Henry Suso - The Life of Blessed Henry Suso by Himself, 1865 by gnosisclassics

THE LIFE

BLESSED HENRY SUSO

fttmshtzb

THOMAS PRIEST OF

LONDON

BURNS, LAMBERT, AND OATES, 17

Portman

Street

and 63 Paternoster Row. 1865.

LONDON ROBSON AND SON, GREAT NORTHERN PRINTING WORKS, TANCRAS ROAD, N.W.

^MAE?

;

TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.

The

Blessed Henry Suso was born at Ueberlingen,

near Constance, on St. Benedict's - day, a.d. 1300.

He was

of ancient and noble

Out of devotion

father's

and mother's

mother,

who was a person

called himself

descent both on his

side.

to his

of -eminent holiness, he

by her maiden name of Seuss, Latin-

ised into Suso, instead of taking his father's sur-

Von Berg. His baptismal name was Henry but many years later, when he had attained to great holiness, God changed his name into Amandus, or Beloved. The Blessed Henry did not make this

name,

known of

to any one so long as he lived, but a record

was discovered among

his papers after his death.

the age of thirteen he entered the novitiate of the

Dominican Convent at Constance, where he was admitted to the vows of religion, and after some years

was sent

to the convent of his

Order at Cologne, to

pursue his studies at that University.

While there

he made such great progress in learning that he was about to be promoted to the degree of doctor in theology.

But he was forbidden

a voice from

God

within

to accept this

him saying

honour by

—Thou know-

PREFACE.

enough already how to give thyself to God

est well

Him by

and to draw other men to

From zeal

thy preaching.

that time forth he began to preach with great

and

fervour,

and to devote himself to the con-

version of sinners and the guidance of souls along

the highest paths of mystical perfection. after

many

length,

years of unceasing labours and sufferings,

he died at Ulm, on the feast of the Conversion of

St.

Paul, a.d. 1365, and was buried in the cloister of the

Dominican Convent

in that city.

Two hundred and

forty-eight years after tins,

when Ulm had become

the B. Henry's

body was accidentally

Protestant,

discovered, a.d. 1613, by

some workmen who were

digging the foundations for^a new. building. quite incorrupt,

and

lay. there

closed

bade them it;

alarm

fill

;t<f

was

in the "habit of

the Order, and emitted & fragrant. odour.

men went

-The work-

inform |Ee burgomaster, who

th<r grave arid say nothing about

adding, that he had always heard that the dead

should be allowed to

during the absence of

(

rest'

the.

in peace.

Meanwhile,

workmen, a devout person

went down into the grave: and cut

off part

of the

black mantle and white scapular—portions of which

were afterwards distributed Catholics. sion of

One of

rfs'

these relics

relics

came

among

different

into the posses-

Henry Murer, who has given an account

the discovery of the body in his Helvetia Sancta,

published at Luzern a.d. 1648.

a later period,

when Ulm was occupied by the French during one

PREFACE. their campaigns, they caused excavations to be in the

made

hope of discovering the sacred remains, but

The Blessed Henry has never been

without success.

formally beatified, but his feast

nican Order on

March

kept by the Domi-

2d, with the approbation of

Gregory XVI., granted April 16, 1831.

Such are the main outlines of B. Henry's external life

and history.

The

details of the picture

must be

sought for in the brief record which he has himself left us of his experiences in the ways of God.

The following the

translation has been

made from

editionj&^ms^^Henry Suso's Life and Works, Caramal J^pftobrock, Prince Bishop of

edited top

Bresla^Bln

182^gThe^fl^f the

Life

based upon

a maifiscript^of^e encTJQ\Uie fourteenth century

from itSloyajr. Li^ry^t $fkftch, which the editor carefulv collate"^ w^^th&eaBSelfc printed copies published ft

Augsbu)g^£. T48f"all

a.d. 1512.

SurMs,Vthe Oar$jS|ian, trarllated the Life and

Works

ftan\

edition,

defeated $3 SfeVeribifeble Abbot Blosius,

the^e^nian

appeared a^Gologne singularly

At^l5«D.

grace^^andaccj«Ke,

ent genius of the

German

The rendering

text

principally in the last nine chapters,

first

so far as the differ-

twoTSnguages and the

imperfections of the

The

occasional

used by Burins,

would permit.

French translation by the Carthusian Le Cerf

was published at Paris

in 1586,

by the Dominican Del Nente at

and an

Rome

Italian one

in 1651.

The

PREFACE.

VI latter

has been frequently reprinted, but

any sense merit the name of a

does not

translation, as it

nothing more than a mere epitome or condensed

abridgment of the translated

Cartier

original.

Del Nente's work

of GEuvres du B. Henri Suso.

title

has recently

into French, under the

The second

edition

appeared in 1856.

the chief object of the present translator has

been to provide a book of spiritual reading for the devout, he hesitated for

omit the

some time whether or not

last nine chapters,

which treat for the most

part of deep points of mystical theology in language

which, from

antiquated character and excessive

its

conciseness, is sometimes obscure,

and is always

difficult

to translate into intelligible English without indulging in paraphrase.

Surius has relegated these chapters

to another part of the volume, under the

title

Still,

Appendix

of certain sublime questions."

Cardinal Diepenbrock observes, they really belong to the Life, and form part of script

and printed

editions.

manu-

in the earliest

the whole,

seemed

better to include these chapters in the present translation.

They contain

several passages of wonderful

beauty, which every one will read with pleasure. are,

They

moreover, a protest against the errors of panthe-

ism and quietism, to which a

spirit

of false mysti-

cism naturally tends, and against which the B. Henry often raised his voice in warning.

Lastly, their ab-

sence would leave one side of the B. Henry's

life

PREFACE. wholly unrepresented.

Vll

For they serve

remind us

that if his personal and experimental acquaintance

with mystical theology was great, he was no less conversant with learning

as a science,

and could treat with

and accuracy the many deep and subtle

questions which

suggests.

The Oratory, London, Feast of

St.

Richard, 1865.

CONTENTS. PAGE

Translator's Preface

iii

Prologue CHAP. I.

II.

Introductory

Of the preliminary combats of a beginner

III.

Of a supernatural rapture which

IV.

How

befell

him

he spiritually espoused the Eternal Wis-

dom V.

How he

13 inscribed

Name of

upon

his heart the gracious

Jesus

VI. Of the foretaste of divine consolations, with

which God sometimes allures beginners VII.

How

one,

who had begun

wards in his search after divine consolation VIII. Of certain visions

IX. Of the

How

way

New Year

XI. Of the words Sursum corda XII. XIII.

XIV.

to table

How he kept the feast of Candlemas How he spent the Carnival time How he began the month of May

XV. Of

which he went

he began the

was drawn on-

well,

.36 .38 .

.44 .48

way of the Cross, which he made with Christ when He was being led

the sorrowful

forth to death

XVI. Of the useful virtue called silence XVII. Of the chastisement of his body XVIII. Of the sharp cross which he bore upon .

his

.57 back

CONTENTS. *

CHAP.

XIX. Of

XX. How he

broke himself from drink

XXI. How he was directed in

PAGR 68

bed

his

which the

.71

to the rational school,

art of true

detachment

.81

taught

XXII. How painful it is to die interiorly XXIII. Of interior sufferings XXIV. How he went forth to succour and .

to save

his neighbour

XXV.

10O

Concerning manifold sufferings

XXVI. Of

XXVII. Of a

perils

him

him .118 .125

by water

130

Of a short interval of

rest

which God once

granted him

XXXI. How

133

he once entered into a loving account

with

XXXII. How

God

135

his sufferings once brought

him nigh

to death

141

XXXIII. How a man should to the praise

XXXIV. Of

offer

his sufferings

and glory of God

14(5

God recompenses those who suffer for

the joys with which in this present life

Him

XXXV.

103

Ill

grievous suffering which befell

XXX.

sister

through a companion XXVIII. Of a murderer

XXIX. Of

the great suffering which befell

through his

.97

Of the

151

Servitor's spiritual daughter

XXXVI. Of the first beginnings of XXXVII. Of the first lessons and

a beginner

157

162

examples which

are suitable for a beginner, and

how he

should regulate his exercises with discretion

168

CONTENTS.

CHAP.

PAGE

XXXVIII. Of

young be-

certain devout practices of a

ginner in his early years

XXXIX. How

.178

he drew light-minded persons to God,

and comforted those who were in

suf-

fering

XL. Of a

185

grievous suffering which befell

while thus occupied

XLI. Of

men,

God?

217

he drew certain hearts from earthly

love to the love of

XLIV. How God

XLV. Of

214

„

and bring most glory

How

.191

interior sufferings

XLII. What sufferings are the most useful XLIII.

him

God

multiplied drink for His friends

certain sufferers,

who were

222 233

attached to

the Servitor by special ties of friendship

XLVI. How

and

....

affection

form of a Seraph, to suffer

XLVII.

How

239

must

steadfastly he

win the

XLVIII.

How the

spiritual prize

fight

who would

....

ing

245

was once seen to while he was preach-

Servitor's face

shine with light

XLIX. Of

234

him under the and taught him how

Christ appeared to

the lovely

249

Name

of Jesus

249

good distinction between a true and false use of reason noticeable in certain

persons LI.

How to distinguish

252

between a well-ordered

reason and one which

is all

flowers

and

glitter

LII.

good distinction between true and detachment

257 false

260

CONTENTS.

Xll

PAGE

CHAP. LIII. Maxims, conformable to right reason, for the

guidance of an exterior

man

into his in-

266

terior

LIV. Of the high questions which the well-exercised daughter put to her spiritual father

LV. An explanation where and how God LVI. Of the very highest in the

flight of

a soul experienced

ways of God

LVII. The conclusion of the contents of this book a few simple words

280 288

301 in

312

;

PROLOGUE.* The

following book speaks throughout in an

instructive

and

manner

of the life of a beginner,

contains, for those

who

look beneath the

surface, information respecting the proper in

which a beginner should order

man

inner

way and

be in harmony with God's

so as to

all-lovely will.

his outer

And

since

good works are un-

doubtedly a better guide, and sometimes shed a brighter light into a man's heart than mere words, therefore the book recounts, as examples,

many

different holy actions,

which really and

truly took place just as they are related.

book that

also tells of a is,

and by

man's progress

The

in holiness

how, by avoiding things, by sufferings, exercises,

may

break through his un-

mortified animal nature, and arrive at great

exalted dignity.

and

Moreover, since there are some

The following passages are taken from the Prologue by the B. Henry Suso to a manuscript copy of his Life and Writings. They contain all in it that relates to the The Prologue is to be found in the ancient printed Life. copies, and is quoted by Diepenbrock in his preface.

prefixed

PROLOGUE.

men who, with at

what

courageous hearts, strive to grasp

highest and best, and yet, from want

of the necessary knowledge to discriminate, go

and miss the road, therefore

astray

this

book

gives instruction

how

tween a true and

false use of reason in spiritual

things; and

course

to distinguish rightly be-

teaches the orderly and proper

by which a man may

un-

attain to the

alloyed truth of a blessed and perfect

life.

be also mentioned, that the pages

It should

of this

book lay for many years locked up in

secret,

awaiting the Servitor's death

was to

for he

;

in very truth reluctant to disclose himself

any one by means of them,

lived.

so long as

length, however, his reason told

that, in these days of the decline of the

race,

would be better and

him

human

safer that the book,

by God's permission, should be submitted his superiors while

answer for death.

should

its

And fall

he was

truth in this,

still

living,

all points,

and could

than after his

moreover, even though

out that certain ignorant men, whose

words are in no way worthy of account, should pass

false

and perverted judgments upon

either because they vitor's

it,

would not regard the Ser-

good intention in the matter, or because

they were

unable,

from

want

spiritual

PROLOGUE. refinement, to

comprehend any thing higher

than what they had experienced in themselves. Besides

was quite

possible

book

that the

might, after his death, come into the possession of

lukewarm and un spiritual men, who would

not give themselves the trouble to communicate it

for God's glory to those

eagerly

;

and

way

in this

without

fruit.

fall into

the hands of

or morally bad, of

sistance, this

again,

receive

might chance

men

intellectually blind

who from

their sinful dislike

might suppress

in other cases.

who would

the book might perish

it,

happened

as has often

Therefore, with the divine as-

he took courage, and extracted from

book the sublimest thoughts and the most

elevated teaching which

contains,

and himself

gave these extracts to a learned doctor, named

Master Bartholomew, to read; a

endowed by God with

virtues

man

richly

and graces, and

of approved experience in spiritual science, and

furthermore a Prelate with supreme jurisdiction over the order of Friars Preachers throughout

Germany.

The

Servitor

humbly gave him up

the book, and he read it through with great satisfaction of heart,

it,

and pronounced that

was,

all

were, a kernel of hidden truth drawn

from Holy Writ for

all

clear-sighted

men.

PROLOGUE.

4 Afterwards,

been added to find there vitor

when

it,

what would

was about

this noble Master.

of his death,

man might

him, and the Ser-

suit

to lay this part also before the

the good

Prelate,

the ordinary teaching had

in order that every

God withdrew from hence The Servitor, on hearing

was exceedingly

knew not what

do.

afflicted, for

therefore betook

himself with great earnestness to the Eternal

Wisdom, and prayed him what was the

that

might be shown

best thing to do in this affair.

After a time his prayer was heard, and the

aforenamed Master appeared

and

vision,

told

him

that

him

that the book should be henceforth

cated to intention

have

good-hearted men,

all

in a bright

was God's good

will

communi-

who with

and an eager longing might

a right

desire to

it.

then

who

wishes earnestly to become a

good and blessed man, and who longs after special intimacy with

God, or who has received

a token of God's love in heavy sufferings, as

God's

man

way

with His peculiar friends,

will find this

book a help and comfort.

It will also serve as a

men

—such a

guide for good-hearted

to divine truth, as well as teach

reason the right road to supreme

bliss.

men

;

THE

LIFE OF BLESSED

HENRY

SUSO.

Chapter L Introductory.

There was

a Friar Preacher in Germany, by

—

may his name be written in Book of the Living whose desire was to become and to be called a Servitor of the Eternal Wisdom. Now it happened that he became birth a Swabian,

the

—

acquainted with a holy and illuminated person,

who was

in poverty

this world.

and she used

and suffering

as regards

This poor sufferer was a

woman

to beseech the Servitor to tell her

something about suffering from his own experience, that her suffering

strength from

him

it.

And

for a long time.

her, she

heart might gather

she acted thus towards

When

he came

to see

drew from him by confidential ques-

tionings the

manner

of his beginning

and pro-

HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

gress in the interior

life,

as well as certain ex-

and sufferings which he had passed

ercises

through

which he told her in

all

fidence.

them down,

in these things, she wrote

stealth, so that

on,

when he found

proved her for

him the

spiritual con-

she found comfort and direction

help for herself and others

it,

be a

and she did

;

he knew not of

this

Later

it.

out this ghostly theft, he re-

and, forcing her to give

writing, he burnt all of

there.

When, however,

to him,

and he was going

ner,

SUSO.

the rest of to treat

was

that

it it

was given

in like

man-

he was stopped by a heavenly message

from God forbidding

it.

Thus what

mained unburnt, for the most part with her own hand.

had written

instructions

were

added to

also

follows re-

just as she

Many

good

by him,

after

her death, in her name.

The

first

beginning of the Servitor's perfect

conversion to

God

took place

And

his eighteenth year.

when he was

though he had worn

the religious habit for the five previous years, his soul

seemed

was to

still

dissipated within

him, that

from weightier

sins,

God

;

and

which might tarnish his

good name, there was no need about ordinary faults.

him

only preserved him

be over-careful

Nevertheless, he was so

COMBATS OF A BEGINNER.

God

kept by

the while, that he had always an

within him, whenever

feeling

unsatisfied

turned himself to the objects of his desires, and it

seemed

that

and he was

ways. within,

must be something quite

which could bring peace

different

heart,

him

ill

felt at all

times a

turning him.

God

set

as to

gnawing reproach

him

and one said

how

free

from

His companions marvelled

speedy change, wondering ;

his restless

and yet he could not help himself,

until the kind

him

wild

to his

amid

at ease

this,

how

it;

for

and another

at the

had come over that,

was, no one either guessed or

near to guessing

it,

was a

but

came

secret illu-

mination and drawing sent by God, and

wrought in him with speed a turning away from creatures.

Chapter

II.

Of the preliminary combats of a beginner.

Soon upon

after this impression

his soul

had been made

by God, there began within him which the enemy

certain preliminary combats, in

sought to lead him astray from his salvation.

The inward

impulse, which he had received

;

LIFE OF BLESSED

from God, urged him

HENRY

to turn

SUSO.

away

entirely

from every thing which might be a hindrance

The tempter met

to him.

gestion

— Bethink

begin, but

The

this

with the sug-

thee better.

voice within put forward God's might

The opposing

aid.

ness was doubtful.

proved to him it

in the

;

with His divine mouth, that

work

all

God

has vouched

those

uttered

would

verily

who should begin

this

His name.

When

grace had gained the victory in him

in this combat, there

came a

friendly form, counselling

willing-

This, however, was clearly

for the kind

good promise, which

and indeed help

and

voice replied, that God's

power was beyond doubt, but that His

for

easy to

hard to bring to completion.

all right,

but do not

hostile

thought in

—

him thus It may amend thy life :

that thou shouldst set

about

so impetuously.

Begin

with such moderation, that thou mayest be able to bring

and drink

to completion.

heartily,

and

Thou

shouldst eat

treat thyself well

at the

same time be on thy guard against

good as thou pleasest within

;

thyself,

and sins.

and

yet with such moderation that the world with-

out is.

may

not take fright at thee, as the saying

Is the heart good, all is good.

Surely thou

COMBATS OF A BEGINNER. mayest be merry with people, and

good man.

hard.

for

him

fish,

will

the

like temptations pressed

But the Eternal Wisdom overthrew

these deceitful counsels thus

man who

be a

of exercises such as

life

These and the

him

still

Others too wish to go to heaven,

and yet do not lead a thine.

hold by the

tries to

eel,

and

who

too,

when he

have slipped

thinks he has them, they will

from him.

lukewarmly,

for

;

— The

that slippery

tail

to begin a holy life

be deceived in both cases

seeks

with tender

treatment to get the better of a pampered and refractory body, wants

would possess

perfectly, tries for to falsify

common

what

impossible,

God's own teaching.

thou art minded to forsake

purpose.

all,

and seeks

Wherefore,

taking courage, he turned

thoughts

;

himself

away from every thing with

last

do so to good

somewhat long in these

tarried

but at

He who

sense.

and yet serve God

this world,

all

his

might.

His untamed die

many

spirit

had

in the beginning to

deaths in breaking

lous companions.

away from

frivo-

Sometimes nature overcame

him, and he would go to them to cheer himself;

but

commonly

merry, and

left

fell out,

that he

them sad;

went

them

for their talk

and

HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

were no pleasure to him, and

sports

unendurable to them. to them, they

words

would try

times,

life is

to another.

—What strange

never come to a

Thus they passed him on from one But he kept silence, as* one dumb,

and he thought within himself:

God! to flee

there

While

the safest.

It will

good end.

were

Another would an-

—An ordinary a third would add: — :

his

when he came

his patience with such

One would say

as these.

ways thou hast taken up swer

SUSO.

— Ah,

gentle

nothing better to be done than

from them.

If thou hadst not heard

these cruel words, they could have done thee

no hurt.

One

thing was a sore suffering to him.

had no one grief,

whom

he could pour out

and who pursued the same end

same way, that he had been Therefore he went on his

called to pursue

way

his

in the it.

in wretchedness,

pining for love; and with mighty efforts he

withdrew himself from creatures,

—a

which afterwards became very sweet

practice

to him.

SUPERNATURAL KAPTURE.

Chapter

III.

Of a supernatural rapture which

befell

him.

It happened once in the time of his beginnings, that he

came

ended.

the lower choir.

into the choir on St.

Agnes'

midday meal of the convent was

day, after the

was there

stalls,

alone,

and he stood

on the right-hand side of the

It was, moreover, a time

which he

was more than usually crushed down by a heavy weight of sorrow.

Now

he stood there

desolate,

all

came

to pass, that as

and with none

help or shield him, his soul was caught ecstasy,

whether in the body or out of the body,

and he saw and heard what no tongue can

tell.

was without form or mode, and yet

con-

tained within itself the entrancing delightfulness of athirst,

all

forms and modes.

and yet

and blooming desires

;

satisfied; his

wishes were

had departed.

His heart was

mind was joyous

stilled in

him, and

did but gaze fixedly

on the dazzling effulgence, in which he found oblivion of himself

or night, he

knew

and

not.

all things.

of the sweetness of eternal in

the

stillness

Was

day

was a breaking forth life, felt

of unvarying

as present

contemplation.

HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

said afterwards

know

—

not what heaven

which a

ings,

man

If this is

SUSO.

be not heaven, I

for not all the suffer-

;

could suffer here below, could

ever merit for him in justice to possess a joy

throughout eternity.

like this

This overpower-

ing rapture lasted about an hour and a half;

but whether his soul stayed in his body, or was parted from

it,

he knew not. he was

to himself again,

When

who

has come from another world.

was

in such anguish

that he had never so

much

came

from the

deemed

body sank

moment,

possible to suffer

a deep groan, and his

to the ground, in spite of him, as if

he were in a

faint.

cried aloud piteously,

and, deeply groaning, exclaimed

my God

Where was I ? Ah, Thou, who

—

never can

went on

brief

man

His body

in so short a time, even at death.

to himself with

Adding

he came

altogether like a

this

his

hour pass

way

in body,

—Woe

Where am

my heart's from my heart art

me,

now ?

good !

and no one saw, or

took note of any thing in him outwardly ; but his soul

and mind were

and again seemed air.

full within of

The heavenly

marvels.

him

his

innermost interior, and

as if

The powers

heavenly

glances came again it

he were floating in the

of his soul were filled full

SPIRITUAL ESPOUSALS. of the sweet taste of heaven

just as,

;

when a

choice electuary has been poured out of a box,

the box

still

keeps the good flavour of

it.

This

heavenly taste remained with him for a long time

and gave him a heavenly

afterwards,

yearning and longing after God.

Chapter IV. How he

The

spiritually espoused the Eternal

course of

long time after cises,

was a

collection

Wisdom.

which he pursued for a

life,

this, in

regard to interior exer-

ceaseless striving after actual re-

interior

How

union with the Eternal

first

learned from his Little

began

Book

this,

of the

may

Eternal

Wisdom, in German and Latin, which God moved him to compose.

had from youth up a loving heart.

the Eternal

Wisdom

represented in

Now Holy

Scripture under a lovely guise, as a gracious loving mistress,

who

displays her

the intent to please every one

;

charms with

discoursing the

while tenderly, in female form, of the desire

she has to win

all

hearts to herself, and saying

;;

how

HENKY

LIFE OF BLESSED

SUSO.

deceitful all other mistresses are,

truly loving and constant she

young

and

soul to her;

fared with

with the wild beasts of the forest

panther attracts to that

often

sends forth.

wooed him

itself

and how

This drew his

is.

him

whom

the

with the sweet smell

this

winning way she

full

to her spiritual love, especially

in the books called the books of

Wisdom.

When

these were read at table, and he listened to the

endearing words as they were read out, his heart

was right glad within him, and he began to feel a yearning in his loving soul, and thoughts would come shouldst

chance

heard

make this

tell

him

trial of

these:

— Truly thou

thy fortune, whether per-

high mistress, of

whom

thou hast

such marvels, will become thy love

for in truth thy wild

remain without a

young heart cannot long

love.

In these things he observed her closely, and she pleased him well in heart and soul. It

happened, as he

sat at table another

morn-

ing, that she cried aloud in the person of Solo-

mon, saying

—"Audi,

child, to the

fili

Hearken,

mi I" &c.

high counsel of thy father.

Wilt thou pursue exalted

love,

then take thee

for thy most sweet love the Eternal for she gives to all her lovers youth

Wisdom

and

virtue,

SPIRITUAL ESPOUSALS. nobility

and

riches,

honour and

profit,

power and an everlasting name.

mighty-

She makes

him who loves her gracious to all; she teaches him courteous bearing, and secures him praise before the world, and fame among the multitudes. She makes him dear and of high esteem to

God and men. By

the heavens were

her the earth was created,

made fast, and the foundations He who possesses her

of the abyss were laid.

walks securely, sleeps quietly, and (Prov.

lives in safety

i.-iv.).

When

heard

this

beautiful

discourse

read out, straightway the thought came to his

longing heart

—Ah

what a love

this

Could she but become mine, I were indeed well off.

These thoughts were met by contrary sugsuch as these:

gestions

— Shall

I love what I

have never seen, nor even know what handful in possession in prospect.

it is ?

better than a houseful

They who

raise

lofty buildings

and love venturesomely, have but a hungry time of

it.

Truly

this loving

dame were a good

mistress, did she let her servant treat his

well says:

and tenderly.

—He

and long

But

far

from

this,

body she

who

seeks good food, strong wine,

sleep,

can never win Wisdom's love

(Prov. xxi. 17).

Was

there ever a siutor sub-

LIFE OF BLESSED

HENRY

SUSO.

jected to such hard terms as these?

from God answered:

—By ancient

and suffering go together. but he

a sufferer

martyr.

Therefore

;

it is

There

A thought right, love is

no wooer

no lover but he

who

not unjust that he

aims so high in love should meet with some things repugnant to him.

Eemember

all

the

mishaps and the vexations which earthly lovers suffer,

whether with their

will

was greatly strengthened

good inspirations of

to persevere

And

this sort.

of this often happened to him.

had a good let his

will,

or against

the like

Sometimes he

while at other times he would

heart go after perishable love.

theless, to

it.

Never-

whatever side he turned, he always

found a something in every object which would not

let

him give

his heart to

without reserve,

and which drove him back from

One

it.

day, the reading at table was about

Wisdom, and his heart was stirred and fire by it. Wisdom spoke thus: As the

—

rose-tree

Libanus

is full

yields

sam sends so I

lovely

of bloom, and the lofty uncut

its

forth

set

fragrance, and the pure bal-

its

odours (Ecclus. xxiv.), even

a blooming, fragrant, and pure love,

without anger and bitterness, a very abyss of loving sweetness.

All other

mistresses

have

;

SPIRITUAL ESPOUSALS.

17 Their

sweet words, but a bitter recompense.

hearts are deadly nets, their hands are manacles, their discourse honied poison,

infamy (Eccles. true

fully

this

And

—Yes,

love,

vii.

then he

must be

and I

will

thought came to him once see

my love

with her! loved, in

hid? or

man?

and

27).

so.

their pastime

thought:

—How

said to himself joy-

She must indeed

be her servant.

—Ah God,

And

the

I might but

I might but once converse

Ah! what is the form of my bewhom so many delightful things lie she God or of human kind? woman art or

While he thus

cunning? or what can she be? strove to see her, so far as she

could be seen with the soul's eyes in what Holy

made known concerning her, she showed herself to him in this wise. She floated high above him in a choir of clouds she shone Scripture has

;

the morning

and her radiance was

star,

dazzling as the rising sun nity

;

her vesture

bliss

;

her crown was eter-

her words sweetness

her embrace the fulness of every delight; she

was

far,

yet near; high, yet lowly;

present, yet hidden

;

verse with her, yet no her.

she was

she forbade not to con-

one can comprehend

She reaches above the summit of the

heavens, and touches' the depths of the abyss;

HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

SUSO.

she spreads herself from end to end mightily,

and

When

disposes all things sweetly.

moment

one

he thought he saw in her a beautiful

maiden, forthwith she appeared to him as a

Sometimes she showed herself as

noble youth.

one rich in wisdom

;

at other times as overflow-

She drew nigh

ing with love.

and greeted him

full smilingly,

him

him:

— "Prsebe,

Give

thy heart,

26.)

Thereupon he bowed himself

and thanked her from the depths

cor

child!"

said

tuum mihi! (Prov.

xxiii.

to her feet,

his inmost heart out of

of his lowliness.

was then granted this could

mi,

fili

lovingly,

and sweetly

to him,

This was what

and no more than

he obtain.

when he dwelt in thought upon one, he used commonly to put this

Afterwards, the all-lovely

question to himself, and ask his love-sick heart

—Ah, my heart

from what source do

all

love

Whence come

all

ten-

and graciousness flow f

derness, beauty, joyousness,

Comes

not

all

from the outbursting fountain-

head of the pure Godhead !

senses,

and loveableness ?

my mind

;

Up then, my heart,

up, then, and cast your-

selves into the fathomless abyss of all lovely

things.

Who

shall

I embrace

keep

Thee

still

me from Thee now? to-day with the long-

And

then there

ings of

pressed

SPIRITUAL ESPOUSALS. burning heart.

itself

primal outflow of

were,

all

into

good, and in

in spiritual fashion all that

and

desirable, for all

his

the

soul,

he found

beautiful, lovely,

was there

in a

way

in-

effable.

Thus

grew

when-

into a habit with him,

ever he heard songs

of praise,

sweet

or the

music of stringed instruments, or

lays, or dis-

course about earthly love, immediately to turn

and mind inwards, and gaze abstract-

his heart

edly upon his loveliest love, whence

were impossible

flows.

to tell

all

how

love

often

with weeping eyes, from out the unfathomable depths of his outspread heart, he embraced this lovely form,

and pressed

And

fared with

tenderly to his heart.

him as with a sucking by its mother's arms upon her breast. As the child with its head and the movement of its body lifts itself up against its tender mother, and by these loving gestures thus

child,

which

testifies

many

its

lies

encircled

heart's delight, even

his heart

a time leapt up within his body towards

Wisdom, sensible affections. At such moments the thought would come to him Ah, Lord were only a queen my spouse, it would

the delightful presence of the Eternal

and melted away in

—

LITE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

make my now my all

and Thou art

Thou, the giver of

heart's empress,

every grace

and

Ah me

heart rejoice.

In Thee I have wealth enough,

the power I want.

contains, I wish for

what earth

for

Amid

no longer.

contemplations his countenance became ous, his eyes jubilee, while

all his interior

salutem," &c. (Wisd.

and above

fortune,

and

godlike,

his

full

Above

all

beauty art Thou,

all

joy-

all

senses sang " Super

10).

vii.

hea*rt

these

good

O my

good fortune and beauty ; for good for-

heart's

tune has followed

with Thee, and I possess

Thee every good.

with Thee and in

Chapter V. How he

inscribed

upon his heart the gracious

Name

Jesus.

this season there

soul a flame of intense

heart

all

day that

came down into which made

fire,

burning with divine this feeling

love.

Now

his

one

was strong within him, and

he was suffering exceedingly from the torments of divine love, he

went

into his cell to his place

of retirement, and, rapt in loving contemplation,

NAME OF spoke thus

—Ah,

JESUS.

sweet Lord

would that I

could devise some love-token, which might be

me and am Thy beloved, and

an everlasting sign of love between Thee, as a memorial that I

Thou

art

my heart's

only beloved

a sign which

;

no oblivion might be ever able to this fervour of devotion,

pular, and, baring his breast, took in his style

;

hand a

then, looking at his heart, he said

mighty God give

efface.

he threw back his sca-

—Ah,

me to-day strength and power

my desire; for Thou must be into my very inmost heart. There-

accomplish

burnt to-day

upon he the flesh

set to

work, and thrust the style into

above his heart, drawing

backwards

and forwards, up and down, until he had inscribed the

Name

of Jesus

upon

The

his heart.

blood flowed plenteously out of his flesh from the sharp stabs, and ran his

bosom

;

down over his body

him through the ardour of cared

little

for the pain.

his

When

love, that

he had

cell to

the pulpit under the crucifix, and kneeling

look

—Ah, Lord now upon

finished,

he went thus torn and bleeding from his

said

into

but this was so ravishing a sight to

down

my heart and soul's only love my heart's intense desire. Lord, !

I cannot imprint Thee any deeper in myself;

but do Thou,

Lord, I beseech Thee, complete

LIFE OF BLESSED

HENRY

SUSO.

the work, and imprint Thyself deep

down

into

Thy

holy

very inmost heart, and so inscribe

Name

me, that Thou mayest never more de-

part from

heart.

Thus he bore upon him wound,

until at length

Name of

for a long time love's

healed up; but the

Jesus remained upon his heart, as he

had wished, and the

were about the

letters

breadth of a smooth stalk of corn, and the length of a joint of the

bore the

and

When

it.

bore

newly made,

way he

Name moved

was very visible.

no one ever saw

secretly, so that

except a companion of it

this

his heart until his death,

at every beat of his heart the

with

little finger.

Name upon

his, to

whom

he showed

Thenceforth,

in spiritual confidence.

it,

when

any trouble befell him, he used to look at the love-token,

was

his

and

wont

his trouble

became

lighter.

also at times to say within himself

fond words like these write their beloved's

— See, Lord, earthly

lovers

name upon their garments

;

but I have written Thee upon the fresh blood of

heart.

Once upon a

time, after matins,

had finished praying, he went into his sitting

down upon

his chair,

when he cell,

and

he placed the book

of the lives of the ancient Fathers under his

CONSOLATIONS OF BEGINNERS.

Thereupon he was rapt

head for a pillow.

and

in ecstasy,

seemed to him that a

light

streamed forth from his heart ; and as he looked, there appeared upon his heart a cross of gold,

and there were worked into

many

precious stones, which gave forth in bril-

liant light the

Then it

in noble fashion

Name

of Jesus.

the Servitor took his mantle, and drew

over his heart, intending,

up the bright

he could,

to cover

which streamed from

light

that no one might behold

But the

it.

radiance shone forth so ravishingly that

attempts to hide

power of

it,

fiery

all his

were of no avail against the

its loveliness.

Chapter VI. Of the foretaste of divine consolations, with which God sometimes allures beginners.

It was his custom to go into his chapel after matins,

and

rest.

little

sitting

down upon sat there

watchman announced the break

until

the

day

when, opening

;

his chair to take

but a short time,

his eyes,

he used to

fall at

once on his knees, and salute the rising morning

star,

heaven's gentle queen, with this in ten-

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

tion that, as the little birds in

and receive

daylight,

summer

greet the

joyously, even so did

he mean to greet with joyful longings her, who brings the light of the everlasting day

;

and he

did not merely say these words, but he accom-

panied them with a sweet

still

melody

in his

soul.

Once

at this time, while

sat thus at rest,

he heard within him something which rang tenderly, that his whole heart was stirred by

The

so it.

voice sang in tones sweet and loud, as the

morning

star

these words:

uprose,

maris Maria hodie processit ad ortum

morning

star has risen to-day."

— "Stella

Mary the

This strain re-

sounded in him with such unearthly sweetness, that

filled

his

and he sang with

whole soul with gladness, it

joyously.

After they

had thus sung together, he was embraced in a

way time

ineffable, :

and the more

much

and

was said to him

—The more lovingly thou the

spiritually

at the

embracest me,

thou kissest me, so

more ravishingly and lovingly

thou be embraced by

glory.

Upon

shalt

this

opened his eyes, and, the tears rolling down his cheeks,

according salutation

he saluted the rising morning to

his

custom.

When

this

star first

was ended, he next saluted with a

CONSOLATIONS OF BEGINNEES. venia* the gentle Eternal

Wisdom in the words mea desidera-

of the prayer, beginning u Anima

"&c. This was followed by a third saluta-

vit te,

with another venia, which he addressed to

tion,

the highest and most fervent of the Seraphim,

even to the one who flames upwards in hottest

and

fieriest love

and

this

towards the Eternal Wisdom,

he did with the intention that the

spirit

should so inflame his heart with divine love, that he might both be on fire himself

kindle the hearts of

words and teaching.

all

men

and en-

with his loving

These were the saluta-

which he made every morning.

tions

One

night in the carnival time,

had prolonged

his prayer until the

when he

watchman's

horn announced the daybreak, the thought came to

him

—

Sit a little longer, before thou greet-

est the bright

morning

star.

Thereupon, his

senses being thus for a short time lulled to rest, it

seemed

him

that the heavenly spirits began

with loud voice to intone the beautiful responsory, "

Surge

lx. 1)

Arise and be illuminated, Jerusalem

and

et illuminare,

Jerusalem (Isaias

rang with exceeding sweetness in

They had

soul. *

scarcely sung a

little,

his

when

monastic term, which means to kneel down and

kiss the ground.

LIFE OF BLESSED

his soul

became

HENRY

SUSO.

heavenly

so full of the

strain,

body could bear no more, and,

that his frail

opening his eyes, his heart overflowed, and the

burning tears streamed down

Once seemed

him

The

and that

his angel stood there

tenderly at his right hand.

full

Servitor sprang

his dear angel,

him

sitting thus, it

he was carried

in a vision that

into another land,

before

his cheeks.

he was

at this time, as

at once, and,

to his soul as lovingly as

he could,

there was naught between them, as

Then

to him.

embracing

clung round him, and pressed

in sorrowful accents

so that

appeared

and with

weeping eyes he exclaimed out of the fulness of heart

his

God

—O

has given

angel,

whom

the faithful

me for my consolation and guard,

I pray thee, by the love thou hast for God, not to leave

The

me.

—Canst thou not so lovingly

angel answered him and said: trust

God !

Behold,

embraced thee in His

God

has

eternity, that

will never leave thee.

came

sufferings

to pass once, after the time of his

was

over, that early one

morning he

was surrounded in a vision by the heavenly spirits.

Whereupon he besought one of the him the manGod's secret dwelling in his soul. The

bright princes of heaven to show

ner of

DIVINE CONSOLATIONS. angel answered thus

—

Cast, then, a joyous

glance into thyself, and see

how God

play of love with thy loving

soul.

plays His

He looked im-

mediately, and saw that his body over his heart

was

and that in the centre of

clear as crystal,

his heart

was

the Eternal

sitting tranquilly, in lovely form,

Wisdom;

beside

whom

there sat,

of heavenly longing, the Servitor's

full

encircled

by God's arms, and pressed

soul,

side,

and

close to

His

which, leaning lovingly towards God's

divine heart, lay thus entranced and

drowned

arms of the beloved God.

in love in the

Chapter VII. How

who had begun

one,

well,

was drawn onward

in his

search after divine consolation.

had made anew for himself certain

bands, with which he was accustomed to chastise his body.

Now, on

of All Angels,

the night before the feast

seemed

him

in a vision that

he heard angelic strains and sweet heavenly

melody

;

and

this filled

that he forgot

all his

the angels said to

him

him with such gladness

sufferings. :

Then one

—Behold, with what joy

thou dost hear us sing the song of eternity

;

even

LIFE OF BLESSED

28 so,

with like joy, do

we hear

—This

SUSO.

thee sing the song

Wisdom.

of the venerable Eternal

further:

HENRY

added

a portion of the song which

the dear elect saints will sing joyously at the last day,

when they

shall see themselves con-

firmed in the everlasting

bliss of eternity.

another time, on the same spent

many

festival, after

he had

hours in contemplating the joys of

the angels, and daybreak was at hand, there

came

him a youth, who bore himself

though

he were a heavenly musician sent to him by

God; and with the

first,

came many manner and bearing like

the youth there

other noble youths, in

save only that he seemed to have some

preeminence above the prince-angel.

Now

this

rest,

he were a

as if

same angel came up

the Servitor right blithely, and said that

had sent them down

to him, to bring

venly joys amid his sufferings

must

cast off all his sorrows

;

God

him hea-

adding that he

from

his

mind and

bear them company, and that he must also

dance with them in heavenly fashion.

Then

they drew the Servitor by the hand into the dance, and the youth began a joyous ditty about

the infant Jesus, which runs thus jubilo,"

Name

&c.

When

" In dulci

the Servitor heard the dear

of Jesus sounding thus sweetly, he be-

DIVINE CONSOLATIONS.

came

so blithesome in heart

the very

memory

was a joy

and

how exceeding

loftily

bounded

in the dance.

The

knew right well how

them, and he sang

first,

to guide

and they sang

in the jubilee of their hearts.

after

Thrice the

leader repeated the burden of the song, "

Ergo

This dance was not of a kind

merito," &c.

those which

to see

leader of the song

him

feeling, that

of his sufferings vanished.

him

freely they

and

are

danced in

this

world;

was a heavenly movement, swelling up

but

and

falling

back again into the wild abyss of

God's hiddenness.

These and the

consolations were granted to

heavenly

him innumerable

times during these years, but especially at the times

when he was encompassed with great and they made it all the easier for

sufferings,

him

to bear

them.

Once upon a time

was shown

vision to a certain holy person, vitor

had gone

that he

to the altar to

when the Sersay Mass, how

was gloriously arrayed with a vestment

of resplendent love,

and that divine grace kept

dropping upon his soul like dew, and that he

was one with God.

Behind him there were

seen standing at the altar a multitude of kindly-

looking children with burning candles, one be-

— HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

The

hind the other.

SUSO.

children

stretched ont

their arms, each one severally,

and embraced

him

and pressed him

as lovingly as they could,

The person in amazement asked who they were, and what they meant. They answered We are your brethren, and we praise God with joy in eternal bliss, and are to their hearts.

beside

—

you and take care of you

The holy person

said to

angels,

man

so lovingly

They answered that we have much

us,

him; and know marvels in his

God

earnestly,

this;

soul,

God

God works

will

Of certain

had

do with

unspeakable

visions.

many visions of and God gave him

at this time very

how

and purgatory. monly, that

VIII.

future and hidden things,

this

never deny him.

an experimental knowledge, possible,

—He

and whatever he asks of

Chapter

at all times.

in the vision

what mean you by embracing

Dear

very dear to

them

many

far

was

things were in heaven, hell, It

happened

souls appeared to

him comhim upon

VISIONS.

and told him how

their leaving this world,

had fared with them, what of their purgatory,

sins

how they

could be helped,

Among

or what wasw their reward from God. others there appeared to

were the cause

him the

blessed Master

Eckart, and the holy brother John der Fucrer

The Master

of Strasburg.

signified to him,

that he was in exceeding glory, into which his soul

was quite transformed, and made godlike

God.

Upon,

tell

him two

manner

who with

this the Servitor

The

things.

besought him first

was, the

which those persons dwell in God,

and genuine detachment have

real

sought to rest in the supreme Truth alone?

To this he answered, that no words can tell the way in which these persons are taken up into the modeless abyss of the divine essence. The second thing was

;

what exercise

lated to help forward him, is

to arrive at this state ?

that he

must

The Master

die to himself

creatures,

ruffled patience ish

and

establish

towards

all

desire

replied,

by deep detach-

ment, receive every thing as from

from

most calcu-

whose earnest

God and

not

himself in un-

men, however wolf-

they

may be.

The

other brother, John, also showed

him

a vision the ravishing beauty with which

LIFE OF BLESSED

his soul

was

glorified,

HENRY

SITSO.

and of him too he asked

The

the explanation of another point. tion is

was: which among

all

ques-

spiritual exercises

the most painful, and at the same time the

The

most profitable? there

profitable for a

God,

brother answered, that

nothing more painful, and yet more

man, than, when forsaken by

go out of himself by patience, and thus

God

to leave

The

for

God.

own

Servitor's

very worldly

life,

father,

who had

and with a woful aspect showed him ising purgatory,

and the chief

he had incurred

it,

tinctly

how he was

did this

;

led a

appeared to him after death, his

agon-

sins for

which

and explained to help him.

and afterwards

The

his father

him

dis-

Servitor

appeared to

him, and told him that he had been set free.

His holy mother

also, in

God worked many

whose heart and body

marvels in her lifetime, ap-

peared to him in a vision, and made known to

him the great reward which she had received from God. The like happened to him in the case of numberless other souls; and

was a

source of pleasure to him, and during a long

time

gave him instruction and support in the

course which he was then pursuing.

BEHAVIOUR AT TABLE.

HIS

Chapter IX. Of the way

When the

which he went

to table.

time came for him to go to table,

he used to kneel down before the Eternal

in loving contemplation

Wisdom, and beseech

Him

very earnestly to go with him to table and eat with him, saying:

—Most

sweet Jesus Christ,

Thee with the longing

I invite

and I pray Thee, even

heart,

bountifully feed me, to grant

Thy

to table,

Then, on

gentle presence.

he would place opposite

desire

Thou

dost

also to-day sitting

down

to him, as his

table-companion, the dear guest of pure souls,

and he would look often

bow

Him very tenderly, and Him on the side of

himself towards

At each

His heart.

course that was set before

him, he used to

lift

up the

Divine host, that

might give His holy

ing to

it,

and he would often say

a loving familiarity is

plate towards his

—O

before us, and eat with

bless-

Him, with

Lord, bless what

Thy

servant.

Such

were the words of tenderness with which

would address Him. he would

lift

drink

first

up the goblet and ask

it.

he;

Again, before he drank

Him

table he used to drink five

draughts, and he drank

them out

of the five

LIFE OF BLESSED

wounds of

his dear

HENRY

SUSO.

Lord; and because water

and blood flowed from the Divine

the last draught in two.

side,

he drank

and

ate the first

the last mouthful in union with the love of the

most loving heart which earth could possibly produce, and with the hottest love of the highest of the seraphim, desiring the

while that his

heart might have a full share in this love.

used to dip the food which he disliked into the

wounded heart it

of his beloved, in firm trust that

could then no longer hurt him.

had a fondness for fruit, but God would him indulge it. He had once a vision, in which it seemed to him that some one offered him an apple, saying: Take this; it is what not

let

—

thou art so fond

fondness

The

of.

answered

—Nay

for the lovely Eternal

other replied to

him

seeing that he took too

all

Wisdom.

that this was not true,

much

delight in fruit.

This made him feel ashamed of himself, and for two years he ate no

he longed for

all

fruit,

the time.

much though

When

the two

years were ended, and the next year the fruit

crop had failed, so that the convent was with-

out any, the Servitor, having

now

after

many

combats gained the mastery over himself, and wishing to be no longer singular at table about

;

HIS

BEHAVIOUR AT TABLE.

besought Almighty God,

fruit,

was His

if it

will

that he should eat fruit, to supply the whole con-

vent with for

when

And

it.

came

to pass accordingly

was morning, an unknown person

arrived with a large quantity of for the convent,

new

pennies

and desired that fresh apples

might be bought up every where with them. This was done, and thus the convent had fruit

enough for a long time, and the Servitor began again to eat fruit with thankfulness.

He parts

Holy

;

used to divide the large fruit into four three of which he ate in the

Trinity,

love with which the heavenly

gentle child Jesus a last part

Name

of the

and the fourth in union with the

little

Mother gave her This

apple to eat.

ate without cutting

because

Christmas Day, for

many days

little

From

way, uncut.

children usually eat

in this

it,

following, he did

not eat the fourth part, but he offered

in con-

templation to the gentle Mother, praying her to give

to her dear little Son, for

would meanwhile go without

whose sake he

it.

If sometimes he began eating or drinking too eagerly, the presence of his venerable

panion would

make him ashamed

of himself,

and he would give himself a penance for

Once

there

came

com-

it.

him from another

city

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

a good person,

who

these words to

him

how

est learn

meet, go to

him

told

God had

that

in a vision

said

—If thou would-

to conduct thyself at table as

my Servitor

and bid him

tell

thee

all

his ways.

Chapter X. How he began It

the

in their folly

and

young men

wreaths

that

go out

to say, they sing ditties

and do

with such like courtesies, to

they can,

all

make

their sweet-

them garlands. Now, when he heard

hearts give

of this, the thought

came

and loving

heart, that

same night

to his Eternal

once to his young

he too would go on that Love, and beg a

May

Accordingly, before break of day he

wreath.

to the

image of the most pure Mother,

which represents her holding

in her arms,

pressing to her heart, her gentle beautiful Eternal

before

on New-Year's Night, and beg for

recite pretty verses,

went

Year.

the custom in certain parts of Swabia,

his native country, for the

May

New

it,

melody of

Wisdom

;

and

Child, the

and, kneeling

he began with the sweet

down

voiceless

his soul to sing a sequence to the

Mother, praying her leave to beg a garland from

new-year's night. her Child, and, should he that she

would help him

earnest was his prayer, strain himself

to obtain this,

fail

And

in his suit.

and

so little could

his cheeks.

was ended, he turned him

When

he re-

from weeping, that the hot

down

kept rolling

tears

his

song

to his heart's love, the

Eternal Wisdom, and bowing down at His feet, greeted

Him

from the very bottom of

and praised and celebrated surpasses

all this

Him

his heart,

one who far

world's fairest maidens in come-

liness, nobility, virtue, gentleness,

united with everlasting majesty.

and freedom,

And

this

did with songs and words, with thoughts and longings, as best he could

;

and much he wished

that he could be, in a spiritual sense, the fore-

runner of

all lovers

inventor of

all

timents, that

and loving

hearts,

and the

tender thoughts, words, and senthe most worthy

One might

lauded with due love by His unworthy Servitor.

Then these

at length :

Easter of

he broke forth into words

—Ah, my beloved Day

of joy to

summer to my heart, and the hour of my Thou art the loved One, whom alone

light.

young heart

loves

Thou art indeed an me. Thou art the bliss !

de-

and thinks upon, and for

whom it has scorned all earthly love. Let this avail me now, my heart's beloved, and let me

LIFE OF BLESSED

obtain a garland from

heart for

Thy

this for

HENRY

Thee

Thy

Ah how well !

and

divine virtue's sake,

innate goodness, and let

sweet sweetness

Ah, gentle

to-day.

from Thee with empty hands Day.

SUSO.

this

not depart

New

Year's

beseem Thee,

this will

Eemember

Thy

that one of

dear servants has told us of Thee, that in Thee there

(2 Cor.

say to

not nay and yea, but only yea and yea 19).

heavenly

Therefore,

heart's beloved,

Thy

to-day a loving yea in regard to

gift,

and

as foolish lovers obtain a gar-

land from their loves, so to-day, as a

New Year's

some new

sweet love,

light

like prayers

let

gift,

from Thy

some

special grace,

fair hand,

offer

my own

These and the

Divine Wisdom.

he used to

soul receive

never went away thence with

there,

and he

his prayer

un-

granted.

Chapter XI. Of the words " Sursum corda."

was once asked what was the subject of

his contemplation

when he sang mass and

in-

toned the words " Sursum corda," at the begin-

ning of the preface before the Canon. these words

mean

Now

in the vulgar tongue, "Lift

SUESUM CORDA. up

from

forth

God ;" and

hearts on high to

all

his

39 they came

mouth with such an expression

peculiar devotion those

may well have moved to who heard them. He

answered

with a deep sigh, say-

of ardent desire, that

ing

this question

—When I sing these adorable words

holy mass,

in the

my heart

usually happens that

and

soul are melted with a yearning

and longing

heart out of

God which

after

moment for three different intencommonly present themselves to me then,

itself at

tions

and

away

carry

lift

that

;

me up

on high

—sometimes one

sometimes two, and sometimes

—and they bear me upwards me

all

The

first

and

all

is this

all

beasts

—

I place before

that I

its

God

all

—my body,

I gather round ever created in

the elements, each

name, whether birds of the

of the forest, fishes of the water,

and grass of the

able sand of the sea, little

God, and with

my powers— and

the creatures which

one severally with

leaves

all

heaven, on earth, and in

air,

three together

intention, that darts like a ray of

my mind,

inward eyes myself with

all

into

creatures.

light into

soul,

alone,

earth, or the

and

to these I

innumer-

add

all

the

specks of dust which glance in the sun-

beams, with

all

the

little

drops of water which

—I LIFE OF BLESSED

40 ever

HENRY

SUSO.

are falling from dew, snow, or rain,

fell or

and I wish that each of these had a sweetlysounding stringed instrument, fashioned from

my heart's

inmost blood, striking on which they

might each send up

new and

And

to our dear

and gentle God a

lofty strain of praise for ever

my soul

then the loving arms of

and

ever.

stretch out

and extend themselves towards the innumerable multitude of

all creatures,

just as a free stirs

up the

turn them

God.

good account by inciting them

all to

Sursum

and

their hearts to

corda." said,

put before myself in thought all

to offer

His second intention, he

the hearts of

is,

singers of his company, even so to

to sing joyously,

my intention

and

and blithesome leader of a choir

was

this

my own heart

— and

men, and I consider on the one

hand what joy and

what love and

pleasure,

peace they enjoy who

give their hearts to

God

alone; and, on the other, what hurt and suffering,

what sorrow and unrest perishable love

brings to those over

whom

rules

I cry out with earnest desire to

and the hearts of be,

from one end of

Come

forth,

all

;

and then

my own

heart,

men, wheresoever they

this

world to the other

ye captive hearts, from the

bonds of perishable love!

Come

forth,

strait

ye sleep-

CANDLEMAS.

ing hearts, from the death of sin

Come

forth,

ye frivolous hearts, from the lukewarmness of your slothful and careless

Lift yourselves

lives !

up by turning wholly and unreservedly to the living

God.

" Sursum corda."

His third intention was a friendly all

well-disposed but undetached men,

astray in their interior

neither to

God

life,

call

who go

and cling

closely

nor to creatures, because their

hearts are distracted and

drawn

the other at every moment.

one side or

These men, and

myself among their number, I then invite to

make a bold venture of ourselves, by turning away entirely from ourselves and every creature unto God.

Such was the subject

contemplation in the words "

Sursum

of his

corda."

Chapter XII. How he

For

kept the feast of Candlemas.

three days before our Lady's feast of

Candlemas, he used to get ready with prayer a candle for the heavenly Mother

;

and he formed

the candle of three twisted tapers in this

ner

—The

first

man-

taper was in token of her stain\

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

42 less

and

the second, of her

virginal purity;

unfathomable humility; and the maternal dignity hers alone above

ready

;

And

all creatures.

Now when

of the candles

her

—three prerogatives which are

this spiritual candle

magnificats.

third, of

he made

every day with three

the day of the blessing

was come, he went early

in the

morning, before any one had gone into the church, to the high altar, and waited there in

contemplation the coming of the august Mother

When

with her heavenly treasure. nigh the outer gate of the

city,

her with the multitude of

God, and he outran them of his heart.

she drew

he ran to meet souls that love

all

with the longings

Then running

in front of her in

the street, he prayed her to tarry a while with

her attendants until he had sung something in

Thereupon, with a

her honour. less

melody, so that his

lips

spiritual voice-

moved, but no one

heard him, he began to sing as lovingly as he could the prose, "Inviolata," &c. one,

spotless

&c), and he bowed himself down before

her as he sang, " gracious one

benigna,

gracious one

O !)

benigna

and he prayed

her to show forth her gracious kindliness to-

wards a poor sinner. lowed her with his

Then

rising up, he fol-

spiritual candle in the desire

CANDLEMAS. that she

would never permit the burning flame

of divine light to be extinguished in him. After

on coming up to the multitude of all-loving he began to sing " Adorna thalamum," &c.

this,

souls,

(Make ready the upon them

fervently to

led

bridal bed,

&c), and he

embrace His Mother

them with songs

;

and

and thus he

of praise as far as the

Then drawing near

temple.

called

to receive the Saviour with love,

Mother be-

to the

and gave the Saviour

fore she entered in

Simeon, he knelt down in front of her, and with uplifted hands

and eyes prayed her

the Child, and to

When

suffer

him

show him

also to kiss It.

she kindly offered It to him, he spread

out his arms to the boundless quarters of the

wide world, and received and embraced the Beloved

One

a thousand times in one hour.

contemplated

upon

Its little

Its beautiful little eyes

hands

;

he kissed

;

he looked

Its tender little

mouth and he gazed again and again at all the infant members of the heavenly treasure. Then lifting up his eyes, he uttered a cry of amazement in his heart that He who bears up the ;

heavens ful in

so great

and yet

so small, so beauti-

heaven and so childlike upon earth

as the Divine Infant

towards

It,

—now

moved him

singing,

so did

;

and

he act

now weeping,

with

— LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

other spiritual exercises, until at last he gave It

back

Mother, and, going in with her into

to Its

the temple, remained there

till

all

was

fully

accomplished.

Chapter XIII. How

When

he spent the Carnival time.

the Carnival was close at hand, on

the evening that the Alleluias are left

and

off,*

the foolish people of this world begin to abandon

themselves to merriment, he set about keeping in his heart a heavenly carnival, in this wise

In the

first

place he considered

and hurtful the pleasure of is,

how

short-lived

this earthly carnival

and how some persons with a momentary joy

purchase for themselves long suffering; and then

he said a "Miserere" all

to the adorable

God

for

the sins and the dishonour which would be

offered to

Him

at this time of dissipation.

This

carnival he called the peasants' carnival, as befitting

those

who knew nothing

better.

His

other carnival consisted in a contemplation of *

The eve of Septuagesima Sunday, when the Alleluias office. They are not resumed until

are left off in the divine Easter.

;

THE CARNIVAL TIME. that which

the prelude of eternity; namely,

how God makes merry with His while

still

chosen friends,

clothed in this mortal body, through

He gives them

the heavenly consolations which

and he recounted with

praises

and thanksgiving

those which he had himself received, and he

this

same season of

himself, for he

hungry, and yet pain

was in

was the carnival time, and he had

gone before compline into a

warm

God

his beginnings,

once gave him a spiritual carnival, and this wise.

was

Almighty God.

full of joy in the

warm

from which he

when he saw them

room

was miserably cold and so

much

suffered.

Now

this did not cause

as the thirst

little

him

eating meat there and drink-

ing good wine, while he was hungry and thirsty,

he was so affected by

interiorly that

went out again and began

and

to sigh

the

lament himself,

from the very bottom of

That same night that he

was

seemed

he soon

him

his heart.

in a vision

an infirmary, and that outside

room he heard some one singing a heavenly

song,

and the tones rang

so sweetly that

and

was

as if a little schoolboy of twelve years old

was

earthly harp ever sent forth the like ;

singing there alone.

The

Servitor forgot

all

about the body's food as he listened to the sweet

LIFE OF BLESSED HENKY SUSO.

melody, and he exclaimed with longing heart

—Ah

me what

that

singing there

Never on earth heard I tones noble-looking youth,

him and

Boy who

said

who

sweet.

stood by, answered

—Thou shouldst know that

sings so well

—Alas

God

help

The

Him sing

again, so that

resounded high in the

more.

Ser-

Ah, hea-

venly youth, bid

lie

this

singing for thee, and

that thou art the object of His song. vitor replied

The Boy sang air,

and

sang about three heavenly canticles from the

When

beginning to the end.

«nded

the song was

seemed as though the same Boy who

sang so sweetly came through the little

window

of the room, and presented the

youth with a pretty basket like ripe red strawberries,

in size.

The youth

Boy, and offered ing:

—Look,

air to the

filled

with red

and they were large

took the basket from the

joyfully to the brother, say-

comrade and brother!

fruit is sent thee

fruit,

this

red

by thy friend and heavenly

Lord, the delightful Boy, the Son of the heavenly Father,

who has been

Ah, how very dear thou

singing to thee.

Him

art to

the brother's face became

all

fire

this

and red

with joy, and he received the basket longingly, saying

—Ah,

it is

well with me.

This

indeed

— THE CARNIVAL TIME.

me from the

a lovely gift for

Boy.

this.

Then he

delightful heavenly

heart and soul shall ever rejoice in said to the youth

and the other

heavenly beings who were there: friends,

who

of this heavenly Boy,

Yes, verily, of

—Ah,

dear

not meet that I should be enamoured

is it

so full of graces ?

meet that I should be enamoured

it is

Him, and whatever I

shall

know to be His Then turning

dearest will that I will always do. to the

aforenamed youth, he said:

dear youth,

and

sweetly,

I not right

said

meet for thee

—Tell

The youth

—Yes, thou

art right.

be enamoured of

Him

;

me,

smiled It

for

has regarded and honoured thee more than

many

other men.

dearly; and I

tell

Therefore love

more than many other men. thyself ready for

Ah,

this I will

help

to see

beautiful gift. to the little

it.

Him

very

thee thou must also suffer

Wherefore make

The Servitor answered

do right gladly ; but, I pray thee,

Him

and

Him for His replied: Go then

thank

The youth

window and look

—

out.

The

Servitor

opened the window, and there he saw standing before the little

window the

tenderest

boy that eye has ever seen

tried to force himself

get at

;

and

loveliest

and when he

through the window to

Him, the boy turned lovingly towards

;

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

him, and inclining Himself sweetly to him, with a friendly blessing, vanished from his sight.

Thus tor

the vision departed, and

came

to himself again,

the good carnival which

when

the Servi-

he thanked

God

for

had bestowed upon

him.

Chapter XIV. How

he began the month of May.

It was his custom on May-day Eve to

up a

spiritual

May-bough, and

to do

every day for a long space of time.

set

honour

Among

all

the beautiful branches that ever grew he could find

none more

like to a lovely

the delightful bough of the is

May-bough than

Holy

more blooming with graces,

Cross,

virtues,

which

and orna-

ments of every kind than any May-bough that ever was. prostrations

he desired

Under

this

(venias),

May-bough he made and

six

each prostration

in his contemplation to adorn the

May-bough with some one of the lovethings which the summer might bring

spiritual liest

and he sang before it interiorly the u hymn, Salve crux sancta," &c, in this wise forth;

Hail, heavenly

May-bough

of the Eternal

Wis-

MAY-DAT.

dom, on which has grown the

fruit of everlasting

bliss

First, I offer thee to-day as

adornment, in place of

all

love; secondly, for every inclination

embrace

;

an eternal

red roses, a heartfelt little violet,

thirdly, for all tender

a lowly

lilies,

a pure

fourthly, instead of all the beautifully-

coloured and brilliant flowers, which heath or

down, forest or brought forth

tree

plain,

meadow has

May, or which have

this lovely

ever been or will be brought forth, offers thee

a spiritual kiss

of all the blithesome

merrily on any a

fifthly, for

;

little

birds

May-day

thee praises without end;

heart

the songs

which ever sang

flight,

sixthly,

soul offers

for every

ornament with which a May-bough has ever been adorned

heart magnifies thee to-day

with a spiritual song ; and I pray thee, blessed

May-bough,

to help

so to praise thee in this

short time of life that I

may

feed upon thy

living fruit throughout eternity.

that he

began the month of May.

Thus

was

LIFE OF BLESSED

HENRY

SUSO.

Chapter XV. Of the sorrowful way of the Cross, which he made with Christ when He was being led forth to death.

At as

first

for a long time the Servitor was,

were, spoiled

and he was

solations;

that

all

by God with heavenly coneager after them,

subjects of contemplation

which had

reference to the Divine nature were a delight to

him; whereas, when he should have medi-

tated

upon our Lord's

to imitate

Him

rebuked by

him:

—Knowest

press in,

bitter.

God

through which

seemed

in them, this

thing hard and

and sought

sufferings,

for this,

and

thou not that I

was said

am the door God must

true friends of

all

Thou must break thy way through

The

naked Divinity.

was a hard saying

him

;

menced meditating upon

at this,

to practise

He now

knew

not,

Servitor

and

nevertheless he comit,

much though

went against him, and he began then he

My suffer-

thou wouldst verily and indeed

was struck with consternation

till

they would attain to true bliss?

ing Humanity, arrive at

him a

was once severely

to learn

what

and he gave himself up

with detachment.

began every night after matins

THE WAY OF THE his usual place,

CROSS.

which was the chapter-room,

force himself into a Christlike feeling of

pathy with

that Christ, his

all

had suffered for him. from corner

sym-

Lord and God,

stood

up and moved

to corner, in order that all sluggish-

ness might leave him, and that he might have

throughout a lively and keen sensitiveness to

He commenced

our Lord's sufferings. ercise with the

this ex-

Last Supper, and he accompa-

nied Christ from place to place, until he brought

Him

before Pilate.

after

He had

Then he

been sentenced

and he followed

Him

received

Him

at the tribunal,

along the sorrowful

way

of the cross from the court-house to beneath

The following was the manner in which he made the way of the cross On com-

the gallows.

—

ing to the threshold of the chapter-house, he

kneeled down and kissed the print of the step

which the Lord

took,

Him

tenced,

death.

Then he began

scribes

turned

&c. (Ps.

door into the

were four

first

when, on being sen-

round

go forth

the psalm which de-

our Lord's passion, " Deus, Deus meus,

respice,"

Him.

first

streets

He street,

xxi.),

cloister,

and he went out by the

repeating

it.

Now

there

through which he accompanied

went with

Him

to death along the

with the earnest desire and will to

LIFE OF BLESSED

go forth from

and

goods,

HENRY

friends

his

and

SUSO. perishable

all

misery

to suffer, for Christ's glory,

without consolation, and voluntary poverty.

the second street he proposed to himself to cast aside all perishable

honour and dignity, and vo-

luntarily to despise this present world, consider-

ing

how

the

Lord had become "a worm and the

outcast of the people."

third street he kneeled

down

the beginning of the again, and, kissing

the ground, willingly renounced comfort, and

needless

all

tender treatment of his body,

all

in honour of the pains of Christ's tender

and he

set before his eyes,

the psalm, dried up,

how

that

all

body

written in

Christ's strength

was

and His natural vigour brought nigh

to death, as they drove

Him

and he thought how

ably;

what

onwards thus fitting

piti-

that

every eye should weep and every heart sigh on

account of street,

it.

When

he came

to the fourth

he kneeled down in the middle of the

road, as if

he were kneeling in front of the

gate through which the Lord must pass out;

and then

falling

kissed the ground,

Him

his face before

and crying out

Him, he

Him, prayed

not to go to death without His servant,

but to suffer him to go along with Him.

Then

he pictured to himself as vividly as he could

THE WAY OF THE Lord was

that the

obliged to pass quite close to

when he had

him, and

rex noster,

David !), he

fili

let

David

said the prayer,

still

turned towards the

!" (Hail,

hope!), and then let

After this

onwards.

cross with the verse, "

and greeted the

crux ave, spes unica

"Ave,

(Hail, our King, son of

Him move

he knelt down again, gate,

CROSS.

cross,

past.

our only

This done,

he kneeled down once more before the tender

Mother Mary, heaven's queen, past

him

as she

was led

unfathomable anguish of heart, and

he observed how mournfully she bore

herself,

and noted her burning

tears,

sorrowful demeanour

and he addressed her

;

sad sighings, and

in the words of the " Salve Regina" (Hail,

Queen !), and kissed her footsteps. Then he stood up and hastened after his Lord, until he came up with Him. And the picture was sometimes so vividly present to his mind, that

seemed

him

Christ's side,

how

that

kingdom

as if

he were in body walking at

and the thought would come to him,

when King David was his bravest captains

driven from his

walked around him

and beside him, and gave him loving succour Kings

xv.).

this point

to God's will, desiring that

him according

he gave up his

God would

His good pleasure.

will

do with

Last of

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

54 all,

he called to mind the

epistle,

which

Holy Week, from the prophecy

read

of Isaias,

beginning, "Quis credidit auditui nostro"

(Is.

how

the

and which

liii.),

so exactly describes

Lord was led forth to death, and meditating upon it, he went in by the door of the choir, and so up the steps into the pulpit, until he came beneath the the

Lord

cross,

and then he besought

that neither life nor death, weal nor

woe, might separate his servant from Him.

There was another mournful way of the cross that

he used

wise:

—While

sung

at compline,

make, and

was in

this

the "Salve Regina" was being

he contemplated in his heart

the pure Mother as at that

moment

still

stand-

ing beside her dear Child's grave, with

all

mother's grief for her buried child, and that

was time for her he was

to lead her

be led home again, and that

home. Accordingly, he made

three prostrations (yenias) in his heart, and with

them he tion.

led her

The

first

as the u Salve

home again was

in his contempla-

at the sepulchre.

soon

Regina" began, he bowed down

his soul before her,

and supporting her

in spiri-

tual fashion with his arms, bewailed her tender heart,

which was

at that time so full of bitter-

ness, outrage, and deadly sorrow, and he sought

THE WAY OF THE to

CROSS.

comfort her by reminding her that on account

of all this she

was now a queen in

hope and our sweetness, as

dignity, our

stands in the

hymn.

Then, when he had brought her under the gate-

way

into Jerusalem,

he went on before her into

the street, and looking back upon her, as she

came along

in wretchedness, all blood-stained

with the hot blood which had dropped upon her, as

streamed forth from the bursting wounds

marked how forsaken she

of her pierced Son, he

was and bereaved of

all

her consolation.

Then

he received her again with a second interior prostration, at the words,

"Eia ergo advocata meaning

nostra!" (Hail then, our advocate!),

by them she

that she should be of

good cheer, since

the worthy advocate of us

all

;

and he

besought her with that love which shone forth

amid her anguish eyes, is

and

to turn to

him her merciful

when

this miserable life

to grant him,

over, lovingly to behold her august Son, ac-

cording to the wish expressed in the prayer.

He made

the third interior prostration before

the door of her mother St. Anne's house, whither he had led her in her sorrows, and, as he did this, he

commended himself

ness

and loving sweetness,

clemens,

pia,

to her gentle-

in the devout words,

dulcis

Virgo Maria!"

HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

gentle,

pious,

and he prayed her at its last passage,

fender from

SUSO.

sweet Virgin Mary!),

to receive his

wretched soul

and

guide and de-

its evil

its

enemies, through the gates

of heaven to everlasting

bliss.

Chapter XVI. Of the useful virtue

The

Servitor

called silence.

had an

interior

strive after true peace of heart,

him

drawing to

and

seemed

that silence would be of service towards

attaining

it.

He therefore

kept so

strict

a guard

over his mouth, that for thirty years he never

broke silence at

when he was many other bro-

table, except once,

returning from a chapter with thers,

and they ate on board

casion he broke

it.

ship.

In order

that oc-

have greater

mastery over his tongue, and to stop himself

from giving way too readily choice in his

whose

mind

special leave

to talk,

he made

of three masters, without

he resolved never

and these were the holy patriarchs St. Arsenius, and St. Bernard.

St.

to speak,

Dominic,

Whenever he

wished to speak he went in thought from one to the other,

and asked

leave, saying,

"Jube,

; ;

BODILY MORTIFICATIONS. domne, benedicere" (Bid me,

and

if it

master, speak)

was the right time and place

he received permission from the

first

to speak,

master;

there was no external reason to prevent

and if him speaking, he had and

if it

leave from the second

likely to

do him an injury in-

he considered that he had leave from

teriorly, all

was not

three; and after that he spoke; but

was not keep

so, it

silence.

seemed

him

that he ought to

Whenever he was

called to the

door of the convent he applied himself to these four things:

first,

secondly,

kindliness;

every one with

to receive to

despatch the matter

with brevity ; thirdly, to send the person away consoled ; fourthly, to go back again free from

attachment.

Chapter XVH. Of the chastisement of his body.

He was of fire

and

itself felt,

in his youth of a life

;

and when

temperament

this

began

full

make

and he perceived what a heavy burden

he had in himself, it was very bitter and grievous to

him

;

and he sought, by many devices and

great penances,

how he might

bring his body

LIFE OF BLESSED

HENRY

SUSO.

into subjection to his spirit.

wore for a

long time a hair shirt and an iron chain, until the blood ran from him to leave

them

so that

;

garment to be made for him garment he had

and

;

were always turned towards the

garment made very

this

which

pointed and

fifty brass nails,

were driven, and the points of the

filed sharp,

nails

an under-

in the under-

strips of leather fixed, into

a hundred and

had

he was obliged

He secretly caused

off.

tight,

flesh.

and

so ar-

ranged as to go round him and fasten in front, in order that

might

and the pointed flesh

;

and

might be driven into

was high enough In

to his navel.

Now

this

ill

to reach

he used

summer, when

very tired and

he held the

the closer to his body,

fit

nails

from

his

upwards

to sleep at night.

was

hot,

and he was

his journeyings, or

office of lecturer,

when

he would some-

times, as

he lay thus in bonds, and oppressed

with

and tormented

toil,

cry aloud, and give

way

also

by noxious

round and round in agony,

as a

when run through with a pointed often seemed to him as if he were an

ant-hill

sects

;

insects,

and

twist

worm

does

to fretfulness,

needle.

lying upon

from the torture caused by the

for if he wished to sleep, or

in-

when he had

fallen asleep, they vied with each other in biting

— BODILY MORTIFICATIONS. and sucking him.

Sometimes he would cry to

Almighty God out of the fulness of Alas a

gentle God, what a dying

man

of prey,

killed

by murderers

soon over

under the cruel

insects,

;

his heart

this

When

or strong beasts

but I

lie

dying here

and yet cannot

die.

nights in winter were never so long, nor

the

summer

so hot, as to

exercise.

might get

still less

make him

rest

skill

his hands,

was

leave off this

amid these torments, he

of his girdle round his throat,

with

The

the contrary, in order that he

devised something further.

two leather

bound a part

and made out of

loops, into

and then locked

his

which he put

arms into them

with two padlocks, and placed the keys on a

plank beside his bed, where they remained until

he rose for matins and unlocked himself.

His

arms were thus stretched upwards, and fastened one on each side his throat, and he made the fastenings so secure, that even

been on himself.

fire

if his

cell

had

about him he could not have helped

This practice he continued until his

hands and arms had become almost tremulous with the strain, and then he devised something else.

had two leather gloves made for him,

such as labourers usually wear when they gather

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

and he caused a brazier

briers,

fit

them

all

over with sharp-pointed brass tacks, and he used to put

them on

This he did in order

at night.

he should try while asleep to throw

that, if

off

the hair under-garment, or endeavour in any other

way

from the gnawings

to relieve himself

of the vile and hateful insects, the tacks might

then stick into his body.

his

And

came

If ever he sought to help himself with

pass.

hands in

his breast,

sleep,

and

he drove the sharp tacks into

making

tore himself,

rents, as if a bear

had torn him with

horrible its

sharp

claws, so that his flesh festered at the arms

and

When

the

about the heart.

wounds had

made

after

many weeks

healed, he tore himself again

fresh wounds.

and

continued this tor-

At was now

menting exercise for about sixteen years. the end of this time, chilled,

and the

fire

when of his

his blood

temperament de-

stroyed, there appeared to him in a vision on Whit -Sunday a messenger from heaven, who told him that God required this of him no longer. Whereupon he discontinued it, and threw all

these things

away

into a

running stream.

THE SHARP CEOSS UPON HIS BACK.

Chapter XVIIL Of the sharp

Above

cross

all his

which he bore upon his back.

other exercises, he had a long-

ing desire to bear upon his body something

which might betoken a sensible sympathy with the painful sufferings of his crucified Lord. this

end he made for himself a wooden

cross, in

length about a man's span, and of corresponding breadth, and he drove into

thirty iron nails,

intending to represent by them

wounds and upon

love-tokens.

his bare

back between

the flesh, and he bore

all

his Lord's

placed this cross his shoulders

continually day and

night in honour of his crucified Lord.

After-

wards, in the last year, he drove into

besides

seven needles, so that their points passed a long

way through in

it,

the cross, and remained sticking

while the other ends were broken off close

to the

wood.

bore the wounds

made by

these pointed needles in honour of the piercing

anguish of God's pure Mother, by which her heart

and soul were wounded through and

through so utterly at the hour of her Son's agonising death.

The

first

time that he stretched

out this cross upon his back his tender frame

LIFE OF BLESSED HEKEtY SUSO.

was struck with

terror at

it,

and he blunted the

sharp nails very slightly upon a stone.

But

very-

soon repenting of this unmanly cowardice, he pointed and sharpened them

and placed the

file,

all

cross once

again with a

more upon him.

furrowed his back, where the bones

made down

bloody and seared.

or stood up,

upon him.

lay

was

To make

able,

as if a hedgehog-skin

this painful cross

he chiselled on the back of

Name

day with

lowing manner.

upon the

into his flesh,

again.

cross,

this cross, in the fol-

him with

and thus drove the stick in

off his clothes to

get

it,

nails

so that

them out

used to strike these blows upon the

cross so secretly that it.

tore

the saving

struck behind

and made them

he had to take

more bear-

For a long time he took two

of Jesus.

disciplines every

his fist

sat

any one touched him un-

awares, or pushed against his clothes,

him.

and

are,

Whenever he

took the

no one could have observed

first discipline

his contemplation at the pillar

on arriving

where our beau-

Lord was so barbarously scourged, and he prayed our Lord to heal His servant's wounds tiful

with His own.

took the second discipline

when he had come in contemplation beneath the cross, and the Lord had been nailed to it,

THE SHARP CROSS UPON HIS BACK. and then he nailed himself

to part

to his

from Him.

Lord, never

did not take the

when he

third discipline every day, but only

had been too indulgent with himself, or had given

way

to inordinate pleasure in eating

and

drinking, or such like.

Once upon a time he had been his

guard

as to take into his

two maidens, who were

much

off

hands the hands of

sitting beside

him

in a

public assembly, though without any bad intention.

soon repented of this unguardedness,

and he considered that

this inordinate pleasure

must be atoned for by penance. left

soon as he

the maidens, and had come into his chapel

to his place of privacy,

he struck himself upon

the cross for this misdeed, so that the pointed nails stuck into his back.

moreover

laid

himself under an interdict for this fault, and

would not allow himself

go after matins into

the chapter-room, his usual place of prayer, to

meet the heavenly

spirits,

who were wont

appear to him there during his contemplation.

length, desiring to atone completely for the

misdeed, he

Judge's

summoned

feet,

courage, and

and took a

sence with the cross

round on every

;

fell at

discipline in

the

His pre-

and then going round and

side before the saints,

he took

LIFE OF BLESSED

thirty disciplines,

back.

this

till

HENRY

SUSO.

the blood ran

way he atoned very

down

his

bitterly for

the inordinate pleasure which he had allowed himself.

After matins had been sung, he went into the chapter-room, to his place of privacy, and kissed the ground a

hundred times prostrate

with outstretched arms, and a hundred times kneeling; each time with a special object of

This caused him very great

contemplation.

For

pain on account of the cross.

was

fastened tightly upon him, and driven closer to his his

body than a hoop custom

—such being —each time that he

to a cask

at this period

flung himself on the ground in

hundred prostrations the through the

fall.

When

writhed them out of him.

stuck into

nails

same holes

If,

But

at the next fall this

was a

sore

however, they stuck into the

was endurable.

There was another penitential he had previously practised.

made

him

he got up again he

they stuck into fresh holes, and pain to him.

making the

exercise

was

which

this

for himself a scourge out of a leather

thong, and had

fitted

with pointed brass tacks

as sharp as a style, in such a

way

that the ends

of each tack stood out on either side of the thong,

HIS SCOURGE.

and each of the ends had a

triple point,

which

caused wounds in whatever part of the body

Such was the kind

they struck.

of scourge

which he made for himself ; and he used

to get

matins, and go into the choir in front

up before

of the Blessed Sacrament, and there discipline

himself with

severely.

penance for a long time, until

became aware of

thers

continued

practised this

at last the bro-

upon which he

it,

dis-

it.

Once, on

St.

Clement's day, at the beginning

made a general confession, and same evening, when it became dusk, he

of winter, he that

shut himself up in his self

naked

cell,

and stripping him-

to his horsehair under-garment,

took out the scourge with the pointed tacks, and struck himself with

the arms,

one

till

over the body and about

the blood ran

cupped.

The

down

when

just as

chief cause of this

was a

bent tack on the scourge, in shape like a hook, which tore caught.

away

all

little

the flesh on which

struck himself so hard, that the

scourge broke into three pieces, and while one little

piece remained in his hand, the rest with

the points flew against the walls. there self,

all

As he

stood

covered with blood, and looked at him-

the spectacle which he presented was a

LIFE OF BLESSED

most miserable one, and

HENRY

lie

SUSO.

resembled in some

when He was barThereupon, being moved

degree Christ, our Lord, barously scourged. to pity for himself,

he began to weep from

very heart, and kneeling down

all

naked and

bleeding in the frosty cold, he besought to blot out all his sins that

liis

God

His merciful eyes

might no more behold them.

Another time, on Quinquagesima Sunday, he went, as he had done before, into his

cell,

when

the brothers were at table; and after having stripped himself naked, he gave himself very

cruel blows, so that the blood streamed his body.

himself ther,

But

still

he was about

harder, there

who had heard

obliged to leave salt,

just as

off.

came

down

to strike

thither a bro-

the noise, so that he was

Then he

and rubbed them

took vinegar and

into his wounds, that "the

pain might be rendered greater.

St. Benedict's feast, the

he was born

day on which

into this miserable world,

he went at

breakfast-time into his chapel, and making fast

the door, stripped himself as before, and taking

out the scourge, began to strike himself with

blow

fell

his left arm,

and

hit the vein

called mediana, or another vein near as the stroke

it.

And

was a very severe one, the blood

HIS SCOURGE. burst forth, and ran

down

foot between the toes,

in a stream

and lay

upon

in a pool

his

upon

His arm immediately swelled

the pavement.

to a great size,

and turned blue

;

and

this so

frightened him, that he did not dare to go on

Now

striking.

very time, and at the

at this

selfsame hour in which he thus struck himself, there was at another place in a certain castle a

holy maiden,

named Anna, praying, who seemed

to herself to

be carried in a vision to the spot

where he was taking the

discipline.

And when

she saw the hard blows which he was giving himself,

moved her

to compassion that,

going up to him just as he had raised his arm,

and was on the point of striking, she intercepted the blow, and received

seemed

on her own arm, as

to her in the vision.

to herself again, she

by a scourge.

she came

found the mark of the blow

on her arm in black wales, as hit

When

she had been

These marks remained visible

upon her for a long time, and they were accompanied with great pain.

LIFE OF BLESSED

HENRY

SUSO.

Chapter XIX. Of his bed.

this

same period the Servitor procured

an old castaway door, which he placed upon bedstead in his

cell,

at night without

comfortable. thin

mat

and he used

any bed-clothes also

made

upon the

door,

under his head for a bolster a small sack

make him

to his knees.

with pea-stalks, and upon

his

upon

for himself a very

of rushes, which he laid

and which reached only

to lie

put

filled

a very small pillow.

had no bed-covering over him, and he lay at

night just as he was clothed during the day; except only that he took off his shoes, and wrapped

a thick cloak round him.

himself a most miserable bed stalks lay in

lumps under

;

thus secured for

for the hard pea-

his head, the cross

with the sharp nails stuck into his back, his

arms were locked

fast in bonds, the horsehair

under-garment was round

his loins,

and the

cloak too was very heavy, and the door hard.

Thus he

lay in wretchedness, afraid to

stir,

just

Whenever he attempted to turn, the pain it caused him was very great and if he fell back at all heavily upon the cross when like a log.

;

HIS BED. asleep, the nails

ran into his bones

would then send up many a sigh

and he

;

God.

In winter he suffered very much from the frost, for if

he stretched out

his feet in sleep, as

people do, they lay quite bare upon the door,

and froze with the cold ; and

and kept them gathered up, the blood

in again,

became

he drew them

all

pain to him.

fire in his legs,

His feet were

legs swelled, as if they his knees

and

was great

this

full of sores

;

his

were growing dropsical;

were bloody and seared ; his

loins

were

covered with scars from the horsehair under-

garment his

;

his

back was wounded by the cross

body wasted from excessive

mouth parched with

and

intense thirst;

hands tremulous from weakness.

Amid

torments he spent his days and nights

endured them

all

;

austerity; his

;

his

these

and he

out of the greatness of the

love which he bore in his heart to the Divine

and Eternal Wisdom, our Lord Jesus whose agonising sufferings he sought

Christ,

to imitate.

After a time he gave up this penitential exercise of the door,

and instead of it he took up

his abode in a very small cell,

bench, which was intended for a

and used the

seat, as his bed.

This bench was so narrow and short that he could not stretch himself out upon

it.

this hole,

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

and upon the above-mentioned

door,

he lay

night, in his usual bonds, for about eight years. It

was

custom during the space of five-

also his

and-twenty years, provided he was staying in the convent,

never to go after compline in

winter into any

warm

room, or to the convent-

stove to warm himself, however cold

might

be,

unless he was obliged to do so for other reasons.

Throughout

all

these years he never took a bath,

either a water or a sweating bath

did in order to mortify his

;

and

this

comfort -seeking

body.

For a long time he only both in summer and winter fasted from meat, but also

;

ate once a day,

and he not only

from

fish

and eggs.

practised during a long time such rigid po-

verty that he would neither receive nor touch a

penny

either with leave or without

it.

For a

considerable space of time he strove to attain to

such a high degree of purity that he would neither scratch nor touch any part of his body,

save only his hands and feet.

FROM DRINK.

HIS ABSTINENCE

Chapter XX. How he

Another was

adopted,

broke himself from drink.

which he once

afflictive exercise,

to limit himself to

an exceedingly

small measure of drink ; and that he might not

home or abroad, he caused a little cup to be made of the exact size, and carried it with him whenever he went transgress this measure either at

In times of great

out.

was no more

thirst it

than enough to cool his parched mouth, just like

what

given to refresh a sick person in a

For a long time he drank no

burning fever.

wine

save only on holy Easter-day, and

all,

he drank

then in honour of the high

festival.

one occasion, after he had long endured

great thirst, and from a spirit of mortification was resolved not to quench his thirst with water or

wine, he looked upwards to

anguish of his

him

but a

was in

little

the

in the excessive

upon which God answered

interiorly in this wise

thirsty I

all

soul,

God

—Mark and

cool

things

support.

how

death-agony, with nothing

vinegar and gall to drink; and yet fountains

upon

this

Mine, for I have created them all

see

else,

all,

and ordained them

Wherefore thou

also

earth were

all

as well as

for man's

must endure

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

patiently privation imitate It

and want,

thou wouldst

Me.

happened once before Christmas that the

Servitor had utterly renounced and put from

him

bodily

all

comforts,

and moreover had

taken upon himself three penitential exercises in addition to the ordinary practices

The

had long pursued.

first

which he

of these was, that

he remained after matins until daybreak standing on the bare stones before the high

and

this too at

a time

when

altar,

the nights were at

the longest, and the bell for matins rang very

The second practice was, that he avoided going to any warm place, either by day or night, and never warmed his hands over the chafingearly.

dish at the altar ;* in consequence of which his

hands became horribly swollen, because the cold at that time was exceeding great.

compline was ended, he used to go,

he was,

sleep

upon

his

all

When cold as

bench, and after

matins he stood before the altar on the bare stones

till

The

daybreak.

to abstain altogether

third practice

was

from drinking during the

day, however great his thirst might be.

* It was the custom to place a chafing-dish upon the altar

when

the cold

might warm

was very

his fingers at

it.

great, in order that the priest

;

FROM DRINK.

HIS ABSTINENCE

only drank in the morning at table, and at that

time he was not

nevertheless he bore it

was

mouth, inside and

his thirst

however,

became

so ex-

frame panted for drink

cessive that his whole

the pain of

When,

thirsty.

drew towards evening,

perseveringly, though

it all

and

bitter

out,

was

His

intense.

as dry as that of a

and

sick person in a distemper,

his

tongue was

so cracked that for more than a year afterwards it

would not

When

heal.

he stood in choir at

compline thus parched with

thirst,

and the holy

water was sprinkled around according to custom, he would eagerly open his parched mouth,

and gape wide towards the sprinkling-brush, in the hope that a

upon

little

his dried-up

drop of water might

tongue and cool

fall

little.

Again, when he used to push away the wine

from him

at the supper-table, all athirst

he was, he would sometimes say:

—Ah, Thy

wherewith the cross. thirsty,

gaze

his eyes

heavenly Father, receive

drink as an offering of give

lift

thirsted in

Sometimes

this

heart's blood,

Child to drink of

though

and cool

and

in that thirst

His death-agony upon

also,

when he was very

he would go opposite the fountain and

at the tinkling

water in the tinned basin,

and then he would look upwards

God and

HENRY

LIFE QP BLESSED

sigh deeply.

SUSO.

other times he was so utterly

overcome by his sufferings that he would cry out from the depths of his heart everlasting Good,

ments stance

Ah me

so nigh,

how hidden

are

—Alas,

Thy judg-

that the broad lake of

and the

clear

Con-

Rhine flows

all

around me,* and yet one single drink of water is

too dear for

to purchase

This

indeed

a misery.

This state of things

continued until the

when the Gospel was read at Mass about how our Lord God changed water into wine.. That same Sunday night he sat in misery at time

table, for

through excess of

desire to eat.

thirst

he had no

soon as grace was read he

hurried quickly to his chapel, for he was so

overcome with agony that he could no more contain himself, and, bursting into a flood of bitter tears,

he exclaimed

— O God, Thou alone

knowest what sorrow and anguish of heart arc

Wherefore was I born

into- this

world so utterly

poor and destitute that in the midst of

all

abun-

dance I must endure such grievous need? While *

The Dominican Convent in which Blessed Henry

Suso>

lived stood on a small island at the point where the Rhine

flows out of the lake of Constance. tory.

It is

now

a manufac-

HIS ABSTINENCE

FKOM DKINK.

he was uttering these lamentations,

him

fresh

—Be

of good courage

and comfort

rejoice

knight

seemed

though a voice spoke within his

saying

;

life

God

Weep

thee.

bear thyself well.

;

soon

brave

not,

These words brought

to his heart, so that

he stopped lament-

weeping altogether.

ing,

and

the pain he suffered would not let

tried to leave off

him

quite joyful, and his tears continued

feel

falling,

though something inwardly forced him

to smile,

though at some pleasant adventure

hand which God this state he went

soul,

will

But

close at

would ere long send him.

His mouth

to compline.

sang while his heart trembled, and

all

seemed

that he should soon be recom-

him the while pensed for

his sufferings.

And

came

to pass not long afterwards, and even that very

night he received part payment in the follow-

ing manner

appeared to him in a vision as

though our dear Lady, God's Mother, came to

him with

the

little

Child Jesus in the form

wore on earth when seven years

old.

The

Child carried in His hand a small goblet of fresh water.

and was a mugs.

The

little

goblet was glazed

all over,

larger than one of the convent-

Then our dear Lady took

her hand, and gave

the goblet in

to the Servitor to drink.

LIFE OF BLESSED

received

quenched

with

HENRY

great

SUSO.

eagerness,

and

his thirst to his heart's content.

One day

he happened

he was walking in the country,

to meet,

poor, respectable

on a narrow pathway, a

woman and when ;

drew near him, he gave up and went himself

into the

the

to her the

wet

woman

dry path,

at the side, in

The woman, turning round, said to him Dear master, how comes it that you, a gentleman and a priest, give way so humbly to me, a poor woman, who ought much more fittingly to have given way to you ? order to let her go by. :

replied

tom

—Ah,

dear woman,

pay willing deference and honour

women

for the sake of the gentle

in heaven.

hands

—

this she lifted

to heaven,

custo all

Mother of God

up her eyes and

and spoke thus

—I

beseech

this

same augnst Lady that you may not depart

this

world until you have received some special

whom you honour in all of us He answered —May the pure Maiden heaven obtain me this.

grace from her

women.

Mary It

happened soon afterwards

that,

though

there was abundance of every kind of drink

before him, he left the table, according to Ins

custom, with a thirsting mouth. night,

when he

lay

down

That same

to rest, there

came

OUR LADY GIVES HIM DRINK. and stood before him,

in a vision, a beautiful

heavenly form, which thus addressed him the Mother,

is I,

the

little

who gave

—

thee to drink from

goblet the other night

and, since thou

;

art so exceeding thirsty, I will in pity give thee

once more to drink.

answer very wisely

—Ah, purest one

hast nothing in thy

this the Servitor

but thou

hand out of which

She replied:

drink.

—I

made

to give

will give thee to

drink of that healthful drink which flows from

my heart. He

was

so terrified at this that

knew well how unThen she said to him,

could not answer her, for he

worthy of

he was.

with great kindliness

— Inasmuch

as Jesus,

the treasure of heaven, has

come down

ingly into thy heart, and

since

mouth has bestow

and

it is

so dearly

on thee for thy special consolation;

not a corporeal drink which I will give spiritual,

drink of real and true purity.

be as she had self

thy parched

earned this grace, I will

but a healthful,

thee,

so lov-

—Thou

said,

shalt

and excellent

Then he

let it

and he thought within him-

now

drink thy

able to quench thy great thirst.

full,

When

and be he had

well drunk of this heavenly drink, there re-

mained something in lump.

his

mouth

like a little soft

was white, and of the nature of

HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

manna

;

and

lie

kept

in his

SUSO.

mouth

time, as a voucher for the truth of

what had

Afterwards, he hegan to weep

taken place.

from

for a long

his very heart,

and he thanked God and

His dear Mother for the great grace that they

had vouchsafed him.

That same night our dear Lady appeared a holy person in another town, and said

— Go

from me what is John Chrysostom of the golden mouth, how that one day, when he was still a scholar, as he was kneeling before an altar, on which the heavenly Mother

and

tell

Child's Servitor

written of the great doctor,

was represented in carved wood giving the Child in her arms to drink, as mothers do, the

image of the Mother bade her Child stop awhile,

and allowed the afore-named scholar likewise drink from out her heart.

the Servitor also has received from vision,

and

as a voucher

This same grace

for

its

truth,

mark

this:

that from this time forth the teaching

which

will

proceed from his holy mouth will be

much more it

fervent and pleasanter to hear than

has ever been before.

heard

this,

the Servitor

his hands, heart,

and

—Praised be the vein of the

out-

eyes, saying

When

lifted

flowing Godhead, and praised beyond praise be

— OUR LADY GIVES HIM DKINK. the sweet Mother of

by me, poor

graces

all

worthless man, for this heavenly gift.

—

The same holy person made answer, saying: One thing more I have to tell you. Know,

then, that our dear Lady, with her dear Child,

appeared to

last

night in a vision, and our

Lady had in her hand a beautiful drinking-vessel of water. The Child and the Lady spoke loving words about you, and then she held the vessel of water to the Child,

and prayed

nounce His blessing over

it.

Him

to pro-

pronounced

His holy blessing upon the water, and immediately the water It is

became wine; and

said:

My will is that the brother should

enough.

no longer mortify himself by abstaining from

Let him henceforward drink wine for

wine. his

From

wasted frame's sake.

now

that

God

allowed

that time forth,

to him, the Servitor

drank wine as he had done before.

this

same

become very

ill,

period,

owing

when

the Servitor had

to the excessive

of the afore-mentioned exercises so long practised, our dear

burden

which he had

Lord appeared

to a

holy friend of God, holding in His hand a box.

She

said to

the box 1

—Lord, what meanest Thou by cure my He answered —I mean him:

Servitor with

it,

for

is sick.

Then our Lord

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

80 went it,

and opened

to the Servitor with the box,

and

in the

took out some of the blood, and spread the Servitor's heart, so that

and

after that

box there was fresh blood.

spread

over

became all bloody,

over his hands and

Upon this, she said to Him: Ah, Lord! why dost Thou mark him thus? or is it Thy will to impress upon him Thy

feet

and

all his

limbs.

—

five

love-marks I

lovingly

mark

answered

his heart

sufferings,

and I

to health,

and I

and

make

—Yes.

all his

will heal him, will

and

I will

frame with restore

him a man

him after

My whole heart. At

length, after the Servitor

had

his eighteenth to his fortieth year, a ercises,

according to the outer

from

of ex-

—such as —and when

man

have been in part described above his

led, life

whole frame was now so worn and wasted

that nothing remained for

him except them

leave off these exercises, he left

God showed him

to die or off;

and

that all this austerity and

these practices were nothing

all

more than a good

and a breaking through his uncrushed natural man and he saw that he must

beginning,

;

press on

still

farther in quite another way,

wished to reach perfection.

— THE SCHOOL OF TEUE DETACHMENT.

Chapter XXI. How he was directed to

the rational school, in which

the art of true detachment

One bench in

day the Servitor was

and

stracted,

sitting

on his

and while he was absorbed

after matins,

meditation

taught.

bodily senses became

his

seemed to

his

ab-

inward vision that

a noble youth came down from above, and, standing before him,

Thou

hast

schools,

him thus:

long enough in the lower

been

and hast exercised thyself

them, and

with me.

which

addressed

art

now

sufficiently

full-grown.

then

I will take thee to the highest school to

be found in

this

world; and thou

shalt diligently learn there the highest of all crafts,

which

shall establish thee in divine peace,

and bring thy holy beginnings

to a blissful end.

The

Servitor was rejoiced at this, and stood up; upon which, the youth took him by the hand

and carried him,

appeared to him, into a

land above the ken of sense.

There was a

beautiful house there, which looked as if

the abode of religious men, and those tised the

afore-named craft dwelt in

were

who prao

it.

When

he entered the house, they received him kindly

LIFE OF BLESSED

and greeted him

lovingly,

HENRY

and then they went and

in haste to the Master Superior,

had come who

that one

and

disciple,

—I

him and

high

craft, if

But the

fined.

obscure words

saying:

pleases me.

—Tell :

which

excellent professor of

submit to the

thither,

and asked him,

me, dear comrade, what

— The

swered

abiding

the

me f

The youth

an-

highest school, and the craft

taught there, consist simply in an

how a man may

spirit

how God

self; that

attain to such

of self-renunciation, that, no mat-

treats him, either directly

by Him-

or indirectly through creatures, or

feels,

the craft taught there

and perfect detachment from

to say,

that this

he turned him to the youth

of which thou spokest to

how he

whether joyful or sad, the one object of

his strivings shall ever

be to continue always

the same by a perpetual giving up of as

answered:

Servitor understood not these so

;

highest school, and what

self,

how he

will patiently

who had brought him

ter

which he must be inwardly con-

strait stocks, in

entire

him

wished to he his

— Be assured

may become an

stranger

see

told

he saw the Servitor, he smiled upon him

very kindly, and said:

this

also

to learn the craft.

will look at

When

SUSO.

human

frailty will allow,

and

self,

as far

make God's

THE SCHOOL OF TRUE DETACHMENT. honour and glory his

way

sole aim, just in the

that the dear Christ acted towards His heavenly

When

Father.

well pleased at craft,

and

with no

the Senator heard

and he resolved

it,

seemed

him

active work. this,

to study the

meet

make him turn

Moreover, he wished

aside from this intention.

doing

he was

that he could

difficulties so great as to

and

to build a house there,

this,

much

to undertake

The youth prevented him from

saying

—This

craft requires

plete cessation from activity.

The

a com-

less

man

does here, the more he has really done.*

Immediately after

came still

as before.

upon

this discourse the Servitor

and he continued

to himself again,

Then he began

this discourse,

to sit

to reflect deeply

and he observed that

was

the same pure and simple truth which Christ

Himself has taught.

Thereupon he proceeded

to hold converse with himself interiorly, saying:

—Look inwards,

self still really there,

withstanding

all

man

still

He is

and

wilt find thy-

wilt perceive that, not-

thy outward practices, in which

thou didst of thy

thou art

and thou

friend,

own

choice exercise thyself,

undetached from

self in

what

re-

alluded in this to that mode of acting in which a a hindrance to himself, and does not seek God's

honour purely.

HENEY

LIFE OF BLESSED

lates to contradictions at the

Thou

art

still

Even

art terrified every

day

makes thee

lose colour.

est.

Thou

at the sufferings

which

sight of thy enemies

When

thou shouldst flight.

When thou art praised, thou

laugh-

thou art blamed, thou mournest.

well be true that thou needest a higher

school.

at every rust-

be humiliated, thou takest to

When

may

hid-

thou shouldst expose thyself to the blow,

thou hidest.

others.

lies

with thee too.

The

thee.

let thyself

which

is terrified

is it

come upon

When

hands of

like a timid hare,

den in a thicket, and ling leaf.

SUSO.

Then

sighing inwardly, he looked up

God, and said:

this truth

—O

been shown

shall I ever

God, how nakedly has

Woe

me When detached man ?

become a truly

Chapter XXII. How painful

Now that the

it is

to die interiorly.

Servitor

God from exterior penances above, by which

his life

had been released by of the kind described

had been

imperilled, his

worn-out frame was so rejoiced at

this,

that

used to weep for joy whenever he called to mind his penitential bonds,

and

all

the cruel sufferings

INTERIOR CROSSES.

and combats which he had passed through.

And

he said within himself:

Lord, I will lead a quiet

quench

will

Oh how !

and enjoy myself.

thirst fully

often

with wine and

unbound on

water, and I will sleep bed.

—Henceforth, dear

life

straw

and how earnestly I have

longed that this comfort might be mine before

self away.

to rest.

and Alas

Henceforth the time

come

for

Such were the presumptuous thoughts

fancies !

my-

I have been long enough wearing

I died!

which then

mind.

floated before his

he knew not yet what

God had

decreed

concerning him.

When

he had spent several weeks very

pleasantly in these agreeable thoughts,

pened one day

that,

he was

hapac-

sitting

cording to custom on the bench which was his bed, he began to contemplate that true saying

of the suffering Job, "Militia est vita hominis

super terram" (Job

vii.

1),

—The

in this world

of warfare.

As he meditated on

his to

senses

him

life

man

nothing else but a knight's

became

that there

very manly form,

abstracted,

came

life

these words,

and

seemed

in a comely youth, of

who brought him a

pair of

knight's shoes, of excellent quality, with other

clothing such as knights are

wont

to wear.

The

—

LIFE OF BLESSED

HENRY

SUSO.

youth went up to the Servitor, and vested him in the knight's attire, saying:

Knight.

God

—Hearken,

Sir

Hitherto thou hast been a squire:

wills thee

now

The

be a knight.

Ser-

vitor looked at himself in the knight's shoes,

and marvelling greatly in

—Wonderful, O God me?

What

his heart, exclaimed

What

has happened to

Must I be a

have I become?

much rather lead a comfortable life than this. Then he said to the youth Well, since God wills me to be a knight, if only I had been made one gloriously in a battle, I should have preferred it. The youth turned half aside, and, with a laugh, answered: Be not anxious. You shall have fighting enough. He who resolves to bear himself undauntedly as knight ?

I had

—

God's knight in this spiritual warfare will meet

with

much

lot of the

harder conflicts than ever

famed heroes of olden

fell

to the

time,

whose

knightly prowess the world loves to recount in

song and

tale.

Thou

fanciest

has

has cast

now

attend It is

so that thou canst

But

not

so, as yet.

away thy bonds, to thy comfort.

it is

God

that

taken thy yoke oif thee, and that

not God's will to take thy bonds from off thee.

will only

change them, and make them far

heavier than they ever were before.

The Ser-

— INTEKIOR CKOSSES. was struck with

vitor

my God

Alas,

terror at this,

what

me?

I fancied that

it is

going to begin.

commencing, as

87 said

Thou about to do with

art all

and

was

an end, just as

seems to me.

now

only

straits are

Ah, Lord of

Heaven! what mean Thy dealings with me? Am I alone a sinner, and are all other men just, that

Thou

dost in this wise use

Thy

rod

on me, poor wretch, and sparest many others ?

Thou

hast acted thus with

hood's days, ful

when Thou

since

didst crucify

my childmy youth-

frame with heavy and weary sicknesses.

fancied that I had had enough

He answered must be

—No

—Lord

fering I have

and

still

upwards

this time;

Thou

not yet enough. to the very

go well with

if it is to

Servitor said

—Look

it is

and proved

tried

all things,

bottom in

thee.

The

me how much sufme. He answered:

show

before at the

heavens above thee,

thou canst count the countless multitude

of the stars, thou canst count also the sufferings

which small,

still

await thee; and as the stars seem

and yet are great, even so thy sufferings

are small in seeming to the eyes of unexercised

men;

while, judged of

by thy own

will prove great for thee to bear. said:

—Ah,

Lord! show

feelings,

The

they

Servitor

the sufferings be*

LIFE OF BLESSED

forehand, that I

—No lest

HENRY

SUSO.

may know them. He answered

better for thee not to

it is

know them,

thou shouldst lose heart beforehand.

theless,

among

await thee, I will

The

tell

thee three.

Hitherto thou hast struck

first is this.

thyself with thy

Never-

the countless sufferings which

own

hands, and

left off striking

when thou wouldst, and hast had pity upon thyself. But now I will myself take hold of thee, and give thee over quite defenceless hands of strangers, and thou shalt licly the loss

into the

suffer

means of certain blinded men.

This will press

upon thee more painfully than the sharp on thy wounded back did;

for in

men, whereas now thou to

The second been the

suffering

bitter deaths

among

be beaten down

naught in the sight of

all.

Many as

is this.

which thou hast

thyself, nevertheless this

to thee is

shalt

that thy disposition

an affectionate and love-seeking one. shall befall thee, that in those

fulness thou shalt

Now

very quarters

shalt look for special love

ness, sufferings,

have

inflicted

has always remained

by God's providence,

where thou

cross

thy former

exercises thou wast held in high repute

and brought

pub-

of thy good name, through the

and

faith-

meet with great unfaithful-

and

affliction.

And

this shall

INTERIOR CROSSES.

who

in such manifold ways, that those

happen

shall continue more than ordinarily true to thee

have

will

The

to suffer

with thee from compassion.

third suffering

Hitherto thou

this.

child,

and

thou hast floated in divine sweetness, as a

fish

hast been like an unweaned sucking

I will

in the sea.

and

let

now withdraw this from

thee,

and thou

shalt

thee starve and wither

;

be forsaken both by God and the world, and be openly despised by friends and foes. In a

word: whatever thou

shalt take

hand

order to delight or comfort thee, shall come to

naught.

The

Servitor

was struck with such conster-

nation at these words that his whole frame trem-

up impetuously, he fell down upon the ground in the form of a cross, and calling upon God with a cry of agony from his

bled; and springing

very heart, besought

Him by

His kind fatherly

goodness to take away from him, sible, this

if it

were pos-

great misery ; or, if this could not be,

to let the heavenly will of

His eternal ordinance

be accomplished in him. After he had lain a good while in this extremity of anguish, something spoke within

thus:

—Be

of good cheer.

him

I Myself will be

with thee, and I will aid thee graciously to

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

overcome in

upon he

trials.

There-

and gave himself up

entirely

these unusual

all

arose,

Now when

into God's hands.

and he was

ing,

became morn-

sitting sorrowfully in his cell

Mass, thinking over these

after

frozen with cold, for

and

things,

was winter, he heard a

—

him saying Open the window of and look out and learn. He opened

voice within

the

cell,

the window, and looked out, and he beheld a

dog running about in the middle of the with a worn-out foot-cloth in

its

cloister

The

mouth.

dog was acting very strangely with the tearing holes in

it.

looked up to heaven, sighing deeply, and said to

him:

—Even

him

— Since

self to it

;

was

be in thy

the thought came to

cannot be otherwise, resign

thy*-

and, as the foot-cloth suffers itself to

be maltreated

went down

so shalt thou

Then

brethren's mouths.

foot-

up and down, and Thereupon the Servitor

he kept tossing

cloth, for

in silence,

even so do thou.

into the cloister, and, taking

foot-cloth, preserved

for

many

up the

years as a

jewel most dear to him ; and as often as he

felt

inclined to break out into impatience, he used to

bring

forth, that

and keep

he might recognise himself

silence in regard to all

men.

sometimes happened that he half turned away

INTERIOR CROSSES.

anger from some of those who per-

his face in

secuted him, he was inwardly rebuked for

it,

—

him Remember that I, thy Lord, turned not away My beautiful face from those who spat upon Me. Then he would bitterly repent of what he had done, and turn himself to them again very lovingly. In the beginning, when he met with any suffering, the thought would come to his mind and

was

—O God,

said to

that this suffering were at an end,

that I might have done with

Thereupon

it!

the Child Jesus appeared to him in a vision on

our Lady's feast of Candlemas, and rebuked him, saying suffer

;

—Thou

know how to Behold when

dost not yet

but I will teach thee

thou art in any suffering, thou shouldst not look onwards to the

end of that

suffering,

fancying that thou wilt then be at rest; but so long as the suffering lasts, thou shouldst

getting thyself ready to

accept with

another suffering, which

its

Thou

train.

picking

roses.

shouldst

When

patience

sure to follow in

do like a maiden

she

has

picked one

rose from the rose-bush, this does not satisfy

many more from Make up thy mind

her, but she resolves to pick it.

Even

for

this

do thou.

beforehand, that,

when one

suffering

LIFE OF BLESSED

comes

HENRY

SUSO.

an end, another will forthwith meet

thee.

Among

other friends of

him the new

sufferings

God who

foretold to

which were hanging

over him, there came to him a person of emi-

nent sanctity,

who

said that, on the Angels' fes-

matins she had prayed to

tival, after

him with exceeding seemed

earnestness

;

God

for

and that

her in a vision that she was carried

to the place where he then was,

and that she

beheld a beautiful rose-tree grow up over him,

and spread itself on all sides was of a ravishing form, and

roses.

red

looking up to heaven

her that the sun rose cloud,

and wide.

full of lovely

far

seemed to

all beautiful,

without a

and with much splendour.

Now

there

stood in the sun's radiance a lovely Child in the

form of a cross ; and she saw a ray come forth from the sun to the Servitor's heart, and so

mighty that

limbs.

But

and did

its

set

the rose-tree

best with

its

fire all his

bowed

itself

was

and

between,

thick boughs to shut out

the sunshine from his heart. could not succeed in

veins

this, for

Nevertheless

the outstreaming

rays were so powerful, that they pierced through all

the boughs and shone

heart.

Then

down

right into his

she saw the Child come forth

INTERIOR CROSSES. from the sun, and she said

—I am

going to said

—I

—Dear

My beloved

Upon

Servitor.

—Sweet Child, what means the Thy

sun's brightness in

replied:

him:

Thou going ? He answered

Child, whither art

which she

have made

Servitor's heart?

his loving heart thus

bright and glorious, that the reflection of

its

radiance, streaming forth from out his heart,

may draw The

lovingly the hearts of

all

men

Me.

thick rose-tree, which represents the mani-

fold sufferings that await him, cannot hinder this,

but right nobly

shall

be accomplished

in him.

Inasmuch

as seclusion

profitable to a be-

ginner, the Servitor resolved to remain for

than ten years secluded in his monastery from all

the world.

When

he went from table he

used to shut himself up in his chapel and re-

main

there.

versations

refused to hold any long con-

convent -door or elsewhere

the

with women, or even with men, nor would he look at them.

look

fixed a short limit for his

beyond which he suffered them not to

eyes, ;

and the

limit

was

five feet.

remained

always at home, and would never go out either into the

town or the country.

to practise solitude.

His one aim was

All this watchfulness, how-

— LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

ever, served liim nothing; for during these years

there

fell

upon him exceeding grievous

him down

ings; and they crushed that he

became an

suffer-

so heavily

object of pity to himself

and

others.

In order that

more agreeable

prison-house might be

his

him during

which he had resolved

the ten years

spend in voluntary

confinement in his chapel, he directed a painter to

draw

for

him the holy

fathers of olden time

with their sayings, as well as other devout pictures, calculated to

encourage a sufferer to pa-

But God would not

tience under afflictions. let this

be according to his wish ; for when the

painter had sketched out the ancient fathers

w ith

charcoal on the chapel -walls, his eyes

became draw.

bad that he could no longer see to

therefore begged permission to de-

part, saying that the

The

got well again.

work must wait

Servitor turned to

painter,

and inquired how long

him

get well.

to set

he the

would take

The painter answered: Upon this the Servitor told

Twelve weeks.

him

until

up again the

ladder,

which he had

taken down, against the outlines of the anciejut fathers on the

w all; and when r

he mounted the ladder, and,

this

after

was done,

rubbing his

INTERIOR CROSSES.

hands upon the pictures, stroked the painter's suffering eyes, saying

and through the

—In the

might of God,

of these

holiness

ancient

fathers, I bid you, master, come back here to-

morrow morning with your eyes quite cured. Early next morning the painter came back joyous and well, and he thanked

The

Servitor for his cure.

did not ascribe fathers,

God and

the

Servitor, however,

to himself, but to the ancient

on whose pictures he had rubbed

his

hands.

During

same period

this

had given leave to the

seemed

evil spirits

and

as if

to all

God men

Innumerable were the

suffer-

ings which he then endured from the evil

spirits,

torment him.

who, in horrible assumed forms and with savage cruelty, caused

and

night,

from

him

this source

much

awake and

pain and

grief,

day

asleep, that his sufferings

were exceeding great.

Once upon a time he was tempted with a great longing to eat meat, for he

many

years without touching meat.

had passed

Now,

after

he had eaten the meat, and had scarcely finished satisfying his longing,

there

came and

stood

over against him, in a vision, a monstrous hellish figure, who, after repeating the verse, a Adhuc escao

eorum erant

in ore ipsorum, et ira

Dei des-

— :

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

cendit super eos" (Ps.lxxvii. 30;

Numb.

xi. 33),

yet the morsel was in their mouth, and the

wrath of

—

God came down upon them, cried out who stood by Tins

in a barking voice to those

monk

guilty of death,

and I

suf-

he drew forth a horrible auger, saying

—Since I may not do any thing will at least torture thy

and I

—

will execute the

But when they would not

sentence on him. fer this,

will bore

else to thee,

body with

this auger;

into thee through thy

in such a manner, that the anguish

mouth

which thou

shalt suffer will be as great as the pleasure thou didst take in eating the meat. this,

And

having said

he drove the auger in cruel fashion against

the Servitor's mouth.

Whereupon immediately

his chin-bones

and teeth swelled up, and

mouth became

so swollen that

;

and

for three days

any thing

else,

up through

his

he could not open

he could not eat meat or

except only what he could suck

his teeth.

INTERIOR SUFFERINGS.

Chapter Of

Among

XX III.

interior sufferings.

his various sufferings, there

him great

three interior ones which caused

One

ment.

were tor-

of these was impious imaginations

Thus, there would come

against the faith.

—

How was it posmind the thought sible for God to become man, with many other The more he fought thoughts of that kind. against them, the more perplexed he became. God suffered him to remain under these temp:

into his

tations about nine years, during

which he ceased

not with wailing heart and weeping eyes to cry to God and all the Saints for help. At last, when God deemed that the time was come, He set him entirely free from them, and bestowed upon him great steadfastness and clearness of faith.

The second nate sadness. ness of

upon

spirit,

interior suffering

He that

his heart.

that his turning

was an

inordi-

had such a continual heaviit

was

as if a

mountain lay

partial cause of this was,

away from

creatures to

God

had been carried out with such excessive speed and

severity, that his bodily

frame had suffered

HENRY

LITE OF BLESSED

greatly from

This

it.

SUSO.

trial lasted for

eight

years.

The tion

was a tempta-

third interior suffering

which assailed him, that

would never be

well with his soul hereafter, but that he must

be damned eternally, no matter how rightly he should

act, or

how many

should practise

for all

;

spiritual exercises

this would be of no

him among the saved, and it all him lost labour from the beginning.

avail to place

seemed to

His mind was saddened with

this

and night ; and when he had

thought day

go into

choir,

or to do any other good work, the temptation

presented

itself:

God?

serve

—What

—Surely there

nothing but

Never

a curse for thee.

Give

lost,

it all

Thou

art

Then he would think

wilt.

shall

I betake myself?

my lot

;

and

If I quit if

I remain

nothing but misery awaits me. Alas, Lord

it,

God am?

be well with

—Alas, utterly wretched that I

the Order, hell will be in

will it

up, then, betimes.

do what thou

within himself:

am, whither

profit thee to

to himself,

very mournfully

thee.

does

Then he would say

was there ever a man worse

off

than I

Sometimes he would stand deep sunk

into himself,

and groan many times

while the tears ran

down

his cheeks.

heavily,

Then he

INTERIOR SUFFERINGS. would beat

his breast

and say

—Alas, O God

Oh! what a Must I be miserable

I then never to be saved?

mournful thing

this

here and hereafter

came

forth

from

me, that I ever

my mother's womb.

This temptation inordinate fear.

Woe

fell

upon him through an

had been

told

him

that his

admission into the Order had been connected

with the bestowal of temporal goods, and from this

comes the

sin called simony,

which

consists

in the purchase of something spiritual with

What he

something temporal.

heard sunk

deep into his heart, until at length he was quite overpowered

by the anguish that

caused

him. After this terrible suffering had lasted about ten years,

all

which time he never looked upon

himself in any other light than as one damned,

he went to the holy Master Eckart, and made

known

delivered

from the

him

his suffering.

him from hell in

it,

The holy man set him free

and thus

which he had

so long dwelt.

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

100

Chapter XXIV. How he

went forth to succour and

After he had ing to his interior

to save his neighbour.

many years in attendGod urged him, by mani-

spent

life,

fold revelations, to apply himself also to the sal-

vation of his neighbour.

which

befell

him

in this

The

great sufferings

work were beyond num-

how many souls were succoured by him was once shown by God to one of His chosen friends named Anna, who was, more-

ber and measure. But

over, a spiritual daughter of the Servitor.

was one day rapt in ecstasy

at prayer,

She

and she

saw the Servitor saying Mass upon a lofty moun-

tain.

innumerable multitude of children

were hanging in and on him, but each

differ-

ently from the rest; for the more any one had of

God, the more firmly he rested on the Servitor; and the more inwardly he was drawn into the Servitor, the to him.

perfectly

God turned Himself

She saw, moreover, that the Servitor

was praying earnestly for them all to the everlasting God, whom he held in his priestly hands.

Upon to

this,

she besought

her what the

swered her in

God

vision meant.

this

wise

make known

And God

an-

—The innumerable mul-

HIS ZEAL titude of children

those

who

are all

are his penitents or disciples, or are

ways bound

love and

faithfulness. to

parted from

him by

of special

ties

All these he has com-

in such sort, that I will guide

good end, and they

their life to a

never be

shall

What-

gladsome countenance.

ever heavy sufferings

him, shall be

fall

101

who hang npon him

in other

mended

FOR SOULS.

may on

all fully

this

account be-

made up

him by

the joys which I will give him.

Before the above-named noble maiden be-

came acquainted with the Servitor of the Eter-

God an

nal Wisdom, she had received from

drawing and desire to see him.

interior it

happened once that she was rapt in

and

Now

ecstasy,

in the vision a voice bade her go to the

place where the Servitor then was, and see him.

She answered

—I do not know him among the The voice replied know him among the others.

multitude of the brothers.

—

easy to

has around his head a green ring, entwined

round and round with red and white

a garland of purity,

roses.

The white

and the red roses

roses, like

roses signify his

his patience

amid the

manifold sufferings which he must endure just as the ring of gold, to paint

which

it is

;

and

the custom

round the heads of Saints, represents

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

102

now

the everlasting bliss which they

God, even tiplicity

possess in

mul-

so the ring of roses indicates the

of sufferings which God's dear friends

must bear while they are

still

Him

serving

Then

in this world with knightly exercises.

the angel led her in the vision to where he was,

and she soon recognised him by the ring of roses which was round

During

this

his head.

same period of

suffering,

Servitor's greatest interior support

the

came from

the continual help which the holy angels gave

him.

Once upon a were absorbed in vision that

time,

when

ecstasy,

his

outward senses

seemed to him in a

he was carried to a place in which

number of the angelic host, and that one of those who stood nearest to Put forth thy hand and look. He him said put forth his hand and looked and out of the middle of his hand there sprung up a beautiful red rose, with lovely green leaves. The rose was so large that it covered his hand to his there was a very great

—

;

was

and resplendent

fingers,

and

that

gave great pleasure to his eyes.

turned his

on both

so beautiful

hand round outside and

sides

was ravishing

marvelling in his heart at

inside,

to look at.

this,

he said

He and

Greatly :

—Dear

FALSE ACCUSATIONS.

103

comrade, what means this vision %

The youth

answered: ings,

—

means

and over again

which God intends is

signified

sigh, said

feet.

God

suffer-

sufferings,

This

roses on thy

The

what

two hands

Servitor, with a deep

—Alas, gentle Lord

ordinance of

upon

to give thee.

by the four

and thy two

sufferings

it is

a singular

that sufferings should cause

such pain to men, and yet be so beautiful an

adornment to them

spiritually.

Chapter

XXV.

Concerning manifold sufferings.

Once upon

a time he came to a small town,

and near the town there was a wooden image, a crucifix,

custom

many

which stood in a is

;

and

little

house, as the

was the popular

belief that

miracles were wrought there, on which

account people used to bring thither

wax figures

and much wax in honour of God. arrived opposite the crucifix, he

knelt before

it;

and then,

after

When

went up and he had spent

some time in prayer, he arose and proceeded with his companion to the inn.

and praying of his before the

This kneeling

crucifix

had been

104

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

seen by a

Now,

little girl,

a child of seven years

the night following, there

came

old.

thieves to

the image, and they broke open the doors, and stole all the

wax which they found

there.

was day, the news came

into the

town, and was carried to the citizen

who had

soon as

the charge of the image.

inquired into the

matter, in order to discover

who had committed

Upon

which, the above-

this great robbery.

mentioned child said that she knew well who had done it. And when she was pressed to

make said

known, and

—No one

brother,

added

to point out the villain, she

guilty of the crime except the

meaning by

this the Servitor

—I saw him yesterday kneel

;

for,

she

before the

image, and then go into the town.

The truth,

citizen took these

words of the child as

and repeated them on

all sides, so

the calumny concerning the

brother

that

spread

through the town, and he was charged with the

and many an judgment was passed upon him, how that

crime on these slight grounds; evil

he ought

killed, and, as

a wicked man, to

be put out of the world.

When filled

the Servitor heard

all

this,

he was

with consternation, though he well

knew

that he was guiltless, and, with a deep groan, he

105

FALSE ACCUSATIONS. said to suffer,

God

—Alas, Lord

and I must needs

since

it is

lot to

Thou wouldst

suffer, if

me ordinary sufferings, such as would bring me to disgrace, I would bear them

but give not

Thou

all

remained in

came

good name

to the heart in those things

others are the sorest to me.

town

this

to talk about It

dost strike

which of

but by destroying

joyfully;

until the people ceased

it.

to pass, in another town, that there

arose a great outcry concerning him, so that the

whole town and neighbourhood was

full

it.

There was a monastery in this town, in which there was a stone crucifix, of the exact

was

said, of

Christ Himself.

size, it

Now, one day dur-

ing Lent, fresh blood was observed on the crucifix,

just beneath the

wound on

the side.

The

Servitor ran thither with the others to behold

the wonder, and

when he saw

went up and received sight of all of people

who

the blood, he

his finger, in the

stood around.

The concourse

from every part of the town soon be-

came very

great,

and they forced him

forward before them

all,

had seen and touched. at the

and

relate

did

to stand

what he

this,

adding

same time the caution, that he pronoun-

ced no judgment about the matter, whether

HENEY

LIFE OF BLESSED

106

was from God or man, but that

SUSO. lie left this to

others.

This story resounded far and wide through the country, and each person added to

he pleased, and tor

what

was given out that the Servi-

had pricked himself in the finger and rubbed

the blood upon the crucifix, in order that

might

be supposed that the crucifix had bled of

and that he had devised

this

itself,

through covetous-

draw a crowd of people

ness, with a

view

thither, that

he might plunder them of their

property.

The same

evil

report

abroad about him in other towns

As this

was spread

also.

soon as the citizens of the town heard

calumnious

him but

tale,

to escape

there was nothing left for

by night out of the

place,

and

they pursued him, and would have killed him, if

They even

he had not got away.

large

him

sum

in alive

money

or dead.

offered

whoever would bring Evil rumours of this

kind were circulated in abundance concerning

him; and wherever these

tales reached,

they

name was greeted and many an Some unjust judgment was passed upon him. persons, indeed, who knew him, were more

were received with

many

reasonable

as truth,

revilings

;

and

his

curses,

but, if they ventured to assert his

107

FALSE ACCUSATIONS.

innocence, they were so savagely put down, that

they were forced to hold their peace, and

let

him

perish in the world's esteem.

An when

honourable lady, a citizen of the town,

she heard

the marvellous sufferings

all

which the poor innocent

came

man had

undergone,

him out of compassion, in the midst of and advised him to procure from

his distress,

the town a sealed testimonial of his guiltless-

he might take

ness, that

with him wherever

he went, for every one in the town knew well lady

if this

was innocent.

that he

were

replied

—Ah, dear

only suffering, and

were God's intention to lay no other

upon me but

this,

I would apply for the

monial ; but as things kind

this

leave

falls to

are, so

my lot

God and

much

if it

affliction testi-

suffering of

every day, that I must

bear

it.

another time he set forth on a journey to

the Netherlands, to be present at a chapter, and

he found sufferings ready waiting his arrival, for there

came

for

him on him

thither to attack

two persons of high position in the Order, who were very active in

him

their endeavours to bring

into great trouble.

he was put upon

his trial,

laid to his charge,

With quaking heart, and many things were

among which was

the follow-

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

108 ing

—They

he had written books con-

said that

taining false doctrine, wliich

had

defiled the

whole country with heretical

filth.

In conse-

quence, he was harshly and

severely repri-

manded, and he was threatened with heavy punishment, though

God and

the world

knew

that he was guiltless in the matter.

These crushing

He made

trials

number

their

did not satisfy God, but

greater.

still

sent

the Servitor a sickness on his journey home, and

caused him to be attacked by a violent fever. Besides

this,

a dangerous abscess gathered in-

wardly, close to his heart; so that, what with interior anguish

and outward

so near to death that his

him to

see

sufferings,

he came

companion often looked

whether the moment had not come

for his soul to take its departure.

As he

lay thus

utterly

wretched in

strange convent in bed, and could not sleep at

night from the straits to which his grievous sickness

had reduced him, he began

me,

O just

overburthened ing,

to enter

—

God in this wise: Woe is God, that Thou hast so exceedingly

into account with

my sick frame with bitter suffermy heart through and through

and wounded

with the great dishonour and shame that has

been done me, and that I

thus encompassed

FALSE ACCUSATIONS.

109

with bitter anguish from without and from within

When

wilt

Then he

Thou

cease afflicting me,

set before his

mind the death-agony

which Christ endured on the Mount of

and while contemplating his

When wilt thou deem it enough ?

gentle Father !

this,

Olives,,

he crawled from

bed to the bench which stood beside

he could not bear to

lie

for

it,

down, owing to the

abscess.

While he

him

sat thus in miser)

in a vision that there

came

seemed

into the

to-

cham-

ber a great company of the heavenly host to comfort him, and that they began to sing one of

the songs of heaven, which rang so sweetly in his ears that his

it.

whole being was transformed

they sang thus joyously, and the sick

Servitor sat there so full of sorrow, a youth cameto him,

and

said very lovingly:

Why

thou silent?

And

art

us?

yet thou knowest right well the song of

heaven.

The

Servitor, with a sigh

made answer, saying thou not how full of woe I am !

sorrowful heart, seest

—Wherefore

singest thou not with

from :

his

—Alas

When

man rejoice? Do you want am singing now the wail of suf-

ever did a dying

to sing ?

fering.

If I have ever

over now, for I

sung joyously, that

is all

waiting only for the hour of

— HENRY

LITE OF BLESSED

110

death.

fully

—"

that

Viriliter age."

shalt yet sing in

God

and many a this, his

and

youth replied right joy-

of good cheer.

Nothing of this kind

joyous.

Thou

this the

SUSO.

shall befall thee.

thy lifetime such a song

His eternity

shall

sufferer consoled

glorified,

Upon

it.

eyes ran over, and he burst into tears,

at the

same instant the abscess within him

broke, and departed from him, and he was restored to health

Afterwards,

upon the

spot.

when he reached home,

there

came to him a blessed friend of God, saying Dear sir, though it is true that on this journey you were more than a hundred miles away from me, nevertheless, what you suffered during :

was quite present

I saw one day with

me.

soul's eyes the Divine

Judge

sitting

upon

His throne, and, by His permission, two

evil

who persecuted you by means of the two prelates who caused your sufThen I cried to God, saying: Alas, ferings. gentle God how canst Thou bear to let Thy spirits

were

let loose,

—

friend be in such great

and

bitter suffering!

Upon which God answered me It is for this

in this wise

end that I have chosen him

for

Myself, that by means of these sufferings he

may be

fashioned after the image of

My only-

Ill

HIS SISTER. "begotten Son.

Nevertheless,

justice

must

avenge the great wrong that has been done him,

by the speedy death of the two who have tormented him. This came to pass in very truth soon afterwards, and in such a persons became aware of

way

that

many

it.

Chapter XXVI. Of the great

The

suffering

Servitor

which

befell

had a

him through

sister

his sister.

who was under life. Now, it

the obedience of the religious

happened

that, while

the brother was living

elsewhere, she began to throw aside restraint

and attach herself occasion,

when

to evil

company.

one

she had gone out with these

companions, she went astray and

fell

into sin,

and then, through grief and wretchedness at

what had befallen ran away he

When

her, left her convent,

knew not

and

whither.

he returned home, the miserable

tale

was being whispered about, and some one came and told him what had taken place. On hearing it,

he became

like a stone

from sorrow, and his

heart died within him, and he went about like

one out of his mind.

asked where she was,

LIFE OF BLESSED

112

but no one could

right,

but that

Then

—A new suffering

should be here!

Well!

back again the poor ruined

to bring

the

quite

lose

See whether thou mayst not be able

not heart.

offer at

SUSO.

him where.

tell

thought came to him

HENRY

once the

sacrifice of

God.

to the merciful

soul,

and

thy worldly honour

Cast aside

all

human

shame, and spring into the deep gulf to her and lift

her up.

When

the brothers stood in the choir at

office,

and he had

all his

colour

left

to pass

was standing on end. go up

any

up through the

him, and he

his

compa-

If he sought counsel of

away their faces from Then he called to mind

his friends, they turned

him

poor Job, and said

God must doned by

He go, that

—Weil

the compassionate

needs comfort me, since I

all

all sides

soul.

and he

aban-

whither he should

he might bring speedy help

saken

the world.

inquired on

place,

ashamed of him,

and those who had formerly been

contemptuously.

hair

had not courage

one, for all were

nions fled from him.

choir,

felt as if his

last

he was directed

set out for

it.

Day, and the weather was

was

cold,

to the for-

to a certain St.

Agnes's

and there had

been a pouring rain throughout the night, so

113

HIS SISTEK. that the brooks were to

jump

much

over a brook, he

swollen.

fell into it

trying

from weak-

up as soon as he could, but his distress was so excessive that he heeded inward After he had gone little this outward mishap. ness.

got

some distance to

him

in a small cottage.

anguish of

further, his sister

and going

soul,

in,

was pointed out

went up

soon as he saw her, he sank

bench on which she was

the

and twice

his

he came to himself

began to cry aloud

again, he

down upon

sitting,

When

senses left him.

to it in

found her there.

piteously,

and

lament and weep and beat his hands together above his head, saying:

how

Thou

hast

failed him,

hands

and

stiffened,

forsaken

—Alas, my !

Then

mouth became

God,

his eyes

and

his

and he lay thus unconscious

for

his

But

a while in a faint.

fixed,

as soon as

he came to

himself again, he took his sister into his arms,

and

said

What

—Alas, my

child

Alas,

have I lived to see in thee ?

maiden, Saint Agnes,

day become to again,

and

sister

Alas, gentle

how

bitter has

And

then he sank down

thy feast-

his senses left him.

Upon this, his

sick sister stood

his feet, with great

and I

up and

bitter tears,

fell at

and in a

LIFE OF BLESSED

114

HENEY

him thus

voice of lamentation addressed

my lord

and father

which brought lost

God and

SUSO.

heart,

into the world, since I have

caused you such great suffering.

lost soul

not worthy that you should speak

or answer me,

and

—Alas,

what a sad day was that

Alas, true brother and rescuer of

though I

call to

be more true to

still

mind

take

your true

that in nothing can

God and

act

you

Him

than in what you do for a cast-away sinner and

an overburdened

you

heart.

Since

God

you refuse

to pity

made how will

has

full of pity for all pitiable things,

me, a poor cast-away sinner,

who am become an object of pity to God and all the world, now that my grievous sin has so speedily and thoughtlessly made me vile in the

What

eyes of every one? dain,

you seek

out.

all reject

and

dis-

When all are justly ashamed

of me, you go openly to the cause of your suffering and disgrace,

and seek

out.

Oh! I

beseech you with an anguish of heart which

knows no

rest, prostrate

neath your

feet,

fallen sinner,

and bowed clown be-

reverence

and forgive

God

in me, poor

altogether this

crime and wrong which I have done you, to the hurt of

my poor soul.

Call to mind, I pray you,

115

HIS SISTER.

that if in this world I have lessened your honour

and harmed your person and life, you will receive instead singular honour

and consolation

in eter-

nity ; and refuse not to pity me, for I

poor maid

who has

must bear

this loss in

and

time and eternity in heart

soul for evermore, and, besides

be a

all,

myself and every one.

burden to

the

and I

fallen into the snare,

let

then be your poor needy child in this world and

Nothing higher does

the next.

than that I

may have no

or to be called, your

be your

lost sister,

my heart

desire

longer the right to be,

sister.

Only let me

in pity

and by right your found and

well-earned needy one.

This comes so truly

from the very bottom of my heart, that when any one

calls

such,

your

sister,

or points

a peculiar bitterness to

it is

I pity you

when you

are where

out as

my heart you

see

know

that

you cannot help

in for

suffering all the

shame which a heart naturally times.

Any

and

it,

your presence and must needs suffer from I

;

feels

at such

common between

thing further in

us there neither ought to be henceforth, nor do

I desire

it,

for

your eyes and ears must be

with shame and horror at me. ful things

God

for

filled

All these pain-

I will endure, and offer them up to

shameful

sin, in

the hope that you

— ;!

LIFE OF BLESSED

116

will mercifully pity

fully satisfy for

SUSO.

me, poor sinner, and

me, and help

faith-

poor soul to

God.

find grace again before

When

HENEY

the brother came to himself again, he

answered her sorrowful lament in

this wise

Alas, ye hot tears, burst forth from a full heart

which can no longer contain Alas,

child

joy from

dreamed life,

itself for

my heart

thou,

and

anguish

soul's only

whom

childhood up, in

come hither and

let

press thee to this

dead heart of thy wretched brother.

water of

dear

child.

body,

how

soul

Oh, a thousand deaths of the

slight a

woe

Oh, the death of the

and of honour, how great a woe

row and

Let me

face with the bitter tears

sister's

Let me wail and weep over

eyes.

dead

I had

and comfort throughout

to find joy

sufferings of

Oh,

wretched heart

sor-

God, merciful God, what have I

lived to see!

O my child

Since I have

come hither

me.

found my child, I will weep and lament no more

and I

will receive thee to-day

with the same

grace and pity with which I pray the merciful

God

to receive

me, a

sinful creature, at

de-

parture; and I will gladly forgive thee alto-

gether the exceeding pain and sorrow which I

have suffered through

thee,

and must go on

suf-

117

HIS SISTEE. fering to

with

all

my life's end and I will help thee my might to expiate and correct thy ;

God and of the world. who saw and heard these lamentatwo were so moved to pity thereby,

sin in the sight of

All those tions of the

them

that they conld none of

restrain

but were forced to weep.

selves,

them-

Thus, by his

sorrowful bearing and his loving consolations,

so softened her, that she

became willing

return at once to religious obedience.

Later on,

after

shame, and great in his

God far

arms

became

that she

satisfactory place

And

before.

and labour, brought back

to the merciful

so ordered

he had with unspeakable

toil

life

this lost sheep,

was received

into a

than where she was

her earnestness in God's service

so great,

manner of

God

and her holy and well-guarded

showed such perseverance in

all

virtues until her death, that the brother was well

repaid in the sight of all

God and

of the world for

the pain and suffering which he had ever

had on her account.

When affliction

the true-hearted brother saw that his

had turned out

so exceeding well,

gave him pleasure and joy, and he called to

mind how God

secretly orders

things

all

that they turn to good for the good

;

and then

LIFE OF BLESSED

118

he looked up

and

his heart

God

HENRY

SUSO.

with great thankfulness,

melted within him in praise of

God.

XXVLL

Chapter Of a grievous

suffering

which

befell

him through a com-

panion.

Once upon set forth

him

a time, when he was about to

upon a journey, there was assigned

for his

companion a lay-brother who was not

quite right in his head.

received this bro-

ther very reluctantly, for he had continually before his

mind the

sufferings

which he had

on former occasions undergone through the behaviour of his companions.

ill-

Nevertheless, he

submitted himself, and took the brother with

him.

Now, it

happened that they arrived before

breakfast at a village in which an annual fair

was being held on that day, and a very great

number of people of all sorts were collected The Servitor's companion, having

together.

been wet with the fire,

rain,

went

into a house to a

and declared that he would not go about

with him any where, adding that the brother

must do whatever he had

to do without him,

CHARGE OF POISONING. and that

lie

brother had

would wait

him

for

119

The

there.

when

scarcely left the house

his

companion rose up, and seated himself at table with a set of rough fellows and dealers

When

travelled to the fair.

who had

men

these

per-

ceived that the wine had got well into his head,

and he had

the table, and was standing

left

under the yard-door gaping about him, they set

upon him, saying that he had

cheese from them.

when

Now

stolen

at that very

him

these wicked people were treating

this cruel

manner, there came up four or

good-for-nothing soldiers,

who

also

monk was

was just then that there was

Upon

the outcry about poisoning. laid hold of him,

five

upon

fell

him, exclaiming that the scoundrel a poisoner ; for

moment,

they

this,

and made a great uproar,

that there was a general rush to the place.

When

the lay -brother

saw what course

things had taken, and that he was a prisoner,

he wished very much to get round, he said to

Only stand

still

confess

to you,

They

it all

stood

still,

free, and,

them: — Stop

and

turning

a moment.

and I

will

and tell you how things

are.

let

speak,

and every body

which, he began thus

—Look

cannot help seeing that I

listened

upon

;

me now you

a fool

;

and a wit*

;

LIFE OF BLESSED

120 less

HENRY

SUSO.

man, and no one makes any account of me

but

companion

man

of consummate

wisdom, and the Order has intrusted him with little

bags of poison to throw into the wells

between

this place

now journeying

;

and Alsace, whither he

and

his intention is to defile

every place to which he comes with vile poison.

But he

see that

will

you make haste and

have done a murderous deed which can

never be healed ; for he has just a

little

seize him, or

bag of poison and

cast

now taken

out

into the village

who have come here to the drink of the well may die without why I stayed behind, and would

well, that all those fair fail.

and

shall

This

not go out with him, for

me.

And

it is

a great grief to

as a voucher that I speak the truth,

you must know

that he has a great

bag

for

books, full of little bags of poison and a quantity

of florins, which he and the Order have received

from the Jews

for carrying out this

murderous

design.

When

the wild crew, and

forced their

way

into the

words, they became

mad

seized a pike,

those

who had

with rage, and with

loud yells they shouted out: murderer, that he

all

house, heard these

— Quick

escape us not!

and another a

after the

And

one

battle-axe, each

CHARGE OF POISONING.

121

one taking what he could, and they rushed about in a state of frenzy, forcing open the houses and the

closets,

where they fancied they

might find him, and stabbing with

their

naked

swords through the beds and the straw, until the whole fair ran together, on account of the uproar.

Among from other

crowd there were strangers

the

districts,

honourable men,

when they heard

the Servitor well,

who knew name.

his

These persons came forward and told the others that they were wronging him, for that he

very pious man,

was a

who would be very sorry to At length, as they could

commit such a crime.

not find him, they gave over the search, and carried his

companion

village magistrate,

who

a prisoner to the

ordered him to be shut

in a cell.

The breakfast

had

knew nothing of all when he thought the time

Servitor

trouble; but

had come, and that

quite dried himself at the

his fire,

inn, they

sad news, and related to

pened.

Upon

began

him

to tell

all

for

companion set

for the inn, intending to breakfast there.

he reached the

this

that

out

When

him the had hap-

which, he ran straightway in

terror to the house

where the magistrate and

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

122

companion were, and besought the magis-

his

The

trate to release him.

magistrate replied

that this could not be, for that he intended to

him

confine

in a tower as a

punishment

for his

This seemed hard and unbearable to

offence.

the Servitor, and he ran hither and thither

seeking help

him

;

but he could find no one to aid After he had busied him-

in this matter.

self in this

with

way

for a long time,

much shame and

at length,

bitterness, obtained his

companion's release, though at great cost to himself.

He now

fancied that his sufferings were at

an end; but they were only just beginning.

For he had no sooner got ties

with trouble and

free

loss,

from the authori-

than his

posed to imminent danger.

life

When

was exleft

the

magistrate, about vesper-time, a cry was raised

among

the

common

poisoner was there

;

people and the

and they yelled

at a murderer, so that

—That

escape us. let

him

When

off for

that a

him as

he dared not pass along

They

in front of the village.

saying:

mob

pointed at him,

the poisoner.

must be money,

killed.

the

shall not

will not

magistrate.

he tried to escape by slipping away into

the village, they yelled

still

fiercely after

CHARGE OF POISONING. Some

him.

drown him

The

village.

murderer

them

in the

— We

said:

ought

others answered:

A huge

—No;

water:

up a

pike,

and, forcing

front,

cried

masters,

shameful death to which

than

should

way

his

—Hear is

we can put

me,

no more

this heretic

I run him through with this long pike,

just as

out:

There

of you.

all

the filthy

peasant, in a sooty jerkin,

through to the

snatched

Ehine; which ran past the

will defile all the

burn him.

123

manner

let

and drive him

this poisoner

spit

and then

this pike,

lift

so in

naked

him up backwards,

so firmly into this stout fence

There

let

be dried by the winds, that

all

that he will not be able to his foul carcass

Even

a poisonous toad.

spit

fall off.

who go by may have a view of the murderer, and curse him after his vile death that so his ;

misery

may

be the greater in

this

world and

the next, for richly has this utter miscreant

deserved this

The

fate.

Servitor heard these words with such

terror that he

groaned deeply, and the great

down his face from anguish. All those who stood round the ring and saw him wept bitterly and some beat their breasts tears rolled

;

through

pity,

and struck

their

hands together

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

124

above their heads

but no one dared to say

;

any-

thing in presence of the infuriated people, for

they were afraid of being attacked themselves.

When

night began to

down with weeping eyes

fall,

he went up and

entreating that some

would pity him and give him shelter; but they repulsed him cruelly. Some kind-hearted women would have gladly taken him in, but they dared riot. At length, when the wretched sufferer was thus in the straits of death, and all help from man had one, for God's sake,

failed him,

and they were only waiting

for the

moment to fall upon him and kill him, he sunk down beside a fence through anguish and up

fear of death, and, lifting

and

his miserable

swollen eyes to the heavenly Father, exclaimed:

—O Father of me

help to-day in

how

heart,

when

all pity,

hast

kindness towards

Thou

wilt

Thou bring

great need? forgotten "

kind

Thy

great

time,

Father,

kind Father, help me, poor wretch, in these great straits

which

able for to die

upon a

now be Thee

I cannot resolve in

already dead, whether

to-day,

be more

heart, toler-

be drowned, or to be burned, or

pike, for

mine.

one of these deaths must

commend my wretched

and I pray Thee

spirit

show

A MURDERER. pity in

unto

125

miserable death, for they are nigh

me who

are resolved to kill me.

This sorrowful plaint was overheard by a priest,

who, running thither, snatched him by

force out of their hands, into his house

;

and brought him home

and, after keeping

him during

the night, that nothing might happen to him, set

him on

his

way next morning

early, safe out

all his troubles.

Chapter XXVIII. Of a murderer.

Once upon

a time,

when

the Servitor was

returning from the Netherlands, his road lay

up the Rhine.

had with him a companion

who was young, and a good

walker.

Now,

happened one day that he could not keep up with his swift companion, for he had become very tired and

ill,

and in consequence the com-

panion had gone ahead of him about half-amile.*

The

Servitor looked back to see if

any

one was following in whose company he might * half.

A German

mile

about four English miles and a

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

126

go through the

had

was

The

late in the day.

moreover, was extensive, and of

forest,

pute, for it.

the skirts of which he

forest, at

arrived, for

The

many

ill

re-

persons had been murdered in

Servitor therefore stopped at the out-

skirts of the forest,

and waited

to see

whether

any one was coming.

length two persons approached, at a very

young and

rapid pace; the one was a

pretty

woman, the other a tall ferocious-looking man, carrying a spear and a long knife, and he had

The

on a black jerkin.

Servitor

was struck

with dread at the terrible appearance of the

man, and he looked round

was

to see if there

any one following; but he saw no one. thought within himself:

How am

of people are these ?

and how

this great forest,

Then he made

what was

his

will it fare with

When

it.

they were

al-

soon as he had told

name.

you well by name. confession.

me 1

and asked

forest,

the

her his name, she answered

Then

Alas, worthy

I to go through

woman came forhim who he was and

ready deep in the to him,

what land

the sign of the cross over his

heart and ventured

ward

— O Lord!

sir

—Dear

sir,

know

I pray you to hear

she began to confess, saying: it is

with sorrow I

tell

you

A MUEDEEEE.

sad

us ?

Do you

lot.

man who

see the

follows

by trade a murderer, and he mur-

wood and elsewhere, money and clothes.

ders people here in this

and takes from them

127

their

never spares any one.

me, and carried

off

from

are persons of good repute,

He has deceived my friends, who

and I am forced

be his wife.

The

Servitor

was

so terrified

by these words

that he nearly fainted, and he cast a very sorrowful look all

round him,

haply there were any

one in sight or hearing, or any mode of escape.

But

there was no one to be seen or heard in the

dark forest coming after them, except the mur-

Then he thought

derer.

weary

as thou art,

soon overtake and

no one

out,

will

and death again

thou kill

within himself:

triest to flee,

thee

and

If,

he will

thou

criest

hear thee in this wilderness, will

be thy

upwards very wofully, and

what

;

—

become of me to-day?

me woman had

He looked my God,

lot.

said

—O O

death,

how

nigh thou art to

When

the

finished confessing,

she went back to the murderer, and besought

him

privily, saying:

—Come

now, dear friend,

go forward, and make thy confession also; for it is

a pious belief

among my

people that who-

LIFE OF BLESSED HESTRY SUSO.

128

ever confesses to him, however sinful he will never

God may

that

be abandoned by God.

may be, then

it,

help thee, for His sake, at thy

last hour.

While the two were thus whispering

each

knew no bounds, and him Thou art betrayed

other, the Servitor's terror

came

the thought

The murderer was Now, when the poor

—

silent,

and went forward.

Servitor saw the murderer

advancing npon him, spear in hand, his whole

frame quivered with dread, and he thought within himself:

knew

—Alas, now thou

For he

not what they had been talking about.

this point it

happened that the Rhine ran

to the wood,

bank.

art lost!

and the narrow path lay along the

Moreover, the murderer so contrived

that the brother

was forced

walk on the

side

next the water, while he walked next the wood.

the Servitor went along in this

manner with

trembling heart, the murderer began to confess,

and revealed

him

all

the murders and crimes

which he had ever committed.

Especially he

spoke of a horrible murder, which struck terror into the Servitor's heart,

scribed:

—I

and murder,

came once as I

and which he thus deinto this

wood

to rob

have done to-day, and meet-

ing with a venerable

priest,

I confessed to him,

A MURDERER. while

lie

fession

you are doing

was

over, I

him through with

was walking beside

spot, just as

drew it,

;

129 at this very-

and when the con-

forth this knife

and ran

and then thrust him from

over the bank into the Ehine.

These words, and the gestures with which

made

the murderer accompanied them, vitor turn pale,

and

terrified

him

so exceedingly

down

that the cold sweat of death ran

upon

and he shook with

his breast,

became

speechless,

and

the Ser-

his face

and

fear,

senses failed him,

all his

and he kept looking every moment

at his side,

expecting that the same knife would be thrust

and that he would then be pushed

into him,

Now just

over into the river. point of falling

and utter

he was on the

down through agony

inability to

advance a

exceeding piteous look

all

step,

round him,

son longing to escape death.

mind

cast

The murderer's

damsel caught sight of his woe-stricken

face,

and running up received him

in her arms, as

was

fast, said

sir,

falling,

be not

and holding him

afraid.

murderer added

like a per-

— Good

will not kill you.

—Much good has been

The

told

concerning you, and you shall have the benefit of

to-day, for I will let

you

live.

Beg

God

LITE OF BLESSED

130

HENRY

and favour me, a poor

to help

last hour, for

SUSO.

criminal, at

your sake.

In the mean time they had come out of the

and the

forest,

Servitor's

companion was

sitting

The murBut the Sercompanion, sank down on

there under a tree waiting for him.

derer and his partner passed on. vitor,

crawling to his

the ground, while his heart and his whole body trembled, as in an attack of ague, and he lay

thus motionless for a long time.

length on

recovering himself, he rose up and went on his

way

;

and he besought God earnestly and with

deep inward sighings for the murderer, that

him have the benefit of the pious confidence which he had conceived towards the Servitor, and not suffer him to be damned at his would

let

last hour.

God gave

ward assurance of for

him

the Servitor such an in-

this,

that

to doubt that the

was impossible

murderer would be

saved.

Chapter XXIX. Of

perils

by water.

one occasion when he had travelled to

Strasburg, according to his custom, and was on

PERILS BY WATER. home, he

his return

fell

into a great stream of

by an overflow of the Rhine, and

water, caused

he had with him the new

had just

finished,

little

book which he

and with which the

foul fiend

As he was being swept

was very wrath. lessly

131

help-

along by the current, at the peril of his

the faithful

moment

God

so ordered

came up by chance from

there

life,

that at that very

it,

Stras-

burg a young newly-made Prussian knight, who venturing into the turbid and raging water saved the Servitor and his companion from a miserable death.

Once upon a time he

set forth

on a journey

under obedience, when the weather was cold;

and

after travelling

on a carriage the whole day

through until evening without food in the cold

wind and

frosty weather,

piece of water, which

he arrived

was deep and

at a troubled

rapid,

owing

to the great quantity of rain

which had

The man who drove him went

too near the

fallen.

bank

through carelessness, and the carriage turning over, the brother

was shot out of it and

the water on his back.

on him,

so that

water either to himself at

all

riage floated

;

The

carriage

fell fell

into

over

he could not turn himself in the this side or to that,

and

down

in this state for

nor yet help

he and the car-

some distance towards a

— LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

132

The

mill.

jumping

and others ran

thither,

and

into the water seized hold of him,

and

driver

tried their best to

draw him out

but the heavy

;

carnage lay upon him and pressed him down.

When

at last they,

succeeded with great labour

drew him

in lifting the carriage off him, they

out to land dripping wet, and he had not been

long out of the water before his clothes froze

upon him from the excessive

cold.

began

tremble with cold, so that his teeth chattered, and in this miserable plight

time,

he stood

and then looking up

—O my God, what am I I to adopt 1 if there is

warm and

late

and night

refresh myself, I

hill all

must

die

heart,

;

and what

looked

he espied far

wet and frozen as he was, it

night had set

went up and down begging

God's name

a very small hamlet.

and by the time he reached

Then

hand, and

is at

all sides, until at last

crawled thither,

houses,

no town or village near, where I can

away upon a

exclaimed:

do ! what course

a wretched kind of death this will be

around on

for a long

still

God

in.

for shelter in

but he was driven away from the

and no one would take pity on him.

the frost and fatigue began to attack Ins

and put him in fear

for his life;

which he cried with a loud voice

upon

God:

— ;

133

INTERVAL OF REST.

Lord

hadst

Thou

Lord

let

would have been better

be drowned, for then there

would have been an end of being frozen to death in this

instead of

it,

street.

These words of lamentation were overheard by a peasant, who had before this driven him away, but who

now touched with compassion him

took him in his arms and brought

into his

house, where he spent a miserable night.

XXX.

Chapter Of a short

God soon

interval of rest

which God once granted

hiin.

had accustomed him to this, that as one suffering left him another was

ready at hand to take

its

and

place;

in this

way God played with him unintermittingly. Once only He allowed him an interval of rest but

did not last long.

During

this season of inaction

he came to a

nunnery, and, being asked by his spiritual

dren

how

I fear they are going very sent,

since

and

chil-

things went with him, he replied

for this reason.

ill

any one has attacked

with is

now

at pre-

four weeks

person

— LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

134 or

good name, quite unlike what used

happen

them

I was a it

so that I fear lest

at the grate

who

of the Order,

;

Now

gotten me.

little

he had not

when

there

called

him

has for-

long with

came a brother out,

and

said

while ago at a castle, and the lord

asked after you, where you were, and he

And

did this very savagely.

God

sat

his hands,

then he

lifted

and swore before every one that

wherever he found you, he would run a sword through you.

The same

thing was also done

several fierce soldiers, his kinsmen,

have been searching

round about

teries

for

you

in different

monas-

in order to execute their evil

Be warned,

designs upon you.

and

therefore,

take care of yourself, as you love your

The

and they

life.

Servitor was struck with terror at these

words, and said to the brother:

—I should be

very glad to hear what I have done to de-

serve the penalty of death.

The

answered

lord of the castle has been told that

have

misled his

daughter,

as well

other persons, into a particular kind of

which the name of those

who

spirit

are called

given,

you

many

life,

and that

spirits;

and he

has been assured that they are the most aban-

doned

set

on the face of the earth.

But more

HIS LOVING COMPLAINT TO GOD.

than

who

said of

will

pay

for

When plied:

—He has robbed

no longer look

look inwards. shall

you

She draws her

a dear wife.

and

man me of

There was another ferocious

this.

there,

135

me.

She

the cause of

down now,

veil

will only

this,

and he

tale,

he re-

it.

the Senator heard this

—Praised

be God! and hastening back

immediately to the grate, said to his daughters

—Be

of good

cheer,

God

children.

has

been mindful of me, and has not forgotten me.

Then he

told

them the

cruel tale,

were seeking to return him that he

how that men

evil for the

good

had done.

Chapter XXXI. How he

once entered into a loving account with God.

During ings,

this season of the Servitor's suffer-

and in the places where he then

he sometimes happened

lived, if

go into the infirmary

to give a little refreshment to his sick body, or if

sat silent at table according to his cus-

tom, he was sorely tried by mocking discourse

and unseemly words

;

and

this

first

was

136

LIFE OF BLESSED

HENRY

SUSO.

made him

a great suffering to him, and

feel

such pity for himself that the hot tears would often run

down

his cheeks,

and

way At

force their

with what he ate or drank into his mouth.

such times he used to look up silently to God, groaning inwardly, exclaim:

and,

God!

art

which I

Thou

not

content with the misery

day and night ?

suffer

— Alas,

Must even

scanty food at table be mingled with great per-

This happened to him oftentimes

secutions?

and abundantly.

Once on

leaving table he could restrain

himself no longer, and, going into his place of privacy, he said to

God

—Dear God, Lord

the whole world, be gentle and gracious to me,

poor man, for I must enter into account with

Thee

I cannot help

to-day.

doing

and

art

bound

Thy

infinite

goodness graciously to suffer a

else to

whom

who can comfort it. witness, who knowest mother's

Thy

well beseems

heart to seek refreshment in Thee,

no one

aught,

no one by reason of

high sovereignty, nevertheless

and

it;

man

though in truth Thou owest no

womb

a tender heart.

all

can make

Lord, I

all things,

life

when its

call

full

has

plaint or

Thee

that from

through I have had

I never yet saw any one in

HIS LOVING COMPLAINT TO GOD.

137

pain or sadness but I had a heartfelt pity for

him

;

and I never willingly gave ear

to talk

which would grieve any one, whether behind back or in

his

heard of

All

presence.

panions must allow that

that I ever

com-

has been seldom

words made

worse the case of any brother, or of any one else, either to

the prelate or to others; but I

made every one's case better, so far as I was able; and when I could not do this, I was silent, or I fled away that I might not hear it. Out of pity I showed all the more friendship towards those who were wounded in their honour, that they might more easily recover their

good repute.

I was called the faithful

father of the poor. all

God's friends.

I was a special friend of

who

All

ever

came

in sorrow, or aggrieved, always received

some

good counsel from me, which made them leave

joyful and consoled

who

;

for I

wept with those

wept, and I sorrowed with those

who were

in sorrow, until, like a mother, I brought

round again.

however

suffering

kindly on

one ever caused great, but if

afterwards,

over in God's name, as

O Lord,

if it

them

me any

he only smiled

was

all

past and

had never been.

I will say no more about mankind, for

HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

138

SUSO.

I could not even see or hear the needs and sorrows of

all

the

other creatures of

little

God

and beasts and

birds

without being pierced to

the heart thereby, and I used to pray the kind

Lord

all to

Whatever

help them.

lives

earth met with favour and tender treatment

And yet Thou, O kind Lord, sufferest some, of whom dear Paul speaks, calling them false brethren, to behave to me so exceedfrom me.

ing cruelly, as it is

Thou knowest

manifest enough.

at this,

and console

well,

for

Lord, and

Lord

Alas, kind

look

with Thyself.

After he had spent a long time in thus re-

came upon

freshing his heart with God, there

him a

stillness

illuminated

of repose, and he was inwardly

by God

in this wise

—The

childish

account which thou hast entered into with

comes from

this,

that thou dost not always keep

before thee the words and ways of the suffer-

ing Christ. satisfied

Thou must know

with the

which thou professest; from

thee.

What He

art openly ill-treated

wants

is,

still

that

by any one

self so utterly as

not

of heart

wants

behaviour, thou shalt not only bear

but shalt die to

God

that

mere kindliness

when thou

words or

patiently,

not to go to

sleep that night until thou hast sought out thy

— ;

HIS LOVING COMPLAINT TO GOD.

139

persecutor, and, as far as possible, calmed his

incensed heart with thy sweet words and ways

meek

for with such

thou wilt take

lowliness

sword and knife, and make him

from him

powerless in his malevolence.

See, this

the

and perfect way which the dear Christ

old

taught His

disciples,

I send you as lambs

when He said, "Behold, among the wolves" (Luke

x.3).

When

the Servitor came to himself again,

this perfect

and

way seemed

was grievous

more grievous

him

too burdensome,

to contemplate

it,

Neverthe-

and

still

less

he submitted himself thereto, and began to

learn

to follow

it.

Now

happened one day

after this that a

lay brother spoke very insolently to him, and

abused him openly.

The

Servitor bore

pati-

ently in silence, and he would gladly have let it

But he was inwardly admonished

rest there.

that he

must do something better than

cordingly,

when

this.

Ac-

became evening, and the bro-

ther was eating in the infirmary, the Servitor

went and stood for

him

the Servitor

addressed

in front of the infirmary, waiting

come fell

him

out.

soon as he came out,

on his knees before him, and

in words of

humble entreaty

HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

140

I pray thee, dear worthy me, poor man, and

father,

honour God in

I have troubled you, for-

The

give me, for God's sake. still,

SUSO.

brother stood

and, looking up in amazement, exclaimed,

with a loud cry tiling

—Ah me

what a marvellous

you are doing! and yet you never

jured me, nor any one

else:

openly outraged you by

It is I

You must indeed forgive In this way his heart was

in-

who have

villanous words.

me, I entreat you.

and restored

stilled

to peace.

Once upon a

time, as he sat at table in the

guest-house, a brother insulted

Upon which

ful talk.

him with

scorn-

the Servitor turned to-

wards him very lovingly, and smiled upon him, as

though he had just received a precious jewel

from him. that he

The

became

brother was so

silent,

moved by

and turned

his face again

in kindliness towards the Servitor.

When

meal was ended, the brother spoke of town, saying:

—I

insulted as I

was to-day

this,

the

in the

have never been so grossly at table

;

for, after

had treated the Senator with open rudeness table,

he bowed

sweetly, that I shall

his face towards

became red with shame

always be a good lesson to me.

I at

so very ;

and

HE COMES NIGH TO DEATH.

141

Chapter XXXII. How his

sufferings once brought

him nigh

It happened to him once nights, that the

to death.

during

many

moment he awoke from

sleep

something began to repeat in him the psalm of our Lord's sufferings, "Deus, Deus meus, reThis psalm was spoken spice in me" (Ps. xxi.). by Christ on the gallows of the cross, when He was forsaken in His distress by His Heavenly Father and by every one. The Servitor was struck with consternation at this continual interior

whispering

bitterly,

he cried

these words it

when he awoke, and weeping

to Christ

upon the

cross in

—Alas, my Lord and my God

be meet and necessary that I should once

more plish,

suffer a

new crucifixion with Thee, accomThy pure and innocent

I beseech Thee,

death in me, poor man, and be with me, and help

come

forth victorious over all

sufferings.

When

this cross arrived, as

shown him,

sufferings of

of whose nature nothing increase continually

had been

fore-

no ordinary kind, and is

here

said,

upon him, and

began to to multi-

ply from day to day, until at last they became

HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

142

SUSO.

and weighed down the

so great,

him

heavily, that they brought

sick

man

to the very ex-

One evening when he was

tremity of death.

away from the monastery, and had gone to his bed to rest, there fell on him snch an utter prostration of strength, that he thought he must

now

inevitably die of faintness,

and he lay there

quite motionless, so that there was no pulse in

any of his faithful

and

When

veins.

this

was observed by a

and good-hearted man who tended him,

whom

God

he had won to

man

himself, the

there was

ran to him in bitter

hand against

pressed his

still

at great cost to

But

there.

life

grief,

his heart, to try

and

whether

his heart

was

without movement, and beat no more than that of a dead

ground

man

great

would.

face,

piteous lamentations

God

Thee

a day has borne Thee,

consolation

what must

Thy

evil rot,

—how tidings

many

has is

and cannot

it it

it,

by word and

so pleasantly

in every land, to so

tears

alas for this

merciful God, so lovingly within

told of

to the

he cried aloud with

—O

many

he sank

and while the

sorrow,

streamed down his

noble heart, which

this

men

erring

and has writing, for their

perished to-day! that

live

this

noble heart

a long time yet for

glory and the consolation of

many

Thus

143

HE COMES NIGH TO DEATH.

lamenting with streaming eyes, he

piteously

bent over the Servitor and touched his heart

and mouth and arms, to see whether he still But there was no motion lived or was dead. deadly white, his mouth face was His there. black,

a dead

and

all

man

as long as

sign of

laid out

life

had vanished,

upon

would take

his bier.

from

This lasted

Mean-

walk a mile.

while the object of his soul's contemplation,

while he lay thus in seeming death, was naught

but

else

God and

the Godhead, the

True and

the Truth, in indwelling everlasting oneness.

happened, indeed, that before he became so very

weak, and was carried out of himself in ecstasy,

he began

God

to speak in his heart fond

in this wise

—Ah,

words to

everlasting Truth,

Thy

deep abysses are hidden from every creature.

Thy poor Servitor, see clearly that there is now an end of me, as my departed strength betokens. I speak now at my life's verge to Thee,

mighty Lord, whom no one can deceive, because all

things are manifest to Thee.

knowest how things stand between

Thou

alone

me and Thee.

Therefore I seek grace of Thee, faithful heavenly Father; and wheresoever, into unlikeness

and

Truth, I grieve for

alas,

deflection it,

I have broken out

from the supreme

and repent

with

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

144 all

my heart,

and I beseech Thee

Thy precious

with

to blot

Blood, according to

Thy gra-

my necessity. Kemember of my life I have celebrated

ciousness and all

the days

out

that

and

Thy pure and innomust now at my departure

exalted as highly as I could

cent Blood, and

wash me clean from

my kind

thou,

all

down, I entreat you,

Oh, kneel

sins.

ye Saints, especially

all

and gracious

lord, St. Nicholas,

up your hands and help me to beseech the Lord for a good end. O pure, gentle, kind and

lift

Mother Mary at this

reach

beneath thy

thy hand to-day, and

hour graciously receive

last

shelter, for

thou art

soul

heart's joy

O Lady and Mother mine, into thy hands I commend my spirit. O dear Angels, and

consolation.

be mindful

that, all

through,

life

heart

when I only heard how often } ou have

has ever laughed within me,

you named, and forget not brought

guarded it is

only

me in my sorrows heavenly joys, and me from my foes. O gentle Spirits, now

that

greatest straits are come,

and that I most need your

and foes,

shield

the evil

praise

Thee

help.

Aid me, then,

from the horrible si^ht spirits.

for

Lord

of heaven, I

having bestowed on

death-hour such entire consciousness ; and I go

HE COMES NIGH TO DEATH.

145

hence in the

full

Christian faith without a doubt

and without

fear

;

have ever made

and I forgive

cross forgavest those

Thy

Lord,

divine

suffer, as

who

guardian and

Thou upon

the

Lord,

slew Thee.

though I was, must

ill

Thy

convoy to

divine

My last prayer which I make now

countenance. at this

who

sacramental Body, which I

received to-day at Mass,

those

all

end, gentle

Lord of heaven,

for

dear spiritual children,

cial

bonds of faithfulness, or by confession, have

who whether by spe-

lovingly attached themselves to

erable world.

departure didst

Thy Heavenly also a

commend Thy

in this mis-

Thou

Thy

dear disciples to

Father, even so in that self-same

love let these be

them

merciful God, as

commended

to Thee,

And now

good and holy end.

turn myself away altogether from

and I turn me wholly

to the

much

all creatures,

pure Godhead, the

primal fountain-head of everlasting After he had held

and grant

bliss.

discourse within his

heart in this fond loving fashion, he was trans-

ported out of himself in ecstasy, and the faint described above.

length,

fell

into

when he

and others fancied that he must have departed, he came

to himself again,

and

his

affrighted

heart began to revive, and his sick limbs to re-

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

146

cover strength, and he got well and returned to life

again, as before.

Chapter How a man

XXXLTL

should offer up his sufferings to the praise and glory of God.

When

the suffering Servitor had deeply

meditated upon this long and weary warfare,

and moreover had come

to see in

God's hid-

den marvels, he turned one day to God, sighing inwardly, and said:

—Alas,

Lord, these suffer-

ings are in their outward aspect like sharp thorns

which pierce through

and bone.

flesh

fore, gentle Lord, cause some

good instruction

to issue forth

There-

sweet fruit of

from these sharp

thorns of sufferings, that we, poor men,

may

suffer more patiently, and be better able to up our sufferings to Thy praise and glory.

offer

After he had continued for a long time earnestly beseeching

God

for this,

came

to pass

one day that he was rapt in ecstasy, and his bodily senses being abstracted, said to

him within

his soul

to-day the high nobility of

—I

was sweetly

will

My life,

show thee and how a

;

HOW

TO SUFFER FOR GOD.

sufferer should offer

praise

147

sufferings to the

his

and glory of the loving God.

these sweet interior words his soul

was

melted within him, and his bodily senses being the arms, as

stilled in ecstasy,

were, of his

soul stretched themselves forth, out

.of

the un-

fathomable fulness of his heart to the far-off ends of the universe, even to heaven and earth

and he thanked God with a boundless yearning, saying:

Thee

praised that

—Hitherto,

my musings

Lord, I have

with the aid of

pleasant and delightful in

now

;

heartfelt

all

creatures

new song, and a strange kind of praise, which I knew not before, since I have only now come to know

but

I must joyously break forth into a

And

suffering.

this

I pray from

heart's bottomless depths that all the sorrow

and pain w hich I have ever T

suffered, as well as

the woes and agonies of every

smarts of

all

sick,

sad souls, the tears of all weep-

ing eyes, the misery of of

heart, the

wounds, the anguish of all the

the groans of

distress

human

all

the oppressed, the

needy widows and orphans, the

pining want of all the poor and hungry, the out-

poured blood of all martyrs, the crushing of selfwill in all afflictive

who

are

young and blooming, the

exercises of all God's friends,

and

all

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

148

the secret and open pains and sorrows, which I or any other poor sufferer ever endured in body, goods, or honour, in weal or woe, or which any

one will ever have to suffer from now to doomsday,

—

all

these I pray

may

he an everlasting

Heavenly Father,

source of praise to Thee,

and an eternal honour suffering

And

Thy

only-begotten

Son from everlasting

Thy

to everlasting.

poor Servitor, desire to-day to be

the faithful representative of

all

sufferers

perchance have been unable to turn to

who

full ac-

count their sufferings, by patient thanksgiving

and praise of God place to offer

for

God, however they I

now

offer

as if I myself alone

to do

;

may have

them up

body and in

them and I wish

had

my heart,

Thee

borne them ; and in their stead, just

suffered as

and I tender them-

;

it is

them

all

an everlasting praise

may be

my heart's

all this

day

only-begotten suffering Son, that they

ferers

in their

their sufferings in praise of

Him, and

wish

Thy may be

that the suf-

comforted, whether they are

still

here in this vale of sorrow, or in the next world in

Thy

hand.

all

ye who

suffer with

give ear to what I say to you bers,

me, look at !

me and

We, poor mem-

ought to console ourselves and rejoice in

;

HOW

TO SUFFER FOR GOD.

149

our venerable Head, God's lovely only-begotten Son, that

there

only one rich

and never

suffered for us,

lias

Behold

passed one pleasant day on earth.

man

in a poor family, the

whole family rejoices in him.

Ah, venerable

Thy members, be gracious to us, and where through human frailty true patience fails us in any affliction, do Thou make it up Bethink for us before Thy Heavenly Father. Thee how Thou earnest once to the help of one of Thy servants, and when his courage was all but failing him through suffering, Thou saidst to him Be of good cheer and look at Me. I Head

of us

all,

—

was noble and poor I was tender and ;

I was born from out the fulness of yet I was full of sorrow.

in misery

all joys,

and

Therefore, as valiant

knights of our imperial Lord,

let

us not lose

heart; as noble followers of our venerable Leader, let if

us be of good cheer, and rejoice to suffer; for

there were no other profit and good in suffer-

ing,

than that

we became more

like the fair

bright mirror Christ, the more closely that

copied

Him

laid out.

God meant to those fer,

in this, our sufferings

seems to

to give the

who

we ought

suffer still

and

would be well

in truth, that even if

same reward hereafter to those

who do

not suf-

to choose suffering for our lot,

LIFE OF BLESSED

150 were

only to be like

likeness it

and devotion

to take

Him

Thy

and our

sufferings

who

for love produces

;

how

dare

who can is

how

sufferings

unlike

Lord, Thou alone art the sufferer

But where

pride himself that he has never

given cause for sufferings I

hand he

pre-

noble Lord, in our sufferings!

hast never deserved to suffer.

he, alas,

upon ourselves that we ought

resemble Thee,

they are

SUSO.

to the beloved, so far as

But oh

can and may.

sume

HENRY

For

guiltless in that for

on the one

which he

suffers,

on the other he deserves punishment on other counts. all

Therefore

we who have

place ourselves, I

mean

ever suffered, in a great wide

ring round and round; and

place Thee, our

dear gentle Lover, in the midst of us, even in the ring of us suffering mortals, and far

and wide our

spread out

thirsty veins with great long-

ing towards Thee, the rich outbursting fountain of all grace.

the earth which

Behold and marvel. is

Just as

most cracked with drought

takes in best the stormy streams of watery rain,

even so

heavily-laden men, the more guilty

are towards Thee, the

clasp

Thee

to us with

our longing desire

that,

cording to the promise of

closely do

outspread hearts, and

come what may,

Thy

divine mouth,

ac-

THE REWARDS OF SUFFERING.

may

be washed in

wounds, and be sin

for all

;

praise

Thy

set

streaming and trickling

free

which Thou

151

thereby from every

shalt receive everlasting

and honour from

grace from Thee, since

us,

and we

all

shall obtain

unlikeness will be

removed from us by Thy almightiness. After the Servitor had remained sitting without movement for a long time, during which all this

was revealed

him with great solem-

nity in the innermost interior of his soul, he rose

up joyfully and thanked God

for the grace

which he had received.

Chapter

XXXIV.

Of the joys with which God recompenses in life those who suffer for Him.

this present

On a joyful Easter-day the Servitor was once in very blithesome

mood, and as he

sat for

short time, according to his custom, in the re-

pose of contemplation, he desired earnestly to

hear from

God what meed

receive from

Him

of delights they shall

in this life

who have borne

manifold sufferings for His sake.

Whereupon,

being rapt in ecstasy, a light shone into his soul

from God

to this effect:

—Let

all

who

suffer

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

152

with detachment rejoice, for their patience shall

be gloriously rewarded

and

;

have been

as they

here below an object of pity to many, even so shall

many

the deserved

eternally at

rejoice

and everlasting honour which

praise

They have

theirs.

again with

shall

Me, and they

died with

shall

also

Three

special gifts I will give them, so precious

rise

that no one can reckon

gladness.

their value.

First,

I will give absolute power to their wishes in

heaven and on

them nor

devil,

Secondly, I will give

divine peace, which neither angel,

nor man, nor any other creature can

take away from them.

wardly

whatever they

earth, so that

wish shall come to pass.

kiss

Thirdly, I will so in-

them through and through, and

lovingly embrace them, that I in in

Me, and we

together, shall abide eternally,

one undivided unity for ever. waiting

hearts, this

which

And

and praying are painful love shall

them during lasts

them and they

this

since long to

restless

not be withheld from

short present hour of

but for a moment, but

shall

life,

begin

even now, and be enjoyed eternally, so far as

man's mortal nature can in each case more or less

support

it.

These glad tidings

filled

the Servitor with

— ;

THE REWARDS OF SUFFERING.

153

joy; and when he came to himself again, he sprang up, and began to laugh so heartily that the chapel in which he was reechoed to the sound, and he said within himself joyously

Let him who has

God

complain.

come forward and

suffered

knows, I can declare that as to

had any thing

myself, methinks I have never

at all to suffer.

know

not what suffering

but I know well what joy and

and

to wish

obtain

Power

bliss are.

me; a thing

given

which many erring hearts must be without.

What want

Then he turned

I more?

thoughts to the eternal Truth, and said eternal Truth, tery, so far as

me now

words can

many

of which

show

blinded

tell

men

this it,

his

—Ah

hidden mys-

for

it is

a truth

are altogether ig-

norant.

This mystery was inwardly manifested to

him thus

— Mark

those

.attention to the breaking

—

who have paid due away from

creatures,

in other words, to that death to self

and

all

man must begin. Alas there are not many such. The mind and thoughts of these men have so passed away into things with which a

God, that they know nothing, selves,

and

all

save

were, of them-

only that they view themselves

things in their primal fountain-head;

154

LIFE OF BLESSED

HENRY

SUSO.

and therefore they have the same pleasure and

God

complacency in each several thing which does, as if inactive,

God

and

by unconcerned with

stood

were granted

them

and

to carry

out each thing according to their

own mind;

and thus

absolute in

it is

that

their will

might, for heaven and earth serve them, and

every creature

subject to them, in

does or leaves undone.

what each

Such persons

sorrow of heart about any thing

;

feel

for I only call

that pain and sorrow of heart which the will

with

full deliberation

wishes to be freed from.

Externally, indeed, they have a sense of plea-

sure and pain like other people, and intense perhaps in

them than

their great tenderness it

;

exteriorly they

remain firm against impatience. They are to the full even in this possible,

owing

and hence things. their

to their

their joy

For

—

life,

that

is,

filled

so far as this is

detachment from

self,,

complete and stable in

in the divine essence, into

hearts have

merged,

but in their inmost souls

no abiding- place, and

finds

it is

others, because of

passed

all

which

away and become

supposing they have not gone

—neither pain

nor

sorrow finds place, but only peace and joy.

If,

astray from the right path,

however, thy own

frailty entices thee to

commit

THE REWARDS OF SUFFERING. sin,

155

from which pain and sorrow justly spring np

for the sinner,

and

thou committest

then,

sin,

and then only, thou wilt find a flaw in thy

But

happiness.

thou avoidest

sin,

and goest

away

out of thyself in this respect, and passest into that in

which thou canst have neither

—

fering nor sorrow

since pain

nor suffering suffering, but

there,

unmingled peace

—then

very truth.

And

their self-will

is lost

it is

all this

all

things are

well with thee in

comes to pass because

and gone. For these persons

are of themselves driven

onward with a longing

towards God's will and His justice; and

thirst

they find such a sweet savour in God's they so delight in in

suf-

not pain to thee

all

that

it,

will,

and take such pleasure

ordains concerning them, that

they have no wish nor desire for any thing This, however,

and

must not be understood

else.

as if

God and God's will that we

be understood of the

they were forbidden to ask things of to pray to

Him;

pray to Him.

due and

judgment

for it

But

it is

into the will of the

head, as has been said.

a hidden

and it is

own supreme God-

rightful going forth out of our

Now

difficulty, against

it is this.

Who

God's will?

there

lies

in this

which many stumble,

knows, they say, whether

See now.

God

a super-

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

156

essential good,

and

interiorly pre-

sent to every individual thing than that thing

can be to

and against His

itself;

can happen, nor can any thing

will

nothing

exist for

Therefore they must be miserable

stant.

in-

who

are always struggling against God's will and

do their own

desiring to

They have

will,

for they are always in sadness

they could.

the kind of peace which

in hell,

and heaviness.

the contrary, a soul stripped of self has

and peace

at all

times present to

as well as in prosperity ; for if

it,

how can

God

in adversity

truly there

who

does

all

their

own

sufferings be grievous to them, since

and

them they

God's

will,

all,

the sight of

God, find God, make use of

see

and know nothing of their own

will?

not to speak of the consoling illuminations and

heavenly delights with which sustains

His suffering

are, as it were, in

them

or does not

God

friends.

heaven.

happen

often secretly

These persons

What

to them,

happens to

what God does

in all creatures or does not do, all turns to their

advantage.

And

thus he

who can bear

suffer-

ing well receives in this world a portion of the

reward of his sufferings ; joy in

all things,

awaits him.

and

for

he finds peace and

after death everlasting life

HIS SPIRITUAL DAUGHTER.

Chapter Of the

157

XXXY.

Servitor's spiritual daughter.

a Filia confide," ter (Matt. ix. 22).

—Be of good The

heart,

daugh-

Servitor had at this

time a spiritual daughter, of the Order of Friars Preachers, in an enclosed convent at Tosse.*

Her name was a very holy

Elizabeth Staglin, and she lived

life

exteriorly,

gelic disposition within.

way

getic

and was of an an-

The

noble and ener-

which she turned herself with her

whole heart and soul to

God

set

her free en-

those vain things which cause so

tirely

from

many

persons to neglect their eternal salvation.

all

All her diligence was directed towards obtaining spiritual instruction, that she might thus be

guided to a blessed and perfect

and

object of all her wishes.

life,

the one end

She wrote down

whatever she met with that pleased her, and

seemed calculated to aid herself and others in the acquisition of divine virtues

;

in this like the industrious bees,

and she acted which bring

back sweet honey collected from many

different

flowers.

In the convent where she lived among the sisters as

a mirror of every virtue, she composed,

* Thoss, near Winterthur, in Switzerland,

LIFE OF BLESSED

158

HENRY

SUSO.

notwithstanding her bodily infirmities, a large

among

book, containing,

count of the blessed holy

had

sisters

had wrought

led,

other things, an ac-

lives

which the deceased

and the great marvels God

in them.

a book well suited

to excite good-hearted persons to devotion.*

This blessed daughter came to hear of the

Wisdom, and God inher with great devotion to his manner of

Servitor of the Eternal spired life

She drew from him

and teaching.

way

the

which he broke through created

things to arrive at God, and she wrote as has

God

secretly

down,

been already related. the

beginning of her conversion to

first

she came across a great

many deep

lectual views regarding the pure

nothingness of

all things,

abstraction of the

intel-

Godhead, the

detachment from

mind from

all sensible

and such -like high things;

self,

forms,

and they were

clothed in beautiful language, and were very-

But

pleasant to reflect upon.

cealed

beneath

them

there lay con-

something

simple-minded beginners like her quite

ignorant

Henry Murcr

of the

lias

;

hurtful for she

necessary distinctions

extracted

many

of these lives from

the Chronicles of the convent at Thoss, and inserted in his Jlelcctla

San eta.

was

them

HIS SPIRITUAL DAUGHTER.

which ought

159

be made, inasmuch as the words

were capable of being taken in a

spiritual or

a natural sense, according to the disposition of those

These doctrines were

who used them.

good in themselves

but they were insufficient

;

She

for her instruction.

Servitor, asking

him

therefore wrote to the

to help her,

along the right path.

and guide her

Nevertheless, as she

already tasted of the pleasure which

had

found in these doctrines, she prayed him to pass

common

over the

and

ordinary kind of instruction,

to write to her

something about the above-

mentioned high subjects.

The

Servitor

daughter,

answered her thus:

thou askest

— Good

concerning high

things through curiosity, in order to become

acquainted with them, and to be able to talk well about spiritual matters, what I have to say

Take not

to thee will need but a few words.

too

much

pleasure in them, for they

lead thee into dangerous errors.

may

True

easily

bliss lies

not in beautiful words, but in good works.

If,

however, thou askest about these things in order to put

them

in practice,

answer

is,

for the present these deep questions,

Let alone

and attend

to those only which are suitable for thee.

seemest to

Thou

be as yet a young unexercised

HENRY

LIFE OP BLESSED

160 sister,

thee, first

and therefore and the

SUSO.

be more profitable to

will

to hear about the

like of thee,

beginnings of the spiritual

life,

both

how

ought to be begun and what exercises are appropriate to

examples,

friend of God,

all

and

good and

also about

how

instance,

who began

this

same way,

in the

holy-

and that first

exercised themselves in imitating Christ's

and

life

;

for

as,

sufferings

;

what kind of things they had

to suffer continually

;

how they

in their sufferings interiorly

bore themselves

and exteriorly whe;

ther God drew them onwards by sweetness or by severity; and when and how they were set This is free from sensible forms and images.

the

way

in which a beginner

guided to perfection

God

can give

it is

not His

;

for,

way

spurred on and it is

true that

a person in an instant,

all this to

tained ordinarily only

though

so,

but

to be ob-

by hard labour and many

conflicts.

On plied to

receiving this letter, the daughter re-

him

as follows

—What

not wise words, but a holy

life

;

I long for

and

this I

have

the courage truly and honestly to strive after until I attain

it,

whatever pain

upon me, and no matter what I give

or suffer, or die

to,

may entail may have to

or whatever else

;

HIS SPIRITUAL DAUGHTER.

may

be needful to bring

all this

161

to perfection

And

I must and will undergo.

on account of the weakness of

;

for

fear not

nature

;

for

whatever you have the courage to command me,

which

painful to nature, I have the courage

to accomplish, with the help of God's might.

Begin

with the lowest things, and guide

first

in them, just as a little school-child

taught what

adapted to

its

first

and

childish years,

then afterwards receives more and more instruction, until it

One

becomes

only prayer I

must grant me,

may

for

at last a

make

master in the

and

to you,

God's sake, in order that I

also strengthened against all the trials

may have

to encounter.

with

bites itself, and,

its

nest.

own. blood

Ah,

sir,

its

—

what I ask

is,

Sir, I

have

of such a nature

from natural

young

which I

asked what this

She answered

heard say that the pelican that

may be

not only be instructed by you, but

request might be.

art.

you

this

love, feeds

offspring in the

that

you

will act

thus towards your needy child, and feed her

with the spiritual food of your good teaching

and that you but take

will not seek for this

from

from yourself; for the nearer

afar, it

has

been to you in the way of experience, the more deeply

will

come home

my longing

soul.

— LIFE OF BLESSED

162

HENRY

SUSO.

The Servitor wrote thus to her in answer: Thou showedst me a little while ago some high thoughts which thou hadst thyself culled from the sweet teaching of the holy Master Eckart,

and which,

just,

thou valuedst highly; and

I marvel much, that, after thou hast drunk of the noble drink of this high Master, thou declarest thyself so thirsty for the coarse drink of

Nevertheless,

the lowly Servitor. sider

when I conwisdom

well, I note with joy thy great

in this matter

;

namely, that thou art so busy in

thy questionings about what

ning of a high and secure exercises

which must be

to attain

it.

first

begin-

and what are the

life,

first

the

practised in order

Chapter XXXVI. Of the

The

first

beginnings of a beginner.

beginnings of a holy

Servitor

the

said

life,

daughter, are various.

One

person begins in one way, and another in another; but as regards the beginning, to which

your questions I

know

man

refer,

tell

in Christ, who,

to give himself to

conscience

I will

God,

by a general

first

you about

it.

when he began cleared out his

confession

;

and he

;

163

FIRST BEGINNINGS. spared no pains to

by exposing every

make

confession well,

tins

sin that lie

had committed

to a prudent confessor, in order that

he might

go pure and clean from the confessor, who

and that

in God's place,

might be

all his sins

forgiven him, as happened to

sits

Mary Magdalen,

when, with penitent heart and tearful eyes, she

washed her

Christ's feet,

sins.

and God forgave her

Such was the

all

beginning of this

first

man's turning to God.

The daughter

and she wished

imitating

it,

make her

much

example very

laid this

to heart,

to lose

no time in

and she conceived a great

desire

confession to the Servitor, thinking

that he would be the one best suited for her

and

was her intention

become thereby to

also, in

doing

have a greater claim upon his godly

Now

could not be

She

of mouth.

life,

which,

seemed to her that

she had committed, she wrote tablet,

had been a pure and innocent

one; and whatever sins

waxen

and

care.

happened that the confession

made by word

therefore passed in review her whole in very truth,

this, to

his spiritual daughter,

down on a

large

which she then fastened up and

sent to him, begging tion over her sins.

him

pronounce absolu-

;

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

164

When came

he read through the confession,

the tablet:

— Gracious

down now

fall

a sinful creature,

sir, I,

your

and beseech you,

feet

with your true and faithful heart, to bring

back

again into God's heart,

called

and

your child in time and in

daughter

much, and, turning God, what answer

not like to treat a dog thus.

might

this, it

him very

and Master

;

reflect

—Merciful

me?

Lord,

I did

my Lord

for she seeks the Lord's wealth in

His servant.

Thy

and beseech Thee, kind Lord,

holy

feet,

and hearty confidence,

faith

How

us.

Ah of

gentle Lord, I cast myself at

Let her have the

hear her.

didst

Thou

kind Heart, see

Thy

I should

upon Thee,

ill

make

Servitor to

Shall I drive her from

this?

The

eternity.

God, he said

Thy

to let

confiding devotion touched

lie

words at the bottom of

to the following

benefit of her

far

good

for she cries after

treat the heathen

how

woman?

and wide the fame

unfathomable bountifulness has spread

amongst

us.

kindly Goodness, turn

Thy

gentle eyes towards her, and say to her one single

little

" Confide

word of

filia,

fides

consolation.

tua te salvam

Say

then,

fecit,"

—Be

of good heart, daughter; thy faith has saved thee.

And

bring

Thou

to pass in

stead

165

FIRST BEGINNINGS. for I

have done what

wished her a

rests

God

from

all

her

sins.

wrote back the following answer to her

by the same messenger: of

with me, and I have

full absolution

—What thou hast asked

through the Servitor has come to pass,

and thou must know that

it was all shown to him by God beforehand. Early this very morning, when his prayer was ended, he sat down for a brief moment of repose; and his bodily

senses

being

stilled

mysteries were

ecstasy,

many

divine

Among

manifested to him.

other things, he was enlightened to understand

how God

has

made

diversity of

form to be the

individualising principle of the angelic nature,

and has given

each angel a special property

which distinguishes him from the it

him

impossible for

rest

;

all

which

to express in words.

After he had spent a good space of time in

heavenly recreation with the angelic

was

in very joyous

wonderment which to him, in the

same

mood through his soul

had

vision, that

spirits,

and

the exceeding felt, it

seemed

thou didst come

and stand before him where he

sat

among

the

heavenly company, and then, kneeling down with great earnestness in front of him, didst

bow thy

face

upon

his

heart,

and continue

kneeling thus with thy face bowed upon his

— 166

LIFE OF BLESSED

heart, so that the angels

The

it.

HENRY who

SUSO.

by beheld

stood

brother marvelled at thy boldness, and

yet thy bearing was so holy that he graciously

permitted

What manner

it.

Heavenly Father bestowed on

of graces

the

thou

thee, whilst

wert bowed down upon the suffering heart, thou

knowest right thee; raise

and

when

for

after a

of grace, that

full

will

heart, that

upon

good while thou didst

was quite evident God

special grace

still

visible

thy countenance was so joyous

thyself,

had bestowed some

and they were

well,

He may

for thee

upon thee and ;

through the same

be glorified in

it,

and thou

consoled.

The

happened

also to a

maiden named

Anna, a noble and godly person, who dwelt a

castle,

and who, moreover,

unmingled vels in her

Before she

suffering.

led a life of pure

God wrought

great mar-

from her youth up until her death.

knew

the Servitor, or had ever heard

of him, she was one day rapt in ecstasy at her devotions,

and

praise

this she

whom

and she saw how the Saints gaze upon

God

in the court of heaven.

prayed her dear Apostle

she had a

confession.

sj)ecial

St.

Upon

John, to

devotion, to hear her

answered her very lovingly

I will give thee a good confessor in

place.

FIRST BEGINNINGS.

God

167

has granted him full authority over thee,

and he can comfort thee well and what was

made known

his

name:

to her.

tery which

God had shown

He came

which

all

St.

went

to the

her,

and asked

monas-

to her to the outer gate,

made her

confession to him,

for

and

Upon

inquired of her what her business was. this she

John

She thanked God, and,

rising early in the morning,

him.

in thy manifold

She asked who and where he was,

sufferings.

and when

he heard the heavenly message, he consented,

and

fulfilled

it.

This holy daughter also told him, that she

had once seen

in spirit a beautiful rose-tree,

richly adorned with red roses,

and on the

rose-

tree there appeared the little Child Jesus, with

a garland of red roses.

Beneath the rose-tree

she saw the Servitor sitting.

broke off

upon the

many

The

little

Child

of the roses, and threw

them

Servitor, so that

and bestrewed with

roses.

he became

Upon

all

the Child what the roses meant, and

swered

—The

covered

this she

asked

an-

great quantity of roses signifies

the manifold sufferings which

God

will

send

him, and which he must lovingly accept at

God's hands, and bear with patience.

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

168

Chapter XXXVII. Of the

first

and examples which are and how he should regulate his

lessons

beginner,

suitable for a exercises

with

discretion.

At terior

the

life,

beginning of the Servitor's in-

first

after

he had purified

thought, three

The

first

seemed

within which he shut

circles,

himself up, as in circle

was

When

the choir.

his soul properly

he marked out for himself, in

confession,

intrenchment.

spiritual

his cell, his chapel,

he was within

The

complete security.

to himself in

and

this circle,

second circle was the whole monastery as far as

The

the outer gate.

third

was the gate; and here

upon

to stand' well

was necessary

his guard.

outside these three circles,

he was is

in the plight of

outside

its

hole,

and therefore

When

seemed

circle

for

him

he went

him

that

some wild-animal which

and surrounded by the hunt, need of

and outermost

all its

cunning and

watchfulness.

had, moreover, in his beginnings,

made

choice of a chapel as a place of retirement, in

which he might of pictures. his youth,

satisfy his devotion

Now

by means

should be observed that, in

he had caused

be painted for him-

— PICTURE OF THE ETERNAL WISDOM.

169

upon parchment, a picture of the Eternal Wisdom, who rules supreme over heaven and

self,

and

earth,

far surpasses all created things in

of form;

ravishing beauty and loveliness

for

which reason, when he was in the bloom of youth, he had chosen

Wisdom

for his beloved.

him when and he

carried this lovely picture with

he journeyed to the place of always

set it before

oell,

and used

felt

longings.

him on

him

to look at

studies,

in the it

brought

his

back home with

and caused

his return,

window of

lovingly with heart-

be trans-

ferred to his chapel-wall as a token of affection.

What were

other kinds of symbolical representations

upon the

there, bearing

interior

life,

adapted to himself and other beginners,

and

may

learned from the pictures and sayings of the

ancient fathers painted on the walls.

of these

sayings,

translated into

part

the vulgar

tongue, follows below, exactly as they were in-

upon the chapel

scribed

The

ancient father Arsenius asked the angel

what he must do swered

be saved.

—Thou must

flee,

The

and be

angel an-

silent

and

sit

still.

Afterwards, in a vision, the angel read these

LIFE OF BLESSED

170

HENRY

SUSO.

words to the Servitor out of the book of the ancient fathers

—A well-spring of

keep thyself quiet and in

all bliss is to

solitude.

Abbot Theodore. To keep thyself pure and spotless will

than study

advance thee more in knowledge

will.

Abbot Moses. Sit in thy thee

cell

will teach

all things.

Abbot John. Keep thy outward

man

still,

and thy inward man pure.

The same.

A fish

out of water and a

monk

out of his monastery will equally come to grief.

Anthony. Bodily mortification, interior devotion,

and

men beget chastity. Wear no garment in which vanity

seclusion from

The same.

can be discerned. is

The

first

battle of a beginner

boldly to resist sins.

The Shepherd. Be wroth with no he

tries to

one, until

pluck out thy right eye.

Isidore.

wrathful

may

God, however great

man

displeasing to

be the miracles which

he works. Ipericius. It is

less sin to eat

meat when

should have been avoided than to backbite thy neighbour. Pior. It

sins of others,

very wicked to bring forward the

and

keep back our own.

MAXIMS OF THE ANCIENT FATHERS.

A man

Zacliary. tions if

must

suffer great humilia-

to arrive at perfection.

Thou must

Nestor.

171

become an

first

ass, if

thou wouldst possess heavenly wisdom.

An in weal

Thou

Ancient.

and woe,

Helias.

shouldst be immovable

one dead.

pale complexion, a wasted body,

and a lowly bearing beseem well a

Hilarion.

man.

wanton horse and an unchaste

body should have

spiritual

down.

their provender cut

Take away from me

Ancient.

the death of the soul

The Shepherd.

lies

hidden in

He who

still

cannot keep from anger and

wine, for

it.

complains, and

much

talking, will

never become a spiritual man.

Cassian.

upon the

the dying Christ bore Himself

cross, so

should our manner of

life

fashioned.

Anthony

—O

man, help

God nor

I will ever

said to a brother:

thyself; otherwise neither

help thee.

A woman senius to

swered:

from

remember her before God.

—I

besought the ancient father Ar-

pray

God

to blot out

an-

thy image

heart.

Macarius.

many hardships on my many temptations from it.

inflict

body, because I have

HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

172

John, the father, said:

my own

will,

—I have

Ancient.

first

Many

practised in deeds.

words without deeds are

vain; like the tree which bears

never done

and I never taught any thing in

words which I had not

SUSO.

many

leaves,

but

fruit.

Nilus.

He who

must have much intercourse

with the world must needs also receive

many

wounds.

An Ancient. keep guard

If thou canst do nothing

at least over

Ipericius.

He who

thy

else,

God.

cell for

keeps himself chaste will

be honoured here, and crowned by

God hereafter.

Apollonius. Kesist beginnings, and stop the

serpent

by the head.

Agathon. I have carried a stone in for three years, that I

might learn

my mouth

silence.

Arsenius. I have often repented of having

spoken, but never of having kept silence.

ancient father was asked

how long he answered :

—Until thou

St. SyncUtica. at, for

God

by a

should keep silence.

father

art asked a question.

If thou art sick, rejoice there-

has been mindful of thee.

Tlie same. If

thou art

sick,

do not ascribe

to thy fasts, for those also fall sick fast.

disciple

The

who do not

MAXIMS OF THE ANCIENT FATHERS. The same. If thou of the

173

by temptations

art tried

thou mayest become a

flesh, rejoice, for

second Paul. Nestor,

a good brother, said:

never shone upon

Another

John added

called

— The

sun

eating. :

—Nor upon me

angry.

The

Anthony.

greatest virtue

to observe moderation in

Paphnutius. It

thou dost carry

all

no use

be able

things. to begin well, unless

through to a good end.

Abbot Moses. Avoid whatever would deprive thee of purity of soul, however good

may

appear. Cassian. tained,

The term

when

all

the soul, with

perfection all

powers,

its

atis

gathered up into one only object, God.

The

Servitor sent these examples

of the

ings

daughter,

them

ancient fathers to

who drank them

to herself, as

also to exercise her

all in,

his

and sayspiritual

and applied

though he had meant her

body with severe

chastise-

ments, after the austere fashion of the ancient fathers.

And

she began accordingly to mortify

and torment herself with and

cruel bands set

hair-shirts,

and

round with sharp iron

cords, nails,

and many other such-like instruments of penance.

LIFE OF BLESSED

174

But when the

Servitor

he wrote to her as follows thy purpose to

all

SUSO.

became aware of this, :

—Dear daughter,

to order thy spiritual life according

my teaching,

from

HENRY

such

was thy request

me, cease

they suit not the

austerities, for

weakness of thy sex and thy well-ordered frame.

The

did not say,

dear Jesus

upon you; but cross.

Thou

Take My cross Take up thy

said to each,

shouldst not seek to imitate the

austerity of the ancient fathers, nor the severe

Thou

exercises of thy spiritual father.

shouldst

only take for thyself a portion of them, such as

thou canst practise easily with thy infirm body, to the

sin may die in thee, and yet thy may not be shortened. This is a very

end that

bodily life

excellent exercise,

She wished self

and the best of

all for

thee.

know from him why he him-

had practised such great

austerities,

and

yet would not advise her or others to practise

them.

Upon

this

writings, saying times,

he referred her to the holy

—

It is written that, in

former

some among the ancient fathers led a

of such superhuman and incredible that the very mention of

it is

a horror to certain

delicate persons of the present day;

know not what burning man, by the divine

life

austerity,

for they

devotion can enable a

aid, to

do and suffer for

AUSTERITIES OF THE SAINTS.

One who

God.

with such fervour

filled

175

become

finds all impossible things

possible of

accomplishment in God; just as David says, that with

a wall

God's help he would go through

(Ps. xvii. 30).

also written in

the book of the ancient fathers, that some of

them did not

treat themselves with such great

severity as others

did,

and yet they were

striving to reach the self-same end.

and

St.

can

John had not the same

fully

explain

that the Lord, wills,

this

who

St.

Peter

Who

training.

marvel, unless

many

different

our natures are not

wonderful in His Saints,

by reason of His high sovereignty,

glorified in

all

ways f

all alike,

and what

able to one, suits not another.

must not be thought that,

Besides

this,

is suit-

Therefore

perchance a

man

has not practised such great austerities, he will

be thereby hindered from arriving

the same

time, those

who

at perfection.

are soft

and

deli-

cate should not despise austerities in others, or

judge them harshly.

Let each look

what God wants of him, and attend

and

see

this,

leaving

it is

much better

all else alone.

mean

Speaking generally,

be moderate rather than im-

moderate in the practice of the

to himself,

hard to

austerities.

find, it is wiser to

But

keep a

;

LIFE OF BLESSED

176

SUSO.

under it, than to venture too high above

little

for

HENRY

often happens that, if a

man

mortifies his

bodily frame to excess, he will have afterwards to indulge

to excess

though certainly

;

many

great Saints have forgotten themselves in this point through the fervour of their devotion.

Such

austerity of

and the examples which

life,

have been mentioned,

who own

be of use to those

are too tender with themselves,

injury give too

bodies

much rein

and

to their

to their rebellious

but this concerns not thee, nor the like

;

God

of thee.

which

Him

may

many

has

kinds of crosses with

chastens His friends.

I look for

lay another sort of cross upon thy

shoulders,

which

be far more painful to

will

thee than these austerities.

with patience when

comes to

Not long afterwards God vitor's spiritual

this cross

thee.

afflicted the

Ser-

daughter with long and weary

illnesses, so that

until her death.

had come

she continued sickly in body

She

sent

to pass with her as

him word

that

he had predicted.

—

Upon which he wrote in answer thus: Dear daughter, God has not only afflicted thee according to

my words,

but

in thee; for I have

will help

has also wounded

now no one

left

who

with the same diligence and godly

VISION or ANGELS. faithfulness to complete

didst

when thou wert

vitor besought

that

God

;

book, as thou

little

Therefore the Ser-

well.

earnestly on

might be His good

thy health

177

thy behalf,

will to give thee

back

and when God would not forthwith

hearken to his prayer, he was angered against

Him

with a loving anger, and was minded that

he would write no more books about the ful

God, and would likewise leave

off his

faith-

usual

morning -greeting through ill-humour, unless

God made sat

down

Now when

thee well again.

he had

in the disquiet of his heart, according

to custom, in his chapel, his senses in ecstasy;

and

seemed

pany of angels came before and sang

to comfort

cause they

knew

were absorbed

him that a comhim in the chapel,

him a heavenly

song, be-

that at that time he was in

peculiar sorrow; and they asked

him why he

looked so sad and did not sing with them.

Then he

told

them how he had behaved

excess to the dear God, because

would not

hearken to his prayer for thy recovery. they counselled him to act thus

;

for that

ness for the best, and this world,

great

desist

God had it

and through

from

it,

And

and not

ordained this sick-

would be thy it

in his

cross in

thou wouldst earn

grace here, and a manifold reward in

— LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

178 heaven.

Therefore be patient,

and receive faithful

daughter,

simply as a loving gift from the

God.

XXXVHI.

Chapter Of

young beginner in

certain devout practices of a

his

early years.

Once upon

a time the sick spiritual daugh-

ter besought the Servitor,

who had come

her in her

her something about

illness, to tell

spiritual things, not of too

to see

grave a kind, but

yet such as a godly soul would hear with plea-

Upon which he

sure.

practices in early

life,

told her about his devout

whenever he was

God under

a practice for a long

bled, to turn in spirit to

wounded Ah, Friend

the cross, and, lifting up his

arm, to say, with an inward sigh of

the Servitor was in his youth of a lively

temperament, he made time,

words

in the following

heart

remember

that

—

the

way

with lovers to go to their beloved ones at the time of blood-letting, in order that the blood

may

be good.

But Thou knowest

new well,

dear Lord, that I have no beloved one save

Thee bless

alone,

and therefore I come

my wound

and make

Thee

blood good.

YOUTHFUL DEVOTIONS. At face

same season of his youth, when

this

was

colour,

himself,

was

his practice, as often as

its

he shaved

go to the Lord, and say

as rosy as the

;

roses,

Thy

Servitor to

and though Thou lookest only

little

what

dearest Lord,

nevertheless,

outward,

heart

Thee herein a love-token in testimony turns to Thee, and to none but Thee. would

first

—Ah,

and give them

for Thee,

the heart, and regardest

When

countenance and mouth were

hue of all red

would keep them else

his

bloom and beauty of

fresh

still

sweet Lord,

no one

179

offers

that

he put on a new tunic or cloak, he

and

to his usual place of prayer

who had provided him with this garment, to wish him luck and happiness in it, and to help him to wear it out beseech the Lord of heaven,

His

in the fulfilment of

Before custom,

this, in his

when

all-lovely will.

childhood,

the beautiful

the tender flowrets

first

had been

his

summer came and

began

spring up,

never to pluck or touch a flower until he had greeted with the gift of his

first

flowers his

spiritual love, the sweet, blooming, rosy

God's Mother.

When

seemed

maid,

him

that

the time for doing this had come, he picked the flowers with

many

loving thoughts, and, carry-

;

LIFE OF BLESSED

180

ing tliem to his

cell,

HENRY

SUSO.

made a garland

them

into the choir, or into our

and then he went

Lady's chapel, and, kneeling down very humbly before our dear Lady, placed the garland

upon

her image, in the hope that, as she was the fairest of all flowers,

his heart, she first

would

and the

bliss of

summer

not disdain to accept these

flowers from her Servitor.

Once upon a crowned the

when he had thus one, it seemed to him in

time,

all-lovely

a vision that heaven was opened, and he saw the bright angels ascending and descending in

shining garments.

heard likewise in the

court of heaven the blissful attendants singing

But

the loveliest song which was ever heard. chiefly they

which rang within like

dens

sweetly that his soul melted

him from

what

Saints

sang a song about our dear Lady,

excess of rapture,

and

etc. ;"

culmen ordinum,

Queen

which means,

soars high above

heavenly host in honour and dignity.

left

was

day, " Illic regina virginum, transcen-

that the pure

began

sung of her in the sequence on All-

to sing with the

all

the

too

heavenly company, and

behind in his soul a great savour of

heaven and longing Once,

at the

after

God.

beginning of May, he had,

YOUTHFUL DEVOTIONS. according to votion

181

custom, placed with great de-

a garland of roses upon his loveliest

heavenly

Lady

as he had

and that same morning

early,

come from a distance and was

tired,

he intended

;

to allow himself a longer sleep,

and

to omit his usual greeting to the Virgin at the

Now when

proper hour. for

him

to greet her, as

he should have got up,

he were

the time had come

he was wont it

in the midst of

seemed

to do,

and

him

as if

a heavenly choir, and

that they were singing the Magnificat in praise

of God's Mother.

When

was ended, the

Virgin came forward, and bade the brother begin the verse, "

which

signifies,

summer.

vernalis

rosula,

thou lovely

little

etc.

rose

thought within himself what she

mean by this, and yet, wishing to obey he began in joyous mood, " O vernalis ro-

could her,

sula."

Whereupon immediately

three or four

youths of the heavenly company,

who were

standing there in choir, began to sing with him,

and then the

rest of the choir took

as if in rivalry,

and they sang

the sound rang out as sweetly as instruments were

But

his mortal

resounding

up the

strain,

so merrily, that if all

stringed

there together.

frame could not bear

this excess

of melody, and he came to himself again.

—— HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

182

SUSO.

the day after our Lady's feast of the

Assumption, he was once more shown a vision of great joy in the court of heaven.

But no

one was allowed to enter in who was not worthy to be present there.

Now when

was very anxious

press

in,

the Servitor

came a

there

youth who caught him by the hand, saying It

Thou

not for thee to enter in at present.

hast done wrong, and must expiate thy misdeed, before thou wilt be allowed to hear the song of

heaven.

Then he

into an

underground

desolate,

led

him by a crooked path

hole,

Servitor could not

move

side or to the other; but

man

sun or the moon.

The

to look at. it

either to the one

he lay there

who cannot

in a dungeon,

to him,

which was dark and

and very miserable

see either the

This was a sore suffering

and he began

bemoan and lament

himself on account of his imprisonment. afterwards the youth

how

fared with him.

—Very Know

Soon came back, and asked him

Then

ill.

the

The

Servitor answered:

youth said to him

that the sovereign

angry with thee on account of the

fault

which thou

The

vitor

Woe

art lying here in prison.

was greatly is

Queen of Heaven

terrified at this,

and

Ser-

said

utterly miserable that I am,

for

what

THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN.

have I done to her?

183

answered:

— She

angry with thee for being so unwilling to preach about her on her

festivals,

day on her great

festival

and because yester-

thou didst refuse thy thou wouldst not

superior's request, saying that

preach about her.

—Alas, my

friend

in truth that she

The

made answer:

Servitor

and master

worthy of far greater honour

than what I can give her, and that I little

account to undertake this

fore I yield

seems to

who

to those

of too

There-

office.

are old and

worthy; for methinks they can preach more worthily about her than

this

it is

eyes.

poor man,

— Know

an acceptable service from thee in her

The

Therefore refuse no more.

began to weep, and dearest youth

make

said to the

shall not

happen again.

and consoled him

lovingly,

out of the prison, saying

Servitor

youth

—Ah,

peace with the pure

Mother, for I promise thee by it

can.

that

receive this honour from thee,

pleases her to

and

the youth replied

troth that

The youth smiled, and led him home

—I

have observed,

from the kindly way in which the Queen of

Heaven looked

will lay aside her

and spoke of

thee, that she

anger against thee, and will

always love thee with a mother's faithful love.

LIFE OF BLESSED

184 It

was the

it,

make

any where upon his

when he

to pass

left

through the

Sacrament; for he thought

the

who has a very dear

within himself that he friend

SUSO.

Servitor's practice

his cell, or returned to

choir before

HENRY

journey a

his road,

little

very glad to

longer in order to hold

some loving converse with him.

A man once

asked

God

bestow upon him

a heavenly carnival, as he did not wish for an earthly one from senses

him

were

stilled

ecstasy,

wore when

in,

was

while his

seemed

came

as if the dear Christ

form which

And

creatures.

under the

thirty years

him that He would grant and make for him a heavenly

of age, and signified to

him

his request,

Then He took a cup

carnival.

hand, and presented

sitting there at table, first

became a by

affected

ficient,

little it.

;

the

faint; but the

Upon

of wine in His

men, who were

one after the other.

down powerless

sank

him the

to three

this the

The

second also

third

was not

Lord explained

difference between a beginner, a pro-

and a perfect man,

are in the

way

—how

unlike they

which they bear themselves

in spiritual sweetness.

When

the Servitor had finished conversing

with his spiritual daughter about these and

HE DRAWS SINNERS TO GOD.

185

such-like divine endearments, she wrote

down

secretly,

she locked

Now sister,

one

and then placed clay there

came

which

to her a

—Dear

I dreamed

sister,

good

the box in

she had given

vellous heavenly secret

box !

in a box,

all

concealment and security.

for

whom

charge, saying

what

this

mar-

which thou hast in thy night that there was in

this

thy box a young heavenly boy, and that he had a sweet stringed instrument in his hands, from

which he drew such ravishing that

it filled

many

spiritual melodies,

a one with spiritual delight.

I pray thee bring forth for us what thou hast locked up, that

too

may

read

it.

But she

kept silence, and would not speak to her about it,

for

had been forbidden

Chapter How

her.

XXXIX.

he drew light-minded persons to God, and comforted those who were in suffering.

The

had once been a long time

Servitor

without sending any message to his spiritual daughter. telling

him

Upon

this she

that she

message from him

was

wrote a

letter to

in great

him,

need of a

to cheer her suffering heart,

— ;

HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

186

and adding

—The poor

find a little consolation

when they

see those

who

and

sufferers

draw a

selves,

hearing that some

been in greater

are poorer than them-

among

straits

SUSO.

little

courage from

have

their neighbours

than they are, and have

been helped out of them by God.

The

Servitor wrote thus to her in answer:

In order that thou mayest be more patient in thy sufferings, I will tell thee for God's glory something about suffering.

whom by

This man's

love

God from

the very bottom of his heart,

win

and

withdraw them from

persons to the same love of God,

and he brought both

this

unceasing desire was to

and

all

cruel

fell

good name in

sufferings in regard to his

world.

know a man on

God's appointment there

all

vain affections

about in the case of many,

this

men and women.

Since,

however, by

doing this he estranged from the devil those

who had been

his,

God, the

spirit

evil

and brought them back to took

to certain holy persons,

would avenge himself on the It

ill,

and appeared

and threatened that he Servitor.

happened once that the Servitor came

a monastery belonging to a certain Order in

which the

religious

men

are accustomed to have

a special dwelling-place for themselves, and the

;

HE DRAWS SINNERS TO GOD. women

religious

dwelling-place

of the Order likewise a special for themselves.

monastery there were two a woman,

who were bound

and the

;

devil

had

Now

religious,

this

man and

to each other

closest ties of great affection

macy

187

and hurtful

so disguised

inti-

to their

blinded hearts, that they looked upon the mis-

deed as

if it

were no

fault or sin,

but a thing

When

the Servitor

permitted to them by God.

was privately asked whether they could go on in this

way without being

will,

he answered

told

them

that their view of the matter

was

and

contrary to Christian doctrine;

and

false,

he succeeded intimacy,

in opposition to God's

—No, by no means

;

making them leave

and

live

thenceforward

and he

off their

purity.

Whilst he was occupied about this matter, a holy person

when

named Anna was

rapt in

spirit

she was at prayer, and she saw a great

band of

gathered together in the air

devils

above the Servitor, and they with one voice

—Death,

all

cried aloud

death, to the wicked

monk! and they reviled and cursed him for having driven them forth by his good counsels from that place which was so pleasant to them and they

all

swore, with horrible gestures, that

they would never

let

him alone

until they

had

;

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

188

revenged themselves upon him

were not allowed his goods, they

to touch

would

and that

;

him

they

in his person or

at least inflict cruel in-

jury upon his good name and honour in men's eyes,

by laying shameful things

to his charge

and, however carefully he might avoid giving

any cause

for

Anna was

impending

his

about.

Lady straits.

—

Child's ordinance.

ordains concerning

and the most

and she be-

Upon which the kind They can do

said to her lovingly

What He

this,

come and help him

nothing to him without

best

The holy woman

greatly terrified at

sought our dear

Mother

they would by falsehood and

it,

cunning bring

him

will

profitable for him.

be the

Bid him

therefore be of good cheer.

When

she told this to the brother, he began

to feel great alarm at this hostile assembling of

and, as he often used to do in

the evil spirits

;

his distresses,

he ascended the

hill

on which a

chapel stands dedicated to the holy angels, and

he went nine times round

this chapel,

to his custom, saying prayers in

according

honour of the

nine choirs of the heavenly host, and he be-

sought them earnestly to be his helpers against all his

enemies.

was earned

Early that same morning he

in a spiritual vision to a beautiful

HE DRAWS SINNERS TO GOD. and

plain,

lie

saw there

all

189

round him an ex-

who

ceeding great company of angels,

stood

ready to help him, and they comforted him, saying

— God

with thee, and will never leave

thee in any of thy

draw worldly hearts

Cease not, then, to

straits.

to the love of

God.

This

confirmed him in his purpose, and he busied himself

all

the

back

diligently in bringing

both the wild and the tame to God.

had succeeded by

good words in

his

coming round a ferocious man, who had been eighteen years without confession.

was inspired by God with confidence and confessed

Servitor,

contrition, that

He once their evil

the

him with such great

they both began to weep.

died soon afterwards, and

man

This

made a happy

end.

converted twelve sinful women from

life.

impossible to

he suffered from them.

tell

how much

In the end, however,

only two of them persevered.

There were country

many

at that time

persons of the female sex, both

secular and religious, their disposition practices.

up and down the

had

who from fallen

the frailty of

openly into sinful

These poor women through shame

dared not confess to any one their heart's anguish

;

so that

from agony and

distress of

mind

— LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

190

they were often assailed by the temptation to

Now when

destroy themselves.

these persons

heard that the Servitor had a tender heart for

who were

all

came

distress lay

him

and

in suffering, they took courage

to him,

—each

one at the time when her

—and

disclosed to

straits in

which they

heavy upon her,

then* anguish,

and the

were held captive.

When

saw these poor

lie

hearts in such misery and suffering, he used to

weep with them and console them

often risked his good

them

order to help

their reputation

;

name let

Among others there was a

Go to my

;

pleased.

lady of high birth,

fall

Lady appeared

chaplain

malicious tongues

him they

whose contrition for her our

and

to recover their souls

and he

pass what judgment on

One day

lovingly.

in this world in

was very

to her

and

great.

said

will set thee right again.

—Alas, Lady, I know him The Mother of Compassion —Look here She answered

not.

replied:

beneath

my mantle, where

I keep

him under

guard, and note well his face, that thou mayest

know him

again.

comforter of thee.

all

He who

The lady came

foreign land,

had seen

a help in need and a

suffer.

to the Servitor

and she recognised

before in

will comfort

spirit,

from a

his face as she

and she prayed him

VISION OF SUFFERINGS. to bring her

191

back to grace, and told him what

had

befallen her.

and

set

He received

her very kindly,

her right again to the best of his

ability,

according as the Mother of Compassion had en-

joined him.

Chapter XL. Of a grievous

which

suffering

him while thus

befell

occupied.

Such was the way in which the Servitor many persons who were in suffering. But

aided

work

the good

martyrdom of

cost

in consequence. afflictions

him

sufferings

owing to the

dear,

which

fell

upon him

And God showed him

these

when they were still future, in the folOnce when he was travelling he

lowing vision.

arrived one evening at an inn

daybreak

was taken

;

and just before

seemed to him in a vision that he

a place where Mass was going to

be sung, and that he had to sing

had

fallen

upon him.

The

it,

for the lot

singers

began the

Mass of martyrs, "Multse tribulationes justorum ;" that is, Many are the sufferings of God's

friends.

was not pleased

at hearing this,

and would have been very glad saying

—How

strange

Why

are

change

it,

you deafen-

— LIFE OF BLESSED

192

HENRY

Why do you sing toWe are not keeping

ing us with the martyrs ?

day the Mass of martyrs ?

any martyr's

feast to-day.

and pointing

him with

They looked

Get ready,

then,

lay before him, and would

and sing for

thyself.

much

confessors, or

rather have

any other one

except that of the suffering martyrs

of Masses of martyrs.

has

of the Missal which

;

but though

he turned the book over and over again, full

this time, as

He turned over the pages sung the Mass of

at him,

their fingers, said

God has His martyrs now at ever had.

SUSO.

When

was

all

he saw that

could not be otherwise, he sang with them, and his singing

After a to

little

them

much

rang forth exceeding mournfully.

while he began again, and said

— This

very singular.

rather sing

about joyful things, than sing as

ing about sorrowful things.

Good

friend,

he came

first,

suffer

—Alas,

martyrdom !

yet.

and then

the joyous song

to himself again his heart

trembled within him because of the said:

rejoice)

are do-

thou dost not understand

when the proper time has come Gaudeamus follows after it.

They answered

This song about the martyrs goes

When

One would

Gaudeamus (Let us

vision,

and

God! must I once more In consequence of

this his

CRUELLY SLANDERED.

demeanour became

193

journeyed

so sorrowful as lie

onwards, that his companion asked him, saying

—Ah

father,

you look

that

swered

what

the matter with you,

had made known

him not

;

But

to suffer.

an-

dear companion, I have to sing

him

God

Meaning, that

here the Mass of martyrs.

dom

so exceeding sorrowful ?

—Alas

that he

had a martyr-

companion understood

his

he remained

silent,

and kept

all

within himself.

his arrival at the town,

which took place

in the dark days before Christmas,

he was, as

usual, so sorely visited with bitter sufferings that it

seemed

to him, as the saying

within his body must break,

has ever happened

is,

that his heart

such a thing

For

to those in sorrow.

these sufferings hedged

him round on

and

have every thing taken

was

his sad lot to

from him which had been a support

way of service,

consolation, or honour,

was of a nature calculated here below.

Among

tried to lead to

in the

and which

man

to comfort a

life

which she hid

those persons

God

a deceitful crafty woman,

wardly good

him

This bitter suffering was of the

following kind:

he had

all sides,

whom to

him

who under an

out-

there

came

concealed a wolfish

heart,

so well that the brother for

HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

194

very long time did not perceive

SUSO.

She had be-

it.

man, and

fore this fallen into great sin with a

had added

to her crime

attributing the off-

spring to a different person from the guilty man,

who protested his own innocence The Servitor did not reject

in the matter.

woman on

the

account of her misdeeds ; but he heard her con-

and helped her

fession,

ways, more than

was the custom of the other

who

religious of the country,

minerer

and proper

in all needful

(mendicants),

gone on for a long time,

are called Ter-

to do. it

came

After

to the

had

this

knowledge

of the Servitor, and of other reliable persons, that she was

still

said nothing about

and would have gladly avoided making

it,

known

;

at the

tions with her

the

same time he gave up and ceased

woman became aware

word not if

same

secretly continuing the

evil practices as before.

to act thus

left off

heretofore,

;

to help her.

his rela-

When

she sent

him

and threatened him

that,

this,

giving her the same assistance as

he should

suffer for

would father upon him a

child,

;

for that she

which she had

had by a secular man, and he would thus be put to shame by means of the child and be covered with infamy every where.

The

Servitor was filled with consternation

CRUELLY SLANDERED.

195

words, and stood motionless;

these

then,

sighing inwardly, he spoke thus within himself

—Anguish

I act in this way, woe

act thus,

still

all sides

to sink

heart,

woe

under

And

;

all

for

I do not

so girt

round

and woe that I am

thus, with terror in his

God might allow upon him. At last, after God and himself, he came

he waited for whatever

the devil to bring

taking counsel with

to the conclusion, that of these alternatives

body

to turn

me, and

me; and I am

distress it.

surround

distress

and I know not which way

sides, if

and

let the

was better

for

two miserable

him

in soul

and

abandon the wicked woman altogether, consequences to his good

they might

;

and

name be what

did.

This inflamed her fierce heart with such rage against him, that, running thither to ecclesiastics

with more than herself, in

and

human

hither

and

seculars, she strove

wickedness to defame

order to bring suffering upon the

poor man, and she told every one that she had

had a

child,

and that

was by the brother.

All who believed her words were greatly scandalised at

it,

and the scandal was the greater

the wider the reputation of his holiness had spread.

All this pierced him through to his

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

196

very inmost heart and soul, and, being thus

encompassed on every side by anguish and distress,

he lived absorbed in himself, and the

days seemed to him long and the nights miser-

and

able,

frights.

was mingled with panic

his short sleep

used to look upwards sorrowfully to

God, and with deep groans exclaim:

God my hour of woe is come. How how can I, bear this agony of heart ? !

—Alas, O shall I, or

Alas,

God, would that I had died before I ever saw or heard of this misery

Thy

honoured

life,

and wide bring is

Lord, behold, I have

venerable

Name

all

the days of

and I have taught many persons to love

my name

And

and honour it.

wilt

of.

brought to disgrace through me.

and

shall

always grieve for

it.

This

Behold how

the venerable Order of Preachers must

this,

Thou

such great dishonour?

a sore thing that I complain

far

now be

I grieve for

Woe

me,

by reason of the straits into which my heart lias come All good persons, who before held me !

in great honour as a holy

gave gard

me courage to me as a wicked

this pierces

—a thing which —now,

man

persevere

alas

deceiver of the world ;

and wounds

my heart

re-

and

through and

through.

When

the poor sufferer had spent

much

;

CRUELLY SLANDERED.

197

time in these lamentations, and his body and

powers were wasting away, there came to Good sir, why do you him a woman, saying wear yourself away through this excessive grief? Be of good cheer. I will give you such counsel vital

and

assistance, that, if

your good name

will

—Dear

how

under

will die.

There-

looked up, and said to will

—I

you bring

and either bury

a needle into

Thus the

this to

away the

will take

my cloak,

alive at night, or stick

so that

its

brain

vile slander will

the ground, and you will keep your good

fall to

name. is

stealth

my advice,

remain uninjiued.

She answered:

pass? child

lady,

you will follow

fore take courage.

her:

—

answered in a voice of fury

me, wicked murderess

ous heart!

alas for

Wouldst thou thus

What

babe ?

matter that

its

that can befall

my worldly honour;

the guiltless

alive %

No, no

should ever be

See; the very worst

in this matter

but

—Woe

mother is a wicked

woman 1 Wouldst thou bury it God forbid that such a crime committed through me.

kill

thy murder-

the loss of

the worldly honour of

a whole country depended on me, I would rather sacrifice

than

to-day to the everlasting glorious

let this

replied

innocent blood thus perish.

—And yet

not your child.

God She

Why

HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

198

SUSO.

Upon which

then trouble yourself about it?

she drew forth a sharp-pointed knife, and said

—Let me take

I will wring

neck, or stick this knife into

will

its

heart.

little

away out

It will

be dead

may on

its

and you

at once,

He answered: — Silence,

be at peace again.

thou unclean and wicked child

and

of your sight,

earth,

devil.

it is

God's image, and has been

still

whose

formed after dearly pur-

full

chased with the most precious and innocent

Blood of Christ.

Therefore I will not that

its

young blood be shed in this way. The woman made answer to him impatiently: If you will

—

not

let

killed,

at least let

carry

secretly into the

church some morning, that

may

as with other deserted found-

fare with

lings

;

else

you

and annoyance, is

be put to great expense

until the child's bringing

finished.

God

will

replied:

—I

trust in the rich

for me He will provide henceforth for both And then he added — Go and bring me

of heaven,

who has always provided

hitherto, that

of us.

the babe very secretly, that I

When looked at

may

he took the babe into it,

see

his

bosom and

the babe smiled at him.

which, fetching a deep sigh, he said

I then

kill

it.

Upon

— Should

a pretty babe that smiles at

me?

HE No,

CRUELLY SLANDERED.

I will gladly suffer whatever

in truth!

may

befall

through

the babe; he said:

babe

own

199

Then turning

it.

—Alas, thou

thou art indeed a poor orphan

false father

hapless, tender ;

for thy

has denied thee, and thy mur-

derous mother has sought to fling thee away,

an ugly good-for-nothing whelp.

Well;

since God's providence has given thee to

in such a

one

else;

and even

child of

heart

God and from no

from

will receive thee

thou too be dear to me,

Ah,

dear to me, so shalt

my own

thou

yet canst not speak.

thee with

mouth

that kisses thee,

man

he too began

so lovingly,

and

felt

tears.

the great tears of

upon

him and But when the Ser;

saw the babe thus weeping, he pressed

tenderly to his heart, and said:

kill

his little eyes,

heartily with

they both wept together.

darling

and

and I bedew thy infant

fall so fast

weep

sor-

tearful eyes,

my hot

the pretty boy

the weeping

and I too look

wounded heart and

face with the stream of

When

Alas

sweet babe.

sittest in

rowful lap, and lookest up at

vitor

me,

that I cannot help being thy

I will gladly act as one towards thee,

father,

and I

way

Alas, child of

—Be

heart

thee because thou art not

still,

should I child,

but

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

200

must

cost

tender child

must be as

God

dear?

provides

the good

ever

God

may

and God's

child

;

befall

;

for

and

child;

thou

so long

with but one single mouth-

with thee, to the glory of

I will share

ful,

beautiful, dear,

I would not hurt thee

Alas,

and I

will bear patiently

what-

my own

sweet

through thee,

child.

When

woman who had

the cruel-hearted

before wished to

kill

the babe heard

him speak

thus tenderly amid his tears, she was so deeply

moved by

such loud

cries

to great pity,

and broke out

liged to quiet her, lest

some one should come,

and the whole thing be known.

when

she had wept her

the babe, loving

and blessed

God

bless

guard thee from provide

Afterwards

thee, all

full, it,

length,

he gave her back

saying

— May the

and the holy angels

evil

And

he bade her

with what was needful at his the

into

and weeping, that he was ob-

wicked

woman, the

cost.

child's

mother, set to work again; and as she had already greatly slandered the brother, so she

continued to do whenever she had an opportunity of injuring him; on which account

became an

object

of pity to

lie

many pure and

virtuous souls, and they often wished that the

CRUELLY SLANDERED.

God would

just

201

away out of the

take her

world.

happened once that one of the

kinsmen came to him, and said: for the great crime

which

has committed against you

avenge you on her. self

God

sir,

woman

wicked

this !

Servitor's

—Alas,

knows, I will

I will secretly station

my-

on the long bridge which goes over the

water ; and when the sacrilegious wretch passes that way, I will throw her over and

and her great crime

He any

answered

shall

—No, my

drown her

be avenged upon her.

God

friend;

forbid that

living being should be put to death

account.

God, who knows

hidden things,

all

knows that she has done me wrong about the Therefore I leave the matter in His

child.

hand, either to slay her or to cording to His if

will.

I were willing

And

all

still

it.

me, I would as soon

she had behaved to

replied:

ac-

soul,

by con-

honour in her

The man answered very

benefit of

a man,

live,

pure women, and allow her the

—As

for

her

thee that, even

to disregard

niving at her death, I would the dignity of

let

tell

—Nay;

for that

kill

angrily

woman

so villanously.

would be an act

of most unreasonable and blameworthy ferocity.

Think no more about

it,

and

let all

the suffer-

O 202

LIFE OF BLESSED

ings

fall

HENRY

me which God

upon

SUSO.

me.

wills

suffer.

the Servitor's afflictions were continually

on the

increase,

seemed to him one day,

through infirmity of

had

soul, that his distress

reached such a point that he must needs go forth in quest of something to support

him

to seek for consolation, it

while he

tune's wheel

and he hoped

sat

still

meet with friends,

on the upper side of for-

had treated him

his true friends

hands of two of his

especially at the

who

and cheer

Accordingly he went out

in his sufferings.

and comrades.

though they were It

was from them

that he

now

sought consolation for his suffering

heart.

Alas

God showed him

that no dependence for

them both

to be placed in creatures;

he was more cruelly humiliated by them

and those about them than he ever was by ordinary people.

the

away his

One

of these friends received

brother very harshly, and turning

afflicted

face from

in a very insulting

him

in anger,

he told the Servitor

inmost heart

him

expressions which he used

to cease in future

familiarity with him; for that

company.

manner, with cutting words.

Among other offensive

his

behaved

from

all

he was ashamed of

Alas! this pierced the Servitor's ;

and he answered mournfully:

—

— HE

CRUELLY SLANDERED.

203

dear friend, if

by God's ordinance thou hadst

fallen into the

miry

pool, as I

have done, verily

I would have sprung in after thee, and lovingly helped thee out of

enough

for thee to see

in the mire, but thou

besides.

this

it.

misery

There

silent,

and

lying before thee deep

make

my plaint him

said to

an end of you now.

not

must needs trample on

rowful Heart of Jesus Christ.

him be

to the sor-

His friend bade insultingly

Not only your

preaching, but your books too which you have written,

The

ought to be treated with contempt.

Servitor answered

him very

looking up to heaven, said

the good

still

God

sweetly,

—I put my

of heaven that

and

trust in

books will

more valued and loved than they have

when the appointed time shall come. Such was the mournful consolation which he

ever been,

received from his best friends.

Hitherto in this town his necessities had been fully supplied

when

these

by kind-hearted

persons.

But

lying and slanderous tales were

carried to them, those

who

believed the false

talemongers withdrew from him their help and friendship, until at length, the truth

having been

manifested to them by God, they returned to

him and acknowledged

that he was guiltless.

— HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

204

One

little rest, his

and

when he had

day,

sat

SUSO.

down

to take a

bodily senses were stilled in ecstasy,

seemed

him

was carried

that he

into a

Then he heard

land above the ken of sense.

something say in the very depths of his soul

Hearken, hearken, to a word of consolation

which I

began

will read to thee.

and listened

did as bidden,

Upon which

attentively.

the voice

Latin the following words from

to read in

the chapter at none of the Vigil of Christmas,,

"Non that

vocaberis ultra derelicta, etc."

Thou

is,

shalt

(Is. lxii.

4);

no more be called the for-

saken of God, and thy land shall not be called the wasted land.

for the heavenly

When

thee.

these words,

Thy name

and thy land

will is in thee,

Father

friend,

cultivated;,

well pleased with

the voice had finished reading it

began again

words over and over again

The

God's

shall be,

shall

same

to read the

full four times.

Servitor in astonishment said:

—Dear

what meanest thou by repeating these

—I

words so often?

The

this to strengthen

thy confidence in God,

voice answered:

will provide for the land of is,

for their mortal bodies

—

His friends

all

who

—that

things needful to

them and when what they require is withdrawn ;

from them on one

side,

will

make

HE them on

CRUELLY SLANDEEED.

another.

this fatherly

mighty and everlasting God

And in

truth this

many

that

all

came

the al-

will deal with thee.

a heart laughed for joy at

who had

those

way

to pass so manifestly,

the almighty and everlasting

205

before shed

it,

and

God was praised many tears from

great compassion. It fared with this suffering

man

with some

dead animal which has been knocked about and

by wild

torn in pieces

marrow

and other the

insects settle

gnawed

Even

to pieces,

and yet has some

all,

upon

bones, and carry

into the air the out.

beasts,

Last of

left in it.

the hungry

it,

and

strip

flies

bare

away with them

marrow which they have sucked

so the Servitor

was miserably pulled

and his shame was carried

far

and wide

by persons of seeming piety and they did this with good words, and under the cover of regrets, and with outward show of

into distant lands

friendship,

which was notning but

In consequence of

within. like these vitor's

faithlessness

thoughts

this, evil

would sometimes dart across the Ser-

mind:

suffers at the

open

;

sinners,

these persons

— Alas,

dear God! he

who

only

hands of Jews, and heathen, and

may who

contrive

bear

are tormenting

it;

but

me so grievThy good

ously have the appearance of being

— 206

LIFE OF BLESSED HEKRY SUSO.

friends,

and therefore

it is

much more

pain-

ful.

But when he came reasonable view of fault,

it,

to himself,

and acknowledged that

had done

and took a

he excused them from

was God who

through them, and that

all

was

fit-

ting he should suffer thus, and that Almighty-

God

often orders things for His friends' good

means of His enemies.

Once

when he was suffering from said to him interiorly Remember that Christ the Lord would not only have His beloved disciple John and His faithful especially,

these thoughts,

St. Peter in also to

And

was

His pure company, but

endure the wicked Judas at His

dost thou desire to imitate Christ,

will not

willed

endure thy Judas ?

flashed at once across his

side.

and yet

A thought in answer

mind

—Alas, Lord

a suffering friend of God had only one Judas,

would be bearable ner

is full

;

but in these times every cor-

of Judases, and when one departs four

or five spring up.

this there

lowing reply within him

he ought

if it

came the

—A man who

fol-

what

be should not look on any Judas as

a Judas; but he should regard him as God's fellow-worker,

by whom he

purified for his good.

When

be trained and

Judas betrayed

Christ with a

saying

—My

The

CRUELLY SLANDERED. Christ called

kiss,

friend, wherefore art

sufferings of this poor

lasted a long time

all his

his friend,

thou come ?

man had now

but there was one very little

;

ground of comfort,

was

him

207

support

which he clung, and which

—namely,

that the burden

which weighed him down had not been brought This

before the judges and prelates of the Order. little

comfort was speedily withdrawn from him

by God;

for the Master-general of the

whole

Order and the Master of the German province both came together to the town in which the

wicked

woman had

of God.

When

slandered the pious Servitor

the poor man,

who was

living

in another place, heard this news, his heart died

within

him

utterly,

and he

said to himself:

—

If perchance the Masters give credence to the

wicked

woman

against thee, thou art dead

;

for

they will condemn thee to such a penitential prison, that

were better for thee to

die.

remained under the weight of this anguish twelve days and nights continuously, and during this

time he was in constant expectation of this agonising penance, as soon as they should arrive there.

One

day, overcome

by the

state of

in which he was, he broke out, through

misery

human

— LIFE OF BLESSED

208

SUSO.

unseemly gestures and behaviour;

frailty, into

and

HENRY

in this sad condition of his outer

man he went

and inner

apart from every one into a place

of secrecy, where none could hear or see him,

and he gave way

at intervals to

deep and re-

The tears stood in his eyes, and then streamed down his cheeks. His distress

peated groans.

was

so intense that

spring like a

Then

he could not remain

still,

down on a sudden, and then up again and run up and down the room

but he would

man

sit

wrestling with grief and anguish.

there shot through his heart a thought

which took the form of a remonstrance, thus

Alas

with

me f

everlasting God,

what

Thy

purpose

Meanwhile, when he was in

this

sad

God spoke within now thy detachment

disordered state, a voice from

him, saying:

—Where

and that evenness of soul in weal and woe which thou hast so often and so joyously counselled to others, whilst

them how self to

thou didst lovingly point out to

entirely a

God, and hold this

Askest thou ther do thou

man fast

he answered with many

tears

me where my detachment is ? leatell me where is God's unfathom-

able pity for His friends

should abandon him-

by nothing?

For

in spite of

waiting here in utter desolation, like a

man

HE condemned

CRUELLY SLANDERED.

to forfeit his

property, and hon-

life,

God was

I had fancied that

our.

20$

I had

kind.

Lord to who ventured to abandon themselves to Him. Woe is me! God has failed me! Alas! that fancied that he was a good and gracious all

vein of kindness whose compassionate streams

never yet ran dry has run dry for me, poor man. Alas! the kind Heart whose kindness the, whole

world proclaims has deserted me, poor man, mis-

erably. tiful

has turned away from me His beau-

eyes and His gracious countenance.

thou Divine countenance

I had never deemed of Thee that

have

cast

come

aid,

Thou knowest liance

sake, all

that all

Thee

alone,

Oh, hearken

earth.

for I

altogether undone.

this

no one day

ye suffering hearts!

one take scandal at

and

consolation

and

Thou wouldst

O fathomless abyss,

off so utterly.

thou kind Heart

for

re-

God's

See that no

disordered state

long as detachment was in

else

;

for so

my mouth it was but now my whole

sweet to

heart

wounded through and through, and the

to speak of

inmost core of

all

my veins

;

and brain

pierced with anguish, and there

my body which every part of

it.

trans-

not a limb of

not tortured and wounded in

How

can I then be detached

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

210

When

he had spent about half a day in

disordered state, tered,

self to

sat

still

and

was

his brain

quite shat-

at last, and, turning

from him-

God, gave himself up to God's

these words

voluntas

—May

Tua" (Thy

As he

sat thus,

not he otherwise

will

this

will in

u Fiat

be done).

with his senses rapt in ec-

him in a vision that there came and stood before him one of his holy spiritual daughters, who when she was yet alive had often told him that he would have many sufferings, but that the everlasting God would help him out of them. She now appeared to him, and tried lovingly to comfort him but he received her stasy, it

seemed

;

consolations angrily, truthfulness.

near, offered

cept

and charged her with un-

She smiled at this, and drawing him her holy hand, saying Ac:

my Christian

troth, hi

will not forsake you,

but will help you to come

out victorious from these and

He my

answered

—

all

See, daughter

afflictions is so great, that

credit thee, unless thou givest

that thy words are true.

other sufferings.

The weight

and pure

hearts.

for

I can no longer

me some

She replied:

Himself will manifest your innocence

look to

—

God's stead, that lie

token

— God

to all

good

wicked hearts, things

them according to the colour of their own

CRUELLY SLANDERED.

A wise

wickedness.

not. Moreover, the

God

friend of

heeds them

Order of Preachers which you

bewail shall be the more pleasing to reasonable men, on your account.

God and

God

The

let

His wrathful hand upon the wicked heart

fall

which has thus troubled you. Moreover,

who have

specially abetted her

all

sure of

The

this.

these words,

tation of

brother was

and waited

those

by their malicious

slanderings will soon feel His vengeance.

ever-

avenge you, and will

will soon

all

And as a sign

that these words are true, note this. lasting

211

much

comforted

steadfastly in expec-

how God would bring

this

matter to

an end.

Very soon afterwards, it all came to pass exactly as she had said. For the monster who had thus tormented him died, and she died too by a sudden death. those

And many

who had been

others also

by death

ferings were snatched hence

them dying fession

insensible,

and

One

and

;

some of

others without con-

and communion. of these persons,

who had been a prelate,

and had caused very great vitor,

among

the chief causes of his suf-

suffering to the Ser-

appeared to him in a vision after death,

told

him

had cut short

that

his life

was on

this

and term of

account office,

God

adding,

LIFE OF BLESSED

212

HENRY

SUSO.

that he would have to waste and wither in pur-

gatory for a long time as a penance for

it.

Many persons who knew what had happened, and were favourably disposed towards the Servitor,

on seeing

this

God

deaths which

versaries, praised

truth

God

well that

unusual vengeance, and the

upon

sent so suddenly

Almighty God, saying

with this good

man

;

his ad:

—Of a

and we see

wrong has been done him, and it

but

just that he should henceforth be of more account in the eyes ofreasonable

men, and be looked upon

as higher in holiness than if God

him with

had not

visited

these sufferings.

Moreover, the prelate of the

German province

exculpated him, saying that he and the Mastergeneral of the Order had held a

about him, as was

fitting,

strict visitation

and had found nothing

who was

against him, save that a wicked woman,

unworthy

be believed, had spoken maliciously

of the honest

man

;

a thing which might very

well happen, if people would give ear to wicked

tongues.

Thus the kind God succoured the and

Servitor,

very graciously caused this terrible storm of

suffering to subside

and pass away, according

the holy daughter in the vision had told his consolation.

And

him

as for

he often thought within

HE himself

CRUELLY SLANDERED.

— Ah,

how

Lord,

which are said of Thee well can be

213

true the words are

He to whom God wishes

harmed by no one

who behaved to him in such an unfriendly way was shortly afterwards taken hence by God. After his death, when

The

all

friend,

also,

the hindrances which had delayed

beholding

God

he appeared

him from

had been removed,

face to face

to the Servitor in golden

radiant with light, and embracing

him

garments lovingly,

pressed his face tenderly against his cheeks and

besought his pardon for

all

the

wrong he had

done him, and prayed him that a true heavenly friendship lastingly.

might continue between them ever-

The

Servitor accepted this proposal

with joy, and embraced him in turn very lovingly;

upon which he vanished out of sight, and entered again into the

bliss

Afterwards,

come,

God

the appointed time

with inward peace of heart,

and bright illuminations of grace;

he praised God with suffering, saying

all his

that he

still

so that

heart for the past

would not take the

Moreit all. him to see clearly that by crushing blow he had been in a more noble

whole world not to have suffered over, this

had

gladdened the sufferer in return for

all his sufferings

repose,

of God.

when

was given

214

LIFE OF BLESSED HENPwY SUSO.

drawn out of himself and transported

fashion into

God

than by

the manifold sufferings

all

which he had endured from

youth upwards

his

until then.

Chaptek XLI. Of

When the

interior sufferings.

Servitor's spiritual daughter

had

read the account of the grievous sufferings just

and had shed many tears over it through

related,

prayed him to explain to her in the

pity, she

next place what ferings

the nature of interior suf-

answered

—I

will tell

things about interior sufferings.

man

you two

There was a

of high position in a certain Religious

Order on

whom God had

laid

an interior suffer-

ing; and the poor brother's heart and spirits

were so overwhelmed by

it,

that he ceased not

night and day from tears and cries and lamentations.

length he came with great devotion

to the Servitor of the Eternal

him

his distress,

God

for

him

Wisdom, and

and besought him

told

pray to

that he might be delivered.

Early one morning, when the Servitor was sitting in his chapel

he saw the

and praying

evil spirit

for the brother,,

come and stand before

215

INTERIOR SUFFERINGS.

him, under the form of a hideous Moor, with eyes of

how

fire

and a

in his hand.

—I

adjure thee

who

thou

He am

terrific hellish look,

The

hy the

and with

Servitor said to

God

living

him

to tell

and what thou wantest here.

art,

answered in a very fiendish fashion

—I

" Spiritus BlasphemiaB" (the Spirit of Blas-

phemy), and thou shalt soon know what I want.

The

Servitor turned towards the door of the

choir, and, as

came

he did

this,

the suffering brother

by the same door on his way to the Thereupon the evil spirit drew

choir for Mass. his

bow and

heart, so

shot a fiery arrow into the brother's

that he almost

fell

backwards, and

could not come into the choir.

was greatly pained proved the devil for

it.

The

re-

which the proud

became exceeding wroth with him, and

fiend

drawing the bow once more, with a

upon

it,

heart.

dear

Servitor

and severely

at this,

tried to shoot

But the

Lady

him

also

arrow

fiery

through the

Servitor turned quickly to our

for help, saying

—" Nos cum

prole

pia benedicat Virgo Maria" bless

(0 Virgin Mary, us with thy gentle Babe); and immediately

the devil's strength

left

him, and he vanished

out of sight.

"When morning came, the Servitor

216

LIFE OF BLESSED

what

lie

had seen

HENHY

SUSO.

and

to the suffering brother,

him

consoled him, and at the same time told

the remedies which would be of avail, as they are set forth in the sermon of his which begins

;

—" Lectulus noster Among

floridus, etc."

many who

the

persons

once came to him a secular country, saying:

—

afflicted

with

sought his help, there

interior sufferings

man from

a foreign

I have within

Sir,

greatest of all sufferings which a

and no one can help me.

man

little

the

ever had,

while ago

I despaired of God, and I was so despondent, that through excess of anguish I resolved to

destroy myself, and this

kill

both body and

agony of mind, just

as I

soul.

was on the point

of springing into a raging torrent, and had already taken a run with the deliberate purpose

of drowning myself, I heard a voice above say,

"Stop! stop! Put not thyself to

ful

death: seek a friar preacher."

voice

named you

this

shame-

And

the

me by your name, which I before, and it said, u He will

had never heard help you and set you right." I was full of joy at this, and gave up the thought of killing myself; and I have sought you out by asking after you, as I

was bidden.

saw the miserable

state in

When

the Servitor

which the

man

was,

—I THE BENEFITS OF SUFFERING. he turned lovingly comforting him,

him what

poor sufferer, and

to the

made

217

his heart light,

and taught

to do in order to avoid, by God's help,

such a temptation.

falling again into

Chapter XLII. What

most useful

sufferings are the

men, and bring

most glory to God 1

The

holy daughter asked him, saying:

would gladly know what kind of sufferings above

most useful

all others,

most glory to God.

Thou must know sufferings

by which a man

sufferings

what he

how

the

man

;

glory, as

kinds of

and

set

only he can use

God

sends

heavy

without any fault of

his,

firm he stands, or to show

him

in himself, as

Old Testament His own

man

on a

either to try

many

disciplined

bliss, if

Sometimes

rightly.

men, and bring

answered as follows

that there are

forward on the road to

them

— are,

or, again, is

born blind

often read in the

merely to manifest

related in the Gospel about

whom

Christ the

Lord de-

clared to be without fault, and restored to sight.

On who did

the other hand, there are some sufferers

well deserve their sufferings, as the thief

who was

crucified with Christ the

Lord,

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

218

and

whom

Christ gave everlasting bliss be-

cause of his trne conversion to

There are

ferings. less in

who

are guilt-

regard to the particular thing for which

they are at the is

Him amid his suf-

others, again,

something

moment

but yet there

suffering,

else faulty in

them, on account of

which God makes them

suffer

happens that Almighty

God

;

just as

often

crushes haughty

arrogance, and brings persons of this description to themselves ciliousness

and super-

letting their pride

meet with a heavy

things in

fall in

which, perhaps, they are wholly and entirely free

from

sufferings

to save

guilt.

Again,

God

sometimes sends

upon men out of special love for them,

them

way from a

in this

suffering, as is the case

still

with those to

gives their purgatory in this

life

poverty, or such like, that so they livered

from sufferings in the

with those ercised

whom He fiendish

greater

whom God sicknesses,

may

life to

be de-

come

;

permits to be tried and ex-

men, that they may thus be

saved from the sight of the foul fiend at death.

There are others

also

love, like the martyrs,

who

suffer

whose joy

from burning it

was by the

manifold deaths, whether of body or soul, which

they endured, to show forth to the dear love.

God their

THE BENEFITS OF SUFFEEING. Besides sufferings

all this,

219

find in this world

many

which are vain and without consola-

tion ; such, for example, as are

who make

their

undergone by those

aim to please the world in

These persons purchase

worldly things.

hell at

a very dear price, while, on the contrary, those

who

suffer for

God

find help in their tribulations.

Again, there are some persons

wardly admonished by to

Him

God

who

are often in-

to give themselves

without reserve, because

admit them to His intimacy.

He wishes to Now if they

the call through negligence,

resist

Him by

God draws

them

side

they turn in their endeavours to escape

Him, the

sufferings

faithful

poral misfortunes

them by the from Him.

God

and

;

and

whichever

sends upon them tem-

discomfort,

hair, that

and thus holds

they cannot get away

There are many others

also to

be met with

who have no sufferings except those which they make for themselves, by estimating too highly what at

all.

not worthy of being taken into account

Once when a man who was

laden with tain house,

afflictions

he heard a woman within uttering

very great lamentations.

him:

— Go

heavily

chanced to pass by a cer-

The thought came

and comfort the woman

in her

— LIFE OF BLESSED

220

HENRY

SUSO.

sufferings.

AccordinglyJie went in and said

Dear

what

lady,

lias

happened

are bewailing yourself thus

—I have

let

weep

for

She answered

turned round, and thought to

himself as he went out:

thou hadst

you

a needle drop, and cannot find

any where.

to you, that

my burden

a needle!

—O

foolish

woman,

on thee thou wouldst not

this

way some

soft-

natured persons make for themselves sufferings in a multitude of things

where there

nothing

to suffer.

But the

noblest

and best kind of suffering

after the pattern of Christ's sufferings

—I mean

those which the heavenly Father gave to His

only-begotten Son, and which

His dear and chosen be taken as fault,

friends.

still

gives to

This must not

any one were altogether without

except indeed the dear Jesus Christ,

never sinned

;

but

it is

who

be understood of the

example of patience which Christ gave us when

bore Himself in His sufferings like a gentle

little

lamb among wolves.

Hence

it is

that

sometimes gives great sufferings to some of His dear and chosen friends, that we, patient under suffering,

who

may learn

are so im-

patience from

these blessed men, and in every case

by sweet-

ness of heart to overcome evil with good.

All

THE BENEFITS OF SUFFERING.

thou shouldst consider,

this

be ready to

221

daughter, and

suffer without reluctance

for

;

from

whatever quarter sufferings come they can be turned to profit, all as

sent

God, and

His

if only

the sufferer accepts

by God, and so gets the

refers

them

them back again

mastery over them with

help.

The daughter answered

—The noblest kind

of suffering, of which you spoke

last,

when

a person suffers innocently,

few.

Therefore I would gladly hear

who

for their sins

by God's

have deserved to

come

help,

the lot of

how

those

suffer can y

forth victorious from their

sufferings ; for such persons

of pain

mean

have a twofold source

they have angered the Almighty God,

and they are tormented from without.

—

knew a man who, whenever he fell into a sin through human frailty, used to do like a good washerwoman, who takes the clothes, when she has steeped and softened them, to the pure spring, and there by washreplied

I will tell you.

ing makes every thing clean and fresh which before

was

dirty.

rest until

Even

so this

man would

never

some of the innocent, down-trickling

Blood of Christ, which the Lord shed with un-

might be a help and com-

speakable love, that

fort to all sinners,

had been

spiritually

poured

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

222 forth

iii

this hot

sufficient

measure upon him

Blood he washed himself and

and in

all his stains

away, and he bathed himself in the healthful

brook of Blood as a

warm felt

child

little

water -bath; and

bathed in a

he did with heart-

this

devotion in a well-grounded Christian faith

must and would wash away

that this Blood his sins,

and cleanse him from

almighty power.

might guilt,

all guilt

all

its

way, however things

this

whether he was guilty or free from

be,

he always referred them ultimately to the

good God.

Chapter XLIIL How

he drew certain hearts from earthly love to the love of God.

While the Servitor was souls

occupied in drawing

from earthly love to God, he remarked that

in certain monasteries there were persons who,

though they wore the hearts beneath

who had

it.

religious habit,

Among

steadfastly fixed her heart

rishable affection, of a kind

name

of " sponsiren," and

happiness in religion. if

The

had worldly

others there

was one

upon a pe-

which goes by the a very poison to

all

Servitor told her that

she wished to lead a godly and quiet

life,

she

;

HE WINS SOULS TO GOD. must renounce

this practice,

and

earthly lover take the Eternal

in place of her

Wisdom

was

in the

bloom of youth, and completely

entangled in this kind of company. less,

he brought her thus

good resolution broke

for her

This was a hard thing for her to do

beloved. for she

223

to do

far,

Neverthe-

that she formed the

"When, however, she

it.

good resolution again, through the in-

this

fluence of her friends, he said to her:

leave off this practice wilt not do

;

for I tell thee that if thou

cheerfully,

sorrowfully.

—Daughter,

thou wilt have to do

she would not be converted

his friendly counsels,

he prayed to

God very ear-

nestly to withdraw her from this affection, cost

her what

might.

One day he went up

into

the pulpit under the crucifix, as his wont was,

and he took a severe

discipline

so that the blood streamed from

sought

And

God

for her that she

came

to pass

her return

home

there

;

his bare back, it,

and he be-

might be tamed.

for immediately

grew an

ill-shaped

upon

hump

upon her back, which made her look hideous, and thus necessity obliged her to give up what she had refused to renounce for God.

In the same unenclosed monastery, there

was a young,

beautiful,

and noble maiden, who

having been caught in the same

devil's net,

had

LIFE OF BLESSED

224

been for

many

and her time

years wearing

SUSO.

away her heart

in frivolous light-mindedness with

kinds of persons

all

HENRY

and she had become

;

infatuated in these practices, that she always fled like a wild

animal from the Servitor of the

Eternal Wisdom, because she feared that he

would order her

to give

up the kind of

Now

which she was leading.

life

the sister of this

maiden besought the Servitor

to try his luck

with her, and see whether he could not bring

her back from her ruinous courses to the everlasting

God.

request, it

This seemed to

him an

and he made answer that, in

would be more

impossible

his opinion,

possible for the sky to fall

than for her to give up

this practice

only death could take

from her.

;

and that

The

sister,

however, was very urgent with him in her entreaties,

saying that

was her firm

belief

that whatever he asked of the everlasting

with earnestness,

God

never refused to him.

length she overcame him by her impor-

tunities,

and he promised her

undertake

it.

the maiden always fled from him, so that

he could never come

words with her, he took

note one day, about the time of St. Margaret's

had gone out with the other

feast,

that she

young

sisters into

a field to pick

flax.

stole

— HE WINS SOULS TO GOD. after

them, and went round the

way managed

When

field,

come gently up

22 5

and

in this

to her.

she perceived that he was drawing

near to her, she turned her back upon him very with her face

insolently, and,

all

him

anger, cried out passionately to

what mean you by coming out here to

fire

—

me ?

with

monk,

Sir

keep

your own road, I advise you ; for you have

nothing to do with me. rather have

my head

you that I would

tell

cut off than confess to you,

and I would sooner be buried

my practices

you and give up

Her

playmate,

quiet her;

Servitor

who

she, tossing

up her head

her, saying that the

in fury, answered

The

was

Servitor

my heart. by these

horror-struck

and unseemly

The

other

sisters,

;

side

and

he began

left

for

who heard

her outcries against him, were grieved at chid her sharply.

gestures, that

blushed with shame and kept silence could not speak.

show him by

words and ways what I have in

insolent words

But

out of kindness.

See, I will not deceive him; I wall

than obey

stood next her, tried to

and reproved

had only done

alive

(sponsiren).

it,

and

soon withdrew on one

her; and then looking upwards,

to sigh deeply,

up the attempt

;

and would have given

only that there

still

remained

LIFE OF BLESSED HENKY SUSO.

226 in

him a kind of

interior impulse

from God,

reminding him that he who wishes to accomplish

any thing

either for

must not give up

so soon.

God

or for the world

This took place after

midday.

the evening of that same day, after sup-

per, the sisters

yard to

pill

went in a body

the flax which they had gathered,

and the afore-mentioned

Now

into the court-

sister

went with them.

they were obliged to pass by the guest-

which the Servitor was staying.

quarters, in

He, therefore, besought one of the maiden's playmates to contrive to bring her to him, and then to leave the

room again

herself.

This was man-

aged, though with difficulty.

soon as she came into the room where the

brother was, and had seated herself near

him

under the window, he fetched a deep sigh from his full heart,

and said:—Ah! beautiful and

gentle maiden, God's chosen will

how long

you abandon your beautiful lovely body

and your tender heart devil

one!

And

to the vile

and wicked

yet you are so richly adorned by

the everlasting

God

with every grace, that

it is

indeed an evil tale that such a well-formed, noble,

and angelic maiden should be the be-

loved of any other save the All-adorable

One

HE WINS SOULS TO GOD.

Who

alone.

lias

a greater right to pluck the

and tender rose than

fair

227

whose own

it is f

No, dear lovely maiden, open your bright which begins here and

love,

Think,

ever.

too,

goods, in

lasts for

what sorrow and

what pain and

ness,

fal-

and think of that beautiful chosen

con-eyes,

suffering in

ever and

unfaithful-

body and

and honour, they must needs

soul

endure, willingly or unwillingly,

who pursue

earthly love; only they are so blinded

by the

honeyed poison that they forget the great hurt which thence

results to

them

in time

and in

Come, then, thou angelic form, thou

eternity.

loving noble heart, and turn thy nature's high nobility to

Him who

and cease from troth, that

and

will

God

noble from eternity,

I promise thee, by

this.

will take thee for

His darling,

be altogether true to thee, and love

thee right well, here and hereafter, everlastingly.

The moment was words

shot, as

propitious.

These

fiery

were, through her heart, and

softened her so exceedingly, that, at once lifting

up her eyes and sighing very deeply, she said to him these determined and courageous words

—Ah,

sir,

father

I surrender myself this

day to God and you ; and from

this

hour I

will

LIFE OF BLESSED

228

have done with

HEXRY

SUSO.

wild unbridled

your counsel and help, I

will give

life,

and,

loving God, to be His own, and will serve

only until

who

answered:

Him

—This

who

return to

Praised be the kind Lord,

ready to receive back again with joy

those

death.

an hour of gladness.

myself to the

all

Him.

While the two were thus conversing toge-

whom

ther in private about God, her playmates

she had

left

stood outside the door, and they

were vexed at the length of the discourse, for they feared

minded finish

lest

she should abandon their light-

society.

with him.

So they

Upon

called out to her to

God and

bless all

wasted will

she rose up, and

this

went away with them, saying

—My playmates, —you

you! I bid you now farewell

our comrades, with whom,

alas,

I have

time so frivolously ; for henceforth I

have no one but the

faithful

God, and

all

else I will let go.

From all

that time the maiden began to avoid

hurtful company, and to keep herself re-

tired;

and though in

was often made life,

after times

to bring her

the attempt

back

to her old

nothing ever came of it ; and her conduct

continued such, that, in the enjoyment of an

honourable reputation and the practice of every

— :

HE WINS SOULS TO GOD.

remained firmly and steadfastly

virtue, she

God

tached to

Once,

home

229

from

later on, the Servitor set forth

to visit his

new

daughter, that he might

confirm her in a good and holy

her lovingly,

put himself to

at-

until her death.

life,

and console

she were in any sorrow ; and he

much

suffering

walked along in

by undertaking

when he was

the journey at a time this

state

As he

ill.

through the deep

mire,

and climbed over lofty mountains, he often

lifted

his eyes to the living

God, and said

Merciful God, be mindful of the painful steps

which Thou

—It

His companion, on

child.

he leant from time «

man's salvation, and

didst take for

keep safe

him

to time, said to

whom

in pity

well beseems God's goodness that

many

souls should be kept safe through you.

When

he had gone on until he could go no

further, but said

was quite exhausted,

him once more:

—Ah,

his

companion

father!

should have considered how very ill you and He should have sent you a horse to upon, until you come to where people are.

answered

—Well,

we both

ask

have confidence that

benefit of thy virtue,

and that

ss.

will let it

God are,

ride

God for it, I me have the will

come

—

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

230

Then the Servitor looked round about him, and he saw there on the right hand, coming handsome

forth out of a wood, a

bridled

and saddled, and

See, dear father,

answered:

sides of this

there

horse, properly

was coming along

His companion joyfully exclaimed:

alone.

how God will

—Son,

look round about on

all

broad plain, and observe whether

any one

—

not forsake you

whom

can belong.

looked far and near, and could see no one, but

Then he

only the horse trotting up to them.

said:— Of a

upon

Well, comrade,

you; comes

sit

God

truth, father,

and

ride.

God

The

So be

it,

in God's

still

Then

when

has sent

his

came up

horse

before him.

name.

answered: still

that

hither for our necessity.

and stood

the horse stops

to us, I trust in

quietly,

has sent

said

companion

helped him on the horse and made him ride

upon

it,

and walked by

tance, until he

came near a

his side

was well

for

some

When

rested.

village the Servitor got

laying the reins upon the horse's neck, its

way

whence

to the place it

from which

came, or whose

off,

dis-

they

and

let it

came.

But

was, he never could

discover afterwards.

When

the Servitor had arrived at his jour-

HE WINS SOULS TO GOD. ney's encl? sitting

them

happened one evening that he was

with his spiritual children speaking to

in disparagement of perishable love, while

at the

same time he praised and celebrated to

them the left

231

When they

excellence of eternal love.

him, his heart was greatly inflamed with Di-

vine love through the ardour of his discourse; for it

seemed

him

that his Beloved,

whom he both

loved himself and advised others to love, was infinitely better

than

all

earthly objects of love.

While he meditated on stilled in ecstasy,

and

his senses

this,

were

appeared to him in a

he was carried to a beautiful green

vision that

heath, and that

his side there

went a heavenly

youth of comely form and noble bearing, who led

him by the hand.

Then

the youth began

to sing in the brother's soul a song

which rang

forth so joyously that all his senses took to flight

before the mighty power of that sweet melody,

and

seemed to him that

exceeding

God

that

body, as

became

and longing

after

began to leap and rage within his

if it

were on the point of breaking,

from the intense

he was forced heart as a

his heart

full of burning love

was upon

to lay his right

relief,

the tears ran

strain that

and

down

his eyes

hand upon

became

his cheeks.

it;

and his

so full that

;

LIFE OF BLESSED

232

When

HENRY

SUSO.

the song was ended, a picture was

placed before him, with the intent to teach him this

song in such a way that he might not forget

it.

looked,

and saw there our Lady pressing

her Child, the Eternal Wisdom, to her maternal

Over the

heart.

Child's

head the beginning of

the song was written in beautiful and well-formed

and yet the writing was

letters,

that

was not every one could read

who had gained

those

so concealed

experience and spiritual exercises read

and the writing was, " Heart's

The

Only by

it.

the knowledge of it

well

darling."

Servitor read the writing rapidly

;

and

then the Babe looked up and gazed at him with

upon which he

love;

true

in his inmost soul

how

Babe alone

our

that the Divine

—the

heart's darling

sorrow.

felt

Then he

sole object of all

pressed the

Babe

our joy and to the

very

centre of his heart, and began to sing with the

youth

this

song from end to end.

In these

burning sentiments of heartfelt love he came to himself again, and he found his right hand lying

upon

his heart, just as

as a relief, lently.

when

he had placed

his heart

was agitated

there

so vio-

;

DRINK MULTIPLIED.

233

Chapter XLIV. How God multiplied drink for

Once upon

His

friends.

a time the Servitor, having tra-

velled to a distance,

became very

tired,

arriving in the evening at a hermitage,

was proposed

and on

where

spend the night, no wine was to

be found either in the village or the hermitage until at length, a certain

said that she

good woman came and

had a small bottle of wine

half a quart, adding, " But what

many f*

left,

this

about

among so

For they were in number about twenty

persons, good children, together with those

had come

thither desiring to hear the

God

his

from

The

mouth.

bring the bottle and place

who

word of

Servitor told her to

on the

table,

and

they prayed him to pronounce a blessing from

He did this in the mighty power loving Name of Jesus, and then began to

God upon of the

it.

drink of it, for he was very thirsty from the jour-

ney

after

;

they

all

which he offered

drank together.

upon the

The

to the others,

bottle

was placed

table openly, in the sight of every one,

and no more wine or water was poured for there

and

was no other wine

there.

into

They

it,

con-

tinued drinking again and again out of the same bottle

;

and they were

so eager to hear

from him

234

LITE

OF"

BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

the word of God, that no one took note of the

Divine miracle.

last,

when they came

themselves, and saw God's almighty power so

manifestly displayed in the multiplication of the

began

drink, they

to praise

attribute the miracle

not

suffer this, saying

God

doing.

But he would not on

the Servitor's holiness.

any account

God, and wished

which had taken place to

— Children,

this

has permitted this pure

company to reap the benefit of their good faithj and has given them drink both bodily and spi* ritually.

Chapter XLY. Of

certain sufferers,

who were

attached to the Servitor

special ties of friendship

In a eminent Servitor.

certain

and

affection.

town there were two persons of

holiness,

both intimate friends of the

The one

stood in high repute before

the people, and abounded in divine sweetnesses.

The

other was held in no esteem, and

ercised

him

God

ex-

continually with sufferings.

After they were both dead, the Servitor wished

much

know what was

the difference between

their rewards in the next world,

inasmuch as the

roads by which they had been led in

this life were-

HIS MOTHER. so unlike.

235

Early one morning, the one who had

been held in such esteem here below appeared to the Servitor,

purgatory ; and

told him that he was still in when asked how this could be,

and

replied, that the only sin for

suffer

was a certain

assailed him,

which he had to which had

spiritual pride

through the high esteem in which

he had been held, and which he had not driven

away quickly enough. ferings

would soon be

whose

had been

life

ferings, passed at

He at

added, that his suf-

The

an end.

full of humiliations

other,

and

suf-

once without any hindrance

God.

The life

Servitor's

mother was

all

the days of her

This arose from the

a very great sufferer.

painful dissimilarity which there was between her

and her husband.

She was

God, and her whole

desire

But her husband was

life.

of the Almighty

full

was

to live a spiritual

full of the world,

and

opposed her with great harshness and severity;

and through It

this she

had much

was her custom

to suffer.

to cast all

her sorrows

into the bitter sufferings of Jesus Christ,

in this

and

way to get the mastery over them.

Before her death she confessed to the Servitor that for thirty years she

Mass without weeping

had never

bitterly

assisted at

from heartfelt

236

LIFE OF BLESSED

HENRY

SUSO.

compassion for the torments of our

and His that,

faithful

She

Mother.

Lord him also

clear

told

from the excessive love which she

God, she had once

fallen

for twelve weeks, longing

ill,

felt for

and kept her bed

and pining

for

God

so ardently that the physicians clearly perceived it

and were

edified

it.

Once, at the beginning of Lent, she went to the Cathedral, where the taking

Lord Jesus from the carved wood over an

cross

down of the

represented in

While she was

altar.

before this image she experienced sensibly the

great anguish which the tender Mother felt

beneath the cross ; and so intense was the agony

which

caused this good woman, through com-

passion, that her heart

became

body, and she sank

down

and could neither

see

sick within her

fainting to the ground,

nor speak.

She was

helped home, and lay there sick until

Friday

at none,

Good

and died while the Passion was

being read.

Her

son, the Servitor,

was

at this time at

Cologne, engaged with his studies.

She ap-

peared to him there in a vision, and said to him

with great joy trust

Him

any

—Ah, my child

well, for

trouble.

will

love

God and

never forsake thee

See, I have departed from this

HIS MOTHER,

am not

world, and yet I

dead.

237 I shall live ever-

God.

lastingly in the presence of the everlasting

She

kissed

him

in motherly fashion

upon

mouth, and blessed him lovingly, and then

appeared.

dis-

began to weep, and cried out

after her, saying

— O my true-hearted holy mome

be true to

ther,

his

God's presence! and

thus weeping and sighing, he came to himself again.

his

young

days,

God

place of studies,

when he was

at the

provided him once with

a dear and holy companion.

one occasion,

when they were alone, and had conversed together much and tenderly about God, the companion besought the Servitor by the sincerity of their friendship to show him the lovely Name of Jesus which was engraven over his heart.

The

Servitor was reluctant to do this; never-

theless, tion,

when he saw his companion's

his habit

where

covered his heart,

look at this jewel of his heart as

would. this

;

great devo-

he granted his request, and drawing aside

The companion was not

but when he saw the sweet

let

much

him

content with

Name

standing

out visibly in the middle over the Servitor's heart,

he put out

his

hand and

passing his hand across

it,

face,

laid his

and

after

mouth upon

— it,

HEXRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

238

and began

weep

tion that the tears ran

SUSO.

from devo-

so heartily

down over

the heart.

After this the Servitor covered up the

and he never would allow any one

Name,

else to see

save only one of God's chosen friends, to

it,

whom

this

was permitted by the everlasting God; and

this

person also contemplated

with the same

devout feelings as the other.

When

these two dear companions

many years

had spent

together in spiritual companionship,

and the time was come

for

them

to separate,

they blessed each other lovingly, and made a compact between them, that whichever of them might die first, the survivor should, as a token of their mutual friendship, say for his departed friend two Masses weekly during a year; the

one

be a Eequiem Mass on the Mondays, and

the other a Mass of our Lord's Passion on the Fridays.

Many

years passed

away

until at length the Servitor's dear

died before him

after this,

companion

but the Servitor had forgotten

;

the promise about the Masses, though, without reference to

it,

friend's soul to

faithfully

remembered

God. One morning, as he

his

sat in

ecstasy in his chapel, his companion appeared to

him in a vision, and said to him very Alas, friend,

how

great

piteously

thy unfaithfulness

CHRIST UNDER THE FORM OF A SERA

How hast swerecl

thou forgotten

The Serv

—And yet I remember thee

His companion replied :—

Mass.

not enough. Fulfil what

we promised about the

Masses, that some of the sinless Blood

may

come down upon me and quench the of

purgatory.

The

set free.

this

and

;

way

thus

severity

I shall be soon

Servitor accomplished this with af-

fectionate fidelity, grieving

fulness

his

much

for his forget-

companion was soon

released.

Chapter XLVI. How

Christ appeared to

him under

and taught him how

the form of a Seraph,

to suffer.

Once upon a time, when the Servitor had turned to God with great fervour, beseeching Him to instruct him how to suffer, there appeared to him in a vision a likeness of Christ

upon the

cross in the

Seraph had

six

wings

head, with two his

form of a Seraph and the :

with two he covered his

feet,

and with two he

the two lowest wings was written,

flew.

"Re-

ceive sufferings willingly;" on the two middle

wings,

"Bear

sufferings

patiently;"

and on

2&0

LITE OF BLESSED HElSTtY SUSO.

"Learn

the two highest wings,

to suffer after

Christ's pattern."

He mate

told this vision of love to one of his inti-

friends,

who was

answer which he received was:

God

that

The

a very holy person.

— Be

assured

has once more prepared for you

which you

sufferings,

have to

will

new

suffer.

asked what kind of sufferings these might be.

was answered

—You

will

be raised to the

dignity of a prelate, in order that those

you may be the

disaffected to strike you,

and may humble you

figure of the Seraph.

had

much

the

has been shown you under the

fetched a sigh, and

looked out for the coming of a so in truth

are

Therefore stablish yourself in

deeply.

patience,

who

better able to

came

new storm

;

and

to pass as the holy person

foretold him.

happened at

this

several years of scarcity,

time that there were

and no one gave alms

of bread or wine to the convent in which he

then was debt.

;

The

so that the convent fell greatly into

brothers resolved in

common

to elect

the Servitor prior during the great scarcity, not-

withstanding his sorrow and repugnance; for

he well understood that herein new were prepared

for him.

sufferings

On rung

the

much

241

PRIOR.

day he caused the

first

bell to

and he exhorted the commu-

for chapter,

nity to call

MADE

upon the dear

he had promised

St.

Dominic, inas-

his brothers that if

they called upon him when they were in need,

he would, with God's permission, come and help them.

Now

thers sitting side

whom

fully:

there were two of the bro-

side in the chapter,

— See

what a

he fancy that

God

man

foolish

that he bids us turn to

God

will

—He js

fools for

knew

this prior

in our need.

is,

Does

open heaven, and send

The

us down meat and drink?

swered

one

whispered to the other very scorn-

not the only

having made him

other an-

fool.

prior,

though we

well beforehand that he

are

all

quite ignor-

ant about earthly things, and does nothing but

gape upwards continually

to heaven.

contemptuous judgment of

this

upon him.

When

Many

kind was passed

morning came, he ordered

a mass of St. Dominic to be sung, that the saint might provide for them what they needed. Now, while he was standing in the choir deep sunk in thought, the porter came and called him out to a rich canon, who was his particular friend. The canon said to him Dear sir, :

you have no experience

—

temporal things;

HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

242

SUSO.

but I have been inwardly admonished by last

God

night to help you in His stead, and ac-

cordingly I have brought you twenty pounds

weight of Constance pennies for a beginning.

Put your

God.

trust in

The

you.

Servitor was

will not

filled

forsake

with joy, and,

taking the money, ordered wine and corn to be

bought with

God and

Moreover,

it.

St.

Do-

minic so helped him during the whole time that

he was

prior, that the

for provisions of

paid off

all

convent never wanted

any kind

and besides

;

this,

the debt.

The above-mentioned canon, when he upon his death-bed, made large bequests his

soul's

health

various

which he had a devotion. the

for

Servitor,

intrusted

objects

lay for

towards

Afterwards he sent

who was then

prior,

and

him with a considerable number of

florins,

bidding him distribute them in other

places

among poor

worn out

The for it

friends

their strength

God who had

austere exercises.

Servitor was reluctant to undertake this,

he feared that he would have to suffer

afterwards, as in fact happened.

for

last lie

was over-persuaded

to take the

went out

neighbouring country and

into the

distributed the sum, as he

money, and he

had promised, here

HIS LIFE

THREATENED.

and there where he believed that most beneficial

to the donor's soul

proper receipts for

upon him

;

would be

and he took it all

tribulation, however,

in consequence of this.

The canon had an son,

and gave account of

A heavy

to his superiors. fell

it,

243

ill-conditioned

natural

who, after squandering away what his

fa-

ther had given him, abandoned himself to profligate

and ruinous

courses.

This

man was very

anxious to obtain possession of the

money

question, and, as he could not succeed in this,

he sent word to the Servitor, under a solemn that wherever he

oath,

would

him.

kill

fell

in with

him he

one could appease

this

man's enmity, however often the attempt was

made.

Nothing would do but he must

The poor

kill

him.

Servitor was for a long time in an-

guish and distress, and he did not venture to

from place to place,

travel about

for fear of

being murdered by the reprobate man. used to

lift

sighs exclaim:

Alas,

able kind of death hast

His

distress

God, and with many

his eyes to

—

was

all

God! what miser-

Thou

ordained for

the greater because a short

time before a brother of good repute had been cruelly

murdered

sort of thing.

in another

The poor

town

for the

same

Servitor found no one

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

244

who had shield

the will or the courage to undertake to

him from the

ferocity of this savage

man.

So he betook himself to the sovereign Lord of

who

all,

him

set

from

his persecutor,

young and vigorous

cut short his

free

life

death.

these afflictions was added another bitter

There was a certain

suffering.

ecclesiastical

community which had received great the canon.

they

and

all fell

gifts

from

But this did not satisfy them, and upon the brother with great indig-

nation because he would not let

all

mentioned money come to them. insulted on this account,

the above-

was sadly

and they accused him

before seculars and ecclesiastics, and the slan-

derous

tale,

making him out

guilty

by a per-

version of the facts, was carried far and wide

throughout the country, and he had to bear the of his good

loss

which he was

At him

this

name among men

for things in

guiltless in the eyes of

God.

time the deceased canon appeared to

in a vision, clothed in a beautiful green

vestment worked

all

over with red roses.

told the Servitor that

the other world

;

abundantlv.

was well with him

and he entreated him

patiently the great

him, for that

He in

to bear

wrong which was being done

God would make it all up to him The Servitor asked him what

SPIRITUAL TOURNAMENT. vestment

his beautiful

—The red

your patient

suffering, with

and

;

you with Himself

which you have

for this

God

will clothe

everlastingly.

XL VII.

Chapter steadfastly he

answered

on the green ground represent

roses

richly clothed

How

signified.

245

must

who would win

fight

the spiritual

prize.

the

conversion,

first

beginning of the

he desired with

all

Servitor's

heart to

his

singularly and pre-eminently well-pleasing

God, but he expected

to the loving

and

plish this without labour

Now

accom-

suffering.

happened once, when he went out

into the country to preach, that

he embarked

on board a passenger ship on the Lake of Constance,

and he observed

there,

sitting

among

the other passengers, a comely youth, gaily at-

tired.

drew near the youth, and asked him

what manner of man he was. wered

—I am an esquire

gentlefolk together, in

which they

to fair ladies

;

tilt

The youth

errant,

ans-

and I bring the

and arrange tournaments,

and

fight,

and pay homage

and he who proves himself

to be

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

246

the best of

The The

reward.

reward?

honour and the

off the

all carries

Servitor said

—And what the —The most beauis

esquire replied :

of the ladies present places a gold ring

tiful

upon

But

The

his finger.

Servitor asked further:

carry off the honour and the ring?

swered

—He

who

shows no faintheartedness in

this,

and

firm,

and bears up against the blows

—he

who

receives the prize. :

—Tell

bold in the replied

first :

onset,

—No

;

The if

sits it is

Servitor asked

man were

only

would that be enough?

he must remain firm

;

who

but behaves

manfully,

himself courageously and

once more

an-

proves to be the best at

bearing sword- strokes and assaults, and

very end of the tournament

;

to the

and though the

blows which he receives bring sparks of into his eyes, his if

mouth and

nose,

Servitor replied:

he must endure them

all,

The But, dear comrade, may he mournful when he gets such

—

not weep or look

blows ?

He answered

his heart sinks within him, as

fire

and make the blood burst from

to obtain the glory of victory.

terrible

—

me, dear friend, what must one do to

tell

may

—No

;

and though

happens

not do anything of the kind

to ;

many, but he

must bear himself joyously and bravely, other-

SPIRITUAL TOURNAMENT.

247

wise he will become a laughing-stock, and lose the glory and the ring.

This discourse made the Servitor enter into himself, and, fetching a sigh his heart,

he said

—Ah

must the knights of

from the depths of

glorious

suffering for such a small reward,

a very nothing

Lord God

world endure so

this

much

which is in

itself

How fitting then it is that much

greater labours should be undergone for the everlasting prize

worthy to be

sweet Lord, would that I were

Thy

Eternal Wisdom,

spiritual

who

knight

aught in any land, would that

lovely

beyond

art rich in graces

soul

might

To win it, I would suffer whatever might be Thy will! And he bereceive a ring from

gan

to weep,

When

Thee

from the great fervour which he felt.

he arrived

at the place to

which he

was going, God sent him great and cruel

suf-

ferings in such plenty that the poor Servitor

nearly lost

all his trust in

became wet with

God

;

and many eyes

tears through pity for him.

had forgotten

his

promise, and he became melancholy and

peevish with

all his

knightly daring and

God, wondering within himself

what God could have against him that sent

him such great

sufferings.

ing, at daybreak, there

had

In the morn-

came a calm over

his

— HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

248

and

soul;

his

bodily senses being stilled in

him:

ecstasy, a voice spoke within

now thy who

knightly prowess

so daring in prosperity,

ing in adversity

This

—Where

What a knight of a man he must be,

and a scarecrow of

straw,

SUSO.

and

so despair-

not the way to win

the everlasting ring, for which thou longest.

replied:

rior

life,

too long

Lord! the jousts of the

—Therefore the

and the ring of

for

and wearisome.

an answer our,

—O

which must be borne

inte-

Thee, are far

this there

came

and the hon-

glory,

knights,

who

receive

honour from Me, are stable and everlasting.

Upon

this the Servitor, entering into himself,

said very

humbly

—Lord

Only permit me

full.

heart

very

Alas for thee!

in the wrong.

weep while I

suffer, for

The answer came

Dost thou want

weep

a woman, and disgrace thyself before the court of heaven

Wipe thy

eyes,

joyously, so that neither

and bear thyself

God nor men may

perceive that thou hast wept on sufferings.

The

account of

Servitor began to laugh,

and

yet at the same time the tears were running

down

his cheeks,

and he promised God that he

would no more wish obtain from

Him

to weep, that so

the spiritual ring.

he might

HIS FACE SHINES.

249

Chapter XLVIII. How

the Servitor's face

was once seen

to shine with light

while he was preaching.

Once when

the Servitor was preaching at

Cologne with great fervour, there

sat

hearers a beginner in the spiritual

among his who had

life,

Now

been recently converted to God.

while

beginner was attending diligently to the

this

preacher, he saw with the eyes of his soul that

the preacher's face began to be transfigured

with a ravishing brightness, and three times

became is

like the radiant

at the highest

;

sun when

and the

it.

splendour

reflected

This vision brought him very great con-

solation in his sufferings,

a holy

its

moreover, was

saw himself

so pure, that the beginner in

face,

and confirmed him

life.

Chapter XLIX. Of the lovely Name of

The

Jesus.

Servitor of the Eternal

made a journey from

Wisdom

once

the upper country to Aix-

la-Chapelle, to visit our dear Lady.

And

— HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

250

his return,

our dear

person, and said:

SUSO.

Lady appeared

—Behold,

to a holy

Child's Servitor

has come hither, and he has carried about His sweet

Name

same ardent

of Jesus far and wide, with the desire with

and just

old carried it;

make

men know

all

preaching of the

have been

new he

set

was

as their desire

this

faith,

love for this

which His Apostles

Name

even so

through the

all his strivings

cold hearts on fire with

all

Name

Therefore

of Jesus.

shall receive, after his death,

an everlasting

reward with them. Afterwards, this holy person saw our dear

Lady

holding a beautiful candle in her hand,

and

burned so beautifully that

throughout the whole world

ten.

Then our

dear

;

Name

round the candle the

and

light shone

its

all

round and

of Jesus was writ-

Lady said

to this person

Name

Behold, this burning candle signifies the of Jesus, because

the hearts of

who

devotion,

all

and pay

in very truth illuminates

receive His

Name

honour, and bear

ingly about with them.

this end,

with

lov-

Child

has chosen out His Servitor, that devotion to

His

Name may

lit

up through him

in the

hearts of many, and that these may be helped

onwards by him

to everlasting bliss.

THE NAME OF

When has been

this

made

ual father

was

251

JESUS.

holy maiden, of

whom

mention

above, perceived that her spiritso devout to,

faith in, the loving

Name

and had such firm of Jesus, which he

bore upon his breast over his heart, she conceived a great and peculiar love for

marked the Name of Jesus

of devotion she silk

on a

form: self.

little

also

in red

piece of cloth, in the following

IHS — and

She

and out

it,

wore

upon her-

secretly

made an almost

countless

number

of similar Names, and persuaded the Servitor to lay

them on

his bare heart,

and then send them,

with a blessing from God, to his spiritual chil-

dren in different parts. vealed to her by

God

that those

Name upon them, and an "Our Father" in treated lovingly

Moreover,

who

was

re-

bore the

said daily with devotion

honour of

by God

would find grace

before

it,

this

Him

would be

world,

and

their

last

passage.

Such were the

austere

exercises

and such

the godly examples of Jesus Christ and His dear friends, according this

which the beginnings of

holy maiden's spiritual

life

were fashioned.

— LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

252

Chapter L. A good distinction between

a true and false use of reason

noticeable in certain persons.

"As

the eagle enticing her young to fly" (Deut. xxxii. 11).

When instructions

this

by the good

holy daughter,

of her spiritual father, had been

man

thoroughly fashioned after the outward every branch

of holiness which

can be

taught by examples, just as a piece of

wax

before the

which

fire

soft

takes the form of the seal

impressed upon

it,

and when she had

been for a long time regularly trained in the imitation of the mirror-like is

of Christ, which

the surest way, she received the following

letter

from her

spiritual father, the Servitor

Daughter, the time at

life

now come

something higher, and to

fly

for thee to

aim

upwards out of

the nest of forms and images, and the consolations

which proceed from them.

young, newly-fledged eagle, and soar upwards

—I mean

on thy well-grown pinions highest powers

—

to the heights

thy

soul's

of that noble

contemplation which belongs to a blissful and perfect

life.

said to

His

Knowest thou not what Christ disciples,

who clung

so closely to

TRUE AND FALSE USE OF REASON.

253

—

you

His sensible presence?

It is expedient for

away from you,

that I go

Holy Ghost (John

the

you are

xvi.

to receive

Thy

7).

good preparation

exercises have been a

former

to bring

thee onwards through the wilderness of an ani-

mal and unconscious

life,

into the promised land

of a pure and quiet heart, where bliss begins in world, and will continue everlastingly in

this

the next.

But

that thou mayest better under-

stand this high intellectual way, I will cause to shine before thee the light of a good distinction,

which,

if thou clearly

thee from

all error,

comprehendest

it,

will save

however high thou mayest

soar with thy mind.

Observe

this

Two

then.

courses

are to

be met with among apparently good persons.

Some pursue

a course in harmony with reason,

and others a course first

are those

all their

at variance with

who make

their

aim

it.

The

to shape

thoughts, actions, and omissions accord-

ing to the rule of sound discretion, in harmony

with the sentiments of holy Christendom, to God's glory, and the peace and quiet of other

men

diligent

;

all

while at the same time they keep

watch over their words and ways, so

as to give scandal to

no one, unless indeed a

person takes scandal at

them through

his

own

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

254

fault, as often

Now

happens.

the very

and nature of reason admonish us guarded walk and manner of life the reason of these persons

name

to pursue a

like this.

And

after the fashion

of the Divine reason, and worthy of praise, for light shines inwards in itself in a true

its

though

hidden way, just as the heavens shine in the

bright stars.

the contrary, in those appa-

rently good persons

who

follow a

course at

variance with reason, and with an unmortified

nature tently

make upon

self their aim,

and only gaze

in-

objects with their reason after the

manner of contemplation, and are able to discourse about them overbearingly before the unlearned, while by word and deed they testify contempt for every unfavourable judgment passed

upon them;

—

such persons the intellectual

light streams outwards,

and not inwards; and

just as decayed wood, from the

glimmer

forth at night, seems to be something, is

sends

and yet

nothing, even so the inward light and outward

walk of these persons show themselves all

respects

be in

unlike that which they ought to

resemble.

What

these persons are

may

be easily ga-

thered from the free and un weighed maxims

which they put

forth.

will only take

one

TRUE AND FAUSE USE OF REASON. of these maxims, and by

The

the rest.

we can

255

estimate

all

poem

following words occur in a

by one of them, " The just needs shun no obThis saying, and others like it, have stacle." an

air of

importance in the eyes of certain dim-

sighted persons, but will meet with no praise

from those who see well and understand what they really mean.

This

"The just needs shun

of the saying just quoted,

no is

For what

obstacle."

an "obstacle"?

evident in the case

" the just," and what

"The just,"

usual meaning of the term,

according to the

a just

man

re-

garded as actually existing in creation.

For

the quality "just" has no existence by

itself,

but needs a subject in which

can

exist,

this subject in the present case is the just

Again, what separates a to

an " obstacle"

man from God.

shun no obstacle

avoid or shun no sin

be simply

and

Is a just is

other things,

their

coming

sin

which

man, then,

to say, is

Such an

assertion

would

at variance with all rea-

It is true, indeed, that the just

son. all

false,

—that

and

man.

when

man, and

viewed, antecedently to

into being

and

their creation, as

existing ideally from everlasting in God's essential

reason, are all one

any formal

difference,

and the same, without

and therefore the saying,

life of blessed henry suso.

2oQ if

understood in this sense,

But then

pass.

may

be allowed to

must be remembered

that

the just man, regarded as existing only in this

simple super-essential basis,

man

;

for there is nothing corporeal in the

head, neither it is

there any obstacle there.

outside this basis that each

self to

not the corporeal

this or that individual

mortal, and within

man

man;

God-

But

finds

him-

for outside

immortal

and

it is

frail

created nature, in which he has great need

outside of

shun every hurtful

that he

obstacle.

to try to regard myself in

non-existent,

and

myself; and

if,

in this

—

this

If,

exists in his

then, I were

my own mind

way to know nothing

all

corporeal ac-

though the uncreated Being did them

would be a crime above

From

this

see, that

all

crimes.

such maxims as these

have really nothing rational in them. this,

without distinguishing between

myself and God, I were to do tions as

now

however,

it is

In saying

not meant to condemn ra-

tional doctrine or rational well-weighed

and poems, by which men are

maxims

refined,

and

guided towards intellectual truth, even though they are not understood by every body. is

For

manifestly true, that no one can speak with

sufficient clearness to

be understood bv those

MISUSE OF REASON.

who

are grossly blind,

and

257

as ignorant as brute

beasts.

—

The daughter answered: Praised be God good distinction But I should also be

for this

very glad to hear the distinction between a wellordered reason and one which

is all

and

flowers

outward show, as well as between true and

false

detachment.

Chapter LI. How to

distinguish between a well-ordered reason

which

The

is all

man

glitter

and

this is

The

—When

following

man

it,

all

meant

and outward

has been emptied inte-

freed from the forms

used to cling to

what I mean by a

all glitter

riorly of the grossness caused

mind

which many

Now what

and external show.

this f

the

into subjection,

a use of reason which

use of reason which

show:

and blood

arrives at a deep sea in

;

—At

combats, which have for their

first

object to bring flesh

and one

glitter.

Servitor replied as follows:

end of the

perish

and

flowers

and he

sin,

and

his

and images which able to soar up-

wards joyously above time and space, which

till

then held him in bondage, so that he could not

;

LIFE OF BLESSED

258 use

HENRY

—

nature's noble powers

liis

when he has

SUSO.

such a time,

already begun to open his soul's

new and

eyes and to taste a

better pleasure,

even that which springs from the perception of

enjoyment of divine

truth, the

now

into the

and such

of eternity which

bliss,

the gazing

lies

before him,

and when, moreover,

like,

reason begins to recognise in

itself

his created

and

in all

things a portion of the everlasting and uncreated reason,

comes

him

strange, when, for the as

as something

first

wondrous

time, he sees himself

he was before and as he

now, and he

dis-

covers that he was before like a poor, godless,

needy creature, both blind and whereas now

seems to him that he

God, and that there

God;

nay, more, that

And

absolutely one.

is full

nothing which

God and

all

he catches

God

from

far

not

things are

at this

view

too hastily, and in an unseasonable way, and his

mind runs

wild, like

fermenting and has not

upon that which which

and

One to

is still

and he

seizes

settled,

present to his thoughts, or

suggested to him, without the needful

distinction,

very

new wine which

by some One, who to

whom

no one

else;

Himself that

alone he should give ear,

and then he

resolves ac-

cording to his self-satisfied judgment to dismiss

MISUSE OF REASON.

259

from his thoughts every thing created, and he regards no longer hell or heaven, devil or angel, in their

own

created nature; nay, he disdains

Humanity as soon as he Yet for all this, he has

also Christ's suffering

God

has beheld

it.

not gone to the bottom in his knowledge of things

;

namely, in regard to their distinctions,

and what

permanent and what

When

the honey-bees.

and

transient in

It fares, in fact, with such

them.

men

as with

the bees are fully grown,

for the first time burst forth out of the hive,

they

fly at

random on

this side

and on

that,

they

know

not whither ; and some go astray in their

flight

and are

lost,

while others return again in

due course to the hive.

The same

thing hap-

pens with these persons when, with their undisciplined reason, they try to behold in

all,

and endeavour, according

fect intelligence, to let

know

not how.

thing must be perfection

;

It let

this

tion,

and

that,

but they do not understand

let

they

go by him who would attain

this

how

be managed, and

and that without

discre-

to rid themselves of all things without

attending to the necessary distinctions. fault

as all

true, indeed, that every

this letting-go of things is to

they try to

God

to their imper-

arises either

This

from unlearned simplicity or

LITE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

260

Hence many a one ima-

unmortified craftiness.

gines that he has attained everything if only he

can go forth ont of himself in

this

But

detach himself from himself.

way, and

For he has only slunk over the outer the

still

unstormed

not

it is

so.

ditch of

under cover of the

fortress,

screen behind which he skilfully and secretly

cannot yet, by the

conceals himself, and he

orderly annihilation of his spiritual being, pass

away and

which

into a veritable poverty of spirit, in

every foreign object to

in a certain sense let go,

which the possession of the everlasting

and simple Godhead corresponds, now that

all

human

activity has

come

shown hereafter with the Behold, this

without knowing

thee,

an end, as

will

requisite distinctions.

the point where some persons, it,

and can neither come

show

stick fast for

in nor

by the help of a

many

go out.

years,

But I

will

distinction, the right

road, so that thou mayest not be able to go astray.

Chapter

LIT.

A good distinction between true and false detachment.

Know,

then, that there are three kinds of

passing away.

The

first is

a complete passing

TRUE AND FALSE DETACHMENT. away.

away

261

This takes place when a thing passes so entirely that

ceases to exist;

shadow passes away and

no more.

this

sense of the word, the spirit of a man, to which

give the

away

pass

name

at its

of a rational soul, does not

going

but

forth,

continues

for ever, in virtue of the high nobility of its

after

For God,

and godlike powers.

rational nature

whose image

it is

fashioned,

and therefore

essential reason,

a super-

impossible

for the soul to cease to exist, as the mortal

body

does.

Another kind of passing away may be termed

a half passing away, and has time.

This

its

own hour and who are rapt

the case with those

contemplation into the pure Godhead, as

Paul was; or again, in another way, when a

man becomes

abstracted in thought, as often

happens, and thus passes away out of himself.

This kind, however,

Paul came

the same Paul, a

The

transitory;

for

when

he found himself

man as before. may be called a

third kind

passing away.

to himself again,

metaphorical

This takes place when a man,

the renunciation of his free-will, abandons

himself to

God

himself, just as

moment that he finds if he knew nothing about himat

each

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

262 self,

and God alone was lord and master.

This

kind of passing away cannot be complete and perpetual, so long as the

united; for at the very

body and soul are

moment when a man

has detached himself from himself, and fancies that he has so entirely passed

away

God

into

that he will never resume himself, so far as his

lower or sensual nature in

again,

concerned,

instant,

he and his perverse

and he

and has

all at

once,

self are

back

the same that he was before,

to forsake himself again

and again.

think, then, that in this imperfect state of detach-

ment a man may pleases,

lawfully do just whatever he

would be a simple

certainly

true, that

delusion.

Though

the more any one

estranges himself from himself, and passes

away

out of himself into God, the more completely

established in the very truth.

Thou must know

further that there are

kinds of detachment from antecedent,

called

detachment.

two

The one

self.

and the other subsequent

Thou

wilt understand this better

from an example.

thief feels

in himself

through the wickedness of his nature an impulse and craving to steal.

opposes for

this,

saying

sin.

But

his conscience

—Thou shouldst not

Now

steal,

the thief went out of

TRUE AND FALSE DETACHMENT.

263

himself and obeyed his conscience, this would

be antecedent detachment, and the nobler of the two, for he would remain in his innocence. If,

however, he will not detach himself from

himself in this matter, but resolves to satisfy his

wicked propensities, later on, when he has been caught and he sees that he must hang for

it,

the

subsequent detachment comes, moving him to yield himself patiently to death, since

and saves the man's

soul,

cannot

This kind of detachment

be otherwise.

but the other

yond comparison nobler and

better.

good

be-

Hence we

ought not to be so daring as to abandon ourselves to sin, according

some

foolish persons,

who

to the

say that he

arrive at perfect detachment

This

all sins.

fool

false

who would

must wade through

for a

man would

throw himself wantonly into a

pool, in order that

;

sentiments of

be a filthy

he might afterwards become

beautiful.

Therefore the most pious of God's friends earnestly desire to be brought to naught,

and

to abide steadfastly in antecedent detachment,

without ever resuming themselves in any thing so far as

human

ever they

fail

tion to them.

frailty will

in this, It

it is

permit

;

and when-

a source of lamenta-

true, indeed, that

they have

;

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

264

advantage over other men, that they can

this

rid themselves

speedily of the obstacle

(i.e.

of the sin which stands between them and God) for out of their lamentation itself springs

once a subsequent detachment, which replaces

them quickly where they were

before,

happens when a man, finding himself

and

still

this

a man,

bears with himself as such for God's glory.

Moreover

this subsequent

detachment be-

comes in a certain sense profitable

them,

through the self-knowledge which results from

and here

it;

their lamentation ceases to be

lamentation, and they are born again

into their

former state of simplicity, and become once

more what they were

man who

before.

If,

thus incomplete were to try

subtlety to help himself, alleging,

can is

do a

however, a

man

What harm

he resumes himself in what

only accidental, and thereby commits some

sin exteriorly, provided that the essence of the

man in

remains as

any point ?

was, without being resumed this

I answer, that he neither

understands himself nor what he says. learned doctors will agree to

this, if

And

all

only they

understand what the term accident means. For the

name

be added

of accident to or

given to that which

may

taken from the substantial essence

;

TRUE AND FALSE DETACHMENT.

265

without destroying the substance, as colour on

But here the

a board.

and body, which

soul

case

different

;

for the

in their ignorance they

term accidents, are two

essential parts

which

make up a man's essence, and do not belong to him as accidents. Therefore every man, however

may be

perfectly he himself,

and

able to detach himself from

to bring himself

back again, has

him by which he can act virtuously or sinfully. For the annihilation of the spirit, its passing away into the simple Godhead, and

still

that in

all its nobility

and

perfection, are not to

be re-

garded as a transformation of man's created sence into God, in virtue of which is

all

God, only that he does not perceive

his grossness, or, in other words, that

come God, and

his

own

essence

es-

that he it

through

he has be-

annihilated

but they are to be understood of a going out of self,

and a contempt for

described.

And

man

and

rightfully,

thus

self,

it is

such as has been

that the spirit of a

taken out of itself and passes away duly

and then

for the first time

it is

For God has now become all him, and all things have become, as it

well with him. things to

were,

God

selves to

to him him now

;

for

all

in the

things present them-

manner

are in God, and yet they

all

which they

remain each one

LIFE OF BLESSED

266

what

it is

its

own

HENRY

SUSO.

natural essence.

This

what those who are blindly ignorant and unexercised in reasoning cannot or will not admit

into their bewildered

minds according to the

above true distinction.

Thou mayest now, with good

distinction,

the help of this

proceed to consider the follow-

ing rational maxims and instructions, which

have for their object to free grossness of

spirit,

and

men from

to lead

their

them onwards

to their highest bliss.

Chapter

LIII.

Maxims, conformable to right reason, for the guidance of an exterior man into his interior.

Let

thy walk be an interior one, and be not

given to break out either in words or in thy walk.

Act according to the truth

in simplicity,

and

whatever happens, be not helpful to thyself; for

he who helps himself too much

will

not be

helped by the Truth.

When what thou

thou art with

men pay no heed

seest or hearest,

alone which has shown

and cleave

itself to

thee

to that (i.e.

re-

;

SPIRITUAL MAXIMS.

member God

alone

who

267

has shown Himself to

thee under these outward things).

Be goes the

careful that in thy actions thy reason

for

first;

that

it.

wishes not to deprive us of pleasure

He wishes

but

the sensual appetite gets

every evil comes of

start,

God

when

to give us pleasure in its totality,

to say, all pleasure.

The more

mightily thou humblest thyself,

the higher thou shalt be exalted.

He who rior,

must

wishes to dwell in his inmost inte-

rid himself of all multiplicity.

must habitually

reject all that is not the

We one

thing.

Where

the sensual appetite

principle of a man's actions, there ing,

the moving

is toil,

suffer-

and mental darkness.

What

greater pleasure

there than to find

myself the one thing that I ought to be, and the

whole thing that I ought to be

God, who

A man

one and

(t. e.

one with

all) 1

should remain steadfast in his state

of freedom from mental images, and of selfrestraint.

Herein

lies

the greatest delight.

In what does a truly detached himself

When

man

exercise

In annihilating himself. our love

given to a sensible image

268

or person, this

HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED it

accident, loving accident,

we have no

SUSO.

right to do

;

nevertheless I bear

with myself in this until I get quit of however, an interiorly simple

act,

does not love the image, which

but when

one

things are to

all

and

him

it.

is,

when a man

present to him, one,

and that

God.

When

man

detaches himself from himself

without allowing the sensual appetite to break

he destroys

out,

If he acted otherwise, he

self.

would be helping himself by means of

his sen-

sual appetite.

Keep thy and woe ;

feelings within thee both in weal

for a

man who

does this loves

who

lets his feelings

break

in one year than one

out loves in three.

Wilt thou be of use to thyself

away from

If a

him be

man

all

all creatures,

turn

creatures.

cannot comprehend the matter,

passive,

let

and the matter will comprehend

him.

Take heed not a

way

unlike the

break out exteriorly in

(divine

and

interior)

pat-

tern.

A man inclination

should be on his guard against the

which leads him

thing which

may

save

to catch at eveiy

him from having

to yield

SPIRITUAL MAXIMS.

269

to the invitations of the simple Truth.

wilt not submit to be simple, thou wilt

If thou

have to

submit to be manifold.

Live as

there were

no creature on earth

but thee.

Say

to creatures

will not

—What

be to thee (Res

tibi, te

thou art to

Deo).

Nature loves nature and makes

itself its

aim.

Some men's nature has not been sufficiently crushed, and when this happens, they continue exterior.

The power a

of refraining from things gives

man more power

than the possession of the

things would.

One

deflection

along with

from the right course brings

another.

See that nature in thee that thy outward

man

unburdened, and

conformable to thy in-

ward man.

Look

well to the inward

man

depends thy exterior and interior It belongs to perfect

nature at

all

A man lest

;

for

this

life.

detachment to keep

times bridled.

should never lose sight of himself,

nature should run away.

Thou

lamentest that thou art

undetached, and impatient.

still

too active,

Nevertheless de-

LIFE OF BLESSED

270

HENRY

SUSO.

The more keenly thou

spair not.

feelest this

the better.

Perishable love

eloak of

The

all vices,

and a

all truth.

setting of the

sensual nature

When

rising of the truth.

the

the powers of the

ceased to work, and the elements

soul have

have been

upon

a root of

powers remain fixed

purified, the

their eternal

directed towards

object, if

they have been

according to their

ability.

All the powers have one object and one work,

and

be conformed to the eternal Truth.

this is to

There

nothing pleasurable save what

uniform with the most inmost depths of the

Divine nature.

Some men an

interior

followed

men

are to be

met with who have had

drawing from God, and have not

The

it.

interior

are far apart,

and

exterior of these

in this that

many

fail.

Our nature in its present state endowed. The more it goes out of further

inwards, the nearer to

the

turns

it is.

has attained to the purification of

the senses in all

Him

richly

itself,

from God; and the more

He who

God

performs so

the operations of the senses.

much

the better

SPIEITUAL MAXIMS. If a

been

man

subjects his nature,

271

when

purified, to the Truth, his nature is

in such sort that

Otherwise

itself upon

has

guided

much more

performs

fectly all exterior actions.

per-

wastes

temporal matters, and can do nothing

really well.

Purity, intelligence,

ing of wealth to those

and virtue give a

who

drawn from such persons by God, happens that they die to

What

thing which

Those

are brought nigher

that which drives a

man

to pur-

It is the craving for

may

satisfy

with-

sometimes

all creatures.

who profit by this withdrawal to God by it. sue evil courses?

When

possess them.

the sensible possession of these virtues

feel-

some-

Yet we can

him.

only find this in abnegation, and not in evil courses.

The

reason

why some men

a faulty sadness

so often fall into

that they do not at all times

keep an eye upon themselves to avoid in every thing doing what deserves punishment.

To be

worsted

to gain the victory in the

estimation of God's friends (Matt. v. 39).

Abide within

thyself.

The

plea of seeking

things outside thee presents itself as a necessity;

but

it is

only a

way

of helping

self.

LIFE OF BLESSED

272

bad

It is

none

to begin

HENRY

SUSO.

many

things and to bring

move

until

an end.

should not

served whether

working in

Take

God

we have

ob-

or nature that

us.

care that nature works in thee

works from out

itself

its

without the concurrence of

other causes.

A truly detached man things.

his walk, that things

out him.

should attend to four

First, he should be very virtuous in

may

flow from

and quiet with regard to his carry tales hither and thither, lated to

him with-

Secondly, he should also be virtuous

fill

his

senses, for this

mind with images.

interior senses will

and not is

calcu-

Thus

Ins

be able to act inactively.

Thirdly, he should not be given to attach himself;

and he should take care that there

nothing heterogeneous in him.

Fourthly, he

should not be contentious, but he should be-

have lovingly to those by

whom God may

pleased to purify him.

Remain

steadfastly in thyself until thou art

drawn out of thyself without any

act of thine.

Observe whether the intimacy between good people arises from inclination or from simplicity.

The

first is far

too

common.

SPIKITUAL MAXIMS.

much

Offer not thyself too

Those please

least

who

273

any one.

offer most.

An interior humble walk beseems thee. When a thing acts in opposition to its nature, it is

always unbecoming to

it.

Happy the man whose words and ways are few. The more words and ways there are in any man, the more there dental.

Stay within

of what

such men, otherwise thou wilt suffer for

Some men

act

from

In the

"Into

God and

I commend

should

Christ had

discover

the

who

find

themselves

difference

He who

forsakes himself

(i.e.

hell,

spirit,"

consummated."

the devil are in man.

guides himself and he

When

is attained.

Thy hands

added immediately, u It

man

this.

spiritual annihilation of self the final

consummation said,

it.

their sensible feelings

both in suffering and in joy ; but a not look to himself in

acci-

and be not

thyself,

the

and

self-willed

the

detached

heaven).

He who must be on

desires to

have

rest

all

guard against himself in

his

in every thing else

(i. e.

this desire is

times

this as

a species

of self-seeking).

He who

interior

amid exterior things

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

274

much more interior than he who is only interior when within himself. It is good for a man to guide himself in nothing and he is on the right road who con;

templates under the forms of things their eternal essences.

There are many more reasoning men than simple men. in

whom

Those are called reasoning men

But the simple man,

reason rules.

through his inaction, plicity of

freed from the multi-

images which are generated by sen-

sible objects,

and he does not contemplate things

as sensible, for simplicity has

and he

become

like a vessel (full of

his nature,

God) and

child.

He who become

wishes to possess

as nothing to himself

How

happy

the

against multiplicity

all

and

things

must

all things.

man who abides What a sensible

steadfast

entrance

he has into familiar intercourse with heaven

A good intention often impedes true union. Our

eyes should not look outwards, except

to rid ourselves of interior images.

We should bear as readily with that part of us which comes from of the

fall)

eternal bliss.

Adam

as with that

(i. e.

the consequences

by which we

attain

SPIRITUAL MAXIMS.

man is man still

always interiorly

detached

When tient,

all

this

complains and

alike.

impa-

from imperfection.

springs

must therefore be got

275

rid of.

who allow themselves a wrong make themselves their own aim and

All those liberty object.

man must be unformed from

detached

the forms and images of creatures

;

he must be

formed upon Christ, and transformed into the

Godhead.

He who

regards himself in Christ

lets all

things follow their rightful course.

When

man

has died to self and begun to

live in Christ, it is well

When

man

with him.

strives

by turning inwards

conform himself to the Truth,

home

himself,

him

it is

clearly brought

that he has gone forth out of

and he observes that there

is still

some-

thing of the creature in him, on which the attraction acted. self,

this

he bears with him-

and perceives that he has not yet ceased

Now, thus to bear with self simple. The going out of self produces a kind of weariness; but when he has turned away from creatures this weariness

from is

passes

all action.

become

off.

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

276

What things?

a truly detached man's object in

all

and when he

It is to die to himself;

dies to himself all things die to him.

What is the least What is the greatest

It is a thought.

obstacle ? obstacle !

soul abides in the obstinacy of

It is

when

the

its self-will.

A detached man should not let any moment pass

away unmarked.

A detached man should not be always looking to see

what he needs, but he should be always

looking to see what he can do without. If a detached self to the

man

wishes to conform him-

Truth, he must hi the

for

God

first

place be

from things of sense,

diligent in turning inwards

Secondly, he must take

spirit.

note whether he has attached himself to any obstacle

(i. e.

any thing which stands between

him and God). whether he

owing start. fills

must observe

Thirdly, he

his

own

guide in any thing,

to the sensual appetite

having got the

Fourthly, he must, in the light which

his soul, consider the presence of the all-

penetrating Divine essence in him, and that he is

one of Its

vessels.

The more a man and

all

turns

created things, the

union and

bliss to

away from himsel

which he

perfect are the

attains.

SPIRITUAL MAXIMS.

277

Wouldst thou be a detached man? take care that, however

God may

act towards thee,

whether directly by Himself or indirectly by His creatures, thou abidest always the same,

complete renunciation of what

Keep thy

senses

which may present

Be empty

by a

thine.

closed to

every image

itself.

of every thing which the outward-

gazing mind

selects,

which takes captive the

and which brings earthly joy or delight

will,

into the heart:

Rest on nothing which

not God.

If thou art where a sin or imperfection

committed, add not aught of thine to

have nothing to do with

He who

it,

and

it.

always dwells with himself becomes

possessed of very ample means.

The

recreation

which a detached

man

grants

to his nature should be confined to strict necessity,

and

tions,

should be taken in harmless occupa-

from which he can readily and without

attachment turn away to God.

The more more

or less detachment a

or less will he be disturbed

man by

has, the

transitory

things. It that,

happened once to a half-detached

man

on a certain occasion when he had been

LITE OF BLESSED

278

HENRY

too self-conscious in suffering,

him:

—Thou

and

shouldst be so

nothing

well with

how

was

said to

attentive

when thou

of thyself, that

forgetful

knowest

SUSO.

thou shouldst care

fares with thee.

In the case of a detached man who draws his senses

inwards from external objects and

establishes himself in the soul, the less

more painful are more quickly he through

inner castle of his

finds within to cling to, the

his interior sufferings, dies,

and the

the more swiftly he bursts

God.

To give the senses man from his interior.

a wide

withdraws a

field

See that thou undertakest nothing which will carry thee out of thyself.

If things come in search of thee,

let

them

not find thee.

quick in turning inwards into thyself.

Natural

life

shows

itself in

movement and

in the operations of the senses.

taches himself from himself in

himself in

Some

stillness,

He who

this,

and

begins a supernatural

de-

dies to life.

persons find no hindrance in going

out of themselves, but they want steadfastness in this state.

Establish thyself in absolute detachmen

SPIKITUAL MAXIMS. for

279

an unbounded longing, even for what

may become

when

divine,

excessive,

secret obstacle.

A detached

man

should keep the powers of

under such restraint

his soul

within, this

A detached man remains regards himself, just as of himself things

always inactive as

he were unconscious

are well

which

God,

all

and harmoniously ordered

for in that object,

;

on looking

that,

apparent to him.

him.

Give heed

also to

thy outward

man

that

be at one with thy inward man, by the subjection of all fleshly appetites.

To often

return again into

more pleasing

God by detachment

Him

than a

self-satisfied

stability.

Gather together and draw in thy soul from the external senses, through which

pated

itself

upon the

has

dissi-

multiplicity of outward

things.

in again,

into unity,

and return over and over again

and enjoy God.

steadfast,

and never

rest content until

now

of eternity as thy

thou hast obtained the

present possession in this possible to

human

life,

infirmity.

so far as this is

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

280

Chapter LIY. Of the high questions which the well-exercised daughter put to her spiritual father.

After the inward

the introduction of the outward into

man had

taken place in a

way

con-

formable to right reason, high thoughts arose in the daughter's mind, and she inquired whether

she might yet venture to ask questions about

The

them.

Servitor replied:

—Yes;

if thou

hast

been duly led through the proper intermediate stages,

quite lawful

intelligence

what thou

wilt.

now

for thy spiritual

Ask

ask about high things.

She made answer

God? and where

what

God ?

—I mean how He

—Tell me

God? and how

single

and yet three-

fold?

The

—

God knows, these As to the first what is thou must know that all the learned who ever were cannot fully explain God is above all sense and reason. Servitor replied

—

are high questions.

God?

—

doctors it;

And

for

yet a diligent man, by hard

seeking,

gains some knowledge of God, though in

very far-off way; and

in this

that man's supreme bliss consists. that in days

knowledge

Thus

was

of old certain virtuous heathen

— :

WHAT GOD

281

IS.

doctors sought after God, especially the intel-

lectual Aristotle.

pried minutely into the

who he

course of nature, in order to discover

who

Him

the lord of nature.

and found Him.

diligently,

searched after proved,

from the well-ordered course of nature, that there must necessarily be one only prince and lord of

all creatures,

and that

what we mean

by the name God.

Of this God and Lord we know

that

a substantial being;

thus that

everlasting, without before or after; is

simple and unchangeable;

and

essential Spirit

essential reason

in itself and

less

delight

self,

and

to all

itself;

to live

knows

all

and

things

whose being's fathom-

and who

in itself;

who

He is He

that

an unembodied

whose being

;

work; whose

much

shall enjoy

Him

Himway

in the

of contemplation, a supernatural, unspeakable,

and entrancing

bliss.

The daughter This

lifts

the

looked upwards and said:

good to hear, soul

for

Therefore, dear father,

answered:

essence, of

stirs

the heart and

sursum, on high above

which

tell

me more

—Behold,

it is

then.

said that

itself.

about

The

it is

it.

divine

a rational

substance, of such nature that no mortal eye

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

282 can see

cerned in

itself,

may

nevertheless be

effects, just as

its

craftsman in his works.

dis-

trace a good

For, as Paul says,

creatures are like a mirror which reflect God.

And

mode

this

of gaining knowledge

we term

reflection (speculiren).

But let us pause here awhile, and reflect upon the high and venerable Master as mirrored in his works. Look above thee and around thee to the four quarters of the universe,

and

heaven

see

how wide and high

its

swift course,

Master has adorned

the beautiful

and how nobly

each of which, not to reckon in the moon, bigger than the whole earth, and

decked

much

how He has

with the countless multitude of the

bright stars.

Oh! when

summer time

beautiful sun bursts forth unclouded

what

its

with the seven planets,

fruitfulness

and blessings

ceasingly upon the earth

the

and serene,

bestows un-

See how the leaves

and grass shoot up, and the lovely flowers smile;

how

forest, heath,

and meadow ring again with

the sweet song of nightingales and other birds ;

how

all

those

little

creatures,

little

which stem

winter had shut up, issue forth rejoicing, and pair together;

and

old,

and how men

too,

both young

entranced with joy, disport themselves-

WHAT GOD Thy

look again, I pray thee, and behold the

four elements all

creatures,

and ravishing

ful

But

God, if Thou art so how exceeding beautiThou must be in Thyself!

All, gentle

right merrily. lovely in

—

with

fire,

the wondrous things which they contain in

—men,

sea-monsters

and honour be

able immensity that

Lord, that sustains

Thou who

way

;

God,

art

God

all,

God, who doest

unfathom-

feeds

each in

small, for rich this.

and

cry aloud

Who

all this f

and

all

to the

Thee

providest for

for great

Thou,

beasts, birds, fishes,

and mark how they

;

together, Praise

and

earth, water, air,

manifold variety

283

IS.

it,

it all %

its

own

and poor. Thou,

indeed

Come, daughter, thou hast now found thy God,

whom

thy heart has so long sought

Look upwards,

after.

then, with sparkling eyes

and

radiant face and bounding heart, and behold

Him

and embrace

Him

with the infinite out-

stretched arms of thy soul and thy affections,

and give thanks and Prince of

Him, the noble

praise to

all creatures.

See how, by gazing on

this mirror, there springs

speedily, in a soul

susceptible of such impressions,

ward

jubilee;

for

which no tongue can

jubilee tell,

an intense in-

meant a joy

but which pours

it-

284

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

self

with might through heart and soul.

now

feel

pleasant, thee,

within

that,

and I must needs somewhat of

glory,

mouth

soul's closed

painful or

opened to

God's

thee, for

tell

hidden

which

secrets,

I never yet have told to any one. a

Alas

See, I

knew

preacher who, at the beginning of his

friar

conversion, used

commonly

to receive

from

God

twice every day, morning and evening, during ten years, an outpouring of grace like it

lasted for about the space of

At in

these

moments he was

and

so utterly absorbed

God, the Eternal Wisdom, that he could not

speak of

Sometimes he would lovingly con-

it.

verse with

God

he would sigh again smile if

this,

two nocturns.*

within him, while at other times

weep longingly, or

piteously, or

silently.

It often

he were floating in the

seemed

air,

him

and swimming

between time and eternity in the deep sea of God's unfathomable marvellousness. heart became so full through at times lay his

saying

hand upon

—Alas, my

thee to-day f

heart,

One day

this,

it,

how

And

that he it

will

his

would

beat wildly, it

fare with

seemed to him that

the Eternal Father's heart was, in a spiritual

and

ineffable

manner, pressed tenderly, and with * About half an hour.

SPIEITUAL JUBILEE. naught between them, upon

285

his heart, as

lay

open over against the Father's heart in longing

and

desire,

appeared to him that the Father's

way

heart, in a

of love transcending

and images, spoke

Then he began

Word, the Eternal Wisdom.

to exclaim joyously in spiritual jubilee

—Be-

my loveliest love thus do I lay bare Thee my heart, and in simplicity and naked-

hold now, to

forms

all

in his heart the uncreated

ness with regard to

created things I embrace

all

Thy

formless Godhead.

who

art far

above

all

love

may

Thou

Earthly

other loves!

however greatly they

lovers,

Alas,

love,

must

needs bear to be distinct and separate from

each other ; but Thou, of

all

love,

heart, and, in virtue of all in

all,

and

Thy

a great grace into

beloved's

God

not lovingly

made

—Ah,

what

beloved.

The daughter answered up

Thy

being absolutely

no part of Thee, the loved

remains outside,

one with

into

Thy

pourest Thyself so utterly into the

soul's essence that

One,

unfathomable fulness

away

meltest

it is

for

any one

in jubilee.

whether

this is the

or not.

The

God

be thus caught

But I would

fain

know

most perfect kind of union

Servitor replied

— No

;

only

a preliminary preparation for arriving at an

LIFE OF BLESSED

286 essential

mode

She answered

man

SUSO.

of being taken up into God.

—What mean He

and non-essential I essential

HENEY

you by

replied

—I

essential

call

him an

who, by the good and persevering

exercise of all the virtues, has so completely

mastered them, that the practice of them in their highest perfection has become pleasant to him,

him

and that they dwell

sunshine in the sun.

him a

non-essential

man

abidingly, as the

the other hand, I call in

whom

the light of

and

virtue shines in a borrowed, unsteadfast,

imperfect way, as the moonlight in the moon.

The

sweet abundance of sensible grace which I

have just described spirit

of a non-essential man, that he would fain

and

always have

it;

him him undue

even so

delight,

as its presence begets in its

withdrawal causes in

sadness, as I will

an example. vitor

such a dainty treat to the

had gone

now show you by

happened once, when the Ser-

into the chapter-house,

and

his

heart was full of heavenly jubilee, that the porter

came and summoned him

woman who wanted

to the door to a

to confess to him.

The

Servitor tore himself unwillingly from his interior joys, and, receiving the porter harshly, replied, that the else, as

woman must

send for some one

he would not confess her then.

Now

WITHDEAWAL OF DIVINE CONSOLATIONS. 287 she had a burdened and sinful heart, and her

message was, that she had a particular drawing

from him, and that she would

to seek consolation

no one

confess to

that he would not

weep from a corner,

else.

But when she heard

come

to her, she

began to

and going

aside into

grief of heart,

sat

down

wept long and

there in wretchedness, and

bitterly.

Meanwhile God with-

drew very quickly from the Servitor the

delights

of sensible grace, and his heart became as hard as a flint;

meaning

and when he sought

of this,

God answered him

know

the

—As thou

hast driven from thee uncomforted the poor

woman

with her burdened heart, even so I have

withdrawn from thee

The

and ran with speed not find the

The

divine consolations.

Servitor sighed deeply and beat his breast,

woman

to the door, and, as there,

was

he did

in great distress.

porter ran about in every direction looking

for her,

and when

at last

he found her, where

she was sitting weeping, he brought her back

with him to the door, and the Servitor, receiving

her with great kindness, graciously consoled her repentant heart.

Then he went back from her

to the chapter-house,

stant the kind

and immediately

Lord was

an in-

there again with His

divine consolations, just as before.

— ;

LIFE OF BLESSED HENTtY SUSO.

288

—

The daughter answered: He may well bear whom God gives such rapturous jubilee. The Servitor replied: Oh! it had sufferings to

—

all to

be paid for afterwards with great suffer-

ing, as has

however,

been already

when

related.

length,

had passed away, and

all this

God's appointed time had come,

this

same grace

of jubilee returned, and was with him in an abiding manner both at

company and when

home and

abroad, in

Ofttimes in the

alone.

bath or at table the same grace was with him but

its

working was now

interior,

and no longer

broke forth into exterior manifestations.

Chapter LV. An

The

explanation where and

how God

—

good daughter

said:

indeed found out what

God

Sir, I

;

is.

have now

but I would

know also where God is. He answered Thou shalt hear this. The learned doctors say

fain

God has no where, but Open then the inward ears

that

its

is all

all.

tell

us in the

we come to know what a thim name. Now, one doctor says thai

art of logic, that

through

These same doctors

good heed.

that

of thy soul and givt

WHERE GOD being

the

name

first

thine eyes to being in

of God.

its

this or that partial

being.

Consider only being in

with

non-being.

all

For

Turn, then,

pure and naked sim-

and take no note of

plicity,

289

IS.

unmixed

itself,

as all non-being

negation of all-being, even so being in the negation of

non-being.

all

the

itself is

thing which

has yet to be, or which once was,

not

now

at this moment in actual being. Moreover, we can have no knowledge of mixed being or non-being, unless we take into account that which is all-being. For if we would under-

stand what any thing

our mind meets with in being which It

is,

the

it is

first

being,

point which

and

the efficient cause of

all

this is

things.

not the partial and particular being of this

or that creature; for partial being

always

mixed with some other element, and has a capacity for receiving something

new

into

it.

Therefore, the nameless Divine Being must be in itself all

a being that

particular beings

all-being,

its

and that sustains

presence.

It is a proof of the singular blindness of

man's reason, that

which

and without which It

cannot examine into that

contemplates it

first

before every thing,

cannot perceive any thing.

with the reason as with the eye.

When

290

LITE OF BLESSED HENKY SUSO.

the eye

intent

upon observing a variety of does not notice the light

coloured objects,

which enables

to see all these objects,

even

looks at the light,

if it

Thus,

it.

too, is it

with our

soul's

eye ;

looks at this or that particular being,

no heed of the being, which

when it

apprehend

all

other beings.

its

which

Hence a wise doc-

tor says, that the eye of our intelligence,

takes

every where one,

and simple, and which enables

absolute

and

does not see

it still

owing

infirmity, is affected towards that being

in itself the

most manifest of all beings,

as the eye of a bat or a night-owl towards the

bright light of the sun; for particular beings distract

and dazzle the mind,

see the Divine darkness,

so that

which

cannot

in itself the

brightest of all brightness.

Open now thy inward thou canst on being and thou one,

its

eyes and gaze as best

naked simple

wilt see at once that

and has no before nor

purity,

comes from no

after,

and no ca-

pacity of change, either from within or from without, because

wilt note too that

it is

present,

a simple being.

Thou

the most actual, the most

and the most perfect of

out flaw or alteration, because

one in naked simplicity.

And

all it

beings, withis

absolutely

this truth is so

WHERE GOD

291

IS.

evident to an enlightened reason, that possible for

to think otherwise

proves and implies the other. is

a simple being,

beings,

Thus, because

must needs be the

it is

the

im-

it is

for one point

first

and without origin and everlasting

because it

;

and

and everlasting and simple,

first

must be the most present.

It is at the very

highest summit of perfection and simplicity, to

which nothing can be added and from which nothing can be taken away.

If thou canst un-

derstand what I have just told thee about the

pure Godhead, thou wilt have been guided a

way

long

the incomprehensible light of

into

God's hidden truth. being

the

first

This pure and simple

and highest cause of

all

beings

which have a cause (created beings), and by peculiar presence

and end of in time.

gether outside tor says is

all things,

encloses, as the beginning

whatever comes into being

altogether in all things,

Hence a

things.

all

— God

its

and

alto-

certain doc-

a circular ring, whose centre

every where and circumference nowhere.

The maiden answered

—Praised be

God, I

have been shown, as far as can be, what

and where God how,

at the

God

is.

I would fain

so exceeding simple,

same time

threefold.

God is now learn

can be

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

292

The

Servitor replied

the more simple it is

its

it is

—Each

itself,

several being,

the more manifold

productive efficacy.

That which has

nothing gives nothing, and that which has

Now, I have

can give much.

much

already spoken of

that inflowing and overflowing fountain-head of

good which God

in Himself,

and of God's

unfathomable supernatural goodness which constrains

Him

not to keep

communicate

out Himself.

all this to

Himself, but

joyfully both within

and with-

But the highest and most

perfect

outpouring of the supreme Good must of necessity take place

within

itself,

none other than a present, personal,

and

this

can be

interior, substantial,

and natural outpouring, necessary, yet

without compulsion, alike infinite and perfect.

All other outpourings which take place in time

and

in creatures are but a reflection of the eter-

nal outpouring of the unfathomable Divine goodness.

And

learned doctors say that, in the

outflow of creatures from their primal fountain-

head, there

end

a circular return-movement of the

to the beginning; for as the outflowing of

the Person from

God

an image and repre-

sentation of the origin of creatures, so also

foreshadows the flowing back again of creatures into

God.

THE TRINITY IN UNITY. Now,

observe the difference between the

creature's

Inasmuch its

outpouring and God's outpouring. as a creature

giving and

its

only a partial being,

outpouring

Thus a human

measure.

when he

293

also partial

and in

father gives his son,

own

begets him, only a part of his

be-

ing ; he does not give him wholly and eutirely all

that he

But

is,

for

he himself is but a

since the Divine outpouring

partial good. is

manifestly

of a far more interior and nobler kind than the creature's outpouring, in proportion to the great-

ness of the good which

God

Himself and

His immeasurable superiority over goods,

from

follows as

this that the

His being according If

now with

other

outpouring must be like the

being; and this cannot be unless

into

all

a necessary consequence

God

pours out

to the personal relations.

cleansed eye thou canst look

and gaze upon the most pure goodness of

the supreme Good, which goodness

its

own

nature a present active principle of the natural

and spontaneous love with which the supreme

Good loves

itself,

thou wilt behold the exuberant

supernatural outpouring of the Father, all

by which

Word

act of begetting

from the

and speaking

things are spoken forth and produced; and

thou wilt see too in the supreme

Good and

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

294

the highest outpouring the divine Trinity, Father, Son,

and Holy Ghost, necessarily bursting

And

forth.

be that from the supreme es-

if it

sential goodness the highest

outpouring gushes forth,

must be

and most perfect follows that there

in the aforenamed Trinity the

most

supreme and intimate community of behig, as well as the most perfect similarity and identity

of that being, which the Persons possess in the jubilee of their outpouring, without

any

division

or partition of the substance and the almightiness of the three Persons of the Godhead.

The maiden swim

in the

exclaimed:

Godhead

answered:

—O wonderful!

an eagle in the

I air.

—

It is impossible to express in

words how the Trinity of the Divine Persons can subsist in the unity of one essence. theless, to say

what can be

Never-*

said about

it,

St.

Augustin lays down that the Father is the fountain-head of

all

the

Godhead of the Son and

of the Holy' Ghost, personally and essentially. St.

Denys

says, that in the

Father there

outflowing of the Godhead, and that this outflowing or stream pours itself out naturally in

the outrunning Word,

also

who

the Son

by nature.

pours Himself out according to the

loving bountifulness of the will into the Son,

THE TKINITY and the Son

IN UNITY.

Z*dj

Himself out accord-

in turn pours

ing to the lovingness of the will into the Father,

and

this is called a reciprocal love,

The hidden meaning

Holy Ghost. disclosed

and proved

to us

—In

the outpouring of the

the Father's heart and reason,

the is

that bright light

the dear St. Thomas, the teacher,

thus:

of this

who

speaks

Word

from

must needs be

that God, with His luminous intellect, contemplates Himself,

bending back, as

His Divine essence;

for if the

were,

Father had not the Divine essence for the

Word

upon

reason of the its object,

conceived would be a creature and

not God, which would be described, the

Divine being.

Word

But

false.

in the

way

a Divine being from a

Again, this backward look upon

the Divine essence in the reason of the Father

must take place

in a

manner productive of a

natural likeness, otherwise the

be the Son.

Here, then,

Word would

essence with diversity of Persons;

good

attestation of this

in the beginning with

With regard Spirit,

—" The Word

God."

to the outpouring of the

thou shouldst

of the Divine intellect

know is

and, as a

distinction, the high-

soaring eagle, St. John, has said

was

not

we have unity

Holy

that the substance

an act of cognition

(in-

LIFE OF BLESSED

296 tellectio),

and

this,

under the form in which

has been received into the

clination is

SUSO.

moreover, must have an in-

clination for its object it

HENRY

intellect.

This in-

the will, and the longing of the will

Thou

to seek after pleasure as best it can.

shouldst also observe that the object loved

not

in the person loving under the likeness of its natural form, as

the case with the object of the in-

tellect in the light of the cognition.

much

as the

Word

Now,

inas-

flows out from the looking

forth of the Father according to the form of the

nature, without confusion of Persons, this outpour-

ing of the Father this

called a begetting.

But

since

mode of procession does not occur in the

flowing of the will and of the love, which third Person,

of love

who

poured forth

by the Father, and

also

like a

out-

the

stream

by His express

image the Son, from out His very inmost depths, therefore this outflowing cannot be termed a

or begotten. after

And

since this love

Son

in the will

intellectual or spiritual fashion, like

inclination or love-bond present inwardly in the

lover towards the object of his love, the third

Person in the procession, who j)roceeds according to the loving manner of the ceives the

name

reached this point he is

will, fittingly re-

But when a man has transformed by the Divine

of Spirit.

DIFFERENT VIEWS OF GOD. light in that mysterious

way which they only can

understand who have experienced

The daughter

said

297

—Ah,

sir,

it.

this is

Never-

a sublime fulness of Christian doctrine.

be met with certain

theless, there are to

men who deny what

lectual

attain to perfect

templation of

God

intel-

has been just said

about God, and whose view

would

indeed

that he

is,

who

union will find the con-

a hurtful impediment.

on the contrary, according to them,

should,

God and

divest himself of cast behind

him

all visions,

of the

and

spirit,

and turn himself

only to the inwardly-shining truth, which he

himself.

answered

—This

doctrine

is false if

the

words are taken in their ordinary sense. Therefore keep clear of

it,

and hearken

Christian faith teaches

common view which men

who

the

what the

The

point.

this

take of

God

that

Lord and Creator of the whole world,

suffers

no wickedness

to pass unpunished,

and no good deed unrewarded.

He, then, who

commits sin regards God as a terrible God ; as the good Job said, u I have always feared God as

shipmen fear the great waves" (Job xxxi. 23).

also

who

serves

God

and munificent God,

for

reward has a great

able to recompense

him

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

298

But a well-exercised and experienced man, who by manifold dyings has rid

abundantly.

God

himself of the sinful things which

and who

serves

love, this

man

God loves

God

and not

in his heart,

And

after the afore-mentioned fashion.

hates,

burning

at all times with

he has

in a certain sense divested himself of God, and

Him

he loves

as his heart's

says.

Thus

truly

God and

own

loved one

from him, as

servile fear has passed

to the spiritual

St.

man God

;

for

Paul

remains

Lord, and yet at the same time

he has emptied himself of God, according

to the

grosser acceptation of the term, for he has at-

tained to a

Now

perfect conception of

as to the

way

be divested of the account of

it.

spirit,

When

man

which a

should

hearken to the true

man

Him.

at the outset of

his interior life begins to observe that

creature composed of body and soul, and that his

body

lasting

mortal, but that his soul

spirit,

an ever-

he gives his body and

all his

animal nature their dismissal, and cleaves to the

spirit,

to it;

and brings

his

body

and every thing he does

thought directed to

this

into subjection is

one end, how he

discover the superessential Spirit,

hold of

It,

and how unite

interiorly in

may

and how lay

his spirit with It.

TRUE AND FALSE

man

of this kind

and holy

called a spiritual

Now, supposing

man.

299

VISIONS.

that

goes right with

all

him, after he has exercised himself in this for

a long time, and yet the superessential

though ever playing as

always eluded his grasp, his created at last to realise its

by an

itself

itself,

spirit

might, and to turn away

with contempt for what comes from

the senses, to the immensity of the

Being. it

this

taking-up of the

attains to a forgetfulness

which (Gal.

St. ii.

;

what

that a man's

was

live,

spirit"

spirit,

God

loss of self,

but not I"

and of which Christ has

"Blessed are the poor in it is

Supreme

spirit into

and

Paul speaks, "I

20)

Thus

begins

abandon

helplessness, to

utter renunciation of self to the

everlasting Divine

from

own

Spirit,

were before him, has

(Matt.

while

said, ii.

3).

remains

as to its essence, is nevertheless

divested of itself in regard to the possession of itself

through the senses. will also explain

you the

between pure truth and doubtful gaze without any

medium upon

difference

visions.

the unveiled

Godhead is undoubtedly absolute and unmingled truth; and the

ginary a vision

more is,

intellectual

and unima-

and the more nearly

ap-

proaches to the unveiled contemplation, the more

noble

its

Some

character.

had imaginary

And

HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

300

SUSO.

of the prophets

Jeremias and others.

visions, as

snch imaginary visions are

often gran-

still

ted to God's intimate friends, sometimes

and sometimes when awake,

asleep

ward senses being

when

their out-

at the time stilled to rest

and

A learned doctor says, that angelic

abstracted.

appearances happen to some persons oftener in sleep than

because a

when awake, and

man

in sleep

for this reason

in a state of greater

quietude with regard to the multiplicity of his external operations than it is

when awake. But when

that a vision which takes place in sleep

may and ought

be deemed a true vision

the dream in the Old Testament which

Pharaoh had about the seven kine,

and many

—and

Holy Writ visions

how

to be discerned,

ally deceptive,

what

holy mother.

and seven lean

the truth of such

—

for

dreams are usu-

though undoubtedly they some-

times announce the truth, learn from

dreams mentioned in

similar also

fat

—

King

St.

—

all this

thou mayest

Augustin writes about

God, she

told him,

his

had given her

when He showed her any

thing

in sleep or half-sleep, she received at the

same

this gift

that

time the inward power of discerning whether

was merely a common dream, which she should

THE SOUL'S HIGHEST FLIGHT. disregard, or an imaginary vision, to

which she

Those persons who have

should attend. gift

301

from God can

how

all

this

the better explain to

But no one can communicate it to another by words. Those only understand it who have had experience of it.

themselves

this

is.

Chapter LVI. Of the very highest

experienced in the ways

flight of a soul

of God.

The

wise daughter said

—There

nothing

which I would more gladly learn from Scripture than the answer to this deep and pregnant question,

where and how a well-exercised per-

son's understanding

end and aim

may

arrive at its highest

in the deepest abyss of the

head, in such a

manner

that

what

God-

actually

experienced will harmonise with the teaching of

Holy Writ?

The

Servitor drew from Scripture an answer

conformable to right reason, and cording to

its

the

spirit

purport ac-

hidden meaning was as follows.

Every one who has attained of

its

to the true nobility

ponders in simplicity and inactivity

pregnant word which

the

Eternal

Son

LIFE OF BLESSED

302

spoke in the Gospel, "

HENKY

SUSO.

Where I am,

there also

shall

who

has not shrunk from following the Son

servant be" (John

to that bitter ivhere,

manhood He took

Now

26).

xii.

on which according to His

post in death

upon the

cross,

has, in virtue of this promise, the right

and the

possibility of enjoying, after a blissful

and

manner, in time and in

tellectual

eternity, the

Godhead,

delightful where of the Son's pure

far as this is

possible

more or

in-

But where Godhead 1 It is

less.

the where of the Son's pure

in the form-pregnant light of the divine Unity,

—a

light

which

may

be termed in

ableness a nothingness; in tration,

its

;

its

peculiar property,

a self-comprehending light; in creativeness,

And

itself as self,

activity.

its

uncreated

an existence which makes things in the modeless darkness of this

light all multiplicity ceases,

own

unname-

essential stillness; in its indwelling

outflow, a triune nature

to be.

its

inward concen-

and comes This

and the

an end

spirit loses

as regards its

the highest aim and the

endless where, in which the spirituality of all spirits finds its end.

this is everlasting

Ever

to lose oneself in

bliss.

Thou must know,

moreover, in order to

understand this better, that in the form-pregnant

THE SOUL'S HIGHEST FLIGHT. light of the Divine

Unity there

303

an indwelling

outspringing impulse by which the Persons are

ponred forth out of the almighty and eternal

For the Trinity of the Persons

Godhead.

the Unity of the nature, and the Unity of the

nature

The

in the Trinity of the Persons.

Unity has

actuality in the Trinity,

its

Trinity has

its

potentiality in the

and the

Unity; ac-

cording to what St. Augustin says in his book

about the Trinity

— namely,

of the Persons contains in

that the Trinity

the Unity as

itself

Their nature and essence, and hence each Person

plicity of the

Now the a

God, and according nature so also

that

it is

to the sim-

the Godhead.

Unity shines forth in the Trinity

after

divided fashion; but the Trinity, viewed as

tending inwards and as indwelling, shines forth in the

Unity

after

a simple fashion, just as the

three Persons contain in themselves the Unity after the

same simple

The Father

fashion.

the fountain-head of the Son, and the Son

outflowing of the Father, gushing forth from

Him

eternally as regards the Personality,

dwelling in

Him as

The Father and Spirit;

and

regards the being or essence. the

Son pour

and the Unity, which

the primal fountain-head,

forth

Their

the being of

all

the

304

LIFE OF BLESSED

But

three Persons. one, is

and the Trinity

HENRY how

as to in the

forth

from the Unity,

abyss.

that the

this

the Trinity

Unity of the nature Trinity comes

one, while nevertheless the

in words,

SUSO.

cannot be expressed

owing to the simplicity of that deep

Hither

it is,

into this intellectual where,

soars up, now now swimming

spirit, spiritualising itself,

flying on the summitless heights,

in the bottomless depths of the sublime marvels

of the Godhead. tains there its

Nevertheless, the spirit re-

own nature

as a spirit, while

enjoys the co-eternal, co-omnipotent, indwelling

and outflowing Persons, and high above the clouds and bustle of things below contemplates

with fixed gaze the Divine marvellousness. For

what greater marvel can there be than the pure Unity, into which the Trinity of the Persons merges

itself in

simplicity,

and in which

this is to

be understood in the sense that the

outflowing of the Persons poured forth

ways tending back again

into

the self-same essence, and that

ideal procession) are

and have in

with God's

life,

al-

creatures in (i. e,

from eternity in it

the Unity of

all

regard to their indwelling outflow

essence,

all

And

the multiplicity of sensible objects ceases.

their

this

one

an existence identical

God's knowledge, and God's

THE SOUL'S HIGHEST FLIGHT.

305

essence, according to the words in the beginning

of St. John's Gospel, " That which was made,

was

Him

Unity

whom

of this

stillness

This pure

and an inactive

in-

which no one can understand, save he

activity,

alone

from everlasting."*

life

a dark

still

Out

the Unity in itself illumines.

inactivity there shines forth

freedom

without any admixture of wickedness, for free-

dom

new

the fruit of the

hilation;

birth of self-anni-

and there shines forth likewise deep

hidden truth without speck of falsehood, and this truth is

born of the unveiling of the veiled

Divine purity

now at length, after

for

;

the reve-

lation of these things, the spirit is unclothed of

that dusky light which has hitherto followed

and in which a it

has

now viewed

till

human and earthly way. And it finds that has now become, strictly speaking, another,

and something quite then understood

different,

itself to

from what

but not I" (Gal.

ii.

20)

and in

;

it till

be according to

previous light; as St. Paul has said,

it,

objects in

this

its

live,

manner

unclothed and simplified in the modeless sim*

Quod factum,

est,

in ipso vita erat (Joan.

3, 4).

Ac-

cording to this deeply-suggestive reading, the clause qvod

factum

est is referred to the

to those

which precede.

words that follow instead of of the Fathers read the

Many

passage thus.

HENRY

LIFE OF BLESSED

306

plicity of the

SUSO.

Divine essence, which makes

stillness.

this simple

plation the spirit takes

and modeless contem-

no note of the permanent viewed as separate.

distinction of the Persons,

For, as Christian doctrine teaches,

Person of the Father, taken by produces

bliss,

not the

it is

whicli

itself,

nor the Person of the Son, taken

nor the Person of the Holy Ghost,

itself,

taken by

its

and

light to shine into all things in simplicity

itself;

but

it is

the three Persons, in-

dwelling in the Unity of the essence, that

And

eternal bliss.

this is the

the Persons by nature, and gives being to creatures tains in itself the

in simplicity

and

being

grace,

that which

and

form and idea of

essentially.

Now,

itself

all

con-

things

just as this

form-pregnant light subsists as being, even so all

tial

things subsist in being,

character

;

according to their essen-

and not according and

since,

to their accidental

moreover,

as light into all things, therefore to subsist as light.

And

hence

its it

pours

itself

property is

that

all

things shine forth in this absolute being in interior stillness, without detriment to its simplicity.

This intellectual where, in which, as has

been just

set forth, the tried servant of

should dwell with the eternal Son,

may

God

be re-

THE SOUL'S HIGHEST FLIGHT.

307

garded as the essentially existing unnameable Nothingness.

And

arrives at the

naught of the Unity; and

Unity

here

termed naught because the

mode

not discover any

spirit

this

can-

spirit

of being under which to

frame a conception of what

Nevertheless

it is.

the spirit clearly feels that

another, quite different from for

that the

contained by

what

itself;

which reason that which contains

deserves

more properly the name of something than naught, though

seems to the

spirit

naught

cannot find any mode of conceiving

because

what

is.

self-consciousness, has in very truth esta-

its

blished

its

obscurity,

Now when abode in it

all

self is after that

loss

and dazzling to

individual properties,

its

this takes place less

as the spirit remains in the

body or goes out of it when of itself into God.

by the

from every obstacle

Bernard says; and

more according

spirit,

this glorious

set free

union and from as St.

the

And

passes

away out

this loss of the spirit's

Divine manner in which

things, so to speak, have

come

be for

it,

all

the Scripture says (1 Cor. xv. 28).

this

merging of

passes away,

itself in

and yet not wholly;

God for

the spirit it

receives

indeed some attributes of the Godhead, but

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

308

does not become is

God by nature. What befalls it

of grace, for

all

a something which

it is still

has been created out of nothing, and continues

Thus much then we spirit has passed away out

to be this everlastingly.

may

say

When

the

of itself and has been taken rid of that

losing

wondering doubt which

and

itself,

it felt

it is

while

its

own knowledge

of itself

For, to use ordinary language,

concerned.

the spirit

God,

ceases to exist in regard to

the sense, so far as is

into

drawn upwards by the might of the

all-luminous Divine essence above

natural

its

capacity into the purity of the Divine naught, in

which

unclothed of

all

though without ceasing to retain

mode mode

of existence as a creature. is

simplicity

Them as

and

;

and

it is

by gazing

this takes place in the

knowledge of

attained; for in fulness of self it

And

spirit ceases to

own proper name and

perfect

their nature in absolute

perfection.

of the Unity, when the its

own proper

This modeless

this that the spirit is divested of itself, as

has been said

its

the being of the Persons, which they

contain within

upon

created modes,

the

existence, in the

naught to which

has

the spirit loses itself in a forget-

and

moment

this

naught

be conscious

all

things

turns

;

and

this

away from

happens

itself

and

THE

309

SOUL'S HIGHEST FLIGHT.

created things to the purity of the uncreated

all

naught.

Divine

pure

wJiere,

this wild

there

disporting

spirits,

them, and opening

mountain range of the

an abyss, perceptible itself,

itself

to all

so to speak, before

out to their gaze,

—here

they enter into the hidden depths of that

it is

which is unnameable and into that wild estrange-

ment

;

and

this is the fathomless abyss of all

which naught but

creatures,

and which

lies

hid from

only from those to

And

it.

all

itself

that

whom God

not God, save

pleases to reveal

must seek

these persons

can fathom,

in detach-

ment, and in a certain sense they must behold it

with

God

Himself; according to the words of

"We

Scripture,

shall

know

then, even as

known" (1 Cor. xiii. 12 1 John iii. 2). The spirit has not this knowledge from its own self, for the Unity in the Trinity draws it

are

;

into Itself

—that

to say, into the spirit's

true supernatural dwelling-place, in which

drawn

dwells above itself in that which has

thither.

Here the

spirit dies,

and yet

alive in the

marvels of the Godhead.

dying of the

spirit consists in this

has passed away into

God

that

is all

The when

no longer takes

note of any distinction between individual existences

;

nevertheless, as regards the outpour-

310

LIFE OF BLESSED

HENRY

SUSO.

ing of the Persons and of creatures,

holds

firmly the distinction between the three Per-

and

sons,

also the separate existence of every

creature, as treatise

explained in the Servitor's short

concerning Truth.

Observe, moreover,

when the spirit has passed out of itself in the way described above, there shines forth out that

of the Unity a simple light, and this modeless

from the three Persons into the

light streams out

purity of the

the

spirit, it

belongs to

comes tions

When

spirit.

sinks self,

down out

the activity of

an end, and

and

its

this light falls

of itself and

it is

all

self-existence.

and

is lost

itself as

that

powers

its

opera-

This arises from

the entering of the spirit into God,

passed away out of

its

divested of

upon

all

when

has

regards the sense,

in the stillness of the glorious dazzling

obscurity and of the naked simple Unity.

It is

in this modeless where that the highest bliss to

be found.

—

The maiden exclaimed i Oh, wonderful But how is one to enter into it? He answered

—I

leave the answer of this question to that

bright light St. Denys, disciple

who

speaks thus to his

If thou wouldst enter into the hidden

mysteriousness,

mount boldly upwards

;

and

disregarding thy outer and inner senses, and

THE SOUL'S HIGHEST FLIGHT. the workings of thy reason in things visible and invisible, and is

not,

Into

mount upwards

this

and

itself, all

that

all

and

the simple Unity.

thou must press forward without

knowing

it,

above

being and above

all

311

even into that silence which

purity and simplicity of a

all science,

with the

mind utterly abstracted

from every creature, right into the very splendours of the Divine darkness. let

Here thou must

go every hold, and part with every thing

created;

for in the

superessential Trinity of

the God-transcending Godhead, on that mysterious, incomprehensible, all-dazzling pinnacle

of pinnacles, marvellous things are heard from out the low whispering silence, and marvellous things are

felt,

new and

yet unchangeable, amid

the splendours of that dark obscurity, which

the fulness of light and glory manifested, wherein all that is shines forth,

overflowing the sightless

with

its

and which

mind

fills

of the beholder

incomprehensible, invisible, and efful-

gent luminousness.

312

LIFE OF BLESSED

HENRY

SUSO.

Chapter LVLT. The conclusion of the contents of

this

book

in a

few simple

words.

The

— Ah,

daughter said:

sir,

you speak

much Christian learning, both from your own experience and from Holy Writ, with so

concerning the mystery of the pure Godhead,

and the flowing forth and the flowing of the this it,

in again

could you not draw out for

spirit,

mysterious teaching, as you understand

under the form of a

similitude, that I

be the better able to comprehend should also be very glad

it?

may

And

you would gather

together in a short discourse, and illustrate by figures,

all

the sublime doctrines which you

have handled

at length, that they

my weak mind. He answered —How can

may

be more

firmly fixed in

figures

what has no

figure,

one express in

and

set

forth in

words what has no mode of being, seeing that it is above the ken of sense and human reason ? For every thing to which it may be likened

a thousand times more unlike than like

it.

Nevertheless, in order to expel from your ima-

gination figures

figures, I will try, so far as

313

CONCLUSION. is

possible, to

image forth for you

in similitudes

these form-transcending thoughts, as in truth

they

may be

termed, and thus conclude a long

discourse in a few words.

Hearken tor that

then.

It is said

by a learned doc-

God, in regard to His Godhead,

a very wide ring, whose centre

and circumference nowhere. your imagination what

Now

follows.

every where, picture to

If a stone

flung with violence into the centre of a sheet

still

water, a ring

this ring

formed in the water, and

own might makes a second

its

and the second makes a

third;

to the force of the first fling will

and width of the fling

circles

;

Imagine now that the

ring represents the infinite might of the

Divine nature in the Father. second ring like this ring

third,

it,

the Son.

which

And

the two produce the

the Spirit of both, co-eternal and

cles signify Father, this

This produces a

according to the Person, and

co-omnipotent with them.

be the breadth

and the force of the

might be even great enough to pass beyond

the limit of the water. first

ring,

and in proportion

Thus the

three cir-

Son, and Holy Ghost.

deep abyss, the Divine nature in the Father

everlastingly speaking forth

Word as

to the personality,

and begetting the

and dwelling in

Him

314

LIFE OF BLESSED

as to the essence

HENRY

—that self-same Word, I mean,

who has taken upon Him human one wishes to picture

him

whose heart a form such a

whom

way

man's own springs

as to

he sprang.

essential begetting of the

and

full

If any

man, from the depths of

like the

be always gazing

upon and returning back again

fixedly

out of

nature.

this to his imagination, let

figure to himself a

forth, yet in

SUSO.

into

him

This spiritual super-

Divine

Word

the

entire cause of the bringing forth of all

creatures

and

spirits into their

The supreme

existence.

natural state of

superessential Spirit

has ennobled man, by illuminating him with

a ray from His eternal Godhead; and this God's image in the rational everlasting.

soul,

which

Hence from out the

also is

great ring,

which represents the eternal Godhead, there flow forth, to carry

may

on the metaphor,

little rings,

which

be taken to signify the high nobility of

rational creatures.

Now own

there are some persons who, to their

hurt, turn

away from

this nobility of their

reason, and, plastering over the radiant image

God

within them, turn themselves to the

bodily pleasures of this world

;

and when they

fancy that they possess the joy which they are pursuing, stern death comes and puts an end to

315

CONCLUSION.

But a man who acts conformably to away from the bright spark of his

them.

reason turns

which

soul to that

came

the spark

their dismissal,

forth;

eternal,

and out of which

and he gives

and cleaves

all

creatures

Truth

to the eternal

alone.

Attend, likewise, to the right and orderly

way

which the flowing back again of the

spirit into

God

should take place, as set forth

in the following instruction

which a man should do

and with world,

all his

—The

to turn

first

away

thing

entirely

might from the pleasures of the

and from

sinful practices, to

God, with

persevering prayer, seclusion, and virtuous discreet exercises, in order thus to bring his

body

The second

thing

into subjection to the spirit. is

to offer himself willingly

and patiently

to bear

the countless multitude of contradictions which

may come upon him from God

or creatures.

The

sufferings

third thing

to take the

Christ crucified as the model on which to form himself,

and

copy

ing, gentle walk,

Him

and pure

His sweet teach-

life,

which

pro-

posed to us as our example, and in this manner to press to

onwards through Him. The fourth thing

be done

pations,

and

to divest himself of exterior occuto

establish himself in a stillness

LIFE OF BLESSED

316

and repose of from

all

soul

HENRY

SUSO.

by an energetic detachment

things, as if he

and could not guide

were dead

to himself,

and had no other

himself,

thought but for the honour and glory of Christ

and His Heavenly Father.

add an humble bearing towards friends or foes.

After a

man

this

all

he should

men, whether

has passed through

these exercises, the next point at which he arrives

is,

that his outward senses,

then were

much

too actively

terior objects, cease

which

until

employed on ex-

from action

;

and

his spirit's

highest powers, dying to their natural opera-

a supernatural sensitiveness.

tion, acquire

Here

it is

every jk^tm

that the

spirit,

ofrft&fcire

having parted with

which had clung

presses ft^ierun^krotkjh the ring, fies line

which

it,

signi-

eteuaft Godhelraj^nd arrives at spiritual

perfection^

^nW suWime$fc health

of the spirit

iK^iwn p^fj&ffiont. doafiKts in this: that bein^Ii^ freetkfroia£ihe weiffftfc of sin, it soars upwarok in. the naigMrra GoTL into its divinely

illuminatiji reason, ^hesgjit enjfys a perpetual

influx of nokvenly consol^fronsi

can now

behold the secrefc^elations o^ftings, and inter-

them according ^Treason with true discrimination, and it is duly set free from bondage

pret

by the Son

in the Son.

still,

however, con-

317

CONCLUSION.

tinues to view things in their outflow from God,

and its

them

to contemplate

own proper

transport of the

one in

as existing each

may be called the it is now lifted up

This

nature.

spirit, for

above time and place, and has passed away by

Now,

intense loving contemplation into God.

he who can clear a way

and

whom God

creatures, as still

did to St. Paul, and

—

man

this

seized

upon by the

drawn

into that

tained to in

may

pos-

This entry of the

strength.

and

never could have at-

strips it of all images, forms,

and

all things,

finds his created spirit

superessential Spirit,

which

own

its

God

multiplicity,

and

further,

do to others, according to what St.

Bernard says

spirit into

still

by drawing him away mightily from

special help

sibly

for himself

pleased to give great and

and

loses consciousness of itself

and becomes merged with, the -

three Persons in 'the abyss of their indwelling '

;

simplicity,

truest

and enjoys there

Here

bliss.

cease, for the

come

one,

all*

and seeking

striving

and the

spirit,

being divested of itself, is

where with the help of figures.*

man

and

beginning arid the end have be-

has become one with them, as

highest

its

can pass away in

explained else-

But

as to

this life, either

* In the Treatise

on Truth.

how

perma-

— LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

318

nently or transiently, and how, while he in time,

less,

is still

he can be caught up above time, more and be drawn out of himself and trans-

ported into the formless Unity

—

all this

I have

already set forth with the necessary distinctions.

And

now, daughter, remember that

all

these

figures

and images, with

are

remote from and unlike the formless

Truth sun

;

as a black

and

Moor

their interpretations,

unlike the beautiful

comes from the formless and

this

in-

comprehensible simplicity of the Truth.

The maiden

looked upwards, and said:

Praised be the eternal Truth for the beautiful instruction

which I have received from your

wise words concerning the

first

ginner into the interior

life,

which he

will

meet with

entry of a be-

the hindrances

he advances, the

things which he will have to avoid, his sufferings and his exercises, as well as the hidden

mystery of the pure and absolute Truth, according to the good distinctions which you have laid

down.

Glory be

God

eternally for this.

Now, when this holy maiden had been thus nobly guided by her spiritual father, with the help of good distinctions and in accordance with

the whole Christian truth, along

which end

supreme

bliss,

all

the ways

and when she had

— 319

CONCLUSION. well mastered

he wrote

it,

as far as

possible in this

to her in his last letter thus

life,

— Come

now, daughter; give creatures their dismissal,

and leave

off

thy questionings.

what God

listen for thyself to

thee.

Thou mayest

many

Painfully as thou hast earned past

and

peace in

still

and

it,

wanting.

all this is is

now

nothing

do except to possess Divine

repose,

moment when thou life

a one

Henceforth there

over.

for thee to

ear,

well rejoice that thou hast

obtained that which to

Give

will say within

and joyfully shalt pass

to await the

away from

this

into the fulness of everlasting bliss. It

came

to pass soon afterwards that the holy

maiden died; and her end was a blessed one, even as her

life

had been.* After her death she

appeared in a vision to her spiritual father clad in snow-white garments, shining with a dazzling

brightness,

and

full

of heavenly joy.

She drew

nigh to him, and showed him in what noble fashion she

head.

the vision tion.

had passed away saw and heard

filled his soul

When

into the

this

pure God-

with delight, and

with heavenly consola-

he came to himself again, he

sighed deeply, and thought within himself: * Elizabeth Stiiglin died in the convent of Thoss, near

Winterthur, A.d. 1360,

five years

before her spiritual father.

LIFE OF BLESSED HENRY SUSO.

320

Ah, God! how blessed after

Thee alone

suffer

God all

the

He may

man who

strives,

well be content

t(l

whose sufferings Thou rewardest thus.V^

help us to rejoice in this maiden and in

His dear

friends,

countenance eternally.

and to enjoy His Divine

Amen.

THE END.

wanton: ROBSON ASD AD*, UKK.VT SOUTHERN PBINTIUG WORKS, I'ASCSAS BO AD, K.W.

.S74 A313 1865 SMC

B 765

Seuse, Heinrich, 1295-1366. The f e of B lessed Henry Suso / 1

AXF-3903