The Descryuynge of the Mansion of Aungels

Capitulo Quarto

`The other seuenthe world, that is abouen these other, that sowen is so thycke with sterris of saphyre, there dwellen the special seruytours of the Hyhe Lord, departyd by theyr dignytees in to thre Ierarches of the Blysfull Aungels, and, and [94v] euery Ierarchye in to thre ordres, soo that these thre Ierarchyes reduced in to thre representeth the very Blysfulhede of the Souerayne Trynyte. For in these nyne ordres is founden the suffisaunce^a of all maner of seruyse that is appertynent to his Blysful Godhede.

`And wyte it wel, that all these forsaid Seyntes haue also certayn places of dignytees among these souerayn ordres, by cause of their hye merytes & specialte of vertues, whiche that they had while they were in Erthe.

`Ther am I enhabyted in the lowest ordre. In eueriche of these ordres ben grete nombre of blisful spirytes, an honderd and twoo and twenty thousand twoo honderd and twenty and twoo odde in all, after the trewe dyuysyon of this Scripture: mille milia ministrabant ei, et decies centena milia assistebant ei¹⁰⁰, a thousand seruyd the Lord, and ten honderd thousand ben assistent in his Presence. Neuertheles, of the very nombre can I not dispute, for euery daye and euery houre he may maken newe spirites whan that hym lyketh. These Angels contynuelly fleen aboute fro place to place, ne none mansion is there that they ne vysyten, but their pryncypal beynge is alweye in the Presence of God.