<fol. 1ra>Gostly sistur in ihesu
crist i pray þe þat
in þe calling þe
whilke our lord hath callud þe
in his seruice . þu holde þe payed
and stande stedfastly þer-in tra
ueland besely with alle þine
myhtes of þi sowle . be grace of
ihesu crist for to fulfullun in soth
fastnesse of gode lyuyng þe stat
whilk þu hast takun in liknesse &
in semyngg ; and als þu hast for
sakun þe werld als it were a
ded man turned to our lord bo
deli in syth of men ; ryht so þt
þin herte myhte ben as is wer~
ded to alle erthely loues and dre
des . turnud holy to our lord ie
su crist . for wite þu wel a bodely
turnyng to god wyth-outen þe
herte folwyng is bote a figur~
and a liknesse of uertuse and
no sethfastnesse . wherefore
a+wrechud man or wumman is he
or sche þt leuyth alle þe inward
ly kepyngg of hym self and scha
pith hym with-oute-forth on
ly a fourme and a liknesse of
holynusse in habite . in speche and
in bodely werkes . byholdyngg
other mennes dedes . and demyng
here defawtes . wenyng hym self
to bene ouht . whan he is nouht
<fol. 1rb>and so bigylith hym self .
Do þow nouht so . but turne
þin herte with þi body princy
pali to god . and schape þe with
innen to his liknesse be mekenesse
& charite & othere gostly uertuse
and art þu trewly turned to hym
J sey nouht þat þu so lyhtly on
þe ferste day mayht ben tur
ned to hym in þi soule be ful
hede of uertuse as þu may with
þi body ben closud in an hous
but þt þu scholdest knowe þe
cause of þi bodily enclosyngg
and þi body is enclosud fro
bodily conuersacyun of men riht
so þat þin herte myht ben enclo
sud fro flescly loues and dre
dis of alle erthely thyngges
and þu myhtest þe betere comen
þur-to . J schal telle þe in þis li
tul wrytyng als me þinketh .
þou schalt undurstonden . þat
þer arn in holi+chirche two ma
ner of lyues als seynt grego
ri seith . in þe whilke cristene
men schullen be saued . On is i
clepud actyue . þt other contem
platyue . with-outen on of þe
se two may þer no man ben saued .
Actyue lyf lith in loue
and charite schewud out
ward be gode bodely werkes .
<fol. 1va>in fulfulyng of godus comaun
demens . ande of þe seuene de
des of mercy bodily and gostly
to a mannus euen cristene ¶ þin
lyf longuth to alle werdli men
whilke hauen richesse and plen
te of werdely godus . and also
to alle othere whilke eyther ha
uen stat . office . or cure ouer oþur
men . and hauen godus for to
spenden . lerud or lewid . tempo
ral or spyritual . and generalli
alle wordli men þei arn boun
den to fulfulen up here myht
and here cunnyngg as resun and
discrecyun asketh . ¶ þise arn
werkes of actyf lyf either bode
ly or gostli . 3if he mykul haue
mikul do . 3if he litul haue . lesse
do . and 3if he nouht haue þat
he þan haue a goud wil . Also
a parti of actyf lyf lith in gret
bodili dedus wilke a man doth
to hym self . als gret fastyng
mykul wakyng . and other scha
rp penaunce doyng for to sha
tise þe flesch with discreciun
for trespases by-forn done . and
by suich penaunce for to refrey
nun lustus and likynggus þer
of and maken hit buxum and
redy to þe wil of þe spyrite .
þ<ill>i</ill>se werkus þou þei bene actyue
<fol. 1vb>þei helpun mykul and ordeynun
a man in þe bygynnyng to come
to contemplatyf lyf 3if þei ben
usud be discrecyun
COntemplatyf lyf lyth
in perfiht loue and cha
rite . felud inwardli be gostly uer
tuse . and be sothfast cnowyng
and feyth of god and gostly
thynges . þis lyf longuth spe
ciali to hem þe whilke fursa
ken for þe loue of god alle word
li riches . wurchipes and outward
besenesses . and holi 3yuen hem
bodi and soule up here myht
and here cunyng to þe seruice
of god by gostli ocupacyun .
Now þanne sithen it is so þat
þi stat askuth for to ben contem
platyue . for þat is þe ende and
þe entente of þine enclosyng
þat þu myhtust more freli and
enterely 3iue þe to gostli ocupa
ciun þanne by-houeth þe for to
ben ryht besy bothen nyt and day
with trauayl of body and spi
rite for to comen to þat lyf als
ner as þu may be siche menes als
þou hopust were best to þe ¶ Ne
uerelese bi-for þt i telle þe of þe
menes . j schal tellun þe furst
a litul more of þis lyf contem
platyf þt þu myht sumwhat seen
<fol. 2ra>what it is . and settun it als a
mark in þe sit of þi soule . wher
to þow schalt drawen in al þin
occupacyun .
COntemplatyue lyf hath
thre parties . þe firste
lyth in cnowing of god and gost
li þinggus . getun be resun . be
techingge of man . and by stu
die in holi+wryt . with-outen gost
li affecciun and inwardli sauur
felud by þe special 3ifte of þe ho
li+gost . þis party han speciali
summe lettred men & grete cler
kes whilke by longe studye
and trauayl in holi writ come
to this cnowyngge more or les
aftur þe sotulte of kyndeli wit
an continuance of studye up þe
general 3ifte þt god 3yueth ilke
man þt hath use of resun . þis
knowyngg is good & may ben
callud a party of contemplaci
un . in als mykul als it is a
siht of sothfastnesse and a cnow
yngge of gostli thynggus .
Neuereþeles it is but a figu
re and a schadue of uerrey con
templacyun . for it hath no sauor
of gostli sauour in good no+in<?>
ne in þe werdli swetnesse of
loue whik may no man fele but
he be in mykul charite for þat
<fol. 2rb>is þe propre wil of our lord . to
þe whilk comet non alien<?> . but
this maner of knowyngg his
comene to gode & to badde . for
it may ben had with-outen cha
rite and þer-fore is it nouht
ueray contemplacyun . als of
ten sythes . heretikes . ypocry
tes and flesch leuynge men
han more swyche knowyngg
þan many[e] trewe cristene men .
and 3it hauen þis men no cha
rite . of þis maner of know
yngge spekith seynt poul þus .
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
3if i hadde ful knowyngge
of alle thyng . and i knew
alle pryuites and i hadde no
charite . i am ryht nouht . Ne
uereþeles 3if þei þat hauen
þe knowyngg kepen hem
in mekenesse and charite .
swich as þei hauen and flen
werdli and flesscly synnus
up here myht . it is to hem
a good weye and a gret dis
posynge to verrey contempla
cyun . 3if þei desyrun & prayen
deuouteli aftur þe grace of þe
holi gost . Other men whilk
þat hauen this knowyngge
<fol. 2va>and turne hit in to pride and
wyn glori of hym self . or in to
couetyse and 3ernynge of wer
deli states . wurchippes & riches
nowt mekeli takynge it in prey
syng[e] of god ne charitably spen
dun it in þe profite of her eue
ne cristene summe of hem fallen
eythur in-to erroures and he
resises or in other opun sunnes
by þe whiche þei sclawdre hem
self and holy chirche . of þis know
yngge seith seynt poul thus .
<lat></lat>
knowyngh allon bolnyth up
þe herte to pride . but medle
it with charite and þanne tur
nuth it in to edificacyun . þis
knowyngge a-lone it his but
watir vnsauourly and cold .
And þerfore 3if þei þat hauen
it wolden mekely offren it up
to our lord and prayen hym
of his grace . he scholde with is
plesyng turne þe watur in
to wyn as he dede for þe pray
er of is modur at þe feste of
architiclyne . þt is for to seyne .
he schulde turne þe unsauori
knowyngge in-to wisdam &
þe cold naked resun in to gost
li lyht of þe holi gost .
<fol. 2vb>Þe secunde partie of con
templacyun lyht prinpa
li in affeccyun with-outen lyht
of undurstondynge of goste
li thyngus and þis is comoun
li of symple and vnlettred
men whilk 3yuen hem holi to
deuocyun and þis is felud in þis
manere . Whan a man or [a] wo
umman in meditacyun of good
felith feruour of loue and gost
li suetnesse by þe mynde of
his passyun or of ony of hise
werkes in his manhede or he
felith gret trust in þe gode
nesse and þe mercy of god or for
3euenesse of his synnes . and
for his grete 3iftes of grace or
ellus he felith drede in his affec
cyun wyth grete reuerence of þe
pryuey domus of good whilke
he seth nouht of his ryhtwis
nesse . or in prayer he felith þe
thout of his herte drawe vp fro
alle ertheli thyng[g]es streynud
to-gidere with alle þe myhtes
þer-of vp styingge to our lord
be feruent desyr and wyth gost
ly delite And neuereþeles in
that tyme he hath non opun
syht in vndurstondyngg of
gostly thyngges ne of priueytees
<fol. 3ra>of holi wryt in special . but only
þat hym thynkuth for þe tyme
nothyng lykith hym so mykil
als for to prayen or thynkun
als he doth for sauour delit and
counfort þat he fynduth þere
in & 3ut can he nouht tellun
what it is . but he felith hit wel
for þer-of spryngen many sue
te teres brennyngge desyrus
and stille mournynggus ;
whilke scourun and clansun
þe herte fro al þe fulthe of syn
ne and makun it meltun in to
a wonderful suetnus of ihesu
cryst . buxum souple and re
di for to fulfulle al godus wil
le in so mykul þat hym thyn
keth he maketh no charge what
com of hym self be so þt godus
wille were fulfillud . wyth suilk
many styryngges mo þan i can
or may seyn þis felyng may
nouht ben had with-outen gret
grace . and who so haue it for
þe tyme j hope þt he is in chari
te whilk charite may nouht
ben lorn ne be lessud . thou þe
feruour þer-of pas a-wey but
be a dedli synne . and þt is con
fortable . þis may be callud
þe secunde party of contempla
cyun . Neuereþeles þis party
<fol. 3rb>hath two degrees . þe lowere
degre of þis felyng men whilk
arn actyue may haue be grace .
when þen arn visitud of our
lord as myhteli and as feruent
ly als þei that 3euen hem ho
li to contemplatyf lyf ande
haue þis 3yfte . but it lestuth
nouht so longe . ¶ Also þis
felyngge in his feruour comyht
nouht alwey whan a man
wolde . hit comuth & goth als
he wile þat 3yueth it . and þer
fore who so haue it . meke hym
self and thank it god and ke
pe it pryue . but 3if it be to his
confessour other to sum othur
wys man . and holde it as longe
as he may with discrecyun . and
whan it is with-drawen dre
de nouht to mykul but stonde
in feyth & in meke hope with
pacient abydyngge til it come
a-geyn ¶ þis is a litul tast
yng of þe suetnesse of þe lo
ue of god of the whilke da
uid seyth thus in þe sautere .
<lat></lat>
Tastuþ and se3e suetnusse
of our lord . But þe heyere
degre of þis party may nouht
ben had and holden but of hem
þt arn in gret reste of body &
<fol. 3va>of sowle . þe whilke be grace of
iesu cryst an longe trauayle
bodili or gostli felen reste of her
te and clennus in consciencie .
so that hem like no thyng so my
kul for to done als to sittun stil
le in reste of body and for to
alwey preyen to god and thyn
kun on oure lord and for to thyn
kun sum tyme on þe blissede
name of ihesu . whilk is mad conn
fortable and delitable to hem
þat þei ben mynde þer-of felen
hem fed in here affeccyun and
nouht onli of that name . but
alle othere manere prayeres .
as þe . pater noster . or þe Aue . or ymp
nus . or psalmus . and othere
deuout seyngus of holi chur
che arn turnud as it were in
to gostly myrthe and suete song
by þe whilke þei arn confortud
and strencthud a-geynus alle
synnus & mykul releued of bo
dily disese . of this degre spekith
seynt powle thus . <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
Be 3e nouht drunkun wyth
wyn but be 3e fulfullud of þe
<fol. 3vb>holy gost . seyingge to 3oure
self in ympnis & psalmis & gost
ly songgus syngyng[g]e & psal
myngge in 3owre hertes to our
lord . who so haueth þis grace
kepe hym self in lownesse and
he be ay desyryngge for to komen
to more knowyngge and felyng
to god in þe þredde parti of con
templacyun . Thridde party
of contemplacyun whilk is par
fyht as it may ben . here lithe bo
then in cognicoun & in affecciun
þat is for to seyn in knowing
and in parfyht louyng of god
and þt is whan a mannes soule
first is clensud from alle þe
filthe of synne and is refour
med to fulhede of vertuse to þe
ymage of ihesu . and aftur whan
he is uisytud is taken up fro
alle ertheli and flescly affeccio
nis . fro veyn thoutes & vayn
ymagenyngges of alle bodli cre
atures and als it were mykul
rauesschud of þe bodli wittus
and þanne be grace of þe holi+gost
is illumyned for to sen be undur
stondyngg sothfastnesse whil
ke is god and also gostly thyn
gus with a softe swete brennyngg
loue in hym so parfyhtli þat
it be rauysschyngg of þis loue
<fol. 4ra>þe sowle is onud as for þe ty
me and confourmed to þe y
mage of the trynite . þe by
gynnyngg of this contempla
cyun may be felid in þis
lyf . but þe fulhede þer-of is kept
in þe blisse of heuene . of þis
onyngg & confourmyngge
to our lord . spekith seynt poul
þus <lat></lat>
þat is for to sayn . who so by
rauysschingg of loue is fest
nud to god . þanne god and a
soule arn nouht two . but bo
the one . nouht in flesch but in
on spyrit . & sotheli in þis onyng
is þe maryage mad by-tuyx
god & þe sowle . whilke schal
neuere ben broke . Þe other
party may ben called brennyng
loue in deuocyun . but þis is
brennyngge loue in cotempla
cyun þat is lowere . þis is þe
heyere . þt is þe suettere to þe
bodyli felyngg . þis is þe suet
tere to þe gostli felyng . for it
is more inward . more gostly .
more wurthi & more wundurful
ly . for þis is veraly a tastyngg
and als it were a syht of he
uenly ioye . nouht clerly . but
half in myrknes . whik schal
ben fulfillud & openly clerud
<fol. 4rb>in þe blisse of heuene as seynt
poul seyth <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
we se now god in a myrrour
as it were in myrknes . but
in heuene schal we se opynli
face to face . þis is the illumy
nacyun of vndurstondyngge
in delitis of louyngg as dauid
seiht in þe sauter <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
My nyht is my lyht . in my de
lytus . þe oþer party is mylk
of childrun . þis is holy mete
for parfyt men . whilke hauen
a-sayed wittus to cnowen gode
fro þe euele as seynt poul seyht .
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
þe werkyngg & þe ful vse
of þis 3ift may no man haue
but 3if he be first refourmed
to þe liknesse of ihesu . be fulhe
de of vertus . ne þer may no
man leuyng in flesch redeli
haue hit contynuly in is fulhe
de an in þe ouer passyngge
but by tymes . whan he is vi
sytud and als J conceyued
of þe wrytyngge of holy men .
hit is a wel schort tyme for
sone aftur he fallith in to a
<fol. 4va>sobrete of bodily felyngh and
þis werk maketh charite þus
as i vndurstonde seith seynt
poul of hym self <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
wherer we ouerpas oure bodili wit
tus to god in contemplacyun
or we arn more sobre to 3ow
be bodly felyngg . þe charite of
cryst sterith us . of þis parti of
contemplacyun and of confour
myngg to god spekith seynt
poul opunly thus <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
An þis þus mykel for to seyn
seynt poul in þe persone of
hym self & perfite men seith þus
we first reformud be vertuse þe
face of oure sowle vnhelud be
opunynggh of þe gostly eye
be-haldun as in a myrour he
uenli ioy ful schapun and onud
to þe ymage of our lord fro
bryhtede of feyht in to bryhted
of blessud loue . and al þis is
wrouht by þe spirit of our lord .
In a mannus soule als seynt poul
seyth . þis party of contemplacyun
god 3eueth where þt he wole to
<fol. 4vb>lerud & to lewed to men and to
wymmen occupyd in prelacy and
to solitari also . but it is speci
ali nouht comune . And also
þow a man whilk is actyue haue
þe 3ift þer-of be a special grace . ne
uereþeles þe ful vse þer-of as i
hope may no man haue but he
be solitarie and in lyf contem
platyue . Be þis þt i haue seyd
may þu sumwhat undurstondun
that visions & reuelacions of
eny maner spirit in bodely ape
ryng or in ymagyning slepyng
or wakyng . or ellus in any oþur
felyng in þe bodyli wittus made
as it were gosteli eythur in sown
nyngg of þe ere or sauouryng
in þe mouhth or smyllyng at
þe nose . or ellus in feliable
hete als it wer fy[e]r glowyng
and wermynggh þe brest or
any oþur party of þe body . or
eny thyng þt may ben felud be
bodily wit þow it be neuere so
confortable and likyng arn
nouht uerayli contemplacyun
ne þei arn but symple & secun
dari þou þei ben gode in regard
of gostli vertuse . ne of þis gost
ly knowyng and louyng of god
for in vertuse and in knowing
of god wt loue is no disceyt .
<fol. 5ra>but alle suylke manere of felyng
ges moun ben gode wrouht be
a good angel and þei mowen
be disseyuable feynud be a wic
kud angel whan he transfigu
ruth hym to an angel of lyht .
wherfore sethen þei mown bo
þe ben good & euele . it semeth
wel þt þey arn nouht þe beste .
ffor wite þu wel þt the deuel may
whan he hath leue feyne in bo
dili felyng þe liknesse of þe sa
me thynghes whilk a good an
gel may werkun . for as a good
aungel comyth whith lyht so
kan þe deuel & so of þe other
wittus . who so hadde felud
bothe he cholde tellun whilke
werun wi[c]kud w[h]ilke werun go
de . but he þt neuere felith neithur
on no ellus . but þe on may
lihtli be disseyued .