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N                              N                          N            N                      N        N                    N                      N      N              N                              N            N                            N                          N                      N    N                        N                                                                                                  N            N                                        N                N                        N    N                    N    N                                    N                                                        N                                                                                                                                            N        N            N                N                                        N                            N                        N                        N            N                                N                        N                                N                                                                                                            N                                                    N            N                N                N                                                                      N        N                    N                                                                  N            N                N                                N    N        N                N                    N                                                                                N                    N            N    N                                                                                    N                                                                        N                                                                                                            N                                    N                        N    N            N                                                              N                                        N                    N                                N                N        N                                              N                                                        N                                N                            N                          N            N                            N                                                    N                                        N            N    N                                N                                      N                                                N                    N                                                                N                        N    N                                    N        N    N          N                                                                                                N        N                                                                                                                                                                                  N                                                    N                                                  N                            N                                                                                      N                                            N        N                    N                        N                                                                                                                                                                                                N                N                                                                  N                                            N                            N                                                                                                                                                              N                  N    N                                                  N                                      N                                                        N                                        N                                                                    N                                                                                            N                        N                                            N    N                        N                                                                                      N                            N        N                                                                                                                                                        N    N                                                                N                    N                                                                                          N                    N                                        N        N

I         Revelations to one who could not read a letter. Anno Domini 1373.         A Particular of the Chapters.         The first chapter, off the noumber of the Revelations particularly.      This is a Revelation of love that Jesus Christ, our endless blisse, made in sixteen Sheweings or Revelations particular. Off the which, the first is of His pretious coroning with thornys; and therewith was comprehended and specifyed the Trinite with the incarnation, and unite betwix God and man soule, with many faire sheweings of endless wisedome and teacheing of love, in which all the sheweings that follow be grounded and onyd. The second is the discolloureing of His faire face in tokenyng of His deareworthy passion. The third is that our Lord God, almighty wisedome, all love, right as verily as He hath made every thing that is, also verily He doith and workeith all thing that is done. The fourth is the scourgeing of His tender body with plentious sheddyng of His blood. The fifth is that the fend is overcome by the pretious passion of Christe. The sixth is the worshippfull thankeing of our Lord God, with which He rewardeth His blissed servants in Hevyn. The seventh is often feeleing of wele and wo. Feleing of wele is gracious touching and lightening, with trew sekirness of endless joy. The feleing of wo is temptation be heavyness and irkehede of our fleshly liveing, with ghostly understanding that we arn kept also sekirly in love in wo as in wele be the godeness of God. The eighth is the last paynes of Christ and His cruelle dyeing. The ninth is of the likeing which is in the blissefull Trinite of the herde passion of Christe and His rewfull dyeing, in which joy and likeing He will wee be solacid and myrthid with Him till whan we come to the fullhede in Heavyn. The tenth is our Lord Jesus shewith in love His blissefull herte even cloven on two enjoyand. The eleventh is an hey, ghostly sheweing of His deareworthy moder. The twelfth is that our Lord is most worthy being. The thirteenth is that our Lord God wil we have gret regard to all the deeds that He hath done in the gret nobleth of all things makyng and of the excellency of man makeyng, which is above all His workes, and of the pretious asseth that He hath made for man synne, turneing all our blame into endlesse worshippe; where also our Lord seith, Behold and see, for be the same mightie wisedome and goodnesse I shall make wele all that is not wele, and thou shalt see it. And in this He will we keepe us in the feith and trowthe of Holy Church, not willing to wete His privityes now, but as it longyth to us in this life. The fourteenth is that our Lord is ground of our beseekeing. Herein were seene two properties: that one is rightfull prayer, that other is sekir truste, which He will both be alike large, and thus our prayers likyth Him, and He of His goodnesse fullfilleth it. The fifteenth, that we shall sodenly be taken from al our peyne and from all our wo, and, of His goodnesse, we shall come up aboven where we shall have our Lord Jesus to our mede and be fullfilled of joy and blisse in Hevyn. The sixteenth is that the blissefull Trinite, our Maker, in Christe Jesus our Saviour, endlessely wonyth in our soule worshipfully reuland and geveand all things, us mightily and wisely saveand and keepeand for love; and we shall not be overcome of our enemy.         II         The second chapter. Of the tyme of these revelations, and how shee       asked three petitions.      These Revelations were shewed to a simple creature that cowde no letter the yeere of our Lord 1373, the eighth day of May, which creature desired afore three gifts of God. The first was mende of His passion. The second was bodily seke- nesse in youth at thirty yeeres of age. The third was to have of Gods gift three wounds. As in the first methought I had sume feleing in the passion of Christe, but yet I desired more be the grace of God. Methought I would have beene that time with Mary Magdalen and with other that were Crists lovers, and therefore I desired a bodily sight wherein I might have more knowledge of the bodily peynes of our Saviour, and of the compassion our Lady and of all His trew lovers that seene that time His peynes, for I would be one of them and suffer with Him. Other sight ner sheweing of God desired I never none till the soule was departid fro the body. The cause of this petition was that after the sheweing I should have the more trew minde in the passion of Christe.    The second came to my mynde with contrition frely desireing that sekenesse so herde as to deth that I might in that sekeness underfongyn alle my rites of Holy Church, myselfe weneing that I should dye, and that all creatures might suppose the same that seyen me, for I would have no manner comfort of eardtly life. In this sekenesse I desired to have all manier peynes bodily and ghostly that I should have if I should dye, with all the dreds and tempests of the fends, except the outpassing of the soule. And this I ment for I would be purged be the mercy of God and after lyven more to the worshippe of God because of that sekenesse; and that for the more speede in my deth, for I desired to be soone with my God.    These two desires of the passion and the sekenesse I desired with a condition, seying thus: "Lord, thou wotith what I would, if it be Thy will that I have it, and if it be not Thy will, good Lord, be not displeased, for I will nought, but as Thou wilt." For the third, by the grace of God and teachyng of Holy Church, I con- ceived a mighty desire to receive three wounds in my life; that is to sey, the wound of very contrition, the wound of kinde compassion, and the wound of willfull longing to God. And all this last petition I asked without any condition. These two desires foresaid passid fro my minde, and the third dwelled with me continually.         III         Of the sekenese opteyned of God be petition. Third chapter.      And when I was thirty yers old and halfe, God sent me a bodely sekeness in which I lay three dayes and three nights, and on the fourth night I tooke all my rites of Holy Church and wened not a levyd till day; and after this I langorid forth two dayes and two nights. And on the third night I wened oftentimes to have passyd, and so wened they that were with mee; and, in youngith yet, I thought great sweeme to dye; but for nothing that was in earth that me lekid to levin for, ne for no peyne that I was aferd of, for I trusted in God of His mercy. But it was to have lyved that I might have loved God better and longer tyme, that I might have the more knoweing and lovyng of God in blisse of Hevyn. For methought all the time that I had lived here so little and so short, in reward of that endlesse blisse, I thought, nothing. Wherefore I thought, "Good Lord, may my living no longer be to Thy worshippe?" And I understood by my reason and be my feleing of my peynes that I should dye, and I assented fully with all - with all the will of my herte to be at God will. Thus I durid till day, and be than my body was dede fro the middis downewards as to my feleing. Then was I stered to be sett upright, underlenand with helpe, for to have more fredam of my herte to be at Gods will, and thinkeing on God while my life would lest.    My curate was sent for to be at my endeing, and by than he cam I had sett my eyen and might not speke. He sett the cross before my face and seid, "I have browte thee the image of thy maker and Saviour. Louke thereupon and comfort thee therewith." Methought I was wele for my eyen were sett up rightward into Hevyn where I trusted to come be the mercy of God, but nevertheless I assented to sett my eyen in the face of the Crucifix, if I might; and so I dede. For me- thought I might longer duren to loke even forth than right up. After this my sight began to failen and it was all derke about me in the chamber as it had be night, save in the image of the Cross wherein I beheld a comon light, and I wiste not how. All that was beside the Cross was uggely to me as if it had be mekil occupyed with the fends. After this the other party of my body began to dyen so ferforth that onethys I had ony feleing, with shortnesse of onde; and than I went sothly to have passid.    And in this, sodenly all my peyne was taken fro me, and I was as hele, and namely in the other party of my body, as ever I was aforn. I mervalid at this soden change, for methought it was a privy workeing of God and not of kinde, and yet by the feleing of this ease I trusted never the more to levyn. Ne the feleing of this ease was no full ease to me, for methought I had lever a be deliveryd of this world. Than came suddenly to my minde that I should desyre the second wounde of our Lords gracious gift, that my body might be fullfilled with minde and felyng of His blissid passion, for I would that His peynes were my peynes, with compassion, and, afterward, longeing to God. But in this I desired never bodily sight nor sheweing of God, but compassion as a kinde soule might have with our Lord Jesus that for love would beene a dedely man, and therefore I desired to suffer with Him.         IV         Here begynnith the first revelation of the pretious crownyng of Criste etc.       in the first chapter, and how God fullfilleth the herrte with most joy, and       of His greate meekenesse; and how the syght of the passion of Criste is       sufficient strength ageyn all temptations of the fends, and of the gret       excellency and mekenesse of the blissid Virgin Mary. The fourth chapter.      In this sodenly I saw the rede blode trekelyn downe fro under the garlande hote and freisly and ryth plenteously, as it were in the time of His passion that the garlande of thornys was pressid on His blissid hede. Ryte so, both God and man, the same that sufferd thus for me, I conceived treuly and mightily that it was Himselfe shewed it me without ony mene.    And in the same sheweing sodenly the Trinite fullfilled the herte most of joy; and so, I understood, it shall be in Hevyn withoute end to all that shall come there. For the Trinite is God, God is the Trinite. The Trinite is our maker and keeper, the Trinite is our everlasting lover, everlasting joy and blisse, be our Lord Jesus Christ; and this was shewed in the first and in all, for where Jesus appereith the blissid Trinite is understond, as to my sight. And I said, "Bene- dicite, Domine." This I said for reverence in my meneing with a mighty voice, and full gretly was astonyed for wonder and mervel that I had, that He that is so reverend and dredfull will be so homley with a synfull creture liveing in wretched flesh. This I tooke for the time of my temptation, for methowte by the sufferance of God I should be tempted of fends or I dyed. With this sight of the blissid pass- sion, with the Godhede that I saw in myne understonding, I knew wele that it was strength enow to me, ya, and to all creturers leving, ageyn all the fends of Hell and ghostly temptation.    In this He browght our blissid Lady to my understondyng. I saw hir ghostly in bodily likeness, a simple mayde and a meke, young of age and little waxen above a child, in the stature that she was wan she conceived with child. Also God shewid in party the wisedam and the trueth of hir soule, wherein I understood the reverend beholding that she beheld hir God and maker mervelyng with greate reverence that He would be borne of hir that was a simple creature of His makeyng. And this wisdam and trueth, knowyng the greteness of hir maker and the littlehede of hirselfe, that is made, caused hir sey full mekely to Gabriel, "Lo, me, Gods handmayd." In this sight I understoode sothly that she is mare than all that God made beneath hir in worthyness and grace. For aboven hir is nothing that is made but the blissid manhood of Criste, as to my sight.         V         How God is to us everything that is gode, tenderly wrappand us;       and all thing that is made, in regard to Almighty it is nothing;       and how man hath no rest till he nowteth himselfe and all thing for       the love of God. The fifth chapter.      In this same time our Lord shewed to me a ghostly sight of His homely love- ing. I saw that He is to us everything that is good and comfortable for us. He is oure clotheing, that for love wrappeth us, halsyth us, and all becloseth us for tender love, that He may never leeve us, being to us althing that is gode as to myne understondyng. Also in this He shewed a littil thing the quantitye of an hesil nutt in the palme of my hand, and it was as round as a balle. I lokid there upon with eye of my understondyng and thowte, What may this be? And it was generally answered thus: It is all that is made. I mervellid how it might lesten, for methowte it might suddenly have fallen to nowte for littil. And I was answered in my understondyng, It lesteth and ever shall, for God loveth it; and so all thing hath the being be the love of God.    In this littil thing I saw three properties: the first is that God made it, the second is that God loveth it, the third, that God kepith it. But what is to me sothly the maker, the keper, and the lover I canot tell, for till I am substantially onyd to Him I may never have full rest ne very blisse; that is to sey, that I be so festined to Him, that there is right nowte that is made betwix my God and me. It needyth us to have knoweing of the littlehede of creatures and to nowtyn allthing that is made for to love and howe God that is unmade. For this is the cause why we be not all in ease of herete and soule, for we sekyn here rest in those things that is so littil, wherin is no rest, and know not our God that is al mighty, al wise, all gode; for He is the very rest. God will be knowen, and Him liketh that we rest in Him. For all that is beneth Him sufficeth not us. And this is the cause why that no soule is restid till it is nowted of all things that is made. Whan he is willfully nowtid for love, to have Him that is all, then is he abyl to receive ghostly rest.    Also our Lord God shewed that it is full gret plesance to Him that a sily soule come to Him nakidly and pleynly and homely. For this is the kinde yernings of the soule by the touching of the Holy Ghost, as be the understondyng that I have in this sheweing: "God of Thy goodnesse, give me Thyselfe, for Thou art enow to me, and I may nothing aske that is less that may be full worshippe to Thee. And if I aske anything that is lesse, ever me wantith; but only in Thee I have all." And these words arn full lovesome to the soule, and full nere, touchen the will of God and His goodness. For His goodness comprehendith all His creatures and all His blissid works and overpassith without end. For He is the endleshede, and He hath made us only to Himselfe and restorid us be His blissid passion, and kepith us in His blissid love; and all this is of His goodness.         VI         How we shold pray; and of the gret tender love that our Lord hath to mannes       soule, willing us to be occupyed in knowing and loveing of Him. The sixth chapter.      This sheweing was made to lerne our soule wisely to clevyn to the goodnes of God. And in that time the custome of our prayeing was browte to mende, how we use for lak of understonding and knowing of love to make many menys. Than saw I sothly that is more worshippe to God, and more very delite, that we faithfully pray to Himselfe of His goodness and clevyn thereto be His grace with trew understondyng and stedfast be love, than if we made all the menys that herte can thinke. For if we make all these menys, it is to litil and and not full worshippe to God, but in His goodnes is all the hole, and there failith right nowte.    For thus as I shall say came to my minde: In the same time we pray to God for His holy flesh and for His pretious blode, His holy passion, His deareworthy death and wounds; and all the blissid kindenes, the endles life, that we have of all this, is His goodnes. And we pray Him for His sweete moder love, that Him bare, and all the helpe we have of her is of His godeness. And we pray by His Holy Cross that He dyed on, and all the vertue and the helpe that we have of the Cross, it is of His godeness. And on the same wise, all the helpe that we have of special saints and all the blissed company of Hevyn, the dereworthy love and endles freindshippe that we have of them, it is of His godenes. For God of His godenes hath ordeyned meanys to helpe us, wole faire and fele, of which the chiefe and principal mene is the blissid kinde that He toke of the Mayd, with all the menys that gone aforn and cum after which belongyn to our redemption and to endless salvation.    Wherefore it pleaseth Him that we seke Him and worship be menys, under stondyng and knoweing that He is the goodness of all. For the goodness of God is the heyest prayer and it comith downe to the lowest party of our nede. It quick- yth our soule and bringith it on life and makyth it for to waxen in grace and vertue. It is nerest in kind and ridiest in grace. For it is the same grace that the soule sekith and evir shall, till we know oure God verily that hath us all in Himselfe beclosyd. For He hath no dispite of that He hath made ne He hath no disdeyne to serve us at the simplest office that to our body longyth in kinde, for love of the soule that He hath made to His owne likness. For as the body is cladde in the cloth, and the flesh in the skyne, and the bonys in the flesh, and the herte in the bouke, so arn we, soule and body, cladde in the goodnes of God and inclosyd; ya, and more homley, for all these may wasten and weren away, and the godenes of God is ever hole, and more nere to us withoute any likenes, for treuly our lover desireth that our soule cleve to Hym with all the might and that we be evermore clevand to His godenes. For of all thing that herete may thinke, it plesyth most God and sonest spedyth, for our soule is so specially lovid of Him that is heiest that it overpassyth the knoweing of all creatures. That is to seyen, there is no creature that is made that may wetyn how mekyl, and how swetely, and how tenderly our Maker loveth us. And therefore we may with His grace and His helpe stond in ghostly beholding with everlestyng merveyling in. this hey, overpassing, onenestimable love that Almitie God hath to us of His godenes. And therefore we may aske of our lover with reverence all that we willen.    For our kindly will is to have God and the gode will of God is to have us, and we may never blyn of willing ne of longyng till we have Him in fullhede of joy; and than may we no more willen. For He will that we be occupyed in knoweing and loveing til the tyme that we shall be fulfilled in Hevyn. And therefore was this lesson of love shewid, with all that followith, as ye shal se. For the strength and the ground of all was shewed in the first sight. For of all thing, the behold ing and the lovyng of the Maker makith the soule to seeme lest in his owne sight, and most fillith it with reverend drede and trew mekenes, with plenty of charite to his even Cristen.         VII         How our Lady, beholdyng the gretenes of hir Maker, thowte       hirselfe leste; and of the great droppys of blode renning from       under the garland; and how the most joy to man is that God       most hie and mightie is holyest and curtesiest. Seventh chapter.      And to lerne us this, as to myne understondyng, our Lord God shewed our Lady Saint Mary in the same tyme, that is to mene the hey wisedome and trewth she had in beholding of hir Maker, so grete, so hey, so mightie, and so gode. This gretenes and this noblyth of the beholdyng of God fulfilled her of reverend drede, and with this she saw hirselfe so litil and so low, so simple and so pore, in reward of hir Lord God, that this reverent drede fulfillid hir of mekenes. And thus by this grounde she was fulfillid of grace and of al manner vertues and overpassyth all creatures. In all the tyme that He shewed this that I have seid now, in ghostly sight I saw the bodyly sight lesting of the plentious bledeing of the hede. The grete dropis of blode fel downe from under the garland like pellots semand as it had cum out of the veynis, and in the comeing out it were browne rede, for the blode was full thick, and in the spredeing abrode it were bright rede, and whan it come to the browes, than it vanyshid; notwithstondying the bleding continuid till many things were seene and understondyn. The faire- hede and the livelyhede is like nothing but the same. The plenteoushede is like to the dropys of water that fallen of the evys after a greate showre of reyne that fall so thick that no man may numbre them with bodily witte; and for the round- hede, it were like to the scale of heryng in the spreadeing on the forehead. These three come to my mynde in the tyme: pellotts, for roundhede in the comynge out of the blode; the scale of heryng, in the spreadeing in the forehede, for round- hede; the dropys of evese, for the plentioushede inumerable. This shewing was quick and lively and hidouse and dredfull, swete and lovely.    And of all the sight it was most comfort to me, that our God and Lord that is so reverent and dredefull is so homley and curtes, and this most fullfilled me with likeing and sekirnes of soule. And to the understondyng of this He shewid this opyn example. It is the most worshippe that a solemne King or a grete Lord may doe a pore servant if he will be homely with him, and namely if he shewith it himselfe, of a full trew meneing and with a glad cheere, both prive and partie. Than thinkyth this pore creature thus: A, what might this nobil Lord doe more worshipp and joy to me than to shew me that am so simple this mervelous homlyhede? Sothly it is more joy and likeing to me than he gave me grete gifts and were himselfe strange in maner. This bodily example was shewid so hey that manys hart might be ravishid and almost forgettyng himselfe for joy of this grete homlyhede. Thus it fareith be our Lord Jesus and be us, for sothly it is the most joy that may be, as to my sight, that He that is heyest and mightyest, noblest and worthyest, is lowest and mekest, homlyest and curteysest. And treuly and sothly this mervelous joy shall be shewne us all whan we se Him. And this will our Lord, that we willen and trowen, joyen and liken, comfortyn us and solacyn us as we may with His grace and with His helpe into the tyme that we se it verily. For the most fulhede of joy that we shal have, as to my sight, is the mervelous curtesie and homlyhede of our Fader that is our maker in our Lord Jesus Criste that is our brother and our Saviour.    But this mervelous homlyhede may no man weten in this tyme of life, but he have it of special shewing of our Lord, or of grete plenty of grace inwardly govyn of the Holy Ghost. But faith and beleve with charite deservith the mede; and so it is had be grace; for in faith with hope and charete our life is groundyd. The shewyng, made to whome that God will, pleynly techith the same, openyd and declarid with many privy points longing to our faith which be worshipfull to knowen. And whan the shewyng, which is goven in a tyme, is passyd and hid, than the feith kepyth be grace of the Holy Ghost into our life end. And thus be the shewyng: It is not other than the faith ne less ne more as it may be seene be our Lords meneing in the same matter be than it come to the end.         VIII         A recapitulation of that is seid; and how it was shewid to hir       generally for all. Eighth chapter.      And as longe as I saw this sight of the plentious bleding of the hede I might never stinte of these words, "Benedicite, Domine," in which sheweyng I under stode six things. The first is the toknys of the blissid passion and the plentious sheddyng of His pretious blode. The second is the Maiden that is derworthy moder. The third is the blissfull Godhede that ever was, is, and ever shal bene, al mighty, al wisdam, al love. The fourth is al thing that He hath made; for wele I wete that Hevyn and erth and all that is made is mekil and large, faire and gode, but the cause why it is shewid so litil to my sight was for I saw it in the presence of Him that is the maker of all thing; for a soule that seith the maker of all, all that is made semith full litil. The fifth is He that made all things for love; be the same love it is kept and shall be withoute end. The sixth is that God is al thing that is gode, as to my sight, and the godenes that al thing hath, it is He. And al these our Lord shewid me in the first sight with time and space to beholden it.    And the bodily sight stinted and the gostly sight dwellid in myne un- derstondyng. And I abode with reverent drede, joyand in that I saw. And I desired as I durst to se more, if it were His will, or ell lenger time the same. In al this I was mekil sterid in charite to mine even Cristen, that thei might seen and knowyn the same that I saw, for I would it were comfort to they. For al this sight was shewid general. Than said I to them that were aboute me, "It is today domys day with me"; and this I said for I went a deid, for that day that a man deith, he is demyd as he shal be without end, as to my understond yng. This I seid for I would thei lovid God the better for to make hem to have mende that this life is shorte as thei might se in example. For in al this time I went have deid. And that was mervil to me, and sweeme in partie, for methowte this vision was shewid for hem that should leven. And that I say of me, I sey in the person of al myn even Cristen, for I am lernyd in the gostly shewing of our Lord God that He menyth so; and therefore I pray you al for Gods sake, and counsel you for your owne profitt, that ye levyn the beholding of a wretch that it was shewid to, and mightily, wisely, and mekely behold God that of His curtes love and endles godenes wolde shewyn it generally in comfort of us al. For it is God's will that ye take it with gret joy and likyng as Jesus had shewid it on to you all.         IX         Of the mekenes of this woman kepeing hir alway in the feith of Holy Church;       and how he that lovyth his evyn Cristen for God lovith all thing. Ninth chapter.      For the shewing I am not goode but if I love God the better. And in as much as ye love God the better, it is more to you than to me. I sey this not to hem that be wise, for thei wote it wele, but I sey it to yow that be simple for ese and comfort, for we arn al one in comfort. For sothly it was not shewid me that God lovid me better than the lest soule that is in grace, for I am sekir that there be many that never had shewing ner sight but of the comon techyng of Holy Church that loven God better than I. For if I loke singularly to myselfe I am right nowte; but in general I am, in hope, in onehede of charite, with al myn evyn Cristen. For in this onehede stond the life of all mankinde that shall be savid.    For God is all that is good, on to my sight. And God hat made al that is made and God lovith al that He hath made; and he that generaly loveith al his evyn Cristen for God, he lovith al that is. For in mankynd that shall be savid is comprehendid al, that is to sey, all that is made and the Maker of al; for in man is God, and God is in al. And I hope be the grace of God he that beholdith it thus shal be truely taught and mightily comforted if he nedith comforte.    I speake of hem that shal be save, for in this time God shewid me none other. But in al thing I leve as Holy Church levith, preachith, and teachith. For the feith of Holy Church, the which I had afornhand understonden and, as I hope, by the grace of God wilfully kept in use and custome, stode continualy in my sight, willing and meneing never to receive onything that might be contrary therunto. And with this entent I beheld the shewing with al my diligens, for in al this blis- sid shewing, I beheld it as one in Gods meneyng. All this was shewid by thre, that is to sey, be bodily sight, and by word formyd in my understonding, and be gostly sight. But the gostly sight - I cannot ne may not shew it as hopinly ne as fully as I wolde. But I truste in our Lord God Almightie that He shal of His godenes, and for yowr love, make yow to take it more gostly and more swetely than I can or may telle it.         X         The second Revelation is of His discolouryng etc; of our redemption,       and the discolouring of the vernacle; and how it plesith God we seke       Him besily, abiding Him stedfastly and trusting Hym mightily. Tenth chapter.      And after this I saw with bodily sight, in the face of the crucifix that henge before me in the which I behelde continualy, a parte of His passion - despite, spitting and sollowing, and buffetting and many langoryng peynes, mo than I can tel, and often changing of colour. And one time I saw how halfe the face, begyn- ing at the ere, overrede with drie blode til it beclosid to the mid-face. And after that, the tuther halfe beclosyd on the same wise, and therewhiles it vanyssched in this party, even as it came. This saw I bodily - swemely and derkely, and I desired more bodily sight to have sene more clerely. And I was answered in my reason: If God wil shew thee more, He shal be thy light; thee nedith none but Him. For I saw Him and sowte Hym, for we arn now so blynd and so unwise that we never sekyn God til He of His godenes shewith Him to us. And we ought se of Him graciously, than arn we sterid by the same grace to sekyn with gret desire to se Him more blisfully. And thus I saw Him and sowte Him, and I had Him and I wantid Hym. And this is and should be our comon werkeyng in this, as to my sight.    One tyme mine understondyng was led downe into the see ground, and there I saw hill and dalis grene, semand, as it were, mosse begrowne, with wrekke and with gravel. Than I understode thus, that if a man or a woman were under the broade watyr, if he might have sight of God, so as God is with a man contin- ually, he should be save in body and soule and take no harme; and, overpassing, he should have mor solace and comfort than al this world can telle. For He will that we levyn that we se Him continually thowe that us thinkeith that it be but litl, and in this beleve He makith us evermore to getyn grace. For He will be sene and He wil be sowte, He wil be abedyn and He wil be trosted.    This second sheweing was so low and so litil and so simple that my sprets were in grete travel in the beholding, mornand, dredfull, and longand. For I was sum time in doute whither it was a shewing. And than divers times our gode Lord gave me more sight whereby I understode treuly that it was a shewing. It was a figure and likenes of our foule dede hame, that our faire, bright, blissid Lord bare for our sins. It made me to thinke of the holy vernacle of Rome which He hath portrayed with His owne blissid face whan He was in His herd passion wilfully going to His deth and often chongyng of colour. Of the brownehede and blakehede, reulihede and lenehede of this image, many mervel how it might be, stondyng He portraied it with His blissid face, which is the faire hede of Heavyn, flowre of erth, and the fruite of the mayden wombe. Than how might this image be so discolouring and so fer fro faire?    I desire to sey like as I have understond be the grace of God. We know in our faith and beleve be the teaching and preching of Holy Church, that the blissid Trinite made mankinde to His image and to His likenes. In the same maner wise we knowen that whan man felle so deepe and so wretchidly be synne, there was none other helpe to restore man but throw Him that made man. And that made man for love, be the same love He would restore man to the same blisse and overpassing. And like as we were like made to the Trinite in our first makyng, our Maker would that we should be like Jesus Criste, our Saviour in Hevyn with- out ende, be the vertue of our geynmakyng. Than atwix these two He would, for love and worshippe of man, make Himselfe as like to man in this dedely life, in our foulehede and our wratchidnes, as man myght be without gilte. Whereof it meneith as it was aforseyd - it was the image and likenes of our foule blak dede hame wherein our faire bryte blissid Lord God is hid. But ful sekirly I dar sey, and we owen to trowen, that so faire a man was never none but He, till what tyme His faire colour was chongyd with travel and sorrow and passion, deyeng. Of this it is spoken in the eighth Revelation where it tretith more of the same likenes. And there it seith of the vernacle of Rome, it mevyth be dyvers chongyng of colour and chere, sometyme more comfortably and lively and some- time more rewfull and dedely, as it may be seene in the eighth Revelation.    And this vision was a lernyng to myn understondyng that the continual sekyng of the soule plesith God ful mekyl, for it may do no more than sekyn, suffrin, and trusten. And this wrought in the soule that hath it be the Holy Ghost. And the clernes of fyndyng is of His special grace whan it is His will. The sekyng with feith, hope, and charite plesyth our Lord, and the finding plesyth the soule and fulfillith it with joy. And thus was I lernyd to myn understondyng, that sekyng is as good as beholdyng for the tyme that He will suffer the soule to be in travel. It is God wille that we seke Him to the beholdyng of Him, for be that He shall shew us Himselfe of His special grace whan He wil. And how a soule shall have him in His beholdyng, He shal teche Himselfe; and that is most worshipp to Him and profitt to thyselfe, and most receivith of mekenes and vertues with the grace and ledyng of the Holy Goste. For a soule that only festenith him on to God with very troste, either be sekyng or in beholdyng, it is the most worshipp that he may don to Him, as to my sight.    These arn two werkyng that mown be seene in this vision. That on is sekyng; the other is beholdyng. The sekyng is common; that, every soule may have with His grace, and owith to have, that discretion and techyng of the Holy Church. It is God wil that we have thre things in our sekyng. The first is that we sekyn wil- fully and bisily withouten slauth as it may be throw His grace, gladly and merili withoute onskilful hevynes and veyne sorow. The second is that we abide Him stedfastly for His love withoute gruching and striveing ageyns Him in our lives end, for it shall lesten but a while; the thred, that we trosten in Him mightily of ful sekird feith, for it is His wil. We knowen He shall appere sodenly and blis- fully to al His lovers, for His werkyng is privy, and He wil be perceivid; and His appering shal be swith sodeyn, and He wil be trowid, for He is full hend and homley. Blissid mot He ben.         XI         The third Revelation etc.; how God doth al thing except synne, never chongyng His       purpose without end, for He hath made al thing in fulhede of goodnes. The eleventh chapter.      And after this I saw God in a poynte, that is to sey in myn understonding, be which sight I saw that He is in al things. I beheld with avisement, seing and knowing in sight with a soft drede, and thought, What is synne? For I saw treuly that God doth al thing be it never so litil. And I saw truly that nothing is done be happe, ne be aventure, but al thing be the foreseing wisedome of God. If it be happe or adventure in the sight of man, our blindhede and our onforesight is the cause, for the things that arn in the foreseing wisdam of God fro withoute beginning (which rightfully and worshippfully and continualy He ledyth to the best end as they comen aboute) fallyn to us sodenly, ourselfe unwetyng; and thus be our blindhede and our onforsighte, we seyen these ben happis and aventures. But to our Lord God thei be not so.    Wherefore me behovith nedes to grant that al thing that is done, it is wel done, for our Lord God doth alle. For in this time the werkyng of cretures was not shewid, but of our Lord God in the creature. For He is in the mydde poynt of all thyng, and all He doith; and I was sekir He doith no synne. And here I saw sothly that synne is no dede, for in al this was not synne shewid. And I wold no lenger mervel in this, but beheld our Lord, what He wold shewen. And thus as it might be for the time, the rightfulhede of Gods werkyng was shewid to the soule.    Rightfulhede hath two faire properties: it is right and it is full, and so arn al the werks of our Lord God. And thereto nedith neither the werkyng of mercy ner grace, for it ben al rightfull, wherin feilith nougte. And in another time He shewid for the beholdyng of synne nakidly, as I shal sey, where He usith werkyng of mercy and grace. And this vision was shewid to myne understondeng. For our Lord will have the soule turnid truly into the beholdyng of Him, and generally of all His werks, for they arn full gode, and al His doings be easye and swete, and to gret ease bringing the soule that is turnyd fro the beholdyng of the blind demyng of man on to the faire, swete demyng of our Lord God.    For a man beholdith some dedes wele done and some dedes evil. But our Lord beholdyth hem not so. For as al that hath being in kinde is of Godds makyng, so is al thing that is done in propertie of Gods doing. For it is easye to understonde that the best dede is wele done. And so wele as the best dede is done and the heiest, so wele is the lest dede done, and al in propertie and in the ordir that our Lord hath it ordeynit to from withoute begynning, for ther is no doer but He. I saw ful sekirly that He chongyth never His purpos in no manner thyng, nor never shall, withoute end. For ther was nothyng onknowen to Him in His rightfull ordenance from without begynnyng. And therefore al thyng was sett in ordir, or anything was made, as it should stonde withoute end, and no maner thyng shall failen of that poynt. For He made al thinge in fulhede of godenes, and therefore the blissid Trinite is ever ful plesid in al His werks. And al this shewid He ful blisfully meneing thus: Se I am God; se I am in al thing; se I doe al thyng; se I left never myne hands of myn werks, ne never shall withoute ende; se I lede al thing to the end I ordeynd it to fro withoute beginnyng be the same might, wis- dam, and love that I made it. How should anything be amysse? Thus migtily, wisely, and lovinly was the soule examynyd in this vision. Than saw I sothly that me behovyd nedis to assenten with gret reverens, enjoyand in God.         XII         The fourth Revelation etc.; how it likith God rather and better to wash us in His       blode from synne than in water, for His blode is most pretius. Twelfth chapter.      And after this I saw, beholding the body plentiously bleding in seming of the scorgyng, as thus: The faire skynne was brokyn ful depe into the tender flesh with sharpe smyting al about the sweete body. So plenteously the hote blode ran oute that there was neither sene skynne ne wound, but as it were al blode. And whan it come wher it should a fallen downe, than it vanyshid. Notwitstondyng the bleding continued a while til it migt be sene with avisement, and this was so plenteous to my sigt that methowte if it had be so in kind and in substance for that tyme, it should have made the bed al on blode and a passid over aboute.    And than cam to my minde that God hath made waters plentiuous in erthe to our service and to our bodily ease for tender love that He hath to us, but yet lekyth Him better that we take full homely hys blissid blode to wassch us of synne, for there is no licur that is made that He lekyth so wele to give us. For it is most plentiuous as it is most pretious, and that be the vertue of His blissid godhede. And it is our kinde and al blisfully beflowyth us be the vertue of His pretious love. The dereworthy blode of our Lord Jesus Criste, as verily as it is most pretious, as verily it is most plentiuous. Beholde and se: The pretious plenty of His dereworthy blode desendith downe into Helle and braste her bands and deliveryd al that were there which longyd to the curte of Hevyn. The pretious plenty of His dereworthy blode overflowith al erth and is redye to wash al creaturs of synne which be of gode will, have ben, and shal ben. The pretious plenty of His dereworthy blode ascendid up into Hevyn to the blissid body of our Lord Jesus Christe, and there is in Him, bleding and praying for us to the Father, and is and shall be as long as it nedith. And evermore it flowith in all Hevyns enjoying the salvation of al mankynde that arn there and shal ben, fulfilling the noumber that failith.         XIII         The fifth Revelation is that the temptation of the fend is overcome be the passion       of Criste, to the encres of joy of and to His peyne everlestingly. Thirteenth chapter.      And after, er God shewid ony words, He sufferd me to beholden in Him a conable tyme, and all that I had sene, and all intellecte that was therein, as the simplicite of the soule migte take it. Than He, without voice and openyng of lippis, formys in my soule these words: Herewith is the fend overcome. These words seyd our Lord menening His blissid passion as He shewid aforn. In this shewid our Lord that the passion of Him is the overcomming of the fend. God shewid that the fend hath now the same malice that he had aforn the incarna- tion. And as sore he travilith and as continually he seeth that all sent of salva- tion ascappyn him worshipply be the vertue of Cristes pretious passion. And that is his sorow and ful evyl he is attemyd, for all that God sufferith him to doe turnith us to joye and him to shame and wo. And he hath as mech sorow when God givith him leave to werkyn as when he werkyth not. And that is for he may never doe as yvel as he would, for his migte is al tokyn in Godds hand. But in God may be no wreth, as to my syte. For our gode Lord endlesly hath regarde to His owne worshippe and to the profite of al that shall be savid. With might and ryht He withstondith the reprovid, the which of mallice and shrewidnes bysyen hem to contriven and to done agens Gods wille. Also I saw our Lord scorne his malice and nowten his onmigte, and He wil that we doe so.    For this sigte I lauhyd migtily, and that made hem to lauhyn that were about me, and ther lauhyng was a likeing to me. I thowte that I wold that al myn evyn Christen had seen as I saw and than should thei al lauhyn with me. But I saw not Criste lawhyn; for I understode that we may lauhyn in comforting of ourselfe and joying in God, for the devil is overcome. And then I saw Him scorne his malice; it was be ledyng of myn understondyng into our Lord, that is to sey, an inward sheweing of sothfastnes, withoute chongyng of chere. For as to my sight, it is a worshipfull property that is in God which is durabil.    And after this I fel into a sadhede, and seid, "I se three things, game, scorne, and arneste; I se game that the fend is overcome. I se scorne that God scornith him and he shal be scornyd. And I se arneste that he is overcome be the blissfull passion and deth of our Lord Jesus Criste; that was done in ful arnest and with sad travelle." And I seid, "He is scornid." I mene that God scornith him; that is to sey, for He seeth him now as He shall done withoute end. For in this God shewid that the fend is dampnid. And this ment I when I seid he shall be scornyd at domys day generally of all that shal be savyd to hose consolation he hath gret invye. For than he shall seen that all the wo and tribulation that he hath done to them shal be turnid to encres of their joy without ende. And al the peyne and tribulation that he would a brougte hem to shal endlesly goe with him to Helle.         XIV         The sixth Revelation is of the worshippfull thanke with which He       rewardith His servants, and it hath three joyes. Fourteenth chapter.      After this our good Lord seid, I thanke thee of thy travel and namely of thy youthe. And in this myn understondyng was lifted up into Hevyn, where I saw our Lord as a lord in his owne house, which hath clepid al his derworthy servants and freinds to a solemne feste. Than I saw the Lord take no place in His owne house, but I saw Him rialy regne in His hous, and fulfillid it with joy and mirth, Hymselfe endlesly to gladen and to solacyn His derworthy frends ful homeley and ful curtesly, with mervelous melody of endles love in His owen faire blissid chere, which glorious chere of the godhede fulfillith Hevyns of joy and bliss.    God shewid three degrees of blis that every soule shal have in Hevyn that wilfully hath servid God in any degre in erthe. The first is the worshipful thanke of our Lord God that he shal recevyn whan he is deliverid of peyne. This thanke is so high and so worshipful that him thinkith it fillith him, thow there were no more. For methowte that all the peyne and travel that might be suffryd of all liveing men might not deserve the worshipfull thanke that one man shall have that wilfully hath servid God. The second, that all the blissid creatures that arn in Hevyn shall se that worshipfull thankyng, and He makyth his service knowen to al that arn in Hevyn. And in this time this example was shewid. A king, if he thanke his servants, it is a gret worship to hem; and if he makyth it knowen to all the reme, than is his worshippe mekil incresid. The third is that as new and as leking as it is underfongyn that tyme, rigte so shall it lesten withoute ende. And I saw that homely and swetely was this shewid, that the age of every man shal be knowen in Hevyn, and shal be rewardid for his wilful service and for his time. And namely the age of hem that wilfully and frely offir her yongith to God, passingly is rewardid and wonderly is thankyd. For I saw that whan or what tyme a man or woman be truly turnid to God, for on day service and for his endles wille he shall have al these three degres of blisse. And the more that the lovand soule seeth this curtesy of God, the lever he is to serve Him al the dayes of his life.         XV         The seventh Revelation is of oftentymes felyng of wele and wo       etc.; and how it is expedient that man sumtymes be left       withoute comfort, synne it not causeing. Fifteenth chapter.      And after this He shewid a soveren gostly lekyng in my soule. I was fulfillid of the everlesting sekirnes migtily susteinid withoute any peynful drede. This felyng was so gladd and so gostly that I was in al peace and in reste, that there was nothing in erth that should a grevid me. This lestenid but a while, and I was turnyd and left to myselfe in hevynes and werines of my life and irkenes of myselfe that onethis I coude have patience to leve. There was no comfort nor none ease to me, but feith, hope, and charite. And these I had in truthe, but litil in feling. And anone after this our blissid Lord gave me ageyne the comfort and the rest in soule in likyng and sekirnes so blisful and so mycti, that no drede, no sorow, ne peyne bodily that might be suffrid, should have desesid me. And than the peyne shewid ageyn to my feling, and than the joy and the lekyng, and now that one, and now that other, dyvers tymes, I suppose aboute twenty tymes. And in the same tyme of joy I migte have seid with Seynt Paul, nothing shal depart me from the charite of Criste. And in the peyne I migte have seid with Peter, Lord save me, I perish.    This vision was shewid me after myn understondyng that it is spedeful to some soulis to fele on this wise, somtime to be in comfort, and somtyme to faile and to be left to hemselfe. God wille we knowen that He kepyth us even alike sekir in wo and in wele. And for profitt of manys soule, a man is sumtyme left to himselfe, althowe synne is not ever the cause. For in this tyme I synned not wherfore I shulde be left to myselfe, for it was so soden. Also I deservyd not to have this blissid felyng. But frely our Lord gevyth whan He wille, and suffrith us in wo sumtyme, and both is one love. For it is Godds wil we hold us in comfort with al our migte for blisse is lestinge without ende, and peyne is passand and shal be browte to nougte to hem that shall be savyd. And therefore it is not Godds will that we folow the felynge of peyne in sorow and mornyng for hem, but sodenly passing over and holden us in endless likyng.         XVI         The eighth Revelation is of the last petiuous peynes of Christe deyeng,       and discoloryng of His face and dreyeng of flesh. Sixteenth chapter.      After this Criste shewid a partie of His passion nere His deyeng. I saw His swete face as it was drye and blodeles with pale deyeng, and sithen more pale, dede, langoring, and than turnid more dede into blew, and sithen more browne blew, as the flesh turnyd more depe dede. For His passion shewid to me most propirly in His blissid face, and namly in His lippis. There I saw these four colowres, tho that were aforn freshe, redy, and likyng to my sigte. This was a swem- ful chonge to sene, this depe deyeng, and also the nose clange and dryed, to my sigte, and the swete body was brown and blak, al turnyd oute of faire lifely colowr of Hymselfe on to drye deyeng. For that same tyme that our Lord and blissid Savior deyid upon the Rode, it was a dry, harre wynde and wonder colde, as to my sigte. And what tyme the pretious blode was bled oute of the swete body that migte passe therfro, yet there dwellid a moysture in the swete flesh of Criste, as it was shewyd.    Blodeleshede and peyne dryden within and blowyng of wynde and cold com- myng fro withouten metten togeder in the swete body of Criste. And these four, tweyn withouten and tweyn within, dryden the fleshe of Criste be process of tyme. And thow this peyne was bitter and sharpe, it was full longe lestyng as to my sighte and peynfully dreyden up all the lively spirits of Crists fleshe. Thus I saw the swete fleshe dey, in semyng be party after party, dryande with mervelous peynys. And as longe as any spirit had life in Crists fleshe, so longe sufferid He peyne. This longe pynyng semyd to me as if He had bene seven night ded deyand at the poynt of outpassing awey, sufferand the last peyne. And than I said, it semyd to me as if He had bene seven night dede, it menyth that the swete body was so discoloryd, so drye, so clongen, so dedely, and so peteuous as He had be seven night dede, continuly deyand. And methowte the deyeng of Crists flesh was the most peyne, and the last, of His passion.         XVII         Of the grevous bodyly threst of Criste causyd four wysys and of His petouous       coronyng; and of the most payne to kinde lover. Seventeenth chapter.      And in this deyng was browte to my mynde the words of Criste, "I threst." For I saw in Criste a doble threst, one bodely, another gostly, the which I shal speke of in the thirty-first chapter. For this word was shewid for the bodyly threst the which I understode was causid of failyng of moysture, for the blissid flesh and bonys was left al alone without blode and moysture. The blissid bodye dreid alone long tyme with wryngyng of the naylys, and weyte of the bodye. For I understode that for tenderness of the swete hands and of the swete fete, be the gretnes, hardhede, and grevoushed of the naylis, the wounds wexid wide and the body saggid for weyte be long tyme hanging, and peircing and wrangyng of the hede and byndyng of the crowne, al bakyn with drye blode, with the swete heire clyngand, and the drye flesh, to the thornys, and the thornys to the flesh, deyand. And in the begynnyng, while the flesh was fresh and bledand, the continuant sytyng of the thornys made the wounds wyde. And ferthermore I saw that the swete skyn and the tender flesh, with the heere and the blode, was al rasyd and losyd abov from the bone with the thornys where thorow it were daggyd on many pecys as a cloth that were saggand as it wold hastely have fallen of for hevy and lose while it had kynde moysture. And that was grete sorow and drede to me. For methowte I wold not for my life a sen it fallen. How it was don I saw not, but understode it was with the sharpe thornys and the boystrous and grevous setting on of the garland onsparably and without pety. This continuid a while, and sone it began to chongyn, and I beheld and merveled how it migt ben; and than I saw it was for it began to dreyen and stynte a party of the weyte and sette abute the garland. And thus it envyronyd al aboute, as it were garland upon garland; the garland of the thornys was dyed with the blode, and the tother garland and the hede al was on colour, as cloderyd blode whan it is drey. The skynne of the flesh that semyd of the face and of the body was smal, ronkyllid, with a tannyd colour lyke a dry borde whan it is akynned, and the face more browne than the body.    I saw four maner of dryengs. The first was blodeless; the secund was payne folowyng after; the thred, hangyng up in the eyr as men hang a cloth to drye; the forth, that the bodily kynd askyd licour, and ther was no manner of comfort mynystid to Hym in al His wo and disese. A, hard and grevous was His peyne, but mech more hard and grevous it was whan the moysture faylid and al beganne to drye thus clyngand. These were the paynys that shewdyn in the blissful hede. The first wrought to the deyng whyl it was moyst; and that other, slow, with clyngyng dryand, with blowing of the wynde from withowten that dryed Him more, and peynd with cold, than myn herte can thingke; and other paynys, for which paynys I saw that all is to litil that I can sey, for it may not be told. The which shewing of Cristes peynys fillid me ful of payne. For I wiste wele He suffryd but onys, but as He wold shewn it me and fillen me with mynde as I had aforn desyryd.    And in al this tyme of Cristes paynys I felte no payn, but for Cristes paynys. Than thowte me, I knew but litil what payne it was that I askyd, and as a wretch repentid me, thynkand if I had wiste what it had be, lothe me had be to have praydd it; for methowte it passid bodely dethe, my paynes. I thowte, Is any payne like this? And I was answered in my reason: Helle is another payne, for there is despeyr. But of al paynes that leden to salvation, this is the most payne: to se thy love suffir. How might any payne be more to me than to se Him that is al my life, al my blisse, and al my joy suffren? Here felt I sothfastly that I lovyd Criste so mech above myselfe that there was no payne that might be suffrid leke to that sorow that I had to se Him in payne.         XVIII         Of the spiritual martyrdam of our Lady and other lovers of Criste, and how       al things suffryd with Hym goode and ylle. Eighteenth chapter.      Here I saw a part of the compassion of our Lady Seynt Mary, for Christe and she were so onyd in love that the gretnes of His lovyng was cause of the mekyl hede of hyr payne. For in thys I saw a substance of kynd love continyyd be grace that creatures have to Hym, which kynde love was most fulsomely shewyd in His swete moder, and overpassyng. For so mech as she lovid Him more than al others, hir panys passyd al others. For ever the heyer, the myghtyer, the sweter that the love be, the mor sorow it is to the lover to se that body in payne that is lovid. And al His disciples and al His trew lovers suffrid panys more than ther owne bodyly deyng. For I am sekir by my myn owne felyng that the lest of hem lovid Hym so far above hemself that it passyth al that I can sey. Here saw I a gret onyng betwyx Christe and us, to myn understondyng. For whan He was in payne, we were in peyne. And al cretures that might suffre payne suffrid with Hym, that is to sey, al cretures that God hathe made to our service. The firma- ment, the erth, faledyn for sorow in hyr kynde in the tyme of Crists deyng. For longith it kyndely to thir properte to know Hym for ther God in whome al ther vertue stondyth. Whan He faylid, than behovyd it nedis to them for kyndnes to faylon with Hym as mech as thei myght for sorow of His penys. And thus thei that were His frends suffryd peyne for love.    And generaly al, that is to sey, thei that knew Hym not, suffrid for feylyng of al manner of comfort save the myghty, privy kepyng of God. I mene of two manner of folke, as it may be understode by two personys: that on was Pilate, that other was Sain Dionyse of France, which was that tyme a paynym. For whan he saw wonderous and mervelous sorowes and dreds that befallen in that tyme, he seyd, "Either the world is now at an end or ell He that is maker of kynde suf- fryth." Wherfor he did write on an auter, "This is the auter of onknown God." God of His godenes that maketh the planets and the elements to werkyn of kynd to the blissid man and the cursid, in that tyme it was withdrawen from bothe. Wherfore it was that thei that knew Him not were in sorow that tyme. Thus was our Lord Jesus nawted for us, and we stond al in this manner nowtid with Hym; and shal done til we come to His blisse, as I shal sey after.         XIX         Of the comfortable beholdyng of the crucifyx; and how the       desyre of the flesh without consent of the soule is no synne. And the       flesh must be in peyne, suffring til bothe be onyd to Criste. Nineteenth chapter.      In this I wold a lokyd up of the Crosse, and I durst not, for I weste wele whyl I beheld in the Cross I was seker and save; therefore I wold not assenten to put my soule in perel, for beside the Crosse was no sekernes for uggyng of fends. Than had I a profir in my reason as it had be frendly seyd to me, Loke up to Hevyn, to His Fader; and than saw I wele with the feyth that I felte that ther was nothyn betwix the Crosse and Hevyn that myght have desesyd me. Either me behovyd to loke up or else to answeren. I answered inwardly with al the myghts of my soule, and said, "Nay, I may not, for Thou art my Hevyn." This I seyd for I wold not, for I had lever a ben in that peyne til domys day than to come to Hevyn otherwyse than by Hym. For I wiste wele that He that bonde me so sore, He sholde onbynde me whan that He wolde.    Thus was I lerid to chose Jesus to my Hevyn, whome I saw only in payne at that tyme. Me lekyd no other Hevyn than Jesus, which shal be my blisse whan I come there, and this hath ever be a comfort to me, that I chase Jesus to my Hevyn be His grace in al this tyme of passion and sorow. And that hat be a lernyng to me that I should evermor done so - chesyn only Jesus to my Hevyn in wele and wo. And thow I as a wretch had repentid me - I sayd aforn if I had wiste what peyne it had be, me had be loth to have prayed - here saw I sothly that it was grutching and daming of the flesh without assent of the soule, in whych God assignyth no blame. Repenting and wilful choys be two contrarys which I felte both in one at that tyme, and tho be two parties, that one outward, that other inward. The outeward party is our dedely fleshede which is now in peyne and wo, and shal be in this life, whereof I felt mech in this tyme, and that party was that repentid. The inward party is an high blisfull life, which is al in pece and in love, and this was more privily felte, and this party is in which, mightyly, wysly, and wilfully, I chase Jesus to my Hevyn. And in this I saw sothly that the inward party is master and soverayn to the outeward, and not charging ne takyng hede to the will of that, but al the entent and will is sett endlesly to be onyd into our Lord Jesus. That the outeward part should draw the inward to assent was not shewid to me, but that the inward drawith the outeward by grace and bothe shal be onyd in blisse without end be the vertue of Criste - this was shewid.         XX         Of the onspekabyl passion of Criste, and of three things of the passion        alway to be remembrid. Twentieth chapter.      And thus saw I our Lord Jesus langring long tyme, for the onyng of the God- hede gave strength to the manhode for love to suffre more than al man myght suffryn. I mene not allonly more peyne than al men myght suffre, but also that He suffrid more peyne than al men of salvation that ever was from the first begynnyng into the last day myght tellyn or ful thynkyn, havyng regard to the worthynes of the heyest, worshipful kyng, and the shamly, dispitous, peynful dethe. For He that is heyest and worthyest was fullyest nowtyd and utterlyest dispisid. For the heyest poynte that may be sean in the passion is to thynkyn and knowen what He is that suffryd.    And in this He browte a part in mende the heyte and noblyth of the glorius Godhede and, therwith, the pretioushed and the tendernes of the blisfull body which be together onyd, and also the lothhede that is in oure kynd to suffre peyne. For as mech as He was most tender and clene, ryght so He was most strong and myghty to suffir. And for every mannys synne that shall be savid He suffrid, and every manys sorow and desolation He saw, and sorowid for kyndenes and love. For in as mekyl as our Lady sorowid for His peynes, as mekyl He suffrid sorrow for her sorow, and more, in as mekyl as the swete manhode of Hym was worthier in kynd. For as long as He was passible, He suffryd for us and sorowyd for us. And now He is uprysyn and no more passibyl, yet He suffryt with us. And beholdyng al this be His grace, saw that the love of Hym was so strong whych He hath to our soule, that wilfully He ches it with gret desyr and myldly He suffrid it with wel payeyng. For the soule that beholdyth it thus, whan it is touchid be grace, he shal veryly se that the peynys of Crists passion passen al peynys; that is to sey, which peynys shal be turnyd into everlestyng passyng joyes by the vertue of Crists passion.         XXI         Of three Beholdyngs in the passion of Criste, and how we be now deyng in       the Crosse with Criste, but His chere puttyt away al peyne. Twenty-first chapter.      Tis Goddys wille, as to myn understondyng, that we have three manner of beholdyngs in His blissid passion. The first is the herd peyn that He suffrid with contrition and compassion. And that shewid our Lord in this tyme, and gave me myght and grace to se it. And I loked after the departing with al my myght and wet have seen the body al ded, but I saw Hym not so. And ryth in the same tyme that methowte, be semyng, the life myght ne lenger lesten and the shewyng of the end behovyd nedis to be, sodenly, I beholdyng in the same Crosse, He chongyd His blissfull chere. The chongyng of His blisful chere chongyd myn, and I was as glad and mery as it was possible. Than browte our Lord merily to my mynde, Where is now ony poynte of the peyne or of thin agreefe? And I was full mery. I understode that we be now, in our Lords menyng, in His Crosse with Hym in our peynys and our passion, deyng. And we wilfully abydyng in the same Cross with His helpe and His grace into the last poynte, sodenly He shall chonge His chere to us, and we shal be with Hym in Hevyn.    Betwix that one and that other shal be no tyme, and than shal al be browte to joy, and so mente He in this shewyng, Where is now ony poynt of thy peyne or thyn agreefe? And we shal be full blissid. And here saw I sothfastly that if He shewid now us His blissful chere, ther is no peyne in erth nor in other place that should us agrevyn, but al things should be to us joy and blisse. But for He shewith to us time of passion as He bare in this life and His Crosse, therefore we arn in desese and travel with Hym as our frelete askyth. And the cause why He suffrith is for He wil of His godeness make us the heyer with Hym in His bliss. And for this litil peyne that we suffre here, we shal have an hey endles knowyng in God whych we myght never have without that; and the harder our peynys have ben with Him in His Cross, the more shall our worshippe be with Hym in His kyngdom.         XXII         The ninth Revelation is of the lekyng etc., of three Hevyns, and the infinite love of Criste, desiring       every day to suffre for us, if He myght, althow it is not nedeful. Twenty-second chapter.      Than seyd our good Lord Jesus Christe, askyng, Art thou wele payd that I suffrid for thee? I sayd, "Ya, good Lord, gramercy; ya, good Lord, blissid mot thou be." Than seyd Jesus, our kinde Lord, If thou art payde, I am payde; it is a joy, a blis, an endles lekyng to me that ever suffrid I passion for the, and if I myht suffre more, I wold suffre more. In this felyng my understondyng was lifte up into Hevyn, and there I saw thre Hevyns, of which syght I was gretly mervelyd. And thow I se thre Hevyns, and all in the blissid manhode of Criste, non is more, non is less, non is heyer, non is lower, but evyn lyke in blis.    For the first Hevyn Christe shewyd me His Fader, in no bodyly lyknes, but in His properte and in His werkyng; that is to sey, I saw in Criste that the Fader is. The werkyng of the Fader is this, that He gevyth mede to His son Jesus Criste. This geft and this mede is so blisful to Jesus, that His Fader myht have goven Hym no mede that myght have lykyd Hym better. The first Hevyn - that is the plesyng of the Fader - shewid to me as an Hevyn, and it was ful blisfule, for He is ful plesed with al the dedes that Jesus hath done aboute our salvation. Where- fore we be not only His be His beyeng but also by the curtes geft of His Fader. We be His blis, we be His mede, we be His worshippe, we be His corone; and this was a singular mervel and a full delectable beholdying, that we be His corone. This that I sey is so grete blis to Jesus that He settith at nowte al His travel, and His herd passion, and His cruel and shamful deth.    And in these words, If that I might suffre more, I would suffer more, I saw sothly that as often as He myght deyen, so often He wold, and love should never let Him have rest til He had don it. And I beheld with gret diligens for to wetyn how often He would deyn if He myght, and sotly the noumbre passid myn under- stondyng and my wittis so fer that my reson myghte not ne coude comprehend it; and whan He had thus oft deyid, or should, yet He would sett it at nowte for love, for al thynkyth Him but litil in reward of His love. For thowe the swete manhood of Criste might suffre but onys, the godenes in Him may never sesin of profir. Every day He is redy to the same if it myght be. For if He seyd He wold for my love make new Hevyns and new erth, it were but litil in reward, for this might be done every day if He wold, withoute any travel. But for to dey for my love so often that the noumbre passith creature reson - it is the heyest profir that our Lord God myght make to manys soule, as to my syte.    Than menyth He thiss: How shold it than be that I shold not do for thi love al that I myght, which dede grevyth me not, sith I wold for thi love dey so often having no reward to my herd peynys? And here saw I for the second beholdyng in this blissid passion, the love that made Him to suffre passith as far al His peynes as Hevyn is above erth, for the peynes was a nobele, worshipfull dede don in a tyme be the werkyng of love. And love was without begynnyng, is, and shall be without endyng; for which love He seyd ful swetely these words, If I myght suffre more, I wold suffre more. He sayd not, "If it were nedeful to suffre more"; for thow it were not nedeful, if He myght suffre more, He wold. This dede and this werke about our salvation was ordeynyd as wele as God myght ordeyn it. And here I saw a full blisse in Criste, for His blisse shold not a be full if it myte any better have be done.         XXIII         How Criste wil we joyen with Hym gretly in our redemption and to desire       grace of Hym that we may so doe. Twenty-third chapter.      And in these three words, It is a joy, a blis, an endles lykyng to me, were shewid three Hevyns, as thus: For the joy I understode the plesance of the Fader, and for the blis, the worshippe of the Son, and for the endles lykyng the Holy Gost. The Fader is plesid, the Son is worshippid, the Holy Gost lykith. And here saw I for the thred beholdyng in His blisful passion, that is to sey, the joy and the blis that make Hym to lekyn it. For our curtes Lord shewid His passion to me in five manners, of which the first is the bledyng of the hede, the second is discoloryng of His face, the third is the plentiuous bledyng of the body in semys of the scorgyng, the fourth is the depe deyng. These four are aforseyd for the peynys of the passion. And the fifth is that was shewid for the joy and the bliss of the passion.    For it is Goddys wille that we have trew lekyng with Hym in our salvation, and therin He wil we be myghtyly comfortid and strengthnid, and thus wil He merily with His grace that our soule be occupyed. For we arn His blisse; for in us He lekyth without end, and so shal we in Hym, with His grace. And al that He hath done for us, and doth, and ever shal, was never coste ne charge to Hym, ne myte be, but only that He dede in our manhood begynnyng at the sweete incarnation and lesting to the blissid upriste on Esterne morow. So long durid the cost and the charge aboute our redemption in dede, of which dede He enjoyeth endlesly, as it is afornseyd. Jesus wil we takyn hede to the blis that is in the blisful Trinite of our salvation, and that we desiren to have as mech gostly lykyng with His grace, as it is afornseyd. That is to sey, that the likyng of our salvation be like to the joy that Criste hath of our salvation, as it may be whil we arn here. Al the Trinite wroute in the passion of Criste, minystryng abundance of vertues and plenty of grace to us be Hym; but only the Mayden Son suffrid, whereof all the blissid Trinite endlesly enjoyeth. And this was shewid in these words, Art thou wel payd? and be that other word that Criste sayd, If thou art payed, than am I paide; as if He seyd, "It is joy and likyng enow to me and I aske nowte ell of the for my travel, but that I myght wel payen the."    And in this He browte to mend the property of a glad gevere. A glad gever takyth but litil hede of the thyng that he gevith, but al his desire and al his intent is to plesyn hym and solacyn hym to whome he gevyth it. And if the receiver take the geft heyly and thankfully, than the curtes gever settith at nowte all his coste and al his travel for joy and delite that he hath, for he hath plesid and solacid hym that he lovyth. Plenteously and fully was this shewid. Thynke also wisely of the gretnes of this word evere, for in that was shewid an high knowing of love that He hath in our salvation with manyfold joyes that folow of the passion of Criste. One is that He joyeth that He hath don it in dede, and He shal no more suffre; another, that He browte us up into Hevyn and made us for to be His corone and endles blisse. Another is that He hath therwith bawte us from endless peynys of Helle.         XXIV         The tenth Revelation is that our Lord Jesus shewith in love His blissid herte       cloven in two enjoyand. Twenty-fourth chapter.      Than with a glad chere our Lord loked into His syde and beheld, enjoyand; and with His swete lokyng He led forth the understondyng of His creture be the same wound into Hys syde withinne. And than He shewid a faire, delectabil place and large enow for al mankynd that shal be save to resten in pece and in love. And therwith He browte to mende His dereworthy blode and pretious water which He lete poure al oute for love. And with the swete beholdyng He shewid His blisful herte even cloven on two. And with this swete enjoyyng He shewid onto myn understondyng, in party, the blissid Godhede, steryng than the pure soule for to understonde, as it may be said; that is to mene, the endles love that was without begynnyng, and is, and shal be ever.    And with this our gode Lord seyd full blisfully, Lo, how that I lovid the; as if He had seid, "My derling, behold and se thy Lord, thy God that is thy maker and thyn endles joy; se what likyng and bliss I have in thy salvation, and for my love enjoy now with me." And also, for more understondyng, this blissid word was seyd: Lo, how I lovid the. Behold and se that I lovid the so mekyl ere I deyd for the that I wold dey for the, and now I have deyd for the, and suffrid wilfuly that I may. And now is al my bitter peyne and al my hard travel turnyd to endles joy and bliss to me and to the. How should it now be that thou should onythyng pray me that lekyth me, but if I shuld ful gladly grant it the? For my lekyng is thy holynes and thyn endles joy and bliss with me.    This is the understondyng simply as I can sey of this blissid word, Lo, how I lovid the. This shewid our gode Lord for to make us glad and mery.         XXV         The eleventh Revelation is an hey gostly shewing of His Moder. Twenty-fifth chapter.      And with this same chere of myrth and joy, our gode Lord lokyd downe on the ryte syde and browte to my mynde where our Lady stode in the tyme of His passion, and seid, Wilt the se here? And in this swete word, as if He had seyd, "I wote wele thou wold se my blissid moder, for after myselfe she is the heyest joy that I myte shew the and most lykyng and worshippe to me, and most she is desyrid to be seene of my blissid cretures." And for the hey, mervelous, singular love that He hath to this swete mayden, His blissid moder our Lady Seyt Mary, He shewid hir heyly enjoyng as be the menyng of these swete words, as if He seyd, "Wil thou se how I love hir that thou myte joy with me in the love that I have in her and she in me?" And also to more understondyng this swete word our Lord God spekyth to al mankynde that shal be save, as it were al to one person, as if He seyd, "Wilt tho seen in hir how thou art lovid? For thy love I made her so hey, so noble, and so worthy, and this likyth me, and so wil I that it doith the." For after Hymselfe, she is the most blisful syte.    But herof am I not lerid to longen to seen hirr bodyly presense while I am here, but the vertues of hir blissid soule, her truth, her wisdam, hir charite, wherby I may leryn to know myselfe and reverently drede my God. And whan our gode Lord had shewid this, and seid this word, Wilt thou seen hir? I answerid and seyd, "Ya, good Lord, gramercy; ya, good Lord, if it be thy wille." Oftentymes I prayd this and I wend a seen hir in bodily presens, but I saw hir not so. And Jesus in that word shewid me a gostly syte of hir. Ryte as I had seen hir aforn litil and simple, so He shewid hir than hey and noble and glorious and plesyng to Hym above al creatures; and He wil that it be knowen that al those that lyke in Hym should lyken in hir and in the lykyng that He hath in hir and she in Him.    And to more understondyng He shewid this example: as, if a man love a creature syngularly above al creatures, he wil make al creature to loven and to lyken that creature that he lovith so mekyl. And in this word that Jesus seid, Wilt thou se hir? methowte it was the most likyng word that He might have gove me of hir with the gostly shewyng that He gave me of hir. For our Lord shewid me nothyng in special but our Lady Seynt Mary, and hir He shewid three tymys. The first was as she conceyvyd, the second was as she was in hir sorows under the Cross, the third is as she is now in likyng, worshippe, and joye.         XXVI         The twelfth Revelation is that the Lord our God is al sovereyn beyng. Twenty-sixth chapter.      And after this our Lorde shewid Hym more gloryfyed, as to my syte, than I saw Him beforne, wherin I was lernyd that our soule shal never have rest til it comith to Hym knowing that He is fulhede of joy, homley and curtesly blisful and very life. Our Lord Jesus oftentymes seyd, I it am, I it am, I it am that is heyest, I it am that thou lovist, I it am that thou lykyst, I it am that thou servist, I it am that thou longyst, I it am that thou desyrist, I it am that thou menyst, I it am that is al, I it am that Holy Church prechyth and teachyth the, I am that shewed me here to thee. The nombre of the words passyth my witte and al my understondyng and al my mights, and it arn the heyest, as to my syte. For therin is compre- hendid, I cannot tellyn - but the joy that I saw in the shewyng of them passyth al that herte may willen and soule may desire; and therefore the words be not declaryd here. But every man, after the grace that God gevyth him in under- stondyng and lovyng, receive hem in our Lords menyng.         XXVII         The thirteenth Revelation is that our Lord God wil that we have grete       regard to all His deds that He hav don in the gret noblyth of al things makyng       and of etc; how synne is not knowin but by the peyn. Twenty-seventh chapter.      After this the Lord browte to my mynd the longyng that I had to Hym aforn. And I saw that nothyng letted me but synne, and so I beheld generally in us al. And methowte, if synne had not a ben, we should al a ben clene and like to our Lord as He made us. And thus, in my foly, aforn this tyme, often I wondrid whi by the gret forseyng wysdam of God the begynyng of synne was not lettid. For than, thowte me, al shuld a be wele. This steryng was mikel to forsakyn, and nevertheless mornyng and sorow I made therefor without reason and discretion.    But Jesus, that in this vision enformid me of all that me nedyth, answerid by this word, and seyd: Synne is behovabil, but al shal be wel, and al shal be wel, and al manner of thyng shal be wele. In this nakid word synne, our Lord browte to my mynd generally al that is not good, and the shamfull dispite and the utter nowt- yng that He bare for us in this life, and His dyeng, and al the peynys and pas- sions of al His creatures, gostly and bodyly - for we be all in party nowtid, and we shall be nowtid followyng our Master Jesus till we be full purgyd, that is to sey, till we be fully nowtid of our dedly flesh and of al our inward affections which arn not very good - and the beholdyng of this with al peynys that ever wern or ever shal be; and with al these I understond the passion of Criste for most peyne and overpassyng. And al this was shewid in a touch, and redily passid over into comforte. For our good Lord wold not that the soule were afferd of this uggly syte.    But I saw not synne, for I beleve it hath no manner of substance ne no party of being, ne it myght not be knowin, but by the peyne that it is cause of; and thus peyne - it is somethyng, as to my syte, for a tyme, for it purgith and makyth us to knowen our selfe and askyn mercy. For the passion of our Lord is comforte to us agens al this, and so is His blissid wille. And for the tender love that our good Lord hath to all that shal be save, He comfortith redyly and swetely, menyng thus: It is sothe that synne is cause of all this peyne, but al shal be wele, and al shall be wele, and all manner thing shal be wele. These words were seyd full tenderly, shewyng no manner of blame to me ne to non that shall be safe. Than were it a gret unkindness to blame or wonder on God for my synne, sythen He blamyth not me for synne. And in these same words I saw a mervel- ous, hey privitye hid in God, which privity He shall openly make knowen to us in Hevyn, in which knowyng we shal verily see the cause why He suffrid synne to come, in which syte we shall endlesly joyen in our Lord God.         XXVIII         How the children of salvation shal be shakyn in sorowis, but Criste enjoyth       wyth compassion; and a remedye agayn tribulation. Twenty-eighth chapter.      Thus I saw how Criste hath compassion on us for the cause of synne. And ryte as I was aforn in the passion of Criste fulfillid with peyne and compassion, like in this I was fulfild a party with compassion of al myn even Cristen, for that wel, wel belovid people that shal be savid. That is to sey, Gods servants, Holy Church, shal be shakyn in sorows and anguis and tribulation in this world, as men shakyn a cloth in the wynde. And as to this our Lord answerid in this manner: A gret thing shall I makyn hereof in Hevyn, of endles worshipps and everlestyng joyes. Ya, so ferforth I saw that our Lord joyth of the tribulations of His ser- vants. With reuth and compassion to ech person that He lovyth to His bliss for to bringen, He levyth upon them something that is no lak in Hys syte, wherby thei are lakid and dispisyd in thys world, scornyd, rapyd, and outcasten. And this He doith for to lettyn the harme that thei shuld take of the pompe and the veyn glory of this wrechid lif, and mak ther way redy to come to Hevyn, and heynen them in His bliss without end lestyng. For He seith, I shall al tobreke you for your veyn affections and your vicious pryde, and after that I shal togeder gader you, and make you mylde and meke, clene and holy, by onyng to me. And than I saw that ech kynde compassion that man hath on his even Cristen with charite, it is Criste in him.    That same nowting that was shewid in His passion, it was shewid ageyn here in this compassion, wherein were two maner of understondyngs in our Lords menyng. The one was the bliss that we arn bowte to, wherin He will be enjoyen. That other is for comforte in our peyne, for He will that we wettyn that it shal al be turnyd to worshippe and profite be vertue of His passion, and that we wetyn that we suffir not alone, but with Him, and seen Hym our grounde, and that we seen His penys and His nowting passith so fer al that we may suffre that it may not be ful thowte; and the beholdyng of this will save us from gruching and dispeir in the felyng of our peynys. And if we se sothly that our synne deservyth it, yet His love excusith us, and of His gret curtesye He doith awey al our blame, and He holdyth us with ruth and pite as childer, inocents and unlothfull.         XXIX         Adam synne was gretest, but the satisfaction for it is more plesyng to God       than ever was the synne harmfull. Twenty-ninth chapter.      But in this I stode beholdyng generally, swemly and mournyng, seyng thus to our Lord in my menyng with ful gret drede: "A, good Lord, how myte al ben wele for the grete hurte that is come by synne to the creatures?" And here I desirid as I durst to have sum more open declaryng wherwith I myte be esyd in this. And to this our blisfull Lord answerd full mekely and with ful lovely chere and shewid that Adams synne was the most harme that ever was don or ever shal to the world ende. And also He shewid that this is openly knowen in al Holy Chirch in erth. Furthermore He leryd that I should behold the glorious asyeth, for this asyeth makyng is more plesyng to God and more worshipfull for manys salvation without comparison than ever was the synne of Adam harmfull. Than menyth our blissid Lord thus in this techyng, that we should take hede to this: For sythe I have made wele the most harme, than it is My wil that thou knowe thereby that I shal make wel al that less.         XXX         How we shuld joye and trusten in our Savior Jesus not       presumyng to know His privy counsell. Thirtieth chapter.      He gave me understondyng of two parties. That one party is our Savior and our salvation. This blissid parte is hopyn and clere and faire and lite and plentiuous, for al mankynde that is of good wille, and shal be, is comprehendid in this parte. Herto arn we bounden of God and drawen and councellid and lerid inwardly be the Holy Gost and outwardly be Holy Church in the same grace. In this will our Lord we be occupyed, joyeng in Him, for He onjoyeth in us, and the more plentiuously that we take of this with reverens and mekenes the more thanke we deserven of Hym and the more spede to ourselfe, and thus, may we sey, enjoy- ing our part is our Lord. That other is hid and sperid from us, that is to sey, al that is besiden our salvation. For it is our Lords privy councell, and it longyth to the ryal lordship of God to have His privy councell in pece, and it longyth to His servant for obedience and reverens not to wel wetyn His conselye.    Our Lord hath pety and compassion on us, for that sum creatures make them so besy therin. And I am sekir if we wisten how mekil we shuld plese Hym and ese our selfe to leven it, we wolden. The seynts that be in Hevyn, thei wil noth- yng wetyn but that our Lord will shewen hem, and also their charite and their desire is rulid after the wil of our Lord, and thus owen we to willen like to hem. Than shal we nothyng willen ne desiren but the wille of our Lord, like as thei do. For we arn al on in Goddis menyng. And here was I lerynyd that we shal trosten and enjoyen only in our Savior, blisful Jesus, for althynge.         XXXI         Off the longyng and the spiritual threst of Criste which lestyth       and shall lesten til domys day. And be the reason of His body,       He is not yet full gloryfyed ne al unpassible. Thirty-first chapter.      And thus our good Lord answerid to al the question and doubts that I myte makyn, sayeing ful comfortably, I may makyn al thing wele, I can make al thing wele, and I wil make al thyng wele, and I shall make al thyng wele, and thou shal se thiself that al manner of thyng shal be wele. That He seyth, I may, I understond for the Fader, and He seith, I can, I understond for the Son, and where He seith, I will, I understond for the Holy Gost, and wher He seith, I shall, I understond for the unite of the blissid Trinite, three persons and one trouthe; and where He seith, Thu shal se thi selfe, I understond the onyng of al mankynd that shalle be save into the blisful Trinite. And in thes five words God wil be onclosid in rest and in pees, and thus shal the gostly threst of Criste have an end.    For this is the gostly thrist of Criste, the luf longyng that lestith and ever shal til we se that syte on Domys Day. For we that shal be save and shal be Crists joye and His blis, some be yet here, and some be to cum, and so shal sum be into that day. Therefore this is His thrist: a love longyng to have us al togeder hole in Him to His blis, as to my syte. For we be not now as fully as hole in Him as we shal be then. For we knowen in our feith, and also it was shewid in alle, that Criste Jesus is both God and man. And amenst the Godhede, He is Hymselfe heyest blis, and was from without begynnyng, and shall be from with- oute end, which endles blis may never be heyned ne lownyd in the selfe. For this was plentiuously sen in every shewyng, and namely in the twelfth, wher He seith, I am that is heyest.    And anemst Crists manhood, it is knowen in our feith, and also shewyd, that He with the vertue of Godhede, for love, to bring us to His blis, suffrid peynys and passions and deid. And these be the werks of Crists manhode wherin He enjoyeth, and that shewid He in the ninth Revelation, wher He seith, It is a joye, a blis, a endles lykyng to me that ever I suffrid passion for the. And this is the blis of Crists werks, and thus He menyth where He seith in the selfe shewing, we be His blis, we be His mede, we be His worship, we be His corone. For anemst that Criste is our hede, He is glorifyed and onpassible, and anemst His body, in which al His members be knitt, He is not yet ful glorifyed ne al onpassible. For the same desire and threst that He had upon the Cross, which desire, longyng, and thrist, and, as to my syte, was in Him fro withoute begynnyng, the same hath He yet and shal, into the tyme that the last soule that shal be savid is cum up to His bliss.    For as verily as there is a properte in God of ruth and pity, as veryly there is a property in God of threst and longyng. And of the vertue of this longyng in Criste, we have to longen ageyn to Him, withoute which no soule comyth to Hevyn. And this propertye of longyng and threst comyth of the endles goodnes of God, ryte as the property of pite comith of His endles goodnes, and thow long- yng and pite arn two sundry properties, as to my syte. And in this stondyth the poynt of the gostly thrist which is lestyng in Hym as long as we be in nede, us drawing up to His blis. And al this was sen in the shewyng of compassion, for that shal secyn on Domys Day. Thus He hath ruth and compassion on us, and He hath longyng to have us, but His wisdam and His love suffrith not the end to cum til the best tyme.         XXXII         How al thyng shal be wele and Scripture fulfillid, and we must stedfastly       holdyn us in the faith of Holy Chirch as is Crists wille. Thirty-second chapter.      On tyme our good Lord seid, Al thyng shal be wele, and another tyme He seid, Thu shalt sen thiself that al manner thyng shal be wele. And in these two, the soule toke sundry understondyng. On was this: that He wil we wetyn that not only He takith hede to noble thyngs and to grete, but also to litil and to smale, to low and to simple, to on and to other. And so menyth He in that He seith, Al manner thyngs shal be wele. For He will we wetyn the leste thyng shal not be forgottyn. Another understondyng is this: that there be dedes evyl done in our syte and so grete harmes takyn, that it semyth to us that it were impossibil that ever it shuld cum to gode end, and upon this we loke sorowyng and morning therefore, so that we cannot restyn us in the blisful beholdyng of God as we shuld doe. And the cause is this, that the use of our reason is now so blynd, so low, and so symple, that we cannot know that hey, mervelous wisdam, the myte, and the goodness, of the blisful Trinite; and thus menyth He wher He seith, Thou shalt se thiself that al maner thyng shal be wele. As if He seid, "Take now hede faithfuly and trostily, and at the last end thou shalt verily sen it in fulhede of joye." And thus in these same five words afornseid, I may make al thyngs wele etc., I understond a myty comforte of al the works of our Lord God that arn for to comen.    Ther is a dede the which the blisful Trinite shal don in the last day, as to my syte. And whan the dede shall be and how it shal be done, it is onknown of all creatures that are beneath Criste, and shal be, till whan it is don. And the cause He wil we know is for He wil we be the more esyd in our soule and pesid in love, levyng the beholdyng of al tempests that myte lettyn us of trewth, enjoyeng in Hym. This is the grete dede ordeynyd of our Lord God from without begynnyng, treasured and hid in His blissid breast, only knowen to Hymself, be which dede He shal make al thyngs wele. For like as the blisful Trinite made al thyngs of nowte, ryte so the same blissid Trinite shal make wele al that is not wele.    And in this syte I mervelid gretely and beheld our feith, merveland thus: Our feith is growndid in Goddys word, and it longyth to our feith that we levyn that Goddys word shal be savid in al things. And one peynt of our feith is that many creatures shal be dampnyd - as Angells that fellyn out of Hevyn for pride which be now fends, and man in herth that deyth oute of the feith of Holy Church, that is to say, thei that be ethen men, and also man that hath receyvid Christen- dam and livith uncristen life, and so deyth out of charite - all these shall be dampnyd to Helle without end, as Holy Church techyth me to belevyn.    And stondyng al this, methowte it was impossibil that al manner thyng should be wele as our Lord shewid in this tyme. And as to this I had no other answere in shewyng of our Lord God but this: That is impossible to the is not impossible to Me. I shal save My worde in al things, and I shal make al thing wele. Thus I was tawte by the grace of God that I should stedfasty hold me in the faith as I had afornehand understonden, and therewith that I should sadly levyn that al thyng shal be wele, as our Lord shewid in the same tyme. For this is the great dede that our Lord shal done, in which dede He shal save His word in al thing, and He shal make wele al that is not wele. And how it shal be don there is no creature benethe Criste that wot it, ne shal wetyn it, till it is don, as to the understondyng that I toke of our Lords menyng in this tyme.         XXXIII         Al dampnyd soule be dispisid in the syte of God, as the devil; and these       Revelations withdraw not the feith of Holy Church, but comfortith; and the       more we besy to know Gods privites, the less we knowen. Thirty-third chapter.      And yet in this I desired as I durst that I myte have had ful syte of Helle and Purgatory. But it was not my mening to maken prefe of anythyng that longyth to the feith. For I levyd sothfastly that Hel and Purgatory is for the same end that Holy Church techith. But my menyng was that I myte have seen for leryng in al thyng that longyth to my feith, wherby I myte liven the more to Gods worship, and to my profit. And for my desire I coude of this ryte nowte, but as it is afor- seid in the fifth shewing, wher that I saw that the devil is reprovid of God and endlesly dampned. In which syte I understode that al creatures that arn of the devils condition in this life, and therin enden, there is no more mention made of hem aforn God and al His holy than of the devil, notwithstondying that thei be of mankynd, whether they have be cristenyd or not.    For thow the Revelation was made of goodnes, in which was made litil men- tion of evil, yet I was not drawne therby from any poynt of the feith that Holy Church techyth me to levyn. For I had syte of the passion of Criste in dyvers shewyngs, in the first, in the second, in the fifth, and in the eighth, as it is seid aforn, wheras I had in party a felyng of the sorow of our Lady and of His trew freinds that sen Hym in peyne. But I saw not so propirly specyfyed the Jewes that deden Hym to ded, notwithstondyn I knew in my feith that thei wer accursid and dampnyd without end, savyng those that converten be grace. And I was strengthyd and lered generaly to kepe me in the feith in every pointe, and in al as I had afore understoden, hopyng that I was therin with the mercy and the grace of God, desyring and prayng in my menyng that I myte continue therin on to my lifs end. And it is Gods will that we have gret regard to al His dedes that He hath don, but evermore it us nedyth levyn the beholdyng what the dede shal be; and desir we to be leke our brethren which be seynts in Hevyn that wille ryth nowte but God wille. Than shal we only enjoyen in God, and ben wel payd both with hyding and with shewyng. For I saw sothly in our Lordis menyng, the more we besyn us to knowen His privities in this or any other thyng, the ferther shal we be from the knowing thereof.