Revelations of Divine Love — Julian of Norwich

ND after this the good Lord shewed the xvith. tevelation on the night following, as I shall say after. Which xvith. was conclusion and confirmation to all the xv. But first me behooveth to tell you as anenst my feebleness, wretchedness and blindness. I have said at the beginning where it saith (And in this suddenly all my pain was taken from me). Of which pain I had no grief, ne no disease, as long as the xv. Shewings lasted in shewing. And at the end all was close, and I saw no more; and soon I felt that I should live longer. And anon my sickness came again; first in my head with a sound and a noise: and suddenly all my body was fulfilled with sickness, like as it was before. And I was as barren and as dry as I had never had comfort but litle, and as a wretch, mourned heavily for feeling of my bodily pains, and for faulting of comfort ghostly and bodily. Then came a religious person unto me and asked me how I fared; and I said, ‘I had raved to day,’ and he langht lowd and inwardly. And I said. * The cross that s ood before my face, methoaght it bled

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fast.’ And with this word the person that I spake to waxed all sad and marvelled. And anon I was sore ashamed, and astonished for my retchlesness. And I thought this man taketh sadly the least word that I may say, that saw no more thereof. And when I saw that he took it so sadly, and with so great reverence, I waxed full greatly ashamed, and would have been shriven, but I could tell it to no Priest; for I thought, * How should a Priest believe me, when I by saying J raved, I shewed myself not to believe our Lord God.’ Notwithstanding, I believed him truly for the time that I saw him; and so was then my will and my meaning ever for to doe without end; but as a fool I let it pass out of my mind. Ah, Loe how wretched I was; this was a great sin and a great unkindness, that I for folly of feeling of a litle bodily pain, so unwisely left for the time the comfort of all this blessed shewing of our Lord God. Here may you see what I am of myself. But herein would our courteous Lord not leave me. And I lay still till night trusting in his mercy; and then 1 began to sleep.

The Staty-seventh Chapter

Anp in my sleep at the beginning, methought the fiend set him in my throat, putting forth a visage full near my face, like a young man: and it was : 180 sr a HERS OO CES,

THE SIXTY-SEVENTH CHAPTER

long and wonder lean, I saw never none such. The colour was red like the tile-stone when it is new brent, with black spots therein, like frackles, fouler than the tile-stone; his hair was red, as rust not scoured; afore with side locks hanging down in flakes; he grinned upon me with a shrowd look, and shewed me white teeth, and so my kill [mickle] methought it the more ugly ; body, ne hands had he none shapely; but with his paws he held me in the throat, and would have stopped my breath, and kild me, but he might not. This ugly shewing was made sleeping, and so was none other. And in all this time I trusted to be saved and kept by the mercy of God. And our courteous Lord gave me grace to wake, and unnethes had [I] any life. The persons that were with me beheld me, and wet my temples, and my heart began to comfort. And anon a little smoke came in at the door, with a great heat, and a foul stinch’; and then I said, ‘ Benedicite dominus, Is it all on fire that is here?’ And I went [weened] it had been a bodily fire, that should burn us all to death. I asked them that were with me, if they felt any stench, they said nay, they felt none; I said, * Blessed be God,’ for then wist I well it was the fiend that was come only to tempt me. And anon I took me to that our Lord had shewed me on the same day, with all the faith of Holy Church; for I beheld it as both in one, and fled 181

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thereto as to my comfort. And anon all vanished away, and I was brought to great rest and peace, without sickness of body, or dread of conscience.

The Sirty-erghth Chapter