{ "meta": { "schema_version": "1.1", "endpoint": "/api/sources/rhineland-mystics/suso/vol-1-04-chapter-iv.json" }, "work": { "slug": "suso", "name": "Heinrich Suso" }, "parents": [ { "slug": "rhineland-mystics", "name": "Rhineland Mystics", "url": "/sources/rhineland-mystics/" } ], "chapter": { "num": 5, "slug": "vol-1-04-chapter-iv", "title": "Chapter IV.", "of": 51, "words": 1659, "text": "## Chapter IV.\n\nHow he spiritually espoused the Eternal Wisdom. \n\nThe course of life, which he pursued for a \nlong time after this, in regard to interior exer- \ncises, was a ceaseless striving after actual re- \ncollection in interior union with the Eternal \nWisdom. How he first began this, may be \nlearned from his Little Book of the Eternal \nWisdom, in German and Latin, which God \nmoved him to compose. \n\nHe had from youth up a loving heart. Now \nthe Eternal Wisdom is represented in Holy \nScripture under a lovely guise, as a gracious \nloving mistress, who displays her charms with \nthe intent to please every one ; discoursing the \nwhile tenderly, in female form, of the desire \nshe has to win all hearts to herself, and saying \n\n\n14 LIFE OF BLESSED HENKY SUSO. \n\nhow deceitful all other mistresses are, and how \ntruly loving and constant she is. This drew his \nyoung soul to her; and it fared with him as \nwith the wild beasts of the forest whom the \npanther attracts to itself with the sweet smell \nthat it sends forth. In this winning way she full \noften wooed him to her spiritual love, especially \nin the books called the books of Wisdom. When \nthese were read at table, and he listened to the \nendearing words as they were read out, his heart \nwas right glad within him, and he began to feel \na yearning in his loving soul, and thoughts \nwould come to him like these: — Truly thou \nshouldst make trial of thy fortune, whether per- \nchance this high mistress, of whom thou hast \nheard tell such marvels, will become thy love ; \nfor in truth thy wild young heart cannot long \nremain without a love. \n\nIn these things he observed her closely, and \nshe pleased him well in heart and soul. \n\nIt happened, as he sat at table another morn- \ning, that she cried aloud in the person of Solo- \nmon, saying : — \"Audi, fili mi I\" &c. Hearken, \nmy child, to the high counsel of thy father. \nWilt thou pursue exalted love, then take thee \nfor thy most sweet love the Eternal Wisdom ; \nfor she gives to all her lovers youth and virtue, \n\n\nSPIRITUAL ESPOUSALS. 15 \n\nnobility and riches, honour and profit, mighty- \npower and an everlasting name. She makes \nhim who loves her gracious to all; she teaches \nhim courteous bearing, and secures him praise \nbefore the world, and fame among the multi- \ntudes. She makes him dear and of high esteem \nto God and men. By her the earth was created, \nthe heavens were made fast, and the foundations \nof the abyss were laid. He who possesses her \nwalks securely, sleeps quietly, and lives in safety \n(Prov. i.-iv.). \n\nWhen he heard this beautiful discourse \nread out, straightway the thought came to his \nlonging heart : — Ah me ! what a love is this ! \nCould she but become mine, I were indeed well \noff. These thoughts were met by contrary sug- \ngestions such as these: — Shall I love what I \nhave never seen, nor even know what it is ? A \nhandful in possession is better than a houseful \nin prospect. They who raise lofty buildings \nand love venturesomely, have but a hungry \ntime of it. Truly this loving dame were a good \nmistress, did she let her servant treat his body \nwell and tenderly. But far from this, she \nsays: — He who seeks good food, strong wine, \nand long sleep, can never win Wisdom's love \n(Prov. xxi. 17). Was there ever a siutor sub- \n\n\n16 LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO. \n\njected to such hard terms as these? A thought \nfrom God answered: — By ancient right, love \nand suffering go together. There is no wooer \nbut he is a sufferer ; no lover but he is a \nmartyr. Therefore it is not unjust that he who \naims so high in love should meet with some \nthings repugnant to him. Eemember all the \nmishaps and the vexations which earthly lovers \nsuffer, whether with their will or against it. \nHe was greatly strengthened to persevere by \ngood inspirations of this sort. And the like \nof this often happened to him. Sometimes he \nhad a good will, while at other times he would \nlet his heart go after perishable love. Never- \ntheless, to whatever side he turned, he always \nfound a something in every object which would \nnot let him give his heart to it without reserve, \nand which drove him back from it. \n\nOne day, the reading at table was about \nWisdom, and his heart was stirred and set on \nfire by it. Wisdom spoke thus: — As the lovely \nrose-tree is full of bloom, and the lofty uncut \nLibanus yields its fragrance, and the pure bal- \nsam sends forth its odours (Ecclus. xxiv.), even \nso I am a blooming, fragrant, and pure love, \nwithout anger and bitterness, a very abyss of \nloving sweetness. All other mistresses have \n\n\nSPIRITUAL ESPOUSALS. 17 \n\nsweet words, but a bitter recompense. Their \nhearts are deadly nets, their hands are manacles, \ntheir discourse honied poison, and their pastime \ninfamy (Eccles. vii. 27). He thought: — How \ntrue is this ! And then he said to himself joy- \nfully : — Yes, it must be so. She must indeed \nbe my love, and I will be her servant. And the \nthought came to him : — Ah God, if I might but \nonce see my love ! if I might but once converse \nwith her! Ah! what is the form of my be- \nloved, in whom so many delightful things lie \nhid? Is she God or of human kind? woman \nor man? art or cunning? or what can she be? \nWhile he thus strove to see her, so far as she \ncould be seen with the soul's eyes in what Holy \nScripture has made known concerning her, she \nshowed herself to him in this wise. She floated \nhigh above him in a choir of clouds ; she shone \nlike the morning star, and her radiance was \ndazzling as the rising sun ; her crown was eter- \nnity ; her vesture bliss ; her words sweetness ; \nher embrace the fulness of every delight; she \nwas far, yet near; high, yet lowly; she was \npresent, yet hidden ; she forbade not to con- \nverse with her, yet no one can comprehend \nher. She reaches above the summit of the \nheavens, and touches' the depths of the abyss; \nc \n\n\n18 LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO. \n\nshe spreads herself from end to end mightily, \nand disposes all things sweetly. When at one \nmoment he thought he saw in her a beautiful \nmaiden, forthwith she appeared to him as a \nnoble youth. Sometimes she showed herself as \none rich in wisdom ; at other times as overflow- \ning with love. She drew nigh to him lovingly, \nand greeted him full smilingly, and sweetly said \nto him: — \"Prsebe, fili mi, cor tuum mihi! \nGive me thy heart, my child!\" (Prov. xxiii. \n26.) Thereupon he bowed himself to her feet, \nand thanked her from his inmost heart out of \nthe depths of his lowliness. This was what \nwas then granted to him, and no more than \nthis could he obtain. \n\nAfterwards, when he dwelt in thought upon \nthe all-lovely one, he used commonly to put this \nquestion to himself, and ask his love-sick heart : \n— Ah, my heart ! from what source do all love \nand graciousness flow f Whence come all ten- \nderness, beauty, joyousness, and loveableness ? \nComes it not all from the outbursting fountain- \nhead of the pure Godhead ! Up then, my heart, \nmy senses, my mind ; up, then, and cast your- \nselves into the fathomless abyss of all lovely \nthings. Who shall keep me from Thee now? \nAh ! I embrace Thee still to-day with the long- \n\n\nSPIRITUAL ESPOUSALS. 19 \n\nings of my burning heart. And then there \npressed itself as it were, into his soul, the \nprimal outflow of all good, and in it he found \nin spiritual fashion all that is beautiful, lovely, \nand desirable, for all was there in a way in- \neffable. \n\nThus it grew into a habit with him, when- \never he heard songs of praise, or the sweet \nmusic of stringed instruments, or lays, or dis- \ncourse about earthly love, immediately to turn \nhis heart and mind inwards, and gaze abstract- \nedly upon his loveliest love, whence all love \nflows. It were impossible to tell how often \nwith weeping eyes, from out the unfathomable \ndepths of his outspread heart, he embraced this \nlovely form, and pressed it tenderly to his heart. \nAnd thus it fared with him as with a sucking \nchild, which lies encircled by its mother's arms \nupon her breast. As the child with its head and \nthe movement of its body lifts itself up against \nits tender mother, and by these loving gestures \ntestifies its heart's delight, even so his heart \nmany a time leapt up within his body towards \nthe delightful presence of the Eternal Wisdom, \nand melted away in sensible affections. At such \nmoments the thought would come to him : — Ah, \nLord ! were only a queen my spouse, it would \n\n\n20 LITE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO. \n\nmake my heart rejoice. Ah me ! and Thou art \nnow my heart's empress, Thou, the giver of \nevery grace ! In Thee I have wealth enough, \nand all the power I want. As for what earth \ncontains, I wish for it no longer. Amid these \ncontemplations his countenance became all joy- \nous, his eyes godlike, and his hea*rt full of \njubilee, while all his interior senses sang \" Super \nsalutem,\" &c. (Wisd. vii. 10). Above all good \nfortune, and above all beauty art Thou, O my \nheart's good fortune and beauty ; for good for- \ntune has followed me with Thee, and I possess \nwith Thee and in Thee every good.", "project_translation": false, "text_trust": "verbatim", "quote_safe": true, "license": null, "methodology_url": null } }