<County: Nottinghamshire>
<Code: L0278>
<MS reference: London, BL Harley 2409>
<Text: Visions of St Catherine of Sienna>


<fol. 70r>Here folowes how ye holy mayden Kateryne
of Seen first began to sette hyr hert fully to godwarde .

JN ye yere of oure
lorde Criste a thousand thre
hundreth foure score and sex . ye . viij . day
of Januer . ye holy mayden Kateryne of
Seen told til a special familiere spekand
of hir-self as it had bene of a-noyer persone
. yat in ye begynnyng of hir turnyng
to godward . and of hir enlumynynge .
she set ogayne ye lufe of hir owen person
as for a sadde grounde of hir lyuyng . ye
stoon of knowyng of hir-selfe . yis stoon
she departed in thre parties . ye first pert
is consideracion of hir first makynge :
how yat she had no beyng of hir selfe
bot only of god . who boye made hir of not
& kepid hir . and al yis dide he onely of grace
. and no3t of hir dessert . ¶ ye secunde
part is consideracion of ye beyng of
mankynde be ye whilk : efter yat we had
destruyd oure wele-beyng and loste grace
of fyne and feruent lufe . crist bo3t
<fol. 70v>vs ogayne wiy his awen dereworthy blode .
ye whilk luf mankynd neuer deserued . ¶ Ye
thrid part is consideracion of ye synnes
yat she had done efter yat she had receyued
ye grace of baptyme . Be ye whilk synnes
she had deserued endeles dampnacion . Where
-for she merueyled of ye euerlastyng godenes
of god : yt he commanded no3t ye erthe to deuoure
hir . ¶ Of yies yre considerations
yer grew in hir so grete a hate vntil hir
selfeward ; yat she coueyted no-ying to
be done efter hir wil : bot al efter ye wille
of god . wham she sagh wil bot onely hyr
gode & hir profite . ¶ And of yis it folowed
yat al tribulacion & temptacion turned hir
to grete ioye bothe for she saghe yat it
come of goddes wille and for it toke vengeance
on hir for synne . ¶ And yerfore she
sayde yat she had souereyne desplesance of
al vayne yinges of ye whilk before-tyme
she had liking and plesance . For-why
ye dauntyng of hir moder in ye whilk
she was wont fortil haue grete likyng
<fol. 71r>she fled as a swerd or venym And al enmytees
she suffred with likyng . Temptacion
of ye fende boye she lufed yam & she despised
yam . Jn als mykel as yei broght hir
vntil feleable lust : she despised yam . and in
als mykel as yai trubled hir : she lufed yaim .
¶ Efter yis she come to gret desire of goostly
clennes . And when she had long tyme
besily prayed our lord . yat he wolde vouchesafe
forto graunte hir parfit clennes . At
ye last he appered vntil hir & said . My doghter
if you wil haue ye clennes yat you desires
: ye nedes forto be parfitely oned vnto
me yat am souereyn clennes . And yt
sal+tou be if you kepe yies yre poyntes yt
folowes . ¶ Ye first poynt is : if you so ordeyne
yine entent vnto me yat you make
me ye ende of al yi werkes & euermore besy
ye forto haue me befor yi sight . ¶ ye second
poynt is if you vtterly forsake yine
owen wil and no hede takyng to mannes
wil in al ying yat be-falle ye . onely take
hede vnto my wille . yat wil yi holynes .
<fol. 71v>For noyther J wil no J suffre any ying falle
vnto ye : bot for yi gode & profite . And if you
take gude hede here-to : yer shal no-yinge
make ye sory . you shal no while be wrothe
with any man . bot rayher you shal late ye
be holden to yam yat does ye wrong . And
ouer yis you shal deme no man bot if you
openly se his synne . And yan wiy wice you
shal be wrothe . & of ye man you shal haue
pite . ¶ Ye yridde poynt is . if you deme
ye wirkyngs & ye dedes of my seruantes
no3t efter yi felyng . bot efter my dome for
you knowes wele yat J saide sumtyme . yat
in my faders house er many dwellyng stedes
. And yerfore sen yat ye place of blysse is
aunsweryng vnto ye desseert of yis lyfe . it
folowes yat ri3t as yer er dyuers places of
blisse in heuen : so yer er dyuers wayes of
dessert in erthe . ¶ Wherfore al ye werkes
& ye dedes of my seruants . as loong as yai
er no3t expresse ogayns my lore you shal
haue yam in reuerence . And be no way mysdeme
yem . ¶ Jf you kepe yies . iij . poynts
<fol. 72r>you shal be wele rewled in yi-selfe . And yu shal
be wele rewled onentes me be ye first poynt .
And onentis yi neghbore bothe gode & ille .
you sal be wele reuled be ye second & ye yridde .
And so you shal no3t go be vices oute of ye
ordre of vertues . And more-ouer you shal
parfitely kepe ye clennes yat you desyres .
my grace alway wirkyng yies yings in ye .
¶ Also for more declaracion of ye forsaide matere
our loord sayd yat propre luf is cause and
begynnynge of al wickidnes & castyng dounn
of al godenes . Bot yer er two maners of propre
lufe : For yer is propre lufe fleshely & propre
lufe gostly . ¶ ye first luf is cause of alle
fleshely synnes & of alle oyer open wrechednes
yat er done for lufe of creatures . As
when for ye lufe of yem ye comandements
of god er despised & broken . ¶ Ye seconde
lufe yat is called propre lufe gostely is yt ilke
yat efter forsakyng of erthely yings and
of al creatures & also of propre wille ; it makes
men forto folow so mykel yer owen gostely
appetite & yer owen dome . yat yai wil
<fol. 72v>noither serue god . no walke in goddes wayes
bot efter yer owen list & yer owen felynge .
¶ And for als mykel as god wil yat a man
forsake his owen wil : yerfore no swilk man
may long stoond in goddes way . bot hym
most nedes falle for he folowes more his
owen wil yan ye wille of god . ¶ Swilk
men er al yo yat wil chese yem bothe state
& exercise efter yer owen dome & no3t
efter yat yei er called of god no efter ye
counseile of discrete men . Also swilk men
er al yo yat conceyue ouer-mykel lufe vntil
sum o gostely dede . as vnto fastyng or
any oyer swilk . and make yat as it war
ye ende of yar wirkyng . And if yai happen
forto lose yat : anone yai sal falle to
despayre and seese of alle oyer gode dedes .
¶ Foryer-more swilk er alle yo yat sette
al yer lufe and yar ese in felyng of gostely
comfort ye whilk when yai forgo : on
oon yai despayre . A verray gostely lyfer .
onely lufes god . and for his sake ye hele
of mennes soules & alle oyer yings he
<fol. 73r>vses vnto yis ende . And he charges no3t
mykel of mennes dedes so yat ye worship
of god and hele of mennes soules be ye
ende . ¶ he yat has verray gostely lufe .
he shuld deme al ying efter ye wil of god
and no3t efter ye wille of man . And when
he is pryued for a tyme of felynge
of gostely comfort : he shuld vmbi-yink
hym in his hert & say yis is befalne me
of ye ordynance and ye suffraunce of god .
who in alle aduersite yat he sendes vntil
vs . sekes no3t elles no wil . bot oure holynes
. Jf you vmbi-yink ye yus : bitter
yings shal seme vnto ye swete . Anoyer
tyme our lord Jhesu apered vnto yis
same forsayde Dame Kateryne & sayde
vntil hir yus : Doghter sum clerkes seyne
& soye it is : yat ye visyons yt cum
fro me . yai begynne wiy ferdnes . bot euer
ye lengar yai laste . ye more comforte
yai gyfe & sykernes . for yai begynne sumwhat
wiy bitternes . bot euer yai waxe
swetter & swetter . Bot ye visions yat cum
<fol. 73v>fro ye enemy . yai haue ye reuerse condicion
. for at ye begynnyng yai seme forto
gyf sum gladnes and swetnes & sykernes
; bot euer ye lengar yai last . ye more
drede and bitternes waxes in yar soules
yat sees yam . yis is soye . for my wayes
er knowen & departed fro his wayes be
ye same difference . ¶ For ye way of penannce
& of my comandements in ye
begynnyng semes harde & sharpe : bot euer
ye more men go yar-inne . ye more esy
& swete it semes vnto yam . ¶ Bot ye
way of vices in ye begynnyng semes likand
: bot euer ye lengar men goos yer-inne .
ye more it waxes bitter and dampnable .
¶ Bot 3it yer is a more siker token yan
is yis . For wite you for certayne . yat . J .
am verray sothfastnes ; euermore be ye
visions yat cum fro me ye soule profites
in more knowyng of sothfastnes . And
for als mykel as sothfastnes is ri3t nedeful
to ye soule . boye for ye knowyng
of me & of ye-selfe . of ye whilk knowyng
<fol. 74r>cums . yt it despises ye selfe & worshipes
me : ye whilk es ye propre office of mekenes
yerfore it is nedeful yat yurgh ye visions
yat cum fro me ye soule be made
more meke yan it was . and also more
knowyng and despisyng ye owen wricchidnes
. ¶ Ye reuers here-of falles in ye
visions yat cums fro ye enmy . For sen
yat he is fader of lesyngs and kyng ouer
alle ye childer of pride and may no3t
gyf bot yat he has : euermore of ye visyons
yat cum fro hym yer waxes in ye
soule a wele+latyng of ye selfe . ye whilk
is ye propre office of pride and ˆ [it] dwelles still
bolned & blowen ful of ye wynd of vanite
. ¶ wherfore if you besily examyne
yi-selfe you may li3tly perceyue fro whens
ye visions cums . wheyer fro sothfastnes
or fro lesyng . For sothfastnes alway makes
ye soule meke . and lesyng makes it
proude . ¶ Foryer-more oure saueour sayd
vntil hir . Doghter knowes you who . J .
am & who you art . Jf you know yies . ij .
<fol. 74v>verraily : you shal be a+blissed woman . yu ert
she . yat ert noght . And J am J yat am . Jf
you haue yis knowyng in ye . yine enemy
may neuer begyle ye bot you shal ascape alle
his snares . And you shal neuer consent to ying
yat es ogayn my bidyng . And alle grace &
alle vertu and al charite you shal gete wt outen
difficulte . ¶ Yis Dame Kateryne asked
on a tyme of our lorde yat he woldevouche
-safe fortil eke hir faith . And our
lord annswerd & saide . ¶ Doghter J wil wedde
ye in faithe . And oft-tymes when she praied
for ye same grace : our lord annswerd hir wt
same wordes . And efter yat she had besied
hir feruently in wakyng fastyng & praying .
At ye laste oure lord apered vntil hir & saide .
J haue sette and ordeyned a feste day of solempne
weddyng of yi soule to me as I haf behette
forto wedde ye to me in faythe . ¶ After yis
opon a tyme our lord Jhesu wiye his moder
Mary Johan ye wangelist . Paul ye apostle
and saynt Domynyk and Dauid ye prophete
apered vntil hir . And oure lady puttande
<fol. 75r>forth ye right hand of Dame Kateryne . Criste
putte yar on a ryng and saide . J wedde ye to
me yi maker and yi saueour in faithe . ye
whilk shal euer be keped wiy-outen wemme
vntil ye tyme yat you make yine endles weddyng
feste wiye me in heuen . ¶ And yarfore
my spouse . loke yat you wirke now strongly
and be no3t in doute . For alle yings yat er nedful
vnto ye for soule or for body . yurgh myne
ordynaunce and my puruyance shal redily be
broght vnto yine handes . And be ye myght
of ye faithe in ye whilk you ert now armed .
you shal selily ouercome alkyns aduersite And
when yis was sayde . yat ioyful visyon vnapered
. And ye ryng abode still on hir fynger
. Deo gracias . <blank line>
Here endes ye forsayde visions of Dame
Kateryne Seen