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WILLIAM
FLETE
REMEDIES
AGAINST TEMPTATIONS
William Flete's text, Remedies against Temptations, was
known to and used by Julian of Norwich in her Showing of Love. See http://www.hull.ac.uk/middle_english_sermons/cul-hh-1-11.php
for the miscellany at Cambrige University Library, containing this
text, twice over,
likely compiled by the Benedictine nuns at Carrow Priory, Norwich, the
dialect likewise identified by LALME as of Norfolk. Flete left
Cambridge, where he had been a scholar,
for Italy, July 1359, where he became spiritual director and executor
to Catherine of Siena as an Augustinian Hermit at Lecceto. Eric
(later Edmund) Colledge and Noel Chadwick
published the text from Cambridge University Hh.I.ii, folios 100-116,
in the
difficult-to-obtain Archivio
Italiano per la Storia della Pietá 5
(Rome,
1968). Only one
Latin manuscript ascribes the text to William Flete, other versions
generally being attributed wrongly to Richard Rolle or Walter Hilton.
The text influences Walter Hilton, Ladder
of Perfection, Julian of Norwich, Showing of Love, and the anonymous Chastising of God's Children. The
work
needs greater exposure as an essential part of Julian of Norwich's
contemplative library, and as a book which was also to be recalled by
Thomas
More when imprisoned and awaiting death in the Tower of London, and to
be copied out by his great granddaughter Dame Bridget More, O.S.B.,
Cambrai and Paris. Compare it with John Whiterig's Contemplating the Crucifixion. Like Boethius' Consolation
of Philosophy, it is one of the 'golden books' of western
civilization. These texts are medieval psychiatry. They are the cells
of the understanding of one's self and God, phrases common to both
Catherine of Siena and Julian of Norwich manuscripts. See Chaucer,
'Miller's Tale', The Canterbury Tales,
I (A) 3421-3525, for John's consolation meted out to Nicholas who seems
to have fallen into mental illness. See also the lecture given in
Attica State Prison on Boethius and Dante (http://www.umilta.net/attica.html).
In these texts, written for women, and here copied out by women, care
is taken to use gender inclusive language, speaking, in the fourteenth
and fifteenth century of 'men and women'. The letter þ (thorn) is the Middle English
character for 'th', the letter 3 (yoch), the Middle English character
for 'y, gh'. My
thanks to Juliana Dresvina for making the text
available to me for this transcription.
Catherine of Siena, The Orcherd of
Syon
(Dialogo), London: Wynken
de Worde, 1519
Here seweth a
souereyn
and a notable sentence to comforte a persone that is in temptacion.
Capitulum primum
ure merciful lord god
chastyseth hese childirn and suffereth hem to
ben tempted for many profytable skeles to here soule profi3te: and þerfore ther schulde non man
ne woman ben
hevy ne sory for no
temptacion. For Seint Jame the apostele thecheth vs þat we schulden haue
wery gret joy quan we ben tempted with diuers temptacions. For as the
goold is purged and pured be fier, and a knight in hard batail is
proued good but if he suffre hym self to ben ouere come, right so is a
man be temptacion preued for good but if he suffre hym self to ben
ouere
come, þat is to seye but if he
consente ther to
be deliberacion.
Soothly, quan a man is scharply
tempted, he may thanne hopen of gret
vertu, for Seynt Austynn seyth þat þe perfeccion of euery vertu
is
for
a man to be meche troubled with temptaciones, for euery vertu is proued
be his contrary. Our enmy the fend is besy day and nyght to tarye and
trauaylen goode men and women with diuers temptaciones, in doutes of
the feythe, and dredes of sauacion, and other many mo in divers
maneris, and specially now in these dayes he is ful besy to dysese and
to disseyve mannes soule; and þerfore wysely reule 3ou to
with stondyn
the fend in eche fonndynge or vyolent temptyng of temptacion, and 3eve
3e no fors of alle his asawtes, of doughtes ne of dredis, ne of
erroures
ne of dyspit, ne of false lesynges ne of fantasies, ne of no maner
trauaylynge of þe fend. Whether þou se hem, here hem or thynk
hem,
take non heed of hem, for they ben materis of grete mede, and no synne
in no wyse, whether they ben trauelous or angwyschiouse þat comen of
malice of þe feend. or of yuel
disposicion of
mannes complexion. And þerfore alle suche trauels
men ou3ten
nouth to charge, but suffren
mekely and abyden pacyently, til god do remedye þerto; and for as
moche as they ben materis of gret mede, no man aughte not to stryuen þer a3ens, ne merueyle of
hem, ne seeke þe cause, ne þenk be quat
skyle he is so traueiled. For þe more þat a man duelleth in
sechynge
and þenkinge of errouris and in
angwyschis, þe more deepely he
fallyth bothe in to errouris and in angwyschis.
And þerfore, for as moche as a
mannes þought is often veyn and
diuers, and non
ende hathe, it oweth
not to ben charged ne to be taken heed off, ne a man schulde not angre
hym self with all, ne blame ne arette it to his owne defaute þat he is
so traueiled, for swiche trauailes ben peyneful and not synful, for as
moche as þei been gretly ageyn his
wil. Seynt
Austyn seyth þat euery
synne lyeth in wilful wil, and quat þat is a3ens a mannes wil it
is
not synne, and the holy doctour Ysodre, De Summo Bono, seyth þat þe
fend tempteth a man no more þan god 3eueth hym leue. Þerfore lete vs
alwey haue a good wil to wilne weel and to do wel, and god wil kepe vs
and 3eue vs the victorye, and þe fend schal ben confounded.
Feith and
hope ben ground of al perfeccion and roote of al vertues: þerfore oure
old enemy þe fend is ful besy with all
his slyghtes to drawe þe soule
doun þer fro. And it falleth
somtyme þat þe fend tempteth and
trauaileth a rightful soule so scharply þat it is ouere leid with
care
and dreuen to dispeir; al þat tyme, þou3 the soule perseyue
it nought, it dwelleth stille in þe dreed and in the loue of
god, and
all þat trauaile is to his soule
gret meede
afore the sighte of god.
For oure lord of his endles mercy arettiþ not to the soule that synne
þat him self suffereth the
fend to wirche in the soule; but quan we be
oure oure owne wikkid wil fully don a3ens þe wil of god with
deliberacion, þanne synne we, but quan we
ben drawen
with wykkyd
vilenous þoughtes, and turmented with
dispeir and
thoughtes a3ens oure
owne wil þurgh fondynge or violent
temptynge of þe fend, we sufferen þeyne but we don no synne.
And 3et þe sely soules knowliche is
hid be þat turment.
Santa Francesca Romana's cell in the corridor painted with the
visions she had of evil
spirits, from which her guardian angel, given her by her dead son,
Evangelista, saved her
Capitulum secundum
ut often
the temptynge of þe fend, þat maketh þe soule to erre in
feyth and to fantasye in dispeir, semeth gret synne to a manis soule,
and is not so. For all holy doctoures seyn þat feith and hope ben
vertues of a mannes wil, wherfore who so wolde rightfully beleue, he is
in right beleue aforn god, and who so wold trustely hope, he is in
trusty hope aforn god, þough he be neuere so moch
trauailed with
weerful thoughtes or doughteful. Þe apostle Seynt Poule seyth þat in
a mannes wil is þe beleue of rightwysnes, of
which wordes
seyth þe
glose þat al only in mannes wil,
which may not
be constreyened, lieth
bothe meede and gylt. Þat is to seyn, a man aforn
god hath
neuere
meede ne gylt for no dede, but only of tho dedes þat ben don wilfully.
But sumtyme mannes þoughtes and womennes ben so
trauailed
and ouerleid that
they knowen nought here owne wil; and þough it so be, thei auten
not
to care, for good dedes schewen alwey a good wil, and euele dedes yuel
wil. Werefore a man þat doth in dede the seruice
of god, þat man
hath a good wil to god, þou3 his trauailouse herte
deme the
contrarye.
Also þer schulde no creature demen
his
euencristen for no wers
fantasyes or douteful, but if thei haue a very opyn knowynge of þat þinge for whiche thei schulen
deme hem.
Fore þer
schulde non demen yuel of man ne woman for a thynge þat is
oncerteyn
or in weere or doute; and right so it is yuel and not skylfully don ony
resonable creature to deme his owne soule in swich plyght, þat it
were
parted fro god for only wersum fantasies or douteful.
Capitulum tercium
nd if it so
be þat 3e
have consentid and fallen in ony temptacion,
beth sory, and crieth god mercy þerof,
and beth not discomforted þerfore. Þenke wel
on the grete mercy of god, how he forgaf Dauid his
grete synnes, and Petir and Maudeleyn, and not only hem but also alle
tho þat haue
be or mow be and schulen ben contrite for here synnes and
cryen god mercy.
Þerfore,
sustir, fle to hym þat al
mercy is jnne, and aske mercy, and
3e shuln haue mercy and forgeuenesse of alle 3oure synnes; and make you
louly to þe
sacramentis of holy cherche, and þanne 3e
owen to beleuen
trustily þat þei ben
forgouen, and 3e receyued into grace of god. For
god seyth hym self be his profete Ezechiel þat quan
a synful man
sorowth for his synnes he wele neuere more haue mynde þer of.
And if a
man may parceyue in his herte no verry sorwe, and þou3 he þenke
quan
he biddeth his bedes or cryeth to god for mercy þat he
doth al a3ens
herte, here fore schulde he not deme hym self graceles; for who so wold
haue very sorwe for his synnes, in þe doom
of god he hath very sorwe
for his synnes, and who so wolde in herte crye god mercy veryly, he
cryeþ god mercy veryly. For
as I haue sayd afore, god taketh heed to
mannes wil, and not aftir his trauelous fantasyes.
It is good þat a man
take non heed of all swiche trauelous fantasyes
and steringes þat comen
on this wyse, for god heydeth fro hem the
knowleche for grete skeles, to here profy3te of soule. Suyche passyons
is no synne, but mater of grace and of grete merite, and so þenke
alwey. And if it be so that the temptacyons cesen not, but waxen alwey
more and more, be not aferd, but sey somtyme among, in þe
worchepe of
god and in dispite of þe fend,
3oure crede, and knowlyche 3oure beleue
and 3oure hope be mouthe, and þenk on þe wordes
of Seynt Poule, þat
seyth: Knowleche of mouth is don to helthe of soule. And thei mow not
ben disseyued be the fendes wyles þat with
a good avysement bothe and wil withstondeth þe feend;
for was þer
neuere man
disseyued of þe feend
withouten assent of his owne wil, and with suche
a wil that is ful avysed and quemeful, with very assent of herte, for a
wersum or douteful trauelous wil putteth not awey a man fro god.
Capitulum quartum
nd þerfore þer
schulde no man kare ne ben hevy þat he is
so
traueiled more þan
another. Sister, alwey quan I speke of man in þis
wrytinge, take it bothe for man and woman, for so it is ment in alle
such writinges, for al is mankende. And forthermore as touchynge 3oure
troubles, þenke 3e
in alle 3oure diseses qwat troubles and diseses
goddis seruantis have suffred, what peynes and quat tormentis þei
haue had here in erthe in many sondre maneris, and 3e schal fynden
cause to suffre. Leo þe pope
seith þat it
falleth somtime þat goode
and righteful soules ben sterd be þe fend,
and somtyme be sterynge of
complexion to angres, troubles, taryenges and diseses of dredes, þat
it semeth to hem her lif a torment, and here deth an ease, in so moche þat
somtyme for disese þei
begynnen to dispeire both of here lyf of
body and of here soule. And thei wenen þat þei ben
forsaken of god,
whiche asayeth and proveth his chosen frendes be temptacyons and
angres.
But these fondynges or vyolent temptynge and angwischis ben but
purgynges and preuynges of the soule, for as I sette and seyde at þe
begynnynge of þis
wrytynge, right as þe feir
purgeth gold, and a
knight also is preuyd good and hardy be bataile, right so temptacions
and trubles preueth and pureth þe
rightful man. This is preued wel be
Thobie, for the angel Raphael seide to Thobie thus: For as moche as þou were
righteful to god it was nedeful þat
temptacion schulde
preuen thi wil.
It is weel knowen þat
seknesse falleth to a man aftir the disposicion
of his complexion, and Leo the pope seith þat the
feend aspyeth in
euery man in what wyse he is disposed in complexion, and aftir that
dispocicion he tempeteth a man in his complexion; for ther as he
fyndeth a man ful of humors of malencolie, he tempteth hym most with
gostly temptacions. But þese, if thei wiln be
meded of god, schape hem
to pacyens, and seye thei with Job: Sethen we haue receyued of god
benefetis, why schulde we not receyue and suffre disese. And þink on
the disese þat oure
lord Jesu Crist suffred hym self here on erthe,
and suffred his blissed modir to haue also, and þenk weel
also that 3e
may not in þis frel
world ben so free as aungel þat is
conformed in
grace; but while 3oure body and soule beth togydre in this lyf, 3e most
receyuve troubles as well as esys. And þenke not
þat god
hath forsake
3ou, bur mekely abydeth the comfort of god, and dredles quan it veryly
nedeth, 3e schul not failen þer of.
For trusteth weel þerto, þat
quan 3e felen 3ou in suche plyghte, þat grace
is veryly with you.
But some men quan thei haue dredes of sauacion, or ben tempted to
dispeir, or if thei haue ony vycious gostly sterynge or grete felynges
of here owne frelte, thei wenen anon þat thei
haue synned in the holy
gost; and þanne
fend putteth in hem þat it
may neuere ben forgouen,
and þerfore
thei may not be saued. Þus
speketh þe fend
with jnne
hem. and afrayeth som sely creaturis þat þei wenen
that thei schuln
gon out of here mynde; but 3e þat ben þus
tempted, answere þe fend
a3en þat he is
fals and a lyer: it his nature to ben soo. For the synne
of þe holy
gost as clerkes seyn is infenyte with owten repentaunce and þat is
quan a man wilfully be deliberacion wole not ben repentaunt ne
aske of god mercy ne for3eueness of his synnes, ne wole not be turned,
but wilfully departeth hym from the godnesse of god, and in this
wretchednesse abydeth wilfully with ful consentynge of wil, and leueth
and deyeth þer inne.
He þat dooth
þus
synneth in þe holy
gost,
which may not ben for3euen here ne elles where, for he wolde not truste
in þe
goodnesse of þe holy
gost and aske for3eueness of his synnes;
and a man þat wil
no mercy aske may no mercy haue. This is infenyte,
with outen repentaunce.
But þough a man or woman haue or feele alle
þe vycious sterynges and as many mo as ony herte kan
þenke, a3ens here owne free wil, and alwey quan reson cometh to
hem, thei ben myspayed with al, and fleen alwey to goddys mercy, it is
to hem but preuynge and clensynge of synnes,
þou3 thei been often in the nyght and in the day now vp, now
doun, as wrasteleris ben. And þou3 3e haue ony tyme vtturly fallen in
ony synne gostly or fleshly, and lyen þer inne wilfuly be deliberacion
and ful consent of herte, þanne
beeth soory and aske god for3euenesse, and euere more
þenke fully
þat
þe goodnesse of
þe holy gost surmounteth al synnes
þat euere were donn and euere schul be don. For
þou3 oo man hade do alle the synnes
þat euere were don and euer schullen be do,
þou3t and seyd in to
þe day of jugement, and he were wery contrite and asked god
for3euenesse, and mekely lowned hym to
þe sacramentis of holy cherche he schuld haue mercy and
for3euenesse of all his synnes.
Þe mercy
of god is so gret þat it
passeth alle his werkes, and þou3
sometyme 3e heren speke or reede in bokes sharpe wordes and harde
sentencys, comforteth 3oure self, and þenke
weel þat alle swiche
harde wordis ben seyd and wretyn to chasteise synneres, and to with
drawe hem from wikkednesse, and also to purge and pure goddis specials,
as is the metal in furneys, and of hem god wil make his hous. And wete
it weel, many wordis þat semen
ful harde ben ment ful tendirly in good
vndirstondyng; and þou some wordes ben ment harde as þe pleyn
text
spekyth, 3e shul not taken hem to 3ou ward, but þenketh
in comforte of
3oure self þat alle
harde sentens moun ben fulfillyd in the Jewis and
Sarasyns. For the cristen þat wiln
ben contrite, and truste to goddis
mercy, or haue a wil þat it
were soo, thei schuln ascape alle perels,
so þat þei schul
not perishe bt be saued; and þe Jewes
and Sarasyns
in þo perils schuln perische to perdicion, for þei haue
not the
strenghte of baptym þe
precyous oyntement of Crystes passyon, þat
schulde to here soules 3eue lyf and heele.
Off þis we
haue gret exaumple and figure in holy writ, where þat
Moyses ledde þe
children of Israel, goddis people, ouere þe Rede See.
Moyses went aforn hem and smot the watir with his 3erd, and þerwith
the watir departyd, and the childern of Israel wentyn ouere saf and
sound, and thei of Egypt perisheden and drounchen in the watir. Be
Moyses I vndirstonde oure lord Jesu Crist, and be the 3erde that
departed the water þat þe
children of Israel wern not perisched. I
vnderstonde his passyon, and be the children of Israel cristen peple.
A man þat
stondeth in disese, he is holden to seken alle þe weyes
he
may to comforte hym self. Oure lord Jesu Crist cam from his fadris
bosom in to þis see of tribulacions
and temptacions to be oure ledere:
he goth beforn vs, and with his precyous passyon he smyteth awey the
pereles of our tribulacions and temptacions, so þat we
schal not
perische, but it schal brynge vs to safte, þat is
euere lastynge
blisse; and þerfore
synge we to hym þangkynges
and herynges or
preysynges as the childern of Israel deden.
And þough a
cristen man were neuere so wikkyd ne so synful, and stood
in the same sentens of hardest wordes þat ben
wretyn, 3et he schulde
trusten to goddis mercy, for if he wolde forsaken his synnes and 3iue
hym to good liff, he schulde haue grace and for3euenesse, and the
scharpe wordes of dampnacion schulde turne hym to mercy and sauacion.
For þus seyth
oure lord god in holy wryt be his profete Jeremye: Þough I
make gret thretes, I schal repente me of my wordes, if my
people wil repenten hem of here synnes.
O behold the gret goodness off oure lord, and how pyte constreyneth
hym, wurscheped and þanked be
he euere. He is so good and so benynge
and so ful of mercy to the repentauntis þat he
chaungeth his sentensis fro
scharpe vengeance in to for3euenesse, and of þe peynes
3eueth
aleageances. He seyth also be his profete Ezechiel: I schal for3eten þe synnes
of ony man þat with
wery contricion wil drawen hym to
goode: and þis great
mercy schewed our lord openly be the cyte of
Niniue, and also be king Ezechie. Þerfore
dispeir no man for synne,
but alwey trust fully to goddis mercy þat so
weel kan redresse alle
our myscheues, and turne alle oure woo to wele and our sorwe in to joye.
O þou glorious myghteful
god, þat þus
merueilously werkest in thy
creaturis, quat þi mercy
is brod and large þat
maketh þe to
chaunge
thi sentence, which is thi wil and thi word. Blessed be þou good
lord,
in all thyn holy vertues, for thou kanst, mayst and wilt turne and
chaunge alle oure infirmitee to our beste if we wele vs self flee to þi goodnesse and asken
mercy.
But god forbede þat ony
man schulde ben the more bolde or necgligent
to synne wilfully or wytyngly be deliberacion for oure lord is so
mercyful; for I dar sauely seyn þat euery creaunt soule
and curteys
wil be the more loth to offenden hym. But 3e that ben tempted a3ens
3oure wil, and wolde not be 3oure good will for alle þe world
displesen god wilfully, but ben yled and taryed with peynful þoughtes,
beeth not afered of þe fend
ne of his affrayers. He is foule
discomfited quan he seeth a man or a woman whiche he temptetch is not
aferd of hym. Somtyme þe fend
cometh and temptetch a soule fiersly
like a dragon. Somtyme he assaileth a soule rampandly lyke a lyon. But
and a man strenghte hym self sadly in þe
goodnesse of god, and arme
hym in his precyous passyon, an hundyryd feendis, how euere thei come,
schul haue nomore poure ouere hym than haue as many flyes or knattis.
And therfore strenght 3ou alle in god, and eschewe 3e not and beeth not
abaysched to strengthe and arme 3ou in hym þou3 3e bee synful; for
he
seyth hym self in the gospel that he cam for þe synful. Also in a
nother place of þe gospel
he seyth that he cam for mercy and not for
vengeance. He cam, þe good
lord, to be oure scheld and oure strengthe,
and so lete vs homly with a meke herte take hym.
And if 3e fele 3et ony dredis be ymagynacion or temptacion, or for
wordes þat 3e
haue herde or haue rede in bokes, be þe whiche
3e dowte
of sauacion, þanne þenketh
on tho wordes þat crist
hym self taughte
to a man þat
doutyd and asked of oure lord who schulde be saued, for
hym þoughte
hym selfe it was ful hard to eschewe all þe
poyntes þat
leden to perdicion; and oure lord seyd to hym: Crede in deum patrem
omnipotentem. Beleve, seyd oure lord Jesus, þat god þe fader is al
myghtyful, as who seyth, there is no þing
impossible to god, but alle
is possible to hym þat alle
synnes may for 3eue and alle wronges
redresse, and bryng soules to his blisse. And þerfore þenk wel þat
his myght may do alle þinge,
and his wisdom kan, and his goodnesse
wole, and trusteth fully þerto he
wole saue 3ou and brynge 3ou to his
euere lastynge joye, quan he seeth beste tyme for 3ou. For he hath
bought 3ou þerto ful
dere with his precious blod and peyneful deth;
and I dare safly seye þat þer is
non so synful a caytef þat is
cristen or wolde be cristen þis day
on erthe, and þough he
were for
synne in the seyght of god dampnable, and in the sighte of alle
creaturis also, 3ha and were juged to be dampned be alle scripture, and
he wolde for sake his synne and be contrite and asken god for3eueness,
he schuld haue mercy and for3euenesse of hym, and if he stode soo or
hadde a good wil to stonde soo in þe tyme
of deth, he schulde be saued.
The myghte and þe mercy
of god is so moche and so gret þat it
surmounteth alle his lawes and judgementis and alle scripture; and so
oure lord Jesu scheweth vs be an exaumple in the gospell of þe woman þat was
founden in avouterye. By Moyses law, þat was
ordeyned of god,
shuld haue be stoned, but þe myght
and þe wisdam
of god schewed
to þe
Faryseyes here owne synnes þat
accused here, so þat þei myght
not for schame demen here, but stolen awey oute of þe
temple, and oure
lord Jesu demed here not, but he of his gracious mercy for 3af
here alle here synnes. And þerfore
be a man or a woman neuere so
synful, and þou3 thei
fele neuere so many bodyly and gostly synnes al
day rysynge and styringe with inne hem, thei schulden neuere the
rathere dispeire of þe mercy
of god ne be discumforted, for þer as
meche synne is, þere is
meche mercy and grace, and the goodnesse of god
knowe, þat is to
seye in the for3euenesse of synne, quan a man turneth
hym from synne and is very contrite.
But god schilde, as I seyde afore, þat ony
creature be the more
recheles or bold to synne wilfully; but for þe mercy
of god is so
large, we owen to ben the more besy and diligent to loue and plese god,
for þat he is
so good and so ful of mercy. God werketh lyke a good
lyche, for a lyche suffereth somtyme the dede flesh to growe on hym þat he
hath in cure, but aftirward he taketh awey the dede flesh and
maketh the qwyk flesh to growe, and so he heleth þe man.
Right so doth
oure lord, þat is
euere ful of benyngnyte, and is makere of heuene and
erthe, blissed and þanked
mote he be. He suffreth somtyme a man or a
woman to falle in dedly synne, but aftirward of his gret pyte and mercy
he putteth to his hond of grace, and hem þat weren
dedly wounded þoru3
synne, he heleth hem and washcheth away here synnes in þe welle
of his mercy, and maketh in hem the quik vertues to growe, wher þoru3
he 3eueth hem lyfe.
Oure lord god is also like a gardener, for a gardener suffereth somtyme
wikked wedys to growen in his gardeynn, and whanne the erthe þoru3
reyn is moyste and tendre, he taketh awey the wedys bothe rote and
rynde. And in the same wyse doth oure good lord. He suffereth somtyme
in his gardeyn, whiche is manis soule, wikked wedis of synne growe, but
quan the hert wexeth tendre be meknesse, and moyste þoru3
contricion,
oure benynge lord taketh awey þanne
alle þe synnes
bothe rote and
rynde, and planteth and setteth in his gardeyn goode herbes and frutes
of good vertues, and wattereth hem with þe dewe
of his blissed
goodnesse, where þoru3
thei schal come to euere lastynge blisse, joye
and reste.
Now sethen þat oure
lord god is so good, so piteuouse and so mercyful
to synneris þat
wilfully haue offende hym in gret horryble synnes,
ful moche more, as 3e may weel wete, he is mercyable and hath pyte and
compassyion of a soule þat is
a3ens his wil taried with trubles and
temptacion, but oonly þat god
suffereth hem to be so wexed for helthe
of here soules.
And þerfore,
suster, be not douteful ne hevy, for it schal neuere
turne 3ou to perell, but it schal turne 3ou to gret profyte, for ther
by 3e schal wynne the crowne of worchip and þe palme
of victorie,
whiche schal ben to 3ou gret worchip and glorie in the blisse of heuene
þou3 þe þank þat 3e
schuln haue of oure lord god for 3oure with
stondynge of such temptacions and for your pacyens if 3e taken it
mekely, and to þe fend
it schal turne to schame and confusion. And þou3 it
seme 3ou somtyme þat 3e feele a discord
betwyn god and 3ou,
be not þerfore
discomfortid, for þus seyth
oure lord be þe
profyte
Ysaie: A lytel while I haue for seken the, and in a moment I haue hyd
my face fro the, but I schal gadere the a3en in many mercyes, and I
schal haue mercy on the, and that mercy schal euere last.
Capitulum quintum
nd þerfore
grutche no man a3ens the will of god, ne merueile not of þese
maner of temtacions, for the more a man or woman is tempted in
this maner or in ony other maner a3ens here wil, and thei with stonden
it, þat is to
seye not with a quemeful wil consentynge þerto,
but
mekely suffereth it, þe more
thei ben sadded in good vertues and
profyten in the syght of god, þou3 it
be hyd fro hem.
But parauenture quan 3e stonden scharply tempted, 3e þenken þat 3e
ben to dulle and to necgligent in goostly exercyse, for þoru3
weiknesse of 3oure spirit þat is
for traueiled 3e seme þat 3e
haue in
wil consentyd to swyche temptacions as 3en ben tempted with. But it is
not soo, for 3e schuln vnderstonde þat euery
man or woman hath too
willis, a good wil and an yuel wil. Þe yuel
wil cometh of the
sensualite, the whiche is euere dounward enclynynge to synne, and þe good wil cometh of graces, þe whiche is alwey vpward
enclynynge to alle goodnesse.
And whiles þat 3e
haue alwey whanne resoun cometh to 3ou, a good wil
to de weel, and ben myspayd with all yuele þoughtes
and sterynges þat
3e feele and wolde neuere feele ne don other þanne in
the wil of god, þou3
suche wikked þoughtes
and sterynges come among in to 3oure
herte, and be gret violens of scharpnesse of trouble and disese 3e ben
enclyned to the wil of þe
sensualite, 3et do 3e it not ne 3e
consente not þerto,
but it is þe
sensulaite þat dooth it in 3ou, and
3oure good wil stondeth stille in 3ou onbroke, þou3 the
cloudes
of yuel þoughtes
stoppe awey 3oure syghte fro þe felynge of youre good wil, as
3e may se be exaumple of the sonne. The sonne schyneth alwey and is in
his due place, as weel quan we seen it noght as whanne we seen it; but
the reyny cloudes stoppen away our syghte, þat we
may not seen it in
suche tyme as reyny cloudes ben. And so it fareth be þoure
good wil,
which stondeth alwey be goddis grace vnbroken in 3ou, þou3 3e
fele it
noght for trauaileuse þoughtes
that benymeth þe sighte
of youre
knowleche.
O yet goddis childern þat scharply ben vexed with tribulacions
and
temptacions, comforte 3e 3ou in 3oure benynge fadir, þat seyth
to 3ou
in holy writ be his profete: My childern, þou3 3e
go in the feir,
drede 3ou not, for the flaume schal not dere 3ou, as who seyth, 3e my
chyldern þat ben
cristen peple and in good wil to do weel, þou3 3e
go in the feer of tribulacion and temptacion, drede 3e not, for it
schal be arettid to you for no perel of soule, but þoro3 my
goodnesse
and the merites of my passyon, it schal turne to 3ou to gret helpe and
profyte of soule.
Þe maner
of alle these temptacions, and the remedies þer
a3ens,
scheweth oure sauyour to his apostle Seynt Petir in þe gospel
wher he
seyth þus:
Petir, Sathanas asketh þat he
myghte sifte the as who
sifteth whete. In as muche þat
Sathanas asked this, it schewed weel þat þe fend
had no myght to tempte þe seruaunt of god in
suche
troubles but be his suffraunce; and þat was
openly schewed in the
fondyngis or temptyngis of Job, and that he wolde haue syfted hym as
who sifted whete. Taketh kepe: þe more þat whete
is cast fro syde to
syde in a seve, the more clene it is; right so, þe more þat a man
or
woman is traveiled with the fend a3ens here wil, þe more
clene thei ben
aforn god, and here be we lerned openly þat god
suffereth not his
seruauntes to be tempted but for here beste, be so þat þei
schape hem
to withsonte the fend as goddis derlyngis schulden do.
But for as myche as no man may with stonde þe fend
withouten the helpe
of god, þerfore
of his helpe he maketh vs sekir and seyth thus: I haue
preyed for the, þat þi feyth
faile þe nouth.
And there þat a man
fyndeth in his herte a good paciens redily to suffren all diseses
makely for goddis sake and for his loue, not takynge heed of alle the
fendis temptacions and traueles þat man þoru3 the
myght and þe grace
of Crist berith doun þe fend,
and he hym self preued ther with. And
to suche men oure lord seyth þis: Þou þat art
thus turned to god in
pacyence, but if þou helpe
to counceil and conferme thi brethern and
teche hem to suffre as the grace of god hath tau3t þee,
ellis þou art
onkende. Salamon seyth þat oo
brother is a myght a3ens the
fend, and þerfore
thei that ben sorweful and scharply traueiled, quan
thei haue herd the good counceil of her brother or suster, thei owen to
taken comfort to hem and sey these wordes with Dauid: O þou my
soule,
why art þou so
drery, and why troubelest þow me
soo, truste fully to
good god þat is
ful of mercy, and to hym I knowleche þat hym I
schal
serue, be I neuere so myche traueiled ne trubled.
And suche men þat þus ben
traueiled and taried with scharpe peynful þoughtes
and sterynges, thei owen to taken the councel and techynge of
wys men þat ben
goode and discrete, and be no weye þat thei
folwe
here owne wielde fantasyes, for þat wold
vttirly schende hem. And in
the mene tyme of suche troubles, þei
musten 3eu hem to som good li3t
occupacion, and somtyme to redynge and syngynge the seruyse of god, and
to other good dedes, and euere among preyenge to god of helpe, and þat
he sende hem strenghte and pacyence. And þou3 thei
fynde in hem self
no maner of swetnesse ne sauour oto goddis seruise, 3et thei owten not
to care ne ben heuy þerfore,
for it is jnow to helthe of mannes soule þat he
wolde haue reste and swetnesse in the seruise of god. For in
the doom of god, the wil stondeth as for dede, and so seyth holy wryt,
which may not ben ontrewe, þat every
good wil is acceptid as for
dede. Seynt Bernard seyth þat
somtyme god with draweth deuocion fro
preyer to make the preyer the more medful. God wold be serued somtyme
in bitternesse and somtyme in swetnesse, and both to we musten mekely
receyue. And Aristotil seyth a resoun, þat with
the more and hardere
trauueile þat
vertues ben goten, þe bettir
it arn and þe more
þank
wurthy. But the soule is more trauailed with heuynesse of herte and
vnlykynge to serue god þanne
whanne a man is in good lykynge and ful
swetnesse and reste of soule, wherfore dredeles it is the more medeful.
It was no maystrye for Seynt Petir, quan he saw oure lord Iesu on the
hyl in blisse to seye: Lord, it is good vs to dwelle here; but
aftirward quan he saw hym amongis his fomen tormentid, a womans word
mad hym afered and soo sore in dreed þat he
seyde he know hym not. But
aftir þat, quan
he was confermed þoru3 the
myght of the holy gost, þer was
no turment in erthe, ne kynge ne prince, þat
myghte make hym
aferd. Right soo, if a man be in swetnesse and reste of herte, it is no
maystrye to seruen god, but it is no maystrye quan a man is traveiled
and oute of reste to seruen hym. But qwat trauayle that a creature haue
in the seruyce of god, if a mannes wil be good, and wolde þat it
were
weel, þe more
mede he schal haue. And if a man wolde suffre pacyently
til he aftir trauailes be strengthed of the holy gost, þer
schulde no
fend in hell haue myght to affere hym not gretly. And þou3 it
be longe
or he feele comfort, lete hym not drede, for oure mercyful sauyour
woteth wel what tyme comforte is most nedeful to hym, and thanne
fayleth he nought. And þerfore
lete hym trusten weryly þat it is
al
for his beste, þou3 þat he
knowe not goddis abydynge.
Somtyme the feelynge of swetnesse and of comfort is with drawen from a
man, for ellis he schulde waxen proud and presumptuouse, or necgligent
and recheles in vertues; and þerfore
it is withdrawen for the beste to
helthe of his soule. And also hardenesse and scharpnesse sent to a
creature is ful profitable to the soule, for Seynt Augustyn seyth þus
in techynge of vs alle, þat þe manere
of god is, þat quan
a man is
feble and newly turned to hym, to 3eue hym pees and swetnesse, and soo
to stable hym in his lawe and loue; but quan he is stabled and sadly
set and grounded in loue, þan
suffereth he hym to be al to trauailed
for twoo skylles. Oon is to preue hym, and to crowne hym þe more
hy3e
in the blisse of heuene, and another is to purge hym of his synnes in
this world that he in no wyse be longe from hym in þe tother worlde.
Capitulum sextum
nd for as
myche as many men kunne not in tyme of temptacion ne woln
not see it, but ben sory and dredeful of complexion, þerfore
to alle
suche men thre thynges ben nedeful. The firste is þat thei
be not
myche alone. The secunde is þat thei þenke not
ne seche no þing
deeply, but fully reule hem, as I seyde afore, be som good discret
persone; and þou3 it
come in to here herte and mynde þat þei
schuld
be lore or in perell, þou3 þei wold
beholde here counsell, thei owen
to taken non heed to suyche þou3tis
and sterynges, ne charge hem. Take
thei non heed of suyche ymagynacions or sotyl conseytes, for it may
neuere turne hem to dampnacion, the counseil of wise men þat is
3ouen
to hem for here sauacion. God seyth in the gospel þat if þe
menynge
be good of a manis purpose, þe dede
is good. The thredde remedy is
this, þat for
as myche as the fend traueileth faste to make a man
dredful and sory, þanne þat he to
þe
worchip of god and in troust of
his helpe, and to schame and confusion of the fend and right in dispyct
of hym, þat he
strengthe hym self to be glad and mery, þou3 it
be
a3ens herte. And drede no þing the
fendis malice, for þe lasse
gladnesse that a man fyndeth in his herte, þe more
mede he is worthy,
so þat he
strengthe hym self to be glad and mery to the worchep of god
and dispitte of þe fend.
For holy writ seyth þat þe
aposteles 3eden
awey mery and glad quan the Jewes, goddis enemyes, hadden schamfully
beten hem.
Also a man oweth to be glad, quan the fend tempteth and turmenteth hym,
for three skelles. The first is þat he is
turmentid of goddis enemy. The
secunde for in suche tormentis and temptynge the fend scheweth þat he
is ful his enemy and þerfore
oweth euery man to be glad þat
goddis
enemy is his enemy. And the threde is for be suche tormentis a man is
not only relesed of the peynes of purgatory, but also it maketh hym to
wynne heuene blisse to his meede. Jesu seyth in the gospel: Blissed be
thei þat
sufferent persecucion for rightwysnesse for here is þe
kyngdom of heuene.
Capitulum septimum
lso oure
olde enemy the fend and serpent is often tymes aboute to
begyle mannes soule in many sondre maneris. He cometh somtme vndir þe
colour of goodnesse to disseyuen hem þat fayn
wold don wel; and
specyally of the thingis I wele speke of.
How the Blessed Francesca met
the Evil One disguised as her Patron,
Saint Onofrio
On is this, þat þou3 a
creature, man or woman, be neuere soo wel ne
so ofte schreuen and in reste of soule, þe fend
maketh hem to beleve þat þei ben
not wel schreuen, and alle he doth to brynge þe soule
to
heuynesse. And somtyme þe fend
be to myche trauayle and noi3aunce
maketh a man fully to for3ete som thing þat he
wolde seye, and þanne
he maketh þe soule
oute of reste tyl he bee eftesones shreuen; and þis doth
he not for he wolde þat a man
were often shreuen, but fully
to entarye hym, and to maken hym beleue þat he
were out of grace and
blyndet for synne, and þerfore
he myghte not maken hym self clene.
The secunde gyle vndir colour of goodnesse þat the
fend tempteth with
is þis.
Whanne somme men or women haue be custom good sterynges and
deuoute þou3tes
and felyngis of meditacions and of contemplacions, of
suyche parauenture as ben solatarye, he wele þanne
tempte hem to lothe
here dyuyne seruyse that thei ben bounden in, or werysom, and make hem
to ben heuy and weersum to do it, for he steryth hem to wene þat it
were best and more plesynge to god to folwe here owne werkynges with
inne foorth of þinkynges
and felynges, þanne for
to sey þat þei ben
bounden to, þat at
some tyme thei ben so trauailed and troubled to and
fro þat thei
weten neuere whiche syde is best to take. And þis 3e
may
weel wete is þe fend,
for alwey he cometh with taryengis, or with
false plesaunce, and þis doth
he not for thei schulde occupye hem
highely in contemplacion or in goode meditacions, but for he wolde
lette and disturbe hem þerfro,
and also he wolde maken hem vttirly to
leue þe
seruyse of god þat þei ben
bounden to.
The thredde colour of gyle þat he
tempteth with is þis.
Whanne a man
or a woman 3eueth hym to honest solace, to strenghte hem self with
a3ens the fendis tormentis in comfort of his owne soule, þanne the
fende wele stere hym to haue consciens þerof,
and putteth in here
hertis þat alle
suyche disportys is but synne and vanyte. And somtyme
he wole bryng to here mynde herfore don synnes, for to tary hem; this
he doth for to drawe here hertis to heuynesse, for thei schulde no
comforte haue, but al care and trouble, and so to tempte hem to dispeir
and to bitter þou3tis.
But the remedyes of these temptacions ben þese.
As vnto þe
firste, þat þe feend
tempeth a man or woman, þou3 thei
ben neuere soo wel schrewen hem semeth þat þei ben
not wel schrewen,
but alwey dou3ten þat it is
not aright doon, or some is for3ete
which thei seen nought; but take þei right non heed of suyche þoutis, no
more þan þei
wolden of a gnatte that fleeth
before here
face, but þenken
fully it is þe feend
to lette and distrouble pees in here soule. And
if so bee þat a man
somtyme þoru3
trauelouse þou3tes
for3eteth som þing of
charge þat he
wolde haue seyde, þanne
schape a tyme and be
confessed þer of;
and if he may not ly3tly haue his confessour, þenke þat he
wolde ben confessed þerof
quan he may haue his goostly fadir,
and in the mene tyme crye god mercy, and aske hym for3euenesse of all
his traspace, and troust fully it is for3ouen. For a man is not so redy
to asken for3euenesse and mercy, þat 3et
oure mercyful lord of his
grete goodnesse is more redy to 3eue it hym.
And as touching the secunde temptacion, þat the
feend wolde lette and
forbarre a man fro his dyuyne seruyse þ