A recapitulation of what is seid and how it is shewid to hir generally for all
And as Longe as I saw this sight of the plentiuos bleding of
the hede I might never stinte of these words ; ‘Benedicite domine!’
In which the sheweing I understode vi things : the first is the
toknys of the blissid passion and the plentious sheddyng of
his pretious blode; the iid is the maiden that is his derworthy
moder; the iid is the blissful Godhede that ever was, is and
ever shal bene, al mighty, al wisdam, al love; the iiiith is althing
that he hath made; for wele I wete that hevyn and erth and
all that is made is mekil and large, fair and gode, but the cause
why it is shewid so litil to my sight was for I saw it in the
presence of him that is the maker of all thing, for a
soule that seith the maker of all, all that is made semith full
litil, the vth is that he made all things for love; be the same
love it is kept and shall be withoute end, the vith is that God
is all thing that is gode, as to my sight, and the godeness that
al thing hath, it is he; and al these our lord shewid me in the
first sight with time and space to beholden it. And the bodily
sight stinted and the ghostly sight dwellid in myne understondying.
And I abode with reverent drede ioyand in that I saw. And
I desired as I durst to se more , if it were his will, or ell lenger
time the same. In all this I was mekil sterid in charite to mine even
cristen, that their might seen and knowyn the same that I saw;
for I would it were comfort to they, for al this sight was shewid
general. Than said I to them that were aboute me ‘It is today
domysday with me’. And this I seid for I went a deid, for that day
a man deith he is demyd as he shal be without end, as to
my understondying. This I seid for I would their love Gode the better,
for to make hem to have mende that this life is shorte as thei
might se in example: for in al this time I went have deid and that
was mervil to me and sweeme in partie, for methowte this
vision was shewd for hem that should leven. And that I say of me
I sey in the person of al mine even cristen, for I am lerned
in the gostly shewing of our lord God that he menyth so;
and therefore I pray you al for God’s sake and counsel you
for your own profitt that ye levyn the beholding of a wretch
that it was shewid to, and mightily, wisely and mekely
behold God, that of his curtes love and endless godeness
wolde shewyn it generally in comfort of us al; for it is God’s will
that ye take it with gret ioy and likyng as Iesus had shewid it on to
you al.
Julian of Norwich, a Revelation of Love, ed Marion Glascoe. University of Exeter Press 1976.
Chris Murray 