Appendix II: Original Texts of the Revelations
Appendix II
Original Texts of the Revelations
The following passages are taken from the texts translated in this volume.
FROM ST, CHAPTER 4
And this same tyme that I sawe this bodyly syght, oure Lorde schewyd me a gastelye sight of his hamly lovynge. I sawe that he es to us alle thynge that is goode and comfortabylle to oure helpe. He es oure clethynge, for loove wappes us and wyndes us, halses us and alle beteches, hynges aboute us for tendyr loove, that he maye nevere leve us. And so in this sight Y sawe sothelye that he ys alle thynge that ys goode, as to myne understandynge.
And in this he schewyd me a lytille thynge, the qwantyte of a haselle nutte, lyggande in the palme of my hande, and to my undyrstandynge that, it was as rownde as any balle. I lokede theropon and thought, ‘Whate maye this be?’ And I was aunswerde generaly thus, ‘It is alle that ys made.’ I merveylede how that it myght laste, for me thought it myght falle sodaynlye to nought for litille. And I was aunswerde in myne undyrstandynge, ‘It lastes and ever schalle, for God loves it; and so hath alle thynge the beynge thorowe the love of God.’ In this lytille thynge I sawe thre partyes. The fyrste is that God made it, the seconde ys that he loves it, the thyrde ys that God kepes it. Botte whate is that to me? Sothelye the makere, the lovere, the kepere. For to I am substancyallye aned to hym, I may nevere have love, reste, ne varray blysse; that is to saye that I be so festenede to hym that thare be ryght nought that is made betwyxe my God and me. And wha schalle do this dede? Sothlye hymselfe, be his mercye and his grace, for he has made me thereto and blysfullye restoryd …
FROM LT, CHAPTER 43
Prayor onyth the soule to God; for thow the soule be ever lyke to God in kynde and substance, restorid be grace, it is often onlyke in condition be synne on manys partye. Than is prayor a wittnes that the soule will as God will, and comfortith the conscience and ablith man to grace. And thus he techith us to prayen, and mytyly to trosten that we shal have it; for he beholdith us in love and wil makyn us partyner of his gode dede, and therfore he steryth us to prayen that that likyth hym to don; for which prayors and gode will that he wil have of his gyft he wil reward us and gevyn us endless mede. And this was shewid in this word, ‘And thou besekyst it.’ In this word God shewid so gret plesance and so gret lykyng, as he were mekyl beholden to us for every god dede that we don – and yet it is he that doth it – and for that we besekyn hym mytyly to don althyng that hym lekyt; as if he seid, ‘What myte then plese me more than to besekyn mytyly, wisely and wilfully to do that thyng that I shal don?’ And thus the soule be prayor accordyth to God.
But whan our curtes lord of his grace shewith hymse[l]fe to our soule, we have that we desire; and than we se not for the tyme what we shuld pray, but al our entent with al our myte is sett holy to the beholdyng of hym; and this is an hey, onperc[ey]vable prayor, as to my syte; for al the cause wherfor we prayen, it is onyd into the syte and beholdyng of hym to whome we prayen, mervelously enioyand with reverent drede and so grete sweteness and delite in hym that we can pray ryth nowte but as he steryth us for the tyme. And wel I wote the mor the soule seeth of God the more it desyrith hym be his grace. But whan we sen hym not so, than fele we nede and cause to pray, for faylyng, for ablyng of ourselfe to Iesus; for whan the soule is tempested, troublid and left to hymself be onreste, than it is tyme to prayen to maken hymselfe supple and buxum to God …