And it is of this fauset, without which she drinketh,[122] that a naughted soul is drunk! There may not the power of pride play, since that she seeth herself, for this unsitting untrue[367] maketh her see perfectly herself. Now hath his goodness by pure bounty given me free will by bounty; he hath not given me a greater thing of all that he hath made for me. And the more that she seeth, in this knowing by truth, that she may not know her wickedness, of the least point into which she is fallen by wickedness. This that I was then, is marring, for all those be marred that have anything of affection in spirit. This he gave for us with such right great abundance, for he will rob me by this, and separate me of myself, for to make me live of divine pleasure. But this What the far night is? The book is divided by all the scribes into long sections, approximately the same, but Bodley further subdivides into chapters, and in a late fifteenth-century hand there are added analyses of the subject-matter of these chapters, written on small scraps of paper and pasted in the margin opposite the capital letters which denote the chapter divisions. web pages And this may not the soul do unless she be outside herself;[129] for true love ought not to desire any consolations that come of excess [of desire],[130] No truly! (8) The naught in all things for meekness. This meekness is true meekness and profit in a soul naughted, and none other but this. Before the soul indwelleth, in the time of my work, saith Love, when I work it, it is so delicious that truth calleth it, glorious food. After them drank the burning seraphins, with whose wings these free souls fly., Ah God, saith Holy Church, how it behoveth her to attend and cleanly keep herself, the soul that thus high flieth![123], Such souls, saith Love, have the mind and the understanding and the will low, by meekness and right perceiving, of knowing by subtlety of wit in divine [things], and [are] right free in all places, of the love of the Deity., Ah, Love! saith Reason, when are these souls in the right freedom of pure love?. O haste you to understand, ye that be chosen and called to this sovereign being, for it is a full great way between the first estate of life of grace to the last estate of life of glory, which the gentle far night giveth. And if it might better please him that I went to naught and had naught of being than that I should take this gift of him, I should love more that I went to naught. O Reason, saith this soul, how rude thou art! [325], Oh, saith this soul, why should I do anything that my Beloved doeth not, he wanteth nothing. And then, saith Love, to this creature, how may this soul will, when clear knowledge knoweth that there is a Being among the Beings, which is most noble of all Beings, which creatures may not have unless they have it by the not-willing?[75], Now, saith Love, hath Reason heard the answer of his questions, save where it saith, that the free soul hath in her a lack of sufficiency. . Ah, soul, alas! saith Love, what evil ye have for little gain! It may not be., Ah, God, saith Reason, how dare any say this! Appease you, Lady Soul, if you believe me, for there is none other thing than this for you [to do] but that you should have the gift of creature, soothly such as belongeth to you to have., Ah, Lady Love, saith this soul, this said you not to me when I knew you first. O ye deep worthy well, in whom the sun shineth, where the splendour of the sun continually is found, and the beams thrown out, saith Truth, of divine science, we wit it by very sapience, that the splendour maketh you to work alway.. Ye have sat at my table, so I have given you my mess, and so have ye right well learned, and right well my mess savoured, and my vines of fulness, of which ye be the cutting. In such [a] prison love hath reclused her. And in those few places that I put in more than I find written, I will begin with the first letter of my name M, and end with this letter N, the first of my surname. And this is a sweet beholding and a profitable, to them that behold it, and to disencumber them of themselves, to approach[385] this being that we have spoken of. Whoso serveth, he is not free; whoso feeleth he is not dead, whoso desireth he would [have], whoso would [have], he beggeth. Of this divine love the divine will useth in me, for me, and without my beholding. [So] saith this soul in her Beloved, that is full perfect love. And Love hath in him no discretion. remained an integral part of the Mirror's history well beyond the events of 1310, revealing how seriously churchmen took Marguerite Porete's ideas on their own terms, in contexts entirely removed from Marguerite's identity and her fate. Lord, this is a greater thing to embrace our hearts in the love of you, by thinking on one of your benefits that ye have done for us, than were all the world and the heaven and the earth, if they were set on fire for to destroy one body. [256] Of what, then, should her inwardness feel in the time of this union, or [how] should she herself move herself? This I say to the persons for whom Love hath made this book, to him for whom I have written it. [For it is to be] in God without being, [for] in Gods self is being. And she told her alway, that she should do all that the virtues would, without any withstanding, unto the death. Ye give all by pure fine noblesse, without asking of love his richesse, but [only] the will of his divine pleasing. And these pains and passions be not only in the exercise of the spirit, by putting away vices in getting of virtues, but they be also of bodily exercise by commandments of virtues and by counsel of reason; to fast and wake, and to do penance in many sundry wises, and forsake all her own pleasures and all lusts and likings; and in the beginning of all this, it is ofttimes full sharp and full hard. In this, not till then when one hath paid to Jesu Christ all that he oweth him may he have the peace of the divine country where life dwelleth. At my will, Reason, saith Love, who have turned her wholly to me., And what be ye, Love? saith Reason; be ye not a virtue with us, except that ye are above us?, I am God, saith Love. I have said, saith this soul that this book first wrote, that love hath had it made by science of men, and by the will of unity of mine inwardness, of which I am encumbered. The mirror of simple souls by Porete, Marguerite, approximately 1250-1310. ABSTRACT. For the outpouring of the divine love showed me by divine light, an highful opening approaching to the truth, that showed me suddenly him and me. Two times, saith the Light of the soul, soothly, no more than men may number how often I have drawn my breath, no more may my sins be numbered. The general impression is against this reading, and the passages in the Prologues and on pp. This is the eagle[108] that flieth high; so right high and yet more high than doth any other bird, for she is feathered with fine love, and she beholdeth above others the beauty of the sun. Also in other usages that be all inward, they pray not neither, but it all prayeth afore God[233] But yet they pray in common, by the rule and ordinance of Holy Church, all things unite alway their will to his will, who hath made and bought them. And if he be [afeared], he is not all fully drunk. And because of this beholding, is this soul become naught, and less than naught in all her beholdings. These that such be resemble always a drunken [man], for the drunken man, he is no more afeared for anything that is coming to him, whatever adventure may befall him, than if it came not to him. Nothing may grieve her, nor nothing encumber. Him so high and me so low, that I might no more from thence rise, nor help of myself have and that was best. For as I hold of my proper nature this which is evil, then am I all evils; and he is the greatness of all goodness that holdeth in him of his proper nature all goodness. I wot[39] well your service is too travailous. The Mirror of Simple Souls This final study will look ahead to an illuminist book of Christian piety, called le Mirouer des simples ames, written in French, right at the end of the thirteenth century. Thinking is worth no more, nor work, nor eloquence; Love draweth me so high. But this she did all by commandments of virtues that were first ladies and mistresses of this soul. We understand this well, that it is said of evil Christians for we hopefully that none may perish who in all things do our teaching, by help of desire, which giveth a true feeling of Jesu Christ. (10) The fulfilled. It may be a very useful text to the people of today. But nevertheless the soul comes never to divine usages[25] before she have [attained to] this usage, for all other human usages be under these usages; this is divine usage, and none other but this. it has never nothing of will. Further investigation leads to the discovery that the movement is not a cyclical repetition, but an ascending spiral leading from earth to heaven. MP writes in a lyric prose style which I find enjoyable. But one thing it pleaseth me to say, saith this soul, not for them that be settled, they have no need, for it does not concern them; but for them that are not, that yet shall be, they must trouble, for it is for them to take heed that they be upon their guard or waiting, if so be that love sendeth them anything of the same that he hath ordained for them, that they refuse it not, for nothing that may fall. In this secret, the divine Trinity hath ordained the holy Sacrament of the Altar to nourish and to sustain holy Church, saith the soul of Faith, illumined by the divine Trinity. Pelzer, of the Vatican Library; Miss Hope Allen; Mr. J.A. In this I [should] love myself if I lacked anything since he lacks nothing. The soul describes the last stage of her spiritual journey, the nature of the fierce conflict to which Love puts her love, and the final issue. That is alone [or all one] in love. I have no possession in this doing. Also, she is naked from her body, for as the skin [of an animal] is made naked of bodily clothing, right so is her spirit naked from her body, so that it is not in the body, for the sensuality of her body is worn away and delivered by divine works. It includes elements of Boethian allegory and draws on the literary tradition of courtly love, while describing the annihilation and apotheosis of the Soul . Index to Text. The Vlth Division, the second part of the book (VI-XVII), in which the description of the nature of the free soul is mingled with sundry recapitulations, is illustrated partly from reminiscences of earlier mystical works St Bonaventure, St Augustine, Richard of St Victor. The Son is fruition agreeable. Ah, what may this be, Lady Love, saith Reason, that this soul may thus will, as this writing saith, that before hath said that she hath no will?, O Reason, saith Love, it is not her will, this that she willeth, but it is the will of God, all that she willeth; for this soul taketh not the lead in love, that thus should make her will by any desire, but Love leadeth in her [which] her will hath taken, and doth his will of her.. His name is the Holy Ghost, so have I in heart such union in love, that Love giveth me to love in him, that it maketh me a joyful life to lead. I know well, saith this soul, that Love herself maketh them to endure, that is mistress of this work., I have said before, saith this soul, that nothing faulteth me,[145] since that my love hath all in him, of his rightwise nobleness, without beginning and shall have without end. And this is right hard, more hard without comparison than be the twain before. MS.properties probable translation of O.F. Himself saith in the Gospel: Whoever believeth in me, he shall do such works as I do, and yet more greater shall he do. but right drunk and more than drunk! This is a scholar of divinity; she sitteth in the valley of meekness and in the plain of truth and in the mountain of love, there she resteth her.. The mystical exaltation of the soul proceeds not so much from what she has already experienced of the divine love, but from the knowledge of the infinite possibilities of the content of the divine being and his love. Therefore they think that neither they nor others can nor may speak [thereof]; but all is gabbing, for as much as they may not reach to a point of the fullhead of soothfastness. They, saith Love, that in nothing are wrong, and know that they are in nothing right. Not, saith Love, by the efforts to reach to divine knowledge, for it may not be that any understanding, however illumined, might attain to any of the influences of divine love; but the love of this divine soul is conjunct, clad, and arrayed in this more of this passing divine love. The third censor was Don Frank, Cantor of the Abbey of Villiers, whose interests (perhaps because of his office) were in scriptural interpretation. Therefore is she Mary. It is possible, and his views are much illuminated by a comparison with those of the writer of the Letter. It is the easiest of his literary sources to trace. Lady, it may not be that ye had been [his mother]. Then with true love they print so their wills in Gods will, by meek obedience, that they cannot pray in this time for themselves, nor for none other. But I have found few of gentil-in-being and fewer of them that be in freedom without fail, of which this book speaketh, that have one sole will that fine love maketh to have; for fine love maketh to have one only will and one love. In heaven when the divine Trinity made the angels of the courtesy of his divine noblesse, some were evil, on account of their perverse election in agreeing to the evil will of Lucifer, who desired to have, by his nature, that which he might not have but by divine grace. This was of free will, and this free will he may not take from her, without the pleasing of the soul. That is, to understand it better, that whoso knew of him all that is said, it should be naught as in regard of the great knowledge that dwelleth in him beyond our knowing. Available formats PDF Please select a format to save. Excuse me, for jealousy of love, and work of charity in which I am encumbered, have made this book, to the end that ye that read this book without abiding,[221] may at least share the same in will, if ye have it not yet. So went I not lightly away. For no more be the angels encumbered to keep us than if they kept us not; neither is this soul [encumbered] any more by what she doth, than if she did it not. And right so do the souls of which we speak, that be vessels of this election, to whom God showeth and giveth his noble gifts., Now, Reason, saith Love, you ask of us, why we have this soul so little a name named, as is Soul. This is the fruit of the contribution of the noteworthy friars who had recently passed across from the Observants, the likes of Bernardino dAsti, Giovanni Pili da Fano and Bernardino Ochino. I have said before, saith Love, that men dare not speak openly of their usages; without fail, no! . The parallelism between our author s doctrine of the Dark Night and that of St John of the Cross admits of further analysis. For otherwise, else, they should fall into loss of this life, unless they do alway the contrary of their pleasure. And then I beheld who these should be that should ascend to heaven. [263] These two debts, the one and the other, be henceforward all one, for this is the counsel of my next neighbour, and thereto I consent. We cannot determine with any exactness who was the author of the Mirren, nor has anything further come to light since Miss Underhill, in 1911, conjectured that he may have been a secular priest or a Carthusian living on the borders of Flanders and France in the last third of the thirteenth century. Ah, Lady Love, saith this soul, for God, be still of this, for truly I may not cease, even to save all the world, if it might be. And they have so great pleasure in their works, that they have no knowing that there is any better being than the being of works of virtue and deaths of martyrdom, and they desire to persevere in this by help of meditations fulfilled with prayers, in multiplied means of good will, alway. And in this doing she may have no bitterness, nor by this may she not have dullness nor feebleness of body; no more also may the soul that of him is updrawn., The third is that a soul attend to the affection of love of works of perfection, by which her spirit burns by desires, accepting the love of these works to multiply in her. The joys of these folks are to have poverties and tribulations, and then it is the time of spirit. And yet in all this time is not the spirit perfectly dead while the wills [still] have their powers by inward feelings. If she saw herself in this divine bounty she should be for herself;[294] but he seeth this bounty in her who wist this of her before she was. A place for taking pleasure, hence garden, orchard. The doctrine of not being with herself, and naught willing, which first appeared as a method towards peace of soul, is now seen as part of Gods claim upon the soul and as a passive purgation. I have said, saith Love, that they whom I have summoned by their own inwardness to obey the perfection of virtues, who ought to have done so, that they dwell unto the time of death encumbered of themselves, though they travail every day with themselves to fulfil the perfection of the apostles, by study of reason and of goodwill, they shall never be unencumbered of themselves, neither of body nor of soul. Search the history of over 804 billion M. Holy Writ saith, Unde sapiens justus ex fide vivit[60] Comprehend! And forasmuch as I will naught, saith this soul, I am a solitary soul, and separate from myself,[197] and all free. Keep her attention fixed upon, occupy herself with the work God is doing, as well as doing the work he has given her to do. And when she cometh down therefrom, then is she thrall, falling or fading. This is [how] no power taketh from me my will, if my will will not assent thereto. So thus she seeth bounty, through his high bounty, by divine light, in the sixth estate, of which beholding the soul is clarified. ABSTRACT In 1946 Romana Guarnieri identified Marguerite Porete as the author of the Mirror of Simple Souls. And therefore, they dwellin works., Alas, how they be deceived, who of this think them to suffice! Thus saith the prophet in Holy Writ: Stint ye sometime and behold God,[232] as who saith, Rest sometime from your own works of outward labours, and behold God how good he is, and suffer him to work in you. Also this soul that sitteth full high in the seat of peace, she saith that she prayeth not. And for this had he three, that yet it may be had, when God giveth it to his creatures by fervour of burning charity. for God does not move himself, nor does she move herself.. Right as God is that is, without any beginning so have I been in his divine knowing, that I shall be without end. This analysis should encourage the reader over those long passages where admittedly scholastic subtleties and monotonous repetitions threaten to overwhelm our interest, and where we recognise at times that the doctrinal dangers we have already noted are accentuated rather than diminished. And this love is without work of body, and without work of heart, and without work of the spirit, for divine work hath fulfilled the law. So hath she of God this which she hath; and she is this which God is, by union of love, in that point where she was, before God had her of his bounty made. And since I love not myself but for him, there faileth me nothing whatever, as I have said afore. . And in the meantime that I most had them, Love made me hear and speak of him. ; to Miss Ruffer, Miss M. Daunt, and many others. Wherefore I will follow the sense, according to the matter, as near as God will give me grace, obeying me ever to the correction of Holy Church, praying ghostly livers and clerks that they will vouchsafe to correct and amend there what I do amiss. There is one substance enduring, one fruition agreeable, one conjunction amiable. [370] All is of his own proper being and this proper self-being is the sixth being of which we have promised the auditors to speak in the takings of Love. Cf. These were verse competitions produced at the Puys, in which some question is mooted and alternate sides are taken by two or more characters. And then I said this, that if it might be that he might love another more than me? He lacks naught; then, I lack naught, and this point taketh from me the love of myself, and giveth me him without mean and without withstanding. But every usage is had[153] one after another, as love worketh and as dispositions come and go, but these usages are inhabited in the soul and used customarily. This that she is, saith Love, in her knowing., Right sweet Holy Ghost, teach it us! For God the Father hath given to his Son all his goodness, and this bounty of God is given to be known to mankind by the death of Christ Jesu his Son; and this Son is the magnificence of the Father everlastingly and the buyer of mankind. But the understanding of divine love, that taketh the lead in a naughted soul which is made free, understandeth it without erring, for she is [of] the same [nature]., O thou understanding of Reason, saith the highness of the understanding of Love, understand now the rudeness of thy misunderstanding. All that the virtues would, without the pleasing of the Cross admits of further analysis, does... Wholly to me., and less than naught in all her beholdings Holy saith... 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