The Mirror of Simple Souls

OF TWO THINGS THAT THIS SOUL DOETH NOT, WHICH MAKETH HER TO HAVE PEACE; AND HOW SHE IS NO MORE ENCUMBERED OF THINGS THAT SHE DOETH WITHOUT HER, THAN IF SHE DID IT NOT; AND WHO BE PERFECTLY FREE “THIS soul,” saith Love, “‘is imprisoned and fettered and holden in a country of entire peace, for she is there in full sufficiency. There she shippeth and saileth and floateth and swimmeth, and is filled of divine peace without the moving of her inwardness and without the work of her outward doing. For these twain aforesaid unmake this peace, if it may so befall; but not of this soul, for 181 she is in sovereignty. Nothing may grieve her, nor nothing encumber. If she do anything by her outward wits, that is always without her; and if God do his work in her, [then] it is, of himself in her, without herself, for him. No more is this soul encumbered of anything that she doth, than is her angel of the keeping of her. For no more be the angels encumbered to keep us than if they kept us not; neither is this soul [encumbered] any more by what she doth, than if she did it not. For she hath naught of herself, she hath all given freely without any ‘ for-why ? in him that is all. For she is lady beyond the thought of her youth, and Sun that shineth, heateth and nourisheth life of being, discovereth her from her former being. This soul,” saith Love, ‘‘ hath not held* doubt nor trust.”

** Eh, what then, for God ?”’ saith Reason. ** Certain confidence,” saith Love, ‘‘ and true agreementt to will only [and wholly] the divine ordering; thus it is that she is perfectly free.” of either doubt or confidence. t+ MS. ‘‘ accordance”; Latin affinitatem.

OF FOUR COSTS THAT THIS SOUL IS MADE FREE OF; HOW SHE HATH LOST HER NAME BY UNION OF LOVE AND IS TURNED ABOUT TO LOVE, AND HOW YET THERE IS MORE HIGH THAN THIS; HOW NONE MAY UNDERSTAND THIS BOOK BUT THEY THAT LOVE HATH MADE IT FOR OF four costs* behoveth a bondman to have before he might be free and called a gentleman; and right thus it is in the understanding of this spiritual doing. The first cost that this soul which is free hath, is this, that she hath no grudging of conscience, though she work not the work of virtues. Ah, for God! understand it, ye that hear this, if ye may! How might Love have this usage concerning all the works of virtues, since work ceaseth when love hath this usage ? The second cost is, that she hath nothing of will, no more than have the dead in graves, but only the divine will of God. This soul recketh not nor hath heart of righteousness, man must have the four precious “‘ costs ”’ before he is fit to be freed.

nor of mercy.* She planteth all in the sole will of him that moveth her in him; this is the second cost by which the soul is made free. The third cost is, that she holdeth this; that even as God could no more will aught but goodness, so she believeth that she could not will other than his divine will. Love hath arrayed her so with himself, that it maketh her thus to hold of herself. For he, of his bounty, hath turned her into this favour by goodness. Also of his love hath he, unto this love, by love, turned her. And of his will, hath her in his will, by divine will, purely turned. She is of him, in him, for him, thus led; and this holdeth she, otherwise she should not be free of all costs. Understand the gloss, auditors of this book! Where the stream or the flood lieth that drowneth the thought. This is then when she is in being; in the which God maketh her to have [a] being; there hath she given her will, so that she may not will but the will of him that hath led her of himself, for him, unto his bounty. And she that is thus free of all costs, liveth in sovereignty, and there she loseth her name and is drowned, and in this drowning left of him, in him, for him, in himself. So loseth she her name,

right as doth a water that cometh out of the sea,* that is called Oise or Meuse, and when it entereth into the sea it loseth its name and its courses by which it ran in many countries in doing its work; and ceaseth in the sea. There it resteth itself and hath lost its labour; and right so soothly it is of this soul. In order to gloss the meaning ye have of this and for this, enough ensamples; how this soul cometh to the sea and doth her labour and how she stinteth in the sea, there hath she lost her name and her labour. She hath no name but the name of him, in whom she is perfectly moved, that is, in Love. That is the spouse of her joyt which hath drawn the thought wholly into him. She is, then, this that is. And that soundeth marvellous to her; then is she marvellous and Love is her pleasure, the which Love delighteth her. Now is this soul without name, save the name of the very Union where Love moveth her. Right as the Water that we have spoken of, that hath the name of the sea—for it 7s sea as Soon as it is entered into the sea— it is not drawn to anything contrary by any nature of the ground.t Also, no matter

tration in the Dionysian School. t MS. “‘the dispens of her play’; Lat., hic e1us est ludisponsus. ~ A reference to some thirteenth-century law of gravitation ? maketh of it nor of the sea aught but one thing, not twain, but one; and right so it is of her of whom we speak. For Love hath drawn all her nature into him, that Love and this soul are all one thing; not twain, for that were discord, but only one, and therefore this is a good “‘accord.”” “It is right,” saith Love, “‘ that this soul that thus is free of these four costs, that she ascend afterwards to sovereignty.” “* Ah, Love,” saith Reason, ‘‘ is there yet anything more high 2” “Yea,” saith Love, ‘‘ this that is her next neighbour. For when she is thus free of these four costs and noble* by all the freedoms that of her be descended—for no churl is accepted} in this marriage—this soul that is thus noble, falleth then,’ saith Love, “‘into dismay that is called naught, thinking of the far-off results of what is near; that is her most nigh neighbour. And then liveth this soul,’’ saith Love, ‘‘ not in the former life of grace, nor in the life of spirit, but gloriously and divinely; for God hath hallowed her in this point by himself, and nothing contrary to goodness may befall her.”

~ MS.1 gentle °3 O.F. gentil =noble. + MS. “‘ taken.” + An obscure DARSARES MS. ‘thinking of the © fartake of nigh. . 186 Understand holily, all as it is; so may God give you alway being without removing! This I say to the persons for whom Love hath made this book, to him for whom I have written it. But among you that have not been such, nor be, nor shall be, ye trouble yourselves in vain, if ye will understand it. He who is not this, tasteth not this. [For it is to be] in God without being, [for] in God’s self zs being. Understand the gloss ! He that is lame of limbs may not well go, nor the feeble may not swim. ‘* Ah, without fail,” saith Reason, “ this is well said; [he who is] cumbered, encumbereth [others].”’ OF THE RUDENESS OF THEM THAT BE GOVERNED BY REASON, AND HOW THIS SOUL WILL NO MORE FOLLOW THEIR COUNSEL Tuus then speaketh this soul, abashed by naught-thinking, by this far night of night; who in peace delighteth herself. ‘‘ Soothly,”’ saith she, “‘ they that be governed by reason, the rudeness nor the cumberings of them no man may say. By their teachings it appeareth; it is the work of an ass and not of a man, if any man would hear them. But God hath kept me well,”’ saith this soul, “ from such 187

lore of Reason’s disciples; they shall not hold me in their counsel, nor their doctrine will I no more hear; I have been long therein holden, sometime I thought it was good, it is not now my best; of that, they know nothing; for a little wit may not put a price [upon a] thing of worthy value, nor understand anything unless reason be master thereof; and if they did understand it any time, it is not often. And therefore, I say,” saith this soul, ‘‘ that their rudeness I will no more hear: let them tell me nothing, for I can no more suffer it. I have neither ways nor means;* to God this work pertaineth, who doth in me his works: I owe him no work since himself worketh. If I [put in] mine, I should unmake his, and for this cause the work and teaching of the disciples of Reason would harm me. If I believed them, in such dread I should abandon this work, by their counsel. They follow [after] to attain a thing that is impossible, but I excuse them for their intention.

HOW THIS SOUL IS FREE AND CONSUMED BY MORTALITY, AND BRENT IN THE BURNING FIRE OF CHARITY; AND HOW THIS SOUL SEEKETH NO MORE GOD BY OUTWARD WORKS. OF THE MARVEL THAT REASON HATH OF THIS, AND OF THE PEACE OF MARY AND THE TROUBLE OF MARTHA ** THIS soul,”’ saith Love, “‘ is free and right free, surmounted free of tree, crop and root, and of all its branches. Her iot hath this of freedom, ended of every cost; there hath she her full purity. She answereth to none, nor oweth she to do so, unless he be of her lineage, this is to say, unless it be according to her disposition within herself. This soul findeth none that calleth her, nor none that she answereth to, nor her enemy hath no more answers from her.” “This is right,” saith this soul, “ since I draw God to me, it behoveth that he support me. God his bounty, he may not lose.” ** This soul,’’ saith Love, ‘‘ is consumed by mortality, and brent in the burning fire of charity, and the powder of her not cast nor thrown, but given into the high sea by naught-willing of will. She is right gentle and noble in prosperities, and highly noble

in adversities, and excellent noble in all places that she is in.” | ‘¢ She who is such,” saith this soul, “‘ she seeketh no more God by penances, nor by no sacraments of Holy Church, nor by ~ thoughts nor by words, nor by works, nor by holy creatures, nor by creatures of above,* nor by righteousness, nor by mercy, nor by glory, nor by divine knowing, nor by divine love, nor by divine praise and laud.” ** Ah, Lord God,” saith Reason, ‘* what saith this creature at first? This is all deadly !+ What shall my disciples say ? I know not what to say nor what to answer, to excuse this !”’ ** Oh, what marvel is it,” saith this soul, “* these folks of thy nursing be on foot without going, and have hands without work, and mouths without speech, and eyes without sight, and ears without hearing, and reason without reason, and body without life, and heart without understanding, as long as they have this being, and therefore it is marvel upon marvel [to them].”’

“Yea, soothly,” saith Love, “this is to them right marvellous marvels; for they be full far from the country where these others have these usages of high worthiness. But they that be such as we speak of, that be in + MS. “ slaying.” 190 the country in which God liveth himself, they have not marvel thereof.” *“No, forsooth,”’ saith this soul that is free, “‘for it were a point of villeinage,* and I shall tell you how. Ifa king give to one of his servants that truly hath served him a great gift, by which the servant were rich all the days of his life after, and never [had] to do service more, why should a wise man marvel at this, or why should he blame the king for his gift, and the freedom of the gift ?” “Nay,” saith Courtesy, “a wise man marvelleth not of thing that is done, that pertaineth to be done, but alloweth it and praiseth it and loveth it; and if he marvel, he showeth in that, that he doeth that which he ought not to do. But the servile hearts that be not wise, that know not for default of wit what honour and courtesy is, nor what the gifts be of a noble lord, they have thereof great wonder, and that is no marvel !”

** They have cause} in themselves,” saith Truth, ‘‘ as ye have heard before.”’ ““ Ah, for God,” saith Nobility-of-unity of the freed soul, ““ why should anyone marvel that hath any wit in him? If I say great things or mean these things, or though I have by all, of all, in all, my full sufficiency, my villeins. + Fr. de quot =reason. Beloved is great, who great gifts giveth and maketh it all at his will. He is fulfilled abundantly of all goodness of himself. And I am full enlumined and abundantly fulfilled of abundance of delights, by holding his divine bounty in me; without seeking him by the paps of his consolations,* as this book deviseth,”’ saith this soul. ‘‘ He calleth me to peace, without fail.” “It is right,” saith pure Courtesy. “ It fitteth the Beloved since he is worthy, that he of his bounty call his lover to peace.” Martha is troubled, peace hath Mary. Praised is Martha, but more Mary. . Mary hath but one intention in her, and that only one intent maketh her to have peace, and Martha in many intentions, have ofttimes unrest. And therefore a free soul may only have one intention. She heareth oft, this soul, things that she heareth not, and is full ofttimes where this soul is not, and feeleth ofttimes that which she feeleth not. “I hold,” saith she, “for this, mine [own which] I shall not let go; it is in my will, befall what may; for he is with me, then it were a default if I [let myself be] dismayed.”

OF THE DEATH OF REASON BY THE STRONG SPEECH OF THIS SOUL; AND HOW LOVE ASKETH IN THE STEAD OF REASON “‘ WHO IS MOTHER TO REASON AND TO OTHER VIRTUES 2”? AND HOW IT IS MEEKNESS AND WHICH MEEKNESS IT IS ** THIS soul,”’ saith Love, “‘ is lady of virtues, daughter of deity, sister of wisdom, and the spouse of love.”’ seemeth to Reason a marvellous language, and that is no wonder, for it shall not be long until he shall not be; but I was,” saith this soul, ‘‘and am, and shall be without failing; for love hath neither beginning, nor comprehending, nor end; and I am [nothing] but love, how might I then have end? It may not be.” *“ Ah, God,” saith Reason, ‘‘ how dare any say this! I dare not hear it. I fall, Lady Soul; soothly my heart faileth me to hear you. I have no life.” ‘* Alas, alas! why had this death not been long ere this time,’’ saith this soul, ‘‘ for until this [death had been] I might not freely hold mine heritage. And this that is mine is that [whereby] I fell* you with love and

wound you to death. Now is Reason dead,”’ saith this soul. “Then shall I say,” saith Love, “ this which Reason should say if she were alive in you and which she should ask of you, our Beloved,” saith Love to this soul, which is Love and none other thing than Love. These sayings, then, that Love saith to this creature, of his divine bounty, have thrown Reason and the works of virtues under his feet, and to death brought [them], without recovering. ‘‘ Now I say that [which] Reason should say. She should ask,” saith Love, ‘who is mother of her, and of the other virtues that be of her germain.’’* “And these, be they mothers of none ?” saith this soul. ““Yes,”? saith Love, “ali the virtues be mothers.” ‘** And of whom °?” saith this soul. ‘“* Of peace and of holiness,” saith Love. “Then be all the virtues that be germain to Reason mothers of holiness?” saith this soul. ** Sooth,”’ saith Love, ‘‘ of that holiness that Reason understandeth, but of none other.”’ ‘And who is then mother of virtues ?” saith this soul.

** Meekness,”’ saith Love, ‘‘ but not that meekness that is meekness by works of virtue. She is germain sister of Reason. I say ‘sister,’ because it is a greater thing to be mother than child; this ye see well; and nearer is kin than stranger.” ** Oh,” saith this soul that speaketh in the person of Reason, “‘ then is that meekness that is mother of these virtues but a daughter. Who is this, and of whence cometh she, that is mother of so great a lineage as be the virtues, and tutor* to feelings, when virtues be mothers? Who is ancestort to this feeling ? Can none tell whence this line cometh ?” “No,” saith Love, “they that know cannot put it into speech.” ** This is sooth,”’ saith this soul, “‘ but I shall add here to this what I shall say. This meekness that is tutor and mother is daughter of divine majesty. She cometh of the divine deity, where the mother is ancestor of these branches,t whose root is of such great fruitfulness.§ We still ourselves, speech overwhelmeth it. She hath given the stock and the fruit of her root and branches. ‘Therefore near lieth the peace of the far night, which disencumbers her of

+ MS. “‘ aile.” £ z.e., by Mother Right. § MS. “‘ fructifiances.”’ work; speech and thought it maketh all shadow; for her far night disencumbereth her so that nothing shadoweth her.”

HOW THIS SOUL IS FREE OF ALL, AND HOW SHE HATH SO PLANTED HER WILL IN THE TRINITY, THAT SHE MAY NOT SIN UNLESS SHE UNPLANT IT “THIS soul,” saith Love, “is quit of services, for she liveth in freedom. Whoso serveth, he is not free; whoso feeleth he is not dead, whoso desireth he would [have], whoso would [have], he beggeth. And whoso beggeth, he hath a lack* of divine sufficiency. But they that be truly alway upholden and taken of love and naughted by love, and all overspread of love, they have no heart but on love, even though they should suffer evermore torments and endure them, though the torments were as great as God is great in bounty. Never loved the soul finely that doubteth that this be not true. “This soul hath given all by freedom of nobility of the work of the Trinity. In the same Trinity this soul planteth so deeply her will, that she may not sin, unless she unplant it. For she hath nothing wherewith to sin, for without will may no creature sin. Now ye dare not reck of sin if she leave her will there where she hath planted it, that is, in him who hath given it her freely, of his bounty; thence will she not take it, but there she planteth it all wholly, freely, without any ‘for-why ?? And not for her [sake], but for him, for two things. One is because it is good, and the second is, because he willeth it. Up to this time hath she no peace fully, steadfastly, nor peaceably, till she be of her will purely departed. These that such be resemble always a drunken [man], for the drunken man, he is no more afeared for anything that is coming to him, whatever adventure may befall him, than if it came not to him. And if he be [afeared], he is not all fully drunk.

“And also if this soul have anything wherewith to will, it is ill planted. She may yet fall if she be assailed with adversities or with prosperities. Then is she not whole, for she is not naked. No, since she hath wherewith to will or to unwill, or to withhold her will.” WHAT IT BEHOVETH THEM TO DO THAT BE IN LIFE OF SPIRIT, TO COME TO LORDSHIP AND SOVEREIGNTY ‘** AND yet I will thus much say,” saith Love to all those that be in life of spirit, ‘‘ that if _ it be asked of them, let them do the asking of the desire of their inwardness, in following the works of perfection by the study of reason, willing or not. For if they will, by this they may be and shall come to the being that we have spoken of, and shall yet be lords of themselves and of heaven and earth.” ‘*And how, Lord ?” saith Reason that to this cannot answer. “By this way,” saith this soul that is free; “if she holdeth ali without care or without heart* and all giveth without heart, and all taketh without heart, and all hath without heart; and if her heart feel it, this is she not.”

“<I have said,” saith Love, “ that they do the asking of their inwardness, if it be asked, for otherwise I command it them not; and if they leave all the will of their outwardness gives, suffers, etc. t See note infra, p. 301. for the inward life of spirit, they shall yet come to all lordship and sovereignty.” “Oh,” saith the spirit that this same seeketh in life marred,* ‘‘ tell me how ?”’ ** Forsooth,” saith this soul that standeth in freedom, ‘‘ none can see it but he only that zs this thing in creatures, of his bounty for creature. But this I shall tell you,” saith this free soul, ‘‘ what behoveth a creature ere he come thereto. It behoveth him perfectly to do the contrary of his will in appeasing the virtues up to the throat, and hold this point without falling [away, namely, that] the spirit have alway lordship without contrariosity.”’ ** Ah God,” saith Truth, ‘‘ how sick is the body of the heart, where such a spirit is.” “Soothly I say,” saith this free soul, “that it behoveth to have such inward working in life marred, this is to say, in life of spirit, so that it destroyt the humours of all sickness, in a swift moment. Such physician hath Fervour-of-spirit.”’£

t MS. “ waste.” & The contradiction is again only superficial. In this life of spirit—for these souls so called, there must still be active mortification of all that affects the will; the spirit must overcome the will as well as the flesh. Truth protests with the observation that such a spirit will sorely wear out the body. The only “This is sooth,” saith Love, ‘‘ whoso that doubteth in this, if he had assayed, * he should wit the sooth.”

HOW THEY THAT BE IN LIFE OF SPIRIT MUST ALWAY DO THE CONTRARY OF THEIR PLEASAUNCE IF THEY WILL HAVE PEACE, AND HOW THEY THAT BE FREE MUST DO ALL THAT PLEASETH THEM OR ELSE THEY SHALL LOSE PEACE. WHAT THING IT IS THAT GIVETH THIS SOUL AND IS MOST NOBLE BEING THAT MAY BE HAD IN THIS LIFE ‘Now I shall tell you,”’ saith Love, “‘ of the soul in freeness, and also of them of the life which we have spoken of, that we call life of spirit, it may have no peace unless the body do alway the contrary of its will. This is to be understood, that these folks do the contrary of that which delighteth them. For otherwise, else, they should answer is that many wearinesses and humours of sickness are often put to flight by a fresh sharp act of additional physical mortification. This is the prescription of Fervour-of-Spirit, and Love appeals to the experience of those who have tested it by trial. 200 fall into loss of this life, unless they do alway the contrary of their pleasure. And they that be free have to do all the contrary, for right as them behoveth in life of spirit to do all the contrary of their will, unless they will lose peace, [so] behoveth it in life that is free, to do all that pleaseth them, unless they will lose peace.* If they be come into the state of freedom, that is, if they be fallent from virtues into Love, and from Love into Naught, they do nothing except it please them;

and if they do [otherwise], they rob themselves of peace, freedom, noblesse. For until then is not the soul wholly refined, until she do that which pleaseth her and that she be grudging of doing thecontrary of her pleasaunces. That is right,’ saith Love, “for her will is ours, she hath passed the Red Sea, and her enemies therein left. Her pleasing zs our will, by the purity of unity of the will of the Deity, wherein we have enclosed her. Her will is ours, for she is moved from grace into perfection; from works of Virtues and from

implies a perfect union of will with God, so that the desires are transformed, and only that which pleases God is desirable. This has often been established in the case of the saints. Obviously no deductions in favour of self-indulgence are to be drawn from this passage by those who have not attained that state. tT Fallen, here and following —moved, changed. Virtues into Love; and from Love into Naught, and from Naught into clarifyings* of God, who seeth with eyes of his majesty; who in this point hath enlightened her by himself, and [she] is so left in him, that she neither seeth him nor herself. If she saw herself in this divine bounty she should be for herself;+ but he seeth this bounty in her who wist this of her before she was. When he gave her of his bounty then he made her lady. ‘This was of free will, and this free will he may not take from her, without the pleasing of the soul. Now he hath it without any ‘for-why °’ right in such a way as he had it before she was lady thereover. Now naught is but he; no one [is] loved but he; for none zs but he. This calleth her alone, this maketh her a lone soul, and the all, sole, alone[ness] of his own being giveth her that point, that is the most noble being that any creature may have, in this life of perfection. And under this there be five [beings] in which men must live according to the perfection of the callt of every [man], before a soul may have this, which is the sixth, which is most profitable and best and the most noble and the most gentle of all

‘* For herself,” cf. note on “* with herself,”’ p. 18 p Here =attached to her own interests. + MS. ‘‘ asking,’’? God’s asking—7.e., vocation. 202 the other five. And in paradise is the seventh, that is made perfect without any lack. And thus doeth God of his bounty in his creatures, his divine works. The Holy Ghost inspireth where he will and is marvellous in his creatures.”

WHAT THING IT IS THAT HATH GIVEN THIS SOUL FREEDOM IN ENDURING OF THINGS *“ Au, Lord,” saith this soul, ‘“‘ ye have so much suffered for us and can so much work in us, by you, of you, for us, that these other works have taken their end in us, but that is right little refined.* Now work in us, by you, of you, for us, without us, thus Lord as it pleaseth you. For as for me henceforward, I make no fors, I disencumber myself of you, both of myself and of mine even-Christian. Thus I shall tell you how I relinquish you and me and mine evenChristian, everyone, in witting of your divine wisdom, in the streams of your divine might, in the governance of your divine bounty, for your sole will. And this sole thing of love, led, cleared, and clarified by divine majesty, hath of all things given me enduring freedom, without breaking,” saith 203 the soul that is thus called, ‘‘ for else it were no gift unless it were without failing. Now understand, if ye have this gift !”

OF THE PEACE OF THIS DIVINE LIFE, AND HOW MARY MAGDALEN HAD IT WHEN SHE WAS IN THE DESERT. AND HOW OUR LADY HAD IT ALWAYS, AND WHAT THE LANGUAGE OF THIS LIFE IS ** Now I say to them that serve,” saith this soul, “to bring them into life of freedom, I owe it not. His love is not served in this, nor is this naught*—it may not be. And when such [a soul] is naught, then liveth God himself in this creature without breaking the peace of his creature. The peace of this life of divine life, it suffereth not to be thought of, nor spoken, nor written. And this love is without work of body, and without work of heart, and without work of the spirit, for divine work hath fulfilled the law. Reason praiseth the Magdalen for she sought Jesu Christ, but love stilleth him. This forget not, for she failed when she sought divine life, but when she was in [the] desert, love have not attained to the “‘ naughted life ”—and so his love may not be best served by them—“‘ that. may not be.”’

took her and annihilated* or naughted her, and in her wrought. Then had she love in her of him without herself; she lived then of divine life, which made her have glorious life. And then she drew God to her without seeking him. She had no need to seek when love had taken her. But when she took love, she sought him by desire of will, in feeling of her spirit. That was human and not clean, pure, divine, for she was then marred and not Mary.t She wist not when she sought him, that God was all, by all, in all, she had not then sought him. I have found none that alway did this, but the Virgin Mary. Never had she will according to the senses, nor work of spirit, but [she had] the will of the Deity in work divine. This was and is, and shall be her divine beholding, her divine love, her divine peace, and her divine lauding; altogether her labours and all her rest, to will only the divine will, and therefore she had glorious life enclosed within the soul of her mortal{ body without any intermediary.! The language of this divine life is close silence of the divine love; she hath wist this afar off, and of long known, that there is nothing more divine than alway to will the divine will.”

t+ Is this a play on words “‘ marred ”’ and ‘“‘ martha’ed ”’ ? + MS. “‘ deadly.” § MS. entredeus. 205

HOW AND BY WHAT MEANS THEY THAT STAND IN DESIRE MAY COME TO REST OF SPIRIT; AND OF THREE THINGS OF THE DIVINE LIFE AND OF THE INNOCENCE THAT IS GOTTEN BY THIS LIFE ‘“*O YE that stand in desires and be not yet come to the rest of spirit, work and travail busily, and naught yourselves, for none may rest him in highful rest that is alway restfulable, unless he be afore awearied, I am thereof sikker.* Therefore let the virtues have that that is theirs of the cutting wills, of the fervours of affection of your spirit, till they have acquit you of the debt that ye owe to Jesu Christ. Himself saith in the Gospel: Whoever belteveth in me, he shall do such works as I do, and yet more greater shall he do.t Where lieth the gloss of these words, I ask you? In this, not till then when one hath paid to Jesu Christ all that he oweth him may he have the peace of the divine country where life dwelleth. God give you hastily from your natural perfection to come to this, where that is pleasure and harmony+ of the powers of the soul, and of all thing + MS. ‘‘ accordance of the mights.”’ : 206

sufficiency. Thus it behoveth to be, for there be the three [kinds] of divine life, that we call the glorious life, and the being which love giveth us of his bounty formed, that leadeth in soul the first day that it attaineth to earth, that is innocence, which Adam lost in Paradise terrestre by disobedience: the pain dwelt with him and Jesu Christ took it. Then it is good, right, and reason, that true innocence dwell with us. The very innocents are never right nor never wrong, they feel all naked, that have not anything to answer. All [men] answer and all fail to agree,* by the sin of Adam, but the innocents have not whereof to answer.”

OF THE MOST HIGH BEING THAT THE NAKED, NAUGHTED, OR CLARIFIED SOULS BE IN THE country of virtues that the marred work in is full far from the country of forgetting and all-naked, naughted, or clarified souls, that be in the most high being. There the soul is abandoned in God for him, in him, of himself. Then is he not sought nor praised nor adoredt by these creatures, + He is not praised by any direct and conscious effort of the soul, but by indirect modes of love and praise, of which the soul is largely unconscious. but only by that which they may not know nor love nor adore. This is the fulfilling of all their love and the last denial of their way. The last, it accordeth with the first, for it discordeth not. This is right, since she hath run that she rest herself in that place; for she may do all that she will, by the true bounty of his divine being. And she may do all that she will without making a return for his gifts, who, of his proper being, hath set her thus. Why should it not ? for this gift is also all that he is in himself, who giveth it to this soul, and this gift moveth her purely into himself. This is Love’s self. And Love may do all that she will. So may not Dread, nor Discretion, nor Reason,—wit it forsooth—nothing gainsayeth Love. This soul seeketh not the fulness* of her understanding, but God seeth it in her without breaking her.f Thus have the aforesaid virtues naught to answer.

Then saith she to him thus: t Without having to destroy the shell that it may appear.

OF THREE THINGS WHEREBY IT MAY BE KNOWN THAT THE SOUL IS NOT COME TO PEACE, BUT IS BEGGING; AND WHAT PARADISE IS $s () GOD that all [things] canst, O Lord that all thing knowest, O my Be- loved that availeth for all, do whatever ye will. Sweet Father, I cannot! Sweet Master, I know not! Sweet Beloved, Iam naught. And therefore I will naught. And if any say thus ‘Ah, for God, let us [suffer] nothing of ours nor of none other than of him henceforward to be within us, which it behoveth God with his bounty to put out,’ this is a begging creature, that by her emptiness seeketh God in creatures. Soothly, she findeth the deed that she willeth and that she herself doeth.* But truly, she that findeth him, suffereth him to do his will and his divine works in her without her own procures the spiritual consolation she desires, and does the work herself; but it is not God to whom she attains. working. But one that seeketh and findeth not dwelleth enfamined of that which she asketh. And when she seeth this, thus saith to herself, that she will seek him. And so she doth in that she asketh him afresh by her wit, by understanding, of the most high and pure thought, and there she seeketh; this is a begging creature also. And if she think that we shall write more explicitly than other creatures have written, it is begging, this that she hears, for she would that her even-Christian found God in themselves by writings and by words.

‘This is to say and to be understood, that she would that her even-Christian were made perfect in the manner that she deviseth, specially all those to whom she hath good will.* Thus to do and thus to say, is begging; for in doing this, and in saying this, and in dwelling thus, and in willing this, she remaineth a beggar—wit this forsooth—and encumbered of herself. And all because she beggeth of them for

soul may fall by “‘ desires.” He warns against Spiritual curiosity seeking even in the “‘ explicit writing ’’ of his own book for knowledge which is to come from God alone. This often is disguised as zeal for our neighbour’s spiritual welfare, and so constitutes a further error by involving them in the love of creatures. Further, the soul enlists sympathy and borders upon pride, when she thus “‘ enlightens ”’ others—“‘ she beggeth of them for whom she does it.”’ whom she doeth it.” “Certainly,” saith Love; “ but this doth not the high soul of peace that liveth of glory, even of glory’s self in paradise, all alone; for paradise is not other thing than God himself.”

HOW IT IS [TO BE] UNDERSTOOD THAT THE THIEF WAS IN PARADISE THAT DAY THAT HE DIED AND OUR LORD WENT NOT INTO HEAVEN BEFORE HIS ASCENSION Wuy was the thief in paradise as soon as the soul was departed from this body, and Jesu Christ, God’s Son, ascended not into heaven before the Ascension, and the thief was in paradise on that same day? But will ye wit how this may be; for it had to be, for God had promised it him. This means, he saw God who is paradise; for paradise is not [any] other thing than to see God. And this doeth she in sooth, at all times when she is unencumbered of herself. [She is] not glorified, for the body is tied to this creature, but divinely and gloriously, for the inwardness is perfectly delivered of all creatures. So liveth she without intermediary* by the life of glory, and is in paradise without being.* Gloss these words if ye will understand it or ye shall misunderstand it, for it hath some likeness to the oppositet [for those] who understand not the fulness of the gloss; and likeness is not truth, but Truth is truth and nothing else.

God and lives by the power of the life of glory without intermediary means. To be in that state is to be in paradise, though she is not there in a physical state; or possibly “‘ she is in paradise without [consciousness] of any particular state (being).”’ t MS. ‘*‘ semblance of the contrary.” Dun. £ SONG Kel;

HOW THEY THAT SIT ALL IN FREEDOM DO REST THEMSELVES IN PURE NAUGHT WITHOUT THOUGHT H, what had he in thought, who this A book made ?* ‘This same, that the righteous God it seemeth that he cannot come again. ‘This is to understand, that he would that creatures begged as he doth in other creatures.t Certainly, do it they must, before they come to perfect freedom of all points. “IT am deficientt and naught may take,”’ work of the Translator. There is no indication how far he has paraphrased and interpolated the original. Possibly largely throughout; at least the difference noticeable in the second part of the book from Division VI may be due to the predominance of his remarks. + Seems to mean that God desires that creatures should dwellin the same silent passivity towards him and others as he himself does in his hidden life within us. They should ‘“‘ beg’? as much as he does—1.e., not at all. + MS. “ all short.” saith this soul that wrote this book. “Iam as foolish in the time that I make it—except that love maketh it for me at my request— as he should be that would shut the sea in the compass of his eye and bear the world upon the point of a rush, and light the sun with a shadow! Iam more a fool than he that this would do, when I put so precious* a thing in speech, that may not be said, nor written. I encumber myself with writing these words, but thus I take my recourse to come to my strength and succour and to my last crowning crown, of the being of which we have spoken of; which sitteth all in freedom, that is, when a soul resteth in pure naught without thought; for till then she may not be free.”

WHAT THING THEY DO THAT BE IN BEING ABOVE THEIR THOUGHTS ‘AH God,” saith Reason, “‘ what do they that be in being, above their thoughts >?” ‘“<’They marvel themselves,’’} saith Love, ‘* of him that is in the mount of their mountain, and they abash themselves of the same, that is, of the deepness of their valley, by a + Wonder, used actively. naught-thinking, which is shut and ensealed in the most pure and secret closet of this excellent soul. For none may open, nor unseal, nor shut when it is opened—this precious shutting and this noble opening— unless the gentle Far Night, of right far, and of right nigh, shut it and open it; who beareth the key,* for none other beareth it, nor may bear it.”’} a etiOC, ill 7. + The personification of the ‘‘ far night ’’ here is consistent with the style of these later portions, and indicates merely that the “‘ dark night ”’ is the means by which the soul attains to God in a state beyond conscious thought. GPG GP SEG Se Ge Se

HOW THEY THAT BE OF ALL THINGS IN SOVEREIGNTY KNOW AND FEEL THE LIFE THAT THIS BOOK SPEAKETH OF, AND NONE BUT THEY MONG you ladies to whom God hath given this life of his divine bounty abundantly, without any withholding —not only this life without more, that we speak of, but that other with this, which never man spake of—ye shall know in this book your estate. And them that be not nor never were, nor shall be, feel not this being. They know it not nor they may not, nor they shall not, they be not of the lineage that we speak of. Wit it forsooth, no ! for the angels of the first order be not seraphins, nor may not be, for God gave them not the being of seraphins. But they that be in God, by whom they shall become,* know this thing, and feel it by strength of the lineage of which they are and shall be more stronger than they be. And these folks, that we speak of, that be, and shall be, wit it well, know altogether that they be of the lineage. ‘Then these folks are they who, by their state, are in sovereignty over all things, for their spirit is the most high and noble of the orders of angels wrought and ordained. Now these folks have, of all the orders, the most high mention for the spirit, and the most noble complexion* by nature, when they are sanguine or choleric; that is, not melancholic nor phlegmatic; for of the gifts of fortune, these be the best to have; yet they hold all to be best, according to their will and their necessity, for themselves and for their even-Christian, without anxiety of conscience,

WHAT GREAT DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN SOME ANGELS AND OTHERS, AND ALSO OF THE SOULS THAT THIS BOOK SPEAKETH OF, COMPARED WITH OTHERS THAT BE NOT SUCH; AND HOW THEY THINK THEMSELVES TO BE BEST OW hear among you, the great per- fection of the naughted souls, these which we have spoken of. “It is said,”’ saith Love, “‘ and IJ say it myself, that there is also as great difference among angels of some orders compared with others, as there is of men and asses. ‘This is easy to trow,* for any who should open the divine wisdom. Let none ask me why, unless ye will err, but believe it, for this is truth. And right as it is of some angels compared with others, as ye have heard say, right so it is by grace of the naughted souls that we speak of, as compared with all those that be not. He is right wel! born that is of that lineage, those be folks royal, their hearts are so excellent noble, and of such great worthiness and wisdom that they may not do thing of little value, nor begin thing without attaining the crown.

*“’'These folks be the least that may be, as in their own sight, witness of God himself, who saith that the least shall be the most in the kingdom of heaven.* It ought to be believed; they believe it verily that be such. But who believeth a thing which he is not ? Soothly none, for the truth of believing is in the being of him who believeth. And so he that thus believeth is the same that this 18 ((ziedsisistileast ?2).’?

OF THREE WORDS WHEREIN THE PERFECTION OF THIS CLEAR LIFE IS FULFILLED SHE, this soul is no more troubled concerning herself or others, or God himself; weening that she is not; so that she is not [indeed]. Understand the gloss. This weening that she is not, is in her will, which is not hers for herself. In these three words is fulfilled all the perfection of this clear life. Therefore I say clear, seeing that she surpasseth the blind naughting; the blind naughted sus- taineth her feet, [but] the clearness is the most noble and the most gentle [state]. She wotteth not of anything that is, for she is not; but God wot in her, of him, for her, of himself.

HOW THIS SOUL SEEKETH NO MORE GOD; AND WHAT THING IT IS THAT TAKETH FROM HER LOVE ..OF HERSELF. AND, OF THE BOOK OF LIFE AND THE OPENING THEREOF ‘THIs lady seeketh no more of God, there is no more to do [about it]. He faileth her in naught that she should seek him; why then should she seek him? He is with her, she hath him, and if he faileth her, I know not why she should seek, since he lets himself be sought.* “Oh,” saith this soul, ““ why should I do anything that my Beloved doeth not, he wanteth nothing. Why then should I want anything ? In this I [should] love myself if I lacked anything since he lacks nothing. He lacks naught; then, I lack naught, and this point taketh from me the love of myself, and giveth me him without mean and without withstanding. I have said this,” seek him ? 220 saith this soul, “‘that he wants naught. Why then should I want? Heseeketh naught, why then should I seek? He thinketh not, why then should I think? I shall not do it, Reason,” saith this [soul] naughted and clarified by default of love of herself. ‘‘ My works that be done, these have yedone. And so shall ye do if ever I know you, but I reck not of you. I have done all.”

“Right when 2” saith Reason. opened me his book, for his book is of such condition, that what time that love openeth the book, the soul wot all and hath all, all works of perfection it hath in her fulfilled, at the opening thereof. And this opening hath made me have so clear sight,’ saith this soul, ‘‘ that it hath made me yield that which is his, and to take that which is mine. This namely is alway of himself, and I am not. Then it is very right that I have not myself. And the light of the opening of this book hath made me find mine [own] and to dwell in that. I have not so much of being that may make me be of him. And thus hath Right yielded me mine [own] by rights, and showed me a * naught ’—that I amnot. And it would be right, that I should have myself no more; this Right is written within the book of life. “Thus it is [concerning] this book, and myself,’ saith this soul, who was of God and of creatures. ‘‘ When he made them, he willed it of his divine bounty, and all was done in the same moment of his divine might, and all ordained of his divine wisdom.”’

OF THREE BEHOLDINGS THAT ONE SHOULD HAVE TO COME TO PEACE. AND HOW WE SHOULD NOT SET LITTLE BY A DEFAULT DONE AGAINST GOD ** Now for God,” saith this soul, ‘‘ behold what he hath done and what he doth, and what he shall do. ‘Then shall ye have peace, stillness and rest of peace in peace; and of such peace [as is] raised above corruption, if ye dwell in the risen peace. Ah God, what great words these be; whoso should understand the truth of the gloss >” “Ah God,” saith Understanding of the soul naughted, “‘ am I not enough in prison of corruption, where I am obliged to be; will I or nil I; though IJ allow me not to the cart of correction ?* “* Oh, what a great pity it is when wickedness hath the victory over goodness. And x “JT allow me not,” do not willingly submit to the punishment of the cart of correction—/.e., to be dragged through the streets in the public criminal’s cart, or beaten at the cart’s tail. right so it is of body and of spirit. The spirit is made of God, the body is formed of God. Now these two natures are joined and knit together by nature and by justice, in corruption. In the fount of baptism these two natures are put together without corruption, by the divine justice that hath made these two natures. And when a fault overcometh this complexion and this [new] creation, which is made of the divine goodness, this seemeth not a little thing however little that fault may be. And then, this fault troubleth us unto bitterness and driveth to. a madness* against ourselves. [Though] it is not wilful, it is not a little thing this, since it pleaseth not the divine will, but displeaseth him.’’+

“Ah God,” saith Knowing of Divine Light, “‘ who is he that dare call this little ? He who calleth it little, I hold he was never well illuminated, nor never shall be unless he amend him. For he hath greatly offended in this, that he putteth the displeasing of our Lord in such reckless heed.” + The whole passage is very obscure. The author explains that, since Baptism remedies the corruption of original sin, we naturally feel distressed at any further actual sin, however venial, but this distress should not be allowed to drive us to “a bitter spirit against ourselves.’ Nevertheless, even a venial sin is not a small matter since it displeases God.

HOW IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE RIGHTEOUS MAN FALLETH SEVEN TIMES A DAY IT is much to say of such a servant that serveth his Lord well at all points in all thing, that he knoweth that which might best please the will of his Lord. “Oh,” saith this soul, that helpeth herself by this same [thing], ‘‘ now I have some of that which Holy Writ saith, ‘that the righteous man falleth seven times a day.’* He is well enlightened} who understandeth that this [sin] is not a case for correction,£ for the word ‘ correction ’ is used when men fall into fault by the consenting of their will. And corruption is the fleshliness of the complexion of our bodies; it seemeth else, by this tale, that I have not free will, if I must sin against my will seven times a day. It is not so with God’s grace,” saith this soul, ‘‘ for it must be that God is not God, if virtues be taken from me maugre me.{ For no more than God may sin, who cannot will it, no more may I sin if my will will it

+ A legal term: 7m causa correctionis. § z.e., against my will. Fr. malgré. not, such freedom hath my sum* given of his pure bounty, by love.”’ ° M. The “‘summe” of this soul is the knowing that she hath of the goodness of God, and this goodness of God, which is the Holy Ghost, worketh in her and gave her free will. WN. “And if I willed it, why should he not suffer it, else should his power take from me freedom. But his goodness may not suffer his power to unfree me of free will, in nowise. ‘This is [how] no power taketh from me my will, if my will will not assent thereto. Now hath his goodness by pure bounty given me free will by bounty; he hath not given me a greater thing of all that he hath made for me. He presenteth this to me which he hath made of his courtesy, and if he take it again, he doth me no wrong. But my free will, freely hath given it me; that, he may not take from me, unless it please my will.

“The supportt of the love of his bounty hath given me this nobility by love; then may not the strength of evil take from me the freedom of my will, if I will not; thus ye may see how freely he hath given me my will. summa, he who is the sum of all, to me. + MS. “ uppressure.”’ 225 ** T have said here before,”’ saith this soul, “that he hath given me no more but my free will. How may one understand by this saying that he hath not given meall? Since he hath given me nothing but free will, it breaketh the other things. But so hath he given me, that he may nothing withhold from me, for love asketh that; else it were not love of [the] Beloved, unless it were of such a [kind]. For in this, that he hath given me free will, of his pure bounty, he hath given me all—if my will will it; he holdeth nothing from me, I am_ thereof sikker.”’ ** Ah how, for God ?” saith Dread.

“Tn this,’ saith this soul, “ that I give him freely my will, without any withholding, purely for his bounty and because of his sole will, just as he gave it me of his gift, for a profit to me, of his divine bounty. ** Now I have said,”’ saith this soul, *‘ that God would not be God, if my will were taken from me against my will. This is sooth, that there is nothing more certain than this, that God is not God if my will be taken from me, except my will will it. This is full far from that which is said, that the righteous falleth seven times a day, into a case for correction.” ‘“* But I shall tell you,” saith Truth, “‘ what it means this that Holy Church saith, that the righteous man falleth seven times a day. This is to understand when the will of the righteous hath given the inclination* without any [actual transgression]} to fulfil the fault. For by the inclination of the sin of Adam the body is frail, and enclining to faults, for it enclineth oft to tend towards a lesser thing than is the goodness of God. And this Holy Writ calleth ‘ falling,’ for so it is. But the righteous keepeth him from consenting to the fault, which might increase by such inclination, so that his falling, in which the righteous falleth by inclination to-fore said, is more virtue to him than vice, because of the will that dwelleth free by rejecting the fault, as it is said before; now may ye understand how the righteous falleth from high to low. And how that falling, though it be low, is more virtue than vice.

““ Now understand, since it is so, that the righteous falleth seven times a day, then must it be that he riseth seven times, or he may not of the falling seven times arise ! He is blessed that often falleth for he is such a one that cometh soothly from thence whither none goeth unless he have the name of righteous. But more righteous is he that alway abideth where stableness is. But this may not alway be had, as long as the + MS. “ other breaking.” 227 soul hath company of the body in this world. But this falling maketh not peace to be less, by troubling the conscience, [so] that the soul liveth not in peace by the gifts that be given her from above.* So may not the virtues be against virtues, but above them. If this may not be then were God subject to his virtues, and the virtues should be against the soul; but they have being from our Lord, for the profit of the [soul].” HOW THIS SOUL WILL SAY THE SUM OF HER DEMANDS, AND HOW SHE KNOWETH NOT HER OWN ASKINGS. AND OF THE TWO CAUSES THAT MAKETH HER TO SAY THAT SHE WILL SAY THE SUM OF HER DEMANDS

*“Now,”’ saith she, “‘ I shall tell the sum of my questions and these my questions shall be by the Sum fulfilled. Nevertheless,”’ saith the soul, “‘ lest any should say that I know the questions that I ask, [it is not so], for all the nine orders of angels, nor all the saints that be in these orders, know it not; then witteth it well the tenth estate, that is in the glory without being, and none of these nine orders.” of the virtues or from the gifts of God, but from God himself. ‘“* When none of the nine orders wot it not, what wit ye, Lady Soul >” saith Reason. “So doth God [set],” saith Love, ‘ by divine nature, the drawings of his love in her, who formeth her questions in her without [her] witting. And her questions be out of all creature’s knowledge, where creatures may have no knowing thereof.”’ ““ What marvel is it,” saith this soul, ‘‘ if they wit it not; why should any wit it, but he of whom I am, that in me is the same [one], and he is the secret of love that is between [us] made, where my love is enclosed, without. me? This drawing, his bounty maketh for me, who giveth me alway new love; but of this that he doeth in me, of him, for me; nor of that which I ask without my asking, by the ondrawing of his pure nature, I may not wit,” saith his soul, ‘‘nor [may] all those of glory [wit], but he only that is one in Deity and triple in Persons.”’

“But,” saith Love, “‘that which he hath said, that she shall tell the sum of her questions, is this, that if any have this which she shall say, in sooth, he hath that which none may tell the whole of, nor think [it], except he that alway worketh it in her, of his work, without her work, of his divine goodness. ‘This is to say, without the work of this soul, and therefore saith she, that she shall tell the sum of her demands, that a soul may not suffer herself to be deceived for nothing that may fall, but that she keep this, and this is, that she see these twain [things]. ‘<The first thing is that she see this alway, if she see aught: what she was when God made her out of naught—([into] aught— and that she be sikker in certainty that she is none other than that, as far as she herself is concerned, nor never shall be; without this [doth] she never [arrive] at the divine bounty. ‘““'"The second thing is: that she see what she hath done with the free will that God hath given her; then shall she see that she hath taken from God himself his will, in one only moment of consenting to sin. This is to be understood, that God wot all, and whoso consenteth to do sin, he taketh from God his will; this is sooth, for he doeth that which God willeth not, and is against his divine bounty.”

WHAT A SOUL OWETH TO GOD FOR ONE DEFAULT, AND WHERETO IT IS BROUGHT BY A DEFAULT ** Now,” saith this soul, *‘ behold the debt of one only misdoing; for in sooth, she oweth of twain who hath twice fallen into sin.” 230 “Two times,” saith the Light of the soul, “soothly, no more than men may number how often I have drawn my breath, no more may my sins be numbered. How ofttimes I have taken from God his will! for as oftentimes as I have had will against his will, I have lost will and withdrawn and withholden it from himself, who hath given it me freely, of his bounty. For [concerning] one thing well done; if God desired a greater good which a creature might do, if it were asked [of him] and he do it not, he sinneth. Behold what ye owe then for one of your faults, so shall ye see that ye owe as much to God for one of your faults, as his will is worth, which ye have taken from him, by doing of your will. But now, behold, that ye may better understand what thing is the will of God. It is in the whole Trinity, which is one Will; then is the will of God in Trinity robbed by one default !

““ Ah Love, we shall make partie for the stupid* understanders. Take we this soul that is best, that could now be richest and would be quit of her debt that she oweth to God, and pay him neither more nor less, but this that she oweth him for one fault alone. There should nothing abide with her, for she hath naught nor never had, as of herself, anything, but [it] hath had a will to do a fault. So there dwelleth with her nothing to sustain her, but she must be reduced from strength to naught before she be quit of this fault only, if the debt of justice should be paid. Oh, what might then be said, if a man would say the sooth of all the other sins, of which there is no number, when he might say this of one fault alone, if he wanted justice and said that it must be, for it is safe* by right and none other thing but right.” ** Now soul,” saith this soul to herself, “if ye have all this that this writing deviseth, say we not more, but all is his by debt, ere I be quit of this one debt alone. What owe I then for all mine other defaults and sins, that none witteth but Truth, who is judge, to whom I owe this debt. And ere I owed anything, naught I was, and naught I had, this ye see well. And God gave me will for to follow this will of his goodness, for to win him himself; and I have robbed him of it in doing of my ownt will. Also, I have [together] with my poverty, the great filth of sin and of sins, which none knoweth but ‘Truth alone.

‘*O God, O God,”’ saith this soul, ‘‘ what am I now, when I was naught before I owed *"MS. “selven,” Saif? + MS. ‘‘ proper,”’ with sense of own or self-will. Cf. below. 232 anything; what am I now? When I was nothing, before I owed to my God anything by the work of self-will, and yet should I have nothing ere I were quit of one of my faults, without more, though I had the same that this book speaketh of, where it speaketh of the argument* of which ye have heard! Now I have not in me neither this nor that, nor may I have. And though I had it, ye see well what I should be, when I were quit of one sin. Now have I never aught, nor naught may I will, as of myself; nor none may give me anything wherewith to pay my debts. Ah, Truth,”’ saith this soul, ‘‘ what am I? Tell me.” “Ye were naught,” saith Truth, “ before ye had anything forfeited to me, of this which I gave you; now ye be another, for ye be worse than naught,” saith Truth, “at all times, when ye have willed other than my will. This is sooth,” saith Truth, “for Truth is truth and nothing else.”

“T take it of you, Truth,”’ saith this soul. “I know nothing better than this, that if God would take justice for one of my sins without mercy, I should have torment and pain without end, according to his power. But, Lord, though that ye be righteousness, and truth, and judge,” saith this soul that hath misdone, “‘O King full of debonnairety, Be NSS parties, 233 Pity and Mercy, that be your sisters germain, sweet and courteous, dwell with you to acquit me of my debts! And in this I appease me,”’ saith this soul. ‘‘ And whichever of these sisters falleth to me, I reck not, whether it be Righteousness, or Truth, Mercy or Pity. JI have no care,” saith she, “‘ which lot I fall [into] of these four. All is one to me, without joy and without heaviness, for I cannot see that he neither increaseth nor diminisheth by the justice that he taketh of me; nor by mercy that he doth to me, and so fare I. I have no joy of the one nor misease of the other, since my Beloved in this neither loseth nor winneth. All is one to me concerning him that is one; and this point maketh me one or else I should anon be twain. If my will were set on the one more than the other, whether of mercy or of righteousness, then were I ‘ with’ myself, and so should I be twain. The Son of God is my mirror in this, for God the Father gave his Son our Saviour to be an ensample to us. There is none other way of beholding of this aforesaid gift, but only to look upon* the doing of our Saviour; for the Son bought us with his death by very obedience, to fulfil his Father’s will. He had none other beholding in that doing, but the will of God

his Father solely. And God’s Son is our ensample; we ought in this beholding to follow him, for we should will solely in all things the will of God, and so shall we be the sons of God the Father, to follow the ensample of Jesu Christ his Son. Ah God, what a good beholding this is! I have no possession in this doing.* Not that it were possible for me to sin if my will will not; then be we of his will, of which he hath fully set us in full possession. This is, he dwelleth with us without seeking, why seek we him any more? We have him, he is with us. Why take we him not without seeking ? Whoso seeketh thing that he hath, doth so for default of knowing; he that so doeth hath not the art which giveth science in creatures.”

WHAT ART IT IS THAT’ GIVETH SCIENCE IN CREATURES AND OF THE RAVISHING OF LOVE; AND OF THE PEACE OF NAUGHT WILLING ‘‘ WHAT is art that giveth science in creatures ?” saith this soul that seeketh. x MS. “none in possession’’=sense of proprietorship. } t.e., knowledge of the created world. “It is a far gone mind,’’* saith Love, “by which understanding groweth, that giveth knowing to a soul more perfectly of a thing that men say, than of a thing she saith herself, howsoever good the sayings be in all she saith. For why? Those that understand rest, and the speakers labour, and knowing may not suffer labour, for labour is a less good. For this art is human and cometh of nature, [namely], to attain the fullness of its takings, but this other is without more, the sole work of God. And the inward mind is the substance of the soul, and the understanding is the work of the soul, and the knowing is the sum of the soul. This knowing is of the substance of understanding of love in this life, that harboureth in her all the life of goodness, and setteth her in this good seat in a high place, through love.

** And so love leadeth in her, which giveth her this being, and she leadeth in naught and not in love; for a soul is ‘ with’ herself, that leadeth in love. That love maketh a soul see that she taketh the lead in her pride and jollity; for Nature is ‘ with’ this love; that hath gone far off (7.e., into the far night) in which it receives infused knowledge and comes to understand the problems of the created world, especially by a silent listening to the teachings of others, behind which she discerns more than she might herself express. they have this in being, somewhat to give and to take, and so is the soul dangerous and fierce. In such being it departeth from meditations, for this is the being of contemplation which withholdeth and voideth thoughts; but this soul that leadeth in naught, and love leadeth in her, doth this in herself, without herself. For she hath no more of her that might make her glad or heavy. Fine* thoughts have no more lordship in her. She hath lost the usage of her wits ;t not her wits, but the usage of them; for love hath ravished her from the place that she was in by leaving [the stirrings of] her wits, for love hath taken from her the former usages.

‘‘And this is the fulfilling of her pilgrimages. And hastily she taketh the stirrings of her wills, and fasteneth it in him that she loveth. And there she is betaken into the high sea, and so she liveth without her proper will, and sitteth in being above her counsel, for otherwise she should be reproached of the sovereign that putteth her there ‘ without ’ herself. For else, she should have war with Love, that is, the Holy Ghost. For [in] reproaches of the Father, and threatenings of the Son, there is nothing [found] of t+ z.e., of conscious reflection in the time of prayer. the oil of peace. That surpasseth all those that lead in will; but these, that lead in full sufficiency, they have full much peace and delights which their love giveth them by union of love; more than these other have, for war is with them that have anxieties. In such war be they often, those who lead in will, how good soever the works be that will doth. “But the divine bounty hath not. to reproach her that hath peace, who leadeth in not-willing, and hath offered the will there where it was before she had will.”

** Ah God,” saith the soul that is free, ‘** how well is this said; but it behoveth that God do this without me, [even] as he made me without me, of his divine bounty.”

OF THIS BOUNTY OF GOD AND THE WORKING THEREOF “Now am I,” saith this soul, ‘“‘ wrought of him without myself, for work passing me and the strong works of virtues, they for me and I for him, till I be in him. And thus I may not rest in him, that is God, unless he set me so without myself, of him, right as he made me without me, by himself. .This 238 is the uncreated goodness* that he hath made created; so leadeth goodness unwrought, the goodness that he hath wrought. “Now hath Bounty unwrought free will as his property;T and he giveth us also, of his bounty, free will coming out of his might, without any ‘for-why?’, but for ourselves as a gift of his goodness. Now have we will coming out of his bounty and out of his might, for to be more free, as he hath will of his might and of his proper freedom.t And the divine goodness saw that we were in the way of pestilence and perdition by the free will that he had given us. And this will is come out of his goodness and it is given us by his grace. Thus was knit human nature to divine goodness in the person of the Son, for to pay the ransom of our debts that we have misdone by our sinful will. Now may I see by this where I ought to be, namely, that I should resort there where I was, in that point that I was, within the One. And that I be of him so beloved, as he is Who Is; and as naked as I was when

throughout where I write favour, goodness, grace. + Just as God hath will, so we have will that we may be more free, but it proceeds from his goodness and power; but God’s will is an attribute of his powerandfreedom. ‘This passage marks the author’s Augustinian training. I was that which I am not. And this it behoveth me to be, if I will have my own; otherwise I may not have it. Gloss this if ye will, if ye can; and if ye cannot, ye must leave it. Never shall ye be so deeply naughted if ye have that by which ye cannot behold;* for otherwise I understand it not. If his goodness give you this beholding, I unwill it not, it is that [which] it is. “This is goodness enduring,} that yieldeth by nature of charity, the outpoured gift of all his bounty, and this bounty enduring engendereth bounty agreeable. From these two cometh the love amiable of the Beloved in souls. And by this love amiable these souls behold alway the Beloved.” you incapable of understanding this. Note that it is the possession of a faculty, not its absence, which makes “‘ them that have, have not.”

HOW WE MUST DRAW WITHIN US ALL THE LIFE THAT OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF LED AND PREACHED, ACCORDING TO OUR POWER; AND WHERETO WE SHALL COME BY IT Tuts book showeth by thoughts of partie,* by works of perfection, by demands of reason, that it behoveth us to draw unto us all the life that Christ Jesu himself led and preached to us, according to our power; for he said of far, thus: Whosoever believeth in me, he shall do such works as I do and yet more greater shall he do.t And this must we do ere we have the victory over ourselves. And if we do this, to our power, we shall come to this, that we shall have it all, by putting out of us all thoughts of partie, all works of perfection, and all demands of Reason. And then shall the Deity do in us, for us, without us, his divine works. He is that is. Pure is that which is of him, in love. And therefore see we ourselves, that we have naught of ourselves; see we also this, without knowing of ourselves. This to be in us, is very Being. *x See note infra, p. 302. + John xiv 12. 241

WHETHER A CREATURE MAY DWELL IN LIFE AND BE ALWAY WITHOUT HER. AND WHEN A SOUL IS WITHOUT HERSELF AND WHEREOF SHE LIVETH WHEN SHE IS WITHOUT HER I ASK of clarified and enlumined [souls] that lead otherwise than those before [named] do, if any creature of mankind may dwell in life and be alway “‘ without’ them? If these twain cannot tell it, none shall tell it me, for none knoweth it unless he be of the lineage. Truth speaks for them at our questioning, and love declareth it, that say that then is a soul naughted ‘“ without ” her, when she hath no feeling of nature, nor no work of inwardness, nor shame, nor worship, nor dread of nothing that may befall, nor none affection hath. The divine goodness is no more entertained by Will, but is in all times without will.* And then is this soul naughted by height outside herself, that is, that God sufficeth her. Then doth she all without her. And though she do all without her, what marvel is it that she is no more “for” her. ‘Then

liveth she of divine substance. There 1s one substance enduring, one fruition agreeable, one conjunction amiable. ‘The Father is substance enduring. ‘The Son is fruition agreeable. The Holy Ghost is conjunction amiable, and the conjunction amiable isof the substance enduring and of the fruition agreeable, by divine love of unity, which engendereth of [his] goodness, reflecteth his ardour in unity and unity in divine love. This divine love engendereth in a naughted soul, in a soul freed, in a soul clarified, substance enduring, fruition agreeable, conjunction amiable. Of this substance enduring, the memory [is] of the substance of the Father. And of this fruition agreeable, the understanding [is] of the wisdom of the Son. And of this . conjunction amiable, the wills [are] of the goodness of the Holy Ghost. This goodness of the Holy Ghost conjoineth her in love of the Father and of the Son. This conjunction putteth a soul in a being, without her being, which is being. This being is the Holy Ghost himself, that. is the love of the Father and of the Son. This Love, the Holy Ghost, swimmeth in a soul and is poured out in abundance of delights, of a gift right high that is given of upraised ravishing, by knitting of union of the sovereign Beloved, that giveth himself simply and simple her maketh. And he

giveth himself simply to show that there is none but he whence all things have being. And this cometh of love in light of divine lauding, and maketh one willing, one love and one work in two natures. One, accord- ‘ing to goodness, by conjunction of the strength and stirring of union of love. ‘“‘ This doth my Beloved,” saith this soul that is such, ‘‘and thus are the spreadings of divine love without any want. Of this divine love the divine will useth in me, for me, and without my beholding.”’ [So] saith this soul in her Beloved, that is full perfect love. So she seeketh nothing, nor anyone, by choice, to help her, but taketh his and hers as honey of Sion’s salve.

HOW THIS SOUL JOYETH SOME TIME WITHOUT HER FEELING; AND OF THREE THINGS THAT MAKETH HER TO HAVE JOY; AND OF THE BLINDNESS OF REASON THIS soul rejoiceth herself sometimes in the supreme part of him, without her feeling, willing nothing of other[s] than of [him who is} her nearest. For she perceiveth in her spirit, and not without witting, what is the way by which he cometh to the gate, where she is oned to his will. And her joy of his goodness in recalling the bounties of her Salvation, it beareth her light into the supreme place, where she is oned to her Spouse, and this pleaseth her in his pleasure. Then is she of that place whence she is. The salvation of her even-Christian is her pleasure, and that is oned to her will. Her joy of his bounty and the recording of the deeds of his bounty, maketh her also to have joy, without feeling of Reason. Now perceiveth Reason that she hath joy, and goeth and saith to her that she hath sin thereof, that she maketh joy of that for which her even-Christians weep. Reason judgeth after that which she knows. She would alway truly do the work of those things that appertain to her and she is purblind, that she may not so highly see; therefore maketh she to the soul this complaint. Purblind is Reason, ye may well see. For nothing may see the high divine things, but that which ought everlastingly to be. Therefore by right, Reason may not see this, for his being must fail and [come to an] end.

‘Eh, who saith it ?”’ saith the high exalted Spirit that is no more under Reason’s control. ““God hath nowhere to put his goodness,”’ saith she, “‘ unless he put it in me, for one may have no greater ‘ rascal’* to be made ** rascail that is made gentil.”’ noble by him, nor can he have any [better place] where he may put all. And through this I am the salvation of creatures and the glory of God.”

HOW THIS SOUL IS THE SALVATION OF CREATURES TO THE GLORY OF GOD, AND HOW THIS IS MEANT* *“’TuIs I shall tell you how and for why and ‘in what? For this, that I am the greatness and the sum of all evils. For as I hold of my proper nature this which is evil, then am I all evils; and he is the greatness of all goodness that holdeth in him of his proper nature all goodness. Now am I all evils and he is all goodness, and to the most poor ought the alms from his equals to be done, or else there is taken from him the thing that should be his of right. And God may do no wrong, for this does not befit him. Then is his bounty mine by the cause of my necessity and for the justice of his pure tendency to spin out ideas to their utmost logical conclusion is very marked. Here clearly the expression outruns the mystical intuition on which it is based. bounty. Now, since I am all evils, and he is all goodness, it behoveth me to have all his goodness before all mine evil be stanched, nor with less may not my poverty be sufficed.* And his goodness may not suffer it since he hath so much of worth, that I should dwell a beggar. And a beggar must I be [according to the measure of my] strength, unless he give me all his goodness, since I am all wickedness. For less than the great fullhead of his all-goodness may not sustain my need, nor fulfil the deepness of my own wickedness. And thus I have in me by his pure bounty, his goodness divine and have had without beginning, and shall have without end.

“‘For always have I been, in [the] witting of his divine wisdom, of the will of his pure ' divine bounty, of the work of his divine might; and otherwise this were a fable, if it were not right, thus for me, to use that which I say, [namely], that I am the salvation of all creatures and the glory of God. Also, as Jesu Christ is buyer of the people by his - death, and the laud of God the Father, right so am I, because of my wickedness, the salvation of mankind, and the glory of God the Father. For God the Father hath given to his Son all his goodness, and this bounty of God is given to be known to x MS. “ pass.” 247 mankind by the death of Christ Jesu his Son; and this Son is the magnificence of the Father everlastingly and the buyer of mankind. “Right so, tell I you,” saith this soul, “that the Father hath spread and given all his bounty in me. And this goodness is given to mankind to be known by my wickedness. Then am I the laud of God everlastingly and the salvation of mankind, for the salvation of all creatures is none other thing than knowing of the bounty of God. And since all shall have by me the knowing of the goodness of God, and this goodness of God doth me this bounty of his favour, then the goodness of God by me shall be known. This bounty by me* God knew had never been known, neither was my wickedness. And since by my wickedness ~ God is known and also his divine bounty, and since the soul’s salvation is no other thing than to know the divine bounty, then am I the cause of the salvation of all creatures, for the goodness of God is known by me.

** And since the bounty by me is known, I am his glory and his laud, for none other thing is his glory nor his laud, but the knowing of his divine bounty. And I am cause of that. For the bounty of his pure nature is known by the wickedness of my cruel nature. Greater reward* have I not in having his bounty, than that it regards my wickedness. Then may Ino more be without bounty, for I may not my wickedness lose. And this point he hath assured me of without doubt by his pure bounty. And solely the nature of my wickedness hath arrayed me also of this gift. Not work of bounty that ever I did, nor that ever I might do; that giveth me neither comfort nor hope, but my wickedness only, for I have by them this certifying. ‘““ Ye have heard in this writing here, how I have all his bounty. Then am I the salvation, by union of love, which he is; for the most strong moveth into himself the most feeble. This union is right delicious; that wot they who have assayed it. ‘There is no pearl of the eye so dangerous when one putteth into it the iron or stone, which is its death, as is divine love, if one do against him. His being is always in the perfect plain of his pure will.

“Now may ye understand how my wickedness causeth [me] to have his bounty by choice, for my necessity. For God suffereth some time some evil to be done for greater good that afterward shall grow. For all those that be planted of the Father and come x MS. “ advantage.” into this world be descended of perfect into imperfect, that they may attain to the more perfect. And then the wound is opened, to heal where it is hurt. Without their witting, these folks be meeked of God himself, who is Almight.”’

OF THE PROMISE THAT THIS SOUL MADE TO SPEAK OF SEVEN ESTATES, AND HOW THE FIRST IS THE’ "KEEPING OF THE’ COMMANDMENTS OF GOD sf PROMISED,” saith this soul, “‘ con- | cerning the takings of love to say some things of the seven estates that we call Beings, for so it is. And these be the degrees by which men ascend from the valley to the top of the mountain that is so separate that it seeth God only. And every degree hath in it its proper time of abiding.” “The first estate is that a soul is touched of God by grace, and dissevered from sin, with intention according to her power to keep the commandments of God that he commandeth in the law, up[on] pain of death. And the soul behoideth with great dread that God hath commanded her to love him with all her heart and her even-Christian as herself. This seemeth to this soul labour + MS. “‘ his full assise.”’ 251 enough for her, of all that she can do though she lived a thousand year; to keep well the commandments according to her might.

‘In this point I found myself,”’ saith this free soul, ‘“‘such a day I saw sometime. Now ye that stand so, be not dismayed of coming to a more high, no more shall he [be dismayed] if he have a gentle heart within, full of noble courage; but little hearts dare not great things take, nor ascend high, for default of love. These folk be but cowards that so do. Oh, what marvel it is they lead in dread, which suffereth them not that God work in them !”’

OF THE SECOND STATE, WHICH IS IN FOLLOWING THE COUNSEL THAT OUR LORD GAVE TO COME TO PERFECTION ‘*'THE second is that a soul behold what God counselleth to his special lovers, passing that that he commandeth. And he is no good lover that disposeth himself not to fulfil all that, by which he wist he might best please to his beloved. And then she, this creature aforesaid, seeth herself above all men’s counsels to follow the works of mortifying nature, in despising riches, delights, and worships, to fulfil perfection of the evangel, 252 of which Christ Jesu is an ensample. And in this doing she may have no bitterness, nor by this may she not have dulness nor feebleness of body; no more also may the soul that of him is updrawn.”’

OF THE THIRD STATE, WHICH IS IN DOING THE WORKS OF PERFECTION WITH AFFECTION OF LOVE AND IN MORTIFYING THE WILL; BY OBEDIENCE TO FOLLOW OTHER MEN’S WILLS “<THE third is that a soul attend to the affection of love of works of perfection, by which her spirit burns by desires, accepting the love of these works to multiply in her. And what doth the subtlety of her thought ? but make it seem to the understanding of her loving affection, that she cannot make offering to her Beloved that might comfort her, but of the thing that he loveth. For other gift is not of price in love, than the thing most beloved of the Beloved. And, therefore, the will of this creature loveth only works of goodness, by fervour of grace, in taking all labours in which she may her spirit feed. Then it seemeth her by righteousness of truth that she loveth not but works of goodness, for she wot not what to give to love unless she makes sacrifice of this; for no death might be to her so great martyrdom as the abstinence of these foresaid works that she loveth, for this is the delight of her pleasure and the life of the will that she nourisheth in her of him. After this she relinqu[ish]Jeth these works in which she hath this delight and putteth to death the will that she hath of this life and obligeth herself to do the martyrdom of her will, by obedience to the will of others, in abstaining the works of her will, in fulfilling the will of others, her will for to destroy.

And this is right hard, more hard without comparison than be the twain before. For it is more hard to overcome the works of the will of the spirit, than it is to overcome the will of the body [in order] to do the will of the spirit. And thus it behoveth her to lead, in breaking herself, for to enlarge the place where Love would have his being; and to encumber herself with many beings, so as to [dis]encumber herself to attain her being.”

OF THE FOURTH STATE, WHICH IS IN THE RELINQUISHING ALL OUTWARD WORKS THROUGH THE SWEETNESS THAT IS FELT BY HIGHNESS OF LOVE IN CONTEMPLATION “THE fourth is, that a soul is drawn by highness of love into delight of thought by meditation, and relinquisheth all labours outward, and of obedience to others, by highness of love in contemplation. Then the soul is dangerous, noble, and delicious, in which she may not suffer that anything touch her but the touchings of pure delight of love, in the which she is singularly gladsom and jolly, and it maketh her proud, of abundance of love. “Then showeth she the privities of her heart that maketh her very tender and to melt in sweetness of love and by concord of union whereby she is put in possession of these delights. And then holdeth the soul that there is none higher life than to have this, of which she hath lordship; for love hath so greatly fed her with his delights that she wot not that God hath any greater gift nigh to give to the soul than this love, which Love, by love, hath within her spread.

** Ah, what marvel is it if this soul be upholden or updrawn thus graciously! Love maketh her all drunken and suffereth her not to attend to any but him, by which strength in love she delighteth her so, that the soul may none other being hold precious,* for the great light of love hath covered her, that suffereth her not to see passing love. There is she overlooked, for so it is that there be two greater estates in this life than this is, but Love so leadeth that a soul is unseeing, by the gift of sweetness of the love that updraweth her as hastily as she approacheth tothesame. Against this strength may none withstand; this is the soul that Love hath, by fine love passing herself, updrawn.”’

OF THE FIFTH STATE, WHICH IS WHEN A SOUL DEPARTETH FROM HER WILL IN PUTTING IT IN GOD BY A SPREADING RAVISHING OF THE MOVING OF DIVINE LIGHT ** THE fifth is, that a soul behold what God is, who Is, through whom all thing cometh; and she isnot! For she is not anything that is. And this beholding giveth her a marvellous abashing to see that he is all bounty that hath put free will in her who 1 is map but 256 in all wickedness. Now hath the divine bounty put free will by pure divine goodness in her who is but in evils, that is, in all wickedness enclosed. For he would that this, who hath no being, had by this gift of him, being. Then the divine goodness poureth forth before this “‘ will’? a ravishing outpouring of moving divine light, which is diffused within the soul, the righteousness of him who is. And the knowing of this maketh her to separate the will from the place where he is not. Then it behoved her not to be, nor to put [her will] again where he is not. Whence he comes, there she ought to be.*

“Now seeth the will by the diffusedt illumination of divine light. And this light giveth her this will to put again her will in God, which she cannot yield without this light, that it may go forth to him, unless it depart from her proper will. She seeth also her wretched nature by inclination of naught, to which nature she is inclined, and her willt hath put me in less than naught. Now seeth the soul this inclination and this perdition of naught of her nature and of her own will, and seeth this by illumination, that will ought to will the divine will without her willing. And for this was her will +t MS. “ spreading.”’ ~ z.e., of Nature. THE MIRROR OF (Div. 14 given. Thus departeth the soul from her will and the will departeth from this soul, so she putteth it again and giveth and yieldeth it [herself] in God where it was first, without self-love holding back herself, for to fulfil the perfect divine will that may not be fulfilled in the soul without this gift, so that the soul may have no other war or falliaunce.

“This gift maketh in her very perfection, and so it hath moved her to the nature of love that delighteth her with fulfilled peace and feedeth and filleth her with divine food. She recketh no more of the war that she was wont to have, for the will of her is nakedly laid in the place whence it was first taken, where it ought by rights to be. It gave her war as long time as she withheld will with her, out of its due place. “Now is. this soul not, for she seeth by abundance of divine knowing her naught, that maketh her now to put herself at naught. And she wot all, for she seeth by the deepness of knowing of her naught, which is so great to her sight, that she findeth neither beginning, measure, nor end of it; but a deep darkness without ground or bottom. And therefore findeth she herself without finding any ground or end. He findeth. not this that may not to this attain. And the more that she seeth, in this knowing by truth, that she may not know her wickedness, of the

least point into which she is fallen by wickedness. And. she is naked encircled of this harbour and of this garrison which is the darkness of sin, that containeth in him all perdition. Thus this soul seeth herself without her sight. This is the deepness of meekness that there sitteth in her chair and reigneth without pride. There may not the power of pride play, since that she seeth herself, for this unsitting untrue* maketh her see perfectly herself. ** Now is this soul set in low ground; and this lowness maketh her to see; there it hath no bottom, so it maketh her low, and this © lowness maketh her to see right clearly the very sun of his high divine goodness, and that showeth to her by bounty, that it draweth her and moveth and oneth by knitting of bounty, in pure divine goodness, which is mistress. And this cometh by the knowing of these two natures that-we have; the one is the divine bounty, and the other is the wickedness of the spending of her youth, that is old.t| But mercy hath made peace with justice, firm and stable. And that hath led this soul into his bounty, by bounty now she is all and she is none, for her Beloved hath made her one.

she finds no place to rest. t z.e., “‘ an old story,” or, for she is now old. “ Now is this soul fallen of love into naught, without which naught she may not be all. This falling is so perfect, if she be rightly fallen, that the soul may not arise out of this deepness, nor she ought not to do it. She ought to dwell within, and there loseth the soul pride and play, for the spirit is become bitter,* that suffereth her no more to be playing nor jolly. For her will is departed from her which made her oft love, in the highness of contemplation, and in the fourth estate, fierce and dangerous. But the fifth hath put her at point concerning this; it showeth to the soul herself. Now she liveth of knowing of the divine bounty. This knowing of the divine bounty maketh her to renounce herself, and then is the soul of all servitude quit, and of free being is put in possession. And this hath rested her of all things by excellent nobleness.”

OF THE SIXTH STATE, WHICH IS WHEN A SOUL IS OF ALL THINGS MADE FREE, PURE, AND CLARIFIED “THE sixth is that a soul seeth not her naught by deepness of meekness, nor God, by highful bounty. But God seeth it in her of his 260 divine majesty, who clarifieth her by himself, so that she seeth that none is but God himself, who is that from whence all thing are. And this that is, is God himself. And this soul seeth naught but God himself, for whoso seeth this of himself, he seeth not but God’s self. And then is a soul in the sixth state, of all things made free, pure, and clarified, not glorified; for glorifying is in the seventh estate that we shall have in glory, that none can speak of. ** But pure, clarified, she seeth not God nor herself, but God seeth this of him, in her, for her, without her, and showeth her that there is none but her. Nor she knoweth naught but him, nor she loveth but him, nor she praiseth but him, for there is but he. ‘That which is, is of his bounty; so loveth she his goodness which he hath by bounty given her. This bounty given, it is in God himself. And God may not from his goodness depart, that it should not dwellin him. And therefore is he the thing which is of his bounty. And bounty is what God is. So thus she seeth bounty, through his high bounty, by divine light, in the sixth estate, of which beholding the soul is clarified.

“*'There is none but he that is, and she seeth this being of his divine majesty by union of love of bounty, spread and laid in him. This she seeth in him, of him, who is maker unmade, without touching of anything that is creaturely.* All is of his own proper being and this proper self-being is the sixth being of which we have promised the auditors to speak in the takings of Love. And Love hath by himself of his noblesse, the debts all paid.”

‘* AND the seventh keepeth he within himself, for to give us in everlasting glory. If we wit it not now, we shall wit it when the body our soul leaveth.”’ ius ‘‘ad creaturam.’ ‘The sense is that the soul sees by infused immediate knowledge, not by the knowledge that comes through created things. GEGE GE GE EE a See HOW THIS BOOK, THAT IS MADE RIGHT HIGH AND GREAT BY WORDS, SEEMETH RIGHT LITTLE AND LOW TO THEM THAT BE FALLEN OF LOVE INTO NAUGHT, AND BY WHOM IT WAS MADE af LADIES, nothing ye say,” saith () this soul that this book doth write. “Ye that be in being and stand without default, nothing ye say. No, soothly ye say nothing, but sit in peace, where Reason hath no lordship. I excuse me to you and to all those that lead in naught, that be fallen of love into this being, for I have made this book right great and high by words, which to you seem right little and low. But if ever I knew you, now excuse me of your courtesy, for need hath no law. I wot not to whom I may say mine entent. Now I did it for your peace and for to show the truth concerning low cowardice, the same that Reason hath to yield. But man’s wit nor man’s reason know nothing of inward love; nor inward love of divine science. My heart that was

so high, is cast down so low, that I may nothing reach; for all that may be said of God, or written, or in the heart may be thought, that to which the greatest sayings attain, it is more gabbings than it is true sayings. ““T have said,” saith this soul that this book first wrote, ‘‘ that love hath had it made by science of men, and by the will of unity of mine inwardness, of which I am encumbered. In this book it is shown, for love hath made it by encumbering my spirit, by these three which we have spoken of. And for this I say it is low and right little, however great the showing of this being seemed to me at the beginning, and the truth of them that such be, in the person of one, where all the others may be understood.”’ OF THE VERY ADDRESSING OF FINE LOVE. AND OF THE PRAISING OF THIS SOUL, AND HOW, BY HAVING NO MORE OF WILL, SHE IS ABOVE THE LAW, BUT NOT AGAINST THE LAW

si EMERALD,” saith Truth, “‘O the () precious gem, very diamond, queen and empress! Ye give all by pure fine noblesse, without asking of love his richesse, but [only] the will of his divine pleasing. This is right of right, for this is the very addressing of fine love, who ever will maintain it. “O ye deep worthy well, in whom the sun shineth, where the splendour of the sun continually is found, and the beams thrown out,” saith Truth, “ of divine science, we Wit it by very sapience, that the splendour maketh you to work alway.” *“Now Truth,” saith this soul, ‘‘ tell to none, whatever I say of God, but to him. This is truth; doubt ye not, lady, in this of me. Iamnot. And if it please you to wit what I am, I shall tell it you by pure courtesy. Love hath me so wholly in his keeping that I have not wit nor will nor reason to do. anything; wit it forsooth, but purely for him. ““O courteous and well taught,” saith Holy Church that wisely can speak, “ ye be the very star that showeth us the day and the sun without lack or spot, that taketh not of uncleanness. And the moon all full, for never ye shall diminish. And so ye be the lark that before the king goeth.

“Ye live all of the grain of wheat, for ye have no more of will. And they live on the chaff of rye and of rough barley, that have maintained* usages of outward wills, which be of human natures. Such folks be servants to the law, but these others be above the law; not against the law, witness of truth; she is fed and fulfilled, God is in her will.” cSne dere eseMenehoans earthen tdeaedhen thereat, PE AE IE I A Pe

OF SECRETS THAT THIS SOUL SPEAKETH OF, WHEREOF THE TRINITY PRAYETH HER TO LEAVE FOR DEEMING OF OTHERS THAT BE GOVERNED BY DESIRE, REASON, DREAD, WILL i RIGHT sweet divine Love that is in () Trinity,” saith this soul, “‘ such work there is, that I marvel how they may endure, whom Reason and Dread govern work and will, and who can the great nobleness of naughted being devise.” ““Q pure, O heavenly,’ saith the Holy Trinity, “‘ I pray you, dear daughter, that ye let this be. There is none so great clerk in the world that can speak to you. Ye have sat at my table, so I have given you my mess, and so have ye right well learned, and right well my mess savoured, and my vines of fulness, of which ye be the cutting. The root made you yours without more, nor never other shall be. Now have ye tasted honey and our wine savoured,” saith the Holy Trinity, ‘‘ none can speak but ye, for ye may not any other usages in your heart take, to have in price, but this. I pray you, my dear daughter, my sister and my friend, if ye will, that ye say no more the secrets that ye wit, lest other should deem* where these taste, since Desire governeth them, Reason, Dread, and Will. Wit it well, my chosen daughter, Paradise is given to them,”’

** Paradise,”’ saith this chosen one, “‘ [not] unless you work it! even thus the deer will run to the death unless you hinder it.t Nevertheless I will be still, for this that ye allow it me and I shall say verses of song by leave of fine love, concerning the high ascent, and the precious entry, and the worthy dwelling of mankind, bought and wrought of the sweet humanity of God’s Son our Saviour, which the Deity sitteth in, in high possession in heaven, there above, on the right side of God the Father, for us to marvel. Will ye, right this day, by courtesy, dissolve§ me, ye fine Love 2” experience of the elect soul. t MS. “‘ ne werke ye it, also schalle the deire but if ye lette him to dethe, werke.”’ Lat. sic usque ad mortem operabitur capreus. + Allow =bid me. § MS. “ depart.”

OF CERTAIN THINGS THAT THIS SOUL WOULD BE DEPARTED FROM, BY THE WHICH SHE WAS SERVANT, AND OF THE LOVE (?) THAT SHE IS COME TO; AND HOW THE DIVINE BEHOLDING HATH BUT ONE ENTENT AND OF THE PEACE OF THAT FOOD THAT LOVE GIVETH HER ** OF what 2” saith Love. *“ Of myself,” saith this soul, ‘‘ and of mine even-Christian and of all the world, and of affection of spirit and of virtues, wherein I have been servant, by the care and control of reason. And if I shall say sooth, so beastly I was in the time that I them served, that I may not with mine heart declare it. And in the meantime that I most had them, Love made me hear and speak of him. And nevertheless, as simple as I was, Will anon took me Love to love. And when Love saw me think of him, he refused me not by [the way of] the virtues, but threw me out of their little service, and led me to the divine school and there withheld me without doing any service.

** So am I of him fed, fulfilled, and sufficed. Thinking is worth no more, nor work, nor eloquence; Love draweth meso high. Think- ing no more is worth; for his divine beholding it hath but one entent. Love hath made me by nobleness, seven verses of song to find that which is of pure Deity, whereof reason cannot speak. **A love I have which hath no mother, proceeding of God the Father and also of God the Son. His name is the Holy Ghost, so have I in heart such union in love, that Love giveth me to love in him, that it maketh me a joyful life to lead. ‘This is the peace of the food that Love giveth me to love him. Nothing will I ask him for too much that were of malice, but I ought to trust wholly in him, and that sweet lover to love.” OF WHAT ABUNDANCE OF GRACE OUR BLESSED LADY HAD IN THE WOMB OF HER MOTHER, AND OF CERTAIN BEHOLDINGS THAT BE CONVENABLE FOR THE MARRED, TO COME TO THE BEING THAT THIS BOOK SPEAKETH OF

) LADY MARY, that art the vessel () that more perfectly wert fulfilled of divine light, right in the womb of your mother, than were the twelve apostles the day of Pentecost, when they gathered the abundance of the gifts of the Holy Ghost! O blissful Lady, it was needful to you to be so; for I hold of God his Son, that if he had found in you as much vanity as the quantity of a wrinkle* in a kerchief, of necessity he had never made of you his mother. Lady, it may not be that ye had been [his mother]. And this may not be but that ye were it [indeed]. I behold this Lady at the Cross in the presence of her Son’s death. Where the naked Adam did the wrong, the naked Jesu Christ it had. ‘This, which Jesu Christ *x MS. “‘ mountenance of a frounce.” 271 did, set [things] better to rights* than that which the former set [wrong]. And this hath this Lady [thereof]. One is she, the mother of this Saviour. ‘“* Lady, what would your thought [think] of them for this >?”

‘* Lady, what said ye to them for that there was in them cruelty? Lady, what did ye to them for works of forfeit} that they did ? Lady, if it had been need, ye had for them that very time given your life rather than they should not have had forgiveness of God of that misdeed. But nay, for Jesu Christ made this accordance so abundantly, so anguishously. Why so abundantly? Forsooth it is, that as much of his blessed blood as would have stood upon the point of a needle, had been sufficient to have bought an hundred thousand thousand worlds, if there had been so many worlds. This he gave for us with such right great abundance, for he will rob me by this, and separate me of myself, for to make me live of divine pleasure. Why so anguishously ? For this, that I hold, that if all diseases of deaths and of other torments that have been or shall be in reasonable creatures from the time of Adam unto the time of Antichrist, and all these miseases toforesaid, were in one

x MS. “laid better the right.” + 7.e., Sin. 272 creature, truly it were but a point of the misease that Jesu Christ had in his worthy precious Body by one of his pains, without more, for the onbinding* of his tenderness and cleanness. And then this I beheld, how the divine nature oned him for us to the nature of man in the person of God the Son. Ah, ah, what a thing it is, to think of; who durst ask this, unless his own bounty had made it; that Jesu Christ should be poor and despised and tormented for us? What marvel is it he might not withhold himself from this work; for the support of love by which he loved us constrained him thereto, forasmuch as he had taken the naturet of man, by which he might do this. How might he have done this ? but that the divine nature took nature of man oneing him thereto in the person of God the Son. This is thought right enough for us to be disencumbered all the day of our life, if we will suffer the right work in us. I have not suffered it to do in me this work, for he would have made me free in this point, if I had heard him as soon as he had given me this thought of him: but I would not. Who shall wholly restore the hideousness of this loss? My opinion became a foolishness to me, for besides that I thought to find my works, naught did I but lose. And then this I