The original book is the oldest work of its sort hitherto known to have
existed in the German tongue.
"It may justly be said," writes Preger, "that this book denotes a high
degree in the measurement of the culture of German women, and of
religious life in the Middle Ages. With freedom and clearness of thought,
the writer combines tender and deep feeling; with a childlike and naive
perceptiveness, a true sublimity of conception. Matilda frequently
touches the depths in which speculative mysticism is formed, and her
influence is to be traced even in the work of the deep thinker who was
her compatriot, namely, Meister Eckhart, in whose language we find the
echo of Matilda's speech. This language, which she employs with freedom
and ease, takes at times the form of didactic speech, but it often rises
to musical rhythm, to lyric song, and to epic portraiture. By the variety
and life, as well as by the plastic intuition of expression, this work is
distinguished from the monotonous writings on similar subjects by older
authors."[4]
Much more might yet be said of Matilda as a writer and a poet. But it is
with Matilda, the persecuted "Friend of God," the witness for Christ in a
time dark as she describes it, that we have to do in the present
instance.
The Book and its Origin.
We have Matilda's own account of the origin of her book. She says that
when she began to live a spiritual life, and "took leave of the world,"
she found that the fulness of her bodily life and strength was a danger
to her spiritual life, and, therefore, after the manner of her times she
regarded the body as an enemy against which she was called to wage
continual war.
"I saw that the weapons furnished to my heart were the sufferings and the
death of Christ, and yet I was in great and constant fear, and I thought
to deal violent blows to my enemy with sighs and confession, and weeping,
with fasting, watching, and prayer, and with blows and stripes. And by
this means for two and twenty years I kept my body in subjection, and had
no illness.
"But after this illness came. And then came to me the mighty power, even
the love of God, and filled me to overflowing with His wonders, so that I
dared no longer keep silence, though to one so simple as I it was hard to
speak. And I said to the Lord, 'O loving God, what canst Thou find in me?
Thou knowest well I am a fool and a sinner, and a miserable creature in
soul and body. It is to the wise that Thou shouldst commit Thy wonders,
then mightest Thou be praised aright.'
"But the Lord was displeased at my words, and He rebuked me, saying,
'Tell me now, art thou not Mine?'
"'Yes, Lord, that hast Thou granted me!'
"'May I not, then, do with thee as I will?'
"'Yes, my Beloved; and I am willing to be brought to nought if Thou
willest it.'
"Then, poor creature as I was, I went to my confessor, and told him what
the Lord had put into my heart, and asked his counsel. And he said I
ought cheerfully to do that to which God had called me. And yet did I
weep with shame, seeing before my eyes my great unworthiness, and that
God should lead a despicable woman to write the things which come from
the heart and mouth of God."