CHAPTER XII.

Two lives there are that Christian men live. One is called Active life,

for it is more in bodily work. Another, contemplative life, for it is in

more ghostly sweetness. Active life is greatly outward, and in more

travail and in more peril, because of the temptations that are in the

world. Contemplative life is largely inward, therefore it is more

enduring and more certain, restfuller, more delectable, lovelier and

more rewarding. For, it has joy in GOD'S love, and savour in the life

that lasts aye, in this present time, if it be rightly led. And that

feeling of joy in the love of JESUS passes all other merits in earth.

For it is so hard to come to, because of the frailty of our flesh, and

the many temptations that we are beset with, which hinder us night and

day: all other things that come are light in regard thereof; for that

may no man deserve, but only it is given of GOD'S goodness to them who

verily give themselves to contemplation and to quiet for Christ's love.

To men and women who betake themselves to _active life_, two things

befall. One: to appoint their household in fear and in the love of GOD,

and to find them in necessaries, and themselves keep GOD'S commandments

entirely. Doing to their neighbours as they will that they do to them.

Another is that they do, so far as they can, the seven works of mercy.

The which are: to feed the hungry: to give the thirsty a drink; to

clothe the naked: to harbour them that have no housing: to visit the

sick, to comfort them that are in prison; to bury dead men.

All that can and who have property, they may not be quit with one or two

of these; but it behoves them to do them all, if they will on Dooms-Day

have the benison that JESUS shall give to all who do them. Or else they

may dread the malison that all men have who will not do them, when they

had goods to do them with.

_Contemplative life_ has two parts: a lower and a higher. The lower part

is meditation of holy writing, that is GOD'S word, and in other good

thoughts and sweet that men have of the grace of GOD, about the love of

JESUS Christ, and also in praising GOD in psalms and hymns and in

prayers. The higher part of contemplation is beholding and yearning

after the things of heaven, and joy in the Holy Ghost: that men have

oft, although it be so that they be not praying with the mouth, but only

thinking of GOD, and of the beauty of angels, and of holy souls. Then

may I say that contemplation is a wonderful joy of GOD'S love; the which

joy is praising GOD, that cannot be told; and that wonderful praising is

in the soul: and for abundance of joy and sweetness, it ascends into

the mouth; so that the heart and the tongue agree in one, and body and

soul joy, living in GOD. A man or woman that is appointed to

contemplative life, first GOD inspires them to forsake this world, and

all the vanity and covetousness and vile lust thereof. Afterwards He

leads them by their lone and speaks to their heart, and as the prophet

says "He gives them to suck of the sweetness of the beginning of love":

and then He sets them in the will to give themselves wholly to prayers

and meditations and tears. Afterwards, when they have suffered many

temptations, and when the foul annoyances of thoughts that are idle, and

of vanities which will encumber those who cannot destroy them, are

passing away, He makes them gather up their heart to them and fasten it

only in Him, and opens to the eye of their souls the gates of heaven:

and then the fire of love verily lies in their heart, and burns therein,

and makes it clean from all earthly filth, and afterwards they are

contemplative men, and ravished in love. For contemplation is a sight;

and they see into Heaven with their ghostly eye. But thou shalt wit that

no man has perfect sight of heaven, whilst they are living bodily here.

But as soon as they die, they are brought before GOD, and see Him face

to face, and eye to eye, and dwell with Him without end. For Him they

sought, and Him they coveted, and Him they loved, with all their might.

Lo, Margaret, I have told thee shortly the Form of Living, and how thou

mayst come to perfection, and to love Him whom thou hast taken thee to.

If it do thee good and profit to thee, thank GOD, and pray for me. The

grace of JESUS Christ be with thee, and keep thee. Amen.

Here endeth "The Form of Perfect Living."

FOOTNOTES:

[3] The text is imperfect here.

[4] Two MSS. substitute "arms" for "mirth."

Our Daily Work.

(A Mirror of Discipline.)

Our Daily Work.

(A Mirror of Discipline.)

Three things are needful to every man; to increase his reward, through

GOD'S grace helping, Who shall lead him. The first; that man be in

honest work, without losing of his time. The second; that he do his work

with a freedom of spirit, in place and in time, as work falls to each.

The third; that his outward bearing, wheresoever he come, be so honest

and fair, that praise is (given) to GOD, a stirring up of good to all

who see him, as the Apostle bids: _Omnia in vobis honesti et secundum

ordinem fiant_, that is "That ye do: be it done honestly and in order."

FIRST PART OF THE BOOK.

At the first: man shall look that he lose not his short time, nor spend

it wrongly, nor in idleness let it pass away. GOD has lent man his time,

to serve GOD in, and to gather grace with good works, to buy heaven

with. Not only this short time flies from us, but also the time of our

life, as the wise man says: "Our life-time passes away." And S. Gregory

says:--"Our life is like a man in a ship; sit he, stand he, sleep he,

wake he, ever he gets thitherward where the ship is driving with the

force of the weather. So we, in this short time, whatsoever we do, we

drive ever to our end." And our enemy, Death, follows us ever at our

back, with a sharp spear to stick us through, therefore says Seneca,

"life flies, death follows." And S. Augustine says "Life is nothing else

but a swift running to death." Therefore, there is naught to tell by,

how long man lives: save how well. Yet this short life is uncertain:

wherefore says Job:--"I know not how long I may endure, and whether

after a short space my Maker may take me away." And S. Gregory says: "I

wot not the time I shall dwell, nor when I shall be taken hence and led

to doom." And S. Jerome says:--"Nothing so much beguiles man, as that he

knows not the time of his life, that to him is uncertain." And yet hopes

he for long life for himself, as if he might, at his will, drive Death

back. Thus was the rich man deceived of whom speaks the Gospel of S.

Luke xvi. Therefore saith the psalm: "if riches increase, set not your

heart upon them." For riches fail and last not with man, but glide away

like a phantom. But when men have got goods together, with right, or

with wrong and poor men's curses, then suddenly, they go from their

goods, or else their goods from them. And Holy Writ says "The world

passeth away and the lust thereof." A man that is fallen in the water,

and through the force of the water is borne forth and torn from the

ground; if he may get anything that has good fastening like a root or a

stake, he may hinder the water from carrying him away; but by anything

that fleets as he does himself, he cannot fasten himself: and soothly,

willy nilly, in this life, as if in water, we are ever passing with the

goods of this world; and there is naught in this world to fasten by, so

that we shall not pass: for the Wise Man saith, "We shall all die, and

like water slip away into the Earth." And therefore Job speaks, as if he

said "Riches and friends had I many, but they all could not hinder me

from going forth and not coming again." And by what path, man shall go,

the prophet shews: "All flesh is grass, and all the glory of it as the

flower of the field." Man's flesh is as hay, and all his joy and

splendour as the flower of the meadow. Hay is first green grass, and

soon after brings forth flowers: and a while after, the flowers dry and

fall; after it is mown down with the scythe, and dried and taken to a

house to be beasts' food. Thus it befalls man: in his childhood he

springs and grows as the grass does; after, he comes to manhood and

flowers in fairness and strength and wit and having of goods;

afterwards: he draws to age, and then his flowers fall, that are his

virtue, fairness, strength, wit and other power; afterwards, he is

stricken down with the scythe of Death, afterwards taken to a house to

beasts' food, that is, dug into the earth to feed worms. Therefore says

the holy man; "when a man dies, he shall dwell with serpents and

beasts." A dead man is so disgusting to the world, that one cannot let

him be in his house three days together; but bears him forth, that he

harm none with the odour. Therefore, it is now time to work; for in the

time to come there is no time to work, but to receive rewards for deeds

done erewhile. And this the angel affirms with oath and says, "For the

angel has sworn that there will be no further time." Do we then as the

Apostle says: "While we have time, let us work good to all." And as the

Apostle counsels us, he did himself: for from the first hour of the day

until the fifth, he worked with his hands to win his food: and from the

fifth to the tenth, he preached to the people: from the tenth to even he

served the poor and pilgrims with such goods as he had; by night he was

praying, and thus spent he his time.

In three ways, man loses his time: in idleness; or in works that no good

comes of; or in good works, but not ordained as they should be. Against

idleness, Solomon says--"Idleness teaches much evil"; and Holy Writ says

"Whoso followeth idleness, is most foolish." A great fool he is who

forbears not from the thing that harms him. More fool he is, because he

wins himself no reward: most fool he is, because he wins himself pain.

Therefore GOD blames the idle: and says "Why standest thou all the day

idle?" Idleness wastes the goods that are prudently gotten, and entices

the fiend to the house: for as by good works the fiend is hindered from

entering man's heart, so idleness draws him thereto. And Seneca says:

"he lives not to himself who lives for his stomach and the ease of his

flesh whenever he can." For Job says "Man is born to labour." To work

was man bound after he had sinned, through GOD'S bidding, Who said to

him: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread, till thou

returnest unto the ground from whence thou wast taken; because from the

ground thou art, and into the ground thou shalt go." Thou shalt work

stalwartly and not faintly, for He bids thee work, "with sweat of thy

face, even till thou returnest to the earth"; that is, all thy life time

that thou losest no time in idleness. Idleness smites a man as if he

were in a paralysis, and makes his limbs dry that he cannot work.

Therefore says the Psalmist: "They have hands and handle not; feet have

they but they walk not; mouths have they but they speak not; eyes have

they and see not; ears have they and hear not"; for their limbs are so

bound in sin, that to all good things, they are as dead; and to evil,

they are easy. Idleness is nurse to all vices, and makes a man reckless

about not doing what he is bound to do. And when the fiend finds a man

idle, he puts in his heart foul thoughts of fleshly filth, and other

follies that may bring him to sin; afterwards, he eggs him on to do them

indeed, and thus he does against the Apostle's bidding: "Will not to

give place to the devil." The idle man makes himself unworthy to dwell

in any place but hell. In heaven he cannot dwell; for heaven is full

reward to those who here spend their time in works that they hope are

pleasing to Christ. In purgatory the idle may not dwell; for there only

the good are purged in that cleansing fire, till they be as clean of sin

as when they were christened: therefore saith the Psalm-wright:--_In

labore hominum non sunt et cum hominibus non flagellabuntur_: that is

thus for to say; "The idle work not with men; therefore in purgatory

they shall not be pained with those men who are on the way to

heaven."[5]

Great shame it is to be idle in this time of grace, in the which we are

hired to work; and if we work as we ought, great reward awaits us. GOD

gives us an example of work, by Himself, as the Apostle says: "He

emptied Himself, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made

in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled

Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross:

wherefore GOD hath also highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which

is above every name, that at the name of JESUS, every knee should bow,

of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

and that every tongue should confess that JESUS Christ is Lord, to the

glory of GOD the Father."

Over-proud then, and over-delicate is the servant, who rests in battle,

and sees His Lord assailed and evil-wounded by His enemies. Also, we

ought to work in this time of grace; for we are GOD'S bought thralls,

with the price of His dear-worthy Blood, to work in His vine-yard: and

yet He doth promise us reward, if we do with good-will that which, as a

debt, we ought to do. To His private friends, before the time of grace,

GOD promised only earthly goods, if they did well; to us the bliss of

Heaven, if we do well. It was long after, before they might come

thereto; for they went to hell and abode there, some a thousand years,

some two, some three, before they came to heaven. But now may men in a

little time win heaven, as, if any die soon after he is christened, or

if he have done full penance for his misdeeds; or be martyred for GOD'S

love. The time of supper that the gospel of S. Luke speaks of, to the

which GOD bade His servants call all that were bidden, is the time of

grace; which is now, in the which all is ready; so that there is naught

else to do but wash and go to meat, that is cleanse them of all their

sins that they have done since they were born. What losing of time it is

to travail about things that no profit comes of. Man ought to travail

only to the worship of GOD, and his soul-health. Thou shalt not deem the

man has lived long though he go with a staff stooping, and be

grey-haired; but deem him so old as he has lived well. Therefore

answered Barlaham to Josaphath, his disciple, when he asked him how old

he was: "I am," quoth he, "of 45 years." "Master," quoth Josaphath,

"methinks thou art of 60 years and more." Then said Barlaham, "Since I

was born has been 60 years; but those years that I spent in idleness and

sin before I took me to this life, I hold as years of death. But all

those I call years of life that I have served JESUS Christ my Lord in,

through His dear-worthy grace." Whoso would bethink himself what time

steals from him in long eating and drinking, in excess and useless

works, idle speech, and idle and foul thoughts, useless jests and other

vanities that men delight them in, he may soothly understand that though

he be old in years, that he has lived little time in the manner that he

ought to have lived; for he lived not to his profit, nor won him reward,

but peradventure pain for losing time.

It were a wonderful thing if the man who gives himself to business of

the world more than he need, had no hindrance in prayer, in rest of

heart, in soothfastness of words, in perfection of good works, in love

to GOD and all Christian men. Therefore, holy men, before now, who knew

their hindrances, they fled the world with all its vanities, as if it

had been accursed; for it seemed to them that they could not live a

righteous life therein; and therefore went they into the wilderness,

where they trowed to serve GOD in peace. Therefore says Seneca, "I have

become more avaricious, and more cruel, and more inhuman because I was

among men."

Three manners of occupations there are: as, various and much brawling;

raking about; and much caring about earthly things. Against much

brawling, Solomon says "The beginning of strife is as when one letteth

out water." "Let the water out," that is, "let the tongue fleet out in

quarrelling." But to the knowledge of GOD or of himself may no one come,

who lets his heart fleet out with much useless speech: for he makes a

way in himself for the fiend. Therefore Solomon likens such to a city

without a wall: "He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a

city that is broken down and without walls." And because so much

hindrance of good is in much speech, the philosopher binds his disciples

with silence (during) their first five years. Also, Abbot Agathon bore a

stone in his mouth for three years to teach him to hold still. Against

those who are ever raking about to feed their wits with vanities and

lusts is the teaching of the angel, who taught holy Abbot Arsenius and

said:--"Arsenius, flee the world and its yearnings: keep thee in rest,

bridle thy tongue," that it fleet not out in quarrelling nor idle

speech. Where these three are is a way to GOD, and withdrawing from

evil. It tells of an Abbot who (for) fully 20 years sat in his school,

and never lifted up his head to see the school-roof. Against those who

care over-much about worldly goods, Solomon says this:--"Vain is their

hope, and their labour without fruit, because they can carry away

nothing of all their labour." This is seen every day, by the dead, who,

be they never so rich bear with them but a winding cloth.

The third manner of men are they that have a liking to do good, but

because they do it not in the manner they should do it in, they lose

their reward; for when good intent fails in any deed, the reward that

should fall to the good work fails. And that may be in four ways; first,

for the wickedness of the working; as the offering of Cain, that though

he offered to GOD of the fruit that was new, GOD would not look thereon:

but to the offering of Abel his brother, GOD looked. Therefore says S.

Gregory: "By the heart's will of him that offers is the gift received of

GOD or rejected: and GOD was not pleased with Abel for the offering, but

pleased with the offering for Abel, who in all his works was true and

good; but to Cain and to his offering GOD would not look, for he who

made the offering displeased GOD greatly." And why our offering, or what

we do that is in its nature good, displeases GOD, the prophet

says:--"When ye make many prayers, I will not hear: because your hands

are full of blood." The second that reaves away a man's reward for his

good deed, is vanity, which stirs man to do the good because he would be

praised. For vain-glory makes evil of good: as if alms-deed that is good

in nature be done for praising, it wins only sin. The third that

snatches a reward from a good deed is boasting by him that does the good

deed, as the Pharisee did, of whom GOD said to the folk that stood

before Him, "Soothly, this man has lost his reward for all his good

deed." Needful it is therefore that a man do what good he can, and do

not pride himself thereof in thought or in word; for he has not the

doing of a good deed of himself, nor of his own desiring. The fourth

that snatches from a man his reward for a good deed (is) when he does it

with the intent to be holden better than others, or to lessen the good

deed of others, or to outdo it if he can. Of such, S. Gregory tells a

tale in his dialogues: That once on a time the holy Bishop Fortunatus,

chased the fiend out of a man in one evening; and the fiend, when he was

chased out, put on the likeness of a pilgrim, and went through the city

where the Bishop lived, weeping and yelling like a poor wretch, who was

anxious for lodging that night, and thus he said; "Lo, what your Bishop,

whom ye consider so good, has done to me: he came to the house where I

had taken my lodging, and put me out by force: and now like a poor

wretch, of lodging am I desirous; over all, I seek lodging, and none

will have ruth on me." A man of that city who heard him, took him into

his house, and set him by the fire and eased him, as he wished. When

the man had inquired of him of far-off things, as men do to pilgrims,

the fiend leaped at the child in the cradle, and wrung its neck in two,

and cast it into the fire, and vanished away. Of this S. Gregory speaks

and says, "Many deeds seem good, and are not good, because they are not

done with a good will. And this man harboured the pilgrim for no pity of

him, but because he spake evil of the Bishop, and in order that he" (the

man) "should be held better and of more pity than the Bishop." Yet a

good deed is lost, if a man covet by it to have of man, riches, or

position, or honours or any worldly good. Yet through sin defiling, the

good deed is lost; and here-unto accords Holy Writ that says, "who

sinneth in one thing, loses many good things," which is, "he that in a

deadly thing sins, he loses many goods," save he amend him with shrift,

and do penance therefor.

SECOND PART OF THE BOOK.

The second part of this book teaches man to do his good work with

freedom of spirit, in place and in time, as falls to each work: not

compelled thereto, nor to do it with anger, nor with a dead heart. For

Holy Writ says: "GOD loves a cheerful giver," or GOD loves him who gives

Him aught with a glad heart: and certainly the works that turn out to

the praise of God, and the health of man's soul, like prayers and holy

thoughts, and a clear mind about GOD, and GOD'S deeds; these and others

like them will allow of little rest, if they be well (done). Prayer is a

sacrifice that greatly pleases GOD, if it be made in the manner it ought

to be: therefore GOD asks it of us as a debt, when He says this:--"GOD

created the peoples for His praise and His glory"; and "the Sacrifice of

praise shall honour Me." And the Apostle, "we ought always to pray and

not to faint." Therefore, it behoves man ever to pray and never to fail.

He is ever praying, who is doing good. And certainly men of religion are

bound to worship GOD with prayer, and men of Holy Church; for they live

by alms and tenths: for all the world labours to bring them what they

need close at hand, so that they may serve GOD in rest, and with their

holy prayers make reconciliation between GOD and man. And also maidens

and widows who have taken the oath of chastity, all these, more than

others, are bound to pray. He that will please GOD with prayer will

offer it to GOD with a free will and loving heart, and will prepare

himself before, as Solomon counsels: "Before prayer, prepare thy soul,

and be not as one that tempteth GOD." He tempts GOD who yearns not to

win that for which he prays: or despairs to speed well therein; and who

makes sin and evil life: such a man thinks not he loves. Of such S.

Gregory speaks:--"What wonder if tardily our prayers are heard by the

Lord, when we tardily or not at all hear the Lord when He commands?" And

Isidore:--"He cannot have assured confidence in his prayers who even

thus far in the commands of GOD is slothful, and whom the remembrance of

sinful doing delights." Whoever will speed of his prayer, let him do

what good he can; flee sin, call his heart from the world, and keep it

at home as the Gospel teaches; "When thou prayest, enter into thy

closet, and shut thy door, and pray to thy Father." "Enter," he says,

"thy bed," that is, "call thine heart home," and "then fasten thy door";

i.e., "hold thy wits in thee, that none go out." For it is but folly to

pray to GOD to come to us, poor needy wretches, to give us alms of His

dear-worthy grace, and not abide His coming, but turn our back on Him.

S. Isidore says that the soul must be cleansed from the stain of sin,

and the heart be withdrawn from the provocations of the world, in order

that prayer may rise without hindrance to GOD. For far is that man from

GOD, pray he never so much, whose prayers are mixed with worldly

thoughts: therefore says the Psalm "Be still, and see that I am GOD."

This ought to stir us up to pray with great dread and consideration for

we speak with Almighty-GOD, when we are naught but unworthy wretches.

For so did Abraham, GOD'S private friend, who said:--"I speak to my Lord

which am but dust and ashes." And Isidore says:--"we ought to pray with

sighings and tears, and remembrance of our grimly sins, and of the many

pains and bitter we shall endure for them, unless we amend us, and He

have pity on us." Also, he who prays shall hope to speed well in that

for which he prays; for Christ Himself said, "All things are possible to

the believing": therefore we shall pray to GOD as to our Father in that

for which we pray, if we love Him as our Father, and be His children.

For He says to all His.... He says[6] "Whatsoever ye shall ask the

Father in My Name, He shall give it to you." There are six things to

know in prayer: first, how a man shall prepare himself before. The

second, to whom he shall pray: the third, for whom he shall pray: the

fourth, what he shall ask in prayer: the fifth, what hinders prayer: the

sixth, what might and virtue prayer is of. The first is written already,

and begins at, "Before prayer, prepare thy soul," and lasts as far as

here. The second, to whom shalt thou pray? Soothly, before all others,

to GOD Almighty, as the prophet bids, "Be subject to GOD and pray to

Him." And in the Gospel, GOD says, "Thou shalt adore the Lord thy GOD."

Saints we honour and pray to, not as givers of goodness, but as GOD'S

friends to help us to win from Him that we pray after. Therefore, let us

believe in GOD with all our heart, and certain hope, and perfect

charity: our Lord GOD is to be loved. The third, for whom shall men

pray? A great clerk says, "Every Christian man is a living member of

Holy Church, therefore is he bound to pray for all, but specially for

men of Holy Church, as the Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, all who have cure

of men's souls: also for our foes and our friends; and all who are in

deadly sin, that they, through grace, may rise: for all who are in

Purgatory, whom GOD'S mercy awaits; and after, all who have occupations,

both quick and dead. And S. Gregory says that he who prays for all, the

sooner shall be heard and sped of his prayer: and S. Ambrose; "If thou

prayest for all, all will pray for thee." And S. Jerome; "Necessity

binds a man to pray for himself, but charity of brotherhood stirs him to

pray for all: and charity, more than necessity, stirs GOD to hear." The

fourth, what shall men ask in prayer? Certainly, grace in this life, and

endless joy in the other; for so GOD teaches us and says: "Seek first

the kingdom of GOD and His justice, and all these things shall be added

unto you." GOD is debtor to those who are righteous, to find them what

they need of earthly goods: for righteousness makes men GOD'S children,

and a father by his nature is bound to find for his children. Earthly

goods are not to be asked in prayer, for they have done harm to many,

therefore Solomon says "How long, ye fools, will ye desire those things

which are hurtful to you?" Therefore, every man should ask of GOD with

fear, that he ask and pray his Lord that if He see that his prayer be

necessary and reasonable, that He will fulfil it: and if it be not

necessary and reasonable, that He will withdraw it; for what may help

and what may harm, the Leech knows better than the sick man. But one of

these two shall we trust to have through prayer; either, that we pray

for, or that which is better for us. The fifth, what hinders our prayer

from being heard by God? Six things: the first is the sin of him who

prays; as GOD says through the prophet, "when ye make many prayers, I

will not hear; because your hands are full of blood." And David: "If I

have looked upon iniquity with my heart, the Lord will not hear." And

the prophet; "Our sins have hid His face from us." And the Gospel:

"Because we know GOD does not hear Sinners." The second is the

unworthiness of that for which men pray, and that GOD, through the

prophet, forbids them to pray for: "Pray not for this people, neither

lift up (praise) nor prayer for them; for I will not hear." It tells in

the life of the holy Fathers that one who was bound in sin came to the

holy Abbot, S. Anthony, and said, "holy Father, have mercy on me and

pray for me:" to whom the holy Abbot said; "I will have no mercy on

thee, unless thou helpest thyself and leavest thy sin." The third is

foul and idle thoughts, that hinder us from thinking on our prayers. Of

such false prayers, God says through His prophet: "This people honour ME

with their lips, but their heart is far from ME." It is great wickedness

of us unworthy wretches that when we speak with prayer to Almighty GOD,

we also unwittingly hearken not to what we say. Soothly, great

displeasure we do to GOD when we pray Him to hear our prayer, and we

will not hear it ourselves: but it is worse to waste our time in foul

and idle thoughts. Abraham, when he made a sacrifice to GOD, fowls of

the air lighted thereon, and would have defiled it; and he cleared those

birds away, so that none durst come nigh it, till all the time were

passed, and the sacrifice made. Let us do so with these flying thoughts,

which defile the sacrifice of our prayer. This sacrifice is agreeable to

GOD, when it comes from a clean and loving heart. GOD bids: "send prayer

to ME, and I shall send grace to thee; and whatso thou dost for ME, I

forget it not." The fourth, that hinders our prayer from being heard, is

hardness of heart; and that is in two manners; first hardness of heart

against the poor; and thereof the prophet says "who shuts his ear to the

cry of the poor, he may call and I will not hear him." The other is the

hardness of those who will not forgive to those who have misdone them:

to such, Solomon says:--"Forgive thy neighbour who has injured thee

while he prays to thee, and thy sins shall be forgiven." And the Gospel

says: "As thou standest praying, forgive if thou hast aught against any,

and your Father which is in heaven will forgive your sins." The fifth,

that hinders our prayer from being heard, is little yearning after the

things that men pray for: and S. Augustine says: "GOD stores this up for

thee, that with thy whole heart it may be desired; "for He will not to

give to Thee hastily, that so thou mayst learn great things greatly to

desire." And S. Gregory says: "if with our mouth we pray after the bliss

of heaven, and do not yearn for it in our heart, we are crying still."

The sixth, that hinders our prayer; is foul and idle speech, that we

fill our lips with; for if thou givest a great lord drink in a slutty

cup, were the drink never so good, he would feel disgust therewith, and

bid throw it away, were his thirst never so sore: so GOD does with a

prayer that comes from a foul mouth; He esteems it not, but turns

therefrom. Therefore says S. Gregory: "The more our lips are defiled

with foolish talking, so much the less are they heard by GOD in prayer."

The sixth, what might and virtue prayer is of. Men who were before this

age, who kept themselves in soothfastness, and spoke nothing idle, won

from GOD what they prayed for: and that was shewn to a holy hermit

Florentius, who dwelt in a wilderness unknown of men. So much vermin was

there about this hermitage, that none durst come thither by a long way.

A deacon was in that land, who heard of this hermit, and he came at the

last to the place where this hermit was dwelling; but he saw so much

vermin about that he durst not come near: but cried out for help in

fear. The holy man came out to know who it was that cried; and he saw a

man standing there, and inquired what he would have. And the deacon

said; "holy Father, I have sought thee from far, and now I have found

thee, I should have joy enough if I might come to thee, but I cannot for

these venomous beasts that are here so many." When the holy man heard

this, he fell down on his knees, and prayed GOD that He would destroy

those worms: and all soon a grisly storm arose with a thunder, and slew

all the worms. Then said the hermit to our Lord; "Lord, these beasts lie

here so thickly, that I cannot come to him nor he to me, save we be

poisoned by them. Lo, Lord, they lie here dead, but who shall lift them

away?" At his word, many birds came, and carried them all clean away.

Hereof speaks S. Gregory:--"Because GOD'S servants withdraw themselves

from the world and its works, uselessly they cannot speak: so they bind

them to silence that they dare say no word save it be teaching others or

praising GOD: and therefore, when they ask GOD aught, He grants it at

once." But we, woful wretches, who deal with the world, that chatter all

the day like magpies; now lie, now twist, now speak evil, now quarrel,

now backbite, now swear great oaths, these defile our prayer and hinder

it, that it is not heard; for our mouth is as far from praying GOD, as

it is near the world with idle speech. Prayer is so mightful if it have

its right, that it masters the fiend, and hinders him from doing his

will. For so it did the fiend whom Julian the Emperor commanded to go to

the other side of the world to bring him tidings how it was there. When

he had flown ten days' journey thitherward, he came over the place that

Publius the hermit dwelled in, who was praying at that time. And his

prayer overtook the fiend, and held him there fast fully ten days--for

all that time, the hermit was in prayer: and when he ceased, the fiend

turned back, for he could no further go, since prayer hindered him.

When thou hast gathered home thine heart and its wits, and hast

destroyed the things that might hinder thee from praying, and won to

that devotion which GOD sends to thee through His dear-worthy grace,

quickly rise from thy bed at the bell-ringing: and if no bell be there,

let the cock be thy bell: if there be neither cock nor bell, let GOD'S

love wake thee, for that most pleases GOD. And zeal, rooted in love,

wakens before both cock and bell, and has washed her face with sweet

love-tears; and her soul within has joy in GOD with devotion, and

liking, and bidding Him good-morning, and with other heavenly gladness

which GOD sends to His lovers. Blessed are they above others whom GOD

wakens, for they have many joys while others sleep, for they find that

gladness before them, rise they never so soon; for GOD Himself thus

says: "he that early wakens to ME, he shall find ME to speak with him,

and shall rejoice himself in ME, and have ME at his will." Be then a

waker, and rise quickly, and thank heartily thy Lord GOD, for the rest

thou hast had, and for the care of angels. Since a knight has great

liking to be called to come and speak with the king, when he knows it is

for his great profit: with greater reason, ought GOD'S knight, that is

every Christian man, to be ready at the calling of his Lord, Who calls

him for his great profit, and for nothing else. Soberly, rise thou with

a good cheer, and think that thou hearest GOD call thee with these

words: "Arise My love, My fair one, and come and shew Me thy face: I

yearn that the voice of thy prayer may ring in Mine ears." Think in thy

rising, how that night many men perished in life, and some in soul, and

some in body and soul: some burned, some drowned, some suddenly dead

without repentance or shrift, and their souls drawn by fiends to hell;

some fallen into deadly sin, as lust, gluttony, theft, envy,

manslaughter, and other several sins. And from all these perils, thy

good GOD hath delivered thee, of His goodness not of thy desert. What

hast thou done to GOD that He should care for thee so, and suffer so

many others to be lost? and peradventure thou hast done worse than they

have done. If thou lookest well at what GOD has done for thee though

thou hast not served Him, thou mayst find that GOD is as busy to do thee

profit as if He had naught else to do, and as if He had forgotten this

whole world, and thought only on thee. When thou hast this thought,

lift up thine heart to GOD and say:--"I thank Thee, dear-worthy Lord,

with all my heart, Who hast thus cared this night for me, a so unworthy

wretch, and hast suffered me that with life and health I thus abide this

day. I thank Thee, Lord, for this great good, and many others that Thou

hast done to me, a so unkind and unworthy wretch, more than all others:

that Thou shewest me such kindness against my evil deeds." And put

thyself and all thy friends in GOD'S hands, and say thus: "Into Thy

dear-worthy hands, my Lord, I yield my soul and body, and all my

friends, kindred and stranger: and all who have done me good bodily or

ghostly, and all who have received Christianity: that Thou, for the love

of Thy Mother, that dear-worthy Maiden, and the beseeching of Thy Saints

defend us this day or this night from all perils of body and soul, and

from all deadly sins, from temptation of the devil, and sudden death,

and from the pains of hell, and make us dread them. Do Thou hallow our

hearts with grace of Thy Holy Ghost, and make us, whatsoever we do here,

do Thy will, that we never separate from Thee, dear Lord. Amen." When

thou hast done, go to the Church or Oratory: and if thou canst win to

none, make thy chamber thy Church. In the church is most devotion to

pray, for then is GOD on the altar to hear those that to Him pray, and

grant them what they ask or what is better: and in presence of Saints,

and in worship of churches that are hallowed, protection of angels who

are there to serve their Lord and thee--for their office is to receive

thy prayer, and bear it to GOD, and bring thee grace from Him, as S.

Bernard says: "Rise then quickly, at GOD'S call, and put all heaviness

from thee, and answer thy Lord with the words which Samuel said to GOD

Who called him in the night: 'Speak Lord, for Thy servant heareth.'"

For eight things we ought to wake and ever be doing good: this short

life: the strait way we have to go: our good deeds that are so few: our

sins that are so many: death that we are sure of and wot not when: the

strait and so hard doom of Doom's-day, for every idle thought shall be

shewed there, then shall every foul word and sinful work be greatly

pressed, for GOD says "For every careless word," etc.: and S. Anselm,

"what wilt thou do in that day when all the time expended is required of

thee; how it has been laid out by thee, even to the minutest thought."

The seventh thing is the strong pain of hell: the eighth, is the joy of

heaven. After thine uprising, pray for the souls that are in pain of

Purgatory, and think that thou hearest them cry on thee the words of

Job: "Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, my friends, for the hand of

GOD is laid upon me," and help them with _De Profundis_, and _Absolve_.

After, greet our Lady, with _Salve Regina_, on thy knees. Go then to the

Church, and bid thy vain thoughts and business of the world keep outside

thereof: and at thine incoming, say to thy soul, "Enter thou into the

joy of thy Lord, and thou shalt hear His Voice, and behold His temple."

Holy Church is the entrance and gate of Heaven. After, fall down before

the Cross, and honour Him because He was slain on the Cross, and say "We

adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee, because by Thy holy Cross Thou

didst redeem the world." And then before thou uprisest, have in thy mind

how hotly His love burned, That died for thee on the Cross. After, begin

thy matins, but first cross thy lips and say "O Lord, open my lips":

i.e., "Lord, open my lips that all night have been shut from praising

Thee, and I cannot open them, except Thou help me." And then say, DEUS

_in adjutorium_, with these words, pour out thine heart before GOD and

say; "Lord, as my Doom's-Man, before Thee I stand: do Thou avenge me of

my foes, which hinder me from serving Thee, and they assail me keenly so

that I be soon overcome unless Thou dost help me." And at _Gloria

Patri_, bow down and say with thine heart, "Lord, of Thy blessing, I

beseech Thee." Turn thee to the angels who stand about to thy comfort

and help, and as thy wardens to keep thee from thy foes, and thus say to

them _Venite exultemus, Domino_. Afterwards, cast thine eye on somewhat,

and keep it there while thou makest thy prayers, for this helps much to

the stabling of thine heart; and paint there, thy Lord, as He was on the

cross; think on His feet and hands that were nailed to the tree; and on

the wide wound in His side, through the which way is made to thee, to

win His heart; thank thy Lord thereof, and love Him therefor: for these,

they who thither may win, find treasure of love. Think thou seest His

wounds streaming of blood, and falling down on the earth; and fall thou

down and lick up that blood sweetly, with tears kissing the earth, with

remembrance for that rich treasure, which for thy sins was shed, and say

thus with thine heart:--"Why lieth this blood here as if lost, and I

perish for thirst? Why drink I not of this rich payment that my Lord

gives me to drink and cool my tongue, and hear what GOD says to me: _He

who is thirsty, let him come and drink. Thou shalt taste and see how

pleasant the Lord is; how sweet, how mild, how merciful._ With such

meditations, angels come to thy soul, and GOD is there, and says to His

lover:--"What wouldest thou that I should do for thee?" and thou dost

answer; "Lord it is enough for me, a sinful wretch and outcast of Thy

people, to praise Thee and love Thee, if I could, for so I well ought."

If thou canst win to such thinkings in thy prayers, thou shalt have such

joys that it shall be a pain to thee to think of aught else. S. Bernard,

for the liking that he had for such stirrings desired that matins-time

might last till Dooms-day. Think, when thou standest or kneelest in

prayer, that thou seest JESUS Christ come with angels and holy Saints on

each side, and angels carrying before Him basketsfull of help which is

left from the feasts of Saints who dwell with GOD in heaven: that GOD

bade them gather up to help the poor with, that naught might be lost.

This help is meat to us poor wretches, who would perish in default of

it, unless GOD had pity on us. Think thou hearest GOD cry: "Whoso has

need of meat, put forth thine hand, and have." And bow thou with thine

head to GOD, and lament thy poverty to Him and say "There is no bread in

mine house"; and also say, "Lord, so long meatless have I been, that I

die of hunger save Thou takest pity on me; and naught can hold my life

in me, save meat that Thou givest." Stir thyself up with such

recollections, and by others that may kindle thy devotion and raise it

to Him, even until thou thinkest thou hearest Him say to thee, "Open thy

mouth wide, and I will fill it." And then, through GOD'S grace, shalt

thou feel something of that heavenly food that feeds all Hallows, that

thou mayest with liking sing the Maiden's Song, that is GOD'S Mother's,

_Magnificat anima mea dominum et exultavit spiritus meus in DEO salutari

meo_. When GOD, through His grace, sends thee such likings, turn thou

kindly to the angels who stand before thee, and to them say: "I pray you

as my keepers whom GOD has sent to me, that ye thank your good Lord for

me." And turn thou then to the altar, where GOD truly is, and say,

"Truly, O GOD, great is Thy mercy towards me," that is, "Soothly Lord,

great is Thy mercy that Thou shewest to me." With such love-stirrings,

GOD comes to His lovers: and waits not till the prayer be made, but

presses in to the midst, and softens the languishing soul, with a

bedewing of heavenly sweetness: and tears and sighings are messengers of

GOD'S coming. Blessed are they who thus mourn and languish to GOD, for

they shall never separate from GOD, but have Him ever at their will.

_How GOD comes to His lovers; and how sometimes He departs from them._

GOD, when He comes to His lovers gives them to taste how sweet He is;

and before they can fully feel, He goes from them, and, as an Eagle,

spreads His wings, and rises above them, as if He said: "Some part

mayst thou feel how sweet I am: but if ye will feel this sweetness to

the full, fly up after Me, and lift your hearts up to Me, where I am

sitting on My Father's right hand, and there ye shall be fulfilled in

joy of Me." GOD comes to His lovers to comfort them; he departs from

them so that they should humble themselves, and that they should not

over-much pride themselves for the joy that they have of His coming: for

if thy spouse were aye with thee, thou wouldest esteem thyself over well

and despise others: and if He were aye with thee thou wouldest impute it

to nature and not to Grace. Therefore, through His grace, He comes when

He will, and to whom He will, and departs when He will: so that His long

dwelling makes one not more unworthy; but that after His departing, He

be more yearned for and sought with zealous love and sighings and tears.

But beware thou, GOD'S lover, though thy Spouse withdraw Himself from

thee for a while, He sees all thy deeds, and thou canst hide nothing

from Him: and if He wit thou lovest any but Him, unless it be for love

of Him, or if thou makest any love-semblance to other than Him, so soon

He departs from thee. Jealous is thy Spouse, delicate, noble and rich;

seven times brighter than the sun; in fairness and might all others He

surpasses, and what so He wills is done in heaven and earth and hell. If

He sees any stain of filth in one who should be His dear, He turns from

him soon, for uncleanness can He see none. Therefore, be thou chaste,

shame-full, and mild of heart, and with love-longing yearn for Him above

all things. And when GOD withdraws this heavenly likeness and sweetness

from thee, as sometimes need be in this deadly life, give not thyself to

fleshly lusts and likings of the world; but to prayer and meditation,

reading of Holy Writ, or honest work. And ever mourn thou after thy

love, as a young child who misses his Mother. For he that, after such

knowing of GOD and tasting of His sweetness, turns him back and gives

him to sin, he has no defence for his sin against GOD. An unhappy chance

it is and full of care to love the fellowship of GOD and of His angels

and Saints and to serve the fiend and follow his counsel with lusts and

likings and works of sin: that heart which was hallowed through the Holy

Ghost to be GOD'S temple, that was raised here above his nature to have

heavenly likings and joy with GOD, all soon makes itself loathly and

foul with foul thoughts: those ears that heard the words that it is

allowable to speak to none, open themselves to hear back-bitings and

lyings and other idle speech; those eyes that just now were baptized

with tears, open themselves to see vanities: that tongue that just now

spake to GOD in prayer, all soon with that dirty tongue, forswears,

backbites, and speaks foul words. Pray we to GOD that of His goodness He

keep us from these vices. Of GOD'S coming men may know by this that S.

Bernard says: "When thou art stirred of man in outer or inner spirit to

care for righteousness and stand up for it, to be meek and patient, to

love thy brothers in GOD, to be buxom to thy superiors, to love chastity

and cleanness in body and soul, token is it that Almighty GOD comes to

visit thy soul." If thou takest godly chastening from thy friend for thy

sin, or words that stir thee to virtues and good ways, this makes way

for and token of GOD'S coming. Then if thou puttest from thee slowness

and heaviness, and with a love-yearning likest such words; then

dear-worthy GOD thy Lord hastes Him to thee, for the desire that GOD has

to thee; kindles thy desires to have likings for such words, and makes

thee bitterly repent thy sin and amend thy life. For, at His incoming,

He wakens the soul, stirs it and softens it, and washes its wounds with

wine, and softens them with oil; that is, stirs it to repent bitterly

what it has misdone, and softens it with hope of mercy and forgiveness

of sins. He rives sin up by the roots, as a gardener does evil weeds,

and grafts good trees, and sows good seed, where the weeds grew. So does

GOD, who is called a gardener while He is in man's soul: He rives up

sins by the roots, and grafts in that soul virtues and good ways: what

was dry He bedews it with grace: what was black and mirk, He makes it

white: what was bound, He looses: what was cold, He makes warm with

love. By these stirrings, mayst thou know thy Lord is come; by stirring

of thy heart, destroying of vices, withdrawing from lusts, amending of

life, repenting misdeeds, beginning of a new man in GOD, every day more

and more. And by this mayst thou wit, when He goes from thee; the

gladness wanes, slow thou waxest dry and heavy, as a stone; love cools

in thee like a pot that had been welded, and the fire was withdrawn

therefrom. But then needs the soul to mourn sorely until He come again.

If foul thoughts egg thee on to leave the Lord thy GOD, say this "Whose

is this image and superscription?" if he says "Caesar's," that is the

prince of this world, that is the fiend of hell, say to him, "Go again

thou foul fiend with thy false money: bear it again with thee to hell;

for my gates are shut, and my Lord dwells herein, therefore have I no

time to deal with thee." Think on that holy greeting that Gabriel made

to that maiden, Mary in Nazareth, how joyful she was in body and soul in

that time; through that quieting, with her assent, she was fulfilled of

grace, so that she won might and power, in heaven, and earth, and hell;

and on her hangs all the world's health and restoring of those that

fell. Think on the birth of her Child, how she bare Him without sorrow

and grief that all other women have naturally in time of birth; and she

clean maiden after. Think when He was born, they laid Him in a crib

before an ox and an ass, other cradle had He none. There was none to

serve Him with the light of torches as men do before great lords:

therefore there came a fire from heaven that lighted the house He was

in, and Bethlehem; and angels came from heaven to sing the child asleep

with a merry voice. Think how Three Kings came from far lands through

knowing of a star, and offered Him gold, incense and myrrh: think how

sweetly the child smiled on them, and with His lovely eyes sweetly

looked on them. Think how poorly His Mother was clad when the Kings

kneeled before her: for on her she had but a white smock as the clerks

say, more to cover herself with than for shewing of pride. Think how His

Mother came with Him to the Temple to make her offering of cleansing,

and bowed to fulfil the Law as if they were sinful. Think how the old

priest Symeon took the Child in his arms, and blessed GOD: for there,

through the stirring of the Holy Ghost, he saw the Saviour of all this

world between His hands, and prayed that he might pass out of this

world, "for mine eyes have seen Him Who saves the folk." Think of that

sorrow His Mother had when she missed Him and sought Him three days, and

then found Him among the Masters, hearing and inquiring of points of the

Law. Think how He came to be christened of S. John: how the Holy Ghost

lighted then on Him in the likeness of a Dove, the Father there with

voice recorded that He was His Son. Think how He hallowed wedlock in

the house of the Ruler of the Feast, and there, to show that He was

Almighty GOD changed water into wine. In the wilderness, how he fasted

40 days without meat; how He overcame the fiend that tempted Him with

three: with gluttony, and covetousness, and vain-glory, and of the

wonder men had of His preaching, for all the words He spake to them were

full of grace. How He healed the sick, raised the dead, gave sight to

the blind, speech to the dumb, health to the leper, with touching of His

hands: and many other sicknesses that were in their nature incurable, He

healed through the might of His words, for He could do more than Nature.

How He was weary of much going; rested Him at the well; and then He bade

give Him water to drink for He thirsted sore. Then, open thine heart

with sore sighings, and think on the passion and pains that JESUS

Christ suffered, as they are written before on the xviii leaf.[7]

He may ask grace of GOD, and certainly trust to speed, who here stirs

himself up with good works, and with devotion and likings: flavours them

so that they may be savoury to his dear Lord. Works of penance, as

fasting, waking, hard fighting, forbearing of fleshly lusts, prayers,

alms-deed, and other things that we do with devotion and likings in GOD,

it behoves that so they be done with a glad heart, and with a freedom of

spirit. Devotion is a worthy affection that GOD sends to the heart to

gladden it with: but unworthy is he to have this gift, that will make no

dwelling-place in his heart for it. We seek with our belief what is

above us, but it savours us not, for we are so full of earth that we

have lost our taste. Why do so many men feel the stirrings that the

fiend forges, and suffer his enemy so often to overthrow him? I see

nothing that does this, save lack of grace. Among all other (things) I

trow we grieve GOD most, because we will not labour to win this grace of

GOD: and GOD promises His grace to all that will to receive, if that

their vessel be clean and empty to receive it in. But S. Bernard says:

"The heart that is loaded with covetousness of the world, it can have

neither devotion nor liking in GOD; for soothfastness and vanity, a

lasting and a failing thing, a ghostly thing and a bodily cannot be

brought together at any time." So worthy a thing is the comfort of GOD

that it will not rest in a breast where other comfort is. So delicious

is the liking in Him, that with no other liking can it accord. Whoso

yearns after other comfort to glad himself with, witnesses against

himself that he withstands GOD'S grace: unless it be honest comfort

betimes that he may thereby glad his nature with, and better serve GOD.

After thou hast spent thy time in prayers, and holy thoughts and good

works, in GOD'S holy dread, prepare thyself for food to strengthen thy

nature which would else fail. And to this intent shall every Christian

man clothe and feed his body; that it may the better serve his Lord, in

whatsoever he does. In the morning, thou shalt go to thy meat, with

soberness and measure; care for thy self in thy meat-time; and after

meat, make thou praising to thy Lord that He has fed thee, and also

before meat, and for all the good deeds that He has done to thee. First,

or ever thou goest to meat, thou shalt mourn as holy Job did, who thus

says, "Before I eat I sigh," because my nature is made weak and feeble

for Adam's sin; and every day needs bodily meat to uphold the nature

that else would fail in a little time. And, as it tells in the life of

the holy Fathers; Isidore that holy man, when he ate, he wept sore and

said, "I am ashamed of myself for I live by beastly meat as other beasts

do that have no reason by nature; and I, GOD'S reasonable creature, made

like to Himself, that should have dwelt in Paradise, and there have been

fed with heavenly food." When thou findest delight or savour in meat and

drink, think on the heavenly Saints whom all likings pass by, and we be

never satisfied till we feel thereof. Men of religion hear lessons of

holy men's lives at their meat, so that as the body is fed with bodily

food, so the soul be fed with holy words. Man's body is as a burning

furnace, and specially in the young; and delicious and hot meats and

drinks make that fire to burn hotter: therefore says S. John:--"Plenty

in time of youth is double fire." Therefore all that kindles sin in the

flesh is to be fled from. The wise man says, "If thou wilt abate the

flame, abate the brands." And S. John; "Flesh-meat and wine are kindling

of fleshly stirrings." And S. Austin; "the flesh is as a wild colt,

which is to be tamed with bridle and hunger." And Solomon; "Rod and

burden fall to the ass," that betokens our flesh. Wisely should a man

consider the meat that comes before him, and take of them in such

measure that they grieve him not, but that through them, he may serve

GOD better. Therefore S. John bids:--"Ever when thou eatest, ever hunger

thou, that after meat thou mayst read and pray and serve GOD better."

Holy men who have been before us enjoyed strong sharp meat, more to

abate hunger than for pleasure. Some lived by grass, some by roots, some

by spices and herbs and fruit that the earth bore; and in whatso they

ate they destroyed all taste that might stir them to pleasure. Also, S.

Germanus mixed ashes with his bread, that he should feel no pleasure in

his meat-time. Other sauce than hunger, they took none. S. Gregory says:

"bread made of bran and water, with cold or other simple pottage is good

food to the well-taught stomach, with sauce of GOD'S love if he have it

therewith: without this sauce, no sustenance has savour that man

enjoys." Some eat no meat before the night; some only every other day;

some fast three days together. Machari fasted all the Lenten-tide, save

Sundays, and ate naught but raw leaves. Some take no heed when they eat,

nor what they eat, flesh or fish: all tasted alike to them, so that

afterwards, they wist not what they ate. Some, when they were set down

to meat, and meat was brought before them, they forgot to eat, for so

they spent the day and the night in holy speech, that they thought of

naught else, till the undern-tide[8] of the second day, so that the

brethren came to them and asked why they could not eat: and then, for

the first time, thought they of meat, and they ate then as they thought

good, in GOD'S holy fear. When thou art set to thy meat, make before

thee a cross on the board with five crumbs to stir thee up to think on

Him who died for thee on the Cross; and think, here lies His head that

was crowned with thorns, there His hands, there His feet that were

nailed full fast; there was His sweet side that was opened with the

spear, from which came both blood and water to heal my dirty wounds.

When thou hast so done if thou canst, take part of thy bread and of thy

fish, and lay it by itself, and say thus quietly in thine heart, "Lord,

what wilt Thou give me for this pittance I make to Thee? how many

tears, how many love-yearnings and longings after Thee? how many

comforts of the Holy Ghost, how many stirrings to good things, how many

lookings towards me with Thy lovely eyes? Lord, wilt Thou for this meat

that the poor hungry man shall have for Thy sake, give me the love of

Thee?" When thou hast eaten what thou thinkest good, thank thy Lord that

He hath fed thee. After meat, be thou worthy, and keep thee from much

speech and idle games, and hold thy wits inward in fear of GOD. Seemly

it is to man, and pleasing to GOD, that his bearing be more honourable

and temperate after meat than before: that no taking of excess be seen

in him, that the flesh may serve the soul better in reading, praying and

other ghostly works, that may help to good things. Then Even-song say,

with the devotion that GOD sends thee, in Church or Oratory, or

wheresoever thou mayst say it best, away from the noise and throng of

the world. After, if thou needest, go sup: and short be thy supper time:

so in measure take thou meat and drink that it be no burden nor

grievance to thy nature, nor hindrance to serve thy Lord; or in time of

rest reave from thee thy sleep; or the fiend defile thee with foul

temptations in thy sleep, as he often does him who goes to bed with a

full stomach. Every man eat, as S. John says, "according as he is strong

or old, or according as his body is greater or less, or whole or sick;

take what is needful for sustenance of nature, and not as pleasure

asks." After supper, go to the Church or other place, where thou mayst

be most at rest, and say thy Compline, for in this time as S. Ambrose

saith, "birds in their language praise their Lord, and thank Him after

their kind, for the goods He has sent them." Call thou then on thy GOD

and say _Converte nos DEUS salutaris noster_, as if he said, "Lord, I

have been this day hindered by the world, that has greatly hindered me

from serving Thee; through temptation of the fiend and of my flesh oft

this day have I done amiss; therefore, my Lord, turn me now from the

world, and from all that may hinder me from praising Thee with a pure

heart and with all my wits, so that they be intent on Thee to work Thy

will," And then, say forth thy Compline, and after, other prayers with

the devotion that GOD sends thee. And after, before thou goest to bed,

hold a chapter with thine heart, and ask it in what things it is better

than it was. Hast thou shriven thee of that sin that thou didst then and

there? of the words that thou spakest there? of that evil will that was

in thee then? of that wrong that thou didst and saidst there to him? of

that handling? of that blame? of that foul thought? of that thing left

undone that thou should'st have done? art thou willing to leave off

such vices? What temptations withstood'st thou this day? in what art

thou meeker than thou wast? in what more chaste, more sober, more

patient, more temperate, more loving thy GOD in thy brother, or more

liking in GOD hast thou than thou hadst? Hast left that sin that thou,

through habit, fallest into so oft? and other many vices that thou hast

done and pleased the fiend with: and grieved thy good GOD, and hast

barred thyself against the grace that should help thee. And then, with a

repenting of those sins that bite thy conscience, knock on thy breast

and say a _Pater noster_ with _Ave Maria_, on thy knees, and soon in the

morning shrive thee of those sins. And if thou doest thus, I hope the

fiend shall be afeared to tempt thee, for thou art under GOD'S ward,

whilst thou bearest thee thus. After this reckoning, where-through thy

soul is raised to a blessed hope to the Father of mercy, and thy flesh

waxes heavy, go to thy rest: for if thou hinderest thy flesh of its

necessity, and work it beyond its might, faintly will it help thee, or

hinder thee withal. And or ever thou goest to rest commit thyself and

thy friends into GOD'S hands, who for us was nailed to the tree, and

beseech Him, for His mercy, that He guard thee from all perils of body

and soul, and arm thee with the token of the cross; for where the fiend

sees this mark soon he flies. Of this mark, it is written in the life of

S. Edmund: that as he went one time alone, a child appeared to him who

was wonderfully fair, and said, "Hail, my friend, whom I love in GOD."

S. Edmund was surprised at this greeting, and the child said to him,

"knowest thou me not?" And S. Edmund said to the child, "How should I

know thee? I never saw thee before." And the child said to him, "When

thou didst learn in school, I sat ever by thy side; and ever since I

have been with thee, wheresoever thou hast dwelt; for so my Lord has

fastened me to thee, that I might never part from thee, such is my

Lord's will. But behold on my forehead, and read what thou seest there."

He looked as he told him, and with heavenly letters, these four words,

he saw there written, _JESUS Nazarenus Rex iudeorum_. Then said the

child, "This is my Lord's name, thou seest thus written. This name I

will that thou have in mind, and print it in thy soul, and cross thy

front with this name; before thou goest to sleep; and from harassings of

the fiend, it shall protect thee that night, and from sudden death, and

all who thus by night cross themselves therewith." And when he had

spoken these words, he vanished away. Carry some holy thoughts to bed

with thee, and say thy prayers, till sleep fall on thee. To have soft

sleep and sweet, a sovereign help is measure and soberness in meat and

drink: with recollection of GOD'S law and Holy Writ; as GOD says through

the prophet, "Keep My law and My counsel, and if thou sleepest thou

shalt not be afraid; if thou dost rest thy sleep shall be sweet." And

ever, as thou wakenest, lift thine heart to GOD, with some holy thought,

and rise and pray to thy Lord that He grant release from pains to the

dead, and grace to the living, and life without end. If temptation of

lust stir thee in bed, think that thy good Lord hung on the Rood for

thee; think on His five wounds that streamed down of blood: think that

His bed was the hard knotty tree, and instead of a pillow He had a crown

of thorns. And say then, with sore sighing, till thy desire cool, "My

dear-worthy Lord hanged on the Rood for me; and I lie in this soft bed,

and welter me in sin, like a foul swine that loves but filth." Rise

then quickly, and hold thee with prayers, love-sighings and tears. Of

three points beware. The first, that the devotions thou hast through

grace stirring, be not known of others: hide them, so far as thou mayest

with will and deed for fear of vain glory. The second, that thou

thinkest not it is in thy power to have such devotions and stirrings

when thou wilt: but only through GOD'S grace when He will send them. The

third, that thou thinkest not over-well of thyself for such stirrings;

nor thinkest thou art therefore dear to GOD; nor deem another more

unworthy who does not as thou dost; but when thou hast done all well,

think soothly by thyself, and grant it in words; "It is nothing worth I

do, Lord: for I am but a useless thrall." If thou wilt lose no reward,

deem none other, but hold thyself most unworthy; for if thou fastest or

prayest more than another, perchance another surpasses thee in

meekness, and patience and loving. Therefore think of what thou lackest,

and not only of what thou hast. Nevertheless, GOD wills that thou

should'st think on those graces and goods He has done for thee, to stir

thee up to know thyself indebted to Him for them, and serve Him and love

Him the more; or if thou beest in grief to glad thee with. Sometimes, it

falls out that in GOD'S doom, one is better whom men deem evil than some

that men deem good. Many are worthy without and unclean within. Some

worldly and dissolute, and GOD'S private friends within. And some, in

man's sight bear themselves like angels; and in GOD'S sight, they stink

as sinful wretches. And some seem sinful to men's doom, and are full

dear to GOD Almighty, for their inward bearing is heavenly in GOD'S

bright sight. Therefore, judge we none other save ourselves. And pray we

for ourselves and all others to JESUS Christ, Mary's Son, Who for us

was nailed on the Rood, that whoso is bound in deadly sin, He loose

them; and they who are in good life, that He grant them end therein.

Two messengers are come to thee to bring thee tidings. The one is called

Fear, who comes from hell to warn thee of thy danger: the other is

called Hope that comes from Heaven to tell thee of bliss thou shalt have

if thou doest well. Fear says he saw so many betortured in hell, that if

all the wits of men were in one, he could not tell them: of gluttons,

unchaste, robbers, thieves, rich men with their servants who harmed the

poor: judges who would not give judgment except for reward: treasurers

who by subtilty maintained injustice: deemsters who condemned loyal men

and delivered stark thieves; workmen who worked dishonestly and took

full hire; tillers of the soil who tilled badly; prelates, with the

care of men's souls, who neither punished nor taught them; of all sorts

of men who have wrongly wrought; then I saw that every one bought it

bitterly. For there I saw want of all good, and plenty of pain and

sorrow; as hot fire burning ever, brimstone stinking: grisly devils like

dragons gaping ever; hunger and thirst for ever lasting, adders and

toads gnawing on the sinful. Such sorrow and yelling and gnashing of

teeth, I heard there, that nearly, for fear, I lost my wits. Such

mirkness there was, that I could grip it; and so bitter was the smoke

that it made the woe-ful wretches shed glowing tears; and bitterly I

heard them ban the day when they were born. Now, they long to die, and

cannot. Death, which, sometime they hated, were liefer to them now than

all the good of this world. And therefore I warn thee that thou amend

thee of thy sins with shrift and penance, and have a steadfast will to

leave them for ever: a seat I saw made for thee in hell of burning fire,

where devils should pain thee ever unendingly.

That other messenger, who is called Hope says he is come from Heaven to

tell thee of that untellable great joy that rules GOD'S friends; "to

tell thereof as it is may no earthly man speak though his tongue were of

steel. For there is a gracious fellowship of all GOD'S friends, orders

of angels, and of holy saints, and Almighty GOD above, Who gladdens them

all. Of all goodness, I saw plenty; beauty and riches that last for

ever; honour and power that never shall fail; wisdom and love and

everlasting joy. Then I heard melody and song of bright angels. So

worthy is that joy and so great withal, that whoso might taste of it a

blessed drop, he should be so ravished in liking of GOD, and such

yearning he should have to win thither, that all joys of the world were

pain to him. With so great a love he should be overtaken in yearning to

win to that bliss, that by a hundred times it should more stir him to

love virtue and flee sin than any fear he might have of the pain of

hell. And I tell thee for sooth, if thou wilt leave sin, and do GOD'S

bidding, and love Him as thou oughtest, a rich and a fair seat GOD has

made for thee wherein thou shalt dwell with Him unendingly.

THIRD PART OF THE BOOK.

The third and the last part of this book teaches a man to bear himself,

wheresoever he comes, and whatsoever he does: that it be to the praise

of GOD, and an example of good to all who see him: for thus the Apostle

counsels: "Let everything be done honestly and in order"; that is "all

that ye do, look ye do it honestly and orderly." Then at the first, let

every lover of GOD see that ye yearn not to mingle with the world, that

hinders and deceives all who deal with it, and hinders them from the

many good deeds they might do. And the man who will nowhere rest but aye

rake about; their eyes see many things, that the eye sends to the heart,

and such come not out easily when they are once imprinted. S. Bernard

complains of the harms that he felt in the world whilst he was therein,

and says "the world surrounded me and weighed me down": that is "The

world has besieged me on every side; and through the gates of my five

wits it shot at me and wounded me full sore; and through the wounds,

death presses in, to slay my sorry soul. Mine eyes look, and my thought

changes and kindles me in sin. Mine ears hear and my heart bows me

thereto. I smell with my nose, and it pleases my thoughts. With my mouth

I speak, and in my speech I please or beguile others: and with a little

over-soft feeling, lust kindles in my flesh; and the fiend, my foe, whom

I cannot see, stands ever against me with his bow bent." Therefore, if

necessity make man to go into this world, where are so many stirrings to

sin, with great fear shall he go, as into a battle to fight his foes. It

needs he be well armed against the arrows of his foe, that severely

shoots at him; and the more may he dread him because he cannot see him:

with foot-traps and snares is the way set full. Therefore, let him who

shall go forth, arm him with GOD'S holy fear. GOD warned His disciples

to be wary in the world when He said thus: "Soothly the world shall

withstand you with temptations." Therefore, if thou must go out, for

thine own profit or that of others, colour not thy going with any false

hue, to feign for thyself an occasion to dally with the world, for

pleasure or command, or to be known with praise before others....

And therefore they make a show with words and feign as they can, to be

holden holy of all who see them, that give themselves to dalliance with

the world, more than needs, as to buying, selling or quarrelling about

earthly things. And all their outward bearing so accords with the world

that David says: "They have mixed themselves with the peoples; they

partake of their works": that is, they mingle them with the folk of the

world, who have no knowledge of GOD, and such works as they see them do,

such works they do. Therefore, when thou needest to go forth, cross

thyself with the holy name of JESUS, Mary's Son, who died on the Rood

for thee, for then thou art more secure, whithersoever thou goest, as S.

Austin said to his brother, when they went forth. And S. John says:

"Whitherso thou goest, and whatsoever thou doest, thy forehead and thy

breast mark thou with the cross; for there is no other mark the fiend so

greatly dreads." See that thine outer-clothing be not over-loathsome,

nor over-curious, in shape nor in hue. Keep thy limbs to their business,

to which they were made, and do not cast thine eyes about like a child;

flourish not thine hands, and leap not with thy feet. When the heart of

man is out of ward, the limbs sometimes fail in their office. And, as

thou orderest thine outward bearing when thou goest forth, also look

thou that thou beest devout within, and specially in praying to and

praising the Lord. If in going out, thou canst not rest in saying thy

prayers, go the softlier. Many things hinder thee in toiling to pray;

weariness of limbs; men thou meetest who speak to thee; then thy five

wits fleet out of ward, and then the devotion of him who prays, cools.

When walking thou hast said thy prayers that thou art bound to say, lift

up thy heart to GOD, and pray to Him in thy thoughts in a blessed

recollection: think on the good things GOD has done for thee, and shall

do if thou truly servest Him: think on His biddings and do them indeed

according to thy might, for so GOD bids thee when He thus says:--"The

words which I command thee shall be in thine heart, and thou shalt

relate them to thy sons: and thou shall meditate on them, sitting in

thine house, and walking on thy journey, sleeping and arising." Or in

working, tell fair tales to thy fellows, or something from Holy Writ

that may soften your way, or glad you in GOD. And sometimes say the

Seven Psalms for the quick and the dead, that GOD give grace to the

quick and rest to the dead. When thou comest to the town to ease thy

body, seek where thou mayst most worthily dwell for thy condition and in

most peace: and where thou mayst most profit to thyself and others. Let

flesh-lust and vanity entice thee to no place: but inquire where any is

who most loves GOD, and thither draw thou. Seek not where thou mayst be

fed best, for there peradventure are many stirrings to sin. Harbour thee

with no woman unless thou knowest good of them for a long time. When

thou art come to the house thou shalt rest in, hold thy wits inward in

GOD'S holy fear; so that thine outer bearing be so ruled with grace that

thou mayst stir to good all whom thou seest, and through GOD'S grace

destroy mirkness of sin, and so fulfil GOD'S teaching, who says thus,

"So let your light shine before men, that they seeing your good works

may glorify your Father Who is in heaven." And S. Gregory says: "Neither

is it greatly praiseworthy to be good with the good, but to be good with

the evil; for even as it is of more heinous guilt not to be good among

the good, so is it of unwearied honour to have stood for the good among

the evil."

Keep well thine eyes when thou art come to harbour, from all things that

may kindle sin and make thine eyes forward, as Job did, who said "I make

a covenant with mine eyes lest I should think upon a maid." After sight,

comes thought, and thereafter deed, and therefore said the prophet

Jeremiah, "Mine eye hath laid waste my soul." When so holy a prophet

lamented him of his eyesight, sorely may another complain who oft sins

therewith. Augustine: "Shameless eye is the messenger of shameless

heart." Gregory: "It is not lawful to look after that which it is not

lawful to desire." David: "Turn away mine eyes that they may not see

vanity." Look also that thou hearest nothing that may stir thee to sin,

as unclean words, backbiting, false judgments, great oaths, controversy,

striving and other such vices. Also at thy meat, bear thyself orderly,

and hold thee in measure, and seek after no dainties, but be pleased

with common meats. Consider in speaking, to whom, what, when, how, of

whom, and where: and have thyself so orderly that thou beest not like

other worldly men, but fulfil the Apostle's words; "Be not conformed to

this world, because your conversation is in heaven."

Though our body be in this world as a clot of earth, it is needful that

our spirit which was bought with the dear-worthy blood of GOD Almighty

be with mind and will in heaven, not soil itself here with sin, as swine

do in a ditch. And whatsoever thou doest, and wheresoever thou comest,

do as the Apostle teaches: "Shew thyself to all men as an example of

good works," for through a good example GOD is worshipped and praised,

men are helped and taught and strengthened in their belief. Bear thee so

that men who dwell with you may say of you as was said of the Apostles

Paul and Barnabas, "The gods are made like men, and have come down to

us." _DEO gracias._

FOOTNOTES:

[5] Rolle's free rendering of the Latin is added here from the _Thornton

MS._ It does not occur in the Arundel MS.

[6] The MS. is defective.

[7] On the 18th leaf of the MS. containing _Our Daily Work_ begins

Richard Rolle's _Meditations on the Passion_. A rendering of this is

given in Fr. R. H. Benson's _A Book of the Love of JESUS_.

[8] A meat-time between sunrise and noon, or between noon and sunset.

On Grace.

On Grace.

Three degrees of grace there are. The first GOD gives to all creatures,

to uphold them with; and this is called GOD'S help freely given to all

creatures; and without this gift of grace, creatures cannot do, nor last

in their kind; for as water is made hot through fire and becomes cold

again if the fire be withdrawn, so, as S. Austin says, "All creatures

that are made of naught, so are they worth naught in a little time,

unless GOD upholds them with His grace." Therefore says the Apostle

"Through the grace of GOD, I am what I am." As if he said, "That I live,

that I feel, that I speak or hear or see, and all that I am: all this I

have only through GOD'S grace." The second degree of grace is more

special: that GOD gives freely to every man who is a good and reasonable

creature: and this grace stands ever at the gates of our hearts, and

knocks on our free-will, and bids it let it in. This, GOD says that He

does: "Behold, I stand at the door knocking," that is, "I stand at the

door of thine heart and knock; let Me in." And this grace is given

freely to man before he deserves it. Then let every man make himself

worthy and ready to receive His gift of the Holy Ghost, Who ever stirs

man's free-will to good, and calls it from evil. Two things are needful

to the health of man's soul. The first is this grace that I speak of:

the second, is man's free-will according thereto. And without these two,

no man can do thoroughly what he ought, that should help him to health

of his soul; for neither free-will, without this grace stirring, nor

this grace without free-will assenting, can do aught that pleases GOD.

Therefore, says S. Austin, "He Who made thee without thee, will not

justify thee without thee"; that is, "He Who made thee without thee,

will not make thee righteous, save thou helpest thereunto." And though

the free-will of man cannot make the grace of GOD in man, nevertheless,

let man do what is in him, and prepare himself, that he may be ready and

able to receive the grace, when it comes. If thou wert in a mirk house

one day, and doors and windows shut: if thou wouldest not let the sun

come in, who was to blame if the house were mirk. Also blame none save

thyself, if thy grace be less. For S. Anselm says, "Man lacks not this

grace, for GOD gives it to him; but he has it not, because he does not

make himself ready to receive this grace as he should." GOD is not

stingy of His grace, for He has enough thereof; for though He deal it

out never so far, and to so many, He never has the less; for He only

wants clean vessels, to put His grace in. Therefore says S. Austin; "GOD

by vast freedom and abundance fills all creatures according to their

capacity": that is, "GOD through His great freedom of His great grace

fulfils all creatures according as they are able to receive His grace."

If man opened his heart to this grace when GOD sends it to him, he would

shew it in works; for the Apostle, when he had won it, said, "His grace

in me was not in vain," that is "the grace that GOD has given me, is not

useless in me"; for he enjoyed it ever in work. We unite with GOD in His

grace, as merchants do together: for GOD sets His grace against our

work; but for His grace and His death, He wills (to have) naught but our

praising and thanking, and He wills that man should have all the profit

that may arise thereof. But they try to reave from GOD, His part, who

would be praised of men for good deeds. Against them, GOD says, "I will

not give My glory to another"; that is, "Praising and worship that

belong to Me, I will give to no other." Thou shalt understand, that

free-will of man is to turn freely to good or ill. Three states there

are of man; before sin, after man's sin, and after man is confirmed,

that is, after man is departed out of this deadly life, and come to that

joy that shall never end. In the first place, before man sinned, was

man's will so free, that he could sin or not sin: in his free-will it

was, to do good or ill. In the last state, that is confirmed, shall man

sin no more. In the second state, in which he may sin, and may not but

sin, man's will is free to ill, till it be strengthened with grace: and

when grace leads the will, then it is free to work the good. Before man

sinned, no hindering had he from doing good, nor no need to do ill: but

now has sin joined with our flesh, and bred what S. Paul calls the "law

of the flesh," so that it is master of the flesh, and withstands GOD'S

law in all that it can. This hinders our will from assenting to good;

and stirs it to ill so that it may not work good, unless grace helps and

accustoms him away from sin. Every man before he sins, has a free will

to do good or ill, but when he is bound to the fiend, through works of

sin, he may through no power of himself come out of his bonds: and then

he fares like a ship that in a tempest has lost all that could help it,

and is cast from wave to wave whither the tempest drives it. Right so, a

man who lacks GOD'S grace, because he be fallen into deadly sin, he does

not what he would, but aye wavers from hand to hand, at the fiend's

will, and unless GOD give him grace to rise out of his sin, he shall be

in sin to his life's end, and after, be lost body and soul, and damned

to endless pain. If the folk or the common people choose them a king,

and he be confirmed in his kingdom, he be never so ill to them, they can

do naught to him, unless it be through some other, who has more power

than he: and so, it behoves them suffer, do he them never so much ill.

Right so, man before he sins, has a free will to choose whether he will

be under GOD or the fiend; and when, with his will, he chooses to serve

the fiend, he cannot after, when he would, come out of his bonds. And

therefore, worldly men who are bound in sin say to them who counsel them

to amend their lives, "fain would we rise, but we cannot." No, they

cannot through might of themselves, but through GOD'S grace helping them

they can. The third grace is most special; for it is given only to those

who receive the second grace; and with their free-will fulfil it in

deed, and can say as S. Paul said, "The grace of GOD was not in vain in

me." And S. Austin says; "GOD, working with us, fulfils that which He,

through grace stirring, began in us." For neither without His helping

can we do good to ourselves, nor please Him: as GOD says Himself

"without Me, thou canst no nothing." GOD'S grace stirring, goes before

good will, and stirs it to do the good and leave the ill.

Grace, when it comes first to visit man's soul, wakens him as out of a

slumbering and inquires of him with those sharp words: "Where art thou?

Whence comest thou? Whither shalt thou?" First he says, "Where art

thou?" as if he said, "Bethink thee, unhappy wretch, how foul thou art

cast down, and what peril thou art in. For, for thy sin thou art fallen

into the enemy's hands, who above all things dost covet to work thy woe;

and naught may deliver thee out of the foe's hands, but Almighty GOD,

thy good Lord, Whom thou hast forsaken." After he says: "Whence comest

thou?" as if he said, "thou wretch, behold how thou hast wasted thy life

in sin; thou comest from the fiend's tavern--Where are all the goods

that GOD has given thee to help thee with, and to worship Him? Sorrily

hast thou lost them. Thy Lord made thee rich, and thou art become a poor

wretch." After, he inquires, "Whither wendest thou?" "Woeful wretch thou

wendest to the woeful doom, that GOD dooms men to; for as thou hast

served so shalt thou be judged. So awful shalt thou see GOD there, that

thou shalt for fear be out of thy wits; and to the mountains and hills

thou shalt cry with a grisly noise, and pray them to fall on thee and

hide thee, that thou see Him not. Woeful wretch, thou wendest to hell,

if thou dost forth as thou hast begun, where thou shalt find fire so hot

and so raging, that all the water in the sea, though it ran through it,

should not slake a spark thereof. And because thou stinkest here to GOD,

for thy foul sin, there thou shalt feel everlasting stink: and because

thou lovedst mirkness here, for aye to be in sin, there shalt thou feel

such thick mirkness that thou canst grip it; and because here thou didst

rest thyself in sin against GOD'S will, there shalt thou shed more tears

than there are motes in a sunbeam. Thou shalt suffer pain ever after

pain, ever to renew thy woe."

When GOD'S grace has stirred man and wakened him with these three, and

has made him to know the peril he is in, then he conceives a terror of

GOD'S awful doom: and therethrough, he begins to repent whatever he did

ill, and covets to amend himself through GOD'S grace, that stirs him to

flee ill and give himself to good: and then comes grace following, to

help the goodwill of man to fulfil it in deed. For though man have a

good will to do the good, through grace before stirring the good will,

yet can he not do indeed without GOD'S grace following and helping: and

this the Apostle affirms of himself when he says; "But not I, but the

grace of GOD in me"; that is, "the good which I do is naught, but GOD'S

grace does it with me"; as if he had said, "I can do no good, unless

GOD'S grace help me." GOD'S will is also a handmaiden to grace, to work

all her will. GOD'S grace, wherever it be, will not be useless, but ever

working and growing more and more, to increase thy reward. Therefore do

we as the Apostle counsels us, "We exhort you, brethren, that ye receive

not the grace of GOD in vain"; that is, "I pray you and bid you, my

brothers in GOD, that ye receive not GOD'S grace in vain." He receives

GOD'S grace in vain, that enjoys it not in good, when GOD sends it to

him; and therefore perhaps, he shall never after win thereto. Isidore

tells of a little fly that is called _Saura_, and this fly betokens

grace stirring beforehand. This kind of fly is said to be the enemy of

all venomous worms, so that when he sees any worm (going) toward man to

sting him when he sleeps in the wilderness; he flies before to the man,

and lights upon his face, and bites him a little; and therethrough he

wakes before the beast comes to sting him. By this _Saura_ is understood

grace that GOD sends to man against the temptations of the fiend, who

often stings venomously: it cries unto thee, as the Apostle says;

"Awake, thou that sleepest, and rise from the dead, and Christ shall

give thee light." But the unthankful act against this grace, and ruin

it: as Virgil did with this little fly that saved him from death. He lay

asleep, and an adder came toward him: but this fly Saura flew before,

and lighted on his forehead, and pricked him a little, and therewith he

wakened; also the adder came; but this Virgil, in his waking, felt his

forehead smart, and smote himself on the face; and so he slew the fly,

and so repaid him for his service, who saved his life. Therefore do thou

not ruin GOD'S grace when it comes to thee, to warn thee of harm and

stir thee to good. Glad ought man to be of GOD'S grace, when GOD sends

it to him, and to take care full warily of so rich a gift: for grace is

earnest-money of that lasting joy which is to come, as the Apostle says:

"the grace of GOD is eternal life"; that is, "GOD'S grace is like a help

and way to everlasting life." Therefore, He sets grace before us as the

way that leads to everlasting joy: and also a pledge, if we keep it

well, to make in us certainty of endless joy; as the Apostle says, "Who

gave us His Spirit as a pledge in our bodies," that is "GOD has given us

the Holy Ghost as pledge of endless joy." Hold we then this heavenly

pledge; and enjoy we it well in work; for it is well for us in this

life, if GOD'S grace lead us; and when grace leaves us, we fail of that

welfare. Therefore, through help of grace let us destroy in ourselves

everything that is against grace, be it less or more, that our reason

says is against GOD'S will, that is, all that is sin, or may stir to

sin: and let us have repentance in our heart, shrift in mouth, and

withstanding, with will never to turn again.

An Epistle on Charity.

On Charity.

_By what tokens thou shalt know if thou lovest thine enemy:

and what example thou shalt take from Christ to love him_.

And if thou beest not stirred against the person by anger or fell

outward cheer, and have no privy hate in thine heart for to despise him,

or judge him, or for to set him at naught: and the more shame and

villany he does to thee in word or in deed, the more pity and compassion

thou hast of him as thou wouldest have of a man who was out of his mind,

and thou thinkest thou canst not find in thine heart to hate him, for

love is so good in itself, but prayest for him, and helpest him, and

desirest his amending, not only with thy mouth as hypocrites do, but

with thy affection of love in thine heart, then hast thou perfect

charity to thy fellow-Christian. This charity had S. Stephen, perfectly,

when he prayed for them who stoned him to death. This charity, Christ

counselled to all who would be His perfect followers, when He said thus:

"Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, pray for those who

persecute and calumniate you." And therefore, if thou wilt follow

Christ, be like Him in power. Learn to love thine enemies, and sinful

men, for all those are thy fellow-Christians. Look and bethink thee how

Christ loved Judas, who was both His bodily enemy and a sinful caitiff:

how goodly Christ was to him; how benign; how courteous; how humble to

him whom He knew to be damnable; and nevertheless, He chose him for His

Apostle, and sent him to preach with the other Apostles; He gave him

power to work miracles: He shewed to him the same good cheer in word and

deed; also with His precious Body; and preached to him as He did to the

other Apostles: He condemned him not openly, nor abused, nor despised

him, nor ever spake evil of him: and yet even though He had done all

that, He would but have said the truth! And above all, when Judas took

Him, He kissed him and called him His friend. All this charity, Christ

shewed to Judas whom He knew to be damnable. In no manner of feigning or

flattering, but in soothfastness of good love and clean charity. For

though it were truth that Judas was unworthy to have any gift of GOD, or

any sign of love, because of his wickedness; nevertheless, it was worthy

and reasonable that our Lord should appear as He is.

He is love and goodness, and therefore it belongs to Him to shew love

and goodness to all His creatures, as He did to Judas. Follow after,

somewhat if thou canst; for though thou beest shut in a house with thy

body, nevertheless in thine heart, where the place of love is, thou

shalt be able to have part of such a love to thy fellow Christians as I

speak of. Whoso deems himself to be a perfect follower of JESUS Christ's

teaching and living, as some men deem that they be, inasmuch as one

teaches and preaches, and is poor in worldly goods as Christ was, and

cannot follow Christ in His love and charity, to love his

fellow-Christians, every man, good and ill, friends and foes, without

feigning, flattering, despising in heart, angriness and melancholious

reproving, soothly, he beguiles himself: the dearer he deems himself to

be, the further he is. For Christ said to those who would be His

followers, thus: "This is My commandment, that ye love mutually as I

have loved you."

"This is My bidding, that ye love together as I love you, for if ye love

as I loved, then are ye My disciples." He that is meek soothfastly, or

would be meek, can love his fellow-Christians: and none save he.

Contrition.

Richard Hermit rehearses a ... tale of perfect contrition that the same

clerk Cesarius tells. He tells that a scholar at Paris had done full

many sins of which he was ashamed to shrive him. At the last, great

sorrow of heart overcame his shame, and when he was ready to shrive him

to the Prior of the Abbey of S. Victor, so great contrition was in his

heart, sighing in his breast, sobbing in his throat that he could not

bring one word forth. Then the Prior said to him, "Go and write thy

sins." He did so and came again to the Prior, and gave him what he had

written, for still he could not shrive himself with his mouth. The Prior

saw the sins were so great, that with the scholar's leave, he shewed

them to the Abbot to have his counsel. The Abbot took the writing

wherein they were written, and looked thereon. He found nothing written,

and said to the Prior, "What can here be read where naught is written?"

Then saw the Prior and wondered greatly, and said "Wit ye that his sins

were here written, and I read them: but now I see that GOD has seen his

contrition and has forgiven him all his sins." This the Abbot and the

Prior told the scholar, and he, with great Joy, thanked GOD.

Scraps from the Arundel MS.

Sinful man look up and see, how

ruefully I hung on rood;

And of my penance have pity with sorrowful

heart and dreary mood:

All this, man, I suffered for thee: My flesh

was riven, all spilt My blood;

Lift up thine heart, call thou on Me, forsake

thy sin: have mercy, GOD.

* * * * *

Think oft with sore heart of thy foul sins,

Think oft of hell-woe, of heaven-kingdom's

wins;[9]

Think of thine own death, of GOD'S death

on rood,

The grim doom of Doom's-day have thou oft

in mood:

Think how false is this world, and what its

reward,

Think what, for His good death, thou owest

thy Lord.

RICHARD ROLLE.

FOOTNOTES:

[9] Wins = joys.

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| Transcriber's Notes: |

| |

| Page 16: The speech that starts on this page with |

| "Thou wot'st...." has no closing quotes (_sic_) |

| Page 59: The speech that starts on this page with "For |

| not many...." has no closing quotes (_sic_) |

| Page 115: Closing quotes following "idle speech" removed. |

| Page 124: The speech that starts on this page with "Why |

| lieth this blood...." has no closing quotes (_sic_) |

| Page 141: Closing quote added after "... serve GOD |

| better." |

| Page 155: The speech that starts on this page with "to tell |

| thereof...." has no closing quotes (_sic_) |

| Page 177: Single closing quote following "wretch" amended |

| to double quotes |

| |

| Unless noted above, punctuation has been retained as it is |

| in the original book. Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation |

| has been retained. |

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