Ah, ah, fine love of my heart. N. These twelve names Love giveth her. But it dare not be said of anything that he wills to do! There is no mean[225] between them and the Deity, nor no mean desire they; these souls may not suffer the thanking of any earthly love, nor the love of divine feelings, for the pure divine love that this soul hath to Love.. Thus prayeth she not. It explains the apparent contradiction which the previous paragraphs offer to the general message of the book, in the statement that some souls. Also, I have [together] with my poverty, the great filth of sin and of sins, which none knoweth but Truth alone. And thus I have in me by his pure bounty, his goodness divine and have had without beginning, and shall have without end. Thus Love, that is, God the Holy Ghost, worketh graciously in these persons, in whom he holdeth his school and arrayeth them so with fair flowers of his high noblesse, that there may no spots nor blemishes[55] in them abide. Nor I wot not what I am, for I wot naught of my passing[386] feebleness, of my passing foolishness,[387] of my passing wickedness. MS. God loveth better the more of him in him, than the less of himself., And in the perfect fulfilment of this more , The soul protests against the exaggerated spiritual talk of others, urging first that these speak too little of Gods. I answered anon this, that [as] I was, I would [have] no more help of him, nor of anything that might do me good. And they live on the chaff of rye and of rough barley, that have maintained[371] usages of outward wills, which be of human natures. And in this sense taketh the soul leave of them, and [yet] are they always with these souls; for I make an ensample [of it], as thus: If a man serve a master, he is with him whom he serveth, but his master is not with him. Oh, without fail! But the works of virtues be all within this soul enclosed, that obey her without any withstanding. This soul desireth not despite nor poverty, nor tribulation nor dis-ease, nor masses nor sermons, nor fastings nor orisons, and she giveth to nature all that she asketh without grudging of conscience.. it. He who calleth it little, I hold he was never well illuminated, nor never shall be unless he amend him For he hath greatlv offended in this, that he putteth the displeasing of our Lord in such reckless heed.. Then be all the virtues that be germain to Reason mothers of holiness? saith this soul. Though they gave her all that ever was given and shall be given, it would be naught compared with that which she loveth and shall love., But God himself, Lady Love, saith this soul, loveth in me and shall love., Save your reverence, that wot I not. Ah, soul! saith Love, how you are encumbered by your self!, Yea, soothly, saith this soul, my body is in feebleness and my soul in dread, and often I have heaviness, saith she, will I or nill I of these two natures, that the far-off freedom I may not have.. Lady Love, saith this soul; so [I] was then, but now, your courtesy has delivered me in this way out of this bondage.[38] Therefore I say, Virtues, I take leave of you for evermore. So thus she seeth bounty, through his high bounty, by divine light, in the sixth estate, of which beholding the soul is clarified. I say sister, because it is a greater thing to be mother than child; this ye see well; and nearer is kin than stranger., Oh, saith this soul that speaketh in the person of Reason, then is that meekness that is mother of these virtues but a daughter. In these three words is fulfilled all the perfection of this clear life. Now hath the divine bounty put free will by pure divine goodness in her who is but in evils, that is, in all wickedness enclosed. [6], By the kindness of Monsignor Auguste Pelzer, of the Vatican Library, and of Dom Philibert Schmitz, O.S.B., I am able to state that besides the Cambridge Latin text four other Latin translations are known and one Italian MSS. CLARE KIRCHBERGER. But I shall tell you, saith this soul, wherein I am appeased concerning this people; in this, Lady Love, that they be out of the court of your secrets, right as a churl is out of a gentlemans court, in judgement at Paris, for there may none be admitted unless he be of gentle lineage and nameable in the kings court[224] And in this I rest me,saith this soul, for even so, they be driven out of the court of your secrets, there where these others be called, who never forget the works of your sweet courtesy, that is, the despites and poverties, and the torments unsufferable that ye have suffered for us; they forget never the gifts of your sufferings, it is alway as a mirror and ensample to them., To these folks, saith Love, are ordained all necessary things, for God commanded them in the Gospel. And these be the degrees by which men ascend from the valley to the top of the mountain that is so separate that it seeth God only. By this way, saith this soul that is free; if she holdeth all without care or without heart[285] and all giveth without heart, and all taketh without heart, and all hath without heart; and if her heart feel it, this is she not.[286] for the inward life of spirit, they shall yet come to all lordship and sovereignty., Oh, saith the spirit that this same seeketh in life marred,[287] tell me how?, Forsooth, saith this soul that standeth in freedom, none can see it but he only that is this thing in creatures, of his bounty for creature. The whole passage is very obscure. Truth, saith this soul. Why, saith Love, marvelleth Holy Church, though the virtues serve the high heavenly souls, and why should they not? This is God over all and there, saith this soul, I find him., O sweet Lady of us, saith Reason, tell us what ye be that speak thus?, I am, saith this soul, this that I am; of the grace of God that am I only, and none other thing than that which God is, in me. understand it, ye that hear this, if ye may! No, though men knew as much as men shall know in heaven, or that might, passing that, be compared by the comparison of a part; so that all this that men shall know, were naught in regard of the whole to which men compared it. And now I shall tell you why it was done in the mountain. 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. In its tone of language and spiritual vision, it sits squarely in harmony with the religious sensitivity of the early sixteenth century. . Thus I shall tell you how I relinquish you and me and mine even-Christian, everyone, in witting of your divine wisdom, in the streams of your divine might, in. But the first angels have not the name of seraphins, but of angels, and the seraphins have both the one name and the other; understand without saying[240] what this means! But God hath kept me well, saith this soul, from such lore of Reasons disciples they shall not hold me in their counsel, nor their doctrine will I no more hear; I have been long therein holden, sometime I thought it was good, it is not now my best; of that, they know nothing; for a little wit may not put a price [upon a] thing of worthy value, nor understand anything unless reason be master thereof; and if they did understand it any time, it is not often. www.capuchin.org.au, Capuchin Mission Office This soul is no-one by naughting, and she recketh not in this naughting, though the serpent her devour. Where the eldest born daughter of the high King is set, there faileth her nothing of gentleness. M. This word perished, may not be taken for perishing of the perdition of soul, that they should not be saved, but it is to mean, right as Love saith, they lean so upon their own works, weening that it is best so, that they continue to follow none other, and therefore they may not attain to the highest; but for the least they lose the best, therefore he calleth them perished; not for the works, but for their satisfaction [in them]. in the British Museum, pointed it out to Miss E. Underhill, in a MS. purchased for the British Museum at the Amherst sale (now MS. Reason, saith the soul, that ye hear me complain, it is mine all and my best in well-understanding. This freedom, the highest state of the soul, implies a perfect union of will with God, so that the desires are transformed, and only that which pleases God is desirable. Oh soothly she hath enough of faith without work to believe that God is good, without comprehending. There is none so great clerk in the world that can speak to you. 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. [111] She is common to all, by largesse of pure charity. But this I shall tell you, saith this free soul, what behoveth a creature ere he come thereto. That saveth her by faith without work. In this he hath set me of his courtesy; that he willeth this that I will, nor he willeth nothing that I unwill. Soothly, Lord, I am so abashed of that which I know, that I cannot but abash myself. M. Ye auditors of this book, take keep of these words that say not that we be lords free of all; for whilst we be in this world, we may not be free of all, that is to say, we may not be departed continually from all spots of sin. in good understanding! She wotteth not of anything that is, for she is not; but God wot in her, of him, for her, of himself. This is the uncreated goodness[348] that he hath made created; so leadeth goodness unwrought, the goodness that he hath wrought. Perhaps some of the irony of the method of beholdings proper for the marred was intended for a school of thought that fostered imaginative meditation. I am not. I shall not do it. So it befell that this lady heard tell of the great courtesy and of the great largesse of King Alexander; and anon she loved him for his noble gentleness and for his high renown. We take the service of the four elements in all the manners that nature hath need, without grudging of reason, as we do other things. This book saith sooth of the soul, that saith she has six wings. But for those folk, saith Love, that work by their wills, they refuse God the realm., Eh, without fail, saith Reason, so do they [indeed]!, So do they [refuse to yield themselves], saith this freed soul, but they ought to do so, or they should lose all the little cattle[187] that they have., This is sooth, Lady Soul, saith Reason, I grant it you., These folk, saith Love, that work thus by their wills, be not quit from thraldom. As an opponent of the Mendicants his approbation formed a valuable counterpart to that of the Franciscan Friar, Fr. She was simultaneously commanded to cease But they in heaven shall have it in their knowing, all those that there shall be; not to my confusion but to my great glory; for this, my sweet God, that by those sins in which I have made you wrath, your mercy shall be known and your great largesse, full of courtesy, shall be felt., Sooth, saith Love, the which courtesy giveth peace in conscience to this soul, whatever she doeth or leaveth to do., Give, Lord, saith this soul, to will your will perfectly, for to will perfectly your will is perfect charity., And who hath alway in his will perfect charity, he should no more have grudging of conscience, saith Love, for grudging of conscience is naught else but a default of charity. For by right, the contemplatives should pass the state of scholars, as masters of divinity be passed schools. Then shall I say, saith Love, this which Reason should say if she were alive in you and which she should ask of you, our Beloved, saith Love to this soul, which is Love and none other thing than Love. The life of Marguerite, called Porete, is remarkably obscure. Venerabilis Godfridus de Fontanis, Master of Theology at the Sorbonne, who flourished c. 1286-1303, and who appears to have died in 1306, when Ruysbroeck was a child of thirteen. Then follows a piece of autobiography. [30] But this falling of the righteous is more merit than sin, because of the good will that standeth unbroken, and is oned to God. And of the martyrdom of will and love, CHAPTER II: How the affection of tenderness of love that the soul feeleth in life of spirit which she weeneth it to be in God, is in herself, and of the profit of naught witting, CHAPTER I: How this soul is in her highest perfection when holy church taketh no ensample of her. (5) The [en] lightened of knowing. If this may not be then were God subject to his virtues, and the virtues should be against the soul; but they have being from our Lord, for the profit of the [soul]., Now, saith she, I shall tell the sum of my questions and these my questions shall be by the Sum fulfilled. And not only these words but also many more other words that be written before and after seem fable or error, or hard to understand. These folks be the least that may be, as in their own sight, witness of God himself, who saith that the least shall be the most in the kingdom of heaven. As a result, this edition offers a reading ofThe Mirror of Simple Souls that solves a number of difficulties found in the French. [303] Where lieth the gloss of these words, I ask you? This may mean that she has no will i.e., she is indifferent concerning her own satisfaction, or that her will is made naught , MS. and this hase of failance and not of suffisance.. for as much as she willeth naught., Now is this soul come to knowing of more, truly in this only, that she knoweth not of this naught-in-God, compared with the all-of-him. This daughter of Sion desireth neither masses nor sermons, fastings nor orisons. This is the fulhead and the substance of my peace, and the true rest of my thought, for I love not myself but for him. they leave it to the Master and are disposed[243] to show it or to hide it, all at his will. In England the translation must have fallen between Rolles work and that of Julian of Norwich, and have been contemporary with the Cloud and Hilton. [219], This soul, saith Love, that liveth of the life of glory, is alway without-her., O Love, saith Reason, when is this soul without-her and when is she with-her?, She is without-her, saith Love, when she is in nothingness, neither in God, nor in herself, nor in her even-Christian, but in the naughting that this far night worketh in her. 184, pp. The scheme of the Threefold Ascent, as expounded by Love and the Free Soul, is a vindication of the valid rational factor; and there may be significance in the passage where, rejoicing over the death of Reason (the rationalistic figure), Love claims that she herself will now put the questions to the Soul which Reason would have asked, and she does in effect argue awhile from the rationalist point of view until, later, rationalism merges into illumined Reasonableness. That she is come to; and how the divine beholding hath but one entent and of the peace of that food that love giveth her, CHAPTER I: Of what abundance of grace our blessed Lady had in the womb of her mother, and of certain beholdings that be convenable for the marred, to come to the being that this book speaketh of, CHAPTER II: Of the beholdings that this soul had in this foresaid life, CHAPTER III: How the beholding of the goodness of God and of her wretchedness sent this soul to meditation. I hold, saith she, for this, mine [own which] I shall not let go; it is in my will, befall what may; for he is with me, then it were a default if I [let myself be] dismayed., This soul, saith Love, is lady of virtues, daughter of deity, sister of wisdom, and the spouse of love., Soothly, saith this soul, but this seemeth to Reason a marvellous language, and that is no wonder, for it shall not be long until he shall not be; but I was, saith this soul, and am, and shall be without failing; for love hath neither beginning, nor comprehending, nor end; and I am [nothing] but love, how might I then have end? By using this service, . Lords hearing, Lords loving! He shall love nothing without you, nor you also love nothing without him! For, Lord, my weening[156] is this, and it is truth, that though none had sinned but I alone, you would have bought my soul with your love, late laid on cross for me, by the use of powers ordained to destroy my sin. O what do ye then, right sweet soul, tell us? saith Holy-Church-the-little-with-all-his-rude-scripture. And by this love amiable these souls behold always the Beloved.. In her late thirteenth-century dialogue, the Mirror of Simple Souls, Marguerite Porete reframes the origin and the function of penitential practice by drawing on conceptions that associate Mary Magdalene with original sin and personal salvation. Now answer this; unless he help him then, when shall he help him? Such a soul is so clear in knowing, that she seeth herself not in God, nor God in herself.. And this hath rested her of all things by excellent nobleness.. But his goodness may not suffer his power to unfree me of free will, in nowise. In the embrace of the Father and the Son it is, as it were, the Holy Spirit which is intermediary. But who believeth a thing which he is not? And ourselves as we ought, is that, in doing of this we look not to our own profit, but to the perfect will of him, God, Christ Jesu. Then, say I, that this is truth, that men may give me naught, whatever thing that it may be., And this complaint. O full naked and dark, dry and unsavoury be the speakings and writings of these high ghostly feelings of the love of God, to them that have not tasted the sweetness thereof. Such folks, saith Love, be folks full sure, their gates be open, and within none may grieve, nor can any work of charity come to naught;[227] such folks sit in the mountain, and none other but they., Oh for God, saith Reason, Lady Love, this tell us. And what shame or glory hath St Peter for this, that God raised the dead by his work, though he had denied him three times? Then it behoved her not to be, nor to put [her will] again where he is not. [63] N. The third point, saith Love, is this. And the second staff, on the right side, is the upraised knowledge of the Deity that this soul receiveth and keepeth firmly. And if I might comprehend one of these two natures I should comprehend both. And the light of the opening of this book hath made me find mine [own] and to dwell in that. For more details on the dependency of Pili on the work of Cordoni, and consequent to that, of Porete, see Cargnoni. [She is] not glorified, for the body is tied to this creature, but divinely and gloriously, for the inwardness is perfectly delivered of all creatures. But this, that they save themselves by faith without works, and that they can no more work, it is not meant that they cease from all good works for evermore, and never do any work, but sit in sloth and idleness of soul and body; for those who take it so, they misunderstand it; but it is thus. He is right well born that is of that lineage, those be folks royal, their hearts are so excellent noble, and of such great worthiness and wisdom that they may not do thing of little value, nor begin thing without attaining the crown. This is sooth, saith Love, for all others than these make answer through want of simplicity, but only these naked [souls] forget and have naught to answer., This soul, saith Love, doeth no more work for God nor for herself, nor for her even-Christian, even as it is said before in this book. [186] This soul hath in all places her peace, for she beareth always peace with her, so that for this peace, all places be convenient to her, and all things also. But this What the far night is? And this light giveth her this will to put again her will in God, which she cannot yield without this light, that it may go forth to him, unless it depart from her proper will. Nevertheless he is far from depreciating Understanding, as a separate faculty from the rationalising Reason, and the tenor of his argument brings him into line with the great mystics who have held together the value of Knowledge and the value of Love as means towards the apprehension of God. . There dangers may no more appear, but glorious life is had. And if they have anything, these that be such, few folks wit where they be, but it behoveth that there be [men who] by the goodness of God, in whom is all bounty, [should supply something] to sustain the faith of Holy Church. [326], Oh, what a great pity it is when wickedness hath the victory over goodness. But one thing. She is so fulfilled in God that neither world nor flesh nor enemy may grieve her, for they may not find her in her works. Up to this time hath she no peace fully, steadfastly, nor peaceably, till she be of her will purely departed. As much as I comprehend of my feebleness, of my foolishness, and of my wickedness. And the hid treasure of his sole goodness hath so, in inwardness, annihilated her,[164] that she is dead to all feelings both inward and outward, so that such a soul doth no more works, for God nor for her soul. This falling is so perfect, if she be rightly fallen, that the soul may not arise out of this deepness, nor she ought not to do it. And with all our virtue, is that we should do all our works purely for him. Charity is so wise a merchant that she winneth over all where others lose, and escapeth from perils where others perish, unto plenteous multiplying of that that is in love. 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. Then the soul is dangerous, noble, and delicious, in which she may not suffer that anything touch her but the touchings of pure delight of love, in the which she is singularly gladsom and jolly, and it maketh her proud, of abundance of love. 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.. She seeth well then, that God by his high majesty, he is in all. Now hear among you, the great perfection of the naughted souls, these which we have spoken of. This is to be understood, that God wot all, and whoso consenteth to do sin, he taketh from God his will; this is sooth, for he doeth that which God willeth not, and is against his divine bounty., Now, saith this soul, behold the debt of one only misdoing; for in sooth, she oweth of twain who hath twice fallen into sin.. This can be conveyed through the dramatic form, more convincingly, perhaps, than in a methodical treatise. He has derived from the same sources as our author those distinctions of flesh, psyche (i.e., mind and will), spirit, regarded as states of the soul, from and in which she needs purgation; and accordingly distinguishes the Dark Night as being first of the senses, then of the soul, lastly of the spirit. These, saith Love, be much more courteous than be the other foresaid, and nevertheless, saith Love, yet be they little; so little that none can see it, as compared with the greatness of them that be dead of life of spirit, and be in the life of glory. This wit all they who undertake works of themselves without the fervour of the willing of their inwardness.. These souls of this disposition be drawn at other times to behold Gods privy works, his judgements, and his providences. If it may be said that the work of the intellect in prayer spoils prayer, that does not apply to the habitual state of the mind at other times than those of prayer, and the best vindication of mystical union is a life intensely fruitful in some direction. Into this servitude enter they, saith this soul, that in all, they believe and follow these two virtues, Reason and Dread, for they nourish Will. MS. I have not of what, nor for what: Fr. Therefore they see him not glorified, except by understanding, and we see him by virtue of faith, contradicting therein the reasoning of our wits [which tell us] that we see but bread, nor feel nor savour nor smell [aught else]. As a result, this edition offers a reading of The Mirror of Simple Souls that solves a number of difficulties found in the French. O thou Lord God! saith this soul, my sins may none know in this world, as they be, in hideous figure, save you. Her other work on Marguerite includes Seeing Marguerite in the Mirror: A Linguistic Analysis of Porete's 'Mirror of Simple Souls' (Peeters, 2011). But such nature is so well ordered by its conjunction in union with the divine love, to which the will of this soul is joined, that she asketh nothing that is against the ordinance of the divine righteousness. For it falleth oftentimes that when white and black are come together, the one may be seen the better from the other; for white seemeth more white by black, and black by white. And for this reason that is more mine which he knoweth and I know not, than this which I know and which is mine. (READ) PDF The Mirror of Simple Souls. O courteous without measure, this ought to seem well to me, saith this soul, when you will meekly suffer. And all those that never understood this point be full little to her, saith this soul, in comparison with the more great whereof we speak not. God-love. And the soul to whom this far night hath given this gift, hath so great knowing of God and of herself, and of all things that she seeth in Gods being, by divine knowing. Why so anguishously? To be in that state is to be in paradise, though she is not there in a physical state; or possibly she is in paradise without [consciousness] of any particular state (being).. Generally the subject is proposed on one side, and the opponent chooses his argument and defends it on the humaner line of reasoning. But if I might amend it, I would amend it, and if I had as much might as he[142] hath, I would love him as much as you are worth!, Ah right sweet soul, saith Love, ye may no more say! [337] So may not the virtues be against virtues, but above them. That doth naught for God. Hermetic Library Fellow T Polyphilus reviews The Mirror of Simple Souls [Bookshop, Amazon, Publisher] by Margaret Porette. Lord, ye be one only God in three Persons, and I am one only enemy in three mischances.[388]. And since it is so, that he shall be in me, without end by love, right so have I been loved of him without beginning., Look what you say. ABSTRACT In 1946 Romana Guarnieri identified Marguerite Porete as the author of the Mirror of Simple Souls. I will nothing that he willeth not. It is after the Death of Reason (though the writer allows her to reappear unawares once or twice) that the method changes. And the beam and the brightness of the sun and the heat thereof give her as food the gum of the high cedar. Can none tell whence this line cometh?, No, saith Love, they that know cannot put it into speech., This is sooth, saith this soul, but I shall add here to this what I shall say. but that the divine nature took nature of man oneing him thereto in the person of God the Son. . That surpasseth all those that lead in will; but these, that lead in full sufficiency, they have full much peace and delights which their love giveth them by union of love; more than these other have, for war is with them that have anxieties. And thus doeth God of his bounty in his creatures, his divine works. And always he assailed me for to have an answer, and so much I loved myself [together] with him, that I might not for nothing have discretion in this, and thus I was in distress. M. Holy Writ saith, Unde sapiens justus ex fide vivit[60] Comprehend! Lord, how much comprehend[389] I of your might, of your wisdom and of your goodness? Meditation of pure love knoweth well more- over that she ought not to occupy herself[131] so, but to follow his work:[132] that is, to will perfectly the will of God. I behold this Lady at the Cross in the presence of her Sons death. And of this conjunction amiable, the wills [are] of the goodness of the Holy Ghost. The exclusion of non-gentlemen from the kings court, and the reference to the system at Paris helps to substantiate the evidence for a French original. The translators of this Modern English version rely primarily on the original French manuscript, yet also take medieval translations into account. The most showeth him that which of less acquitteth her. And so shall ye do if ever I know you, but I reck not of you. Now, there is in this tun of divine drink, many fausets; this knoweth the manhood that is knit to the person of God the Son, who drank of the most noble wine next the Trinity. Beyond these we know we shall never see, but the freshness, newness and joy thereof shall remain for ever inexhaustible.
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