Ego dormio & cor meum vigilat. Þe þat lyste luf, held þine ere and here of luf. In þe sang of luf I fynde it writen þat I haue sett at þe begynnynge of my wrytynge: «I slepe and my hert wakes.» Mykell luf he shewes þat neuere is irke to luf, bot ay, standande, sittande, gangande or any other dede doande es ay his luf thynkand, and oft-sithe þerof dremand. For-þi þat I luf þe, I wogh þe, þat I myght haue þe as I wilde, noght tille me bot till my lard. I wille be comer and messager to bryng þe till his bed þat has made þe and boght þe, Criste þe kynges son¯ of heuen; for he will wed þe if þou wille luf hym; he askes þe na mare bot þi luf. And my wille þou dose, if þou luf hym. Crist couaytes þi fairehede in saule, þat þou gyf hym halely þi hert: and I preche noght ellys bot þat þou do his will, and afforce þe day & nyght to lefe alle fleschely luf and al likyng þat lettus þe to luf Ihesu Crist verrayly; for I-whils þi hert is heldande to luf of any bodyly thyng, þou may not parfitly be cupilde wit god. ¶ In heuen er IX. ordirs of aungels, þat are conte[n]yd in thre Ierarchies: þe lagheste Ierarchy contenys aungels, archangels, vertuȝ. Þe myddes Ierarchi contenys: Potestates, Principatus, Dominaciones. Þe heghest Ierarchi, þat next is til god, contenys: Tronys, Cherubyn, and Saraphyn. Þe laghest ordir is Aungels, þe heghest Seraphyn. And þat ordir þat lest is bryght, is seuen sa bryght as is þis son¯. And as þou sees þe son¯ bryghter þan þe candel, þe candel bryghter þan þe mone, þe mone bryghter þan þe sternys, alswa are þe orders of aungels Page  51 in heuen ilkane brighter þan other, fra aungels tille Seraphyn. Þis I say to kyndel þi hert to couayte þe felawschype of aungels: for alle þat are gode and haly, when þei passe of þis werld, salle be takyn in till þire orders, som til þe lawest: þat has lufed god mykel; som to þe myddes: þat has loued god mare; other til þe heghest: þat mast lufes god and brennandest er in is lufe. / Seraphyn is at saye «brynnande»: tille whilke ordir þai er receyfede þat leste couaytes in þis werld, and mast swetnes felys in god, and brennand[est] hertis han in lufe. ¶ Tille þe I wryte þis specialy, for I hope in þe mare gudnes þan in any other, [&] þat þou wille gyf þi thoght to fulfille in dede þat þou sees is profitable to þi saule, and þat lyf gyf þe tille in þe whilke þou may halelyeste offer þi hert tille Ihesu Cryst and leste be in bysynes of þis werld. For if þou wille stabilly luf god & brennandly whiles þou lyfes here, with-outen doute þi setyll es ordaned for þe ful hegh and ioyfull before þe face of god ymanges haly aungels. For in þe self degres þare proude deuyls felle downe er meke men and wymmen, Cristes doufys, sett in, to haf rest and ioye with-outen ende, for a littul schort penaunce & trauaile þat þei hafe suffrede for goddes luf. ¶ Þe thynke now perauenture harde to gyf þi hert fra alle erthly thynge, fraydil speche, fra al fleschely luf, and ga by þine ane to wake & pray and þinke þe ioye of heuen, & to haue compassion of þe passion of Ihesu Crist, and to ymagyn þe pyne of helle þat is ordeyned for synfulmen. Bot witterly, fra þat þou be vsed þerin, þe wil þinke it lighter & swetter þen euer þe did any erthly solace. / Also sone as þi hert is toched wit þe swetnes of heuen, þe wil litel Page  52 liste þe myrth of þis werlde; and when þou felys ioye in Cristes luf, þe wil lathe wit þe ioye & þe comford of erthly gammyn. For alle þe melodye, alle þe ryches, alle þe delites þat alle þe men in þis world kan ordeyne or thynke, semes & es bot noy & angyre til a mannys herte þat verrayly is brennand in þe luf of god, for he has myrth & melodie of aungel sange, as þou may wel wyit. If þou lefe alle thynge þat þe liste fleschely, & haue na thowght of þi syb frendys, bot for-sake alle for goddes luf, and anely gyf þi herte to couayte goddes luf and to paye him, mare ioye þou schal fynde in hym þan I kan thynke—howe myght I þan wryte hit? I wat neuer if many men be in swilke luf; for ay þe hegher þat þe lyfe es, þe faer folowers it has here, for many thynges drawes men fra goddes luf, þat þou may here & see; [and] god comfortes his lufers mare þan þei wene þat lufes hym noght. For of we seme in penance wit-outen, we salle haue ful mykel ioye within, if we ordeyne vs wysely to goddes seruys and set in hym alle oure thoghtes & forsake vanite. ¶ Gyf alle þine entente to vnderstonde þis wrytyng: [&] if þou haue set þi desire to luf god, here þere thre degres of luf, swa þat þou may ryse fra ane til a nother, tille þou be at þe hegheste; for I ne wil not hil fra þe þat I hope ma torne þe tille halynes. ¶ þe first degre of luf es when a man haldes þe ten commaundementes, and kepes him fra þe seuen dedly synnes, and is stabul in þe trouthe of haly kirke; and when a man wille noght for any erthly thynge wreth god, bot trewly standes in his seruice and lastes þare-in tille his lyfes Page  53 ende. ¶ Þis degree of lufe by-houes ilke man haue þat wille be safe; for na man maye come tille heuen bot if he luf god and his neghbur with-outen pryde, ire and any bakbytyng, and with-outen alle other wennymouse synnes as slawnes, glotery, and lichery, and couaytys: for þere vices slaes þe saule & makes hit to depart fra god þat es lyfe of þe saule; and when a wreched man or wommon es departed fra god, we saye he is ded, for he is slayne fra god with-outen wham na creature may lyf. Als a man poysunde in a swete morsell takes venym þat slas his body, swa dos a synful wreche in likyng and lust, destroyes his saule and brynges hit tille dede with-outen ende. Men þinke hit swete to synne, bot þaire hire þat is ordayned for þaim, es bitterer & galle, sowrer þan atter, wers þan alle þe wa þat man can thynk in erthe. ¶ Alle perisches & passes þat we with eghe see. Hit wanys in till wrechedhede þe wele of þis worlde. Robys & riches rotes in þe dyche. Pryde & payntynge slake salle in sorowe. Delytes and drorys stynke sall ful sone. Þaire gold & þaire tresoure drawes þaim til dede; Alle þe wykked of þis werlde dryues til a dale, Þat þai may see þaire sorowynge þare wa es alle þe rabel. Bot he may synge of solas þat lufed Ihesu Cryst, When alle þe wreches fra wele falles in tille helle.— ¶ Bot when þou has wel lyfed in þe commaundementes of god and styffely keped þe fra alle dedly synnes, and payde tille Criste in þat degre: vmthynke þe þat þou wil mare luf god, & do better with þi saule, and bycome parfite: & þan enters þou in tille þe tother degre of luf, þat es: to forsake alle þe worlde and þi fader and þi moder & alle þi kyn & folowe Page  54 Crist in pouerte. ¶ In þis degree þou schalle stody howe clene þou may be in herte, and howe chaste in body, and gyf þe tille mekenes, suffryng & bosumnes, and loke how faire þou may make þi saule in vertuese, and hate alle vices: swa þat þi lyfe be gastely, noght fleschely; neuer-mare spekand ille of þine neghbur, ny gyf ane ille word for a nother, bot alle þat men says, ille or gode, suffir hit debonerly in þi hert, with-outen stirryng of wreth: and þan schal þou be in reste within, and lightly come in to gastely lyfe, þat þou salle fynde swetter þan any erthely thyng. ¶ Parfite lyfe and gastely es, to despise þe erth, couayte þe ioye of heuen, and destroye thurgh goddes grace alle wikked desires of þe flesche. And forgete þe solace and likyng of þi kynredyne, and luf þaim noght bot in god; whethire þa dye or lyf, be pore or ryche, be hale or seke, in wa or in wele, thank þou ay god, and bles hym in alle his werkes: for his domes are so priue, þat na creature may comprehende þaim; and oftsith sum men has þaire likyng and þaire wele in þis world, and hell in þe tother: and sum men es in pyne & persecucioun & anguys in þis lyfe, and has heuen til þaire mede. For-thy, if þi frendes be ay in es and hele & in welth of þis werlde, þou & þai bathe maye þe mare drede, þat [þai] lose noght þe ioie with-outen ende. If þai be in penaunce, in sekenes, or if þei lyf ryghtwysly, þai may trayste in god to come to his blisse. For-þi in þis degree of luf þou salle sa by filde in grace of þe haly gast þat þou sal noght haue sorowe ne gratyng bot for gastely thynge, and for þi synnes and other mennys, and aftir þe luf of Ihesu Crist, and in thynkyng of his passioun— and þat I wille þat þou hafe mykel Page  55 mynde of, for hit will kyndel þi hert to set at noght alle þe gudes of þis werlde and alle þe ioye, & to desire brennandly þe light of heuen with aungels and haloghys. ¶ And when þi hert is ordayned halely to þe seruice of god, & alle werldes thoght is putt oute: þan wille þe liste stele be þi nane, to thynk of Crist and to be in mykel prayng; for thorow gode thoghtes and haly prayers þi hert salle be made brennande in þe luf of Ihesu Crist, and þan salle þou fele swetnes and gastely ioye bathe in prayinge and in thynkyng. And when þou arte be þi nane, gyf þe mikel to say þe psalmes of þe sawter, and Pater noster and aues; and take not tent þat þou say many, bot þat þou say hom wele, and in alle þe deuocioun þat þou may, lyftande vp thy thoght til heuen. Bettir hit is to say seuen psalmes in desyre of Cristes luf, hafand þi hert on þi praying, þan seuen hundred, suffrande þi thoght to pas in vanitees of bodily thynge. What gode hopes þou may com þerof if þou lat þi tonge blabir on þe boke, and þi hert ryn¯ aboute in sere stedes in þe werld, whare hit will? For-thy set þi thoght in Crist and he salle refe it tille hym and halde hit fra þe venym of werldes bysynes. And I pray þe, as þou couaytes to be goddes lufer, þat þou lufe þis name Ihesu, and thynk hit in þi herte, swa þat þou forgete hit neuer, wharsom¯ þou be: and witterly I hete þe þou salle fynde mykelle ioye & comfort þerin, and for þe luf þat þou lufes Ihesu sa tendirly and sa specialy, þou salle be filde full of grace in erth, and be Cristes dere mayden & spouse in heuen. For na thynge sa mekill pays god as verray luf of his name Ihesu. If þou lufe hit ryght and lastandly, & neuer let for na thynge þat men may saye or do, þou salle be raysed in tille a hegher lyfe Page  56 þan þou can couayte. His godenes es sa mekill þat þare we inwardly aske hym of ane, he wille gyf vs thre: sa wele payed he es when we set alle oure hert to luf hym. ¶ In þis degre of luf þou salle ouercom þi thre enmys: þe werld, þe deuel, and þi flesche;—bot neuer-þe-latter þou schal hafe ay fightyng whils þou lyfes, and ay til þou dye by-houes þe be bysy to stande & to falle noght in ille delyte ne in ille thoght or in ille worde or in ille werkis: for-þi grete augh þi gernynge to be þat þou luf Crist verraily. Þi flesche salle þou ouer-com thurgh [haldyng of þi maydenhede for goddes luf anely, or, if þou be na maydun, thurgh chast lyfynge in thoght and in dede, and thurgh discrete abstinence and resonable seruyse. Þe werld salle þou ouer-com þorow couaytyng of Cristes luf, & thynkynge of his swete name, and desire til heuen; for als son¯ as þou feles sauowr in Ihesu, þe wille thynke alle þe werlde noght bot vanite and noye for mennys saules. Þou wil noght couayte þan to be ryche, to haue many mantils and faire, many kirtils, many dreurise, bot alle þou wil set at noght and despise alle, and take na mare þan þe nedes. Þe wille thynke twa mantils or ane Inogh, þat nowe has fyfe or sex; for-þi gyf som¯ til Crist ;þat gas naked and pore, and hald noght til þe alle: þat wate noght þi lyfe tille þay be halfe gane. / Þe deuyl is ouercommen when þou standis stabilly agayns alle his fandynges, in sothfaste charite ande mekenes. And thynke on me þat I be noght forgeten in þi prayeres, þat is aboute-warde þat þou were dere with Criste, whas mercy me nedys. I wille þat þou be neuer Idel, [bot] be ay other spekand of god, or wirkand some notabul warke, or thynkand in hym and principally, þat þi thoght be Page  57 ay hafand hym in mynde. And thynk oft þis of his passioun:

(Meditacio de passione.)

¶ My kynge þe watur grett, and þe blod he swett; sithen full sare him bett, so þat his blode hym wett, when þaire scourges mett. Ful faste þai gun hym dynge, and at þe piler swynge, his faire face fouled with spittyng. Þe thorne coronys þe kynge, fulle sare es þat prykkyng. allas my ioye and my swetyng, es demed for to hynge! Nayled was his hende and nayled was his fete, & thirled es his syde sa semely & sa swete. Naked his white brest, and red his blody syde; wan was his faire hewe, his woundes depe & wyde. In fyfe stedys of his flesche þe blode gan downe glyde, as þe streme dos of þe strande, þis pyne es noght to hyde. To thynke es gret pite, how demed es tille þe dede, and nayled on þe tre, þe bryght aungels brede. Dryuen he is til dole þat is oure gastly gode, and fouled as a fole, in heuen þe haloghys fode. A wondir hit is to se, wha-som vndurstode, how god of mageste was dyande on þe rode. Bot sothe þan is [it] saide þat luf ledes þe rynge; þat him sa laughe has laide, bot luf hit was no thynge. Ihesu, resayue my hert, and til þi luf me brynge: alle my desir þou art, I couaite þi comynge. Þou make me clene of synne, and lat vs neuer twyn¯, kyndel me fyre withinne, þat I þi luf may wynne, and se þi face Ihesu in blys þat neuer may blynne. Ihesu, my saule þou mende, þi luf in to me [MS Vernon (Bodl. Eng. poet.a I)]

Nou i write a song of loue, þat þou schalt delyte in whon þou art louyng Ihesu Crist. ¶ My song is in syngyng (R. sittyng), Mi lyf is in longing, to þe (R. þat) i seo my derlyng so feir in his schyning, So feir in his (R. þi) feirhede: in to þi liȝt þou me lede, And wiþ þi loue þou me fede, In loue mak me to spede, And þou beo euere my mede. // Whonne wolt þou come, Ihesu my ioye, & keuere me of sore, And ȝeue me þe þat i may se & haue for euer-more? Al my coueiting were comen, ȝif i miȝte to þe fare; I wol no þing but only þe, þat al my weolnes (R. wilnes) ware. Ihesu my saueour, Ihesu my cumfortour, Of alle feirhede þe flour, Myn help and my socour: Whon may i se þe in þi tour? ¶ Whon wolt þou me calle? Me longeþ to þin halle, To seo þe & hem alle: Þi loue let hit not falle ... ¶ Now wax I pale & won, For loue of my lemmon. Ihesu boþe god and mon, Þi loue (R. lore) þou lered me þon, Whon i faste to þe ron: For-þi nou loue i con. ¶I sitte and synge of loue-longynge, þat in myn herte is bred. Ihesu, Ihesu, Ihesu, whi neore i to þe led? For wel I wot þou seost my stat, in loue my þouȝt is sted; Whon i seo þe, and dwelle wiþ þe, [MS Rawlinson A 389] *. [Ms. Rawl. continues] þan am I filde and fed. Ihesu þi luf es feste, and me to luf thynke beste: my hert when may hit brest, til com to þe my reste? Ihesu, Ihesu, Ihesu, tille þe es þat I mourne; For-þi, my life and my lyfynge, why ne may I hythen tourne? Ihesu my dere and my drewry, delite art þou to synge; Ihesu my myrth my melodie, when wille þou com my kynge? Ihesu my hele and my hony, my whert, my com- Page  61 fortynge: Ihesu, I couaite for to dye, when it is þi payinge. Langynge es in me lente, þat my luf has me sent; alle wa fra me es went, sen þat my hert es brent ¶ In Cristes luf sa swete, þat neuer I wille lete, bot euer to luf I hete: for luf my bale may bete / and til my blys me brynge, and gyf me my ȝernynge, Ihesu my luf swetyng. Langynge es in me light, þat byndes me day & nyght, til I hit hafe in sight, his face so fayre an bryght. Ihesu my hope & hele, my Ioie euer-ilka dele, þi luf lat it noght kele, þat I þi lufe may fele, and won wit þe in wele. Ihesu with þe I bygge and belde, leuer me ware to dye, þan al þis worlde to welde and hafe it in maystry. When wil þou rewe on me, Ihesu þat I myght with þe be, to luf and loke on þe? my setill ordayne for me, and sett þou me þare-in: for þan we neuer twynne, and I þi luf salle synge, thurgh syght in þi schynyng, In heuen wit-outen endyng. amen.