How the Sowle Had
a Sodeyne Syght of Heuenly Ioye
CAPITULO IIII
But than I loked after my
wardeyn to see what he wold done or sey for me,
beholdyng inward as fer as I myht. Thennea saw I many syeges ryal
& wonderfulb, more clere than ony crystal
polysshed, and moche merueylous lyght I sawe of dissemblable maner. Somme semyd
grene and somme rede, somme lyke to gold and somme
to syluer, and other of mor ryche and noble colours
than euer I sawe floure or ony precyous stone.
Thenne saw I sitting in the syeges huge plente of peple, whiche I
hadde no tyme dystynctly to byholden. But the
wonderful clernesse of this company was so gloryous,
that al maner of examples of resemblaunce that mowe ben remembryd in Erthe ne ben
nomore suffysaunt to
declare the beaute than is a clote of black erthe
for to representen the semblaunce of ony fayre
creature in maner of a myrrour. There was neuer
creature that myht
see this syght, that he ne shold fully be glorious,
as me semyd. But it endured me but a moment, for smertely was my syght derkyd by
ouer drawynge of a grete corteyne bytwene my syght
and that, that I ne myght no more see clerely, that
I sawe byfore. But well I herde the voys of my
wardeyn that was within, that bygan to speke for me
and seyd in this wise:
