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GERALDINE E. HODGSON, D.Litt.,
GERALDINE E. HODGSON, D.Litt.,
LONDON: THOMAS BAKER, 72, NEWMAN STREET, W. 1910. PRINTED BY W. C. HEMMONS, ST. STEPHEN STREET, BRISTOL. "Love is a life, joining together the loving and the loved." "Truth may be without love, but it cannot help without it." Richard Rolle ( The Form of Perfect Living , ch. x.)....
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Preface.
Preface.
This book is not intended for those who are acquainted with Anglo-Saxon and Middle English; but for those who care for the thought, specially the religious and devotional thought, of our forefathers. My one aim has been to make a portion of that thought accurately intelligible to modern readers, with the greatest possible saving of trouble to them. When I could use the old word or phrase, with certainty of its being understood, I have done so. When I could not, I have replaced it with the best m
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Introduction.
Introduction.
Richard Rolle of Hampole is the earliest in time of our famous English Mystics. Born in or about 1300, he died in 1349, seven years after Mother Julian of Norwich was born. Walter Hilton died in 1392. An exhaustive account of Rolle's life is given in Vol. ii. of Professor Horstman's Edition of his works, a book unfortunately out of print. The main facts are recorded in a brief "Life" appended to Fr. R. Hugh Benson's A Book of the Love of Jesus . Therefore, it will suffice to say here that Richar
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CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER I.
In every sinful man and woman that is bound in deadly sin, are three wretchednesses, the which bring them to the death of hell. The first is: Default of ghostly strength . That they are so weak within their heart, that they can neither stand against the temptations of the fiend, nor can they lift their will to yearn for the love of God and follow thereto. The second is: Use of fleshly desires :—for they have no will nor might to stand, they fall into lusts and likings of this world; and because
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CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER II.
Because thou hast forsaken the solace and the joy of this world, and taken thee to solitary life, for God's sake to suffer tribulation and anguish here, and afterwards to come to that bliss which never more ceases, I trow truly that the comfort of Jesus Christ, and the sweetness of His love, with the fire of the Holy Ghost, that purges all sin, shall be in thee, and with thee, leading thee and teaching thee how thou shalt think, how thou shalt pray, what thou shalt work, so that in a few years t
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CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER III.
I know that thy life is given to the service of God . Then is it shame to thee, unless thou beest as good, or better, within thy soul, as thou art seeming in the sight of men. Turn therefore thy thoughts perfectly to God , as it seems that thou hast done thy body. For I will not that thou shouldest ween that all are holy that have the habit of holiness, and are not occupied with the world. Nor that all are ill who discourse of earthly business. But they only are holy, what state or degree they b
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CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER IV.
At the beginning then, bow thee entirely to thy Lord Jesus Christ. That turning to Jesus is naught else but turning from all the covetousness and the liking and the occupations and business of worldly things and of fleshly lust and of vain love: so that thy thought, that was ever downward, burrowing in the earth, whilst thou wert in the world, now should be aye upward like fire; seeking the highest place in heaven, right to thy Spouse, where He sits in His bliss. To Him thou art turned, when His
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CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER V.
I will that thou beest aye climbing to Jesus -ward, and increasing thy love and thy service to Him; not as fools do; they begin in the highest degree and come down to the lowest. I say not that if thou hast begun unreasonable abstinence that thou hold it; but for many who were burning at the beginning and able to (capable of) the love of Jesus Christ, through over-great penance they have hindered themselves, and made themselves so feeble that they cannot love God as they should. In the which lov
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CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VI.
Wherefore, that thou may'st be rightly disposed both for thy soul and thy body, thou shalt understand four things. The first thing is: what thing defiles a man . The second thing: what makes him clean . The third: what holds him in cleanness . The fourth: what thing draws him for to ordain his will entirely at God's will . For the first, wit thou that we sin in three things that make us foul: that is with heart and mouth and deed . The sins of the heart are these: Ill-thought: ill delight: assen
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CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VII.
Amore langueo. These two words are written in the Book of Love, that is called the Song of Love, or the Song of Songs. For he that loves greatly, lists often to sing of his love, for joy that he or she has when they think on that they love, specially if their love be true and loving. And this is the English of these two words: "I languish for love." Separate men on earth have separate gifts and graces of God , but the special gift of those who lead the solitary life, is for to love Jesus Christ.
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CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER VIII.
Three degrees of love I shall tell thee, for I would that thou mightest win to the highest. The first degree is called Insuperable . The second Inseparable . The third is, Singular . Thy love is Insuperable, when nothing that is contrary to God's love overcomes it: but it is stalwart against all temptations; and stable, whether thou beest in ease or in anguish, or in health or in sickness: so that men think that thou wouldest not, even to have all the world without end, make God angry at any tim
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CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER IX.
If thou wilt be well with God , and have grace to rule thy life, and come to the joy of love: this name Jesus , fasten it so fast in thy heart that it come never out of thy thought. And when thou speakest to Him, and through custom sayst, Jesus , it shall be in thine ear, joy; in thy mouth, honey; and in thine heart, melody: for men shall think joy to hear that name be named, sweetness to speak it, mirth and song to think it. If thou thinkest (on) Jesus continually, and holdest it firmly, it pur
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CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER X.
But now, thou mayst ask me and say, "Thou speakest so much of love; tell me— What is love, and where is love. And how I shall love God verily. And how that I may know that I love Him. And in what state I may most love Him. " These are hard questions to teach, to a feeble man and fleshly as I am. But nevertheless therefore, I shall not delay that I shall not shew my wit, and as I think it may be. For I hope in the help of Jesus , who is the well of love and peace and sweetness. Thy first asking i
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CHAPTER XI.
CHAPTER XI.
Seven gifts of the Holy Ghost are in men and women who are ordained to the joy of heaven and lead their life in this world righteously. These they are: Wisdom: Understanding: Counsel: Strength: Knowledge: Pity and the Fear of God . Begin we at Counsel , for thereof is most need at the beginning of our works, which we dislike not afterwards. With these seven gifts, the Holy Ghost touches separate men separately. Counsel is doing away with the world's riches, delights, and all things with which me
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CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XII.
Two lives there are that Christian men live. One is called Active life, for it is more in bodily work. Another, contemplative life, for it is in more ghostly sweetness. Active life is greatly outward, and in more travail and in more peril, because of the temptations that are in the world. Contemplative life is largely inward, therefore it is more enduring and more certain, restfuller, more delectable, lovelier and more rewarding. For, it has joy in God's love, and savour in the life that lasts a
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Our Daily Work.
Our Daily Work.
Three things are needful to every man; to increase his reward, through God's grace helping, Who shall lead him. The first; that man be in honest work, without losing of his time. The second; that he do his work with a freedom of spirit, in place and in time, as work falls to each. The third; that his outward bearing, wheresoever he come, be so honest and fair, that praise is (given) to God , a stirring up of good to all who see him, as the Apostle bids: Omnia in vobis honesti et secundum ordinem
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FIRST PART OF THE BOOK.
FIRST PART OF THE BOOK.
At the first: man shall look that he lose not his short time, nor spend it wrongly, nor in idleness let it pass away. God has lent man his time, to serve God in, and to gather grace with good works, to buy heaven with. Not only this short time flies from us, but also the time of our life, as the wise man says: "Our life-time passes away." And S. Gregory says:—"Our life is like a man in a ship; sit he, stand he, sleep he, wake he, ever he gets thitherward where the ship is driving with the force
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SECOND PART OF THE BOOK.
SECOND PART OF THE BOOK.
The second part of this book teaches man to do his good work with freedom of spirit, in place and in time, as falls to each work: not compelled thereto, nor to do it with anger, nor with a dead heart. For Holy Writ says: " God loves a cheerful giver," or God loves him who gives Him aught with a glad heart: and certainly the works that turn out to the praise of God, and the health of man's soul, like prayers and holy thoughts, and a clear mind about God , and God's deeds; these and others like th
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THIRD PART OF THE BOOK.
THIRD PART OF THE BOOK.
The third and the last part of this book teaches a man to bear himself, wheresoever he comes, and whatsoever he does: that it be to the praise of God , and an example of good to all who see him: for thus the Apostle counsels: "Let everything be done honestly and in order"; that is "all that ye do, look ye do it honestly and orderly." Then at the first, let every lover of God see that ye yearn not to mingle with the world, that hinders and deceives all who deal with it, and hinders them from the
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On Grace.
On Grace.
Three degrees of grace there are. The first God gives to all creatures, to uphold them with; and this is called God's help freely given to all creatures; and without this gift of grace, creatures cannot do, nor last in their kind; for as water is made hot through fire and becomes cold again if the fire be withdrawn, so, as S. Austin says, "All creatures that are made of naught, so are they worth naught in a little time, unless God upholds them with His grace." Therefore says the Apostle "Through
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On Charity.
On Charity.
By what tokens thou shalt know if thou lovest thine enemy: and what example thou shalt take from Christ to love him . And if thou beest not stirred against the person by anger or fell outward cheer, and have no privy hate in thine heart for to despise him, or judge him, or for to set him at naught: and the more shame and villany he does to thee in word or in deed, the more pity and compassion thou hast of him as thou wouldest have of a man who was out of his mind, and thou thinkest thou canst no
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Contrition.
Contrition.
Richard Hermit rehearses a ... tale of perfect contrition that the same clerk Cesarius tells. He tells that a scholar at Paris had done full many sins of which he was ashamed to shrive him. At the last, great sorrow of heart overcame his shame, and when he was ready to shrive him to the Prior of the Abbey of S. Victor, so great contrition was in his heart, sighing in his breast, sobbing in his throat that he could not bring one word forth. Then the Prior said to him, "Go and write thy sins." He
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Scraps from the Arundel MS.
Scraps from the Arundel MS.
Richard Rolle. [9] Wins = joys. ...
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