Instructio pie vivendi et superna meditandi

IRISH TEXTS SOCIETY

CUMANN NA SGRIBHEANN GAEDHILGE.

Vol. XXIX.

(2)

(1927).
1946.

INSTRUCTIO PIE VIVENDI

et
SUPERNA MEDITANDI.

Vol. II.

INSTRUCTIO

PIE VIVENDI

et

SUPERNA MEDITANDI.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION
OF THE

IRISH VERSION
by REV. JOHN MacKECHNIE, M.A., B.D.

PUBLISHED FOR THE IRISH TEXTS SOCIETY,
By THE EDUCATIONAL COMPANY OF IRELAND, LTD.,
89, Talbot Street, Dublin.

PRINTED BY

John English & Co., Wexford.

■'«•wm»^'»

The Instructio in Ireland

The second half of the fifteenth and the whole of the following
century constitute an important period in the translation of devotional
works into Irish. The manuscripts B.M. Additional 11809 (which
contains the Instructio), 30512, Egerton 136, 137 and 1781 (which
contains De Contemptit), cover the years between c. 1450 and the
early seventeenth century and, with the great mass of translation
which they include, would by themselves sufhce to prove the vogue
of such iiterature. The Instructio takes its place, as both style and
language — also perhaps material— show, along with De Contemptu.

Pope Innocent x 3rd was born at Anagni about 1160, a member of
the family of the Scotti, and thus opposed to the family of the Orsini.
He was created cardinal-deacon of Santi Sergio d Baccho in 1191,
but on the creation of Pope Celestine, Innocent had to retire. During
his period of enforced leisure he employed himself in writing, among
other works, the De Contemptu Mundi sive de Miseria Humanae
Conditionis, a book which became very popular, being translated
into many languages. The Irish version was made by a certain
Uilliam Mag Duibne2, when, as the colophon in Egerton 1781 says,
he was ill through a sword-wound. Evidently Uilliam spent his
enforced leisure translating the great Pope's text.

Of all the extant Irish texts this is the nearest in style and language
to the Instructio, but whether the translation was made by the same
man or not cannot now be said. Only it certainly does sound like it.
Another very brief work,3 not unlike chapter 1 of the De Contemptu
Mundi, appears in the manuscript where the Instructio is found.

How the Latin text came to be in Ireland or who made the trans-
lation, we are not told, but there are certain indications which may
at least connect the Irish text with a House on the Continent where
there was a Latin text of the work.

^For Pope Innocent cf. Ency, Brit. sub nomine " Innocent " and also Catholic
Ency. sub eodem nomine.

2The Irish texts are in Egerton 91, Egerton 1781, Rawl. B. 512, Paris Ms. Celt 1 ,
and Rennes Ms.Celt. 1 . The work has been published with a collection
of texts, notes, etc, by Geary, Catholic University of America (YVashing-
ton, 1931). The Irish version belongs to the second half of the fifteenth
century.

3Flower, Cat. p. 55. The text is in B.M. Addit 11809.

ix

x INTRODUCTION

The Latin text, Mazarin Library, 984, contains a colophon to the
effect that this book, i.e., the Latin text, belongs to the House of
St. Victor in Paris. This House, belonging to the Augustinian
Canons of the Order of St. Victor, was closely connected with many
great men' e.g., Hugh of St. Victor, Walter, Richard and Adam, all
of the same house of St. Victor. There was a definite school of
religious teaching at that house. In this there was a highly mystical
tone, a mysticism wholly opposed to the scholastic philosophy.

The Augustinian Canons, also called Black Canons, grew out of
the earlier form of canonical life after the Lateran Decree of 1059.
Later, Benedict XII organised them on the general lines of the Bene-
dictines, thirty congregations of them being recognised. Among
those perhaps the best known were (1) the Lateran Canons, (2) the
congregation at this House of St. Victor, (3) the Gilbertines, strong
in England, and (4) the congregation at Windesheim dating from
1400. To this last house belonged the author of the de Imitatione
Christi.

On the 28th August, 1171, Thomas a Becket came to the House
of St. Victor in Paris, and there he preached from the text, " et factus
est in pace locus eius " (Psalm, LXXV, 3). Soon thereafter he re-
turned to England, where on the 29th of December of that very year
he was slain. On the 21st of February, 1172, he was canonised,
becoming the extremely popular Saint Thomas. At this time Henry
2nd was preparing for his Irish venture, and had to do penance for
the slaughter of the saint. Henry's chief representative in Ireland
was William Fitzaldeln, and among other works which this man
performed in this capacity was the erection of a church in Dublin.
called the Abbey Church of St. Thomas, after the murdered saint.
This was in 1177, and the Abbey was placed under the charge of the
Augustinian Canons of.the Order of St. Victor, and under the im-
mediate protection of the English Crown.

In Ireland this new Order became extremely popular, and it received
much encouragement and many endowments, not only from Norman,
Welsh and English settlers in Ireland, but also from the Irish them-
selves.

To show his zeal, William Fitzaldeln founded a priory at Athassel,
in Tipperary, for the same Order of Augustinian Canons, and in the
precincts of this priory he was himself buried. Geoffrey de Camvill
at much the same time, i.e., the close of the twelfth century, erected

INTRODUCTION xi

at Cahir, also in Tipperary, a priorv in honour of the Blessed Virgin,
for the use of the same Canons of the Order of St. Victor, and in the
same county, at Carrick, another house, a priory, was erected for the
same Canons by William de Cantell and his wife Dionisia. Many
other houses were built in the same county, in particular one, the
Hoar Abbey, called also Saint Mary's Abbey of the Rock of Cashel.
There is a story about this last erection. It is said that the house
was originally designed for the Benedictines, but the Archbishop,
David M'Carvill, had a strange dream which was construed as being
of evil omen, and as a result of it the Benedictines were cast out, the
Cistercians being installed in their stead. These Cistercians were,
it is said, brought from Mellifont in 1272, an abbey erected in 1142
by Donough M'Corvoill, and furnished with monks by St. Bernard
himself, from his own House at Clairvaux. The continued Norman
and French interest in this district fe to be noted, as well as the connec-
tion with St. Bernard, who is so often quoted in the Instructio. Now,
the manuscript which contains the Gaelic text of the Instructio,
B.M. Additional 11809, has this note written in a nineteenth century
hand, " This volume was found about forty years ago, in an inside
wall about fourteen feet thick in the Hoar Abbey at Cashel." Flower
points out that this statement about the finding of the manuscript
may very well be true, and after examining the Ho&r Abbey at Cashel,
one would be inclined to say that it may be true only as regards the
finding of the book there, for there is at present, no matter what was
the position about one hundred years ago, no sign of a waU fourteen
feet thick. True enough, the Abbey has been freely used as a quarry
for stone by builders in the neighbouring town of Cashel, and it may
be that the fourteen-foot thick wall now forms part of some dwelling
house, but in any event, that the book was found there seems to go
to show that it had been lving for many years in a district where
presumably it belonged, a district richly endowed with religious
houses for the use of the brethren of the Order of St. Victor of Paris,
the house where a Latin text of the Instructio belonged in mediaeval
times.

That the relationship between the Hoar Abbey and France did not
die out early is proved by a statement by Archdall, (Monasticon
Hib. 479-489), wherein inter alia it is said, " In the year 1351 Reginald
continued as abbot, when King Edward III enjoined all ecclesiastics
not to depart from the kingdom on any account whatever, nor to

xii INTRODUCTION

raise nor transmit sums of money privately or openly from hence
contrary to the form of the statute : for the due performance of this
statute certain faithful persons were commanded to make scrupulous
enquiry. In the course of these enquiries it was found that the
abbot had .... from Easter 1349 to the Feast of Pentecost last
(1351) collected of his own money and from the abbots of Boyle,
Knockmoy and Cashel the sum of 664 florins of which he had remitted
332 fiorins to the convent of Clairvaux in France, and that the
remainder was then in the hands of the said Reginald."

It may be, then, that we are indebted to some one or more of those
who travelled between Cashel and the Continent for the Latin text,
which somebody unknown rendered into Gaelic thus producing our
text of the Instructio.

Holy Life and Heavenly Thought

Of the state and outward pattern of the body

,, fourfold peace proper to man

,, love of enemies ....

,, fourfold voice of God ....

,, man's fourfold view .

,, sense of sight1 ....
,, „ hearing
,, ,, smell ....

,, speaking against which the man guards

,, triple " obedience " due2 . ' .

,, judgment which must not be passed
silence ... . .

Gluttony ...

lust

the sense of touch ....

,, deportment of the body
guarding the heart ....
pride
vainglory
envy

dignity .
covetousness
wrath
hatred
grief

melancholy
despair .

the insult offered to God ; misunderstanding
prefiguration of Christ

,, prophets who spoke of Christ
Chrisfs witnesses

words ....
works ....

the

1
1
5
7
9
109
15
17
17
13
19
21
23
24
25
26
27
27
29
31
32
33
34
35
36
36
37

38
41
48
52
55

1 Cf. vol. p. 126, line 29 and footnote 5.

2 Cf. vol. 1. p. 107, line 12 and footnote 1.

3 Cf. vol. 1. p. 107, footnote 3, and vol. 1, p. 153, lines 1-3.

10

15

20

25

Of the being of God and the three " opinions

,, the seven Sacraments of the Church

,, Purgatory

,, the Resurrection

,, ,, Day of Judgment

,, ,, pains of Hell

,, ,, everlasting bliss

,, ,, statement of the faith

„ „ oratory .
cloister

y > y )

„ chapter
,, refectory .
„ dormitory .
labour
travelling
the infirmary .

how the saints must be invoked
the Blessed2 Virgin and confession
„ holy angels and Chrisfs passion
„ patriarchs, prophets and the adornment of virtues
„ apostles and love
martyrs and patience
„ „ confessors and the humanity of Christ
„ spiritual intoxication
,, the virgins and of the being of Christ3
„ ,, divine gifts ....

„ thanksgiving and yearning for the heavenly grace

y > > t

58
61
65
67
70
72
74
76
80
82
82
84
85
85
86
87
88
88
91
92
93
94
96
98
100
102
105

*Cf. vol. 1, p. 108, line 5, and footnote 2, and vol. 1, p. 174, line 1.
2Cf. vol. 1, p. 206. line 9.

3 Cf. vol. l,p. 108, 30 and footnote 5, also p. 220, 14, " of the virgins
and the being of God."

Quoniam in felici captione Domini sum reclusus, i.e. since I
am in my Lord's stern1 bondage and that we cannot speak
together, I have prepared for you a salvation full of solace,
which is more profitable than that we should be together. As
5 any opportunity of our being together would be rare and shorter
than we would wish, I have, therefore, written this brief, profit-
able Instruction for you, in order that you may live compassion-
ately and meditate upon heavenly things. By means of this
Instruction, I will speak briefly to you, whenever you please
and desire it. If you examine this Instruction prudently you
will find in it how to live peacefully, humbly, dutifully and
discreetly, how to fashion your character beautifully, wisely
guard your senses both extrinsic and intrinsic, keep the Catholic
faith firmly, be prudent in every situation in which you shall

15 be placed, rightly invoke the saints and the heavenly spirits,
meditate upon the divine substance and subsistence2 with joy
and constant thanksgiving for your gifts, and eagerly desire
the heavenly bliss. Satisfied, then, by this spiritual colloquy,
do not ask for my presence with you again, because I can speak

20 no better or more effectively than this in order to refresh you
in the love and bondage of your own sweet beloved Spouse
for ever ; and so I now steadfastly beseech you to answer me
with deeds in these matters— you have often said that you
desired to converse with me — since I am giving you what you

25 desire.

1 Deleting nemh read blissful ; cf. vol. 1, p. 109, _. footnote.
2iCf. Hooker, Eccles. Pol., Bk. v. § li , Reid, Handbook pp 70

Holy Life and Heavenly Thought

DE EXTERIORE CONYERSIONE, i.e. OF THE STATE AND OUT-
WARD PATTERX OF THE BODY this chapter speaks.

" Audi, filia, et vide et inclina aurem tuam, et obliviscere
5 populum tuum et domum patris tui, et concupiscet rex decorem
tuum," i.e. hearken, O daughter, behold and incline your ear ;
forget your people and your father's house, and the king will
desire your beauty. Your answer is that you have fulfilled
these things. The daughter said, " I have hearkened, by being

10 obedient to the teaching of salvation, and preparing myself to
do what is good. It seemed to me, too, that all earthly things
were fragile, empty and vain, so, abandoning these, I have
entered into an order and exchanged my clothing for the habit.
I have inclined my ear to obedience, subjecting myself to the

15 prelates. I have forgotten my people and my father's house ;
I have forsaken my country, my parents and my relatives,
despising them for the sake of God. What have I now got for
it, but that I should be a daughter of God, and that the King
of Kings should desire my beauty ? ' " I," says Bernard,

2C " am giving you an answer. Now, these are the signs and
evidences of the pattern of the religious life outwardly, but
they are small, or of no avail, unless you effect a spiritual renewal
of yourself within, both in act and character. Thus, then, the
King Who is more glorious in appearance than the children of

25 men, will truly desire this precious beauty, with the result that
you will be reckoned worthy to be among His children."

DE OUADRUPLICI PACE, i.e. OF THE FOURFOLD PEACE here.

Now, if you desire to be called a daughter of God, you must
have a fourfold peace, viz., the peace of God first, your prelates'

30 peace thereafter, your neighbour's peace and your own. You
must obtain1 peace with God in three ways, viz. by first abandon-
ing sins, courageously performing good works and vigilantly
persevering therein, as the Psalm says, " Declina a malo et fac
bonum et inhabita in saeculum saeculi," i.e. avoid evil and

3^ do good, so that you may dwell for ever and ever in the land

1 Reading cTfhaghbhail after Dia.

2 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

wherein a habitation is attained only as a reward for doing
good and for perfection of virtue. Isaiah, for that reason,
commands that evil cease and good be done, so that one may
enjoy the bounty of the land at the rich table of eternal glory.
5 To renew the peace of God, then, it is necessary to blot out
every fault, and to persevere till the final end of your life in
perfect penance for your sins. God offers His own gracious
peace to those who have this peace, when He says, " Pax vobis,"
i.e. peace be with you, O you men, who have abandoned the

io sin by which you were hitherto cut off like men excommunicated.

' Pacem meam do vobis," i.e. I bestow my own peace upon

you men who have begun to do good, and who persevere therein,

for it is by means of this peace that you will receive sweet

assistance in doing better things with a tranquil mind. " Pacem

15 relinquo vobis," i.e. I leave my peace with those who are perfect
in good works : by this they will obtain the everlasting peace
through which they will inhabit the Kingdom of God. From
these quotations it is evident how the peace of the heavenly
soul is made with God : to such as he1 mentions, this sign of

20 peace is offered : to those who begin doing good, this peace is
given as an aid : to those who persevere in doing good, this
peace is habitually given. On that account then, he1 says that
if you desire to be filled with peace, avoid all sin, and if you
wish to do the will of your Creator, persevere till the final end

25 doing good : if you do this, you will be happy with God in bliss-
ful peace with mind serene. Be constantly at peace with your
prelates : do not follow their deeds nor listen readily regarding
their evil customs, nor search for wickedness in their ways, nor
criticise their works. If their habits are good, submit obediently

30 to their sway ; be diligent with regard to their commands and
do not resist them, for fear of destroying the peace and of
opposing God like a fool, since it is in Him that all powers are
rooted. Although they should frequently go astray, yet it is
right to acquit them, considering how much is under their care.

35 If you see them frequently impious, notice that Peter said that
it is right to obey not only good and courteous men for the

1 i.e. the author of the L.T. regarded as commenting on the preceding
quotations.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 3

sake of God, but also dissolute men for they too are created
by Him. Although they should not exalt you in office or in
power, do not rebel against them, but increase their honour
on that account, as they are the authors and guardians of your
5 peace. Whosoever is under a prelate must not complain in
any way against him, if he himself is left quietly in the cloister
without office, and it is by being without office that the true
religious attain peace and quietness of mind. The true religious
does not care if he is cast out of office for being shy, ignorant

10 or useless, because it is in this way that he1 obtains the sweetness
of peace and the calm of quietness more certainly and more
easily. If you have any relish for these things, or if you partake
of them, strive to make yourself resemble those people. Be at
peace with your neighbours, and act thus : — if it is your aim

15 to love and to be loved, or to be courteous and amiable towards
all, bear your sister's infirmities patiently and willingly, and
never condemn or scorn a woman whether she is dissolute or
wrathful, kind or cruel, religious or irreligious, because you
do not know how she stands in the sight of God. Be kindly-

20 disposed to all, warmly inclined to no particular one ; let there
be but a few people familiar with you, and be just to all. Make
yourself like the religious, and shun the irreligious, eschewing
the works of other women while despising your own. Offer
peace to all as the Psalm says, " Cum hiis qui oderunt pacem,

25 eram pacifica2 ; cum loquebar illis, impugnabant me gratis,"
i.e. I was peaceable to those who hated peace, and when I would
speak with them, they assailed me without cause. If it should
happen that for some reasonable cause you would depart from
the community of the women whom you loved, neither be

30 wrathful towards them nor speak churlishly to them, lest passion
or wrath should enter into them to destroy your peace. Let
the matter pass unconcernedly, as if it did not cost you a thought,
then withdraw yourself from them gently in order to preserve
peace, for God cannot be found save in peace. Lavish not the

35 desire of your heart in love for anyone, because your peace
shall be lost on the failure of that vain transitory love. Offer
love, then, to no one else but God Omnipotent, because if it

1 The Irish uses " they obtain," the plural form here.

2 The Vulgate reads pacificus, Ps. cxix, 7.

4 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

is your desire to feel this love, you shall not overtake God,
for no one yet had sufficient of such love. If you think that
you can love God as well as someone else, that is not how you
have found Him.1 Dutifully return, then, to Him Who is true

5 peace, and peacefully leave those who have no peace, for by
so doing you will live peacefully with those who have. Be now
at peace with yourself by acting thus : deny yourself and love
poverty and contempt, for if you lack either of these, you shall
not have perfect peace, while yet if you should have these without

io love, it is of no avail, because it is neither poverty nor lowliness,
but love of these that begets peace, fosters and guards it. When
you become aware of the oppressiveness of poverty and of
contempt for lowliness, do not let your body tremble or your
countenance be confused or grief seize you, but welcome them

15 with gladness as the spouses of the Author of Peace, for if you
murmur and mourn on account of poverty, if you grieve and
behave unworthily on account of contempt, the peace and
quietness of your heart shall depart from you. Be free from
care, then, for you shall not obtain peace, however much you

20 toil for it, if you abandon poverty and contempt. Should your
thought run thus : — if you endure poor food and clothing along
with contempt and are not exalted in gifts, what profit is there
in that " against your will " even although you endure these
peacefully ? I answer, " Be free from care and not ashamed,

25 because the reward you shall receive in return for that is glorious
and lasting, for, without a doubt, you make a virtue of necessity,
if you meet it with a peaceful mind." Do not speak much in
the presence of prelates or learned men, and do not mention
deep dimcult matters in their presence, for fear of coming upon

30 things that are thoroughly reprehensible, but remain civil and
keep silent as peace commands. It is a common saying that
he who is silent concerning what is to be kept silent, is at peace
with all. If you wish your peace to be perfect, shun such things
as are under suspicion, and do not put the worst construction

35 on things that are doubtful or even manifestly good, but acquit
the evil and take the better view of it. Never have any desire

1 i.e. love for God has never been obtained by loving someone other
than God. The translator seems not to have grasped fully the meaning
of the L.T.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 5

for the exaltation of your own name, but rather to be unknown
and humble as if you did not exist. " This maxim," says
Bernard, ' ' is one that every religious ought to have in his heart
frequently and gloriously, and in his mouth briefly and profit-
5 ably." Know that he1 did not tell you to be unknown to people,
but to have the desire of being unknown, i.e. to prefer being
concealed from them rather than that they should know you :
in this love of concealment rests all peace, security and profit.
If you desire to have this love of being humble, you will not

10 complain of poverty or contempt, however great, but welcome
them with relish and quietness, because in them there is the
love of peace and the peace of love. If you do this, you shall
be God's daughter, and it is fitting that you should be named
after Him, as the Lord says, " Beati pacifici, quoniam filii Dei

15 vocabuntur," i.e. blessed are the peaceful for they are the
children of God.

DE DILECTIONE INIMICORUM, i.e. OF THE LOVE OF ENEMIES
this chapter speaks.

If you wish to be worthily called God's daughter, you must

20 love your enemies, for many reasons, and particularly for five.
The first of these reasons : God will forgive you your sins, if
you forgive others their sins. Prudently forgive others their
few sins in view of God's forgiving you man}', because the Lord
has said, " Whosoever forgiveth one his sins, to him the heavenly

2 5 Father will forgive his sins." Know too, that this is the short
light penance which saves sinners : let whosoever cannot do
penance, or labour, or correct another, offer this love, and he
will live securely, but if, however, you do these things without
loving your enemy, you have no advantage from them. The

3° second reason : so that you can safely say, " Dimitte nobis
debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris," i.e.
forgive us our debts as we forgive our enemies. If, then, you
wish to pray effectively, harbour no anger whatever in your
heart, in case the Sage should lay it to your charge that you

35 are cherishing anger against another, while asking forgiveness

from God for yourself. If you prudently consider how you

have offended God, you will not remember another's offences

against yourself. These commands seem to you to be hard,

1 i.e. Saint Bernard.

6 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

still, they are light and easily borne by you when you consider
their value and the reward they bring. The third reason : that
you may urge on your enemy to do good, i.e. to love others,
as the apostle says, " Si esurierit inimicus tuus, ciba illum ;
5 si sitit, potum da illi : haec1 enim faciens, carbones ignis congeres
super caput eius," i.e. should your enemy be hungry, give him
food, and give him drink if he should be thirsty, for by so doing
you will put burning coals of fire upon his head, i.e. you will
fire his spirit to love your works. And the apostle says, " Noli

10 vinci a malo, sed vince in bono malum," i.e. be not overcome
by evil, but overcome evil by good. Patience is, indeed, the
most noble way of gaining a victory, for the one who endures
gains the greatest victory, and so if you desire to gain a victory
over anyone, first learn to endure. It is, then, unseemly for

15 you to give a deceitful, disagreeable answer to the unjust man,
but do not offer to correct him, as a kind of discipline, with
sharp words that would ruin the soul for which the Son of God
went to the cross of agony. Permit no change or wrinkle on
your face or countenance, on your nose, eye, mouth or tongue

20 against him, but destroy discord immediately it begins. The
f ourth reason why it is praiseworthy for you to love your enemies :
they are making ready the way of life for you in God's love and
in His pleasure. Now friends, who for the sake of your love,
do good to you, receive the reward thereof themselves, for if

25 one does what you wish, that bestows no merit on you, but
the opposite is the case when you endure the injustice of enemies,
and you obtain great gifts by doing so for the sake of God's
love. Enemies bestow the gift of everlasting life upon your
soul when they cause you to show patience, as the Lord says,

30 " In patientia vestra possidebitis animas vestras," i.e. in patience
you will obtain the proper inheritance of your souls, for as the
file cleanses iron, and washing the cloth, and as the rod corrects
the disciple, so patient endurance of his enemy's injustice cleanses
each person. As the disciple kisses the rod of his correction,

35 so you should love your enemy's kiss of peace owing to the
reward for suffering which your Master gives you in return for
that. And so the Lord has said, " Diligite inimicos vestros et2
benefacite his qui oderunt vos," i.e. love your enemies, and do

1 The Vulgate reads Hoc. Rom. xn, 20.
a The Vulgate omits et, Matt. v, 44.

HOLT LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 7

good in return for hatred, because if it is right for you to love
your friends for the sake of food, clothing and bodily comforts,
much more should you love your enemy for the sake of the solace
and glory of your soul which comes from your patience and
5 love of God. Know that you are blessed if you understand
these matters, for you shall be free, unharmed by your enemies.
The fifth reason why you should love your enemy : by this
love you are made like God, as the Lord says " Si diligitis amicos
vestros tantum, quid amplius facietis P"1 i.e. what profit is it

10 for you to love your friend alone like the publican and the pagan,
for that is nothing but the repayment of debts. On the other
hand, he who loves friend and enemy for the love of God, is
himself like God : for as God causes the sun to shine on the
good and on the bad, so one ought to love friend and enemy in

15 God, and as He gives them rain alike, so love your friends in
yourselves and in God, and your enemies for the sake of God.
It is no fit comparison for the Christian who would imitate
Christ, to be like the pagan alone. Be not like the pagan, then,
but double your love for friend and foe in order to resemble

20 your Lord, and so that the name " Daughter of God " may be
applied with propriety to you : as the Lord Himself says, " Love
your enemy, if }'OU desire to be a son of the Father Who is in
heaven." The author2 then says, " Although the bee stings one
yet it is forgiven and no harm is done to it owing to love of

25 its honey, and so also man ought to forgive his enemy for the
sake of the glory which he shall obtain on account of his love."
Therefore, if you are as you desire to be, hearken carefully as
a beloved daughter, to your own Father Who speaks in various
ways to His children on electing them from their evil ways.

30

DE OUADRIFARIA LOCUTIONE DEI, i.e. OF THE FOURFOLD
YOICE OF GOD this chapter speaks.

Now, He speaks in four ways, viz. by affiiction, by the prelates,
by the preachers, i.e. through the Scriptures, and by the spirit
of praise with which He inspires the mind. He speaks by

1 The Vulgate reads, si enim diligitis eos, qui vos diligunt, quam mer-
cedem habebitis ? nonne et publicani hoc faciunt ? et si salutaveritis
fratres vestros tantum, quid amplius facitis ? nonne et ethnici hoc faciunt ?
Matt. v, 46, 47.

2 This sentence down to line 26 is not contained in either of the Latin
Texts.

8 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

affliction first, i.e. by sickness, sorrow and trouble, which He
sends to you as true messengers to reveal to you that one ought
to despise this life in which we are, full, as it is, of poverty and
of sorrow, and to love the eternal life which is full of riches and
5 happiness. In this world then, bear sorrow patiently and with
gratitude, and answer your Lord graciously as Job did when
he said, " Auditu auris audivi te," i.e. I have heard thee, O Lord,
by the hearing of mine ear, and, as I am but vile dust under
the shadow of trouble and disease, I continue to reprove myself

io by penance. Take this to heart : contempt really exalts and
glorifies you in the love of God, for the Lord Himself says,
" Ego quos amo, arguo, et castigo," i.e. it is these I love that
I chastise and discipline always. By the mouth of the Sage
He says also, " O my son, do not neglect your Lord's discipline

15 and correction, but conduct yourself humbly when He inflicts
this correction upon you," for it is the one whom He loves that
He corrects, and the one whom He accepts that He afflicts.
For that reason it is understood that the deeper He afflicts
you, the more He loves you. The second way He speaks is

20 by the voice of the prelates : for the Lord speaks to you through
both prelate and neighbour, instructing, beseeching, correcting
you and by example, urging you on to do good. Serve humbly
and with good will in these circumstances, seeing that the Lord
says, " Qui vos audit, me audit," i.e. he who hearkens to you,

25 hearkens to me, and the Psalm sa}^s, " Corripiet me iustus in
misericordia, et increpabit me : oleum autem peccatoris non
impinguet caput meum," i.e. the righteous will correct me in
mercy and reprove me, but the oil of the sinner, i.e. the vain
talk of flatterers which drives the foolish astray, will not anoint

30 or adorn my head, for my spirit will not rejoice nor will I abandon
my laudable works for the sake of the deceptive pleasure
flatterers give. In the third way He speaks to you, i.e. through
the preachers and the Holy Scriptures, He beseeches and instructs
you, points out how evils are avoided and laudable works

35 performed, how the virtues are sought and increased, and how
to love and practise prayer and holy meditations. Carefully
apply the ears of your heart to these instructions and mindfully
retain them, because as the Lord says " Qui ex Deo est, verba
Dei audit," i.e. whosoever is a son of God hearkens well to His

HOLY LIFE AXD HEAVENLY THOUGHT 9

words. This refers not merely to the outer, but also to the
inner, hearing through which what one hears results in perfect
works, just as the Lord says, " Beati1 enim qui audiunt verbum
Dei et custodiunt illud," i.e. blessed is he who hears and keeps
5 the word of God. The fourth way in which He speaks to the
saintly soul is by putting His own pleasing thoughts into the
mind, pouring into it His own love as well as contempt for
earthly things. God speaks Himself in this way : — He puts
the savour of His own love into the man's heart and urges

10 him on towards heavenly things, so that his inind may be fixed
on the joy and vision of His Lord. This is what the Lord
promised through Hosea, the prophet, when he said, " Lactabo
eam et ducam2 in solitudinem et loquar ad cor eius," i.e. I will
give milk to my daughter, guide her in the wilderness and speak

15 to her heart. If you, O gentle daughter, have ever been satisfied
with the sweet milk of His consolation, and if you have ever
heard His delightful voice, apply again to Him the ears of your
heart so that you may hear Him ; say along with the prophet,
" Audiam quid loquatur in me Dominus Deus, quoniam loquetur

20 pacem",3 i.e. I will hearken to the peace that my Lord speaks
to me, for the signs of the coming of the Lord unto us are peace
and serenity in the mind which hearkens to Him. In these
ways, then, you must hearken to the Lord speaking to you,
and it is not hearkening alone that He would have of you, but

25 beholding and hearkening, O gentle daughter !

DE OUADRUPLICI VISIONE, i.e. OF THE FOURFOLD VISION
PROPER TO MAN.

Look eastwards first, then look westwards, look northwards
and look southwards. Look eastwards, i.e. remember your
30 birth into this world which is full of sorrow, disease, distress,
violence, hardship or other vanities. Now, where is there
anything in your body beautiful or lovely, for if the little bit
of skin that covers it externally were taken off or altogether
removed, it would then be detestable and disgusting ? See

1 The Vulgate reads, Quin imo, beati qui audiunt verbum Dei et cus-
todiunt illud. Luke XI, 28.

2 The Vulgate adds eam after ducam. Hosea n, 14.

3 The Vulgate adds in plebem suam after pacem. Ps. lxxxiv 9.

io HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

again what comes out of your ears, eyes, mouth, nose, hair
and, indeed, out of the whole of your body ! Be assured that
that will be nothing but filth, ugliness, worms, beasts, stench
intolerable and lice and nits, a cause of humility and lowliness
5 to anyone. Hence the prophet says, " Humiliatio tua in medio
tui est, Israel," i.e. the reason why you should feel humble
is within yourself, O man ! O contemptible clay and jet-black
ashes, what cause of pride have you then ? If you will under-
stand that your ugly clay is turning to ashes, and if you will

10 not exceed the measure of your own frailty by lies, high-hopes
and pride, but conceive1 through the eyes of your mind how
distressful your low condition is, and always persevere in being
truly obedient, then you will make gleaming precious gold of
the dung and foul dirt-heap that is within you. This gold,

15 beautiful and most lovely, will be borne by angels' hands for
preservation in the heavenly treasury. Having understood these
matters, humble yourself under the powerful hand of God so
that He may exalt you on the Day of Judgment, " Quia2 omnis
qui humiliatus fuerit, erit in gloria," i.e. every humble person

20 will be in everlasting glory. Now look westwards, i.e. carefully
consider your end and think how awful it is. You shall become
pallid, black and blue and dun, your eyes will be closed,3 your
ears deprived of hearing, your nose will be eaten away, your
mouth, tongue and throat choked up and hideously wrinkled

25 by death, the enemy. Your hands will become insensitive,
your feet will lose the power of walking, and your whole body
will be like a foul useless block, and smelling and rotting,
abandoned by every friend and neighbour on account of its
odiousness, it will be buried deep down in the earth lest the

30 very air should be polluted by it. It will be cast out, a feast
for the worms. If you are willing to meditate on these matters
in your heart continually and attentively in your mind, it will
be easy for you to despise sins and mundane temporal affairs.
Now look northwards, i.e. think of the pain of Hell, the ever-

35 lasting lamentation, the dense unending darkness, the

1 On reading fheicsin, behold : cf. vol. 1, p. 120, 28, footnote 6.

2 The Vulgate reads, quia omnis, qui se exaltat, humiliabitur : et qui
se humiliat, exaltabitur. Luke xiv., 11.

3 Reading arna ndunadh after shula : cf. vol. 1, p. 121, 5 and footnote 2.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT n

intolerable and unavoidable coldness, the fearful faces of the
deadly demons, the beasts, the poisonous serpents ever-biting,
ever-gnawing, the worms that die not, the fire unquenched and
the other evils innumerable. In that place there is death
5 undying, end unending and failure unfailing, and no one who
causes harm there becomes fatigued or weary, nor can the
weary die for death itself flees from the damned. In that
place also there is intolerable lamentation, trembling and con-
tinual gnashing of teeth, satiety of gloom and quaking without

10 end. Therefore iniinitely dread these pains, and never let
gladness or joy, however great, cause you to forget the living
death. If you have obtained any grace, always fear making
an unlawful use of it ; if your grace has been taken away from
you, fear lest you fall soon, and if your grace has been restored

15 to you anew, fear lest you should destroy it again and lest some-
thing worse should come upon you. Know that you will be
blessed if you are filled with this three-fold fear, because he
who is ever fearful is blessed, while whosoever has a callous
nature shall fall into the depths of Hell owing to his evil and

20 pride. Now look southwards, i.e. think of the brightness of
the Kingdom of God and its gladness, and always meditate
upon the peace, the serenity, the bliss and the happiness that
the elect of God enjoy. If you will view this carefully in the
mystic secrecy of your heart, I think that, through your own

25 loving nature, you will advance spiritually in accordance with
these words, " Quam dilecta tabernacula tua, Domine virtutum ;
concupiscit et deficit anima mea in atria Domini," i.e. O God
of virtues, greatly are Thy tabernacles to be desired, wherefore
my soul hath desired to dwell with Thee ; (so too, you will say)

30 as the Psalm says, " Quam magna multitudo dulcedinis tuae,
Domine, quam abscondisti timentibus te," i.e. many are the
various delights which Thou hast hidden, 0 Lord, for those
who truly fear Thee alone, and as the prophet testifies when
he says, " Quando veniam et apparebo ante faciem Dei," i.e.

35 this glory will be manifest to me when I go before the face of
the Lord. Be assured that if you have diligently initiated
your mind into these matters, you shall not reckon either
burdensome or severe the measure of fasting, the oppressiveness
of silence, the length of vigil, the pain, the contempt or the

12 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

rules however heavily laid upon you, because you will be certain
that it is altogether as a gift that you have obtained the glory
which you will then enjoy. One reads concerning Jacob, the
son of Isaac, that he spent seven years in slavery in order to
5 win Rachel from her parents, yet in view of such love the period
seemed a very short time. If it seemed but a few brief days
to him who for the sake of a corruptible woman experienced
so much heat, cold and excessive toil, why should anyone take
account of difficulty, however great, in the course of attaining

10 to the glory tranquil and incorruptible ? Let the sinners now
lament the days and utterly vain seasons they spent in sin,
for the longer their life, the deeper their damnation, but let
the righteous rejoice and be glad on account of their humility
and labour of love in doing penance, avoiding sin, and enduring

15 every affliction, for the more numerous the days and 3fears of
such a sort given them, the more their gifts are increased and
magnified. When they go to enjoy that glory, they will say
with great joy, as David did, " Laetati sumus pro diebus, quibus
nos humiliasti : annis, quibus vidimus mala," i.e. we now have

20 joy in return for the days in which Thou didst humble us and
for the years in which we saw evil, and the sorrow and mourning
shall pass away from us and we shall enter into the Kingdom
of God to obtain happiness and glory always. If jrou diligently
consider this, your heart will not be saddened by your long-

25 lasting affliction, your hard toil or lowly life, for the labour is
not hard nor the time tedious nor the }Tears excessive, however
long or sad they may be, by which the bliss of heavenly glory
is obtained. Be assured that you will have no lack of bliss,
if 5'ou have set up your cross in these four foregoing things

30 and remain bound fast to it by meditating vigilantly upon them
with the watchful eyes of your heart, in order to keep yourself
free from every fault. Put the eastward vision, i.e. your unclean
polluted birth below you, by truly humbling yourself. Put
the westward vision, i.e. contempt of all things, on your right,
35 by thinking of your final end. Put the nortlvward vision, i.e.
constant fear of the pain of Hell, on your left. Put the south-
ward vision, i.e. yearning with 3'our whole heart for the heavenly
glory, above you, and on this cross abide permanently and
bind yourself firmly to it, for on whatever side j^ou will then

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 13

gaze, you shall be dwelling in the Kingdom of God. You can
then say with a fervent spirit as David says in the Psalm,
" Confige timore tuo carnes meas, a iudiciis enim tuis timui,"
i.e. crucify my flesh with fear of Thyself, O God, and particularly
5 with fear of Thy stern judgment. If, throughout your life,
you open the eyes of your heart in this way, there shall be said
to you not only ' Behold " but also, ' Turn your ear to the
obediences."

DE TRIPLICI OBEDIENTIA, i.e. OF THE TRIPLE " OBEDIENCE."1

10 It is towards these that }rou must incline your ear, viz. towards

the true " obediences " which are not deceptive. And let it not
be in order to be evident to the good pleasure of rnen that you
perform any " obedience." Do not judge between the commands
that are given you, and make no distinction between the things

15 which are commanded, i.e. do not ask why you should do the
thing commanded or what is to be done. Cast no contempt or
disdain upon the one who commands, and do not act unwillingly
or with reluctance, repugnance or disdain, because you vvill
obtain nothing but eternal punishment in return for the

20 " obedience " in which you do so, unless the help of " satis-
faction ' succour you. Be prepared, then, for every single
thing commanded, and see to it that you are obedient to your
prelates as to God for the sake of His love. (Let your
" obedience " be performed) kindly, sweetly, thoughtfully,

25 joyfully, willingly, fervently, mindfully, honourably and
earnestly, for He, i.e. the Lord, says in the person of the prelates,
" Whosoever hearkeneth to me, hearkeneth to you, whosoever
despiseth me, despiseth you." He says also, ' Et in auditu
auris obedivit mihi," i.e. as soon as he heard, the humble

30 performed his " obedience," for he was humble to me whenever
his ear heard my command. The beloved disciple ought to
avoid every method by which he may attain to an office wherein
he might be exalted, or every method whereby he may attain
the reputation of holiness by flattery, by seeking favour, by

35 relying on or by giving gifts, by drawing away the hearts of

the simple with false talk, by not punishing the guilty, by openly

performing his " obedience " in order to increase his own honour,

1 An " obedience " is a task performed by a religious at the
command of a superior.

14 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

or by falsely showing himself lovable while he is advancing
to high rank through his own efforts or through someone else.
Let him, then, be constrained (to accept office) by sincere sub-
mission and by the authority of the superior. If one attain to
5 dignity, let him not rule in a domineering way in accordance
with his own pleasure. Let it not be with a view to his own
gratification, or with a view to his own ease, that one attains
to high rank, but in order to look after the advantage common
to himself and others as well as the salvation of souls. If you

10 do not so act, you will lose the profit and benefit of the
" obedience," for the " obedience " you do with a view to the
pleasure derived from temporal things for your own profit,
is not an " obedience." If you have been commanded to take
your choice of two or more things, do not suppose that the

15 superior has told you to do whatever you prefer yourself, but
rather do what he wills and chooses. It is not the reasonable
men, who understand everything the prelate explains, that
have the fruit of " obedience," but the blind, who do not under-
stand their own profit and perfect advantage, and so the prelate

20 asks of you, " What would you wish done, so that I may do
it for you ? ' Say, then, thus, " Domine, quid me vis facere ? '
i.e. O Lord, what wouldst Thou have me do ? Thus it is that
the Psalm says, " Paratum cor meum, paratum cor meum," i.e.
my heart is ready to fulfil everything the prelate commands in

25 accordance with his will, however my own will may incline.
Indeed, there is nothing more erroneous for the religious than
to walk in accordance with their own will, because, as Bernard
says, there is nothing to be burned in Hell but that self-will
which one does not wish to abandon in this world. Bernard's

30 words are, " Nihil ardebit in Inferno nisi propria voluntas ;
tolle propriam voluntatem et Infernus non erit," i.e. self-will
is the flame in Hell ; take away that will and there will be no
Hell. Self-will is that will which is not common to God and
one's neighbour. Although your own will should be good, yet

35 it is better to bind it to the will of the superior as an "obedience."
Under these circumstances then, see that you are more fervent
and zealous in fulfilling the decree laid upon you, than you
would be, if it were on your own responsibility that you were
doing the same work, because obedience is better than sacrifice,

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 15

as this proverb says, " Melior est obedientia quam victimae."1
It is better for you, then, to incline the ear of your heart earnestly
to what is commanded you, than to offer many works to God
at the good pleasure of your own will, for it is better to fulfil
5 two wills than one : this is understood of the perfection of the
" obedience." Although obedience is due to the prelates, yet
the profit that arises from offering it to inferiors is wonderful :
the profit arising from obedience to the superior is great, greater
when offered to equals, but exceedingly great when offered to

10 inferiors. Christ practised this obedience to the full in order
to give an example to men, for He was obedient to His Father
to the death of the Cross, He served Mary and Joseph and went
with them to Nazareth. He humbled Himself to John at His
baptism, and He fulfilled all righteousness by obedience. Be

15 obedient, then, to your superior, honour your equals, and be
obedient to inferiors. If you have inclined your ear and your
heart to these things perfectly, forget your father's house and
your people, and this is the way in which you shall do so : —
forget your ways, customs, senses and innate natural will

20 completely, change them irrevocably, keep yourself from faults
without, and perfectly renew your soul within. If you wish
to guard your senses zealously, first of all thoroughly guard
your heart. The Sage for that reason says, " Omni custodia
custodi cor tuum, quia ex ipso vita procedit,"2 i.e. guard first

25 your heart with all care, since life and the complete guarding
of all the senses come from it.

DE AUDITU, i.e. OF THE SENSE OF HEARING.*

Now it is right to guard the ears so that they may not readily,
warmly, eagerly or greedily welcome every kind of conversation.
~0 Let not the ear hearken intently to fables or to other vain tidings,
satirising, nonsense, murmuring, back-biting or foolish talk,
because people who willingly listen to vanities provoke repetition
and thus Jerome says, " Si non esset auditor, non esset detractor,"

1 The Vulgate reads, melior est enim etc. 1 Kings xv, 22.

2 The Yulgate reads, omni custodia serva cor tuum, quia ex ipso vita
procedit. Prov. iv, 23.

3 The chapter De Yisu given in the Latin Text is omitted by the Irish :
cf. vol. i, p. 15, footnote 1 and p. 126, footnote 5. An English version
of the Latin appears infra p. 132.

16 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

i.e. were there no hearkening, there would be no back-biter.
Know, then, that if we were to leave off hearkening to back-
biting, it would not exist, for back-biters would fear us and our
displeasure as being opposed to revenge ; there is nothing worse
5 in the cruel, frivolous and fickle inind than its ready belief of
everything and its cleaving to the words of back-biters recklessly,
and so Bernard says, " Detrahere aut detractorem audire, quid
horum dampnabilius sit non facile dixerim," i.e. it is not easy
for me to judge which is more harmful,1 to back-bite or to hearken

10 to back-biting. O nun, spouse of Christ, since you are perfectly
consecrated, let not your ear be defiled, polluted and in danger
of turning away from God through desire of these vain, burden-
some, sinful, thoroughly reprehensible things, but avoid them
as deadly poison or as a two-edged sword. The Sage says

15 therefore, " Sepi aures tuas spinis ne audiant linguam nequam,"2
i.e. set a hedge of thorn about your ears between you and evil
talk and make a circle of penance and of the fear of God about
your heart between you and the triple-edged sword which
deprives you of the eternal joy, and, " The heart, which knoweth

20 the bitterness of its own soul, does not permit strange joy to
enter," i.e. the back-biter, who is himself deprived of the
heavenly bliss, does not permit the innocent heart of the upright
to approach it. Do not be like a reed moved by every con-
versation, by every wind, and do not incline toward flattery ;

25 do not return his deserts to anyone who may cast contempt
or insult upon you, and do not let anger or any other vanity
stir you up to the confusion of your peace. Do not let your
ear be more soothed by the sweetness of the singing than by
the theme without music, because, as Augustine says, " Quotiens

30 plus me delectat cantus quam id quod canitur, totiens me
penaliter peccasse confiteor," i.e. every time I think that the
singing is sweeter than the theme, I confess that I sin penally.
If this is a fault, we reckon the hearing of harps, drums, organs,
lutcs, citherns, trumpets, horns, plays and vain foolish melodies

35 in general a serious sin. If you, however, wish to proceed
with a pure spirit to the praise of saints and angels, which is
full of sweetness and glory, spurn every unseemly vanity.

1 Or more of a sin ?

2 The Vulgate reads, Sepi aures tuas spinis, linguam nequam noli
audire. Ecclus. xxvm, 28.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 17

DE OLFACTU, i.e. OF THE SENSE OF SMELL.

Now, it is right to guard the nose in case you should be seduced
to vanity by the smell of sweet perfumes, viz. highly-perfumed
unguents of various kinds, such as musk, aromatic spices, herbs,
5 fiowers, trees, leaves, viands, highly-perfumed beverages and
the like, and lest the heart should be deluded by these into
receiving an eternity of everlasting stench and the natural
penalties ; for you will receive eternal stench in return for the
perfume which you thought was sweet, as the prophet says. If
10 your head or your heart should be sore, inhale the perfume of
Chrisfs wounds, His blood, His crown and His heart, and then
your illness will be cured more readily and more pleasantly.
The person who is cured but once by that very sweet perfume,
shall regard these other vanities as repulsive corruption.

T.5 DE LOQUACITATE, i.e. OF THE SENSE OF SPEECH.

It is right to guard the mouth and the tongue well against every
evil conversation, viz. back-biting, murmuring, satirising, deceit,
flattery, reviling, lying, perjury, insult against God or man,
slander and the like. Know, O man, that since it is necessary

20 to give a reason for the idle word in general on the Day of
Judgment, it is very, very hard for those people (who fall into
these faults) we have mentioned. If, then, you desire to gain
the victory, do not sit in the presence of those people, for they
have a sharp three-edged sword to smite you, a sword which

25 slays three with each blow, i.e. first themselves, for they reveal
that they are void of love, then their hearers, for it kills their
love, and then those who are slandered, for it destroys their
good reputation. There are others who conceal their back-
biting and say, " We should say nothing to others concerning

30 them, but the information which you have heard is true, and
although we love them yet they are incorrigible." Others say,
" Certainly these are good religious in many ways, but they are
disobedient, careless and indocile in other ways." Others say
that the amount of good works and excellent virtues which

35 these people have is a great loss, because they are wasting it
for a mere trifle. Diligently avoid, O beloved disciple, being
found in these sins, " Quia "^ as the sage says, " corrumpunt

^The Vulgate omits, Quia. 1, Cor. xv. 33.

18 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

mores bonos colloquia prava," i.e. evil conversations corrupt
good manners. Do not discuss with another the faults or the
negligence of anyone, but with the person himself while instruct-
ing him mercifully or disciplining him in the presence of many,
5 or while urging upon the superior or upon anyone else, who
has authority over him, that he be disciplined. Assist him for
the sake of God's love, in a friendly manner, as a person in great
danger, for if the matter be not so dealt with, it is a cause of
murmuring and back-biting. Others while concealing their own

io faults, never cease to complain of their companions and dis-
parage them, but never imitate these or let it be your desire
to see yourself winning praise by reproaching another. Do not
be immodest or lascivious. Do not be continually repeating the
news and recounting vanities in smooth words. Be sparing of

15 praise and more sparing of reproach, if indeed, you reproach any-
one at all, because it is from the superfluity of the heart that
the mouth speaks, and what sort of person one is within is revealed
by his words outwardly. It is, therefore, understood that if one
deliberately speaks about the quality of the food, he is gluttonous ;

20 if about the figure and reputation of women, he is lustful ; if
about his relations and wealth, he is proud ; if about offices,
dignity and prelacy, he is covetous ; and if about the injurious
treatment he has received, he is quarrelsome. If one speaks
about the promotion of others and his own degradation, he is

25 envious ; if about the hatred and disimity of others, he is
factious ; if about the deeds of prelates or their reproach, he is
a grumbler ; if about the excess of discipline, he is sullen or else
too hard or careless about himself. If one speaks about jesting
and trifles, he is an empty, unstable person, while if one

3° tells lies readily, he is worthy of sudden death. If there be
one who readily or willingly takes an oath, or one who is a
perjurer, let such a one not be believed. If one is impatient,
he is also of 110 importance and hateful. If one desires earthly
things, he is accursed. Whosoever is negligent or weary as

35 regards good works, is sufVering from melancholy,1 while who-
soever is ready for laudable works and rejoices in them is earnest
and holy. When you hear that, shun the matter and save the
soul. Lest you should be found blameworthy in those things

Ji.e. accidic. cf. § xxvi of the L.T. i.e. Vol. I, page 34, line 28 ff.:
infra p.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 19

which he1 mentions, guard your mouth and tongue against
everything that is unrestrained and uncultured. It is also
profitable for you to avoid these conversations. Have no
friendship with reckless people, children or the ignorant, for
5 they unwittingly say that they are but children. See to it
that your conversation is quiet, mild, still, little, subdued,
infrequent and in good taste, so that while working profitably
everywhere it may be generally measured according to the
amount of discretion it contains and not be reckless, idle,

10 wrathful or abusive. Do not defend your own words but
correct those of others, and do not disparage other people :
for unless you act thus, not only have you wasted time, but
you have also sinned grievously. Observe that death and life
are in the power of the tongue : death when it utters the evil

T5 and denies the good, life when it utters the good and denies
the evil. It is right to pray and to be vigilant in the way the
prophet does, " Pone, Domine, custodiam ori meo et ostium
circumstantiae labiis meis," i.e. put a guard on my mouth,
O Lord, and close my door in order to prevent injustice and

20 so that there may come to me knowledge of what, how and
when I should speak, lest I should be taken in the snares of
my own mouth. It happens also that many of the saints and
religious are fired with zeal and love on beginning to speak,
but that they either say or hear something by which they are

2 5 made empty, dispirited and melancholy, whereas had devout
and spiritual matters been put forward, these would have
departed fired with love and joy. Think, then, carefully how
much danger and fear there is in speech for everyone who would
preserve his own well-being : and so I advise you to save your

3° soul assuredly and to avoid those matters, which he1 mentions,
as much as you can, in order to guard your peace.

DE NON IUDICANDO, i.e. PASS JUDGMENT UPON NO ONE.

If you wish to guard your mouth and tongue properly, avoid

back-biting your prelate and your companions, and if you

35 should see something worthy of blame in them, do not forthwith

blame them, but first ask yourself, ' Who are you to pass

1 i.e. the author of the L.T.

20 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

judgment upon another, seeing that you are worse yourself ? '
There is a great danger that you are worse, more ignorant and
less devout than those whom you judge. Thus the Gospel
says, " Quid autem vides festucam in oculo fratris tui, et trabem,
5 quae in oculo tuo est, non consideras P1 Ypocrita ! Eiice
primum trabem de oculo tuo, et tunc prospicies ut educas fes-
tucam de oculo fratris tui," i.e. O hypocrite, why dost thou
see the little mote in thy brother's eye, but dost not see the
great beam in thine own ? Do thou, then, pluck the beam

io out of thine own eye first, and then pluck the mote out of thy
brother's. I now ask you, " How do you come to be passing
judgment, for no one asks this judgment from you, nor is it
necessary for you to give a reason in this particular matter ? "
The apostle says, " Unusquisque onus suum portabit," i.e.

15 each one will carry his own burden. Be you well assured that
those who do these things (and whom you judge) have infor-
mation which you have not got as well as some reason you do
not understand, and that it might be the case that you yourself
would do these things even worse than they do them. Tell

20 me, then, the object of your coming hither ? Is it to pass
judgment upon the faults of others, or is it not rather to seek
the salvation of your own soul, and to do diligent penance for
your sin and vanity ? And who can be good to another and
yet bad to himself ? If you would diligently consider these

25 three points, you would not readily judge another. When you
are passing this vain judgment in the presence of your Stern
Righteous Judge, Who is beholding you, consider that He
says, " Nolite iudicare et non iudicabimini : in quo enim iudicio
iudicaveritis, iudicabimini," i.e. judge not and you shall not

30 be judged, but if you should pass judgment in any matter,
then you shall be judged in the same matter. The apostle
says also, " Si nosmet ipsos diiudicaremus, non utique diiudi-
caremur,"2 i.e. if we would judge ourselves no other judgment
would be passed upon us, and further, we would not readily

35 judge another. Whosoever desires to scrutinize his own life
and to examine it diligently, will find that another person's

1 The Yulgate reads . . . fratris tui, trabem autem .... perspicies
ut educas. Luke vi, 41-42.

2 The Vulgate reads iudicaremur 1 Cor. XI, 31.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 21

sin is not to be investigated by him, and with a humble and
righteous mind, he will show from the foulness of his own life
that other people are holy. One reads in the life of the holy
father Arsenius that he was told that he was perfectly blessed,
5 because they were his own sins that he lamented while he was
in the world, and indeed, I think that whosoever mourned his
own sins would not judge the sins of others, and therefore when
such a one found a fault or reproach in another, he would forth-
with acquit him wisely and with inward self-contempt and

10 humility. Bernard says with regard to that, " Omnino cave
alienae conversationis esse aut curiosus explorator aut temer-
arius iudex," i.e. avoid making ostentatious revelations of the
lives of others, and do not judge them recklessly. Although
you should see that your neighbour's actions are wrong, acquit

15 him rather and, even if his deeds cannot be excused, excuse
himself on the ground that his intention was not evil, but that
he acted through ignorance, through being misled, or through
some such other cause. If, however, you cannot acquit him
in any other way, say that the temptation was too great for

20 him. (Say to yourself), " What would that temptation have
made of me, if it had had such great powers over me ? ' I
am not forbidding you to reproach the faults of others when
I say this to you, nor yet telling you to excuse one without
correction, but I would not have you pass a sentence of con-

25 demnation upon, or make detailed disclosures about, each
person. If you desire to sift your own faults thoroughly, seek
no knowledge of the reason for the fauits of others, i.e. carefully
avoid perverse talk and roving glances of the eyes.

DE TACITURNITATE, i.e. OF SILENCE.

30 Love reading and prayer and also silence which is the nurse,

the key and the guard of the whole faith and of the virtues in
general. Augustine says that perfect silence is the foundation
of all religion, and that he who makes a habit of silence, is free
from grumbling and melancholy.1 In keeping silent, have no

35 fear regarding the debility of your body or head, because silence
harms no one except the grumblers, the melancholy, those who

1 i.e. accidie.

22 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

are confused by vain imaginings, or those who are too talkative.
Believe, then, that silence is a relief to those of good-will, that
it strengthens the weak, gladdens the sad, comforts the out-
casts, restores the infirm to health, raises up the falling, makes
5 prayers fervent, loves meditations and exalts the contemplative.
The prophet says, " In1 silentio et spe erit fortitudo vestra, "
i.e. in silence and in hope you shall obtain strength. He did
not say here, " Weakness " or " Infirmities." Jeremiah says,
" Bonum est viro cum portaverit iugum Domini2 ab adoles-

io centia sua," i.e. it is good for the man who bears the Lord's
yoke from his youth. The solitary will sit and keep silent ;
he will rise above himself and trample on earthly and material
things by meditating upon sweet heavenly things in his own
secret, fruitful silence. Notice, now, how much help gracious,

^5 merciful silence gives, and how much harm excessive talking
causes, and be assured that whosoever meditates constantly
and with a fervent mind on his own sins, the pain of Hell, his
own final end and the glory of the Kingdom of God, will wisely
covet in the desire of his heart sweet silence and secrecy of spirit.

20 The truly silent would consider their being exposed to talk
and earthly vicissitudes the same as being put to death or being
sent to the gate of Hell everlasting, for the spirit that is blessed
by God understands that it cannot choose, at the same time,
the joys of Heaven and the things of the world. O Bride of

2 5 Christ, remain solitary and love silence so that you may keep
yourself for God alone, since you have chosen Him beyond all.
Know, too, that you have a modest Spouse, Who does not
desire to reveal Himself to you in the presence of others. O Bride
of Christ, what have you to do with a crowd and with excess

3° of speech ? Converse and company with your own sweet
Spouse by means of meditation and prayer, for as the one
fountain cannot give forth many different streams, so the one
mouth cannot utter sweet prayer and vain speech.

1 The Vulgate reads . . . et in spe. Is. xxx, 15.
2The Vulgate omits Domini. Lam. III, 27.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 23

DE GULA, i.e. OF GLUTTONY AND OF THE COMPLETE
GUARDING OF THE SENSE OF TASTE SO THAT IT MAY
NOT CRAVE FOR FOOD AND DRINK ON ACCOUNT OF THE
COLOUR OR FLAVOUR BUT ONLY THROUGH NECESSITY.

5 Seek no glory because you fast from food, however poor it may
be, for Esau lost his right of seniority and his patrimony for the
sake of a mouthful of pottage,1 while Elijah, according to the will
of God, ate flesh morning and evening without harm to his soul.
Thus I say, then, that it is not the quality of the food or drink

10 that is avenged upon one, but one's appetite and manner of eating.
One sins by means of bread, beer, pease, beans, porridge, water
and other poor foods of a like nature, if they are consumed
intemperately, before the proper time, with fastidious taste,
ravenously or greedily. Alas ! Alas ! Since many harmful

15 sins are comitted in these unseemly repasts, what will be done
in the case of cooking, drink, wine, beef, salt fish, sweet delicacies
and the like ? There are many for whom the food itself is not
enough without adding seasoning and other allurements to it
to make it acceptable and to increase their gluttony, who add

20 flavouring and various other savours to the foods for the same
purpose, and who eat herbs or spices to give keenness to their
thirst, but they do not remember their true Spouse and the
Husband of the soul, viz. Jesus Christ, Whose food was gall
and Whose drink was vinegar owing to His love of you. If

25 you do remember Him, you do not show that you are His wedded
wives by having a severe rule concerning food and drink and
thus following His example, but you have cookery and ostenta-
tion and pleasure against the rule of your own salvation. Others
through disdain of the foods, are always making adverse com-

30 ments, viz. this is bad for my head, it confuses the brain, it is
also bad for the eyes, it burdens the stomach, it is not at all
suitable for one of my quality, the taste of it is dreadful, it
makes me sick again and it is a deadly foe to all my members.
O disdainful one, whosoever you are, look to your own conscience,

35 and spare the one who serves you and also the one who is
listening to your grumbling, because you are a subject of talk
to him as well as to the one who, to his own loss, procured that

1 Joyce, Social History, vol. n, p. 130, says that " brothchan " was a
preparation of meat.

24 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

meal for you. Now, this disdain shows that you are not one
of Benedicfs disciples, for he said that two pots of pottage
were sufficient for the brethren. You are, then, a disciple of
the master of gluttony, i.e. Epicurus. Solomon says, " Fili,1
5 non te effundas super omnem escam," i.e. O my son, do not
give yourself wholly over to food, for the health of the body
and soul consists in temperance ; in regard to this the apostle
says, " Esca ventri et venter escis, Deus autem et hunc et has
destruet," i.e. God will destroy the belly-filling foods and the
10 food-filled bellies. Specially consider this and satisfy your
need rather than your appetite.

DE LUXURIA, i.e. OF LUST.

Lust arises from excessive revelling in food and drink,2 and
for many reasons it is right to avoid it. The first reason :

15 because it defiles the body ; as the apostle says, every sin is
outwith the body, but one sins within it by lust. The second
reason : this sin is foul in the presence of God and of the angels,
and so Genesis says that God inflicted punishment for this
sin upon the lustful by means of an avenging stream of evil-

20 smelling fire. The third reason : indulgence in it satisfies no
one, while its commission tortures the mind. The fourth reason :
when a man commits this sin he then hates the women whom
he loved most in all the world, as is proved in the case of Tamar.
The fifth reason : this sin makes a dwelling-place for the Devil

25 of the well-beloved spouse of Christ. The sixth reason : the
soul, which was at first satisfied by sweet steadfast thoughts
of the heavenly joy, is grievously polluted in this sin by unclean
thoughts and by the commission of the transgression. The
seventh reason : no good thing done without chastity profits.

30 The eighth reason : it despoils one of virgin modesty which
can never be restored ; with regard to this Jerome says, " Cum
omnia possit Deus, virginem non ptest suscitare post ruinam,"
i.e. although God is omnipotent yet He cannot restore to
virginity the woman who has been oncedefiled ; He can, however,

35 free her from punishment although He does not desire to give
her the crown of virginity. The ninth reason for which it is

1 The Vulgate omits Fili, Ecclus. xxxvu, 32.
a E.E.T.S. xlix, p. 86.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 25

right to cherish virginity is because it partakes of angelic qualities.
Jerome says, " Profecto in carne praeter carnem vivere non
terrena vita est sed celestis," i.e. to live in the flesh and yet be
independent of the flesh is the same as to live in the heavenly
5 life after spurning the earthly. I assert, then, that it is a greater
merit to attain the angelic life by virtue of good morals than
to have it naturally ; it is bliss to be an angel, but to be a virgin
is a virtue. Understand that it is on account of his virtues
that a man obtains the bliss which the angel has naturally,
10 and that both come by these through the gift of God. If you
will carefully consider these matters, you will thereafter have
no love for unchastity.

DE TACTU, i.e. OF THE SENSE OF TOUCH.

First of all keep your hands from every forbidden thing.

15 Neither give nor take anything without your superior's per-
mission — indeed, do nothing without his permission. Do not
touch a woman whether she is a relative, aged, or a religious.
Do not put your arm round her neck or waist, and do not clasp
her hand or gaze into her face. Never do to another what

20 you would not wish done to yourself. You say in answer to
this, " I do not want that advice to be given to me, for my
conscience is strong." My answer to you is that, although such
conduct does not harm you, it may harm your companion or
neighbour, and even although it should harm no one, yet it

2 5 is unseemly. In this regard the apostle says, " Avoid every
appearance of evil," i.e. avoid not only the act condemned,
but also every1 appearance of it. The reason for this is that
every time you cause scandal to another, you condemn yourself
in particular. I enjoin upon you, therefore, never to be alone

3° with a man, whether he is a relative or a religious. Do not
make many signs2 for to do so reveals that women are inane.
When making use of these signs, do not speak or utter cant
sayings whence there might be discerned in you the boldness
of inanity and impiety. While you are speaking, do not stretch

35 forth your finger, and practise no tricks with your hands. Do

1 Reading uile. Cf. vol. 1, p. 138, line 11 footnote 5.

2i.e. the signs employed by the religious during the time when silence
was enjoined ; Cf. Historical Notes infra p.

2b HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

not catch hold of a woman's thighs, indeed, do not catch hold
of her anywhere, for these acts show that the religious woman
is bold or shameless. Never stretch out your hand to anyone.
Do not let your hand be seen uncovered, except through
5 necessity, for the religious woman ought to be firm and modest
both in body and mind.

DE HABITU CORPORIS, i.e. OF THE DEPORTMENT OF THE
BODY.

It is right to watch the deportment of the body carefully,

io so that nothing might be apparent in it which would cause
shame to another. I enjoin upon you, then, that your manner
of walking should not be fatuous, self-complacent, futile or
dissolute, but calm, grave, steadfast, slow, temperate and
modest. Do not let your body be unsteady or unclean, but

15 seemly, correct, well-ruled. Do not let your shoulders be erect
or firm, but moderately low and bent, and do not let your neck
be held up proudly, but keep it bent downwards. Do not let
your head be ever turning, but steady, bent, submissive and
modest. Do not let your countenance be restless, foolish and

20 shameless, but resolute, sober, agreeable and harmless. Do not
let your clothing be conspicuous or excessive, but sufficient and
reasonable. Do not let the material of your clothing be expen-
sive or mean, but ordinary and moderate. Do not let your
clothing be soiled or too beautiful or conspicuous, for of such

25 clothing, the one reveals want of taste or else too much vain
glory, the other, meanness and baseness. Excessive cleanliness
or ugly sordidness is unsuitable for a nun. Do not let your
clothing be too long, for a train on the clothing of a nun is un-
seemly, but still, do not let it be too short, but moderately

30 measured. Do not let your boots be too narrow or too orna-
mental, but broad and neatly arranged. Have no binding or
variegated painting upon your girdle, stockings, or the borders
of your sleeves, but make choice of what is ordinary among
all these things and have no variety of a conspicuous nature.

35 Make no excessive mirth with the mirthful, nor excessive
mourning with the mournful. Do not be overcome by mis-
chance, or exalt yourself on account of quietness if you should
get it. I tell you, at every time and in every way be inwardly

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 27

instructed by the signs of virtue, ready for perfection. Cast
no reproach or scandal upon the undisciplined, but guide them
by your own example to better things. If you thus carefully
guard the outward senses, the inner senses ought to be perfectly
5 guarded, and through this watchfulness the heart is thoroughly
guarded.

DE CUSTODIA CORDIS, i.e. OF THE GUARDING OF THE HEART.

From the heart comes every thought by which the soul is

defiled, and that defilement and moral corruption separate it

Jo from God by perverse thoughts. This perversity of thought
you must drive away by three methods, viz. work, confession
and holy meditation. Never be idle, then, but work with
your hands, read or pray so as to avoid all harmful meditations
for the ideas and desires of the idle, lazy man are the constant

x5 dwelling-place of such. If you cannot expel perverse thoughts
in this way, have recourse humbly and with self-contempt to
confession, because the Devil hates him who reveals his (i.e.
the Devil's) pleasure and advice, and avoids such as talkative
and untrustworthy. By holy meditations the Devil is expelled

20 and his works brought to nought. Meditate gladly upon that
so as to destroy the Devil and his power. Of these two ways
the prophet utters these words, " Quoniam cogitatio hominis
confitebitur tibi et reliquiae cogitationis diem festum agent
tibi," i.e. man's meditation shall make confession to Thee,

25 O Lord, and the remnant of this meditation shall make hohday
for Thee : when the evil meditations are expeUed, the good
meditations are the confession of this remnant whereby the
righteous makes hohday by giving thanks to God, Who has
uprooted all his1 faults. Do not despise wilhng meditation

3° upon heavenly things as a means for casting out your sin.

DE SUPERBIA, i.e. OF PRIDE.

If you become aware of pride at the doorway of your mind,

do not open the door of your heart to it at all, for it is usually

accompanied by an excess of bombast. Pride comes frequently

35 from nobihty of race, from strength, beauty, learning or from

1 Lit. your

28 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

some other grace, and for many reasons it is right to resist it.
The first reason : you have nothing on earth of your own, only
a loan or grant, and even although you did obtain from your
own resources what you have got, still you would have many
5 wants, but since you have obtained nothing thence, your
indebtedness is very great both for what you lack and for what
you have. If you wish to boast of your own resources, do not
boast of the things that you have on loan. The second reason :
meditate always upon the end of each of these things thus : —

io if a man is noble or beautiful or learned, what shall his end be ?
Take an example from the peacock which is proud of its tail,
but humiliated by its feet ; by this it is proved that he who is
not humiliated by his end, is more foolish than the peacock.
The third reason : the more one receives, the more he has to

15 account for, which proves that he actually owns nothing, for
there is no reckoning to be given for one's own possessicns.
Never exalt yourself, then, on account of your possessions, but
be humble regarding the reckoning. The fourth reason : the
higher the gifts, the more proper is a higher degree of love

20 towards Him Who bestows them on you, so be forward in
gratitude and forget pride, since you have obtained nothing
by it. The fifth reason : they who exalt themselves on account
of their gifts, shall be humbled by the righteous judgment,
for God will humble everyone who exalts himself, and such a

25 one shall be drowned in the depths of Hell along with the Devil
who is full of pride. The sixth reason : whosoever adheres
humbly to these principles will receive the heavenly joys from
them, because the humble shall be exalted and shall receive
true glory along with the saints. The seventh reason : if you

30 think that these frail transient things of this world are good,
you ought to have a very high esteem for the things that are
lasting and glorious. Understand, then, that since temporal
transient things are obtained by means of toil and very much
care, great, exceedingly great, is the labour that must be per-

35 formed in order to obtain the lasting and glorious things. The
eighth reason : no one knows how long these things shall be left
with you, and so we say that one shall be as much humbled
by the loss of these things as he is now gladdened by their
enjoyment ; the higher the dignity, the greater the fall. The

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 29

ninth reason : as God did not spare the angels in Heaven, still
less will He spare you, who are but clay and ashes and on earth,
for although pride is far more tolerable in the rich man than
in the poor, yet it is not to be tolerated in either of them. If
5 you willingly remember these things, all the power of sin shall
depart from 3-our heart like smoke.

DE VANA GLORIA, i.e. OF VAINGLORY.

This, if it should come to your heart, is bombastic and easily
expelled. Trust it not. This fault frequently arises from good

10 works, when they are done hypocritically in order to seek vain-
glory : for example, if you have begun a work with a good
intention and finally wish to show it off, then your good work
is in vain. Again, if you are being praised for your good works
and accept that praise as glory it is but vainglory. If anyone

15 should be praying or be full of zeal, and his thoughts suggested
to him, " Were anyone to see your great lamentation1 and
secret zeal, he would make known your excellence and good
works, and you would be praised by ali," then, if the poor
creature has treasured these thoughts with pleasure, vainglory

20 is hidden in his heart, and unless he should find repentance,
he will be banished from the everlasting glory. It is easy to
fight against this disease in many ways, provided you thought-
fully consider what the essence or quality of vainglory is. The
first way : willing intention to commit this sin makes any good

25 vain, for the hypocrite fasts, prays, holds vigils and so on just
as the righteous man does, yet these men differ in intention,
because the righteous aims at true, but the hypocrite at vain,
glory : and everyone is judged according to his intention. If
you are a wise man, it is clear to you that it is great folly for

30 anyone to let slip every good through the vanity of his intention.
The second reason : it is exceedingly foolish to put your labour
and all your goodness under the care of the tongue, seeking
flattery if your deeds are good, and being back-bitten if they
are bad ; for as the wind may be with or against you, or as you

35 may have a blessing or a curse, or as the reed waves in the
breeze or blast, so the tongue shall work vainly with or against

1 The grace of tears is here referred to.

30 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

you. II however, you accept my assurance, put your good
deeds and thoughts together into the hands of your Spouse,
Jesus Christ, Who restores them to you two hundred fold.
The third reason : it may happen that you are a poor person,
5 who cannot bestow much trouble on toil ; do not, then, spoil
the little you have for the sake of something of no value, but
securely guard it. A rich man, if he falls, has many to lift
him up, but if a poor man falls, there is no one to lift him up.
The fourth reason : although you should be stronger than

10 Samson, yet without the grace of the Lord you would never
be able to obliterate your transgressions, even although they
should be small. Now, if you wisely consider this, you will
never be vain regarding your own works. The fifth reason :
the hypocrite is continually afraid and never has any peace,

15 lest he should mar the glory he has gained at the cost of great
toil, but you, if you truly make an effort, walk securely and
fear neither praise nor blame. The sixth reason : if sickness
or disgrace should come upon the hyprocite, his life thereafter
becomes bitter and sad, and the vainglory which he had in his

20 joy, shall then painfully leave him, but if such comes upon you
when you are doing good works, nothing shall depart from
you and, also, it is profitable for you if someone has taken an
example from you. The seventh reason : the vain-glorious
desire, as thieves or robbers, to obtain unimpaired that glory

25 which God Himself has indivisibly, whence Job says, " Quae est1
spes hypocritae si avare rapiat," i.e. what do you expect, O
hypocrite, who have committed the mean theft, except the
pain of Hell which shall torment you forever ? Give you lasting
glory to God by your works so that your good-will may preserve

30 peace within you, as the Gospel says, " Gloria in excelsis2 Deo
et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis," i.e. glory to God
in the highest and peace to those of good will on earth. The
eighth reason : it is a great evil and indeed a crime that so little
labour and care are expended for the sake of lasting glory and

35 so very much for the sake of vainglory. Truly, vainglory is
of no value in comparison with eternal glory. If you fruitfully

1 The Yulgate reads quac est cnim . . . Job xxvn, 8.

2 The Yulgate reads in altissimis, Luke 11, 14 (Correct this reference
in vol. 1, p. 29, footnote 2.)

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 31

consider this, you will blow the vainglory away from yourself
like light unclean chaff.

DE JNYIDIA, i.e. OF ENVY.

Fight strongly against envy lest the heart be seized by it.
5 This fault comes from the fame, honour, tranquillity and prelacy
of others, and it is right to fight against this fault in many ways.
The first way : it is unseemly to envy the prosperity of others
just because you cannot be as they are. The second way :
by feeling envy you are fighting against God, from Whom comes

10 every good thing and power, and hence the apostle says, " Qui
potestati1 resistit, Dei ordinationi resistit," i.e. whosoever
fighteth against the power, fighteth against the decree, of God.
The third way : if you have come into the order as a humble
poor person, it is to do good that you have come, not to do evil

15 or to envy the tranquillity or success of others. The fourth
way : it is perversity and the height of folly that you alone
should desire to discredit him who is honoured and well thought
of by all. The fifth way : if you examine yourself well, you
will not envy another, for you do not know how others stand

20 in the sight of God, and your own knowledge, if that is all that
you have, is foul, fearful and precarious. The sixth reason :
if you should say, " Those whom I envy would not be praised
if they were well-known ; doubtless, they are good people and
I know that they would not be really praised without being

25 known," I beseech you, if you would be a religious, take a better
view of every opinion, for it is right to choose the safer. The
seventh way : it is iniquitous that you should unreasonably
envy him who has done you no harm nor cursed you, merely
because he is a prelate, a friend or a neighbour to you. The

30 eighth way : to envy your neighbour's good is great iniquity
and folly, since it is yours if you think it well that he should
have it, as Augustine says, " Ama bonum proximi tui et tuum
facis,"2 i.e. love your neighbour's good and it will be your own.
The ninth way : the envious makes himself resemble the Devil,

35 who hates the piety and goodness of all while he is destroying it.

1 The Yulgate reads qui resistit potestati.- — Rom. xiii, 2.

a This quotation does not seem to be from the works of St. Augustine
but Cf. Dion Halicarn., Rom. Ant. m, 9: — ev ydp ianv, d> &ov<f>erie,
Ximrjs avdpojTnvrjs err dXXoTpiois dyadols ylvop.ivi]s, d/co?, tov p.r)K€Ti.
tovs <f>dovovvTas dXXoTpia rd tcov <\>Qovovp.ivojv dyaOd r)yeio9ai.

32 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

Be fearful, then, and cast all envy out of your heart quickly.
Bernard with regard to that says, " If you become aware of
envy touching your heart, and taking that ill, do not surrender
your battle-arms to it, viz. your eyes, ears and thoughts, you
5 have fought well and gained the victory.

DE AMBITIONE, i.e. OF THE DESIRE FOR DIGNITY.

Although that desire should smile upon you, trust it not,
for the sins and burdens, which it involves, are bitter and
numerous. This desire is always urging you on to sin, and for

I0 many reasons it is right to oppose it. The first of these reasons :
the prelates have many troubles and cares which lead them
on to sin in giving and seeking things and in bestowing orders,
as well as numerous tribulations in matters subject to them ;
and it is because they do these things well that the people have

i$ a laudable peace. The second reason : they have numerous
causes of fickle hatred as well as speaking, laughing, eating,
drinking and so on of which the humble are ignorant. The
third reason : they must always be careful because they have
to account to God for everything that they may do, and the

20 lowly ought to have no desire for that sin and burden. The
fourth reason : all the prelates and those in office have exposed
themselves to the eyes, ears and tongues of all as regards scandal
and back-biting to and fro, while the lowly and steadfast do
not undertake these wranglings as duties. The fifth reason :

25 those in subjection to them to whom they have done every
kind of good deed, do not love them thereafter, but back-bite
them as enemies. The sixth reason : those who arrive at this
dignity, do so with toil, service and flattery, and these are the
very tribulations which the religious despise. The seventh

30 reason : it is right to ponder carefully the end of these people
on account of the greatness of their fall and their danger ; those
who have least to do with this tribulation are most advanced
on the path of joy. The eighth reason : it is difficult enough
for you to account for yourself on the Day of Judgment without

35 having the care of all, who have gone astray, laid upon you.
The ninth reason : it is better for you, if you eagerly desire to
advance to dignity, to yearn f or the greatest, most enduring,
and royal diginity in which you may remain forever, rather

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 33

than for the trifling, foul and transient dignity which you will
receive in return for sin. If you understand this well, you
will not covet prelacy or worldly dignity.

DE AVARITIA, i.e. OF COVETOUSNESS.
5 If you become aware of covetousness about your heart,
fervently reject it, for it is harmful and unnecessary. Covetous-
ness arises frequently from prosperity as well as from calamities
and it is right to fight against it in many ways. The first of
these ways : material things fill the heart with care and presump-

10 tion while one is obtaining them by toil and vigil on land and
sea as well as by suftering many dangers, but the truly poor
does not feel any love for these things because he despises them
for the sake of God. The second reason : those who are endowed
with wealth fear everybody, for they reckon the poor man a

15 thief and the rich a plunderer, but the poor is different, for,
having nothing to spoil, he is always care-free. The third
reason : the covetous when his possessions leave him, is grieved
to death, but the poor man has spiritual peace in return for
worldly wants. The fourth point : he who loves the world

20 serves it as a base slave and a foul servant for he humbles him-
self to it ; hence we say that such a man has no wealth, however
greatly he may love it, because he is the slave of such wealth
and not its lord, and owing to it, and along with it, God has
departed from him, but on the other hand, he who is poor for

25 the sake of God, is very wealthy. The fifth reason : he who
gathers riches shall never be satisfied, for he will never think
that anything is enough, but the poor man is the very opposite
of this, because he treasures up nothing for himself and yet
he brings out what he can. The sixth reason : the Devil sets

30 riches as a trap and snare around the wealthy to prevent them
turning to God, and hence as the apostle says, " Qui volunt
divites fieri, incidunt in temptationem et in laqueum Dyaboli,"
i.e. they who desire to be wealthy fall into the net and trap
of that Devil. The poor man who abandons everything resembles

35 God, for he understands that he cannot follow Him while a
great burden is lying upon himself . The seventh reason : in
the rich man's opinion death is deplorable and bitter, but in
the poor man's, joyful and pleasant. The eighth reason :

34 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

when the wealthy dies, his possessions must leave him despite
himself, but the poor man, when he dies, receives the heavenly
riches with great joy. Consider this intently and you will
never love earthly things. Know also that there are four types
5 of people, viz. : — the covetous, the liberal, the prodigal and the
foolish. He who gives what should be given, and keeps what
should be kept, is liberal. He who does not give what should
be given, and keeps what should be kept, is covetous. He who
gives what should be given, and does not keep what should
io be kept, is prodigal, while he who does not keep what should
be kept, and does not give what should be given, is foolish
and boorish.

DE IRA, i.e. OF WRATH.

If wrath should visit your heart, at that very moment destroy

15 it, for it is furious. The cause of wrath is always something
that is done or said or that happens contrary to one's wish.
The wrathful are of four types, viz : — those who become angry
unwillingly and leave off quickly ; those who become angry
willingly and leave off quickly ; those who become angry slowly

20 and slowly leave off and finally, those who become angry quickly
and leave off slowly. The first type is not good ; the second is
worse ; the third is bad, while the fourth is very bad. For
many reasons it is right to fight against wrath. The first reason
then : every kind of anger arises from pride, and although it

25 may be that righteous anger against sin is good sometimes,
yet1 at other times anger is altogether bad, for the stirring of
wrath is a sign of pride. The second reason : your anger is
imjustified when you are angry with one human like yourself,
for no one has any right to be angry with another. The third

30 reason : if, having assumed authority over one particular person,
you are angry with him on account of his sins, do not be excess-
ively angry ; and if owing to your anger, you outwardly smite
him with the rod, yet inwardly love him heartily for the sake
of God. The fourth reason : do not be angry with anyone

35 even although he should be guilty, unless you are his superior,
for you yourself would not like anyone to be angry with you

1 Omitting agus : cf. vol. 1, p. 148 line 14.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 35

if you should trespass. Never do to another what you would
not like done to yourself. The fifth reason : you do more harm
to yourself than to others by being angry, and what profit is
it for you to exercise upon another a discipline which ruins
5 yourself ? The sixth reason : it is extraordinary ignorance or
boorishness for one to be angry, for anger reveals the fault
hidden within. The seventh reason : it is wiser for one to
offer steadfast patience to anger, i.e. not to reveal outwardly
how he feels within. The eighth reason : the society of the
10 wrathful is most dangerous, so avoid it as peacefully as possible.
The ninth reason : one ought not to reveal either counsel or
secret to the wrathful, for in the recklessness of their fury,
they reveal every secret. I urge you then, if you are a wise
man, to avoid carefully the company of the wrathful.

!5 DE ODIO, i.e. OF HATRED.

If hatred should get a beginning in your heart, fight against
it in every way. This fault originates as a result of an evil1
act or speech, and it is right to counter it in many ways. The
first way : he who hates destroys his own soul, for the one who

20 hates his brother, is, as John, the Bosom-disciple, says, a
murderer. The second way : hatred blinds one, for he who
hates is blind and ignorant of the way of life with the result
that he does not judge justly, but is ever working on behalf
of his foe. The third reason : he who hates, by taking vengeance,

25 makes the Lord to Whom belongs all power of vengeance, of
no effect. The fourth reason : such a man makes enmity between
himself and God by hating His creature. The fifth reason :
such a man cannot rightly repeat the Lord's prayer, and if
he does repeat it, he does so against his own salvation, for since

30 he is unwilling to forgive the sins committed against himself,
he is praying against himself and asking that his own sins should
not be forgiven him. The sixth reason : such a one destroys
his own works completely, for they proceed not from love, but
from hate. The seventh reason : such a one is worse than a

35 beast, for the beast loves its fellow, while the man who hates
detests his fellow, who has been created in the image of God.

1 Reading dhroch-ghnimh. Cf. vol. I, p. 149, 7 and footnote 2.

36 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

The eighth reason : whosoever hates is boorish, for he is unwilling
to forgive a little so that God may forgive him much. The
ninth reason : as he who loves becomes a son of God, so he
who hates becomes a son of the Devil. Peacefully avoid this
5 fault, then, if you desire to snatch a victory from your enemies.

DE TRISTITIA, i.e. OF GRIEF.

If your perceive grief near your heart, cast it out quickly for
it is bitter and accursed. Grief is begotten by the loss of relations
or earthly things, by trouble, by ill-health, by someone casting

io contempt upon you, or by someone being exalted over you.
Fight speedily against this in many ways. The first way :
since grief is worldly in origin the works of death are in it, but
on the other hand, your grief for your sins against the love
of God is good and, if it is not excessive, you will derive eternal

15 life from it. The second reason : relatives, temporal possessions,
indeed, all things in general are the gift of God, and He does
no injustice to anyone if He takes back His own gifts. The
third reason : it is in opposition to God that one is grieved,
for such a one is fulfilling his own, and opposing God's will.

20 The fourth reason : reproach is cast upon God's judgment by
the grief of the man who is deprived of his possessions or who
experiences adversity. The fifth reason : the soul that is grieved
is generally full of melancholy and tardy with regard to all
good things. The sixth reason : the soul that is grieved by the

25 decay of earthly things ought to be the more grieved by fear
of the eternal pains of Hell. The seventh reason : if you are
pained because temporal and transient things have gone, it
is fitting, indeed, more fitting, that you should be grieved because
glorious things are going. Wipe out this grief, then, from your

30 heart, if you wish to gain the victory over your enemies.

DE ACCIDIE, i.e. OF MELANCHOLY.

The seizure of the heart by melancholy is just like the death
of the soul. Drive it quickly from your heart. Its cause is
frequently carelessness regarding yourself, God and the pains
35 of Hell. Counter it in many ways. The first way : it destroys
not only the soul, but the body and soul together, with the
result that one reckons life a burden but yet is unwilling to die.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 37

The second point : the melancholy is unstable and ready for every
evil just like a man who fears nothing, but yet cannot look
after his own due and right. The third way : he is melancholy
and sad as far as goodness is concerned, and disparages and
5 disdains all back-biting and contempt of himself. The fourth
way : like a madman he welcomes the evil, and does not grieve
over, or weep for, the good he has let slip through carelessness.
The fifth way : he is like nothing else but a picture on a wall
which can do nothing with the organs of sense depicted in it,

10 because he never sets his eyes to weep for his sins, nor his ears
to hearken for his own advantage, nor his mouth or tongue
to utter anything good, nor his hands and feet to perform his
indispensable duty, nor his heart to worthy thoughts, nor does
he prepare his body to serve. The sixth way : he is deaf and

15 blind towards goodness of every kind, so that he has no pleasure
in anything he may see or hear. The seventh way : he relishes
neither earthly nor spiritual joy. The eighth way : he is a
burden not only to himself, but also to his neighbours and
acquaintances in general. The ninth reason : he is defenceless

20 and thoroughly impoverished in this world, and deprived of
glory. The tenth way : he has no regret for the heavenly life
which he has let slip through carelessness, nor does he fear
the pain of Hell which is being prepared for him. In every
way, then, avoid the melancholy that would cause you to let

25 slip, even in this present life, all your relish for the heavenly
life.

DE DESPERATIONE, i.e. OF DESPAIR.

It is, indeed, very unfortunate if despair should come to your
heart. Fight against it bravely and with all your attention in

30 many ways. The first way : God Omnipotent is as able to
condemn sinners as to save the repentant. The second way :
He is so merciful that no one ought to despair, for His mercy
is greater than our sins can be. The third way : He is true
and He has promised that whenever the sinner shall sigh, He

35 will forget his sin. He has said, " O sinful soul, although you
often commit fornication with many lovers, yet turn to me
and I will receive you." The fourth way : He is benignant
and He came to call not only the righteous but also the sinners.

O'

8 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

The fifth1 way : He is gracious, and as the evil conduct of
sinners increases, His grace increases beyond it ; this is proved
in the case of Peter, Paul, David and many others. If you
have sinned, see if your sin is greater than Paul's sin or David's
5 for the one of these was an unbelieving blasphemer of God,
the other a murderer and adulterer. Finally, however, this
murderer was " after God's own heart," while the other was
a teacher of the Gentiles. If you live under a rule, you have
sinned no worse than Peter, who denied his Lord thrice, and

10 the prelate under whom you have sinned, is no better than the
prelate under whom Peter sinned, yet to this man who took
refuge in flight and denial, the keys of the Kingdom of God
were finally given. Do not, then, despair of your sin but let
this example urge you on to repentance. The sixth way :

15 the nobles of Heaven rejoice more over the conversion of one
sinner than over ninety and nine righteous persons. The
seventh way : so great was God's favour for the repentance of
the sinner that the King of Angels made a man of Himself for
love of it. The eighth way : since Christ died for the sake

20 of sinners while they were still His foes, behold what He shall
give them now that they are His friends through repentance.
The ninth way : no one ought to despair owing to the length
of time before he became converted ; this is proved by the
brief penance of the thief on the cross. The tenth way : had

25 not God loved the sinner's repentance, He would not have
purchased it with His blood and precious flesh. If you truly
believe this, you will not despair on account of your sins.

DE BLASPHEMIA ET DE PREFIGURANTIBUS CHRISTUM, i.e.
OF BLASPHEMING THE LORD AND OF THE LORD'S PRE-
30 FIGURATIONS.

Should blasphemy come into your heart, fight against it

and expel it vigorously. This fault has its origin frequently

with reference to the divinity and humanity of Christ, His

substance or the great sacraments in general. Fight against it

35 powerfully for many praiseworthy reasons. For many causes

^Cf. vol. 1, p. 35, line 34 and p. 152, footnote 2.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 39

and on strong grounds it is right to believe in the divinity and
humanity of Christ. The first of these : it is proved by the
succour given to the saints, by the quickening of the dead in
which people could not believe, as well as by the words and
5 deeds of the saints. That very proof is prefigured by the Law
and the patriarchs, is pre-revealed by the prophets, revealed
by the angel and evangelists and also preached by the apostles.
What is understood by the bush which Moses saw burning
without any damage to its foliage, but Mary's conception of

10 the Son of God without loss of virginity, and that He Himself
was the beloved, enduring, ever-consuming flame which does
no harm to the one upon whom it acts ? What is understood
by Gideon's woollen fleece over which the dew rained from
Heaven without doing harm to the wool, but that Christ was

15 poured down bj^ the Holy Ghost into Mary's womb, without
loss of her virginity ? What is understood by Adam's creation
from the unpolluted earth and by Eve's creation from his rib,
but that Mary conceived the Son of God without pollution
or loss of virginity ? What is understood by Aaron's rod,

20 which produced blossom and fruit spontaneously, but the
birth of the Son of God from the pure scion, the Virgin
Mary, without loss of her virginity ? What is understood by
the rod which the prophets foretold would come with pure
blossom from the stock of Jesse, but Mary the Mother, who

25 was of the family of Jesse, and who gave birth to Christ, the
pure blossom, for the salvation of all ? What is understood
by the forty days and the forty nights during which Moses
and Elijah fasted, but Chrisfs fasting for a similar period to
deliver mankind ? What is understood by the sale of Joseph

3° by his brethren, but Chrisfs being sold by His own disciples1
for thirty pieces of silver ? What is understood by Jacob's
fighting with the angel whom he would not let go till he obtained
the everlasting blessing, but Chrisf s love for human-kind fighting
with Him continually till it caused Him finally to sweat blood

35 in His effort to gain the lasting blessing for our salvation, as
is evident by His opening His hands on the cross in bestowing
the blessing upon us ? What is understood by the innocent
blood of Abel crying to God for protection after he was slain

1 1.T. sic, but cf. L.T. vol. 1, p. 37, line 20.

40 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

in the field by his brother, but the blood of Christ poured forth
on behalf of the sinner and crying to God on his behalf ? What
is understood by the ark which delivered eight souls from the
swelling waves of the sea, but the cross of Christ, by which
5 those whom He has redeemed are borne from the waves of their
stormy sin to the haven, the gate of God's House ? What
is understood by Isaac's carrying the bundle of firewood in
fulfilment of his father's wish, to burn himself as a sacrifice
to God, but Chrisfs carrying the cross of His own burning

10 pain to redeem the sins of the nations ? What is understood
by the cross tau and by the paschal lamb which the Children
of Israel sacrificed on their departure from Egypt, but the
cross of Christ upon which was the Innocent Lamb Who, through
the will of the Father, not only bore the sins of the world but

15 also gave Himself as a sacrifice to do away with that sin ? What
is understood by the poisonous serpent which Moses raised up
for the Children of Israel to succour all who should gaze upon
it from the sting of the other serpents, but Christ on the cross
healing from their infinite wounds all who gaze upon Him ?

20 What is understood by Samson who was shut behind bars by
the rejoicing Gazites, and who, making light of them, broke
their gates, left them after one night and went with his nobles
unhurt to his own kingdom, but a figure of Christ Who was
enclosed within the tomb to the joy of the Jews, and WTho

•25 departed from it at midnight, burst the gates of Hell and took
His own nobles to Heaven ? What is understood by the same
Samson's taking a honey-comb from the lion's mouth, but a
figure of Christ ? As the honey is in the comb, so in Him are
both God and man. What is understood by Jonah's being

30 vomited forth on the third day by the great beast, but Christ
Who rose from the dead on the third day ? What is understood
by Enoch's being borne bodily to Paradise, and by Elijah's
being borne away from the presence of his disciple into the
air, but Christ Who was thus taken from the presence of His

35 disciples into Heaven to sit thereafter at the right hand of
God, His Father. If you truly believe these things, the spirit
of blasphemy and unbelief will depart from you. Since you
have seen how He was prefigured by the Law and the patriarchs,
see now how He has been pre-revealed by the prophets.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 41

DE PROPHETIS DE CHRISTO, i.e. OF THE PROPHETS WHO
SPOKE OF CHRIST.

Now, Jacob, the prophet, said with regard to the birth of
Christ, " Non auferetur sceptrum de Iuda, et dux de femore
5 eius, donec veniat qui mittendus est, et ipse erit expectatio
gentium," i.e. these tribes, and particularly the tribe of Judah,
shall not lack lords and princes till Christ comes, and by Him
the nations shall be saved. Moses therefore says, " prophetam1
suscitabit vobis Deus de fratribus vestris tanquam me, ipsum

10 etc," i.e. " As God gave the Law to you by me," said Moses,
" so He will give you grace and truth through the ' Great Prophet,'
Who is frequently called Christ in the Gospel, and Lord and
God by the prophets, and whosoever will not believe in Christ
shall be condemned and cast out from the communion of the

15 saints. So Habakkuk, the prophet, says, " Qui2 venturus est
veniet etc," i.e. without doubt, the Lord Jesus Who is called
the Saviour of His people will come to blot out their sins. Of
the coming of Christ, Balaam says, " Orietur stella ex Iacob
et consurget homo3 de Israel et percutiet duces Moab," i.e.

20 the Virgin Mary shall be begotten, i.e. the Star of the family
of Jacob, and of her shall come the Man Who is called Christ,
the Son of the Living God, Who shall arise in thee, O Israel,
according to the fiesh of His mother, and He shall destroy the
princes of Moab, viz. the Devil, who is lord of all upon whom

25 the law of the Lord Jesus Christ has no effect. Isaiah says,
" Ecce4 virgo concipiet filium, et vocabitur nomen eius
Emmanuel," i.e. the Virgin shall conceive the Son and shall
give Him birth, and He shall be called Immanuel, i.e. God
with us. Observe that the prophet said that the Virgin would

30 bear a son, and I understand thereby that, since she was a

1 This seems to be a composite reference to the following : — prophetam
de gente tua et de fratribus tuis sicut me, suscitabit Dominus Deus tuus :
ipsum audies, Deut. xvm, 15 ; prophetam suscitabo eis de medio fratrum
suorum similem tui, Deut. xviii, 19 ; quoniam prophetam suscitabit
Dominus Deus vester de fratribus vestris tanquam me, ipsum audietis
Acts. iii, 22.

2 These words are from Hebrews x, 38 (correct this reference in vol. i,
p. 39, footnote 8) quoting Hab. n, 3.

3 The Vulgate reads virga in place of homo, but the Sept. avareXei
aarpov e'£ 'Ioxcufi, Kal dvaoTrjoeTai dvQpamos e£ 'IopayX. Num. XXIV, 17.

4 The Vulgate adds et pariet after concipiet Is. vu, 14.

42 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

virgin at His birth, Mary was the Virgin from whom God and
man has come without loss of virginity. So too, the prophet
David says, " Dominus dabit benignitatem, et terra nostra
dabit fructum suum," i.e. God will openly reveal to us His
5 own tender love when our earth, i.e. the Virgin Mary, shall
give the fruit of Her pure womb, viz., Jesus Christ. And the
prophet Malachi says, " Vobis1 timentibus nomen meum orietur
sol iustitiae," i.e. Christ the Sun of Righteousness, will arise
for those who fear my name, and there will be healing in His

10 wings, i.e. in His words and eternal salvation will be found
in His deeds as well as a lasting reward. David too says,
" Dominus dixit ad me ' Filius meus es tu ; ego hodie genui te,' "
i.e. " Thou art my son whom I have this day begotten " said
the Lord in the figure of Christ. Isaiah says, " Parvulus2 natus

15 est nobis, filius datus est nobis," i.e. a child has been born unto
us and a son has been bestowed upon us. He says further,
" Cujus principatus super humerum eius, et vocabitur nomen
eius Admirabilis, Deus Fortis, Pater Futuri Saeculi, Princeps
Pacis " de3 cuius pronuntiatione nativitatis nil apertius potest

20 dici, i.e. His rule is upon His shoulders and His name shall
be The Wonderful and Strong God and Father of The World
to Come and The Prince of Peace : it is with regard to this
revelation of that birth that nothing clearer can be said. De
qua etiam dixit Ieremias, i.e. concerning which also Jeremiah

25 says, " Deus4 in terris visus est et cum hominibus conversatus
est," i.e. God was seen upon earth dwelling among men, and
since no one could behold Him as He truly was, He assumed
flesh in order that He might live with man in love and teach
him by His own example. Should it chance that anyone would

30 doubt, like the Jews, whether He was the One promised to us,
the prophet Daniel has given definite proof that He was when

1 The Yulgate reads et orietur vobis timentibus nomen meum Sol
iustitiae. Mal. iv, 2.

2 The Yulgate reads Parvulus enim natus est nobis, et rilius datus est
nobis, et factus est principatus super humerum eius : et vocabitur nomen
eius Admirabilis, Consiliarius, Deus, Fortis, Pater futuri saeculi, Princeps
pacis.

3Cf. vol. 1, p. 156, 24 and footnote 8.

4 The Yulgate reads post haec in terris visus est, et cum hominibus
eonversatus est. Bar. in, 38.

HOLY LIFE AND HLAVENLY THOUGHT 43

he said, " Cum venerit Sanctus sanctorum, cessabit unctio
Iudeorum," i.e. when the Holy of Holies shall come, the Jewish
custom of anointing shall cease. There is no doubt but that
they knew that Christ had come, for on His coming the
5 anointing of kings and bishops did cease. Habakkuk says,
" Domine,1 consideravi opera tua et expavi, quoniam in medio
dirorum animalium innotesceris," i.e. O Lord, I have considered
Thy works and fear has seized upon me, for Thou wert manifest
among men. This was proved truly and particularly when the

10 shepherds found Him between the two animals ; they worshipped
Him and believed in Him on account of many signs, and it was
also proved when He was sought eagerly and with honour by
the kings. Isaiah says, " Super2 te, Ierusalem, orietur Dominus,
et gloria eius in te videbitur," i.e. upon thee, O Jerusalem,

15 the Lord will arise, and His glory will be manifest in thee ;
" et3 ambulant gentes in lumine tuo, et reges in splendore ortus
tui," i.e. the nations will walk in thy light, and the kings in
the splendour of thy birth ; " omnes de Saba venient aurum
et tus deferentes, et laudem Domino annuntiantes," i.e. the

20 people will come from Saba bringing gold and incense and
praising the Lord. This took place in Bethlehem, and they
were praising the Lord in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem.
It was in Bethlehem that Christ, the Mighty, i.e. the Glory of
the Father, was begotten in the womb of the Virgin, and it

25 was by those kings, whom he4 mentions, that He was prayed
to as King, as God and as man, while they themselves were
marching by the light of the new star towards Him bringing
gold and incense and myrrh. So the prophet David says,
" Adorate Dominum in aula sancta eius," i.e. make supplication

3° to the Lord in His holy hall, and David further says, " Reges
Tarsis et insulae munera offerent ; reges Arabum et Saba dona

1 The Yulgate reads, Domini, audivi auditionem tuam et timui.
Domine, opus tuum in medio annorum vivifica illud. In medio annorum
notum facies. The Sept. reads Kupie, eloaKrJKoa rijv olkot)v oov, ha \ ifofirjBrjv'
Karevoijoa ra. ep\a oov Kal e^eorrjv. ev fxeow ovo t,wwv yvwodrjor) , ex> rtp
eyyit,eiv ru. errt emyvwoB '/jcttj' Hab. III, 1.

2 The Yulgate reads, Surge, illuminare, Ierusalem ; quia venit lumen
tuum, et gloria Domini super te orta est, thus dihering from both the
L.T. and the I.T. Is. lx, 1.

3 The Vulgate reads, et ambulabunt gentes . . . Is. lx, 3.
*i.e., the author of the L.T.

44 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

adducent et adorabunt eum omnes reges,1 omnes gentes servient
ei," i.e. the kings of the islands called Tarsis, Saba and Arbum
will bring gifts to the Son of God, all kings will pray to Him
and ali nations will submit to Him. It is seen that these things
5 were completely proved to the very letter in which they were
uttered. The prophet said concerning the presentation of the
Lord in the temple, " Suscepimus, Deus, misericordiam tuam
in medio templi tui," i.e. Christ, who was often called in the
Holy Scriptures " The Mercy of God " as is proved by these

10 authoritative quotations : " Ostende nobis, Domine, miseri-
cordiam tuam et salutare tuum da nobis," i.e. O Lord, bestow
upon us Thy mercy and grant us Thy help and joy, and
" Misericordia2 Domini ab aeterno et usque in aeternum " et
" Deus meus,3 misericordia mea," i.e. that is the abiding mercy

15 which never wasteth away, and, " Deus meus, misericordia
mea," i.e. O God, Thou art my mercy. Malachi says regarding
the same matter, " Ecce4 veniet ad templum suum Dominator
Dominus," i.e. Jesus Christ, " et erunt," i.e. Joseph et Maria
" offerentes eum Domino sacrincium in iustitia," i.e. it is evident

20 that the Lord, Jesus Christ, will come to His own temple in the
exercise of His rule, and Joseph and Mary will be offering to
God a sacrifice in righteousness. Isaiah says in the person of
the Lord, " Spiritus5 Domini super me, eo quod unxerit me ;
ad annuntiandum mansuetis misit me, ut mederer contritis

25 corde, et praedicarem captivis indulgentiam et clausis apertionem
et annum placabilem Domino," i.e. the spirit of the Lord will
come upon me because He hath anointed me and hath sent
me to show that He is very gentle, to comfort the sorrow of
the soul, to promise forgiveness and release to those who are

30 in captivity and light to those who are in darkness, and to reveal
the chosen year of the Lord. It is proved, then, beyond doubt
that Christ was anointed by the Father and by the Holy Ghost

1 The Vulgate adds terrae after reges. The Sept. reads Travres 01 ^aaiXels.

2 The Vulgate reads Misericordia autem . . . . in seternum super
timentes eum Ps. cn, 17.

3 The Vulgate reads Benedictus Dominus Deus meus qui

misericordia mea Ps. cxliii, 2.

4 The Vulgate reads Ecce ego mitto .... et statim veniet ....
et erunt Domino offerentes sacrificia in iustitia. Mal. m, 1-3.

B The Vulgate reads — unxerit Dominus me, but the Sept. otJ elvtkev
exftioev fie' Is. LXI, 1.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 45

particularly to proclaim this new and wonderful teaching by
which mercy, humility, mildness and promises of an eternal
joyous reward in return for soul-sorrow are revealed as well
as succour for prisoners bound in the fetters of sin. Complete
c forgiveness of sin is promised them for true contrition of heart
and oral confession. To those who are bound in the Devil's
prison by harsh disbelief and despair He reveals release in return
for their faith, hope and charity. There is mercifully given to
each one who desires it a year of gratitude to the Lord and

I0 a chosen season and days of health with a view to repentance,
and by such the will of God is perfectly fulfilled. The same
prophet says of the Lord's miracles, " Ecce1 Dominus noster
veniet et salvabit nos," i.e. our Lord will come openly to save
us, and then the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf will

jc be opened ; " tunc saliet sicut cervus claudus," i.e. the lame
will run like a deer, and the tongues of the dumb will be freed.
He wrought this and many other miracles when He came in
the fiesh ; He revealed His power over the material and the
spiritual by succouring bodies and souls, and hence one ought

20 to believe that He is, without a doubt the Saviour of all. Con-
cerning the Lord's rapid journey to Jerusalem Zechariah said,
" Ecce2 rex tuus venit tibi mansuetus, sedens super asinam et
pullum filium subiugalis," i.e. thy gentle King and Lord comes
openly to you, seated upon the back of an ass and the foal

25 of an ass. Jesus, the Saviour, fulfilled these figures when He
came to Jerusalem, as one reads in the Scriptures. De traditione
autem eius dicit David, " Homo pacis meae in quo speravi,
qui edebat panes meos, ampliavit3 adversum me supplanta-
tionem," i.e. one of my household and fellowship whom I trusted

30 and who ate my bread with me, increased my foe's contention
and hostihty about me. Judas fulfilled these things against
the gracious sweet Jesus. De venditione vero ipsius, i.e. con-
cerning the selling of the Lord, Jeremiah, the prophet, says

1 The Vulgate reads, Ecce Deus vester Deus ipse veniet et

salvabit vos : the Sept. reads laov 6 6eos i)f-^>v . . . aiios rj^et kal o<Lati
rjfias. Is. xxxv. 4-6.

2 Cf. vol. i, p. 42, line 26 and footnotes 9 and 10 : vol. i, p. 159, line
25 and footnote 4. The Greek reads «x' °vov ^at e77' rt<*>hov vlov i*io£v\(lov
Matt. xxi, 5.

3 The Vulgate reads . . . magnificavit super me .... Ps. xl, 10.

46 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

in His person, " Appenderunt1 mercedem meam et triginta
argenteis quibus appretiatus sum ab eis," i.e. they increased
my value to thirty talents and for this they purchased me.
The agent for this was Judas, the false traitor. Dixit
5 Zacharias, i.e. Zechariah said concerning the rapid scattering
of the disciples, " Percutiam pastorem et dispergentur oves,"
i.e. the shepherd shall be smitten and the flock will scatter.
The proof of this is that the disciples fled when the Lord was
seized. De passione vero ipsius et morte, i.e. concerning the

io passion and death of the Lord, Isaiah speaking in His person
says, " Corpus meum dedi percutientibus, et genas meas
vellentibus ; faciem meam non averti ab increpantibus et con-
spuentibus in me," i.e. I gave my body to the smiters and my
cheeks to those who plucked my beard, and I did not turn

15 my face away from those who insulted me and jeered at me,
and He was wounded for our wickedness, He was beaten and
bruised for our sin, and by the out-pouring of His sweat and
blood we have been healed. He was sacrificed as He wished,
yet He opened not His mouth, but was like a gentle sheep and

20 dumb, like a lamb being shorn. He surrendered His soul to
death and He was made like a criminal, although He bore the
sins of all and prayed that His tormentors should not die the
eternal death.2 Truly it was not possible to give an adequate
account of the passion of Christ whether from prophet, imagina-

25 tion or study however deep, or by tongue however keen. David
says concerning the Lord's drink on the cross, " Dederunt
in escam meam fel, et in siti mea potaverunt me aceto," i.e.
they gave me the gall of the liver for food and vinegar for drink.
The same prophet has said with regard to the division of His

3° clothing, " Diviserunt sibi vestimenta mea et super vestem
meam miserunt sortem," i.e. they divided ray clothes and cast
lots for them. Each one of these things is now fulfilled as it
was declared. De resurrectione vero ; David speaking in his
own person concerning the resurrection of the Lord, has said,

1 The Vulgate reacis, Et appenderunt mercedem meam, triginta
argenteos. Et dixit Dominus ad me, Proiice illud ad statuarium,
decorum pretium, quo appretiatus sum ab eis. Zach. XI, 12, 13.

2 The Vulgate omits ut non perirent which the L.T. contains and
which the original of the I.T. seems to have contained.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 47

" Exsurgam diluculo,1 quoniam non derelinques animam meam
in inferno, nec dabis sanctum tuum videre corruptionem," i.e.
I will arise in the morning, for Thou wilt not leave my soul in
Hell, nor wilt Thou leave Thine own holy one to see corruption.

5 Have no doubt as to whether this is to be understood of the
prophet, for the prophet was polluted by the change of his
body in the clay, but it is to be understood of Christ Himself
and of the resurrection of His body unpolluted on the third
day. And the Lord has said, " Tu cognovisti sessionem meam,"

10 scilicet moriendo " et resurrectionem meam " scilicet resurgendo,
i.e. Thou hast known my patience in dying and my resurrection
when I arose again. De passione autem et resurrectione ipsius,
i.e. with regard to the Lord's passion and resurrection Hosea has
said, " Ipse2 cepit et sanabit nos, percutiet et curabit nos ;

15 vivificabit nos post duos dies, in die tertia suscitabit nos post
mortem et vivificati cum ipso resurgemus," i.e. He Himself
hath begun the passion and He will save us ; He will heal and
quicken us : He will smite and save us after two days on the
third day, and we will remain with Him and, on His rising again,

20 we will rise with Him, quickened by His death. De ascensione
etiam eius dicit David, i.e. concerning the Lord's ascension to
the Father David says this, ' Ascendit Deus in iubilatione,3
et Dominus in voce tubae," i.e. God hath ascended in the melody
of the Kingdom of God, and the Lord hath ascended at the voice

25 of the trumpet. " Qui ponit4 in nubem ascensum suum et
ambulat super pennas ventorum," i.e. it is this King that setteth
His steps in the cloud and walketh upon the wings of the winds.
" Et ascendens in altum Dominus5 captivam duxit captivitatem ;
dedit dona hominibus " largiendo scilicet donum spiritus sancti

30 fidelibus suis, i.e. on ascending the Lord took captivity captive,
and showing generosity to men He bestowed His gifts : these

1 The Vulgate and the Sept. omit Exsurgam diluculo.

2 The L.T. reads with the \ ulgate, ipse cepit et sanabit nos : percutiet
et curabit nos. Vivificabit nos post duos dies ; in die tertia suscitabit
nos, et vivemus in conspectu eius. Hos. vi, 2-3. The words mortem ....
resurgemus come from the gloss on the quotation given by the L.T. Cf.
vol. i, p. 44., line 1.

3 The Vulgate reads iubilo Ps. xlvi, 6.

* The Vulgate reads, Qui ponis suum : qui ambulas ....

Ps. ciii, 3.

5The Vulgate omits Dominus, Eph. iv., 8.

48 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

are the gifts of the Holy Ghost to Christians. It is with regard
to these gifts that Joel has said in the person of the Lord,
" Eflundam de spiritu meo super omnem carnem et prophetabunt
filii vestri et filiae vestrae," i.e. I will pour forth from mine own
5 spirit grace upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters will
prophesy. All these words are completely revealed as proved
on the Sabbath of Pentecost when the Holy Ghost was sent to
the apostles, with regard to which the Psalm says, " Emitte1
spiritum tuum et creabuntur, et renovabis faciem terrae," i.e.

io send forth Thy spirit and men shall be re-created and Thou
shalt renew the face of the earth. Et Sapiens, " Spiritus Domini
replevit orbem terrarum, et hoc, quod continet omnia, scientiam
habet vocis " : repletis enim apostolis sanctis scientiam novam
et voces diversas loquendi magnalia Dei contulit eis, i.e. the

15 spirit of God hath filled the whole world and He Who main-
taineth all things hath understanding of this speech, and, on
filling His apostles with wisdom, He gave them new wisdom
and voices and various tongues to tell of His own great deeds.
Whosoever in accordance with this prophecy he2 mentions,

20 believes wholly with all the powers of his body and soul in Christ,
in the descent of the Holy Ghost, and in the perfect fulfilment
of everything that we have said, shall not be overcome by the
spirit of blasphemy. There is no doubt but that this holy
prophecy ought to be sufficient for all, even although they should

25 not be Christians, to prove and win credence for the incarnation
of the Son of God and for the descent of the Holy Ghost, yet
in order to repudiate every doubt, I now give more proof of
these matters.

30

DE TESTIBUS CHRISTI, i.e. this chapter below speaks OF THE
WITNESSES FOR CHRIST.

De incarnatione itaque et nativitate Christi, i.e. of the humanity
and of the incarnation of Christ according to Luke : — " Missus3
est Gabriel a Deo ad Mariam virginem dicens, ' Ecce4 concipies

1 The Vulgate reads, Emittes. Ps. cm, 30.

2 i.e. the author of the L.T.

3 The Yulgate reads .... missus est Angelus Gabriel a Deo in civi-
tatem Galilseae, cui nomen Nazareth ad virginem desponsatam viro, cui
nomen erat Ioseph, de domo David, et nomen virginis, Maria. Luke i, 26.

4 The Vulgate reads, Ecce concipies in utero et . . . . Luke i, 31.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 49

et paries nlium ' ", i.e. Gabriel an angel, was sent from God
to Mary, a virgin, and he said to her, " Ave gratia plena, Dominus
tecum," i.e. Hail, O Virgin Mary, who art full of grace ! The
Lord is with thee for thou shalt certainly conceive and bear
5 a son. When she heard these words she was troubled thereat,
and said, " How may that be since I have no knowledge of
a man ever ? " The angel said, " The Holy Ghost will come
to dwell in thee, and the shadow of the Exalted Father shall
be revealed to thee, and so that holy one, which shall be born

10 of thee, shall be called " The Son of God." Do you hear, now,
how the angel was sent to the virgin in whom, even before the
messenger came, the Lord was found, as is proved by the angel's
saying that the Lord was with her ? Be assured that had she
not been a virgin, she would not have been startled by the

15 unwonted salutation in which a son was promised to her.
Owing to her virginity she doubted how a son could come of
her, since she would never know a man and never previously
had known one, for, certainly, had she any intention of knowing
one, she would never have uttered the double denial, nor would

20 she have asked how this might be done. The angel therefore
said, " The Holy Ghost shall come to be with thee, and it is
the Son of God that shall be born of thee." To guard her
virginity she replied innocently, " Here am I, the hand-maiden
of the Lord ; let it be as thou hast promised." Know that she

25 was quite sure that nothing was impossible to God, but that
everything was equally easy for Him. The same evangelist
says that the angels revealed the joy of this birth to the shepherds
so that His coming might be made known to them quickly.
And again he said at the time of His baptism, " Et Iesus erat

3° incipiens quasi annorum triginta, ita1 ut putabatur filius Ioseph "
i.e. Jesus was nearly twenty-nine years of age, and it was thought
that He was Joseph's son, but even although it was openly
said that He was Joseph's son, yet in reality such was not the
case — it was only thought that He was. This is the conversation

35 which has cast out of the heart of every Christian all stain of
unbelief regarding the virginity of Mary. This is certainly

1 The Vulgate omits ita. Luke m, 23 (Correct this reference in vol. i,
p. 45, footnote 4.)

50 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

what the Father proves when He says, " Hic1 est filius meus
dilectus in quo mihi complacui," i.e. this is my Son in Whom
I have lovingly found my own pleasure and He is not the son
of Joseph or of anyone else in the world. Luke says again
5 that for forty days after the resurrection He was being revealed
to His disciples ; that He spoke of the Kingdom of God and
that, in their presence, He was borne into the clouds out of
their sight. De missione etiam spiritus sancti, i.e. of the
descent of the Holy Ghost. Now when the disciples were

io gathered into one place, various tongues as if of fire were revealed
to them, and the Holy Ghost settled over each of them and
they began to speak in different languages as the Holy Ghost
taught them. De nativitate Christi, i.e. Matthew tells the
same story ; that the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph

15 as he slept, and said to him, " Fear not to take thy wedded
wife, for the one begotten in her hath come from the Holy
Ghost and is the work of the Holy Ghost." Here he tells that
three kings guided by a star came from the east to Bethlehem,
and that with good will they gave three mingled2 gifts to Christ.

20 Mark says, " Initium Euangelii Iesu Christi, Filii Dei," i.e.
this is the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, thereby proving that He was not the son of anyone else
but the true Son of God. De cuius ascensione, i.e. Mark also
says, " post quam locutus est discipulis3 suis assumptus est

25 in celum, et sedet a dextris Dei," i.e. who is the one that, after
speaking with His own disciples, was taken up to Heaven and
sat at His Father's right hand, but the Son of God ? John
with regard to this says, " In principio erat Verbum, et Deus
erat Verbum, et Verbum caro factum est et habitavit in nobis,"

30 i.e. the Son existed in the beginning and the Son was God,
and the Word, i.e. the Son of God, became incarnate and dwelt
in us ; John says clearly that the Word, which was in the
presence of the Father, was God. Assuming human nature
from the Virgin, He deemed it meet to be a man and to dwell

35 with us, and thereby it is proved as a fact that must be believed,

1 The L.T. quotation comes from Matt. xvn, 5, but unless cogradhach
is intended to translate bene, the I.T. quotes Matt. 111, 17.

2 L.T. mistica : the translator confused mistica, mystical with mista
or mixta, the past part. pass. of miscere, to mix or mingle.

3 The Vulgate reads eis instead of discipulis suis. Mark xvi, 19.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 51

that Jesus Christ was indubitably God and man. John likewise
in his Gospel speaks fully and sincerely of the miracles, the
passion, the resurrection of the Lord and of how He is proved
by His suffering. Concerning Him also Simeon said on taking
5 Him up in his arms, " Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine,
secundum verbum tuum in pace," i.e. now, O Lord, Thou dost
dismiss Thine own servant according to Thy Word, i.e. Thy
Son, in the eternal peace of righteousness, for mine eyes have
seen the salvation of Thy delight. John, the Baptist, likewise

10 said on seeing Him draw near, ' Ecce1 agnus Dei qui tollit
peccata mundi," i.e. yonder is the Lamb of God Who blots
out the sins of the world ; from this it is evident that He is God
and the Son of God, for no one but God can forgive sin. The
same one said, " He Who sent me to baptize said to me, ' He

15 upon whom thou shalt see the Holy Ghost descending and
abiding, is the one who will be baptized in the Holy Ghost.'
I saw and testified that this was the Son of God." Paul like-
wise spoke of Him when he said, " Quod ante promiserat per
prophetas suos in Scripturis sanctis de Filio suo, qui factus

20 est ei ex semine David secundum carnem," i.e. that which God
promised through His prophets in the words of the Scriptures
about His Son, Who as regards His humanity was begotten
to Him of the seed of David, is now fulfilled. " Judge this
then, within yourselves, O men, how you have been made in

25 Christ, Who considered it no offence that He should be equal
to God and Who when He was in the form of God, humbled
Himself, taking upon Himself the fashion of a servant, and
was found in the habit of a man thereafter." " At first the
Lord uttered all His teaching through the prophets but now

30 He speaks continually through His Servant, Whom He has
Himself ordained Heir of all things, for it is through Him that
He has made the worlds." Thus it is clear that the Son of
God is God and man, and it is satisfactorily proved from this
fact : — when the Lord Jesus asked His disciples who He Himself
35 was and what opinion they had of Him, Peter said, ' ' Thou
truly, O Lord, art Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God." It is

1 The Vulgate reads, Ecce agnus Dei, ecce qui tollit peccatum mundi.
John 1, 29.

52 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

further proved by a centurion who being himself hostile to
God, tested His wonders and miracles and then, on hearing
His great shout in despite of death, exclaimed, ' ' Truly, this
man was God's Son." The thief on the cross when he knew
5 that He was King and God, said to Him, ' Remember me,
O Lord when Thou shalt reach Thine own Kingdom." Thomas,
the apostle, made a great outcry on seeing the Lord's wounds
after he had doubted Him and said, " Thou art my God and
mine own Lord." To him the Lord replied, " Thou hast

io believed me after seeing me, but I bless those who believe me
without seeing me." If you yourself desire to be blessed, do
not be diffident in believing those faithful worthy witnesses
who are thoroughly steadfast Christians ; and if you act thus,
the spirit of blasphemy, i.e. unbelief, will not be able to gain

*5 power over you.

DE VERBIS CHRISTI, i.e. OF CHRISTS WORDS.

His divinity must be believed in on account of His own true
words, as is proved by the Father's praise of Him when He said,
" This is my own Son in Whom everything is pleasing ; hearken

20 to Him." He, then, to Whom the Father has commanded all
to hearken, can be relied upon by all, and also it is right for
Him to speak. Opening His mouth thereafter He said, " Blessed
are the poor in spirit, but cursed are the rich people." This
blessed teaching was novel and unheard of, and although at

25 first people used to be called blessed on account of their wealth,
yet now the blessed are those who have their own God as Lord.
They who were of the earth spoke of the earth, but He Who
came from Heaven spoke of Heaven, i.e. of the spiritual things
that He had seen and heard. He therefore revealed that He

30 Himself was God and that He had come down from Heaven
to earth, and so He preached contempt of temporal things and
love of poverty, virtue and other spiritual gifts, because God
Himself according to His divinity exists spiritually. For that
reason, then, God loves spiritual things and zealous spiritual

35 people who despise temporal things, and He reveals through
His Son that this is what people ought to do. What man on
earth would preach thus except the One Who, coming from
Heaven, instructed all in this heavenly doctrine, which He

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 53

brought down with Him ? It is also further proved that He
was the Son of God when, at the end of His twelfth year, He
sat among the doctors hearkening to them and enquiring of
them ; to Mary and Joseph who were meantime seeking for
5 Him, He said, " Did you not know that I must be about my
Father's business ? ' When crowds and multitudes were
hearkening to His teaching, some of them in order to cast insult
upon Him said, " How should this fellow understand letters
since he has no learning ? ' He was instructing them as one
10 who had authority and not in the manner of the Pharisees.
Understand, then, that this person, a youth as regards his
body, could not have known such spiritual doctrine had He
not been God, Ancient from the days of eternity, for owing
to his age He did not learn it. With regard to this He Himself
15 said, " Ego principium qui et loquor vobis," i.e. I Who speak
to you am the beginning without beginning ; I am the life ever-
lasting and known as the True God, and the Father holy and
self-existing has sent me to you." The Lord further said,
" Ego sum resurrectio et vita, qui credit in me non morietur
20 in aeternum," i.e. I am the resurrection and the life ; whosoever
believeth in me shall not die the eternal death. He said further,
" Pater enim non iudicat quemquam, sed iudicium omne dedit
filio, ut omnes honorificent filium sicut honorificant patrem,"
i.e. the Father gave1 . . . . if you believe in God, since the
25 Son hath come in His own person, believe in me, for the Father
and I are one ; whosoever seeth me, will see the Father, for
I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Understand now
how clearly He confessed that He was God and like the Father
in every respect, and so he who does not believe in Christ shall
3° die the eternal death. Should anyone ask what reason He had
to fear death if He was God — for He said, " Pater, si possibile
est, transeat calix iste," i.e. if it be possible, O Father, put this
cup of death away from me — I answer briefiy that He showed
Himself as true God and as man by this expression, because
35 when He said, " O Father " He appears as God and Son, and
when He asked that death should be put away from Him, He
appears as a man. He suffered along with His lower members
while instructing them in His own perfect humanity, and He

1 Cf . vol. 1, p. 168, line 11 and footnote 3.

54 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

experienced fear in His royal members, lest it should be said
to such as feared death that they were not a part of the Lord's
members ; these He leaves to the will of God, as the Lord Jesus
Himself said, " It is not my own will that I would do, but the
5 will of the eternal divinity which exists between us." He showed
how great His authority was when He said to His captors, " It
is I ye seek " for they hearing that retreated and fell to the
ground ; the greatness of His authority is evident therein, for
they could not endure even one word uttered by Him. He is
10 also revealed as God when He said, " Father, forgive them for
they do not know what they are doing " ; Isaiah had admitted
that He would pray for His foes, lest they should perish. He
said to the thief who asked Him for mercy, " To-day thou shalt
be with me in Paradise " ; by this expression He showed that
J5 He is the God of Paradise and the Bestower of the heavenly
glory. It is understood that He is God's Son from His remark
when He said, " In manus tuas, Domine," i.e. unto Thy hands
I surrender my soul, for He would not have recognised God
confidently and eagerly as His Father at the close of His life
20 had He not been His Father in reality. This is proved again
after His resurrection, when He said frequently to His apostles
as He spoke to them of the Kingdom of God, " AU authority
in Heaven and earth has been given to me." To prove that
He really rose from the dead He said, " Palpate et videte,
25 quoniam1 spiritus carnem et ossa non habet sicut me videtis
habere," i.e. touch and examine me, for a spirit has no bones
or flesh such as you see I have. To prove that He was
omnipotent He breathed into them with His breath the Holy
Ghost and uttered those words, " Accipite spiritum sanctum ;
3° quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur2 eis, et quorum
retinueritis retenta sunt," i.e. receive ye the Holy Ghost ; to
whomsoever ye shall forgive their sins, they shall be forgiven,
and whomsoever ye shall bind in his sin, shall be bound. When
He went to Heaven, He sent the same Holy Ghost to them as
35 He had promised while He was Himself along with them on
earth ; for Ke said to them, " When the Comfort, the Spirit

1 The Vulgate reads quia, Luke xxiv, 39.

2 The reading of the Mazarine MS. has been given in the Irish Text.
The Cluny MS. reads with the Vulgate, remittuntur. Cf. vol. i, p. 49,
line 29, and p. 169, line 26 and footnote 7.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 55

of Truth, which I shall send to you shall come upon you, it
will do good to you then. The same Holy Ghost sent to you
in tongues of fire to inflame your love with the fire of love and
.... the same . . . .* Thus, then, He made fishermen and
5 simple people masters and doctors of the whole world ; the
Scribes, i.e. the sages, nor the Pharisees, nor any philosophers,
whatever their wisdom, nor the learned men of the earth could
gainsay them, and these are the same heavenly princes whom
He sent throughout the world with the command contained

10 in this text, " Predicate euangelium omni creaturae ; qui credid-
erit et baptizatus fuerit, salvus erit ; qui non crediderit, con-
demnabitur," i.e. preach ye the Gospel to every creature, and
all who will believe and be baptized shall be saved, but he who
will not shall be condemned. If, then, you desire to be saved,

*5 believe that He is God Omnipotent, and that He has authority
and power over your body and soul, for he who will not so
believe shall be doomed to the Devil's condemned host. Let
whosoever is willing to take these matters carefully into his
consideration briefly recollect these things which we have said,

20 and diligently remember the rarity and peculiarity of the doctrine
which He brought on His descent from Heaven, the freedom,
the firmness and the insistency with which He taught everyone
on earth, the mercy and the gentleness of His words from the
cross, how He sent the Holy Ghost to the apostles in fulfilment

25 of His promise, and how He gave the fishermen and the simple
power and authority over the church, and let not the one who
recollects these facts doubt that He was the Author of the
works. The one who acts in that way can never be subdued
by the spirit of blasphemy.

30

DE OPERIBUS CHRISTI, i.e. OF CHRISTS WORKS.

It is right to believe in His divinity and humanity because of
the holy works and miracles He performed on earth spiritually
and bodily, since He Himself said to those who were going astray,
" If you do not believe in my words, believe in my works." He
35 is revealed as God and man by the fact that He fasted forty
days and forty nights and was thereafter hungry. The Devil

1 A portion of the I.T. is illegible here ; cf. vol. I, p. 170, line 2.

56 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

being unable to do Him any harm whatever, fled from Him,
and the angels came to attend on Him ; thus His hunger makes
it clear that He was a man, while the angels' attendance upon
Him proves that He was God. It is also proved that He was
5 God when He turned water into wine ; that was the first of
His signs in the presence of His disciples and, on account of it,
they believed with fervent zeal and left all for love of Him.
He gave sight to him who was born blind as well as to many
others, at one time by touch and at another, by a word. He gave

10 the power of hearing to the deaf, of speaking to the dumb, of
walking to the lame and health to the lepers and the paralysed.
He expelled the demons from their bodies, succoured the dropsical,
indeed, He left no disease uncured. He quickened the dead. He
restored the soul of Lazarus although his body had been decaying

15 in the tomb for four days. On satisfying the hunger of five
thousand with five loaves and two fishes, He commanded that
twelve baskets should be filled with the remnants. Not only
did He Himself do these and many other things, but also He
bestowed upon His apostles and disciples a thousand thousand

20 times as much power as this, saying to them, " Succour the
lepers, heal the diseased, quicken the dead, drive out the devils "
and " Freely have you received this power yourselves, freely
expend it. Do not rejoice because the evil spirits are subject
to you, but be glad because your names are written in Heaven.

25 Be assured that whosoever will believe in me will do my works
and greater works, so that all will deem them wonderful."
God brought to Him by exhortation alone whomsoever He
wished to put into His community, as is proved in the case of
Peter, Andrew, James, John, Matthew who was gathering

30 taxes in his evil station, and in the case of many others whom
He caused to abandon worldly things. Understand, then,
that He who was able to perform these blessings through Him-
self and through others could have been wealthy, powerful and
exalted in the world. He, however, had no desire for worldly

35 things, rather He preferred to be poor, humble and mild, for
thus, by desiring spiritual and despising temporal things, He
showed that He H imself was God. Had He been seeking earthly
glory, He would have left the Jews who were always seeking to
destroy Him, and would have gone to the Gentiles, for they nnt

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 57

only wonld have welcomed Him willingly and with gratitude
and greatly reverenced Him for His mercy and His ineffable
miracles, but also would have honourably and zealously looked
to Him above their own Gods, who could not do such things.
5 He despised that honour, for He yearned to alleviate the effects
of the Fall of man. He fled from the Jews when they wished
to make Him king, yet He came to them willingly when they
desired to kill Him. Do you think that the Jews could have
had power over Him if He had not gone willingly to His passion,

10 for He was able to reveal the place, time and season of His
passion and also His betrayer ? He suffered not because the
Jew was able to sacrifice Him, but because He Himself wished
to be sacrificed ; and with regard to that He said, " Potestatem1
habeo ponendi animam meam et iterum sumendi eam. Nemo

15 tollit eam a me, sed ego pono eam et iterum sumo eam," i.e.
I have the power of taking and surrendering my soul ; no other
person takes my soul from me, but I myself surrender it and
receive it back again. He went, therefore, at the time appointed
in His precious mercy to sacrifice Himself gladly for us, and

20 setting forth to the passion resolutely and steadfastly, firmly
and without deviation, He fulfilled the Law, the prefigurations
of the prophets and the Psalms. When the bishops asked
Him the reason for His teaching, when Pilate asked if He was
a king, when the knights smote and wounded Him with whips,2

25 when He was clad in royal purple and a crown of thorns was
put on His head, when they mocked Him as a so-called king,
when Herod put white garments, the emblems of a fool, upon
Him, when the Pharisees blasphemed Him on the cross by saying
that they would believe Him if He would come down from it,

30 He made them little or no response. He remained on the cross
for the salvation of all — the purpose for which He had come —
and thereby He revealed that He was the Lamb of which Isaiah,
the prophet, had spoken saying, " Tanquam3 ovis ad occisionem

1 The Vulgate reads, Quia ego pono animam me<am, ut iterum sumam
eam. Nemo tollit eam a me sed ego pono eam a meipso. et potestatem
habeo ponendi eam : et potestatem habeo iterum sumendi <:am. John x,
17-18.

2 The Irish knights always carried whips as a symbol of office, cf.
Joyce, Social Hist. vol. i, p. 65.

3 The Vulgate reads, Oblatus est quia ipse voluit, et non aperuit os
suum : sicut ovis ad occisionem ducetur, et quasi agnus coram tondente
se obmutescet et non aperiet os suum. Is. liii, 7.

58 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

ducetur, et quasi agnus coram tondente se sine voce obmutescet ;
oblatus est quia ipse voluit et peccatum1 multorum tulit," i.e.
He will be taken as a sheep to the slaughter and dumb without
a sound, like a lamb in the presence of its shearer. He was
5 sacrificed as He Himself desired, and He bore the sins of many.
If they would believe Him, as they themselves said, after His
descent from the cross, they ought the more to believe Him
after He rose from the dead or after He rose ahve from the closed
tomb, since it requires more power for a dead man to rise from

io the dead to life than for a living man to come down from his
cross. The Jews could not say that they did not know of
Chrisfs resurrection, for they themselves set as many men as
they pleased to guard the sepulchre, and these men and all the
care that they had taken themselves proved the evidence for

15 theresurrection. He was Himself forty days among His disciples,
thus giving with many signs proof of His resurrection. He ate
and drank with them and, when He had thus instructed them
perfectly, He ascended in the presence of them all into Heaven.
At the end of ten days thereafter, when they were all gathered

20 together in one place, He sent the Holy Ghost to them, by
which they were strongly confirmed and prepared even for
death and every misfortune for His sake. Christ performed
many other signs here in the presence of His disciples, but I
think that what is written here is sufficient for every Christian

25 who humbly and truly desires to save his own soul. For the
reasons given, then, we enjoin passionate behef that Jesus Christ
is the true Son of God, and by that belief you will attain eternal
life in due time. Therefore I urge upon you, if you wish to
go to Heaven, to believe without any doubt whatever everything

30 that is written here concerning the works of the Lord, and if
you confidently do so, you will blow away from yourself the
spirit of blasphemy and despair.

DE ESSE DEI ET TRIBUS SECTIS, i.e. OF THE BEING OF GOD
AND THE THREE ERRONEOUS " OPINIONS."

35 Now, there are many people who not only err regarding the
divinity and humanity of God, but also, what is worse, do not
believe that He exists. One ought to ask these, who created

1 Thc Vulgate reads et ipse peccata multorum tulit. Is. liii, 12.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 59

them if God, in Whose existence they are unwilling to believe,
did not create them ? You who are in this error must reply that
it was yourself, or nature, or your parents that created you. If
you created yourself, why did you not make yourself prettier,
5 more learned, taller, more prosperous and of a longer life than
you are ? If you could not create yourself, one understands the
impotence of nature and of your weak infirm parents with regard
to the creation of these qualities, and so God must have created
you and them. The one who is sunk in this error says, " If

10 God is eternal and in need of nothing, why did He not make
me the same ? " Briefly, my answer to this is that no creature
whatever, which derives its origin from the earth and from
corruption, can be eternal. Another reason is this : — were
one without want, one would have a cause of pride and could

15 say that he derived his origin not from God, but from himself.
You now ask, what is the reason for the lice, nits, mites, and
fleas, since they make for loss rather than for profit ? The
answer to this question is that God's omnipotence and man's
impotence is revealed by these, inasmuch as the man may not

20 exalt his soul on account of his beauty or his strength, for these
creatures can cause him harm. All creatures, indeed, fashioned
by the Good Creator, are at first good after their kind till they
are corrupted by themselves. You now say, " There are many
ways in which God is worshipped, and I do not know which

25 of them would be most reliable for me." The answer to this
is, briefiy, that every form of worship is collected and gathered
up into the methods of the pagans, the Christians and the Jews.
Understand, first, that one ought not to abide by the custom
of the pagans, for in place of God they worship gods that are

30 deaf, dumb, blind, without grace and impotent. And with
regard to the Jewish custom the answer is that the Jews received
the Law and the Responses from God, till Christ came in the
fiesh, and when He came, these ceased in accordance with the
prophets. This is confirmed by the fact that when Jacob,

35 the patriarch, blessed his family, he said to Judah, i.e. to his
own son, " Non auferetur sceptrum de Iuda, et dux de femore
eius, donec veniat qui mittendus est, et ipse erit expectatio
gentium," i.e. the tribe of Judah shall not lack kings and chiefs
until the One promised them comes, i.e. Christ in Whom the

60 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

whole prophecy is fulfilled, and for Him the Gentiles wait.
On His coming the chiefs and princes of the tribe of Judah,
who were previously in high esteem, died out. The bishops
and the prophets, who were cherishing and guarding the sayings
5 and sacraments of the Old Law, all came to nought on the
appearance of the New Law, for although these were a figure
and a shadow of the Lord, they were absorbed into Him on
His revelation. It was rightly said that the Gentiles were waiting
for Him, because He, known at first nowhere except in Judea,

io is now known and glorified throughout the world. Now ask
why the Jews are permitted to live since they crucified Christ ?
There are many reasons for that, but there are three in particular.
The first of these reasons is that we must have their books to
prove and to teach our faith ; and every time we see the Jews,

15 we should remember the passion of Christ, our beloved, righteous,
humble, patient, kindly-disposed, merciful, gracious Lord ;
thus every time we see the Jews we should remember the passion
of Our Lord, i.e. sweet Jesus. The second reason is that they
said in contriving Chrisfs death, " Let his blood be upon us

20 and upon our children," and by that cry their children were
not only condemned, but also scattered throughout the world
to the shame of their guilty parents and to the glory of the
Catholic faith. The third reason is that, according to the
prophets, the Jews will finally embrace the Catholic faith,

25 through the preaching of Elijah and Enoch, and although on
their condemnation, they should be as numerous as the sands
of the sea, yet the remnant will come to Christ. If you examine
these reasons carefully there is no doubt but that you will be
able to believe from your heart. With all the powers of your

3° body and soul love and submit to your own beloved and loving
Lord Whom the Catholic faith worships. Whosoever confidently
and firmly believes these things has no fear of the spirit of
blasphemy,1 and afterwards when in Heaven, he will be exalted
eternally in everlasting bliss, in salvation incorruptible, in

35 youth unchanging, in increase of love, in true communion, in
satisfaction of every want, in the melody of angels and in the
eternal prospect of the saints forever. The poets and philosophers
of the whole world are not able to tell the benefits and joys

1 In the L.T. the chapter finishes at this point. cf. vol. 1, p. 55, line 15.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT <>i

which will be given in return for your true fervent belief, till
you yourself shall prove them, and so I beseech you, for the love
of Jesus, to blot out your vices and hopelessness and to strengthen
your faith in all the mercy of God.

5 DE SEPTEM ECCLESLE SACRAMENTIS, i.e. OF THE SEVEN
SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH.

Every Christian ought to believe in them diligently for they
have been ordained by Christ and the Church. The first is
Baptism ; the second, Confirmation, i.e. ratification of faith

10 and Baptism by the bishop's hand ; the third, Penance ; the
fourth, Matrimony ; the fifth, Holy Orders ; the sixth, the
Body of Christ ; and the seventh, Extreme Unction. The
first, i.e. Baptism, was ordained by Christ Himself, when He
said, " Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua et spiritu sancto, non

^5 potest intrare1 regnum Dei " i.e. that no one can enter Heaven
unless regenerated by water and in the Holy Ghost. Gregory
commanded that baptism should be performed in the name of
the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, and whosoever will
so believe and be baptised shall be saved. God commanded

20 this to be done not with a view to the washing with water, but
so that the water might be consecrated by His Baptism. In
Baptism the Holy Ghost is bestowed and faith confirmed — a
fact which the Holy Ghost revealed when it descended in the
form of a dove upon Christ. The second sacrament is Confirma-

25 tion, and in this sacrament the grace of the Holy Ghost is
increased in Christians. It was in this saerament that Christ
received and called the children, laying His hands upon them.
One reads also that the apostles called Christians in the same
way, for they were in the habit of laying their hands upon them

3° so that they received the Holy Ghost in that manner. The
bishops follow the same custom and thus confirm the faith and
Christianity everywhere. To establish this rite Christ inclined
His head, placing it in the hand of John the Baptist, and that
head is to be adored by angels and feared by lords. The third

35 sacrament is Penance, which Christ taught when He said,
" Regnum caelorum vim patitur et violenti rapiunt illud," i.e.
the Kingdom of God suffereth violence and the oppressors escape

1 The Vulgate reads . . . introire in regnum . . . John iii, 5.

62 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

by doing penance, for the angels rejoice more over one sinner
when he performs penance than over ninety and nine who are
in no danger. The apostles preached penance too, as one reads
in the case of Peter, who spoke to the Jews about the passion
5 of Christ saying, " I know, brethren, that you have sinned
through ignorance, but do penance now, and your sins shall
be wiped out." Christ certainly taught the true penance in
His own person when He was forty days and forty nights fasting.
In a similar figure Elijah willingly suffered such a fast also as

io well as discomfort and many difficulties. Know that true
penance consists of three sections, i.e. Contrition of heart, Con-
fession by the mouth and satisfaction ; everyone who does true
penance must fulfil these three things together if at all possible.
Confession and Satisfaction without Contrition1 are vain or they

15 have no avail. Contrition and Confession are contrary to this,
for they suffice, if Satisfaction is impossible. Contrition and
Satisfaction, however, are good although Confession should be
impeded, and likewise2 Contrition without Satisfaction and
Confession, if it is impossible, is sufficient. The fourth sacra-

20 ment is Matrimony, which was ordained by God from the
beginning of creation. With regard to this Christ said to those
who raised a question about the dissolution of marriage, " Those
whom God hath joined man cannot put asunder." Christ
fulfilled this sacrament in Himself figuratively when, with His

25 own precious blood, He bound the Church to Himself as wedded
wife. Regarding this sacrament the apostle says, " Propter3
fornicationem4 autem unusquisque vir uxorem habeat " et e
converso, i.e. let each man have a wedded wife and each woman
a wedded husband in order to avoid vain fornication. The

30 fifth sacrament, viz. Holy Orders, was ordained by Christ Him-
self when He said to Peter, " I give the keys of the Kingdom of
Heaven to you, and everything that you bind on earth shall

1 Ms. aithrighi, i.e. penance, in error for toirrsi. cf. vol. 1, p. 178, line 7.

2 From this word to the end of the sentence is from the L.T., the I.T.
being corrected to suit the L.T. : cf. vol. 1, p. 178, lines 10-12 and foot-
note 2.

3 The Vulgate reads, propter fornicationem autem unusquisque suam
uxorem habeat, et unaquaeque suum virum habeat. 1 Cor. vn, 2.

4Cf. vol. 1, p. 178, footnote 3. The I.T. is almost illegible from this
point to the foot of the column, i.e. down to line 9 infra, and the text and
translation depend upon the L.T.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 63

be bound in the Kingdom of God." He said the same thing
to all the apostles, and through them to the prelates. He said
to them further, " Accipite spiritum sanctum " i.e. receive
the Holy Ghost, and to whomsoever you shall forgive his sins,
5 God shall forgive them, and the contrary is understood. He
Himself did this when He forgave her sins to Mary Magdalene
and to many others along with her. So, too, the apostle has
said in the person of Christ, " Whomsoever you have forgiven
I forgive." The sixth sacrament, i.e. the Body of Christ, was

10 ordained by Himself on Maundy Thursday, when, giving thanks
to the Father, He blessed and broke the bread and handed it
to His disciples with the words, " All take and eat of this, for,
truly, this is nvy body." And he lifted the cup thereafter and
said on partaking of it, " Take and drink of this, for this is,

15 indeed, the cup of the New Testament in which my blood is
offered as a sacrament on your behalf." None of those present
at that feast could give an adequate answer to the one who asked
in doubt, " What dost Thou say, for I see nought here but bread
and wine, and yet Thou sayest that Thine own body is here,

20 both fiesh and blood." The apostles truly believed that His
body was there as He Himself said. Let unbelievers listen with
shame to this conversation, for they cast doubt upon the sacra-
ment of the altar because they see in it nothing but the form of
the bread and wine ; nevertheless God1 knew our weakness,

25 our abhorrence and the wandering of our minds and that we
could not consume blood and raw flesh, hence He changed this
precious sacrament into bread and wine for all, so that they
could eat of it without compunction and horror. Be assured,
now, that it must be believed without any question whatever,

30 that the body of Christ, both flesh and blood, is in the hands
of the priest just as it came from the womb of the Virgin, and
just as it was on the cross of passion after the completion of
all that was to be done, and as it was and is in the fulness of
glory and power along with the Heavenly Father. He offered

35 Himself as a sacrifice without spot or stain to the Father on
the altar of the cross on Passion Friday, having made Himself a
priest and bishop of the order of Melchizedek so as to save the

1 Or reading as in footnote 4, vol. i, p. 179, nevertheless He knew our
weakness, our abhorrence and the instability of our minds before God . . .

64 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

world. He bestowed this sacrament upon His disciples, and
enjoined that it should be performed and habitually practised
as a sign that His own pain and passion were being remembered ;
and the disciples zealously and truly did this and commanded
5 their heirs to do likewise in order to perfect the salvation of the
living and of the dead. With regard to this the apostle says,
" Ego a Domino accepi quod et tradidi vobis," i.e. it is from
the Lord I have received what I have given unto you, for as
often as you will drink this cup and eat the bread, you will

io show forth the passion of the Lord until He comes at the end
of the world, because you are revealing and showing forth the
passion of Christ every time you share in the communion of this
consecrated sacrament, which was instituted for your sakes.
In this communion one ought to mortify all the members of

15 the body in order to free it of its faults, and to sympathise with
Him, and to persevere in this faith till the end of one's life.
With regard to that the Lord says, " Probet autem se ipsum
homo," i.e. let the man examine himself acutely before going
into communion, practising this penance humbly and confessing

20 truly for that is the manner in which the consecrated sacra-
ment through which the world was made, is safely and faithfully
received. The Lord Himself says, " Qui enim manducat et
bibit indigne," i.e. existens1 in gravibus peccatis aut voluntate
peccandi " iudicium sibi manducat et bibit," i.e. whosoever

25 receives this sacrament while in a state of grievous sin or while
desirous of such sin, receives and drinks judgment along with
eternal death. Whosoever then, would obtain eternal life from
this sacrament must prepare himself diligently and carefully
for it. Regarding this the Lord says, " Qui manducat meam

3° carnem et bibit meum sanguinem " scilicet2 digne et fideliter
" habet vitam eternam," i.e. I shall dwell everlastingly in him
who receives my flesh and blood worthily, and he shall dwell
in me and receive grace, happiness, good-will, love and life
which shall strengthen him in good works and virtues. I will

35 dwell in him preserving him from sin and faults, and keeping
him steadfast in lasting good works. The seventh sacrament
is Extreme Unction, by which the grace of the Holy Ghost is
increased for every Christian. The reason why the grace of the Holy

xCf. vol. I, p. 180, footnote 4.
2Cf. vol. 1, p. 180, footnote 7.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 65

Ghost is given to Christians at the end of their lives is to complete
this sacrament so that God may receive them more quickly
and more joyfuUy. Thus James says, " If disease seize upon
any one of you, let him bring the priests of the church to him,
5 and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name
of the Lord, and He shall forgive him his sins." Be assured
that this sacrament brings back bodily health more quickly,
nevertheless it is not to be performed for the sake of bodily
health, but to strengthen the weakness1 of the soul. Christ

10 Himself completed this sacrament before His passion and in
the tomb, to show us how to wipe out our sins in His way, so
that He might give us unlimited grace when we had followed
this example ; hence John says, " Gratiam2 pro gratia et de
plenitudine eius omnes accepimus," i.e. we all receive grace

15 on account of the fulness of His grace. Understand, now, that
Christ was Himself anointed thrice in order to signify similar
anointings in the case of men. The first anointing was upon
His feet when they were laved with tears, and this signifies
the anointing in the first Baptism, the first sacrament whence

20 the faith advances. The second anointing was upon His head,
when the precious oil in the alabaster box was poured about
His sacred head, and by this anointing is understood the sacra-
ment of Confirmation, i.e. confirmation by the bishop's hand
whereby the grace of the Holy Ghost is made perfect. The

25 third anointing was upon His whole body when it was placed
in the tomb, and by this is understood Extreme Unction which
is performed upon the extrinsic senses of the body in order
to obtain riches of grace from the Holy Ghost. If, then, you
desire to gain the victory over your enemies, trust this sacrament

30 undoubtingly, and the spirit of blasphemy shall not lord it
over your mind.

DE PURGATORIO, i.e. OF PURGATORY.

Now, every Christian ought to believe truly in the existence

of the fire of Purgatory, where the souls of the righteous which

35 are not wholly cleansed in this world, are perfectly cleansed.

1 But reading do shlainti, to strenghten the health of the soul : cf.
vol. 1, p. 181, line 9 and footnote 1.

1 The Vulgate reads, Et de plenitudine eius nos omnes accepimus et
gratiam pro gratia. John i, 16.

66 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

With regard to it the Saviour says, " Whosoever sins against
the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven his sin either in this world
or in the next." Gregory says that there are slight sins which
are cleansed in Purgatory before the season of judgment. There
5 are, then, sins which are forgiven in this world and others which
are forgiven in the next ; now, what is refused in one is not
permitted in other cases, and this applies particularly to venial
sins such as the use of idle talk, immoderate laughter and erring
through ignorance which, although not amounting to great sin,

10 yet weigh heavily upon one after death. Paul says that Christ
is the foundation, and he adds that if anyone builds save on
this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, or (in other
words,) builds with good works in general which would pront
(in the next world) without the action of the purgatorial fire,

15 that fire will thereafter burn out the stubble, hay and straw
(i.e. the venial sins,) from the eternal salvation, (because the
stubble, i.e. the venial sins, differs) in quality from the pillar
stones, (i.e. the mortal sins.) Although these cleansings by
fire can be understood to refer to the fire of tribulation and

20 misery in this world, yet it is more correct to understand them
as referring to Purgatory. Take it into your sericus con-
sideration that they who built with iron, brass and lead, i.e.
with the great, cruel, insoluble sins, were not promised cleansing
in this fire, but that the stubble, hay and straw, i.e. the light

25 or venial sins, will be easily consumed by the fire. Understand
also that one should not obtain cleansing of even venial sins
beyond, unless one performed good works here by which to
merit this cleansing fire there. We understand that frequently
the fear of death, without the purgatorial fire, cleanses the

30 venial sins of the righteous. It is evident that the souls of
perfect men, when they part from their bodies, are received
into the angelic seats, and hence the Lord says, " Ubicunque
fuerit corpus, illuc congregabuntur et aquilae," i.e. wheresoever
the corpse be, there shall the eagles gather ; this refers to the

35 body of our Saviuur and the righteous souls about Him. Regard-
ing that Paul says that he desires his body to dissolve, so that
he may enter into the presence of his Lord, and thus, whoso-
ever has no doubt but that the body of Christ is in Heaven, does
not deny that PauTs soul is in Heaven too ; and Paul says

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 67

concerning the dissolution of his own body, " If the earthly
house that is about us dissolve, we shall obtain a glorious lasting
house not made with human hands." Augustine says with
regard to this, " During the period between the death of man
5 and the judgment the souls will abide in secret abodes, some
in serenity, some in pain, according to their deeds." When the
offering of the Body of Christ or any other alms is made for
the dead, those who are very good are thankful and grateful
those who are not excessively evil are helped by this offering,

10 and while it does not succour the extremely wicked, yet it is
a comfort to the living. Bernard says, " Upon such as neglected
anything in this world there shall be imposed a penalty of two
hundred times as much in Purgatory ' from the first farthing
to the last' ; and I now understand that although the dissolute

15 undisciplined man reckons it painful to be corrected, and the
unstable to be constant, and the talkative to keep silent, still
the pains and sorrows they have yet to sufter are very much
more distressing." For that reason, then, blessed is everyone
who is cleansed of his sins by penance during his life, so that

20 he may mount up with wings to his own Lord without contact
with, or discomfort from, punishment.

DE RESURRECTIONE CHRISTI, i.e. OF THE RESURRECTION
OF CHRIST AND ALL PEOPLE.

Everyone ought to believe without any doubt in the resurrec-

25 tion. The Lord speaks of it when He says, " Ego sum resurrectio

et vita ; qui credit in me, etiamsi mortuus fuerit, vivet, et ego

resuscitabo eum in novissimo die," i.e. I am the resurrection

and the life ; although he who believes in me should die, yet

he shall live, and I will wake him on the last day. " Omnes

30 qui in monumentis sunt, audient vocem iilii Dei, et qui audierint

vivent," i.e. all who are then in the tomb, shall hear the voice

of the Son of God and live. The apostle says, " Si1 enim credimus

quod Iesus mortuus est, et resurrexit, ita et Dominus eos, qui

dormierint per Iesum, adducet cum eo," i.e. as you believe that

35 Christ died and rose again, believe that He will bring with Him

1 The Vulgate reads, Si enim credimus quod Iesus mortuus est, et
resurrexit, ita et Deus eos, qui dormierunt per Iesum, adducet cum oe.
1 Thess. iv, 13.

68 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

those who died in Him. If anyone asks how the resurrection
will take place, the same apostle says, " Quoniam ipse Dominus
in iussu,1 et in voce archangeli, et in tuba Dei descendet de
caelo, et mortui, qui in Christo sunt, resurgent primi, deinde
5 nos, qui vivimus, qui relinquimur, simul rapiemur cum illis in
nubibus obviam Christo in aera, et sic semper cum Domino
erimus," i.e. the Lord Himself will come in clear view at the
voice of the angel and of the trumpet of God, then the dead
who died in Christ will rise with Him first, and we, who are

io alive, shall be borne in clouds of air along with others, and we

shall live along with Our Lord. We shall all arise in the twinkling

of an eye2 at the last moment, at the cry of the last trumpet.

' Resurgent," Isaiah3 says, " mortui resurgent qui erant in

sepulchris, et laetabuntur omnes qui sunt in terra ; ros4 qui

15 sanitas illis est terra vero ipsorum cadet," i.e. the dead, every
one upon earth will rise out of the grave at that time, and the
dew which drops from thee, brings health to them all, and
it will fall upon the earth. That "dew " is a drop of the savour
of eternal glory which remains as health for the elect, but the

20 " earth of the sinners " consists of the bodies of the damned
falling into the abyss of the pain of Hell. Daniel, the prophet,
says, " qui5 dormiunt in terrae pulvere evigilabunt, alii in vitam
eternam, alii in opprobrium sempiternum, " i.e. they who are
asleep in the dust of the earth shall then be watchful, and of

25 them some shall enter into everlasting life, but others into
everlasting punishment. Let no one think it marvellous that
the dead should rise from the dust, for it is not more difficult
to re-create that which exists than to create primarily all things
from nothing. Regarding this point Augustine says, " God

30 forbid that the omnipotence of the Creator could not renew
the bodies of all, whatever kind of death it may be they died

1 The L.T. before the translator read in visu, which he rendered a silleadh
follas, i.e. in clear view : cf. vol. 1, p. 184, line 3 and footnote 1.

2 lit. of the eyes.

3 The reference of this quotation to Isaiah does not seem to be correct.
The nearest to it in Isaiah is (Is. xxvi, 19) Yivent mortui tui, interfecti
mei resurgent : expergiscimini et laudate qui habitatis in pulvere : quia
ros lucis ros tuus et terram gigantum detrahes in ruinam.

4Cf. vol. 1, p. 184, line 15, footnote 4.

BThe Vulgate reads, Et multi de his qui dormiunt in terrae pulvere,
evigilabunt : ahi in vitam aeternam et alii in opprobrium ut videant
semper. Dan. xn, 2.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 69

by land or sea, by burning or by being eaten by beasts or birds
or insects ; they shall rise in the sarae bodies, clothed with
incorruption and immortality, as Job says, " Scio quod redemptor
meus vivit etc." i.e. I believe that the Saviour lives, that we
5 shall rise with Him in the final resurrection, and that I shall
see my Saviour while I am myself in my own body." Hence
too, Gregory has said, " I believe and confess in accordance
with Job, that our Saviour rose with a palpable body, and that
we ourselves shall rise in the same bodies differing in form

10 and1 glory, similar in reality but dissimilar in power. The
resurrection-body is smooth, soft, incorruptible and palpable,
because it loses none of its true natural being. In it there
is the sex of the first form that it had in accordance with its
first real nature. The Lord says moreover, " There will be no

15 marrying at the resurrection, but they shall be in Heaven hke
the angels of God." Augustine too says, " Do not doubt but
that each sex shall be raised in the resurrection as it was at
first. There shall then be no lust which is proved to be a cause
of confusion, for every bodily fault that abides in people shall

20 be taken away, and they shall be naked evident to all at that
time with no control or authority over that, while their holiness
shall be preserved for them." He Who created all their forms
permits no defect in them as the Lord says, " Capillus de capite
vestro non peribit," i.e. a single strand of your hair shall not

25 be lost — not even as much as that. Do not, however, expect
that maimed people, e.g. the blind, deaf, lame and the like,
will arise in their misshapen forms for, as Augustine says, " Ibi
quae prava sunt corrigentur," i.e. whatever was wrong at first,
shall then be corrected, and every unsightly thing in each one

30 that day shall then be put right, so that each person shall be
glorious, beautiful and faultless in accord with heavenly per-
fection. Be assured that God will not resurrect members in a
defective form, but in glorious renewed heavenly perfection :
there shall be no dressing of nails or of hair or the like but the

35 form of everyone shall be laudable and excellent on that day.
Any smith or sculptor can re-fashion the statue he has made
and so, likewise, the Smith and Sculptor of all creation can bestow
the form and appearance He pleases upon His handiwork with-

1 Omitting firinne agus : cf. vol. 1, p. 185, line 8 and footnote 2.

70 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

out damage to its substance. At the resurrection all shall be
just after the thirtieth year of their age, according to Augustine,
and all shall be equal to the angels as far as regards glory and
felicity but not as regards body or age. Everyone ought to
5 be fired with love for the Creator, Who gives this heavenly
form, after all the distressful kinds of death that men may
undergo.

DE DIE IUDICII, i.e. OF THE DAY OF JUDGMENT WHICH WILL
COME AT THE END OF THE WORLD.

10 Everyone ought to fear the Day of Judgment, for the Lord
has said that He would be more reconciled to Tyre and Sidon
on that day, than to the cities which would not believe in His
words and virtues. In these words He is very clearly teaching
that the Day of Judgment will come. He says also, " Cum1

13 venerit filius hominis in maiestate sua, et omnes angeli eius2
cum eo, etc," i.e. when the Son of Man will come in His dignity
with His angels, He shall take His seat according to His dignity,
all the nations shall be gathered to Him, and they shall be sepa-
rated from one another as the sheep are separated from the goats

20 by the shepherd. He will put the sheep, i.e. the elect, on His
right hand and the goats, i.e. the sinners, on His left. The Lord
also says, " Amen3 dico vobis, quod vos, qui reliquistis omnia, in
regeneratione cum sederit filius hominis, etc," i.e. verily I say
unto you that you, who have left your possessions for my sake,

25 will be with me judging the twelve tribes of the Children of
Israel. Jerome says with regard to this, " Hic discimus cum
suis discipulis iudicaturum Iesum," i.e. we have learned of Chrisfs
coming along with the disciples to that judgment, and notalong
with the disciples alone, but along with every saint who, for-

30 saking everything in His honour, made himself resemble Him.
And so the apostle says, " Nescitis4 quoniam angelos iudicabimus,
quanto magis saecularia," i.e. know that we shall pass judgment
on angels and much more on men. The apostle says also,

1 The Vulgate adds autem.
* The Vulgate omits eius.

3 The Vulgate reads, Amen dico vobis, quod vos, qui secuti estis me,
in regeneratione cum sederit .... Matt. xix, 28.

4 The Vulgate reads, Nescitis quoniam angelos iudicabimus ? Quanto
magis saecularia ? 1 Cor. vi, 2.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 71

" Omnes1 nos oportet astare ante tribunal Christi ut recipiat
unusquisque prout gessit in corpore suo, sive bonum sive malum,"
i.e. we must come into judgment so that each of us may receive
payment according to his works. The Psalm says, " Deus
5 manifeste veniet ; Deus noster2 et non silebit. Ignis in con-
spectu3 exardescet et in circuitu eius tempestas valida," i.e»
Our Lord God will come openly and He will not be silent ; the
fire shall blaze in His presence and a mighty tempest shall be
about Him. Augustine says with regard to that, " Hoc nos

10 de Domino nostro Iesu Christo intelligimus, quem speramus
de caelo esse venturum ad vivos et mortuos iudicandos," i.e.
thus we understand that Our Lord Jesus Christ will come quickly
to judge the living and the dead ; He will come openly to judge
justly both the righteous and the unrighteous. He Who came

15 at first secretly to suffer unjust judgment at the hands of the
unrighteous, will come openly at the voice and cry of the Judge,
but He will not be silent. He Who was silent in the presence
of Pilate shall pass stern judgment upon the lawless, and that
by no means silently. Daniel says, " Ecce4 videbam et filius

20 hominis venit in nubibus caeli," i.e. I saw the Son of Man in
the clouds ; the court was set and the books were opened. The
Apocalypse says, " Vidi5 thronum magnum et sedentem super
eum a cuius conspectu fugit caelum et terra," i.e. I saw Heaven
and earth fleeing before the One Who was sitting in the judg-

25 ment seat. And further it says, " Vidi mortuos magnos et
pusillos stantes in conspectu throni, et libri aperti sunt," i.e.
I saw the dead, small and great, standing at the judgment-seat
when the books were opened, and the Book of Life was opened
on the other side, and the dead were being judged out of these

30 books according to their deeds, and everyone whose name was
not found written in the Book of Life, was cast into a lake
of fire. The meaning of this is that he saw Christ sit judging

2The Vulgate reads, omnes enim nos manifestari oportet ante tribunal
Christi, ut referat unusquisque propria corporis, prout gessit, sive bonum,
sive malum -which agrees with the Greek text 2 Cor. v, 10.

aCf. vol. i, p. 187, line 6 and footnote 2.

3 The Vulgate adds eius Ps. xlix, 3.

1 The Vulgate reads, et ecce cum nubibus caeli quasi filius hominis;
veniebat. Dan. vii, 13.

6 The Vulgate reads, Et vidi thronum magnum candidum, et sedentemt
super eum, a cuius conspectu fugit terra et caelum etc. Rev. xx, II.

72 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

the quick and the dead, and that Heaven and earth fled from
His presence, for Heaven and earth will pass away on that day.
" And the books were opened," i.e. the conscience of each one,
in which the material for judgment is apparent. " The Book
5 of Life was opened," i.e. Christ, and whosoever may have per-
formed deeds that are not found in Him shall be cast into a lake
of fire, i.e. into the everlasting pain of Hell. Zephaniah says,
" That day is the day of wrath, the day of tribulation and of
violence, the day of darkness, the day of foul clouds and of

10 confusion, the day of archangel trumpets, the day of disease,
the day of great heaviness, the day of trembling and of deep
sighing and the day of plagues unending. That day the blood
of sinners shall be poured out as intolerable filth, and their gold
and silver cannot deliver them from the wrath of the Lord on

15 that day." And so Gregory says, " It is right to reckon up
completely how much distress and bitterness shall be in the
hearts of the accursed on that day, for no tongue or tale or
revelation can divulge the trembling and peril of the sinners
on that day." Remember, then, that day clearly in the bitter-

20 ness of your hearts. Whatsoever is burdensome or intolerable
to-day will be light and easily borne when compared with that
day. Be assured that the more fear of the Day of Judgment
there is in this world, the more security there will be in the next
world .... Happy, then, is everyone who forsakes all these

25 things for the love of God, and who on the Day of Judgment
will be judging himself along with those who are kept perfect
from the fault of iniquity ; he will be there along with the elect
at the right hand of his own Lord.

DE PCENIS INFERNI, i.e. OF THE TORMENT OF HELL.

30 One ought to feel great horror with regard to this, for it has

been prepared for the Devil and the damned. The Lord says
therefore, " Hence, ye damned, into the everlasting fire prepared
for the Devil and his wicked angels ! " He says also that the
damned will be cast bound hand and foot into Hell, where

35 there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, i.e. the tears from
sorrow and the gnashing of teeth on account of the wind. The
Lord says that He is to be feared Who has the power on slaying
the man, to cast the body and soul into Hell. Augustine says

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 73

that there will be a material fire in Hell tormenting the bodies
of the damned and of the devils together, in the abyss of eternal
punishment. We say also, although it is wonderful, that the
ineorporeal spirits will be painfully tormented by material fire
5 just as the incorporeal spirits shut up within the body of the

man are pained of the good, it is clear that there is

thus no end to the torment of wicked men, for God, in accordance
with the righteousness of His royal judgment, is unwilling that
he who never wished to be without sin, should ever be without

20 the punishment of that sin. For that reason, then, they must
endure failure unfailing, end endless and death und^-ing, for
there death itself is living. Although the fire of Hell is one
fire, yet it does not torment in one manner only, but according
to the sins, for as the sun neither acts universally the same nor

15 affects men equally, but warms one more than another, so the
heat of Hell-fire varies according to the sinners, just as the
heat of the sun varies according to the bodies it acts upon,
even although it is in reality one fire. It is called Hell1 because
it lies at the bottom ; as the earth is below Heaven so Hell is

20 below the earth, and hence the Psalm says, " Liberasti2 animam
meam ex inferno inferiori,"3 i.e. thou hast freed my soul from
Hell ; and since the earth is the upper, it must be believed that
lowest Hell is below the earth. Job says " Ibunt ab aquis
nivium4 etc," i.e. that they will go from the water of deadly

25 snow to the unquenchable heat of fiery torments and icy water,
which does not abate the indescribable heat of the torment.
Isaiah says, " Vermis eorum non morietur et ignis5 non
extinguetur," i.e. the worms of Hell are not slain, nor its fire
quenched. Augustine says that the body will be in torment,

.30 for vengeance will be taken on the man because he lived carnally.
Saint Bernard says, " I fear Hell and I fear the face of the Judge,
for it is a cause of fear to . . . . potestates .... the wrath
of the one .... and through mortal terror . . . . of the
world and of the mingled destruction of the elements, the fierce

xi.e. Infernus.

2 The Vulgate reads, et eruisti animam meam ex inferno inferiori.
3Cf. vol. I, p. 189 line 27 and footnote 6.

4 The Vulgate reads, Ad nimium calorem transeat ab aquis nivium :
Job. xxiv, 19.

* The Vulgate adds eorum after ignis : Is. lxvi, 24.

74 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

tempest, the voice of the archangel, the austerity of the sentence
.... and the teeth of the beasts of Hell, and the jaws of Hell

ever open Alas ! I fear .... the gnawing worm,

the burning fire . . . . and the heat, and the spirit1 and the
5 storm. I fear also the man of eternal darkness. And O that
my head were water and my eyes a well of tears2 that I might
out-weep weeping ! I fear the gnashing of the teeth, the hard
bonds on the hands and feet, and the weight of the chains
crushing, burning, gashing and tormenting. Be assured that

10 he who recapitulates these torments in careful and anxious
meditation and constantly dreads them, willingly and hope-
fully endures with rejoicing every disease, confusion, tribulation,
poverty and distress, and will not weary in straits difficulty or
injustice, however bitter, in order that he may happily avoid

15 the torments and intolerable hardships of Hell.

DE FELICITATE ETERNA, i.e. OF THE ETERNAL FELICITY,

Now, since the eternal felicity has been prepared for the

righteous and for the elect, it is to be eagerly desired with a

warm, ardent, affectionate spirit by each one who loves the

20 Lord. The Lord says to these, " Come, ye blessed, and occupy
my Father's Kingdom which has been prepared for you from
the beginning of the world, and God will ordain it for you as-
my Father has ordained it for me, so that you may eat and
drink at my table in my kingdom ; for the righteous will shine

25 as the sun in my Father's Kingdom." Believe, O man, that
great will be the radiance in that place where each will shine
as the sun. This is the radiance which Augustine says was in
the body of Christ at the time of His resurrection, and although
that radiance was hidden from the disciples, yet it was there,

30 but the vision of weak men could not endure it ; this is sufficient
to reveal the eternal felicity of the disciples. Isaiah says with
regard to the joyfulness of this glory, " Venient in Syon," i.e.
the Christians will come rejoicing to the mirror of eternal
radiance, and happiness shall be upon their heads ; they shall

1 Is spiorad to be taken as a careless rendering of spiritum or of fumum
et vaporem. (Cf. L.T. vol. I, p. 68, line 15) ? If, of the latter, translate
"exhalation." Cf. Lucret., De Reb. Nat. m, 223.

2 Literally : who would give water to my head and who would give
a well of tears to my eyes . . .

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 75

receive joy and eternal gladness, and disease and sorrow, sobbing
and sighing shall flee away. At that time, as Augustine says,
they shall ail have like joy and one indivisible desire, free from
every fault and bound to every perfect good, of enjoying delight
5 and eternal happiness without ceasing. They shall not remember
sin or pain, neither shall they forget their salvation nor their
delight in their eternal dehverance, hence as they are assured
of eternal glory, their gratitude shall be devout. If they did
not remember their poverty, discomfort and painful wretched-

10 ness on earth, how should they praise the mercy of God ? There
is no higher glory in Heaven than to be praising the flesh and
the blood by which we have been delivered. Gregory says,
" All the righteous will behold in their God the glorious joys
they receive, while the torments of the damned generally will

15 be visible to them, so that they, seeing the sinners suffering in
the multitude of their vices, may the more recognise that they
are themselves debtors to the divine grace. With regard to
this the Psalm says, " Beati qui habitant in domo tua, Domine,
in saecula saeculorum laudabunt te," i.e. blessed are they who

20 dwell in Thy House, O Lord, for they will praise Thee forever
and forever. Augustine says that the members and the inward
parts of the incorruptible body will praise Thine everlasting
glory, O God, for great indeed is the joy of the place wherein
evil shall not be seen nor good concealed, and wherein all shall

25 sing the praise of God forever. I do not know anything else
that might be done in that place which would not cease owing
to another desire or which would not be given up through
necessity, except the constant praising of God. Of the peace
and holiness the Psalm says, " Lauda, Ierusalem, Dominum,

30 lauda1 Deum tuum, Syon," i.e. O Jerusalem, praise the Lord
and let Sion praise her God ; it is He that hath set thy boundary
in perfect peace and wiU fill thee with the finest wheat." Blessed
truly is that joy, for the lowest will not envy the highest there,
as is evident from the fact that the angels do not envy the arch-

35 angels, and no one there would covet that which he did not

receive, for the eye envies no other glory in Heaven, and although

the glory of one person in Heaven should be less than the glory

of another, yet he would not desire his own exaltation over

1 Cf. vol. I, p. 192, line 1 and footnote 1.

76 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

him. De abundantia, i.e. of the riches there the Psalm says,
" Inebriabuntur ab ubertate domus tuae, et torrente voluptatis
tuae1 potabis eos," i.e. they shall be filled with the fruit of Thy
house, and Thou shalt satisfy each one with the overflowing
5 stream of Thy felicity, for Thou hast concealed many joys and
delights for those who fear Thee. Now, the body will be,
immediately, where the spirit desires, for He gives the most
precious virtue. He promised Himself to the saints and no
gift can excel that. The Lord says further, " By me and in

io me the righteous shall be satisfied, for I am every beautiful
thing that men may desire,"i.e. their life, salvation, satisfaction,
power, peace, glory, honour and all their blessings. Certainly
the apostle's words are thus correctly understood; viz. " ut
sit Deus omnia in omnibus " Ipse finis erit desideriorum

15 nostrorum,2 i.e. God is all to all, He is the end of our desires,
and He shall be seen continually, loved without diffidence and
praised without weariness. This, without doubt, is the gift, the
desire and the task for all, and it is exalted in order to provoke
the eager longing of our thoughts for it. Him we shall behold,

20 love and praise, and He shall be present at the end unending :
for what other end should we have but to go to Heaven which
is eternal ? It is well for thee, O soul truly blessed, who desirest
ardent and pleasant meditation on these things constantly, and
rejoicest mightily, waiting for them with a sweet gentle spirit,

25 so that thou mayest deserve that thy fate for all eternity should
consist of these things without termination or end.

DE ASSERTIONIBUS FIDEI, i.e. OF3 THE STATEMENT OF THE
FAITH.

The faith divine and human, viz. Christ, the sacraments he4

30 mentions, the fire of Purgatory, along with the other appropriate

subjects, must certainly be believed for many reasons which

1 The Mazarine L.T. reads voluptatum tuarum, but the Cluny text
reads with the Vulgate, Ps. xxxv, 9, voluptatis tuae : cf. vol. 1, p. 70.
line 15.

2 The words Ipse .... nostrorum are not part of the quotation from
the apostle (cf. 1 Cor. xv, 28) but come from Augustine, De Civitate Dei,
xxii, 20 : cf. vol. 1, p. 70, line 24 and footnotes 11 and 12.

3Or Fruit of the Faith : cf. vol. i, p. 193, line 8 and footnote 5.
4i.e. the author of the L.T.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 77

are found in abundance. The first of these reasons x

as is evident from the prefiguration by the patriarchs, from the
pre-revelation by the prophets, from the revelation by the
angels and evangelists, preached and confirmed by Christ Him-
5 self . The second reason : the preaching of the apostles and
disciples who saw, heard, proved, expounded and proclaimed
faithfully the Word of Life, was clearly confirmed by signs and
miracles, as one reads fully in their acts and passions ; thus
they endured tortures and various miseries devoutly, for they

10 preferred to die rather than to deny their faith. Be assured
that they would not have suffered these miseries except on
account of the well-attested truth, in which they used to behold
the secret mysteries of God, for if they had any doubt small
or great, regarding the value of their labour, they would not

15 have endured the misery. The third reason : the faith is proved
by the diversity of the martyrs, their sex and age, virgins and
aged folks, first by hearing and then by trial and seeing, as is
confirmed in the case of Paul to whom God revealed that dear
gracious faith, as well as in the case of many others, who were

20 called to this righteous faith by a strong resolution and by a
severe struggle. They revered the faith so ardently with their
fervent willing spirit, that they endured exile, prison and various
other penalties, and not only suffered death patiently but also
cherished the desire to die more quickly ; be assured that they

25 would not have endured this had not Christ been with them,
fighting on their behalf. The fourth reason : it is proved by the
holy fathers and by the confessors of Christ, for such was their
ardent faith in the love of God that they forsook all their earthly
possessions and gave from all men, and very

30 meanly under superiors . . . and another group in caves and
. . . all hiding themselves in little huts . . . . as is proved
in the case of saint Paul, Antonius, Arsenius, Macharius, Hylarion
and innumerable others, as is . . . . this high perfect ....
which they initiated, in which they overcame by faith incor-

35 ruptible their vices, the tumultuous desires of the body and the
wealth and allurement of the world. Be assured that these
could not have endured the continuance of this life had they

1 The I.T. omits these words and some other words also before amhail,
cf. vol. 1. p. 193, line 12 and footnote 9.

78 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

not been helped by counsel, revelation and divine visions. The
fifth reason : it is proved by the sages and by the profound
doctors such as saint Ambrose, Jerome, Gregory, Bernard and
beyond all Augustine, as well as by many others, for they strictly
5 tested the truth, various " opinions " and many authorities in
order to confirm the right faith and to wipe out the erroneous,
while they used to condemn as heretics all who journeyed away
from the faith. These men confirmed the faith of the church,
and they always fought against such as were in error. They

10 enjoined by their customs and writings (The sixth

reason1:) the erring counselled by the Devil, closely

scrutinizing the faith, doubting it, and disbelieving the pro-
foundly learned men whom God instructed and who restored
the dead to life, for no one who clings to this good can ever be

15 seized by complaints about the faith. Know, then, that as
the wolves kill the sheep which strays from the flock, so the
devils in Hell kill and overwhelm whosoever goes astray from
these. Believe me, then, if such erroneous thoughts come into
your mind, the labour of the saints and of these mighty sages

20 will go from you like wind or smoke, and it is with diffkulty
that you shall be saved, if at all. The seventh reason : when the
Devil cannot allure men to the commission of mortal sins, he
stirs them up to every excess through love of the world, and
permits them no relish in any task they may perform in the

25 order, according to the rule of the order, but puts a burden
upon them against their will, and since . . . . to the world,
the Devil instils the idea that he will attack them, with the
result that he deprives them of the consolation of grace, and the
brightness of the glory of God is concealed from anyone who is

30 overwhelmed by vain doubting thoughts of the faith. The
eighth reason : as much as you are corrupted by these temporal
thoughts, so much are you overwhelmed by the rapidity of the
onslaught of evil. As soon, then, as you become sensible of
these evil thoughts, flee as if a poisonous serpent or a furious

35 fire were assailing you, and, driving them out by a strong gracious
spirit, hasten swiftly and faithfully to the teaching of the saints
and to the passion of Christ. The ninth reason : let whosoever
has any doubt regarding the faith choose the party that is safer,

1 Cf . vol. i, p. 4 194, line 33, and footnote.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 79

more catholic, more highly proved and affirmed, and let
him avoid the scantier and less learned party. The tenth
reason by which one is overcome : it is great folly for one born,
educated and guided to years of discretion in the Christian
5 faith to turn his powers of reasoning and his spirit to the casting
of doubt upon the faith of his ancestors. Understand, also,
that he is condemning his ancestors by the same " opinion "
when he has changed their God. The eleventh reason : the
unrighteous do not wish the light to reveal them, and that is

10 in itself a token of evil and wickedness, since it is proved that
evil-doers hate the light because they do not wish their deeds
made manifest to their own reproach. The righteous, however,
love the hght and are not put to shame by it, yet they do not
wish to be honoured by men for their good works, but to give

15 good examples to all and to glorify their Father Who is in
Heaven. The twelfth reason : it is proved in the creatures,
i.e. in the sun, moon, rocks, lofty trees, the earth, light, darkness,
insects, fishes and in birds .... they say by their actions
" Ipse fecit nos et non ipsi nos," i.e. He created us

20 and not we ourselves forever, yet they are not so

.... always. The thirteenth reason : the most perfect in
the faith deserved to be honoured by God with signs and miracles,
as is proved in the case of Martin, Benedict, Bernard, Elisabeth
and many others, according to the Old Law and the New. The

25 measure of their lives is the measure of the time that they were
in the fortress of their holiness, waking the dead, cleansing
lepers, casting out demons and performing innumerable other
signs, and commending their faith by their deeds : inasmuch
as a man's faith is known, his works are known. Since the

30 unrighteous cannot perform miracles and wonders, these could
not have done so had they not been innocent and righteous. The
fourteenth reason : as we see frequently, sinners and perverse
people are turned from their iniquity, for grace abounds as
iniquity abounds, yet know that this work is to be attributed

35 neither to the saints nor to anyone else but God, the Bestower
of all good things. It is, indeed, more difficult to convert the
wicked sinner and it is a greater miracle than to wake the dead,
because the quickened dead shall die again but the righteous
will live forever. As the dead cannot restore himself to life,

80 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

neither can the sinner make a righteous man of himself ; it is.
God that works in them both. The fifteenth reason : those
who are of the true faith need not perceive the sacraments of
the church either by reason or by their eyes, lest they should
5 lose the reward of faith thereby, because faith is to believe-
without a doubt the reality of things not seen ; as Gregory says,
" Quia fides non habet meritum cui humana ratio praebet
experimentum," i.e. there is no merit in the faith which must
have human proof. Whosoever will believe these things which

io he1 mentions, will easily cast off from himself the spirit of
blasphemy. With a view to putting these spirits far from me,
I believe in these great evident facts that he1 mentions up to
this point, viz. the pre-revelation by the patriarchs, the pre-
figuration by the prophets, the true words of Christ and His

15 holy works, the proof of the seven holy sacraments, the pain
of Purgatory, as he1 says, and the like. For a similar purpose,
too, I have expounded the subject assiduously, in various ways,
and with many reasons, in order to drive out the spirit of
blasphemy, which is hostile to the human race and confounds

20 the righteous, so that no doubt regarding the faith may abide
in their hearts. If you keep inwardly and outwardly, carefully,
diligently and without any doubt these things which he1 mentions,.
God will increase your gifts in Heaven and on earth.

DE ORATORIO, i.e. OF THE ORATORY.

25 When you enter it do not be idle, but pray or meditate on

good things or sing psalms there. Act there sincerely and
energetically. Energetically, i.e. as if doing it honourably in
the presence of God, do it wisely, not lazily or sleepily, and do
not yawn. Spare not your voice, and do not utter broken

30 words ; speak no word incompletely, and do not enunciate
faultily, nasally, effeminately or weakly, but boldly, setting
forth expressively and willingly the words of the Holy Ghost.
Sincerely now, i.e. utter nothing but the meditation of your
heart. Meditations alone are not sufficient, because vain

35 purposeless meditations are, for the sake of the common profit

and necessity, to be avoided, particularly in the church at the

time of prayer. I command and advise you to fulfil per-

fectly everything that he1 has said. Do not be meditating at the

1 i.e. the author of the L.T.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 81

time of prayer, but let your will guard and deliver you
from extraneous matters, and be assured that the Holy Ghost
accepts no other obligations from you at the time of prayer but
prayer itself, good-will and sincere meditation. In praying, do
5 not utter confused contrary remarks ; do not laugh and do not
let your eyes rove, but repose perfectly in the presence of God
and His angels, making yourself easily visible to God. Com-
municate customarily and willingly in the major festivals ....
of the year, and particularly, if you can, each Lord's day, but

io if you cannot, receive this blessed holy communion without
fail every month, for in these festivals and in the communion
stand the welfare, the life and the resurrection of all souls.
Whoever readily evades these commands which he1 utters makes
more evident the disgrace that he inflicts upon his own soul,

15 viz. death. Be assured that the Adversary, when he sees the
Christian's mouth reddened by the blood of Christ, is in terror
and, understanding the decree of his own destruction at once,
he flees away like a madman, for he cannot endure the instrument
of the divine victory in which he was captured, bound and

20 stifled in Hell. On the day on which you communicate peace-
fully and devoutly, do not speak even a little then, unless
necessity compels you, and on the days of communion see to
it that you love eagerly and secretly your own Spouse and
Dear Friend. If you do not communicate weekly or monthly,

25 strive faithfully and attentively to communicate with all care
on the day you can, and on that day be attentive in the presence
of your own faithful Lord and zealously observe the hour, place
and season when you may communicate. When you pray,
speak but few words that day, and utter them gently, sweetly,

30 kindly, correctly, discreetly, so that God may hearken to you
since you have hearkened for His sake, and try faithfully so
that God may answer you in return for your willing silence.
When in the course of your holy meditations you experience a
hindrance in your prayers, do not try to rise violently to the

35 heavenly things, but pray and open the way before yourself
by means of a sweet, obedient, loving, peaceful and fearful heart

M.e., the author of the L.T.

82 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

as well as by means of sympathy, gentleness and sighs, and then
enter in with thankfulness and more graciousness. " I myself,
now believe," says Bernard, " that when you enter into that
inner glory, you shall be powerfully overwhelmed with the
5 pleasure and glorious contentment of that house." I, therefore,
beseech you to pray f or me there, f or I am a poor wretched sinner.
When you approach the altar or any other place to pray, bow
yourself virtuously, graciously, humbly, mercifully with an
Ave Maria or any other prayer, and during every prayer let
io God be in your thoughts. When you are celebrating the hours
or praying, have nothing in your hand or on your mind that
might draw your attention away from your prayer.

DE CLAUSTRO, i.e. OF THE CLOISTER.

When you go there to read, do not let your mind be roaming
15 about or vacillating, but set your mind on the consecrated
lesson that lies before you, and read earnestly so that your
reading may call you on to prayer, beseeching and earnestly
comforting you ; it is thus that prayer should be made, and
not amid tales and playing. Take care to study eagerly the
20 sweet holy lessons. Do not sit in a corner or in any place where
you may be conspicuous to all, for fear of being troubled by
them, but sit among your own companions in the cloister
where you may avoid danger and relish your lesson. Do not
sit among the idlers who are in the habit of making signs and
25 acting foolishly, in case you should be disturbed when at your
lesson. Keep among the instructed who fear God so that you
may be edified in God, the Eternal Satisfaction, and do not
go ranging about the cloister making your lesson of no avail
for the sake of vain tales.

30 DE CAPITULO, i.e. OF THE CHAPTER.

Do not speak readily there, because it is a sign of an officious
nun to be talkative in the chapter, and to be demanding authority
and sway. When they speak of truth or falsehood, or of little
or great faults, make no excuse for yourself, but offer amends
35 generally for what others challenge. Should some great
infamous transgression, which might cast scandal on yourself

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 83

or others, be alleged against you, remove the accusation by
means of the truth; even although you should not remember the
fault charged against you, offer no excuse in the matter whence
this fault is alleged of which you are innocent. Do not complain
5 quickly or readily of the one who has done you harm for
fear of your fault being exposed and of your peace being disturbed.
When you stand in the presence of the judgment, imitate Christ,
for He stood in the presence of the judge with His head and
His benign countenance turned towards the ground ; His words

10 were few and He was ready for insults or blows. If you accuse
anyone, do not do it furiously or wantonly, uttering many
words and repeating words already uttered, but say mildly, in
a comely manner, decently, graciously and lovingly, all that is to
be said, leaving every wrong done you to the care and discretion

15 of the judge. If you are at the head of the chapter yourself,
do not speak to the others in common, but correct them in
accordance with their deeds separately, wisely and forcefully.
Correct the undisciplined and rebellious with stern words and
sharp strokes, fixing their penance according to their faults

20 and deeds so that the proud may be humbled. Silence the
back-biters ; also, those who are unrestrained must stay within
the cloisters. Let their ofnces be taken from the covetous, and
let the gluttonous be subdued by fasting. Let the disobedient
be flogged and punished, or else corrected with a light penance.

25 If relatives, friends or courtiers1 ask permission to leave the
house or cloister or to speak to others, grant them no more
than to the others in general. Keep guard over everyone
according to his manners and customs. The prelate ought to
be benign, never looking to his own profit but to the profit of

30 the souls committed to him and to true love of the Lord. He
ought to delight in goodness, in the guidance of all, in merciful,
kindly, careful correction and in the instruction of his con-
gregation lovingly, generously and virtuously. I do not know
a more profitable rule for the prelate than to be virtuous, obser-

35 vant, fearful, honourable, constantly calling his congregation

1 The Irish translator misunderstood the force of " curiose " (fem.
pl. cf. vol. 1, p. 78, line 8). " Curiosus " is defined by Migne thus : in
quibusdam monasteriis curiosi dicebantur qui temporalium curam gere -
bant, et correctores spiritualium. Apud Ord. Yitalem, curiosi iidem
videntur ac curiales. The translator has taken the word in this sense of
curiales, i.e. courtiers.

84 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

to his counsel, keeping and guiding them — and himself too —
in their proper offtces and arranging them for the good of the
whole monastery. It is profitable for him also to restrain
within the silence of the cloister the foolish dissolute idlers who
5 are under his care, particularly the back-biters, and if they
take this correction impatiently and vexatiously, let not the
prelate have any regard for the tonsure of fools or for whatever
complaints they may make, but let him adhere to the rule
that is best for them and in accordance with the will of God.
10 Know particularly, that there is no method more effective for
driving out and confounding the faith than to despise wise
faithful people and to set bragging liars in their place. If,
then, you wish to be wise, avoid carefully everything that is
to be avoided by man, and correct others mercifully.

15

DE REFECTORIO, i.e. OF THE REFECTORY.

Do not go to the refectory either quickly or slowly, yet it
is better for you to enter it before the prelate or whoever else
is head over you. Take nothing at all with you to eat there,
as a token of concord and of gratitude for what you eat in

20 common. While you are eating your portion, do not gaze
at another person eating his, and do not take careful note of
your own portion as it is coming to you. Pay no attention

to sign-making or to any other vanity as if1 for it

would be unsatisfactory, vain and unprofitable for the nun to

25 be thus engaged with folly, vanity and conviviality. Let your
ear be more diligent in hearkening to what is really profitable
for you than your belly is in seeking to be filled. Make no
signs or other signals there. Do not put your hands to the
food before others, and do not be the last to part with it. Be

30 neither too joyful nor too sad when eating, lest it should seem
that you think the meal is too big or too little. When a
pittance, i.e. a letter, is sent to you, if it is sent from a superior,
do not give it the worldling's honour, but just a little for the
sake of politeness, in case ill-breeding or disrespect should be

35 attributed to you. If it should happen that you are serving
a table for another, do not be frivolous or sullen, but obedient,
blessed, gracious and respectful.

*Cf. vol. 1, p. 201, line 36 and footnote 7.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 85

DE DOR.MITORIO, i.e. OF THE DORMITORY.

If1 you enter the dormitory, do not stand long before your
bed and do not stay long upon it. Take off your shoes and
clothes modestly and in a becoming manner. Lie down timidly
5 and humbly, and put the clothes over you, then if you cannot
sleep, meditate upon, or utter, some good thing, and you will
sleep more quickly and securely. Pay no attention to signs
when you are in bed, but discipline your eyes so that you may
have no knowledge of your companions' beds. Go to your bed
10 quickly so that no one may see your face. When the hours
are struck, do not be .lazy or slothful in rising, but quick and
hasty, and say all the hours of the Virgin standing on your
feet, if you can. Do not go into others' beds, and let no one
into yours.

15 DE LABORE, i.e. OF LABOUR.

At the time of labour or of rest, when the board or bell is
struck, do not hearken to those who were previously talking to
you and have no desire for anyone to call you to speak to you,
but go into some retired place and say your prayer restfully.

20 Let there be someone between you and the one who meets you,
and if you are rising up from prayer, let there be a space
between you and the one who has already risen and thus show
your devotion to your own sweet Lord. When you are coming
and going, carrying loads or burdens, do not join yourself

25 readily to the undisciplined or to the children in the order.
Do not stay beside the young folks or with those who separate
themselves from the order, but stay with the aged, perfect
people from whom you may obtain instruction or some good
example. Always be anxiously watching for the love of God,

3° and for the works by which you might obtain it, and walk gently

like a peacock2 stealing away for fear of losing the

profit of your labour through the instability of your intention.
Have no great familiarity with the nuns who are guests, for
you have no idea what their pleasure or piety is. Do not speak

35 with the custodian of the labour, but if owing to necessity you

1 Or reading mar, when . . . . : cf. vol. i, p. 202, line 18 and footnote 2.
* Cf. vol. i, p. 203, line 12 and footnote 5.

86 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

should do so, do not cause trouble to yourself or to others, but
utter a few mild words to him. If you cannot perform great
labour, do what you can.

DE EUNDO IN VIA, i.e. OF TRAVELLING.
5 Go rarely, sadly and unwillingly out of your monastery, and
if it is necessary for you to leave it for a time, return as soon
as you can. You ought always to know that the time you
have spent outside of your monastery has gone, and you should
feel great sorrow for whatever time you have let slip past un-

io profitably. While you are outside do not spend much, and do
not permit anyone to spend much on your behalf. Never be
alone with any man at all ; do not sit or speak with one so as
not to give others an opportunity of doing harm to themselves,
and never part with the companionship of another woman lest

15 each of you should incur scandal. Give an example in words,
manners and deeds to all. Make no alliance with worldly
folks, and attach no importance to any particular person's
advice in the matter of piety or impiety, for to do so is to subvert
and to destroy your faith and rule. Do not ask for the inter-

20 pretation of a dream or for a spell. Do not expose your affairs
to fickleness and instability, but devote your life to good deeds
and to many virtues and let it shine therein, for the pious marks
all vain forbidden things as signs of irresolution and of hetero-
doxy, and, indeed, such are neither virtues nor truths of the

25 faith. One is drawn away from asking the help of the pious
when alone for fear of back-biting. By making sure of these
things he1 has mentioned, the sweet first-fruits of eternal glory
are obtained. The pious ought not to read to, or to pray on
behalf of, others, for fear of back-biting about the reward, or

30 about neglect of the proper time, and for that very reason we
counsel you to avoid carefully a peril that might result in danger
to yourself or to others, and to be quiet, pious and retired in
your own house.

1 i.e. the author of the L.T.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 87

DE INFIRMITORIO, i.e. OF THE INFIRMARY.

Be obedient to and serve those who are ill, and when you
are unwell yourself, do not speak of worldly affairs or reply to
questions regarding them, for inasmuch as the body is debilitated,
5 it ought to be strengthened in the love and perfection of its
own sweet Lord. The nearer one is to death, the more one
ought to be instructed in the eternal glory and in the heavenly
life, so that one may give one's soul fervently as an offering
for the love of God and for His eternal glory. Honour those

10 who are serving you with the food that they can give you, and
do not ask for what cannot be easily obtained. When, owing
to the poverty of the house, what you need is lacking, do not
be sad — no matter what is the cause of this want — but be glad
and rejoice greatly in your own Lord, because you will receive

15 eternal glory immeasurable in return for whatever want you
suffer here willingly. Should one scorn you, despise that vain
scorn, considering the great glory that you have in return for
it, because inasmuch as you experience contempt submissively
your own sweet Lord will exalt and counsel you. Know that

20 whenever the fallible consolation of companions and of the
world departs from you, God will give you in place of that
mean trifie Himself, His glory and His consolation. It is to
him who denies himself thus and joys in his poverty that the
Psalm refers which says, " Ego sum pauper et dolens," i.e.

25 be thou, O Lord, my helper, for I am burdened by poverty
and disease, and He will carefully succour me lest I should go
astray. If you wish to attain to these things, confess your
sins truly and fully, and in the anguish of the disease, ask gently
and mercifully for the last sacrament. Rest securely in the

30 sacrament till you are called, in glory, in belief and in strong
hope of the faithful mercy of God ; thus you will merit the eternal
rewards and the glory everlasting without end. Amen. Care-
fully and deliberately, within and without, at every hour and
season, prepare your will and affection to guard your heart,
35 the tabernacle of truth, for your own blessed Spouse.

88 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

DE SANCTIS REQUIRENDIS, i.e. OF THE INYOCATION OF THE
SAINTS.

You must cleanse yourself, and strive carefully so that Jesus
Christ, your own sweet gracious Lord, may desire your beauty.
5 This is the way to do that : — you will confess your sins fully
each day in your prayers, and let your repentance be genuine
and accompanied by sincere contrition of heart and an abundant
flow of tears from your eyes ; you will make yourself radiant
with the bright precious garments of virtue and good deeds,

10 glorified by gifts, and you will be quite convinced that you
and many other poor people could not obtain the eternal rewards
for yourselves. You must run, then, to the blessed spirits and
all the saints who are your friends and relatives, and eagerly
desire to increase your glory and honour. Entreat them

15 earnestly with your whole mind and heart, and that very
entreaty will help you to the full in obtaining what you need
and enjoying it securely. Do not trouble to pray these by
traversing plains or sea or savage lands, but pray to them
secretly within your own quiet chamber. This is the way to

20 pray :■ — you will cast away from yourself aU vain care and
close the door of your heart well so that nothing at all can enter
in but this eternal supplication.

DE BEATA VIRGINE ET CONFESSIONE, i.e. OF MARY,1 THE
BLBSSED, AND OF CONFESSION.

25 First of all, this Blessed Virgin must be entreated before

every one else, and she must be invoked as the Queen and
Ruler of Heaven. She it is that you ever beseech, for She is
a Beacon and a Star of the Sea, and She is before us as a light
preceding, a radiant star. She will guide you, and on your

30 behalf She will pray the Father of Mercy, the God of all Consola-
tion, to have mercy upon you and to deign to grant you con-
solation, and you will be along with Her in the presence of Her
own dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who of His own will
was incarnate of Her so that He might call sinners and save

35 His own people. He considered His birth from Her fitting,
and therefore He thinks it appropriate that you should be of

1 In the Irish table of contents this heading is " Of the Blessed Virgin
and Confession " : cf. supra p. 2.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 89

the number of His people, for He will save from their sins every-
one who is in God and in the Holy Spirit most benign. The
Holy Spirit enters into every place He desires and graciously
makes the sinner righteous ; you cannot make yourself
5 righteous by merit or by your works. Continue, then, to
entreat the blessed indivisible Trinity on your own behalf, so
that it may renew your peace with itself. When you enter
into the divine bliss, gather together all your stains and sins,
and I think that bitterness, heavy sorrow, sighing and sobbing

10 of heart will come upon you through contempt of these sins ;
there, while earnestly confessing so that you may make
righteousness of your iniquity, say, " I am the poor unhappy
woman, who sinned long ago in such a place and hour and with
these confederates chiefly, and pursued an evil course of sin.

15 I fought against my merciful Lord Who loved me ; and I thus
sinned in every member and faculty Thou didst give me, O
Lord, warring against Thee by means of vain, lewd, foolish
and deadly thoughts. I made a practLe of gluttony, pride,
wrath. covetousness and all other faults, breaking Thy Law,

20 scattering about or heaping up every evil, and in these iniquities
I have lingered longest and obtained most pleasure. With
my eyes I observed occasion for sin and for every kind of back-
biting, and thereby I was often hastening on the death of my
soul. With my ears I often used to hearken to back-biting,

25 insult, murmuring, jesting, folly and .... and idle tales and
fables, and I used to repeat them, thus sinning and acting vainly.
In my heart there was the desire and yearning to smell pleasant
perfumes, to taste and relish highly-fiavoured foods and cooking,
and I eagerly desired elegant dishes, cooking and various kinds of

30 satisfaction of such a type, back-biting, pride, wrath and swearing,
with the result that I have often exposed my own soul to death.
I was also wont to eat and drink before the lawful time, and I
used to be secretive, gluttonous and extravagant, and through
these and the like of these I have often contrived disease and

35 death for body and soul. With my hands also, I have wrought
evil and wickedness, reprehensible signs and the like, in which
I perceive that harm was done to my soul. With my feet also,
I have sinned ; I eagerly desired narrow shoes and finery, while
I was myself hard, indocile, proud, stolid and attached to evil

90 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

companions and foolish ways. I have sinned, then, with my
whole body through laziness, vanity, my own pleasure, sleep,
other carnal things and the like, and now I have no doubt
but that I have thereby wounded my own soul, with the result
5 that it is not easy to succour me in these and in all the other
sins I have done both small and great. When the Devil binds
me more surely to sin and Thou dost behold my guilt, I confess
my transgression and, for the love of God, I seek signs of judg-
ment and of grace, and I run to Thee, O Fountain of Mercy

10 and of Grace, so that I may be washed and cleansed, for I know
that Thou hast said that at whatsoever time the sinner shall
groan, Thou shalt not call to remembrance against him any
of his iniquity. Thou hast also said, " O sinful soul, although
thou hast often committed adultery in vain love, yet turn to

15 me and I will receive thee." These are Thine own words, O
Eternal Truth Unchanging, and Thou deceivest no one, nor
dost Thou make fair speeches to anyone, and on account of
these words, I design to turn to Thee with confident hope. Do
Thou, then, wash and cleanse me as Thou hast promised, for

20 Thou hast mercifully drawn me away from my sin. Thou
hast also promised me remission paternally, sweetly, mercifully,
and Thou hast counselled me faithfully to turn unto Thee ;
because Thou art righteous and powerful, deliver me from my
sin and punishment. O Blessed Virgin, since Thou hast guided

25 me to the merciful Fountain to cleanse me benignantly, succour
me and be a faithful advocate for me, as indeed Thou shouldst
rightly be, for Thou wast made a mother solely for the salvation
of sinners, and hence Thou dost merit to be called the " Queen
of Heaven." When you think that God1 and His Mother are

30 gatbering your sins before themselves, bend your knee and
incline your head and heart humbly and with self-contempt
to the heavenly spirits, the bountiful ones, to ask grace and
mercy from them confidently, hopefully and with devotion.

1 The translator has misunderstood the force of the L.T., cf. vol. X,
p. 84, line 35.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 91

DE SANCTIS ANGELIS ET PASSIONIBUS CHRISTI. i.e. OF THE
HOLY ANGELS AND THE PASSION OF CHRIST.

Approach first the good angels who are called Faithful
Messengers, and beseech them to reveal your goodness, viz.
5 that you have abandoned your sin. Approach, then, the arch-
attgels who reveal things high-exalted, so that they may reveal
your devotion and good-will among the nobles of Heaven.
Approach the order of virtues, i.e. virtutes, by whom signs and
miracles are performed, so that by them all things which have

10 quickened your soul from death may be made perfect. Approach,
then, the powers, i.e. potestates, who by their powers incline as
they desire those strong aerial demons which harm nature alone,
so that they may succour you from the injuries of these demons
forever. Approach, then, the principalities, i.e. principatus,

15 who rule over all the spirits, in order that they may guard you
so that neither pride nor any other sin may ever rule over you.
Approach, then, the dominions, i.e. dominationes, who rule over
the spirits wonderfully, so that they may ever keep you serving
your own Lord humbly. Approach now the thrones, i.e. thronos,

20 by which God renders His judgments conspicuous, in order
that they may teach you to judge your deeds discreetly so that
you may never be condemned by them. Approach, then, the
cherubim, who are called the Perfect Wisdom, so that they may
instruct you in the true wisdom by which you can be saved.

25 Approach now the seraphim, who are called the Fire of Love,
so that they may obtain on your behalf the love of God, whence
you may ever be fervent in His love. Thus beseech frequently
the holy spirits humbly, approaching them in turn and gathering
them together, in order that they may obtain for you by their

30 intercessions before God, the completion of your penance to
His praise and glory as well as to their joy at the conversion
of a sinner by penance and so that you may never again be found
slothful or careless, but watchful and discreet forever. Do not
suppose that you have never committed great mortal sins, for

35 God will judge the right and the wrong of each one finally. On
this being proved to you, do not flee to any other place but to
that, for He is your brother and your flesh and He loves every-
one who is sad doing penance. If you are weak and know that
you cannot do great penance, confidently approach the Lord

92 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

and entreat Him earnestly to answer on your behalf, for He
deemed it fitting to be incarnated in the Virgin's womb for your
sake. For you He endured poverty and various innumerable
wants, cold and heat, hunger and thirst, false brethren and much
5 treachery ; He endured weariness in travelling, contradiction in
preaching, and insult while healing many diseases. He also
wept over you and sweated blood. He also endured the un-
drinkable gall while praying long on your behalf, and blows,
spits, scourgings, a crown of thorns, defiance, provocation,

io taunting, affiiction, insults, the nails of the cross, the sharp
spear, bitter myrrh, nakedness, surliness and the straits of death.
Since He has endured these lovingly, remember not how much
sin or wrong you have done and do not despair, but offer all
these sufferings as if they were your own, for He has borne

15 these fuliy on your behalf both as penance and as satisfaction ; in
these is your defence, bliss, hope, faith, all your protection,
security and true confidence. Ever entreat Him, then, in these
sufferings to keep watch over you to the final end, and, when
your soul goes forth from this world, to cleanse you completely

20 with His own precious blood which He poured forth in rich pro-
fusion on your behalf, and to anoint you as a strong resplendent
warrior against your foes, so that the enemy of mankind shall
not find a place in you wherein he may thrust his venomous
tooth. Devoutly, lovingly pray that you may be like Him

25 in affiiction, tribulation, disease, grief and in the straits of the
passion which your sweet Lord endured x

(DEa PATRIARCHIS ET PROPHETIS ET ORNATU VIRTUTUM,
i.e. OF THE PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS AND THE ADORN-
MENT OF VIRTUES.)

3° devotion of heart you would say, " In aeternum

non obliviscar miserationes istas,3 quas in aeternum cantabo,
quia4 misericordia tua magna est super me et eruisti animam
meam ex inferno inferiori," i.e. I will never forget thy goodness
and with how much kindness Thou hast quickened me, and so

1 Cf. vol. 1, p. 210, line 30, footnote 6, and vol. 11. infra p. 109, line 33.

2 Cf. vol. 1, p. 211, line 1, footnote 1, and vol. 11. infra p. 11U line 3.

3 The Vulgate reads, in aeternum non obliviscar iustificationes tuas
(Ps. cxvni, 93).

4 The connecting words quas in seternum cantabo seem to be a
recollection of Ps. lxviii, 2.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 93

I will sing forever of Thy mercy because it is powerful in me,
and Thou hast taken my soul from lowest Hell. If you under-
stand these things with devotion and know how God dwells
in you, the spirit is perfect which exalts you in the love of God
5 with the result that you will not be able to part from Him.

DE APOSTOLIS ET CARITATE, i.e. OF THE APOSTLES AND
LOVE.

Go, then, to the apostles who loved Christ passionately, and
who leaving everything else, loved Him without hmit, for so

10 they merited to be exalted by the keen fiame of the love of
God to behold His glory and eternal felicity. Pray, then, to
them so that you may obtain one spark of that exalted love
through their intercessions, and owing to that spark you will
take care to go through the fire, flaming abundantly for love of

15 your Creator, and in that way you will be wholly dissolved and
melted into Him ; for from the little spark the great fire grows.
If you consider yourself dead to the world with its possessions,
you can embrace Jesus Christ, your own sweet Spouse, wholly
in your heart, meditations, soul, desire, good-will, with all the

20 powers of your body and soul and passionate resolution without
ceasing. If you hold the Lord in your heart within together
with eternal gracious imitation of Him, you will walk sweetly
and willingly, and beseech your loving Spouse to pour the flaming
love of which he1 speaks upon your soul and upon all your

25 faculties ; however much you obtain of it, the more you will
be fired with the desire to increase your store. The signs of your
receiving the love of God are that you will not perceive affliction,
disease, grief, misfortune or any earthly thing that may befall
you without eagerly seeking God, till you deserve to find Him

30 again, for by finding Him His gifts are known. If you have
found Him, without a doubt you will know how much He has
done and will do for you, how much He will love and loves you,
for He prefers to be your faithful Lord because of your remem-
brance of Him. Continually remember these things, and kindle

35 your love in Him richly, abundantly, fervently and keenly
by a burning coal from His own heart. Say to your Faithful
Friend that nothing can be compared with, nor can any weight

1 i.e. the author of the L.T.

94 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

of silver or of gold be held to equal, the one who believes in
God, because whosoever has found God has found the treasure
wholly. Let him who has found Him hold Him closely and
not put Him away for anything on earth, but say, " I have
5 found Him whom my soul loved, I have held Him nor do I
let Him go." It is good for you to be in this high rank now.
Rejoice then, here, and joy in Him and pour your whole heart
into Him, and let all the veins of your devotion and the desire
of your mind run wholly hither. Unless you wish to part from
10 Him, you must be found patient to do everything perfectly.

DE MARTIRIBUS ET PATIENTIA, i.e. OF THE MARTYRS AND
PATIENCE.

Run quickly to the blessed martyrs, Stephen, Laurence,
Vincent and every other one who loved Christ with passionate

15 faith, for these feared not grief, disease, weariness, difficulty,
surliness, cross or prison for the sake of God's love, but they
suffered these all gladly for it. Constantly entreat them that
it may be fitting that you should be kindly received into the
love of God through their passionate faith. When they have

20 obtained for you what you need, patiently, fervently and with
great joy persevere in the love of every difficulty, danger,
tribulation and contempt, for this is the royal, secure and true
path by which one runs speedily to the hfe everlasting. Christ
Himself set forth by example that this path was to be followed

25 in word and deed, and He Himself continued in this path till
His death. He did not make this path easy to endure or
beautiful or of goodly odour, but He traced it out and painted
it with His own blood, and the fruitful bloom of this path was
the spear, the crown, the nails, the scourging, the bitterness

30 of gall, the vinegar and the dishonour. Seated at the end of
this path He displayed lovingly His hands, His feet and His
side to everyone traversing it. He called people vehemently,
making complaint and lamentation to them about the path,
summoned them by His example into it and gave them a solemn

35 invitation to behold Himself. If then, you desire that your
feet should tread in that path, pray attentively for His help
in this manner : — " O sweet Jesus, draw me after Thyself that
I may yearn after the perfume of Thy holy blood when Thou
hast helped me." " Believe now, O man," says Bernard, " that

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 95

if you ask for this with a passionate soul, you will perceive at
that very hour the Lord Himself present in your heart saying
to you, ' Fear not death, but be comforted and rejoice and act
manfully, for I am with you in every tribulation and adversity.'
5 Thus the righteous prays to God that tribulation, disease and
amiction may never depart from him, since Thou, O Lord,
O sweet Jesus, art ever to be found in them. Since then, Thou
hast begun the work in me, 0 Lord, smite me unsparingly and
that will be a joy to me ; overcome me by disease and do not

10 spare me ; do not spare me in this world,1 O Lord, but spare
me in the world everlasting. For that reason, O Lord, I urge
that I may be punished, smitten and scourged again and
again, for owing to the graciousness of the Father, Thy blows
are not foes to him who hates them — such is the grace

15 of the Father — yet they are true friends to the one
who loves, and so they do not hurt, harm or oppress, but
are salvation, joy and restoration. Thou, O Lord, for that
reason dost bruise and heal, Thou dost smite and Thy hands
make whole, as David says in the Psalm, " Et2 secundum

20 multitudinem dolorum meorum in corde meo consolationes
laetificant animam meam," i.e. the very greatness of the disease
with which Thou dost afflict me gladdeneth my soul and heart,
and so, O Lord, I entreat Thee to increase and ever to multiply
my disease and affiictions, for these give me felicity and joy ;

25 the apostle has said that as the passion of Christ is increased
in us, so is our bliss increased and made joyful. If you note
this and meditate upon it carefully in your heart, cast yourself
wholly upon Him with good-will. Cry out and shout in the
passionate longing of your spirit, saying, " Domine sicut scis

30 et sicut vis miserere mei," i.e. O Lord as Thou dost understand
and as Thou dost desire have mercy upon me, and deign to
scourge and discipline me. If you persevere in those things,
you will rejoice nnally and gladly sing of your cleansing with
fire and water, saying, " Thou hast guided me in temperate

35 coolness, graciously helping me, and Thou hast held my right
hand and received me with glory." If you desire to come to
that glory, although you are bodily on this earth, yet you ought
by thought and desire to be dwelling in Heaven.

JCf. vol. i, p. 214, line 1, footnote 1.

a The Vulgate reads Secundum multitudinem dolorum meorum in
corde meo, consolationes tuae laetificaverunt animam meam. Ps. xcm, 19.

96 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

DE CONFESSORIBUS ET HUMANITATE CHRISTI, i e. OF THE
CONFESSORS AND THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST.

Call upon the blessed confessors to help you, viz. Martin,
Benedict, Nicolas, Bernard and every other confessor, for although
5 they, as regards their bodies alone, are in affliction, hardship,
straits and tribulation and in the conflict of this lowly pilgrimage,
yet in thought, will and desire they are in Heaven. They are
therefore to be devoutly entreated, for such was the glory that
they loved with the deep burning fervency of their hearts and

io since they are now dwelling happily in it, they will help you
before God, so that although }rour body is oppressed by diffl-
culties, disease and sorrow, your mind and will may be raised
up to the heavenly gifts, with the result that you may perfectly
keep this imitable order and rule which you have chosen. Pros-

15 trate yourself first at the glorious feet of the humanity of Christ,
i.e. mercy and judgment. Mollify and soothe these holy blessed
ones along with Mary Magdalene and weeping, entreat them
alternately. Lave His left foot with proper fear of His judgment.
Lave, then, His right foot with devout tears and gratitude for

20 your deliverance by His mercy and gracious hope. Lave and
mollify these powerful saints he1 mentions, not because they
need this, but because you need to be cleansed thereby as Mary
Magdalene did, and mercifully to be made righteous through
that grace. Having incessantly laved them, carefully dry them

25 with your hair. By this laving I understand that although you
should be a profitable hand-maiden to God, yet you should
think all that you may do for Him of no value. In humility
and devotion of heart regard these things as if you had not
done them for, truly, you should give them up with as little

30 thought as if in reality they were not yours. Sweetly kiss these
holy ones in order to receive the goodness of God through them,
and offer your goodness and gracious works to God in return
for His own goodness. Take care to anoint these holy ones
frequently with precious oil ; the meaning of this is, that if

35 you will worship them with fervent devotion of heart and eternal
yearning, unceasingly soothing them, you will be helped by
these blessed supports ; since you are sinning every day, you
require this help to be increased by mercy each day. On leaving

1 i.e. the author of the L.T.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 97

His foot, you must now go to His holy hands full of blood as
they are, so that you may quickly rise, for thereby you are
carefully cleansed from all foulness of sin, filled with abundance
of all grace and beautiful habits together with the radiance of
5 eternal glory. As the Lord cleansed you blissfully and sacra-
mentally with His blood and by very sharp warnings, so make
use of and praise His Tidings and His kindly Law, and as He
did not spare His own blood in the richness and urge of the
love which He bestowed upon us, we ought to give our soul

10 and our secrets wholly to Him. Do not be ashamed or despair,
for He has hands pierced and earthy and tears of blood and

swellings and immovable, so that it is easy to draw

everything from them, unless accursed fury and excessive care-
lessness lies in yourself. If you understand that you have

15 obtained the Lord's gift, pray that His mercy may increase it
in you and preserve it with you, for without that you can do
nothing. And so, O Lord, Thou hast made the beginning, the
middle and the end of our good works wholly. Ever strive,

0 men, to kiss these blessed hands, and let these kisses of yours
20 be as pure and as glorious as possible when you are giving devout

honour and vehement love to God and ascribe nothing at all
to yourselves ; or as the author1 says, " Non mihi, Domine, non
mihi, sed nomini tuo da gloriam, quia gratia tua sum id quod
sum," i.e. let it not be to me, O Lord, that Thou givest the
25 glory, but to Thine own name, for I am Thy love and Thine ;

1 am Thine. If, then, you have received indulgence and grace
from the feet and cleansing from the hands, go now to the wound
in the side where you can rest securely, for indeed, it has been
opened for five purposes, viz. flight, dwelling, contentment,

3° meditation and succour. The first purpose : for your flight
to the caverned rock, i.e. Christ, from every difficulty, danger
and disease, for as the rock is the badgers' refuge, so Christ
is the immovable refuge of those who are full of difficulties,
thorns, gloom and sickness. Whosoever you may be, proceed

35 to the rock to conceal yourself in the earthy trench in the side
of Christ, which has bcen pierced solely on your behalf for fear
of the fury of the Lord's countenance, and you will find ever-

1 Evidently taken by the translator as the words of the author of the
L.T. instead of a quotation from the Scriptures.

98 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

lasting safety there. The second purpose : so that you can
abide eternally in Him, free from all labour and weariness, as
the Psalm says, " Haec requies mea in saeculum saeculi ; hic
habitabo quoniam elegi eam," i.e. this is my dwelling place
5 forever, and here shall I dwell for I have chosen it. The third
purpose : while so dwelling you will fear nothing, but you will
be safely and peacefully satisfied in Him, for His place is peace.
Say thus, " In His peace," i.e. in His pierced side " I have slept
and rested." The fourth purpose : so that you may attentively

io and eagerly meditate upon the very great love that He has
freely shown to you, and that you may clearly behold with the
eyes of your heart the wounds in His body, because no one could
lay down his life for the sake of his friend but the Son of God,
"Who loved with a greater love than that, i.e. He laid down

15 His life for His foes. The fifth purpose : so that you may
attentively behold what pleasure was given to satisfy you ;
for that heart was given to you as food and His blood as drink.
O sweet is that food and glorious that drink ! O friendly lady,
eat and drink, then, but be not drunken, O beloved lady !

20 Hungrily and eagerly set your mouth to suck these glorious
wounds so that you may drink wholly this precious blood, for
by it you will be filled abundantly and be sober, rich and blessed.

DE EBRIETATE SPIRITUALI, i.e. OF SPIRITUAL INTOXICATION.

This is the true felicity of the soul, and the blessed soul which

25 possesses the spiritual felicity wholly is the one which has

endeavoured to turn frequently the mouth of the heart to drink

from the precious vessel, i.e. from the body of the Lord, which

was pierced and often tormented so that the beloved disciple

might drink all that he required from it and be filled with the

30 temperate nourishment and spiritual intoxication which contains

the bliss of the soul fully. By means of this holy wine mingled

with the water of perfect righteousness the beloved blessed

soul can now satisfy its desire for eternal salvation if, bending

down humbly to these holy feet, it bows to them, praying

35 eagerly and in spirit, and drinks from the wound in the left

foot the fear of judgment, the dread of Hell and the pure wine

of contrition and penance, and from the wound in the right

foot, the wine of joy and eternal satisfaction wherein mercy

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 99

and the hope of goodness are assured. The blessed soul now
rises peacefully, bowing honourably to these precious holy
hands, and drinks from the cleansing wounds in the left hand
and drives out sins by means of the wine of desire and joy.
5 Gather together and guard the grace from the wound in the
right hand by drinking the wine of strength and salvation from
the cup filled with the pure mixed wine, which has been bestowed
upon you by the hands of the Lord. Thus the blessed soul
can become intoxicated with bliss. Should the soul wholly

10 immerse itself by hastening fervently to the glorious wound in
Chrisfs side and drinking from it security of heart and mildness
of spirit, i.e. the wine of devotion and pure meditation, it can
be thoroughly filled with this gracious intoxication by partaking
of this precious claret and various chosen kinds of these ineffable

15 heavenly types divinely repeated and mingled with the blessed
joy. Whoever you are, O honourable and blessed soul, which
yearns for the materials for this spiritual intoxication, while
constantly drinking from these precious wounds sweetly, abun-
dantly and incessantly, you must imitate bodily intoxication in

20 every way. As the drunkard weeps, be you afflicted by tears
of devotion, but as the drunkard rejoices, be you joyful through
your gratitude to the Lord. As the drunkard sings, rejoice in
the melody of your heart particularly. As the drunkard laughs,
fill yourself with the heavenly joy. As the drunkard thinks that

25 he is fortunate and elegant in his habits and is optimistic in

his all-golden prosperity and as the drunkard frequently

falls in the mud, mourn and sigh because your dweUing is in
this mud as long as you dwell in a human body, and meditate
upon the speed and difficulty involved in reaching heavenly

30 things. As the drunkard is held up in case he should fal!, you
to your joy, are being invited into the kingdom of God. The
drunkard is guided in case he should go astray, cleave, then,
to the Holy Ghost whom you know. As the drunkard keeps
nothing for himself, cast yourself wholly upon God and spurn

35 everything else. As the drunkard speaks extravagantly, be you
filled incessantly with the heavenly glory. As the drunkard
is not quite at himself, let nothing be at your own disposal,
but be you completely cast upon God. As the drimkard is
quarrelsome or obstinate, be you obstinate and contentious in

ioo HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

gaining a battle-contest over yourself, and cast yourself wholly
upon God in true glory. As the drunkard fears nothing, see
that you have no fear of want or failure should such be your
lot while you are travelling towards God. As the drunkard

5 cannot speak a single word, be you unskilled in the tongues of
the world, but filled abundantly with the heavenly language.
As the drunkard thinks himself powerful, rejoice greatly at
seeing the bliss and glory of your own Father, and because you
are exalted high above all earthly things. As the drunkard

io thinks that he is noble, boast with regard to the queenship of
Heaven. As the drunkard leaps and shouts, leap and advance
from virtue to virtue, and sing and make melody in your mind
while meditating upon the delightfulness of your own sweet
harmonious Creator. As the drunkard willingly falls asleep,

15 you will be comforted, when your bodily senses sleep, by the
heavenly rest that arises between God's will and your own while
you are embracing and touching your own blessed Spouse.
You can be instructed more fully and more learnedly by this
spiritual draught he1 mentions, than by letter or by writing

20 of earthly words.

DE VIRGINIBUS ET ESSENTIA DEI, i.e. OF THE VIRGINS AND
OF THE BEING OF GOD.

Bind yourself inseparably to these virgins, i.e. glorious Mary,
the Mother of God, Mary Magdalene, Agatha, Agnes, Katherine

25 and every other virgin. These loved their sweet Husband and
Spouse passionately, and were willing to be separated from
Him not even by death, but to follow Him everywhere, always
singing a new song to Him. Eagerly beseech these virgins
then, so that in their honour and by their prayer you may

30 advance in pleasant profitable meditation upon the humanity
of God, that His mercy may enter into your heart, and that you
may merit through the goodness of your spirits generally to
ascend with them into the joy of the divinity and humanity
of the Son of God. That divinity is the glorious divinity wherein

35 the Son is co-eternal and consubstantial with the Father and
the Holy Ghost, for God is unchangeable from eternity to eternity,

1 i.e. the author of the L.T.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 101

and this is He, as He said, " Ego sum qui sum " i.e. I am that
I am, for it is He Who exists that hath sent me to you saith
the Son. Earnestly observe that He does not say, " He Who
was," " He Who is," " He Who will be," or " He Who is about
5 to be," but " He WTio exists," and it is declared by these words
which he1 here mentions, that His being continues through
each of these states, because it is no mere fallible person that
exists in these states, but He Who was and is and will be.
Let your mind progress in the study of this matter, and put

10 forth the earnest desire of your spirit upon this subject, thinking
of nothing in this case but being .... indivisible, unchanging
and everlasting. Your own devout eager mind and His blessed
unction, which is master over everything, can instruct you
better than my words what this is that is spoken of, or what

15 it is that he means here. If you will apply your mind devoutly,
secretly, mystically to the source of this belief, letting yourself
melt into Him and Him into you, I beseech you to remember
me, a sinner, poor and very wretched. I would rather that
you along with those whom he1 mentions, would pray Him Who

20 gave you this faith and Who educated you in it, to keep you
in it worthily till the final end, because then you will see God
face to face in His own form visibly present, when every faith
shall have passed away. This is the God Who seeth and
searcheth everything, every secret and every mind, but is

25 unseen by the mortal men of this world, and yet although He
is not seen by such, everything in them is visible to Him. Care-
fully direct the desire of your mind to the comprehension of
the Trinity indivisible and ineffable, and do not think of, or
imagine, anything corporeal or material, but only of the spirit

30 that transcends, i.e. that surpassed, every spirit, and which has
no comparison in purity and glory. Think and believe staunchly
that the Trinity is able to embrace all, that it is benignant and
indivisible, that everything is fulfilled in it, that it is invisible,
that it beholds all things, that it is incomprehensible yet com-

35 prehends all, that it is immovable while controlling mankind
and all our enjoyment of life.

i.e. the author of the L.T.

102 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

DE BENEFICIIS DIVINIS, i.e. OF THE DIVINE GIFTS.

Observe, at the very outset, that these gifts come to you
in many ways. First consider how great His goodness is, for
while standing in need of nothing, He bestows everything and
5 creates everything visible and invisible. It was not because
He required something that He created anything, but in order
to benefit reasonable creatures, and so it is understood that He
wrought for our profit and advantage, and not His own ; hence
He showed Himself very powerful and lacking in nothing.
10 Be assured with regard to this matter, that He did not require
man when He created him, for had He required him, then it
would not be true to say that He was without need. Since,
then, He created man for the sake of exalting him on earth
and of giving him the kingdom of God, man ought to love Him
15 more than his own soul, his reason and his memory, for by so
doing he increases wonderfully the spiritual intoxication of
which we spoke. From these facts it is evident that He looked
to our welfare and not to His own. Understand, now, perfectly
that such is the fulness of God's goodness that neither tongue
20 nor tale can give an account of it among the creatures, and
indeed it is a great iniquity for anyone to offer to deal with,
or to understand, the goodness of God. Admit and understand,
therefore, that you have been created among the creatures
which are worthy to enjoy the eternal glory and the beatific
25 vision forever, and never forget these great blessings which
were prepared for you, but repeat and re-tell with new gratitude
each day these obligations of love which have been laid upon
you. The second way : if there is so much goodness in your

first creation and the goodness in your re-creation is

30 great and perfect, for, in the first creation, He spoke only and
it was done, but in your re-creation, He performed various
wonders while enduring unbecoming and unheard of treatment ;
what gratitude, then, shall you render unto Him for every
distress, grief and pain that He endured in saving you ? The
35 third way : how can He attain to, or how can you understand,
greater goodness than that He was willing to create you among
His own worshippers ? Had you been born among the pagans
or Jews in all probability you would have been like them in
every respect. From this it can be understood that the goodness

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 103

which God has shown you is not to be despised, but loved with
high honour. The fourth way : it was great goodness on His
part that He suffered you, a sinner, patiently while waiting
so long for you to repent. The fifth way : He delivered you
5 from many sins into which you would have fallen, had He not
guarded you against them. The sixth way : He caused you
to hate sin, and in His goodness drew you away from it to love
Himself . The seventh way : He led you to forsake every earthly
thing for the sake of His own love, and guided you to this order

10 in particular. The eighth way : through His goodness He
desired that jtou should be in an order so that you should have
no cause to be too greatly perturbed by temporal affairs.
The ninth way : through His goodness He gave you sufhcient
grace to serve Him peacefully for ever. The tenth way : througrL

15 His goodness He gave you sufficient disease and sickness so
that you have no cause for pride. The eleventh way : if you
are despised or reviled, rejoice, for it is through His great goodness
that you receive this cause of humility from Him. I believe,
indeed, that everyone who fears God judges that this is one of

20 the great gifts, and through His ineffable goodness He granted
unto me to be a partaker of this gift. I myself was once among
the mighty and had a name upon the earth, but now by God's
just judgment I am dead, having wholly laid aside all memory
of temporal things, for I was brought to nought, stripped and

25 deprived of all earthly and human consolation. My friends
avoided me, my neighbours, acquaintances, servants and slaves
abandoned me, and in their eyes I was unknown and forgotten,
like a stranger. Of almost all my friends my prelate alone was
left to me, and I am writing this to you, not in wrath or

30 recrimination, but so that I may give praise and thanks to
God each day solely for the sake of this gift as He Himself
knows. For this, however, no one shall be forgiven ; man is,
indeed, of weak flesh and clay, not hke iron, copper or any
other strong tough metal, yet God Who always gladdens the

35 outcasts and the humble, despising them not, and ever merci-
fuUy welcomes the sad in spirit, does not disdain to comfort
me so that I, through His goodness, may abundantly satisfy
the wants of men — more abundantly, indeed, than anyone
else can do. Nothing I write here is intended to cause you.

104 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

sorrow or to perturb you, but in order that if you should see
yourself despised or reckoned to be of little or no use, you will
be made rich by this poverty of mine. It is thus that this
will take place : — if you are willingly moved to patience by
5 thinking of me, and if you turn to the goodness of God with
all your devotion, seeing that He yearns for the salvation of
your soul and like a lover draws you away from the love of
other things to love Himself alone, then you will obtain fully
those things which he1 mentions. The spouse who loves his

10 own wife warmly cannot on any account bear that another
should have a share in her by speech, signs, jesting or the like,
and likewise God draws every strange thing away from your
soul in order that it may love Him alone ; the owner's share
is lessened by division among many. I tell you therefore, if

15 you are despised by all, to love sweetly your own Spouse Who
desires to have you alone, free from all empty love. The twelfth
way : through His goodness eternal life is prepared for you,
if you abide in the rule. You ought, then, to meditate incessantly
upon these and other similar blessings when you are thanking

20 God in your prayers, for, as you know best yourself, God has
done, will do and is doing all these things on your behalf. If
you desire it these blessings may be summed up under four
heads, viz., creation, re-creation, continuance in sin, and
heavenly glory. Set up for yourself in these a soft pleasant

25 lovely bed in which you may rest sweetly and happily. You
will not complain or murmur about straits or want, however
great, if you do the things we have said, and further, you shall
not be grieved nor will you be proud or vain-glorious on account
of the good works that you may afterwards perform. If, then,

30 those faults return to you as a result of good or evil deeds, you
must dissipate them quickly like smoke by contemplating
your feet, a figure of your creation, or your right hand, i.e.
your re-creation, or your left hand, i.e. dwelhng in sin, or your
head, i.e. heavenly glory. Why now should you be sad on

35 account of bad, or boastful on account of good, fortune, for if
you behold these glorious blessings truly, you will see that no
one in this world, however much he may attain them, can ever
be either sad or boastful on account of his riches in this earthly
life.

1 i.e. the author of the L.T.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 105

DE GRATIARUM ACTIONE ET DESIDERIO CJELESTIS GLORIiE,
i.e. OF GRATITUDE FOR THE HEAYENLY GRACE AND OF
THE YEARNING AND DESIRE FOR IT.

You ought, therefore, to fire yourself with fervour by medita-
5 ting carefully and devoutly upon these gifts, by profusely
wondering at the very great benefits that God has conferred
upon men, and by recounting them repeatedly and eagerly
with gratitude for the heavenly grace. Then you ought to
cry out longingly from the devout inmost heart of your heart,

10 like a woman labouring to bring forth, " O God, most merciful,
what shall be given Thee for all these gifts and for the innumerable
other gifts which Thou hast bestowed abundantly, gloriously
and mightily, and which Thou dost bestow upon me each day ?
0 Lord, answer on my behalf, for I cannot utter one fitting

15 word about these things, even although Thou shouldst accept
that one word from me in place of a thousand answers. I,
an unworthy sinner, am not equal to the task of answering
suitably for these very great gifts which have been given to
me, and indeed, what is impossible for me and for every other

20 person is easy for Thee, because Thou hast all strength and
power, and the good and bad alike serve Thee. O God, most
merciful, I have only two very small trifles, viz., this poor body
and the soul, and even these are both Thine, for they have
both come from Thy Father. Deign, O God most sweet, to

2.$ take to Thyself Thine own, i.e. my body and soul ; delay not
to take Thine own faithfully, for undoubtedly Thou didst merci-
fully create them through Thine own ineffable goodness, as he1
says. Blessedly didst Thou re-create them ; patiently didst
Thou endure them in their sin, and again Thou didst mercifully

30 draw them away from sin. Thou didst sweetly guide them to
Thine own service, instructing them, kindly binding them to
Thine own love and preparing for them so magnificently the
heavenly glory. Succour me now, O Lord and my God, for
without Thee I am as nothing. O mine own God, ever succour

35 me lovingly and mercifully preserve in- me Thine own will
and all that Thou hast set within me. Mercifully withdraw
from me everything that is displeasing to Thee and harmful
to me, and do Thou finally make perfect with love these things

M.e. the author of the L.T.

106 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

that are yet imperfect in me. O Goodness most sweet, grant
me through Thine own ineffable goodness to understand and
know the innumerable blessings so richly given to me, in order
that I may merit the constant use of them to Thy glory and
5 praise, to the salvation of mine own soul, the forgiveness of
sins, abundance of good works and virtues and increase of my
devotion and faith. Sweetly and mercifully grant me con-
versation with, perception and conception of, Thyself, and
true, perfect and complete belief in Thee so that from this

10 mortal life and inescapable1 death I can finally come to Thee
and behold Thee, company with Thee, joy in Thee and be happy
in Thy presence without end, for Thou alone, O God, dost live
and reign in the Trinity Indivisible and in the Unity of the
Divinity for ever and ever. Amen."

15 You must pour forth sweetly and with love all the desire
of your spirit and your fervent devotion upon the Unity of
the Ineffable Trinity and upon the Trinity of the Unity in order
to see it and to meditate upon it. It is pleasant and glorious
for you to turn all the keenness of your mind to the

20 Glorious Virgin, and to the riches of the heavenly spirits and
of all the saints ; these riches they have in the beatific vision,
in the eternal glorious fellowship and in the Unity of the
Incomprehensible and Infinite Trinity and Trinity of the Unity.
Say unto them while you pray and thank them, " Blissful and

25 happy it is for you, O ye beloved saints, that you have merited
a portion of the heavenly joy and enduring fellowship in the
glory of the everlasting radiance, and so I entreat you that
you would deign to pray on my behalf to the Lord Himself,
Who has chosen you and exalted you in the riches, in the bliss,

30 in the happiness, in the serenity, in the security, in the beauty
and in the everlasting glory of the all-golden Kingdom. It is
the same God Who has exalted and magnified you in the glorious
ineffable2 vision of Himself ; deign to entreat Him with zeal
that, at the end of this miserable transient period full of disease,

35 difficulty and sorrow, He may consider it fitting to place me
along with you in that blissful serenity and that I may be for
ever along with you blessing and praising and glorifying my

1 Reading do-sheachanta, cf. vol. 1, p. 227, line 1 and footnote 1.
2Cf. vol. 1, p. 227, line 26 and footnote 6.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 107

own gracious sweet mild Lord." I believe, O Lord, that happy
is the man who dwelleth near to Thee ; he shall praise Thee
for ever and ever. That glory is sweet and greatly beloved,
and there is nothing in this world thought of, desired, loved or
5 rejoiced in, which resembles the heavenly world. Know that
in your own goodness there is no method of purchase by virtue,
gifts, labour or toil more proper for attaining the eternal glory
than patient endurance of pains, disease, difhculty, tediousness,
gloom, shame, captivity and oppression for the love of God.

10 Since, then, that glory, praise and wealth are blissful even
now before they are seen, remembering the tears, thinking of

the desires, and in the devotion of the wishes what

is the sight and the obtaining of them worth ? What tongue
can attain to the revelation of this glory, what ear to the hearing

15 of it, or what head to the thought of it ? O Holy Trinity, do
Thou, then, grant unto me to understand and to discern this
glory sweetly and with great joy, and although I am unworthy
of it and have no claim to it, yet grant me this glory out of Thine
ineffable goodness and out of Thy great incomprehensible love

20 without reproach. O God most merciful, deign to do these things
against the Day of Doom, so that I may love Thee sweetly
here and being firmly bound to Thee, dwell with Thee in the
heavenly glory and in the everlasting beatific vision, and be
united in Thy fellowship more warmly and more wisely. O God,

25 blessed above all for ever and ever, may my completed work
be Thy will.

Understand and remember that he1 said that devout medita-
tion upon these things was the true wisdom, and also that wise
studious meditation upon these things was perfect under-

30 standing, and I beheve that the life everlasting is to rejoice
always in them. I wish that you would ever meditate upon
these, that you would dwell in them forever and that your
joy in them should be full of bliss, and hence I advise you to
love them securely and perseveringly until the final end. We

35 together pray God, the Bestower of all good things, that we
may graciously obtain what we ask, and . . . that Saint
Bernard said with regard to these, " Deus cuius misericoridae

M.e. the author of the L.T.

io8 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

non est numerus, adesto nobis miseris misericordiam tuam pie
poscentibus ut sicut beatae Marie Magdalene lacrimabiliter
pedes tuos osculanti universa delicta seu peccata remisisti,
itaque omnibus iniquitatibus nostris misericorditer dimissis,
in tua nos iugiter dilectione conservare digneris, qui vivis et
regnas cum Deo Patre in unitate spiritus sancti Deus per omnia
saecula saeculorum. Amen.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT 109

PORTIONS CONTAINED IN THE LATIN TEXT ONLY.

DE VISU, i.e. OF THE SENSE OF SIGHT. CHAPTER VII.

The eyes are also to be guarded so that they may not be
haughty, proud and roving, prying, ever looking around, wrath-
5 ful, winking, fkkle, laughing, glancing in all directions, deceitful,
cruel and inconstant. Such ej-es very often ruin the soul, and
through them the wretched heart is filled and polluted by various
unending thoughts ; hence the words, " Oculus meus depredatus
est animam meam." And as the shameless eye is the messenger

10 of a shameless heart, so the sign of a vacant heart is the roving,
fickle, inconstant and proud eye. Let the eyes, then, be frank,
humble, devout, austere, circumspect, grave, well disciplined
and always fixed upon the ground. Look at no one straight
in the face, or anywhere else ; look at nothing carnal whence

15 the heart can be defiled, because one must not gaze at what
may not be desired. And Job says, " Pepigi foedus cum oculis
meis ne cogitarem quidem de virgine," so do not think of a
man for you ought to be the bride of Christ. And again, " Si
oculus tuus simplex fuerit, totum corpus tuum lucidum erit,"

20 i.e. it will be free from darkness, confusion of thoughts and
numerous temptations. With laughing eyes or while winking
speak to no one ; and never scowl at any one. Do not gaze
with interested eyes upon pictures, difterent colours, fiowers,
plants and other such transient things by which you may some-

25 times be drawn away from the contemplation of eternal beauty ;
indeed, there is no comparison between these in value or in
seemliness. Likewise he who with the publican always regards
himself as a sinner, will not dare to lift up his eyes to Heaven,
but humbling himself will always keep them fixed upon the

3° ground. The true sign of a humble heart is a frank eye
constantly fixed upon the ground.

For the Latin Text cf. vol. 1. p. 15. Cf. vol. I. p. 126 and vol.
11, supra p. 15. footuote 3.

CONCLUSION OF THE CHAPTER DE SANCTIS ANGELIS. Vol. i,
oc p. 86, lme 24, and p. 210, line 29.1

so that finally you can be freed from the sufferings, torments,
flames and tortures of Hell, rejoice without end and be pleasantly

1 Cf. supra p. 92, line 26.

iio HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

comforted by Christ, your Spouse, in that heavenly rest and
eternal glory.

DE PATRIARCHIS ET PROPHETIS ET ORNATU VIRTUTUM,
i.e. OF THE PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS AND THE ADORN-
5 MENT OF VIRTUES. Vol. I, p. 8G, line 28, and p. 211 line l.3

In order that you may finally attain to these blissful joys,
fiee back anxiously to blessed John the Baptist, the holy
patriarchs and the prophets who have bowels of mercy for the
afflicted and poor, and humbly pray that they may make con-

io stant intercession on your behalf to God and beseech Him to
deign to keep you in His holy service and refresh you with His
precious feasts, i.e. with His body, blood and holy will, and
to adorn you with garments, i.e. virtues. The will of God is
indeed the precious food of the faithful soul, whence He Himself

15 says, " My food is to do the will of my Father." Of His own
body and blood He says, " My flesh truly is food and my blood
is drink." So too virtues and good deeds are the precious
ornaments of any faithful soul, and therefore one must seek
sincere and pure chastity of will and body, true humility and

20 pleasant willing patience, joyful compassionate mercy, sweet
fervent yearning love of God and one's neighbour, as well as
such other virtues as appertain to the adornment of the soul
which thirsts devoutly for God. If then, the patriarchs and
prophets are willing to aid you in the acquisition of these things,

25 I believe that they will soon merit that their prayers should
be heard and that they will hear the command given to them-
selves by the Bestower of all good things, " Bring out quickly
the best garment," i.e. youthful innocence pure and unspotted,
" and put it upon her and put a ring," i.e. enduring faith working

30 through love " upon her finger " and " put shoes upon her feet,"
i.e. the examples of my sufferings by which she is fortified to
follow my steps securely, " and kill the fatted calf," i.e. com-
pletely mortify in her all wanton and lascivious thoughts and
unclean desires of carnal pleasures, " and let us feast " and

35 be merry, " because this my daughter was dead and is alive,
she was lost and is found," i.e. she has completely abandoned
everything that could lead her to death eternal and seduce

1 Cf. supra p. 92, line 27.

HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT iii

her from the path of truth, while she has tried unceasingly to
embrace everything that could lead her to life eternal and
establish her in the path of righteousness. O ! If you would
but consider carefully that God and His angels have so much
joy and gladness in your conversion and adornment, I think
that with exceeding great happiness and . . . . x

[Continued supra p. 92. line 30].

U2 HOLY LIFE AND HEAVENLY THOUGHT

If we yearn for the offices of prelates, let us consider their toils,
for if we but knew these we would not seek after their offices.
A certain monk of Clairvaux, having been elected to a bishopric,
refused to accept the office, nor would he enter upon it at the
5 command of his abbot or at the injunction of the Chief Pontiff.
He died, however, not long afterwards. Appearing then to a
certain friend of his own, he was asked regarding that
disobedience, if it had done him any harm, and he replied,
" No." Then he said, " If I had become a bishop, I should
10 have been eternally damned," and he added a frightful remark,
" The state of the Church has fallen to this, that it is not worthy
to be ruled even by reprobate prelates."

Augustine says, " As I have found none better than monastic
saints, so I have found none worse than monastic sinners."

15 Jerome says, " If you should see a monk or a priest disputing
about a trifle, reckon him not a monk but a merchant."

Here the text ends. The text ends. Give thanks to God.

This book belongs to the House of Saint Victor of Paris, who-
soever, etc

PB

1347 .17 v.29,pt.l

SMC

Instructio pie vivendi.

Irish & Latin
Instructio pie vivendi

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