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  "work": {
    "slug": "suso",
    "name": "Heinrich Suso"
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      "slug": "rhineland-mystics",
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  "chapter": {
    "num": 25,
    "slug": "vol-1-24-chapter-xxv",
    "title": "Chapter  XXV.",
    "of": 51,
    "words": 1829,
    "text": "## Chapter  XXV.\n\nConcerning  manifold  sufferings. \n\nOnce  upon  a  time  he  came  to  a  small  town, \nand  near  the  town  there  was  a  wooden  image,  a \ncrucifix,  which  stood  in  a  little  house,  as  the \ncustom  is ;  and  it  was  the  popular  belief  that \nmany  miracles  were  wrought  there,  on  which \naccount  people  used  to  bring  thither  wax  figures \nand  much  wax  in  honour  of  God.  When  he \narrived  opposite  the  crucifix,  he  went  up  and \nknelt  before  it;  and  then,  after  he  had  spent \nsome  time  in  prayer,  he  arose  and  proceeded \nwith  his  companion  to  the  inn.  This  kneeling \nand  praying  of  his  before  the  crucifix  had  been \n\n\n104  LIFE  OF  BLESSED  HENRY  SUSO. \n\nseen  by  a  little  girl,  a  child  of  seven  years  old. \nNow,  the  night  following,  there  came  thieves  to \nthe  image,  and  they  broke  open  the  doors,  and \nstole  all  the  wax  which  they  found  there.  As \nsoon  as  it  was  day,  the  news  came  into  the \ntown,  and  was  carried  to  the  citizen  who  had \nthe  charge  of  the  image.  He  inquired  into  the \nmatter,  in  order  to  discover  who  had  committed \nthis  great  robbery.  Upon  which,  the  above- \nmentioned  child  said  that  she  knew  well  who \nhad  done  it.  And  when  she  was  pressed  to \nmake  it  known,  and  to  point  out  the  villain,  she \nsaid : — No  one  is  guilty  of  the  crime  except  the \nbrother,  meaning  by  this  the  Servitor ;  for,  she \nadded : — I  saw  him  yesterday  kneel  before  the \nimage,  and  then  go  into  the  town. \n\nThe  citizen  took  these  words  of  the  child  as \ntruth,  and  repeated  them  on  all  sides,  so  that \nthe  calumny  concerning  the  brother  spread \nthrough  the  town,  and  he  was  charged  with  the \ncrime  on  these  slight  grounds;  and  many  an \nevil  judgment  was  passed  upon  him,  how  that \nhe  ought  to  be  killed,  and,  as  a  wicked  man,  to \nbe  put  out  of  the  world. \n\nWhen  the  Servitor  heard  all  this,  he  was \nfilled  with  consternation,  though  he  well  knew \nthat  he  was  guiltless,  and,  with  a  deep  groan,  he \n\n\nFALSE  ACCUSATIONS.  105 \n\nsaid  to  God : — Alas,  Lord !  since  it  is  my  lot  to \nsuffer,  and  I  must  needs  suffer,  if  Thou  wouldst \nbut  give  me  ordinary  sufferings,  such  as  would \nnot  bring  me  to  disgrace,  I  would  bear  them \njoyfully;  but  by  destroying  my  good  name \nThou  dost  strike  me  to  the  heart  in  those  things \nwhich  of  all  others  are  the  sorest  to  me.  He \nremained  in  this  town  until  the  people  ceased \nto  talk  about  it. \n\nIt  came  to  pass,  in  another  town,  that  there \narose  a  great  outcry  concerning  him,  so  that  the \nwhole  town  and  neighbourhood  was  full  of  it. \nThere  was  a  monastery  in  this  town,  in  which \nthere  was  a  stone  crucifix,  of  the  exact  size,  it \nwas  said,  of  Christ  Himself.  Now,  one  day  dur- \ning Lent,  fresh  blood  was  observed  on  the  cru- \ncifix, just  beneath  the  wound  on  the  side.  The \nServitor  ran  thither  with  the  others  to  behold \nthe  wonder,  and  when  he  saw  the  blood,  he \nwent  up  and  received  it  on  his  finger,  in  the \nsight  of  all  who  stood  around.  The  concourse \nof  people  from  every  part  of  the  town  soon  be- \ncame very  great,  and  they  forced  him  to  stand \nforward  before  them  all,  and  relate  what  he \nhad  seen  and  touched.  He  did  this,  adding \nat  the  same  time  the  caution,  that  he  pronoun- \nced no  judgment   about  the  matter,  whether \n\n\n106  LIFE  OF  BLESSED  HENEY  SUSO. \n\nit  was  from  God  or  man,  but  that  lie  left  this  to \nothers. \n\nThis  story  resounded  far  and  wide  through \nthe  country,  and  each  person  added  to  it  what \nhe  pleased,  and  it  was  given  out  that  the  Servi- \ntor had  pricked  himself  in  the  finger  and  rubbed \nthe  blood  upon  the  crucifix,  in  order  that  it  might \nbe  supposed  that  the  crucifix  had  bled  of  itself, \nand  that  he  had  devised  this  through  covetous- \nness,  with  a  view  to  draw  a  crowd  of  people \nthither,  that  he  might  plunder  them  of  their \nproperty.  The  same  evil  report  was  spread \nabroad  about  him  in  other  towns  also. \n\nAs  soon  as  the  citizens  of  the  town  heard \nthis  calumnious  tale,  there  was  nothing  left  for \nhim  but  to  escape  by  night  out  of  the  place,  and \nthey  pursued  him,  and  would  have  killed  him, \nif  he  had  not  got  away.  They  even  offered  a \nlarge  sum  of  money  to  whoever  would  bring \nhim  in  alive  or  dead.  Evil  rumours  of  this \nkind  were  circulated  in  abundance  concerning \nhim;  and  wherever  these  tales  reached,  they \nwere  received  as  truth,  and  his  name  was  greeted \nwith  many  revilings  and  curses,  and  many  an \nunjust  judgment  was  passed  upon  him.  Some \npersons,  indeed,  who  knew  him,  were  more \nreasonable ;  but,  if  they  ventured  to  assert  his \n\n\nFALSE  ACCUSATIONS.  107 \n\ninnocence,  they  were  so  savagely  put  down,  that \nthey  were  forced  to  hold  their  peace,  and  let  him \nperish  in  the  world's  esteem. \n\nAn  honourable  lady,  a  citizen  of  the  town, \nwhen  she  heard  all  the  marvellous  sufferings \nwhich  the  poor  innocent  man  had  undergone, \ncame  to  him  out  of  compassion,  in  the  midst  of \nhis  distress,  and  advised  him  to  procure  from \nthe  town  a  sealed  testimonial  of  his  guiltless- \nness, that  he  might  take  it  with  him  wherever \nhe  went,  for  every  one  in  the  town  knew  well \nthat  he  was  innocent.  He  replied : — Ah,  dear \nlady !  if  this  were  my  only  suffering,  and  if  it \nwere  God's  intention  to  lay  no  other  affliction \nupon  me  but  this,  I  would  apply  for  the  testi- \nmonial ;  but  as  things  are,  so  much  suffering  of \nthis  kind  falls  to  my  lot  every  day,  that  I  must \nleave  it  to  God  and  bear  it. \n\nAt  another  time  he  set  forth  on  a  journey  to \nthe  Netherlands,  to  be  present  at  a  chapter,  and \nhe  found  sufferings  ready  waiting  for  him  on \nhis  arrival,  for  there  came  thither  to  attack  him \ntwo  persons  of  high  position  in  the  Order,  who \nwere  very  active  in  their  endeavours  to  bring \nhim  into  great  trouble.  With  quaking  heart, \nhe  was  put  upon  his  trial,  and  many  things  were \nlaid  to  his  charge,  among  which  was  the  follow- \n\n\n108  LIFE  OF  BLESSED  HENRY  SUSO. \n\ning : — They  said  that  he  had  written  books  con- \ntaining false  doctrine,  wliich  had  defiled  the \nwhole  country  with  heretical  filth.  In  conse- \nquence, he  was  harshly  and  severely  repri- \nmanded, and  he  was  threatened  with  heavy \npunishment,  though  God  and  the  world  knew \nthat  he  was  guiltless  in  the  matter. \n\nThese  crushing  trials  did  not  satisfy  God,  but \nHe  made  their  number  still  greater.  He  sent \nthe  Servitor  a  sickness  on  his  journey  home,  and \ncaused  him  to  be  attacked  by  a  violent  fever. \nBesides  this,  a  dangerous  abscess  gathered  in- \nwardly, close  to  his  heart;  so  that,  what  with \ninterior  anguish  and  outward  sufferings,  he  came \nso  near  to  death  that  his  companion  often  looked \nat  him  to  see  whether  the  moment  had  not  come \nfor  his  soul  to  take  its  departure. \n\nAs  he  lay  thus  utterly  wretched  in  a \nstrange  convent  in  bed,  and  could  not  sleep  at \nnight  from  the  straits  to  which  his  grievous \nsickness  had  reduced  him,  he  began  to  enter \ninto  account  with  God  in  this  wise: — Woe  is \nme,  O  just  God,  that  Thou  hast  so  exceedingly \noverburthened  my  sick  frame  with  bitter  suffer- \ning, and  wounded  my  heart  through  and  through \nwith  the  great  dishonour  and  shame  that  has \nbeen  done  me,  and  that  I  am  thus  encompassed \n\n\nFALSE  ACCUSATIONS.  1091 \n\nwith  bitter  anguish  from  without  and  from  with- \nin !  When  wilt  Thou  cease  afflicting  me,  O \ngentle  Father  !  When  wilt  thou  deem  it  enough  ? \nThen  he  set  before  his  mind  the  death-agony \nwhich  Christ  endured  on  the  Mount  of  Olives,, \nand  while  contemplating  this,  he  crawled  from \nhis  bed  to  the  bench  which  stood  beside  it,  for \nhe  could  not  bear  to  lie  down,  owing  to  the \nabscess. \n\nWhile  he  sat  thus  in  miser)7-,  it  seemed  to- \nhim  in  a  vision  that  there  came  into  the  cham- \nber a  great  company  of  the  heavenly  host  to \ncomfort  him,  and  that  they  began  to  sing  one  of \nthe  songs  of  heaven,  which  rang  so  sweetly  in \nhis  ears  that  his  whole  being  was  transformed \nby  it.  As  they  sang  thus  joyously,  and  the  sick \nServitor  sat  there  so  full  of  sorrow,  a  youth  came- \nto  him,  and  said  very  lovingly: — Wherefore  art \nthou  silent?  Why  singest  thou  not  with  us? \nAnd  yet  thou  knowest  right  well  the  song  of \nheaven.  The  Servitor,  with  a  sigh  from  his \nsorrowful  heart,  made  answer,  saying : — Alas  ! \nseest  thou  not  how  full  of  woe  I  am !  When \never  did  a  dying  man  rejoice?  Do  you  want \nme  to  sing  ?  I  am  singing  now  the  wail  of  suf- \nfering. If  I  have  ever  sung  joyously,  that  is  all \nover  now,  for  I  am  waiting  only  for  the  hour  of \n\n\n110  LITE  OF  BLESSED  HENRY  SUSO. \n\nmy  death.  To  this  the  youth  replied  right  joy- \nfully : — \"  Viriliter  age.\"  Be  of  good  cheer.  Be \njoyous.  Nothing  of  this  kind  shall  befall  thee. \nThou  shalt  yet  sing  in  thy  lifetime  such  a  song \nthat  God  in  His  eternity  shall  be  glorified, \nand  many  a  sufferer  consoled  by  it.  Upon \nthis,  his  eyes  ran  over,  and  he  burst  into  tears, \nand  at  the  same  instant  the  abscess  within  him \nbroke,  and  departed  from  him,  and  he  was  re- \nstored to  health  upon  the  spot. \n\nAfterwards,  when  he  reached  home,  there \ncame  to  him  a  blessed  friend  of  God,  saying : — \nDear  sir,  though  it  is  true  that  on  this  jour- \nney you  were  more  than  a  hundred  miles  away \nfrom  me,  nevertheless,  what  you  suffered  during \nit  was  quite  present  to  me.  I  saw  one  day  with \nmy  soul's  eyes  the  Divine  Judge  sitting  upon \nHis  throne,  and,  by  His  permission,  two  evil \nspirits  were  let  loose,  who  persecuted  you  by \nmeans  of  the  two  prelates  who  caused  your  suf- \nferings. Then  I  cried  to  God,  saying: — Alas, \ngentle  God !  how  canst  Thou  bear  to  let  Thy \nfriend  be  in  such  great  and  bitter  suffering! \nUpon  which  God  answered  me  in  this  wise : — \nIt  is  for  this  end  that  I  have  chosen  him  for \nMyself,  that  by  means  of  these  sufferings  he \nmay  be  fashioned  after  the  image  of  My  only- \n\n\nHIS  SISTER.  Ill \n\n\"begotten  Son.  Nevertheless,  My  justice  must \navenge  the  great  wrong  that  has  been  done  him, \nby  the  speedy  death  of  the  two  who  have  tor- \nmented him.  This  came  to  pass  in  very  truth \nsoon  afterwards,  and  in  such  a  way  that  many \npersons  became  aware  of  it.",
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