And what shame or glory hath St Peter for this, that God raised the dead by his work, though he had denied him three times? She may not will by her own will, for her will is not with-her, but it is [without any leading thither], in him that she loveth. Now is this soul set in low ground; and this lowness maketh her to see; there it hath no bottom, so it maketh her low, and this lowness maketh her to see right clearly the very sun of his high divine goodness, and that showeth to her by bounty, that it draweth her and moveth and oneth by knitting of bounty, in pure divine goodness, which is mistress. Now may I see by this where I ought to be, namely, that I should resort there where I was, in that point that I was, within the One. With whom, then? saith Reason, which-would-by-asking-learn. The first cost that this soul which is free hath, is this, that she hath no grudging of conscience, though she work not the work of virtues. Thus it is [concerning] this book, and myself, saith this soul, who was of God and of creatures. Oh, without fail! This, which Jesu Christ did, set [things] better to rights[377] than that which the former set [wrong]. And when this sun is in the soul and this beam and this brightness, the body hath no more feebleness, nor the soul dread, for the very Sun of Righteousness, when he did his miracles on earth, never healed soul without the body; but he healed both body and soul; and right so he doeth yet, but he doeth it to none that hath no faith in the same.. If she be nakedly naught, this being[397] may not be., This is sooth, saith this free soul; in this point I am, by naughting, myself, for when I leave and naught myself perfectly, then his miracles give me very knowing of his divine gifts. The book is divided by all the scribes into long sections, approximately the same, but Bodley further subdivides into chapters, and in a late fifteenth-century hand there are added analyses of the subject-matter of these chapters, written on small scraps of paper and pasted in the margin opposite the capital letters which denote the chapter divisions. This paper examines Marguerite Porete's Mirror of Simple Souls in light of sources that reveal the educational culture and intellectual activities of informally organised women's religious communities in northern France, Flanders and other regions associated with the beguine movement. And thus it is meant that this soul taketh leave of virtues.! This wit all they who undertake works of themselves without the fervour of the willing of their inwardness.. Yes, without doubt, he is all might, all wisdom, and all goodness: our Father, our brother and our true friend; he is without beginning and shall be without ending, he is without comprehending but of himself, and without end was, is, and shall be, three persons and one God only. And for this was her will given. $253. So that Reason and the other virtues were ladies and mistresses over the soul. That is, that all that she coveteth and loveth and prizeth, it is of the divine bounty. It is, in general, the doctrine of Clement of Alexandria, These estates refer to St Augustines Seven Degrees of preparation for the knowledge of God in, The divine ray (rastro, apparitio) gives knowledge of Gods essence and of the soul s nothingness, so blinding, that afterwards the soul is left without. This is the first modern English translation of the complete text. [73] And that her will is naught in respect to her [own] sufficiency, which never was given her, nor never shall be given her., From this, saith Reason, I understand that the soul willeth a will, and God willeth that she will a will, which she may not have; and by this she suffers loss, and hath not satisfaction.[74], It seemeth, Lady Love, saith the understanding of Reason, that this ninth point maketh me thus to understand the saying of this book, which saith forsooth that the free soul hath no will, nor naught may have, nor naught may will, nor the divine Trinity will not that she have; and this book saith that she hath in all things, by divine love, full sufficiency., O understanding of Reason, saith this naughted soul, how rude thou art! Right so I tell you, Reason, saith Love, all things owe me tribute. but ye Love, say it yourself![195], Dear friend, saith the Person of God the Father, this ought to be done to mine eldest daughter, who is out of my realm,[196] so that she may know the secrets of my Son through the love of the Holy Ghost, that to this soul hath given this [knowledge] from him., It behoveth, saith Love, that this soul be like to the Deity, for she is drawn into him, so she hath taken his very form, which to her was granted without beginning, and given of him that alway hath loved her., O Love, saith this soul, he only hath made me [to be] no-one; and this naught of this none hath put me in a low deepness, under less than naught, without measure; and the knowing of my naught hath given me all, and this naught and this all, saith this Soul, hath taken prayer from me. M. Ye auditors of this book, take keep of these words that say not that we be lords free of all; for whilst we be in this world, we may not be free of all, that is to say, we may not be departed continually from all spots of sin. In 1309 ecclesiastical leaders condemned as heresy Marguerite Porete's rejection of moral duty, her doctrine that "the annihilated soul is freed from the virtues." 1 They also condemned her book, the Mirror of Simple Souls, which includes doctrines associated decades earlier with a "new spirit" heresy spreading "blasphemies" such as that "a person can become God" because "a . And she must let God work and be disposed[133] to his will, for they that have a will that God should do their will, willing to feel his comforts, they trust not perfectly in his sole bounty, but in the gifts of his riches that he hath to give., Without fail, saith this soul, he that loveth well, he thinketh not either of taking nor of asking, but of giving, without anything withholding, that he may love truly. Download The Mirror of Simple Souls PDF full book. [214] Therefore it may well be said, that they be little that often ask, but those be lords that nothing ask nor crave, for all beings, whatever they be, are but as strong as a reed,[215] and a default as compared to the sovereign Being of naught-willing; where the free in their right being may not remove, nor will, nor nothing ask, for nothing that men may do; but give all that they may, to love truly and keep., Ah, God, saith Reason, what thing hath aneantised[216] these souls?. And then, saith Love, to this creature, how may this soul will, when clear knowledge knoweth that there is a Being among the Beings, which is most noble of all Beings, which creatures may not have unless they have it by the not-willing?[75], Now, saith Love, hath Reason heard the answer of his questions, save where it saith, that the free soul hath in her a lack of sufficiency. Yea, and God wills,[183] saith this soul. Search the history of over 804 billion It behoveth him perfectly to do the contrary of his will in appeasing the virtues up to the throat, and hold this point without falling [away, namely, that] the spirit have alway lordship without contrariosity., Ah God, saith Truth, how sick is the body of the heart, where such a spirit is., Soothly I say, saith this free soul, that it behoveth to have such inward working in life marred, this is to say, in life of spirit, so that it destroy[288] the humours of all sickness, in a swift moment. when the last revelation is afforded (see p. 286). As the revelation of God to the soul progresses, so the soul becomes more passive, both with regard to effort after virtue and search for knowledge. And then she drew God to her without seeking him. This belongeth not to auditors that hear this book. This may every creature well wit that hath any wit and discretion; for this I say of truth, that these souls that be such as this book deviseth, they be so mortified from such wretchedness and so enlumined with grace, and so arrayed with the love of God, that it quencheth all fleshly sin in them, and driveth mightily down all bodily and ghostly temptations. This divinity and this manhood, true Christians receive when the holy Sacrament is ministered unto them. Except for this, that is, praise of the thing that is, she willeth no help nor sparing, nor of his might, nor of his wisdom, nor of his bounty., This it is, saith this soul, that faulteth me not, and this hath given me peace. When I was nothing, before I owed to my God anything by the work of self will, and yet should I have nothing ere I were quit of one of my faults, without more, though I had the same that this book speaketh of, where it speaketh of the argument[341] of which ye have heard! Our author is clearly more influenced by Franciscan than scholastic philosophy, a follower of St Augustine and St Bonaventure. If I say great things or mean these things, or though I have by all, of all, in all, my full sufficiency, my Beloved is great, who great gifts giveth and maketh it all at his will. If she saw herself in this divine bounty she should be for herself;[294] but he seeth this bounty in her who wist this of her before she was. . The similarity in point of view is, however, clear, and as we have seen, the Englishman who in the late fifteenth century translated the Mirror into Latin believed the work to have been composed by Ruysbroeck. I thank you, blissful Lord God, with all my poor heart, for all the gifts of grace that ye have given and done to me, that am poor unworthy creature. In this book it is shown, for love hath made it by encumbering my spirit, by these three which we have spoken of. And how they that have the feelings of this book must keep it secret, and a little touching of the seventh state, CHAPTER VI: What this far night is, and of the knowing that it giveth to the soul, CHAPTER VII: Of the three deaths by the which these souls come to the life aforesaid, CHAPTER I: Who be they that sit in the mountain, and what things shame, dread, and reason do to this soul, CHAPTER II: What power the freedom of love hath, and whereof this soul is most glad, CHAPTER III: Of the country that this soul is in, CHAPTER IV: How the usage of reason is full of travail, and where this free soul refresheth her, CHAPTER V: [In] what manner they seek god that governed by reason, and where this soul seeketh him, and what this soul is, CHAPTER VI: How this soul doeth no more work for God, nor for herself, nor for her even-Christian, and how this is meant, CHAPTER VII: Of the mischief that Lucifer and they that accorded to him came to, by reason of their evil will, CHAPTER VIII: Why love hath called these souls in this book by the name of soul; to whom the name of souls properly pertaineth; and to whom the name of spirit; and of the surmounted life and who be perfected in it; and what is the proper name of this soul, CHAPTER IX: Of the transfiguration of our Lord, and why he did it but before three of his disciples; and why it was done in the mountain, and why he bade them not show it till his resurrection, CHAPTER X: Of Mary Magdalen and St Peter and St John, and how god worketh yet in souls as he did in them, that well dispose them thereto, CHAPTER XI: How they that will come to peace and freedom must ever be ready and able to receive the sending of grace; and what it is to them if they refuse it, CHAPTER I: A great rebuke that love giveth to them that refuse the sending of God, and how they be therefore encumbered of themselves all their lifetime, and how they might have been unencumbered, and by what means and for how little, CHAPTER II: Of certain means whereby they that be marred and in life of spirit may come over to the being that is next the being of this soul which hath attained the highest being; and in what case the soul is in the time of that being, CHAPTER III: How these souls be never feeble nor encumbered of themselves, CHAPTER IV: How this soul hath perceived the coast of the country where she ought to be, CHAPTER V: Of the debts of this soul, and how they be paid, and by whom, and who is his next neighbour, CHAPTER VI: How this soul is a spring of divine love, and how she seeth that she is naught, and how this naught giveth her all, CHAPTER VII: Of two things that this soul doeth not, which maketh her to have peace; and how she is no more encumbered of things that she doeth without her, than if she did it not; and who be perfectly free, CHAPTER VIII: Of four costs that this soul is made free of; how she hath lost her name by union of love and is turned about to love, and how yet there is more high than this; how none may understand this book but they that love hath made it for, CHAPTER IX: Of the rudeness of them that be governed by reason, and how this soul will no more follow their counsel, CHAPTER X: How this soul is free and consumed by mortality, and brent in the burning fire of charity; and how this soul seeketh no more God by outward works. Right so I tell thee, saith Love, by ensample of this soul, it fareth with her. And Love hath by himself of his noblesse, the debts all paid., And the seventh keepeth he within himself, for to give us in everlasting glory. My works that be done, these have ye done. [19] Also, in translating of French, some words need to be changed or it will fare ungoodly, not according to the sense. It explains the apparent contradiction which the previous paragraphs offer to the general message of the book, in the statement that some souls. Lady, what said ye to them for that there was in them cruelty? Cancel anytime. Her lot hath this of freedom, ended of every cost; there hath she her full purity. This creature is naked, and she is clothed with the life of glory that we have spoken of. . Adds. for such souls, saith Love, be properly called Holy Church, for they sustain and teach and nourish all Holy Church. This book, the which is called The Mirror of Simple Souls, I, most unworthy creature and outcast of all other, many years gone wrote out of French into English after my simple learning,[10] in hope that, by the grace of God, it should profit those devout souls that shall read it. Ebook 489 pages 8 hours The Mirror of Simple Souls Show full title By Margaret Porette and Kent Emery. Therefore his eye beholdeth me, he may not suffer nor will, but that he be conjoint within me. Nothing may grieve her, nor nothing encumber. For in all things wherein she abandoneth judging, she maketh no judgement, except always for the best. He who is not this, tasteth not this. This bounty given, it is in God himself. This soul hath six wings as have the seraphins, and also she willeth nothing that cometh by means. Now these natures are joined and knit together by nature and by justice, in corruption. Then it behoved her not to be, nor to put [her will] again where he is not. Some- thing must be allowed throughout for the form of the. But who believeth a thing which he is not? But God hath kept me well, saith this soul, from such lore of Reasons disciples they shall not hold me in their counsel, nor their doctrine will I no more hear; I have been long therein holden, sometime I thought it was good, it is not now my best; of that, they know nothing; for a little wit may not put a price [upon a] thing of worthy value, nor understand anything unless reason be master thereof; and if they did understand it any time, it is not often. [310] Thus to do and thus to say, is begging; for in doing this, and in saying this, and in dwelling thus, and in willing this, she remaineth a beggar wit this forsooth and encumbered of herself. But your questions have made them long, because ye have need thereof yourself, and for your disciples,[206] those of your household who have flys hearts! I say, saith Love, that they be on their guard, that is to say, that those which stand in the state of the twain first lives of perfection, that they follow duly and diligently all the good stirrings and fervours that the soul willeth and desireth, as much as they may, for it is needful for them to do so if they will have the better [life] afterwards; for the former lives be but maiden servants that array the house against the coming of the great Being, to lodge[253] the state that is the freedom of not-willing, in which the soul is of all points freed. Whether he himself was a monk of this or of a Charterhouse in the same locality, we cannot tell. Marguerite Porete (died 1310) was a French beguine, mystic and the author of The Mirror of Simple Souls, a work of Christian . We shall seek it less in any close sequence of the divisions and chapters than in a certain interior rhythm. And this it behoveth me to be, if I will have my own; otherwise I may not have it. ii. But it dare not be said of anything that he wills to do! The contradiction is again only superficial. And then is a soul in the sixth state, of all things made free, pure, and clarified, not glorified; for glorifying is in the seventh estate that we shall have in glory, that none can speak of. Then may I no more be without bounty, for I may not my wickedness lose. The first is the death of sin, as it is before said. Nor may the soul have her full sufficiency of divine love, nor [may] divine love [have it] of the soul, until such time as the soul be in God and God in the soul, of him, by him, in this being, by divine [indwelling], and then the soul hath all her sufficiency. O very God, Holy Ghost! saith Holy Church. Oh, without fail no, sweet Love, saith this soul, [even with regard to] the least point of my love, without more for there is none other God but he that none may know, which may not be known. 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