Cloud of Unknowing

Here Beginneth the Prayer

on the Prologue

GOD, unto whom all hearts be open,

and unto whom all will speaketh, and

unto whom no privy thing is hid. I

beseech Thee so for to cleanse the

intent of mine heart with the unspeakable

gift of Thy grace, that I may

perfectly love Thee, and worthily praise

Thee. Amen.

Here Beginneth the Prologue

IN the name of the Father and of the

Son and of the Holy Ghost! I charge

thee and I beseech thee, with as much

power and virtue as the bond of charity

is sufficient to suffer, whatsoever thou

be that this book shalt have in possession,

either by property, either by

keeping, by bearing as messenger, or

else by borrowing, that in as much as

in thee is by will and advisement,

neither thou read it, nor write it, nor

speak it, nor yet suffer it be read,

written, or spoken, of any or to any

but if it be of such one, or to such one,

that hath by thy supposing in a true

will and by an whole intent purposed

him to be a perfect follower of Christ

not only in active living, but in the sovereignest point of contemplative

living the which is possible by grace

for to be come to in this present life

of a perfect soul yet abiding in this

deadly body; and thereto that doth

that in him is, and by thy supposing

hath done long time before, for to able

him to contemplative living by the

virtuous means of active living. For

else it accordeth nothing to him. And

over this I charge thee and I beseech

thee by the authority of charity, that

if any such shall read it, write it, or

speak it, or else hear it be read or

spoken, that thou charge him as I do

thee, for to take him time to read it,

speak it, write it, or hear it, all over.

For peradventure there is some matter

therein in the beginning or in the

middle, the which is hanging, and not

fully declared where it standeth: and

if it be not there, it is soon after, or

else in the end. Wherefore if a man

saw one matter and not another, peradventure

he might lightly be led into

error;, and therefore in eschewing of this error, both in thyself and in all

other, I pray thee for charity do as I

say thee.

Fleshly janglers, open praisers and

blamers of themselves or of any other,

tellers of trifles, ronners and tattlers

of tales, and all manner of pinchers,

cared I never that they saw this book.

For mine intent was never to write

such thing unto them, and therefore I

would that they meddle not therewith;

neither they, nor any of these curious,

lettered, or unlearned men. Yea, although

that they be full good men

of active living, yet this matter accordeth

nothing to them. But if it be to

those men, the which although they

stand in activity by outward form of

living, nevertheless yet by inward

stirring after the privy spirit of God,

whose dooms be hid, they be full

graciously disposed, not continually

as it is proper to very contemplatives,

but now and then to be perceivers in

the highest point of this contemplative

act; if such men might see it, they should by the grace of God be greatly

comforted thereby.

This book is distinguished in

seventy chapters and five. Of the

which chapters, the last chapter of all

teacheth some certain tokens by the

which a soul may verily prove whether

he be called of God to be a worker in

this work or none. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

FIRST CHAPTER

Of four degrees of Christian men's living;

and of the course of his calling that this

book was made unto.

GHOSTLY friend in God, thou shalt

well understand that I find, in my

boisterous beholding, four degrees

and forms of Christian men's living:

and they be these, Common, Special,

Singular, and Perfect. Three of these

may be begun and ended in this life;

and the fourth may by grace be begun

here, but it shall ever last without end

in the bliss of Heaven. And right as

thou seest how they be set here in

order each one after other; first

Common, then Special, after Singular,

and last Perfect, right so me thinketh

that in the same order and in the same

course our Lord hath of His great mercy called thee and led thee unto

Him by the desire of thine heart. For

first thou wottest well that when thou

wert living in the common degree of

Christian men's living in company of

thy worldly friends, it seemeth to me

that the everlasting love of His Godhead,

through the which He made

thee and wrought thee when thou

wert nought, and sithen bought thee

with the price of His precious blood

when thou wert lost in Adam, might

not suffer thee to be so far from Him

in form and degree of living. And

therefore He kindled thy desire full

graciously, and fastened by it a leash

of longing, and led thee by it into a

more special state and form of living,

to be a servant among the special

servants of His; where thou mightest

learn to live more specially and more

ghostly in His service than thou didst,

or mightest do, in the common degree

of living before. And what more?

Yet it seemeth that He would not

leave thee thus lightly, for love of His heart, the which He hath evermore

had unto thee since thou wert aught:

but what did He? Seest thou nought

how listily and how graciously He

hath privily pulled thee to the third

degree and manner of living, the

which is called Singular? In the

which solitary form and manner of

living, thou mayest learn to lift up

the foot of thy love; and step towards

that state and degree of living that is

perfect, and the last state of all. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

SECOND CHAPTER

A short stirring to meekness, and to the

work of this book.

LOOK up now, weak wretch, and see

what thou art. What art thou, and

what hast thou merited, thus to be

called of our Lord? What weary

wretched heart, and sleeping in sloth,

is that, the which is not wakened with

the draught of this love and the voice

of this calling! Beware, thou wretch,

in this while with thine enemy; and

hold thee never the holier nor the

better, for the worthiness of this calling

and for the singular form of living

that thou art in. But the more

wretched and cursed, unless thou do

that in thee is goodly, by grace and

by counsel, to live after thy calling.

And insomuch thou shouldest be more meek and loving to thy ghostly spouse,

that He that is the Almighty God,

King of Kings and Lord of Lords,

would meek Him so low unto thee,

and amongst all the flock of His sheep

so graciously would choose thee to be

one of His specials, and sithen set

thee in the place of pasture, where

thou mayest be fed with the sweetness

of His love, in earnest of thine heritage

the Kingdom of Heaven.

Do on then, I pray thee, fast. Look

now forwards and let be backwards;

and see what thee faileth, and not

what thou hast, for that is the readiest

getting and keeping of meekness. All

thy life now behoveth altogether to

stand in desire, if thou shalt profit

in degree of perfection. This desire

behoveth altogether be wrought in

thy will, by the hand of Almighty God

and thy consent. But one thing I

tell thee. He is a jealous lover and

suffereth no fellowship, and Him list

not work in thy will but if He be only

with thee by Himself. He asketh none help, but only thyself. He wills,

thou do but look on Him and let Him

alone. And keep thou the windows

and the door, for flies and enemies

assailing. And if thou be willing to

do this, thee needeth but meekly press

upon Him with prayer, and soon will

He help thee. Press on then, let see

how thou bearest thee. He is full

ready, and doth but abideth thee.

But what shalt thou do, and how shalt

thou press? 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

THIRD CHAPTER

How the work of this book shall be wrought ,

and of the worthiness of it before all

other works.

LIFT up thine heart unto God with

a meek stirring of love; and mean

Himself, and none of His goods. And

thereto, look thee loath to think on

aught but Himself. So that nought

work in thy wit, nor in thy will, but

only Himself. And do that in thee is

to forget all the creatures that ever

God made and the works of them; so

that thy thought nor thy desire be not

directed nor stretched to any of them,

neither in general nor in special, but

let them be, and take no heed to them.

This is the work of the soul that most

pleaseth God. All saints and angels

have joy of this work, and hasten them to help it in all their might. All fiends

be furious when thou thus dost, and

try for to defeat it in all that they can.

All men living in earth be wonderfully

holpen of this work, thou wottest not

how. Yea, the souls in purgatory be

eased of their pain by virtue of this

work. Thyself art cleansed and made

virtuous by no work so much. And

yet it is the lightest work of all, when

a soul is helped with grace in sensible

list, and soonest done. But else it is

hard, and wonderful to thee for to do.

Let not, therefore, but travail therein

till thou feel list. For at the first time

when thou dost it, thou findest but a

darkness; and as it were a cloud of

unknowing, thou knowest not what,

saving that thou feelest in thy will a

naked intent unto God. This darkness

and this cloud is, howsoever thou

dost, betwixt thee and thy God, and

letteth thee that thou mayest neither

see Him clearly by light of understanding

in thy reason, nor feel Him

in sweetness of love in thine affection. And therefore shape thee to bide in

this darkness as long as thou mayest,

evermore crying after Him that thou

lovest. For if ever thou shalt feel Him

or see Him, as it may be here, it behoveth

always to be in this cloud in

this darkness. And if thou wilt busily

travail as I bid thee, I trust in His

mercy that thou shalt come thereto. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

FOURTH CHAPTER

Of the shortness of this work, and how it

may not be come to by curiosity of wit, nor

by imagination.

BUT for this, that thou shalt not err

in this working and ween that it be

otherwise than it is, I shall tell thee a

little more thereof, as me thinketh.

This work asketh no long time or

it be once truly done, as some men

ween; for it is the shortest work of

all that man may imagine. It is never

longer, nor shorter, than is an atom:

the which atom, by the definition of

true philosophers in the science of

astronomy, is the least part of time.

And it is so little that for the littleness

of it, it is indivisible and nearly incomprehensible.

This is that time of the

which it is written: All time that is given to thee, it shall be asked of thee,

how thou hast dispended it. And

reasonable thing it is that thou give

account of it: for it is neither longer

nor shorter, but even according to one

only stirring that is within the principal

working might of thy soul, the which

is thy will. For even so many willings

or desirings, and no more nor no fewer,

may be and are in one hour in thy will,

as are atoms in one hour. And if thou

wert reformed by grace to the first

state of man’s soul, as it was before

sin, then thou shouldest evermore by

help of that grace be lord of that stirring

or of those stirrings. So that

none went forby, but all they should

stretch into the sovereign desirable,

and into the highest willable thing:

the which is God. For He is even

meet to our soul by measuring of His

Godhead; and our soul even meet unto

Him by worthiness of our creation to

His image and to His likeness. And

He by Himself without more, and none

but He, is sufficient to the full and much more to fulfil the will and the

desire of our soul. And our soul by

virtue of this reforming grace is made

sufficient to the full to comprehend all

Him by love, the which is incomprehensible

to all created knowledgeable

powers, as is angel, or man's soul; I

mean, by their knowing, and not by

their loving. And therefore I call

them in this case knowledgeable

powers. But yet all reasonable creatures,

angel and man, have in them each

one by himself, one principal working

power, the which is called a knowledgeable

power, and another principal

working power, the which is called a

loving power. Of the which two

powers, to the first, the which is a

knowledgeable power, God that is the

maker of them is evermore incomprehensible;

and to the second, the which

is the loving power, in each one diversely

He is all comprehensible to the

full. Insomuch that a loving soul alone

in itself, by virtue of love should comprehend

in itself Him that is sufficient to the full—and much more, without

comparison—to fill all the souls and

angels that ever may be. And this

is the endless marvellous miracle of

love; the working of which shall never

take end, for ever shall He do it, and

never shall He cease for to do it. See

who by grace see may, for the feeling

of this is endless bliss, and the contrary

is endless pain.

And therefore whoso were reformed

by grace thus to continue in keeping

of the stirrings of his will, should

never be in this life—as he may not

be without these stirrings in nature—without

some taste of the endless

sweetness, and in the bliss of heaven

without the full food. And therefore

have no wonder though I stir thee to

this work. For this is the work, as

thou shalt hear afterward, in the

which man should have continued if

he never had sinned: and to the which

working man was made, and all things

for man, to help him and further him

thereto, and by the which working a man shall be repaired again. And for

the defailing of this working, a man

falleth evermore deeper and deeper

in sin, and further and further from

God. And by keeping and continual

working in this work only without

more, a man evermore riseth higher

and higher from sin, and nearer and

nearer unto God.

And therefore take good heed unto

time, how that thou dispendest it: for

nothing is more precious than time.

In one little time, as little as it is, may

heaven be won and lost. A token it

is that time is precious: for God, that

is given of time, giveth never two times

together, but each one after other.

And this He doth, for He will not

reverse the order or the ordinal course

in the cause of His creation. For

time is made for man, and not man for

time. And therefore God, that is the

ruler of nature, will not in His giving

of time go before the stirring of nature

in man's soul; the which is even according

to one time only. So that man shall have none excusation against

God in the Doom, and at the giving of

account of dispending of time, saying,

"Thou givest two times at once, and

I have but one stirring at once."

But sorrowfully thou sayest now,

"How shall I do? and sith this is thus

that thou sayest, how shall I give

account of each time severally; I that

have unto this day, now of four and

twenty years age, never took heed

of time? If I would now amend it,

thou wottest well, by very reason of

thy words written before, it may not

be after the course of nature, nor of

common grace, that I should now heed

or else make satisfaction, for any more

times than for those that be for to

come. Yea, and moreover well I wot

by very proof, that of those that be to

come I shall on no wise, for abundance

of frailty and slowness of spirits, be

able to observe one of an hundred.

So that I am verily concluded in these

reasons. Help me now for the love

of JESUS!" 

Right well hast thou said, for the

love of JESUS. For in the love of

JESUS; there shall be thine help.

Love is such a power, that it maketh

all thing common. Love therefore

JESUS; and all thing that He hath,

it is thine. He by His Godhead is

maker and giver of time. He by His

manhood is the very keeper of time.

And He by His Godhead and His manhood

together, is the truest Doomsman,

and the asker of account of

dispending of time. Knit thee therefore

to Him, by love and by belief, and

then by virtue of that knot thou shalt

be common perceiver with Him, and

with all that by love so be knitted unto

Him: that is to say, with our Lady

Saint Mary that full was of all grace

in keeping of time, with all the angels

of heaven that never may lose time,

and with all the saints in heaven and

in earth, that by the grace of JESUS

heed time full justly in virtue of love.

Lo! here lieth comfort; construe thou

clearly, and pick thee some profit. But of one thing I warn thee amongst

all other. I cannot see who may

truly challenge community thus with

JESUS and His just Mother, His high

angels and also with His saints; but

if he be such an one, that doth that

in him is with helping of grace in

keeping of time. So that he be seen

to be a profiter on his part, so little as

is, unto the community; as each one

of them doth on his.

And therefore take heed to this

work, and to the marvellous manner of

it within in thy soul. For if it be truly

conceived, it is but a sudden stirring,

and as it were unadvised, speedily

springing unto God as a sparkle from

the coal. And it is marvellous to

number the stirrings that may be in

one hour wrought in a soul that is

disposed to this work. And yet in one

stirring of all these, he may have

suddenly and perfectly forgotten all

created thing. But fast after each

stirring, for corruption of the flesh,

it falleth down again to some thought or to some done or undone deed. But

what thereof? For fast after, it riseth

again as suddenly as it did before.

And here may men shortly conceive

the manner of this working, and clearly

know that it is far from any fantasy,

or any false imagination or quaint

opinion: the which be brought in, not

by such a devout and a meek blind

stirring of love, but by a proud, curious,

and an imaginative wit. Such a

proud, curious wit behoveth always be

borne down and stiffly trodden down

under foot, if this work shall truly

be conceived in purity of spirit. For

whoso heareth this work either be read

or spoken of, and weeneth that it may,

or should, be come to by travail in

their wits, and therefore they sit and

seek in their wits how that it may be,

and in this curiosity they travail their

imagination peradventure against the

course of nature, and they feign a

manner of working the which is

neither bodily nor ghostly—truly this

man, whatsoever he be, is perilously deceived. Insomuch, that unless God

of His great goodness shew His

merciful miracle, and make him soon

to leave work, and meek him to counsel

of proved workers, he shall fall either

into frenzies, or else into other great

mischiefs of ghostly sins and devils'

deceits; through the which he may

lightly be lost, both life and soul,

without any end. And therefore for

God's love be wary in this work, and

travail not in thy wits nor in thy

imagination on nowise: for I tell thee

truly, it may not be come to by travail

in them, and therefore leave them and

work not with them.

And ween not, for I call it a darkness

or a cloud, that it be any cloud congealed

of the humours that flee in the

air, nor yet any darkness such as is

in thine house on nights when the

candle is out. For such a darkness

and such a cloud mayest thou imagine

with curiosity of wit, for to bear before

thine eyes in the lightest day of

summer: and also contrariwise in the darkest night of winter, thou mayest

imagine a clear shining light. Let be

such falsehood. I mean not thus.

For when I say darkness, I mean a

lacking of knowing: as all that thing

that thou knowest not, or else that

thou hast forgotten, it is dark to thee;

for thou seest it not with thy ghostly

eye. And for this reason it is not

called a cloud of the air, but a cloud

of unknowing, that is betwixt thee

and thy God. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

FIFTH CHAPTER

That in the time of this work all the

creatures that ever have been, be now, or

ever shall be, and all the works of those

same creatures, should be hid under the

cloud of forgetting.

AND if ever thou shalt come to this

cloud and dwell and work therein as I

bid thee, thee behoveth as this cloud

of unknowing is above thee, betwixt

thee and thy God, right so put a cloud

of forgetting beneath thee; betwixt

thee and all the creatures that ever be

made. Thee thinketh, peradventure,

that thou art full far from God because

that this cloud of unknowing is betwixt

thee and thy God: but surely, an it be

well conceived, thou art well further

from Him when thou hast no cloud of

forgetting betwixt thee and all the creatures that ever be made. As oft

as I say, all the creatures that ever

be made, as oft I mean not only the

creatures themselves, but also all the

works and the conditions of the same

creatures. I take out not one creature,

whether they be bodily creatures or

ghostly, nor yet any condition or work

of any creature, whether they be good

or evil: but shortly to say, all should

be hid under the cloud of forgetting in

this case.

For although it be full profitable

sometime to think of certain conditions

and deeds of some certain special

creatures, nevertheless yet in this

work it profiteth little or nought. For

why? Memory or thinking of any

creature that ever God made, or of

any of their deeds either, it is a

manner of ghostly light: for the eye

of thy soul is opened on it and even

fixed thereupon, as the eye of a

shooter is upon the prick that he

shooteth to. And one thing I tell

thee, that all thing that thou thinketh upon, it is above thee for the time, and

betwixt thee and thy God: and insomuch

thou art the further from God,

that aught is in thy mind but only

God.

Yea! and, if it be courteous and

seemly to say, in this work it profiteth

little or nought to think of the kindness

or the worthiness of God, nor on

our Lady, nor on the saints or angels

in heaven, nor yet on the joys in

heaven: that is to say, with a special

beholding to them, as thou wouldest

by that beholding feed and increase

thy purpose. I trow that on nowise it

should help in this case and in this

work. For although it be good to

think upon the kindness of God, and

to love Him and praise Him for it, yet

it is far better to think upon the naked

being of Him, and to love Him and

praise Him for Himself. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

SIXTH CHAPTER

A short conceit of the work of this book,

treated by question.

BUT now thou askest me and sayest,

"How shall I think on Himself, and

what is He?" and to this I cannot

answer thee but thus: "I wot not."

For thou hast brought me with thy

question into that same darkness, and

into that same cloud of unknowing,

that I would thou wert in thyself.

For of all other creatures and their

works, yea, and of the works of God’s

self, may a man through grace have

fullhead of knowing, and well he can

think of them: but of God Himself

can no man think. And therefore I

would leave all that thing that I can

think, and choose to my love that

thing that I cannot think. For why; He may well be loved, but not thought.

By love may He be gotten and holden;

but by thought never. And therefore,

although it be good sometime to think

of the kindness and the worthiness

of God in special, and although it be

a light and a part of contemplation:

nevertheless yet in this work it shall be

cast down and covered with a cloud of

forgetting. And thou shalt step above

it stalwartly, but listily, with a devout

and a pleasing stirring of love, and

try for to pierce that darkness above

thee. And smite upon that thick cloud

of unknowing with a sharp dart of

longing love; and go not thence for

thing that befalleth. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

SEVENTH CHAPTER

How a man shall have him in this work

against all thoughts, and specially against

all those that arise of his own curiosity,

of cunning, and of natural wit.

AND if any thought rise and will

press continually above thee betwixt

thee and that darkness, and ask thee

saying, "What seekest thou, and

what wouldest thou have?" say thou,

that it is God that thou wouldest have.

"Him I covet, Him I seek, and nought

but Him."

And if he ask thee, "What is that

God?" say thou, that it is God that

made thee and bought thee, and that

graciously hath called thee to thy

degree. "And in Him," say, "thou

hast no skill." And therefore say,

"Go thou down again," and tread him fast down with a stirring of love,

although he seem to thee right holy,

and seem to thee as he would help

thee to seek Him. For peradventure

he will bring to thy mind diverse full

fair and wonderful points of His kindness,

and say that He is full sweet,

and full loving, full gracious, and full

merciful. And if thou wilt hear him,

he coveteth no better; for at the last

he will thus jangle ever more and more

till he bring thee lower, to the mind of

His Passion.

And there will he let thee see the

wonderful kindness of God, and if thou

hear him, he careth for nought better.

For soon after he will let thee see

thine old wretched living, and peradventure

in seeing and thinking

thereof he will bring to thy mind some

place that thou hast dwelt in before

this time. So that at the last, or

ever thou wit, thou shalt be scattered

thou wottest not where. The cause of

this scattering is, that thou heardest

him first wilfully, then answeredest him, receivedest him, and lettest him

alone.

And yet, nevertheless, the thing that

he said was both good and holy. Yea,

and so holy, that what man or woman

that weeneth to come to contemplation

without many such sweet meditations

of their own wretchedness, the passion,

the kindness, and the great goodness,

and the worthiness of God coming

before, surely he shall err and fail of

his purpose. And yet, nevertheless, it

behoveth a man or a woman that hath

long time been used in these meditations,

nevertheless to leave them, and

put them and hold them far down

under the cloud of forgetting, if ever

he shall pierce the cloud of unknowing

betwixt him and his God. Therefore

what time that thou purposest thee

to this work, and feelest by grace

that thou art called of God, lift then

up thine heart unto God with a meek

stirring of love; and mean God that

made thee, and bought thee, and that

graciously hath called thee to thy degree, and receive none other thought

of God. And yet not all these, but if

thou list; for it sufficeth enough, a

naked intent direct unto God without

any other cause than Himself.

And if thee list have this intent

lapped and folden in one word, for

thou shouldest have better hold thereupon,

take thee but a little word of

one syllable: for so it is better than

of two, for ever the shorter it is the

better it accordeth with the work of

the Spirit. And such a word is this

word GOD or this word LOVE.

Choose thee whether thou wilt, or

another; as thee list, which that

thee liketh best of one syllable. And

fasten this word to thine heart, so

that it never go thence for thing that

befalleth.

This word shall be thy shield and

thy spear, whether thou ridest on

peace or on war. With this word,

thou shalt beat on this cloud and this

darkness above thee. With this word,

thou shall smite down all manner of thought under the cloud of forgetting.

Insomuch, that if any thought press

upon thee to ask thee what thou

wouldest have, answer them with no

more words but with this one word.

And if he proffer thee of his great

clergy to expound thee that word and

to tell thee the conditions of that word,

say him: That thou wilt have it all

whole, and not broken nor undone.

And if thou wilt hold thee fast on this

purpose, be thou sure, he will no while

abide. And why? For that thou wilt

not let him feed him on such sweet

meditations of God touched before. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

EIGHTH CHAPTER

A good declaring of certain doubts that

may fall in this work, treated by question,

in destroying of a man's own curiosity,

of cunning, and of natural wit, and in

distinguishing of the degrees and the parts

of active living and contemplative.

BUT now thou askest me, "What is

he, this that thus presseth upon me in

this work; and whether it is a good

thing or an evil? And if it be an evil

thing, then have I marvel," thou sayest,

"why that he will increase a man's

devotion so much. For sometimes me

think that it is a passing comfort to

listen after his tales. For he will sometime,

me think, make me weep full

heartily for pity of the Passion of

Christ, sometime for my wretchedness,

and for many other reasons, that me thinketh be full holy, and that done

me much good. And therefore me

thinketh that he should on nowise be

evil; and if he be good, and with his

sweet tales doth me so much good

withal, then I have great marvel why

that thou biddest me put him down

and away so far under the cloud of

forgetting?"

Now surely me thinketh that this is

a well moved question, and therefore

I think to answer thereto so feebly as

I can. First when thou askest me

what is he, this that presseth so fast

upon thee in this work, proffering to

help thee in this work; I say that it

is a sharp and a clear beholding of

thy natural wit, printed in thy reason

within in thy soul. And where thou

askest me thereof whether it be good

or evil, I say that it behoveth always

be good in its nature. For why, it is a

beam of the likeness of God. But the

use thereof may be both good and evil.

Good, when it is opened by grace for

to see thy wretchedness, the passion, the kindness, and the wonderful works

of God in His creatures bodily and

ghostly. And then it is no wonder

though it increase thy devotion full

much, as thou sayest. But then is

the use evil, when it is swollen with

pride and with curiosity of much clergy

and letterly cunning as in clerks; and

maketh them press for to be holden

not meek scholars and masters of

divinity or of devotion, but proud

scholars of the devil and masters

of vanity and of falsehood. And in

other men or women whatso they be,

religious or seculars, the use and the

working of this natural wit is then

evil, when it is swollen with proud

and curious skills of worldly things,

and fleshly conceits in coveting of

worldly worships and having of riches

and vain plesaunce and flatterings of

others.

And where that thou askest me,

why that thou shalt put it down under

the cloud of forgetting, since it is so,

that it is good in its nature, and thereto when it is well used it doth thee so

much good and increaseth thy devotion

so much. To this I answer and

say—That thou shalt well understand

that there be two manner of lives in

Holy Church. The one is active life,

and the other is contemplative life.

Active is the lower, and contemplative

is the higher. Active life hath two

degrees, a higher and a lower: and

also contemplative life hath two

degrees, a lower and a higher. Also,

these two lives be so coupled together

that although they be divers in some

part, yet neither of them may be had

fully without some part of the other.

For why? That part that is the

higher part of active life, that same

part is the lower part of contemplative

life. So that a man may not be fully

active, but if he be in part contemplative;

nor yet fully contemplative, as

it may be here, but if he be in part

active. The condition of active life is

such, that it is both begun and ended

in this life; but not so of contemplative life. For it is begun in this life, and

shall last without end. For why?

That part that Mary chose shall never

be taken away. Active life is troubled

and travailed about many things; but

contemplative sitteth in peace with

one thing.

The lower part of active life standeth

in good and honest bodily works of

mercy and of charity. The higher

part of active life and the lower part

of contemplative life lieth in goodly

ghostly meditations, and busy beholding

unto a man's own wretchedness

with sorrow and contrition, unto the

Passion of Christ and of His servants

with pity and compassion, and unto the

wonderful gifts, kindness, and works

of God in all His creatures bodily and

ghostly with thanking and praising.

But the higher part of contemplation,

as it may be had here, hangeth all

wholly in this darkness and in this

cloud of unknowing; with a loving

stirring and a blind beholding unto

the naked being of God Himself only. 

In the lower part of active life a

man is without himself and beneath

himself. In the higher part of active

life and the lower part of contemplative

life, a man is within himself and even

with himself. But in the higher part

of contemplative life, a man is above

himself and under his God. Above

himself he is: for why, he purposeth

him to win thither by grace, whither

he may not come by nature. That is

to say, to be knit to God in spirit, and

in onehead of love and accordance of

will. And right as it is impossible, to

man's understanding, for a man to

come to the higher part of active life,

but if he cease for a time of the lower

part; so it is that a man shall not

come to the higher part of contemplative

life, but if he cease for a time

of the lower part. And as unlawful a

thing as it is, and as much as it would

let a man that sat in his meditations,

to have regard then to his outward

bodily works, the which he had

done, or else should do, although they were never so holy works in themselves:

surely as unlikely a thing it

is, and as much would it let a man

that should work in this darkness

and in this cloud of unknowing with

an affectuous stirring of love to God

for Himself, for to let any thought

or any meditation of God's wonderful

gifts, kindness, and works in any of

His creatures bodily or ghostly, rise

upon him to press betwixt him and

his God; although they be never so

holy thoughts, nor so profound, nor

so comfortable.

And for this reason it is that I bid

thee put down such a sharp subtle

thought, and cover him with a thick

cloud of forgetting, be he never so holy

nor promise he thee never so well for

to help thee in thy purpose. For

why, love may reach to God in this

life, but not knowing. And all the

whiles that the soul dwelleth in this

deadly body, evermore is the sharpness

of our understanding in beholding

of all ghostly things, but most specially of God, mingled with some

manner of fantasy; for the which our

work should be unclean. And unless

more wonder were, it should lead us

into much error. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

NINTH CHAPTER

That in the time of this work the remembrance

of the holiest creature that ever

God made letteth more than it profiteth.

AND therefore the sharp stirring of

thine understanding, that will always

press upon thee when thou settest

thee to this work, behoveth always be

borne down; and but thou bear him

down, he will bear thee down. Insomuch,

that when thou weenest best

to abide in this darkness, and that

nought is in thy mind but only God;

an thou look truly thou shalt find thy

mind not occupied in this darkness,

but in a clear beholding of some thing

beneath God. And if it thus be, surely

then is that thing above thee for the

time, and betwixt thee and thy God.

And therefore purpose thee to put down such clear beholdings, be they

never so holy nor so likely. For one

thing I tell thee, it is more profitable

to the health of thy soul, more worthy

in itself, and more pleasing to God and

to all the saints and angels in heaven—yea,

and more helpful to all thy friends,

bodily and ghostly, quick and dead—such

a blind stirring of love unto God

for Himself, and such a privy pressing

upon this cloud of unknowing, and

better thee were for to have it and for

to feel it in thine affection ghostly,

than it is for to have the eyes of thy

soul opened in contemplation or beholding

of all the angels or saints in

heaven, or in hearing of all the mirth

and the melody that is amongst them

in bliss.

And look thou have no wonder of

this: for mightest thou once see it as

clearly, as thou mayest by grace come

to for to grope it and feel it in this life,

thou wouldest think as I say. But be

thou sure that clear sight shall never

man have here in this life: but the feeling may men have through grace

when God vouchsafeth. And therefore

lift up thy love to that cloud:

rather, if I shall say thee sooth, let God

draw thy love up to that cloud and

strive thou through help of His grace

to forget all other thing.

For since a naked remembrance of

any thing under God pressing against

thy will and thy witting putteth thee

farther from God than thou shouldest

be if it were not, and letteth thee, and

maketh thee inasmuch more unable to

feel in experience the fruit of His love,

what trowest thou then that a remembrance

wittingly and wilfully drawn

upon thee will hinder thee in thy

purpose? And since a remembrance

of any special saint or of any clean

ghostly thing will hinder thee so much,

what trowest thou then that the

remembrance of any man living in this

wretched life, or of any manner of

bodily or worldly thing, will hinder

thee and let thee in this work?

I say not that such a naked sudden thought of any good and clean ghostly

thing under God pressing against thy

will or thy witting, or else wilfully

drawn upon thee with advisement in

increasing of thy devotion, although

it be letting to this manner of work—that

it is therefore evil. Nay!

God forbid that thou take it so. But

I say, although it be good and holy,

yet in this work it letteth more than it

profiteth. I mean for the time. For

why? Surely he that seeketh God

perfectly, he will not rest him finally

in the remembrance of any angel or

saint that is in heaven. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

TENTH CHAPTER

How a man shall know when his thought

is no sin; and if it be sin, when it is

deadly and when it is venial.

BUT it is not thus of the remembrance

of any man or woman living in this

life, or of any bodily or worldly thing

whatsoever that it be. For why, a

naked sudden thought of any of them,

pressing against thy will and thy

witting, although it be no sin imputed

unto thee—for it is the pain of the

original sin pressing against thy

power, of the which sin thou art

cleansed in thy baptism—nevertheless

yet if this sudden stirring or thought

be not smitten soon down, as fast for

frailty thy fleshly heart is strained

thereby: with some manner of liking,

if it be a thing that pleaseth thee or hath pleased thee before, or else with

some manner of grumbling, if it be a

thing that thee think grieveth thee, or

hath grieved thee before. The which

fastening, although it may in fleshly

living men and women that be in

deadly sin before be deadly; nevertheless

in thee and in all other that have

in a true will forsaken the world, and

are obliged unto any degree in devout

living in Holy Church, what so it be,

privy or open, and thereto that will be

ruled not after their own will and their

own wit, but after the will and the

counsel of their sovereigns, what so

they be, religious or seculars, such a

liking or a grumbling fastened in the

fleshly heart is but venial sin. The

cause of this is the grounding and the

rooting of your intent in God, made in

the beginning of your living in that

state that ye stand in, by the witness

and the counsel of some discreet

father.

But if it so be, that this liking or

grumbling fastened in thy fleshly heart be suffered so long to abide unreproved,

that then at the last it is fastened to

the ghostly heart, that is to say the

will, with a full consent: then, it is

deadly sin. And this befalleth when

thou or any of them that I speak of

wilfully draw upon thee the remem¬

brance of any man or woman living in

this life, or of any bodily or worldly

thing other: insomuch, that if it be

a thing the which grieveth or hath

grieved thee before, there riseth in

thee an angry passion and an appetite

of vengeance, the which is called

Wrath. Or else a fell disdain and

a manner of loathsomeness of their

person, with despiteful and condemning

thoughts, the which is called

Envy. Or else a weariness and an

unlistiness of any good occupation

bodily or ghostly, the which is called

Sloth.

And if it be a thing that pleaseth

thee, or hath pleased thee before, there

riseth in thee a passing delight for to

think on that thing what so it be. Insomuch, that thou restest thee in that

thought, and finally fastenest thine

heart and thy will thereto, and feedest

thy fleshly heart therewith: so that

thee think for the time that thou

covetest none other wealth, but to live

ever in such a peace and rest with that

thing that thou thinkest upon. If this

thought that thou thus drawest upon

thee, or else receivest when it is put

unto thee, and that thou restest thee

thus in with delight, be worthiness of

nature or of knowing, of grace or of

degree, of favour or of fairhead, then it

is Pride. And if it be any manner of

worldly good, riches or chattels, or

what that man may have or be lord of,

then it is Covetyse. If it be dainty

meats and drinks, or any manner of

delights that man may taste, then it

is Gluttony. And if it be love or

plesaunce, or any manner of fleshly

dalliance, glosing or flattering of any

man or woman living in this life, or of

thyself either: then it is Lechery. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

ELEVENTH CHAPTER

That a man should weigh each thought

and each stirring after that it is, and

always eschew recklessness in venial sin.

I SAY not this for that I trow that

thou, or any other such as I speak of,

be guilty and cumbered with any such

sins; but for that I would that thou

weighest each thought and each stirring

after that it is, and for I would

that thou travailedst busily to destroy

the first stirring and thought of these

things that thou mayest thus sin in.

For one thing I tell thee; that who

weigheth not, or setteth little by, the

first thought—yea, although it be no

sin unto him—that he, whosoever that

he be, shall not eschew recklessness

in venial sin. Venial sin shall no man

utterly eschew in this deadly life. But recklessness in venial sin should always

be eschewed of all the true

disciples of perfection; and else I

have no wonder though they soon sin

deadly. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

TWELFTH CHAPTER

That by virtue of this work sin is not

only destroyed, but also virtues begotten.

AND, therefore, if thou wilt stand and

not fall, cease never in thine intent:

but beat evermore on this cloud of

unknowing that is betwixt thee and

thy God with a sharp dart of longing

love, and loathe for to think on aught

under God, and go not thence for anything

that befalleth. For this is only

by itself that work that destroyeth

the ground and the root of sin. Fast

thou never so much, wake thou never

so long, rise thou never so early, lie

thou never so hard, wear thou never

so sharp; yea, and if it were lawful

to do—as it is not—put thou out thine

eyes, cut thou out thy tongue of thy

mouth, stop thou thine ears and thy nose never so fast, though thou shear

away thy members, and do all the pain

to thy body that thou mayest or

canst think: all this would help thee

right nought. Yet will stirring and

rising of sin be in thee.

Yea, and what more? Weep thou

never so much for sorrow of thy sins,

or of the Passion of Christ, or have

thou never so much mind of the joys

of heaven, what may it do to thee?

Surely much good, much help, much

profit, and much grace will it get thee.

But in comparison of this blind stirring

of love, it is but a little that it doth,

or may do, without this. This by itself

is the best part of Mary without these

other. They without it profit but little

or nought. It destroyeth not only the

ground and the root of sin as it may

be here, but thereto it getteth virtues.

For an it be truly conceived, all virtues

shall truly be, and perfectly conceived,

and feelingly comprehended, in it,

without any mingling of the intent.

And have a man never so many virtues without it, all they be mingled with

some crooked intent, for the which

they be imperfect.

For virtue is nought else but an

ordained and a measured affection,

plainly directed unto God for Himself.

For why? He in Himself is the pure

cause of all virtues: insomuch, that

if any man be stirred to any one virtue

by any other cause mingled with

Him, yea, although that He be the

chief, yet that virtue is then imperfect.

As thus by example may be seen in

one virtue or two instead of all the

other; and well may these two virtues

be meekness and charity. For whoso

might get these two clearly, him

needeth no more: for why, he hath

all. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

THIRTEENTH CHAPTER

What meekness is in itself, and when it

is perfect and when it is imperfect.

NOW let see first of the virtue of

meekness; how that it is imperfect

when it is caused of any other thing

mingled with God although He be the

chief; and how that it is perfect when

it is caused of God by Himself. And

first it is to wit, what meekness is in

itself, if this matter shall clearly be

seen and conceived; and thereafter

may it more verily be conceived in

truth of spirit what is the cause

thereof.

Meekness in itself is nought else,

but a true knowing and feeling of a

man's self as he is. For surely whoso

might verily see and feel himself as he

is, he should verily be meek. Two things there be, the which be cause of

this meekness; the which be these.

One is the filth, the wretchedness, and

the frailty of man, into the which he is

fallen by sin; and the which always

him behoveth to feel in some part the

whiles he liveth in this life, be he never

so holy. Another is the over-abundant

love and the worthiness of God in

Himself; in beholding of the which all

nature quaketh, all clerks be fools, and

all saints and angels be blind. Insomuch,

that were it not that through the

wisdom of His Godhead He measured

their beholding after their ableness in

nature and in grace, I defail to say

what should befall them.

This second cause is perfect; for

why, it shall last without end. And

the tother before is imperfect; for why,

it shall not only fail at the end of this

life, but full oft it may befall that a

soul in this deadly body for abundance

of grace in multiplying of his desire—as

oft and as long as God vouchsafeth

for to work it—shall have suddenly and perfectly lost and forgotten all

witting and feeling of his being, not

looking after whether he have been

holy or wretched. But whether this

fall oft or seldom to a soul that is thus

disposed, I trow that it lasteth but a

full short while: and in this time it is

perfectly meeked, for it knoweth and

feeleth no cause but the Chief. And

ever when it knoweth and feeleth the

tother cause, communing therewith,

although this be the chief: yet it is

imperfect meekness. Nevertheless

yet it is good and notwithstanding

must be had; and God forbid that

thou take it in any other manner than

I say. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

FOURTEENTH CHAPTER

That without imperfect meekness coming

before, it is impossible for a sinner to

come to the perfect virtue of meekness

in this life.

FOR although I call it imperfect

meekness, yet I had liefer have a true

knowing and a feeling of myself as I

am, and sooner I trow that it should

get me the perfect cause and virtue

of meekness by itself, than it should

an all the saints and angels in heaven,

and all the men and women of Holy

Church living in earth, religious or

seculars in all degrees, were set at

once all together to do nought else

but to pray to God for me to get me

perfect meekness. Yea, and yet it is

impossible a sinner to get, or to keep when it is gotten, the perfect virtue

of meekness without it.

And therefore swink and sweat in

all that thou canst and mayest, for to

get thee a true knowing and a feeling

of thyself as thou art; and then I trow

that soon after that thou shalt have a

true knowing and a feeling of God as

He is. Not as He is in Himself, for

that may no man do but Himself; nor

yet as thou shalt do in bliss both

body and soul together. But as it is

possible, and as He vouchsafeth to be

known and felt of a meek soul living

in this deadly body.

And think not because I set two

causes of meekness, one perfect and

another imperfect, that I will therefore

that thou leavest the travail about imperfect

meekness, and set thee wholly

to get thee perfect. Nay, surely; I

trow thou shouldest never bring it

so about. But herefore I do that I

do: because I think to tell thee and

let thee see the worthiness of this

ghostly exercise before all other exercise bodily or ghostly that man can

or may do by grace. How that a privy

love pressed in cleanness of spirit upon

this dark cloud of unknowing betwixt

thee and thy God, truly and perfectly

containeth in it the perfect virtue of

meekness without any special or clear

beholding of any thing under God.

And because I would that thou knew-

est which were perfect meekness, and

settest it as a token before the love of

thine heart, and didst it for thee and

for me. And because I would by this

knowing make thee more meek.

For ofttimes it befalleth that lacking

of knowing is cause of much pride as

me thinketh. For peradventure an

thou knewest not which were perfect

meekness, thou shouldest ween when

thou hadst a little knowing and a

feeling of this that I call imperfect

meekness, that thou hadst almost

gotten perfect meekness: and so

shouldest thou deceive thyself, and

ween that thou wert full meek when

thou wert all belapped in foul stinking pride. And therefore try for to travail

about perfect meekness; for the condition

of it is such, that whoso hath it,

and the whiles he hath it, he shall not

sin, nor yet much after. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE FIFTEENTH CHAPTER

A short proof against their error that

say, that there is no perfecter cause

to be meeked under, than is the knowledge

of a man's own wretchedness.

AND trust steadfastly that there is

such a perfect meekness as I speak

of, and that it may be come to through

grace in this life. And this I say in

confusion of their error, that say that

there is no perfecter cause of meekness

than is that which is raised of the

remembrance of our wretchedness

and our before-done sins.

I grant well, that to them that have

been in accustomed sins, as I am

myself and have been, it is the most

needful and speedful cause, to be

meeked under the remembrance of our wretchedness and our before-done

sins, ever till the time be that the

great rust of sin be in great part

rubbed away, our conscience and our

counsel to witness. But to other that

be, as it were, innocents, the which

never sinned deadly with an abiding

will and avisement, but through frailty

and unknowing, and the which set

them to be contemplatives—and to us

both if our counsel and our conscience

witness our lawful amendment in contrition

and in confession, and in

making satisfaction after the statute

and the ordinance of all-Holy Church,

and thereto if we feel us stirred and

called by grace to be contemplatives

also—there is then another cause to

be meeked under as far above this

cause as is the living of our Lady

Saint Mary above the living of the

sinfullest penitent in Holy Church;

or the living of Christ above the living

of any other man in this life; or else

the living of an angel in heaven, the

which never felt—nor shall feel—frailty,  is above the life of the frailest

man that is here in this world.

For if it so were that there were no

perfect cause to be meeked under,

but in seeing and feeling of wretchedness,

then would I wit of them that

say so, what cause they be meeked

under that never see nor feel—nor

never shall be in them—wretchedness

nor stirring of sin: as it is of our

Lord JESUS CHRIST, our Lady

Saint Mary, and all the saints and

angels in heaven. To this perfection,

and all other, our Lord JESUS

CHRIST calleth us Himself in the

gospel: where He biddeth that we

should be perfect by grace as He Himself

is by nature. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

SIXTEENTH CHAPTER

That by virtue of this work a sinner truly

turned and called to contemplation cometh

sooner to perfection than by any other

work; and by it soonest may get of God

forgiveness of sins.

LOOK that no man think it presumption,

that he that is the wretchedest

sinner of this life dare take upon him

after the time be that he have lawfully

amended him, and after that he have

felt him stirred to that life that is

called contemplative, by the assent

of his counsel and his conscience for

to profer a meek stirring of love to his

God, privily pressing upon the cloud

of unknowing betwixt him and his

God. When our Lord said to Mary,

in person of all sinners that be called

to contemplative life, "Thy sins be forgiven thee," it was not for her great

sorrow, nor for the remembering of

her sins, nor yet for her meekness

that she had in the beholding of her

wretchedness only. But why then?

Surely because she loved much.

Lo! here may men see what a privy

pressing of love may purchase of our

Lord, before all other works that man

may think. And yet I grant well, that

she had full much sorrow, and wept

full sore for her sins, and full much

she was meeked in remembrance of

her wretchedness. And so should we

do, that have been wretches and

accustomed sinners; all our lifetime

make hideous and wonderful sorrow

for our sins, and full much be meeked

in remembrance of our wretchedness.

But how? Surely as Mary did.

She, although she might not feel the

deep hearty sorrow of her sins—for

why, all her lifetime she had them

with her whereso she went, as it were

in a burthen bounden together and

laid up full privily in the hole of her heart, in manner never to be forgotten—nevertheless

yet, it may be said and

affirmed by Scripture, that she had a

more hearty sorrow, a more doleful

desire, and a more deep sighing, and

more she languished, yea! almost to

the death, for lacking of love, although

she had full much love (and have no

wonder thereof, for it is the condition

of a true lover that ever the more he

loveth, the more he longeth for to love),

than she had for any remembrance of

her sins.

And yet she wist well, and felt well

in herself in a sad soothfastness, that

she was a wretch most foul of all

other, and that her sins had made a

division betwixt her and her God that

she loved so much: and also that they

were in great part cause of her languishing

sickness for lacking of love.

But what thereof? Came she therefore

down from the height of desire

into the deepness of her sinful life,

and searched in the foul stinking fen

and dunghill of her sins; searching them up, by one and by one, with all the

circumstances of them, and sorrowed

and wept so upon them each one by

itself? Nay, surely she did not so.

And why? Because God let her wit

by His grace within in her soul, that

she should never so bring it about.

For so might she sooner have raised

in herself an ableness to have oft

sinned, than to have purchased by

that work any plain forgiveness of all

her sins.

And therefore she hung up her love

and her longing desire in this cloud of

unknowing, and learned her to love a

thing the which she might not see

clearly in this life, by light of understanding

in her reason, nor yet verily

feel in sweetness of love in her

affection. Insomuch, that she had

ofttimes little special remembrance,

whether that ever she had been a

sinner or none. Yea, and full ofttimes

I hope that she was so deeply disposed

to the love of His Godhead that

she had but right little special beholding unto the beauty of His precious

and His blessed body, in the which He

sat full lovely speaking and preaching

before her; nor yet to anything else,

bodily or ghostly. That this be sooth,

it seemeth by the gospel. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

SEVENTEENTH CHAPTER

That a very contemplative list not meddle

him with active life, nor of anything that

is done or spoken about him, nor yet to

answer to his blamers in excusing of

himself.

IN the gospel of Saint Luke it is

written, that when our Lord was in

the house of Martha her sister, all the

time that Martha made her busy about

the dighting of His meat, Mary her

sister sat at His feet. And in hearing

of His word she beheld not to the

business of her sister, although her

business was full good and full holy,

for truly it is the first part of active

life; nor yet to the preciousness of

His blessed body, nor to the sweet

voice and the words of His manhood,

although it is better and holier, for it is the second part of active life and

the first of contemplative life.

But to the sovereignest wisdom of

His Godhead lapped in the dark words

of His manhood, thither beheld she

with all the love of her heart. For

from thence she would not remove,

for nothing that she saw nor heard

spoken nor done about her; but sat

full still in her body, with many a sweet

privy and a listy love pressed upon

that high cloud of unknowing betwixt

her and her God. For one thing I

tell thee, that there was never yet pure

creature in this life, nor never yet shall

be, so high ravished in contemplation

and love of the Godhead, that there is

not evermore a high and a wonderful

cloud of unknowing betwixt him and

his God. In this cloud it was that

Mary was occupied with many a privy

love pressed. And why? Because it

was the best and the holiest part of

contemplation that may be in this life,

and from this part her list not remove

for nothing. Insomuch, that when her sister Martha complained to our

Lord of her, and bade Him bid her

sister rise and help her and let her

not so work and travail by herself,

she sat full still and answered not with

one word, nor shewed not as much as

a grumbling gesture against her sister

for any plaint that she could make.

And no wonder: for why, she had

another work to do that Martha wist

not of. And therefore she had no

leisure to listen to her, nor to answer

her at her plaint.

Lo! friend, all these works, these

words, and these gestures, that were

shewed betwixt our Lord and these

two sisters, be set in ensample of all

actives and all contemplatives that

have been since in Holy Church, and

shall be to the day of doom. For by

Mary is understood all contemplatives;

for they should conform their living

after hers. And by Martha, actives

on the same manner; and for the

same reason in likeness. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

EIGHTEENTH CHAPTER

How that yet unto this day all actives

complain of contemplatives as Martha

did of Mary. Of the which complaining

ignorance is the cause.

AND right as Martha complained

then on Mary her sister, right so yet

unto this day all actives complain of

contemplatives. For an there be a

man or a woman in any company of

this world, what company soever it be,

religious or seculars—I out-take none—the

which man or woman, whichever

that it be, feeleth him stirred through

grace and by counsel to forsake all

outward business, and for to set him

fully for to live contemplative life after

their cunning and their conscience,

their counsel according; as fast, their

own brethren and their sisters, and all their next friends, with many other

that know not their stirrings nor that

manner of living that they set them

to, with a great complaining spirit

shall rise upon them, and say sharply

unto them that it is nought that they

do. And as fast they will reckon up

many false tales, and many true also,

of falling of men and women that

have given them to such life before:

and never a good tale of them that

stood.

I grant that many fall and have

fallen of them that have in likeness

forsaken the world. And where they

should have become God's servants

and His contemplatives, because that

they would not rule them by true

ghostly counsel they have become the

devil's servants and his contemplatives;

and turned either to hypocrites

or to heretics, or fallen into frenzies

and many other mischiefs, in slander

of Holy Church. Of the which I leave

to speak at this time, for troubling of

our matter. But nevertheless hereafter when God vouchsafeth and

if need be, men may see some of

the conditions and the cause of their

fallings. And therefore no more of

them at this time; but forth of our

matter. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

NINETEENTH CHAPTER

A short excusation of him that made this

book, teaching how all contemplatives

should have all actives fully excused of

their complaining words and deeds.

SOME might think that I do little

worship to Martha, that special saint,

for I liken her words of complaining

of her sister unto these worldly men's

words, or theirs unto hers: and truly

I mean no unworship to her nor to

them. And God forbid that I should

in this work say anything that might

be taken in condemnation of any of

the servants of God in any degree, and

namely of His special saint. For me

thinketh that she should be full well

had excused of her plaint, taking

regard to the time and the manner

that she said it in. For that that she said, her unknowing was the cause.

And no wonder though she knew not at

that time how Mary was occupied; for

I trow that before she had little heard

of such perfection. And also that she

said, it was but courteously and in

few words: and therefore she should

always be had excused.

And so me thinketh that these

worldly living men and women of

active life should also full well be had

excused of their complaining words

touched before, although they say

rudely that they say; having beholding

to their ignorance. For why? Right

as Martha wist full little what Mary

her sister did when she complained of

her to our Lord; right so on the same

manner these folk nowadays wot full

little, or else nought, what these young

disciples of God mean, when they set

them from the business of this world,

and draw them to be God's special

servants in holiness and rightfulness

of spirit. And if they wist truly, I

daresay that they would neither do nor say as they say. And therefore me

thinketh always that they should be

had excused: for why, they know no

better living than is that they live in

themselves. And also when I think on

mine innumerable defaults, the which

I have made myself before this time

in words and deeds for default of

knowing, me thinketh then if I would

be had excused of God for mine

ignorant defaults, that I should charitably

and piteously have other men's

ignorant words and deeds always excused.

And surely else, do I not to

others as I would they did to me. 

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And what is that one thing? Surely

that God be loved and praised by Himself,

above all other business bodily or

ghostly that man may do. And for

this, that Martha should not think

that she might both love God and

praise Him above all other business

bodily or ghostly, and also thereto to

be busy about the necessaries of this

life: therefore to deliver her of doubt

that she might not both serve God in

bodily business and ghostly together

perfectly—imperfectly she may, but

not perfectly—He added and said,

that Mary had chosen the best part;

the which should never be taken from her. For why, that perfect stirring of

love that beginneth here is even in

number with that that shall last without

end in the bliss of heaven, for all

it is but one. HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE

AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER

The true exposition of this gospel word,

"Mary hath chosen the best part."

WHAT meaneth this; Mary hath

chosen the best? Wheresoever the

best is set or named, it asketh before

it these two things—a good, and a

better; so that it be the best, and the

third in number. But which be these

three good things, of the which Mary

chose the best? Three lives be they

not, for Holy Church maketh remembrance

but of two, active life and contemplative

life; the which two lives be

privily understood in the story of this

gospel by these two sisters Martha

and Mary—by Martha active, by Mary

contemplative. Without one of these

two lives may no man be safe, and where no more be but two, may no

man choose the best.

But although there be but two

lives, nevertheless yet in these two

lives be three parts, each one better

than other. The which three, each

one by itself, be specially set in their

places before in this writing. For as

it is said before, the first part standeth

in good and honest bodily works of

mercy and of charity; and this is the

first degree of active life, as it is said

before. The second part of these two

lives lieth in good ghostly meditations

of a man's own wretchedness, the

Passion of Christ, and of the joys of

heaven. The first part is good, and

this part is the better; for this is the

second degree of active life and the

first of contemplative life. In this

part is contemplative life and active

life coupled together in ghostly kinship,

and made sisters at the ensample

of Martha and Mary. Thus high may

an active come to contemplation; and

no higher, but if it be full seldom and

HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE

AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER

The true exposition of this gospel word,

"Mary hath chosen the best part."

WHAT meaneth this; Mary hath

chosen the best? Wheresoever the

best is set or named, it asketh before

it these two things—a good, and a

better; so that it be the best, and the

third in number. But which be these

three good things, of the which Mary

chose the best? Three lives be they

not, for Holy Church maketh remembrance

but of two, active life and contemplative

life; the which two lives be

privily understood in the story of this

gospel by these two sisters Martha

and Mary—by Martha active, by Mary

contemplative. Without one of these

two lives may no man be safe, and where no more be but two, may no

man choose the best.

But although there be but two

lives, nevertheless yet in these two

lives be three parts, each one better

than other. The which three, each

one by itself, be specially set in their

places before in this writing. For as

it is said before, the first part standeth

in good and honest bodily works of

mercy and of charity; and this is the

first degree of active life, as it is said

before. The second part of these two

lives lieth in good ghostly meditations

of a man's own wretchedness, the

Passion of Christ, and of the joys of

heaven. The first part is good, and

this part is the better; for this is the

second degree of active life and the

first of contemplative life. In this

part is contemplative life and active

life coupled together in ghostly kinship,

and made sisters at the ensample

of Martha and Mary. Thus high may

an active come to contemplation; and

no higher, but if it be full seldom and by a special grace. Thus low may a

contemplative come towards active

life; and no lower, but if it be full

seldom and in great need.

The third part of these two lives

hangeth in this dark cloud of unknowing,

with many a privy love pressed

to God by Himself. The first part is

good, the second is better, but the

third is best of all. This is the "best

part" of Mary. And therefore it is

plainly to wit, that our Lord said not,

Mary hath chosen the best life; for

there be no more lives but two, and

of two may no man choose the best.

But of these two lives Mary hath

chosen, He said, the best part; the

which shall never be taken from

her. The first part and the second,

although they be both good and holy,

yet they end with this life. For in the

tother life shall be no need as now to

use the works of mercy, nor to weep

for our wretchedness, nor for the

Passion of Christ. For then shall none

be able to hunger nor thirst as now, nor die for cold, nor be sick, nor houseless,

nor in prison; nor yet need burial, for

then shall none be able to die. But

the third part that Mary chose, choose

who by grace is called to choose:

or, if I soothlier shall say, whoso

is chosen thereto of God. Let him

lustily incline thereto, for that shall

never be taken away: for if it begin

here, it shall last without end.

And therefore let the voice of our

Lord cry on these actives, as if He said

thus now for us unto them, as He did

then for Mary to Martha, "Martha,

Martha!"—"Actives, actives! make

you as busy as ye can in the first

part and in the second, now in the one

and now in the tother: and, if you list

right well and feel you disposed, in

both two bodily. And meddle you not

of contemplatives. Ye wot not what

them aileth: let them sit in their rest

and in their play, with the third and

the best part of Mary." 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO

AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER

Of the wonderful love that Christ had to

man in person of all sinners truly turned

and called to the grace of contemplation.

SWEET was that love betwixt our

Lord and Mary. Much love had she

to Him. Much more had He to her.

For whoso would utterly behold all

the behaviour that was betwixt Him

and her, not as a trifler may tell, but

as the story of the gospel will witness—the

which on nowise may be false—he

should find that she was so heartily

set for to love Him, that nothing

beneath Him might comfort her, nor

yet hold her heart from Him. This

is she, that same Mary, that when

she sought Him at the sepulchre with

weeping cheer would not be comforted

of angels. For when they spake unto her so sweetly and so lovely and said,

"Weep not, Mary; for why, our Lord

whom thou seekest is risen, and thou

shalt have Him, and see Him live

full fair amongst His disciples in

Galilee as He hight," she would not

cease for them. For why? Her

thought that whoso sought verily

the King of Angels, them list not

cease for angels.

And what more? Surely whoso

will look verily in the story of the

gospel, he shall find many wonderful

points of perfect love written of her

to our ensample, and as even according

to the work of this writing, as if

they had been set and written therefore;

and surely so were they, take

whoso take may. And if a man list

for to see in the gospel written the

wonderful and the special love that

our Lord had to her, in person of all

accustomed sinners truly turned and

called to the grace of contemplation,

he shall find that our Lord might not

suffer any man or woman—yea, not her own sister—speak a word against

her, but if He answered for her Himself.

Yea, and what more? He

blamed Symon Leprous in his own

house, for that he thought against

her. This was great love: this was

passing love. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

THREE AND TWENTIETH

CHAPTER

How God will answer and purvey for them

in spirit, that for business about His love

list not answer nor purvey for themselves.

AND truly an we will lustily conform

our love and our living, inasmuch as

in us is, by grace and by counsel, unto

the love and the living of Mary, no

doubt but He shall answer on the

same manner now for us ghostly each

day, privily in the hearts of all those

that either say or think against us.

I say not but that evermore some men

shall say or think somewhat against

us, the whiles we live in the travail

of this life, as they did against Mary.

But I say, an we will give no more

heed to their saying nor to their thinking, nor no more cease of our

ghostly privy work for their words

and their thoughts, than she did—I

say, then, that our Lord shall answer

them in spirit, if it shall be well with

them that so say and so think, that

they shall within few days have shame

of their words and their thoughts.

And as He will answer for us thus

in spirit, so will He stir other men in

spirit to give us our needful things

that belong to this life, as meat and

clothes with all these other; if He see

that we will not leave the work of His

love for business about them. And

this I say in confusion of their error,

that say that it is not lawful for men

to set them to serve God in contemplative

life, but if they be secure before

of their bodily necessaries. For they

say, that God sendeth the cow, but

not by the horn. And truly they say

wrong of God, as they well know. For

trust steadfastly, thou whatsoever that

thou be, that truly turnest thee from

the world unto God, that one of these two God shall send thee, without

business of thyself: and that is either

abundance of necessaries, or strength

in body and patience in spirit to bear

need. What then recketh it, which

man have? for all come to one in very

contemplatives. And whoso is in

doubt of this, either the devil is in

his breast and reeveth him of belief,

or else he is not yet truly turned to

God as he should be; make he it

never so quaint, nor never so holy

reasons shew there again, whatsoever

that he be.

And therefore thou, that settest thee

to be contemplative as Mary was,

choose thee rather to be meeked under

the wonderful height and the worthiness

of God, the which is perfect, than

under thine own wretchedness, the

which is imperfect: that is to say, look

that thy special beholding be more to

the worthiness of God than to thy

wretchedness. For to them that be

perfectly meeked, no thing shall defail;

neither bodily thing, nor ghostly. For why? They have God, in whom is all

plenty; and whoso hath Him—yea, as

this book telleth—him needeth nought

else in this life. 

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The Cloud of Unknowing/Chapter 23

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

FOUR AND TWENTIETH

CHAPTER

What charity is in itself, and how it is

truly and perfectly contained in the work

of this book.

AND as it is said of meekness, how

that it is truly and perfectly comprehended

in this little blind love pressed,

when it is beating upon this dark

cloud of unknowing, all other things

put down and forgotten: so it is to

be understood of all other virtues, and

specially of charity.

For charity is nought else to bemean

to thine understanding, but love of

God for Himself above all creatures,

and of man for God even as thyself.

And that in this work God is loved for

Himself, and above all creatures, it

seemeth right well. For as it is said before, that the substance of this work

is nought else but a naked intent

directed unto God for Himself.

A naked intent I call it. For why,

in this work a perfect prentice asketh

neither releasing of pain, nor increasing

of meed, nor shortly to say, nought but

Himself. Insomuch, that neither he

recketh nor looketh after whether that

he be in pain or in bliss, else that His

will be fulfilled that he loveth. And

thus it seemeth that in this work God

is perfectly loved for Himself, and that

above all creatures. For in this work,

a perfect worker may not suffer the

memory of the holiest creature that

ever God made to commune with

him.

And that in this work the second

and the lower branch of charity unto

thine even-christian is verily and per¬

fectly fulfilled, it seemeth by the proof.

For why, in this work a perfect worker

hath no special beholding unto any

man by himself, whether that he be kin

or stranger, friend or foe. For all men him thinks equally kin unto him, and

no man stranger. All men him thinks

be his friends, and none his foes. Insomuch,

that him thinks all those that

pain him and do him disease in this

life, they be his full and his special

friends: and him thinketh, that he is

stirred to will them as much good, as

he would to the homeliest friend that

he hath. 

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The Cloud of Unknowing/Chapter 24

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

FIVE AND TWENTIETH

CHAPTER

That in the time of this work a perfect

soul hath no special beholding to any one

man in this life.

I SAY not that in this work he shall

have a special beholding to any man

in this life, whether that he be friend

or foe, kin or stranger; for that may

not be if this work shall perfectly be

done, as it is when all things under

God be fully forgotten, as falleth for

this work. But I say that he shall be

made so virtuous and so charitable by

the virtue of this work, that his will

shall be afterwards, when he con¬

descended to commune or to pray for

his even-christian—not from all this

work, for that may not be without

great sin, but from the height of this work, the which is speedful and needful

to do some time as charity asketh—as

specially then directed to his foe

as to his friend, his stranger as his

kin. Yea, and some time more to his

foe than to his friend.

Nevertheless, in this work he hath

no leisure to look after who is his

friend or his foe, his kin or his stranger.

I say not but he shall feel some time—yea,

full oft—his affection more homely

to one, two, or three, than to all these

other: for that is lawful to be, for

many causes as charity asketh. For

such an homely affection felt Christ to

John and unto Mary, and unto Peter

before many others. But I say, that

in the time of this work shall all be

equally homely unto him; for he shall

feel then no cause, but only God. So

that all shall be loved plainly and

nakedly for God, and as well as

himself.

For as all men were lost in Adam and

all men that with work will witness

their will of salvation are saved or shall be by virtue of the Passion of

only Christ: not in the same manner,

but as it were in the same manner, a

soul that is perfectly disposed to this

work, and oned thus to God in spirit

as the proof of this work witnesseth,

doth that in it is to make all men as

perfect in this work as itself is. For

right as if a limb of our body feeleth

sore, all the tother limbs be pained and

diseased therefore, or if a limb fare

well, all the remnant be gladded therewith—right

so is it ghostly of all the

limbs of Holy Church. For Christ is

our head, and we be the limbs if we

be in charity: and whoso will be a

perfect disciple of our Lord's, him

behoveth strain up his spirit in this

work ghostly, for the salvation of all

his brethren and sisters in nature, as

our Lord did His body on the Cross.

And how? Not only for His friends

and His kin and His homely lovers, but

generally for all mankind, without any

special beholding more to one than to

another. For all that will leave sin and ask mercy shall be saved through

the virtue of His Passion. And as it is

said of meekness and charity, so it is

to be understood of all other virtues.

For all they be truly comprehended

in this little pressing of love, touched

before. 

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The Cloud of Unknowing/Chapter 25

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

SIX AND TWENTIETH

CHAPTER

That without full special grace, or long

use in common grace, the work of this

book is right travailous; and in this

work, which is the work of the soul

helped by grace, and which is the work

of only God.

AND therefore travail fast awhile,

and beat upon this high cloud of unknowing,

and rest afterward. Nevertheless,

a travail shall he have who

so shall use him in this work; yea,

surely! and that a full great travail,

unless he have a more special grace,

or else that he have of long time used

him therein.

But I pray thee, wherein shall that

travail be? Surely not in that devout

stirring of love that is continually wrought in his will, not by himself,

but by the hand of Almighty God: the

which is evermore ready to work this

work in each soul that is disposed

thereto, and that doth that in him is,

and hath done long time before, to

enable him to this work.

But wherein then is this travail,

I pray thee? Surely, this travail is

all in treading down of the remembrance

of all the creatures that ever

God made, and in holding of them

under the cloud of forgetting named

before. In this is all the travail; for

this is man's travail, with help of

grace. And the tother above—that is

to say, the stirring of love—that is the

work of only God. And therefore do

on thy work, and surely I promise

thee He shall not fail in His.

Do on then fast; let see how thou

bearest thee. Seest thou not how

He standeth and abideth thee? For

shame! Travail fast but awhile, and

thou shalt soon be eased of the greatness

and of the hardness of this travail. For although it be hard and strait

in the beginning, when thou hast no

devotion; nevertheless yet after, when

thou hast devotion, it shall be made

full restful and full light unto thee

that before was full hard. And thou

shalt have either little travail or none,

for then will God work sometimes all

by Himself. But not ever, nor yet

no long time together, but when Him

list and as Him list; and then wilt

thou think it merry to let Him alone.

Then will He sometimes peradventure

send out a beam of ghostly light,

piercing this cloud of unknowing that

is betwixt thee and Him; and shew

thee some of His privity, the which

man may not, nor cannot speak.

Then shalt thou feel thine affection

inflamed with the fire of His love, far

more than I can tell thee, or may or

will at this time. For of that work,

that falleth to only God, dare I not

take upon me to speak with my

blabbering fleshly tongue: and shortly

to say, although I durst I would do not. But of that work that falleth

to man when he feeleth him stirred

and helped by grace, list me well tell

thee: for therein is the less peril of

the two. 

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The Cloud of Unknowing/Chapter 26

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

SEVEN AND TWENTIETH

CHAPTER

Who should work in the gracious work of

this book.

FIRST and foremost, I will tell thee

who should work in this work, and

when, and by what means: and what

discretion thou shalt have in it. If

thou asketh me who shall work thus,

I answer thee—all that have forsaken

the world in a true will, and thereto

that give them not to active life, but

to that life that is called contemplative

life. All those should work in this

grace and in this work, whatsoever

that they be; whether they have been

accustomed sinners or none. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

EIGHT AND TWENTIETH

CHAPTER

That a man should not presume to work

in this work before the time that he be

lawfully cleansed in conscience of all his

special deeds of sin.

BUT if thou asketh me when they

should work in this work, then I

answer thee and I say: that not ere

they have cleansed their conscience

of all their special deeds of sin done

before, after the common ordinance of

Holy Church.

For in this work, a soul drieth up in

it all the root and the ground of sin

that will always live in it after confession,

be it never so busy. And, therefore,

whoso will travail in this work,

let him first cleanse his conscience;

and afterward when he hath done that

in him is lawfully, let him dispose him boldly but meekly thereto. And let

him think, that he hath full long been

holden therefrom. For this is that

work in the which a soul should travail

all his lifetime, though he had never

sinned deadly. And the whiles that a

soul is dwelling in this deadly flesh,

it shall evermore see and feel this

cumbrous cloud of unknowing betwixt

him and God. And not only that, but

in pain of the original sin it shall

evermore see and feel that some of all

the creatures that ever God made, or

some of their works, will evermore

press in remembrance betwixt it and

God. And this is the right wisdom of

God, that man, when he had sovereignty

and lordship of all other creatures,

because that he wilfully made

him underling to the stirring of his subjects,

leaving the bidding of God and

his Maker; that right so after, when

he would fulfil the bidding of God,

he saw and felt all the creatures that

should be beneath him, proudly press

above him, betwixt him and his God. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

NINE AND TWENTIETH

CHAPTER

That a man should bidingly travail in this

work, and suffer the pain thereof, and

judge no man.

AND therefore, whoso coveteth to

come to cleanness that he lost for sin,

and to win to that well-being where

all woe wanteth, him behoveth bidingly

to travail in this work, and suffer the

pain thereof, whatsoever that he be:

whether he have been an accustomed

sinner or none.

All men have travail in this work;

both sinners, and innocents that never

sinned greatly. But far greater travail

have those that have been sinners than

they that have been none; and that is

great reason. Nevertheless, ofttimes

it befalleth that some that have been horrible and accustomed sinners come

sooner to the perfection of this work

than those that have been none. And

this is the merciful miracle of our

Lord, that so specially giveth His

grace, to the wondering of all this

world. Now truly I hope that on

Doomsday it shall be fair, when that

God shall be seen clearly and all His

gifts. Then shall some that now be

despised and set at little or nought

as common sinners, and peradventure

some that now be horrible sinners, sit

full seemly with saints in His sight:

when some of those that seem now

full holy and be worshipped of men

as angels, and some of those yet

peradventure, that never yet sinned

deadly, shall sit full sorry amongst

hell caves.

Hereby mayest thou see that no

man should be judged of other here in

this life, for good nor for evil that they

do. Nevertheless deeds may lawfully

be judged, but not the man, whether

they be good or evil. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

THIRTIETH CHAPTER

Who should blame and condemn other

men's defaults.

BUT I pray thee, of whom shall men's

deeds be judged?

Surely of them that have power, and

cure of their souls: either given openly

by the statute and the ordinance of

Holy Church, or else privily in spirit

at the special stirring of the Holy

Ghost in perfect charity. Each man

beware, that he presume not to take

upon him to blame and condemn other

men's defaults, but if he feel verily

that he be stirred of the Holy Ghost

within in his work; for else may he

full lightly err in his dooms. And

therefore beware: judge thyself as

thee list betwixt thee and thy God or

thy ghostly father, and let other men

alone. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

ONE AND THIRTIETH

CHAPTER

How a man should have him in beginning

of this work against all thoughts and

stirrings of sin.

AND from the time that thou feelest

that thou hast done that in thee is,

lawfully to amend thee at the doom

of Holy Church, then shalt thou set

thee sharply to work in this work.

And then if it so be that thy foredone

special deeds will always press in thy

remembrance betwixt thee and thy

God, or any new thought or stirring

of any sin either, thou shalt stalwartly

step above them with a fervent stirring

of love, and tread them down under

thy feet. And try to cover them with

a thick cloud of forgetting, as they

never had been done in this life of thee nor of other man either. And if they

oft rise, oft put them down: and

shortly to say, as oft as they rise, as

oft put them down. And if thee think

that the travail be great, thou mayest

seek arts and wiles and privy subtleties

of ghostly devices to put them away:

the which subtleties be better learned

of God by the proof than of any man

in this life. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

TWO AND THIRTIETH

CHAPTER

Of two ghostly devices that be helpful to a

ghostly beginner in the work of this book.

NEVERTHELESS, somewhat of this

subtlety shall I tell thee as me think.

Prove thou and do better, if thou

better mayest. Do that in thee is, to

let be as thou wist not that they press

so fast upon thee betwixt thee and thy

God. And try to look as it were over

their shoulders, seeking another thing:

the which thing is God, enclosed in a

cloud of unknowing. And if thou do

thus, I trow that within short time

thou shalt be eased of thy travail.

I trow that an this device be well and

truly conceived, it is nought else but a

longing desire unto God, to feel Him and see Him as it may be here: and

such a desire is charity, and it obtaineth

always to be eased.

Another device there is: prove thou

if thou wilt. When thou feelest that

thou mayest on nowise put them down,

cower thou down under them as

a caitiff and a coward overcome in

battle, and think that it is but a folly to

thee to strive any longer with them,

and therefore thou yieldest thee to

God in the hands of thine enemies.

And feel then thyself as thou wert

foredone for ever. Take good heed of

this device I pray thee, for me think in

the proof of this device thou shouldest

melt all to water. And surely me

think an this device be truly conceived

it is nought else but a true

knowing and a feeling of thyself as

thou art, a wretch and a filthy, far

worse than nought: the which knowing

and feeling is meekness. And

this meekness obtaineth to have God

Himself mightily descending, to venge

thee of thine enemies, for to take thee up, and cherishingly dry thine

ghostly eyen; as the father doth the

child that is in point to perish under

the mouths of wild swine or wode

biting bears. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

THREE AND THIRTIETH

CHAPTER

That in this work a soul is cleansed both

of his special sins and of the pain of

them, and yet how there is no perfect

rest in this life.

MORE devices tell I thee not at this

time; for an thou have grace to feel

the proof of these, I trow that thou

shalt know better to learn me than I

thee. For although it should be thus,

truly yet me think that I am full far

therefrom. And therefore I pray thee

help me, and do thou for thee and

for me.

Do on then, and travail fast awhile,

I pray thee, and suffer meekly the

pain if thou mayest not soon win to

these arts. For truly it is thy purgatory,

and then when thy pain is all passed and thy devices be given of

God, and graciously gotten in custom;

then it is no doubt to me that thou art

cleansed not only of sin, but also of the

pain of sin. I mean, of the pain of

thy special foredone sins, and not of

the pain of the original sin. For that

pain shall always last on thee to thy

death day, be thou never so busy.

Nevertheless, it shall but little provoke

thee, in comparison of this pain of thy

special sins; and yet shalt thou not

be without great travail. For out of

this original sin will all day spring

new and fresh stirrings of sin: the

which thee behoveth all day to smite

down, and be busy to shear away with

a sharp double-edged dreadful sword

of discretion. And hereby mayest thou

see and learn, that there is no soothfast

security, nor yet no true rest in

this life.

Nevertheless, herefore shalt thou

not go back, nor yet be overfeared of

thy failing. For an it so be that thou

mayest have grace to destroy the pain of thine foredone special deeds, in the

manner before said—or better if thou

better mayest—sure be thou, that the

pain of the original sin, or else the

new stirrings of sin that be to come,

shall but right little be able to provoke

thee. 

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The Cloud of Unknowing/Chapter 33

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

FOUR AND THIRTIETH

CHAPTER

That God giveth this grace freely without

any means, and that it may not be come

to with means.

AND if thou askest me by what

means thou shalt come to this work, I

beseech Almighty God of His great

grace and His great courtesy to teach

thee Himself. For truly I do thee

well to wit that I cannot tell thee, and

that is no wonder. For why, that

is the work of only God, specially

wrought in what soul that Him lieth

without any desert of the same soul.

For without it no saint nor no angel

can think to desire it. And I trow

that our Lord as specially and as oft

—yea! and more specially and more

oft—will vouchsafe to work this work in them that have been accustomed

sinners, than in some other, that never

grieved Him greatly in comparison of

them. And this will He do, for He

will be seen all-merciful and almighty;

and for He will be seen to work as

Him list, where Him list, and when

Him list.

And yet He giveth not this grace,

nor worketh not this work, in any soul

that is unable thereto. And yet, there

is no soul without this grace, able to

have this grace: none, whether it be

a sinner's soul or an innocent soul.

For neither it is given for innocence,

nor withholden for sin. Take good

heed, that I say withholden, and not

withdrawn. Beware of error here, I

pray thee; for ever, the nearer men

touch the truth, more wary men behoveth

to be of error. I mean but

well: if thou canst not conceive it, lay

it by thy side till God come and teach

thee. Do then so, and hurt thee not.

Beware of pride, for it blasphemeth

God in His gifts, and boldeneth sinners. Wert thou verily meek, thou shouldest

feel of this work as I say: that God

giveth it freely without any desert.

The condition of this work is such,

that the presence thereof enableth a

soul for to have it and for to feel it.

And that ableness may no soul have

without it. The ableness to this work

is oned to the work's self without departing;

so that whoso feeleth this

work is able thereto, and none else.

Insomuch, that without this work a

soul is as it were dead, and cannot

covet it nor desire it. Forasmuch

as thou wiliest it and desirest it, so

much hast thou of it, and no more nor

no less: and yet is it no will, nor no

desire, but a thing thou wottest never

what, that stirreth thee to will and

desire thou wottest never what. Reck

thee never if thou wittest no more, I

pray thee: but do forth ever more and

more, so that thou be ever doing.

And if I shall shortlier say, let

that thing do with thee and lead thee

whereso it list. Let it be the worker, and you but the sufferer: do but look

upon it, and let it alone. Meddle thee

not therewith as thou wouldest help

it, for dread lest thou spill all. Be

thou but the tree, and let it be the

wright: be thou but the house, and

let it be the husbandman dwelling

therein. Be blind in this time, and

shear away covetise of knowing, for

it will more let thee than help thee.

It sufficeth enough unto thee, that

thou feelest thee stirred likingly with

a thing thou wottest never what, else

that in this stirring thou hast no

special thought of any thing under

God; and that thine intent be nakedly

directed unto God.

And if it be thus, trust then steadfastly

that it is only God that stirreth

thy will and thy desire plainly by

Himself, without means either on His

part or on thine. And be not feared,

for the devil may not come so near.

He may never come to stir a man's

will, but occasionally and by means

from afar, be he never so subtle a devil. For sufficiently and without means

may no good angel stir thy will: nor,

shortly to say, nothing but only God.

So that thou mayest conceive here

by these words somewhat (but much

more clearly by the proof), that in this

work men shall use no means: nor

yet men may not come thereto with

means. All good means hang upon it,

and it on no means; nor no means may

lead thereto. 

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The Cloud of Unknowing/Chapter 34

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

FIVE AND THIRTIETH

CHAPTER

Of three means in the which a contemplative

prentice should be occupied; in reading,

thinking, and praying.

NEVERTHELESS, means there be

in the which a contemplative prentice

should be occupied, the which be these—Lesson,

Meditation, and Orison: or

else to thine understanding they may

be called—Reading, Thinking, and

Praying. Of these three thou shalt

find written in another book of another

man's work, much better than I can

tell thee; and therefore it needeth

not here to tell thee of the qualities

of them. But this may I tell thee:

these three be so coupled together,

that unto them that be beginners and

profiters—but not to them that be perfect, yea, as it may be here—

thinking may not goodly be gotten,

without reading or hearing coming

before. All is one in manner, reading

and hearing: clerks reading on

books, and lewd men reading on

clerks when they hear them preach

the word of God. Nor prayer may not

goodly be gotten in beginners and profiters,

without thinking coming before.

See by the proof. In this same

course, God's word either written

or spoken is likened to a mirror.

Ghostly, the eyes of thy soul is thy

reason; thy conscience is thy visage

ghostly. And right as thou seest that

if a foul spot be in thy bodily visage,

the eyes of the same visage may not

see that spot nor wit where it is, without

a mirror or a teaching of another

than itself; right so it is ghostly, without

reading or hearing of God's word

it is impossible to man's understanding

that a soul that is blinded in

custom of sin should see the foul spot

in his conscience. And so following, when a man seeth

in a bodily or ghostly mirror, or wots

by other men's teaching, whereabouts

the foul spot is on his visage, either

bodily or ghostly; then at first, and

not before, he runneth to the well to

wash him. If this spot be any special

sin, then is this well Holy Church, and

this water confession, with the circumstances.

If it be but a blind root and

a stirring of sin, then is this well

merciful God, and this water prayer,

with the circumstances. And thus

mayest thou see that no thinking may

goodly be gotten in beginners and

profiters, without reading or hearing

coming before: nor praying without

thinking. 

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The Cloud of Unknowing/Chapter 35

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HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX

AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER

Of the meditations of them that continually

travail in the work of this book.

BUT it is not so with them that

continually work in the work of this

book. For their meditations be but

as they were sudden conceits and

blind feelings of their own wretchedness,

or of the goodness of God; without

any means of reading or hearing

coming before, and without any special

beholding of any thing under God.

These sudden conceits and these blind

feelings be sooner learned of God

than of man. I care not though thou

haddest nowadays none other meditations

of thine own wretchedness,

nor of the goodness of God (I mean

if thou feel thee thus stirred by grace

and by counsel), but such as thou mayest have in this word SIN, and

in this word GOD: or in such other,

which as thee list. Not breaking nor

expounding these words with curiosity

of wit, in beholding after the

qualities of these words, as thou

wouldest by that beholding increase

thy devotion. I trow it should never

be so in this case and in this work.

But hold them all whole these words;

and mean by sin, a lump, thou wottest

never what, none other thing but thyself.

Me think that in this blind beholding

of sin, thus congealed in a

lump, none other thing than thyself,

it should be no need to bind a madder

thing, than thou shouldest be in this

time. And yet peradventure, whoso

looked upon thee should think thee

full soberly disposed in thy body,

without any changing of countenance;

but sitting or going or lying, or leaning

or standing or kneeling, whether thou

wert, in a full sober restfulness. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

SEVEN AND THIRTIETH

CHAPTER

Of the special prayers of them that be

continual workers in the work of this

book.

AND right as the meditations of them

that continually work in this grace

and in this work rise suddenly without

any means, right so do their prayers.

I mean of their special prayers, not

of those prayers that be ordained of

Holy Church. For they that be true

workers in this work, they worship

no prayer so much: and therefore

they do them, in the form and in the

statute that they be ordained of holy

fathers before us. But their special

prayers rise evermore suddenly unto

God, without any means or any premeditation in special coming before,

or going therewith.

And if they be in words, as they be

but seldom, then be they but in full

few words: yea, and in ever the fewer

the better. Yea, and if it be but a

little word of one syllable, me think

it better than of two: and more, too,

according to the work of the spirit,

since it so is that a ghostly worker

in this work should evermore be in

the highest and the sovereignest point

of the spirit. That this be sooth, see

by ensample in the course of nature.

A man or a woman, afraid with any

sudden chance of fire or of man's

death or what else that it be, suddenly

in the height of his spirit, he is driven

upon haste and upon need for to cry

or for to pray after help. Yea, how?

Surely, not in many words, nor yet

in one word of two syllables. And

why is that? For him thinketh it

over long tarrying for to declare the

need and the work of his spirit. And

therefore he bursteth up hideously with a great spirit, and cryeth a little

word, but of one syllable: as is this

word "fire," or this word "out!"

And right as this little word "fire"

stirreth rather and pierceth more

hastily the ears of the hearers, so

doth a little word of one syllable

when it is not only spoken or thought,

but privily meant in the deepness of

spirit; the which is the height, for

in ghostliness all is one, height and

deepness, length and breadth. And

rather it pierceth the ears of Almighty

God than doth any long psalter unmindfully

mumbled in the teeth. And

herefore it is written, that short

prayer pierceth heaven. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

EIGHT AND THIRTIETH

CHAPTER

How and why that short prayer pierceth

heaven.

AND why pierceth it heaven, this little

short prayer of one little syllable?

Surely because it is prayed with a full

spirit, in the height and in the deepness,

in the length and in the breadth

of his spirit that prayeth it. In the

height it is, for it is with all the might

of the spirit. In the deepness it

is, for in this little syllable be contained

all the wits of the spirit. In

the length it is, for might it ever

feel as it feeleth, ever would it cry as

it cryeth. In the breadth it is, for it

willeth the same to all other that it

willeth to itself.

In this time it is that a soul hath comprehended after the lesson of Saint

Paul with all saints—not fully, but in

manner and in part, as it is according

unto this work—which is the length

and the breadth, the height and the

deepness of everlasting and all-lovely,

almighty, and all-witting God. The

everlastingness of God is His length.

His love is His breadth. His might

is His height. And His wisdom is

His deepness. No wonder though a

soul that is thus nigh conformed by

grace to the image and the likeness of

God his maker, be soon heard of God!

Yea, though it be a full sinful soul, the

which is to God as it were an enemy;

an he might through grace come for

to cry such a little syllable in the

height and the deepness, the length

and the breadth of his spirit, yet he

should for the hideous noise of his cry

be always heard and helped of God.

See by ensample. He that is thy

deadly enemy, an thou hear him so

afraid that he cry in the height of his

spirit this little word "fire," or this word "out"; yet without any beholding

to him for he is thine enemy, but

for pure pity in thine heart stirred and

raised with the dolefulness of this cry,

thou risest up—yea, though it be about

midwinter's night—and helpest him

to slack his fire, or for to still him and

rest him in his distress. Oh, Lord!

since a man may be made so merciful

in grace, to have so much mercy and

so much pity of his enemy, notwithstanding

his enmity, what pity and

what mercy shall God have then of a

ghostly cry in soul, made and wrought

in the height and the deepness, the

length and the breadth of his spirit;

the which hath all by nature that man

hath by grace? And much more,

surely without comparison, much more

mercy will He have; since it is, that

that thing that is so had by nature is

nearer to an eternal thing than that

which is had by grace. 

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The Cloud of Unknowing/Chapter 38

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

NINE AND THIRTIETH

CHAPTER

How a perfect worker shall pray, and what

prayer is in itself; and if a man shall

pray in words, which words accord them

most to the property of prayer.

AND therefore it is, to pray in the

height and the deepness, the length

and the breadth of our spirit. And

that not in many words, but in a little

word of one syllable.

And what shall this word be?

Surely such a word as is best according

unto the property of prayer. And

what word is that? Let us first see

what prayer is properly in itself, and

thereafter we may clearlier know what

word will best accord to the property

of prayer.

Prayer in itself properly is not else, but a devout intent direct unto God,

for getting of good and removing of

evil. And then, since it so is that all

evil be comprehended in sin, either by

cause or by being, let us therefore

when we will intentively pray for

removing of evil either say, or think,

or mean, nought else nor no more

words, but this little word "sin."

And if we will intentively pray for getting

of good, let us cry, either with word

or with thought or with desire, nought

else nor no more words, but this word

"God." For why, in God be all good,

both by cause and by being. Have no

marvel why I set these words forby

all other. For if I could find any

shorter words, so fully comprehending

in them all good and all evil, as these

two words do, or if I had been learned

of God to take any other words either,

I would then have taken them and left

these; and so I counsel that thou do.

Study thou not for no words, for so

shouldest thou never come to thy

purpose nor to this work, for it is never got by study, but all only

by grace. And therefore take thou

none other words to pray in, although

I set these here, but such as thou art

stirred of God for to take. Nevertheless,

if God stir thee to take these, I

counsel not that thou leave them; I

mean if thou shalt pray in words, and

else not. For why, they be full short

words. But although the shortness

of prayer be greatly commended here,

nevertheless the oftness of prayer is

never the rather refrained. For as it

is said before, it is prayed in the

length of the spirit; so that it should

never cease, till the time were that it

had fully gotten that that it longed

after. Ensample of this have we in a

man or a woman afraid in the manner

beforesaid. For we see well, that

they cease never crying on this little

word "out," or this little word " fire,"

ere the time be that they have in great

part gotten help of their grief. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

FORTIETH CHAPTER

That in the time of this work a soul hath

no special beholding to any vice in itself

nor to any virtue in itself

DO thou, on the same manner, fill thy

spirit with the ghostly bemeaning of

this word "sin," and without any

special beholding unto any kind of sin,

whether it be venial or deadly: Pride,

Wrath, or Envy, Covetyse, Sloth,

Gluttony, or Lechery. What recks it

in contemplatives, what sin that it be,

or how muckle a sin that it be? For

all sins them thinketh—I mean for

the time of this work—alike great in

themselves, when the least sin departeth

them from God, and letteth

them of their ghostly peace.

And feel sin a lump, thou wottest

never what, but none other thing than thyself. And cry then ghostly ever

upon one: "Sin, sin, sin! Out, out, out!"

This ghostly cry is better learned of

God by the proof, than of any man by

word. For it is best when it is in

pure spirit, without special thought or

any pronouncing of word; unless it

be any seldom time, when for abundance

of spirit it bursteth up into

word, so that the body and the soul

be both filled with sorrow and cumbering

of sin.

On the same manner shalt thou do

with this little word "God." Fill thy

spirit with the ghostly bemeaning of

it without any special beholding to any

of His works—whether they be good,

better, or best of all—bodily or ghostly,

or to any virtue that may be wrought

in man's soul by any grace; not looking

after whether it be meekness or

charity, patience or abstinence, hope,

faith, or soberness, chastity or wilful

poverty. What recks this in contemplatives?

For all virtues they find

and feel in God; for in Him is all thing, both by cause and by being.

For they think that an they had God

they had all good, and therefore they

covet nothing with special beholding,

but only good God. Do thou on the

same manner as far forth as thou

mayest by grace: and mean God all,

and all God, so that nought work in

thy wit and in thy will, but only God.

And because that ever the whiles

thou livest in this wretched life, thee

behoveth always feel in some part this

foul stinking lump of sin, as it were

oned and congealed with the substance

of thy being, therefore shalt thou

changeably mean these two words—sin

and God. With this general

knowing, that an thou haddest God,

then shouldest thou lack sin: and

mightest thou lack sin, then shouldest

thou have God. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE

AND FORTIETH CHAPTER

That in all other works beneath this, men

should keep discretion; but in this none.

AND furthermore, if thou ask me

what discretion thou shalt have in this

work, then I answer thee and say,

right none! For in all thine other

doings thou shalt have discretion, as

in eating and in drinking, and in

sleeping and in keeping of thy body

from outrageous cold or heat, and in

long praying or reading, or in communing

in speech with thine even-christian.

In all these shalt thou keep

discretion, that they be neither too

much nor too little. But in this

work shalt thou hold no measure:

for I would that thou shouldest

never cease of this work the whiles

thou livest. I say not that thou shalt continue

ever therein alike fresh, for that may

not be. For sometime sickness and

other unordained dispositions in body

and in soul, with many other needfulness

to nature, will let thee full much,

and ofttimes draw thee down from the

height of this working. But I say

that thou shouldest evermore have it

either in earnest or in game; that is

to say, either in work or in will. And

therefore for God's love be wary with

sickness as much as thou mayest

goodly, so that thou be not the cause

of thy feebleness, as far as thou mayest.

For I tell thee truly, that this

work asketh a full great restfulness,

and a full whole and clean disposition,

as well in body as in soul.

And therefore for God's love govern

thee discreetly in body and in soul,

and get thee thine health as much as

thou mayest. And if sickness come

against thy power, have patience and

abide meekly God's mercy: and all is

then good enough. For I tell thee truly, that ofttimes patience in sickness

and in other diverse tribulations

pleaseth God much more than any

liking devotion that thou mayest have

in thy health. 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

TWO AND FORTIETH

CHAPTER

That by indiscretion in this, men shall

keep discretion in all other things; and

surely else never.

BUT peradventure thou askest me,

how thou shalt govern thee discreetly

in meat and in sleep, and in all these

other. And hereto I think to answer

thee right shortly: "Get that thou get

mayest." Do this work evermore without

ceasing and without discretion,

and thou shalt well ken begin and

cease in all other works with a great

discretion. For I may not trow that

a soul continuing in this work night

and day without discretion, should err

in any of these outward doings; and

else, me think that he should always

err. And therefore, an I might get a

waking and a busy beholding to this

ghostly work within in my soul, I

would then have a heedlessness in

eating and in drinking, in sleeping

and in speaking, and in all mine outward

doings. For surely I trow I

should rather come to discretion in

them by such a heedlessness, than by

any busy beholding to the same things,

as I would by that beholding set a

mark and a measure by them. Truly

I should never bring it so about, for

ought that I could do or say. Say

what men say will, and let the proof

witness. And therefore lift up thine

heart with a blind stirring of love;

and mean now sin, and now God.

God wouldest thou have, and sin

wouldest thou lack. God wanteth

thee; and sin art thou sure of. Now

good God help thee, for now hast

thou need! 

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

THREE AND FORTIETH

CHAPTER

That all witting and feeling of a man's

own being must needs be lost if the perfection

of this work shall verily be felt in any

soul in this life.

LOOK that nought work in thy wit

nor in thy will but only God. And try

for to fell all witting and feeling of

ought under God, and tread all down

full far under the cloud of forgetting.

And thou shalt understand, that thou

shalt not only in this work forget all

other creatures than thyself, or their

deeds or thine, but also thou shalt in

this work forget both thyself and also

thy deeds for God, as well as all other

creatures and their deeds. For it is

the condition of a perfect lover, not

only to love that thing that he loveth more than himself; but also in a

manner for to hate himself for that

thing that he loveth.

Thus shalt thou do with thyself:

thou shalt loathe and be weary with

all that thing that worketh in thy wit

and in thy will unless it be only God.

For why, surely else, whatsoever that

it be, it is betwixt thee and thy God.

And no wonder though thou loathe

and hate for to think on thyself, when

thou shalt always feel sin, a foul stinking

lump thou wottest never what,

betwixt thee and thy God: the which

lump is none other thing than thyself.

For thou shalt think it oned and congealed

with the substance of thy being:

yea, as it were without departing.

And therefore break down all witting

and feeling of all manner of

creatures; but most busily of thyself.

For on the witting and the feeling of

thyself hangeth witting and feeling of

all other creatures; for in regard of it,

all other creatures be lightly forgotten.

For, an thou wilt busily set thee to the proof, thou shalt find when thou

hast forgotten all other creatures and

all their works—yea, and thereto all

thine own works—that there shall live

yet after, betwixt thee and thy God, a

naked witting and a feeling of thine

own being: the which witting and

feeling behoveth always be destroyed,

ere the time be that thou feel soothfastly

the perfection of this work. 

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The Cloud of Unknowing/Chapter 43

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

FOUR AND FORTIETH

CHAPTER

How a soul shall dispose it on its own

part, for to destroy all witting and feeling

of its own being.

BUT now thou askest me, how thou

mayest destroy this naked witting and

feeling of thine own being. For peradventure

thou thinkest that an it

were destroyed, all other lettings

were destroyed: and if thou thinkest

thus, thou thinkest right truly. But

to this I answer thee and I say, that

without a full special grace full freely

given of God, and thereto a full according

ableness to receive this grace

on thy part, this naked witting and

feeling of thy being may on nowise

be destroyed. And this ableness is nought else but a strong and a deep

ghostly sorrow.

But in this sorrow needeth thee

to have discretion, on this manner:

thou shalt be wary in the time of this

sorrow, that thou neither too rudely

strain thy body nor thy spirit, but

sit full still, as it were in a sleeping

device, all forsobbed and forsunken in

sorrow. This is true sorrow; this is

perfect sorrow; and well were him

that might win to this sorrow. All

men have matter of sorrow: but most

specially he feeleth matter of sorrow,

that wotteth and feeleth that he is.

All other sorrows be unto this in

comparison but as it were game to

earnest. For he may make sorrow

earnestly, that wotteth and feeleth

not only what he is, but that he is.

And whoso felt never this sorrow, he

may make sorrow: for why, he felt yet

never perfect sorrow. This sorrow,

when it is had, cleanseth the soul, not

only of sin, but also of pain that it

hath deserved for sin; and thereto it maketh a soul able to receive that

joy, the which reeveth from a man all

witting and feeling of his being.

This sorrow, if it be truly conceived,

is full of holy desire: and else might

never man in this life abide it nor

bear it. For were it not that a soul

were somewhat fed with a manner

of comfort of his right working, else

should he not be able to bear the pain

that he hath of the witting and feeling

of his being. For as oft as he would

have a true witting and a feeling of

his God in purity of spirit, as it may

be here, and sithen feeleth that he

may not—for he findeth evermore his

witting and his feeling as it were

occupied and filled with a foul stinking

lump of himself, the which behoveth

always be hated and be despised and

forsaken, if he shall be God's perfect

disciple learned of Himself in the

mount of perfection—so oft, he goeth

nigh mad for sorrow. Insomuch,

that he weepeth and waileth, striveth,

curseth, and banneth; and shortly to say, him thinketh that he beareth so

heavy a burthen of himself that he

careth never what betides him, so that

God were pleased. And yet in all this

sorrow he desireth not to unbe: for

that were devil's madness and despite

unto God. But him listeth right well

to be; and he intendeth full heartily

thanking to God, for the worthiness

and the gift of his being, for all that

he desire unceasingly for to lack the

witting and the feeling of his being.

This sorrow and this desire behoveth

every soul have and feel in itself,

either in this manner or in another;

as God vouchsafeth for to learn to His

ghostly disciples after His well willing

and their according ableness in body

and in soul, in degree and disposition,

ere the time be that they may perfectly

be oned unto God in perfect charity—such

as may be had here—if God

vouchsafeth. 

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The Cloud of Unknowing/Chapter 44

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

FIVE AND FORTIETH

CHAPTER

A good declaring of some certain deceits

that may befall in this work.

BUT one thing I tell thee, that in

this work may a young disciple that

hath not yet been well used and

proved in ghostly working, full lightly

be deceived; and, but he be soon

wary, and have grace to leave off and

meek him to counsel, peradventure

be destroyed in his bodily powers and

fall into fantasy in his ghostly wits.

And all this is along of pride, and of

fleshliness and curiosity of wit.

And on this manner may this deceit

befall. A young man or a woman

new set to the school of devotion

heareth this sorrow and this desire

be read and spoken: how that a man shall lift up his heart unto God, and

unceasingly desire for to feel the love

of his God. And as fast in a curiosity

of wit they conceive these words not

ghostly as they be meant, but fleshly

and bodily; and travail their fleshly

hearts outrageously in their breasts.

And what for lacking of grace and

pride and curiosity in themselves, they

strain their veins and their bodily

powers so beastly and so rudely, that

within short time they fall either into

frenzies, weariness, and a manner of

unlisty feebleness in body and in soul,

the which maketh them to wend out

of themselves and seek some false

and some vain fleshly and bodily

comfort without, as it were for recreation

of body and of spirit: or else,

if they fall not in this, else they merit

for ghostly blindness, and for fleshly

chafing of their nature in their bodily

breasts in the time of this feigned

beastly and not ghostly working, for

to have their breasts either enflamed

with an unkindly heat of nature caused of misruling of their bodies

or of this feigned working, or else

they conceive a false heat wrought

by the Fiend, their ghostly enemy,

caused of their pride and of their

fleshliness and their curiosity of wit.

And yet peradventure they ween it be

the fire of love, gotten and kindled

by the grace and the goodness of the

Holy Ghost. Truly, of this deceit,

and of the branches thereof, spring

many mischiefs: much hypocrisy,

much heresy, and much error. For

as fast after such a false feeling

cometh a false knowing in the Fiend's

school, right as after a true feeling

cometh a true knowing in God's

school. For I tell thee truly, that the

devil hath his contemplatives as God

hath His.

This deceit of false feeling, and of

false knowing following thereon, hath

diverse and wonderful variations, after

the diversity of states and the subtle

conditions of them that be deceived:

as hath the true feeling and knowing of them that be saved. But I set no

more deceits here but those with the

which I trow thou shalt be assailed

if ever thou purpose thee to work in

this work. For what should it profit

to thee to wit how these great clerks,

and men and women of other degrees

than thou art, be deceived? Surely

right nought; and therefore I tell

thee no more but those that fall unto

thee if thou travail in this work.

And therefore I tell thee this, for

thou shalt be wary therewith in thy

working, if thou be assailed

therewith. 

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The Cloud of Unknowing/Chapter 45

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HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX

AND FORTIETH CHAPTER

A good teaching how a man shall flee

these deceits, and work more with a listiness

of spirit, than with any boisterousness

of body.

AND therefore for God's love be

wary in this work, and strain not

thine heart in thy breast over-rudely

nor out of measure; but work more

with a list than with any worthless

strength. For ever the more listily,

the more meekly and ghostly: and

ever the more rudely, the more bodily

and beastly. And therefore be wary,

for surely what beastly heart that presumeth

for to touch the high mount

of this work, it shall be beaten away

with stones. Stones be hard and dry

in their kind, and they hurt full sore

where they hit. And surely such rude strainings be full hard fastened in

fleshliness of bodily feeling, and full

dry from any witting of grace; and

they hurt full sore the silly soul, and

make it fester in fantasy feigned of

fiends. And therefore be wary with

this beastly rudeness, and learn thee

to love listily, with a soft and a demure

behaviour as well in body as in soul;

and abide courteously and meekly the

will of our Lord, and snatch not overhastily,

as it were a greedy greyhound,

hunger thee never so sore. And,

gamingly be it said, I counsel that

thou do that in thee is, refraining the

rude and the great stirring of thy spirit,

right as thou on nowise wouldest let

Him wit how fain thou wouldest see

Him, and have Him or feel Him.

This is childishly and playingly

spoken, thee think peradventure.

But I trow whoso had grace to do

and feel as I say, he should feel good

gamesome play with Him, as the

father doth with the child, kissing and

clipping, that well were him so. 

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The Cloud of Unknowing/Chapter 46

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

SEVEN AND FORTIETH

CHAPTER

A slight teaching of this work in purity

of spirit; declaring how that on one

manner a soul should shew his desire unto

God, and on ye contrary unto man.

LOOK thou have no wonder why that

I speak thus childishly, and as it were

follily and lacking natural discretion;

for I do it for certain reasons, and as

me thinketh that I have been stirred

many days, both to feel thus and think

thus and say thus, as well to some

other of my special friends in God, as

I am now unto thee.

And one reason is this, why that I

bid thee hide from God the desire of

thine heart. For I hope it should

more clearly come to His knowing,

for thy profit and in fulfilling of thy desire, by such an hiding, than it should

by any other manner of shewing that

I trow thou couldest yet shew. And

another reason is, for I would by such

a hid shewing bring thee out of the

boisterousness of bodily feeling into

the purity and deepness of ghostly

feeling; and so furthermore at the last

to help thee to knit the ghostly knot

of burning love betwixt thee and thy

God, in ghostly onehead and according

of will.

Thou wottest well this, that God is

a Spirit; and whoso should be oned

unto Him, it behoveth to be in soothfastness

and deepness of spirit, full far

from any feigned bodily thing. Sooth

it is that all thing is known of God, and

nothing may be hid from His witting,

neither bodily thing nor ghostly. But

more openly is that thing known and

shewed unto Him, the which is hid in

deepness of spirit, sith it so is that He

is a Spirit, than is anything that is

mingled with any manner of bodilyness.

For all bodily thing is farther from God by the course of nature than

any ghostly thing. By this reason it

seemeth, that the whiles our desire

is mingled with any matter of bodilyness,

as it is when we stress and strain

us in spirit and in body together, so

long it is farther from God than it

should be, an it were done more devoutly

and more listily in soberness

and in purity and in deepness of spirit.

And here mayest thou see somewhat

and in part the reason why that I bid

thee so childishly cover and hide the

stirring of thy desire from God. And

yet I bid thee not plainly hide it; for

that were the bidding of a fool, for to

bid thee plainly do that which on nowise

may be done. But I bid thee do

that in thee is to hide it. And why

bid I thus? Surely because I would

that thou cast it into deepness of spirit,

far from any rude mingling of any

bodilyness, the which would make it

less ghostly and farther from God inasmuch:

and because I wot well that

ever the more that thy spirit hath of ghostliness, the less it hath of bodilyness

and the nearer it is to God, and

the better it pleaseth Him and the

more clearly it may be seen of Him.

Not that His sight may be any time or

in any thing more clear than in another,

for it is evermore unchangeable: but

because it is more like unto Him, when

it is in purity of spirit, for He is a Spirit.

Another reason there is, why that I

bid thee do that in thee is to let Him

not wit: for thou and I and many

such as we be, we be so able to conceive

a thing bodily the which is said

ghostly, that peradventure an I had

bidden thee shew unto God the stirring

of thine heart, thou shouldest have

made a bodily shewing unto Him, either

in gesture or in voice, or in word, or

in some other rude bodily straining,

as it is when thou shalt shew a thing

that is hid in thine heart to a bodily

man: and insomuch thy work should

have been impure. For on one manner

shall a thing be shewed to man, and

on another manner unto God. 

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The Cloud of Unknowing/Chapter 47

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HERE BEGINNETH THE

EIGHT AND FORTIETH

CHAPTER

How God will be served both with body

and with soul, and reward men in both;

and how men shall know when all those

sounds and sweetness that fall into the

body in time of prayer be both good and

evil.

I SAY not this because I will that

thou desist any time, if thou be stirred

for to pray with thy mouth, or for to

burst out for abundance of devotion

in thy spirit for to speak unto God as

unto man, and say some good word as

thou feelest thee stirred: as be these,

"Good JESU! Fair JESU! Sweet

JESU!" and all such other. Nay, God

forbid thou take it thus! For truly I

mean not thus, and God forbid that I

should depart that which God hath coupled, the body and the spirit. For

God will be served with body and with

soul both together, as seemly is, and

will reward man his meed in bliss,

both in body and in soul. And in

earnest of that meed, sometimes He

will enflame the body of devout servants

of His here in this life: not once

or twice, but peradventure right oft

and as Him liketh, with full wonderful

sweetness and comforts. Of the which,

some be not coming from without into

the body by the windows of our wits,

but from within; rising and springing

of abundance of ghostly gladness, and

of true devotion in the spirit. Such a

comfort and such a sweetness shall not

be had suspect: and shortly to say, I

trow that he that feeleth it may not

have it suspect.

But all other comforts, sounds and

gladness and sweetness, that come

from without suddenly and thou wottest

never whence, I pray thee have

them suspect. For they may be both

good and evil; wrought by a good angel if they be good, and by an evil

angel if they be evil. And this may on

nowise be evil, if their deceits of curiosity

of wit, and of unordained straining

of the fleshly heart be removed as

I learn thee, or better if thou better

mayest. And why is that? Surely

for the cause of this comfort; that is to

say, the devout stirring of love, the

which dwelleth in pure spirit. It is