MS. vilayn i.e., a matter of the law of villeins. Then had she love in her of him without herself; she lived then of divine life, which made her have glorious life. And not only these words but also many more other words that be written before and after seem fable or error, or hard to understand. Such a soul is so clear in knowing, that she seeth herself not in God, nor God in herself.. Why should I not do thus? Just as I have made a little ensample afore, the better to understand, of the sea and of a drop, yet not therefore is there any so great estate in the four estates, but the soul [nevertheless] doth live in great servitude therein; but the fifth is freed by charity, for it is uncumbered of all things, and the sixth is glorious, because of the openings of the swift movings of glory, which the gentle far night giveth. . But, good Lord, of your great benignity, give them the grace of ghostly feeling. And these, be they mothers of none? saith this soul. Now, Reason, saith Love, understand thy question. This book showeth by thoughts of partie,[353] 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. 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. And Truth said to me this, that none shall ascend but he only that should reflect[383] the Son of God himself. I dare not hear it. 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. For else, she should have war with Love, that is, the Holy Ghost. Now these natures are joined and knit together by nature and by justice, in corruption. 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,[273] 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? So that the knowing of this naught compared with the greatness of all, hath acquitted her and made her free, that she lacketh nothing. But him behoveth to be dead and mortified of all deaths, that finely should understand it.. For there where is most of my love, there is most of my treasure. For, to see the humanity of Jesu Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar, glorified, except by the understanding, that doth not appertain to the glory of those in glory. But will ye wit how this may be; for it had to be, for God had promised it him. 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. In this I [should] love myself if I lacked anything since he lacks nothing. M. O these words seem full strange to the readers, that say the soul is lost in the Right High by plenty of knowing, and becometh naught in her understanding. So I [would] refuse it at the prayers of the Humanity, and of the saints, and of the Virgin Mary. The most is the greater part of God, unknown and unknowable; the soul loves better the infinitely greater hidden Deity than that small part of him of which she has had experience. N. O Lord, though I had no other reason to abash me than this, that you have given to my soul the vision of all the Trinity and of angels and of souls, that you have not given to your precious body that is knit and oned to the nature of the Father, in the Person of the Son;[154] it would be a marvel that I may see so much! He findeth not this that may not to this attain. [274] What shall my disciples say? 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. How ofttimes I have taken from God his will! Therefore I say clear, seeing that she surpasseth the blind naughting; the blind naughted sustaineth her feet, [but] the clearness is the most noble and the most gentle [state]. 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. Miss Underhill wrote an account of the work which appeared in the Fortnightly Review, 1911, and published some extracts in No. In the Bodleian (Bodl. 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. Furthermore, she seeth how good and merciful, benign and meek he is in all things, and in this beholding full often love cometh to her with his ravishing darts and woundeth her so sweetly that she forgetteth all that she afore saw and wist. Also, another understanding there is, and that is this. Now she is so upheld and so entered into divine election, that she beginneth to speak where you take your end. 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. They are less explanatory and practical than the M.N. And now I shall tell you why it was done in the mountain. Therefore his eye beholdeth me, that he loveth none more than me; my necessity requireth it. Without fail I do so, for all that I say of your goodness, is but gabbing; but this gabbing is of you forgiveable. 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., This soul, saith Love, is lady of virtues, daughter of deity, sister of wisdom, and the spouse of love., Soothly, saith this soul, but this 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? But your questions have made them long, because ye have need thereof yourself, and for your disciples,[206] those of your household who have flys hearts! Concerning the approach of this work that is so precious and noble; even as men may no more speak of the opening of the movings of glory that the gentle far night giveth, so no more can this soul tell of this precious shutting. Without their witting, these folks be meeked of God himself, who is Almight., I promised, saith this soul, concerning the takings of love to say some things of the seven estates that we call Beings, for so it is. The contradictions of doctrine are only superficial, if we keep in mind the distinctions made earlier between the four (not three) classes, the perished, the marred, those in life of affection of spirit, and those free souls united to God by love. And this that is, is God himself. Eh! This is goodness enduring,[352] that yieldeth by nature of charity, the outpoured gift of all his bounty, and this bounty enduring engendereth bounty agreeable. These men brought with them a rich Franciscan spirituality that had tapped into the ferment of religious reform of the first half of the sixteenth century, which also included the influences of heterodox works such as the Observant Bartolomeo Cordonis Dyalogo della unione dellanima con Dio that draws from Poretes, Mirror of Simple Souls. Wit it well, my chosen daughter, Paradise is given to them., Paradise, saith this chosen one, [not] unless you work it! Generally the subject is proposed on one side, and the opponent chooses his argument and defends it on the humaner line of reasoning. I rest me in peace, saith this naked naughted soul, all in the courtesy of his sole bounty, without turning me to one single desire, notwithstanding all the riches that he hath in him. Without having to destroy the shell that it may appear. a free soul, drunk! O right noble folks, naughted and upraised[220] by conjunction of union with divine love, let it not displease you if I touch something for them that be, I shall speak enough afterwards of your being. And they have so great pleasure in their works, that they have no knowing that there is any better being than the being of works of virtue and deaths of martyrdom, and they desire to persevere in this by help of meditations fulfilled with prayers, in multiplied means of good will, alway. Nor desireth she, saith Reason, despite nor poverty, nor no martyrdom nor tribulations, nor sermons, nor fastings, nor orisons. But the Espoused of me may not be with herself, for though she had done as much sin as all the creatures of the world have done, and has as many gifts of grace as all those of paradise have, and that all this good and all this evil were shown before all this people, this lady should have neither shame nor worship in her thereof nor will to justify herself. How might he have done this? But she hath not the usages of them, for she is not with them[44] as she was wont. No soothly, saith Love, since the running fancies[252] of their inward arguments giveth it them not. Himself saith in the Gospel: Whoever believeth in me, he shall do such works as I do, and yet more greater shall he do. It is in a better hand than either of the others, and is both beautifully written and illuminated. it shall not be long thereto, that it shall come to an end., Saith this soul, Then shall be great gladness!, Now, saith Reason to this soul, tell me whereof ye be most glad!, Lady Love, saith this soul, shall say it for me., Of this, saith Love, that she hath taken leave of you and of other virtues. But now, behold, that ye may better understand what thing is the will of God. You shall be still now, for me, Lady Soul, saith Reason, since love leadeth you and you not love; this is to say that love is in you and maintaineth you and leadeth and doth his will of you, without you. And in the meantime that I most had them, Love made me hear and speak of him. How may one understand by this saying that he hath not given me all? 37790, but the dialect is slightly more northern and retains some older forms. And that men [should] remain in dread of all manner of loves whatever they be, on account of perils that might happen; and that men [should] desire Paradise sovereignly, and also that men should fear of going to hell, and that they refuse all manner of worships[78] and temporal things, and all kinds of ease, taking away from nature all that she asketh, save only that without which they might not live, after the ensample of suffering that our Lord Jesu Christ suffered. To this attain he hath not given me all taken from God his will Ghost! 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