THE SONGE OF AUNGELS ON ESTERN DAY

CAPITULO XIIII

[104v] Honoured be thou, Ihesu Saueoure,
That for mankynd^a were don vpon the^b Rode,
And therto woldest done vs the^c honoure
To fede vs with thy Flesshe and Blood.
Was neuer feste vnto vs half soo good,
For wonderly oure ioyes it doth renewe.
Euer heryed be thou, Blysfull Lord Ihesu!

When thou were dede, to Helle thou descendyd,
And fette them oute, that lyen there in peyne,
For by thy deth oure mys is amendyd.
The thyrd day thou roos to lyf ageyne,
With hye tryumphe and Ioye Souereyne,
As Champyon of wonder hyhe Vertu.
Honoured be thou, Blysful Lord Ihesu!

On Thursday thou a noble soper made,
Where thou ordeyned fyrst thy Sacrament.
But moche more it dothe oure hertes glade,
The dyner of this noble day present,
In whiche thou shewed thy self Omnypotent,
Rysyng fro deth to lyf, it is ful trewe.
Honoured be thou, Blysful Lord Ihesu!

The greuous iourney that thou toke on hande,
Hath clerely made euery wyght appere
In soothfastnes to see and vnderstande,
That only was thy talent and thy chere.
So suffysaunt, loo, that our raunson were
Superhabundaunt ouer that was due.
Honoured be thou, Blysfull Lord Ihesu!

Now for this feste shalle we seyen the Graces,
As worthy is, with all oure dylygence,
And thanken the here & in alle places
Of thy full Bounteous Benyuolence,
Thy Myght, thy Grace, thy Souerayne Excellence.
Thou art the Welle and Ground of al Vertu,
Honoured be thou, Blysfull Lord Ihesu!

`Loo, this is the feste that here is made aboue^d, the day of the Glorious Resurection. But yf the lyst to heren what feste is here bynethe, with good wyll shalle I telle the at thyne owne desyre.

`But firste beholde and see a lytell of Paradys. And whan thou hast wel sene it, thou shalt the better vnderstande that I shall telle the herafter.'

Thenne I beheld a whyle in one syde and in other, and sawe soo many worldes that were withouten nombre. Att the last I arest my syght in special to one that was nyhe by me, in whiche I sawe standynge a wonder hyhe tree that bare greete plente of fruyte and also of leues, and was a tree of wonder huge beaute. But an hyhe braunche he had, that passed all the remenaunt in heyghte, and was alle drye aboue, and bare nother fruyte ne leuys. This braunche also hadde growyng in hit self another braunche, crossyng ouerthwart.

`Bynethe att the foote of this tree was grete multitude of peple, and maden an huge feste of grete solempnyte, yeldynge thankynges to God, amonges all whiche I sawe a semely persone standyng nyhe the forsaid tree, beholdyng euer vpward wonder besyly.

Thenne prayed I myn Angel to telle me of that feste what it myght mene. `There myght thou', quod he, `beholde thyn owne parentes Adam and Eue, and standynge aboute them moche of theyr lygnage. Many of them lacketh, for somme ben set aboue in hyher places, and somme ben abydyng bynethen in peynes. This fayre tree that thou seest, that is the same tree on whiche growyd the appel by whiche the cursid Sathanas hadde deceyued Adam and eue. There he standeth hym self, and beholdeth vpward vpon this hyhe braunche^e that crosseth soo aboue, and besyly he thanketh the Souerayne Lord of his redempcion that was made therby, what tyme that Ihesu Cryste was hanged therupon.

`Now for to telle the pleynly of this feste here in this present countrey and in this lower place. After that this feste and dyner is endyd abouen, these Aungels comen doune with the table, with Seynt Peter, that is Goddes Vycayr Speciall, for to doo alle the solempnyte that shalle be done here. This bord is set doune fast by this tree with only brede and wyn. "Cometh hyder", saith Seynt Peter to Adam and Eue, "Assayeth of a lytel mete, whiche that I haue brought you, and proueth yf it be better than the appel whiche that ye ete, and whether is more delicious the old fruyte or the newe. Of the old ye haue assayed, but of the newe ye knoweth but lytell."

Thenne cometh Adam forthe, & his wyf Eue, and the couent with them, and receyueth of thys [105v] mete with grete deuocion. And after saiden Graces wonder ioyfully, takyng eueriche other by the hand. And Adam begynneth, and al these other answereth sewyngly, as ye shalle here after, for this is the sentence of theyr seyeng:

Heryed be thou, Blysful Lord aboue,
That vouchesauf this iourney for to take,
Man to become only for mannes loue,
And deth to suffren for my synnes sake.
So hast thou vs oute of the boundes shake
Of Sathanas, that held vs so longe in peyne.
Honoured be thou, Ihesu Souereyne!

Ful euyl I dyd when I the appel took.
I wende haue had therby prosperyte.
Hit sat so nyhe my sydes, that they ook,
To grete meschyef I felle fro hyhe degre,
And all myn yssue, for by cause of me
Now hast thou, Lord, restored all ageyne.
Honoured be thou, Ihesu Souereyne!

Soo rychely thou hast refresshed vs,
Vs well comfortid with this feste ryall.
Soo Swete a Fruyte and soo Delycious,
Soo Fayre it is, and soo Celestyall,
That oure dysese is now foryeten al.
This fruyte hath vysyted euery veyne,
Honoured be thou, Ihesu Souereyne!

This may wel be cleped the Fruyte of Lyf.
The Fruyte of Deth was wherof I assayd,
That by the Iugement Diffynytyf
Fyue thousand yere I was ful euyl arrayd,
Tyll that this Fruyte, that born was of a Mayd,
Had all refourmed. Lete vs synge and seyne:
Honoured be thou, Ihesu Souereyne!

`Thus this peple in a hoole assemble enuyronneth this tree all the day, syngynge and makynge moche ioye. Thus moch haue I said of the glorious Feste of Resurrection. But yet haue I for to speke of that other feste, that also bylongeth to the sygne of Cancer, in whiche Criste retorned to his Blysse.

'At the daye of the Holy Ascencion, the Aungels of Heuen besyen them in theyr array for to meten with this Blessid Lord, and to conueyen^f hym vp in to his Faders Presence. Of the Royalte of this feste it is full hard to ony creature to maken declaracion, for no doute, the eyer was soo fulfylled with Aungels, and eueryche in hyr places, to abydynge the comyng of this Glorious Lord with soo moche ioye and huge melodye, that who so had comen amonges them, he shold full haue trowed that there had ben none other Heuene, eyther els that Heuen had ben translated in to that same place. No doute, but many a legyon wenten to the foote of Olyuet, ordeynyng theyr procession to brynge hym therupon. And there were assembled ayenst hym al that company, whiche that he had taken oute of Helle. And amonges other, the theef that deyde before hym come ful deuoutly, and thanked hym of his grete Mercy.

Thenne said this Glorious Lord to them in this wyse: "Cometh, dere chyldre, cometh on with me in to my Ioye, for tyme is that I present to my Fader the proye that I haue take oute of the peyne of Helle. Ful dere haue I bought yow, and yet I hold me content with my iourneye."

`Soo goothe he forthe with his belouyd disciples, this companye sewyng hym in to the mount of Olyuete. And there he took his leue of his Moder and of alle his other disciples, and wente his weye vp in to his Blysse, assygnyng his companye euerych in to his place, after that they had duely deseruyd in Erthe. so was he receyued in to the hyhe Throne of his Faders Mageste with hyhe solempnyte. And to a veray fulfillyng of this ryal passage, yet many of these Angels abyden behynde, yf ony man wol axe, what Lord it myght be, that went in suche array of soo moche multitude of peple. They myght answere and seye as the soothe was, in witnes of whiche thyng two were sene openly clothed, in whiche he that sayd to the Apostles in herynge of other: "Ye people of Galylee, that by interpretacion ben cleped people of passage, why wonder ye so moche, lokynge in to Heuene. For douteth it nought, ye shalle see hym come doun to the Fynall Iugement in as grete array, or^g gretter, than he goth hens now. And therfore, syth that ye ben here but^h pylgrymes and peple of passage, arrayeth yow ageynste that [106v] tyme that ye may be redy when that he retourneth to his blysse, to passen in his company.

[PISCES]

`Soo this is the feste and the hyhe solempnnyte of Crystes Ascencion in the sygne of Cancer. But of the sygne of Pisces yet haue I for to seyn. For after this, the Apostles, whiche many of them were fysshers, were fulfylled with the Holy Ghoost. These were the fysshers whiche that Cryst found in this worldly see, and took them with the nette of his Grace, whiche fisshes he putte in the stewe of his loued Chirche, where they haue spawned and multyplyed soo heuely, that all the wyde world is fulfylled with the fruyte of theyr good laboure.

`The feste of these fisshers¹³² is halden in this wyse: Ther was made in Heuen a wonder sowne, and sodenly was sente doune the Hooly Ghoost in semblaunce of fyry tonges. These tonges were taken them as for their pryncipal instrument for to fysshen with, for Cryste found them as fysshers, and made of them his fysshers, and efte made them fysshers and sente them for to fysshe this wyde worldly see.

`In this feste, al the holy Apostles comen vnder this cercle, and ben presentyd forthe byfore the Hooly Trynyte with huge songe & melodye, and hooly sayntes sewyn theyr assemble, syngnyng and seyng in this wyse:

Honoured be thou, Hooly Ghoost on hye,
That vnto a people of soo poure estate
Hast yeuen that Grace to stande myghtely
Ageyne tyrauntes fyers and obstynate,
For to subdue them to thy Pryncipate,
To leue theyr errour and theyr lyf amende.
Euer heryed be thou, Lord, withouten ende!

Thou yafe them wytte and connyng for to preche
And courage for to standen by the Lawe
Al maner folkes for to wysse and teche
Fro vyces all theyr lustes to withdrawe,
And of theyr Lord and God to standen in awe,
To thy plesaunce theyr hertes to entende.
Honoured be thou, Lord, withouten ende!

This fisshersⁱ auoyded ben of slouthe,
For blandysshyng^j, for manace, ne for drede,
They spared not, but stoden by the trouthe.
Of peyne and torment took they none hede,
But fayn to see theyr hede and sides blede,
Ful myghtely thy Lawes to defende.
Honoured be thou, Lord, withouten ende!

`Of one', quod I,`merueyle I haue, that oftymes spekyng of the Godhede, ye nempne thre persones, and I wonder moche, how thre mowe ben one. I haue herd therof dyuerse folkes speken, but none to my lustes hath suffysauntly declared it vnto myn vnderstandyng, wherof I pray yow, saith therof somwhat, yf it lyketh yow.'

He answerd thenne, and sayd: `Seynt Powle¹³³ byddeth the to sauoure ne to seken more than hit nedeth, but to sauouren sobyrly. For yf a man will proudely with presumpcion enserchen Goddes pryuete, it is no doute he may ful lyghtely ben encombred with erroure. But he that lowely & sobirly desireth for to knowe his God, to haue therby the more cause of loue, and occasion for to done hym worship, I trowe he be to preise. And so wote I wel, thou wylt none other wyse.

`But fyrst I will enforcen the by reson for to preuen that nedes must it be that God is thre and one, and after this shalle I telle the, & shewe the examples, wherby to vnderstande that it may be wel soo. Sith it so is, that God hym self is nature vnformed or vnwrought, that yeueth nature formed to euery creature, I wylle seyn at the begynnyng that al that he wyrketh kyndely, what that euer it be, for nature must nedes shewe the Former, and nought the Former hit, so that al that he maketh, of nature he maketh it, for nature formed is constreyned for to obeyen to Nature Formyng.

`Thenne, syth that God wyrketh all thyng naturelly, & euery thyng that werketh naturelly by seyng of the philosophre enduceth the fourme of it seluen as ferforth as he may, sith thenne, that God is Almyghty in eury thinge that he wirketh, he induceth the fourme of hym seluen.

`Yf thou wylt axe what is the fourme of God, I saye that hit is his owne Excellent Goodnesse. This is preued by the text of Genesis¹³⁴, wher is sayd that [107v] God beheld al thynges that he had wrought, & they were^k wonder good, wherfor it is that in euery creature reluceth the fygure^l and the forme of God, soo that by the creatures the Maker^m may be knowen. So saith Seynt Powle to the Romayns¹³⁵, & the Book of Sapience, acording to his seyeng.

`But for to speken of the bodely thynges whiche men knowen experiently as alwey in youre presence, I seye that the perfection and the goodnes of euery body standeth in thre thynges - I wille not speke of Cristus in the Sacrament - & yf it lacke ony of thylke thre, hit ne may not propirly be cleped a body. Now is hit so, as clerkes seyn, that there is no bodely fourme soo parfite as a round body lyke to a spyere or a round boule, & all the cause is, for in suche a body is next conceyued the forme of the Maker aboue. For in a roundⁿ spere ne ben no mo partes of shap but only the roundnes. There is neither cost ne corner, begynnyng ne ende, as ben in bodyes of other maner fourme. But al is one maner roundenes.

`Right so, in God ne ben no partes of his beyng, but only the hoole Eternyte, that no begynnyng hath ne ende, bifore ne after, ne no suggestion of tymes. And for this grete resemblaunce, God made this grete world in his hoole substaunce round as a boule, in likenes of his Vnyte in forme and Eternyte in beyng.

`But yet, as is before said, ther is no body parfit withouten thre dymensions, that is brede, lengthe, & depnesse, & wantyng ony of these, it may not be cleped a body. Now in this round^o spere ben founden these thre dymensions by thre lynes, metyng & crossyng euen in the myddel poynt of that body, whiche I clepe the centre, & causeth square corners at the centre ryght. And alle these dymensions in that body, that is to seye, lengthe, brede, & depthe, nys but the same, & yf there be ony difference, the spere is not parfyte.

`Sith it soo is, thenne, that these thre dymensyons belongen to the perfection of the body, whiche^p with theyr vnyte in mesure is groundid and caused in God, whiche induceth in his creatures the fourme of hym seluen as a Naturel Worcher, hit seweth thenne that the substaunce and the goodnes of God standeth in a Trynyte.

`And thus I shewe it shortely. The goodnes of this Creatour & the perfection of his Beynge is this trynyte of dimensyons, which ben all thre but one. Thenne I conclude that the Forme of God, to whiche this creature is resembled, whos Forme he representeth, standeth in a Trinyte, & is hym self but one.

`But thou wilt sey me parauenture that this maner vnyte of dymensyons is not founden in bodyes of other shap than of round^q. No doute, but that euery [108r] body hath length, brede, and depnesse. And these thre dimensyons maken that one body, and els is it none. neuertheles, yet is ther another resemblaunce, in parte as nyhe as this, to preuen myn entent.

`In euery bodely thing that man may knowe and sene, there ben thre principal thynges that maken this body one: that is mater, fourme, and substaunce. And if one of these thynges lacke, hit is no parfite body.

`I wille put the a special example of this maner of seyeng, that thou shalt vnderstande. Yf thou wylt bylde an hows, & arte a maister werker, couthest thou maken an hows withouten these thre thynges, couthest thou bilde withouten mater, that is to seye tymber or stone or erthe, or suche other thyng? Or yf thou haddest mater, couthest thou make an hous withoute shap or fourme? And though thou haddest mater and haddest the shap in thy herte, couthest thou make an hows, but yf thy mater and the fourme were ioyned to geders, and reised in to the shap of an hous? Nay, I doute it nought. 

`No more thenne may there be no veray parfite body withouten mater of whiche withouten forme, after whiche a substaunce maye ben assembled of them bothe. Soo is the mater as begynnynge of whiche lykened to the Fader, the fourme after which, or by whiche, lykened to the Sone, the substaunce^r of the body, comyng to them bothe, resembled to the Holy Ghost, whiche that procedeth fro the Fader and the Sone by feythe of Holy Chirche.

`Therfor Seynt Powle¹³⁶ hath this maner of seyng: "of hym, by hym, in hym is al. Of hym, the Fader, as of Begynner, by hym, the Sone, as by the Wise Worcher, & in hym, the Hooly Ghoost, that is the Ender and the fulfiller

`But answer me sewyngly to that I shalle aske the: how many thynges neden of necessite to euery resonable werke kyndely to be wrought, in whiche thynges standeth^s the suffisaunce of euery naturel and very parfite dede to be done?'

`I suppose', quod I,` that Myght be so necessary to euery parfit werk, that it includeth contradiction that ony shold be done withouten it.'

`Ful soothe it is', quod he, `For al that is done withouten Might, it lacketh the dignyte and the name of dede, but is cleped passion. And euery suche passion is verry imperfection & defaute of Myght. But furthermore, what nedeth to ony parfyte werk also well as Myght?'

`Soothely', quod<sup>t</sup> I, `to euery resonable creature ther nedeth also connynge, withouten which what soo euer be do, the werk is imperfect, for he that werketh, & wote not what he wirketh, ne to what ende ne entent, ne how he shal begynne ne procede, for defaute of connyng^u, the werk that he werketh dependeth of fortune, & not [108v] of hym that sholde ben the werker, that soo withouten cause beryth the name of werker.'

`As soothe is this', quod he, `as a chyld sytteth and pleyeth, puttyng styckes and fyre to geders, tyl that the fyre haue maystry and brenneth vp the hows. The child noo thyng entendyd it, but occupyed his spirites, he wyst not where about. But of that occupacion is fallen this fortune. Men may not sey skylfully that the chyld was doer of that dede, for he wyste neuer what he dyde.

`But now nedeth ther ony more to a parfyt werke than myght and connyng. What thynge is it, that shall applyen these two to geders, that ony werke be doo of a resonable creature for to speke of werkes of perfection? For thou hast sene many one that couthe & myght haue done wonder wel, & dyden euen contrary, & sooth it is, thou hast ben one of tho. What cause of this?'

`Sothly', quod<sup>v</sup> I, `not but defaute of Wil, that I wold not applyen my connyng to my myght to put in execucion thyng whiche I wist, & knowe shold haue be profitable bothe to me & other.'

`Thenne is Wylle', quod he, `the thyrd necessary propirte that bylongeth to euery parfite werke, & that werk that is done ayenst the Will, what foloweth but that he lacketh myght and connyng to withstande it, & canst thou sey that ony of these thre may be with outen other as by ymagynacion?'

`Sothly', quod I,`he that holdeth hym seluen myghty, & wantith wyt & connyng, men clepen suche one a fole, & soth it is, that myghty is he not, for yf he were myghty, than myghte he get connyng. But he maye not gete it, why hit seweth that in hym is feblesse & grete vnmyght. And yet more fole is he that wyll nought haue connyng, for suche one is a peruertid wylle, a very foole, & vnmyghty wretche.'

`Ful sewyngly', quod he, `hast thou answerid me to my questions, for he can do that he may not, or maye do that he can not, or who can or may doo ony thynge but he wille do it. To concluden shortely my purpoos, we haue here graunted that Myght, Connyng, & Wyll ben necessary to euery parfite werk. But syth that God hym self is the most Parfite Werker, it seweth that in hym ben all these thre propirtees souerayne parfitely.

`But there ben in God none accidentes, for accidentes mowe ben absent^w & present to the substaunce, withouten corrupcion of that same substaunce. But Myght ne maye not be absent to hym that is Almyghty, ne Wisedomme maye not be absent fro hym that is all Witty, ne Good Will maye not be absent froo hym that is Ground of Goodnesse, to whome alle creatures Heuenly and Erthely nedes must obeye.

`Thenne seweth [109r] hit expressely, that these propyrtees ben in God as very substaunces. But for to seyen that in God ben ony substaunces but only hym self, it were inconuenyent to hym, that is so pure and so symple a Substaunce^x Infynyte, passynge alle other.

`Thenne ben these thre propirtees verily and substancially the same God hym self, soo that myght is appropred to the Fader as to the Begynner, Wysedom to the Sone as to the Kyndely Worcher, and Good Wyll to the Holy Ghoost as to the Very Noryssher and Keper, so that thou myght not withseyn skilfully, but that God is thre persones distynct, after these thre propirtees forsaid. For sothe it is, that Myght is not Connynge ne Wysedom, ne Wylle is neither Myght ne Connyng, but ful dyuerse in theyr consideracion. And soo there maye none be withouten other, so that Wisedom dependeth of Myght, and Wil dependeth on bothe in euery parfyt werke, for only that werke that a wise man maye and can doo, he applyeth to his wylle, for to perfourmen hit.

`And right as Wisedom dependeth of Myght, right soo the Sone dependeth of the Fader, nouther more ne lesse, neither latter ne rather than the Fader, but euen y lyke to hym, eternally engendryd of hym, right as the bryght beames eternally ben engendred of the sonne.

`And right as Wille dependeth of bothe Myght and Wisedome to perfourme a werke that oweth to be wrought, right so the Holy Ghost procedeth fro the Fader & the sone, ryght as lyght procedeth fro the sonne & his bryght beames.

`But that these thre persones ben but one God, I shall preue the lyghtely. After the diffynycion of philosophres, god is soo good and so suffisaunt, that there maye no thynge better be by thought, but euery thyng that is one, is better than^y another that is diuyded. Than seweth it that God is but one, for if it so were that the Fader, to whome is appropred Myght, were one God by hym self, and the Sone, which is cleped Wisedom, were another God by hym self, soo that they were dyuerse in substaunce^z, and ryght so the Holy Ghoste, to whom is appropred Good Will, were eke another God, here were a foule confusion, for eueriche were inparfite by hym self, and nedid of that other bothe. But God nedeth of no thyng, but al thyng nedeth of hym.

`Thenne be they al thre verily one God, & one Substaunce^aa Indyuysyble in beyng & in worchyng, for Myght ne maye not be without Wisedom, nomore that the sonne^ab without clernes, ne Myht & Wisedom may not be withouten Good Wil, nomore than the sonne^ac may be withouten hete. Nomore the thre Persones in Trinite be deuided fro other, but al thre, the Fader, the Sone, & Holy Ghost, ben verily one God, [109v] o Werker, o Substaunce Indyuysible, for right as the sonne in his shap is considered by hym selue, the beames in theyr clernes consydered by them selue, the hete whiche he caused consydered^ad by it selue, yet is this roundenes in shap, this brightnes in shynynge, this hete that yeueth norisshyng, al but one sonne. Ne no fole is so nyce that will it clepe thre sonnes for cause of these three propirtees. And yet may he sey skilfully that the rounde sonne meueth, the bright sonne shyneth, the hoote sonne eschaufeth, and alle is but one.'

`Syth it so is thenne', quod I,`that these thre Persones ben verily one Substaunce Indyuysible that none may absent be fro other, ne wyrke withouten other, but eueryche in other, and al thre ben one, how may hit thenne be that only the Sonne receyued incarnacion, and no moo Persones? And how myght he abyde with the Fader in Blysse and here in Erthe alyue in grete dysese and peyne?'

`Ful soothe hit is', quod he, `that only the Sone receyued incarnacion. But all the hole Trynyte acordyd and consentid to that same dede. And ryght as the sonne beme encorpereth hym self, and as it were clothed with the eyer, enlumynyng it with wonder huge bryghtenesse, & yet this bright beme departith not fro the sonne, ryght so the Wisedom of the Godhede, the Mene Persone in Trynyte, encorpored and clothed hym selue with mannes flesshe in the Blessid Mayden, enlumynyng by his worthynes & clennes al the kynde of man, & yet departid he not fro the Faders Presence. And though that his manhode suffred peyne and torment, yet was his Godhede eternally in Blysse. He myght be none other, for though the sonne bemes shyne vpon the Erthe, yet ben they in the sonne withouten blemysshynge.

`Of this maner of mater to holden long parlement me semeth no wisedom, for what euer I telle the with wordes of the Souerayne moost Blisful Trynyte, the trouthe passeth infynytely al that may be said, seyn or herd, or thought in mannes herte, more than the Cercle of Heuene passeth in quantite the roundenes^ae of the lest perl that may be sene with eye. For soothely, all the subtylyte ne clernes of knowyng that is in alle Blisful Angels & Sayntes that ben in Heuen, ne suffysen nought for to comprehenden the Souerayne Godhede.

`But hastely here after shalt thou see the sothe withouten my techyng more clerely than all the examples mowe maken the to conceyue. And thenne thou shalt seye that hit is very vnwytt to ony erthely creature closid within a feble and brotel body to trowen or suppose that he myght comprehenden hym [110r] what fylleth Heuen and Erthe. For why entendement is but a litel cage to kepe & comprehenden the nature of a lytel byrd or a wyld best that it may ben apperceyued by bodyly wytte. And ryght harde hit is for to assigne soo clere a diffynycion of Erthely nature, that it may make this cage of entendement clerely to comprehenden withoute errour the soothfast conceyte. Thenne were it wonder for to descryuen Hym, that torneth Heuene at His owne deuyse by shewynge of ony example. For sythe that He fulfylled, as is before said, bothe Heuen and Erthe, He may nought be comprehendyd in no lesse place.

`And very soothe it is, that in a closure lymyted of a certeyne space that may no more be conteyned, but only that is euen therto or lesse. Who that wylle enforcen ony forther, he is but a foole. Trewely, so is he that wold enforcen for to closen heuen and alle that it conteyneth in a lytel cage. And yet more fowle yf he wold closen and comprehenden Hym that alle hath wrought within a lytel closet of his entendement.

`But here thy self lowely enquyrynge no more than he wyl vouchesauf for to shewe the. But as touchynge this mater, take hede of the fygure of compas that thou fyndest folowynge, whiche, thou shalt wel see, representith in manere the ymage of the trynyte. For ther ben thre cercles conteyned in one, and alle three cercles ben but one cercle. In presence of the Hyhe Trynyte thou shalt for euer abyde, therfor, when thou comest thyder, & art of his Hye Grace benyngnely receyued, thanke hym of all thy hert. The Prouost also, when I shall bitake the, thou must thanke with ful lowely chere. For I shall anone goo to hym, and ordeyne for thy comyng. And oftymes wille I come and visite the, and shewe the diuerse sightes, wherof thou shalt ful hugely merueilen. And so shalt thou ioyefully abide the General Resurection, when thou shalt eftsones receyue thy body, and ben to hym ayeneward conioined, and withouten ende ioyfully lede your lif to geders.'

And euen with this word this Angel flewe his weye vp in to Heuene, and as I loked after hym, a wonder huge light descendid fro the Hye Heuen, smytyng on myn eyen, soo that it made me for to opene them after that they hadde long tyme ben closid in slepyng.

So thenne I awoke, and found my self lyeng in my bedde, wherof I was ful sory that I was so soone departid fro so mochel ioye as I was nyhe toward, as me thoughte after so moche peyne & in heuinesse whiche I had lyued so many thousand yeres, as me semed. And by this tyme the Horologe had fully performed half his nyghtes [110v] cours, shewynge that the sonne was comen to the angle of the Erthe, and hastyd hym vpward toward the eest orysone to brynge ageyne the day. And sodenly the belle gan sowne the houre of mydnyght. And I me remembred that I had not yet slepte fully thre houres.

Now, Ihesu, yeue me Grace for to comen to the trouthe of this Blysse, wherof I haue dremed, soo that I may here deseruen for to haue it parfytely withouten ende. And soo he doo to alle tho, that goodly and benyngly expownen myn auenturous dreme, and goodly correcten where that it nedeth oughte to adden or withdrawen.

Here Endeth the Dreme of the Pylgremage of the Soule, Translatid Out of Frensshe in to Englysshe with Somwhat of Addicions, the Yere of Oure Lord MCCCC & Thyrten, and endeth in the Vigyle of Seynt Bartholomew

Emprynted at Westmestre By William Caxton, and Fynysshedthe Sixth Day of Iuyn, the Yere of Our Lord MCCCC, LXXXIII, and the Fyrst Yere¹³⁷ of the Regne of the Kynge Edward the Fyfthe