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N
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

N
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

N
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

On a tyme owre Lord spak to the sayd creatur whan it plesyd hym, seying to hyr 
gostly undirstondyng, "Dowtyr, for as many tymys as thu hast receyvyd the blissyd 
sacrament of the awter wyth many holy thowtys mo than thu canst rehersyn, for so 
many tymys schalt thu be rewardyd in hevyn wyth newe joyis and new comfortys. And, 
dowtyr, in hevyn schal it be knowyn to the how many days thu hast had of hy 
contemplacyon thorw my gyft in erth. And of alle that it so be that it arn my gyftys and 
my gracys whech I have govyn the, yet schal thu han the same grace and reward in 
hevyn as yyf it weryn of thyn owyn merytys, for frely I have govyn hem to the. But 
hyly I thanke the, dowtyr, that thu hast suffyrd me to werkyn my wil in the and that 
thu woldist latyn me be so homly wyth the. For in no thyng, dowtyr, that thu myghtyst 
do in erth thu myghtyst no bettyr plesyn me than suffyrn me speke to the in thi sowle, 
for that tyme thu undirstondyst my wyl and I undirstond thi wyl. And also, dowtyr, 
thu clepist my modyr for to comyn into thi sowle and takyn me in hir armys and leyn 
me to hir brestys and gevyn me sokyn. Also, dowtyr, I knowe the holy thowtys and 
the good desyrys that thu hast whan thu receyvyst me and the good charité that thu 
hast to me in the tyme that thu receyvyst my precyows body into thi sowle, and also 
how thu clepist Mary Mawdelyn into thi sowle to wolcomyn me, for, dowtyr, I wot 
wel anow what thu thynkyst. Thu thynkyst that sche is worthiest in thi sowle, and 
most thu trustyst in hir preyerys next my modyr, and so thu maist ryth wel, dowtyr, for 
sche is a ryth gret mene to me for the in the blysse of hevyn. And sumtyme, dowtyr, 
thu thynkyst thi sowle so large and so wyde that thu clepist al the cowrt of hevyn into 
thi sowle for to wolcomyn me. I wot ryth wel, dowtyr, what thu seist, `Comyth alle 
twelve apostelys that wer so wel belovyd of God in erde and receyvyth yowr Lord in 
my sowle.' Also thu preyist Kateryn, Margarete, and alle holy virginys to wolcomyn 
me in thi sowle. And than thu preyist my blissyd modyr, Mary Mawdelyn, alle apostelys, 
martirys, confessowrys, Kateryne, Margaret, and alle holy virginys that thei schulde 
arayn the chawmbre of thi sowle wyth many fayr flowerys and wyth many swete 
spicys that I myth restyn therin. Ferthermor thu thynkist sumtyme, dowtyr, as thow 
thu haddist a cuschyn of gold, an other of red velvet, the thryd of white sylke in thy 
sowle. And thu thynkist that my Fadyr sittyth on the cuschyn of golde, for to hym is 
apropyrd myght and power. And thu thynkist that I the Secunde Persone, thi love and 
thi joy, sytte on the red cuschyn of velvet, for on me is al thi thowte becawse I bowt 
the so der, and thu thynkyst that thu kanst nevyr aqwityn me the lofe that I have 
schewyd the thei thu wer slayn a thowsend tymys on the day yyf it wer possibyl for 
my lof. Thus thu thynkist, dowtyr, in thi sowle that I am worthy to syttyn on a red 
cuschyn in rememorawns of the red blood that I schad for the. Morovyr thu thinkist 
that the Holy Gost sittyth on a white cuschyn, for thu thynkist that he is ful of lofe and 
clennesse, and therfor it semyth hym to sittyn on a white cuschyn, for he is gevar of 
alle holy thowtys and chastité. And yet I wot wel inow, dowtyr, that thu thynkyst thu 
maist not worschepyn the Fadyr but thu worschep the Sone, ne thu may not worschep 
the Sone but thu worschep the Holy Gost. And also thu thynkyst sumtyme, dowtyr, 
that the Fadyr is al myghty and al witty and al grace and goodnes, and thu thynkyst the 
same of the Sone that he is al myghty and al witty and al grace and goodnes. And thu 
thynkyst that the Holy Gost hath the same proparteys evyn wyth the Fadyr and the 
Sone, procedyng of hem bothyn. Also thu thynkyst that eche of the three personys in 
Trinité hath that other hath in her Godhed, and so thu belevyst verily, dowtyr, in thy 
sowle that ther be three dyvers personys and oo God in substawnce, and that eche 
knowyth that other knowyth, and ech may that other may, and eche wil that other wil. 
And, dowtyr, this a very feith and a ryght feyth, and this feith hast thu only of my 
gyfte. And therfor, dowtyr, yf thu wilt bethynk the wel, thu hast gret cawse to lovyn 
me ryth wel and to gevyn me al holy thin hert that I may fully restyn therin as I wil 
myself, for, yyf thu suffyr me, dowtyr, to restyn in thi sowle in erthe, beleve it ryght 
wel that thu schalt restyn wyth me in hevyn wythowtyn ende. And therfor, dowtyr, 
have thu no wondyr thow thu wepe sor whan thu art howselyd and receyvyst my 
blissyd body in forme of breed, for thu preyist to me aforn er thu be howselyd, seying 
to me in thy mende, `As wistly, Lord, as thu lovyst me, make me clene fro al synne 
and geve me grace to receyve thi precyows body worthily wyth al maner of worschep 
and reverens.' And, dowtyr, wete thu wel I her thi preyer, for a bettyr word maist thu 
not sey to my lykyng than `as wostly as I love the,' for than I fulfille my grace in the 
and geve the many an holy thowt, it is unpossibyl to tellyn hem alle. And for the gret 
homlynes that I schewe to the that tyme that thu art mekyl the boldar to askyn me 
grace for thiselfe, for thin husbond, and for thi childryn and thu makyst every Cristen 
man and woman thi childe in thi sowle for the tyme and woldist han as meche grace 
for hem as for thin owyn childeryn. Also thu askyst mercy for thyn husbonde, and thu 
thynkyst that thu art meche beholdyn to me that I have govyn the swech a man that 
wolde suffryn the levyn chast, he beyng on lyve and in good hele of body. Forsothe, 
dowtyr, thu thynkist ful trewe, and therfore hast thu gret cawse to lovyn me ryth wel. 
Dowtyr, yyf thu knew how many wifys ther arn in this worlde that wolde lovyn me 
and servyn me ryth wel and dewly, yyf thei myght be as frely fro her husbondys as thu 
art fro thyn, thu woldist seyn that thu wer ryght meche beheldyn onto me. And yet ar 
thei putt fro her wyl and suffyr ful gret peyne, and therfor schal thei have ryght gret 
reward in hevyn, for I receyve every good wyl as for dede. Sumtyme, dowtyr, I make 
the to have gret sorwe for thi gostly fadyrs synnys in special that he schulde have as ful 
forgevenes of hys synnys as thu woldist have of thyn. And, sumtyme whan thu receyvyst 
the precyows sacrament, I make the to prey for thy gostly fadyr on this wyse: that as 
many men and women myth be turnyd be hys prechyng as thu woldist that wer turnyd 
be the teerys of thyn eyne and that myn holy wordys myght sattelyn as sor in her 
hertys as thu woldist that thei schulde sattelyn in thyn hert. And also thu askyst the 
same grace for alle good men that prechyn my word in erth that thei myght profityn to 
alle resonabyl creaturys. And oftyntymys that day that thu receyvyst my precyows
body thu askyst grace and mercy for alle thi frendys and for alle thin enmyis that evyr 
dede the schame er repref eythyr scornyd the er japyd the for the grace that I werke in 
the and for al this world bothe yong and elde, wyth many teerys sore wepyng and 
sobbyng. Thu hast suffyrd mech schame and meche repref, and therfor schalt thu han ful 
mech blys in hevyn. Dowtyr, be not aschamyd to receyvyn my grace whan I wil geven 
it the, for I schal not ben aschamyd of the that thu schalt ben receyvyd into the blys of 
hevyn, ther to be rewardyd for every good thowt, for every good word, and for every 
good dede, and for every day of contemplacyon, and for alle good desyrys that thu 
hast had her in this world wyth me evyrlestyngly as my derworthy derlyng, as my 
blissyd spowse, and as myn holy wife. And therfor drede the not, dowtyr, thow the 
pepyl wondyr why thu wepist so sor whan thu receyvyst me, for, yyf thei knew what 
grace I putte in the that tyme, thei schulde rathyr wondyr that thin hert brost not asundyr. 
And so it schulde yyf I mesuryd not that grace myself, but thu seest wel, dowtyr, thiself, 
that whan thu hast receyvid me into thy sowle thu art in pees and in qwyete and 
sobbist no lengar. And therof the pepil hath gret wondyr, but it thar no wondyr be to 
the, for thu wost wel that I far lyke an husbond that schulde weddyn a wyfe. What 
tyme that he had weddyd hir, hym thynkyth that he is sekyr anow of hir and that no 
man schal partyn hem asundyr, for than, dowtyr, may thei gon to bedde togedyr 
wythowtyn any schame er dred of the pepil and slepyn in rest and pees yyf thei wil. 
And thus, dowtyr, it farith betwix the and me, for thu hast every weke specialy on the 
Sunday gret feer and drede in thy sowle how thu maist best be sekyr of my lofe, and 
wyth gret reverens and holy drede how thu maist best receyvyn me to the salvacyon of 
thy sowle wyth al maner of mekenes, lownes, and charité, as any lady in this werld is 
besy to receyve hir husbond whan he comyth hom and hath be long fro hir. My 
derworthy dowtyr, I thank the hily for alle men that thu hast kept seke in my name and 
for al the goodnes and servyse that thu hast don to hem in any degré for thu schalt 
havyn the same mede wyth me in hevyn as thow thu haddist kept myn owyn self whil 
I was her in erde. Also, dowtyr, I thanke the for as many tymys as thu hast bathyd me 
in thi sowle at hom in thi chambre as thow I had be ther present in my manhod, for I 
knowe wel, dowtyr, alle the holy thowtys that thu hast schewyd to me in thi mende. 
And also, dowtyr, I thank the for alle the tymys that thu hast herberwyd me and my 
blissyd modyr in thi bed. For thes and for alle other good thowtys and good dedys that 
thu hast thowt in my name and wrowt for my lofe thu schalt have wyth me and wyth my 
modyr, wyth myn holy awngelys, wyth myn apostelys, wyth myn martirys, 
confessowris and virginys, and wyth alle myn holy seyntys al maner joye and blysse 
lestyng wythowtyn ende."