"The Shewing is not other than of faith, nor less nor more"
And [it was] to learn us this, as to mine understanding, [that] our
Lord God shewed our Lady Saint Mary in the same time: that is to say,
the high Wisdom and Truth _she_ had in beholding of her Maker so great,
so holy, so mighty, and so good. This greatness and this nobleness of
the beholding of God fulfilled her with reverent dread, and withal she
saw herself so little and so low, so simple and so poor, in regard
of[1] her Lord God, that this reverent dread fulfilled her with
meekness. And thus, by this ground [of meekness] she was fulfilled with
grace and with all manner of virtues, and overpasseth all creatures.
In all the time that He shewed this that I have told now in spiritual
sight, I saw the bodily sight lasting of the plenteous bleeding of the
Head. The great drops of blood fell down from under the Garland like
pellots, seeming as it had come out of the veins; and in the coming
out they were brown-red, for the blood was full thick; and in the
spreading-abroad they were bright-red; and when they came to the brows,
then they vanished; notwithstanding, the bleeding continued till many
things were seen and understood. The fairness and the lifelikeness
is like nothing but the same; the plenteousness is like to the drops
of water that fall off the eaves after a great shower of rain, that
fall so thick that no man may number them with bodily wit; and for the
roundness, they were like to the scale of herring, in the spreading on
the forehead. These three came to my mind in the time: pellots, for
roundness, in the coming out of the blood; the scale of herring, in the
spreading in the forehead, for roundness; the drops off eaves, for the
plenteousness innumerable.
This Shewing was quick and life-like, and horrifying and dreadful,
sweet and lovely. And of all the sight it was most comfort to me that
our God and Lord that is so reverend and dreadful, is so homely and
courteous: and this most fulfilled me with comfort and assuredness of
soul.
And to the understanding of this He shewed this open example:--
It is the most worship that a solemn King or a great Lord may do a poor
servant if he will be homely with him, and specially if he sheweth
it _himself_, of a full true meaning, and with a glad cheer, both
privately and in company. Then thinketh this poor creature thus: _And
what might this noble Lord do of more worship and joy to me than to
shew me that am so simple this marvellous homeliness? Soothly it is
more joy and pleasance to me than [if] he gave me great gifts and were
himself strange in manner._
This bodily example was shewed so highly that man's heart might be
ravished and almost forgetting itself for joy of the great homeliness.
Thus it fareth with our Lord Jesus and with us. For verily it is the
most joy that may be, as to my sight, that He that is highest and
mightiest, noblest and worthiest, is lowest and meekest, homeliest and
most courteous: and truly and verily this marvellous joy shall be shewn
us all when we see Him.
And this willeth our Lord that we seek for and trust to, joy and
delight in, comforting us and solacing us, as we may with His grace
and with His help, unto the time that we see it verily. For the most
fulness of joy that we shall have, as to my sight, is the marvellous
courtesy and homeliness of our Father, that is our Maker, in our Lord
Jesus Christ that is our Brother and our Saviour.
But this marvellous homeliness may no man fully see in this time of
life, save he have it of special shewing of our Lord, or of great
plenty of grace inwardly given of the Holy Ghost. But faith and belief
with charity deserveth the meed: and so it is had, by grace; for in
faith, with hope and charity, our life is grounded. The Shewing, made
to whom that God will, plainly teacheth the same, opened and declared,
with many privy points belonging to our Faith which be worshipful to
know. And when the Shewing which is given in a time is passed and hid,
then the faith keepeth [it] by grace of the Holy Ghost unto our life's
end. And thus through the Shewing it is not other than of faith, nor
less nor more; as it may be seen in our Lord's teaching in the same
matter, by that time that it shall come to the end.
[1] _i.e._ seen at the same time as, or in comparison with. See the
note to ch. iv. p. 9.