whiche floodes maye come oute frome the / that arte the parmanents peaseable see ¶ I thanke the fader / and endelesse thankynge be to the / that hase satysfyed to me of that I asked the / and of that I knewe not / whiche I asked not of the / and also bycause thou hase styrred me to wepe / and taught me mater of wepynge / for to offer in prayer / swete thyÌ„ges / delectable thynges / and longe desyres / before the with meke contynual prayer ¶ Now therfore I aske of the / that thou shewe mercy to the worlde / and to holy chyrche I praye the that thou fulfyll that thynge / whiche thou wolde I prayed for ¶ Wo be to me most wretche that am cause of all euyl / and yet can not sorowe it within my soule ¶ Good lorde tary no longer / but haue ruthe and pyte on all the worlde / bowe the lorde and fulfyll the desyre of thy seruaunte ¶ O what am I / thou arte he that makes bothe me and thy seruauntes for to crye to the after mercy / and therfore gracyously here the voyces of theÌ„ ¶ Thy sothefastnesse sayd thus / serche and ye shall fynde / knocke and it shall be opened to you / aske it shal be grauÌ„ted to you ¶ O endelesse fader / thy seruauntes crye to the for mercy ¶ Good fader answere them after theyr desyres / for I knowe well properly it longeth to the for to haue mercy and for to gyue mercy / and therfore thou maye not deny it / but thou muste nedes gyue mercy to them that aske it ¶ They knocke at the gate of thy sothefastnesse / for in thy onely sothefaste sone Ihesu they knocke thy meruaylous loue whiche thou hase to man / and so they crye at the gate / wherfore the fyre of thy charyte sholde not nor maye not wtholde / but that it muste nedes open the same gate to theÌ„ that knocke with parseueraunce ¶ Therfore endelesse fader / open the breestes / breke the harde hertes of thy creatures not for theÌ„ that do not knocke but do it for thy infynyte goodnesse / and for the loue of thy seruauntes / whiche for them do knocke at the gate ¶ Graunte thou endelesse fader theyr askyÌ„ge / whom thou sees stoÌ„de knockynge at the gate of thy goodnesse / and what do they aske good lorde ¶ Certayne the blode of this gate / that is the blode of thy onely sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste / for in that blode / thou hase wasshed a waye the wyckednesse stynkyÌ„ge fylthe of synne / whiche came by the synne of Adam that is oure blode good lorde for of that blode thou hase made to vs a bathe / I knowe wel therfore thou maye not nor wyl not deny theÌ„ that aske the in parseueraunce ¶ Gyue therfore good lorde the fruyte of that blode to thy creatures / putte good lorde the pryce of that blode vpon that balaunce of thy sone / lest the fendes of hell lede awaye thy shepe with hym ¶ Thou art a veri good shepeherde that hase gyuen to vs a very trewe shepeherde / that is thy sone Ihesu / the whiche for thy obedyence gaue his lyfe for his shepe / of his blode made a bathe ¶ This is the blode that thy seruauÌ„tes do aske of the as hongry soules at thy gate by the whiche blode they aske that thou shewe mercy to the worlde / make holy chyrche smell swetely in swete smellynge floures of vertu / and deuoute and holy curates / with whose swete smell / they put awaye the stynkyÌ„ge smell of stynkynge floures ¶ Thou endelesse fader dyd saye / that for the loue whiche thou hase to thy reasonable creatures / for the prayers of thy seruauntes / that suffer moche labour for soules / thou wolde shewe mercy to the worlde / and araye holy chyrche worthyly / and so refresshe vs. ¶ Therfore delaye not / nor tary not endeles fader for to turne to synners thy eye of mercy but say to theÌ„ thus or that ye cryed to me for mercy / I herde you with my ere of mercy ¶ Open good lorde the gate of thy meruaylous charyte / the whiche thou hase graunted to vs by the grace of thy sone ¶ I knowe ryghte well good lorde that thou openes the gate or that we knocke ther at / for with the affecyon and loue that thou hase gyuen to thy seruauÌ„tes / they knotke to the crye / sekynge thy worshyp helthe of soules ¶ Therfore endelesse fader graunte theÌ„ breed of lyfe / that is the fruyte of thy blode of thy onely sone sothefaste Ihesu / whiche fruyte they aske of the / for ioye and worshyp of thy name and helthe of soules ¶ For it semeth and sothe it is that it is more ioye to the / worshyp for to saue soules of thy creatures / than for to suffer them obstynately in hardenesse of herte ¶ To the endeles fader al this is possyble / for thoughe thou made vs withoute vs / yet thou wyll not saue vs without vs. ¶ And therfore constrayne theyr wylles gracyously / dyspose theÌ„ for to desyre and wyll / that they wyll not ¶ This I aske the for thy infynyte mercy / thou hase made vs of noughth / therfore nowe to suche as we be / shewe mercy / refresshe the vessels that thou hase made and formed to the ymage and lykenesse of the / reforme them to grace / in the mercy in the blode of of thy ryght swete and well byloued sone Ihesu cryst ✚ LAVS DETVR DEO ¶ Nowe moder and systren here I haue made an ende of this the fyfte boke / in the whiche you may fynde ghostly / good / holy doctryne for the helthe of soules / with greate consolacyon comforte to youreselfe / with swete herbes and plantes of swete odour and smell In the whiche boke is made meÌ„cyon of the blessyd sacrament and of his vertues / with the reformacyoÌ„ of preestes and theyr subiectes / with many and dyuers maters / and ensamples of good lyuyÌ„ge / as is conteyned in the sayde boke Sexta ¶ The syxte boke ¶ The fyrst chapyter speketh of the syxte party / and it treateth moche of the prouydence of god / and fyrste of his prouydence generally / that is to say / how god prouyded man to be man / how he formed hym of noughte to his ymage and lykenesse ¶ And howe god prouyded man to sanacyon with incarnacyon of his sone / whan the gates of Paradyse were shyt for the synne of Adam ¶ And how he prouyded hymselfe / gyuynge hymselfe contynually to vs in the meet of the auter ¶ Also how god prouyded to gyue hope in his creatures / how he that moste parfytely hopeth / moste tasteth the prouydence of god ¶ And of other maters / suche as be rehersed to you before in the kalender Ca. i. benedictê° q
¶ Here begynneth the orcharde of Syon / in the whiche is conteyned the reuelacyons of seynt Katheryne of Sene / with ghostly fruytes precyous plantes for the helthe of mannes soule ¶ Ecce ancilla domini The prologue ¶ Marcus Cinilis a Bryxian wryteth an Epystle in latyn to a deuoute fader / Frere Paule Sauche / an Aragon / obseruaunt of the fcere prechers / in to the commendacyon of the dyalogys or reuelacyons of the blessed vyrgyn seynt Katheryne of Sene / of the whiche Epystle in sentence / here foloweth parte / traÌ„slated iÌ„ to englysshe AMonges many ylles of them that be professed to crystes relyâ—y on / one there is ferre out of of the waye of helthe that we were in stytute in / and greately to be reproued That men now a dayes and that relygyous do not regarde those holy workes / rules / doctrynes / that be necessary to theyr ghostly helthe / but take theÌ„ in vayne and as thynges of no valour / whiche they oughte dylygently to loke vpon / and to apply theÌ„ bothe nyghte and daye to worke and lyue after the same And those that be vayne superfluus / lytell sauour hauynge of the swete name and loue of Ihesu cryst / smally condusynge to helthe of soules / be moche set by and desyred / dayly had in hande as thynges moche beloued Doubtelesse it is a greate â—efaute a deedly blyndenesse of mynde yf they wolde lerne and folowe those techynges / wherby the soule and the mynde myght be lyghtned to spyryall and heuenly thynges / atteÌ„dynge lokynge to theyr ende that they be ordeyned vnto / they sholde full besyly serche and loke what waye and meanes sholde conduce them to it / and folowe the same But no man desyreth greately that good thynge / nor excheweth that yll / that he hathe no knowlege of who is so frowarde and vnkynde vnto hymselfe / that yf he knewe that heuenly Hierusalem and the ioye therin but onely after the maner / as the charyte of god hathe shewed it vnto our weyke vnderstondynge / by his owne wordes / by the doctryne of holy seyntes And agayn warde yf he wolde sadly ponder those ylles that be prepared for theÌ„ that shall be exyled fro thens / wolde he not lose hyÌ„selfe frome all erthely affeccyons / and full faste renne vnto it / and all thynges coÌ„trary and leâ—tynge / exchewe as dethe / as truly they be moche worse thaÌ„ dethe iÌ„ dede This haue I thoughte alwaye / but than most specyally appered manyfest vnto me / whan I toke on honde to rede the dyaloges of the holy vyrgyn seynt Katheryne of Sene / a meruaylous myrtour of holynesse Whome oure sauyoure Ihesu chose vnto his spouse / and induced her with many graces / after a synguler maner And for her moste feruent loue / profounde mekenesse / meruaylous pacyence / and wonderfull compassyon that she had / he impressed in her body the pryntes of his woundes / and preserued her loÌ„ge tyme in this lyfe / without bodyly sustenaunce Pope Pius the secunde / and Raymundus with dyuers other holy men / besyde the cronyculers / testyfy her holynesse / and wryte greate bookes of her lyfe / the actes that she hathe done / greately to the edyfyenge of crystes chyrche O meruaylous goodnes of god / that hath chosen so weyke a parson of woman kynde / to confounde the greate men of myghte and all theyr pusaunce what techynges be there set furthe to compounde and order the maners of men what preceptes be ther gyueÌ„ to chastyce and subdewe the bodyly affeccyons what counseyles haue we there shewed / to kepe vs vnder the bondes of reason No wher can maÌ„ more pleasauntly be alleâ— and drawen to the loue of god No where more terryble can he be made afered to coÌ„mytte synne No wher more profouÌ„dely the truthe is shewed without errour / nor the dygnyte of vertu more clerely opened / and the abhomynacyon of vyce more openly dyscouered There is the rule and lernynge of chastyte and clennesse to be conserued There is gadered togyder compendyously dyscyplyne of lowlynesse / and vertu to be noryshed and incresced There be opened secrete counseyles of god There is shewed the excellency of his prouydeÌ„ce There to them that be blynde by malyce or ygnoraunce / is restored the lyght of truthe And to them that haue knowlege of truthe / it is there preserued for to defende errours There to them that be curyous in reasonynge / it is answered and satysfyed to theyr argumeÌ„tes To theÌ„ that be good and wyse / is shewed thynges worthy theyr knowlege And truly it is so plentefully / so holsomely / so holyly / prouyded all maner wayes / for mannes pylgrymage here in this lyfe / that after my Iudgement there can no erthely creature counseyle or prouyde more wysely for the helthe of maÌ„ / nor more surely Nor no meruayle / for very often and in maner whan she wolde she was rauyshed in spyryte vnto god / and so she was acustomed in extasy to haue reuelacyoÌ„s and dyologes bytwene cryste and her / and after to endyte them Wherfore I wyll not fere to saye and affyrme this / that there is no man of so paruerse and obstynate malyce / but yf he loke vpoÌ„ theÌ„ with good auysement not hastely nor enuyously not onely parceyuynge the wordes with his ere 's outwardely / but also the sence with his mynde inwardely he shall not repente hym / but fynde greate grace therby / and pleasure in his soule Who sholde not be greately moued meruaylynge moche / suche a yonge mayde of tender age / to be lyke in lernynge to noble clerkes / and to wâ—yte so profounde sentences / so depely drawe fro the well of the hye dyuyne wysedome / that it is harde for many to parceyue / excepte they haue meke lernynge and ghostly wysdome So thoughe that her gloryous and excellente holynesse sholde gyue none auctoryte to her doctryne and preceptes / yet frome what soeuer condyte they come out of / they bere moste sure testymony of themselfe without doubte / that they flowe out fro none other / but fro the godly funtayne sprynge of grace Nor they haue none other begyn nynge but that where vnto they enforce besyly to brynge the reder vnto / whiche is god hymselfe The bryghtnesse of the sonne / can procede from none other thynge / but frome the sonne So heuenly thyÌ„ges come not / but from heueÌ„ And that thynge that belongeth to god / hymselfe onely dothe knowe / they whome it pleaseth hyÌ„ to shewe it vnto Therfore all you that be louers of youre owne helthe not onely you but onely al you that haue lytell feythe and affeccyon to heueÌ„ly thynges / you that be ylecte snarled in the dysceyuable pleasures lustes of the flesshe the worlde yf you couet to haue eternall Ioye / come hyder fyll the vessels of youre hertes at this
nothynge elles fulfylled / but with suche thynge that the mysse ruled affeccyon hathe gyuen vnto her ¶ This most wretched loue hathe so blynded the eye of intelleccyon / that it can nother deserne nor take more clere lyght / than it hathe receyued ¶ For that is to hyÌ„ as hym semeth ryght clere it is vyce colored by the coloure of his owne propre good / and the soule so offended ¶ But bycause the eye of vnderstondynge seeth not herselfe for her owne blyndenesse / she maye in no wyse knowe the truthe / and therfore the erreth and goeth out of the waye / serchynge other delyces and other goodes than 〈◊〉 me 〈◊〉 In an other place I sayd so the the all worldely delytes be not 〈◊〉 without me / but rather they be 〈◊〉 / gethornes thaÌ„ delyces ¶ In the same wyse intelleccyoÌ„ or vnderstandynge is dyseeyued in her owne â—â—ght and wyll in her owne loue louynge suche thynges as she sholde not loue ¶ And in the same wyse mynde in her kepynge and retencyons / vnderstondynge foloweth the maners of a thefe / the reueth an other fro his good ¶ In the same wyse mynde coÌ„tynually remembreth of suche thyÌ„ges that be vtterly wtout me ¶ And of suche thynges / the soule wylfully depryueth her from grace ¶ These thre myghtes of the soule be so myghtely knytte togyder / the I maye not be offended of the one / but the I be offended of all thre / for one taketh of an other good or yll / as it is declared before ¶ What that euer lyketh or pleaseth the fre choyse / that same pleaseth the affeccyon ¶ And therfore as the affeccyoÌ„ lyketh / so she styrreth and moueth fre choyse / or with out lyght of reason ¶ Neuertheles ye haue the vse of reasou knytte in me so that fre choyse fall not in you by vnordynate loue ¶ Ye haue also a contrary lawe of the flesshe repugnyÌ„ge contynually agaynste the spyryte ¶ Two partyes therfore ye haue in youreselfe / that is sensualyte and reason ¶ Sensualy is a seruaunte the whiche is ordeyned to serue the soule / that ye maye haue experyeÌ„ce of vertu by the instrumente of the body ¶ The soule is fre fro synne / delyuered by the blòde of my sone / and therfore she maye in no wyse be brought in bondage / but yf she consente by her owne wyll / the whiche is bouÌ„de knytte by fre choyse / for fre choyse is made one with wyll accordynge with her ¶ The whiche fre choyse is knytte to the same wyll / in the myddes of sensualyte and reason / that to which of bothe she wyltourne she maye ¶ Forthermore sothe it is / that whan that euer the soule wyll gadre togyder her myghtes in my name / by the honde of fre choyse / as I haue declared to the before / that what that she dothe / or yet all that she gadereth be spyrytuall thyÌ„nges ¶ And so fre choyse with sensualyte is losed knytte to reason / thaÌ„ with truthe / I rest in the myddes of theÌ„ ¶ This it is that my sothefastnes spake of sayenge thus whan two or thre ben gadered togyder in my name / I am in the myddes of theÌ„ ¶ Also I sayde to the that no man maye come to me / but by my onely sone / that is the waye of sothefastnes ¶ And therfore I haue made a brydge of hym / with thre grees / the whiche grees be fygured by the thre states of the soule / as I shal tell the afterwarde ¶ How thes thre myghtes of the soule / yf they be not oned togyder / ther may no parseuerauÌ„ce be hadde / without the whiche parseueraunce / no man maye come to the ende of parfeccyon THe fygure of these thre grees iÌ„ general I haue declared to the / be the thre myghtes of the soule / the whiche by maner of symylytude be thre ladders ¶ And he that wyl passe forthe by the brydge and doctryne of my truthe / he maye not ascende vp by that one ladder / but yf he ascende also by the other ¶ Ryght so a soule may haue no parseuerauÌ„ce of vertu / but yf she knytte and Ioyne togyder these thre myghtes / of the whiche parseueraune I tolde the before / whan thou dyd aske of me the maner / the whiche those that comen out of the floode sholde holde for to be delyuered out of the perell of the same floode ¶ And there also I sayde to the / that I wolde declare to the more openly those thre degrees ¶ And than I sayde that without parseueraunce / there maye no man come nother to the ende of parfeccyon / nor of vyces / for vertues also vyces do aske parseueraunce ¶ Yf thou do couet to come to lyfe / thou must contynu and parseuer in vertu / and he the desyreth to go forthe to endelesse dethe / he must parseuer in vyces ¶ So than a man maye come to me that am lyfe of all thynges / with parseuerauÌ„ce of vertu / and also with parseuerauÌ„ce of vyce he may come for to tast the deed water of fendes ¶ An exposycyoÌ„ of the worde of cryst / where he sayde Si quis sitit c. That is to saye / yf ony man haue thruste let hym come to me and dryÌ„ke ALl ye be byd generally / and specyally of my sone the lambe of truthe the whiche dyde cry in the temple with a greate desyre / seynge thus to you Si quis sitit veniat ad me et bibat yf ony man haue thrust / let hym come to me and drgnke / for I am a wel of water of lyfe / he sayde not go to my fader and drynke / but he sayd come to me ¶ Why / ¶ For in me that am the fader / myght neuer peyne fall / but it was than in my sone ¶ And therfore whyle ye be pylgrymes passyngers in this worlde ye maye in no maner wyse passe withoute peyne ¶ For of synne as it is sayde before / the erthe hathe brought forthe thornes breres ¶ And why sayde he so / come to me and drynke ¶ By cause all that dyd sue his doctryne / or suche that dyd drawe nyghe to hym / otherby kepynge of his commaundymentes with the couÌ„seyles mentally / or by his preceptes / with the counseyles actually ¶ That is in goynge by the waye of parfyte charyte / or by the waye of comune charyte / as I haue tolde the before / by what maner of wyse in these wayes ye come to hym by shewynge of his doctryne / ye fynde anone what ye sholde drynke / that is the fruyte of his precyous blode ¶ And also by tastyÌ„ge of his dyuyne nature knytte and oned in mankynde / and than ye so abydynge in hym / shal also fynde yourselfe in me / that am the peaseable see / for I am one with hym / and he one with me ¶ In this maner ye be byd for
lyghte the whiche I speke of gyueth you lyght and maketh you to go by the waye of truthe / and with that same lyghte ye sholde come to me / that am very endelesse lyghte / and with out that lyght ye maye not come to me that am lyght / but rather to derkenes ¶ These two lyghtes the whiche be dependaunte fro this lyghte / be ful necessary for you to haue / and in these two I shall gyue the the thyrde ¶ The fyrst is / that all ye be ylluniyned / in knowynge of worldely transytory thynges / the whiche ouerpasse as wyÌ„de / but ye may not wel knowe them / vnto the tyme ye knowe fyrst your owne freylte / how slypper it is vnder a coÌ„trarius lawe / the whiche lawe is bounde in your bodyly lymines / rebellynge to me that am youre maker ¶ Neuertheles ther is none constrayned by that lawe for to do that leest synne / but yf he wyll / and yet it impugneth agaynst the spyryte / and I gaue neuer that lawe that my reasonable creature sholde be ouercome therby / but rather it sholde be encreased in vertu / and be preued in the soule by vertu / for vertu is neuer preued but by the contrary ¶ The sensualyte is euer contrary to that spyryte / and therfore iÌ„ that sensualyte / a soule proueth the loue that it hathe in me her maker ¶ Whan proueth she that ¶ Certayne whan with hate dysplesaunce she aryseth agaynst the sensualyte / also I haue gyuen to her suche a lawe coÌ„trary to the spyryte / that she sholde be kepte in very mekenesse / for thou sees well that in makynge of a soule to the ymage lykenesse of me / set in so grete a dygnyte / I haue felyshypped her with a thynge of ryghte lytle valewe / that is gyuen to her by a contrary lawe / byndynge the same lawe with that body that is made of a ryght foule erthe ¶ That iÌ„ beholdyÌ„ge of suche fylthe / she sholde not lyftup her heed agaynst me by pryde ¶ And therfore a frayle body that hathe this lyghte whiche I speke of / hathe cause for to loue her / and not for to enhaunse her by pryde / for therof hathe she no mater / but rather mater of very ê‘fyte mekenesse ¶ Also this contrary lawe constreyneth neuer a creature to synne by no maner inpugnacyon that it sheweth / but rather it gyueth cause for to make you the better to knowe the vnstablenes of this wretched worlde ¶ This sholde se an eye of intellecyon / with the lyght of very feythe / the whiche I sayde to the before / is named the ball of the eye ¶ This is that necessary lyght / the whiche generally is necessary to euery creature that hathe reason / desyreth to take parte of the lyfe of grace / in what euer state that euer he stondeth in / yf he wyll receyue the fruyte of the blode of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu ¶ This is a comune lyghte / that is that euery parsone sholde haue comunely as it is rehersed before and he that hathe it not / he dwelleth in state of dampnacyoÌ„ / and this is the cause why that all those that haue not this lyghte be not in the state of grace / for by waÌ„tyÌ„ge of this lyghte / they maye not knowe the wyckednesse of synne / nor that that thynge whiche is cause of synÌ„e ¶ And therfore it may not eschewe offence / nor hate wycked lyuyÌ„ge ¶ In the same wyse / he that knoweth no good nor cause of good that is vertu / he may neuer loue me nor desyre me that am endeles good / nor he may not know the vertu whiche I gyue as an instrument and mene for to come to the grace of very good ¶ By this thou maye se how necessary this lyght is to you for youre synnes stonden in no other thynge / but in leuyÌ„ge that I hate / and in hauÌ„tyÌ„ge that I loue / I loue vertu and hate vyce / he that loueth vyce and hateth vertu offendeth me / is depryued fro my grace ¶ Suche one gothe forthe as a very blynde man / not knowynge the cause of synne / whiche is his propre sencyble loue / and yet he hath it not / nor he knoweth not vyces nor the euyl that foloweth vyces / nor he knoweth not vertu / nor me that grauÌ„teth hym vertu / the whiche vertu gyueth hym lyfe / nor also the worthy dygnyte of vertu / by the whiche he is conserued fro vyces / cometh to grace ¶ Thus thou maye se that he that knoweth not / is cause of his owne euyll / therfore as I sayd / this lyght is very necessary to you ¶ And nowe moder and systren I haue made an ende of the .iiii. boke / the whiche dothe speke for the most parte of prayers and teres And fyrste how god sheweth a doctryne of the sacrameÌ„t of the auter / as it is rehersed iÌ„ the begynnynge of the fourthe boke / nowe fynyshed / with dyuers maters ¶ The fyfth boke Quinta ¶ The fyrst chapytre of the fyfth ê‘ty speketh of mortyfycacyoÌ„ and fyrst of them that put theyr desyre more to suffre bodyly peyne / than in mortyfycacyon or dystroyenge of theyr owne wyll / whiche is one parfyte lyghte or lyghte of ê‘feccyoÌ„ / more thaÌ„ the generall lyghte / it is the seconde lyght of parfeccyoÌ„ ¶ Also of the thyrde and more parfyte lyghte of reason / and of the werkes that a soule dothe whaÌ„ it is come to that state / and of many maters and dyuers / as it is rehersed shewed to the before in the kalender Ca. i. AFter tyme that a soule is come and hathe goten this generall lyght as I haue rehersed before she sholde not holde her apayde without more / for the whyle ye be in this lyfe as pylgrymes / ye be able for to receyue more for to encrese not forthwarde / ye decrese goyÌ„ge backewarde ¶ Other they sholde encrese in the comune lyghte that they haue goteÌ„ by mene and medyacyon of my grace / orelles they sholden enforce them with all besynesse for to come to the secunde parfyte lyght / and so fro the vnparfyte / for to come to the parfyte / for wtout lyghte / maye none come to parfeccyon ¶ In this seconde parfyte lyghte be two maners of parfeccyoÌ„ / they be parfyte / whiche be rysen fro the comune lyuynge of the worlde ¶ In this parfeccyon be two thynges one is there be some that parfytely chatyse theyr bodyes with ryght greate penaunce and the cause is that theyr sensualyte sholde not rebell agaynst reason / suche haue set all theyr desyre rather in mortyfyenge of the body / than in dystroyenge of theyr owne propre wyl / as I haue tolde the iÌ„ an other place ¶ Al suche sede theÌ„ at the table of penaunce / they be good and parfyte / yf theyr purpose were founde in me with
oftētymes as a blynde wretche / and lan gorynge in this sekenes / vnder colour of the honour worshyp of thy name and helthe of soules / I haue gyue Iudgementes ¶ Wherfore I thanke the endeles infynyte goodnesse / for thou hase made me knowe by manyfestacyō or shewynge of thy sothefastnesse / bothe dysccyte of the fende / and also the infyrmyte of my owne passyō / wherfore of synguler grace and mercy I beseche the / that fro this dare forewarde I go neuer oute fro thy doctryne / that thy endelesse goodnesse hathe taughte me / also for all those that wyll folowe the same doctryne ¶ For withoute the is nothynge done / to the therfore I fle the endelesse fader / and I maye not praye for me to the endelesse fader / but for all the worlde / and specyally for the mysteryall body our moder holy chyrche / that this truthe of doctryne shyne in the mynystres of holy chyrche / yet specyally I praye the for them all / that thou hase take for to loue in specyall loue / whome thou hase made one with me / for they sholde be my refresshȳge cōforte / whan I se them renne by this doctryne vndefouled / and mortyfyed to all theyr owne wylles ¶ And without ony demynge or / sclaūdrynge / or grutchynge of theyr neyghbours to the worshyp honour of thy holy name ¶ I praye the therfore infynyte loue / that none of thē be withdrawe fro thy hondes by the fende of hell / but that they maye come to the / that arte the ende of all theyr laboure ¶ Also I praye that for two pyllers / the whiche be my two ghostly faders / whome thou hase lēde to me for my kepynge and doctryne of me most wretched and seke fro the begynnȳge of my lyuȳge vnto this tyme / that thou make thē bothe one of two bodyes one soule / that none of thē take hede to none other thynge pryncypally / than for to fulfyll the mynystery of theyr offyces the whiche thou hase put in to theyr hondes for helthe of soules to the worshyp of thy holy name ¶ And I vnworthy moste wretched seruaunte and not a doughter may tēderly kepe theyr doctryne with du reuerence and holy drede / and that also I maye drede them reuerently for thy loue / that it be to the worshyp / and to thē pease and quyetnesse and edyfycacyon of theyr neyghboure ¶ I am ryghte certayne endelesse truthe / that thou shall not dyspyse my desyre / nor my askynges that I haue asked of the / for I knowe well by the shewynge that thou hase shewed to me / and moche more by experyēce that thou art accepter taker of holy desyres ¶ Therfore I thy vnworthy seruaūt shall besy me after the grace that thou hase gyuen me for to kepe thy doctryne byddȳge ¶ O endeles fader I haue mȳde of thy worde that thou told me / whā thou tolde me certayne thynges of thy ministers of our moder holi chyrche thou sayde that thou wolde tell me more playnly ī an other place of theyr wyckednesse that they vse these dayes / wherfore yf it be lykȳge to thy goodnes / I desyre that thou tell me some what therof / that I maye haue mater therof for to encrese in sorowe compassyon and lōgynge desyre for the helthe of theyr soules ¶ For as I remembre me nowe / thou sayde that to all those that haue compassyon / peyne / wepynges / sorowes / swetynges / and prayers for synners / thou wolde gracyously refresshe them by reformynge of holy chyrche / with good and holy pastoures or shepeherdes ¶ Therfore bycause al these sholde encrese in me / I aske the and praye the of this thȳge ¶ How that god beholdeth the besynes of this soule aboute prayer / and answereth to some of her petycyons ¶ Than endelesse god tournynge to her the eye of his mercy / not dyspysynge her desyre / but rather receyuynge and alowynge her askynge / wyllȳge for to satysfy to the laste petycon that she made of his behestes / sayde thus ¶ O ryghteswete and dere doughter ī that that thou hase asked of me / I shall satysfy thy desyre / so that thou be not vpon thy syde ygnoraunte neclygente / for it were more greuous to the and worthy more reprefe / suche ygnoraunce and neclygence now than fyrste / for thou knowes now more of my truthe / than thou knewe than ¶ Besy the therfore for to pray for al reasonable creatures / for the mysteryall body of holy chyrche / and for them whome I haue cōmytted to the / that thou loue them specyally / that thou be not neclygent for to praye for thē / bothe by ensample of lyuynge spekynge by worde / repreuynge vycys / cōmendynge vertu after thy power ¶ Of those pyllers whome I haue lēde to the / of whome thou hase tolde me / and sothe it is that they be pyllers ¶ Do so that thou be a mene for to yelde to eche of thē after the ablenes of them / as I thy maker shall make open to the / for with out me / thou may nothȳge do Thā I shall fulfyll thy desyres / therfore loke thou fayle not / nor they neuer in my hope / for in you shal not lacke my prouydence / and eche of thē shal receyue that thynge / the whiche he is able for to receyue ¶ And in the same wyse euery mynystre shall receyue that thȳge that I shall gyue hȳ for to mynystre / after his maner as he receyueth taketh of my goodnes ¶ In this thyrde chapyter god sheweth to this soule of the dygnyte of preestes / of the sacrament of his holy body / of them that do receyue that sacrament worthyly ¶ Also how all the bodyly wyttes or felynges be dysceyued ī that foresayd sacramēt / but not the felȳunges of the soule ¶ Therfore with that felynges or wyttes of the soule that holy sacrament shall be seen / rasted / feled / and of other maters / as it is rehersed before in the kalender Ca. iii. I Shall answere to the of that thou askes me of the mynysters of holy chyrche / that thou may veryly knowe the truthe / open the eye of thy intelleccyon / and beholde the excellence of them in how greate dygnyte I haue sette theym ¶ But bycause a contrary is lyghtly knowe by his contraryte / I wyll shewe the fyrste the dygnyte of them that haue vertuously onely excercysed the tresour that I haue betake to theyr hondes and so by that thou shall the better knowe theyr wretchydnes / that these dayes fede them at the brest of this spouse holy chyrche ¶ Than this deuoute soule for to obeye to his byddynge / dyd beholde cōtemplatyfely in the sothefastnesse of hym / in the whiche sothefastnesse she sawe vertues shyne / in very tasters
most souerayne endelesse blessydnesse ¶ Wyll thou knowe whiche be the honde maydens seruauÌ„tes of very pouerte ¶ Certayne vylyte / abieccyon / coÌ„tempte of maÌ„ of hyÌ„selfe / very mekenes / whiche do serue noryshe affeccyoÌ„ of pouerte in the soule ¶ The fyfte chapyter is of the excellence of them whiche be poore iÌ„ spyryte / how cryste taughte vs of this pouerte / not oneli bi worde / but by ensaÌ„ple / also of the prouydence of god for theÌ„ that take this pouerte / a short repeticioÌ„ of the fore sayde dyuyne prouydeÌ„ce / also other maters / as is reherced in the kalender Ca. v. My very seruauÌ„tes breÌ„ned iÌ„ that fyre of charite / forsoke rychesse theyr sencyble felynge / lyke as the apostell Mathewe dyd / the whiche forsoke ryches / sued my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / whiche taughte you bothe a maner rule for to loue folowe very pouerte / he taughte you not onely by worde / but by ensample / for fro the begyÌ„nynge of his byrthe vnto the last ende of his lyfe / he taught you this doctryne by ensample / he hyÌ„selfe wedded fro you this spouse of very pouerte / not withstondynge that he was most souerayne blessydnesse by vnyon of dyuyne nature / by the whiche he is one with me and I with hym / and yf thou wyll se hym meke lowe in greate pouerte / beholde god made and arayed with the vylyte of youre maÌ„heed / so thou maye se that swete ryghte well byloued Ihesu borne in a stable / for to teche you that lyue in this lyfe / euer for to be borne in the stable of youre owne knowlege / wher ye sholde fynde me borne by grace within youre soules ¶ Also thou maye se hym lyenge in the mydle ymonge beestes / in so grete penury that Mary his moder had not wher with to couer hym / but in the colde tyme with the brethynge of those beestes and with haye he was made warme ¶ Lo he that was the fyre of charyte wolde suffer colde in his maÌ„ heed all the whyle that he was in the worlde on lyue / bothe in presence of his dyscyples and in the absence of his dyscyples / so that otherwhyle for honger his dyscyples dyd gader the ere 's of corne and ete them / yet in the laste ende of his lyfe he was dyspoyled of his clothes and scorged all aboute a pyller / and also with grete thruste he hanged vpon the crosse / iÌ„ suche penury and pouerte that bothe the erthe the tree whiche he haÌ„ged vpon defayled hym so that he hadde no place where he myghte laye his heed / but that he muste nedes reste his heed vpon his shulder / and also he that was druÌ„ke with loue / he made to you a bathe in his blode / by shedynge of his blode / in openynge of his body on euery syde / he beynge so in suche myseri gaue to you grete rychesse / and also he beynge vpon the strayte tree of the crosse / he gaue plentuously his largenesse to euery reasonable creature / by tastynge of the bytternesse of gall he gaue to you swetenesse of greate suauyte / he beynge in sorowe gaue to you coÌ„forte / and he beynge bounde nayled to the crosse delyuered and vnlosed you fro the bonde of deedly synne / and in that he was made seruauÌ„te / he made you fre and delyuered you fro the deuylles daunger / and iÌ„ that he was solde he raunsomed you by his blode / and in that he toke dethe he gaue you lyfe / in the whiche dethe he gaue to you the rule of loue / shewynge more loue to you thaÌ„ he ought for to do to you / that were to hym to me endelesse fader deedly enemyes / he gaue to you also a rule of very mekenesse / in that he suffered in the most repreuable dethe of the crosse / repreues / shames sufferynge theÌ„ ryghte mekely / he gaue you also a rule of very pouerte / for as it is wryten of hym / Foxes haue caues dennes / byrdes of the ayre haue nestes / but the sone of maÌ„ hathe not wher he maye laye his heed ¶ Who maye veryly knowe this ¶ Certayne he that hathe the lyghte of very feythe ¶ In whome may thou fynde this fâ—ythe ¶ Certayne iÌ„ poore folke of spyryte that haue take for theyr spouse the quene of pouerte / this quene hathe a realme in the whiche realme is neuer warre / but pease reste / she is full of ryghtwysenesse / for all vnryghtwysenesse is departed fro her / the walles of her cytee be welles / for the fouÌ„damente therof is not sette vpon the grouÌ„de / but on a quycke stone Ihesu my onely sothefaste sone / within is lyght / without derkenesse / for the moder of this quene is the depenesse of my dyuyne charyte / the raymeÌ„t of this cytee is pyte mercy / for the tyrauÌ„t of ryches whiche vsed cruelte is pulled away fro thens / there is one maner benyuolence with all the cytesyns / that is loue of neyghbour heed / ther is also loÌ„ge parseuerauÌ„ce with prudence / whiche gouerneth not his cytee vnprudeÌ„tly / but with greate prudence besyly wakynge / and therfore a soule that is wedded to this ryght swete quene of pouerte / she hathe made herselfe a lady of all these ryches / she maye not be lady of one / but she be lady of all / and as ofte as the appetyte of ryches falleth in that soule / so ofte she is departed fro this good / and fyndeth herselfe with greate mysery without the cytee / and yf it so be that she be founde feythfull trewe to this spouse euer alwaye / the same spouses pouerte wyll largely departe with her abundaunt ryches ¶ Who maye se this grete excelleÌ„ce of pouerte ¶ Certayne none but suche a soule / iÌ„ whome shyneth the lyght of feythe / this same quene pouerte / arayeth a soule with grete purete wtdrawyÌ„ge rychesse / whiche made her clene depryued her from wycked thoughtes / gyuyÌ„ge to her good / she draweth out also fro her the besynesse of the worlde / and whan that bytternesse is gone / thaÌ„ remayneth in her swetenesse / she cutteth awaye fro her the thornes / and thaÌ„ remayneth the rose / she also dyscargeth the stomake of the soule fro the corrupte humours of vnordynate loue / maketh it lyght / and after tyme it is so voyded / she fylleth it with meet of vertu / whiche gyueth grete swetenesse / she setteth there also the seruauntes of holy hate of loue / for to purge araye the place for those seruauÌ„tes of holy hate of vyces and of proper sensualyte / turneth the soule bothe clenseth it purgeth / loue of vertu arayeth her / by puttynge awaye fro theÌ„s all maner doubtes / depryuyÌ„ge her fro seruyle drede / and