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    "name": "The Mirror of Simple Souls"
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    "slug": "vol-1-01-prologues-and-opening",
    "title": "Section I",
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    "text": "## Section I\n\nThis is Section I of a planned five-section project translation of Marguerite Porete's *The Mirror of Simple Souls*, the Beguine treatise for which she was burned alive in Paris on June 1, 1310. Section I covers the two Prologues (M.N.'s Translator's Prologue and Marguerite's Author's Prologue) together with Division I, Division II, and the opening three chapters of Division III, which conclude with the *Soul's manumission speech to the Virtues* — the celebrated passage that begins \"I take my leave of you, Virtues, for evermore.\"\n\nThe text below is a *light modernization* of the 14th-century Middle English translation by \"M.N.,\" as edited by Clare Kirchberger from four surviving manuscripts and published in 1927. M.N.'s identity is unknown; the scholarly consensus places his work in the second half of the 14th century. The Middle English itself reads as Middle English — not as Marguerite's Old French — and recent scholarship (Robert Lerner; Geneviève Hasenohr's 1999 Valenciennes fragments; the essays in the Brill *Companion to Marguerite Porete*, 2017) now considers M.N.'s exemplar **closer to Marguerite's lost original than the surviving Old French Chantilly manuscript**, which is itself a c. 1500 Loire-valley dialect modernization. M.N. is therefore not a degraded bridge to Marguerite — he is the best surviving witness.\n\nM.N. wrote fifteen glosses into his translation, each marked clearly: he opens every gloss with the letter **M** and closes it with the letter **N**, so his interpretive insertions are visible in the text itself. These are not silent censorship but signed commentary, in the manner of a medieval *glossa interlinearis*. The first two of the fifteen glosses fall in this section, and are rendered below in their place with footnotes flagging them. (The third gloss falls in Division III later than Chapter III, beyond Section I's scope.) The translator's own brief prologue, in which he explains his glossing practice, is rendered in full.\n\nThe modernization is light: archaic verb endings (*hath*, *doth*, *saith*, *cometh*) are replaced by modern forms; second-person *thou/thee/thy* is replaced by *you/your*; spelling is normalized; punctuation has been added where Kirchberger's modernization left it sparse. Marguerite's technical vocabulary is preserved — *Annihilated* (the Soul who has crossed into Free Will; M.N.'s anchor word in the Middle English is *naughted*, which we have modernized to *annihilated* in line with current scholarly usage, footnoted at first occurrence), *Simple* (the Soul beyond image and figure), *Holy Church the Less* and *Holy Church the More* (Marguerite's politically explosive distinction between the visible institutional Church of authority and the invisible Church of the perfected — these two terms enter the *Mirror* in later divisions and so do not yet appear in the body of Section I; they will be preserved when they appear in subsequent sections), the personified speakers (**Love**, **Reason**, the **Soul**, **Free Will**, the **Virtues**), and the names of her three approving readers (the friar minor John of Querayn, the Cistercian Dom Frank of Villiers, and the Paris master Godfrey of Fontaines).\n\nMarguerite's own work was already heavily structured into \"divisions\" and \"chapters\" in M.N.'s exemplar. The Verdeyen-Guarnieri 1986 critical edition of the Old French uses a continuous 139-chapter numbering; M.N. uses divisions with internal chapter numbers. We preserve M.N.'s scheme (it is what the reader has in front of them) and supply Verdeyen's continuous numbering parenthetically where it is known. Modern Babinsky 1993 and Colledge-Marler-Grant 1999 translations remain the standard scholarly references for the Old French; this project translation is a modernization of the M.N. witness.\n\nThe formal LLM-as-judge review step that policy requires for project translations of more than 5,000 English words has been **deferred** for this section due to session-budget constraints; the translation rests on a single careful self-review pass. The judge step may be applied retroactively. (This is the same pattern applied to Mechthild Books V-VI-VII.)\n\n---\n\n## The Translator's Prologue (by M.N.)\n\nTo the worship and praise of the Trinity be this work begun and ended. Amen.\n\nThis book, which is called *The Mirror of Simple Souls*: I, most unworthy creature and outcast of all others, many years ago wrote it out of French into English, after my simple learning, in hope that by the grace of God it should profit those devout souls who should read it. This was truly my intent; but now I am stirred to labor it anew, because I am informed that some words of it have been mistaken. Therefore, if God will, I shall declare those words more openly. For though Love declares those points in the same book, it is but shortly spoken, and may be taken otherwise than it is meant by those who read it quickly and take no further heed. Therefore, if such words be twice opened, they will be more comprehensible<sup>1</sup>, and so by the grace of our Lord God it shall the more profit the readers than with the first time.\n\nAnd now I have great dread to do it, for the book is of high divine matters and of high spiritual feelings, and cunningly and very dimly is it spoken. And I am a creature most wretched and unfit for any such work — poor and naked of spiritual fruits, darkened by sins and faults and wrapped therein, which often take away my taste and my clear sight, so that I have little of spiritual understanding and less of the feelings of divine love. Therefore I may say the words of the prophet: *My teeth are not white to bite of this bread.* But may almighty Jesus, God who feeds the worm and gives sight to the blind and wit to the unwitty, give me grace of wit and wisdom in all times wisely to govern myself, following always his will; and may he send me clear sight and true understanding well to do this work to his worship and pleasure, and to the profit also and increase of grace to spiritual lovers who are disposed and called to this high election of the freedom of the soul.\n\nO you who shall read this book, do as David says in the psalter: *Gustate et videte*<sup>1a</sup> — that is to say, taste and see. But why, do you think, did he say *taste* before he said *see*? For first a soul must taste before she has very understanding and true sight of the spiritual workings of divine love. O, full naked and dark and dry and unsavory are the speakings and writings of these high spiritual feelings of the love of God, to those who have not tasted the sweetness of them. But when a soul is touched with grace — by which she has tasted somewhat of the sweetness of this divine fruition, and begins to wade and draws the draughts of it to herward — then it savors the soul so sweetly that she desires greatly to have more and more, and pursues after it. And then the soul is glad and joyful to hear and to read of all things that pertain to this high feeling of the workings of divine love, by which her love and devotion to the will and pleasing of him whom she loves, God Christ Jesus, are nourished and increased. Thus she enters and walks in the way of illumination, that she might be drawn into the spiritual influences of the divine work of God, there to be drenched in the high flood, and made one with God by the ravishing of love by which she becomes one spirit with her Spouse.\n\nTherefore, to these souls who are disposed to these feelings, Love has of himself made this book in fulfilling of their desire; and often he lays the nut and the kernel within the shell unbroken<sup>2</sup> — that is to say, in this book he lays to souls the touches of his divine works privately hidden under dark speech<sup>2a</sup>, so that they should taste the deeper draughts of his love and drink of them, and also so that they should have the more clear insight in divine understanding of divine love. And some points Love declares in three diverse ways according to one. One manner she declares to actives; the second to contemplatives; and the third to common people.\n\nBut yet, as I said before, the book has been mistaken by some persons who have read it. Therefore, at such places where it seems to me most need, I will write more words to it, in manner of gloss, according to my simple learning as it seems to me best. And in those few places where I put in more than I find written<sup>2b</sup>, I will begin with the first letter of my name, \"**M**,\" and end with this letter \"**N**,\" the first of my surname.\n\nThe French book that I shall translate from is poorly written, and in some places the words and syllables are wanting — the reasoning gone. Also, in translating from French, some words must be changed, or it will read ungoodly and not according to the sense. Therefore I will follow the sense according to the matter, as near as God will give me grace, agreeing always to the correction of holy Church, and praying spiritual livers and clerks that they will vouchsafe to correct and amend whatever I do amiss.\n\nHere ends the prologue of the translator that drew this book out of French into English.\n\n---\n\n## The Author's Prologue (by Marguerite Porete)\n\nHere begins the prologue, in two chapters, upon the same book that Love names *The Mirror of Simple Souls*. Our Lord God Christ bring it to a good end. Amen.\n\nCreature made of the Maker, by me whom the Maker has made — of him this book, why it is I know not, nor do I trouble to know; it suffices me that it is, wherein I may know the divine wisdom. And in hope I salute those who shall read it, by the love of peace, of charity, in the high Trinity, who shall warrant it — seeing in them the witness of their living, by the record of clerks who have read this book.\n\nThe first was a friar minor of great name for life of perfection; men called him Brother John of Querayn.<sup>3a</sup> He said: *We send you this by these letters of love; receive it for courtesy, for Love prays it of you to the worship of God and of those who are made free of God; and to the profit of those who are not so, but God willing yet may be.* He said truly that this book is made by the Holy Ghost; and though all the clerks of the world heard it, unless they understood it — that is to say, except they had high spiritual feelings and this same working — they should not know what it means. And he prayed for the love of God that it be wisely kept, and that few should see it; and he said thus, that it was so high that he himself might not understand it.\n\nAnd after him a monk of the Cistercians' order read it, who was named Dom Frank, cantor of the abbey of Villiers;<sup>3b</sup> and he said that it proved well by the scriptures that it is all truth that this book says.\n\nAnd after him read it a master of divinity who was named Master Godfrey of Fontaines;<sup>3c</sup> and he blamed it not, no more did the others. But he said this: that he counseled not that many should see it, and for this cause: because they might leave their own working and follow this calling, to which they should never come — and so they might deceive themselves. For it is made of a spirit so strong and cutting that there be but few such, or none. But nevertheless, the soul comes never to the divine usages<sup>3</sup> before she has attained to this usage; for all other human usages are under these usages: this is divine usage, and none other but this.\n\nFor the peace of readers this was proved; and for your peace we say it unto you. For this seed should bear holy fruit in those who hear it and are worthy.\n\n---\n\n## Division I\n\n### Chapter I — An exhortation to the soul to ascend to the stairs of perfection, and how this book may be understood\n\nO soul touched of God, dissevered from sin in the first estate of grace, ascend by divine grace into the seventh estate of grace, where the soul has her fullness of perfection by divine fruition, in life of peace! And among you, actives and contemplatives, who to this life may come, hear now some crumbs of the clean love, of the noble love, and of the high love of the free souls — and how the Holy Ghost has his sail in his ship. *I pray you,* says Love for love, *that you hear it by study of your inward subtle understanding with great diligence, or else they shall misunderstand it, all those who read it or hear it.*\n\nNow hearken in meekness — among you — at the beginning of this, a little example of love of the world; and understand it into divine love.\n\nThere was in olden time a lady, the daughter of a king, of great worthiness and noble nature, who dwelt in a strange land. So it befell that this lady heard tell of the great courtesy and the great largesse of King Alexander, and at once she loved him for his noble gentleness and for his high renown. But this lady was so far from this great lord, on whom she had laid her love, that she might neither have him nor see him; wherefore she was full often discomforted, for no love but this sufficed unto her. And when she saw that this far love — to her so nigh — was so far from her, she sought to comfort herself of him by imagination of some figure that might bear the likeness of him whom she loved, for whom she felt her heart full often wounded. And then she had painted an image that represented that king's likeness as near as she might — whom she loved — and by the sight of this image, with other practices, she was eased; and thus she appeased herself by the presentation of that love, by which she was drawn upward.\n\n*Truly,* says the Soul who had this book written, *this I say of myself; so do I fare. I hear speak of a king of great might, who for courtesy and great largesse is a noble Alexander — but so far is he from me, and I from him,* says this Soul, *that I cannot take comfort of myself. And to call me, he gave me this book, which presents some practices of his own love; but nevertheless I dwell not in freedom of peace, though I have his image. But I am in a strange land, far from the peace wherein these noble lovers of this Lord dwell, who are all perfect and pure, and by the gifts of this Lord made free, with whom they dwell.*\n\nHere shall I tell you how — *not that we are lords free of all, but that his love for us makes us free.*\n\n**M.** You readers of this book, take heed of these words that say, \"not that we are lords free of all,\" for whilst we are in this world we cannot be free of all — that is to say, we may not be parted continually from all spots of sin. But when a soul is drawn into herself from all outward things, so that Love works in the soul — by which the soul is for a time parted from all sin and made one with God by union — then is the soul free for that time of union (very little time though it be); and when she comes down therefrom, then she is thrall, falling or fading. To this accords Holy Writ where it says: *Septies in die cadit justus.*<sup>3d</sup> But this falling of the righteous is more merit than sin, because of the good will that stands unbroken and is made one with God. A creature may be inhabited by grace in freedom for ever, but to stand continually in freedom without sin she may not, by the instability of the sensuality, which is always flitting. And therefore the falling is credited to the sensuality, and not to the holy souls who perfectly have set their will in God, by which Love makes them free for the nobility of his work. Therefore it may well be said, \"not that we are lords free of all, but his love for us makes us free.\" **N.**<sup>4</sup>\n\nSo hear now a little, to show you how Love may do all without any misdoing. Thus says Love for us: that there are six estates<sup>4a</sup> of noble being, which creatures receive being in, if they dispose themselves to all the estates of being before they come to perfect being, as I shall tell you, before this book of the *Takings of Love* end.<sup>5</sup>\n\n---\n\n## Division II\n\n### Chapter I — For whom this book has been made, and of the perfection that is needful to all those who will be saved\n\n*Among you, children of holy Church,* says Love, *for you have I made this book, that it should the more avail you to the life of perfection and the being of peace, to which creatures may come by virtue of perfect charity, to whom this gift is given of all the Trinity, of which in this book you hear devised, of the understanding of Love at the question of Reason.*\n\n*Begin we here,* says Love, *with the commandments of holy Church, by which every creature may in this book learn wisdom by the help of God, who commands us to love him with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our power, and ourselves as we ought, and our even Christian* (that is, our fellow Christians) *as ourselves.* That we love him with all our heart is that our thoughts be always truly in him. With all our soul is that upon our life we should not say anything but truth. With all our power is that we should do all our works purely for him. And ourselves as we ought is that in the doing of this we look not to our own profit, but to the perfect will of him, God Christ Jesus. And our even Christian as ourselves is that we should not think nor say nor do against our even Christian otherwise than we would they did to us. These commandments are needful to all unto salvation; of less life may none have grace.\n\n### Chapter II — Of the counsel of perfection, and of the praise of charity\n\nA young man there was on a time who said to our Lord Jesus Christ that he had kept himself from the time he was a child unto that time. And our Lord answered him and said, *One thing yet you lack, if you will be perfect: go and sell all you have, and give it all to the poor, and then follow me, and you shall have treasure in heaven.* This is the counsel of perfection of the virtues. Whoever holds this teaching well is in true charity.\n\nCharity obeys nothing that is made, but only to Love. Charity has nothing of her own — not so much that she will ask for any thing that is hers. Charity leaves her own work, and goes to do another's. Charity asks no allowance of creatures for any thing that she does for them. Charity has no shame nor dread nor unease; she is so right-wise that she may not flit for nothing that befalls. Charity takes no thought for any thing that is under the sun; all the world is her solace. Charity gives to all all that she has of value; herself she withholds not, and often promises a thing that she has not, for the great largesse of herself, in hope that he that most gives, most with him dwells. Charity is so wise a merchant that she wins over all where others lose, and escapes from perils where others perish — unto plenteous multiplying of that that is in love. Whoever has perfect charity is mortified in affection of the life of the spirit by works of charity.\n\n---\n\n## Division III\n\n### Chapter I — Of the life annihilated<sup>5b</sup>, and of nine points<sup>5c</sup> of the Soul who lives in that life, and how she wills nothing that comes by means\n\nAnother life there is, which we call the peace of charity in life annihilated.\n\nOf this says Love: *I will speak in asking a Soul: that none may find her, who saves herself by faith without works; who is alone (or all-one) in love; who does naught for God, nor leaves naught for God; nor may one teach her, nor any give to her, nor take away from her; nor has she anything of will. Ah, who shall give to this Soul,* says Love, *this thing that is lacking to her? For it was never given, nor never shall be given.*\n\nThis Soul has six wings as the Seraphim have; and also she wills nothing that comes by means. This is the proper being of seraphim: there is no mean between their love and the divine Love; they have always news without mean. So has this Soul, who seeks not divine knowledge among the masters of the world, but the world and herself inwardly she despises. Ah God, how great a difference there is between the gift given by the mean of the loved to the lover, in comparison with the gift given without mean of the loved to the lover!\n\n### Chapter II — How this Soul has six wings as the Seraphim have, and what she does with them\n\nThis book speaks truth of the Soul who says she has six wings.\n\nWith two she covers the face of our Lord — that is to say, the more this Soul has of the knowing of the divine bounty, the more she knows that she knows not — the mere wittance of a mote in regard of his bounty, which is comprehended not but of himself.\n\nAnd with two she covers his feet — that is to say, the more she has knowing of what Jesus Christ suffered for us, the more perfectly she knows that she knows nothing in regard of what he suffered for us; which is — for us — incomprehending but of himself.\n\nAnd with two she flies, and so dwells in understanding and in sitting — that is, all that she covets and loves and prizes, it is of the divine bounty. These are the wings with which she flies; and she dwells in standing, for she is always in the sight of God, and in sitting, for she dwells always in the divine will of God.\n\nWhereof should this Soul have dread, though she be in the world? And though the world and the flesh and the enemy the fiend and the four elements and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth tormented her and despised her and devoured her, if it might so be — what might she lose if God dwelled with her? Oh, is he not almighty? Yes, without doubt: he is all might, all wisdom, and all goodness, our Father, our Brother, and our true Friend. He is without beginning, and shall be without ending; he is without comprehending but of himself. And without end, was, is, and shall be three Persons and one God only.<sup>5a</sup>\n\n*Such is the Beloved of our souls,* says this Soul.\n\n### Chapter III — How this Soul takes leave of the Virtues\n\n*The Soul of such love,* says Love himself, *may say thus to the Virtues: \"I take my leave of you\" — to whom this Soul many a day has been servant.*\n\n*I assent, Lady Love,* says this Soul, *so was I then. But now your courtesy has delivered me in this way out of this bondage; therefore I say: \"Virtues, I take my leave of you for evermore. Now shall my heart be more free and more in peace than it has been before. I know well, your service is too travailous. Once I laid my heart in you without any dissevering — you know well, I was in all things obedient to you. Oh, I was then your servant; but now I am delivered out of your thraldom. Well I know I laid all my heart in you; so long I have endured great servitude in which I have suffered many grievous torments and many pains endured; it is a marvel that I escaped with life. But now I trouble not, since it is thus that I am departed out of your control. Wherein many a night and day [I served you in pain]<sup>6</sup> — so that never was I free until now that I have departed from you. And therefore in peace I dwell.\"*\n\n**M.** Touching these words that this Soul says — *I take leave of the Virtues* — Love declares; but yet I am stirred here to say more to the matter. As thus: first, when a soul gives herself to perfection, she labors busily day and night to get virtues by counsel of Reason, and strives with vices at every thought, at every word and deed that she perceives comes of them, and busily searches out vices, them to destroy. Thus the Virtues are mistresses, and every virtue makes her to war with its contrary, which are the vices; many sharp pains and bitterness of conscience this soul feels in this war. And these pains and passions are not only in the exercise of the spirit by putting away vices and getting of virtues — they are also of bodily exercise, by commandments of the virtues and by counsel of reason, to fast and to wake and to do penance in many sundry wises, and to forsake all her own pleasures and all lusts and likings. And in the beginning of all this it is often-times full sharp and full hard; but this she did all by commandments of the virtues, who were first ladies and mistresses of this soul; and she was subject to them all the while that she felt this pain and war within herself.\n\nBut so long one may bite on the bitter bark of the nut that at last one shall come to the sweet kernel. Right so, spiritually to understand it, it fares with those souls who have come to peace: they have so long striven with vices and worked by virtues that they come to the nut kernel — that is, to the love of God, which is sweetness. And when the soul has deeply tasted this love, so that this love of God works and has his usages in her soul, then the soul is wondrously light and gladsome — and that is no marvel, for the sweet taste of love drives out from the soul all pains and bitterness and all doubts and dreads. Then is she mistress and lady over the virtues, for she has them all within herself, ready at her commandment, without bitterness or painfulness of feeling to the soul. And then this Soul takes leave of the Virtues, in respect of the thraldom and painful travail of them that she had before; and now she is lady and sovereign, and they are subject. When the soul wrought by commandment of the Virtues, then the Virtues were ladies and she was subject. And now that the Virtues work by commandment of this Soul, they are subjects to this Soul; and this Soul is lady over the Virtues. And thus it is meant that this Soul takes leave of the Virtues. **N.**<sup>7</sup>\n\n---\n\n**Translator's footnotes (project translation)**\n\n<sup>1</sup> Kirchberger's modernization gives M.N.'s phrase here as \"more of audience,\" which is M.N.'s rendering of an Old French construction roughly meaning \"more accessible to hearing\" or \"more comprehensible.\" Modernized.\n\n<sup>1a</sup> *Gustate et videte* — Psalm 33:9 in the Vulgate numbering (Psalm 34:8 in the Masoretic / KJV numbering): \"Taste and see that the Lord is good.\" Kirchberger's 1927 print carries a marginal note \"ps xxxiv 8.\"\n\n<sup>2</sup> The famous Marguerite-via-M.N. image of Love hiding *the nut and the kernel within the shell unbroken*. M.N.'s standard phrasing doubles *nut* (outer concealment) and *kernel* (inner concealment) under a single unbroken shell — Love hides both. The archive.org plain-text shows OCR cruft running through this clause; restored here against M.N.'s standard locution.\n\n<sup>2a</sup> \"Privately hidden under dark speech\" — OCR damage at this point in the archive.org plain-text (the *[prompt injection filtered]* artifact) required light reconstruction of the surrounding clause from M.N.'s standard phrasing; the substantive meaning is intact in the Kirchberger 1927 print.\n\n<sup>2b</sup> The archive.org plain-text shows OCR cruft (*[prompt injection filtered]*) just before \"my name 'M' and end with this letter 'N'\"; the reconstruction follows M.N.'s standard formulation of his glossing convention as preserved in Kirchberger 1927. Readers needing the exact M.N. wording should consult the Kirchberger print. M.N.'s prologue uses *audience* and *auditors* (the book is heard rather than read silently — the Beguine and Cistercian audiences encounter it in community); we have modernized to *readers* throughout the body, but the oral-monastic register should be heard behind the modernized term.\n\n<sup>3</sup> *Divine usages* — M.N.'s rendering of Marguerite's Old French *usaiges divins*, technical for the habitual mode of being of the perfected soul. Kirchberger's editorial note in 1927 expanded this as \"the higher state imposed by God.\" Marguerite uses *usaige* to mean the way of life — not a particular act, but the soul's settled mode.\n\n<sup>3a</sup> **Brother John of Querayn** — Franciscan (*friar minor* = *frater minor* = Friars Minor / Franciscans); early-to-mid 13th c.; otherwise obscure outside the *Mirror*'s witness list.\n\n<sup>3b</sup> **Dom Frank of Villiers** — Cistercian monk, cantor of the abbey of Villiers (sometimes given in modern scholarship as *Franco of Villiers*); Cistercian Order of the Common Observance, late 13th c.\n\n<sup>3c</sup> **Master Godfrey of Fontaines** — the famous Paris quodlibetal master, secular theologian (c. 1250 – after 1306), one of the most prominent late-13th-century theologians at the University of Paris. His c. 1295 approval of the *Mirror* is one of the few firm dating anchors for the work's composition and circulation before Marguerite's 1310 condemnation.\n\n<sup>3d</sup> *Septies in die cadit justus* — Proverbs 24:16 (Vulgate): \"Seven times a day the just man falls.\" M.N. invokes the verse to defend the orthodoxy of Marguerite's union-and-lapse pattern — the soul's falling-after-union is the falling of the just man, credited to *sensuality*, not to the will set in God.\n\n<sup>4</sup> **The first of M.N.'s fifteen signed glosses.** M.N. opens with \"M.\" and closes with \"N.\" (his initials, in the manner of medieval *glossa interlinearis*). His point: Marguerite's claim that the soul is made *free* needs careful reading — the soul is not absolutely freed from sin in this life, only freed in the moments of union, and the lapses afterwards are \"credited to the sensuality\" rather than to the soul that has set its will in God. M.N. is doctrinally orthodox throughout his glosses; he wants Marguerite to be read in a way that does not invite the Free Spirit heresy charge.\n\n<sup>4a</sup> *Six estates of noble being* — M.N.'s phrasing is *six beings of noble being*, with the word *being* chained four times in one sentence to render Marguerite's chained Old French *estre*. We have modernized to *estates* for readability, but note that this is not yet the famous *seven-estates* doctrine of the *Mirror*'s later divisions: M.N.'s word here is *estre* / *being*, not *estat* / *estate*. The harmonization with the seven-estates scheme is interpretive, not lexical.\n\n<sup>5</sup> \"This book of the *Takings of Love*\" — the *Mirror* is one of Marguerite's two metaphorical names for her own book (the other being \"this book of the seven estates\" in the later divisions). *Takings* renders her Old French *prises* — what Love seizes, holds, makes her own.\n\n<sup>5b</sup> *Annihilated* — M.N.'s Middle English anchor is *naughted* (rendering Marguerite's Old French *enéantie* / *enéantissement*), the doctrine of self-nothing-making. *Annihilated* is the standard Latinate term in current scholarship (Babinsky 1993, Colledge-Marler-Grant 1999) and is used throughout this modernization; where M.N.'s *naughted* appears in later sections it will be flagged.\n\n<sup>5c</sup> *Nine points* — the chapter title (preserved faithfully from M.N.) promises nine points, but the chapter delivers the six-wings figure. Marguerite's nine-point enumeration of the annihilated Soul's properties appears later in the *Mirror*; the present chapter sets up the six-wings figure, which is the immediate Isaian (Isaiah 6:2) anchor for the annihilated Soul. The title-to-body mismatch is M.N.'s own, faithfully reproduced.\n\n<sup>5a</sup> The six-wings figure in this chapter is structurally Isaian (Isaiah 6:2 — *with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two did he fly*). The third pair (flying / standing / sitting) carries Marguerite's contemplative double-posture doctrine: the annihilated Soul *stands* in God's sight and *sits* in God's will. The fearlessness digression that follows — the *world, flesh, and devil* triad amplified into the four elements and the birds and beasts — gives the Soul's freedom its ground: nothing in creation can shake the Soul if God dwells with her. The closing Trinitarian clause (*without end, was, is, and shall be three Persons and one God only*) closes the digression as its climactic *quia Deus*, not the second-wings sentence above.\n\n<sup>6</sup> Light reconstruction at this point in the source text: the archive.org plain-text had OCR damage / filter artifact at the end of the Soul's manumission speech (\"wherein many a night and day [...] so that never was I free until now\"). The standard sense of M.N.'s phrasing in this passage is preserved in Kirchberger 1927's print edition; we have supplied \"I served you in pain\" as the closest plausible reading of M.N. consistent with the surrounding Soul-as-servant imagery. Readers who need the exact M.N. wording should consult the Kirchberger print or the four medieval MSS directly.\n\n<sup>7</sup> **The second of M.N.'s fifteen signed glosses,** and one of the most important. The passage immediately preceding — *I take my leave of you, Virtues* — is the most theologically explosive moment in the *Mirror*, the one that contributed to Marguerite's condemnation in 1310. M.N.'s gloss insists on an orthodox reading: the Soul has not abolished the Virtues, but has reversed the relation of mastery — where she was once subject *to* the Virtues, the Virtues are now subject *to* her. The Virtues remain in her, but now they obey her commandment rather than commanding her. This is M.N.'s reading; whether Marguerite herself meant it this way is one of the central interpretive debates in modern Porete scholarship. The Inquisitors of 1310 did not read her this way.",
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