A treatise of the loue of God. Written in french by B. Francis de Sales Bishope and Prince of Geneua, translated into English by Miles Car priest of the English Colledge of Doway

How this sacred repose is practised. CHAPTER. X.

1. HAue you neuer noted, THEO: with what feruour little children doe sometimes cleeue to their mothers duggs being hungrie, you shall see them with a low muttering, hold fast and presse the Pap in there mouth, sucking so greede∣ly, that they euen put their mother to paine: but after the freshnesse of the milke, hath in some sort appeased the coueting heat of their tender sto∣make, and the delightfull vapours which it sendes to the braine begin to lull them a sleepe, THEO: you shall see them foftly shut their little eies, and by little and little giue way to sleepe, yet without letting goe the Pap, vpon which they make no action, sauing, a slow and almost insensible mo∣tion of the lips, wherby continually they drawe the milke which they let downe imperceptibly; and this they doe without thinking of it, yet not without pleasure: for if one drawe the Pap from them before they fall sound a sleepe, they awake and weepe bitterly, testifying by the sorrow which

they shew in the priuation, that their content was great in the possession. Now it faires in like man∣ner with the soule who is in rest and quiet before God; for she suckes, in a manner, insensibly the delightes of this presence, without discours, ope∣ratiō, or motion at all of any her faculties, saue the onely point of the will, which she moues softly snd almost vndiscouerably, as the mouth by which the delight and insensible sacietie she takes in en∣ioying the diuine presence. But if one trouble this poore little babe, or offer to take from it the Pap for that it seemes to sleepe, it will plainly shew thē that though it sleepe to all other things, yet not to that; for it perceiues the discomoditie of this separation, and greeues at it, shewing therby, the pleasure which it tooke, (though not thinking of it;) in the good which it did possesse. The B. S. TERESA, hauing written that she found this a fit similitude, I thought good to declare it so to be.

2. But tell me THEOT: the soule recollected in her God, at what I praie you should she be dis∣quieted? hath she not reason to be quiete and remaine in rest? For indeede whom should she search? She hath found him whom she sought. What resteth now for her but to saie I haue sound my deare well-beloued, I hold him, nor will I let him goe. She hath no neede to trouble her selfe with the discours of the vnderstanding; for she sees her Spouse present, at so cleare a view, that discours were to her vnprofitable, and super∣fluous. And againe though she should not see by the vnderstanding, she cares not, being content in

feeling his presence by the delight and satisfaction which the will receiues in it. Ah! the mother of God, our B. Ladie and Mistresse, being with child and not seeing that diuine babe, but feeling it in her sacred wombe, ah God! what content had she therein? and did not S. ELIZABETH, admira∣bly enioy the fruites of our Sauiours Diuine pre∣sence without seeing him, vpon the day of the most holy Visitation? Nor doth the soule in this repose, stand in neede of memorie, her Louer being present; nor yet of imagination. For to what end were it to represent him in an exteriour, or interiour picture, whose presence we are possessed of? So that to conclude, it is the will alone that doth softely, and as it were in gentle shuts, drawe the milke of this sweete presence, all the rest of the soule reposing in the sweetenesse of the plea∣sure which she takes.

3. Metheglin is vsed not onely to retire, and recall Bees to their hyues, but also to appease them: for when they stirre vp Sedition and mu∣tinie amongst themselues, with mutuall slaughter, and ouerthrowe, their keeper hath no better way then to throwe Metheglin amidst this little mu∣tinous people, because the ingredients thereof smelling sweetely and odoriferously, they are pa∣cified, and giuing themselues to the fruition of of this sweetenesse, they continew appeased and calme. O Eternall God, when by thy sweete pre∣sence, thou dost cast odoriferous perfumes into our hearts, perfumes which are more delightfull then delicious wine, and more then honie, all the powres of our soule enters into so delightfull a re∣pose,

and so absolute a rest, that there is no mo∣tion, saue that of the will, which as the spirituall sense of smelling, remaines delightfully engaged, (without reflecting on it) in perceiuing the in∣comparable benefit of hauing God present.