Scala perfecc[i]onis

¶How that the desyre of Ihesu felt in this lyghtsom derknes sleeth al stirynges of syn̄e. & ableth the soule to perceyue ghost∣ly lyghtnynges fro the heuenly Iherusalem that is Ihesu / Caplm xxv. (Book 25)

THen̄e sithen this derknesse & this nyghte is soo good & so restfull though it be shorte that stondeth on̄ly in desyre & longyng to the loue of Ihū wyth a blynde thynkyng on hym how good then̄e & how blessid is it for to fele his loue. & for to be illumyned wyth his blessid vnseable present lyghte for to see sothfastnes / the whiche lyght a soule receyueth whā the nyghte passith & the daye spryngeth / This I hope was the ny¦ighte that the prophete meaned whan he said: My soule hath desired the in y^• nyghte / As I haue before sayd. it is moche bet¦ter to be hydde in this derke nyghte fro beholdyng of the worl¦de though it were paynful: than for to be oute in fals lykyng of this worlde y^t semyth soo shinyng & soo cōfortable to hem that are blynde in knowynge of ghostly lyghte / For whan y^u arte in this derknes thou arte moche nerer Ihrlm than whan thou art in the myddes of the fals lyght / Therfore applye thi¦ne hert fully to the stiryng of grace & vse for to woon in this derknes. and by oft assayeng to be homly therin & it shal be so ••••e made restfull to the / And the true lyghte of ghostly know∣ynge shall sprynge to the. not all at ones: but pryuely by lityll & bi lityll / as the prophete sayth: Habitāti{bus} in regione vmbre mortis. lux orta est eis / That is: To dwellynge in the coun∣tree of shadowe of dethe lighte was sprongen / That is: Ligh¦te of grace sprongen and shall sprynge to all theym that can wonne in the shadowe of dethe / that is in this derkenesse that is lyke to dethe /

For as deth sleeth a lyuyng body & all flesshly felinges of it right so desyre to the loue of Ihū felyd in this derkes sleeth al synnes: all flesshly affeccōns. and all vnclene thoughtes for

the tyme / And thenne nyghest thou faste to Ihrlm / Thou ar¦te not there yet. but by smalle sodein lyghtynges that glidyrth oute of smale caues fro that cytee shall thou mowe see it fro ferre or that thou come therto / For wyte thou well though y^t thy soule be in this restfull derknesse wythout troublynge of worldly vanytees / it is not yet clothed all in lyghte: ne torned all in to fyre of loue / But it felyth well that there is sōwhat aboue itself that it knowith not ne hath not yet. but wold ha¦ue it & bren̄yngly yerneth it / And that is nought elles but y^e sy¦ighte of Ihrlm wythout forth. the whiche is lyke to a cytee / y^t the prophete Ezechyell sawe in his visyons / He sayth that he sawe a cyte sette vpon an hylle heldinge to the southe that to his syghte whan it was moten was nomore of lengthe & of brede than a reede that is vi. cubytes & a palme of length But assone as he was broughte in to the cyte & lokyd aboute hym then̄e thoughte hym that it was wonder moche / For he saw many halles & chambres bothe open & pryuee. He sawe gates & porches outwarde & Inwarde / and moche more byldynge thā I saye now on length & on brede many hūdred cubites / Thē∣ne was this wonder to hym how this cyte wythin was thus longe & so large that so lityll to his sighte was whan he was without / This cyte betokeneth the perfite loue of god sett in the hylle of contēplacōn. the whiche vnto the syghte of a sou∣le that wythout the felynge of it traueyleth in the desyre tow¦arde semyth somwhat / but it semyth but a lityll thynge noo more than a reede that is vi. cubytes & a palme of length / By vi. cubites are vndstonde the perfeccōn of man̄es werke / And by the palme a lityll to wchynge of contēplacōn / He seeth wel that there is suche a thynge that passeth the deserte of all the worchynge of man a lityll as the palme passeth the vi. cuby∣tes / but he seeth not within what it is / neuertheles yf he may come wythin the cyte of contēplacōn / thenne seeth he moche more than he sawe fyrste /