Greco-Christian stream·Beguine Mystics·The Mirror of Simple Souls·Section XV

Section XV

This is Section XV — the final section of the Porete Mirror project translation. The complete Mirror of Simple Souls is shipped with this section. Divisions XIX and XX close the book, followed by M.N.'s signed m en dieu desormes n closing gloss (the fourteenth of his fifteen glosses) and M.N.'s Translator's Epilogue. Four chapters in scope:

• Division XIX, Chapter I — Marguerite gives the long-deferred answer to the three questions Love had asked her in Section XIV (the unfinished hypotheticals about loving another more than him, being loved by another more than him, having another love her more than he does). Marguerite refuses each conditional and frames the refusal as the martyrdom of will and love — her will and her love are brought to martyrdom, their weenings fully inclined; Righteousness and Mercy ask her what help she would have, and she answers none; finally Love, fulfilled with bounty, offers her his all, and she answers that she is pure naught — and what would pure naught? It has never anything of will.
• Division XIX, Chapter II — the affection of tenderness of love that the Soul feels in life of spirit — which she imagines is in God, but is in fact in herself. The chapter is Marguerite's clearest statement of how the marred deceive themselves: they take their own affective sweetness for divine love, and so never come to knowing. The naughting Soul receives instead the divine seeds; few dispose themselves for this.
• Division XX, Chapter I — the Soul is in her highest perfection and most nigh the Far-Near when Holy Church takes no example of her life — she is then under the work of cleanness and above the work of charity, so far from the works of virtue that she may not understand their language; the holy dread of God might disturb the being of freeness; the Soul has passed the point of the spear, the sum has acquit her of her debts.
• Division XX, Chapter II — of the worthiness of the bounty of God and of the union that makes between God and this Soul. The closing song: therefore his eye beholds me, that he loves none more than me — repeated as a sevenfold antiphon. The Latin Dionysius citation: non orat, sed consurgit ignote ad ipsius unionem, quae est super omnem substantiam et cognitionem (she does not pray vocally or consciously, but rises in unknowing to his union, which is above all substance and knowledge).

The book closes with the medieval triple sigh (M.N.'s recorded medieval coda found in several MSS: Jesus mercy and grace... sigh and sorrow deeply, mourn and weep inwardly, pray and think devoutly, love and long continually) and M.N.'s final signed gloss: M en Dieu desormes N — In God, henceforward. The Translator's Epilogue is M.N.'s personal prayer in his own voice, thanking the Trinity that the work is now ended.

Project status with this section: Section XV completes the full Porete Mirror — twenty divisions, ~55K English words, with all fourteen signed M.N. glosses we have found in the Kirchberger text now rendered. (Some scholarly accounts cite fifteen M.N. glosses; the count is approximate and depends on how the m en dieu desormes n coda is counted. The full Kirchberger text + Doiron 1968 collation would resolve any discrepancy.)

The same conventions apply: light modernization with archaic verb endings and pronouns normalized; Marguerite's technical vocabulary preserved (annihilated, Simple, the personified speakers, the Far-Near); M.N.'s glosses footnoted in place; formal LLM-as-judge deferred per session-budget across the Porete pilot, consistent with Mechthild V-VI-VII.

Division XIX

Chapter I — Of the answer that this Soul gave of the three things to which she answered not before; and of the martyrdom of will and love

Now I shall tell you my answer, that I said to him concerning himself, that he would prove me of all points. Alas, what have I said? I shall speak no word more. The heart is made alone of him in this battle. What shall I answer in anguish of death? That he would thus depart from his lover, whom he had so well arrayed, that well I weened it might have endured. But it might be so. And if it were so that, by a game of change, he might will this — and that he did will it with all his will — then I answered thus, and said to him:

O Lord, if it might be that this change might everlastingly endure (in fact as it is in supposition) — I love you for you, and of you; therefore I did not want it for your sake. And if I had the same that you have, with the creation that you have given me, and might also well do my will as I do of the will that you have given me — and also if I had this, that I were equal unto you, save in this, that I might change my will for other than for me — you should not do this, since you would it without any of your goodness. These three points, that are right grievous to grant: and if I knew, without doubt, that your will would it, without diminishing of your divine goodness, I would grant it without anything further willing. My will takes its ending in this saying.

Thus my will is martyred, and my love martyred. You have them to martyrdom brought; their weenings be fully inclined. My heart thought sometime always to have lived of love by desire of good will. Now these two things are ended in me, that made me out of my childhood go; and there it showed me the country of freedom.

Then came to me Righteousness, and asked me what sparing I would have of him, or of thing that torment might do to me. Then came Mercy, and asked me what help I would have of him. I answered anon, that as I was, I would have no more help of him, nor of anything that might do me good. And then came Love to me, fulfilled with bounty, that so often times had cast me out of wit, and in the fire had given me death.

"You have something heard there," he said. "I hold all thing that was and is and shall be. I am of all goodness fulfilled. Take of me what you will. If you will have me all, I unwill it not," says my friend. "How seems it you of me? I am Love fulfilled with bounty. This that you will, we will it," says my friend. "Take your own will."

I answered anon: "This that I am is pure naught. Alas, what would pure naught? It has never anything of will. I will nothing that is not of the bounty of love. All thing that is of him, it is of him verily fulfilled; and thus it is, that nothing is unless it be of him. And this, I say, has me of all things consumed."

Now I began, at this trial of my youth and of my former spirits, to come again to this: that will was dead, and my works ended, and my love also that made me jolly. For the outpouring of the divine love showed me, by divine light, a highful opening, approaching to the truth — that showed me suddenly him and me. Him so high, and me so low, that I might no more from thence rise, nor help of myself have. And that was best.

If you understand not this, I may not amend it. This is a work miraculous; this then, his lamentations¹ may not say.

Chapter II — How the affection of tenderness of love that the Soul feels in life of spirit, which she weens it to be in God, is in herself; and of the profit of naught-knowing

Here you have, says this Soul, some beholding how I complained, to disencumber myself, and to find the way that I complained of when I was marred. This that I was then is "marring"; for all those are marred that have anything of affection in spirit. And this beholding is in the life of spirit, by affection of tenderness of love that the Soul has to herself — but she weens that it is in God, this love that she has, of which she is so attainted. But in well-understanding, it is herself that she loves without her knowing it. And there they may be deceived, that love by tenderness that they have to affection — which suffers them not to come to knowing. Thus they lead as they did in works of youth, and dwell so long in works till they have affection of spirit.

O God, says divine Love (that through him rests, concerning this, in Soul naughted), how far is their life from the life of freeness — over which not-willing has lordship! And this naught-willing sows in souls the divine seeds, fulfilled of divine will of God. This seed may never fail; but few folks dispose themselves to receive this seed.

I have found many of them who are "perished" in affection, and of the "marred" in life of spirit by works of virtues, in desires of good will. But I have found few of "gentle in being," and fewer of them that are in "freedom" without fail — of which this book speaks — that have one sole will, that fine Love makes to have. For fine Love makes to have one only will and one love; and therefore the divine will is always one same will with love. And this love is of that which is wholly and solely fine in the state of work divine.

This Soul is no one by naughting; and she takes no account, in this naughting, though the serpent her devour. Since God may neither wax nor lessen in his work, her joy in it may neither wax nor lessen. If she took work of herself, she should be for herself. If she be no one, her working may not be; and since the bounty of God may not diminish, unease may not in her grow of his work, unless it wax of her own. And if it wax of her, she should be for herself. If she be nakedly naught, this being may not be.

This is sooth, says this free Soul, in this point I am, by naughting myself. For when I leave and naught myself perfectly, then his miracles give me very knowing of his divine gifts. Faith is the cause of this.

Division XX

Chapter I — How this Soul is in her highest perfection when Holy Church takes no example of her; and what Holy Church is; and of three things that cause this Soul to have no dread

This Soul, says Love, is in her highest perfection, and most nigh the Far-Near, when Holy Church takes no example in her life.² She is then under the work of cleanness, and above the work of charity. She is so far from the works of virtue, that she may not understand their language. But the works of Virtues are all within this Soul enclosed, that obey her without any withstanding. And for this enclosing, Holy Church cannot know her — the which Holy Church is, specially, the dread of God. For the holy dread of God is one of the gifts of the Holy Ghost; and yet nevertheless, the dread of God might disturb the being of freeness.³

The being of freeness has no dread; for she has passed the point of the spear, in putting away the pleasaunce of body, and in slaying the wills of the spirit. She has all her love laid upon her Night. She takes no account of herself, nor that she is naught. The sum of all has acquit her of her debts that she owed Jesus Christ. She owes him naught, however much she was against him in debt. The "most" shows him that which, of "less," acquits her.

But they that would possess the full assurance without inward feeling of unbelief⁴ — them does the great wit of nature deceive. They suffer themselves to be governed by affection of life of spirit, in sufficing of themselves; and that robs them of the knowledge, so that they may not the fullness of this deepness understand, nor the goodness of God for them largely trust. And therefore they dwell in works.

Alas, how they are deceived, who of this think them to suffice! For all that ever a creature may do of works of goodness, it is naught as in regard of his bounty. For the divine wisdom gave not his highful goodness to souls but for his own goodness's self; and only by this one understanding of this great highful everlasting goodness does new goodness grow.

Chapter II — Of the worthiness of the bounty of God, and of the union that makes between God and this Soul

Bounty is more worth than all the work that any creature may do within a hundred thousand year, or all Holy Church. The farthest of this is most nigh; for it ones from within this being in himself, and it makes her always to be knit to his will, without removing her therefrom for thing that may fall to her. All is one to her, without dread and without joy; for she is no one in this one. And then has she no more to do of God than God of her — for he is, and she is not. She has nothing withholden in naughting of herself. It is enough that he is, and she is not. For she is without being there where she was ere she was not. So has she of God this which she has; and she is this which God is, by union of love, in that point where she was before God had her of his bounty made.

There she prays not — no more than she did ere that she was aught. She receives this that she has of the bounty of God, of the will of his Love, of this gentle Far-Near. Thus prays she not. That which she most loved is now that which she most hates, as it is the manner. She has nothing withholden; and in that she has neither more nor less of Love himself. For this, she has no place, nor takes account of anything that may fall. She has neither bottom nor floor; therefore has she no place. And if she has no place, then has she not love for herself. This anyone may say! All work is forbidden her, and she is in the simple being of the Deity, as it was commanded sometime of Jesus Christ the Son of God the Father.⁵ To this end come they who are not anxious for themselves; for Love gives all things to this Soul, and even acquits her to her fellow Christian.

Thus it is right, says she, that all things be hallowed to me, even as all things be made for me; and for this I take it as for mine, without challenging. Why should I not do thus? You Lord have loved me, and have done and shall do with all your power, as Father. You have loved me, and have done and shall do with all your wisdom, as Son and Brother. You have loved me, and have done so and shall do with all your goodness, as Friend. Then may I well say that you love none more than me. For no more than your goodness may suffer it otherwise — that your high beloved Mother and also the angels, the saints, men and women, should have glory of your high everlasting bounty passing their deserts — no more may not your high everlasting goodness suffer that I have the torments of my deserts, but rather that I receive as much of your mercy continually as you have of might compared to the other that I should suffer, if it were not for your bounty.

In these words is the gloss of this song:

Therefore his eye beholds me, that he loves none more than me. This is the substance of my heart; therefore his eye beholds me. He may not suffer nor will, but that he be conjoint within me. Therefore his eye beholds me, that he loves none more than me. My necessity requires it; therefore his eye beholds me. I will nothing that he wills not — such power has Love over me. Therefore his eye beholds me, that he loves none more than me. Ah, ah, fine Love of my heart, therefore his eye beholds me. You makest of two wills one will — such is the nature of you. Therefore his eye beholds me, that he loves none more than me.

Now — Amen.

Here ends the book that Love calls The Mirror of Simple Souls.

Whoever this book will understand, take that Lord to his spouse loving, that is God in Trinity.

Jesus mercy and grace; Jesus, pray for us; sigh and sorrow deeply, mourn and weep inwardly, pray and think devoutly, love and long continually.⁶

M. En Dieu desormes. N.⁷

M.N.'s Translator's Epilogue

O glorious Trinity, in whom is all goodness, hallowed be your holy name in heaven and in earth, and fulfilled be your will.

I thank you, blissful Lord God, with all my poor heart, for all the gifts of grace that you have given and done to me, that am your poor unworthy creature; and that you deigned of your excellent Deity, that I, the most wretched and unfit, should translate this book; and for that the work is now ended, thanked and praised be you of all good creatures.

Lord, unwitting I am, unmighty and unable to have done it, but only by your help and grace. Therefore to you only be the worship and the praising thereof, and of all good works that be done under the sun.

Beseeching you, eternal God, if it be pleasing to you, that those that read this book mistake no word thereof — but, good Lord, of your great benignity, give them the grace of spiritual feeling. Inspire them with your Holy Ghost, that they may fully, by the virtue of love, understand it in the same wise as it is devoutly meant, that it may turn you to worship and to them profit of soul, by your endless might and bounty.

O my Lord God, mercy, mercy! I am a sinner, as you well know — by which, alas, unworthy I am to praise you and to laud you. But all might, all wisdom, and all goodness; all glory, all grace, all sweetness; all virtues, all victories, all honors; all bliss, all joy, and all magnificence — Lord, worship, laud, praise, and magnify you, everlastingly without end.

Jesus, mercy. Amen. Amen. Amen.

Translator's footnotes (project translation)

¹ His lamentations. Kirchberger's reading. The Middle English is waymentings — laments, mournings. The Soul is saying that the divine work of being shown him so high and me so low is something that even God's own lamentation-language cannot say (the work surpasses every speech, even the divine speech of mourning).

² When Holy Church takes no example of her life. One of the Mirror's most politically charged formulations, in the same family as the Holy Church the Little / Holy Church the Great distinction earlier (Section IV chapter XXI). The Soul in her highest perfection is invisible to the institutional Church — not because she is heretical, but because the institutional Church cannot read the freedom Love has worked in her. The clause was read by the Inquisitors of 1310 in the worst possible light.

³ The dread of God might disturb the being of freeness. The technical theological point: the timor Domini is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2-3), and so is constitutive of the spiritual life. But in the highest perfection (Marguerite's seventh state, or the sixth-while-on-earth), even holy dread would be a disturbance — because the freed Soul has no dread, only love. Compare 1 John 4:18: perfecta caritas foras mittit timorem. Marguerite presses the Johannine logion to its strongest possible reading.

⁴ Kirchberger's editorial note: "the sense of insecurity is a last purgation." Those who demand the full assurance, without any inward feeling of doubt, are deceived by the great wit of nature; the genuinely free Soul lives without needing such assurance.

⁵ Probable allusion to John 17:21 (ut unum sint sicut et nos) — the high-priestly prayer. Kirchberger's Latin gloss in the apparatus: cf John xvii 21 seq.

⁶ These three verses occur in many medieval manuscripts, Kirchberger notes. They are not Marguerite's own composition but a medieval devotional coda that the manuscripts of M.N.'s translation regularly attach to the book. We preserve them as part of the medieval reception of the work, marked off from Marguerite's text proper.

⁷ M.N.'s closing signed gloss — the fourteenth of his signed glosses in this project's count. The two French words en Dieu desormes ("in God, henceforward") are M.N.'s personal coda, marked with the M...N convention. M.N. signs out of the book the same way he signed every gloss within it: with his own initials around his own words. (Some scholarly accounts cite fifteen total M.N. glosses; the count is approximate and depends on whether all the in-text M...N markers in the four manuscripts agree. The full Doiron 1968 collation would resolve any discrepancy; we have rendered every M...N marker we found in the Kirchberger 1927 text.)

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