|b{Julian_of_Norwich's_Revelations_}
|b{of_Divine_Love.}
|b{The_Shorter_Version}
|b{ed._from_B.L._Add._MS_37790_}
|b{by_Frances_Beer.}
|b{Middle_English_Texts_8._Heidelberg:_Winter}
|b{pp._39-79.}



|p39


REVELATIONS OF DIVINE LOVE


|rI


     |r[f.97r] There es a vision schewed be the goodenes of god to a deuoute
     woman and hir name es Iulyan that is recluse atte Norwyche and
     itt ys on lyfe anno domini millesimo CCCCxiii, in the whilke
     visyon er fulle many comfortabylle wordes and gretly styrrande
 |r5 to alle thaye that desyres to be crystes looverse.

     I desyrede thre graces be the gyfte of god. The fyrst was
     to have mynde of cryste es passion, the seconde was bodelye
     syekenes, and the thryd was to haue of goddys gyfte thre woun_dys.
     For the fyrste come to my mynde with devocyon: me though
|r10 I hadde grete felynge in the passyon of cryste, botte itte I
     desyrede to haue mare be the grace of god. Me thought I wolde
     haue bene that tyme with Mary Mawdeleyne and with othere that
     were crystes loverse, that I myght have sene bodylye the pas_sion
     of oure lorde that he sufferede for me, that I myght have
|r15 sufferede with hym as othere dyd that lovyd hym. Notwithstand_ynge
     that, I leevyd sadlye alle the peynes of cryste as halye
     kyrke schewys & techys, & also the payntyngys of crucyfexes
     that er made be the grace of god aftere the techynge of haly
     kyrke to the lyknes of crystes passyon als farfurthe as man ys
|r20 witte maye reche.

     Noutwithstondynge alle this trewe beleve, I desyrede a body_lye
     syght whareyn y myght have more knawynge of bodelye paynes
     of oure lorde oure savyoure, and of the compassyon of oure la_dye
     and of alle his trewe loverse that were belevande his pay_nes
|r25 that tyme and sythene; for I wolde have beene one of thame
     and suffrede with thame. Othere syght of gode ne schewynge
     desyrede I nevere none tylle atte the sawlle were departyd



|p40


     frome the bodye, for I trayste sothfastlye that I schulde be
     safe, and this was my menynge; for I wolde aftyr, becawse of
     that schewynge, have the more trewe mynde in the passion of
     cryste.

 |r5 For the seconde, come to my mynde with contricion, frelye with_owtyn
     any sekynge, a wylfulle desyre to hafe of goddys gyfte a
     bodelye syekenes. And I wolde at this bodylye syekenes myght
     have beene so harde as to the dede, |r[f.97v] so that I myght in
     the sekenes take alle my ryghtynges of halye kyrke, wenande
|r10 myselfe that I schulde dye; and that alle creatures that sawe
     me myght wene the same, for I wolde hafe no comforth of no
     fleschlye nothere erthelye lyfe. In this sekenes I desyrede
     to hafe alle manere of paynes bodelye & gastelye that I schulde
     have yf I schulde dye, alle the dredes & tempestes of feyndys
|r15 & alle manere of [othere] paynes [safe] of the owte passynge
     of the sawlle, for I hope[d] that it myt be to me a spede when
     I schulde dye, for I desyrede sone to be with my god.

     This two desyres of the passyon and of the seekenes I desyrede
     thame with a condicyon, for me thought that it passede the com_ene
|r20 course of prayers. And therfore I sayde, ,"Lorde, thowe
     woote whate I wolde. yf it be thy wille that I have itt,
     grawnte itt me. And yf it be nout thy wille, goode lorde,
     be nought dysplesede, for I wille nought botte as thowe wille".
     This sekenes desyrede I yn my []ought at y myght have it
|r25 whene I were threttye eere eelde.

     For the thirde, I harde a man telle of halye kyrke of the
     storye of <ua>Saynte Cecylle,<ue> in the whilke schewynge I vndyrstode
     that sche hadde thre woundys with a swerde in the nekke, with
     the whilke sche pynede to the dede. By the styrrynge of this
|r30 I conseyvede a myghty desyre, prayande oure lorde god that he
     wolde grawnte me thre woundys in my lyfe tyme, that es to saye
     the wound[e] of contricyon, the wounde of compassyon, [&] the
     wounde of wylfulle langgynge to god. Ryght as I askede the



|p41


     othere two with a condyscyon, [so] I askyd the thyrde with_owtyn
     any condyscyon. This two desyres beforesayde passed
     fro my mynde, and the thyrde dwellyd contynuelye.


|rII


     Ande when I was thryttye wyntere alde and a halfe, god sente
 |r5 me a bodelye syekenes in the whilke I laye thre dayes and thre
     nyghttes, and on the ferthe nyght I toke alle my ryghttynges
     of haly kyrke, and wenyd nought tylle haue lyffede tylle daye.
     And aftyr this y langourede furthe two dayes & two nyghttes;
     & on the thyrde nyght I wenede ofte tymes to hafe passede,
|r10 and so wenyd thaye that were abowte me. Botte in this I was
     ryght sarye & lothe thout for to dye, botte for nothynge
     that was |r[f.98r] in erthe that me lykede to lyeve fore, nor
     for nothynge that I was aferde fore, for I tristyd in god.
     Botte it was fore I walde hafe lyevede to have lovede god bet_ter
|r15 and lange tyme, that [I] myght, be the grace of that lyev_ynge,
     ave the more knowynge and lovynge of god in the blysse
     of hevene.

     For me thought alle the tyme that I wolde lyeve here so ly_tille
     nd so schorte in the regarde of endeles blysse, I
|r20 thout thus, "Goode lorde, maye my lyevynge be no langere to
     thy worschippe?" And [I] was aunswerde in my resone, and be
     the felynges of my paynes, that I schulde dye. And I asentyd
     fully with alle the wille of mye herte to be atte god ys wille.

      Thus I endurede tille daye, and by than was my bodye dede fra
|r25 the myddys downwarde as to my felynge. Than was I styrrede
     to [be] sette vppe ryghttes, lenande with clothes to my heede
     for to have the mare fredome of my herte to be atte goddes
     wille, and thynkynge on hym whilys my lyfe walde laste. And
     thay that were with me sente for the person my curette to be
|r30 atte myne endynge. He come, and a childe with hym, and brought
     a crosse, & be thane I hadde sette myne eyen and myght nout
     speke. The persone sette the crosse before my face and sayde,
     "Dowtter, I have brought the the ymage of thy sauioure. Loke



|p42


     thereopon, & comforthe the erewith, in reverence of hym that
     dyede for the & me".

     Me thout an that y was welle, for myne eyen ware sette vp_warde
     into hevene whethyr I trustede for to come. Botte nevere_thelesse
 |r5 I assendyd to sette myne eyen in the face of the cru_cyfixe
     if y myght, for to endure the langyr in to the tyme of
     myn endynge; for m[e] thought I myt langyr endure to loke evyn
     forthe than vppe ryght. Aftyr this my syght byganne to fayle,
     and it was alle dyrke abowte me in the chaumbyr, and myrke as
|r10 it hadde bene nyght; save in the ymage of the crosse there
     helde a comon lyght, and I wyste nevere howe. Alle that was
     besyde the crosse was huglye to me as yf it hadde bene mykylle
     occupyede with fendys.

     Aftyr this the overe partye of my bodye beganne to dye as to
|r15 my felynge. Myne handdys felle downe on aythere syde, and also
     for vnpowere my heede satylde down |r[f.98v] on syde. The maste
     payne that I felyd was schortnes of wynde and faylynge of lyfe.
     Than wende I sothelye to hafe bene atte the poynte of dede.

     And in this sodeynlye alle my payne was awaye fro me and I was
|r20 alle hole, and namelye in the overe partye of my bodye, as ev_ere
     I was before or aftyr. I merveylede of this chaunge, for
     me thought it was a [de]rne wyrkynge of god, & nought of kynde.
     And itte be the felynge of this ese I trystede nevere the mare
     that I schulde lyeve, ne the felynge of this ese was ne fulle
|r25 ese to me. For me thout I hadde leuere have bene delyverede
     of this worlde, for my herte was wilfulle thereto.


|rIII

     And sodeynlye come vnto my mynde that I schulde desyre the sec_onde
     wounde of oure lordes gyfte and of his grace, that he wal_de
     fulfylle my bodye with mynde of felynge of his blessede pas_syon,
|r30 as I hadde before prayede. For I wolde that his paynes
     ware my paynes, with compassyon, & aftyrwarde langynge to god.
     Thus thout me that I myght, with his grace, have his woundys



|p43


     that I hadde before desyrede. But in this I desyrede neuere
     ne bodely syght, ne no manere schewynge of god, botte compas_syon,
     as me thought that a kynde sawlle myght have with oure
     lorde Ihesu, that for love wolde become man dedlye. With hym
 |r5 y desyrede to suffere, lyevande in dedlye bodye, as god wolde
     gyffe me grace.

     And in this sodaynlye I sawe the rede blode trekylle downe fro
     vndyr the garlande alle hate, freschlye, plentefully, & lyvelye,
     ryght as me thought that it was in that tyme that the garlonde
|r10 of thornys was thyrstede on his blessede heede. Ryght so both
     god and man the same sufferde for me. I conseyvede treulye &
     myghttyllye that itt was hymselfe that schewyd it me withowtyn
     any meen, and than I sayde, "<ua>Benedicite Dominus"<ue> . This I sayde
     reuerentlye in my menynge with a myghtty voyce, and fulle gret_lye
|r15 I was astonnyd for wondere & merveyle that y had that he
     wolde be so h[ame]lye with a synfulle creature lyevande in this
     wrecchyd flesch[e].

     |r[f.99r] Thus I tokede it for that tyme that oure lorde Ihesu
     of his curtayse love walde schewe me comforthe before the tyme
|r20 of my temptacyon. For me thought it myght be welle that I schul_de,
     be the suffyrraunce of god and with his kepynge, be temptyd
     of fendys or I dyede. With this syght of his blyssede passyon,
     with the godhede that I saye in myn vndyrstandynge, I sawe that
     this was strengh ynowe to me, e, vnto alle creatures lyevande
|r25 that schulde be saffe agaynes alle the feendys of helle & agay_nes
     alle gostelye enmyes.


|rIV

     And this same tyme that I sawe this bodyly syght, oure lorde
     schewyd me a gastelye sight of his anly lovynge. I sawe that
     he es to vs alle thynge at is goode and comfortabylle to oure
|r30 helpe. He es oure clethynge, for loove wappes vs and wyndes vs,
     halses vs and alle be[s]eches vs, + hynges aboute vs for tendyr
     loove, that he maye nevere leve vs.



|p44


     And so in this syght y sawe sothelye that he ys alle thynge
     that ys goode, as to myne vndyrstandynge. And in this he schew_yd
     me a lytille thynge the qwantyte of a haselle nutte lyggande
     in the palme of my hande, & to my vndyrstandynge that it was as
 |r5 rownde as any balle. I lokede eropon and thought, "Whate maye
     this be?" And I was aunswerde generaly thus, "It is alle that
     ys made". I merveylede howe at it myght laste, for me thought
     it myght falle sodaynlye to nought for litille, and I was aun_swerde
     in myne vndyrstandynge, "It lastes and euer schalle, for
|r10 god loves it, and so hath alle thynge the beynge thorowe the
     love of god" .

     In this lytille thynge I sawe thre partyes. The fyrste is that
     god made [it], the seconde ys that he loves it, the thyrde ys
     that god kepes it. Botte whate is that to me? Sothelye the
|r15 makere, the lovere, the kepere. For to I am substancyallye
     aned to hym I may nevere have love, reste, ne varray blysse:
     that is to saye that |r[f.99v] I be so festenede to hym that
     thare be ryght nought that is made betwyxe my god & me. And
     wha schalle do this dede? Sothlye hymselfe, be his mercye &
|r20 his grace, for he has made me thereto.

     And blysfullye restoryd in this god brought owre ladye to myne
     vndyrstandynge. I sawe hir gastelye in bodilye lyekenes, a
     sympille maydene & a meeke, onge of age in the stature that
     scho was when scho conceyvede. Also god schewyd me in parte
|r25 the wisdom & the trowthe of hir saule, whareyn I vndyrstode
     reuerente beholdynge, at sche behelde oure god that ys hir ma_kere,
     mervelande with grete reuerence that he wolde be borne
     of hir that was a sympille creature of his makynge. For this
     was hir mervelynge, that he that was hir makere walde be borne
|r30 of hir that was [made]. And this wysdome [&] trowthe, knawande
     the gretnes of hir makere and the lytelleheede of hirselfe that
     ys made, made hir [for to] saye mekelye to the angelle Gabri_elle,
     "Loo me here, goddys hande maydene."



|p45


     In this sight I sawe sothfastlye that scho ys mare than alle
     at god made benethe hir in worthynes & in fulheede, for abo_vene
     hir ys nothynge that is made botte the blyssede manhede
     of criste. This lytille thynge that es made that es benethe
 |r5 oure ladye saynt Marye, god schewyd it vnto me als litille as
     it hadde beene a hasylle notte. Me thought it myght hafe fall_ene
     for litille.

     In this blyssede revelacyon god schewyd me thre noughtes, of
     whilke nouttes this is the fyrste that was schewyd me: of
|r10 this nedes ilke man & woman to hafe knawynge that desyres to
     lyeve contemplatyfelye, that hym lyke to nout alle thynge that
     es made for to hafe the love of god that es vnmade. For this
     es the cause why thaye at er occupyede wylfullye in erthelye
     besynes & euermare sekes warldlye wele er nought he[syd] of
|r15  [t]his in herte and in sawlle; for thaye love and seekes here
     ryste in this thynge that is so lytille whare no reste ys yn,
     & knawes nout god that es alle myghtty, alle wyse, and alle
     goode, for he is verraye reste.

     God wille be knawen, & hym lykes at |r[f.100r] we reste vs in
|r20 hym. For alle that ar benethe hym suffyces nout to vs. And
     this is the cause why that na saule ys restede to it be noghth_ed
     of alle that es made. When he is noughthid for love to hafe
     hym that is alle that is goode, than es he abylle to resayue
     gostlye reste.


|rV

|r25 And in that tyme that oure lorde schewyd this that I haue nowe
     sayd[e in] gastelye syght, I saye the bodylye syght lastande
     of the plentyuouse bledynge of the hede, and als longe as y
     sawe that syght y sayde oftyn tymes, "<ua>Benedicite Dominus".<ue> In
     this fyrste schewynge of oure lorde I sawe sex thynges in myne
|r30 vndyrstandynge. The furste is e takyns of his blysfulle pas_sion
     and the plentevous schedynge of his precyous blode. The
     seconde is the maydene, that sche ys his dereworthy modere.



|p46


     The thyrde is the blysfulle godhede at euer was & es & euer
     schalle be: alle myghty, alle wysdome, & alle love. The ferthe
     is alle thynge that he has made, [for wele I wate that hevene &
     erthe & alle that is made] it is mykille & fayre and large &
 |r5 goode. Botte the cause why it [schewed] so lytille to my syght
     was for I sawe itte in the presence of hym that es makere. For
     to a sawle that sees the makere of alle thynge, alle that es
     made sem[es] fulle litylle. The fyfte es that he has made alle
     thynge that ys made for love, & thorowe the same love it is
|r10 kepydde, and euer schalle be withowtyn ende, as it is before
     sayde. The sexte es that god is alle thynge that ys goode, &
     the goodenes at + alle thynge has is he.

     And alle [is] oure lorde schewyd me in the fyrst syght, and
     gafe me space & tyme to behalde it. And the bodyly syght styn_tyd,
|r15 & the gastely syght dwellyd in myne vndyrstandynge; & I
     abade with reuerente drede, ioyande in that I sawe & desyrande
     as y durste for to see mare if it ware his wille, or the same
     langer tyme.


|rVI

     Alle that I sa[y]e of myselfe I meene in the persone of myne
|r20 evyncristene, for I am lernede in the gastelye schewynge of
     oure lorde that he meenys so. And therfore I praye owe alle
     for goddys sake, & cownsayles owe for owre awne profyt, that
     e leve the behaldynge of the wrechid worlde[s] |r[f.100v] syn_fulle
     creature that [it] was schewyd vnto, & that e myghtlye,
|r25 wyselye, lovandlye, & mekelye behalde god that of his curtays
     love and of his endles goodnes walde schewe generalye this
     visyon in comforthe of vs alle. & e that hyerys and sees
     this vision and this techynge that is of Ihesu cryste to edi_ficacyon
     of oure saule, it is goddys wille & my [desyre] that
|r30 e take it with als grete ioye and lykynge as Ihesu hadde
     schewyd it owe as he dyd to me.



|p47


     For the schewynge I am not goode but if y love god the better,
     and so may and so schulde ylke man do that sees it & heres it
     with goode wille and trewe menynge. And so ys my desyre that
     it schulde be to euery ilke manne the same profytte that I de_syrede
 |r5 to myselfe, & erto was styrryd of god in the fyrste
     tyme when I sawe itte. For yt [is] comon & generale as we ar
     alle ane, and I am sekere I sawe it for the profytte of many
     oder. For sothly it was nought schewyd vnto me for that god
     loves me bettere thane the leste sawlle that is in grace, for
|r10 I am sekere thare ys fulle many that nevere hadde schewynge
     ne syght botte of the comon techynge of haly kyrke that loves
     god better an I. For yf I loke syngulerlye to myselfe I am
     ryght nought. Botte in generalle, I am in anehede of charyte
     with alle myne evyncristende:  for in this anehede of charyte
|r15 standes the lyfe of alle mankynde that schalle be safe. For
     god is alle that ys goode, and god has made alle that ys made,
     & god loves alle that he has made.

     And yf anye man or woman departe his love fra any of his evyn_crysten,
     he loves ryght nought, for he loves nout alle; and
|r20 so that tyme he ys nout safe, for he es nout in pees. And
     he that generaly looves his evyncrystyn, he loves alle that
     es. For in mankynde that schalle be saffe is comprehende alle,
     that ys, alle that ys made and the makere of alle. For in
     manne ys god, & so in man ys alle. And he at thus generalye
|r25 loves alle his evyncrystene, he loves alle; and he that loves
     thus, he is safe. And thus wille I love, & thus I love, and
     thus I am safe. For y mene in the person of myne evyncrys_tene.
     And the more I love of this lovynge whiles I am here,
     the mare I am lyke to the blysse that I |r[f.101r] + schalle
|r30 have in hevene withowten ende, that is god that of his endeles
     love wolde become owre brothere & suffer for vs. And I am
     sekere at he that behaldes it thus he schalle be trewly taut
     & myghttelye comforthtede [if] hym nede comforthe.

     Botte god forbede that e schulde saye or take it so that I



|p48


     am a techere, for I meene nout soo, no I mente nevere so.
     For I am a woman, leued, febille, & freylle. Botte I wate
     wele this that I saye. I hafe it of the schewynge of hym
     tha[t] es souerayne techare. Botte sothelye charyte styrres
 |r5 me to telle owe it, for I wolde god ware knawen & myn evyn_crystene
     spede, as I wolde be myselfe, to the mare hatynge
     of synne & lovynge of god.

     Botte for I am a woman, schulde I therfore leve that I schulde
     nout telle owe the goodenes of god, syne that I sawe in that
|r10 same tyme that [it] is his wille that it be knawen? And that
     schalle e welle see in the same matere that folowes aftyr,
     [if] itte be welle and trewlye takyn. Thane schalle e sone
     forgette me that am a wrecche, and dose so that I lette owe
     nought, & behalde Ihesu that ys techare of alle. I speke of
|r15 thame that schalle be safe, for in this tyme god schewyd me
     no nothere. Bot in alle thynge I lyeve as haly kyrke techis,
     for in alle + this blyssede schewynge of oure lorde I behelde
     it as ane in god syght, and I vndyrstode neuer nathynge ereyn
     that stonez me ne lettes me of the trewe techynge of halye
|r20 kyrke.


|rVII

     Alle this blyssede techynge of oure lorde god was schewyd to
     me in thre partyes, that is be bodylye syght, and be worde
     formede in myne vndyrstandynge, & be gastelye syght. Botte
     the gastelye syght I maye nought ne can nought schewe it vnto
|r25 owe als oponlye & als fullye as I wolde. Botte I truste in
     oure lorde god allemyghtty that he schalle, of his goodnes and
     for oure love, make owe to take it mare gastelye and mare
     swetly than I can or maye telle it owe, and so motte it be,
     for we are alle one in loove.

|r30 And in alle this I was mekylle styrrede in charyte to myne
     evyncrystene that thaye myght alle see and knawe e same
     that I sawe, for I walde that it ware comforthe to thame



|p49


     |r[f.101v] alle as it es to me. For this syght was schewyd in
     generalle & nathynge in specyalle. Of alle that [I] sawe,
     this was the maste comforthe to me: that oure lorde es so ham_lye
     & so curtayse. And this maste [fil]lyd me with lykynge &
 |r5 syekernes in saule.

     Than sayde I to the folke that were with me, "Itt es todaye
     domesdaye with me", & this I sayde for I wenede to hafe dyed.
     For that daye that man or woman dyes ys he demyd as he schalle
     be withowtyn eende. This I sayde for y walde thaye lovyd god
|r10 mare, & sette the lesse pryse be the vanite of the worlde, for
     to make thame to hafe mynde that this lyfe es schorte, as thaye
     myght se in ensampille be me. For in alle is tyme I wenede to
     hafe dyed.


|rVIII

ii  And aftyr this I sawe with bodely syght the face of the cruci_fixe
|r15 that hange before me, in whilke I behelde contynuely a
     party of his passyon:  despite, spittynge in, sowlynge of his
     bodye, & buffetynge in his blysfulle face; & manye langoures
     and paynes ma than I can telle, and ofte chaungynge of coloure,
     and alle his blyssede face atyme closede in dry blode. This I
|r20 sawe bodylye & hevelye & derkelye, and I desyred mare bodelye
     lyght to hafe sene more clerelye. And I was aunswerde in my
     resone that yf god walde schewe me mare he schulde, botte me
     nedyd na lyght botte hym.

iii And aftyr this I sawe god in a poynte, that es in myne vndyr_standynge,
|r25 by whilke syght I sawe that he es in alle thynge.
     I behelde with vysemente, wittande and knawande in that syght
     that he dose alle that es done. I merveylede in this syght
     with a softe drede & thought, "Whate es synne?" For I sawe
     trulye that god dothe alle thynge, be itt nevere so litille;
|r30 nor nathynge es done be happe ne be eventure, botte the ende_les
     forluke of the wysdome of god. Wharefore me behovede nedes
     grawnte that alle thynge that es done es wele done, and I was



|p50


     sekyr that god dose na synne. [erfore it semed to me at
     synne is nout, for in alle thys synne] was nout schewyd me.
     And y walde no lengyr mervelle of this, botte behalde oure
     lorde whate he wolde schewe me. & in anothyr tyme god schewyd
 |r5 me whate syne es nakydlye be the selfe as y schalle telle
     aftyrw[a]rde.

iv  And aftyr this I sawe behaldande the bodye plentevouslye bled_ande,
     hate & freschlye and lyfelye, ryt as I sawe before in
     the heede. And this was schewyd |r[f.102r] + me in the semes of
|r10 scowrgynge, and this ranne so plenteuouslye to my syght that
     me thought yf itt hadde bene so in kynde for at tyme, itt
     schulde hafe made the bedde alle on blode & hafe passede on
     abowte. God has made waterse plenteuouse in erthe to oure
     servyce and to owre bodylye eese, for tendyr love that he has
|r15 to vs; botte it lykes hym bettyr that we take fullye his
     blessede blode to wasche vs with of synne, for thare ys no
     lykoure that es made that hym lykes so welle to gyffe vs, for
     it is so plenteuouse and of oure kynde.

 v  And aftyr this, [or] god schewyd me any wo[r]des, he suffyrde
|r20 me to behalde langere and alle that I hadde seene & alle that
     was thereyn. And than was withowtyn voyce & withowte openynge
     of lyppes formede in my sawlle this worde, "Herewith ys the
     feende ouercomyn". This worde sayde oure lorde me[n]ande his
     passyon, as he schewyd me before.

|r25 In this oure lorde brought vnto my mynde & schewyd me a perte
     of the fendys malyce & fully his vnmyght, and for that he
     schewyd me that the passyon of hym is ouercomynge of the fende.
     God schewyd me that he hase nowe the same malyce that he had
     before the incarnacyon, and als sare he travayles & als con_tynuelye
|r30 he sees that alle chosene saules eschapes hym wor_schipfullye,



|p51




     and that es alle his sorowe. For alle that god
     suffers hym do turnes [thame] to ioye & hym to payne & to
     schame, and he has als mekylle sorowe when god gyffes hym leve
     to wyrke as when he werkys nought, and that es for he maye
 |r5 nevere do als ille as he wolde, for his myght es alle lokene
     in goddys hande. Also I sawe oure lorde scorne his malyce
     and nought hym, and he wille that we do the same. For this
     syght I lugh myghttelye, and that made tham to laugh that
     were abowte me, and thare laughynge was lykynge to me. I
|r10 thought y wolde myne evyncristene hadde sene as I sawe; than
     schulde thaye alle hafe laughyn with me. Botte I sawe nout
     cryste laugh. Neuerthelesse hym lykes that we laugh in com_fortynge
     of vs, & er ioyande in god, for the feende ys ouer_comyn.

|r15 & aftyr this I felle into a saddehete & sayde, "I see thre
     thynges: game, scorne, and arneste. I see game that the feende
     ys ouercomen, and I see scorne |r[f.102v] that god scornes hym
     and he schalle be scornede, and I see arneste that he es ouer_comen
     be the passion of oure lorde Ihesu cryste & be his dede
|r20 that was done ful erneste & with sadde travayle" . Aftyr this
     oure lorde sayde, "I thanke the of thy servyce & of thy trau_ayle,
     & namly in i ough" .


|rIX

vi  God schewyd me thre degrees of blysse that ylke saule schalle
     hafe in hevene that wilfullye hase servyd god in any degree
|r25 heere in erthe. The fyrste is the wyrschipfulle thankkynge
     of owre lorde god that he schalle resayfe when he es delyu_erede
     fro payne. This thanke is so hye and so wyrschipfulle
     that hym thynke it fylles hym ow are ware no mare blys: for
     me thought that alle the payne & travayle that myght be suf_fyrde
|r30 of alle lyffande men myght nought [hafe] deservede the
     thanke that a man schalle hafe that wylfullye has servydde



|p52


     god. For the seconde, that alle the blyssede creatures at
     er in hevene schalle see that worschipfulle thankynge of oure
     lorde god, & he makys his servyce to alle that er in heuen
     knawen. And for the thyrde, that als new ande als lykande
 |r5 as it es resayvede that tyme, ryght so schalle itt laste with_owten
     ende: I sawe that goodelye and swetlye was this sayde
     & schewyd to me, that e age of euerylk [man] schalle be knaw_en
     in heuen and rewardyd for his wilfulle seruyce and for his
     tyme, and namelye the age of thame at wilfullye and frelye
|r10 offers thare ought vnto god es passande rewardede & wondyrlye
     thankkyd.

vii And aftyr this oure lorde schewyd me a souerayne gastelye lyk_ynge
     in my sawlle. In this lykynge I was fulfillyd of euer_lastande
     sekernesse, myghtlye festnede withowtyn any drede.
|r15 This felynge was so gladde to me and so goodly that [I was] in
     peez, in ese, and in ryste, so that ere was nothynge in erthe
     that schulde hafe grevyd me. This lastyd botte a while, and
     I was turnede & lefte to myselfe in hevynes and werynesse of
     myselfe and yrkesumnesse of my lyfe, that vnnethes I cowthe
|r20 hafe pacyence to lyeve. Thare was none ese ne na comforthe to
     my felynge botte hope, faythe, and charyte, and this y hadde
     in trowthe botte fulle lytille in felynge.

     And anone aftyr, god gafe me agayne the comforth and |r[f.103r]
     the reste in saule, likynge and syekyrnesse so blysfulle & so
|r25 myghtty at no drede, no sorowe, no payne bodylye no gastelye
     that myght be sufferde schulde have dissesede me. And than
     the payne schewyd agayne to my felynge, and than the ioye and
     + the lykynge, & than the tane & nowe the tothere dvverse
     tymes I suppose abowte twentye sythes. And in the tyme of
|r30 ioye I myght hafe sayde with Paule, Nathynge schalle departe
     me fro the charyte of cryste. And in payne y myght hafe sayde
     with saynte Petyr, Lorde save me, I perysche.

     is vision was schewyd me to lere me atte my vndyrstandynge



|p53


     at it es nedefulle to ylke man to feele on this wyse: sumtyme
     to be in comforthe & sumtyme to fayle & be lefte to hymselfe.
     God wille that we knowe that he kepes vs euerelyke syekyr in
     wele and in woo, & als mykille loves vs in woo as in weele. &
 |r5 sumtyme, for the profytte of his saule, a man es lefte to hym_selfe
     & to whethere synne es nought the cause. For in this
     tyme I synnede nought wherefore I schulde be lefte to myselfe,
     ne also I deseruede nout to hafe this blysfulle felynge.
     Botte frelye god gyffez wele when hym lykes, and suffers [vs]
|r10 in wa sumtyme. And bothe es of love: for it is god ys wille
     that we halde vs in comforthe with alle oure myght, for blys
     es lastande withowtyn ende and payn es passande & schalle be
     brought to nought. Therefore it es nought goddys wille that
     we folowe the felynges of payne in sorowynge and in mournynge
|r15 for tha[im], botte sodaynlye passe on & halde vs in endelesse
     lykynge that es god allemyghtty oure lovere & kepare.


|rX

viii Aftyr this cryste schewyd me a partye of his passyone nere his
     dyinge. I sawe that swete faace as yt ware drye and bludye_lesse
     with pale dyinge, sithen mare de[de] pale langourande;
|r20 and than turnede more dede to the blewe, & sithene mare blewe
     as the flesche turnede mare deepe dede. For alle the paynes
     that cryste sufferde in his bodye schewyd to me in the blyss_ede
     faace als farfurthe as I sawe it, and namelye in the lyppes.
     Thare I sawe this foure colourse, thaye that I sawe before_hande,
|r25 freschlye & rud[dy], lyflye & lykande to my syght.

     This |r[f.103v] was a hevy chaunge to see this deepe dyinge, and
     also the nese c[l]aungede and dryed to my sight. This lange pyn_ynge
     semede to me as he hadde bene a seuen nyght dede, alle_waye
     sufferande payne. & me thought the dryinge of crystes
|r30 flesche was the maste payne of his passion, and the laste. And
     in this dryhede was brout to my mynde this worde that cryste



|p54


     sayde, "I thryste". For I sawe in criste a doubille thyrste,
     ane bodylye, ane othere gastelye. This worde was schewyd to
     me for the bodylye thirste, and for the gastelye thyrste was
     schewyd to me als I schalle saye eftyrwarde. And I vndyrstode
 |r5 of bodelye thyrste that the bodye hadde of faylynge of moys_tere,
     for the blessede flesche & banes ware lefte allane with_owtyn
     blode & moystere. The blyssyd bodye dryede alle ane
     lange tyme with wryngynge of the nayles and paysynge of the
     h[ede] and weyght of the bodye, with blawynge of wynde fra
|r10 withoutyn that dryed mare and pyned hym with calde mare than
     myn herte can thynke, & alle othere paynes.

     Swilke paynes I sawe that alle es to litelle at y can telle
     or saye, for itt maye nout be tolde. Botte ylke saule aftere
     the sayinge of saynte Pawle schulde feele in hym at in criste
|r15 Ihesu. This schewynge of criste paynes fillyd me fulle of
     paynes, for I wate weele he suffrede nout botte ane, botte
     as he walde schewe yt me and fylle me with mynde as I hadde
     desyrede before.

     My modere that stode emangys othere and behelde me lyftyd vppe
|r20 hir hande before me face to lokke myn eyen, for sche wenyd I
     had bene dede or els I hadde dyede. And this encresyd mekille
     my sorowe, for noutwithstandynge alle my paynes, I wolde nout
     hafe been lettyd for loove that I hadde in hym. And to wheth_ere
     in alle this tyme of crystes presence I felyd no payne
|r25 botte for cristes paynes, an thout me I knewe [ful lytylle]
     whate payne it was that I askyd. For me thought that my pay_nes
     passede any bodylye dede; I thout, "Es any payne in helle
     lyke this payne?" And I was aunswerde in my resone that dy_spayre
     ys mare for that es gastelye payne. Bot bodilye payne
|r30 es nane mare than this: howe myght my payne [be more] than to
     see hym that es alle my lyfe, alle my blys, & alle mye |r[f.104r]
     ioye suffy[r? Here] felyd I sothfastlye that y lovede criste
     so mekille abouen myselfe that me thought it hadde beene a



|p55


     grete eese to me to hafe dyede bodylye.

     Hereyn I sawe in partye the compassyon of oure ladye saynte
     Marye, for criste & scho ware so anede in loove that e gret_nesse
     of hir loove was the cause of the mykillehede of hir
 |r5 payne. For so mykille as scho lovyd hym mare than alle othere,
     her payne passed alle othere, and so alle his disciples & alle
     his trewe lovers suffyrde paynes mare than thare awne bodelye
     dying. For I am sekyr be myn awne felynge that the leste of
     thame luffed [hym] mare than thaye dyd thamselfe.

|r10 Here I sawe [a] grete anynge betwyx criste and vs, for when
     he was in payne, we ware in payne, and alle creatures that
     myght suffyr payne soffyrde with hym. And thaye that knewe
     hym nout, this was thare payne, that alle creatures, sonne &
     the mone, withdrewe thare seruyce, and so ware thaye alle
|r15 lefte in sorowe for the tyme. And thus thaye that lovyd hym
     sufferde payne for luffe, & thay that luffyd hym nought suf_ferde
     payne for faylynge of comforthe [of alle] creatures.

     In this tyme I walde hafe lokyd besyde the crosse botte I
     durste nout, for I wyste wele whilys I lukyd vppon the crosse
|r20 I was sekyr and safe. Therfore I walde nought assente to
     putte my sawle in perille, for besyde the crosse was na sye_kernesse,
     botte vglynesse of feendes. Than hadde I a profyr
     in my resone as yf it hadde beene frendelye. I[t] sayde to
     me, "Luke vppe to heven to his fadere". Than sawe I wele,
|r25 with the faythe that y felyd, that thare ware nathynge betwyx
     the crosse & heuen that myght hafe desesyd me, and othere me
     behovyd loke vppe or els aunswere. I answerde & sayde, "Naye,
     I may nought, for thowe erte myne heuen". This I sayde for I
     walde nout, for I hadde levyr hafe bene in that payne to
|r30 domysdaye than hafe comen to hevene otherewyse than be hym.
     For I wyste wele he that bought me so sare schulde vnbynde me
     when he walde.



|p56


|rXI

     Thus chese I Ihesu for my heuen wham I [saw] onlye in payne
     at that tyme. Me lykede no nothere hevene |r[f.104v] than Ihesu
     whilke schalle be my blysse when I am thare. And this has
     euer beene a comforthe to me, that I chesyd Ihesu to my hevene
 |r5 in alle [this] tyme of passyon and of sorowe; and that has
     beene a lernynge to me, that I schulde euermare do so and chese
     anly hym to my heuen, in wele and in wa. And thus sawe I my
     lorde Ihesu langoure lange tyme, for the anynge of the godhede
     for love gafe strenght to the manhede to suffyr mare than alle
|r10 men myght. I mene nought anly mare payne anly than alle men
     myght suffyr, bot a[lso] that he suffyrde mare payne than alle
     men that euer was fra the fyrste begynnynge to the laste daye.

     No tonge maye telle, ne [herte fully] thynke, the paynes that
     oure savyoure sufferde for vs, haffande rewarde to the worthy_nes
|r15 of the hyest worschipfulle kynge and to the schamefulle,
     dyspyttous & paynfulle dede. For he that was hieste & worthy_est
     was fullyest noghthede & witterlyest dyspyside. Botte the
     loue that made hym to suffere alle this, itt passes als fare
     alle his payns as heuen es abouen erthe. For the paynes was
|r20 a dede done in a tyme be the wyrkynge of love, botte luffe
     was withowtyn begynnynge, & es and evere schalle be withowtyn
     any ende.

     And sodaynlye, me behaldande in the same crosse, he chaunchede
     into blysfulle chere: the chawngynge of his chere chaungyd
|r25 myne, and I was alle gladde & mery as yt was possybille. Than
     brought oure lorde merelye to my mynde, "Whate es any poynte
     of thy payne or of y grefe?" And I was fulle merye.


|rXII

ix  Than sayde oure lorde, askande, "Arte thou wele payde that I
     suffyrde for the?" "a, goode lorde", quod I. "Gramercy
|r30 goode lorde, blissyd mut thowe be". "yf thowe be payede",



|p57


     quod oure lorde, "I am payede. It es a ioye and a blysse and
     ane endlesse lykynge to me that euer y suffyrde passyon for
     the, for yf I myght suffyr mare, I walde suffyr".

     In this felynge myne vndyrstandynge was lyftyd vppe into heuen,
 |r5 and thare I sawe thre hevens of the whilke syght I was gretlye
     merveylede, and |r[f.105r] thought, "I sawe thre hevens, and alle
     of the blessyd manhede of cryste; and nane is mare, nane is
     lesse, nane is hiare, nane is lawere, botte evene like in
     blysse".

|r10 For the fyrste heuen schewed criste me his fadere, bot in na
     bodelye lyknesse, botte in his properte and in his lykynge.
     The wyrkynge of the fadere it is this: that he gyffes mede
     tille his sone Ihesu criste. This gyfte and this mede is so
     blysfulle to Ihesu that [his] fadere myght haffe gyffene na
|r15 mede that myght hafe likede hym bettere. For the first heuen,
     that is blissynge of the fadere, schewed to me as a heuen, and
     itt was fulle blysfulle. For he is fulle blyssede with alle
     the dedes that he has done abowte oure saluacyon, wharefore
     we ere nought anely his thurgh byingge, botte also be the cur_tayse
|r20 gyfte of his fadere. We ere his blysse, we er his mede,
     we er his wyrschippe, we er his crowne.

     This that I saye is soo grete blysse to Ihesu that he settys
     atte nought his travayle, and his harde passion, and cruelle
     and schamefulle dede. And in this wordes: yf I myght suffyr
|r25 mare, I walde suffyr mare, I sawe sothly that if he myght dye
     als ofte als fore euerilke man anes that schalle be safe as he
     dyed anes for alle, love schulde neuer late hym hafe reste to
     he hadde done it. And when he hadde done it, he walde sette
     it atte nought for luff, for alle thynge hym botte litylle
|r30 in regarde of his love. And that schewed he me wele [sobarly],
     sayande this worde: yffe I myght suffere mare. He sayde
     nought, if it ware nedfulle to suffyr mare, botte if I myght
     suffyr mare. For thow it be nought nedefulle and he myght
     suffyr mare, mare he walde. This dede and this werke abowte
|r35 oure saluacyon was als wele as he myght ordayne it, it was



|p58


     done als wyrschipfullye as cryste myght do it. And in this I
     sawe a fulle blysse in cryste, botte this blysse schulde nought
     hafe bene done fulle yf it myght any bettere hafe bene done
     an it was done.

 |r5 And in this thre wordes, It is a ioye, a blysse, and ane ende_les
     likynge to me, ware schewed to me thre hevens as thus: for
     the ioye I vndyrstode the plesaunce of the fadere; for the
     blysse, the wirschippe of the sone; and for the endeles lykynge,
     the haly gaste. The fadere is plesed, the sone ys worschippyd,
|r10 the haly gaste lykes. Ihesu wille that we take heede to this
     blysse that is in the blyssedfulle trinite of oure saluacion,
     and that we lyke als mekylle |r[f.105v] with his grace whyles we
     er here. And this was schewyd me in is worde: <4>Erte <1>ow wele
     payed?

|r15 Be the tothere worde that cryste sayde, yf ou be payed I am
     payd, he schewed me the vndyrstandynge as yf he had sayde:
     It is ioye and lykynge enough to me, and I aske nought els
     for my travayle botte that I myght paye the. Plentyuoslye and
     fully was this schewyd to me. Thynke also wyselye of the gret_nesse
|r20 of this worde: That euer I suffred passion for the, for
     in that worde was a hye knawynge of luffe and of lykynge that
     he hadde in oure saluacion.


|rXIII

 x  Fulle merelye and gladlye oure lorde lokyd into his syde and
     behelde and sayde this worde, "Loo, how I lovyd the", as yf
|r25 he hadde sayde: My childe, yf thow kan nought loke in my god_hede,
     see heere howe I lette opyn my syde, and my herte be clo_vene
     in twa, and lette oute blude and watere alle at was thare_yn.
     And this lykes me, and so wille I that it do the. This
     schewed oure lorde me to make vs gladde and mery.

xi   And with the same chere and myrthe he loked downe on the ryght
|r31 syde and brought to my mynde whare oure ladye stode in the
     tyme of his passion, and sayde, "Wille thowe see hir?" And



|p59


     I aunswerde and sayde, "a goode lorde, gramercy, yf it be
     thy wille". Ofte tymes I prayed it, and wened to haffe sene
     here in bodely lykenes, botte I sawe hir nought soo. And
     Ihesu in at worde schewed me a gastelye syght of hire. Ryght
 |r5 as I hadde before sene hire litille and sympille, ryght so he
     schewed here than, hye and nobille and gloriouse and plesaunte
     to hym abouen alle creatures.

     And so he wille that it be knawyn that alle tha that lykes in
     hym schulde lyke in hire, and in the lykynge that he hase in
|r10 hire, and scho in hym. And in that worde that Ihesu sayde:
     Wille ou see hire? me thought I hadde the maste lykynge that
     he myght hafe gyffen me, with the gastelye schewynge that he
     gafe me of hire; for oure lorde schewed me nothynge in specy_alle
     botte oure lady saynte Marye, and here he schewyd me in
|r15 thre tymes. The fyrste was as sche consayved, the seconde was
     as scho were in hire sorowes vndere the crosse, and the thryd
     as scho is nowe: in lykynge, wirschippe, |r[f.106r] and ioye.

xii And eftyr this oure lorde schewyd hym to me mare gloryfyed as
     to my syght than I sawe hym before, and in this was I lered
|r20 that ilke saule contemplatyfe to whilke es gyffen to luke and
     seke god schalle se hire and passe vnto god by contemplacion.
     And eftyr this techynge, hamelye, curtayse and blysfulle and
     verray lyfe, ofte tymes oure lorde Ihesu sayde to me, "I it am
     that is hiaste. I it am that ou luffes. I it am that thowe
|r25 lykes. I it am that owe serves. I it am at ou langes. I it
     am that owe desyres. I it am that thowe menes. I it am at
     is alle. I it am that haly kyrke preches the and teches the.
     I it am that schewed me are to the". Thies wordes I declare
     nought botte for ilke man, eftyr the grace that god gyffes hym
|r30 in vndyrstandynge and lovynge, resayfe tham in oure lordes
     menynge.

xiii And eftyr, oure lorde brought vnto my mynde the langynge that
     I hadde to hym before. And I sawe that nathynge letted me
     bot syn; and so I behelde generallye in vs alle, and me thought,
|r35 "yf syn hadde nought bene, we schulde alle hafe bene clene and
     lyke to oure lorde, as he made vs". And thus in my folye, be_fore
     this tyme, ofte I wondrede why, be the grete forseande



|p60


     wysdome of god, syn was nought lettede, for than thought me
     that alle schulde hafe bene wele. This styrrynge was mekylle
     to forsayke, and mournynge and sorowe I made therfore with_outyn
     resone and dyscrecion, of fulle grete pryde.

 |r5 Neuerthelesse Ihesu in this vision enfourmede me of alle that
     me neded. I saye nought that me nedes na mare techynge, for
     oure lorde, with the schewynge of this, hase lefte me to haly
     kyrke; and I am hungery and thyrstye and nedy and synfulle
     and freele, & wilfully submyttes me to the techynge of haly
|r10 kyrke, with alle myne euencrysten, into the ende of my lyfe.
     He aunswerde be this worde and sayde, "Synne is behouelye".
     In this worde, Synne, oure lorde brought to my mynde gener_allye
     alle that is nought goode: the schamefulle dyspyte and
     the vtter noghtynge that he bare for vs in this lyfe and in
|r15 his dyinge, and alle the paynes and passyons of alle his crea_tures,
     gastelye and bodelye. For we ere alle in party noghted,
     and we schulde be noghted folowande oure maister Ihesu to we
     be fulle purgede, that is to say to we be fully |r[f.106v] nogh_ted
     of oure awne dedely flesche, and of alle oure inwarde af_feccion[s]
|r20 whilke ere nought goode.

     And the behaldynge of this, with alle the paynes that euer
     ware or euer schalle be, a[lle] this was schewed me in a toch
     and redely passed ouere into comforth, for oure goode lorde
     god walde noght that the saule ware afferdede of this vglye
|r25 syght. Botte I sawe noght synne, fore I lefe it has na manere
     of substaunce, na partye of beynge, na it myght nought be knaw_en
     bot be the paynes that it is cause of. And this payne, it
     is sumthynge as to my syght, for a tyme: for it purges vs and
     makes vs to knawe oureselfe and aske mercy.

|r30 For the passion of oure lorde is comforth to vs agaynes alle
     this, and so is his blyssyd wille. To alle that schalle be
     saffe, he comfortes redely and swetlye be his wordes, and says,
     "Botte alle schalle be wele, and alle maner of thynge schalle
     be wele". Thyes wordes ware schewed wele tenderlye, schewande



|p61


     na ma[ne]re of blame to me, na to nane that schalle be safe.
     Than were it a grete vnkyndenesse of me to blame or wondyr of
     god for my synnes, syn he blames not me for synne. Thus I
     sawe howe cryste has compassyon of vs for the cause of synne,
 |r5 and ryght as I was before with the passyon of cryste fulfilled
     with payne and compassion, [lyke in is I was in party fyllyd
     with compassion] of alle myn euencristene; and than sawe I
     that ylke kynde compassyone that man hase of his evencristene
     with chartye, at it is criste in hym.


|rXIV

|r10 Bot in this e schalle studye: behaldande generallye, drere_lye,
     & mournande, sayande thus to oure lorde in my menynge
     with fulle grete drede, "A, goode lorde, howe myght alle be
     wele for the grete harme that is comon by synne to thy crea_tures?"
     And I desired as I durste to hafe sum mare open de_clarynge
|r15 wharewith I myght be hesyd in this. And to this oure
     blyssede lorde aunswerde fulle mekelye and with fulle lovelye
     chere, and schewed me that Adames synne was the maste harme
     that euer was done or ever schalle to the warldes ende, and
     also he schewed me that this is opynly [knawyn] in alle haly
|r20 kyrke in erthe. Forthermare he lered me that I schulde be_halde
     the gloriouse asethe, for this aseth-makynge is mare
     plesande to the blissede godhede and mare wyrschipfulle to
     mannes saluacion withowtene comparyson than euer was the
     synne of Adam harmfulle.

|r25 anne |r[f.107r] menes oure lorde blyssede thus in this tech_ynge,
     that we schulde take hede to this: "For sen I hafe made
     wele the maste harme, it is my wille that owe knawe erby
     that I schalle make wele alle that is the lesse" . He gaffe
     me vndyrstandynge of twa partyes. The ta party is oure savi_our
|r30 and oure saluacion. This blyssed party is opyn and
     clere and fayre and lyght and plentious, for alle mankynde
     that is of goode wille or at schalle be es comprehendyd in



|p62


     this partye. Hereto ere we byddyn of god and drawen and con_sayled
     and lered inwardlye be the haly gaste & outwarde by
     haly kyrke by the same grace. In this wille oure lorde that
     we be occupyed, enioyande in hym, for he enioyes in vs. And
 |r5 e mare plentyuouslye that we take of this with reuerence and
     mekenesse, the mare we deserve thanke of hym and the mare spede
     to oureselfe.  And thus maye we saye, enioyande, Oure parte
     is oure lorde.

     The tother parte is spared fra vs and hidde, that is to saye,
|r10 alle that is besyde oure saluacion. For this is oure lordys
     prive consayles [& it langes to e ryalle lordeschyp of god
     for to haue his prive consayles] in pees, and it langes to his
     seruauntys for obedyence and reuerence nought to wille witte
     his councelle. Oure lorde has pite and compassyon of vs for
|r15 that sum creatures makes tham so besy eryn, and I am sekyr
     yf we wyste howe mekille we schulde plese hym and ese oure_selfe
     for to lefe it, we walde. The sayntes in heuen wille
     nathynge witte bot that oure lorde wille schewe thame, and
     also there charyte and er desyre is rewlyd eftyr the wille
|r20 of oure lorde. And us awe we to wille ne to be lyke to hym,
     and than schalle we nathynge wille ne desyre botte the wille
     of oure lorde, as he does, for we er alle ane in goddys men_ynge.
     And here was I lered that we schalle anely enioye in
     oure blissid sauiour Ihesu & trist in hym for alle thynge.


|rXV

|r25 And thus oure goode lorde answerde to alle the questyons and
     doutes that I myght make, sayande fulle comfortabelye on this
     wyse: "I [maye] make alle thynge wele, I [can] make alle
     thynge wele, I [wille] make alle thynge wele, and I [schalle]
     make alle thynge wele, and owe schalle se thyselfe that alle
|r30 thynge schalle be wele". There he says he maye, I vndyrstande
     for the fadere; and ere he says he can, I vndyrstande for the



|p63


     sone; and er he says |r[f.107v] I wille, I vnderstande for the
     hali gaste; and ere he says I schalle, I vndirstande for the
     vnyte of the blyssede trinyte, thre persones in a trewth; &
     there he says: Thowe schalle se thyselfe, I vndyrstande the
 |r5 anynge of alle mankynde that schalle be sayfe into the blys_fulle
     trinyte.

     & in this fyve wordes god wille be closed in ryste and in
     pees, and thus has the gastely thyrst of cryste ane ende. For
     this is the gastely thyrste, the luff langynge, and that lastes
|r10 and euer schalle to wee see that syght atte domesdaye. For we
     that schalle be safe, and schalle be crystes ioye and his
     blysse, ere it here and schalle be vnto the daye. Therefore
     this is the thyrste, the falynge of his blysse, at he has vs
     nought in hym als haelye as he schalle thanne haffe. Alle this
|r15 was schewed me in the schewynge of compassion, for at schalle
     sese atte domesdaye. Thus he hath rewthe and compassion of vs,
     and he has langynge to hafe vs, botte his wysdome and his love
     suffers nought the ende to come to the beste tyme.

     And in thies same fyve wordes beforesayde: I may make alle
|r20 thynge wele, I vndyrstande a myghtty comforthe of alle the
     werkys of oure lorde that ere for to come. For ryght as the
     blissyd trinyte made alle thynge of nought, ryght soo the same
     blyssed trinyte schalle make wele alle that es nought wele.
     It is goddys wille that we hafe grete rewarde to alle the
|r25 dedys that he has done, for he wille that we knawe thereby
     alle that he schalle do, and at schewyd he me in this worde
     that he sayde: And ou schalle see thyselfe that alle manere
     of thynge schalle be wele. This I vndyrstande in twa manerse:
     ane, I am wele payed that I wate it noght, anothere, I am
|r30 gladde and mery for I schalle witte itt. It is goddys wille
     that we witte that alle schalle be wele in generalle; botte
     it is nought goddys wille that we schulde witte it nowe, botte
     as it langes to vs for the tyme: & at is the techynge of haly
     kyrke.



|p64


|rXVI

     God schewyd me fulle grete plesaunce that he has in alle men
     and women that myghttelye and mekelye and wyrschipfullye takes
     the prechynge and the techynge of haly kyrke, for he is haly
     kyrke. For he is the grownde, he is the substaunce, |r[f.108r]
 |r5 he is the techynge, he is the techare, he is the ende, he is
     the myddes wharefore ilke trewe sawlle trauaylles. And he is
     knawen and schalle be knawen to ylke saule to whame the haly
     gaste declares it, and I am sekyr that alle tho that sekes thus
     schalle spede, for thay seke god.

|r10 Alle this that I hafe nowe sayde, and mare that I schalle saye
     eftyr, es comforthynge agayne synne. For fyrst, when I sawe
     at god does alle that es done, I sawe nought synne, and than
     sawe I that alle is wele. Bot when god schewyd me synne, than
     sayde he: Alle schalle be wele.

|r15 And when god allemyghttye hadde schewed me plentyuouslye &
     fully of his goodnesse, I desyred of a certayne person that
     I lovyd howe it schulde be with hire. And in is desyre I
     lettyd myselfe, for I was noght taught in this tyme. And than
     was I answerde in my reson als it ware be a frendfulle m[ee]n,
|r20 "Take it generally, and behalde the curtayssy of thy lorde god
     as he schewes it to the, for it is mare worschippe to god to
     behalde hym in alle than in any specyalle thynge". I assentyd,
     and erwith I lered that it is mare wyrschippe to god to knawe
     alle thynge in generalle than to lyke in any thynge in speci_alle.
|r25 And yf I schulde do wysely eftyr this techynge, I
     schulde nought be glad for nathynge in specyalle, na desesed
     for na manere of thynge, for alle schalle be wele.

     God brought to my mynde that I schulde synne, and for lykynge
     that I hadde in behaldynge of hym I entendid nought redely to
|r30 that schewynge. And oure lorde fulle curtayslye abayde to I
     walde entende; and than oure lorde brought to mynde with my
     synnes the synne of alle myne evencristen, alle in generalle
     and nathynge in specialle.



|p65


|rXVII

     Iff alle oure lorde schewyd me that I schulde synne, be me
     allayn I vnderstode alle. In this I consayved a softe drede,
     and to this oure lorde answerde me thus, "I kepe the fulle
     sekerly" . This worde was sayde to me with mare love & seker_nes
 |r5 of gastely kepynge than I can or maye telle, for as it
     was be*fore |r[f.108v] schewed to me that I schulde synne, ryght
     so was the comforth schewed to me, sekernesse of kepynge for
     alle myne evencristen.

     [What may make me mare to luff myne evencristen] than to see
|r10 in god that he loues alle that schalle be safe, as it ware
     alle a saulle? And in ilke saule that schalle be sayfe is a
     goodely wille that neuer assentyd to synne, na neuer schalle.
     For as er is a bestely wille in the nethere party that maye
     wille na goode, so is thare a goodely wille in the ouer partye
|r15 that maye wille nane eville, botte euer goode, na mare than
     the persones of e blissed trinyte. And this schewyd oure
     lorde me in the holehed of luffe that we stande in [in] his
     sight, a, that he luffez vs nowe als wele whiles we ere here
     as he schalle do when we ere thare before his blissed face.

|r20 Also god schewed me that syn is na schame, bot wirschippe to
     man. For in this sight myn vnderstandynge was lyfted vp into
     heven, and than com verrayly to my mynde David, Peter & Paule,
     Thomas of Inde and the Maudelayn: howe thaye er knawen in the
     kyrke of erth with thare synnes to thayre wirschippe. And it
|r25 is to tham no schame that thay hafe synned, na mare it is in
     the blysse of heven, for thare the takenynge of synne is turn_ed
     into wirschippe. Right so oure lorde god schewed me tham
     in ensampille of alle othere that schalle cum thedyr.

     Syn is the scharpyste scourge that any chosen saule maye be
|r30 bette with, whilke scourge it alle forbettes man & woman, and
     alle forbrekes [hy]m & noghtez hymselfe in [his] awne syght



|p66


     sa fare forth that hym thynke that he is noght worthy bot as
     it ware to synke into helle. Botte when contricion takes hym
     be the towchynge of the haly gaste, than turnes he bitternesse
     into hope of goddys mercye, and than begynnes his woundys to
 |r5 hile and the sawlle to qwykkyn, turnyd in to the lyfe of haly
     kyrke. The haly gaste leddes hym to confessyon wilfully to
     schewe his synnes, nakedlye & trewly with grete sorowe and
     grete schame that he hase swa defowled the fayre ymage of god.
     Than he takes pennaunce for ylke a synne, eni[oy]nyd be his
|r10 domesman, that is growndyd in haly kyrke be the techynge of
     the haly gaste. Be this medycyn behoues euer ilke synfulle
     sawlle be heled, & namlye of synnes that ere dedely in the
     selfe. |r[f.109r] Thou he be heled, his woundes er sene before
     god, nowht as woundes bot as wyrschippes. And so on contrarye
|r15 wyse, as it es punysched here with sorowe and with pennaunce,
     it schalle be rewarded in heuen be the curtayse loue of oure
     lorde god allemyghttye that wille that nane that comes thare
     lese his travayle. That mede that we salle resayfe thare salle
     nought be litelle, bot it schalle be hy, gloriouse, and wirschip_fulle,
|r20 and so schalle alle schame turne into wyrschyppe & into
     mare ioye. And I am sekere be myn awne felynge, the mare that
     ilke kynde saule sees is in the kynde & curta[ys]e love of
     god, the lathere es hym for to synne.


|rXVIII

     Bot yf thowe be styrred to saye or to thynke, sen this is sothe
|r25 an ware it goode for to synne for to hafe the mare mede, beware
     of this styrrynge and dispice it, for it is of the enmy. For
     whate saule that wilfully takys this styrrynge, he maye neuer
     be safe to he be amendyd as of dedely synne. For if it ware
     layde before me alle the payne that is in helle and in purga_torye
|r30 and in erth, dede and othere and synne, I had leuer chese
     alle that payne than synne. For synne is so vyle and so mykille
     for to hate that it maye be likened to na payne, whilke payne es
     nought syn, for alle thynge is goode botte synne, and nathynge
     is wikkyd botte synne. Synne es nowthere deed no lykynge,



|p67


     botte when a saule cheses wilfully synne that is payne as fore
     his god, atte the ende he hase ryght nought. That payne thynke
     me the herdeste helle, for he hase nought his god: in alle
     paynes a saule may hafe god botte in synne.

 |r5 And als myghtty and als witty as god is for to safe man, als
     willy he is, for criste hymselfe is grownde of alle the lawe
     of crysten men, and he has tawht vs to do goode agaynes eville.
     Here may we see that he es hymselfe this charite, and does to
     vs as he teches vs to do; for he wille that we be lyke to hym
|r10 in anehede of endeles luffe to oureselfe and to oure evencris_ten.
     Na mare than his love es broken to vs for oure synne, na
     mare wille he that oure love be broken to oureselfe ne to oure
     evencristen, botte nakedlye hate synne and endeleslye love the
     saule as god loves it. For this worde that god sayde es ane
|r15 endelesse comforth: that [he] kepes vs fulle sekerlye.


|rXIX

xiv Aftyr this oure lorde schewed me fo[r] prayers. I sawe ii con_dicyons
     in tham that prayes, aftyr that I hafe felyd in my_selfe.
     Ane |r[f.109v] es, thaye wille nought praye for nathynge
     that may be, botte that thynge that es goddes wille and his
|r20 wirschippe. Anothere is that thay sette tham myghttelye & con_tynuely
     to beseke that thynge that es his wille and his wir_schippe,
     and at es as I hafe vndyrstandide be the techynge
     of haly kyrke. For in this oure lorde lered me the same, to
     hafe of goddes gyfte faith, hope, and charyte, and kepe vs
|r25 therein to oure lyves ende. And in this we say: <ua>Pater noster<ue>
     aue and <ua>crede,<ue> with devocion, as god wille gyffc it. And thus
     we praye fore alle oure evencristen and for alle manere of
     men, that god es wille es, for we walde that alle maner of men
     and women ware in the same vertu and grace that we awe to de_syre
|r30 to oureselfe. Botte itt in alle this ofttymes oure
     triste is nowht fulle, for we ere nout sekare that god al_myghtty
     hyeres vs, as vs thynke for oure vnworthynesse and



|p68


     fore we fele ryght nought. Fore we ere als barayne and als
     drye oftymes eftyr oure prayers as we ware before, and thus
     in oure felynge oure foly es cause of oure waykenesse, for
     thus hafe I felede in myselfe.

 |r5 And alle this brought oure lorde sodaynlye to my mynde, and
     myghttely and lyfely, & comfortande me agaynes this maner of
     waykenesse in prayers, and sayde, "I am grownde of thy besek_ynge.
     First it is my wille that ou hafe it, & s[y]ne I make
     the to will it, & syne I make the to beseke it, & if ou be_seke,
|r10 howe schulde it than be that ou schulde nought hafe thy
     besekynge?" And thus in the fyrste reson, with the thre that
     folous eftere, oure lorde schewed a myghtty comforth. And the
     fy[fte] are he says: And owe beseke, thare he schewes fulle
     grete plesaunce and endelese mede that he wille gyffe vs for
|r15 oure besekynge. And in the [six]te reson thare he sais: Howe
     schulde it than be at ou schulde noght hafe thy besekynge,
     are he schewes a sobere vndertakynge, for we tryste nout
     als myghtelye als we schulde do.

     Thus wille oure lorde that we bath praye & triste, for the
|r20 cause of the resones beforsayde is to make vs myghty agaynes
     waiknesse in oure prayers. For it is goddis wille that we
     pray, and erto he styrres vs in thies wordes beforsayde.
     For he wille at we be sekere to hafe oure prayere, for pray_er
     pleses god. Prayer pleses man with hymselfe, and makes
|r25 hym sobure & meke that beforehand |r[f.110r] was in strife &
     travayle. Praiere anes the saule to god, for ow the saule
     be euer lyke god in kynde and in substaunce, it is oft vnlike
     in condicion thurgh syn of mannes party. Than makes prayer e
     saule like vnto god when the sawlle wille as god wille, and
|r30 than es it lyke to god in condicyon as it es in kynde.

     And thus he teches vs to pray and myghttely tryste that we
     schalle hafe that we praye fore, for alle thynge that es done
     schulde be done ow we neuer prayed it: botte the luff of



|p69


     god es so mykille that he haldes vs parcyners of his goode
     deede. And erfore he styrres vs to praye that [that] hym
     lykes to do, for whate prayere or goode wille that we hafe
     of his gyfte he wille rewarde vs & gife vs endelese mede, and
 |r5 this was schewed me in this worde: And ou beseke it.

     In this worde god schewed me so grete plesaunce & so grete
     lykynge, as if he ware mekille behaldene to vs for ilke
     goode dede that we do, alle if it es he that does it. And
     for that, we beseke besily to do that thvnge that hym lykes,
|r10 as if he sayde: Whate myght owe plese me mare than to bisike
     bisily, wisely, & wilfullye to do that thynge that I wille do?

     And thus makes prayere accorde betwix god & mannes saule, for
     whate tyme that mannes saule es hamelye with god, hym nedes
     nought to praye, botte behalde reuerentlye whate he says. For
|r15 in alle this tyme that this was schewed me I was noght stirred
     to praye, botte to hafe allewaye this welle in my mynde for
     comforth, that when we see god we hafe that we desyre, & than
     nedes vs nought to praye. Botte when we se nought god, than
     nedes vs to pray for faylynge & for habelynge of oureselfe
|r20 to Ihesu. For when a saule es tempted, trubled, & lefte to
     itselfe be vnreste than es it tyme to pray and to make hym_selfe
     symple and boxsom to god. Bot he be boxom, na maner of
     prayer makes god souple to hym. For he is euer ylyke in love;
     botte in the tyme that man is in synne, he is so vnmyghttye,
|r25 so vnwyse, & so vnluffande that he can nought love god ne hym_selfe.
     The maste myschefe that he hase es blyndnesse, for he
     sees nought alle this.

     Than the hale luffe of god allemyghty that euer is ane gyffes
     hym sight |r[f.110v] to hymselfe, and than wenes he that god
|r30 ware wrathe with hym for his synne. And than is he stirred
     to contricion and be confessyon and othere goode dedys to
     slake the wrathe of god vnto the tyme he fynde a reste in
     saule & softnesse in conscience. And than hym thynke at god
     haseforgyffyn his synnes, and it es soth. And than is god,



|p70


     in e sight of saule, turnede in to the behaldynge of the saule,
     as if it had bene in payne or in prison, sayande thus: "I am
     gladde that ou erte comen to reste, for I hafe euer loved the &
     nowe loves the, and ou me". And thus with prayers as I hafe
 |r5 before sayde, & with othere goode werkys at ere custumab[yll]e
     be the techynge of haly kyrke, is e saule aned to god.


|rXX

xv  Before this tyme I hadde ofte grete langynge, & desyred of
     goddys gyfte to be delyuered of this warlde and of this lyfe,
     for I schulde be with my god in blysse whare I hope sikerlye
|r10 thurgh his mercye to be withowten ende. For ofte tymes I be_helde
     the waa that is here and the weele & the blyssede beynge
     thare; & yf thare hadde bene na payn in erthe bot the absence
     of oure lorde god, me thout sumtyme it ware mare than I myght
     bere. And this made me to mourne & beselye lange.

|r15 Than god sayde to me for pacience & for sufferaunce thus:
     "Sudanly thowe schalle be takene fra alle thy payne, fra alle
     thy dissese, & fra alle thy waa; & owe schalle comen vp abo_uen,
     and thowe schalle hafe me to thy mede, and owe schalle
     be fulfyllede of ioye and blysse, & owe schalle neuer hafe
|r20 na maner of payne, na maner of sekenes, na maner of myslyk_ynge,
     na wantynge of wille, botte euer ioye & blysse withouten
     ende. Whate schulde it than greve the to suffyr awhile, sen
     it is my wille and my wirschippe?"

     Also in this reson: Sudanly ou schalle [be taken], I sawe
|r25 how god rewardys man of the pacience that he has in abydynge
     of goddes wille in his tyme, and at man lengthes his pacyence
     owere the tyme of his lyffynge for vnknawynge of his tyme of
     passynge. This is a grete profytte, for if a man knewe his
     tyme, he schulde noght hafe pacience owere at tyme. Also
|r30 god wille that whiles the saule es in the bodye, that it [seme]
     to itselfe that it es euer atte the poynte to be taken. For
     alle is |r[f.111r] lyfe in this langoure that we hafe here is



|p71


     bot a poynte, and when we ere takene sodaynly oute of payne
     into blysse it schalle be nout. And erfore sayde oure lorde:
     Whate schulde it than greve the to suffere awhile sen it is my
     wille & my wyrschippe?

 |r5 It is goddys wille that we take his behestys and his confort_ynges
     als largelye and als myghtelye as we maye take thame,
     and also he wille at we take oure abydynge and oure desese
     als lyghtelye as we may take tham and sette tham atte nought.
     For the lyghtlyere we take tham, the lesse price we sette be
|r10 tham for luff, the lesse payne salle we hafe in the felynge
     of tham, and the mare thanke we schalle hafe for tham.

     In this blyssed revelacion I was trewly taught that whate man
     or woman wilfully cheses god in his lyfe, he may be sekere
     that he is chosene. Kepe this treulye, for sothly it is god ys
|r15 wille that we be als sekere in tryste of the blys in heuen
     whiles we ere here as we schulde be in sekernesse when we ere
     thare. And euer the mare likynge and the ioye that we take in
     this sekernesse with reuerence and mekenes, the bettere likes
     hym, for I am sekyr if thare hadde nane ben bot I that schulde
|r20 be safe, god wolde hafe done alle that he hase done for me.

     And so schulde ilke saule thynke in knawynge of his lovere,
     forgettande if he myght alle creatures, & thynkkande that god
     hase done for hym alle that he hase done. And thys thynke me
     schulde styrre a saule for to luff & lyke hym, & nought drede
|r25 bot hym, for it is his wille that we witte that alle the myght
     of oure enmye is loken in oure frendes hande. And erfore a
     saule that wate sekerly this schalle nought drede botte hym
     that he loves, and alle othere dredes sette tham emange pas_syons
     and bodelye sekenesse & ymagynacions.

|r30 And erfore if a man be in so mekylle payne, in so mekylle waa,
     & in so mekylle deseses, that hym thynke that he can thynke
     ryght nought bot that at he es in or that he feles, als sone
     as he maye, passe lyghtlye owere and sette it atte nout. And
     why? For god wille be knawen. For yff we knewe hym & luffed
|r35 hym, we schulde hafe |r[f.111v] pacience and be in grete reste,
     & it schulde be lykynge to vs alle that he does. And this
     schewed oure lorde me in thies wordes $at he sayde: Whate



|p72


     schulde it than greve the to suffyr awhile sen it is my wille
     and my wirschippe? And here was ane ende of alle at oure
     lorde schewed me that daye.


|rXXI

     And efter this sone I felle to myselfe & into my bodelye sek_nes,
 |r5 vnderstandande that I schulde life, & as a wrech + heuyed
     and mourned for the bodely paynes that I feled, and thout
     grete irksumnes that I schulde langere lyffe. And I was als
     barane and drye as if I hadde neuer had comforth before bot
     litille, for fallynge to my paynes & faylynge of gastelye fel_ynge.
|r10 Than com a religiouse person to me and asked me howe I
     farde, and I sayde that I ha[dd]e raued at daye; and he lugh
     lowde & enterlye and I sayde, "The crosse that stode atte my
     bedde feete, it bled faste". And with this worde the person
     that I spake to wex alle sadde & meruelande, and onane I was
|r15 sare aschamed for my reklessenes, & I thout thus: "This man
     takys it sadlye the leste worde that I myght saye, that says
     na mare erto".

     And when I sawe that he toke it so sadelye & with so grete
     reuerence, I wex ryght gretly aschamed and walde haffe bene
|r20 schryfen. Bot I couth telle it na preste, for I thought,
     "Howe schulde a preste leue me? I leued nought oure lorde
     god". This I leued sothfastlye for the tyme that I sawe hym,
     and so was than my wille & my menynge euer for to do with_owten
     ende. Bot as a fule I lette it passe fro my mynde. Loo,
|r25 I, wrich! This was a grete synne & a grete vnkyndnes that I,
     for folye of felynge of a litille bodelye payne, so vnwyselye
     lefte for the tyme the comforth of alle this blissede schew_ynge
     of oure lorde god. Here maye e see whate I am of my_selfe,
     botte herein walde nought oure curtayse lorde leue me.

|r30 And I laye stille tille nyght, tristande in his mercye, and
     than I beganne to slepe. And in my slepe, atte the begynnynge,
     me thought the fende sette hym in my throte and walde hafe
     strangelede me, botte he myght nought. Than I woke oute of



|p73


     my slepe, & vnnethes hadde I my lyfe. The persones that ware
     with me behelde me and wette my temples, and my herte began
     to comforth, and onane a lytelle smoke come in atte the dore
     with a grete hete |r[f.112r] and a fowle stynke. I sayde, "<ua>Bene-<ue>
 |r5 dicite dominus! Is alle on fyre that is here?" And I wened it
     hadde bene a bodely fyre that schulde hafe brenned vs to dede. I
     asked tham that ware with me yf thaye felyd any stynke. Thay
     sayde Naye, thay felyd nane. I sayde, "Blissede be god", for
     than wiste I wele it was the fende was comen to tempest me.
|r10 And onane I tuke a that oure lorde hadde schewed me on the
     same daye with alle the fayth of hali kyrke, for I holde it
     as bathe ane, & fled erto as to my comforth. And alsone
     alle vanysched awaye, & I was brought to gret reste and pees
|r14 withoutene seknes of bodye or drede of conscyence.


|rXXII

xvi Bot than lefte I stylle wakande, and than owre lorde openedde
     my gastely eyen & schewyd me my saule in myddys of my herte.
     I sawe my saule swa large as it ware a kyngdome, and be the
     condicions that I sawe erin, me thought it was a wirschip_fulle
     cite. In myddys of this cite sittes oure lorde Ihesu,
|r20 verraye god & verray man, a fayre persone and of large stat_ure,
     wyrschipfulle, hiest lorde: and I sawe hym cledde sol_emplye
     in wyrschippes. He sittes in the saule euen ryght in
     pees & reste, and he rewles & emez heuen & erth and alle that
     is. The manhede with the godhede sittis in reste, and the god_hede
|r25 rewles & emes withowtyn any instrumente or besynes; and
     my saule [is] blisfullye occupyed with the godhede that is
     sufferayn myght, sufferayne wisdome, sufferayne goodnesse.
     The place that Ihesu takes in oure saule he schalle neuer
     remove it withowtyn ende, for in vs is his haymelyeste hame
|r30 & maste lykynge to hym to dwelle in.

     This was a delectabille syght & a restefulle, for it is so in
     trowth withowten ende, and the behaldynge of this whiles we
     ere here es fulle plesande to god, and fulle grete spede to
     vs. And the saule that thus behaldys it makys it lyke to hym



|p74


     that is behaldene, and anes in reste & in pees. And this was
     a singulere ioye & a blis to me that I sawe hym sitte, for
     the behaldynge of this sittynge schewed to me sikernes of his
     endelesse dwellynge. And I knewe sothfastly that it was he
 |r5 that schewed me |r[f.112v] alle before.

     And when I hadde behalden this with fulle avisement, than
     schewed oure lorde me wordys fulle mekelye, withowtyn voyce
     & withowten openynge of lyppes, as he hadde done before, and
     sayde fulle soberlye, "Witte it welle, it was na rauynge that
|r10 thowe sawe today. Botte take it, and leue it, and kepe e
     therto, and ou schalle nought be ouercomen". This laste wor_des
     ware sayde to me for lernynge of fulle trewe sikernes,
     that it is our lorde Ihesu that schewed me alle. For ryght
     as in the fyrste worde that oure lorde schewed me, menande
|r15 his blissyd passion: Herewith is the fende ouercomen, ryght
     so he sayde in the laste worde, with fulle trewe sikernesse:
     Thow schalle nought be ouercomen.

     And this lernynge and this trewe comforthe, it es generalle
     to alle myne euencristen as I haffe before sayde, & so is
|r20 goddys wille. And this worde, Thowe schalle nought be ouer_comen,
     was sayde fulle scharpely and fulle myghtely for seker_nes
     and comforth agayne alle tribulacions that maye com. He
     sayde nought [ou salle not] be tempestyd; thowe schalle not
     be trauayled; ou schalle not be desesed. Bot he sayde: ou
|r25 schalle nout be ouercomen. God wille that we take hede
     of his worde and that we be euer myghtty in sekernesse, in
     wele and in waa. For he luffes vs and likes vs and so wille
     he that we luff hym and lyke hym and myghtely triste in hym,
     and alle schalle be wele. And sone eftyr alle was close &
|r30 I sawe na mare.


|rXXIII

     After this the fende com agayne with his heete and with his
     stynke & made me fulle besye. The stynke was so vile and so



|p75


     paynfulle, and the bodely heete also dredfulle & trauaylous;
     & also I harde a bodely iangelynge & a speche, as it hadde
     bene of two bodyes, and bathe to my thynkynge iangled at anes
     as if thay had haldene a parliamente with grete besynes. And
 |r5 alle was softe mutterynge, and I vnderstode nout whate thay
     sayde, botte alle this was to stirre me to dispayre as me
     thout. And I triste besely in god & comforthede my sawlle
     with bodely speche as I schulde hafe done to anothere person
     than myselfe that hadde so bene travaylede. Me thought this
|r10 besynes myght nought be |r[f.113r] lykned to na bodely besenes;
     my bodelye eyen I sette on the same crosse that I hadde sene
     comforth in before that tyme, my tunge I occupyed with speche
     of cristes passion & rehersynge of the faith of hali kyrke,
     and my herte I festende on god, with alle the triste and alle
|r15 the myght that was in me.

     And I thout to myselfe, menande, "Thowe hase nowe grete besy_nes;
     walde ou nowe fra this tyme euermare be so besy to kepe
     the fro synne, this ware a soferayne & a goode occupacion".
     For I trowe sothlye, ware I saffe fra synne, I ware fulle saife
|r20 fra alle the fendes of helle & enmyse of my saule. And thus
     thay occupied me alle the nyght, and on the morn tille it was
     aboute pryme dayes. And than onane thay ware alle gane and
     passed, and ere lefte nathynge bot stynke and that lasted
     stille a while. And I scorned thame and thus was I delyuered
|r25 of tham be the vertu of cristes passion: for tharewith is the
     fende ouercomen, as criste sayde before to me.

     A, wriched synne! Whate ert ou? Thowe er nought. For I sawe
     that god is alle thynge: I sawe nought the. And when I sawe
     that god hase made alle thynge, I sawe the nought; and when
|r30 I sawe that god is in alle thynge, I sawe the nought; and
     when I sawe that god does alle thynge at is done, lesse and
     mare, I sawe the nought. And when I sawe oure lorde Ihesu
     sitt in oure saule so wyrschipfully. & luff and lyke and rewle
     and eme alle that he has made, I sawe nout the. And thus
|r35 I am sekyr at ou erte nout; and alle a that luffez the and
     lykes the and folowes the and wilfully endes in the, I am
     sekyr thay schalle be brought to nought with the, and endl
     lye confownded. God schelde vs alle fra the. Amen par charyte.



|p76


     And whate wrecchednesse is I wille saye, as I am lernede be
     the schewynge of god. Wrecchydnesse es alle thynge that is
     nought goode: e gastelye blyndehede that we falle into in the
     fyrste synne, and alle that folowes of that wrecchydnesse,
 |r5 passions & paynes, gastelye or bodely; and alle that es in erth
     or in othere place whilke es nout goode. And than may be
     asked of this: Whate er we? |r[f.113v] And I answere to this:
     if alle ware departed fra vs that is nout goode, we schulde
     be goode. When wrechidnesse is departed fra vs, god and the
|r10 saule is alle ane, and god and man alle ane.

     Whate is alle in erthe that twynnes vs? I answere and saye:
     In at that it serues vs it is goode, and in that that it
     schalle perisch it [is] wricchednes, and in that that a man
     settys his herte eropon othere wyse than thus it is synne.
|r15 And for at tyme that man or woman loves synne, if any be
     swilke, he is in payne that passes alle paynes. And when he
     loves nout synne, botte hates it and luffez god, alle is wele.
     And he that trewlye doez thus, ow he syn sum tyme by frelty
     or vnkunnynge in his wille, he falles nought, for he wille
|r20 myghtely ryse agayne & behalde god wham he loves in alle his
     wille. God has made tham to be loved of hym or hire that
     has bene a synnere, bot euer he loves, and euer he langes to
     hafe oure luffe. And when we myghttelye and wisely luffe
     Ihesu, wee er in pees.

|r25 Alle the blissede techynge of oure lorde god was schewed to
     me be thre partyes as I hafe sayde before, that es to saye be
     the bodely sight, and be worde formed in myn vndyrstandynge,
     & by gastelye syght. For the bodely sight I haffe sayde as I
     sawe als trewlye as I can, and for the wordes fourmed I hafe
|r30 sayde tham ryght as oure lorde schewed me thame. And for the
     gastely sight I hafe sayde somdele, bot I maye neuer fully
     telle it. And erfore of this gastely sight I am stirred to
     say more, as god wille gyfe me grace.



|p77


|rXXIV

     God schewed me twa maners of sekenes that we hafe, of whilke
     he wille that we be amended. The tone es inpacyence, for we
     bere our trauaylle and oure payne heuely. The tothere is di_spayre
     o[r] doutefulle drede as I schalle saye efterwarde. And
 |r5 thiese twa er it that moste travayles vs and tempestes vs, as
     by that oure lorde schewed me, and maste lefe to hym that
     thiese be amendede. I speke of swylke |r[f.114r] men and women
     that for goddes love hates synne and dysposes tham to do god_des
     wille: than ere thiese twa priue synnes, and maste besye
|r10 aboute vs. Therefore it is goddys wille that thay be knawen,
     and than schalle we refuse tham as we do othere synnes.

     And thus fulle mekelye oure lorde schewed me the pacience that
     he hadde in his harde passyon, and also the ioye and the lyk_ynge
     that he hafes of that passion for love. And this he
|r15 schewed me in ensampille, that we schulde gladlye & esely
     bere oure paynes, for that es grete plesynge to hym & ende_lesse
     profitte to vs. And cause why we ere travayled with
     tham is for vnknawenge of luffe.

     ow the persones in the blissede trinyte be alle even in pro_perte,
|r20 luffe was moste schewed to me, that it is moste nere
     to vs alle, and of this knawynge er we moste blynde. For
     many men and women leues that god is allemyghty & may do alle,
     and that he is alle wisdome and can do alle; botte that he is
     alle love & wille do alle, ar thay stynte. And this vnknaw_ynge
|r25 it is that most lettis goddes luffers, for when thay be_gyn
     to hate synne, and to amende tham by the ordynnaunce of
     holye kyrke, it ere dwelles a drede that styrres tham to
     behaldynge of thamselfe and of er synnes before done. And
     this drede ay take for a mekenesse, bot this is a fowlle
|r30 blyndehede and a waykenesse; and we can it nout dispyse, for
     if we knewe it a[n] we schulde sodaynly dispice it, as we



|p78


     do ane othere synne at we knawe, for it comes of the enmy &
     it is agayne the trewthe.

     For of alle the propertees of the blissed trinite, it is god_des
     wille that we hafe moste sekernesse in lykynge and luffe.
 |r5 For luffe makes myght & wisdome fulle meke to vs; for ryght
     as be the curtasye of god he forgettys oure synne for tyme we
     repente vs, right so wille he that we foregette oure synne,
     and alle oure hevynesse, and alle oure dowtefulle dredes.


|rXXV

     |r[f.114v] Fore I saw foure maner of dredes. One is drede of
|r10 afray that comes to a man sodanly be frelty. This drede is
     good, for it helpes to purge a man, as does bodely seknes or
     swylke odere payne that is nought synne; for alle swylke pay_nes
     helpes man if thay be paciently taken. The secunde is
     drede of payne, wharby a man is styrred & wakned fro slepe of
|r15 syn. For man at is harde in slepe of syn, he is nout able
     for e tyme to resayfe the soft comforth of the hali gaste,
     to he hafe getyn this drede of payne of bodely dede & of the
     fyre of purgatory; and this drede styrres hym to seke comforth
     and mercy of god. And thus this drede helpys hym as ane antre,
|r20 and ables hym to hafe contricion be the blysfulle t[o]chynge
     of the hali gaste. The thyrde is a doutfulle drede, for ow
     it be litille in the selfe & it ware knawen, it is a spice of
     dispayre. For I am sekyr that alle doutefulle dredes god hates,
     and he wille at we hafe tham departed fro vs with trewe knaw_ynge
|r25 of l[uf]fe.

     The fourthe is reuerente drede, for are is na drede that
     pleses hym in vs bot reuerente drede, and that is fulle swete
     and softe for mekillehede of luffe. And it is this reuerente
     drede and luffe nought bathe ane, bot thay er twa in properte
|r30 and in wyrkynge, & nowthere of tham may be hadde withowtyn
     othere. Therfore, I am sekyre, he at luffez he dredes, ow
     he fele bot litille. Alle dredes othere than reuerente dredes
     that er proferde to vs, ow thay come vndere the coloure of



|p79


     halynes, thay ere not so trewe. And hereby may thaye be
     knawen and discerned whilke is whilke: for this reuerente
     drede, the mare it is hadde, the mare it softes and comfortes
     & pleses and restes, and the flase drede it travayles and tem_pestes
 |r5 & trubles.

     Than is this the remedye, to knawe tham bath & refuse []e
     fals, righte as we walde do a wikkyd spiritte that schewed
     hym in liknes of a goode angelle. For ryght as ane ille spyr_it,
     ow he com vndere the coloure and the liknes of a goode
|r10 angelle, his daliaunce & his wirkynge ow he schewe neuer so
     fayre, fyrst he travayles & tempes[tes] & trubles the person
     that he spekes with, and lettes hym and lefez |r[f.115r] hym
     alle in vnreste, and the mare that he comonez with hym, the
     mare he travayles hym, and the farthere is he fra pees. er_fore
|r15 it is goddes wille and oure spede that we knawe tham thus
     ysundure, for god wille euer that we be sekere in luffe, &
     peessabille & ristefulle as he is to vs. And ryght so of the
     same condicion as he is to vs, so wille he that we be to oure_selfe,
     and to oure evencristen. Amen.


      Explicit Iuliane de Norwych