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1. ANd thou stretchedst thine hand from on high and drewest my soule out of that darksome deepenesse, when as my mother thy faithfull one wept to thee for me, more bitter∣ly than mothers use to doe for the bodily deaths of their chil∣dren. For she evidently fore saw my death, by that faith and spirit which thou hadst given her, and thou heardest her, O Lord, thou heardst her & despisedst not her
teares, when flowing downe they watered the very earth a 1.1 under her eyes in every place where she prayed, yea thou heardst her. For whence else was that dreame of hers, by which thou comfor∣tedst her; in which shee verily thought mee to live with her, b 1.2 and to eate at the same table in house with her, which shee al∣ready begunne to bee unwilling withall, refusing and detesting the blasphemies of my errour. For she saw c 1.3 (in her sleepe) her selfe standing in a certain wood∣den d 1.4 battlement, and a very beautifull young man comming towards her, with a cheerefull countenance and smiling upon her, herselfe being grieved and
farre gone with sorrowfulnesse. Which yong man when he had demanded of her the causes of her sadnesse and dayly weepings, (that he might teach rather as Angels use to doe, than learne) and shee had answered that it was my perdition that shee be∣wayled; he bad her rest conten∣ted, and wisht her to observe di∣ligently and behold, That where she herselfe was, there was I also. Who when she lookt aside, shee saw mestanding by her in the same battlement. How should this chance now, but that thine eares were bent towards the requests of her heart.
2. O thou Good omnipotent, who hast such speciall care of every one of us, as if thou hadst care but of one alone; and so re∣gardest all, as if but single per∣sons. How came this about also, that when she had told me this Vision, and I would have inter∣preted it, That shee should not
despaire of being one day of my opinion: she presently without any sticking at, replyes; No (saith shee) it was not told mee that thou art where he is, but where thou art, there hee is? I confesse to thee, O Lord, that to the best of my remembrance (which I have oft spoken of) I was then the more moved at that answer of my vigilant mother, that she was not put out of con∣ceipt by the likelyhood of my forced interpretation, and that upon the very instant she appre∣hended as much of it as was tru∣ly to be discerned (which I my selfe verily had not perceived, before she spake.) I was more moved (I say) at that, than with her dreame it selfe; by which the joy of that holy woman to be fulfilled so long after, was, for the consolation of her present anguish, so long before foresig∣nified.
3. For nine full yeeres passed
after that, in all which I tumbled up downe in the mudde of that deepe pit, and the darknesse of that false beleefe, and when I endeavoured to rise, the violent∣lyer was I slung downe againe. All which time that chast, godly and sober widdow (such thou lovest) more cheered up with hope, though no whit slackned in weeping and mourning, failed not all howres of her set prayers to bewayle my case unto thee. And her prayers found entrance then into thy sight, yet notwith∣standing thou sufferedst mee to be tumbled yet againe, and to be all over involved in that mist of Manichisme.
He alludes bere to that devout manner of the Eastern Ancients, who used to lye flat on their faces in prayer.
Here the old Transla∣tor is mista∣ken, falsly construing the word Crederet.
Her visi∣on.
In qua∣dam Tegu∣la Lignea, and not in regula Li∣nea, or Lignea, as the printed Coppies read it. This Te∣gula signifies an upper roome next the tiles: But in those hot Affricane Countries they used to be much upon the Ro••fes of their houses; which therefore were commanded to be battlemented lest any should fall from thence, Deut. 22. 8. so ••e such upper roome, gallery or pergula it is likest to have beene.