Scala perfecc[i]onis

¶Of tarienges & temptacōns that soules fele bi her ghostly enmyes in her ghostly knowinge and gooyng to Ihrlm. and of remedyes ayenste hem / Caplm xxii. (Book 22)

NOw arte thou in the way & woost how thou shalt goe Now bewaar of enmyes that woll be besy for to lette the yf they maye / for her entent is for to putt out of thyn her¦te that desyre & that longyng that thou hast to the loue of Ihū and for to dryue the home ayen to the loue of worldly vany / te / for there is noo thinge that greueth hem somoche / Thyse enmyes are pryncipally flesshly desyres & vayne dredes that ri¦sen oute of thyn herte thrugh corrupcōn of thy flesshly kyn••e / and wolde lette thy desyre of the loue of god that they myght fully & restfully ocupye thyn herte / Thise are thyn next en••••••es / Also other enmyes there are. as vnclene spirytes that a••••besy wyth sleyghtes & wyles for to disceyue the / But one r••••medie shalt thou haue that I sayd before / What so it be th•••• they saye trowe hem not but holde forth thy waye & on̄ly 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the loue of Ihū / Answer̄ euer th{us}: I am nought I haue ••••••ughte I coueyte noughte but on̄ly the loue of our lorde Ih•••• If thyn enmyes saye to the fyrst thus by stirynges in hert th•••• thou arte not shryuen aright. or there is some olde syn̄e 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thyn herte that thou knowest not ne neuer were shriuen 〈◊〉〈◊〉 And therfore thou must torne home ayē & leue thy desire 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shryue the better / Trowe not this sayeng for it is fals / for y^• arte shryue trust sikerly. & that thou arte in y^e waye & the nedeth nomore ransakyng of shryfte for that y^• is passed / Holde for∣the thy waye & thynke on Ihrlm / Also yf they saye that thou arte not worthy to haue the loue of god. wherto shalt thou co¦ueyte that thou maye not haue∣ne arte not worthy therto. Trowe hem not but goo forth and saye thus / Not for I am

worthy but for I am vnworthy· therfore wolde I loue god / For yf I had it. that sholde make me worthy / And sythen I was made therto though I sholde neuer haue it yet woll I co¦ueyte it / and therfore woll I praye & thynke that I myght ge∣te it / And thenne yf thyne enmyes see that thou begynnest to waxe bolde and wel wylled to thy werke. they begyn to wexe aferde of the / Neuerthelesse they woll not cease of taryenge the whanne they maye as longe as thou arte gooynge in the waye / what wyth drede & manassynge on that one syde. what wyth flaterynge and fals pleysynge on that other syde for to make the breke thy purpose and tourne home ayen they woll saye thus. If thou holde forth thy desyre to Ihesu soo fully tra¦uelynge as thou begynnest. thou shalt falle in to syckenes or in to fantasyes or in to frenesyes as thou seest that some don̄ Or thou shalt falle in to pouertee and bodily myscheyf. and noo man shall well helpe the / Or thou myghte falle in to pri¦ue temptacōns of the fende that thou shalt not helpe thyselfe For it is wonder peryllous to ony man for to yeue hym ful∣ly to the loue of god and leue all the worlde. and noo thynge coueyte but oonly the loue of hym· for so many perylles may falle that a man knoweth not of / And therfore torne home ayen and leue this desyre / for thou shal neuer brynge it to the ende / and doo as other worldly men done.

Thus sayen thyn enmyes. but trowe hem not / but holde for the thy desyre / and saye not elles but thou woldest haue Ihesu and be at Ihrlm / And yf they perceyue thenne thy wyll so strō¦ge that thou wolt not spare for syn̄e ne for syknesse. for fan∣tasyes ne for frenesyes / for dowtes ne for dredes of ghostly tē¦ptacōns / for myscheyf ne for pouerte / for lyfe ne for deth. but euer forth thou wolt wyth one thynge? and noo thyng but o∣ne. & make deef ere to hem as though y^u herde hem not. & holdes¦te y^e forth styfly in thy prayer & in thyne other ghostly werkes without stintyng with discrecōn after coūseyle of thy souere¦yn or of thy ghostly

fader / thenne begyn they for to be wrothe and to goo a lytyll nerer the. Then̄e they begyn for to robbe the & bete the and do the all the shame that they can / And that is whan they make that all the dedes that thou doost ben they neuer soo well done are denyed of other men as euyll: & torned in to the wors par∣tye / And what so euer it be that thou woldest haue done in hel¦pe of thy body or of thy soule it shall be letted or hyndred by other men. so that thou shalt be put fro thy wyll in all thyng that thou skilfully coueytes. And al this they done that y^u shol¦dest be styred to yre or malēcoly or euyll wyll ayēst thy euēcris¦ten / But ayenst all thise diseases & al other that thou maye fe¦le vse this remedye / Take Ihū in thy mynde and anger y^• not with hem / Tarye not wyth hem. but thynke on thy lesson y^• thou arte noughte that thou hast noughte thou may noughte¦lese of erthly good thou coueytest nought but the loue of Ihū and holde forth thy waye to Ihrlm wyth thy occupacōn / 〈◊〉〈◊〉 neuertheles yf thou be taryed sōtyme thrugh freelte of thy•••••• wyth suche vneases that fallen to thy bodily lyfe thrugh 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wyll of man or malyce of the fende. assoone as thou maye 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ayen to thyself leue of the thynkyng of thy dysease & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 forth to thy werke / Abyde not longe wyth hem for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thyn enmyes.