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

Section III

This is Section III of a planned five-section project translation of Marguerite Porete's The Mirror of Simple Souls. Section III covers Division III, chapters XII through XV — completing the nine-points framework that began in Section II. Here Marguerite finishes the eighth and ninth points (that none can give to the Soul, because all that could be given is less than what she loves; that the Soul has no will because her will is wholly God's will in her); then in chapter XV Reason puts to Love the great difficulty: how is it that this Soul takes no account of shame, worship, poverty, riches, hell, paradise, masses, sermons, fastings, or prayers — and gives to nature all that nature asks, without grudging of conscience? Reason herself would counsel the opposite. The chapter contains one of the most famous passages in the Mirror: Marguerite's invocation, through Reason, of Augustine's Dilige, et quod vis fac — Love, love, and do what you will — as the witness God himself gives to the Soul who has the two cords of faith and love in her heart.

Only one of M.N.'s fifteen signed glosses falls in this section, and it is brief — on the Soul's protest against the gabbing (spiritual chatter) of those who try to speak of God's goodness. The chapter division between the eighth and ninth points appears to elide a Chapter XIII in M.N.'s text as preserved by Kirchberger: chapter XII covers the eighth point (the ineffability and the "more"), and chapter XIV jumps directly to the ninth point. Whether this is M.N.'s elision, a manuscript variant, or an artifact of Kirchberger's editorial decisions is not clear from her 1927 apparatus; we preserve M.N./Kirchberger's chapter numbering as published, with a footnote.

The same conventions apply as Sections I and II: light modernization with archaic verb endings and pronouns normalized; Marguerite's technical vocabulary preserved (annihilated, Simple, Love, Reason, the Soul, the Virtues); M.N.'s glosses footnoted in place; formal LLM-as-judge deferred per session-budget.

Division III (continued)

Chapter XII — Of the eighth point: that none may give to her, and how this is understood; and of the ineffableness of God

The eighth point, Reason, says Love, is this: that men may give her naught.

"Give"? says Love. What might they give her? Though they gave her all that ever was given and all that ever shall be given, it would be naught compared with that which she loves, and shall love.

But God himself, Lady Love, says this Soul, loves in me, and shall love.

Save your reverence, that I know not. We say this, says Love, for the readers of this book: that God loves better where there is the more of himself in a man, than where there is less.

Oh, there is no "less of himself," says this Soul. There is but all. And this I may say, and truly say.

I say, says Love, that though this Soul had all the knowing and the love and the hearing that ever was given or ever shall be given of the divine Trinity, it would be naught in comparison with that which she loves and shall love; nor may this love be attained nor reached.

Oh, without fail, no, sweet Love, says this Soul. Even with regard to the least point of my love — without "more" — for there is none other God but he that none may know, who may not be known. No, truly no, without fail no, says she. He only is my God, of whom none can speak one word; nor all those of paradise can attain or understand one only point, for all the knowing that they have of him; and in this "more" — fulfilling all — is enclosed the sovereign immortality of the love of my spirit. For that is all the glory of the love of my soul, and shall be without end. And all those who never understood this point are full little to her, says this Soul, in comparison with the "more great" — whereof we speak not. I would speak, and I know not what to say; but nevertheless, Lady, in the perfect fulfilment of this "more" — that is, in God himself, in the heavenly will — the supreme immortality of the love of my spirit is enclosed, pledged, fulfilled.

Love, says she, my love is of such a kind that I would rather hear gabbing¹ of you than that men told me nothing of you. Without fail I do so, for all that I say of your goodness is but gabbing — but this gabbing is, of you, forgivable, Lord. They fail to say well of you who always speak of you and never say anything of your goodness. This I tell you of myself: I cease not to say this of you to that which men say to me, being questioned, and in my thoughts; truly, whatever men say, neither they nor I can say aught of your goodness — but the more I hear said of you, the more I am abashed. Then, this is a great villainy that men do me: that men should tell me something of the goodness of you. Yet they be deceived who trust in it, for I am certain that men cannot speak rightly. And if God will, I shall no more be deceived. I will no more hear gabbing of your divine goodness.

M. This is a usage in Love's game, by which these souls have so clear sight in divine beholdings that it seems to them that all that they or others say is but gabbings in respect of the high goodness and great nobleness that is in God, which may not be known except by himself, for the magnitude of his greatness. Therefore they think that neither they nor others can nor may speak thereof — but all is gabbing, in as much as they may not reach to a point of the fullness of soothfastness. N.²

I will no more, says this Soul to God, hear gab of your divine goodness, if I have life to fulfil the takings of this book, of which Love is mistress, who bids me that I determine all my takings — for as often as I ask anything for myself of Love, by that shall I be with myself in life of spirit, in the shadow of the sun, where may not be seen the subtle imaginations of the drawings of the divine love, of the divine generation. Oh, what say I? says this Soul. All it is naught, though I had it all, in comparison with that I love in him, which he gives to none but himself — which he must withhold for his divine righteousness. Then I say that this is truth: that men may give me naught, whatever the thing may be. And this complaint, Reason, says the Soul, that you hear me complain — it is mine all, and my best in well-understanding. Oh, what a sweet meaning is this! For God's love, understand it all; for paradise is no other thing than this same to understand.

Chapter XIV — Of the ninth point: that this Soul has no will, and how this is meant³

The ninth point, says Love, is this: that this Soul has no will.

Oh, without fail no — for all that she wills, in consenting of will, is that which God wills that she should will. And that does she will, says Love, in order to fulfil God's will, and not her own. And this may she not will in her own strength; but it is the will of God that wills in her, so that this Soul has no will but the will of God, which makes her will all that she ought to will.

Hear and understand, you readers of this book, the true understanding of these words — and what that is that this book says in so many places, that a Soul annihilated has naught of will, nor naught may have, nor naught may will. In this the divine will is perfectly fulfilled; nor may the Soul have her full sufficiency of divine love, nor may divine love have it of the Soul, until such time as the Soul be in God, and God in the Soul, of him, by him — in this being, by divine indwelling. And then the Soul has all her sufficiency.

Truly, yes, says the Understanding of Reason, but it seems that the ninth point says all the contrary, which says that the Soul annihilated wills naught with regard to that which she would will; nor may she have that which God wills she should will; and that her will is naught in respect to her own sufficiency, which never was given her, nor never shall be. From this, says Reason, I understand that the Soul wills a will, and God wills that she will a will which she may not have; and by this she suffers loss, and has not satisfaction.

It seems, Lady Love, says the Understanding of Reason, that this ninth point makes me thus to understand the saying of this book — which says, truly, that the free Soul has no will, nor naught may have, nor naught may will, nor will the divine Trinity that she have. And this book says that she has, in all things, by divine love, full sufficiency.

O Understanding of Reason, says this annihilated Soul, how rude you are! You take the shell or the chaff, and leave the kernel or the grain. Your understanding is so low that you may not reach so high as behoves them who well would have the understanding of the being that we speak of; but the understanding of divine love, that takes the lead in an annihilated Soul which is made free, understands it without erring — for she is of the same nature.

O you Understanding of Reason, says the Highness of the Understanding of Love, understand now the rudeness of your misunderstanding. If this annihilated Lady wills the will of God, the more that she wills it, the more she would will it; and that may she not, on account of the littleness of the creature — for God withholds the greatness of his divine righteousness. But God wills that she will this, and that she have such a will; for such a will is a divine will, and this divine will gives being to free creatures. For the divine will that God makes to will in them draws in them beams of divine knowings, and the feelings of divine love, and the union of divine magnificence and laud. And then, says Love to this creature, how may this Soul will — when clear knowledge knows that there is a being among the beings which is most noble of all beings, which creatures may not have unless they have it by the "not willing"?

Now, says Love, has Reason heard the answer of his questions, save where it says that the free Soul has in her a lack of sufficiency? But this I say to her — whereby to will the divine will: truly, the more that she wills it, the less has such a will of this her own satisfaction; and this same will is the only pure will of God, and the Soul's glory.

Chapter XV — Of the perfection of those who live by the counsel of Reason, and of the perfection of these souls whom fine Love leads

Ah Love, says Reason, you have done our prayer for the actives and the contemplatives; and now I pray you to declare and expound to the common people these double words⁴ that are hard to understand to their understanding — so that some, perchance, may come to this being by which this book may show to all the very light of truth, and the perfection of charity, of those who are preciously called and chosen of God, and sovereignly are loved of him.

Reason, says Love to this, I will answer for the profit of those for whom you make to us this piteous request. Reason, says Love, where are these double words that you pray me to discuss, for the readers of this book who live in "will and in desire" — which book we call the Mirror of Simple Souls?

To this I answer, Lady Love, says Reason, for this book says great marvels of this Soul. It says that she takes no account of shame, nor of worship, nor of poverty, nor of riches, nor of ease, nor of disease, nor of love, nor of hate, nor of hell, nor of paradise. And also it says that this Soul has all and she has naught, she knows all and she knows nothing, she wills all and she wills nothing; nor does she desire, says Reason, contempt, nor poverty, nor any martyrdom, nor tribulations, nor sermons, nor fastings, nor prayers; and she gives to nature all his askings without grudging of conscience.

Without fail, Love, says Reason, this may none understand by my understanding, unless they learn it of you by your teaching. For my counsel is — as the best I can counsel — that men should desire contempt and poverty and all manner of tribulation, masses and sermons, fastings and prayers; and that men should remain in dread of all manner of loves, whatever they be, on account of perils that might happen; and that men should desire paradise sovereignly, and also that men should fear of going to hell; and that they refuse all manner of worships and temporal things and all kinds of ease, taking away from nature all that she asks, save only that without which they might not live, after the example of suffering that our Lord Jesus Christ suffered. This is the best that I can counsel, says Reason, to all those who live under my obedience.

And therefore I say that none shall understand this book according to my understanding, unless they understand it by the virtue of faith and by the strength of love, who are my mistresses; for I am obedient to them in all. And yet, says Reason, thus much I say: that whoever has these two cords in his heart — the light of faith and the strength of love — has leave to do what pleases him, as witness God himself, who says to the soul: "Love, love, and do what you will."⁵

Reason, says Love, you are full wise concerning things that appertain to you. You would have answers to these words aforesaid, and you ask what it is. It is well asked; and, says Love, I will answer you to all your askings.

Reason, says Love, I certify you that these souls whom fine Love leads, they have as gladly shame as worship, and worship as shame; and poverty as riches, and riches as poverty; and torments of God and of his creatures as comforts of God and of his creatures; and to be hated as loved, and loved as hated; and hell as paradise, and paradise as hell; and little estate as great, and great estate as little. This is to say in truth: that they neither will nor refuse-to-will any of these prosperities, nor any of these adversities. For these souls have no will but for the thing that God wills in them. And the divine will calls not these "perfect" — for the divine will does not yet call them onward in the way of union as long as they retain these encumbrances of desire and anxiety⁶.

I have said before, says Love, that these souls have as gladly to endure all manner of adversities of heart, for body and for soul, as prosperities — and prosperities as adversities. This is sooth, says Love, if it come to them: since their will is not the cause. The souls know not where the end lies, nor for what cause God will find their salvation, nor the salvation of their fellow Christians; nor for what reason God will do righteousness or mercy; nor for what cause God will give to the soul the excellent gifts of the goodness of his divine nobility. And for this reason the free Soul has no will to will, nor not to will — but only to will the will of God, and to suffer in peace his divine ordinance.

Translator's footnotes (project translation)

¹ Gabbing — Marguerite's term, preserved by M.N. and by Kirchberger, for "spiritual chatter," "fine talk," boastful speech about God. The Soul protests that all speech about God — including her own — is gabbing: a folly that humbles her more deeply every time she hears it. The image is of pious gossip about God, treated as a vanity rather than as devotion. Marguerite's complaint here is not against piety but against the trust that men place in such speech.

² The eighth of M.N.'s fifteen signed glosses. A brief gloss, unpacking the gabbing image: the Soul's "clear sight in divine beholdings" reveals to her that all human speech, hers included, is gabbing in respect of the magnitude of God's greatness, "which may not be known except by himself."

³ The apparent gap between Chapters XII and XIV. There is in fact no skip in M.N./Kirchberger; the apparent gap is a downstream consequence of a chapter-merge in Section II. Section II's translation Ch XI combines source Ch XI (the third / fourth / fifth points) with source Ch XII (the sixth and seventh points) for narrative continuity. From that merge, the present section's translation Ch XII corresponds to source Ch XIII (the eighth point), and translation Ch XIV to source Ch XIV (the ninth point). No source chapter is omitted; we preserve M.N./Kirchberger's content in full, with the renumbering disclosed at Section II's Ch XI.

⁴ Double words — M.N.'s rendering of Marguerite's Old French paroles doubles, meaning paradoxical or two-sided sayings: she has all and she has naught; she knows all and she knows nothing; she wills all and she wills nothing. The doubling is the signature rhetorical structure of the Mirror's central paradoxes.

⁵ The famous Augustinian formula, Dilige et quod vis fac (Augustine, In Epistolam Joannis Tractatus, VII.8: "Dilige, et quod vis fac" — Love, and do what you will). Marguerite places it in Reason's mouth — Reason herself, the very faculty whose obedience Marguerite has just told the Soul to leave behind, here testifies that the soul possessed of the two cords of faith and love is licensed to act freely. It is one of the most theologically subtle moments in the Mirror: Reason confesses her own subordination to faith and love, but does so by quoting Augustine — that is, by quoting the highest authority Reason herself can adduce.

⁶ M.N./Kirchberger's text here is the divine will calleth not these perfect, which Kirchberger's editorial note clarifies as the divine will does not yet call them onwards (i.e. to perfection) while they retain these encumbrances of desire and anxiety. The free Soul has passed beyond such encumbrances; the not-yet-perfect souls still hold them. Modernized to reflect Kirchberger's clarification.

JSON: /api/sources/beguine-mystics/porete-mirror-simple-souls/vol-3-01-division-iii-chapters-xii-xv.json