the mirror of simple souls pdfthe mirror of simple souls pdf

When he made them, he willed it of his divine bounty, and all was done in the same moment of his divine might, and all ordained of his divine wisdom., Now for God, saith this soul, behold what he hath done and what he doth, and what he shall do. This anyone may say! This soul, saith Love, hath not withheld any will within her, she is fallen into naught-willing and into certainty of naught-witting, and this naught-willing and naught-witting hath stilled and wholly pacified her. Though he died for all and took flesh and blood of mankind, this was to witness thereby to his bounty, for he owed me this since his Divine will willed it. I pray you, my dear daughter, my sister and my friend, if ye will, that ye say no more the secrets that ye wit, lest other should deem[372] where these taste, since Desire governeth them, Reason, Dread, and Will. This is not to be understood that this soul prayeth never, but in sundry practices that she hath, she prayeth never as thus. what might they rob her of? She hath wholly lost her wits,[165] in this usage, so that she cannot seek God nor find him in her soul, nor lead herself., This soul, saith Love, is not with-herself, and she is excused for everything; and he in whom she is, made his work for himself; he hath her well acquit witness of God himself, saith Love, that is the worker of this work, to the profit of this soul, which is not with-herself.[166], Ah, Love, saith Dread, where is this soul then, that is not with-herself?, There where she loveth, saith Love, without her witting,[167] and therefore liveth this soul without grudging of conscience. Charity obeyeth to nothing that is made, but [only] to love. So, of his bounty, he [giveth] the shewing of the seventh estate to which the sixth giveth being. And nothing that is wrought entereth within these souls, but, only that God who hath made them; so that none knoweth such souls but God that is within these souls., Ah, Lady Love, saith Reason, be not displeased, for yet I must have one more question. [182], Mercy God, saith Reason, dare we call naught anything that is in God?. Therefore whosoever would have these gifts let him flee desire and will, for otherwise they may not have them. And Love may do all that she will. For he that is, hath their will, [and he] knoweth what is good for them, and that sufficeth them without knowing or being sure. The meaning of these words that the soul saith, that her inwardness feeleth not, she moveth not herself, it is meant for the time of ravishing in union. but make it seem to the understanding of her loving affection, that she cannot make offering to her Beloved that might comfort her, but the thing that he loveth. But this, that they save themselves by faith without works, and that they can no more work, it is not meant that they cease from all good works for evermore, and never do any work, but sit in sloth and idleness of soul and body; for those who take it so, they misunderstand it; but it is thus. We say this, saith she, for the auditors of this book, that God loveth better [where there is] the more of himself [in a man], than [where there is] less of himself.[66], Oh, there is no less of himself, saith this soul, there is but all, and this I may say, and soothly say., I say, saith Love, that though this soul had all the knowing, the love, and the hearing, that ever was given or ever shall be given, of the divine Trinity, it should be naught in comparison with that which she loveth and shall love; nor this love may not be attained nor reached.. O thou Lord God! saith this soul, my sins may none know in this world, as they be, in hideous figure, save you. Oh, she may not do it, for she is all molten in God for the time. And then I told him, that if it might be that he could and would give me, by his will, as much of goodness as he hath of worth everlastingly, I should not love it but for him. Understand the gloss! This is sooth, saith Love, that this soul sets not so much prize nor love on temporal things, that she could win [anything] in refusing natures askings; wherefore then should she make [it a matter of] conscience, to give nature that which is his due? (6) The worshipped of love. And this may not be but that ye were it [indeed]. Why so anguishously? There is one substance enduring, one fruition agreeable, one conjunction amiable. And without them they have the beams of the divine sun they keep cleanness of heart, and none but they. Wit it forsooth, no! One is she, the mother of this Saviour. It would appear that the heretical influences from the South of France and Germany were already spreading northwards, and manifesting themselves in Flanders and the Netherlands when Eckhart began to preach. so that such virtues be made to serve the souls, and these souls be made to obey God and to receive the singular gifts God giveth to no creature that in desire and in will dwelleth? I give thee an ensample. I sent you the Thrones for to answer you and to summon you, and the Cherubin to enlumine you and the Seraphin for to embrace or kiss[250] you. ABSTRACT. M. This is an usage in Loves game, by which these souls have then so clear sight in divine beholdings, that it seemeth to them that all which they or others say, it is but gabbings in respect of the high goodness and great nobleness that is in God; which may not be known except by himself for the magnitude of greatness. This book, the which is called The Mirror of Simple Souls, I, most unworthy creature and outcast of all other, many years gone wrote out of French into English after my simple learning,[10] in hope that, by the grace of God, it should profit those devout souls that shall read it. for this gift is also all that he is in himself, who giveth it to this soul, and this gift moveth her purely into himself. Also, she comprehendeth much, what time she is oned to God; then in a moment of time she forgetteth herself and all other thing that was afore thought. The mystical life is the fruit of these, and our author is careful to show that he addresses himself only to those souls who are called to the higher life. Now We have all this, saith the Holy Ghost, of our very divine condition, and this she hath given us by way of a partie,[174] that is, a thing in love of good will, in a game[175] of holy meaning. The book was originally written in Old French in about 1290 or so, possibly a few. There is also an Italian translation. This meekness that is tutor and mother is daughter of divine majesty. This accordance is finely noble., I ask you a question: which is the most noble of these twain, the soul in gladness of that glory which draweth the soul, and embellisheth it by obedience to its nature, or that soul that to this glory is oned?, I know not, saith the soul that this first wrote, but Love, you yourself, say it for me! If we have seemed to stress the possible defects and dangers of our treatise, it has been done with a view to forestall the critic. Lord God, ye be all thing: thus is all thing made by you, and nothing is made without you, and I am naught; thus is all thing made without me. Ah, ah, fine love of my heart. Ye have something heard there, he said, I hold all thing that was and is and shall be; I am of all goodness fulfilled, take of me what ye will; if ye will have me all, I unwill it not, saith my friend, how seemeth it you of me? And the soul beholdeth with great dread that God hath commanded her to love him with all her heart and her even-Christian as herself. By their teachings it appeareth; it is the work of an ass and not of a man, if any man would hear them. Nor may their spirit endure that the body obey with [considered] deliberation, to [set about] doing anything of the outward works that might hinder this divine love, or the usages that are the means thereof, and lead towards this pure love. And she hath so abashed us, saith Holy Church, that we dare not be against her!, Oh, Holy Church, saith the Holy Ghost, will you wit what this soul wot and what she willeth? In this and the preceding chapter the French tendency to spin out ideas to their utmost logical conclusion is very marked. Cf. But if this soul, that is thus high set, might help any of her even-Christians, she would help them at their need with all her might. Lady, what would your thought [think] of them for this?. And in this death is born the perfect life, that is then made all free in gloriousness., O for God Almightful, saith Truth, Lady divine Love, shew me one perfect in this Being.. But ye shall love, my friend, saith Love, in his will, for in you he hath made his chamber secret, it pleaseth him there to dwell. $253. Two further chapters summarise the teaching to be drawn from the whole work, and especially the last incidents; and a wonderful little mystical lyric, anticipating the method of St John of the Cross, concludes the book. The Latin version (MS. Pembroke 221) of the late fifteenth century made by Richard Methley from the English is interesting. Now have I never aught, nor naught may I will, as of myself; nor none may give me anything wherewith to pay my debts. Take we this soul that is best, that could now be richest and would be quit of her debt that she oweth to God, and pay him neither more nor less, but this that she oweth him for one fault alone. And this point he hath assured me of without doubt by his pure bounty. For the labour of man and the desire to have some substance outside himself, to increase his love, that is but some shadowing or glimmering of knowing of the bounty of God. But one thing it pleaseth me to say, saith this soul, not for them that be settled, they have no need, for it does not concern them; but for them that are not, that yet shall be, they must trouble, for it is for them to take heed that they be upon their guard or waiting, if so be that love sendeth them anything of the same that he hath ordained for them, that they refuse it not, for nothing that may fall. M. As who saith, the true contemplatives should have no desire, but plant it all in divine will of God, and knit their wills wholly in him to his will, and have no proper will nor desire, but will perfectly the divine will of God. This wot none, but if he have assayed this point. Also, a heretic [soul] may not attain to him for all the wit and understanding that she hath or might have, she may not reach to the knowing of his might, nor of his wisdom, nor of his goodness. Thus departeth the soul from her will and the will departeth from this soul, so she putteth it again and giveth and yieldeth it [herself] in God where it was first, without self-love holding back herself, for to fulfil the perfect divine will that may not be fulfilled in the soul without this gift, so that the soul may have no other war or falliaunce. He maketh in a moment of two things, one. We describe them afresh, as our new point of vantage shows them in a fresh relation to their immediate surroundings, and then to the further and more distant scene of which they are a part. It is scarcely conceivable that we should attribute to Michael of Northbrook the translators device M.N.; his character, occupation, and date of death (1361) render such an hypothesis unlikely, but not impossible. Oh, what ask I of him? For [in] reproaches of the Father, and threatenings of the Son, there is nothing [found] of the oil of peace. And for this was her will given. But now I am stirred to labour it again new, for, because I am informed that some words thereof have been mistaken, therefore, if God will, I shall declare those words more openly; for though Love declare those points in the same book, it is but shortly spoken, and may be taken otherwise than it is meant, by them that read it suddenly and take no further heed; therefore [if] such words be twice opened it will be more of audience,[11] and so, by grace of our Lord good God, it shall the more profit to the auditors. all belong to the second third of the fifteenth century, and Bodley 505 is almost contemporary with MS. For less than the great fullhead of his all-goodness may not sustain my need, nor fulfil the deepness of my own wickedness. This is full far from that which is said, that the righteous falleth seven times a day, into a case for correction.. She is content with what God is in himself. He was certainly in touch with the learned world of his day, deeply read in mystical theology, and experienced in questions of scholastic philosophy. And when I will anything, saith this soul, then am I with myself so, and have I lost freedom, but when I will naught, and have all lost out of my will, then faileth me nothing; free-being is my maintainer. The fifth point is this, that this soul leaveth not, for God, to do anything that she would do., This is, saith Love, that this soul may not do [aught] but the will of God, nor may she will aught else; and for this she leaveth naught for God, for she hath not in her inward thought anything that is against God, and for this cause she leaveth naught for God., The sixth point is this, that none may her teach., Now for God, saith Reason, Lady Soul, say what this is!, This is to say, saith Love, that this soul is of such great knowledge that though she had all the knowing of all the creatures that ever had been and shall be, she would think it naught, as in regard of[65] that which she loveth, which was never known nor never shall be known. She ought to dwell within, and there loseth the soul pride and play, for the spirit is become bitter,[369] that suffereth her no more to be playing nor jolly. And they that are thus burdened say little and have heaviness of heart, saith this soul, until they have their usages. Book excerpt: When Dr. Romana Guarnieri, in a letter to Osservatore Romano (16 June 1946), announced her discovery that Margaret Porette (d. 1 June 1310) was the author of The Mirror of Simple Souls, certainly a major French document of pre-Reformation spirituality, a sensation was created in the academic world. but that the divine nature took nature of man oneing him thereto in the person of God the Son. He is blessed that often falleth for he is such a one that cometh soothly from thence whither none goeth unless he have the name of righteous. So that it is verily his own precious body, that for us suffered death: thanked and worshipped be he ever therefor. Now ye that stand so, be not dismayed of coming to a more high, no more shall he [be dismayed] if he have a gentle heart within, full of noble courage; but little hearts dare not great things take, nor ascend high, for default of love. [241] Nor unto this time is the spirit perfectly dead until it have lost the feeling of his love, and the will is dead that gave her life. God is divine; so have I a being that is divine., When this soul, saith Love, is thus drawn out of herself, without herself, by God, for him, in him, in this divine work, she cannot never work works of charity of human body;[239] nor can any who attains to this work., O understand holily, saith this soul, the sweet words of Love, for these words be hard to understand for them that desire the meaning of the gloss., This is sooth, saith Love, for work of creatures may not be compared to divine work made of God in creatures, of his bounty, for creature., O God, saith this soul, how far is the country of the Perished and the country of the Marred from the country of freeness and of fulfilled peace, there where the Settled dwell!, That is sooth, saith Love, and I shall say one word soothly, saith this soul, against Will, in which the perished and the marred dwell, that lead life of perfection. But nevertheless the soul comes never to divine usages[25] before she have [attained to] this usage, for all other human usages be under these usages; this is divine usage, and none other but this. I hold, saith this soul, that they to whom God did all this, had of it neither shame nor worship, nor desire to answer that this befell them by reason of what God did by them or for them nor for other people, if this was their judgement. Reason, saith the soul, that ye hear me complain, it is mine all and my best in well-understanding. Chief of these was Walter de Manny, who, with Michael of Northbrook, Bishop of London, was co-founder of the London Charterhouse. The Catholic Historical Review Marguerite Porete: The Mirror of Simple Souls translated and introduced by Ellen L. Babinsky preface by Robert E. 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