5207
5208 
5209 
5210 
5211 
5212 
5213 
5214 
5215 
5216 
5217 
5218 
5219 
5220 
5221 
5222 
5223 
5224 
5225 
5226 
5227 
5228 
5229
5230
5231 
5232 
5233 
5234 
5235 
5236 
5237 
5238 
5239 
5240 
5241 
5242 
5243 
5244 
5245 
5246

N
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Also, whil the forseyd creatur was ocupiid abowte the writyng of this tretys, sche 
had many holy teerys and wepingys, and oftyntymys ther cam a flawme of fyer abowte 
hir brest ful hoot and delectabyl, and also he that was hir writer cowde not sumtyme 
kepyn hymself fro wepyng. And oftyn in the mene tyme, whan the creatur was in 
cherche, owr Lord Jhesu Crist wyth hys gloryows Modyr and many seyntys also comyn 
into hir sowle and thankyd hir, seying that thei wer wel plesyd wyth the writyng of 
this boke. And also sche herd many tymys a voys of a swet brydde syngyn in hir ere, 
and oftyn tymys sche herd swet sowndys and melodiis that passyd hir witte for to 
tellyn hem. And sche was many tyme seke whyl this tretys was in writyng, and, as 
sone as sche wolde gon abowte the writyng of this tretys, sche was heil and hoole 
sodeynly in a maner. And oftyn sche was comawndyd to makyn hir redy in al hast. 
And on a tyme, as sche lay in hir preyerys in the chirche the tyme of Advent befor 
Cristmes, sche thowt in hir hert sche wolde that God of hys goodnes wolde makyn 
Maistyr Aleyn to seyin a sermown as wel as he cowde. And, as swithe as sche had 
thowt thus, sche herd owr Sovereyn Lord Crist Jhesu seyin in hir sowle, "Dowtyr, I 
wot ryth wel what thu thynkist now of Maistyr Aleyn, and I telle the trewly that he schal 
seyin a rith holy sermowne. And loke that thu beleve stedfastly the wordys that he schal 
prechyn as thow I prechyd hem myselfe, for thei schal be wordys of gret solas and 
comfort to the, for I schal spekyn in hym." Whan sche had herd this answer, sche went 
and telde it hir confessowr and other tweyn preistys that sche trustyd mech on. And, 
whan sche had telde hem hir felyng, sche was ful sory for dreed whethyr he schulde 
sey so wel as sche had felt er not, for revelacyons be hard sumtyme to undirstondyn. 
And sumtyme tho that men wenyn wer revelacyonis it arn deceytys and illusyons, and 
therfor it is not expedient to gevyn redily credens to every steryng but sadly abydyn 
and prevyn yf thei be sent of God. Nevyrthelesse as to this felyng of this creatur, it 
was very trewth schewyd in experiens, and hir dred and hir hevynes turnyd into gret 
gostly comforte and gladnes. Sumtyme sche was in gret hevynes for hir felyngys, 
whan sche knew not how thei schulde ben undirstondyn many days togedyr, for drede 
that sche had of deceytys and illusyons, that hir thowt sche wolde that hir hed had be 
smet fro the body tyl God of hys goodnesse declaryd hem to hir mende. For sumtyme 
that sche undirstod bodily it was to ben undirstondyn gostly, and the drede that sche 
had of hir felyngys was the grettest scorge that sche had in erde and specialy whan 
sche had hir fyrst felyngys, and that drede made hir ful meke for sche had no joye in 
the felyng tyl sche knew be experiens whethyr it was trewe er not. But evyr blissyd 
mote God ben, for he mad hir alwey mor myty and mor strong in hys love and in hys 
drede and gaf hir encres of vertu wyth perseverawns. Her endith this tretys, for God 
toke hym to hys mercy that wrot the copy of this boke, and, thow that he wrot not 
clerly ne opynly to owr maner of spekyng, he in hys maner of wrytyng and spellyng 
mad trewe sentens the whech, thorw the help of God and of hirselfe that had al this 
tretys in felyng and werkyng, is trewly drawyn owt of the copy into this lityl boke.