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The lyf of saint Katherin of Senis.

Nach dem Drucke W. Caxtons (c. 1493) mitgeteilt

von

C. Horstmann.

(Fortsetzung.)

Of the wounderfull rauyff'hyng and excesse of her mynde fro(1) her bodely wyttes, and of grete reuelacions I-shewed to her of oure lorde. Cap. VI.

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RIght as oure lorde graunted to his spouse, this holy mayde, a synguler lyuyng as touchyng her body, ryght soo he vysyted her soule wyth grete merueylous confortes of reuelacions. Fyrst fro(1) the grete haboundant graces with-(in) her come that bodely strengthe bat she had aboue (2) kynde. Wete ye right wel þat fro the tyme that this holy mayde had I-dronke of oure lordes syde the drynke of lyf, as it is rehersid afore, (so) many grete graces were haboundant in her, þat ofte-times (3), as it had be in maner 10 contynuabyl, she was occupyed in actuell contemplacion; and her spyryte was lowyd (4) to our lord (so), that for the more parte she bylefte wythout felyng in her bodely wyttes. Soo that, as it is rehersed in the fyrst party, her armes were founde ofte-times soo styf in tyme of suche actuell contemplacion, that rather they sholde breke thenne bowe; her eyen were 15 all closed, her eres herde none noyse, were it neuer so grete, and her bodely wyttes for that tyme were sequestred (5) fro her owne werkynge. This sholde be none merueyle to noman, yf they wolde take hede to pat syweth. Oure lorde began to bee soo homely with her and brennyd her sowle wyth soo moche haboundante fyre of loue, not oonly in pryuy pla- 20 ces but also in open places, as well stondyng as goyng, that she, the whiche hadde thyse grete graces, by-knewe it playnely to her confessour she coude fynde none wordes for to telle expressely the grace that she felte. For in a tyme whan she prayed to oure lord feruentely, wyth the Prophete Dauyd seyeng deuoutly thyse wordes: Cor meum (6) crea in 25 me, deus, et spiritum rectum innoua in visceribus meis, that is, prayng our lorde specially that he wolde take awaye her herte and her owne wyll and gyue her a newe herte after his wyll: she hadde suche a comforte, that her semed that our lord Ihesu come to her and opened her lyft side and toke out her herte and went his waye, and belyfte her with-out her 30

(1) C. for. (2) aboute. inhærebat. (5) lat. privati.

(3) ofte times and ofte itmes. (6) 1. mundum.

(4) 1. bowed? lat.

owne herte. Afterward it befyll that she commynyd wyth her confessour and amonges all thynges she sayde that she had none herte in her body. The whiche wordes her confessour scorned her (1) in a maner and blamed her for she sayde soo. Thenne she rehersed eftsones and confermed her 5 wordes: „trewely, fader, as moche as I maye fele, yet after the felyng of myn body me semeth I lacke myn herte: for oure lorde apperyd to me and opened myn lefte syde and toke out myn herte and went his waye." Thenne he(r) confessour sayde that it was vnpossyble that she shold lyue without an herte. She sayde: „naye, there is nothynge vn10 possyble to god", and therfore she bad hym gyue credens that it is so; for ofte-tymes afterward she rehersed that she lyued without herte. Within a fewe dayes afterward it befyll that she wente to a chapell of the fryers where susters of penaunce were wonte to knele; and whan all were goo home, it befil that she contynued in her prayers, so that she 15 was fro her-self by rauyfl'hyng; and at the laste she awoke of her rauylhyng and went homward. And as she wente by the waye: sodenly a lyght of heuen bicliped her, and in that lyght aperyd our lord, holdyng in his honde a reed-shining herte in lykenes of a mannys herte. At the commyng of thys heuenly lyght she was aferde, that she fyll doune vp20 pon the grounde. Thenne came our lorde to her and openyd her lyfte syde eftsones and pute in her body that herte the whiche he hylde in his hondes, seyng to her thus: Loo, dere doughter, as I toke awaye thyn herte the laste daye, ryght soo now I giue the myn herte, wherby thou mayst lyue endelesly, and whan he hadde so doo, he closed the 25 wounde agayn that he made open in the fleflhe. Neuerthelesse there byleft a merueylous marke in the lykenes of a wounde heled in the same place euer-afterward, as (2) her felawes tolde her confessour Mayster Reymound, for ofte-tymes they sawe it, (and) as she coude not forsake it to hym whan he askid it of her whether it were soo or not. Out of that 30 meruayllous gracyous herte that was so I-gyuen hyr of our lord, came out many meruayllous werkys, and yet many moo meruayllous reuelacyons habounded within-forth. She came neuer afterward for to be hoseled, but that ther was shewed to hyr many synguler gyftes of grace. Oft-tymes she sawe a lytell chylde in the prestys handys, and other35 whyle a well-growen chylde, and other-whyle an hote brennyng ouen of fyre, and whan the preste receyued (3) that blyssed sacrament, it semed to hyr that the fyre entred in to hym; but whan she shold be houseled, ofte-tymes she tastyd so grete an odour of that blyssed sacrament, that almost hyr body defaylled. Euermore also, whether she sawe or receyued 40 þat blyssed sacrament, she receyued with-all a newe ioye in hir soule, so that many tymes she sholde daunce in hir body for ioye, makyng a noyse that hyr felawes myght here hyr (4). The whiche tolde it afterward to hyr confessour, and he enquyred the trouthe whether it were so: and founde it trewe, and soo wrote it for a perpetuell recorde. That sowne and that 45 noyse was not lyke other-maner commyn sownes of men, but as it hadde be a noyse aboue comyn cours of kynde. What meruayll was that though she made a ioyfull noyse aboue kynde, syth it so was that she hadde receyued an herte aboue kynde? For after-tyme that she hadde receyued that newe herte as it is rehersed afore, she semed that she was not 50 the same that she was afore, and ofte-tymes she sayd to hyr confessour: See ye not, fader, that I am not the same that I was afore, but rather chaunged in to another persone? O wolde god, fader, ye knewe that I fele; for I trewe veryly: yf a creatour knewe that I fele in my sowle, he sholde be resolued and made ryght esye, were he neuer so harde. For

(1) tilge her. (2) C. where as. (3) perceyued. (4) 1. hit.

my sowle is full of melodye and ioye, and it is meruayll to me how it may abyde in the body. There is also grete hote brennyng of dyuyne loue therin, that thys outward materyall fyre semeth me in comparyson of that fyre rather colde than hote. Also of that ghoostly hete(1) is kyndeled in my sowle as me semeth soo grete a loue of my neghbours, that 5 me (2) thynketh I myght gladdely suffre for them bodely deth wyth grete ioye. And ouermore out of that ghoostly hete (1) is come to my soule a renewyng of purytee and mekenes, in so moche that me semeth I am brought to the same purytee and mekenes that a chylde of foure or a fyue yere age is Inne. All this she tolde to hir confessour preuely, and 10 to none other. After-tyme that thys holy mayde was thus fulfylled in hyr sowle of suche plente of newe gracys, ther (3) were many notable vysyons shewed to hyr, of whom somme I shall reherce by the grace of god. Fyrste our lord Ihesu and hys blessyd Moder and Marye magdalene appyred to-gydres to hir and comforted hyr in hir holy purpose. 15 Whome our lord axed and sayd: Doughter, what desyrest thou?" She wyth wepyng chere answerd and sayd: Lorde, thou knowest what me nedeth better than I: for I haue no wyll but thyne, ne none herte but thyn hert." Thenne came to hyr mynde how Marye magdalene commyttyd hyr-self fully to our lorde whan she satte and wepte at his fete: 20 wyth that she felte the same swetenesse of loue that Marye magdalene felte that tyme whan she wepte; wherfore she behelde Marye magdalene. Our lord perceyued that, and for to fulfyll hyr desyre he sayd: „Loo, dere doughter, for thy more solace and comforte I gyue the Marye magdalene to be thy moder: to whome thou mayst trustely go to and be 25 comforted, for to hir specyally I commytte thy gouernaunce." For this grete gyfte this holy mayde thanked our lord wyth grete mekenes, and reuerently and deuoutly she comended hyr ghoostly gouernaunce to Marye magdalene, prayng hyr that she wolde wouchesauf to take hyr vnder gouernaunce, syth our lord had specyally commytted hyr to her. Fro 30 that houre euer afterward the holy mayde called Marye magdalene hyr moder. The whiche was not doo wythout grete mysterye, as me semeth. For as Marye magdalene lyued xxxiij yere in a Roche wythout bodely mete, and all that tyme was I-occupyed in contemplacyon: ryght so this holy mayde fro that tyme that she was endowed wyth these newe graces 35 vnto the age of xxxiij yere afterward, whiche yere she passyd out of thys worlde, she was so occupyed in dyuyne contemplacyon, that she hadde neuer nede all þat tyme of bodely mete. And yet, as Marye magdalene was take vp in to the ayre by aungels seuen tymes in the day, where she herde the pryuetees of god: ryght so this holy mayde for the 40 more partye all hir yeres she was rauyllhed fro hyr bodely wyttes by strengthe of the sowle that was occupyed in contemplacyon of heuenly thynges, and so praysed our lord wyth aungels, in so moche that oftentymes hyr body was lyfte vp in to the ayre: of the whiche many men and wommen that sawe hyr for that tyme bare recorde. Ouermore in 45 that rauyffhyng she sawe many meruayllous thynges and spake preuely in tyme of hyr rauyffhyng many hygh wordes of contemplacion of the whiche som I shall tell you afterward. Hyr confessour saw hyr ones in a tyme rauy l'hed fro hyr bodely wyttes in the same wyse as it is rehersed afore, and he herde hyr speke preuely. Thenne he came nere for 50 to lysten clerely what she sayd: and he herde that she sayd formably (4) thyse wordes in latyn: vidi archana dei; and that was sayd often-tymes

other wordes sayde she none but thoo. Whanne she was restoryd ageyne to hyr bodely wyttes, she cessyd not to reherse these same wordes

(1) C. hote. (2) my. (3) that. (4) lat. formaliter.

contynuelly, and it is nomore for to say but: I haue seen the pryuetees of god. Thenne hyr confessour, desyryng for to knowe why she rehersed tho wordes so ofte, axyd hyr in thys maner of wyse: Good moder, why rehersed ye soo ofte the wordes, and wyll not tell me what ye mene, as 5 ye were wonte to do?" She answerde: I may not say none other wyse.“ Hyr confessour axed hyr: why, and what is the cause? ye were wont to declare me many thinges that our lord hadde shewed to you: why wyll ye not do so now?" Thenne she sayde: „I sholde haue as grete conscyence therof yf I sholde declare to you that I haue seen wyth my lan10 gage that is soo vnperfyte, as I sholde haue yf I blaffemed our lord or Inhonoured hym: for there is so (1) grete dyffrence bytwene the vnderstondyng or intellecte of the sowle Illumyned of god and the expressyng of wordes, (that) they seme contrary eche to other; therfore as for this tyme I can not tell you what I haue saye, for they ben vnspekable." For this 15 skylle me thynke that she was well commytted by the dyuyne prouydence of our lord to Marye magdalene, that a faster shold be knytte to a faster, and a louer to a louer, and she that had so hygh contemplacyon to hyr that was soo hyghe in contemplacyon. - Also hir confessour rehersed of hir that after-tyme she saw that vysyon of our lord and hys blessyd 20 moder and Saynt Marye magdalene, that for that tyme it semed hyr that hyr herte went Inne by the syde of our lord in to his herte, and was made bothe one; so that she felte hyr sowle all for-melte and relented by the strengthe of hys dyuyne loue, and that she cryed in hyr sowle and sayde: Lord, thou hast wounded myn herte, lord pou hast 25 wounded myn herte" and this was on saynt Margaretes day as she tolde to hyr confessour in preuytee. Hyt befyll also in another tyme, the morowe after Saynt Laurence day, that this holy mayde cam to the chyrche, for to here masse, and kneled next to the auter, as she was wonte for to do, for to see the blessyd sacrament. And be-cause that she 30 sholde not lette the preste at the autre by hyr grete sobbyng, hir confessour came to hyr and warned hyr that she shold constreyne hir asmoche as she myghte fro suche grete sobbynges, lest the prest were lette by hir. Thenne anone she mekely as a trewe obedyent mayden satte ferther fro the aulter, and prayed to our lord that he wold wouchesauf 35 to Illumyne hir confessour that he myght see and knowe whether suche sterynges of the spyryte of god myght be mesured of man. Thenne by vertue of that prayer hyr confessour hadde so perfyte knowleche of feruour of deuocyon by experience, that he knewe fully by that that suche feruoures of the soule myght not be kepte wythin, but nedes by strengthe 40 of dyuyne loue it muste breke out. Ferthermore oftyme, whan she was not houseled, she desyred in hyr sowle for to receyue the blyssed sacrament of the aulter, and oftymes she wold breke out and say deuoutly thus: I wolde receyue my lorde Ihesu crystys body, I wolde receyue my lorde Ihesu crystys body." Wyth that our lord wold appyre 45 to hyr as he was wont to do, and to fulfyll hyr desyre, he toke the maydens mouth and put it to hys blessyd wounde of hys syde, and bad hyr receyue of his flefl'he and of hys bloode as moche as she lyst. Thenne she receyued so plentuously of our lordes brest, that she semed for pure loue she sholde hadde dyed, by-cause of the grete swetnes that she felte 50 in hir herte. Hyt befyll also vpon Saynt Alexis day (2) that this holy mayde prayed to oure lorde deuoutly that he wolde wouchesauf to graunte hir a brennyng desyre for to receyue his flefl'he and hys bloode. Wyth that she had a reuelacyon þat she sholde be houseled on the morowe doubteles: for it was forbeden hyr of the freres that she sholde not so

(1) C. a st. so. (2) Leve?

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ofte be houseled. Thenne, whanne she hadde thys confortable reuelacyon, she prayed our lord þat he wold wouchesauf to clense hir herte ageynst the tyme she shold receyue hym, that she myght the more worthely receyue hym. In tyme that she prayed thus, she felte a reyne comyng doun in to hyr sowle in maner of a grete haboundant flood, not of water or of suche other lyquore, but onely of blood medelyd wyth fyre; the whiche, as hyr semed, purgyd and clensed so myghtely hyr sowle, that by strengthe of that fyre it rebounded in to the body and clensed also hyr body. After thys on the morowe she was so seek, that by no waye it semed to hyr she myght not goo one fote. Neuerthelesse she doubted 10 no-thyng of pe promysse of our lord, but trustyng to hym fully, bygan to go to chyrche. And whan she was come thyder, she knelyd doun in a chapell besyde an aulter. Thenne came to hyr mynde how she was enfourmed þat she myght not be houseled of what preste she lust, but of suche that ben assygned to hyr: wyth that she desyred hyr confes- 15 sour sholde say a masse at that same aulter. Anone our lord gaf hyr comforte that he sholde synge there. Sodeynly our lord thenne touched the herte of hyr confessour wyth deuocyon that he shold saye a masse that day: for he was in no wyll for to syng that day, ne he wyste not that the holy mayde was come to chyrche. Thenne at the steryng of 20 our lord he dysposed him to masse, and wente to the same aulter there the holy mayde was and abode our lordes beheste, at whiche aulter also he was neuer wont to synge. And whanne he came, he founde there this holy mayde axyng for to be houseled for charyte. Thenne he perceyued that it was the wyll of god he shold syng that day: he sayd 25 masse and at the ende of the masse, as the maner is, he came for to housele hyr, this holy mayde, at the aulters ende, where she was redy for to receyue that blyssed sacrament. Hyr confessour behelde: and sawe hyr vysage all shynyng rede and al for-wepte wyth terys the whiche was to him a grete meruayll and wyth that deuocyon she receyued 30 that blyssed sacrament. And after-tyme she was houseled, she was so plenteuously replete of oure lorde, that all that day she myght speke no worde to noo creature. On the morowe hyr confessour axed hyr what hir eyled and what newe grace she receyued pat other day a-fore, bycause she was so shynnyng rede whan she receyued that blyssed sacra- 35 ment. She answerde thus: Fader, of what colour I was that tyme, I wote nere, but thys I knowe well: whan I vnworthy wretche receyued that blyssed sacrament of your hondes, it drewe me so in to it, that alle other thyng saue that allone wexed to me lothesom, not onely temporall thynges and dylectacyons of the worlde, but also other comfortes and 40 pleysaunces, were they neuer so ghoostly. Wherfore I desyred and prayed that all suche ghostly comfortes sholde be sequestryd fro me, so that I myght please god and endelesly be I-knytte to him. And also I prayed hym that he wold take away my wyll and gyue me hys wyll: and so he dede ryght mercyably and sayd to me thus: Loo, dere doughter, now 45 I gyue the my wyll, by the whyche thou shalte be soo strong, that whateuer happe to the fro thys tyme forthward, thou shalt neuer be chaunged ne styred. ***And ryght so it was: she was euer afterward dyspysed and sette lytell by of alle folke, and was neuer the more styred ne troubled ageynst hem. Ouermore yet this holy mayde sayd to hyr confessour: 50 Fader, well, wyll ye wete how our lord serued me? Trewely, as a moder serued (1) hyr lytell soukyng chylde, whome she loueth tenderly. A moder suffred (2) other-whyle hir chylde stonde a-ferre from hyr, whyle she sheweth hym hir tete of hir breste, and suffred (2) hym to wepe longe tyme

(1) 1. serueth, (2) suffreth.

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