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

Section IX

This is Section IX of the Porete Mirror project translation. Seven chapters in scope, closing out Division V. The chapters move from the planted will (chapter XII: the Soul has so planted her will in the Trinity that she may not sin unless she unplants it), through the two life-rules (chapter XIV: those in life of spirit must do the contrary of their pleasure; those who are free must do all that pleases them), to the Red Sea image (chapter XIV again: she has passed the Red Sea and her enemies therein left), and on to chapter XV's striking I disencumber myself of you both of myself and of my fellow Christian — Marguerite's most far-reaching renunciation of even neighborly attachment.

Chapter XVI gives the Mirror's two Marian exemplars: Mary Magdalene in the desert at Sainte-Baume (Marguerite reads her there as having attained the naughted life: Mary Magdalene sought Christ before being annihilated; in the desert, Love took her and naughted her); and the Virgin Mary, who alone of all creatures had no human will from the beginning, but only the will of the Deity in divine work. Chapter XVII cites John 14:12 (greater works than these shall he do) and gives the gloss: the greater work is the peace of the divine country, not any visible miracle. Chapter XVIII closes Division V with the most-high being where the Soul is abandoned in God for him in him of himself.

No M.N. signed glosses in this section — M.N.'s relative silence continues from Section VIII. M.N.'s thirteenth gloss falls in a later division. Three M.N. glosses remain.

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); formal LLM-as-judge deferred per session-budget.

Division V (continued)

Chapter XII — How this Soul is free of all; and how she has so planted her will in the Trinity that she may not sin unless she unplants it

This Soul, says Love, is quit of services; for she lives in freedom. Whoso serves, he is not free. Whoso feels, he is not dead. Whoso desires, he would have; whoso would have, he begs; and whoso begs, he has a lack of divine sufficiency. But they that are truly always upheld and taken of Love, and annihilated by Love, and all overspread of Love, they have no heart but on Love — even though they should suffer evermore torments and endure them, though the torments were as great as God is great in bounty. Never loved the Soul finely that doubts that this be not true.

This Soul has given all, by freedom of nobility of the work of the Trinity. In the same Trinity this Soul plants so deeply her will that she may not sin unless she unplant it; for she has nothing wherewith to sin, for without will may no creature sin. Now you dare not take account of sin if she leave her will there where she has planted it — that is, in him who has given it her freely of his bounty. Thence will she not take it; but there she plants it all wholly freely, without any "for why?" — and not for her sake but for him: for two things, one is because it is good, and the second is because he wills it.

Up to this time has she no peace fully, steadfastly nor peaceably, till she be of her will purely departed. These who are such resemble always a drunken man — for the drunken man is no more afraid of anything that is coming to him, whatever adventure may befall him, than if it came not to him. And if he be afraid, he is not all fully drunk.

And also, if this Soul have anything wherewith to will, it is ill-planted. She may yet fall, if she be assailed with adversities or with prosperities. Then is she not whole, for she is not naked; no, since she has wherewith to will, or to unwill, or to withhold her will.

Chapter XIII — What it behoves them to do that are in life of spirit to come to lordship and sovereignty¹

And yet I will thus much say, says Love, to all those that are in life of spirit: that, if it be asked of them, let them do the asking of the desire of their inwardness, in following the works of perfection by the study of Reason — willing or not. For if they will by this, they may come to the being that we have spoken of, and shall yet be lords of themselves and of heaven and earth.

And how, Lord? says Reason, who to this cannot answer.

By this way, says this Soul who is free: if she holds all without care or without heart, and all gives without heart, and all takes without heart, and all has without heart, and if her heart feel it — this is she not.

I have said, says Love, that they do the asking of their inwardness, if it be asked for; otherwise I command it them not. And if they leave all the will of their outwardness for the inward life of spirit, they shall yet come to all lordship and sovereignty.

Oh, says the Spirit that this same seeks in life marred, tell me how?

Truly, says this Soul that stands in freedom, none can see it but he only that is this thing in creatures, of his bounty, for the creature. But this I shall tell you, says this free Soul, what behoves a creature ere he come thereto. It behoves him perfectly to do the contrary of his will, in appeasing the Virtues up to the throat, and hold this point without falling away — namely that the spirit have always lordship without contrariety.

Ah God, says Truth, how sick is the body of the heart where such a spirit is!

Truly I say, says this free Soul, that it behoves to have such inward working in life marred — this is to say, in life of spirit — so that it destroy the humours of all sickness in a swift moment. Such physician has fervour of spirit.

This is sooth, says Love. Whoever doubts in this, if he had assayed, he should know the sooth.

Chapter XIV — How they that are in life of spirit must always do the contrary of their pleasure if they will have peace; and how they that are free must do all that pleases them, or else they shall lose peace; what thing it is that gives this Soul, and is the most noble being that may be had in this life

Now I shall tell you, says Love, of the Soul in freeness, and also of them of the life which we have spoken of, that we call "life of spirit." It may have no peace unless the body do always the contrary of its will. This is to be understood, that these folks do the contrary of that which delights them; for otherwise they should fall into loss of this life, unless they do always the contrary of their pleasure.

And they that are free have to do all the contrary.² For right as them behoves, in life of spirit, to do all the contrary of their will, unless they will lose peace, so behoves it in life that is free to do all that pleases them, unless they will lose peace — if they are come into the state of freedom; that is, if they are fallen from Virtues into Love, and from Love into naught. They do nothing except it please them; and if they do otherwise, they rob themselves of peace, freedom, nobility. For until then is not the Soul wholly refined — until she do that which pleases her, and that she be grudging of doing the contrary of her pleasaunces.

That is right, says Love, for her will is ours. She has passed the Red Sea, and her enemies therein left.³ Her pleasing is our will, by the purity of unity of the will of the Deity, wherein we have enclosed her. Her will is ours, for she is moved from grace into perfection, from works of Virtues into Love, and from Love into naught, and from naught into clarifyings of God, who sees with eyes of his Majesty. Who in this point has enlightened her by himself; and she is so left in him, that she neither sees him nor herself. If she saw herself in this divine bounty, she should be "for herself"; but he sees this bounty in her — who knew this of her before she was, when he gave her of his bounty. Then he made her lady. This was of free will; and this free will he may not take from her without the pleasing of the Soul. Now he has it without any "for why?" — right in such a way as he had it before she was lady thereover.

Now naught is but he. No one is loved but he, for none is but he. This calls her alone; this makes her a lone Soul. And the all-sole alone-ness of his own being gives her that point that is the most noble being that any creature may have in this life of perfection.

And under this there are five beings in which men must live, according to the perfection of the call of every man, before a soul may have this — which is the sixth, which is most profitable and best, and the most noble and the most gentle of all the other five. And in paradise is the seventh, that is made perfect without any lack. And thus does God of his bounty in his creatures his divine works. The Holy Ghost inspires where he wills, and is marvelous in his creatures.

Chapter XV — What thing it is that has given this Soul freedom in enduring of things

Ah Lord, says this Soul, you have so much suffered for us, and can so much work in us by you, of you, for us, that these other works have taken their end in us — but that is right little refined. Now work in us by you, of you, for us, without us, thus, Lord, as it pleases you. For as for me, henceforward I make no fors. I disencumber myself of you,⁴ both of myself and of my fellow Christian. Thus I shall tell you how I relinquish you and me and my fellow Christian, every one — in witting of your divine wisdom, in the streams of your divine might, in the governance of your divine bounty, for your sole will. And this sole thing of love, led, cleared and clarified by divine Majesty, has of all things given me enduring freedom without breaking.

So says the Soul that is thus called. For else it were no gift, unless it were without failing. Now understand if you have this gift!

Chapter XVI — Of the peace of this divine life; and how Mary Magdalene had it when she was in the desert; and how our Lady had it always; and what the language of this life is

Now I say to them that serve, says this Soul, to bring them into life of freedom: I owe it not. His love is not served in this; nor is this naught — it may not be. And when such a soul is naught, then lives God himself in this creature without breaking the peace of his creature. The peace of this life of divine life it suffers not to be thought of, nor spoken, nor written. And this love is without work of body, and without work of heart, and without work of the spirit; for divine work has fulfilled the law.

Reason praises the Magdalene because she sought Jesus Christ; but Love stills him (this, forget not!), for she failed when she sought divine life. But when she was in the desert, Love took her, and annihilated or naughted her, and in her wrought. Then had she Love in her, of him without herself.⁵ She lived then of divine life — which made her have glorious life — and then she drew God to her, without seeking him. She had no need to seek when Love had taken her. But when she took Love, she sought him by desire of will in feeling of her spirit, that was human and not clean-pure divine: for she was then marred, and not Mary⁶. She knew not, when she sought him, that God was all by all in all; she had not then sought him.

I have found none that always did this, but the Virgin Mary. Never had she will according to the senses, nor work of spirit, but she had the will of the Deity in work divine. This was, and is, and shall be her divine beholding, her divine love, her divine peace, and her divine lauding altogether: her labors and all her rest, to will only the divine will. And therefore she had glorious life enclosed within the soul of her mortal body without any intermediary.

The language of this divine life is close silence of the divine love. She has known this afar off, and of long known, that there is nothing more divine than always to will the divine will.

Chapter XVII — How and by what means they that stand in desire may come to rest of spirit; and of three things of the divine life; and of the innocence that is gotten by this life

O you that stand in desires, and are not yet come to the rest of spirit, work and travail busily, and naught yourselves; for none may rest in the highest restable rest that is always restful, unless he be afore wearied. I am thereof sure. Therefore let the Virtues have that that is theirs of the cutting wills of the fervours of affection of your spirit, till they have acquit you of the debt that you owe to Jesus Christ himself, who says in the gospel: whoever believes in me, he shall do such works as I do, and yet greater shall he do.⁷ Where lies the gloss of these words, I ask you? In this: not till then, when one has paid to Jesus Christ all that he owes him, may he have the peace of the divine country where life dwells.

God give you hastily, from your natural perfection, to come to this — where there is pleasure and accordance of the powers of the soul, and of all things sufficiency. Thus it behoves to be — for there are the three kinds of divine life that we call the glorious life; and the being which Love gives us of his bounty formed, that leads in the soul the first day that it attains to earth: that is innocence, which Adam lost in paradise terrestrial by disobedience. The pain dwelt with him, and Jesus Christ took it. Then it is right and reason that true innocence dwell with us. The very innocents are never right nor never wrong. They feel all naked, that have not anything to answer. All men answer, and all fail to agree, by the sin of Adam; but the innocents have not whereof to answer.

Chapter XVIII — Of the most-high being that the naked, naughted, or clarified Souls are in

The country of Virtues that the marred work in is full far from the country of forgetting; and all naked, naughted, or clarified Souls that are in the most-high being — there the Soul is abandoned in God for him in him of himself. Then is he not sought, nor praised, nor adored by these creatures⁸, but only by that which they may not know, nor love, nor adore. This is the fulfilling of all their love and the last denial of their way. The last accords with the first; for it discords not.

This is right, since she has run, that she rest herself in that place. For she may do all that she will, by the true bounty of his divine being. And she may do all that she will without making a return for his gifts — who of his proper being has set her thus. Why should it not? For this gift is also all that he is in himself, who gives it to this Soul; and this gift moves her purely into himself. This is Love's self; and Love may do all that she will. So may not dread, nor discretion, nor reason — know it forsooth — nothing gainsays Love.

This Soul seeks not the fullness of her understanding; but God sees it in her, without breaking her. Thus have the aforesaid Virtues naught to answer; then says she to him thus...

Translator's footnotes (project translation)

¹ The chapter-numbering gap between XII and XIV that appears in Section VII (between the eighth and ninth points) recurs here: M.N./Kirchberger's text moves from XII to XIV again, with no chapter labeled XIII in the OCR. We have provisionally numbered this chapter as XIII because its content (those in life of spirit coming to lordship and sovereignty) is a natural transition from chapter XII's planted will in the Trinity. Whether the actual M.N./Kirchberger numbering matches XIII here, or whether M.N. simply moves from XII straight to XIV with this material subsumed in XIV, would require checking against Kirchberger's printed edition page-by-page. (Verdeyen-Guarnieri 1986 Old French numbering, consulted only for orientation, would also clarify.)

² They that are free have to do all the contrary. Marguerite's two life-rules — the parallel and inverse instructions for the two stages. The unfree (in life of spirit) must do the contrary of their pleasure or they lose peace; the free (in life that is free) must do what pleases them or they lose peace. Kirchberger's editorial note emphasizes that "obviously no deductions in favor of self-indulgence are to be drawn from this passage by those who have not attained that state." The two-rules schema is one of the most pastorally delicate moments in the Mirror and one that an Inquisitor would have read with suspicion.

³ She has passed the Red Sea, and her enemies therein left. The Pauline/Patristic typology of the Exodus crossing (1 Corinthians 10:1–2) as the baptismal-mystical death of the old self; the Egyptian enemies (the will, the pleasures of the flesh) are drowned in the Red Sea. Marguerite uses the typology in the most compressed form.

⁴ I disencumber myself of you, both of myself and of my fellow Christian. One of Marguerite's most far-reaching renunciations: the freed Soul is unencumbered not only of self-will but of the demands of fraternal charity in their "earnest pursuit" form. The renunciation does NOT mean the Soul ceases to love her fellow Christian (chapter XIX of Division III earlier in the Mirror spoke of her supplying their needs); it means she has released the anxious cumbering of trying to do charity by her own will. Love performs charity through her; she does not perform it of herself.

⁵ Love took her, and annihilated or naughted her, and in her wrought. Then had she Love in her, of him without herself. Marguerite's reading of Mary Magdalene at Sainte-Baume — the long tradition (Provence, Vincent of Beauvais, the Legenda Aurea) of Mary Magdalene retreating after the Resurrection to live thirty years in the desert in pure contemplation. Marguerite places her annihilation in that desert period. Before, she sought Christ humanly (seeking him at the tomb, at the supper); in the desert, Love takes her, and she stops seeking because she no longer needs to.

⁶ She was then marred, and not Mary. M.N.'s rendering of a Marguerite wordplay; Kirchberger's editorial note flags it as possibly "a play on words: 'marred' and 'Mar-tha'd'?" The Middle English marred (M.N.'s standard term for the vita martyris-ed state, the marred-or-troubled active life of life of spirit) is being played against Mary's name. Marguerite is saying: in her seeking, the Magdalene was a Martha-figure (active, troubled, seeking); in the desert, she became truly Mary-figure (still, naughted, sought-from-within).

⁷ John 14:12. The Pauline-Patristic greater works logion gets a strong reading in Marguerite: the greater work is the peace of the divine country, not any visible miraculum. The reading is consistent with Augustine's Tractatus in Joannem and with Bonaventure; Marguerite's distinctive contribution is to identify the greater work specifically as the naughted Soul's peace.

⁸ He is not sought, nor praised, nor adored by these creatures, but only by that which they may not know, nor love, nor adore. Kirchberger's editorial note: "He is not praised by any direct and conscious effort of the soul, but by indirect modes of love and praise of which the soul is largely unconscious." This is the apophatic limit of Marguerite's doctrine: even praise, in the highest state, ceases to be a conscious act of the Soul; it becomes a property of the being-abandoned-in-God itself.

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