Scala perfecc[i]onis

¶An entree how a soule shall haue her in menynge & wor∣chinge that woll come to this refourmyng by ensample of a pilgryme goynge to Iherlm. And of two maner of mekenes Caplm xxi. (Book 21)

NEuertheles for thou coueytest for to haue some maner worchyng by the whiche thou myghte the rather nyghē to that refourmyng / I shall saye as me thynketh by the grace of our lorde Ihesu the shortest & the redyest helpe that I know in this werchyng / And how that shall be I shall telle y^t by an ensāple of a good pylgryme vpon this wyse / There was a mā that wolde goo to Ihrlm. And for he knew not the waye he came to a nother man that he hoped knewe the waye bet∣ter thyder. and asked wheder he myght come to that cyte / that other man sayd to hym that he myghte not come thyd wyth∣out grete dysease & moche traueylle / For the waye is longe & peryllous and full of grete theues & robbers / and many other lettynges there ben that fallen to a man in the goynge / And also there are many sere wayes as it semyth ledyng thydwar¦de / But men aldaye are slayne & dispoylled and maye not co∣me to that place that they coueyten / Neuertheles there is one waye the whiche who soo taketh it and holdeth it he wolle vndertake that he shold come to that cytee of Ierusalem. and he sholde neuer lese his lyffe. ne be slayne ne deye for defawte He sholde ofte be robbed and euyll bete and suffre moche dise¦se in the gooynge. but his lyfe sholde be saaf / Then̄e sayd the pylgryme / So that I maye haue my lyfe saaf & come to that place that I coueyte to. I charge not what myscheyff I suffre in goynge / And therfore saye me what thou wolt and sothly I behote the for to doo after the. That other man answereth & sayth thus / Lo I sette the in the ryght waye / This is y^e way

And that thou kepe the lernynge that I teche the / what soo y^u herest seest or felyst that sholde lette the in the waye abyde not with it wyllfully / tare not for it restfully. beholde it not: lyke it not: drede it not / but euer goo forth in thy waye. & thynke y^t thou woldest be at Ihrlm / for that thou coueytest. & that thou desyrest. & nought elles but that. And yf men robbe the & dispo¦yll the: bete the: scorne the: despyse the / stryue not ayen yf thou wolte haue thy lyfe / but holde the wyth the harme that y^u hast▪ & goo forth as nought were. that thou take noo more harme And also yf men woll tarye the wyth tales. & fede the wyth le¦synges for to drawe y^t to myrthes: & for to leue thy pylgryma¦ge: make a deef ere & answere not ayen / and saye nought elles but that thou woldest be at Ihrlm / And yf men profer the ye¦ftes & wol make the ryche wyth wordly good tente not to hē thinke euer on Ihrlm / And yf thou woll holde this waye & do that I haue sayd. I vndertake thy lyfe y^t thou shalt not be slay¦ne. but thou shalt come to that place that thou coueytest to / Ghostly to our purpoos: Ihrlm is asmoche for to saye. as a syght of peas / and betokeneth contēplacōn in perfyte loue of god / For contēplacōn is nouʒt elles but a syghte of god why¦che is very pees / Thenne yf thou coueyte for to come to this blyssed syght of very pees. & be a true pilgryme to Ihrlm 〈◊〉〈◊〉· though it be soo that I were neuer there: neuertheles as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 forth as I can I shal sette the in the waye thydwarde / The be¦gyn̄yng of the highe waye in the whiche thou shalt goo / is ••••¦fourmyng in fayth groūded mekely in the fayth & in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of holy chirche as I haue sayd before / For trust sykerly tho¦ugh y^u haue syn̄ed here before· yf thou be now reformed bi the sacrament of penaūce after the lawe of holy chirche that y^u ar¦te in the ryght waye / Now then̄e sithē y^u arte in the syker way yf thou woll spede in thy goyng & make gode Iournayes▪ y^t be¦houeth to holde thise ii. thynges oftē in thy mynde. mekenesse & loue: and y^t is: I am nought I haue nouʒt. I coueyte nought

but one / Thou shalte haue the meanynge of thise wordes in thyn entent & in habytt of thy soule lastyngly though thou ha¦uue hem not euer specyally in thy thoughte. for y^e nedeth not / Mekenes sayth· I am noughte / I haue noughte / Loue sayth I coueyte nouʒte but one: & that is Ihū / Thise two strēges well festned wyth the mynde of Ihū makyth good a corde in y^e har¦pe of the soule whan they ben craftly towched wyth the fyn¦ger of reason / For the lower thou smytes vpon that one the hyer sowneth that other / The lesse thou felyst that thou arte or that thou haste of thyself thrugh mekenes / the more thou coueytest for to haue of Ihū in desyre of loue / I mene not on̄¦ly of that mekenes that a soule felith in the syghte of his ow¦ne syn̄e for freelnes & wretchidnes of this lyfe or of the wret¦chidnes of his euencrysten / For though this mekenes be soth faste & medicynable. neuertheles it is boystous & flesshly as in regarde not clene ne softe ne louely / But I meane also thys mekenes that the soule felyth thrugh grace in syghte & behol∣dynge of the endles beynge & the wonderfull goodnes of Ihū And yf thou may not see it yet with thi ghostly eye. that thou trowe it / For thrugh syghte of his beynge eyther in ful fayth or in felyng thou shalt holde thyself not on̄ly the moost wret¦che that is. but also as noughte in substaunce of thy soule tho¦ugh thou haddest neuer done sin̄e. And that is louely mekenes For in rewarde of Ihesu that is sothfastly all: thou arte right nought / And also that thou thynke that thou hast right noug¦hte: but arte as a vessel that stondeth euer to me as nought we¦re therin as of thyself / For do thou neuer so many good dedes outwarde or inwarde tyll y^u haue & fele that y^u hast y^e loue of Ie¦su: y^u hast riʒt nought / for with y^e precio{us} licour on̄ly may thy soule be fulfylled & with none other / & for asmoche as y^e thyn¦ge alone is so precyo{us} & worthy therfore what y^u hast or what y^u doost holde it as nouʒt for to rest in wythout y^e siʒte of y^e lo¦ue of Ihū. Caste it all behynde the & forgete it that thou myʒt

haue that. that is the beste of all / Right as a true pilgryme go¦yng to Ihrlm leueth behynde hym hous and londe. wyfe and chylde / and makyth hymself poore & bare fro all thynge that he hath that he mighte goo lyghtly wythout lettyng / right so yf thou wolt be a ghostly pilgryme thou shalt make thyselfe naked fro all that thou hast. that are bothe good dedes & badde and caste hem all behynde the that thou be soo poore in thyne owne felyng / that there be no thynge of thyn owne worchyn¦ge that thou wolt lene vpon restyngly / but euer desiryng mo¦re grace & loue / and euer sekynge the ghostly presence of Ihū / And yf thou doo thus thenne shalt thou sette in thin herte ful¦ly that thou woldest be at Ihrlm & at none other place but the¦re / And that is. thou shalt sette in thyn hert hooly & fully that thou woldest noo thynge haue but the loue of Ihū & the ghost¦ly syghte of hym as he woll shewe hym / for to that on̄ly 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thou made & bought / and that is thy begyn̄yng & thyn endyng thy Ioye & thy blysse / And therfore what so euer that thou h••¦ue. be thou neuer so ryche in other dedes bodily or ghostly but yf y^u haue that & know & fele that thou hast it. holde that thou hast right noughte / Prynte well this reason in thy meanyng of thy herte. & cleue sadly therto. and it shall saue the fro all ••••rylles in thy gooynge. that thou shalt neuer perysshe. & it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 saue the fro the theues & robbers y^e whiche I calle vnclene ••••••rytes. that though they spoyle the & bete the thrugh dyuers 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thy lyfe shall euer be saaf / And shortly yf thou kepe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as I shall say the y^u shalt escape al perylles & myscheues. & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to the cyte of Irhlm wythin short tyme / Now thou arte in y^e waye and knowest what the place hyghte & whyd thou shalt drawe to / Begyn̄e then̄e for to goo in thy Iourney / Thy for∣the goynge is nought elles but ghostly worchynge & bodily al¦so whan nede is. whiche thou shalt vse by discrecōn vpō this wise / what werke y^t it be that y^u shalt doo after the degree & the state y^t thou stondist in bodily or ghostly yf it helpe this gracy¦ous

desyre that thou hast for to loue Ihesu: and make it mo∣re hole: more easy & more myghty to all vertues. & to all good∣nes. that werke holde I beste: be it prechynge. be it thynkynge / be it redynge: be it worchyng / And aslonge as that werke strē¦gthyth moost thy herte & thy wyll to y^e loue of Ihū. and ferdest drawyth thyn affeccōn & thy thoughte fro worldly vanytee it is good for to vse it / And yf it be soo that thrugh vse sauour of that lesseth· & the thynketh an other werke sauoureth y^e mo¦re. and thou felyst more grace in a nother / take a nother & leue that / For though thy desyre & the yernyng of thyn herte to Ihe¦su shold be euer vnchaūgable: neuertheles thi ghostly werkes that thou shalt vse in prayenge or thynkynge for to fede and nouryssh̄ thy desire may be dyuers· and maye well be chaūged after that thou felyste the dysposed thrugh grace in applyeng of thyn owne hert / ••or it fareth by werkes & by desyre as it do¦oth by styckes & by a fyre / For the more styckes are layed to y^e fyre: the gretter is the fyre / Right so the more dyuers ghostly workynge that a man hathe in his thoughte for to kepe hole his desyre: y^e myʒtyer & more bren̄yng shal his desyre be to god And therfore loke wysely what werke thou canste beste doo. & that moost helpyth for to saue hole this desyre to Ihū yf thou be free and art not bounde but vnd the comyn lawe. and that doo / Bynde the not to wylfull customes vnchaungably that sholde lette the fredom of thyne herte for to loue Ihū yf grace wolde visyte the specyally / For I shall telle the whiche custo¦mes are euer gode and nedeful to be kept / Loo suche custome is euer gode to holde y^t stōdeth in getyng of vertue & lettyng of syn̄e. & that custome sholde neuer be left / for y^u shal euer be me¦ke: pacyēt· sobre & chast yf thou wel doo. & so of al other vtues But the custome of a nother thynge that lettyth a better is goode for to leue whan tyme is there a man maye / As thus If a man haue in custome for to saye thus many beedes / or for to thynke this maner of thouʒte th{us} longe tyme / or for to

wake or knele thus longe or ony other suche bodily dede. this custome is for to leue somtyme whā resonable cause lettith. or elles yf more grace comyth otherwyse /