + MS. “‘ of her abuse.” + MS. “ busy her so.” § Keep her attention fixed upon, occupy herself with the work God is doing, as well as doing the work he has given her to do. Cf. John vi 29. _ || MS. Bod. “ aworth of.”” MS. British Museum, ** alane of.” @ MS. “ lassith.”’ fore true love hath but only one purpose, and that is that she might alway love truly. For of the love of her Beloved hath she no doubt, that he doth that which is best. And she followeth this, and she doth that which she ought to do, and she willeth only one thing, and it is that the will of God be alway in her done.” ‘“‘ She is right,” saith Love, “‘ for this is all. She may not will by her own will, for her will is not with-her, but it is [without any leading thither], in him that she loveth. And this is not her work, but it is the work of all the Trinity that worketh in this soul at his will.”

OF THE JOY OF THOSE SOULS AND:‘OF THE ACCORDANCE OF WILL OF THE BELOVED AND THE SOUL; AND OF THE UNION OF LOVE ** THIS soul,” saith Love, ‘‘ swimmeth in the sea of joy, that is, in the sea of delights, streaming with divine influences. Shefeeleth no joy, for she herself is joy. She swimmeth and is drowned in joy, for she leadeth in joy without feeling any joy. So is joy in her that she herself is joy, by the virtue of joy that hath brought her into him. Now is the will of the Beloved and the will of this 76 soul turned into one, as fire and flame, for love hath this soul all drawn into him.” ** Ah, right, sweet, pure, divine Love,” saith this soul. ‘‘ What a sweet union is this, that I am drawn into the thing that I love more than me; thereby have I lost my name for loving, who so little may love! Thus am I drawn into the thing that I love more than me, that is, in Love, for I love only Love.”’

WHAT IT MEANS THAT THIS SOUL DOTH NO THING THAT IS AGAINST THE PEACE OF HER INWARD BEING, AND OF AN EXAMPLE THEREUPON ** OQ Lapy LOVE,” saith Reason, “‘ tell us what it means, this that ye say: that then is the soul in her right freedom of pure clean love, when she doth no thing that is against the asking of peace of her inward being ?”’ ‘I shall tell you,”’ saith Love, “‘ it is that she doth nothing for aught that may fall, that is against the perfect peace of her spirit. This,”’ saith Love, “‘ the very innocents do.* And the being, which we speak of, is very innocence. Reason,” saith Love, “I give thee an ensample, Behold the child that is a very pure innocent. Doth he anything or ceaseth he* to do [it], for high or for low, except it please him ?” **T grant well, Love,” saith Reason. “I am wise of my question.” M. This ensample that Love maketh of the innocents that they do nothing nor leave to do, for high nor for low, except it please them, it meaneth, that these creatures should not do for one or for another whatever might unrest the quiet of their spirits. For these spiritual souls that be lovers of God, to whom Love speaketh in the person of one, to be understood for all; they are so led and updrawn by the work of the Holy Ghost, that they may not suffer that anything touch them but the pure touchings of love or things which lead thereto.

Nor may their spirit endure that the body obey with [considered] deliberation, to [set about] doing anything of the outward works that might hinder this divine love, or the usages that are the means thereof, and lead towards this pure love. So they stand to attend [upon], and wait to follow the Lord’s work, who is sovereign master ; for if they do the contrary, truly, it will unrest them. And therefore love biddeth them that they do nothing that may break the peace and rest of their spirits. WN.

HOW THIS SOUL FINDETH GOD IN ALL THINGS; AND OF THE INCOMPREHENSIBLENESS OF GOD ‘““ AH, Lady Love,” saith Reason, “‘ I pray you that ye summon”* and call this soul to hearken all that may be said to her, of him that is all in all things.” “This wot she,” saith Love, “for there she findeth him alway; for a thing must be found where it is. And for this, that he is all by all, this soul,” saith Love, ‘“‘ findeth him over all, so that because of this, all things are to this soul convenient; for she findeth nothing but that she findeth God. “Now, Reason,” saith Love, “why wilt thou that I call or summon this soul to hear of God, all that may be said ?”’ dwell in her being of innocence without moving to hear you speak.” t ** And shall I tell thee a truth >” saith Love. “I certify thee, Reason,” saith Love, “and trust me fully, that all that this soul hath + She will not “ go forth’? from her retirement to hear you speak, by her own motion—only if you call and summon her.

heard of God and all that might be said, is not worth speaking of compared to that which is in him, that never was said nor never shall be, and may not be said: and that is some thing that I have said, may not be said. But yet more,” saith Love, “in order to increase the joy and the sorrow of the soul, and to remind her of all her graces.* Lady Soul,”’ saith Love, “‘ I tell you one thing for all, and passing that, desire no more to hear, for ye shall lose your pains; that all creatures —this is to understand without none putting out—that be and shall be, in the vision of the sweet face of your spouse, have not comprehended of him, nor shall comprehend, in truth, nor in knowing, nor in love, nor in hearing, anything.” ** Ah, Love,” saith this soul, ‘“‘ what shall Ido? Certainly I believed never any thing better than this that ye have told me right now. But one thing, Lady Love, I would tell you gladly, if I might.”

** Sweet soul,”’ ‘saith Love, ‘‘ now tell me your desire, for I will hear it.”

A COMPLAINT OF THIS SOUL; AND OF THE COMFORT THAT LOVE GIVETH HER, AND HOW SHE IS NOT SUFFICED NOR APPEASED IN THAT WHICH LOVE TELLETH HER, BUT WHEREIN SHE JS SUFFICED, COMFORTED, AND APPEASED; AND WHEREIN SHE HATH THE FULL SUBSTANCE OF HER DEMANDS ** AH right, sweet Love,” saith this soul that is abashed, ‘‘for God, tell me wherefore thought he to make me, and buy me again unto redemption, in order to give me so little, who hath so much to give >—But it dare not be said of anything that he wills to do !—I know,” saith this soul, “‘ that if ever I had anything to give, I would not give him so small a portion;* I that am naught and he is all. Certainly, I might not withhold from him, but I should give him all, if I had whereof to give. And that little that I had of worth, I have not withholden it from him, but all fully I have given him, body, heart, and soul; this knoweth he. Now I have given him all, so that I have not whereof to give: it seemeth well by this that I would gladly give him if I had anything to give. And he that hath taken all that I have of worth, he gave it me; and he hath all with8I

holden! Eh, Love! for God’s [sake], is this the manner of Love >” ** Ah, sweet soul,” saith Love, “‘ you know better than you say; for if you have given him all, that is the best that may befall you, for you have given him nothing but that was his before you gave it him; and now, behold what you have done for him !” “Sweet Love,” saith this soul, ““ you say sooth, I may not nor will not deny it.” ‘**O right sweet soul,” saith Love, “‘ what would you that he gave you? Are you not his creature? Will you have of your beloved a thing that appertaineth not to him to give, nor for you to take? Appease you, Lady Soul, if you believe me, for there is none other thing than this for you [to do] but that you should have the gift of creature, soothly such as belongeth to you to have.” ““Ah, Lady Love,” saith this soul, ‘‘ this said you not to me when I knew you first. You said to me that in the company of Beloved and lover, there is no lordship nor sovereignty—but there is! This I may clearly see since the one hath all and the other hath naught, in regard of his all. But if I might amend it, I would amend it, and if I had as much might as he* hath,

I would love him as much as you are worth !” ‘Ah right sweet soul,’ saith Love, ‘‘ ye may no more say! Now appease yourself ! For your will sufficeth to your Beloved, and here he sendeth you word by me, that ye may be certain of this that I shall tell you. He shall love nothing without you, nor you also love nothing without him! This is a great privilege, and this sufficeth you, sweet soul, if you believe me.”’ ““ Ah, Lady Love,” saith this soul, ‘* for God, be still of this, for truly I may not cease, even to save all the world, if it might be. For wit well this; I have nothing more of worth than this, for nothing that I love sufficeth me; for if it sufficed me this that I love, I should descend from that little that I have of love. But one thing sufficeth me, Lady Love, that I shall tell you,” saith this soul, ‘that he that loveth more than me—and I do not love myself except for him—hath in him, that which ye have said, that none knoweth but he only.* And since I love him more than me, and he is the fulfilled of all goodness, my Lord, my God, and

promise of great rewards for her present sense of loss, but the soul refuses this. Her only comfort is in the knowledge of the “‘ sufficiency ” of her Beloved, according to Pure Love. mine all, this is my comfort altogether,”’ saith this soul. “For if I be discomforted of that which I lack, I am recomforted againward, in that he lacketh nothing. Within him, he hath the abundance of all goodness without any failing. ‘This is the fulhead and the substance of my peace, and the true rest of my thought, for I love not myself but for him. And since I love not myself but for him, there faileth me nothing whatever, as I have said afore. **O without fail, no ! in good understanding! Before this time I have had a desire to hear speak of him, for no creature might tell me of him, but that I heard it gladly with a good will. But Love hath now told me the truth, and biddeth me pacify myself; for all that men may tell me is naught in comparison with that which is in him, which may not be said. And more may nothing avail me to hear of him than this, that my love is not comparable to the least thing that men may compare to him, wherefore my love findeth none end in loving him, and hath alway new love of him in him who is all love, however great he be! ‘This is the end of that,’’ saith this soul, “ that men can tell me naught, nor can I pacify myself in this which Love saith of him; so that I say to all, I have the full satisfaction of all my questions in this, that men can tell me

naught ! and such is the Beloved of my soul,” saith the soul herself.* ** Ah God! think how these souls endure in their wit !”’ saith Discretion. “*T know well,” saith this soul, ‘‘ that Love herself maketh them to endure, that is mistress of this work.”’

HOW IT IS MORE IN THIS SOUL AND BETTER SHE LOVETH THAT WHICH IS IN HER BELOVED THAT SHE HATH NOT, NOR NEVER SHALL HAVE, THAN THAT SHE HATH IN POSSESSION; AND HOW THE BODY FOR HIS BOISTEROUSNESS AND FLESHLINESS CANNOT SPEAK OF THE TAKINGS OF THE SPIRIT **T HAVE said before,” saith this soul, ‘‘ that nothing faulteth me,f since that my love hath all in him, of his rightwise nobleness, without beginning and shall have without end. Eh! what faulteth me then? I love not myself nor him, nor all his works, but only It seems to imply a final defiance on the part of the soul. She is glad almost that her Beloved is such a one that men can tell her nothing adequate of him, and even Love’s consolations fail to satisfy her high conception of Pure Love. These passages should be compared with Fénelon’s writings on Disinterested Love. T 7.e., is lacking. for him. And that is more mine which he hath—which I have not nor shall not have —than is this which I have and shall have in possession of himself.”

“ Prove this !”? saith Reason. “This is easy to prove,” saith this soul; “see here the proof! I love better in sooth, by an hundred thousand fold,” saith the soul, “‘ one of the abundant goods that dwell in him, than I do the gifts that I have and shall have of him in possession. And for this, I love better that which is in him out* of mine understanding, than that which is in him within mine understanding. And for this reason that is more mine which he knoweth and I know not, than this which I know and which is mine. For there where is most of my love, there is most of my treasure. And for this, I love better the ‘most’ of him that never I shall know, than I do mine which I know. And therefore is that ‘more’ mine, because the ‘ most’ of my love [is in it]:+ witness of love himself ! + ‘‘ The most” is the greater part of God, unknown and unknowable; the soul loves better the infinitely greater hidden Deity than that small part of him of which she has had experience. ‘** Where her treasure is, there is her love also,” and therefore the hidden treasure is more truly hers, ‘‘the more is mine, because the most of my love is in it.”

This is the end,’’* saith this soul, “‘ of the peace of my spirit. For one thing, Lady Love, I will say, that if it might so be that one of his creatures had in himself [by God’s gift] as much power and will to give me joy and glory—as all those receive of his [heavenly] court—unless he himself properly gave it me, I should refuse it without end, rather than [that] I should take it or desire it of any other, than of himself. Soothly no, not for to have it evermore, for I might not! ‘Thus, of himself, he hath taken me, I can have no ‘ will’ because of him; thus it is ! ““O right sweet Love,” saith this soul, “‘ for God’s [sake] suffer me, for I am all abashed for him! Oh, what ask I of him? I wot forsooth, that no more than men may tell the waves of the sea, when the wind bloweth hard and strong, no more may any creature write or say the comprehendings of the spirit, how little it comprehendeth of God. This is sooth, for the body is too boisterous and fleshly for to speak of the takingst of the spirit. But men say in the world: better is worth somewhat than naught.t Right so, I tell you,” saith this soul, “‘that is better and more worth to hear thing that is written and said of God than if men Heard naught.”

+ The medieval equivalent of “‘A bird in the hand,” etc. OF THE GIFTS THAT THIS SOUL HATH RECEIVED OF HER BELOVED, AND WHAT HER USAGE IS *““O my Beloved,” saith this soul, ‘“‘ how can I keep my wits* when I think on the gifts of your bounty, the.'which you have given me. You have given to my soul the vision of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, that my soul shall see without end. Then since I shall see so high a thing as is the Trinity, there shall not be taken from me the knowing of the angels and of souls. And since so great a thing is given me in gift, there shall not be withholden from me the vision of the little [thing]; this is to [be] understood of all those things that be less than God. Ah, my soul,” saith this soul, ‘what have you doneforme? Soothly, Lord, I am so abashed of that which I know, that I cannot but abash myself. I have none other usage nor none other usage may have, so overcometh me this knowledge continually.”

M. ‘Take heed of these words, that the soul saith, that she hath none other usage} nor none other. may have. ‘That is to say, during the time of that usage; for indeed every usage standeth for the time of its working; not that the soul is continually in them, for that may not be. But every usage is had* one after another, as love worketh and as dispositions come and go, but these usages are inhabited in the soul and used customarily. ‘Therefore it is said in such terms as “ alway,” “ thus,” **in this wise.’’ Many such other words in this book must be taken [thus]. WN. OF THE VISIONS THAT THIS SOUL HATH HAD, AND HOW NO HUMAN BODY MAY SEE THEM; AND HOW THEY THAT KNOW THEIR NOTHINGNESS SHALL DO NAUGHT; AND WHAT IT BEHOVETH THEM TO DO WHO CANNOT COME TO THE KNOWING OF THEIR NAUGHT; AND OF THE DEFAULTS OF THIS SOUL, AND BY WHOM THEY BE ACQUITTED LORD, though I had no other reason to abash me than this, that you have

given to my soul the vision of all the Trinity and of angels and of souls, that you have not given to your precious body that is knit and oned to the nature of the Father, in the Person of the Son;* it would be a marvel that] may see so much! For, Lord, it is so great a thing to see the angels and the beatific vision when he becameincarnate. St Thomas taught that our Lord had the beatific knowledge in the highest degree, beyond that of angels and tre blessed, from the moment of the Incarnation (/7carnation, X, 2-4). souls to whom you have given the vision of your face, that no human body is worthy to see so great a thing, as be the angels and the souls. Then may not the body see the Trinity, since it may not see the angels and the souls. And, Lord, this gift you have given to my spirit, as long as you shall be God. **O for God, Love,”’ saith this soul, “ tell me what I shall do, who have this in my knowledge ?”’

““T shall tell you,’ saith Love, “ and passing that, ask meno more! If you know perfectly your naught,* you shall do naught. And this naught shall tell you all. And if you may not perfectly come to knowing your naught, that is, [the] truth as far as you are able, then it behoveth you to do something in truth, according to the best that you may do, or you shall destroy,” saith Love, “ that same thing which you have conceived in your spirit. If God hath drawn you into him, it doth not become you,” saith Love, “ to forget what you were, when he made you first, and what you have been since—if you took heed of your works—and what you are and shall be, except [for] that which is of God in yourself.” ** Ah, Lord,” saith this soul, ‘‘ I am certain that I have nothing more availing than are my horrible faults, for which faults you have suffered death, to give me life. For, Lord, my weening* is this, and it is truth, that though none had sinned but I alone, you would have bought my soul with your love, late laid on cross for me, by the use of powers ordained to destroy my sin. Then thus, my Beloved, you have suffered all that you have suffered in your sweet humanity for me, as much as if none had sinned but I alone! Lord, all this, I tell you, for me only! So that I say, for as much passing this, as I have naught that availeth, so much do you avail, better than the best of mine, for which you are given.